Xanadu Weyr - Harpers' Workshop
Through the labeled double doors is this spacious cavern set aside for the Harper craft. It's been completely sound proofed inside and out, but even after hours sometimes you can just pick up muffled voices in song, or instruments being practiced of someone burning the midnight oil. Inside, the large area has been divided up into several smaller places, also behind doors and have been sound proofed. A library of books and records stand upon the many shelves to the left, containing such content as music and Pernese history, law, and even sheet music. There are several access points at the long tables here for laptops to connect to data bases all over Pern, as well as to plug them in for a recharge. Long rows of chairs are pushed up against them. Silence here, is required.
Along the back wall is yet another space, and behind the double doors is a classroom for the practice of Storytelling. The chairs here are comfortable and upholstered, pillows are available as well for sitting on the floor. A projector is available for visual aid, with a white screen that pulls down should anyone need it.
The final space to the right of the entrance is likely the largest. All along the longest wall instruments hang free or on shelves for anyone of the craft to use. Guitars (both acoustic and base), flutes (including recorder and reed), violins, and lap harps. There is a few drum sets, and some standing harps as well. There are stands for music, benches for sitting, and even a corner where repair and maintenance supplies can be found.
Autumn is in full swing and it's chilly outside. Leaves litter the ground, blowing haphazardly in the crisp breeze. It's morning, but not extremely early. People have had time to eat breakfast and sip their klah and have morning conversations across the breakfast table. People have had time to wake up! And now, late morning, Ka'el is found in the harper's hall waiting in the storyteller's classroom. The room has been cleared out, furniture pushed against the walls and a wide open space in the middle. He chats with a man and a woman, both a few turns older than himself, and both holding violins. He laughs at something one of them says, then shakes his head and gestures to the door while speaking. He waits for the few Weyrlings he sent word to arrive, though he doesn't seem to be doing so impatiently in the slightest.
Some had no choice but to be up early, when an eager young dragon is ready to be out and winging her way across the beach in a series of very long 'hops'. So, having let Moncerath get her morning stretches, flying, hunting, feeding, flying, scrubbing, oiling, and flying into the morning candlemarks thus far, Kera takes hurried steps from the cavern after rushing down her own breakfast and heading to the crafthall. Minimur chitters at the weyrling scoldingly at her from his shoulder perch when rushed movements threaten to tip the brown from his spot. He probably announce the greenling healer's arrival, but she sends a greeting smile and quick salute to all the knotables anyway.
Other Weyrlings begin to arrive. And by 'other' we really only mean two. Both brownriders, Suka and Ja'ken arrive a little after Kera does, Ja'ken looking mussed (he couldn't possibly just be getting up, right?) and Suka looking like her usual brash self, red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Ka'el's attention is taken by Minimur's chatter, and he grins at the three, inclining his chin in greeting. "Good morning!" he calls to them before politely excusing himself from the harpers to approach. Both Ja'ken and Suka salute appropriately while giving curious looks to the room. Uhhh…are they going to sit and tell stories about one another? This isn't some sort of mental intervention, is it? "Good Morning, Kera," he says specifically to the greenrider, still smiling. "I'm glad the lot of you could make it this morning. Welcome to Dance class!"
Kera shushes the brown's ruckus with a chin scratch and a small bite of dried meat she keeps in her pouch for just these types of occassions. Keeping hold of the treat and playing a gentle game of 'tug' with Minimur, Kera's attention slips around the room, looking over the well crafted instruments displayed throughout the room. Wandering over to Ja'ken and Suka, she looks between them before giving her head a shake to Ja'ken, murmuring to both weyrlings. "Doing yours and Praela's chores again Ja'ken?" Good thing she didn't need an answer, cause then Ka'el greets the group, and she returns it "G'morning Weyrleader sir." An appologetic shrug and wince offered for referring to her friend so formally. Canting her head when the lesson is announced, her gaze slips briefly to ther other weyrlings then back to the Weyrleader. Can we go back to the combat lesson? She might make a better showing of that. "Don't we need the combat training padding for this lesson too?" She deadpans to the weyrleader for a few seconds, til a grin appears.
Lucky Ja'ken doesn't have time to answer, as he'd probably try to scam money from her by offering to do /her/ chores for the right price. A Weyrling's gotta make money somehow! But, as it is, the Weyrleader is talking and so his focus is on him. Dance? "Daaaance?" groans Suka, unable to catch herself in time. She clasps her hand over her mouth. Oops. Complaining might not be such a good idea! Ka'el laughs, both at her and Kera. "Yes. Dance," he says again. "And the need for padding and protective gear is what I hope to avoid with this brief lesson. Now, I chose the three of you for a reason. One, there isn't space enough for the entire Weyrling class. Two," he clasps his hands behind his back, "there are many levels of diplomacy. How to speak, using the correct titles, how to conduct yourself socially…including during gathers and dances. As a rider, especially if you're tapped into Quasar, there may be times that you find yourself in the company of ranking members of a Hold or Weyr. Dancing may not seem important to you now, but it may be very important when you have the hand of a Lord or Lady Holder impatiently waiting for you to walk with them out on the dance floor." It happens!
Kera slips her gaze to Suka, chuckling at the other girl's reaction then turns her attention back to Ka'el's class explantion. Sighing a bit, well, she never claimed to be very diplomatic, nothing to be done about that today. Dancing is the current diasaster about to happen. Looking about the room, scanning for notepads or something along those lines. "Should we be taking notes? Or making charts…like the wing formations?" Dancing with a Lord Holder..her? Not very likely, and she now knows to try avoiding Quasar wing if at all possible. With a little urging, Minimur flaps to an upper perch to mingle with other lizards and chitter(heckle) the dancing weyrlings.
"No notes today," Ka'el answers, shaking his head. "I believe in hands on training. Harpers Mollina and Kur have graciously volunteered their time to us this morning," he says with a gesture to the two violinists, both of which bob their heads to the Weyrlings. Ja'ken looks less appalled by the thought of dancing. He (sort of) knows how to! And he isn't likely to shy away from a gather. And who knows? One of those Holder girls may be good looking. "So," continues Ka'el, "they'll provide the ambiance for us. The music! And you'll partner up. You two, together," he points to Ja'ken and Suka, who grooooans. "And that leaves you with me, Kera," he says to the greenrider while making a gesture to the harpers. They settle in with playing their instruments. A lively tune. "Starting off easy," he chuckles, then steps forward to Kera, offering his hand while bobbing his head. "Might I have this dance?" Ja'ken follows suit, though his sounds more like, "C'mon, let's dance!"
Kera is no stranger to hands on training, but when it's not something she can study from a book, then hands on training may not even help. A cheery nod dips her head towards the Harpers before Ka'el is splitting them up. If she's annoyed at not dancing with Ja'ken, Kera hides it well, merely flashing a grin to the brownlings at Suka's groan. A little chuckle to her fellow weyrlings before nodding to Ka'el "That would be nice, Thank you." No doubt she's already been very undiplomatic, but offers her hand out anyway "Remember, you said starting easy.." A quick glance to the others, mainly their feet, before she starts paying attention to what her own are doing.
"Oh I know this one!" says Ja'ken, beaming as the song goes along and becomes more recognizable. "It's one of those .. .those… what're um… line dances right? Where we all do the same thing?" Ka'el grins. Five points to Gryffindor. "Exactly!" he says, nodding to the brownrider. Suka just looks lost. "A line what?" she says, her hand already being taken by her weyrlingmate. She casts a confused look to Kera. Does she know what in the heck they're talking about? The Weyrleader laughs good-naturedly. "I said we'd start easy, eh? Line dances are the easiest to learn, and every Weyr or Hold has a variant of one. Like Ja'ken said, it's a dance where everyone does the same steps over and over, til the end. So if you watch the dance long enough, you'll pick up on it pretty fast. So.." With Kera's hand now in his, he guides her to the middle of the room. Ja'ken drags a reluctant Suka along too. He positions them all so they're standing next to each other in a line. Ka'el waits a minute, listening to the violins. "It starts..here!" He grins, then begins to move to the left. "Step, cross, step, then clap," he says while doing the moves. "Then two steps right, two steps left movin' forward."
Soft croonings from the lizards up on their perches draws Kera eye, her little brown weaving gently with the soft notes coming from the violinists. Shaking her head in amusement, she lifts a brow to Ka'el when he drags her to the middle of the space. Line dancing? Catching Suka's confused look "I don't think it'll be that bad. At least Ja'ken shouldn't be crushing your toes with this one." Grinning, she flashes a too innocent look to Ja'ken before smiling back to the Weyrleader. Rather than make stumbling awkward moves, she simply watches the bronzerider throughout his steps, crosses and claps til she marks the pattern. When Kera does start moving, her timing is off, and she's probably a half step too slow. "Watch your toes sir." A chuckle follows that as she her steps start getting marginally better. Every so often, she flashes quick looks to the brownlings, checking to see if she's still doing to same steps as everyone else.
Ka'el allows Kera to watch for a time. He did say that watching was the best way to learn! But if she thinks she's going to get out of actually dancing, she's got another thing coming! Luckily, she isn't trying to escape and join in before long. Suka is still looking skeptical about the whole thing and has reclaimed her hand to stand a little ways off. Watching. Maybe she's watching the steps? "See, it isn't so hard, is it?" Ka'el says encouragingly to Kera once she joins, off beat and slow. "Almost, almost! Just a little bit faster.." he coaches, giving his hands a clap. Faster? The violinists glance at each other with mischievous looks. They can definitely do faster! And so, suddenly, the tempo quickens. The lively dance turns livelier. Faster. Faster. "Woooah!" says Ja'ken, who tries to keep up. Keeping up! … for now. "Faster, faster Kera!"
Kera steps, crosses, steps and claps along, eventually even being instep with the rest of the group. Well, she was, until Ka'el starts urging a quicker tempo. Lifting a skeptical brow to the Weyrleader, she refrains from sticking her tongue out at her friend. Step, cross, step, clap stepcrossclapstepclapcross. And on it goes, the tempo getting faster, Kera getting somewhat flustered as she starts mistepping and misclapping. The faster encouragement continues til the greenling is laughing at herself and shaking her head in amusement. Finally she stops, stomping her foot "As usu…that's soooo not fair." Obviously she was gonna say something else, but some mental filter must of kicked in just in time.
The tempo kicks up and up, and eventually poor Suka gets pulled in the mix of the dance. But the good thing is, the temp is so quick and movements so wild that even though she hasn’t a clue what to do, so looks just like everyone else! .. for the most part. Ka’el himself does a pretty admirable job of keeping in time (the guy likes to dance!) but even he eventually loses the rhythm and laughs as he scrambles to keep up. Ja’ken is a flurry of shuffles, claps, and do-si-does, half tripping over himself as he turns to the right. Luckily, not too long after Kera gives up, the song comes to an end with much laughter left behind. “Bravo!” Ka’el says, applauding them all, winking at Kera as he has a feeling he knows what she was going to say. “You all pass! Those are the basic steps, and if you have those memorized, you’ll do fine on any Hold or Weyr. The goal is to enjoy yourself! Now, one last lesson and we’ll break for lunch..” He steps up to Kera, dips his head again, and offers a smile. “May I have one more dance?” The violinists know what to do. They begin to play again. This time, the beat of the song is slow. Slowdance time.
Kera gets caught up in the amusement of the moment, and from the look on Suka's face, Kera isn't the only one glad to come through the stepcrossclapstomp dance with no injury. Not that Ja'ken's wild limbs didn't give it a good attempt. Smirking at the mention of lunch "I may clean two plates after this lesson." Nodding to Ka'el with a chuckle "Ahh, thinking maybe I can keep up with the slower tune huh? You must not like your toes very much." Having no clue what the new steps are, Kera flashes her gaze down to the bronzerider's feet frequently, trying to mimic his steps. Not wanting to stare at her feet the whole time, she chances peering and around to the others, when not watching where her feet go that is.
Suka is going to need an oxygen tank after this. She flops down in a chair to catch her breath, and Ja'ken's not far after. "We're not done!" he insists, only to get waved off by her. "Give me a moment, will ya!" she snaps back at him, which causes him to roll his eyes. Ka'el smirks, peering at the two. "When you're ready," he says calmly. No rush. This is dance class, not combat. Plus, he's sure Suka can take care of herself. His eyes return to Kera now, smirking at her comments. "Boots do wonders," he remarks. "The trick to slow dancing," he says, speaking to her and the two others, "is knowing when to lead and when to guide. Men typically lead in most dances. Women follow." To this Suka gives her eyes an exaggerated roll. "So all you have to do, Kera, is feel the rhythm and follow me." He keeps one hand in hers while his other arm loops loosely around her waist. "Your hand to my shoulder," he instructs to her.
Kera nods to Ka'el, smirking over the fact that the Weyrleader came to dance class dressed combat boots. "Well then your toes should have nothing to fear." OH! Hand to shoulder. Check! Repositioning her hands for the new dance, Minimur adds his own advice in a series of soft chitters and weaving little headdips. "Showoff!" is muttered up to the lizard before Ka'el telling her to feel the rhythm has Kera chuckling "The ole Harper back home would probably fall over from shock if I could actually keep a beat." Listening to the melody drifting from the violins, Kera smiles and follows along with the steps and pace Ka'el sets.
Ka’el tips his head up to regard Minimur up there and laughs. “Well, sounds like you have your own personal coach,” he says to her, eyes returning to hers. He smirks at her commentary regarding her lack of rhythm. “That’s what I’m here for,” he says, indeed using both the arm around her and the hand that clasps hers to steady her movements in time with his own. The music continues, and he leads her around the dance floor. No fancy moves or swift movements this time. “And usually, it’ll continue like this til the song ends. Maybe conversation and an amicable parting. But, sometimes you have the right steps, the right song, the right atmosphere, but the wrong partner.” His arm slips further around her waist, his once loose hold gently tightening as he draws her body closer to her, devouring that ‘socially acceptable’ space between them to near nothing. “And your partner, Lady or Lord Holder, Weyrsecond, Weyrleader… might’ve had too much to drink. Is getting too close.” Much like Ka’el is now as he leans his head forward, towards Kera. “What do you do?” nearly whispered against her ear. Ja’ken and Suka are all eyes and ears, though Suka gives Ja’ken a squinty-eyed look. “Don’t even think about it.” Let’s leave the roleplaying to their Weyrleader, shall we?
Kera nods and glances up to Minimur's serenading "At least he can carry a tune most of the time." Ka'el picks up with speaking to the weyrlings once more, and Kera glances around to the brownlings, until Ka'el's grip suddenly tightens around her and she's tugged closer to the bronzer. His head moving forward, asking what she'll do while her own head and pulling back. Lifting a brow at his question "Not wanting to cause injury? A little pinch to a nerve, or perhaps accidently tickling to cause distraction?" At least no one is sitting on ice packs that way. "Or getting their mate to come usher them off somewhere to passout in peace?" Her head canted back as she peers at Ka'el. Surely, he's not gonna make her actually smack him….?
“Not causing injury would be the best outcome, yes,” Ka’el replies with a vague smirk and nod. “These are people of status, besides. Your duty is to remove yourself from the situation without causing strife or offense. The bigger the knot, the bigger the ego, and the bigger the stink they’ll cause is a good rule of thumb.” Excluding himself, of course. He continues to dance with her, closely and slowly as she lists off her possible escape plans. Pinch to the nerve? “What happened to no injury?” he reminds with a mild smirk. “Tickling could be confused with flirting. The less touching, the better.” Calling for their mate? “If they have one. If they don’t, or they’re not present?” Which they probably wouldn’t be if they’re all up on her like he is. A vague smirk, and he gives her a squeeze before loosening his hold on her and stepping back. “Don’t forget that you have a mate. If you find yourself in a situation you’d rather not be in, use your dragon to contact a rider. Likely, if you’re at a dance or gather, you’re with other riders from our Weyr. Send word to them. If I’m present, send word to me through Kanekith. You’ll be one of my riders one day soon enough. Your safety is my priority.”
Kera 's eyes widen and she's gearing up to tell Ka'el just how wrong he is, then flashes an embarrassed grin. OH, yea. that mate. "So, no having our dragonmates sit on handsy dancers then. Mon will be sooo disappointed." She grins though, and nods to the advice "Hmm, I didn't think of that." Tickling equals flirting. Got it. Peering to Suka and Ja'ken, she gives them a pointed look to add a suggestion of their own. Ka'el fills in a couple more blanks of how to proceed in the scenario and Kera nods. "Hope I don't forget if I ever actually need to remember it."
"You hear that? Tickling is flirting," Ja'ken says to Suka, looking smug. "I knew all along that you liked me." Suka, who has caught her breath a long time ago, whaps at hand at him (flirtatiously?) and rises from her plopped seat. "I see no problem with having Zinieth squash a rider or two if needed," she says, cracking her knuckles. "Buuut … I understand that squashing a Lord probably wouldn't go over well…with anyone. Now, squashing a Weyrling on the other hand…" Ka'el laughs and nods his head to all three of them. "You won't forget," he assures Kera. "If or when the time comes, just think of Moncerath. She'll know exactly who to contact." He claps his hands together once. "That's all for the day. Thank you for your attendance!" Class dismissed. He moves over to shake hands with the violinists, extending his gratitude for their help with the class. Then, he gets busy pulling chairs and furniture back to where they need to be. He's a Weyrleader that cleans up after himself! Plus .. the last thing he needs are the storytellers telling stories about his inconsiderate ways!