Xanadu Weyr - Rustic Treetop Cafe
Perched on the cliff overlooking Xanadu's beach is a gnarled and massive skybroom tree. The bark and outer layers are sturdy enough to support the thriving, brushy top, but the interior, which is hollow, contains a spiral staircase that leads to a cafe built on a high platform amongst the branches. With a panoramic view of lake, sky, Weyr and the mountains beyond, the treetop eatery offers both sheltered seating just inside the trunk and tables on the wide deck that encircles the old tree.
The cafe's decor is comfortable and rustic, but closer inspection shows the smallest embellishments to be artfully combined into one detailed masterpiece. The wood of the doors, floor and walls of the trunk have been stained a dark mahogany that lends the space a sense of intimacy. Tables in various sizes have been carved to mimic driftwood, the chairs and benches padded with oiled sailcloth cushions to provide weather-proof comfort. Each table has an aged brass lantern filled with shells and agates gathered from Xanadu's shores, the sparkling natural mosaics holding tapered candles upright in their embrace. Lamps hang from the ceiling on silver poles, the thick frosted glass carved into intricate pastel shells or swirling white-capped waves. At night the colored glass softens the glowlight to enhance the ambience.
During the day, the retractable doors allow leaf-spattered sunlight to fill both the outer deck and the smaller interior with green and gold light, as well as allowing pleasant breezes to cool the interior. On clear nights, farviewers perch on the elaborately carved railing are free for use to enhance the gorgeous view of the stars over the Caspian Lake, the Sea of Azov beyond and the rock formations of the Weyr.
The Rustic Treetop Cafe was a very popular spot for tourists, guests, locals and the like, especially for romantic candle lit dinners. Prearranged as such meetings usually are, M'ti had other reasons for setting up at one of the back tables, a place that is considerably better lit than most. With a few hours of daylight remaining, the natural illumination from above really grabs onto the golden aspect of his otherwise light brown hair, casting it in a halo that might have been just as ironic as the location selected where the reference to the former applicable. The greenrider waits, in regular clothes instead of his normal leathers, a cream colored tunic belted at his narrow hips over a pair of dark brown trousers. He's pre-ordered an ale for Ru'ien while he already sipped at a tall glass of iced tea infused with a bit of fruit instead of using sweetner, seated and waiting with a drafting tube set upon the table before him. He'd arrived early, by about an hour, but it'd given him time to make some last second adjustments to what he hoped would be a good start to probably the biggest project he'd ever been put in charge of. From the way Matty was eyeballing it as he waited for his companion, he might have some minor reservations about having bitten off more than he could chew.
While M'ti was certainly punctual on his arrival, Ru'ien will be running late. Not by a large margin, but just enough to perhaps bring a thread of worry as to why the weyrling hadn't shown up to such an important meeting! One even set between them, with much excitement on Ru'ien's part! At last, he can be seen striding purposely towards the table, considerably out of breath and flushed from the added exertion of busting his butt to get here. Those stairs! No matter how fit he is now, those were not meant to be rushed! "… an ale, for me? How sweet…!" He manages to drawl out between breaths, flopping down into the chair across from the younger greenrider. Reaching for the pint glass, he'll take a slow, but deep, sip. Ahh, much better (actually, water would do him good but…)! Using the back of his hand to dab at his mouth before setting the glass down again, he'll murmur a quick. "Got caught up on things." As a way of explanation and apology for his tardiness before quirking a brow and tilting his head UP to peer not-so subtly at the draft work. "Is that what I think it is?" Cue the spark of giddy excitement! Just waiting on that confirmation…
It's M'ti and so of course there is plenty of worry to go around, because he's a worrier through and through. Several more than a few glances are made towards the time and probably around the time a knot was well and truly formed in the greenrider's stomach is when Ru'ien shows up all red cheeked and out of breath and with relief all too present upon his features he offers the Weyrling a welcoming smile. He was all too aware of the harrowing experience of the cafe's stairs in haste, "I would have gotten you some water if I'd known…" he teases, perhaps even a little giddy in the aftermath of getting himself all worked up for nothing, seeing has his lips twist into a bit of a smirk, and already he's flagging down a server for said refreshment, as well as putting an order in for some fingerfoods he knew they both would like. That done and gulping of ale complete, hazel eyes return to Ru'ien as the server departs, nodding several times even as he waves a hand dismissively as if he hadn't been making himself sick that the man was going to stand him up, "It's totally okay…" he says now, maybe riding all that adrenaline for a while longer, instantly distracted by the attention that falls on the drafting tube. "Oh! Yes…hold on." Moving anything aside that might even remotely have a chance of ruining all his hard work, Matty picks up the tube and pops the top, sliding out the plans carefully before unrolling them on the table. It's just a basic layout, but it contained all the elements that had been discussed, including that it was to be a tree house. A long rising staircase meets with a wrap around porch leading to the ground floor which contained a modest living space, half bath, dining area and entry. From a set of rustic inbuilt stairs, a large spacious loft bedroom on the second with a full bath was accessible. "I figure there'll be plenty of space outside for a smithy forge and inside for a workbench for your jewelry making here…" With that, Matty points to what would undoubtedly be a well lit nook considering all the windows. The over all look of the design was exactly what Ru'ien had said he wanted, right down to the heavily applied wooden elements that certainly leaned towards intricately natural rather than ornately overdone.
To say that Ru'ien doesn't nearly upend the entire table in his enthusiasm is, well, downplaying it a little! He almost does, catching his ale in time before it goes tipping too far forwards for salvation and all while cursing under his breath about the tables being so low here. His long legs are to blame; often graceful and useful in most scenarios but also often foiling his movements to a clumsy-note. It won't stop him from going ahead with his initial forward momentum and, placing both hands flat on the table, he will peer over the draft work laid out. The details are soaked up, as eager as a child in a sweets shop, even if over half of what is detailed there is FAR beyond his expertise. Some of it he can parse. "HA! So it's doable, then? This looks pretty close to what I'd in mind. Simple, rustic but functional… and it'll hold? What'd your superiors say on it?" It's not a slight to Matty's skills, but rather the logical conclusion that they are both Crafters and therefore understand the hierarchy of things - as much as Ru'ien is twisting favours out of M'ti, he won't be so much of a bastard to risk him being kicked out! "Oh, a workbench, huh? I didn't even consider that. What other neat little details you sneak in there? And are the two baths really necessary? I mean, I've heard of gravity wells used for sourcing water and I'm fairly certain I could get the materials needed to fashion the piping and fixtures but…" Cost. Scarcity of materials! Ru'ien is a weyrling, M'ti is a greenrider. It's not like either of them are rolling in the marks, though HE seems to be sitting on a decent hoard to fund the start of the project!
Fortunately the water nor the finger foods had arrived yet when Ru'ien knocks into the table in his haste to stand and peer over the plans that M'ti had worked so diligently on and thanks to the time of day no candles had been lit for ambience. This meant that the only thing the greenrider had to fuss over was his iced tea, which jostles and loses a small amount of its contents to the tabletop before the greenrider catches the glass and slides the plans away from the moisture that would have otherwise compromised it's integrity. Eyebrows sinking, lips parting, anything else is held in reservation as Matty observes his lover peruse the first draft of his new home with an excited vigor and really who can be even be a little annoyed with that? Releasing a soundless sigh, he smiles with clear affection for the man, using his napkin to soak up the spilt tea, "Yes, it's doable, but because it'll be off the ground there will be additional cost for the supports, especially since you keep insisting there be room enough for a dragon or two to roost beneath it," comes with a soft tsk, but its based in good humor rather than angst. When it comes to what his superiors think? "They said the structure should be sound, if we use something under and above ground to anchor it," Matty says, setting his tea back down atop his napkin and gesturing with a fingertip to the 'ground' and then the sides of the structure, "Otherwise, it'll sink down under its own weight in time with freezes and thaws, to say nothing of the rainy season. That all runs the risk of compromising the overall integrity of the build and presents a serious safety risk to whomever might be living there." Straightening, the greenrider plants his hands lightly on his hips, chewing lightly on his lower lip, "Trees also have a tendency to grow, so all these things have to be taken into account before the final draft…with a reasonable margin for error…or they said they won't give the go ahead." Frustrating! And not only because it was a problem, as Matty made it all too clear— considering all those erase marks— that he'd worked very hard on making sure to give Ru'ien everything he had asked for and more. "Mhmm?" Lost in thought, the younger man looks up and after a short delay he grins, casting off the doom and gloom of what seemed like mission impossible for the sorts of things that were much easier to imagine, "Well, this would be a fireplace here in the living area between these two windows, because it gets cold in Xanadu and it should be large enough at this size to warm the whole thing if we leave the loft more of an open concept with a railing than a full second floor." That said, he glances back to Ru, "You really want to haul ass up two sets of stairs if nature's knocking? Have friends and acquaintances trouncing through your bedroom to use the facilities?" Squint, "I wouldn't, but maybe it's a weyrbred thing…" Shrugging and playing at being affronted, a smile creeps onto Matty's lips, "…buuuut I guess…we could move the full bath down stairs instead if I move a few things around." Thinking, considering, he bobs his head a few times as Ru'ien discusses his idea of a gravity well, "Have better pressure upstairs for showers and such…" Cost. Ah, yes, the crusher of dreams! Sighing heavily, he scans the plans once over with exacting measure, "Could always barter for materials. I've seen your work, you've seen mine, I don't mind chipping in to get this off the ground…" A chuckle then, "…pun intended…"
"Where else am I supposed to put Kihatsuth and anyone she decides to entertain?" Ru'ien manages a suitable pout that is in no way genuine at all, along with the long suffering sigh. Which lasts all but a handful of seconds before his shoulders lift in a shrug and he moves on. "Well, can't be helped! Could probably cut down on something else more…frivolous to put more funds towards stability." Safety first! He nods along with Matty's assessment from his superiors, humming thoughtfully as he extends a few fingers to tap along the edge of the plans. There is no apology for the spilt tea or his initial enthusiasm, which still burns hot enough that he remains standing despite the mild awkwardness it poses. "Oh - huh, wouldn't have remembered to take that in account about the trees…" Oops? See, this is why it takes a village of Crafters to build something! And time and a lot of it. "Would they be satisfied if we managed to find an empty lot with more mature ones? Or even some… what're they called? Lemosian ironwood?" Clearly, Ru'ien has no idea what one tree is to another and how uncommon said type of tree is in XANADU, not to mention how difficult the wood is. Sturdy AF and nigh indestructible, but good luck forming it into anything! He grins back, when M'ti chases his gloomy thoughts away but it won't stop him from reaching across to ruffle the younger greenrider's hair. "Don't get discouraged! These things take a lot of rehashing and fine tuning! You took the words out of my mouth though, about the bathrooms. Honestly, I'm good with one - I'd never factored in having luxuries like baths… isn't that what the public ones are for? Just seems like more work." At the mention of bartering, his grin turns sly and he finally relents and settles back into his chair, snickering for good measure at the intended pun. "Cute." he muses, picking up his ale once more to take another shallow sip and all while keeping his gaze focused on him. Even when the server returns, his attention hardly wavers until they're left alone in peace. He must not have had dinner yet, as he sets upon the finger foods with gusto - not so much that he's an absolute pig, but there's a hint of fraying restraint as he tries to keep from just devouring everything. "So," he murmurs around a partially full mouth. "What're your thoughts? Don't be shy now, be honest!" It sounds so innocent on the surface, playful and teasing, as he nods again to those plans; even if they've been rolled up again and set aside in the wake of food arriving.
Matty shakes his head but smiles all the same, smoothing a hand over his plans before he drops himself back into his seat and starts rummaging for his drafting pencil and eraser, "We'll move the bathroom downstairs and remove the dining table and…." With that, the greenrider gets to work, moving things around. It's with skill and efficiency that what was already a simple design becomes even more so. The kitchen disappears, as does the dining area and well, it's down to a bathroom and the fireplace and the workbench and a table and some chairs. "Can cook in the fireplace, but storage…" In the zone, M'ti draws in a cabinet with a prep area for the storage of dry goods and for mixing as well as rolling dough. The bathroom has a large tub, toilet, and a sink that would share pipes with the one on the opposite wall within the living space. "How's that?" Well, everything was very neat, compact, and efficient had to give him that. Although the corner opposite the jeweler's workbench is left empty, unnoticed by the greenrider who taps his charcoal pencil against his lips. Hazel eyes rise for the topic of trees, as does his brows, "Those trees are pretty rare and I don't even know if they grow in Xanadu, Ru. I think we'd have better luck with an older grove, one that could be cleared or even incorporated into the house itself, that way when they grow, they'll make the house more sturdy rather than try to pull it apart." Now there was an idea, as many more would develop and change before the plans were approved and they started construction. "We'd have to go scouting…" Tap. Tap. A deep breath taken, exhaled, "Well, I'm game if you are…" he says with a laugh, one that dies as his hair is ruffled, all too soon smoothing all the long strands out of his face to be tucked back behind his ears with a briefly disgruntled look that protested being treated like a child. "I'm not discouraged, really." is breathed out, "See…" The floor plan already had changes, he'd even added a door off the loft bedroom that would lead off to a balcony. "And yes, you'll want a bath after a flight and trust me when I say getting naked in front of strangers after having slept with some random person, is something you'll want to avoid." See Ru, he's only thinking of you! Althogh, he does go quiet and avoids looking at the man for a bit there, trying to make it seem as if he was mulling over the house design. A distracted and very faint smile is given for that musing 'cute', fading quickly into the look of someone very deep in thought over something he didn't like. He misses the arrival of the food, in that he ignores it and the woman delivering entirely, yet shuffles around the papers to make room. "Mhmm?" Thoughts? Ugh. "Well," Brows creasing, "I think it's doable if we find the right spot, otherwise, it'll be expensive and probably more than either of us could afford for a while, never mind the labor costs and if we did it all ourselves it'd take months and we're already in summer…" Okay, so maybe less thinking should be involved, but then, "I would probably have to move here, at least temporarily to boot, all the flying back and forth wouldn't make any sense even if all I'm doing there is some stuff I could do here while I wait to hear back about my final project…" Tap. Tap. Tap. Then, food is once again passed over in favor of sketching, this a smithy's forge with it's on enclosure on the grounds of the house.
Ru'ien is content to keep on snacking on those finger foods, one hand propped up under his jawline, with his fingers splayed over his cheek as he smirks; his gaze continues to watch M'ti as he works on editing those plans yet again. His input is sparse, mostly because of his mouth being full but he does make low affirmative sounds towards much of what the younger greenrider details. When it's time to chime in, he will dutifully look over the revisions and nod, a slow grin forming to replace his earlier smirk. "I'm liking the look of it even more!" But? Clearly they're not done yet. Chuckling low and deep, he'll finally push the food platter aside and chase some of his makeshift dinner down with the rest of that ale. There's a scoff as M'ti lectures him mildly on the necessity of the bath, his one hand flicking dismissively. "A basin could do just as well! You just need to scrub a bit and be moderately presentable. It's a Weyr - folks don't bat an eye or stick their nose into the business of you being at the baths." he points out, mostly teasing in his emphasis to the more laid back attitudes of Weyrbred versus anywhere else. "Butttt…" he drawls next, wry smirk back in play. "I guess it'd be nice not having to make the trek in the colder seasons." As for the rest, well, Ru'ien listens and there is a mischievous note to the aura about him. He's up to something, but what, exactly? WHO KNOWS! "I'd hate to put additional strain on you, so if you think it's best for you and Cherith to take longer stints here, then I'm sure someone can arrange it? Probably gotta go through Wingleaders and your Craft Master. Y'know… that whole boring formality process…" Okay, he has HAD his lessons on this but Ru'ien clearly didn't absorb much of it - or he just can't be damned to think too hard on the full details right now. There are more exciting things to focus on! "So first things first, moving on, is to scout, like you put out there! Probably best we do that sooner, rather than later. Could probably get this," He nods sharply to the plans. "Better finalized if we have an idea of what the site is like. Right?"
Who knows, maybe M'ti had ordered that food for Ru'ien alone? Whatever the reason, he's leaving the man to it solo, far too absorbed in fixing the plans and being all up inside his head or so says that very concentrated look. He's present though, nodding and adjusting whenever the Weyrling makes any suggestions, few and far between as they are. The outside of the house takes on more character and detail, a large wrap around porch added as well as a guardrail, a few more windows sketched in as well as other finer details such as planers and a couple benches outside in addition to a garden out back. It's all things that could be changed or kept but really whatever happens to occur to him at the time or seemed to fit. Eventually, yes, M'ti sets down his pencil and clucks his tongue at Ru'ien, "No, it really won't…" he mutters of a basin being good enough, but he leaves it at that rather than starts an argument, as this was not the time nor the place to be talking about what it was like not having a choice who you sleep with or how rough they might choose to be. Then again, Matty hadn't quite gotten to the point where he could always decipher if his lover was being real or hiding his feelings, which was all the more reason to drop the subject. He'd have a much better idea perhaps after Kihatsuth rose and was caught, but even that was iffy. "All I'm saying is, that you should think about it. I can almost guarantee that you'll thank me later for suggesting a private bathroom…" Leaning back in his chair, M'ti drinks from his neglected glass of tea which was still cold if watered down, "…you'll want to be as self sufficient as possible out there in the middle of the woods, Ru. Not only in winter. Imagine what a total pain in the ass it'll be trekking to the weyr for every little thing and then back again." Voice of reason, they name is Mathis, even if a few of his suggestions were more for emotional or mental comfort than physical. Holdraised, holla. All that mischievous smirking and such is given a serious eyeballing over the rim of his glass and to be honest, the greenrider looks perplexed, then nods before setting his beverage down with the soft clink of ice, "Yeah, it's this whole thing, but it's a valid crafting project that's going to consume a great deal of my time once it's all planned out to your satisfaction." As they were both crafters, really, M'ti didn't have to explain what he meant by time consuming did he? Even if Ru'ien hadn't paid attention to his lessons. This wasn't just a house, but it's furniture and decor, and would require networking with other disciplines. Nodding as Ru moves on, the plans are now rolled up and placed back in their protective tube, then set aside, "If we want the house livable before winter sets in and the ground freezes? Yeah, really soon." With another nod, "And yes, scouting out the specific spot would help greatly. I can take measurements and formate roughly how many people we'll need to clear the area, but I'm hoping to use whatever we cut down as it'll keep material costs down." Chewing on his lower lip, Matty ponders, "On the other hand, we don't want to clear too much out either, otherwise we'll lose that natural and woodsy feel that building up into the trees would lend." It was going to be a balancing act, for sure! Hazel eyes to bright blue, "When do you want to do this?"
"Oh, I'm not saying you're not completely wrong with the suggestion," Ru'ien goes on to touch again on the subject of the full bath, scrubbing idly at the curve of his jawline as his brows furrow in thought. "It's just one of those things on my list of 'budget cuts', y'know? Maybe it'll just be lower on that list!" He grins when M'ti throws more logic at him, snickering as he adopts a teasing tone once more. "What? You think I'm lazy and wouldn't be able to handle a trek now and again? It's not like the winters get that cold, Matty!" He's just being an asshole now, purposely challenging and needling for the sake of making it interesting and not so boring and straightforwards. "You thinking on using some of this towards your Journeyman status? I'm sure any Master would be thrilled, if not to see that you're at least able to work together with other Crafts…" Is that a perk? It MUST be a perk! Or Ru'ien is blowing smoke out that fine ass of his (spoiler: it's probably a bit of both). "Mhm, guess you got a point about the ground freezing. We'll want the supports in at least…" Nodding to the other points given, Ru'ien leans back deeper into his chair and clicks his tongue thoughtfully, idly bouncing his one leg where he's crossed it over the other at the knee. Do do do… "Well, we're gonna be hitting Senior Weyrlinghood soon and I'm gonna be shadowing the Wings here - mostly for the experience, y'know? Since I think we all know where I'm gonna end up…" Duh. "How about in the next few days? I think I can swing some good chunk of time if I shuffle some stuff around."
"Mhmmm…" M't thrums from behind his glass of iced tea, continuing to give Ru'ien the sort of eyeballing that he can expect with probably some frequency if they remained an item so to speak, "…well…" Tipping his glass back, he drains it of it's contents as much as he can and then sets it back down with a clink of the remaining ice, and he smiles gently,"…in the end, it's going to be your place, and being the client you have final say. However, given my…attachment…to you, I'd be remiss not to look out for your best interest and try and nudge you in the right direction." There's a soft chuckle and ashen lashes lower, Matty licking his lips, "I don't know if I'd call you lazy so much as more likely to procrastinate to the last possible second…" Smirking a bit himself, M'ti leans back into his chair again, looping his arms loosely over his lap. What can he say other than he was getting to know his lover better and better the more time they spent together, and he wasn't taking the bait. "It couldn't hurt?" he says of Journeyman status, "I've passed my final project in for review and anything I manage to organize or produce successfully to the benefit of the woodcraft beyond should be more than enough to prove that I'm ready to walk the tables and represent them. Right?" Bobbing his head in agreement over the ground freezing, "At the very least, but I think between the two of us we can get the house done before winter if we really stick to it. I certainly don't mind arranging for help and overseeing the project while you're busy with Weyrling things, with someone of Journeyman status minimum double checking the work." Pondering briefly, "I can even make any furniture you may need, which will help keep costs down." Clearing his throat, glancing off with a rush of color to his cheeks, "…as I wouldn't exact payment in marks." With a slow curved and wicked grin, the greenrider rolls his shoulders, hazel eyes darting back to Ru'ien, "That should be more than enough time to get the paperwork done, submitted and approved. I think the Master I'm working under would be thrilled be be rid of me ahead of schedule." Heh. Yeah, appearances aside, M'ti was a handful.
Ru'ien chuckles heartily, casting a rather sly grin and a wink to match with it. "You know me well then!" Procrastination is very likely in his vocabulary! There's a bemused shake of his head, as he exhales thoughtfully to a near sigh. "Well… I'll consider your advice! How's that for an agreement for now?" Deal or no deal? Seems he won't be that difficult to work with now! "I mean, I don't see why not? Unless they've got some insane list of checkmarks you gotta jump through hoops to get but I doubt it - but that's something you take up with your Masters. I've already had the pleasure of harassing mine!" He says this in jest of course but Faranth only knows how much of a pain he must've been as an Apprentice! That poor Journeyman. Agreement is given again in the form of a low hum, but those blue eyes of his will dart up and narrow when he catches that suggestion. He scoffs, then begins to laugh richly, casting a far more trickster-style grin than ever before. "Did my ears catch that right? Because if it's certain favors you're angling for in return for "payment", well…" He spreads his hands out, no ounce of shame to him at all, in open invitation. Yes, he knows exactly what is being alluded to here and Ru'ien doesn't even so much as blush or bat an eye to offering it - or himself. "Wonderful!" Clasping his hands together abruptly, he'll grin the broadest of grins, back to that previous excitement now that their 'business' end of things appears to be neatly wrapping itself up. "So! Now that we've more or less covered that…" Does M'ti want his signature on anything or a handshake? Because Ru'ien is ready to just go from work to pleasure now! Time for some fun. "What's new? Any good gossip?" Do tell, do tell! Not that he won't press M'ti for much and likely he'll be suggesting a wide variety of 'things to do' before the day ends and sees them retiring somewhere more private.
Laughing shortly with a slow shake of his head and a lopsided grin in response to that wink and everything that came before it, M'ti does not go so far as to confirm whether or not he knew Ru'ien as well as all that. After all, they were very much still in the process of getting to know each other, however this building project would mean working very close to one another for extended periods of time. Be it fortunately or unfortunately, M'ti was focused more on the work ahead then the possibility of bumping heads with Ru'ien, "Eh, that'll do…for now." A note of warning is unequivocally attached in tone and glint, plenty enough that said he was far from done advocating for a full bathroom somewhere in the Weyrling's domicile. Although, when push comes to shove, he would prove to be professional if the man decided he'd rather keep it to a privy behind a privacy curtain and be done with it. "I'm not really worried," and that is all Matty has to say about winning brownie points with his craft, not bothering to resist the laugh that comes after hearing that Ru'ien had given his Master's a hard time, "Something I've no doubt you enjoyed considerably more than they did…" Not that he'd know anything about what that was like. Heh. Flushing rosy right up to the tip of his ears, the greenrider scoffs in playful embarrassment, avoiding direct eye line with all that smug, "Shameless…" said the pot to the kettle. A little while following, M'ti does look back the Weyrling's way while blushing up a storm, but there was no denying that they'd just had a meeting of the minds. The perverted and very very dirty kind. Their business for the day concluded, M'ti blinks a few times and then laughs, dropping his chin into the palm of his hand as he lowers the volume of his voice to one that was downright conspiring, "Well I did hear a juicy little something…" With that he shares of what whispers he'd caught in passing, even if those fall to the wayside in favor taking Ru'ien up on as many 'suggestions' a single evening would permit as well as a few of his own.