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.
Mikal has a plate heaped full of food. Perhaps he's still making up for not getting this much food while on that rock. Mikal is seated on a chair, working his way through the food. Elsie and Elidor sit on the back of his chair, getting their fair share of the food.
That, or Mikal's just a teenaged boy. Either way, really. Soriana's still picking out her own plate, Haruhi draped over her shoulder and chirping commentary on her selections. Once she's finished with that, she looks for a seat, and turns out, there's one by Mikal. So she heads over that way, setting her plate down and sliding into a chair. "Hey."
Mikal twists slightly one way, offers Elsie a bit of meat then twists the other way to offer a second bit to Elidor. Both are contently seated waiting for the food offerings. As Soriana, thusly Haruhi, come over they offer a chirp of greeting. Mikal does likewise. Only without the chirping. His sound is more like a grunt before the food in mouth is swallowed down. Then a quick grin is slanted her way. "Heya Sori. Glad to be back?" he gestures towards the caverns with one hand. "I thought my time at Fort made me super glad when I returned home. I think was even more grateful upon my return from that nearly 2 seven days on the Rock."
Haruhi's greeting back is definitely a chirp, at least. Soriana laughs as she puts some greenstuff on some breadstuff. "Definitely," she agrees, and takes a bite. Chew, chew… "Food that has flavor. Hot water. The ability to get more than a dragonlength away without having to start swimming."
Mikal mmhmms around another mouthful of food. "I did like Muir's soup. Think he can replicate it here?" is questioned. "I did go swimming today." since she mentioned swimming. "Izzy finally claimed me for that bath. That is a /lot/ of dragon hide to wash! I think perhaps I should be hoping for a smaller dragon. Like a blue. Or green. Not so much to wash, ya know?" he teases. Or jokes. Really it's more a joke. He offers more food to the brown and green pair.
"I don't see why not," Soriana says. "I mean… fish, mushrooms, fire. I'm sure he still has his bowl." Which is an essential part of the soup's flavor, and also something she can't imagine Muir giving up - not after all that! She nods about the swimming. "Water's cold, isn't it?" Another bite of food, and as Haruhi chirps, she offers some meat to the gold so they can both chew together. "I had washing the other day…" She hehs. "And never mind washing, then there's oiling… and the amount they eat!"
Mikal bobs his head in agreement on the coldness of the water. "Indeed it was quite chilly. Didn't seem to bother Izzy though and between me, Iffy and the fire lizards we got him clean though. And oiled though they did most of the oil back in their weyr. Didn't want sand on a freshly oiled hide." he nods again. "Oh yeah…I bet they do eat a lot. At least at first. After that I guess they slow down enough." he thinks.
"Yeah, dragons don't mind cold all that much. I mean, what's going to be worse than Between? They don't like it, usually, but they can deal." Soriana has another few bites of her food, then nods about dragons eating. "Same as with firelizards." Here you go, Haruhi, have another bite of food. "'Cept, a grown dragon's just going to eat every few days. Maybe every couple sevens, it kinda depends on the dragon." As opposed to the flying stomach firelizards.
Mikal eyes Elidor, perhaps judging the difference of the amount of food he eats compared to his green. At that age. "Maybe a smaller dragon'll be better." mutters the candidate in amusement. Food mostly gone or at least the edge of his hunger is gone so he can slow down in his consumption of said food he now reaches for his drink. "So she really seemed to like all the gifts." he assumes Sori will know what she he's speaking of.
"Just better hope the dragons think the same. Maybe there's a bronze who's searching for that skilled dragon-washer." Soriana grins teasingly, continuing to feed self and firelizard, then swallows a bite to nod. "She did." Who needs specifics? "She seemed really happy." Pause. "And weepy. But I guess pregnant people are like that sometimes. Like how dragons get broody."
"Yeah, she seemed pretty close to tears." and sometimes over the edge of tears. Mikal says, "Dunno…are all pregnant women always so close to tears or just one who rides a girl dragon?"
And Mikal asks Soriana this becaaaaaause…? Oh, right. Because she's a girl. Her expression is nevertheless uncertain as she attempts to draw on her vast wealth of knowledge. It's so vast, it's nearly nonexistent. Hmmm… aha! "Nah, it's only some of them. Riders or not. Jessi wasn't weepy like that when she was pregnant. So I guess it's just that's how some people are."
Exacly! Don't /all/ girls know about this stuff? At the very least it is promising that Mikal's asking these questions and not just assuming stuff or automatically dismissing it as girly stuff. "I'm glad she liked the drawing that I did. Jikmyn ended up helping me with it was from both of us. "Ah." he finally says as Soriana's words sink in. From his expression it's clear he's glad he's male and doesn't have to deal with those kind of emotions. "The crib was pretty awesoe too. You did a great job putting all that together."
"She'll probably hang it on her wall or something," Soriana says of that drawing, then nods. She doesn't have to deal with those emotions either if she doesn't get herself pregnant! So, uh. A few more bites of food, and then she nods. "Datsun made the crib. He's good at his craft." Which statement is followed by a sip of her drink, and only after that a somewhat rueful grin. "I'm glad she liked the party, cause I didn't manage to make her anything myself."
Mikal scoffs with an eye roll. "You put together the party so I'd say that counts as giving her something." a nibble is taken out of a roll before he sets it back down on his plate. "And decorations too. I bet Jikmyn three days of chores that it'll be a boy."
Soriana laughs. "Yeah, it does. And now, all the rest of the gifts will just remind her of mine. Muahaha." She grins, and feeds Haruhi another bit of meat. "Hotaru and Garawan helped with the decorations. But yeah." Sori is the one who talked to Ocelara! That's got to count for something. "Me, I'm just wondering when it'll h- be born." Because it's a baby human. Not a dragon. Though she's wondering when those will be b- hatch, too!
Mikal smirks faintly. He caught the slip but then the eggs have been forth most on his mind these days. "Ought to be soon though I think she thinks the eggs will hatch before she hatches. I heard they aren't doing any more egg toughings. Wonder if that means they are /too/ hard to touch?"
"No such thing," Soriana says with the certainty of having read that textbook, and grins. "Probably just means Sahazyth's being protective. Some of the queens need coaxing to let their eggs get touched in the first place, some of them are okay for a while and then decide they've had enough. Every so often you get one where she doesn't want to let the candidates in for the hatching, and her rider and the other golds have to calm her down."
Mikal tilts his head. "No?" he files that away under interesting information about not being too hard to touch. As for the rest he merely shrugs. "Yeah, never did understand why they get so protective though. I mean naturally they need to hatch and fine life mates, yes?" must be another girly thing.
"Yeah, of course they do," Soriana says… with certainty. Maybe today's just a day for her to act certain about things. Oh, wait. She's sixteen. That's nearly every day. "Y'can't have a dragon without a rider." She has another sip to drink. "It's all maternal instincts and stuff, I guess."
"So how is your studies going?" asks Mikal, leaning back in the chair. Both brown and green have already left it, flitting over to sprawl before the fireplace and bask in the heat.
Soriana makes a face. "Okay. I had to drop one of my classes again, and I didn't do so great in some of the others. D'ren's been giving me other stuff to study, but… he's busy because of the eggs. And the candidate stuff means it's a lot harder to get back and forth to Ierne." And that was even before that ten day trip! "D'ren says that after hatching, he'll see about getting me some alternate credit, but still."
"Oh yeah…candidacy takes up bunches of time. Perhaps after…" he pauses. "If you don't impress." another pause. "Not that I'm saying you wont' cause who knows right?" he finishes weakly. Yum, he's got his foot in his mouth now. "Surely though they understand how busy you are right now though. Espcially since you kinda lost 10 days or so out on that rock."
"Yeah, that." Soriana leans back, shaking her head. She doesn't seem offended, because after all… who knows? "I'm not sure the dragons even know, yet. I mean… there's touchings, but… when do they decide? Have they already picked someone, or is it just more… they come out and see… what looks good?" She gives half a grin, then nods. "Nobody's, like… going to kick me out or anything. They know candidacy's busy. Just, I don't like falling behind." Sori sighs, then tilts her head to Mikal. "How about you? How's your stuff going?"
Mikal merely offers a faint shrug at that, his gaze slipping across the room to stare unseeingly towards the doorway. "Mmm..falling behind a bit. A lot more work than I thought when I decided to continue on with the healer's studies, infirmary shifts and candidate chores. Though only a few more seven days is what the betting is at so I suppose I just have a little while to hang on. After that….who knows. Guess we'll all find out." he offers no speculations out loud as what he might think of the little dragonette resting in their shells. Do they know already who they are going to? Or is it a sense they feel afterwards when all the candidates are awaiting on the hot sands to see. Who knows! His gaze is reflective and thoughtful. "I am so glad to be sleeping back in my cot. Even if it is a tad lumpy." lumps are nothing compared to sleeping on the ground!
Soriana nods, unsurprised at that answer. There's so much to do! It's almost enough to make one hope not to impress, just to get a chance to catch up. …almost. "Yeah. It can't be that much longer." Fact; her textbook said so… and yet she still says it in a tone that's hopeful and a tiny bit worried. Things are bound to change with that hatching - maybe for her, maybe for her friends - and all she can do about it is wait and see. She sighs again, and nudges at an uneaten legume before looking up to Mikal again with a laugh. "At least it's not lumpy with actual rocks. Not unless someone's been doing pranks again."
Indeed so much will change in what..one…maybe two candle marks. Certainly not a long time span but one that is so slow in coming to be over so quickly. A stifled sigh is heard from Mikal before he finally tears his eyes away from the doorway to land on Soriana. "huh? What? I didn't do that prank!" he quickly says then blinks as perhaps his mind replays her actual works. A sheepish grin appears. "Yeah..no..no one's been putting any rocks in my mattress that I know of!"
"…uh-huh," Soriana says. She grins, leaning forward and resting her chin on one hand. This is the look she gives when she totally (doesn't) believe someone, but is nevertheless amused. "I'm sure you didn't do anything, but there aren't any doors I should be careful about walking through tonight, are there?" Not that he'd have done anything, right? Right.
"I wouldn't know!" Mikal denies with a twinkle to his eye! And there's no empty paint pots hiding under his cot either that might have contained pink paint. Nope! He leaves it at that.
"Of course not," Soriana agrees with a smirk. "Not you." She leans back again, taking a sip of her drink, and interrogates no further. After all, Mikal clearly doesn't know anything (that he's willing to reveal). She hasn't seen anybody walking around in unnatural hues yet… well, except for before and Mikal's hands of blue. She glances that way at the memory.
Mikal's hands are completely paint free finally! Looks like his worries of taking blue hands onto the sands were unneeded. Though the gloves he was made are shoved into a pocket somewhere! Still with a completely innocent expression he asks. "Did you see though that someone ( Kenid) got painted pink in their sleep?" not completely pink. Just some stripes to his neck and chest since he was sleeping with no shirt on.
"…no," Soriana says slowly. "I didn't." Oooh, there's that amused look again. "I haven't seen that today… which, I suppose being pink would account for." Not that being pink makes people invisible or anything - rather the opposite - but it does make them try harder to not get noticed! "I shall have to keep an eye out… for that." And for her own sake, too! Unless she wants to risk being pinked.
"Yes! It's quite funny to see." Mikal stands, collecting his dirty dishes. "I should go peek into the infirmary though. Trying to run into the journeyman to ask a couple questions. I'll see you around!"
"I'm sure it is," Soriana says with a smirk, then shakes her head. "Good luck!" she adds as Mikal gets ready to go. "I'll see you later. Hopefully with neither of us being… green or purple or something." It is, apparently, a risk!