Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
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.
It's a pretty quiet evening in the Living Caverns and that's the perfect scenery for Satoris to take care of his chore. Sweeping, a chore that's done, but never finished. He's pretty zen about it, moving in a methodical manner throughout the tables.
Washing dragons is generally one of his favorite chores … but having spent the majority of the day with the most mud-happy of their kind has quickly ruined his optimism. Thus it is that the former woodcrafter makes his way from a much-needed bath in the springs to the caverns proper, toweling off his mop of hair rather vigorously. Rished is clothed, of course, though just a bit damp around the edges in his haste to get food — not just for himself, but for the trio of freshly washed 'lizards that flutter behind him.
Rio is lucky — today is his day off! The giddiness that came from getting searched is beginning to fade…but he doesn't complain about having to work. That doesn't help his back…or his sore head. Sharding kidlets. He enters the caverns with a yawn, having slept much of the day off, stretching. The movement almost dislodges a rather ferocious-looking green from his shoulder, but she hangs on. A blue and a brown are smart enough to fly near him instead of trying to hang onto him.
Satoris glances up as people enter, tipping his head in a slight nod to fellow candidates. The older (by candidate standards) man has rarely been in the barracks, save to sleep. Most of his time has been spent doing chores and when he's not doing chores; he's back doing his crafter work at the mine site and future site of the training/research building.
The others are noticed more by virtue of his trio chittering and chirping their greetings — first to Satoris, then to Rio and his mini-fair. Rished blinks owlishly then lifts his hand in a wave to both of his fellow candidates, though his course is clearly set toward the serving tables. This candidate needs food badly! He, no doubt, has plenty of his own work to do after chores — he's just mindful to keep the carving outside or elsewhere so it's not too disruptive or messy.
Rio offers a wave, and adjusts the green on his shoulder. "Hello there," he offers. "I haven't seen you around very much," he comments. "How have you been?" He sees movement and looks towards it, raising a hand to wave in greeting to Rished as well. "Hello," he also offers to the one heading for the serving tables. He doesn't make to interrupt Rished's path, though.
"I've been well," Satoris offers briefly, glancing from one teen to the other. At least the two of them aren't as young as some candidates. Now that Satoris has a child of his own, it makes him see other young men in a strange way. Kind of a 'Will that be my son someday?' sort of thing. It's obvious in how he'll watch them; intently, but not in a creepy way. More of a curious, studious way. He looks to Rished a moment, "You're Woodcraft, right?"
A plate of food is quickly acquired with a bowl of scraps being precariously balanced in his other hand. Rished has a roll crammed in his mouth by the time Satoris is making his query and his response is a whole lot of mumbled-something. He makes a face around the roll and tries to gesture in a 'give me a minute!' way, which is nigh impossible with no free hands and fussy 'lizards. He does, eventually settle on spitting his roll right back out onto his plate with a sheepish-souding: "I, uh. Yeah. Woodcraft."
Rio smiles. "That's good to hear," he notes. He quiets as Rished seems to have trouble, and tilts his head. He moves to the struggling candidate's side and inquires, "Do you need some help?" He also shooes his away from the bowl of scraps. "Jetta! Riot! That's not polite. You haven't been asked. I'll get you something to eat in a minute."
Fortunately, Satoris' 'lizard's are half-wild and tend to manage their own meals. Sometimes one will cling to him for a while, but they usually mind their own business and he minds his. He does oil and feed them when needed, but for the most part? They're off playing. Or whatever the little creatures do. An eyebrow raises as Rished just spits his roll out and the Miner clears his throat slightly. "I need woodcrafters for a project. A new building going up near the mine site. Think you could take a look at it with me sometime?"
"Oh, uh. No, I think-" a sharp look is given to his blue, who has taken up a nice spot on his arm and is now leaning in to pilfer scraps "-Navy, c'mon. At least wait until we're at a table." Rished looks apologetically at Rio, then glances at his burden, and wiggles the scrap bowl for him to take if he's inclined to. "Actually, if you could take that, that'd be great. They know better than to take food from other people. Uh. Thanks." He then looks to Satoris and 'ohs', nodding shallowly. "Sure, I could. Dunno how much use I'll be, but, uh. I can look."
Rio nods and takes the bowl from Rished when it's indicated, and waits for the other to indicate where he wants to sit, so he can place it down on the table. Then he snags his blue from the air and the brown from the table. "Come here, you two." He smiles to Rished and Satoris, and then goes to get a plate for himself, and something for his firelizards.
While the others tend to their flying stomachs and eat, Satoris continues to sweep. Steady, methodical, and nearly in a pattern. He's not quite obsessive-compulsive; just very focused on his work and doing it right. The first time. He nods slightly to Rished. "I haven't met the Weyr woodcrafter… if we have one. If you can at least help me get started, I should be able to figure out exactly who, or what, we need."
"Thanks," is uttered for Rio again after he quickly claims the nearest spot he can. As soon as the bowl is set down, his trio attack in — if in a weirdly organized fashion. Green Missy first, with Suede and Navy alternating between bits. Rished tips a look over to Satoris then nods a little, though he's mindful not to start cramming food in his mouth just yet. "Oh. Yeah, sure. I might know a few people who can help, too, if it, uh, looks like a lot of hands or better skill is needed."
"Thanks," Satoris states, simply enough, but in a kind sort of way. He's gruff, but he's polite! The miner goes back to sweeping, aiming his pile of dirt and such for an area near the door. Perhaps to get it outside to… where… there's proper dirt. Or where the dirt belongs. Or something.
There's a bob of Rished's head for Satoris' 'thanks' and then he digs into his food as if he hadn't eaten for days. He watches the other candidate from the corner of his eye with absent interest — perhaps if only to find out where the dirt is supposed to go? — but he seems otherwise quite happy to just stuff his face silly now that he has a moment in which to do so.
Rio has been quiet for the time being, letting the pair of candidates speak as they wished. Jetta and Riot, his blue and brown firelizards, have dug into a bowl of scraps he procured. His green, however, sits politely on the table next to his plate. She too eats from the bowl of scraps, but she picks them up in her front claws and eats more slowly. Rio casts a glance around as he eats the plate of food he'd gotten for himself, seeming a little distracted by something or other.
Satoris glances up as a mining apprentice comes in and calls his name. He nods slightly and glances at the pile of dirt. A shrug and he deftly sweeps it out into the clearing. Better than the drudges usually did, at least! With that, he gives a brief nod to Rio and Rished before heading out.
"Huh." That's just an absently offered noise from Rished, who watches Satoris for a moment longer before shaking his head a little. Navy and Suede have finished their bits and are roaming for more, the blue and brown pair eventually spotting the other blue and brown and their bowl. Rish, however, catches that look and slants them a warning look of his own, "Nope. Not for you two. That's not your food and you know it." Missy, meanwhile, has turned the bowl into a bed. Freshly cleaned, what?
Once Rio's green notes that there's some activity towards the bowl of scraps, she stands proper, almost doglike, meaning to protect it. In fact, she sits back down right in the path the others would have to take if they wanted to get to the bowl. The message was clear — 'have to get by me first'. Rio looked up as he heard Rished speak. "Hm?"
"Uh." Rished looks more caught than his pair, who seem to regard each other and then proceed forward with a few cautious steps … only to stop again. Planning, perhaps? Or just pressing their limits? Their owner makes a face and looks up apologetically to Rio, mouth drawn just a little to a side. "Sorry. Navy and Suede-" he trails off, motioning, instead, to the creatures. "C'mon back, already. Geez, you two." Obedience or food? It's not a hard decision for them to make. Sneak. Sneaksneak.
Rio smiles. "They do that. Get into trouble, I mean," he replies with a nod. "Perfectly understandable. They're cute and all, so people spoil them far to often. Myself included." Here he gives a chuckle. "So, don't worry about it. I understand."
"I don't know. They're used to Missy and she's not, uh, territorial about her food." Which is how he's interpreting the odd-looking green's particular stance at this point. Rished doesn't intervene further, however, and simply sits back, idly reaching into the bowl to pull a messy Missy out and put her on a convenient napkin. Navy and Suede, meanwhile, continue their slow, wary approach. "But, uh, yeah. They're pretty easy to spoil — not that it takes much. A little extra meat here, an extra oiling there."
Rio nods. "Pizazz, you mean?" he inquires, indicating the green sitting between Rished's firelizards and the food bowl. "She's protecting Jetta and Riot is all," he explains. "She sort of views them as her family, I guess." He smiles fondly, and pets the green a bit. She seems to enjoy it. Once the brown and blue are finished eating, they curl around the bowl, yawning sleepily.
Rished nods, once, when the green's name is given. "Right, yeah. Pizazz." He grins around the name. "That's a good name for her, too. Pizazz." It's fun to say! He can't help it. After a moment or two spent watching the uncertain progress made by his, he's able to summon them back with a bit of something from his own plate that's miraculously survived the devastation suffered by everything else on it. "Missy's more like their younger sister, if that makes sense? It's weird how they seem to have, uh, family-like relationships." Or something like that. He's not sure he's wording it right and it shows.
Rio smiles. "Considering I've heard that they're supposed to be either made from dragons or the reverse…and I'm told that dragons tend to forget their own offspring, that's VERY surprising," he agrees with a chuckle. "Firelizards seem to be able to bond better with each other." A pause. "Then again, I admit I don't know much about dragons other than they're incredible creatures." He grins.
"Yeah. I think, uh. Firelizards came first?" Dubious? Just a bit. Rished shakes his head a little as if to clear it, absently reaching to rub a bit of blood from Missy's hide with the napkin. "It's funny, though. Dragons have bad memories, but firelizards seem to remember things pretty well." He continues working along Missy's hide and plucks something from behind a headknob, adding, "That, they are. Dragons are pretty amazing, huh?" He's quick to grin right back. "Have you had dragon-washing duty, yet?"
Rio nods, "Ah, all right. I wasn't sure." He smiles. "History is…not my strong point." A chuckle. Now that the two male firelizards have eaten, Pizazz settles down, curling near the bowl. "Oh. Pizazz you know, right?" he inquires indicating the green. "The others are Jetta — " He points to the blue. " — And Riot." He points to the brown. "Pizazz is a little older. About four months older, I think."
There's another nod from Rished, a tipped grin offered, "I'm not so good with history, but I did pick up a few things since I was Searched." Clearly, it's not enough … but he's trying! As for his trio … "Navy hatched a few hours before, uh, Missy. Suede was kind of an accident, a few days later. So, they're all pretty young." His grin tilts. "That was a sleepless sevenday, though."
Rio chuckles. "Jetta and Riot are from the same clutch. One more egg hatched than anybody would take, so I offered to step up and take it. Pizazz was a wild egg that hatched next to me while I was eating on the beach. Stole my sandwich, the little thief." His tone is fond, though.
"Oh! Right. Yeah, I remember now," Rished sheepishly replies, reaching to rub at the back of his head … only to remember that his hands aren't quite clean enough for that. "Was she? Wow. That's pretty amazing, though; sometimes those wild eggs don't ever hatch and just, uh, smell really bad." He makes a bit of a face, personal experience written clearly there, and then it's back to cleaning up the last little bit of Missy before bidding her to go on her way.
Rio snickers a little and suggests, "Someone should try to find some of these dud eggs and see if they're good to eat sometime. It would definitely cut down on the bad smell…." He chuckles. "I'm kidding. I don't know that anyone would do that. I don't know of many people who keep food animals as pets, after all…or the reverse."
"Ew," Rished blurts, laughing a little. "I don't think they'd be /that/ great, honestly. But eggs are, uh, kind of gross sometimes, anyway." That being purely his assessment, naturally. Missy doesn't fly too far; no, the greenling is just on her way to find another table, which prompts the lad to push to his feet and watch her progress rather warily. "I don't think people do that much, either. It seems … kind of, uh. Kind of wrong."
Rio nods slowly. "It's difficult to eat someone you've been introduced to, I'd think," he replies with a smirk. He can't help but laugh at the statement, though he passes it off. "Sorry about that. I tend to have an…odd sense of humor. But I agree, I don't know if that'd be very appetizing. Because by the time it was certain it was a dud egg, it'd probably be rotten." He wrinkles his nose. That really sounds nasty!
"Well, yeah. I mean, that'd be … almost as bad as taking a pet bovine and then eating its babies, you know?" That just being his observation. Rished makes a face at the thought, though he's quick to dismiss Rio's concerns with a shake of his head. "Oh, no. Don't, uh, don't feel bad. I'm just kinda slow sometimes," he quips, attempting to reassure his fellow candidate. And then he's right back to making a face … but not at the dud egg comment. "Yeah, it- oh, geez. Missy!" Yup, there she goes, hopping into an abandoned bowl of … something. "I, uh. Sorry, I should go get her under control. She's going to keep at it until I clean her again." What was that about spoiling 'lizards? Because he's the very image of an owner prone to spoiling.
Rio grins. "Training them helps, too. They can be hard to train though. Riot's a major problem. He /loves/ causing trouble. Thankfully he's too tired to cause much trouble right now." He chuckles. "But yes, I totally understand. I enjoyed chatting with you. See you later!" He offers a friendly wave.
Rished tips a wave to Rio with a cheerful, "Was good talking to you. See you 'round!" And then he's off to retrieve a dunkin' 'lizard, leaving two bloated ones behind to sort themselves out and groggily take wing. They, at least, aren't due to be causing more problems; no, they're just off to find a sleeping place … which is perhaps for the best.