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's late afternoon and Raelii's chores in the barns are finished for the day. She's bathed to remove the odors that are wont to cling after working with animals and changed her clothes, dressed in an aqua-colored sleeveless blouse, white cotton shorts and sandals. The caramel of her hair is darkened with the residual dampness left from her hurried shampoo job, telltale that she'd been in a hurry to get out here. She's seated at one of the long tables with a clipboard - and a thin, colorful book with a bright, splashy cheerful-looking picture on the glossy cover. The large-lettered title spells 'Manners, A to Z'. She's chewing thoughtfully on the end of the pen she's holding and her paper is… blank.
Mur'dah is on his last day of drudge chores, and the brownrider is once more on caverns duty. Stepping out of the kitchens with a tray filled with sliced bread, he sets it down before ducking into an alcove for the broom and dustpan, intending to do the sweeping. As he surveys the room, brushing fingers along his grungy work clothes, he spots Raelii. Gulping a bit, the brownrider takes a deep breath and walks in her direction, steps slow and measured. "Raelii," he says quietly, not wanting to startle her. "Hey, look, I'm really sorry," he says, voice low but swift. Wanting to get in the apology before anything bad can happen.
Garawan makes his appearance from the clearing outside. He has been absent from the Weyr of late, and this is borne out by the fact that he has a set of traveling clothes on! And he's carrying a bag. And he seems tired, what with how he's trudging into the caverns. Looks like he's just getting back from a trip, from the looks of it.
Idrissa has spent a large amount of her day off dealing with work most of the day, an now she is making her way on into the cavern with a slight yawn escaping her as she goes. She is making her way on towards the food and drink tables looking for a quick bite and something warm to drink it would seem.
Raelii's concentrating on that first page and so while not startled by Mur'dah, she didn't see him coming. Her attention shifts to him and she tilts her head, birdlike to observe him. The curve of her mouth and the dance of her brown eyes is welcoming; she doesn't seem upset with him. "I forgive you," she says easily, adding, "I should've thought things through before jumping in with you. I chose to join the prank instead of talking you out of it. So. I'm sorry too." Her smile grows wider, no grudges here! Garawan's entrance, Idrissa's right after are noted in her periphery. Idrissa, if she works with the runners, might look familiar though she hasn't had time to formally meet the rider yet. Both are waved to and with a perky tone, the teen hails them, "Hi! If you're not too busy, can I get your input on a project I'm working on? You too Mur'dah!" The last bit directed up to her friend. She has the book open to the first page, which says, 'Always ask permisson'. If they drift closer, she'll ask them, "Do you know of any times when it's okay not to ask permission for something?"
Mur'dah blinks at the young woman, a bit startled by her reply as he slides into a seat, resting the broom against his shoulder and peering at the book. "This Sori's punishment?" he asks, and it's unclear how he feels about it just yet. "Forgiven, too, Rae, I'm sorry." Sorry, sorry, sorry. That's all he's been saying all week. "When it's life and death," he answers in response to her question. "Like if you're riding S&R, and your orders are to complete a sweep, but you see someone in danger, you don't wait for permission to go save their life. You just do it."
Hm? What's this? Garawan does indeed drift in Raelii's direction, and finds a place to sit. Augh thank Faranth, his feet are killing him. He listens to the conversation. He nods. "I agree, some situations are too important to leave to permission," he replies. He has a very smooth, aristocratic-sounding voice, for those who don't know him. "Though I've also heard that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. I do happen to disagree with this— perhaps it's easier, but it's not better." He looks to Idrissa as she enters and offers a nod of greeting.
Idrissa glances up at the voice, there is a slight pause and she seems unsure for a moment as she nods to the question. Well she supposes, not like she's honestly gotten out and talked to anyone in a while. So with a mug of warm klah and a few cheesy buns that she picked up. "Hey Mur'dah.. Ah.. and you too." This said while she looks to Raelii as she can't recall this one's name it seems. Her gaze turns over to Garawan and she offers him a smile and nod back. "Hey… Ah, I think I've met you before. You was around a while back yeah?" She could be wrong.
Mur'dah's startlement is lost on Raelii. Oh, she notices, but she's unsure what she's done to bewilder him. She nods about Soriana, but clarifies, "It's her consequence-lesson." So she'll be learning rather than simply being punished. "She's really nice! I like her!" Oh So-ri-a-naaaa, you might have a fan in young Raelii! She oohs. "Good one Mur'dah!" She bends to write, her pen scrabbling on her paper, eyes flicking up to Garawan and then to Mur'dah knowingly before she continues writing. They both know which is easier and it isn't apologizing! Her handwriting is atrocious so the words might be barely legible when she writes 'to save someone's life' and a dash, then 'ok to break the rule for this' and 'easier than apologizing later' and another dash then, 'don't break the rule for this' She hasn't gotten to the 'introduce yourself' page in the book, but does so anyway with a bright, "I'm Raelii. I'm new to Xanadu." And she's still thrilled to be here! No input from Idrissa? She does not prod but looks to Mur'dah. "Did we ask permission to prank Ka'el?" Cough. There's an apologetic look afterwards. "Sorry, I have to say in my report."
Mur'dah chuckles softly, leaning with one elbow on the table. "She is very nice. Stable. Down to earth. Trustworthy." He stops there, trying to squint enough to read Raelii's penmanship. And he fails. "Are you going to re-write that?" he asks, grin crooked. "Because I think 'write reports so others can read them' might be important, if it's in that book or not." Then he smirks, shaking his head. "No, we did not ask permission to prank the Weyrleader." Slight emphasas on the title. "Hello," he says to Garawan, and then he has a warmer smile for Idrissa. "Hey! Nice to see you, it's been forever, what's up? Join us?" He'll even judge out a chair.
Garawan nods to Idrissa's question. "I was indeed, just before Xanadu's previous hatching," he confirms. "I left not too soon after, there was a… an emergency I had to see to." He's not being very forthcoming about it! The mention of a prank gets Garawan chuckling. "Well, permission is not usually asked for pranks either. That is rather the purpose of one, to catch the recipient off-guard. But there are some people who don't like pranks pulled on them." He nods to Mur'dah in greeting as well. "Hello there."
Idrissa smiles and nods to Garawan. "That's what I thought, nice too see you back to Xanadu." This offered while she settles down upon a seat next to Mur'dah, a curious glance is sent his way and she looks a bit amused while smiling. "Yeah it's been a while. Busy with things. How have you been doing Mur'dah?" Her attention is soon back to Raelii. "Nice to meet you Raelii, ah… What might you need my impute on anyway?" This questioned with a curious tone. As for the pranking bit on Ka'el she doesn't say much and sips at her mug.
Nice is all Raelii requires - or well, "She's patient too." That's also a plus. She bends to scribble down, 'we broke this one' before twinkling up to Mur'dah. "I can read it!" Still, she might copy it over - or offer to read it to Soriana. This trader-girl has not, it is apparent, spent much time in haper penmanship 101. "You asked my permission, Mur'dah. To join you, that is. But thaaat's probably not what she's looking for. And we were saving him from boredom, but he was probably not going to die of it." Even though perhaps the people in the offices might some days feel otherwise. She looks to Garawan, nodding agreement. "Oh, we caught him off guard," she agrees with a cough, then she flips the page. The next one says: 'Behave responsibly'. "It's nice to meet you too Idrissa. I need input on when it's okay to break manner rules. What about this one?" And she holds up the book. Of course, her next question to Mur'dah is, "Do you think we followed this or broke it?" Squirm.
Mur'dah studies Garawan for a long moment but can't seem to place him. "Hope the emergency turned out okay," he offers, before there's a smirk. "Exactly. But I wouldn't put that into your report. That'll just sound cheeky." Dark eyes shift to Idrissa and the brownrider shrugs. "Been fine, until this mistake I made. Tomorrow I'm back to normal duties though, so that's good. I miss flying." Looking back at Raelii, Mur'dah slumps a bit. He's been sucked into her homework. But it's his fault, so he'll force himself to focus. "Yeah, we broke that one. And that one," he says with a nod about the behaving responsibly one. "I think we probably broke all of them. Don't make a mess too, though I /did/ clean up after us. And we have apologized." Those are good things, right?
Garawan chuckles. "Thank you. I'm glad to be back," he replies to Idrissa. He makes no comment of 'behave responsibly', he's broken that one more than a few times in his life. Mur'dah's words get a nod, and he confirms, "Everything has been sorted out." That calm smile is still in place. He doesn't mention anything about the prank though, he was not privy to it, so he doesn't know.
Idrissa blinks a few moments while peering at Raelii at the question. "Ah… I don't think I'm a very good one to ask over such things." There is a slight shrug and she looks down at her mug. "I just try to keep under the rader, don't like causing much problems." Which is really a normal thing for her. She glances over to Mur'dah. "It'll be nice to have you back out flying for certain." She smiles a moment. "Tahryth misses Kalsuoth too." She also mises her friend, not that they ever got to talk that much as of late, which is mostly all her fault really.
Raelii doesn't know Garawan, didn't catch his name, but asks with bright curiosity, "What was the emergency?" Her brown eyes flick to Mur'dah and she hms, "I probably won't, but it's supposed to be an essay of reasons and those are reasons." Maybe wrong ones, but still! It's the slump his shoulders that tips her off and with an apologetic look, she says, "Soriana told me to ask you them." When he speaks of cleaning up, she ahhs! 'clean up after yourself' is on the next page and that one is added, signed and 'we followed this one' written beside it. We. Mur'dah did, anyway. He's… apologized. "Did he forgive you?" she asks curiously, because she has flipped through the book and right after 'Say sorry' is, 'Be gracious to forgive.' Idrissa speaks; Raelii listens and she nods, accepting the greenrider's preference not to discuss such things. "Okay," she agrees cheerfully. Then of causing problems, she confesses with a tuck of her chin and a look down at that clipboard, "I don't either. Sometimes they happen anyway."
Mur'dah gives Garawan a smile, pleased that the emergency was sorted. Then he looks at Idrissa and smiles. "I'm sorry everyone has had to pick up my duties this past seven. I'll make it up to you guys, somehow. Next round of drinks or something. Or just doing more shifts as I can. And he misses her. He's gotten lazy this seven." Looking back at Raelii, he nods. "Makes sense that she would. It's a good assignment." Practical, thoughtful, effective. Then he flinches slightly. "No," he answers her, his voice a little flat. It's still too raw. "I..it's complicated, Raelii. Not something I want to talk about in public." And he clears his throat, pushing to his feet to go clear some plates from a few tables. He's still working after all, but he'll be back.
Raelii is busily writing while Mur'dah and Idrissa are talking. She does glance up to nod agreement about the assignment. It's making her think! After the fact, and a little tardily, but perhaps it will help her to pause and consider in the future. It's… possible? Her pen scratches, pauses when Garawan speaks, she ohs quietly and nods. "Okay," she says again, returning his smile - ain't she agreeable this afternoon? Her gaze travels to Idrissa, she smiles back aaaaaand there's the awkward silence following with Mur'dah's flat answer and departure. Raelii's big brown eyes follow her friend with undisguised concern as he moves through the caverns collecting dirty dishes. It is complicated indeed, Raelii likely has no idea to what extent, but is swiftly finding out that Weyrlife is much more complex than life in a trader's caravan is. There's quite a lot of not-for-public discussion… things hanging in the air at the moment. Into the puddle of awkward silence, she says to Garawan and Idrissa with chipper fortitude, "So I need more opinions. I'm going to look for a variety of them. Thanks for your help and it was nice meeting you." She closes the book, collects both it and her clipboard, rises then adds, "I'll probably see you sometimes in the runner barn, Idrissa." And then with a perky, "Seeya," to them both she skips out to finish her research. All is not totally carefree though, for she pauses at the entrance to peek back over her shoulder to where Mur'dah is, frowns worriedly before she then slips out.
Mur'dah pauses in gathering the dishes when he hears and then sees Raelii leave. With a deep frown the brownrider vanishes into the kitchens, but a few moments later he's striding out again, tossing his rag at a fellow drudge and nodding curtly to Garawan and Idrissa before he's following the trader girl out. Complicated, yes. Things are very complicated.
Idrissa glances to Raelii once more, there is a slight pause at the talk of being over at the runner barn. "Sure, I don't see why not. See you around then." This said with a frendly tone and slight wave after the one, no ones that are leaving it would seem. Her gaze settles on Mur'dah, pauses a touch before speaking up. "Mur'dah… If you ever need to talk you know where I can be found…" She calls out after the brownrider.