Another Bath

Baths
Steam enshrouds, a misty curtain that veils the room. Pools abound, water constantly swirling, warm and inviting; soapsand waits on nearby ledges for easy access. Racks of clothes stand by the door, freshly washed clothing hang from some, and bundles of yet to be washed clothes fill mutliple baskets beneath. Large cupboard doors open to reveal multitude of fresh, soft towels, and plenty of bathing items -- sponges, pumice stones, and back scrubbers.

Niall is but a blurr in the steam, moving quietly in from the caverns.

Reiko is lounging in a corner of the bathing pool, submerged nearly up to her neck, her head dropped back to rest on the lip of the pool. Her hair is soaked and slicked back from her face for a change, and from her slow even breathing and the fact that her eyes are completely closed, it might be assumed she's fallen asleep.

Niall whistles as he enters the baths, pausing briefly at times to try variants of what he just whistled. He walks among the pools, finding one in which he would be disturbed the least. As he steels down to enter his pool of choice, Reiko gets noticed, probably much to her dislike. At that moment his whistling changes, and he smirks when he finishes.

Reiko's brow furrows as the sound of someone whistling reaches her ears. Tunefully, at least, thank Faranth. She opens one eye, halfway, squinting through the steam as discreetly as possible, shutting it again quickly when she spots a familiar smirk. "Thought you hated the baths," she remarks, her voice deliberately casual and emotionless.

Niall shrugs, and starts to set what he has on him, off to the side. "Not my favorite place, but it's nice to get clean." He said relaxed, or at the start of being truly relaxed. Clothing neatly discarded off to the side, with his other items, Niall slides into the pool. This is the true start of relaxing.

Reiko for once can't think of any argument to Niall's statement, so she's silent. But her own muscles are beginning to tense a bit, despite the heat of the bath, evidenced only by the light scowl that mars her features and the agitated tapping of one long finger on the lip of the pool where her arm rests.

Niall is going to relax some now, get clean in a moment, and leave Reiko alone. If that last part is at all possible, it will be known in a moment. He starts to drum his fingers idly, in the same tune as his whistle, something to do as he waits and relaxes.

Reiko's scowl deepens momentarily as she forces herself to stop the tapping of her finger, drawing her arm back into the pool. At length she manages to school her features into a more relaxed expression with a deep breath and a slow, controlled exhale. No reason she shouldn't continue to enjoy her bath. He hasn't even said anything annoying yet.

Niall continues to drum his fingers, smirking and nodding at what he's creating. AS soon as he's done in here, he'll need to try that tune out on his guitar. Relaxing, and muscles loosening, Niall finally decides to moves and start bathing.

Reiko keeps her eyes closed, listening closely as light splashing sounds tell her he's moving. Closer? No, doesn't sound like it. Another deep breath and she settles in to ignore him. If she can.

Niall moves to where he can grab what he needs to bath with. Stopping only a moment to think about this unique situation. Him and Reiko in the same room, and it's quiet. Quickly he shrugs it off and starts to bathing.

Reiko remains quite still, outwardly oblivious, but listening all the same. Hearing nothing besides normal bathing sounds... no whistling, moving closer, or attempts at conversation... she finally begins to relax again, sinking a bit deeper into the bath with a barely audible sigh - more of a light exhale.

Niall quickly finishes most of his bathing, stopping at one point to remind himself that he has all the time in the world now. Still he gets himself clean, but in a rush, like he has no time to spare. Under one last time, he goes, before putting the bathing items away.

Completely relaxed again, Reiko doesn't even notice Niall's hurry. In fact, she seems to have completely forgotten he's in the same bath with her. It's a big pool, after all. Another deep breath.. maybe she /will/ fall asleep, after all. It's so lovely and warm here, she's willing to risk puckered fingers just to be comfortable for a while.

Bathing done, and with Niall clean, he just moves from where he is, to where he was. It was time to get out, at least for him, and dry off. Quickly he dries off, and puts the first of his clothing back on.

Another splash reaches Reiko's ears, one that distinctly sounds like someone leaving the pool. And since it's not her, that can mean only one thing. A twisted smirk curls the corners of her mouth and her lounging becomes ever-so-slightly more deliberately indolent, and her voice when she finally speaks is a lazy drawl. "Back to the cold places, now?" One eye opens to look him over as he dresses. "Mind you don't catch a chill. Wouldn't want to end up in the Infirmary."

Niall chuckles as he finishes putting on his boots, leaving his tunic to be the last piece of clothing left. "Back to anywhere, cold or warm. I just need it to be outside. And if I caught a chill, I wouldn't come to the infirmary. Never know what you people would do to me." He then picks up his items, and opens a bag; he was carrying. Klah, fresh too, was held in his bag, and now it was going to be gone.

Reiko smirks. "I'm not a healer, so I couldn't tell you." With a languid stretch, she shifts to a more comfortable position and mutters, "I knew you were crazy." Anywhere outdoors at Reaches in winter is going to be cold. Wet and cold is a Bad Thing.

Niall takes his first drink of his klah, surprised the Reiko hasn't noticed it by now. "Crazy?" he says with a chuckle. "That was an occupational hazard, for me. Before I came to 'Reaches, and it seems to be needed here too."

Reiko gives him a Look, at which point she does notice the bag he's carrying. Presumably it's klah, but she decides not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her comment on it. "For someone with no /occupation/," she says dryly, emerald eyes narrowing, "That's a bit surprising."

Niall chuckles, and takes another drink. Closing the bag he sets it down, to keep himself from drinking to much at once. "I have no occupation here, with 'Reaches. But I do keep ties with my old occupation." And he has ways to prove it.

"Oh?" Reiko's voice is skeptical. "And what was that?" Still lounging rather deliberately, trying to keep her gaze from wandering to the klah. Now that she's aware of it, the need for it tickles the edges of her consciousness, becoming harder to ignore.

Niall smriks, and picks that bag up again. Opening it, another drink is taken, and the means less is in the bag. "I was a trader, but I mostly did scouting for the wagon train I was born into."

Reiko's eyes narrow again, but this time her expression is less hostile and more confused. "How did being crazy help?" She smirks. "Or is that /why/ you're crazy?" Deciding she's had enough of soaking, she stands herself, making her way out of the pool and heading for the towels without so much as a look in his direction. Klah or no klah. She can get her own. If it only didn't smell so good..

Niall watches Reiko intently, and allows his smirk to widen. Sitting back, like he wouldn't answer her question he shrugged some. "Being crazy helped because our wagon runs above Telgar," he starts, as he watches Reiko come out of the pool. "I was also the one the slipped into Holds, to gather information before the wagon came. I stopped us from being cheated, and the Holders didn't like that." Bits and pieces he was leaving out of his explanation, but it still made so sense without them.

Reiko changes neither pace nor path, despite the fact that she's perfectly aware that she's being watched. She expected no less, and it's not as if she's modest. Long fingers reach indolently to grasp a clean towel, and she uses it to dry her hair first before finally wrapping it around herself. "Holders cheating traders?" She snorts. "Isn't it usually the other way around?" Turning at last to face him, her posture defiant.

Niall grins, as he takes another drink from his bag. Noting to himself that it's already halfway gone. "Holders try to cheat anyone, anytime they get. And some traders try to cheat Holders, we just conned." Sounding so proud he did, about what he use to do to Holders. But it's also quiet clear that they're some Holders he didn't like.

Reiko smirks. "Interesting." Of course, she left her Hold behind without a thought, but she reads in his words one more reason not to trust him. Emerald gaze wanders to the bag again, despite the fact that she knows perfectly well that all the klah even /she/ can drink is a few steps away in the living caverns. One hand comes up to fingercomb her dripping hair, and she turns away from him again to retrieve her clothing.

Niall smirks as memories of pass actions come forward. Many Holders he didn't like, for what they did, but even he has to admit there were a few who were good. His klah is set-aside once again, as Niall finally decides to put his tunic back on. His eyes catch the symbols on his tunic, and he smiles. "Not all Holders were bad," he muttered to himself.

Reiko drops the towel and wriggles into her own tunic, then sits down on a low bench to pull on leggings and boots. At his muttered words, her eyes slide over to regard him sidelong, and one eyebrow arches high on her forehead. "I should think not," she remarks. "Any more than all traders are thieves." Just most of them, in her opinion, but she's strangely willing to give him the benefit of doubt. Perhaps that bath relaxed her more than she expected. But she doesn't give that statement much time to sink in, immediately changing the subject. "In any case," - she gets to her feet and shakes her head to rearrange her hair in its more customary style (the better to hide half her face behind) - "I need klah."

Niall keeps quiet about the trader statement. I benefit of the doubt was nice, but he never liked that idea of being labeled a thief just because he traded. But that's not saying he can't be one, if he wanted to. "Klah is something you always need," he said slightly amused. "Want any of mine?"

Reiko stops and turns to look at him again, the corners of her lips twisting in a wry halfsmile as she folds her arms across her chest. "What, sit fully dressed in the steaming baths and drink klah?" She shakes her head, emerald eyes glittering. "No thanks."

Niall chuckled, and shook his head. "I didn't say anything about drinking it in here, now did I?" Bag in hand, along with another item or two, which quickly disappeared into his tunic, he walked to the door. "I wouldn't mind leaving here at the moment."

Reiko nods, twisted halfsmile now accompanied by a finely arched eyebrow. "Be my guest," she drawls. One hand lifts in a graceful gesture, waving him to precede her, knowing perfectly well he's unlikely to be headed anywhere she'd want to follow. As if she'd give him the satisfaction.

Niall smirked at Reiko, looking her over once, before he picked up and left the baths behind. Not a moment to soon at that.

Inner Caverns
Ancient caverns unfold in an endless maze of tunnels and stairs, the Weyr's cavities a labyrinth to the uninitiated. Here, trimmed by the last of the stone cutters, arched walls and vaulted ceilings retain the soapy smoothness of well-worn stone, as do the endless tunnel floors kept clear and tidy. Shadows creep and flicker across these glowlit mountain walls, creatures of non-light wending their way east to the main caverns and bowl, or branching out in a web of caves to the Weyr's living spaces.
Niall is here.

Reiko nearly walks into Niall, having not really expected to find him still in the caverns. Recovering a bit, she smirks. "Still here?"

Niall shakes his bag some, and smiles. "I still have klah. When I'm done, I'll leave." Or so he says, but then again, he may not.

Reiko inclines her chin sharply, tossing damp hair. "Suit yourself," she says. "There's plenty in the caverns." And comfortable chairs, besides. Standing in the chilly inner caverns, trading smirks and veiled insults, will definitely quickly undo any good that soak has done her. Without another word, she turns on her heel and stalks off in the direction of the living caverns.

Niall chuckles and turns to the dorms. He needed to grab something before he headed to the living caverns, like he was planning to.

Living Caverns
The rough-hewn majesty of this cavern far outpaces any delight in the multitudes of curves that form its enclosure. The glabrous grey granite is shot through with translucent obsidian, lending subtly-veined sparkle to the walls and the foot-trodden smoothness of the floor that shows centuries-old placements of the scarred trestle tables; carven hollows give homes for the glow baskets and the coat-pegs that line the walls. No mosaics, no painting, no tiles: just a few well-done tapestries mark the pathway that lead to the kitchen to the north and the inner caverns to the west, and frame the nighthearth's stew and snacks, while a heavier strip of oiled canvas shields the unwary from the wind in the bowl.
Scattered about in various perches and niches are forty-nine firelizards.
Kiharu and Miryake are here.

Merra walks in from the Central Bowl.

A dark green lump staggers in from the bowl, quickly revealed as a Merra when she removes her cloak, scarf, and other protective coverings. Not even attempting to sound coherent yet, she meanders to the hearth, collecting her usual mug of mulled cider and a pastry. With one tongue-burning sip of the cider, she's a little more ready for communication, and so makes her way over to join the others. "Morning, Kiharu. Reiko, haven't seen you in a while. How've you been? And... um, I'm Merra." She's finally decided she's probably never met the third person, and settles in a chair while introducing herself.

Kiharu has disconnected.
Kiharu falls asleep.

Reiko stalks in from the inner caverns, hair still dripping, and heads straight for the klah. Lots and lots of klah. Filling a large mug to brimming, she drinks about half of it right away, tops it off, then brings mug and pitcher to a hearthside table where she flumps herself down with a scowl. At Merra's greeting, she swings her head around with a glare that she quickly reschools into a less... unfriendly expression. "Morning, Merra." Her tone is flat. "I'm fine." Another long sip drains the first mug and she sets it on the table with a thunk and shakes her head irritably before resigning herself to conversation. "How are you?" She even manages to sound vaguely interested.

Miryake is perched in a chair with a big mug of klah. The newcomers, when they're noticed are offered a cheerful, bright, "Hullo! Lovely mornin' isn' it?" the small, blue eyed girl turns in her seat to look at them better, giving each a wide grin. Happy girl.

Miryake
Wide in this young woman's strawberry-and-cream face lie a pair of brilliantly colored eyes of the deepest sapphire. Long sienna lashes brush the tops of her rosy cheeks, whispy tresses of deep walnut framing her slightly rounded face, reaching down to midback when unbound. Her nose is but a button in her fair face, thin primrose lips matching the pinkish color of her cheeks, brought about either by sun, wind, or maybe she was just born with it. Her small, lithe frame doesn't reach beyond 5'2'', the curves of being female just begining to show in her lean, muscular body. Rough life shows itself through the heavy calluses on her fine boned hands, the thin agewhitened scar along her jawbone, and the not-so-old blaze of a scar on her shoulder.
Thick knit is the sweater Miry dons, dyed a deep twilight blue, setting off her eyes as much brighter and stand-outish than they are already. A hood is attatched to the back of the sweater, the same profound blue, with a small edging of cloud white fur. A heavy woolen skirt of a simular twilight, just a few shades lighter, swings about her legs, little crinkles on either side evident where she's frequently picked up her skirt to run faster or jump over something. The same winter white fur that edges her hood is visable on the hem of her skirt, and the tops of her strong umber boots. Her hair's been swept into a half runnertail, half up half down, and tied with a silky sapphire ribbon.
On one shoulder rests the simple blue and black knot of High Reaches Weyrfolk.
Miryake is 15 Turns, 8 months, and 15 days old.

Merra arches one eyebrow, studying the young woman with amusement carefully concealed. "I'm... better than you, apparently," she answers, tongue decidedly in cheek. Lifting her mug up for a sip, she manages to hide her smirk, irrationally amused by the other's mood. She settles for answering Miryake, grinning. "Lovely if you happen to like freezing! Aye... it is very lovely here. You new?" That's connected. Really.

Niall arrives from deeper in the Weyr.

Reiko is unamused by Merra's amusement, which she picks up more from the other's tone than from her expression. The glare that the poor new girl got just for being unreasonably cheerful this sharding early in the day is turned full on Merra, but she doesn't comment. Refilling her mug from the pitcher, she slumps back in her chair and scowls at the tabletop.

Miryake grins as she bobs her head in a nod at Merra, "It's not that bad, an' yeh can warm up with th' hearth, then go back out o'course. An' yes I am, names Miryake, call me Miry, Mir, wha'ever yeh want. It's nice ta meetcha. I've only been here a sevenday er two, it's real nice. Have yeh been here long?" She peers at Reiko then, "Is somethin' wrong? Yer glarin'...did I say somethin' wrong? Or did somethin' bad just happen?"

Merra isn't looking at Reiko at this point, and so she doesn't notice the glare directed her way. But she does casually ask, "What's up, Reiko. Couldn't help but notice you're a little grumpy. Just not a morning person?" This is not to say the small resident sipping frantically at the cider is. She shrugs and refocuses on Miryake. "Nice to meet you, and welcome, a little late. You liking it here so far?"

Reiko is decidedly /not/ a morning person. And since morning is a relative term in Reikospeak, it's not that unusual to find her grumpy. Maybe she's a bit more grumpy than usual. Perhaps the narrowing of her eyes when she spies a certain young man slipping into the living caverns will go unnoticed, even by him? Not likely. She turns her eyes to Miryake instead, her words intended to answer all the questions just asked of her. "I'm fine. Thank you." Suuuure she is. She tops off her mug again.

Niall
Rough features, sculpted by the elements over turns. A sign of his life before now, and the turns of work he endured during it. Even gone from that life, he carries on being out in the elements and the hard work, all which is evident on him. Long dark hair resides with him, kept tied back at the base of his skull. An opposite contrast his dark hair is to his eyes. His constantly steady, light eyes oppose his dark erratic hair. His muscles are tone, as those encompass endurance and not strength, but that does not detract from his overall strength. Standing at 5' 10 there are many things apparent about him, but he still has many features that remain a mystery.
Coving his upper body is a dark forest green tunic. Along the edges and down the arms arm, mysterious brown symbols swirl. Each symbol, runs down an arm, around a cuff, or the neck, and each symbol is one continues, interweaving line. Each of these lines is connect to itself, forming interweaving knots, with no beginning and no end. Black pants cover his lower body, consisting of the same mysterious designs as on his tunic, except these only run down the legs. His clothing is made of a thick material, making these perfect for cold weather, but awful for anything else. On his feet are full-length boots, which follow the same pattern of his tunic and pants. AS his boots house the symbols too.
Niall is 16 Turns, 1 month, and 20 days old.

Miryake nods quickly, "I like it very much thank yeh. Everyones so nice, an' it's lovely up in th' mountains. They even have a stables here!" wonder of wonders. "M'sorry, I didn' catch yer name...what was it?" that's to Merra before she turns to Reiko, "Yeh don' look it...but sometimes people just git in bad moods. My mama always said don' bother anyone in a bad mood." seems she doesn't listen to her mama much.

Merra coughs and lets Miryake handle the rather grumpy Reiko-type. She'll just sit here and inhale the cider. An answer is needed, however, and she says, "Merra. With no shortening that I'm aware of." Besides the 'Mer' that a good portion of people seem to call her. She slouches comfortably in her seat, simply watching the others over the rim of her mug.

Saisukei arrives from deeper in the Weyr.

Niall slipped into the living caverns, and had just decided to stay hidden in the shadows, like he normally does. Whenever his klah runs out, he'll decide to slip into the light, and allow others to see him. He then brought the klah up to his mouth, and found out, he was going into the light sooner than he thought.

Reiko stares narrowly at Miryake for a long moment, then shrugs. "Good advice," she snaps, turning her attention back to her klah. She's generally a bit more civil as the ratio of klah to bloodstream increases. Generally. One hand lifts to irritably push a chunk of wet hair behind her ear, and she edges her chair a bit closer to the hearth.

Saisukei stalks in like she usually does, except for some odd reason she's got her eyes closed shut. Walking around like she's blind, which by the way, she isn't she manages to find her way to the Klah pots, and succesfully pour herself a mug. Hmmm...almost successfully, the first attempt gets the Klah on the floor, none on Saisu however, then second try hits the mug. Yah. Three points for Saisu. Then listening for any voices she knows she gives the room in general a sleepy hello, moving to sit near her sister Miryake. Who she doesn't at the moment, know is there. She's sure to find out though. As her sister never stops talking...

Something in Reiko's manner is just a little too much, and combined with Saisukei's entrance, it's way too much for Merra. Giggles bubble up unbidden, and she succeeds in snorting cider up her nose, the sound of laughter turning too the sound of coughing.

Miryake doesn't know how to take a hint...not at /all/. "I know, Mama was always full of good adivce, but she was allergic ta th' runners too, so I didn' see her much 'cause I worked with the runners a lot. Do you like runners? What do you do 'round the Weyr? There're so many jobs to do---hey now Saisu why're yeh doin' that?--You alrigh' Merra?" then she falls silent, thank Faranth. Yeah, she's good at talking.

Saisukei looks in Merra's general direction. She's heard the coughing and the giggling. "Mer...don' inhale it." Okay so she's heard Merra, and she's heard Miryake...too much. "I don' wanna wake up..." She says out flatly to Miryake, then after a pause she adds dryly, "and the light...ar..." Klah mug is brought shakily up to her lips. Hopefully, when she tips the mug, the Klah will go into her mouth, and not in her ear or something...

Being his normally unsociable self, Niall slips out of the shadows. Straight towards the klah he headed. Seeming more reserved than normal, like the shadows he was just, had become a permanent piece. All he was going to do was get a mug of klah, and slip back to the shadows. But with who's in the caverns, he'll probably be dragged into a conversation.

Reiko ignores the barrage of questions as well as she can, breathing a silent sigh of relief when Miryake's attention is finally diverted to the others in the room. Another long sip drains mug number two, and she's pouring again. Emerald gaze narrows as Niall slips out of the shadows, right past her to the klah without so much as a glance, and she straightens abruptly and redirects her chair to face the oh-so-chipper one, just to be perverse. Horrors. "I work in the infirmary, and I've no opinion whatsoever on runners." Saisukei gets an appraising glance, then she turns to Merra with a finely arched eyebrow and a twisted halfsmile. "Mind you don't choke, it's my day off." As if she works a lot.

Merra isn't in the habit of dragging people into conversations, even when she's not choking. Taking another sip of the offending liquid to help calm herself, coughing and laughter both subsiding. Shooting an ironic glance at Reiko, she asks dryly, "So someone has to choke before you'll smile. Maybe Daeyn is right about avoiding healers..." This is tongue in cheek, of course, and she hopes that's obvious enough to appease the other.

Miryake grins at her sister, "Really? Yeh should've stayed under yer covers then, 'cause if yeh walk 'round like that then you'll bump into somethin', get hurt, an' then I'll have a sick sister...and the blue boys'll have a sick owner." she chatters. Now to Niall..."Hi there! I didn' see yeh...how're you? Why aren' yeh talkin'? Are yeh in a bad mood too? Maybe you an' her," she points at Reiko, "can be in a bad mood together." Reiko gets a beam, really the best way to get her to shut up is to not respond, that or take a clamp to her mouth, but then she'd probably hum, "Yeh work in th' infirmary? What's that like? Doncha see lots of sick folk? Maybe if Saisu bumps into somethin' yeh could take care of her? I want her to have the best care possible, an' you seem like you'd be a good person to keep her feelin' alrigh'." Silence. Yay.

Saisukei does in fact manage to get the Klah in her mouth. After swallowing she says. "Who's tha' other voice?" She asks out of the blue. "I'm just fin', Miry." She comments about her sisters worries. "Maybeh you should take ma's advice about speakin' only when spoke' ta..." Grumble. Grumble. "And yes Miry, when ya work in tha infirmary, you see lot'sa sick people." More grumbling. But she stands again, and looks, or rather doesn't look, around for the Klah pot. Just meanders to it's general direction. Pouring a mugs worth on the floor, again, and then getting it in the cup. Back to her seat, slamming into a few couple chairs here and there. Ouch.

Reiko just... blinks. Once. Slowly. Unable to wrap her brain around that many words, all in one breath. There isn't that much klah in the entire Weyr. She's even forgotten that Merra said anything. Um. Yeah. She reaches to refill her mug... oh, did that already. So she drinks instead.

Pay no mind to the gaping Merra in that one chair there. She's decidedly taken aback by the amount of air one girl can have in her lungs at a time, despite having encountered wordier in her Turns here. She follows Reiko's lead, climbing to her feet to stumble numbly towards the hearth to refill her mug, and then just as stiffly returning to her chair.

Niall stops, hearing words directed at him. Well peace couldn't last that long, if he let other see him, now would it. Quickly he drinks a good portion of his mug, before turning to Miryake. "Allo, and I'm just being my normal self." The truth he spook, and then he looked at Reiko, after Miry pointed to her. He smirked and then shook his head, as he backed away some.

Miryake is pretty used to the reactions she's getting out of Merra and Reiko, they're quite common around little Miry. She makes up for her height with words...lots of words. Once she's caught her breath she begins to talk to her sister again, "Yer gonna..." the klah spills, "...make a mess." she completes, a tad too late. "But not speakin' unless spoken to is fair borin', people don' speak ta me all that much," that /could/ be because she does enough speaking for two, "an' not speakin is just.../borin'!/. Anyway, people wouldn' want me ta be silent." that's when she catches a nearby rider nodding quickly, muttering to his companion, "I would." "Fine!" the chit exclaims, "I'll do it." and she clamps her mouth closed. She won't talk unless spoken to.

Saisukei lets out a looooooooong suffering sigh. "Miry..." Head is shaken slightly. "People? Not want ya to be *silent*?" Saisukei screeches. "Everyone" Everyone is emphasised by a hand thrust about to include everyone. "Wants ya ta be silent." More grumble. Then she pats the air where she thinks Miry is. "That's a good girl, Mir." Then realising the other three's silence, or rather, numbness, she says, "Don' worry, she's always like this." How reasuring...

Merra sighs unconsciously as the sound of silence descends upon th cavern. Or, at least, the silence that comes when the girl finally shuts up. The normal sounds of riders and weyrfolk passing through have long stopped bothering her. "She's... always like that? I think I shall go jump through the ice and into the lake now," the resident announces, managing to sound remarkably long-suffering.

Reiko's hands involuntarily lift to cover her ears as Saisukei /screeches/, turning to glare at the younger girl narrowly. "Thank you," she snaps sarcastically, hands slowly returning to the tabletop. "Are you quite finished?" She gets to her feet, ready to abandon even her klah in favor of a quieter place to sit, warm or not. The look she gives Merra might even indicate she'd consider joining her.

Niall downs his klah quickly. The silence was nice, but between everything that's happening, elsewhere, anywhere would be nicer than here. Mug sat down, he slips back into the shadows, and leaves to find a better place.

Niall exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.

Miryake is silent, it must be a record. Of course, she's glaring sapphire daggers at just about everyone and their griping. Digging a grubby bit of hide out of her pocket and a charcoal pensil she scrawls, I'M NOT THAT BAD, in big block letters. She holds it up, looking generally miffed and insulted. Maybe her feelings have actually been hurt...or maybe not. It's hard to tell.

Merra is hard-pressed to keep from imbibing more cider through her nostrils, smart enough this time to set the mug down before she breaks into laughter. "Oh, great Faranth! Just... shells!" she gasps when she manages to breath. "But you are, you are!" This is about the time when one starts making sure the cider isn't spiked. She's all but rolling on the floor by now, expression suffused with mirth.

Reiko just rolls her eyes. It's all really too much for her, at this hour of the day. Really, at any hour of the day. Besides, there's probably something that needs dusted in the infirmary.