Sandwich Volcano
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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.


M'nol sits in one corner of the caverns, having gratefully found his youngest flits starving at a time when it was mostly empty. The creeling green Aventurine and brown Phyrite squabble over each piece of meat as a harried M'nol tries quite hard to keep up with the greedy maws. Agate, Bloodstone, Tourmaline, Jasper, and Fossil look on, quite convinced that they'd never given him this much trouble. It isn't long before they begin to become bored, though, and start poking their noses into every nook and cranny of the caverns.

The sounds of a creeling, hungry firelizard carries from the clearing, getting louder. It's accompanied by the sound of running footsteps and mild cursing. Cenlia dashes into the living caverns at top speed, a tiny, wailing gold flit hatchling clinging to the front of her shirt. She's dressed for the beach, in a red halter top and sarong, and is running barefoot, sand clinging to her ankles and her boots stowed under one arm. The girl's four other firelizards swoop along behind her, trilling their own encouragement to the little gold. As if Bliss needs any more encouragement to get what she wants. Cen grabs the nearest meatroll, shoving the food at the hatchling with a groan, "Sharding greedyguts." The itty bitty gold pounces on the offered meatroll, gobbling it up with speed.

M'nol chuckles, then promptly gets a green claw across the wrist for his impudence at stopping. "Yeowch! Shard it, Aventurine, why can't you be patient like Phyrite?" He continues shoving meat at the flits, though he manages to take a moment out for a quick wave to Cen even as Bloodstone carols a greeting to Charmer, "Hey, Cen. Do they always get hungry in packs or is it just me?

The 'Yeowch!' causes Cenlia to start, the girl glancing around and spotting M'nol, "Hey, y'alight?" She manages a grin, grabbing more meatrolls and wandering over, "Shards, shoulda seen when them four were little. Four of 'em makin' noise, shardin' awful." She makes a face while tilting her head in the direction of the rest of her flock, setting her boots down and flopping in a nearby chair. Bliss crawls onto the table, chittering for more meatroll, which Cen provides with another soft groan. Charmer swoops down to croon at M'nol and his flits, while Mizzle and Trouble perch nearby, probably plotting mischief. Midnight-dark Rogue lands on Cenlia's shoulder, and tries to nab a meatroll, but the gardener girl taps the sneaky little blue on the snout, grumbling, "Oy, greedyguts, you already nabbed all m' spare food. 'S your fault I had to run across half the sharding weyr." Rogue just makes a grumpy 'gwerr' sound and eyes the meatrolls.

M'nol nods, eyeing the thin trickle of blood from his wrist like an unwanted insect, "I'll be fine. Can't wait until she's old enough to train. She's a sharding menace." He stuffs a few more chunks of meat down the respective flits' maws, "Sorry, Charmer, I'm a little too occupied to give you scritches at the moment." Agate crawls around a post, then spots Trouble and Mizzle and gives a little cheep before /betweening/ next to them and trying to get in on the conversation. M'nol just shakes his head at the antics of the army of flits in the room, "How's your gold doing? Other than being healthy enough to creel at such an earth-shattering pitch."

Cenlia wrinkles her nose at the blood, saying, "Shards, 'm glad this one's nice. Ain't half as bad as the others were. Trouble over there," indicating the booze-hued brown, "used to practically eat my fingers off." Charmer croooons at M'nol, but seeing no scritches forthcoming, the bronze firelizard hops over to make happy-noises at Bliss. Bliss, however, is too busy gobbling down meatroll to notice. Cenlia chuckles, eyeing the flits around the room and grumbles, "Sharding nuisances, all of 'em." Her voice is more fond than grumpy, however, the girl continuing, "Seems like every other sevenday somebody's got a new one. Dunno how Eled's managed to not get stuck with one yet." But there's a snort, Cen adding, "He's probably too much of a turd to land a flit anyways." Trouble and Mizzle are all too happy to include Agate in their mischief-making. With their owners' hands full, and the caverns not busy at the moment, who's watching the food tables, after all? It's devious little Trouble that starts sneaking thataway. Sneak sneak sneak. Cenlia eyes her little gold, giving the eating flit a slight smile and saying, "She ain't as loud as Rogue was. Shards, but I hope she's easier to train. Got enough little thiefs as it is." The girl makes a face, asking M'nol, "How'd you manage to train up all of yours?"

M'nol chuckles, "I've had a few finger-biters myself, but they all manage eventually." He continues doling out meat, "I'd bet Eled's just avoided the hatchings like the plague. Heck, even Hyrlon's got two of the things now." M'nol actually looks a little proud of his brother for that one, "Agate and Bloodstone were definitely the hardest being so close together, it got easier after that… mostly because Bloodstone helps me train the new ones now. Shows 'em what to do and scolds 'em if the ignore me." He chuckles, "Crazy bronze." Agate follows the sneaking Trouble. That food really did look most interesting. Sneak sneak sneak. Of course a near-white blue is more visible than a brown in a dimly lit cavern.

Cenlia shakes her head, eyeing the little gold, "Tried to avoid hatchings, but these greedyguts always found m' food. Dunno what's Eled's problem." She tilts her head at the mention of Hyrlon, "Who?" and then nods, eyeing Charmer, and saying to the flit, "Hunh, hear that ya little charmer? If his flit can help him train, so can you." She gives Charmer a poke in the side with a bit of meatroll, but the bronze just croons pleasantly at her. Trouble leads the way to a plate of sammiches, the brown peering about and ducking under the table. Mizzle just watches Agate follor Trouble, but doesn't join in just yet. Mizzle is the distraction! He starts chittering and swooping near the hearth, trying to encourage any other flits to come play! Who's going to notice sneaking flits, even a near-white one, with playful Mizzle making a racket over there? Cenlia grumbles a distracted, "Oy, be quiet. I'll fee you next," at Mizzle, while holding out yet another meatroll for Bliss.

M'nol looks confused for a moment, then chuckles, "Oh… right… you weren't here when he transferred in. Hyrlon's my older brother. Wherhandler to blue Hysk now. He's denned up by the mine. Could probably show you around if you're still wanting to see it." He chuckles again as she nudges Charmer, "You'll probably have to give him treats, too. Helps keep 'em focused." Agate is as sneaky as he can manage, inching his way across the room then -DART- under the table after Trouble. The rest of M'nol's fair, either not aware or not caring that their participation would end in trouble for all, wing over to Mizzly and much chittering follws. what should we play? I have a nut. I miss the snow! Tag! we should play tag!

"Ah shards, I still need to ask Satoris about mushrooms an' that drinkin' contest," Cenlia says, leaning back in her chair and looking thoughtful, "Yea. still wanna check out the mine sometime." She nods, "Will ask, mebbe there's somethin' down there 'sides firestone and gems, huh? Bet Master Denna could make some neat stuff if there's mushrooms." The girl muses, not paying much attention at all to the firelizards beyond continuing to feed Bliss. Omnomnom. Mizzle seems delighted to have playmates. Tag it is! Swoop and zooom! The big-headed, rain-spotted blue may look a little clumsy, but his overzised wings mean he's fairly as agile in the air. Inthe meantime, Trouble sneaks up a table leg, glancing back to make sure Agate's still there. The brown peers about all shifty-like, and then, with a delighted little chittery cackle, he dives into the plate of sammiches, nabbing some of the tasty sliced meats inside. Much to the dismay of the poor rider who's trying to get a late lunch. "Hey!" comes his startled shout as the sammich-plate erupts in firelizard.

M'nol's fair happily join in the game of tag, swooping here and there, not really sure who's it, but trying to avoid being touched either way. M'nol chuckles, mostly ignoring them since nothing's getting broken, "He's still around. I hear tell he and Zevida are back together, so her weyr might be a decent place to look. Haven't seen him much lately, though." He pops a few more chunks of meat around until Aventurine and Phyrite finally give little tired burps and curl up together on the table. Agate gleefully follows Trouble, usually having been caught long before now and he participates zealfully in the great sandwich volcano. The rider's shout catches M'nol's attention and he glances up, then gives a harsh, ear-piercing whistle and all of his fair but the sleeping two are gone /between/, Agate dragging nearly half-a-sandwich with him. M'nol waves to the poor, slightly sandwich covered rider, "Sorry…"

Cenlia nods to M'nol, grinning and saying, "Yeah, ain't seen him since him and Zevida disappeared after the hatching." The girl chuckles, and seems about to say more, but the rider's shout has her glancing that way. Poor Mizzle is left swooping around in circles alone after the whistle, and he perches on a chair, peering about innocently. Unfortunately, Trouble is nowhere near as well-trained, and with a groan, Cenlia half-rises, while Trouble just steals sammiches gleefully. Cenlia pausing in her meatroll-giving has Bliss chittering irritably. The commotion by the food tables draws the little gold's attention, and she rises on her hind legs to trill imperiously at the trouble-making flit. Trouble, paws full of stolen meats, zooms upward out of the sammiches, fairly ignoring Bliss' agitation. Charmer, however, ever the loyal soldier, launches off the table and tackles Trouble in midair. The booze-hued brown gives a startled squawk, dropping his loot as both firelizards go tumbling back down, nearly hitting the poor rider, who has to duck out of the way. The rider just scowls, muttering some swears and brushing sammich bits off himself before glaring at Cenlia with a, "You! Get over here and clean this up." Meaning the spilled sammich tray. Cen grimaces and mumbles sheepish, "Sorry 'bout that," as she heads over, Bliss practically forgotten. Oh well, at least Cen left the rest of the meatrolls on the table, and Bliss digs in. Nomnom.

M'nol shakes his head, "I've seen him since then. He's growing a beard." The look on M'nol's face is not flattering to the facial hair. He stands, lowering a glare on the rider he doesn't recognize, "She's not a drudge and shouldn't be ordered around like one." He moves to Cen, still glowering at the rider, arms crossed against his chest. Glaring at the rider, M'nol flags down a passing lower caverns worker and leans in to ask, "Can we have a bowl and some rags, please?" The woman looks a little taken aback, but tottles off, returning shortly with the requested cleaning supplies. M'nol gives the rider one last dark look, "Being a rider doesn't make you better'n anyone else." Then he crouches down to help clear the mess, soggy meat and break piling up in the bowl.

Cenlia blinks at M'nol, glancing at him with slightly raised brows, but mumbling a, "'S alright," as she moves to help clean up, while shooting a glare at Trouble, who is now pinned under Charmer, the bronze sitting on him and trilling victoriously. Hahaha! The evildoer is subdued! But despite crooning proudly at Bliss, Charmer gets little more than a curious look from the little gold. "You make a mess, you clean it up," the rider says flatly, although he does seem a little surprised by M'nol. There's a frown at M'nol, but the rider isn't going to argue, instead moving off to another table and keeping far from the flits. When the rider's safely out of hearing range, Cen leans over and mutters a, "Thanks," at M'nol, wrinkling her nose and adding, "Bet he's got a trundlebug up his butt."

M'nol favors the rider with one last glowering rebuttal, "Flits make a mess, the who Weyr usually has to clean it up. At least this is small scale and doesn't involve underwear." He passes Cen a rag, "Not a problem. 'Specially since Agate helped make the mess." He glances once more at the unknown rider, "I'd bet he's got a whole flock of the things, barking orders like a Weyrleader…" he flushes suddenly, "He's not a Weyrleader, is he? Didn't look like a Weyrleaders knot…"

The mention of underwear has Cen snorting out a badly-stifled laugh, the girl grinning as she mutters, "Shards, never did find out whose underpants those were…" There is a brief pause as she takes the rag and helps clean the mess, the girl adding, "Don't think I /want/ to know." There's a quick glance over at rider, Cen wrinkling her brown and saying, "Don't think so. D'son's got a fancier knot anyways."

M'nol chuckles, "If you don't know yet, you probably don't want to… about the underwear, that is. Especially if no one was looking for it." He makes a face as he picks up more spilled sammich, even as a lower caverns worker comes by and clears the mess from the table and replaces it with another tray of sandwiches. She looks down at the two, "You don't have to do that, you know…" M'nol smiles, "Nearly done now, anyway." He glances back at the grumpy rider, who seems to have taken up a position of glaring at them from across the room, "It's fancier than mine, though… maybe he's a wingsecond?"

Cenlia ducks under the table to retrieve the spilled meat Trouble dropped, the girl giving the brown firelizard another glare as she drops the meat in the bowl. She gives the lower caverns worker a smile, nodding in agreement with M'nol as the last bits of crumbs are mopped up. The girl spares another quick glance at the grumpy rider, eyes flicking back to M'nol with a, "Shards, hope he ain't. Not Xanadu colors, neither…" there's a frown as she gets back to her feet. At least that rider isn't chewing them out. Or getting his dragon to yell at the flits. That glare from him, though, has the girl wrinkling her nose as she heads back to the table to collect Bliss and her boots, telling M'nol, "I better get back to the beach. Left B'miel in his swim shorts without any booze," and she can't help grinning a bit at that.

M'nol chuckles, standing as well and passing the bowl to the worker who'd offered to help with a smile, "I should probably go release my fair from house arrest before they get antsy and I come back to find I'm missing a couch." He makes his way back to the table where they'd left their flitlets and scoops up his own two, glad that the offended rider hadn't made an attempt to get them into trouble.

Cen nods to M'nol, and starts to pull on her boots, but the most curious expression crosses her face and she topples over with a squeaky, "Gyah!" Frantically tugging off the boot, the gardener girl pulls out her foot - along with a small green firelizard chomping on her toe! Cenlia makes an odd, 'Yeek!' noise, kicking her foot in the air while the rest of her firelizards flutter up in the air and chitter unhapply. But wait… Cenlia doesn't /have/ a green firelizard. The green flit finally lets go, diving back inside Cenlia's boot and hissing.

It only takes a strong thought and Bloodstone squeaks from /between/ to M'nol's side, then stares at Cen's boot. M'nol's just as flabbergasted as his flit. What *had* just happened? Was that even possible? He gives the bronze a subtle mental command and Bloodstone flits down and peers into Cen's boot with a soft croon."

Hisss! Hiiisss! The little green firelizard in Cen's boot looks angry! Or at least very very cranky! But she has a reason, poking her head out and chittering at Bloodstone. It takes only a moment, however, to see she's outnumbered, as Charmer and Bliss set up making noise at her too. The little green, zips up in the air, disappearing *between* and abandoning the footwear. "Oy, that's B'miel's flit," Cenlia rubs her chomped-on toe, looking incredulous, and grumbling a, "Sharding flits!" But as she retrieves her boot, eyeing Bloodstone with no small amount of suspicion, two little firelizard eggs roll out. Cenlia blinks.

M'nol blinks as well, silent for a moment even as Bloodstone returns to his shoulder and gives an inquisitive squeak. A moment or two later M'nol regains his tongue, "B'miel's flit left eggs in your boot? That's… a new one on me…"

"They weren't when I took 'em off!" Cenlia protests, frowning at the eggs and then at her boot. Gingerly, she scoops one up, and frowns at the still-soft shells. Laid eggs in her boot, is more like it. With a groan, Cenlia mutters again, "Sharding /flits/." And promptly puts the eggs back in her boot with a grumbled, "I'm'a /flay/ B'miel." Like it was his fault. Not bothering to grab her other discarded boot, the gardener girl turns to hobble back to the clearing with a grumbled, "Better make sure he gets these."

M'nol chuckles, "S'pose it's better'n you getting stuck with finding them homes. Safe walk back to the beach, Cen." He turns then, stroking Bloodstone gently, "That was unique, now wasn't it?" The irate rider can't seem to help putting in one last comment, "That's what happens when everybody and their brother has firelizards, more and more of the beasties keep coming. You should neuter that green of yours while you can." M'nol looks truly taken aback, but the rider stalks out before any more heated words can be exchanged.

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