Xanadu Weyr - Craft Complex
The large area has been separated into a variety of smaller sitting areas, couches and chairs organized into rings and squares, tables set where they can be used easily. A few desks for studying are pushed against one wall, while another has a variety of doors spaced along side it, opening into private quarters for the ranking crafters posted at the weyr. A set of double doors opens to the general apprentice dorms, and a long hallway stretches outwards, providing access to the various workshops.
Stationed at one of the work tables, the Weyr's newest apprentice has laid claim to the whole table. Her books and manuals are spread out, some pages have notes scribbled into the margins. Right in front of the seated apprentice, resting eerily silent, is a skull. Kera is occassionally making notes, but her current task seems to be filling in a skull chart. Half sitting up, she pulls her legs under her and repositions so that she's mostly leaning on the table and getting a closer look. Scrutinizing it, she very gently reaches over and turns the skull a few degrees.
Mur'dah is stepping out of the technology workshop, talking to the young man that walks behind him. "I think we should do the electrical and plumbing before we finish the walls, obviously. It's kind of neat that it's just this empty shell. I can do the interior however I want." "Right," the man says, jotting down a few things. "Well we'll be out in the next few days to take a look at it and start planning, though without a roof we'll have to wait until spring." "Yeah," Mur'dah says with a little grimace, "I know. But it's good to get started anyway. Then I can start saving." The Journeyman laughs, grinning. "I'm sure you can afford it." With that, he turns back into the office leaving Mur'dah standing there with a little frown. "Why does everyone assume I'm rich?" he mutters, turning towards the exit. It's then that he spots Kera, and he freezes.
Kera narrowing her eyes, and stretching a little bit closer to see some minute detail, she finally nods at some point she sees and peers back down to her mostly blank chart. After she makes the notation, she sits back in her seat. After a few mintues of scribbling, she pauses to reread what she has written. Tilting her head a bit, she looks to the skull before carefully picking it up and examine it more closely. As she readjust in the chair, her gaze slips across the room, spotting Mur'dah. Kera seems to be lost in thought and gives a polite headnod his way before her gaze continues slipping around the room. As her eyes move, so do her lips since she's muttering to as she tries to recall prior information she has read.
Well, she's studying so Mur'dah is going to be quiet. See him be quiet? Sneak, sneak, sneak, /bang/. Cursing, he bangs his shin into a chair someone left askew into the walkway. Grabbing it, he bends double and hisses as he deals with his internal turmoil and, well…pain.
Kera continues her absentminded scan of the mostly quiet and calm cavern. That is until a loud scrapping and scuffing of a table and chair on the floor, followed by the attention catching hisses of pain draw nearly every eye in the large studying space. More than a few narrowed eyes and shushing noises are aimed towards the noisy offender. Kera is one of those who look to see what the disturbance is. Seeing Mur'dah, who appears to be closer, she can't help but chuckle very softly a little at his predicament. The apprentice doesn't yell out, but waits til he is close enough to not get more irritated looks from others busy at their differant tasks. Wrinkling her nose a bit, she gestures to the nerve jarring injury Mur'dah just received. "I hate it when that happens." That's said very softly of coarse.
Mur'dah glances over at Kera with a little frown when she chuckles, rubbing his shin and sitting down in a nearby chair. "It's the worst," he mutters, eying her. And just waiting, apparently, for her to say something mean before he can hobble away.
Kera nods agreeably as her attention goes back to the skull in her hand. "It can certainly seem like it at the time." Not knowing what business the Weyrling is in the cavern about, she offers a cheery enough smile and peers back down to her notes, scribbling a few broken lines here or there on the page. The chart she is making is slowly starting to fill in. Once she adds a couple more corrections, she sets the skull back in the center of the table. Frowning at the cluttered mess on the table, she starts shuffling things around stil she finds her hiding straight edge." Ha." The apprentice says to her now found tool. Kera begins making perfect lines from body parts to little blocks of writing she has ringing the center skull sketch. As she works, her gaze flickers curiously to the brownling.
Mur'dah glances at the skull and then back to the Healer with a little frown. Finally he sighs, but since he doesn't want to get up and walk away just yet, he tries to strike up a conversation. "So, uh. What're you doing?"
When she's mostly finished adding lines, Kera leans backs. The questions gets a lifts brow from the young girl, probably a bit surprised the Weyrling is speaking to her. Tilting in her chair, she leans to look Mur'dah over briefly before sitting up straight again. Nope, he's not strapped down and does not appear to be raving at her. Giving the young man a considering looks, she finally smiles with an easy going shrug, fingers flicking towards the aged skull. "I was just getting to know an old Master a bit."
Mur'dah is waiting for /her/ to go off on /him/, so it seems as if they're at a standoff for the moment? "The…Master? Is that…someone you know?" he asks, glancing at the skull with a slight wrinkle of his nose. Shifting, he pushes hair away from his forehead, eyes unfocusing briefly before they return to the present.
Kera looks to Mur'dah's face, as if trying to gage if he's mocking her. With a little shake of her head, she grins. "Oh no. Of coarse not. He was an old MasterHealer who wished to continue helping our craft long after he was gone." Her gaze darts around the table, fingers shifting through her scattered mess. "His information is here somewhere if you are interested."
Mur'dah leans back a bit, swiftly shaking his head. "Uh. No, thanks. That's…kind of morbid isn't it? Better to think of him - it - as an it. Not…not as something that used to be alive."
Kera sits back, rolling her neck and shoulders in the process. All this hunched over studying brings its own aches. Taking in the rider's reaction, her fingers begin drumming slowly on the table while she chews on her bottom lip. Setting on a, hopefully, non offensive approach with the Weyrling. "It really is no…um, no differant than if a DragonHealer studying a dragon, to better learn how to treat and heal future dragons."
Mur'dah blanches a bit. "There's dragon /bones/? That's…that's horrifying! Dragons belong between when they die, not in…not in a classroom."
Kera frowns, somehow knowing that the Weyrling would react just how he did. With a sigh, she simply nods. "Yes. But sometimes, circumstances make it so the dragon can't, or won't go. In those very few instances, DragonHealers learn a great deal more about healing dragons." Her fingers drum softly along the table as she peeks over her chart and adding in a note.
Mur'dah shakes his head a little bit. "Then another dragon should drop the body between," he mutters, nose wrinkling and still looking a little bit pale. The very idea is shudder worthy. Ugh.
Kera sits back and seems to study the Mur'dah himself as if he were the skull on her table instead of the ole Master. "I've noticed you are a very opinionated young man. Things done the way you think they should be." Leaning down below the table, she sits back up quickly, lowering a sturdy cusioned box on the table. She carefully puts the old Master away and latches it securely. Maybe getting it out of sight will be more pleasing to the Weyrling's sensitivities.
Mur'dah shrugs, "Why not? Everyone's got their opinion. I don't mind sharing mine. You've got your opinions too, obviously. What's wrong with sharing them?"
Kera nods agreeably "Yes, I do have opinions on some matters. But I do not /insist/ others share them as you do." The apprentice drums her fingers a few times more before absentmindedly starting to bring some semblance of order to her scattered notes as she considers another way to approach the topic. "How is your dragonmate doing Mur'dah? Strong and healthy yes?"
Mur'dah shakes his head, looking a bit surprised. "I don't insist. I suggest, and people can agree or disagree." Then he nods. "Kalsuoth? Yeah, he's doing fine. Just fine. Thanks for asking."
Kera shakes her head, clearly disagreeing with Mur'dah's words. "Our first meeting at the little shop, you 'insisted' I /should not/ wear perfume." She looks up from her papers briefly to the Weyrling before peering back down to scrutinize a page before adding it to a certain stack. "And just a moment ago, you insisted a dragon that is not yours 'should' do." Her words pause briefly as if considering proper wording. "That goes a bit deeper than simply stating your opinion. It gives others the impression you expect them to think just as you do with no exceptions." Staring at the next page in her hand, she seems to shrug as if she's more interested in her books than arguing.
Mur'dah shakes his head, "Nope, I said you shouldn't. That's not insisting. I didn't try and block your purchase. Didn't drag you out of the store. I was trying to compliment you and trying to prevent you from making a mistake. As for the dragon bones, well." He shrugs. "Everyone knows dragons go between." He's a touch arrogant. And stubborn. Blame his father.
There he goes again, using that 'silly boy' logic that just makes no sense. Eyes narrow a bit on her notes as the Weyrling begins to poke tiny little holes in her calm study-bubble. The papers crinkle as her fingers tighten around them. Breathing in deeply and letting it out quietly and slowly, she slips a smile on her face, and continues with what she was gonna say. Her lips move silently repeatedly, as if trying to mentally learn something "So Kalsuoth, has he had any injury or sickness that needed to be treated by a DragonHealer?"
Mur'dah tilts his head at Kera, his eyes keen. "You're going to try and get me to admit that Kalsuoth has benefited from Dragonhealer knowledge that they learned from a skeleton aren't you?" he says, a little flat. "Well, I still say dragons belong between when they die. It's only proper." Pushing to his feet, he tests his weight on his injured shin and deems it 'good enough'. "I'll leave you to your studying, apprentice. Sorry to have bothered you."
Kera lifts her attention up to Mur'dah and his sudden tone. She observes him briefly, much the same way she did the old Master's skull a few minutes earlier. Finally she shakes her head "No. I do not need you to admit to known fact. Unlike you, with your 'should' and 'will' happens…" She gently smacks her books as if the knowledge they contain helps make her point. "I deal with what 'did' and'does' happen." She's not dousing him with anything this time. She's not even throwing her precious books. She does soften her tone at her next words however. "And it does happen Mur'dah, from time to time. And in those very rare time it does happen, the DragonHealers, need to learn what they can by studying in the only way they can."
Mur'dah just shrugs, lifting a hand to his brow in a little salute. "Clear skies, apprentice," he says, refusing to argue with her any more as he hobbles out towards the bowl.