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.
The fog that's descended upon Xanadu this afternoon is thick, washing out the spring day in a veil of greyed white. The fallen cloud causes things to be a bit cooler than usual. A comfortable coolness that doesn't impede on the usual going ons of the weyr. People still work and deliver and talk and toil. Most of ka-el's morning has been spent finishing up a project under the steady eye of Orik who kept watch as Kale worked the forge, practicing bending by creating pothooks for the kitchens, barking gruff, yet helpful corrections. Silently nodding praise. And now Kale is off to deliver those hooks, looking pretty dang proud of himself as he enters the caverns with his satchel in hand.
Many people are left working the afternoon away, or in Idrissa's case slaving away to some degree. She is just off sitting at a table, arms folded upon it while her head is tucked down within them. From the looks of it she is sleeping. Ripley is curled up upon her shoulder, hunkered down and eyeing anyone whom gets to close, his on guard duty it seems! Not like he hasn't gotten her into plenty of trouble already. The blue lizard is settled upon her shoulder where her beastcraft knot would normally be, but the white cord is gone, which someone may not even pick up on until actually near her. A bandaged is wrapped around her right hand as well, which is just peeking out from under her left arm.
All is fog! A person could get lost in this fog and not emerge for turns. Or, they could show up mere moments after someone else and not even realize they were following them until they get into the caverns. Soriana blinks at Kale (hey, look! That shadowy shape was Kale!) and heads up behind him to see if she can sneak in and get a surprise shoulder-tap.
These most assuredly will be the grandest pot hooks the kitchens have ever seen, yes siree! One would think Kale was lugging gold nuggets in that bag of his considering the prideful look on his face that only seems to strengthen once he take a step towards the kitchens. Oh yes, he's imaginging such praise and adoration for his creations. They'll be begging him to make more! But hey, he sees a familiar firelizard on a hunched over familiar shape. Did Idrissa fall asleep in the caverns again? Wouldn't be surprising. He smirks, but then *taptap!* "Huh?" He halts and turns with a brow quirk. Oh hey, it's a Sori! "Where'd you come from?" he laughs, brow arching. "Hey. Idrissa fell asleep here again. We should wake her."
Fell asleep is one thing, Idrissa is so utterly worn out she didn't even get to finsh eating her food, which has already been picked over by a certain firelizard. Ripley chirrups out, a half hiss even heard while he eyes Kale a few moments. "Stop it Ripley." Rissa grumbles out, her hand lifts and she rubs at her face with her bandaged up hand. She hasn't even figured out that Kale and Soriana is there. While this use to be a normal thing for Rissa to fall asleep in the caverns she actually hasn't done it for a few weeks.
"The fog of between," answers Sori with a grin. Close enough, anyhow. She glances over to where.. ah, there Idrissa is! "We should. Otherwise she'll sleep the day away." And that would just be sad! Because, uh… then she'd be asleep instead of awake, and sleep is boring. "Also, she'll sleep through dinner." Which she does far too often, not that Sori's been around to notice in detail lately, she's been busy with her own work. Soriana starts to sneak in that direction, then pauses as Idrissa moves. "Oh. She woke herself up." Awww. Now they don't get to wake her, but she can still say hello. She continues on in non-sneak mode, and says a cheerful, "Hey, Rissa!"
"Mysterious," smirks Kale to Soriana, eyes rolling briefly at her answer. But yes, let's wake the sleeping Idrissa! He agrees with that and turns to follow after the sneaking Soriana. But aww…Ripley woke her up! That troublesome blue. So much for sneaky. Smirking, he heads on over to her, nodding in greeting. "Hey.." he greets, zeroing in on that bandaged hand, which has his grin slipping a bit. "What happened? Runner nip you?" He sounds dubious. Those runners haven't ever bitten her before. More likely, the bandage is from some other stable related incident.
Voices, which isn't such a surprise seeing how the caverns is a rather busy place. Idrissa just wasn't expecting them to be so close to her for some reason. She peers up slightly to look at the two, a slight wave seen. "Hey." At the question to her hand she glances back to it before shrugging. "Naw, just a bad blister. It'll be alright I took care of it and all." She isn't exactly her normal happy self upon seen them it would seem. "You too been having fun?" Ripley shifts and hops down to the table, and is actually stalking the plate of foods before pouncing forward to snag a bit of wherry and goes about ripping into. Rissa just eyes the blue lizard a few moments and shakes her head. Though with the blue firelizard off her shoulder it is clearly missing her beastcrafters knot.
Soriana glances at that bandage, then nods to the explanation given. She slides herself into a chair, and shrugs. "Trying to catch up on the stuff I missed with the icestorm. Yesterday was the test, so.. I guess I'll find out how I did soon." Though, to judge from her frown, she doesn't expect to be terribly happy with the results. She sighs a little, then looks up again at Rissa. "So, yeah. How about you?"
Oh, a blister? Kale nods. Hmm, didn't they have a discussion on the best way to take care of a blister at some point in the past? Maybe… He takes a seat as well, setting his bag of pothooks down on the floor for the time being. The kitchens can wait in anticipation for these glorious things a while longer! "Did you bust it?" he asks of Idrissa, getting a feeling of deja vu. They have had this conversation before. The mentioning of Soriana's test and her lackluster commentary of it has him brow arching. "Don't you always do well on those?" He sounds unworried. "I have been having fun," he says with a smug look as he reaches down for his bag, reaching in to pull out one of his hooks. But before he can show it off, he eyes Idrissa. "What's wrong, huh?" Something looks different about her. "What happened to your knot? Is it getting cleaned?"
Idrissa ahs as she hears Soriana and nod seen before she is back to letting her chin rest upon her arms which fold back against the table. "I bet you did fine Soriana. Just wait and see." As for herself? There is a slight pause at the thought. "I'm ok." Someone isn't in a very talkative mood it seems, especially when it happens to deal with herself. "Ya I dealt with the first one. I'll deal with another one later." Blisters hurt don't you know? Only one can be busted at a time, there is a rule somewhere that says that. She glances over to Kale to look at the hook? Maybe they can just pretend she is half asleep and not question her? "Me? Nothing's wrong. Just tired" At the question on her knot she seems to pale slightly and glances to her shoulder a moment. "It's around. Ripley was chewing on it and all." If only she could actually lie well, if she did then she might have pulled it off. Though seeing how she is speaking with Kale and Soriana they just might be able to figure out something is not ok in Rissa World. It is not a happyfuntime place to be at the moment.
"Yeah, well," says Soriana's to Kale's comment on her test. Usually she doesn't miss half the classes leading up to a test! It somehow has an effect. Still, worrying over it now won't help anything, and her gaze goes to Idrissa's shoulder as well. Hurm. It is rather empty, isn't it? She tilts her head, looking at Idrissa with a bit of a frown, then glancing to Ripley. "Shouldn't cover it in gravy, then…" she says of the other girl's excuse, and reaches out to nudge the blue lightly with a fingertip for scritches. "You look like you need a day off, anyhow."
It's around? Well .. that's new. They're usually around a shoulder, not randomly off somewhere doing its own thing! Kale gives Idrissa a quizzical look, a brow faintly arching. "Uh-huh," he says sounding unconvinced, but…well, he doesn't put it past Ripley to chew things up. Just look at him! Eating people's food. Stealing. The little blue thief. "Well, y'shouldn't be without it for long. If beastcraft's journeymen are anything like smith's, it'll be the end of days if any apprentice is seen unknotted." He smirks a bit, still giving her a look of question even as he holds up his crafted hook to behold. "Look what I made," he says, sitting up a bit straighter. "Got a dozen done in less than an hour." Granted, a journeyman could likely do twice as much than that, but that doesn't stop him from gloating! This should cheer everyone up, right?
Idrissa shakes her head slightly. "I don't think I'll have to worry about getting in trouble over not having a knot." She'd be in more trouble for having it on at this point. "I'll find it later, maybe." If she is lucky to get it back at this rate. Her gaze lingers on what Kale has made it seems, a soft ah escaping her. "Looks good. I bet your be making other stuff in no time I bet." Ripley continues to munch on the food left over on Rissa's plate. At the bit from Soriana she ponders a moment before letting her eyes close. "I'll get a day off at some point I suppose." So much for explain what is going on. The three are sitting off at a table, talking it would seem.
Out of the Store Rooms comes Datsun, whose face has been sighted as of late around Xanadu. The Journeyman Woodcrafter's still the same as ever, nothing has changed about his appearance except for the rectangular leather pieces slung over one shoulder. These obviously were taken from the Stores, his boot making soft falls as he walks along the wall towards the beverage table. A tankard of mead is chosen then the Woodcrafter turns his course on a meandering wander through the tables' midst.
And Soriana glances back to Idrissa again, with another hmm. Something's weird here, though she can't quite put her finger on it. She pets Ripley for a bit as she listens, then looks to Kale and his hook! "Nice," she says. It's definitely… made of metal. Also, metallic! Just the thing for a foggy day at Xanadu? Okay, maybe not, but it definitely shows skill and progress at a craft.
Kale eyes the two of them with an exasperated look. Obviously, neither one of them sees the gravity of this accomplishment. Allow him to explain! "This hook.. these hooks," he gestures to his satchel, "are the first steps of my independence in the forge. My first step towards leaving behind the name Apprentice Crestwood and claimin' a new. Senior Apprentice Crestwood." Awe! He pauses to let that sink in, basking in his own glory. Blue eyes shift to the withdrawn Idrissa. "You've been apprenticing longer than Sori. You understand, don't you? This single knot of mine may just get a little fancier in some months." Maybe by a single thread, but hey, it's something to work towards!
Yes there is something well, weird that is one way to say what is going on with Idrissa. A soft ah escapes her and she seems to pale a bit more while she nods once Kale goes on talking being a senior apprentice at some point soon. "I'm glad for you. You deserve it." Ripley is content to lean into the pettings, a faint churrr escaping him. See? He can be a good friendly firelizard!
Spotting three of his friends, Datsun maneveurs around a table to reach theirs. "Greetings, all." Pulling out a chair to flip it around, settling into the backwards chair with a sip of his mead. "I see you're up to something, like usual, Kale." He comments as he unshoulders the leathers, placing them on the table by his tankard of mead.
"Oh, you mean you did them, like… yourself yourself?" says Soriana to Kale, and grins. As opposed to the sort of doing them where actually he didn't do them he just helped. These are important distinctions to make! "Though, you're not really leaving the name Apprentice behind, are you? Not yet. Just… claiming a new one to go with it. You'd still be an apprentice. Not like that's going to change anytime soon!" She grins, and glances to Idrissa to include her in the jest. Apprentices all together, right? Grade one is close enough to an apprentice it still counts for purposes of this attempt at humor. …this… attempt that… Idrissa does not seem to be appreciating. Hurm. But, she's distracted by Datsun's arrival, and so she waves to him. "Heya! How goes?"
"Yes like, myself myself," remarks Kale who sets the hook down on the tabletop. Precious, precious pothook! "And so I was expecting more cheer and pomp and celebration from the two've you, but I suppose I can forgive you this time. What with you thinkin' of your test and you," a gesture to Idrissa, though he's not quite sure what's bugging her, and so the phrase goes unfinished. "Something's off with you. You're sure you're alright?" he asks again before his eyes shift to the arrival of Datsun. Long time no see. "I'm sure you wouldn't know what's usual of me, as usually I don't see you," he replies. "At least, for a while I haven't. Hello Datsun."
Idrissa doesn't catch sight of Datsun entering the Caverns, though with the others greeting him she nods to him as well. "Hey Datsun." Rissa looks rather worn out, as if she had been working out non-stop, or perhaps jut mucking out most of the stalls in the stables will do that to a person. At the question from Kale and the look from Soriana she wiggles a bi seeming a bit uneasy for a few moments. "I'm fine, really." She really needs to get better at lying if she plans on doing it all week.
"What have you made there?" asks Datsun to Kale, looking curiously at the hook before nodding his head in answer to Kale's words, "Aye, and you're not the only one who hasn't. I'm sorry about that. I already explained where I've been to the ladies here. I was at the Beastcraft Hall doing work for them in a trade for a Gryphhawk. Then I had to put in the time to train and raise it." Glancing at each one of them, "So how are you guys?"
"Those tests being what will put me to grade two. Well, those and the rest of them. There's the cumulative test too…" Soriana trails off, because 1) her friends likely do not care about the details of dragonhealer study and 2) she doesn't particularly want to think about all those tests right now. She tries to enthuse for Kale's achievement, but Idrissa is just plain sucking the enthuse out of the room with her Being Totally Fine. Time for another dubious look, and this one lingers as Kale and Datsun talk. When the question comes to her, she shrugs. "Me, I'm pretty good." She gives Idrissa a look. Go on. Tell us again how you're 'fine'.
Someone else comes into the caverns, a brown-haired teenager with the knot of a weyrling. Round about Xanadu right now, that limits it to two people, and this time, it's J'o. He glances around, and his gaze settles on Idrissa. Oh, and a bunch of other people, but Idrissa is the one his gaze mostly settles on. He hesitates a moment, then heads over toward her, his hands shoved into his pockets and his expression rather… concerned. "Hey," he says, ignoring the rest of them. "Did it turn out okay?"
"Pothooks," answers Kale slightly shifting the created item toward Datsun for him to see, if he wishes. "A what? Gryphhawk?" He pauses, going through his repertoire of animals wild and mundane to see if he in fact can picture this. He's not an animal guy. He's a metal guy. "So .. you have one?" he assumes, also assuming that gryphhawks are not like firelizards who are allowed in most places as he sees no sort of hawk present. To Idrissa, he … eyes. Yes, there's a lot of Idrissa watching going on, as she seems to be convincing no one here of how fine she's claiming to be. "You know we're going to keep asking you til you spill it. Did something happen to Red Feathers?" Wait .. is the runner's name Red Feathers? Two Feathers? Some sort of feathers.. He'll go with 'red' and hope it's right. His attention shifts to the arrival of an unknown face with the weyrling's knot, and he quirks a brow at the question. "Did what turn out okay?"
"How many grades are there?" is asked of Soriana from Datsun, "I still don't envy your Craft's terms." A small shake of his head at the weird names for bones the Dragonhealers have, "Pothooks?" The creation is taken as it's shifted to him, looking it over, "Did I catch your words right, that this will make you a Senior Apprentice? Yeah, I got a Gryphhawk. His name's Ash, hunts pretty well. I'm trying to get him to hunt over water too. You can come with Soriana and 'Rissa when everyone's free to see him…" Then the stranger makes his appearance and has Datsun raising an eyebrow, looking up at the weyrling then Idrissa and back. Others have already asked his question for him.
"Five," Soriana says in answer to Datsun. "Three's when you get certified. It's sort of like being journeyman." Only, not, because dragonhealers just have to be different. She, at least, recognizes J'o. Weyrling dragons end up in the infirmary more often than most, and besides, she's had homework assignments that involve watching them. So, she gives the weyrling a wave, then arches a brow at his question. Time to look at Idrissa again, this time, with a raised brow. Well?
J'o nods slightly to Sori's greeting, but that's it. He glances to Kale at the question, then back again to Idrissa, waiting for her answer instead of, say, answering Kale and his request for clarification. Under the weight of all those looks, Idrissa mumbles something incomprehensible. She looks down, then stands up abruptly and picks up Ripley to hug him close. "…bed," is part of the second, only mostly incomprehensible mumble, and she walks out of the caverns. J'o's frown increases, and he turns to follow her out without another word, just shoving his hands deeper into his pockets and hunching his shoulders a little.
Kale lightly shakes his head to Datsun. "No not by itself they won't," he answers, if not slightly distractedly now as his eyes keep roaming to Idrissa and J'o. Ash the gryphhawk is being seen by Soriana and Idrissa, is it? "Thanks for the invite," he muses, though his eyes have ceased roaming back to him and steadily stay upon Idrissa and the weyrling, brows furrowing as Idrissa makes her leave. "Hey.." he begins, but to no avail. There she goes, to bed. And .. woah, hold on a second. Where does that weyrling think he's going? "Hey," said in a different tone now, a frown etching over his face. "She said she's going to bed. You're not followin' her to bed," he says, rising from his seat, ready to follow him to set that record straight. But .. ah, the hooks and the cooks that he must deliver them to! That assignment keeps him at bay, but it doesn't stop him from staring a steely eyed look after the two departed.
Datsun watches the odd exchange between the weyrling and Idrissa, tilting his head slightly and eyes follow the girl as she quickly gets up and leaves with J'o in her wake. After a moment or two's consideration, he returns his attention to the remaining other two. "Judging from your expressions, I'd say you're as clueless as I am as to what's going on with those two." A drink of his mead is taken before moving on to another subject, "So Class Three is Journeyman. Sounds like Four is Senior Journeyman and Five is a Master, One is Apprentice, Two is Senior Apprentice, am I right?" To Kale, "Sure…" Then his actions towards J'o has him watching, not about to interfere in something that he's not involved in. Attempting to distract Kale from the two that left, "So I'm guessing you have a plan to get yourself to Senior Apprentice?"
And… uh… Soriana leans in close, but she still can't make out what's being said. Other than that Idrissa's headed off to bed, apparently. She blinks a little, watching her (them?) go. "Uh," she says to Kale. "I don't think he is…" Though J'o is definitely following Rissa, so Sori frowns in thought. "He probably just… has to go do something. Something else." Right? "He seemed like he was in a hurry." She glances over to Datsun. "I have no idea what's up with Rissa," she says, and glances to Kale with a raised eyebrow again. He didn't… do something… did he? "Or J'o, either. Or… them." Them? Weeeeird. She shakes her head a little, and tries to take that change of topic the woodcrafter offers. "Sort of, yeah. Just don't let the seniors hear you call 'em Journeymen or Masters." She grins ever so slightly, then glances to Kale. "Yeah, how're you gonna convince Orik it's time?"
Lucky Kale doesn't see that questioning (accusatory!) look from Sori. He didn't do anything this time. Did he? … Well .. there was that one disagreement that happened, but that was resolved! Wasn't it? He thought so at least, but maybe not? Besides, that weyrling sure did seem to know a lot more about what was bugging Idrissa than he did and that does not sit particularly well with Kale, who brings himself back to the present in time enough to hear the tail end of their questions to him. He glances to the both of them, his former mirth over his hooks largely gone from his expression. "Huh? Oh … uh, I don't know. With Orik, you don't get a plan. You follow the plan he's made for you, and you never really know what that plan is til you're already halfway in it." He takes back his hook fingering it.
Datsun doesn't comment on the unspoken going-ons around him, choosing to remain ignorant. Giving Soriana a one-sided grin, "Why not? It seems you Dragonhealers like to make things complicated, even what level you are. What would they do if they overheard me, anyway?" He's half teasing but he's also curious as to what would happen. "So those pothooks were Orik's idea for you to make? Just a thought, perhaps you could come up with something on your own and it'll impress your Master enough to upgrade you. Though it sounds like you can't do much except what his plan is."
Soriana raises a finger to Datsun. "…point," she says. "But, any lectures you get are your own responsibility, and if you tell them I told you anything of the sort, I shall find ways to make your life interesting in unpleasant ways." As for those accusations to Kale, well, she wasn't accusing! Quite. It's just, well, the last few times Idrissa's been upset over something, Kale and his actions showed up in the chain of what went wrong. Not that she'd call it his fault, exactly, he just… might be involved. Unintentionally. She doesn't dwell on it, though, just nods to his reply about Orik. "Well, good luck, anyway." She glances down to the hook in his hand, looking at it consideringly. "It's probably a good sign that he let you do those yourself," she offers. "Did he hover? D'ren hovers. C'per not as much, but he's hard to read anyway. So maybe I just can't tell if he's hovering."
"I asked to make them myself. I've practiced bending a trillion times. The only difficult part of this was the aesthetic. The decor part." Not that hooks are made to be glamorous, especially those in the kitchens. But certain hooks have certain looks and it's part of a smither's job to get it right! "Orik always hovers. I don't think it's in his nature not to. But he didn't have too much to say." A good thng, Kale knows, and that at least gets a bit of a self confident smirk from him. Datsun's idea is awknowledged with a nod before he rises again, shouldering those bags of hooks and pocketing the one that he's been holding. "We'll see. One way or another, I'll be a senior. Starting with making deliveries on time." Like these hooks for example.
"I would not squeal anybody's name for something like that." answers Datsun to Soriana, "As for lectures, I can always walk away from them. They're not of my Craft." A smile as hovering is mentioning, "Hovering has its pros and cons. It's fun to see how Apprentices perform under pressure, but at the same time, they drive you crazy if they do it wrong. But if you do it too much, the Apprentices feel as if you're holding their hand, so to speak." A shrug, speaking from his own experiences from training Apprentices as a Journeyman. As for Kale and Idrissa, the Journeyman is clueless about anything and blissfully so, it seems. A nod of agreement goes with Kale's words about Orik not having much to say. "Good idea. See you around, Kale. I won't be so much of a stranger anymore."
Soriana nods approvingly to Datsun's non-squealing practices, then hehs. "There is that. Also, you're a journeyman." Apprentices (or grade ones!) of any craft are required to have a certain amount of respectfulness in general. She gives that hook another glance before Kale tucks it away, then grins. Nothing to say is definitely good. Datsun's perspective on hovering makes her head tilt with interest, and she huhs. "With healing, they never really let us get into wrong. Not when there's a real patient there." Still interesting, though. She cogitates on it a bit, then looks up and nods to Kale. "Yeah, don't let us keep you," she says, and gives a wave.
Hovering. Kale has gotten used to it. Does he mind it? Hard to tell. Whether he does or not likely will make no difference to the journeymen of his craft. A mistake in the forge can cost dearly! Datsun's parting words are met with a vague nod. "Thanks for the warning," he replies with a half smir before waving to Soriana as well. And he's off to deliver those hooks he was (and still is) so proud of! Idrissa's secretive sour mood won't spoil good one of his triumph. J'o? Well, that's another story.
It's Datsun's turn to raise a finger in Soriana's direction, "Point." After a moment's consideration to her words, "No, I'd imagine not. A mistake made by an Apprentice most probably would cause further injury to the one receiving the Healing. No matter how much a Woodcrafter might covet wood, in the end, it's just wood. You chose a tough Craft to get into." Kale gets a salute and a curious gaze at his departing back.
So, with a point conceded to her, that puts the total score between Soriana and Datsun at… something. She nods her agreement. "Yeah. So they keep a close eye on things. About the only thing I can do unsupervised is put numbweed on things." She smirks slightly, because seriously, an untrained child of ten turns can put numbweed on things, then adds, "…and that, only if the injury's already been checked over." She hehs, shaking her head a little, then shrugs. "I suppose it's hard, but I'm glad to be doing it. It's nice to feel like I'm doing some good. Or at least putting numbweed on something bad."
"Wouldn't too much numbweed be a bad thing, though? It could render a person numb for sevendays…" answers Datsun with a weak argument, grinning. "You are. So that's the answer. Perhaps that's what they need." A thumb is jerked in the two separate directions that Kale and Idrissa and J'o took. "Toss some numbweed on 'em. Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Well, raw numbweed can blister. Or if you have the extract, you can have too much of that. Once it's made into the salve, though, you can't actually slather on too much of it. About the only way it can be a bad thing is if the numb means they smack the injury against something without realizing, or like… their foot falls asleep and they fall down." Soriana grins a bit after giving serious answer, then hehs and shakes her head as she looks in those two directions. "Maybe. I really don't know what is going on there. I only sort of know J'o, but he seems like a nice guy, and Rissa… she was doing fine, last I saw her. I mean, she was burying herself in her work, but that's normal for her."
Datsun nods, "Yeah, I gathered that much when I first started traveling." He chuckles at a memory of raw numbweed before returning to the other subject. "Yeah, you two seemed fine when I saw you last. 'Rissa's usually quiet, so it's a bit difficult to tell when something's wrong with her sometimes, though." Again, a glance is sent after the direction Kale took. "When I left, it seemed like 'Rissa and Kale weren't anything but if I'm to judge anything, Kale still has feelings for her." His eyes shift over to Soriana, watching her.
Soriana nods her agreement to Rissa's quiet, then glances back to Datsun with a surprised expression at the other part. "Huh? Kale and Rissa are together, still. They have been this whole time." She frowns. "What do you mean, it didn't seem like they were anything? Of course Kale's got feelings for her."
Datsun tilts his head at Soriana, "It was a long time ago, but I seem to recall Idrissa telling me that she had nobody. Something about Kale doing something with someone else…" A finger comes up, tapping his chin as he attempts to recall, "I think it was during Candidacy… when those two clutches were on the Sands."
Ahhhh. A look of comprehension dawns across Soriana's face, and it's an uncomfortable sort of look. She looks down to the table for a moment. "Yeah. Uh… that'd be me," she says, and looks up again with a sort of shrug. "We worked things out. We're both of us dating Kale now." Though, there's still some of that uncomfortable look, like she's thinking things over and she's not entirely sure she likes some of the conclusions she's drawing.
"Or was it just after? I can't remember. Ah, well, it was a long time ago." Datsun shrugs, giving up on the past, returning to the present until Soriana admits her part. That causes him to blink, raising both eyebrows at her. "/Both/ of you? How does that even work?" A shake of his head, "Just when I think I've heard everything Weyrfolk do, they manage to surprise me." Now Soriana gets an examining look, his thoughts quiet. "I feel like I'm putting my nose where it shouldn't be."
Soriana shrugs again at Datsun's surprise. "It's not so weird. Ers'lan has more than one weyrmate." Her tone is only somewhat defensive. "It's just… dating. Only, some with me, and some with her. We both know about it, it's not cheating or… anything." There's another moment of frown there. "And we're all still friends." Maybe a little more of that defensive showing? Maybe. After another moment, she sighs. "It's not like it's secret. If you'd been around the Weyr, you'd have likely heard already. Everyone else seems to have… at least…"
"He's a Rider." is Datsun's answer of simplicity, "It's expected of them, as stereotypical that might sound, coming from a Holder like me." His hazel eyes continues to watch her, that defensive tone caught by him. His voice is gentle when he next speaks, "I'm not going to say anything about it except this: I think someone will end up hurt eventually. Three people can't love equally." A shrug at her comment about him, "Aye, I probably would have. Except I don't put much stock in rumors unless it's coming from the person that's involved themselves. It's safer that way." Then a smile is offered to Soriana, "In any case, if you need someone to talk to that's not Idrissa or Kale, I'd be willing to listen. That is, if you'd have my ears."
"And I'm a rider's daughter," says Soriana with a little toss of her head. "…and yeah, that does kind of sound bad, but… it's not completely untrue." She shrugs slightly, letting the stereotype by for reasons of accuracy, then sighs at the rest of what he says. She's quiet for a moment. "Doesn't have to be equal, if everyone's happy," she says, but she says it with a bit of a frown, a bit of uncertainty. What if they're not happy? She sighs again, and then her mouth quirks in a half-smile at his offer. "So long as your Holder ears won't catch fire just hearing about it…"
Datsun cants his head to her at her point, "Here's why I think Riders can do it. From what I gather, usually their relationships are in different locations so they don't see what's going on with the other. A Rider can go from Weyr to another Weyr. That's why it works, there's not as much jealousy if they don't see anything. I'd imagine if they saw what the others did, they'd be unhappy." And this particular love triangle is in the same Weyr. A chuckle and smile at her teasing, "It's a Weyr. My ears have been caught on fire more than once. And I'm not so innocent myself, as I've discovered." There's a glint of mischief in his eye and smile as he says it.
"Lan's got three here at Xanadu," notes Soriana, but it's not as contentious-sounding anymore. "They've got a whole swarm of kids." She shudders slightly, thinking about that, then returns to the other, more personal set of issues. "I don't see why it couldn't work, anyway. A rider's already balancing two relationships, one to their dragon and one to whoever else they're with. People can work things out." She frowns, with a briefly downcast look like she's trying to argue with herself into the bargain, and then she blinks at Datsun. Not so innocent? She grins "Got up to more than a gryphhawk, did you?"
Datsun blinks then smiles at her words, "He's probably got a schedule set up with them, I'm guessing. I wouldn't go as far as to guess what a Rider does with their time." A shrug, "And you know better than to compare a dragon's relationship with his or her Rider to one with people. For one thing, the dragon has /half/ of the Rider's heart. Almost literally. They'll die if there's no Rider. A person, on the other hand, lives even if the person they're in a relationship with dies. Two completely different relationships. As for yours, I've already said my piece. I'm not going to criticize you or anyone else about it because all three of you are still my friends. Or I hope. So I'm not going to take sides if something does happen." A smirk appears at her question, "Not at the Beastcraft. Before I left."
"I'm not saying it's the same," says Soriana of dragons and riders. "I'm just saying… there's a lot of things possible, and that just goes to show it." Somehow. Maybe. Sort of. As he goes on to talk specifics again instead of these vague generalities, she nods. "You have. And you are still my friend." She smiles to him, then actually grins for a moment. "Well. Good for you!" she says of his Adventures in Non-Innocence, and pries no further. Instead, she goes back to her own thoughts, and they make the smile turn into a sigh. "If something does happen… I think Idrissa'll be the one who needs that friend the most."
Datsun doesn't comment on her vagueness, smiling softly instead. "If I take sides, I'll lose friends. However, if I don't, I might still lose someone. It's best for me to not get involved too much if I want to keep each of you as my friends if something does happen." A chuckle is his answer to her congratulations, "Thanks." His eyebrow raises at her last, "I know. I was the one she talked to last time. I had my own heart troubles at the time as well, so we traded. Though it looks like she might have someone else to talk to." The Weyrling. "Just a question. What makes you think you'll be the one who won't need a friend?"
Soriana glances toward the entrance of the caverns again, or, more to the point, the exit of it. Where Idrissa exited… followed by J'o. Yeah, that's definitely the exit so far as tonight's thoughts are concerned. "If she does… good. She could use more friends." She's quiet for a moment at the question, but after thinking it over, she sighs. "Because… she's always the one who seems to be hurt," she says, then looks up at Datsun as she continues. "Because I don't mind when Kale's with her, but I think she minds when I'm with Kale."
Datsun glances at where Soriana looks then back at her, quiet as he waits for her answer. Nodding in agreement, "She always can, yes." At her response, that brings a smile to the Journeyman Woodcrafter's face, raising a free hand and placing it on her shoulder. "I think you just found the answer to the questions you were thinking about earlier. Here's another question for you to answer on your own. I don't want the answer. Just think about it. Is it worth losing your friendship with Idrissa for Kale? Like I said, three people can't love equally." Soriana's shoulder is squeezed and released as he rises from his chair, tucking it back under the table. His tankard of mead done, the strips of leather are picked up and shouldered. "If you need someone to listen anytime, I'll be at the Woodshop. Just ask for me. I know a nice little place where nobody will bother us."
Soriana smiles slightly at the touch to her shoulder, then raises an eyebrow. Answers? But all she's found was more questions. Well, and perhaps an uncomfortable truth or three, but… those will likely take more time to work through. "Maybe," is what she says out loud, and then she gives a thoughtful frown. "I wouldn't give you that answer. It's not for you. But… I will think about it." She pauses a moment, then adds, "Thanks. I don't know if I agree with you, but… I'm glad we talked about this. It's given me a lot to think about." She smiles, a slightly crooked expression, at the offer of a listening pair of ears. "I'll keep it in mind. And… we should do something fun, sometime, too."
Datsun nods his complete agreement with her response, "Couldn't agree with you more. It's not for me. When you think, just be honest with yourself. I've always found that to be the best policy with myself." A chuckle, "Sometimes you need someone to say it for you or just listen to you say it out loud. That's why I offered." A wink and a jaunty two-fingered salute is given to her, "Me too, I feel closer to you now. It's a good feeling." That brings a genuine smile, "I'm always up for something fun. Take care of yourself." Then he turns, taking the exit towards the Clearing, soft bootfalls fading in the distance.