5/15/2011
05:31 PM
Logfile from Flandynn.
Xanadu Weyr - Caverns(#8800RJs)
A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.
A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.
Exits lead off in all directions, a big archway the largest and that leading outside. Shallow stairs to the west lead to the offices and administration area while tunnels to the east lead to the infirmary, kitchen and resident's quarters. Southwards, a sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs and southwest is a wide tunnel, carefully roped off to avoid accidents.
People: Flandynn, K'ael, and Karona
Other: Adoption Object, Wing Duties, Auntie Jackie, NPC Object, and Betting Table
Obvious exits:
Store Room <SR> Kitchen <K> Hot Springs <S> Clearing <O> Administration Hallway <AH>
Karona looks tired this morning, as she pokes listlessly at her early breakfast. A nanny enters, followed by children, and the candidate lets out a half-yawn, half-groan, but she gets to her feet. "Right.. kids." she mutters, moving to meet the group. Several kids recognise her, and their eyes light up, bouncing over to pester the tired candidate, lots of questions, all at once. "Sh, shh, one at a time, like we practiced." Karona says, though she can't resist a small smile. Ah, kids.
Milo happens to be one of that group! Or, he's joining the group. His father is busy eating breakfast. K'ael is actually looking a bit anti-social this morning. He's also looking sweaty and a bit tired himself, so he is likely getting a quick breakfast after his morning workout. His son though isn't feeling as quiet, and he joins in the pestering. "Ooh, Karona! Can we see the inside of the smithy today? Can I bang something with a hammer? How hot is the furnace? Will it melt this rock? Can you make me a sword?"
Flandynn backs from the kitchens, hands lifted in a placating manner. Step after step, he retreats backwards, as if he is being herded back by some huge, awful, and nasty monster. Actually, it is just one of the cooks, brandishing the proverbial rolling pin. "I'm just the messenger. That's what she asked for," the teen attempts, a look somewhere between worry and alarm upon his features. "You wouldn't hit the messenger, would you?" To which the cook almost seems to growl and wave that pin a little higher. "Okay. Okay. I'll tell her there are no pastries. It is fine. Really." He retreats back a few more quick paces, thighs striking the back of a table before he is finally free. "Shells… who knew messenger duty would threaten my life."
Karona smiles slightly, and pats one of the girls on the head distractedly, "Mmm. That's interesting. And then what happened?" she's asking, though, judging by her expression and tone, she's clearly not listening. Milo's enthusiasm gets a raised eyebrow from the smith candidate, and a tired chuckle. "Sure, sure. We can visit the smithy. /Briefly/." she adds, sternly. Very briefly. She actually takes the rock and turns it over in her hand, handing it back with a shake of her head. "No, this rock is stone. I can show you some rocks it /would/ melt, though." she offers. Learning! Under guise of making rocks melt. "A sword? I don't know, those cost a /lot/ of marks… ask your father." she suggests. It's a way of shifting the 'no' someplace else. Flandynn's entrance is noted with a frown, she's not far from the kitchens. "Messenger duty, eh? Swap you!" she offers, waving at the kids. The kids who are /definitely/ within earshot. What?
Milo takes his rock back with a frown. "Ooh… okay!" He pockets the rock again. At least he gets to keep it? Maybe it's his pet. He seems interested in getting to watch things melt though. K'ael is sort of listening at a table not too far from Karona's. She and Milo get a headshake at the notion of a sword. He'll gladly take the 'no' off of Karona's shoulders. Milo looks pouty, but he doesn't press his luck. Even if Karona excuses herself from nanny-duty she's likely to have a brat following her around for the rest of the day. She was family! Unfortunately for her. "Being a messenger is an important part of being a rider though," K'ael states. "I mean, you'll need to know how to talk your weyrmate out of killing you when you've won two greenflights back to back, right?"
"I get along famously with kids, not so much with angry cooks who have butcher knives and rolling pins," Flandynn remarks, his voice dropping into a not-so-conspirational whisper. He shoots a glance over his shoulder towards the kitchens, and then eases around the table upon careful feet. The teen taps a finger upon the top of the table following K'ael's words, "Sounds like there is a story behind what you just said there, sir." His eyes fall over to the child asking for a sword, and the teen lifts his voice. "Sword? Really? I've got one." Yeah, he is an enabler.
Karona looks very relieved at K'ael's no, though she at least attempts to give Milo a sympathetic look. "Maybe when you're older." she says, reaching out to tousle the poor boy's hair in a very patronising fashion. Karona snorts audibly at K'ael's words, and shakes her head slightly. "All the dragon's fault, right sir?" she says, though she clearly doesn't believe it. The only dragon she knows is her mother's brown, who is unusually reluctant to chase. The smith candidate seems about to invite Flandynn to help, "Well, you want to—" give me a hand? Wait. Sword? "Really? Come on! His father said no."
K'ael grins to both candidates. "Not my story, I can assure you. Azaeth doesn't normally chase greens. Too small for him. And I haven't been weyrmated very long, either." He nods to Karona then. "Not like I have much control over who he chases. Usually just happen to be at the right place at the wrong time." Milo points to Flandynn. "He's got a sword!" That earns a squint from his father. "He's older than you. Also, you have no need for a sword. You'll only end up hurting yourself or someone else with it."
Flandynn pushes away from the table, dark hair flopping over his eyes 'till a flick of his head clears his dark gaze once more. He glances first to Karona, and just the slightest of grins tweaks his lips and deepens his dimples -a most secretive glance at that. In the next breath, he is looking towards Milo. There is a pregnant pause as the teen just stands there, and in the next blink, be prepared for a Dramatic Corny Moment. Suddenly both of the teens hands come together, fist atop fist as if he is, indeed, brandishing a greatsword before him. Only, there is absolutely nothing there. "Behold. My Greatsword of the Seven Winds." Sure, the kid might be a tad old for this 'make believe' moment, but it is what it is -or isn't. "Only true believers can see it."
Karona doesn't seem entirely convinced by K'ael's words on the flight story, or flights in general, but she doesn't pursue it. "If you want a sword, maybe you should think about becoming a guard when you're older." she suggests. She tilts her head at the boy, pausing a moment to figure something out in her head. "What are you now, seven? Eight?" she wonders. There's a chorus of ages from the gathered kids, ranging from five to eleven. Flandynn's 'sword' gets a flat look from Karona, and then a slowly raised eyebrow. "My, what a magnificent sword you have there." she states, flatly. Impressed? No, not at all. Is there an /opposite/ of impressed?
K'ael wouldn't be terribly surprised if Karona didn't believe him, but he's telling the truth! Really though, Azaeth was much too large for greenflights. Many a poor blue and brown have been knocked from the sky accidentally after getting too close to the bronze's wake. There's a bit of an incredulous look from K'ael at the thought of his son as a guard. Milo giggles away at Flandynn. "Oh yeah?" He holds both his hands out. "Well I have two daggers!" He waves his arms around, brandishing them. "En garde!"
Flandynn sure does give Karona a look. It is the kind of open-mouthed, wide-eyed, lifted-eyebrows sort of shocked look at the tone of her voice. His next words follow right with what she says. "Isn't it though? Clearly you believe. I-" And then suddenly he is being attacked! The teen bounces back, neatly upsetting a chair and causing quite the clatter, "Fight!" He swings his 'Greatsword' complete with sound effects -because everyone knows that males require sound effects. So yes, the invisible sword goes *whooooosh*.
Karona raises an eyebrow at K'ael's incredulous look. "Y'know, my father never quite understood why I became a smith, his precious little girl." she comments idly. Kids can be surprising. Likely Leona was impressed by her daughter's chosen career though, perhaps that's /why/ she chose it. The little swordfight is eyed by Karona, and watched with hushed reverence by the gaggle of kids she's been assigned to watch. "Oooh, aaah, look out!" go the kids, entranced. There's an occasional call of "Me next! No, me!" as well.
Milo of course joins in with his own sound effects. "Whiiish-wissh! Clang! Scrreeech, clang!" Of course there are other little ones getting involved now, too. Flandynn might find himself overwhelmed. "Be careful." K'ael instructs sternly as they start clattering about. If they create some sort of disaster he'll be running out of the caverns just as fast as they will. There's a grin and a shrug to Karona. "Mm. And now you might be a rider, too." Obviously, whatever Milo does besides being a rider… well, that was Milo's business.
Flandynn capers about with the kid(s), happy to get all into the game, but just as carefully allowing himself to get herded to places where there aren't so many people. After a few more counters and swings, he lifts a hand. "I give! I give, Master! I yield." He lowers his 'sword', bowing his head towards Milo. "Seven Winds and I are no match for you… good fight. But, I want another bout with you, when I am better prepared. Deal?" His chin lifts some, glancing across the room and towards Karona with a wry grin, "I have a lot of respect for those who become crafters. I don't do so well with those kinds of commitments." And yet, he wears a candidate's knot.
Karona tilts her head slightly at K'ael. "I might be… I suppose that would make her proud." she comments idly. "Though L'nel says she's /still/ not said two words to him since he impressed. Good." she decides. She keeps a watchful eye on the children, not all of them wanted to go off to war, so she stays where she is, with them, while the nanny is left to follow Flandynn and the children around. At Flandynn's surrender, there's an exuberant cheer from the children, causing at least one hungover breakfaster to grunt in annoyance. Karona tips her head to Flandynn, "All in service to the Weyr. Pern needs crafters, I needed a career, here I … am." As a candidate. But having a craft means she gets to do that work in the afternoon, instead of more chores.
Milo cheers as well. Though he accepts the surrender with a handshake. "Me and uh… the Twin Dragons will be waiting for you!" He retreats back to where Karona is sitting with the rest of the herd. She hasn't escaped her nanny duties that easily! K'ael nods a bit to Flandynn. "Me either. Of course I didn't have much choice growing up. We only had a small cothold, not much really there to learn about other than growing grapes." There's a grin to Karona. "I guess there's a lot of pressure on weyrbred kids to say weyrbound. More so than holdbred, I think. I need to take this one up to see his mother. It's been a while."
"I like grapes," Flandynn notes with a broadening grin. He offers up another bow towards SwordMaster Milo with all due respect, saluting the child as he returns to his cohorts. "And I need to return to rider Yolli with the bad news that no, the kitchens will not provide her with creampuffs and redfruit turnovers. You really wanted messenger duty, huh?" That last is directed towards Karona, drops his chin, wheels about, and strikes out to the clearing.