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.
After spending all day dealing with kidlets in the nursary Jaelynn was finally able to escape and needing a few moments of quiet time to herself she has made her way into the garden. A blue firelizard is settling upon her shoulder crooning out faintly to his person and is tucking himself under her hair a bit even. "Honestly Robin… You act like I've been gone." The dragonhealer says with a soft giggle to the lizard. She let's him play with her hair while smoothing out her shirt, which has a few stains on it she can see now, a soft sigh esacpes her. "Oh well." She head on over to a bench and sits down upon it, pausing to pull a shoe off and then the other to wiggle her toes about. It is afternoonish, a few hours before dinner.
Did the woman know Valerian? Well, she might know of him. There were a few things that were common knowledge amongst the candidates. The grey eyed result of a flight, half-brother to the rider of the clutch dam, he grinned a lot in that 'everything is funny to him' and he liked the climb and jump off the highest of places. The final thing that was pretty well known, is that the starcafter apprentice had a very hard time keeping himself awake during the day, as it was the time he'd pre-white knotting had been asleep according to his craft. So, maybe it's no surprise to the dragonhealer when she escapes all those snotty noses and diaper changes to the garden to find Valerian stretched out on the higher part of the wall surrounding the pond, passed out. Yep, one arm hanging down the other curled beneath his head and most definately sound asleep. He'd almost made it to lunch time today, someone, somewhere, was proud of him.
Jaelynn knows of Valerian of ocurse, he is another cadidate, other then that no she doesn't know a lot about him, or that he is related to Risali. The dragonhealer tends to keep to herself a lot when not tending to dragons and the like. She pulls the strap from her bag off her shoulder and pokes around in it before finding a redfruit which is taken out and a bite is taken from it while she is checking for other items it seems. She sits crosslegged upon the bench, and for the moment has no idea there is someone sleeping on a wall basicly behind her. Robin though has caught on that there is someone up THAR and the blue lizard hops upwards and perches on the side of the rock wall closest to dear Valerian's face. There is a 'sniffsniffffffffff' before the lizard hisses out a bit.
Escape to the garden seems to be the name of the game today, for even non-candidates are taking refuge among the foliage. Or, at least Sephany is. Confident steps follow a path the apprentice knows well, taking her well into the garden and toward the pond… which apparently already has guests. No surprise, seeing as the very nature of the place invited those to come and sit and stay and relax the day away. "You're insufferable," hissed to her own firelizard; the blue currently puffed up and proud-looking on her shoulder. "Ugh. Piss off," which is a very un-ladylike thing to say, and it comes with a very unladylike push of her hand as she bodily shoves the creature from her shoulder With a squawk of annoyance that is somehow still musical, the blue twists in the air, scowlds Sephany thoroughly, and then vanishes Between. "Finally…" murmured just as grey eyes spot the seated Jaelynn, flick to her own blue firelizard… and find the sleeping Valerian. Undoubtedly, if she knew he had made it until lunch, there would be pride. Too bad he's fallen asleep before she could congratulate him on a job well done. So instead there is just a mischievous little curl to the corner of her mouth, and her steps become a bit of a hop-skip sort of thing as she closes the last bit of distance. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," comes in sing-song warning, though whether it's for the dragonhealer or her pet it's unclear. And because shoving at blue firelizards is her thing today, she'll just leeeeeeean over and lift her hand in a vague sort of threat.
Valerian, is oblivious to the coming and goings of people and firelizards alike, for there had undoubtedly been more than a few much like the dragonhealer who'd traipsed through on such a beautiful autumn day. Maybe some of them noticed him, but like Lynn there, most hadn't. He was quite a ways up and being distracted by bag rummaging would indeed ensure that his location continued to be obfuscated. The starcrafter continues to snooze away in silence, blessed in that he didn't snore or make weird sounds that would give him away during his little naps, but not so fortunate that he can't be spotted by sniffing and soon hissing beasties. How rude! "Hmm, eh…" Brows furrow and Valerian, recoils a bit from the face full of hissy, a sleepy sort of batting of one hand that misses the creature entirely while his head was still all foggy, and promptly turns his head to the other way and tosses his once free hanging arm up over his head. A huge draw in of air and he exhales in a huff before muttering something about Sephany leaving him alone. Man, now who's rude?
Robin shifts his head, hissing once more and soon the blue firelizard flutters back to Jaelynn and curls upon the dragonhealer's shulder. A curious look is sent back towards the voice and Jaelynn chews on a bit of redfruit and she looks confused at what Sephany says. "Wouldn't do what?" She wasn't paying attention to her dear INNOCENT lizard whom is looking all cute like at the moment. Jae shifts to lean back upon the bench, one arm folding so the elbow is restinguon the back. "How goes things… Up there?" She'll quesiton to Valerian and even offers them bother a slight wave. "Hello an all as well."
"Let him bite Valerian," offers Sephany quick enough, a jut of her chin indicating the sleeping (and muttering) starcrafter-candidate up there on the wall. "It's kind of rude, you know? He was totally there first." Even if he is muttering mean things about her now. That definitely earns a look of a not-nice variety. She's in a mood, OK? Which is the motivation behind her reaching up and flicking that muttering-starcrafter right across his cute little nose. "Brat. I'm trying to save you from being mauled to death!" Or… just being hissed at. DETAILS. "Have you come to get measured for your robe yet?" offered to the dragonhealer-type, an eyebrow arched in that way that says she knows the answer.
Kelani lingered in the nursery a little while longer until the kids were all settled in with naps before she finally came out to get some fresh air. She has in one hand a covered bucket that looks a little heavy, but has been her constant companion since early this morning. Hanging from one shoulder is a messenger style bag. As she comes upon the others in the garden she pauses for a moment before stepping into the area and offering a smile of greeting to those present. "Good afternoon everyone." She offers rather cheerfully as she sets down the bucket with a sigh and a roll of her shoulder.
There is another huffing sound, because there was more firelizard hissing and then developing conversation, and it was all close enough to lure Valerian's brain out of shutdown mode. Drawn rapidly out of the heaviness that allows a return to slumber a very groggy groan is emitted from the starcrafter's location, "Hmm?" comes the response above for Lynn's lean and call up to him and then very slowly he rolls over onto his stomach and squiggles towards the edge of the wall lip. Grey eyes peer down, obviously half asleep over the three ladies in waiting of reply and he flops down entirely, letting his arm hang again with a bit of swing that eventually slows to a stop. A yawn quickly follows, all wide of mouth, and heavily lidded he lays there unresponsive for a moment and then a sleepy sounding, "Walls aren't comfortable…" he tells the dragonhealer candidate. Well, duh. Sephany gets a nose crinkle, "Robe? No." Just no, okay weavergirl. No. A sort of half-assed finger curling wave thing for Kelani and then a whole lot of droopiness.
Jaelynn looks a touch confused as she hears Sephany and glances to Robin a moment, a brow lifting and is chewing on a bite of the fruit as if in thought. "Robin wouldn't do that. His more the slash an dive sort of lizard." She doesn't seem to be joking either. Onwards… Her gaze drifts back up and she smiels to Kelani while waving to her and points to the bench to offer her a spot if she likes to sit it seems. "Hey there, the kiddies get to sleep?" A glance is sent back to Sephany, a soft ah heard. "No ma'am, but I was planning on it tomorrow… If that would be alright?" Once Valerian's voice is caught she looks back towards him curiously and offers a faint wiggle of a wave. "Then why are you up there then?"
"He was hissing in his face," points out the apprentice weaver, an indignant sort of expression crossing her own. As if someone was telling Sephany that she was a LIAR, and she wants to contest it. Hands find hips, and she alternates sour looks back and forth between the pair. To the one on the bench; because she's denying her firelizard's clearly violent-disposition (not really), and to the one on the wall for being ungrateful for the protection she offered. And then Kelani who, even now, gets an awkward sort of expression. There's an awkward sort of wave in greeting, even if she's turning back to the pair at the wall. "No, Valerian, they are very much not comfortable, which is why the weyrlingmasters thought it prudent to give you a bed. In the barracks. With a pillow, even." Teasing. She's teasing. And it's ALMOST playful. "And unless you want to walk out onto the sands bare-ass naked…" hangs the threat, over both dragonhealer and starcrafter alike. "Tomorrow then," she acknowledges of Jaelynn. "And you…" peer at Valerian. "I'll even make it easy and let you get measured in the dead of night, you crazy vampire." And then, because it seems important, "What's in the bucket?" is asked of Kelani as she comes back into view.
Kelani peeks up at Valerian curiously for a moment before taking the seat offered by Jaelynn and nods, "Yeah, one was really fighting it, but we got him down inthe end." She says with a half smile to show she actually enjoyed her time in the nursery. She pulls the bucket closer to her feet, giving a little peek in before closing the lid once more. "Eggs. Chlora and your Harper's eggs. I finally found where the wench hid them." Kelani says and leans back in her seat with a sigh, "She laid three." There is a look up to Valerian again, "Really…I would advise wearing a robe. If you get knocked down out there it may protect you from getting yourself burned in uncomfortable places." Modesty aside, she is thinking of his health..and speaking of. "I still need to see you for the physical." Poor star crafter, haranged by all the womens.
"Habit," Valerian replies back to questions of why he was up there to begin with, returning the faint finger wiggle of a wave along with a half-attempt at a grin that fails mostly. Whatever his habits, he slides his gaze next to Sephany and she's the one that gets an indignant sigh, and roll of grey eyes elsewhere. "Tried that, they said daytime wasn't for sleeping…" Imagine that, being awake during the day and functioning as a candidate like everyone else. He had tried to stay awake, many…many…times. Even drank a whole pot of klah in a very short period of time and all he got for his trouble was some tachycardia and a trip to the infirmary. Where they let him sleep it off. Kelani is watched as she speaks, not having a lot to say until she addresses him directly, but he was paying attention in that totally not at all awake way that the freshly risen can sometimes appear. Whatever antics he got up to at night, clearly left him unable to function during the day, because if anyone woke up in the middle of the night the starcrafter was rarely in his cot where he should have been, "Who started the whole white dress thing anyway?" he asks the bearer of buckets, brows sinking at mention of a physical, "If you want to see me naked that badly Kelani…" He is KIDDING! The sixteen turn old flashes a wolfish grin all teeth and no bite, and then a second later he air swatting at the apprentice weaver, "Sweet talker…fine. Midnightish it is…don't be surprised by the knock on your door…"
"He was?" Jaelynn questions with a curious tone after another bite of fruit and eyesher blue pondering it seems. "Yeah… Sounds like something he would do." So she doesn't deny the matter. "I've been hissed at by plenty of things." She offers a smile, innocent like. "Though hissing isn't that bad." Perhaps like smeone with a favorite pet thatdoesn't think it's a big deal when they do something that is cute but super annoying. "Though I ge tit, I'll try and keep him in line." The blue tilts his head and hunkers down peeking over at Kelani and her bucket rather curious like. Jaelynn blinks and she chuckles sofly. "She's rather good at her job though I must admit. But I agree, wanderingout onto thesands in nothng but ones turnday suit would be a bad thing. I've nearly gotten a burn from kneeling in a spot to long while I was busy with making records and lost track of time." She'll peek back over to Valerian as a thoughtdawns on her it seems. "Your in the Starcraft right? I bet that is interesting… Also why I suppose you might want to sleep the day away which makes total sense."
"Yes," said with conviction. Definitely. "You can probably train him to be nicer," Sephany offers with some hesitation. Because maybe she's not absolutely certain on that point. But regardless, she's adding, "It's not exactly nice. How would you feel if a big canine came up and growled at you, but the owner said 'Oh, he doesn't bite. Growling's not that bad.'?" Because this is apparently a point she needs to make. "I know I wouldn't appreciate it." But the dragonhealer's final words seem to mollify her at least, and she turns her attention to the sleepy starcrafter on the wall. "I'm pretty sure I heard that they used to make candidates stand out there naked… so be glad for the dress." But anyways. "Yes. Midnight. Just don't be shocked if I'm less than dressed." She's probably kidding. "Now go get your ass in a proper bed, ok?" It's gentle; much more understanding of crazy schedules than weyrlingmasters, apparently. "Even if you have to sneak into the infirmary. I'm sure Kelani would vouch for you…" right? Speaking of… "Three? Really? Wow… that's pretty good. I thought greens usually forgot where they laid them. I'm surprised you could find them at all!" Definitely appreciation in that tone.
"They aren't dresses they are robes…and its tradition." Kelani says with a firm nod of her head. Well despite being a healer, she has a harper background and knows ALL about tradition. "It unifies us and ensures the dragons aren't distracted from finding their one true lifemate." Kelani says with a shrug clearly repeating something she had been told. The teasing about the physicals just gets a roll of her eyes, "I have been studying human anatomy for a great many turns, you would hardly be the first bare chest I have seen. I ain't making you turn your head and cough at your age, mostly just need to listen to your heart and lungs and check your joints." The conversation about Valerian's insomnia gets a tilt of her head, "Well its not like the place shuts down at night, maybe ask if you could be put on night duties? Infirmary could always use extra help on night shift, maybe the guards as well." She offers with a nod to Sephany about 'vouching'. "Healers are hardly going to turn down a warm body, no matter the time." At the comment about her green she rolls her eyes, "There was bit of sand exposed by the low tide she thought would be a perfect place. I had to swim out to them and got them just in time." She rolls her eyes at that.
Other than making swatting motions at the blue who hissed and rolling over, Valerian wasn't even aware of the decline in social graces, grey eyes darting between dragonhealer and weaver and looking mildly confused. Dismissing the discussion shortly there after as just another mystery of the female gender he had no intention of touching with a ten kilometer measuring stick, he folds his arms beneath his head and lets said melon tilt off to the side. His eyelids starting to grow heavier, "Hmmhmm…" he murmurs back at Lynn, for indeed that was a starcraft apprentice knot there beside his candidate white, "Maybe you could explain that to the powers that be, this understanding you have. They don't seem to get it." Man, the kid sounded beat and he appeared to be losing his battle with resisting the siren song of slumber, eyes closing a few times before they drift on over to Sephany again. "Naked is better than a dress…" he sighs. Silly weaver, didn't you know that? And then a deeper sigh for the suggestion of decreased attire to be found in rooms at midnight, "Again?" Did he sound…bored? Oh the audacity of kids these days! At this point he is, in fact, making his way down off the wall and that drop into a crouch was not as graceful as it might have been. He catches his face from being collided with the wall with one hand, barely, and then uses it to draw himself back up. "I know, I was teasing you." Not very effectively, clearly. A nod is given for the two that offer alternatives to his narcoleptic episodes keeping him from participating in candidacy even as he wibbles and woggles but doesn't fall down in his progression away. "Yup…okay…I got to go…thank you…really…" A stop and pause to yawn and shoulders sag, dragging himself back towards the weyr at a snails pace. He might make it there by the time he usually wakes up if he doesn't just drape himself over something slightly inconvenient and pass out again.
Jaelynn is quiet as she listens to Sephany, she's been growled at by way more then a canine, but she won't comment on such things. "It is honestly his personality at this point in time. He won't bite anyone, nor honestly scratch at them. He is all talk. But I do agree with what you say, if he was a problem I would make certain he would not be a bother to anyone." This offered softly, feeling a touch bit shamed at the fact that she could perhaps have a firelizard that would actually harm someone. She brushes her hands off a bit while tucking what is left of her fruit core into her bag and is glancing after Valerian and shakes her head a bit. "Must not be easy at all having to deal with trying to get on a day schedule if one is use to being up all night. Hope his able to figure it out sooner rather then later." At the talk of finding firelizard eggs she smiles a bit to Kelani. "At least you got to them before the water did, they are very lucky little firelizards." Her own firelizard curls up on her shoulder, head the only thing poking out from her hair. "So I'll see you tomorrow then for the robe fiting, thank you so much for what you are doing Sephany. I'm sure they will be lovely, and we're all enjoy being able to wear them too." This said with a smile before she is waving slightly. "Nice talking to you two, see you soon. Good luck with the eggs Kelani, if you want any help with them I'd be glad to help." She offers before turning to leave.
The snorty "Whatever" that comes out of Sephany's mouth is all for Valerian, grey eyes rolling as he heads off with promises of midnight robe-measuring rendezvous . "Well, you know that," to Jaelynn, for her firelizard's lack of bite, "But the person being hissed at doesn't." But that's all she'll say on it, having made her point. And indeed, the little blue in question is no longer harassing anyone so… win-win. "I'm sure it is," for adjusting to a new schedule. "I've always been a morning person, but I know my brother struggled with the schedule when he was a candidate, and more so when he was a Weyrling." Up with the dawn, feeding a new baby dragon. Joys. "Enjoy the rest of your day," is offered as the dragonhealer leaves, Sephany slipping into her vacant spot once she's wandered off. "Good of you to grab them, I suppose," to Kelani for the eggs. "Though I'm not sure I would have gone through the trouble. You're a better person than I am."
Kelani watches the star crafter head off, a little wince at the near stumble into the wall. "That boy worries me.." She murmurs once he is out of earshot. She gives a shake of her head before looking up to Sephany, "Are you doing ok? You seem a little off..I know..well what we went through was a bit awkward but well I think I am mostly over it now." She offers ever so helpfully. She smiles at Jaelynn and nods, "Yeah, very lucky. I got some warm sands in a bucket and plan to put it near the hearth at night. Well it seems like the right thing to do." She gives a finger wave at Jaelynn as she departs and smiles at the comment from Sephany. "Its the healer in me I guess. Couldn't let them die…especially after all the trouble they caused."
"Sometimes green eggs don't hatch anyways," notes Sephany, not unkindly. "I didn't bother to look for Thimble's because I figured she probably buried them out in the snow and they were already gone." She settles into the bench and, with a sigh, addresses the awkwardness. "I am. Or I will be. He's never… chased before. It was weird. When Thimble went up I wasn't around, thankfully. She just came back all egg-heavy and I put two and two together. But Harper actually chasing? That was weird and… I don't know how to explain it." But there's a bit more of a smile for the healer-turned-candidate. "He's been puffed up and insufferable ever sense. I'll be OK though. Just hoping he'll get over himself soon."
(and then people had to poof for work so… XD)