Shy in the Caverns
caverns.jpg


Xanadu Weyr - Caverns(#2043RJ)
A massive cavern in its own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as have walls hung with numerous tapestries that 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. The stone is carefully leveled 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 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. It's plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr, instead feeding people in shifts as they come off duty. On occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are borrowed from all the other areas.
There's also a big fireplace set into the western wall, 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, the largest an archway to the northeast that leads outside. Near it there's an alcove with hooks for coats and shelves for muddy boots. A tunnel to the east goes to the infirmary, and a set of stairs just a little south of that lead up to the offices and administration area. To the south, a long and sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs. The kitchen is off to the southwest, while the residents' quarters are reached by tunnels going west, deeper into the cliff.


Morning in the caverns of Xanadu has always been promising and for almost everyone whatever the context. Hangover people certainly can think a little better and busy people can find a small amount of peace before starting their tasks. E'tan definitely belongs to the latter and it's a humming bronzerider that ambles in, reading some sort of rapport. With time now, he learnt to avoid random silhouettes so he reaches the nearest table without much troubles. "Oooookay. I may gonna be used to all of that after all…" He exclaims, stretching his shoulders. Grabbing a mug of what seems to be some steaming beverage, he scans his surrounding and grins as he spots a new silhouette. Politely, he raises his mug and dips his head, offering a warm smile.

Somehow Abrael has managed to gather her curling hair up and out of her face, freeing her eyes to frown at the map of the sprawling Xanadu, so unlike the cave-like Igen weyr. She's been gathering her courage to try to ask someone for directions - but hadn't quite managed. But there! Someone is going to make the first gesture, so Abrael, hands twisting in front of her, walks a little closer. "Um, Hi, sir, um. I was… looking for um, the Greenhouse? Do you, maybe, um. Know where I could find it?"

E'tan delicately puts his mug down as he watches Abrael coming closer. Her obvious shyness can't go unnoticed and for a second, his mind wanders and brings images of himself in a rather same situation, not that very long ago. "Well…" he starts, clearing his throat. "It's not a place I happen to go to a lot but if I remember well enough, it's past the meadow and close to the beach." His smile widens as he adds. "Abrael, right? I did not have the chance to welcome you in person until now, so…Welcome to Xanadu." Oh? Did he finally get to grab a hold of his function now? Seems like it. One bonus point for the young Weyrleader.

One would think someone as shy as Abrael would be more observent, but it takes her a second to notice his knot and then an abrupt "Oh!" And she's saluting to the Weyrleader - her weyrleader now. "I, uh, yes, Abrael, of Saethiath. I'm so sorry," she doesn't say what for, but it seems like the right thing to say? "settling in-findthing things… just, everything." Abrael might just be slightly overwhelmed.

E'tan raises a hand at her salute, ne things he just can't get used to. "Oh please, relax. I did not officially start my day so there's no need." He tilts his head to check if the girl is still breathing, a smile aging his lips again. "And no need to apologize…." He trails off to look to the right, then to the left before whispering low. "Wanna know a secret? Save for the path to the beach and the observatory, I keep getting lost from times to times." He straightens, fighting back a chuckle. "Tell me if you need help of any kind. And one last thing….E'tan would be better than Sir."

A small smile spreads across Abrael's lips - "That's a relief s…" but she catches herself, and stuffs the sir right back into her lips. "Um… E'tan." That's going to get some getting use to. "Is… there anything that, um, makes it easier? To find my way around?" Like a map. That would be BEST. Then she'd only have to ask if she was really lost.

E'tan leans more in his chair, opening one arm to silently invite her to join the table. "You will get used to it. I did after all. But if you want, I could let you borrow my map. I happen to drew one when I first arrived." He gestures towards the Klah or is it a chocolate beverage? to see if she wants some. "So tell me. What craft did you join again?"

Abrael start out early enough (probably with the expectation of getting lost) that she actually has time. The silent invitation is taken, and she'll accept some of the klah, and use it as the proper place for her eyes to rest. "Harper si, um." Oh look, she'll just take a sip of klah this time. "But only reently. So, um, I still don't know much." She risks a quick glance up, before her eyes are back on the mug. "You… haven't been here long?"

E'tan keeps nodding as he listens to her. He doesn't note the almost 'Sir' accident but smiles again instead. "Everything fall into place with the need time, Abrael. Don't worry too much. I can imagine how already stressful it can be to move from one Weyr to another. As for me…" This time he truly chuckles. "I've been here long to witness my life being turned upside down. Everything happen so fast around here. But hey…" And he winks. "…we're on the cutting edge of technology here."

Abrael's forehead wrinkles as she attempts to figure out what he means by that. It wasn't quite a yes, but not quite a no. Tucking it away to think about later, she tilts her head slightly at the technology. Carefully, less she sound rustic (even though she rather is…), "I saw um, hydroponic gardens at Igen. Things like that?"

"And radios, heaters, air con systems…" E'tan starts to count on his fingers, smiling broadly as he obviously displays some kind of pride here. "…and everything Techcraft can install. You could even get a computer in your weyr if you ask for it. Those things can be very handy. And our telescope is also a marvel. I'm sure you'll find what you seek around here. What fields are you studying as a Harper? Music?"

"I…bet Y'taer would like it here…" The words are more under Abrael's breath as she thinks about the differnt kinds of technology. It wasn't all that long ago that Kytaer had been cobbling together an AC unit for Janja! Maybe she'll write to her clutchbrother and see if he'll come down. "Oh… no, I wouldn't need a computer but thank you. I um, art? Mostly. Um, I.. think I might, um, work with some of Tech on, um, diagrams?" The word comes with an audible question mark, Abrael isn't quite sure if she got the word right, "and, uh, stuff."

E'tan slowly raises a brow, looking at her behind the edge of his mug as he takes a sip. He doesn't comment about Y'taer even tho he obviously heard. No. Something else caught his interest for the moment. "So you can draw too. I may have a mission for you, Abrael. I happen to have a lot of charts that are in desperate need of renovation. Those are the ones I used when I was still an apprentice but I still happen to need them. Would you mind take a look at them and see what you can do? There are a lot of diagrams and schema…"

"Oh!" That at least, falls within Abrael's abilities. She perks up, her eyes bright with curiosity as she finally looks E'tan straight on. "Like, um," a pause as she blinks for a second, "I could try! If, you want, to, um, show me?" A gesture with her mug, she'll totally follow him if he wanted now - or wait, or either.

E'tan approvingly grins, nodding once. "Excellent." He finally exclaims rather loudly, moved by a newfound enthusiasm. "Be sure I will bring you a sample very soon. Which make me think. Have you and your Saethiath found a nice place to settle?" He pauses to grab his reports and makes them into a more clean pile. "And if your friend…Y'taer? want to join you, he's also more than welcome." There he's bragging now, displaying his memory for rider's names as well as Dragon's.

Abreal jumps at the loud word, but it's followed with a grin- just startlement. "We can see the ocean, um, sea," Abrael stumbles over exactly what to call the large body of water she and Saethiath can see. "from our ledge. It's… new!" empahsis placed on the new- even for someone who was raised on the edge of swamplands, the Azov is a lot of water. "How soon would you, um, need them back?"

"It can be quite a breathtaking sight eh?" The bronzerider asks, smiling at the thought. "I'm glad you already enjoy what Xanadu has to offer. And don't worry about the charts. As you may have guessed, I'm usually swamped with work to have time enough to dedicate to my other passion. So tell me, did you make some friends yet?"

"Because, um, you're weyrleader? R'en…" The thought of the last Igen weyrleader sends the smile that had come to her lips scattering away, and she looks down again. A finger draws an invisible picture on her klah cup, "he didn't always have time either." Much quieter there.

At the mention of R'en, some of E'tan's cheerful mood, if not in whole, vanishes a bit. "I….heard what happened. It was a shock for a lot of people on Pern. I had the chance to meet him once or twice when I still was a weyrling. I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring sad thoughts…"

Abrael is quiet for a moment, before she shakes her head once. "It's kind of.. I don't know. Comforting? He asked me to work on his diagrams too." When her head lifts up again, it's a very tiny smile there. "Though, um, I hope yours don't involve uh, um." A delicate way to say this… "bodies." Specifically dead ones.

E'tan allows himself to smile again as well. Funny how life seems to like identical patterns sometimes. "No. No dead bodies. Only boring star charts, I can assure you. It's more a question of precision here, really. I take it he asked you to draw dead body parts?"

"Well, first it, um, was just pictures." The red that streaks across her cheeks gives a hint as to the nature of some of those pictures that made it into the pile. Of course, R'en had removed them after seeing how sheltered Abrael had been. (Said blush might be part of the reason why Saethiath hasn't made a single move to rise like her other sisters. Just waiting for Abrael to grow up a little more.) "But, um, I couldn't get the colors right without, uh, looking so…" She winces, just a little bit, just incase E'tan thinks less of her for it.

E'tan slowly crosses his arms over his chest as he listen Abrael mumbling out her reply. "I can recognize his usual self here." He chuckles out, shaking his head some. "I don't know if there's such explicit images on those charts now that I better think about it…" he begins, teasingly, keeping an eye on Abrael to watch her reaction. But he can't hold on and laughs. "Naaaah. Don't worry. I'm just teasing you. It's perfectly safe and…boring."

Right, Abrael right now looks more like a red ember then a person, her blush goes so deep under the skin. She even opens her mouth a few times before, rather than decide to talk, she'll take the prudent route and take a large drink of her Klah. A headnod, yes, this is good stuff. Too bad her hair is up, or she'd be hiding right now.

Kera jogs into the cavern, her steps slowing quickly once she crosses the threshold. "Beat you again!" Grinning cheekily, the greenhealer glances back over her shoulder wnad sticks her tongue out. She's very mature at the moment, not. Fanning herself to assist the AC units, her steps lead quickly towards the buffet, or more pointedly, where the beading pitchers of juice are. In no time, she's got a half empty glass in hand and will soon need a refill. Now she takes a moment to peer among the crowd, tipping her head and waving to some here ot there. E'tan and a sorta red-faced rider among them.

Yes Kera is always very mature and professional! NOT! C'rus comes running in behind her huffing and puffing away. She is certainly in better shape than he is, at least she is faster, "Yeah yeah…." he says to her with a shake of his head, "It's just because you practice more is all. Always working out and running around." The other riders for the moment go un-noticed.

E'tan hardly stifle another chuckle as he stares at the living-ember Abrael. "Breathe. It'll be alright…" He then perks at the bursting-in Kera. "And another greenrider." He starts, waving at her by raising his now empty mug. But it's the triomphant arrival of C'rus that made him surrender to a good loud laughter. "Wise from you to let her win, C'rus." He calls grinning.

Yup. Abrael jumps. Not quite far enough to regain her feet in startlement, but enough that her nearly empty klah cup gets knocked over. "Oh, um, sorry, sorry…." Thankfully only a small dribble comes out - she'd made fairly good progress on it. The blush on her cheeks doesn't disappear one iota, as she casts about for a napkin or such to clean up the liquid.

Kera drains more of the juices and refills her mug, snorting at her weyrmate. "Not my fault you can't keep up." She looks to Tani, giving the Weyrleader a mock incedulous look when she overhears his statement to C'rus "Let! me win? Pfft." None the less, she send a respectful salute to the bronzer, eyes flicking to catch the overturned cup spilling and the reddish girl tryuing to contain the mess. "Afternoon Weyrleader." Turning her attention to the young rider "And to you, I'm Kera."

"I never let her win." he says as he shakes his head, with a roll of his eyes directed toward Kera, "If you let her win she begins to get ideas….and we just can't have that can we?" he asks her with a wink of his eye. Only fooling around after all. No serious insult is meant. He moves to stand beside her and also gives a polite nod to Tani and the young lady who appears to be turning colors, "I'm C'rus." he tacks onto Kera's self introduction, "You alright?"

"So you really didn't let her win this time?" Tani asks C'rus teasingly as he stands up, gathering his files. Sparing a smile to Abrael he discreetly hands her a towel with a nod. "Abrael, please let me introduce you to one of our finest greenrider, Kera…." Feeling cheerful again he points C'rus a thumb at C'rus and adds. "…and her not-so-fit bluerider weyrmate C'rus. I'm glad you two showed up, I'm about to go back into my lai…err…office and I wouldn't want to let the newly transferred Abrael here, get lost." To Kera he adds with a grin. "I'm counting on you to show her around properly." With that, a chuckling Tani slowly reaches the exit, waving over his shoulder. "You're gonna be fine with us, Abrael. And if those two are mean to you, don't hesitate to report to me." Yeah. He's definitely cheerful today…

Abrael takes the towel and mops at the spill. "I, thank you. I'll, um, Have Saethiath reach out to see when I can, um, get your charts." She lifts her gaze up to smile at E'tan, a farewell as best as she can manage. She'll look after the weyrleader for a moment, then then at the two. "I, um, hi. It's nice to meet you."

Kera cast an arched brow to C'rus after introducing herself to transferred rider. "I'll give you a few ideas alright." It's obvious she isn't as irked as she pretends to be when she cracks a smile. Nodding to E'tan as he hurries off back to work. "No problem, she'll get pointed in the right direction." Looking quickly to Abrael, she blinks and raises her voice to the departing bronzer might still hear her. "What, gone and lost his charts again?"

C'rus isn't worried in the least that he's upset her, "Good. I could use some." he says before he turns his full attention on the poor, abandoned greenrider that has been left to deal with Kera and C'rus, "I can point her in the right direction." he says as he looks back to the fleeing Tani. After the weyrleader is gone he turns back, "Flee…flee for your life! Best direction is that way!" he points in no direction in particular. Kera would probably be able to guess he isn't being serious, but his face holds a pretty serious expression.

"No, I um…." Abrael lutches at the rag, squeezing it between her hands. She'd totally been about to answer Kera's question about the charts, but that seriousness in C'rus' voice catches her off guard. She takes a step backwards, like his advice was meant for her. Should she run now? But E'tan had said…. indecision keeps her in place.

Kera grins at her amusement over Tani still losing his charts and focuses her attention more fully on Abrael. Observing the rider's somewhat nervous stance, her gaze flicks to C'rus when he jokes, which causes her to smirk back to the new transfer. "Pay him no mind." Referring to C'rus "It's nice to meet you. Welcome to Xanadu." Kera gives a conspiratory wink. "If you need a map to get around, I can make you one. I was always getting lost when I was first posted."

C'rus just rolls his eyes one more time, "You should be paying me many minds. Yes! Many many minds!" Because he's a mindhealer…and needs minds. Braaaaaains. "It wasn't so bad when I first lived here. Course I only ever went from my room to the infirmary." Man his life was boring here sometimes.

Abrael looks at C'rus then over at Kera, then back at C'rus. Excuse her if she edges a little bit further away. This is more exuberance than she was expecting. "I, um. I din't catch your names?" A hesitant question mark at the end there, as she shifts from foot to foot.

Kera just rolls her eyes to the ceiling for C'rus's ' many minds, still amused "Uh huh." A quick shake of her head and she looks back to Abrael. The girl seems to be turning skittish any moment as if she'll be bolting for the door. "And as I said pay him no mind, he's being silly again." A quick flicker of her eyes to the Bluerider, even if she is cracking a small grin, then regards the red girl again. "And I'm Kera, Moncerath's rider." And apprentice to the Healer Hall acording to her shoulder knots. "And it would be no problem to help show ya around if ya like."

C'rus is half tempted to argue with Kera's comment about him being silly 'again'. Is there a time when he isn't silly? Well sure there is but whose really counting those times right? "I'm C'rus. My lifemate is Jaicoureth." His knot would show him to be a journeyman healer from far away Fort Weyr, "It doesn't really take too much to figure the place out. You'll feel at home in no time." Or at least thats the plan probably.

She's already muttered 'It's nice to meet you,' so she doesn't do it again. But since they introduced their dragons… "Saethiath's mine she, uh," a slight narrow of her eyes, with slight worry creeping in. It's not tually a good sign when Saethiath is quiet. It means she's either asleep or off making mischief. "Do… um, you know how to get to…" A furrowed brow, "the edge of the forest?"

Kera nods her head, whether good naturedly when Abrael mentions her dragonmate or agreeing with C'rus about Abrael learning her way around, is anyone's guess. Canting her head, she even nods once more with a smile "Sure do, my cottage is not far from the edge." With a little chuckle "The weyr with the 'moat' around it is Weyrwoman Innes." Though the moat would turn out to be a small stream one could jump over.

C'rus knows the forrest well. In fact it's where he hangs out in Xanadu the most often, "If you wander out the main entrance there and from the clearing you just head toward the trees and then boom you are there."

"I should… oh dear. I'm sorry, I, I'll see you, um, oh dear." Whatever is making her 'oh dear' is bad enough that she makes a bit of a show, tossing the rag onto the table before she darts out to follow C'rus' directions. Chances are, Saethiath has found something to play with she shouldn't, and Abrael would rather not have to explain to her new home her dragon's free spirit… just yet.

Kera glances to C'rus as he gives the younger greeny directions, nodding back to Abrael as she rushes off murmuring appologies. "No need to be sorry for getting lost!" Her raised voice surely follows the woman. Glancing back to C'rus, she finishes her second glass of juice and deposits on the table "Okie, time for a few more laps. I'll slow down so ya can keep up." Kera smirks at her weyrmate and starts trotting off towards the clearing.


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