Xanadu-Caverns
A massive cavern in its own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as have walls hung with numerous tapestries that 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. The stone is carefully leveled 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 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. It's plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr, instead feeding people in shifts as they come off duty. On occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are borrowed from all the other areas.
There's also a big fireplace set into the western wall, 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, the largest an archway to the northeast that leads outside. Near it there's an alcove with hooks for coats and shelves for muddy boots. A tunnel to the east goes to the infirmary, and a set of stairs just a little south of that lead up to the offices and administration area. To the south, a long and sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs. The kitchen is off to the southwest, while the residents' quarters are reached by tunnels going west, deeper into the cliff.
With breakfast long over and lunch still a couple of hours, the caverns are only sparsely populated. Seated at a small table alone, Velorn leans close to the laptop before him, fingers moving quickly over the keys as he types. He's wearing an open vest made of dark cream colored leather and white linen pants, his arms and chest left bare by the lack of anything under the vest. Clio snores softly, the sound punctuated by the soft clacking of the keys while her… slave friend works, almost hidden under a curtain of blond hair left loose today. Idly, obviously lost in concentration, the tip of the computer craft candidate's tongue peeks from one corner of his mouth to toy with the piercing through that side of his lower lip.
Zachariah streeeeetches his arms over his head as he makes his way into the caverns. From his tousled hair the lad has evidently just woken up. Either someone has the day off or someone's ignoring his chores today. Either way he looks for something to fill his empty stomach and perhaps give him a jolt to help wake him up. He passes by the intently working Velorn and can't resist a poke to the laptop as if he's gonna close it. "You know leaning in that close to the screen will strain your eyes." he says matter of factly. "It's been proven."
Slowly, blue eyes shift from the screen up to the younger candidate at the slight movement of the machine. Velorn's expression is completely neutral for just a moment before he narrows his eyes just slightly and quirks one thick brow up, almost daring the teenager to do something to ruin hours of hard work. He does finally sit up, though, folding his arms across his chest— and being careful not to disturb the flying ball of hate draped across the back of his neck— as he smirks the faintest bit, "Yeah, but it keeps Clio happy." Because, and she would never admit it, the back of Vel's neck is apparently her favorite place to take a nap. One hand comes up to absently scritch under her chin, earning a grumbly sort of croon, "And I'd rather keep this little monster happy." He can always get spectacles when he, inevitably, needs them, "And spectacles are hot." Yep. That smirk just got bigger.
You say, “Leaning too close to a computer screen keeps the beast firelizard happy?" inquires Zach in a very puzzled voice. Running one hand through his too long hair which draws an unhappy mutter from the lad before also asking. "Is there any fresh klah made?" he pauses. "How are spectacles hot?”
Velorn snickers quietly, "Gives her a more secure place to sleep, anyway." He suddenly drops the smirk and scowls, though he can't hide the amused gleam in his eyes, "Hey! I'm the only one that can call her that." He's totally not serious. Call her the little she-wher she is! The scowl quickly vanishes and he nods over in the direction of the klah pots, "Pretty sure that's not more than an hour old." Beat, "Mind getting me some while you're at it?" Pretty please? He blinks, "How are-" His eyes widen, brows drawn together, and he frowns just a little, "They just are?" Almost carelessly, he reaches out to tap a few keys on the laptop before carefully closing it, "I mean, I could try to explain, but I think you'll understand when you're older." Not that Vel is that much older than Zach…
Zachariah shrugs just a little. "Just doesn't seem to me that they would be warm." as his starts to close it he blurts out. "Did you sav…." but then it's closed so it's too late to safe regardless. "Why does everyone say that?" grumbles the teen as he moves away towards the klah pitchers. Soon enough he returns with two mugs, one that gets placed before Velorn before he plops down into his seat. "She /is/ a bit of a beast you know." mug is lifted up and gestured towards the sleeping green before it goes to his lips.
"Yeah, I saved." Velorn's smile, this time, is weirdly fond. Aww… Zach… You do care! Wait… He snorts, one hand quickly flying up to cover his mouth as he tries to hold back a laugh, "Not that kind of hot." His hand moves away from his mouth to comb through his hair, ending with idly twirling the end of one lock through his fingers, "I mean attractive. It's sharding sexy, man!" He chuckles, shaking his head in amusement at the sheer innocence of the younger boy. When that mug is set in front of him, Vel immediately reaches for it, wrapping both hands around it and bringing it up for a sip. The sound that he makes is… well, it's probably not something that's really appropriate for polite company. Then there's another snort and he almost ends up with klah sprayed all over the laptop. The mug is quickly set down and he wipes at his mouth with the back of one hand, "Yeah, she kind of is." But she's his beast and he wouldn't change her for anything. Maybe… He probably wouldn't complain if she were a little nicer, anyway.
You say, “Then what kind of ho….oooh." as the explanation is given the other candidate flushes just a little. "Well I don't have to wear them but I would if I needed too." he pauses. "Do you think they'd make me… 'hot'?" to use Vel's term. "She is." he agrees. "She scares my blue. Who I decided to name Peony by the way. I was told there are blue flowers named that so I changed his name. He doesn't seem to mind.”
Velorn chuckles at the sudden understanding and shrugs the shoulder that midnight green tail is draped over, earning a quiet grumble before Clio settles again, "I don't think it'd hurt." There's a flirtatious wink, "You're cute already, you know." A quiet huff of laughter meets that news and his expression turns apologetic, "Sorry about that. She's better since I started giving her stuff to chew on." If this is 'better', it's probably for the best that poor Zacharaih and his blue didn't meet her when she was a hatchling! "She tried to take my finger off when I Impressed her. And does not like being hand fed!" He nods at the younger boy's firelizard's new name, "I like it. It's pretty."
Zachariah leans back in his chair, sipping his klah. "What were you working on?" he indicated the now closed laptop.
"Hmm?" Velorn blinks a couple of times and finally shrugs, "Oh. It's a program to make filling out reports more effecient." He smirks, lifting his own mug for another sip, "Apparently, there's a Galaxy rider that doesn't like paperwork." Not that he can really blame them! "I could probably convert it to automate just about any forms that need to be filled in, actually." His tail adorned shoulder lifts again, "It'll make someone's life easier, anyway." The mug is set back down, but he keeps his hands wrapped around it, "What'd you do before getting Searched, anyway?"
Zachariah considers that a moment. "I suppose less time filing out reports would be better." setting down his mug he stands with another spine popping twist of his back as he does so. "Before search I was just getting out on my own. Stuck around at Monaco when the rest of the caravan left and was just kinda doing odd jobs here and there."
Velorn nods, "Seems like." He'd sure do anything he could to get out of filling in tedious, repetitive paperwork! One brow quirks up at the popping and he hides another smirk behind his mug, eyes dancing in amusement. He nods at the last, "Seems like a good thing to do. Heard their resort is something to see…" That smirk of his is on full display as he lowers his mug again, "Probably plenty of eye candy out there." Yep. He just HAD to go there. Clio rouses just enough to nip his ear in repremand. Behave. "Hey!" He flails a little, finally really waking her up to a hiss as she claws her way out from under her blond blanket and vanishes to find somewhere quieter— and with less lecherous thoughts— to sleep, "Sharding prude…"
Zachariah has wandered away towards where any food might be set out. "I didn't see a whole lot of candy there. " he calls over. "But that resort was big and I only got in there a couple times." finding some fingerfoods set out he grabs a couple handfuls on a plate that he sets down between the two of you as he returns to his seat. Grabbing one he takes several large bites. Someone's hungry. "You come from here?" he asks around that mouthful of food. "Or somewhere else?"
Velorn practically chokes trying not to laugh, "I meant cute guys." Beat, "Or girls. Whatever." Vel is, apparently, determined to educate the younger candidate on the finer points of being a lecher, "You know." He sets his mug down, striking a pose as Zach returns with his finger foods, "Like me!" If there's one thing the computer crafter doesn't lack it's self-confidance! He chuckles in amusement at himself, shaking his head at the question, "Nah. First time I've been to Xanadu. I was living at Fort Weyr before Risali asked me to come back here with her. Grew up at Igen, though."
Zachariah's brows furrow a bit in thought. "Oh!" a pause. "Well I did see some cute girls but they never even looked twice at me." oh he is sooo innocent. As the pose is struck he tilts his head. He evidently doesn't think Velorn is cute but realizes it is not polite to say so. "Um, nice pose?" "Fort Weyr. The first weyr right?" he likes history. "I've always wanted to go to Fort Weyr but we never traveled that far."
Aww… Poor Zach. Ignored by the girls he found cute. Velorn reaches out to offer a comiserating pat to whatever part of the teenager's arm or shoulder he can reach, "You're young. They'll notice you when you grow a little more, I'm sure." The comment on his pose has him blinking a few times before he suddenly cackles, slapping the table in amusement. It takes him a moment to recover enough to speak again, wiping at tears of laughter, "Not into guys, huh?" Noted! That'll just make the poor kid even more fun to tease. He shrugs, grin fading into a grimace, "Yeah, I guess. It's just a little… backwards for me. Not much work, you know? And they already got a journeyman computer crafter, so…" So he was looking for an excuse to jump ship, anyway, "I mean, it's an alright place, but I don't think I'm gonna go back, even if there's not a dragon out there for me."
Zachariah snorts. "I just can't grow up overnight." frustration colors his tone but he shakes it off easy enough. Besides, it's hard to be frustrated when your table mate is cackling in laughter. An uneasy smile is cast as he tries to understand what is so amusing. Blushing furiously he stammers a bit. "Well um some of the lads in the caravan liked boys better but…" he stutters and stammers finally his words just stop in uncertainty. Oh weyr life is such a shock for him. Just wait until he understands green flights more! "Not everyone will find a dragon when they hatch I suppose…." he muses over that as he devours another 'roll. "You'll stay here then if you don't? I suppose I'd stay too. I'm sure I could find things to do here just as well."
"Maybe not, but you're still cute." So at least Zach has that going for him? Velorn chuckles, smirking, "Yeah, some of us do prefer boys." Girls. Ewwwww… "Fun to rile girls up, though." And just about anyone else, for that matter! "I just hope that it's not a green that decides she likes me." He makes a face at that, "I'm more blue or brown material, personally!" He nods, "Yeah. Probably." He shrugs, reaching over to grab something off the plate, "Probably. At least there's plenty of work to do here. Maybe go back to Landing. Heard that my old journeyman got posted there." He smirks, "Can't have him forgetting his favorite pain in the ass, right?" He stands, picking up the laptop and tucking it under one arm, "And on that note, I should probably get going." There's a wry chuckle, "This thing ain't gonna write itself!" The meatroll is stuck in his mouth and he picks up his empty mug to go return to be washed, offering a flippant two finger salute as he heads out.