Xanadu Weyr - Garden
An arch woven from the tendrils of a willow tree stretches overhead lightly creeping with ivy as one steps in from the meadow into this sanctuary of green. Cool gray flagstone carefully spaced enables a soft velvety moss to thrive within the cracks, and creates a single wide pathway that fluidly breaks off into two paths of stone once free of the natural arbor. It is a wonder this place, and meticulously tended from the way it seems not a single leaf is out of place.
On either side of the main path expansive grassy patches are trimmed short and edged behind with natural tan colored stone selectively chosen to stack just right. Beyond these are a line of fine puffed shrubberies in vibrant green intermingled with flowering bushes of brilliant pinks varying in hue from the very light to the very dark, which causes the occasional snowy white blossoms of other scattered here and there without worry to simply pop out of the scenery.
Directly in the center of the garden is another wall of intricately stacked stone, this of muted grays, creating what from the air would prove to be a perfect circle. It's been set high for safety, but not so much as one would not be able to lean over it to admire what lies beyond, either standing or sitting at the smattering of benches whose backs are set every four feet along it. Flush to the ground inside it's protective stone outcropping, is an enormous twenty foot wide fish pond. Within one can glean the metallic glint of playful goldfish, the unhurried cruise of fat koi, and even a frog or three among pale yellow and white flowering water lilies and their thick green pads.
The trees surrounding the entire garden were planted to give the impression that they had always been here, not only lending to a rustic look, but also alluding to the beauty that can be found among the wilds if only one might just look for it. Species vary from the ordinary Birch and Pine, but the flaming red capsules of the Indian Shot to the robust orange spokes of the Firewheel tree suggest the spice of the exotic.
R'az is towards the back and he's resting on his back enjoying the serenity of the garden. It's in the early evening and he's wearing just a shirt and shorts with sandals. He's got his sandels off as he watches the firelizards flying above head.
Done with whatever her duties had been that day, Sephany wanders the garden at a leisurely pace, grey eyes drifting lazily over various displays of botanical beauty. It is likely that at least one of those firelizards R'az is watching belongs to the healer; a fact confirmed when the young green flits away, lithe body spinning in the air to catch the sun before alighting on Sephany's shoulder and claiming her with a curl of tail around her neck. A hand lifts; one finger granting the wedged-head a fond scratch before the weaver's gaze falls upon the bronzerider in the grass. "Comfortable?" she wonders idly, tone of voice indicating that she finds it unlikely.
R'az looks up and he smiles brightly at Sephany, "Hello there. Very. Would you care to join me?" He asks as he scoots over a bit to make room, "It's amazing watching them isn't it. My own green is up there." R'az looks over Sephany.
"It must be the lifestyle that makes you dragonriders consider hard and uneven surfaces to be comfortable," quips the blond, though there's a curl to the corner of her mouth and a glint in her grey eyes that lightens the tone of that statement. Sephany glance's briefly to the playful creatures overhead, before dropping it once more to consider the ground. "I typically prefer the bench," and she motions toward the object of mention a few paces off. But despite her words, she steps a few feet forward, considers the ground around her, and then carefully sinks down. She won't lay back, no. But she will settle herself cross-legged, smoothing her skirt over her legs and creating a halo of fabric around her. "I have a blue, as well," she offers, glancing once more to the sky. "He is probably off napping somewhere. Or singing."
R'az smiles, "Perhaps, I'm an independent rider so I'm used to roughing it. I'm R'az, rider of bronze Dolth." He looks over to the bench, "Maybe, but it is nicer over here." He ohs, "Your's sings? Mine just creels at me when she's hungry." He chuckles a bit, "I'd love to hear him sing sometime."
"My brother is very much the same; though he is not an independent rider," muses Sephany. "But he could sleep anywhere, and swear it was comfortable." An eyeroll for that, before she straightens up just a smidgen, shoulders back and chin lifted just slightly to add a proper greeting in return. "Pleasure to meet you R'az. And please extend the greeting to your bronze. I am Sephany; apprentice weaver." A nod and acknowledgement of "He does, yes. In trills and humms and little firelizard sounds of course. He can't actually say the words. But he sings. Nearly constantly. Especially when it rains," noted dryly. "He does it well, at least. But it can be tiring. I'm sure if you are around Xanadu long enough, you will come across a little blue firelizard that refuses to be quiet. That would be mine."
R'az nods, "Yah I can do that too, it comes in very handy." He smiles brightly, "The pleasure is all mine Sephany to meet a beautiful woman in such a beautiful garden." He nods, "Well I'll be around for a while, although traveling between here and the Dolphin Hall. Been working on the dolphin cradle and trying to get a lesson plan working right. I'm not much of a teacher." He shrugs a little bit and smiles, "I look forward to finding this singing blue firelizard. I'll know who's he is. So what part of weaving do you like the best? I worked on my family's fishing boat so I never was a crafter. Although I suppose I'm a consultant to the dolphin craft now."
That 'beautiful woman' comment gets copious laughter from the blonde; bright and spontaneous and decidedly amused. Clearly not taking it seriously, because there's a roll of her eyes later and Sephany dismisses it in favor of dolphins. "I've not had much cause to be near dolphins. I've been rather land-locked most of my life, though I've a friend at Half Moon who is a dolphineer. They seem like challenging creatures to work with; but then again what sentient being isn't?" Dolphins. Dragons. People. All difficult. Nimble fingers pick at a spot on her skirt, fussing with her nails to determine if it is a snag or simply a small bit of dirt. "I enjoy tailoring and design the best. The creative process. Taking a vision in your head and breathing life into it. Although, I have not gotten quite so far yet." A tilt of her head, and she wonders, "You did mention a dolphin… cradle," she recalls after a thoughtful pause. "So you are working closely with them, then?" The dolphins, she means.
R'az nods, 'Well there is a pod here if you want to meet them they are at the beach often. They can be, but you just gotta make it a game of it. It is more then worth it. I can see the appeal of working with dolphins. Dolth my dragon lovs it." He smiles, "It does sound really good, getting to bring your creation to life like that." He sighs softly and closes his eyes for a moment. He takes a deep breath to prepare himself as he opens his eyes, "Yes one of the dolphineers was injured along with his dolphin by a lightning strike. In the rush to get them to safety the dolphin was picked up by a dragon. The dolphin woke up and freaked out by being up in the sky and hurt. He developed a fear of dragons. Dolth worked with the dolphin healer Laria to help this dolphin, named Atlas, to overcome his fear. I developed the dolphin cradle as a rescue equipment that riders can use to rescue dolphins that get hurt."
"A pod in the Sea?" of Azov. Asked as Sephany seeks clarity, a bit of brightness coming to those grey eyes. "I will have to see if I can meet them." She goes still and quiet, however, as the explanation for R'az's work comes to be known; a little wrinkle formed between her eyebrows as she frowns emphatically. "How tragic," is offered at the close. "I can see why he would be scared; waking up in the claws of a dragon! I imagine I would be terrified as well, and I've grown up with them." A lift of her hand and a touch to her little firelizard, soothing fingers along tiny headknobs. "It is good that your bronze likes them, as it sounds like you've turned it into a life's work."
R'az nods, "Yep as far as I know. I can set that up for you." He says and nods, "Yes it is tragic, but both dolphineer and dolphin survived. Dolth loves the dolphins and small dragons and children." He nods, "Me too and I ride a dragon for a living." He chuckles, "Well I hope so. So what do you like to do for fun Sephany?"
"Perhaps I will take you up on that. Though, to be fair," comes next, somewhat dampened, "I will be rather busy, between assisting with Risali and Leirith, and my apprentice duties." But still, the idea of meeting a dolphin (or several) has perked her up, and Sephany spends a moment in dreamy consideration for the possibility. "He sounds like he loves just about everything," she offers, friendly enough, grinning. "Though it seems most dragons err on the side of friendly…" small life experience has taught her that, at least. And then a bit of a startle for the seemingly random question. "Oh, um… Well. Designing clothes of course," which seems obvious, "but I also enjoy reading. And in the winter, ice skating." A frown. "Why do you ask?"
R'az smiles, "Just let me know when you are free." He chuckles, "He's very friendly and knows himself, he's a very atypical bronze. I think most dragons are naturally friendly at least the ones I've met, some not so much." He hmms a bit, "Oh just trying to get to know you better. Trying to be friendly. Please feel free to ask me anything you like. I've been ice skating before although I try to avoid the cold. I like the heat much better."
A nod of her head, and Sephany decides, "I will do that," for the free-time offer of meeting dolphins. Definitely on her bucket list, if the grin curling the corners of her mouth is to be believed. "They are unique, to be sure. My brother's bronze is an ass. And Sev knows it. But otherwise, I've not met a truly… rude dragon. I mean, I don't think they're rude, at least…" but she laughs just a bit, because what does she know? Of heat and cold, Sephany happily decides, "I'd rather take the cold. I grew up in Igen, and Ista. One is so hot it'll dry you into jerky. The other is hot and HUMID and makes my hair frizz. So I chose to live at Fort Weyr, and I loved it. Give me snow over sandstorms." A bit of a sigh for that, along with a smile, before she's untangling limbs and pushing herself to her feet. "It has been lovely to chat, but I actually didn't have much time to spare," she apologizes. "I came for a bit of a walk before dinner, but now I must go or I will never get my studies done before bed. It was nice to meet you R'az. Please enjoy your time in Xanadu."
R'az hmms, "Oh it's that late." He gets up and stretches, 'It was nice to meet you Sephany. I hope to see you more around. I've been to Igen and Ista before, I used to be a transport rider so I went all over Pern. Oh I plan to. It's okay I understand how busy one can get."