Two Ways to Annoy a Weyrwoman
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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.


It's just before lunchtime, and the weyr's main caverns are slowly starting to fill up with people. The early arrivals, mostly old aunties and uncles who have trouble getting around, are grouped together at one of the far tables, being waited on by two boys in candidate knots. Rogawani balances two plates of food, setting one down infront of an old man who is already dozing off, the other infront of a cheerfully plump older woman, who keeps muttering about how he looks so much like her grandson. "Here you go." He says with his best put-on smile, which results in the woman grabbing at his cheeks. "They're so adorable these days!" Ro's face tightens, and he just gives a half-laugh before walking back to get another batch of food. "Torture. This… is… torture." He mutters, passing the other candidate who seems to nod his head in agreement, stuck listening to two older men prattle on about fishing.

Morlanol limps into the dining cavern, trying vainly to control the tiny blue hatchling. He waves frentically to Rogawani, "Ro! Is there any extra meat about? I'm afraid this one's going to start gnawing on my fingers soon."

Arriving at the big tables, Rogawani quickly scoops up another plateful of food, piling on fruits and meatrolls in some pre-determined amount. As he reaches over to grab up a mug, his hand hesitates as he looks over his shoulder. "Oh, hey there Morl." He greets, looking a bit tired. The juice ends up missing the mug completely, spilling onto his hand. The boy turns back and rights himself, rubbing the dripping liquid off on to a towel hanging from his belt. Picking up mug and plate, he nods his head towards the end of the long serving table. "There's some on the end. They just set out a batch leftover from making the stew. Aunties say it's pretty good." His own stomach rumbles, apparently not having eaten yet himself.

Early this morning R'oc steps into the Cavern, he looks around making sure that someone isn't there at the moment before stepping in. Seeing as the person is not there he strides in and then takes a one of the few open seats and then looks to a passing boy and then raise his hand. "Ey..boyo, do me a favor and get me a mug of Klah and a few meatrolls." R'oc smiles to Rogawani. "And if you could do it a bit fast, I'm starving." He grins looking at the knot and knowing what he's going through.

"Thanks, Ro," is all Morlanol manages to get out before Agate screeches loudly again and takes a swipe at him. He smiles gratefully to Roga and makes a dash for the pile of meat, barely managing to prevent Agate from diving head-first into the meat. He manages to hold the tiny blue down against the table while he grasps a handful of meat and offers it to Agate, one or two chunks at a time.

Halfway back along the table of chattering older women and men, Rogawani pauses as someone nearby mentions klah and meatrolls. "Huh?" He blinks, and then looks at the foreign knot on R'oc's shoulder. "Oh. Sure, just let me get this served." He tries to return the smile the rider offers, but it lasts only long enough to set the tray down infront of a toothless woman who seems more ancient than the weyr itself. She grabs Ro' firmly by the shirt collar and smootches him on the lips, gaining a disgusted look from the boy, and a few teehees from the other aunties. Muttering, Rogawani rubs at his cheek and mouth as he pulls himself away, and goes to fetch food for the visiting rider instead.

R'oc laughs hard at the large kiss from the older woman, he then can't help but tease him a bit. "Your a lady killer kid, don't take them all or I won't have any to try for myself." He chuckles before looking to the man Rogawani was speaking to, and once he see's the lizard he smiles. "Those things are such a hassle when they are just hatched." Though he doesn't speak this to anyone more a mutter to himself.

Thea enters into the pre-lunch rush from the Administration Hallway, a stack of papers in one hand and a pen tucked in one ear. She pauses just inside the doorway, barely managing to keep a frown from her lips at all the noise, firlizard and human. She smiles at Rogawani from across the room. "Might just eat outdoors today." It's muttered to herself as she heads towards an empty table near the screeching firlizard. "Morlanol, you'll train that young blue to screech a bit more softly, I hope." The lad gets a half-grin and a slight wink. She's in time to hear a Rider requesting something of Rogawani and she tilts her head inquisitively at the man, "Cooks don't mind if you serve yourself, you know." Her eyes flick to his knot, noting he's from Fort before she gives him a small, polite smile and lifts an eyebrow at him before plopping her papers down on her table, pivots on one foot and heads for the tables herself.

Morlanol grins sheepishly at Thea as he stuffs a few more gobs of meat into the blue's mouth to prevent it from continuing to make noise, "Yes'm, I'm tryin' t' keep him quie', bu' 'e's so hungry all th' time."

"Bleh." Rogawani shoots a look towards R'oc with pursed lips. "You can have them. All of them." He mutters, moving his hands so that he motions to the entire table full of aunties. It takes a few more steps before he's at the front of the caverns again, loading up a plate with meatrolls before scooping up a mug of klah without managing to spill on himself this time. He scoops up one last meatroll and nearly shoves the entire thing into his mouth, puffing out one cheek as he tries to eat on the fly. Unfortunately, that doesn't serve him well when he catches sight of Thea. The smile the boy tries to return to her is one distended by meatroll as he tries to swollow it quickly. Coughing just once, he sets the plate down by R'oc. "If you need something else, let me know." He mutters, clearing his throat and then giving a glance towrads Morlanol and his lizard.

R'oc turns to see Thea calling him on his request, he nods turning his chair to face her. "Well hello there, I see that you've got a bit of work on your table." He laughs then turns to Rogawani and smiles. "Why thanks boyo, I appreciate it, keep up the good work and stick with it." He pats the boy on the back rather strongly. But then attention goes back to Thea, he takes his plate and Mug of Klah and moves over to sit down at her table. "Would you mind if I join you?" He raises a brow and flashes a big smile.

Thea returns to her little table carrying a mug of klah, and a plate of fruit and bread. She blinks a little at Morlanol's odd speech, a small wrinkle of confusion on her forehead. She seems to figure it out after a moment just what he's said. With a small laugh she comments, "Well, try not to choke it to death in the process, eh?" She swings a leg over the bench with easy grace and sits in one motion. Lifting her mug, green eyes meet that meatroll-distended smile of Rogawani's and she's sputtering into her klah. The mug is abandoned for her napkin and she's wiping her lips, eyes dancing at the Candidate. Thea raises that eyebrow at the heavy-handed back-patting of one of the Candidates, then R'oc is joining her. She answers his question cooly, "Uh, actually yes I do mind. I sat over here rather than over there-" her chin gestures to his vacated table. "-because I'm meeting someone." She waits, pointedly flicking her eyes back to his table.

Morlanol continues to feed the flit, occasionally admonishing its poor behavior or telling it not to chew too fast. He has to hold back a giggle as Ro nearly chokes, since death is bad and would probably be a bad omen for the candidate class, "You okay, Ro? How long is your shift here? Surely it's not all day." He nods to Thea, grinning slightly, then flinching as Agate gets a chunk of finger… again…, "I will, M'am, I don' wan' it t' die."

Rogawani opens his mouth to say something, but the hard clap to his back is enough to catch him off guard and cause a piece of the meatroll to stick in his throat. It appears that his nearly choking ends up in fully choking due to the surprise. He sputters for a moment, and then coughs, beating himself on the chest twice before the offending piece of meatroll flies out, landing with a splash into some oblivous auntie's stew. Taking a gasp for breath, the boy blinks, and then looks absolutely embarassed. "Um, let me get you some new stew, that… that's getting cold." He makes the excuse, and snatches the bowl away, hurrying towards the front. he only pauses as he passes Morlanol, wincing a little. "Not much longer. Just had to finish with them, really." He thumbs towards the table of aunties and uncles, now all eating and chattering loudly.

R'oc chuckles at the woman's response then turns his head quickly and puts down his plate and mug of Klah on Thea's table. Quickly the rider runs over to the boy but as he steps away the chunk of meatroll flies past him, and when Rogawani moves away with the bowl he walks to the aunties and then says. "Oh I'm sorry ladies my pardon for that little incident, seems I gave the boy a pat that was just a bit too hard. Do excuse him, it was not his fault at all." He bows a little and then walks back to the table and looks onto Thea with a smile. "Oh now don't be so cold, some company until your guest appears. Do I look that offensive?" He smiles then realizes he hasn't even introduced himself. "My appologies, I am R'oc, rider of Bronze Nasheth. Fort's duties to Xanadu's queens, and again forgive my rudeness."

Tharen has arrived! So its rather a sneaking stalk towards Thea, coming up behind her to snag a piece of that fruit from her plate without so much as a please or thank you. "Well met R'oc," he comments around that piece of fruit in his mouth, "That your new boyfriend?" the question most certainly for Thea. "Kinda old isn't he?"

So fortunate for R'oc that Thea doesn't know his whack on Rogawani's back did more harm than good. She's turned her head to smile at Morlanol, "Congratula-" That's as far as she gets when Rogawani chokes. Her head turns quickly that way, but he's fine by the time her mouth can form the words to ask him if he's alright. She's more concerned with the boy than the stew, so she does little more than blink at the addition to auntie's lunch. He seems fine, so she turns her attention back to her table. "You still here?" This time there is more ire in her tone. She gives R'oc an up-down look of slight disbelief at his question and ever-so-patiently answers, "Politeness dictates I not answer you that, but I assure you offensive comes close." Then an unenthusiastic mutter, "Xanadu's duties." Tharen's hand reaches past her head, and his question causes her to roll her eyes. "Saved you a seat, Tharen. You gonna sit and eat or stand and heckle?"

Morlanol starts to stand to rush to help Rogawani as well, but stops when he projectile expels the offending chunk of roll. However, in his rush to help, he momentarily took his hand off of Agate, who jumps, chirruping happily, into the plate of meat. It's a good thing that Ro didn't choke to death because Agate's happy trill re-catches Morl's attention and he spends the next few moments digging the flit out of the meat with much admonishing and chastising.

Rogawani shoots what is probably his best attempt at a glare over his shoulder at the visiting bronzerider, his lips drawing into a thin line before he turns back, dumping the offending stew off into the refuse bin before filling another one with a bit too much gusto. He grabs a few meatrolls and some fruit for himself, and then heads back. When he returns to the auntie's place with the new bowl, there is now whispering and amused looks, which he does his best to ignore. He pulls off his 'serving' towel and tosses it down on to a seat, plopping into one right near Morlanol and the others. "You know, I bet that thing could eat through an entire bovine without stopping." He quips, bemused at watching the younger candidate wrestling with his lizard. His eyes do flick over to the young man talking to Thea, looking momentarily confused before adding, "I think Thea has better taste than that." Although his voice is a bare mutter.

Tharen chuckles. "Awe Thee, you know heckling you is the only thing I'm good at," he teases, bumping the woman's shoulder as he slides into that seat she's saved from him. "But between that and eating, its a tough choice, might have to go with both." That said he's stealing another bit of fruit from her plate.

"My, my, quite a bit of a sting in your word's weyrwoman. If I offended you in anyway, let me tell you I didn't mean to anger you." R'oc's smile not once leaves his face. As Tharen gets to the table, his few words make R'oc laughs and then shakes his head. "My, well as it seems the caverns are a bit stuffy to enjoy a meal." R'oc chuckles and then looks at Thea with an impish grin. "Another time perhaps lady Thea." He nods to the boy and then sighs. "Sorry about the pat boyo, hope your not to mad." And with plate and mug in hand he moves towards the clearing.

Thea ignores trilling firelizards and cackling aunites and hopefully unwanted attention from visiting brozers as well. She gives R'oc a level stare and a low-voiced growl, "When I turn around, that plate, the mug and your carcass had better be elsewhere." She swivels in her seat, turning her back to R'oc and answers Tharen, "Ha." So wordy today is she. As Tharen sits and R'oc departs, she calls a rather bored response at his back, "No, I do not think so, Rider." She heaves a relieved sigh as the Rider goes. She grabs her plate away from Tharen's thieving. "Hey, get your own!" Her growl and frown are more affectionate than angry this time.

Morlanol glances at Thea, clearly surprised at the harshness in her voice. He's never heard her angry like that before. He continues to feed Agate until the little blue burps loudly and collapses back to sleep. He scoops the little blue up and deposits him back in the pocket of his coveralls. He slips away from the angry Thea, joining Ro at the other end of the room, he whispers softly, "Why's she so angry, Ro?"

Rogawani's mouth twitches up in the smallest of smiles as he hears the little blue lizard let out a burp. "Lizards." He chuckles, and then begins to eat one of his meatrolls, chewing more thoroughly this time. Morlanol's question, however, causes him to nearly laugh, holding up one finger so he can finish chewing the bite before answering. "Best I can figure, she doesn't like bronzeriders." He answers, keepins his voice down slightly so that it doesn't carry over the babble around them. "That's the third one I've seen her treat that way." The boy's eyes scan over that way once the foreign rider moves to leave, and he watches the young man with Thea curiously.

Morlanol stands, ready to leave the slightly acerbic environment, "I need to go finish my mending. Tripped and nearly killed myself when this one woke up. I'm sure I'll see all y'all around."

Tharen mock pouts. "But yours tastes so much better," he whines though there's a grin on his face throughout. A laugh follows the bronzerider out and he just shakes his head, "So you don't like that one then, hmm? Well good I suppose. Like I said, much too old for you."

Thea's good humor is restored now that R'oc is gone. She does overhear both Morlanol and Rogawani. She smirks, but doesn't set either one of them straight. Instead she waves at Rogawani, hoping to catch his eye. "Want you to meet someone." Tharen's comment just gets another eyeroll and a grimace. "He was gross." Just as honest as a sister can be.

"Don't sew yourself to your cot." Rogawani says towards the retreating Morlanol, teasing on something one other candidate had already done. With a smirk, he finishes off the rest of the first meatroll with his usual quick eating, as if he were somehow afraid the food might disappear. However, Thea's wave catches his attention. "Hmm?" He mutters, mouth full, but stands and pulls his plate with him, swollowing before nudging himself into place at a nearer seat. "Hey Thea." He greets with his usual familiarity with the goldrider, and then looks between her and the unknown young man, eyebrows lifted.

"Didn't say I don't agree with you," Tharen replies to Thea's comment on the rider. "But then guys aren't really my thing." Which is probably good. Yes? "But now," he beings without missing a beat as Rogawani joins them, "This is the boyfriend?"

Thea lifts her roll from her plate before Tharen can snag that as well, taking a bite and smirking at his comment. Her elbow jabs at him playfully, then, "Hey!" She actually blushes at his question, chews hastily and swallows shooting him a glare while doing so. "Rogawani, is a friend of mine. He's more like a -nice- little bother." Her eyes swing towards Rogawani, "This is Tharen, my brother. He's come to visit."

Rogawani's eyebrows twitch upward, and his face takes on a bit of an amused expression. He flicks his eyes momentarily towards Thea, and then just barks a bit of laughter. As he looks back towards Tharen, the boy smirks a little, not seeming to mind that his position as 'annoying kid brother' has been taken over by someone blood related. "Hey Tharen, looks like you come to steal my job huh?" He asks, and then puts an arm around his plate of meatrolls just incase, subtle-like. "Nice to meet you, though. Don't piss off Thea too much though. She's got a dark side and a dragon who likes to sit on people she doesn't like." He's teasing, of course, popping another meatroll into his mouth.

Tharen snerks. "What? And I'm not nice?" he scoffs given the introduction. "Was my job first, just remember that," he teases back at Rogawani. "Nice to meet you though, good someone's been keeping her on her toes while I wasn't around to do it." There's a grin for Thea, see, no worries. Right? "Awww, she loves me. Besides don't think she'd let that beast sit on me even if she was mad."

Thea just snorts at Rogawani's comment, rolling her eyes. "More like he's come to join forces with ya." She rips a piece of her roll off and tosses that into her mouth, chews. "Seriously ought to have Seryth sit on that Fortian bronzer." There's an irritated grumble to her voice now. Tharen's grin is eyed with a good dose of skepticism and a bit of a grin, "Nice is a relative term with you." Her eyes shift to Rogawani and she explains, "He's nicer that he was last time I saw him, he's nicer today than yesterday…" She wipes her fingers, gathers her papers and rises. "Back to work for me. I'll leave you two to plot and plan." She rises and heads back to the hallway, her work and somewhere Fortian Bronzeriders likely won't be.

The wry sort of expression lingers on Rogawani's face as he watches Thea gather to leave, "Hrm, we'll just have to do that, then." He turns an almost plotting look towards Tharen, which actually fades a little as the goldrider moves off. "But that'll have to wait." He mumbles, and pushes himself up. "Sorry to say that my time torturing Thea has been cut short by quite a bit lately." He nudges the knot on his shoulder. "Guess you'll have to make up for it." He muses, and then offers a companionable grin towards Tharen. "I've got to get back. I'm sure there's more chores waiting." Snatching the last meatroll, he gobbles it down quickly before heading out himself, much to the talk of a few aunties as he passes.

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