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.
Lorena rushes in through the entryway, shooting an indignant glare at the outside world as if it had chosen to be so rainy JUST to get her wet. The nerve. The young woman- is she that old already?- pauses in the bare entryway to wring out her long dark hair before tossing it with an elegant head swing behind her. She takes a deep, almost calming, breath. In…. and out… before glancing about at her slowly emptying surroundings. With a bright smile at a fellow rider, she moves over to get herself a hot mug of tea before settling casually into a seat at an empty table with a sigh. Much better.
Chaitra isn't that far behind Lorena, although instead of rushing into the caverns he just … walks. The youth doesn't seem to be in a hurry even though the heavens decided to crack open and pour. Most of his shoulder length hair is now out of his runnertail, plastered to the side of his face. Entering the warmth however, he sighs softly, letting silver eyes trail around the place. Probably looking for a hot drink and a dry place as he drips in the entryway.
Lorena opens her contently closed eyes to gaze around once more. They pause on a stranger who'd entered just after her. Strangers stand out, even in Weyrs… and especially to a stranger. She debates with Loyauth a moment before she calls out. "You gonna do somethin', boyo, or just make a puddle?" A small smirk passes over her face. "Get yourself a drink and come have a seat… 'less you got somewhere important to be?" She doubts it. It's wet. Only place important to be when it is wet is dry… and warm.
Chaitra shakes himself off, kind of like a dog shakes off water, but without quite so much shaking. It's more like he just flicks the water out of his face and - finally having spotted it - makes his way to the refreshment table, picking up the pitcher of klah. Instead of pouring it right away, he grabs a mug and a handful of sweetner as well. "I dunno ma'am. Makin' a puddle seemed like a good idea t'me." He says, making a little joke out of his akwardness as he sits down at the offered table. "'Specially since I reached where I was lookin' t'be." Finally as he's seated, he pours his mug o' klah and adds a healthy (or not so healthy) amount of sweetner to it.
Senkyou walks in, soaking wet and dripping water on the floor as well. Stripping off her soaking wet riding jacket she begins to squeeze her hair, which just adds to the mess on the floor. Walking over to the beverages she pours a cup of klah, seeming somewhat alouf she scans the people in the cavern, assuring herself that no one she doesn't want to see is there.
Lorena watches him with a bright amusement to her eyes. "I suppose. But it certainly won't make the headwoman too happy I'm sure." She sips idly at her tea, which she enjoys the bitterness of, to be honest. Could never take the taste of klah, but tea? Strong tea? Amazing stuff. "Like a little klah there with your sweetner?" She teases. "An' don' call me m'am, if you please. Though I appreciate the formality. I'm Lorena… Or Lor, whichever suits you." Her eyes raise to the brownriding wingleader. She half smirks- so very reminiscent of her brother- before nodding in greeting to the older woman's sweeping gaze.
"The only way I c'n stand t'drink the stuff." Chaitra responds to the woman he's seated with, as he stirs it together with a spoon he lifted from the table. "Lorena, then." He says with a nod. He looks at the doorway just in time to see Senkyou walk in, dripping just like the other two. "Somehow, don't imagine the headwoman'll be happy anyhow. Just walkin' in makes a mess." Is continued, his face breaking out into an easy smile. "Just who is the headwoman anyhow? Need t'be speaking to her."
Senkyou nods back to Lorena and eyes the new guy, looking him up and down she walks over towards him and Lorena, seeming to prefer new company. Putting the klah down she pulls out a chair, pulling it a good foot away from the table she sits down, tips the chair back on it's back two legs and places the heel of one foot on the table. Tilting her head at lorena in a small nod she asks, "Where'd yu get him?" Looking at Chaitra and giving a tired little smile.
Lorena raises a brow, peering at the boy's drink with a quiet "huh…". Maybe that's what she should try. Lots and lots of sweetner. If it doesn't make her sick… "The headwoman? Oh she'll find you I'm sure. She generally does. What're you seein' her for?" Senkyou's arrival brightens Lor's already bemused face. "Wingleader." She greets with a smile. "This is… well… I actually don't know." She shrugs. "He can tell you who he was… but he was standing all clueless in the entry way there… Figured I'd flag him down before he caused any more water damage." She seems a little proud of herself, having not lost the cockiness of her teen years -just- yet.
Chaitra looks up at Senkyou, then just over as the wingleader sits down. Oh yeah, name. That'd be food. "Chaitra's m'name, ladies." He introduces himself with that friendly and open smile. "'M a hunter, further south 'nd west down the coast of Azov." He looks at the two and then takes a pull from the sugar-filled klah. Bleeeegh! The distaste is still evident. "Ugh.. B-bu' uh, 'M interested ina room here. Home got … boring." Drip. Drip. Yup. He's still making a mess all over the floor. Poor headwoman.
Senkyou shakes her head, "Yu know I can drip water everywhere, it's a priviledge I have but you should be more courteous and try and absorb less of it." Keeping as straight of face as senkyou can she smirks at Lorena, "You've done a great job, we really should keep them from getting water on the food." Senk watches him drip on the floor, even though her own riding jacket is leaving a good puddle. "Chaitra, well I'm Wingleader Senkyou rider of brown Dulacth, welcome to Xanadu weyr."
Lorena chuckles, following Senk's eyes to the puddles under their chairs. Hey, it was worth a shot, right? Her attention flicks back to Chaitra quick enough though and cracks another half grin. "Oh, well the weyr's certainly not boring. Especially if you know where to look for entertainment." Ah, little sea-farer. They know the best parties, of course. Or at least the ones you don't remember and just assume were great.
Chaitra looks at Lorena, just blinking. The 16 turn old well… hasn't been to any great, yet unmemorable parties. Hm. And then Senk is given a look before the gaze shifts down to his feet. "Sorry ma'am." Hey, Senk hasn't told him not to say ma'am yet. "I just wann't in any huge hurry to get outta the rain. Wet as it is…" The boy then sighs and looks at his sugarfied klah. And takes another sip, if just for the hot liquid. "'Nd where d'you look for good entertainment, Lor?" He asks, trying out the nickname, but sounding a little hesitant.
If anything could be said on the wierdness of blue riders, the smirk on M'iri's face as she's walking into the caverns, fully soaked; just tends to bring this thought home. Stopping just out of reach of the rain, and yet not fully in the downpour, the rider pulls off her tranchcoat like rider's jacket, holding it daintily across her arm as she heads for the nearest hearth. Her hair is plastered to her face, plaited blonde hair looking brown under the weight of the water. Finally stepping to a hearth, Miir drags a chair noisily with her, turning it closely to the hearth, plopping the jacket on the back, and then plopping down, herself. Looking from Lorena, Senkyou and Chaitra suddenly, Miir shrugs and grins. "Kieranth likes the rain." And thats the only explination, as a smirk still tips the usually tentive rider's smile.
Senkyou appears to be enjoying herself when she spots Mi'ri raising and eyebrow and giving an amused smile. Chaitra's use of ma'am is not corrected, and Senk looks around again, assuring herself that no one else has slipped in for shelter. Leaning farther in the chair she rocks forward just before the point where the chair would have tipped, if blueriders are odd brown riding wingleaders seem to be catching it, waving a hand at Mi'ri's comment she asks. "Did he keep yu out there?" Chaitra gets a shrug. "You can call me Ma'am, or wingleader Senkyou." Lorena's mention of forgotten parties gets a small nervous twitch out of the brown rider and a small rushed response of, "Paying for one of those now."
Lorena's eyes brighten, and she sets down her mug, leaning on her elbows over the table. "Ooh, well, it depends on what you're lookin' for of course! I, myself, enjoy dancing and music and the like. So I get clued in by a couple friends about-" She pauses and glances at Senkyou and past at M'iri- here she gives a shy wave. How much should she really be talking about this. T'eo would have a herdbeast… Oh yes, you heard me. A herdbeast. "Well, lets just say if you want to do any of that sorta thing, let me know." She says cooly, sitting back an tugging at a long strand of black-brown hair. She passes her eyes to Senkyou and gives a quiet giggle. "I've not been so… erm.. unfortunate yet." Again. Should she be saying this?
Chaitra seems a little overwhelmed by the three older ladies striding into the caverns and making theirselves comfortable. And well… obviuosly Chai is starting to get comfortable too. Or he's been on the road a long time, which might account for why he's dripping so much. But either way, the youth eventually leans back in his chair, and his head lolls back for a moment, before a snore emits from his throat. … o.O ?? "Snneeearrrr…hrrhhhh…" CRASH. "Whohuheh?!" Chai starts awake as he crashes to the floor backwards, thankfully his shoulder encountering it first, and not his head.
M'iri grins at Senkyou, nodding her head a little. "Well, at first it was me enjoying the rain with Kieranth, under his left wing… And then well, I decided to do a little dancing in the rain." These words are said almost as if dancing in a downpour is about as common as walking. "Kieranth was amused, to say the least, but… He enjoys when it's darker; rain and cloudcover tend to provide that." A slight look crosses Miir's face that might suggest she's talking with Kieranth, before she shakes her head and looks at the other two with Senkyou. A blush ebbs her face a little as the euphoric hold of her conenction with Kieranth ebbs, and she slips into her more tentive personality. "L-Lorena, correct?" She asks of the other rider, before nearly jumping out of her chair at the sudden crash of Chaitra to the floor. "Are you alright??" She asks, rushing over to the boy and looking over him, the bewildered and blushing face giving her a slightly wild look.
Senkyou is luckily for her not leaning back when Chaitra falls, or else there could have been a double accident. Instead of jumping to help she starts to laugh, standing slowly and offering her hand to help him up. "Yu shouldn't attempt doing that, it takes to much skill." Senk comments sarcastically and looks back over to Lorena, not about to end her good conversation because of one uncoordinated kid. "I'm stuck on the ground for a while, though I've learned a little about not listening to Dulacth. He won't let me forget this." Her eyes go up to hte ceiling and unfocus a little, her head nodding to unheard words and sighing.
Lorena was about to answer M'iri before Chaitra's failed experiment. She winces rather visibly as the boy goes over backwards. "Good one, boyo." She chirps witha chuckle, not moving much except to drink from her tea mug again. Murph.. getting down to the dregs. She nods to Senkyou, and M'iri too really, however you want to take it. A smile passes over her face as Senkyou discusses with her lifemate. Loyauth's warm dusty winds pick up in her own mind as if in an embrace and her smile becomes broader and eyes more distant. She's very grateful for her brown. After a moment she shakes her head gently free of sagebrush and sand and smiles at M'iri. "Yeah… Lorena." She confirms at last.
Chaitra opens his eyes to find M'iri in his face and Senk standing above him. "Errrgh?" Is all the teenage boy gets out before he accepts Senk's hand to stand up. "Wha'd I do?" He rubs at his eyes briefly and then chuckles. "Ah, I know. Fell 'sleep didn' I?" He asks to the three ladies around him. He watches Senk as she seems to zone out "Y'okay?" He asks as he brushes his side and backside off, starting to trail towards where he thinks the headwoman might be. If not he might just go steal someone's cot and pass out. "Hate t'run on you ladies, but I think 'M in need of some sleep, y'know?"
"What did Dulacth do?" M'iri asks, looking up from Chaitra to Senkyou as the brownrider helps the boy off the floor. Obviously Lorena knows what Senkyou speaks of, for she turns her head towards the other brownrider here. "Ah… I thought I recognised your face, atleast." She grins at Lorena, her voice a little more tentive and light, now, as she walks back to her jacket and chair; her hair is still quite wet, and she has no need to get sick. Eying Chaitra up to make sure he's okay, the bluerider nods her head in complaince and cocks her head towards the lower caverns. "I'm sure someone dow nthat way can set you up with a warm bed."
"Dulacth told me and told me to come home, I'd had a bit to drink yu see.." The vanilla and cinnamon of dulacth seem to be reminding her of exactly how Senk had neglected to listen, cutting off her sentence momentarily. "I kept drinking, ended up inviting him to sleep in my weyr. Well, you get the rest." Telling the story she sits back down, crossing her arms in a defensive posture and watching Chaitra go off to find somewhere to sleep, "I wasn't exactly kind when he was trying to warn me 'bout this guy. Guess it's what I get, he ain't being rude but he will not let me forget it." Smiling at her dragons protective warning.
Lorena watches Chaitra go off with a bemused smile before swiveling her head back to the wingleader. She leans back on the table, cheek on a fist, elbow propping, and swirls the dregs of her tea. She gives an amused half smirk. "Yeah… Loyauth usually has to come in" guns a blazin' "at some of the boat parties to take me home." She turns pink. "But nothin' like that's ever happenes at, er, the wrong time."
A rather short boy makes his way into the caverns, and short is just a gentle way of describing the boy's stature, especially considering that Andis looks quite mature. He is clutching a few books in his arms as he makes his way slowly into the living caverns, hesitating at the entrance as his eyes flicker over the sheer amount of people in the room.
M'iri oogles a little at Senkyou's story, before nodding her head sage-like. "And now that you've firmented my reasoning for avoiding alcohol…" The bluerider grins, giving a sympathetic look as she sees Senkyou's face change to that of one talking with her lifemate. "Well, it could've been much worse, I suppose… You arn't baring a bruise, afterall?" Miir peers, making sure there are none on Senkyou before turning to Lorena. "Drunken sailor, eh?" The perma-blush on Miir's face when not in deep contact with Kieranth flourishes a bit more— probably because she doesn't know Lorena as well as Senkyou. "Atleast with a boat, though, your dragon has easy access to you. In a building is an entirely different matter." The young Andis is noted, and a shy quirk of a smile is sent in his direction from the bluerider, before she turns and checks on the dryness of her trenchcoat that is draped over her seat and pointing at the hearth. "Hrm… Must've really gotten it soaked. Poor jacket."
Senkyou shakes her head at M'iri, "No I didn't get into any kind of fight, I was nicer than that." Rolling her eyes as if she is avoiding saying what she did, and chuckling at Lorena, "He's pulled me out of a few taverns, your lucky you haven't gotten into any problems." Andis is stared at for a moment before senk turns back drinking the already cold klah, though she doesn't seem bothered. "I'd let the jacket dry over night, I doubt anyone will steal it. Wouldn't help if you had to go back out in the rain, it'd just get wetter." Saying this she is purely oblivious that she has just stated the obvious.
Lorena smirks. "Just don't mention it to my brother. I think as much as he knows he tries to forget and as much as he's told he can't pretend any longer." Ah… Matteo. She giggles a bit as the bluerider doesn't seem to follow Senkyou's explaination of events. She sits up and bit and follows M'iri's and Senkyou's eyes to the entering boy, blinking at how slight he is. "Hm…" She interjects softly. There aren't that many people in here with the time of day. She watches him for a long time, smiles once at him if he happens to make eye contact before going back to the two older women with her attention.
M'iri looks to Senkyou as she rolls her eyes, and then at Lorena, "No, thats not what I…" And then she lets it drop as the look across her face suggests Kieranth talking to her. "Again!?" She grumbles, but grabs her jacket from the chair and briskly walks to the door. "Looks like another hold broke a solar panel, guess Kieranth and i get to do a little more rain dancing." She nods to both Senkyou and Lorena, before turning on heel and briskly walking out, grumbling all the way as she turns her collar up and walks out into the rain.
Andis slowly makes his way to the serving tables, ducking his head ever so slightly. A slight blush taints at his cheeks as he quickly hurries over, transferring his books to one arm as he starts dishing out some food. He quietly clears his throat as he makes his way over to the tables, "Hello." His tone is cheerful, offering a little wave as he sets his things down.
Senkyou sighs shaking her head at something unsaid and waving to Mi'ri before turning back to lorena. "I'm still trying to figure out how to inform the fellow." The boy get a tilt of the head from Senk before she asks Lorena, "Your brothers always been all right with me, of course I haven't spent all that much time with him. I won't tell him a thing, if you'll keep my little night a secret."
Lorena grins at Senkyou, amber eyes sparkling. "Sure thing. Sounds an even trade." She chuckles a little. "I remember when I came here, it was around the time Matt found out about his two children. I thought he was going to pull all his hair out." Which is saying something, with the long thick dark locks both of them share. Blame their mother. She looks about to the boy and greets him brightly. "Hello! Are you new too? Or have I just not metcha yet?" She says this last phrase with a frown in her voice, like this would be an unlikely possibility.