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.
"See you in a little bit! 've got to just drop these off," says ka-el who lugs his bag back into the kitchens. Alloy is not allowed back there, and thus waits semi patiently just outside the kitchen doors, from which a bunch of noise drifts from. 'Where HAVE you been??' 'We've been waiting!' 'The stew will never be a'finished on time!' Clang, clang. Hopefully that's not the sound of an apprentice being beaten by pots.
Idrissa waves after Kale and grins as she hears what happens to him. She moves along and gets herself a mug of khal and some meatrolls in the process. "Hopfully he won't get in too much trouble.."
Wakua comes in after the others and she goes over to get something to eat. She gives another piece of meatroll to her firelizard. The green eyes Willow making sure that she can see the other green at all times. She gets a mug of klah as well, "So how are the runners doing Idrissa?"
Seryic slips in and settles his duffel bag near the entrance to teh cavern having picked up his green and settled her on his shoulder, he glances slowly about moving to join Wakua and her friends at there table quietly.
It's a few minutes before Kale can return, the now empty bag slung over his shoulder and a plate of tarts. Leave it to Kale to enter an angry kitchen and leave with a prize! Looking pleased, he scans the cavern and, upon spotting the others either sitting or getting food, he moves over, setting the plate down on the table claimed by Seryic. "Behold. Treats for all," he says lavishly before he plops in a seat, Alloy settling on the floor next to him.
Idrissa she peers at Kale once he comes over, and with a treat no less. "How did you manage to get away with that after being late?" She sits down next to Kale and hims while looking to Wakua. "Oh there doing fine. Keeping me busy to say the least. Sometimes wonder how I'm gona have time for it an everything else."
Wakua smiles at Kale, "Thanks Kale." She moves over towards the table to Seryic picked out and she moves over to sit down. "Thanks for snagging a table." She nods to Idrissa, "That's good to hear anything new happening? Someone making faster runners or more hearty herdbeasts?"
Jethaniel's mug of klah became empty rather a while ago. It was only several minutes ago that he noticed this fact and went to refill it. Upon returning, he finds that his table has been occupied. Not, however, completely so. There remains at least one seat; therefore, Jethaniel seats himself in it, nodding absently in something that could pass for a greeting before taking a sip of klah and opening up his folder to look at the papers inside. At no point in this does the techie actually make eye contact with anyone.
"Missus Brumiyre, y'know," Kale leans forward a bit, "the /ancient/ lookin' one who works back there?" He glances to the kitchens, half expecting to see a disapproving face looking at him. "She says I look like her son when he was my age. Ever since then, she's been mighty nice an' gives me things sometimes. She knew I was comin', I guess, an' had these held up for me. A little cold though," he admits as he claims one for himself, "an' the others wouldn't let her warm 'em in the oven, but," he takes a bite. "Still good!" He gestures to the plate, making sure it's known that he's sharing .. even with Jethaniel, who joins them. "Hello Journeyman Jethaniel. Congrats on gettin' the sands heated."
Idrissa rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Ya I know her, she gives me cookies sometimes cause I'm nice to her." She sips at her mug and then catches sight of Jeth and smiles while waving over to him. "Yes, good job there."
Wakua gives a wave to the journeyman as she sees him, "Hello there. Very nice job on the sands." She sees him pulling out papers and she goes back to eating. She pets her green firelizard, "Just calm down Bria. No one's gonna hurt you." She gives the firelizard some bites of meatroll.
The speaking of his name is sufficient to penetrate Jethaniel's obliviousness today. Must not be that enthralling a project. He looks up, blinking, at the others. "Ah, thank you," he says. "It was a group effort, of course. The plans were mine, but I had a great deal of consultation and assistance in the execution. Very few things derive from a single heroic or villainous figure, despite how it may appear from the simplified stories which emerge to popularity afterward."
"True," replies Kale to Jeth's latter comment, though the glance that's given to Idrissa afterward hints at a 'does this guy ever suffice with anything as simple as just a thank you?' train of thought. "Here," he ays, pushing the plate of tarts towards the journeyman, "have a tart! They're pretty good, even if the are lukewarm. Group effort or not, y'saved a lot of trouble for those eggs, Yumeth, an' everyone else. I guess for us too," he realizes. "If Yumeth had to go somewhere else, I suppose Candidates would've too, huh?"
Idrissa peers back at Kale and shrugs slightly, she has no clue! Another sip is taking from her mug while Willow chitters from her shoulder and creeps along before stealing a tart and flutters back over to Rissa with it. The girl grins and she chuckles while taking it from the little green. "Why thank you." This said with a soft murmur to the lizard. "I imange so Kale. Candidates go where the eggs are."
Wakua smiles, "You are welcome. Thank you to everyone that helped you." She continues to eat and she ohs, "I should probably put this on." She reaches into her pocket and puts on her white candidate knot, "That would be cool to see interesting and new places as a candidate."
Even though he's currently wearing a knot of white, Tsenik is still keeping up with his shop. So it's really of no surprise when the florist makes his way into the caverns with a rather large messanger bag thrown over his shoulder. It seems to have quite of stuuff contained with in, as it's currently buldging at the seems. Tsen pauses as he notes the crrowd, "Hey, guys," he greets quietly as he heads over, "how's it going?"
Can Jethaniel give a simple answer? Certainly! In a perfectly unambiguous and well-understood situation, no clarifications would be needed, nor given. Such situations are, however, generally only found as hypothetical constructs, as opposed to in the chaotic real world. Ah, but wht's this? The journeyman looks at the plate of tarts. He takes one. "Thank you." … … … and that's it! No digressions on the nature of baking or the relatives merits of food at various temperatures. Not only that, he takes a bite of it. A non-theoretical case of the Simple Answer Theorum has just been demonstrated. It seems that a sufficiently low proportion of ambiguity can, under certain circumstances, fall beneath the activation threshold of his clarifications system.
There's a grand pause between Jethaniel's answer and Kale's. Why? Well…he was expecting some more words! There are usually more words. Except now, where he's been proven wrong. Well then! "You're… welcome." Brow raise and shrug. Another bite is given to his tart as his eyes raise to Tsenik, lifting his hand to wave a greeting. "Hullo," he says around his treat. "Want some?" He glances to Wakua, brow arching. "You haven't put that on yet?"
Wakua hmms a little bit, "Not yet, I didn't have the weyrwoman's daughter put it on me and all." She finishes her meatroll and gets one of the treats, "These are really good, who made them again? I'll have to give my compliments."
Idrissa gances over to Tsen and waves to him. "Hey there." She says before peering at Jeth and blinks. He said thank you! A soft ah escapes her while she chews on a bit of tart. She peers over at Wakua curiously. "Why would a weyrwoman's daughter put it on you?"
Tsenik trudes over towards the tables and flops into a seat, looking rather exhausted as he rests his head on the table. "A tart?" He ask, lifting his head just slightly to peer at the offered sweet. Fingers reach out to pluck the tart and he absently pops it into his mouth. "Faranth knows I can use all the sugar I can get at the moment." He mutters quietly under his breath, "apparently, Kale thought he needed some big ceremony to put the stupid thing on." Tsenik informs Idrissa with a shrug of his shoulders, "So he had Soriana put it on for him, the whole thing was rather silly."
Jethaniel is welcomed, to which he nods and smiles. He even gets about halfway through the tart before he sets it down, just for a moment, to make a note on his page. Ah, and while he's got the pencil in hand, it would be useful to add- Yep. He's pretty well lost, for the moment.
Wakua nods in agreement with Tsenik, "What he said." She says in between bites of the treat. She stretches out and she rubs her muscles in her arms, "So what are you working on now Journeyman?"
"If you'd like, I can likely get her to pin yours, too," remarks Kale to Wakua. "She /is/ the daughter of a Jr. Weyrwoman, so … I suppose that makes her somewhat high up on the ladder of important people on a weyr." Smirk. Eyes flit to Tsenik and his lackluster response, and a brow arches at him. "Y'know Tsenik, you didn't /have/ to take the knot. Ever since, you've sounded as if it's been the biggest inconvenience," he notes, watching him with that same questioning look. "I was havin' fun with her because I was happy to even be considered a Candidate. It is a bit've an honor, you know."
Idrissa glances to Tsenik a moment and shrugs. "So…?" She questions softly. "I don't see that as a problem. There friends and do silly things after all." This said with an amused tone. She sips at her mug while letting her gaze drift to Kale and then back to Tsenik curious like. "I have to agree with Kale at this bit. I still feel it's a great honor to be picked as a Candidate." At least that is how she thinks!
"So what? I don't have to be all enthusastic about it." Tsenik mumbles quietly under his breath, "Why get excited for something that's probably not going to happen? I rather focus on my shop, least I have an idea of where I'm going with it." Tsen shrugs his shoulders, "You're free to be silly, that's what being young is all about. However, I don't really have time for it." A brow arches on his forehead, "I know you guys were having fun, there's nothing wrong with having fun. The only reason I accepted is because they said I could keep running my shop, I figure I'll give it a shot, not like I'm doing anything else. I just don't see the big deal."
Jethaniel doesn't look up at the question from Wakua. "Status report and analysis, for the techcraft hall." His tone perhaps fails to convey just how dull it is, but…. it needs to be done. So, he's doing it, without paying terribly much attention to the rest of this conversation but with sips of klah at intervals.
Wakua smiles, "It's okay. I pinned it on myself. How does that make her a high up on the ladder of important people? I'm just curious, cause I thought she was just one of us. Well maybe not one of us now us being candidates, but before when we were just apprentices." She looks at Tsenik, "Can I ask you what you would find fun Tsenik? What would make you smile?"
Seryic returns to the living cavern and glances about slowly , spoting those folks he has already met he walks slowly over to them, 'Mind if i rejoin you all?" he asks softly as he nods to thoes he hasn't met yet.
"It wouldn't be very excitin' to think on an' wonder about if you /knew/ it was gonna happen for sure," says Kale with a grin, plucking another tart to extend to Tsenik. "Here. Have another tart an' brighten up!" said cheerfully. "But…" he slows, brows raising a little. "Y'know…if you /are/ Impressed, then you probably won't have a lot've time for your shop anyway. I mean, we'd be what…" Where's Soriana when he needs her? "Weyrlings, right? In training in all. Like that rider said to me today, I wouldn't really be a smith crafter anymore. Not as I am now." Blue eyes shift to Wakua. "I don' feel I'm above Sori because I'm a Candidate, an' I'm sure she doesn't think she's above anybody either. But, let's just say tomorrow…we're attacked by a sea monster." Hey…it COULD be a legit concern! "an' the whole weyr goes into defense mode. Dragon battles an' everything. All the weyr's leaders would get the most protection, right? Cuz they're important. Sori's family to one've them, so she'd be with them."
Idrissa frowns as she hears Tsenik, and watches him a few moments. "If your not enthusastic then why bother doing it Tsenik? An what will happen if you DO impress a dragon?" A slight shake of her head is seen and she peers at Wakua. "Soriana is like us, don't matter if we're Candidate's or not. She's our friend and will always be that. Also just because we're Candidate's doesn't mean we're better then anyone Wakua. We all have to prove ourselves, and what we're made out of and that includes getting along with everyone and being nice an so forth."
"You guys do remember that candidates are at the bottom of the food chain, right? We're even lower than drudges. That means everyone is above us." Tsen says with a wiggle of his finger, shrugging. "I don't do anything for fun, Wakua. I don't really have time for it. The shop took a lot of my time before I became a candidate, now between the two, I barely have time to stop and grab something to eat." There's a soft sigh as he rubs his hands against his face. "Y'know, I don't really want to, but like Wakua said, what if I hand in my knot and some stupid dragon gets it in their head that they want me and try to come up the stands? I rather just get the whole thing over and done with. Next time I'm saying no:" As for impressing a dragon, he shrugs, "I'll have to close the shop for a bit, I'm having a hard enough time at the moment keeping up witht all the demands. With a dragon? It'd be impossible."
Jethaniel doesn't look up. However. "There are no recorded sightings of monsters in Pern's seas larger than one meter, and certainly none amphibious enough to pose a danger to the Weyr. If there were, it is highly probable the dolphineers would have discovered them before now." He continues his report-writing.
Wakua finishes her treat and she looks to Seryic, "Sure go ahead and have a seat and something to eat." She looks at Kale, "First I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone because I'm a candidate. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone. I would think that they would try to get all the children and injured and sick our first rather than worry about who's related to who. I agree with you Idrissa. We are all the same we are the lowest of the low as Tsenik said."
Seryic looks between the candidatea and sayss, "is it long before them egg are supose to hatch then?" he looks less then excited about the concept of possibly being around for that.
"They wouldn't worry. They'd already know," retorts Kale to Wakua. "An'…what? Tend to the children an' injured? That wasn't the point of the example!" He waves his hands. "Nevermind," says exasperatedly, eyes shifting to Jethaniel, who has given them reason to all breathe a sigh of relief! "Good to know, Journeyman," he says, unable to help but feel as if he's missed the point too. But he grins regardless, the whole thing coming off as funny. "Lower than drudges, eh? Can't be too different than apprenticing, then. Shells Tsenik, if you /do/ Impress, I hope your dragon has a happy spirit so that yours can be lifted a bit too! Plus…little as I know about Impressing, I don' think dragons Impress on people who don't want them and aren't on the sands. So…it'd be a long shot, I think, that a hatchling would go crashin' through the stands lookin' for someone who'd rather not have'm around." Only now does he notice the return of Seryic, who is offered a wave. "Hey. There's one last tart left," he offers. "An' I don't really know how long eggs sit for."
"Why does everyone think I need a cheerful dragon?" Tsenik asks, looking first from Wakua and then to Kale and then sighing quietly. "Life is not all fun and games, you know? I know how to have fun, but I'm busy and I don't have time for it." Tsen shrugs his shoulders "I've got my shop to think of. I'm happy just making other people happy." He idly picks off pieces of the tart and nibbles on them thoughtfully.
Jethaniel nods to Kale. Just making sure there are facts on hand! On the matter of candidate status and time until hatching, however, he offers no facts, nor even suppositions. After all, nobody's actually asked him, and perhaps more importantly, the questions are social and biological in nature. He's simply not qualified. Oh, but he does add one thing. "I'm fond of poetry, personally."
Wakua hmmms as she takes a drink of her klah, "No I understand what you are saying. If something disastrous should happen Soriana would be one of the first ones evacuated because she is the Jr. Weyrwoman's daughter. I don't think it would happen that way. That's my point, I could be wrong and you could be right, she could be one of the first out if something should happen." She hmms, "I'd take any dragon, happy, sad, anything at all."
Seryic accepts the tart and nods, "Thanks. I should probably get my business done here and head on before long then." he glancs about at all assembled, "I wish you all luck though." he looks over to Tsenik and says, "Wakua was telling me you might be able to help me find some flower for some the components of some of my paints…"
"I like music," adds Kale, who seems to want to share one of his likes too. He drops an arm to trace his fingers along the ridges down Alloy's back in a thoughtful strum. A look is given to Wakua, but he does not reply, instead dancing his eyes to Tsenik. He inhales a breath, likely one meant for words, but it's gradually released without them.
Idrissa seems to have dozed off there a wee bit. She blinks a moment and peers around before a soft ah escapes her an she yawns. "As much fun this is…" Which she isn't sure if it is at the moment. "I'm gona get on to bed." She slowly standing up and Willow curls upon her shoulder. "You all have a good night now." Kale get's a little ruffle of his hair before she wanders off to bed!
"Flowers, I like flowers, and planting things, and nice smells." There, Tsenik adds his two marks to the conversation of likes. Seyric gets a curious look, "Plants? Like what sort of plants? I can't help you if I don't really know the details. But yeah, I'm a pretty good guy to go to if you want info about plants." Tsenik picks up his head and pushes himself to his feet, "But, I seem to be crashing the party unwanted, so I'll go back to my deliveries. You guys all have fun."
Jethaniel has stated a like. So has Kale. So has Tsenik! From these simple beginnings, a conversation may form. It simply requires… more talking, about a topic that isn't technology. Jethaniel has faced many challenges, but this one may prove more difficult than any he's encountered before. His TechCraft training won't help him. He's on his own, just him and the words. Can he do it? Eye contact still evades him, but- "Remarkable, the patterns found in nature," he says to Tsenik, and as for Kale, "Have you heard The Metalsmith?" Ooh, noticing something about his conversational partner, that's got to be worth something. "It's a spoken word piece, but it makes interesting use of a dissonant gitar and drums to emulate the sounds of the forge."
Wakua gives a smile, "I think I'm going to head out as well, Seryic it was nice to meet you." She picks up her firelizard and she heads out to get some sleep.
Seryic nods to Tsenik and sayss, "I will drop by your shop tommorow and see if I can find what I need to get those colors right." he nibbles at the tart slowly savoring it, "It was nice to meet you to Wakua. I hope to see you around again, Maybe you all can make that upcomming gather.. though maybe not with being candidates and all.."
Huh, what? Of all people to inquire him of anything, Jethaniel would be ranked last on that list. Huh? Kale looks at him, first as if he spoke another language entirely. But then, apparently finding his tongue, he answers. "No, I haven't. Is it a poem, then? Poetry and sound.." Forging sounds, at that. He grins, interest obviously sparked. Good job, Jethaniel! "Might be somethin' I like then. At least, I'd be able to give my opinion on how true those sounds are." He nods to Tsenik as he speaks of leaving. "You're not crashin' anything, Tsenik. Good day to you," said as he slips out. Wakua earns a glance. Seryic, a brow raise. "There's another gather?"
As it turns out, Jethaniel does possess interests beyond the mechanical, and is capable of speaking about them. Kale is hardly the first to be surprised by this fact, and he likely won't be the last. The awkwardness of the pause is noted only insofar as it provides him an opportunity to finish filling out the line about approximate duration of outage, and to write a comment with several 'see further details' regarding the priority. When the smithcraft apprentice does speak again, he receives a nod. "I would call it poetry, yes. There are some who might argue otherwise." His mouth curves in a wry grin. "I should be interested to hear what you think. There are several versions on the computer - I prefer the Gredel rendition, but then, I've a fondness for his work in general."
Hm. He'll have to inquire about this other gather that was spoken of. But likely, with the new candidacy, such freedoms will be lacking. No matter! At least he had the experience more than once already. So Kale's attention is back on Jethaniel and this song, er rather, poem that he must hear. He sure is making it sound worth his while. "And you have a computer? One've your own, or are there computers that you all use in your hall? You'll have to bring me someday, else I'll probably never hear it. Now that you have me so curious, /not/ hearing it in any version y'might have isn't an option."
"Ah, somewhat of both." Jethaniel actually looks up and over to Kale as he continues, with an expression that might read as apologetic. "I suppose I've become rather used to it, since my time at Landing. The lack manages to surprise me every time I visit my parents." His head is shaken briefly, then the gesture transforms itself to a nod. "That can be arranged." He smiles. "For the moment, however, I've a class to teach. Intermediate diagnostic techniques." With that, he gathers his papers once more, and his mug of klah, and rises. "It was a pleasure." His smile seems genuine, and as he strides off out of the caverns, he's humming faintly.
Computers. Kale can count on his hand the amount of times he's ever had to use one. None. That would require zero fingers. And so, with all of his oddities that Kale only finds odd due to a lock of understanding, he can't help but feel sort of impressed when it comes to Jethaniel and his wealth of knowledge with those things technical. Really. Music stored on a computer? Intermediate what now? "Oh sure," he says in reply, nodding to him as he rises. "Good to see you again. And congratulations again on fixin' the sands. You an' everyone else!" He lifts a hand to wave, and when he turns that raised hand is cupped around his mug. He'll sit here a while longer, listening to the constant chatter around him while mulling over his own thoughts. They day has left him with much to think about, after all.