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.
It is midmorning at Xanadu weyr in the middle of a winter, a heavy fog obscuring the weyr even at this hour. Briana was up early in the stables though released with her weariness made her too clumbsy to work there. Instead of heading to the barracks she came to the cavern to sit near the hearth with her notebook, a glass of juice and a roll. Her firelizard is perched on the back of her chair, content to watch out over her 'domain'. Briana herself looks beyond exhausted, dark circles stand out around her eyes, her skin perhaps a bit sallow. Though perhaps given her unusual skin tone most who did not know her might not pick up these changes. "I don't know what I am gonna do Blade…" She murmurs as she reaches a hand to scritch the young lizard.
A man steps in from the direction of the clearing, his long strides confident. He pauses just within the door, peering around at the few people here, just starting to grow busy with the morning meal preparations. His mouth is set into a frown which deepens as each person is examined and then dismissed. He's about to turn and leave again, when he spots Briana. This is when his face breaks out into a wide grin and foot steps rapidly carry him over to her in no time at all. Without invitation, he drops down beside her after removing his coat and hat. "Yer a difficult gurl ta find." he muses, putting the two discarded items and placing them beside him on the empty chair there.
There is but a chirp in response to Briana's comment from the Lizard and the girl sighs and goes back to writing in her book, shifting only to tuck a leg beneath her. The searching man does not draw her notice until she hears his voice next to her. There is a quick glance his way before her eyes widen and she looks over the man's face. There is a touch of fear there, before she glances over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" She asks in a hushed voice as she looks back to his face, not moving from the seat yet. There is a chirp from Blade as she senses the peak in Bri's emotional state and she looks down at the man with a hiss, though with the witchy lizard that is not very unusual.
Embrin frowns, shaking his head at the look on Briana's face. He is weaponry free of course, his trademark twin daggers missing, as well as his hip holsters. "Ah ain't never touched yah in anger 'er otherwise. Yah be needin' ta git yerself over whatever mess be responsible fer that look yah be havin' at present." he says, relaxing back. "Ah'm 'ere ta be seein' mah daughter. Ain't nothing wrong wit tha' Ah reckon." He arches a brow at the girl, and then eyes the hissing firelizard. Irritation appears briefly swept across his features before it vanishes once more. "Dwellin' in th' past ain't no good fer yah, Bri. Yah be havin' yer entire life ahead of yah. But iffin all yah be seein' is behind yah, then yer gun be missin' out on what's ahead."
At the reproach from Embrin, Briana does dip her head slightly, "No you have never hurt me ever." She agrees before she takes a slow deep breath and looks up at him, "I…the eggs. I think they know where I came from and they keep reminding me…" When doubts are already in place no doubt thoughts are easily led in such directions. "I want to belong here…but I am afraid of people turning me out if they knew and ashamed I feel that way." She says and looks up to her firelizard, "Blade, its ok…" She says to the creature, who gives another hiss and crawls down onto Bri's far shoulder.
"Th' eggs?" Embrin asks, his brows lifting up, clearly having no idea what the hell the girl was talking about. "Ah got no idea what yer talkin' bout." he says, running a hand through his shortly cropped hair. "Where ya come from ain't nothin' ta be ashamed of, gurl. Ya be who ya be. Ya ain't back at th' camp now ar ya?" he asks, head tipping back and peering down at her down the slope of his nose. "Iffin' bein' renegade bred be what yah be worried about, Ah can tell yah this much. Ah dun count yah as bein' one of us. Yah jus' bein' mah daughter. Yer not suited ta th' life yer brothers ar. Even Ah ain't gun be much use no more. Gittin' old." A merry laughter soon erupts from the large man, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yee be belonin' 'ere. Jus' like Veski's brats. Neither them were suited. Tha' jus' be yer lot, same as mine ta be followin' mah Yezan someday." He smiles softly at Briana, even if sorrow still clung to his eyes.
Briana shifts in her seat, closing her book and holding it in her lap as she faces Embrin. Wasn't she wishing this the other day when all the others had family visit? That her own would? Didn't she feel a touch of jealousy then? "No I ain't back…I was worried with being searched and all.." She murmurs to the man before her though she smiles a touch at some of his words, though it falters at the talk of not being one of them and she looks down at her book for a moment. "I think I worry about that, not belonging either place, held somewhere in between." There is a pause though as he mentions her brothers, "They doing ok? They never were happy at the weyr like I was. Neither was Ma…" She looks around for a moment before looking back to Embrin. "Yeah, I suppose I wasn't the first amoung us and if they can impress, suppose I can be accepted too." She says with a little shrug.
It wouldn't be too difficult to assume that Embrin was not familiar with weyrlife, "Ah never been 'round 'em riders much iffin Ah could be helpin' et. Ah dun even know how ta read 'em thangs…" he admits, giving a flick of a finger to the knot on Briana's shoulder. At mention of being searched, the dark haired man frowns deeply and looks thoroughly disappointed. No, he was not thrilled with this news. At all. "Iffin yer gun be takin' one of 'em beasts Ah ain't gun come 'round yah no more. Ain't interested in riders. 'sides, yah dun wan yer outlaw sire 'round anyway Ah reckon." he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Iffin yah got yerself picked, dun ya think tha' means yah be suited? Two of Veski's brats got 'emselves matched iffin Ah remember right." he says, set on edge still from the news he'd just had dropped into his lap. "Tha' 'ore an' th' boy." About his sons, he nods. "Takin' ta th' life right as rain. Ah check in mahself now an' again. Things be changin' an' soon ain't gunna be no place fer meh thar. Even Veski's moved on."
As he points to her knot, Briana looks down at it, "Well um…it shows I am apprentice …I am in bakercraft. Those cords there say I live at Ista and that one there says I am a candidate here." She says in explanation as if wanting her father to understand who she is now. For all she knows of him, the things he has done, he is blood all the same. Briana lowers her head at the mention of not visiting iffin she gets searched, "Ain't likely too, the eggs don't seem to like me none." She starts before she sighs a bit, "But ifin I do…well…might be safer. Hear they don't tell any lies and stuff." She says with a little shrug before nodding at the news of her brothers, near happiness nor disapointment touches her features. Though it is clear she misses em. "Yeah, Uncle Delenn is here and Ryski..though been kept pretty busy." She bites her lip for a moment as he mentions the changes, "An me Ma?"
"Ah dun know 'bout yer ma. She dun be likin' me much," Embrin suddenly grins and chuckles from somewhere deep in his chest. He then points to the scar across his face. "She be th' one tha' been givin' meh this." He does not explain how or why, just leaves it at that, likely for Briana to make her own assumptions. "Aye, Delenn. Never liked tha' one." He shakes his head at that, and his face twists with disgust. He shrugs his shoulders at mention of Ryski, "Never met 'im." Doesn't care to either from the way he rises up off the chair and grabs up his coat and hat. "Ah should be goin' fer they realize Ah'm 'ere." He reaches down and cups the side of the girl's face then, lifting her chin and looking down at the reflection of himself he finds in eyes so much like his own. "Yah grew up a fine woman, Ah know tha' ain't much comin' meh, but thar et is ah'll tha same." He releases the touch and slips back into his coat, planting his hat back onto his head and yanking it down at the wide brim. "Yah take care now Briana. 'nd even iffin Ah dun like et at all. Good luck wit yer eggs." That said, he looks around before he heads out, and disappears into the fog.
At the response about her mother, Briana nods solemly, "As long as she is ok.." she says as she looks up to the man as he rises to standing. She glances at the scar, then to her own. Perhaps given and received for similar reasons. "He took care of me well enough Da…" She says at his comments about D'len. She nods about him leaving, "Yeah, be best." As his fingers cup her face and lifts it to his she looks direct in his eyes. Moisture mists over those golden orbs and she nods ever so slightly, "I will endeavor to do my family proud even if I impress." She watches him head out before rising up clasping her notebook to her chest. "Blade, lets go try for that nap." There is another look towards that quickly departing form, "Be safe…thank ye." she says before she heads out the cavern herself to the candidate cavern.