Xanadu Weyr - Observatory
At some distance through the fields and hills, up atop a steep ridge there's a rather distinctive looking building - nearing three stories tall, circular grey walls have carefully been erected, and a large dome is settled upon this solid foundation. Sitting adjacent to the tower is a long, low building, meant to serve as offices, record rooms and dorms for those who man the observatory. The flat roof also provides a handy platform for those who seek to use smaller, hand-held 'scopes. The view of Xanadu Weyr is a good one; the view of the night sky is an amazing, a view that reaches from horizon to horizon,unaffected by the light pollution of the more heavily traveled regions.
At dusk, the dome over the central telescope parts and scrolls back to allow the scope to extend towards the heavens. The computer console with all the knobs and buttons controls focus and position as well as projecting onto the extra large screen placed high enough for all to clearly see it. Around the perimeter are seats for onlookers to join the nightly sessions.
Off to one side is a short corridor leading to several offices for the masters and journeymen Starsmiths and one main workroom for scribes, full of star charts and tomes of astronomical knowledge and orbital physics.
It must be nighttime, because the starcrafters are out and about, including a certain grey eyed one that might be recognizable. I say might, because Valerian was wide awake and bushy tailed for once, rather than draped over something momentarily convenient and unconscious. Seems someone had finally said or did something that's permitted him to return to his craft and sleep during the day instead. It was only an hour or two after sunset, long enough for Vale to have grabbed himself something to eat and return, having dropped himself into a chair off to the side of the main room. He's munching away on meatrolls and crunchy veggies, his entire attention focused on the large screen at the front. On it, a clear image of a section of the galaxy, slowly panning and focusing in on this and that star. Other apprentices along with a younger journeyman or two mill about either looking at charts or having a 'morning' snack, while a collection of senior journeyman and masters chatter excitedly over starcharts.
Is Sephany alone? Maybe. Or maybe Kelani is with her. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME! WILL BE KNOWN SOON! But anyways. Regardless of whether she's gone rogue or if she's got an accomplice, the apprentice weaver is slipping into the observatory with all the hesitation and trepidation of one who has probably, never before this moment, set foot inside. There's a suspiciously white garment in her hands, and an equally suspicious squint of grey eyes around the place, traipsing over the various instruments and paraphernalia of the starcrafters with mild interest before landing decisively upon Valerian. AHA! Gotcha. And there's a curl to the corner of her mouth now, amusement washing away apprehension as she moves with confidence towards the starcrafter-turned-candidate.
Kelani has been meaning to come up to the observatory, but with chores, craft duties, this and that, only now has she finally made it up here and WITH Sephany. She has shown an interest in the night sky though, so coming up here was going to happen eventually. While Sephany is on her own mission, Kelani's gaze shifts up to the large screen once they enter the room. Her mouth drops open in clear surprise and wonder at the view it offers and she reaches over to tug on Sephany's sleeve, "Have you ever seen anything quite so amazing?" She asks in a low voice, not wishing to disturb the sanctity of this place and be kicked out.
As enraptured as Valerian is by the small swath of stars being observed on the big screen, motion detected out of the corner of his eyes draws them instantly to Sephany and Kelani, perking up by straightening his spine and lifting a hand to wave. Sure enough, wide toothy grin in place, sans any sort of foodstuffs stuck to or between them. For all intents and purposes, the starcrafter looks quite pleased to see them, but instead of popping up and hurrying over…he remains seated and breaks off a bite of fingerroot to chew on. The whole rest of that one is well on its way to being digested about the time the women arrive and he chuckles softly at the healer, "That's just an equipment check," Valerian reveals cryptically, his expression becoming devious. "You guys should stick around for the…show. Master Corin's determined to find the supernova he's been so all up in arms about…" A thumb is jerked at the elderly man animatedly pointing at charts and the monitor, while the others that stand with him don't appear to be convinced. For whatever reason, Vale looks thoroughly amused, popping a meatroll into his mouth. "Did you guys see the meteor shower last night?" An adbrupt subject change!
An accomplice! Or maybe moral support. Either way, Sephany and Kelani are moving as one, though clearly the candidate-half of this equation is distracted by star-studded displays that, somehow, the blond has missed. Or at least, not given a proper look-see. The tug on her sleeve serves to gain her attention, and Seph glances from Kelani to screen when the question is posed. "Oh my…" because yes, she has seen the night sky. But THIS was not your everyday sky. This was gloriously detailed and so… "Overwhelming," she all but exhales, adopting the healer's tone of reverence. But her steps still bring her to Valerian, in time to be told that held such fascination for the pair of females was not, in fact, that spectacular compared to what would be coming. "Oh, I am definitely sticking around then," declares Sephany, who has no such things as curfews to worry about. MWAHAHA. Ahem. A flash of grey eyes toward the animated argument (discussion?) and she grins just a bit more. "Masters are the same everywhere," murmured beneath her breath. But she hasn't forgotten her purpose, and without further ado there is a white robe being thrust in the general direction of the finger-root ingesting starcrafter. "Your robe. Please make sure to finish it. Unless you want to flash all your… bits to the Weyr," and there's a little finger-waggle-gesture towards his lower half. As for that meteor shower? "We did! Or… I did. Did you manage to catch any of it?" asked of Kelani with a quick tip of her head that direction.
Kelani's gaze is taken from the screen only as Valerian speaks. Her steps across the room only guided by the fact that she is walking next to Sephany. "It is quite spectactular all the same." She says in a breathy tone before finally looking at Valerian, then over to the men he indicates then back at the screen. There is a shake of her head at the question of the meteor shower that finally brings her attention to settle upon Sephany and Valerian once more, "No, I got called to the infirmary. We nearly had an arm amputation, but well we think we might have saved it in the end. Time will tell…the bloodflow was still good this morning and infection looks under control for now." A sad state when she says this with nearly the same level of excitement in her eyes as looking at the star field. Then white robes are being delivered and she gives a nod to Sephany's instructions. "Sephany has put a lot of work in preparing these for you, just have to finish up the sides so do her proud."
As the ladies discuss, Vale's grey eyes dart from one to the other as he finishes up his 'breakfast' and then sets the plate aside by placing it onto the floor and then sliding it beneath his chair in a neat and quick little movement. Not quick enough, because a passing journeyman pauses and watches the whole thing, with an arch of a brow over on dark brown eyes. A too much teeth flash her direction, "I'll take it back in a second." No he won't. "Promise." Liar. The girl rolls her eyes and continues on her way, with the apprentice starcrafter grinning at her and following her progression until she heads out the door and outside the observatory. Plate instantly forgotten, Valerian returns his focus to his compatriots, weaver and fellow candidate healer type. "Right?" he says to them both as they marvel at the wonders of deep space, flickering a glance towards the screen as the panning slows and shifts another direction. "Now, their scanning…" he explains, the increments much more methodical and precise, but it might be something he's seen about a million times because he loses interest quickly. Well, that robe and Kelani's near swoon for almost severed arms might have something to do with that. "Well, that's a weird thing to want to show people." Said to Sephany as he takes the garment and makes a face at the unfinished robe, "It's not going to look very good, I can't sew." Muttered, resigned, and then a shrug because what did he care what it looked like? As for the healer's eagerness? Vale understood it, in part. "Maybe next time it'll be all bloody and completely detached and they'll let you connect the vessels or tag them or whatever it is that is the best part…" A sage nod, all wolfish in its expression. The stars though, hmm, and Vale's eyes return to the screen. "It was over too fast and…" The screen has stopped with a single white circle of light at its center, "STOP! That's it!" calls the man known as Corin, which at least gets the grey-eyed apprentice to silence a moment. Brows lift as the Master and those with him begin a whole new heated discussion, loud enough to carry in bits in pieces. "What…impossible." A pause, "…NOT…listen!" Lots of pointing to the screen now and Valerian sighs and returns his attention to the two woman, "ANYWAY…I'll um…do my best…" Unconvincingly he smiles, at them both, holding up the unfinished robe (dress). He will do his worst.
That journeyman isn't the only one shooting Valerian some serious side-eye for that plate-under-chair vanishing act. And Sephany believes him about as much as the departing woman, judging by her expression. But he's saved from verbal reprimands when her attention is caught first by the screen, and then by the robe. "I think so too, but apparently nudity on the sands is a trend?" or, has at least happened once before. There's a wrinkled-nose, exasperated sort of expression for it, though. "It doesn't have to look good, it just has to stay ON. And all you have to do is the sides, see?" and she'll point it out, pinching at the fabric gently to draw its length between them. "Right now it's like a tabard. The head-hole is cut and finished, but the sides are open. All you need to do is stitch them up high enough to conceal whatever you want to be concealed," which, judging by her face, is everything please. "I can show you how. I already offered to teach Kelani, because while she can sew up people…" but that thought kinda dies because said people-sewer-upper is waxing poetic about dismemberments and infections. Or, rather, near-dismemberments. Which… might be worse? From the weaver comes a sigh; a long and drawn out sound that says she is used to this but still doesn't appreciate it. "Kelani…" and maybe a little touch of fingers to elbow that comes with a 'you're doing it again' sort of look. And then oh, but those grey eyes go sliding over in Valerian's direction, all slow and menacing and full of PROMISE because he is, "Not helping!" with those delightful descriptions of blood and gore that she is probably the ONLY one disliking right now. "Ugh, no. Gross." And thankfully for the weaver (who might be turning just a LITTLE green around the gills) there is a commotion on the screen, and a commotion on the room, and debates that leave her somewhat skeptical and eyeballing the door. "What, um. What are we looking at?" asked curiously. And then, siiiiiiiigh. "Sew it. Don't sew it. It's your ass that'll be out there in front of the world naked if you don't."
Kelani watches the interaction between the starcrafters with a hint of a smile touching her lips. Yep crafters much the same everywhere. Masters debating the mysteries of life, death and the universe and apprentices and journeyman teasing one another. She shifts her gaze back to the screen to watch the passing fields of light, reflecting in her eyes. Someone who understands! "I do a good suture line, very neat if the time allows for it, but yeah Seph offered to show us some easy stitches that anyone can do." She says with a firm nod to Sephany's words. Then Valerian's comments has her turning her gaze delightfully back to him. "I know its not the best outcome for people sometimes, but it is terribly interesting all the same. Especially as the nerves are severed and the fingers or toes twitch." She holds up a hand to give an example of it, letting fingers flick and twitch. "It is quite a balancing act making a decision. Too early and you get rid of something that might have been viable, too late and you kill your patient with infection." Oh yes, miss chatty when it comes to healery stuff before she catches that look from Sephany and she offers the weaver a sweet smile, "He gets it." She says in defence but lets it slide for now."Sorry.." It seems it is quite the common occurance for the healer to forget not everyone likes healer things! The declaration from the masters have her looking back to the screen with another wonderous look.
"That's weird too…" says Valerian to Sephany on the increase of the trends of nakedness on hatching sands, "That stuff chaffs so bad…" A twitch of the uncomfortable variety upon his chair, ignoring any odd looks his plate placement earns him, even if his lips twitch at their corners threatening to broaden his grin impossibly larger. A second later he drops his eyes to the robe as the weaver shows him how to fix the sides and he watches closely. A few affirmative bobbles of his head, but his enthusiasm fades off slightly. No, he was not looking forward to sticking his fingers a billion times over with sharp pointy things, and it would be a miracle if he didn't somehow manage to sew his hand to the garment by the end of it. "Oh it's staying on." As soon as Sephany lets go of the material, he's folding it up as neat as he can (he does a horrible job) and sets it in the center of his lap in more or less an uneven looking clump. To make matters worse, he smooths it out into a flattened uneven clump. His head lifts, looking at Kelani and then to Sephany and then back again. Smirk. He's chuckling by the end of the elbow touching and explanations as he sits back in his chair and just appreciates the overall antics. "I do…" Valerian totally gets it, but those grey orbs of his are back on the monitor, still focused on that white ball all rather boring like. "Deka 34b…" he says, dropping his chin into the palm of his hand. "Master Corin thinks it's about to go…" Then the dot suddenly isn't there, because the whole screen goes white and all that argument (lets face it, that's what it is) ceases. Every pair of starcrafter eyes are now set on that screen, as the brightness fades out slowly and is replaces by what looks like a distorted but brilliant display of color that resembles closely soap bubble in space, "…super…nova…" Absolute disbelief on Vale's part, mouth hung open as he nearly falls out of his chair and he stares in astonishment. Master Corin? The old man, probably in his late eighties, lets out a whoop and starts 'dancing'. If dancing is shifting his shoulders ricketedly back and forth and pointing right into the faces of his admonished colleagues. There might be some cackling, and things that would probably lead to a broken hip.
Welp. At least it's a candidate robe, and not some sort of gather-finery that gets 'folded' and flattened into a lump in Valerian's lap. Sephany might be a bit more peeved about that, if he wasn't practically the one-hundredth candidate to take her hard work and… wrinkle the hell out of it. Alas. Thankless job, robe-making. At least Vale tires to fold it? That's gotta count. "You'll be fine," is her brusque reassurance for both candidates, hand fluttering in a vaguely dismissive manner as her gaze goes to the screen briefly. "I'm sure he does…" seconded by said candidate's verbal affirmation of such, "But I'd rather not—" and then Kelani just keeps on keeping-on with her healer-y details. This time with visuals and that almost-green becomes very much green. "Kelani! Ugh… don't do that…" and yup, there goes the back of her hand to her mouth, nose wrinkled and eyes clamped shut at the visual. And sadly for Sephany (because she really would have liked to see that display on the screen, and know what it was! Nevermind the dancing master over yonder) she's missing the super nova because she's running for the door in an effort not to lose her dinner all over the observatory floor. GOOD JOB KELANI, you broke her.
Well since she is not allowed to wax poetic on the nerve reactions of dismembered limbs, Kelani turns her gaze upon the screen as Valerian gives the name of the star all this fuss is about. "You really should talk to the harpers about your naming..I am sure they would love to…" Then words cease as the star does indeed go Supanova. "Oh…my…" She blinks and goes to tug on Sephany's sleeve to find that she has 'Left the building' "Oh shards…" She mutters "I forget.." She gives an apologetic look to Valerian and chases after Sephany. Who she broke…and now must fix. Such is the life of the healer!