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 colour 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 colours of undyed wool.
Exits lead off in all directions, a big archway the largest and that leading outside. Shallow stairs to the west lead to the offices and administration area while tunnels to the east lead to the infirmary, kitchen and resident's quarters. Southwards, a sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs and southwest is a wide tunnel, carefully roped off to avoid accidents.
Niva strides into the caverns, glancing over her shoulder as she does so, muttering something all the while, before rubbing her forehead gently with a sigh. Crossing the other arm over her stomach, she peers around the caverns, turning to glare outside and mutter something else undecipherable as she does so, before crossing to the table to get a mug of klah, dumping far more sugar in it then necessary, picking her hair as she stares.
C'ian is quietly working on things at one of the tables in the living cavern. Uncharacteristically, he is drinking a mug of klah, and his eyes betray that the Weyrleader hasn't been sleeping well lately. He looks up at the entrance of Niva with a smile. But, seeing her mood shift some, he decides it be better to just look back at his work for now.
Evy is working on things as well, applying her usual dogged determination to her work. Piles of paper are shuffled about furiously in no particular order, while the Headwoman curses under her breath. C'ian's presence has been noted, but Niva's entrance is entirely unseen.
T'ea strolls from the springs, damp, more wet, but damp…wearing, well, pants! Its amazing! Really it is. Ahem…joining the crowds, he strolls over to find himself some juice and then wanders over to lean against a wall and watch.
Disturbing the relative calm is the Weyrlingmaster, face red, splotchy, and ugly as she stalks in not long after Niva and T'ea. Behind her she drags a young man about seventeen, with a bronze weyrling knot on his shoulder. He seems utterly bewildered, playing innocent. In the meantime, Rilla growls when she sees C'ian, and is off to the Weyrleader, awkwardly pulling along the weyrling C'ar.
Niva clutches her mug of klah tightly, gaze peering over the rim as she takes another long sip before turning to add yet another scoop of sweetening. Gaze rests first on T'ea at his entrance, then on Evy, and then back on C'ian before she starts to cross the room, pausing behind the Weyrleader, both hands still clutching the mug of klah in both hands. "Bit busy?" At Kirilla's entrance, she turns, arching an eyebrow at the scene, frown appearing on her face. "What is it /now/?"
L'brei, the magical NPC, wanders in running a hand awkwardly through his hair. He's relatively young, and fidgets awkwardly with his clothing and hair. Being in public really isn't his thing.
C'ian looks up from his work with a smile to his mate. "Just finishing things up." He blinks a couple of times before taking another giant sip of klah. "Just have to get them done before the next few days."
T'ea is going to sit, and grin, and sip that juice as he watches, eyes peering out over the people he knows, and the people he dosen't know. Wowie!
Kirilla doesn't yell. Noooo no she doesn't yell. She's too furious to yell and tirade. She pushes C'ar in front of her, at C'ian and Niva and says in clipped tones. "/You/ deal with him. I'm not dealing with this *insertnastyword* anymore." C'ar meantime just blinks and moves by C'ian, hoping for an allie - the bronze weyrling is, after all, a Lord's son. "Honestly I don't understand her problem, Weyrleader. She just doesn't understand us."
Evy winces as the noise level in the caverns rises. With a sharp hiss, she shuts her eyes and puts her fingers on her temples. She's calm, really. "Could they -be- any louder?" It's not a question she truly wants the answer to. Kirilla's entrance is eyed, and she calls out, "Shardit all, Kirilla, can't you get along with them long enough for me to get a shard's worth of work done?"
Niva nearly missed C'ian's response, instead just nodding absently to him, although his mug of klah does get him a second look. And then her attention is right back on Kirilla and C'ar. "What, you can't deal with a Weyrling all of a sudden? Isn't that your job, Weyrlingmaster?" She draws out the title before pinning her gaze on C'ar, eyeing the knot and glaring. "What /are/ you doing? We can't have a moment's peace because of 'brats like you." And she turns back to Kirilla. "Still don't see why this is anyone's problem but yours. After the eggs hatch, they're all yours." Not her problem.
Kysli is wandering in, looking decidedly out of it or distracted. Either one, it really doesn't matter. So now what? She'll head straight for the klah, has she been forming a habit with that drink? Probably. Staying up too late working on hidework. And before you ask /not/ with J'ey.
T'ea just watches the scene unfold around him, his lips touching the cup his juice is in before the lad takes another sip. His curls of red get a hand run through them and he smiles, just listening to the young Weyrlady and the Weyrlingmaster…staying back over here fo course.
C'ian just winces, watching his mate go. He shakes his head, going back to his work. "Cut him a little slack, dear."
Kirilla makes a gutteral noise in her throat and ignores Evy, continuing to speak, attempting to remain calm and barely managing. "He and his lifemate have been shirking chores and disturbing the other weyrlings since the hatching. The others are taking his example - of course they would, he's a bronzer. He will not defer to authority." She says all this the same time Niva is speaking, then glares at Niva. "Jezzara's bunches were never trouble like this. Neither were any others. You go up again, I quit."
C'ar blinks at Niva. "I'm just acting my place, is all. Don't see how that's a big problem… don't see why she's Weyrlingmaster in the first place, she's just a greenrider. Won't let us do anything fun."
Evy narrows her gaze. Snatching up a few papers, she stalks over to the gathering group. "Could this discussion occur in an area that -isn't- quite so public?" So she can get a -bit- of work done. She shoots an imploring look in C'ian's direction. "C'ian is trying to get work done as well. Don't you think you," she's focused on Kirilla, "could respect that?"
Niva glances back down at C'ian, jaw dropping slightly as she looks first at C'ian, and then at Kirilla. "Wait just a-" And whatever she was about to say is cut off as her gaze is turned to stare at C'ar. "Just a greenrider? She's weyrlingmaster because she was good at keeping weyrlings in their place. Although," And Niva's gaze turns back to Kirilla. "She seems to have lost her touch if you're a sign of how the classes are turning. And her senses too, if she thinks such an idle threat will keep Kilaueth from going up." At Evy's approach, she lifts her chin some, fingers clenching her klah mug tightly. "You /do/ have an office you know… You could work there." No one's spared, it seems.
Kysli raises an eyebrow, finally overhearing this. And happily… she's only a wingleader, not involved at all. Good thing, that. Grabbing the klah she goes to sit down a nice distance away from that group. Yipes.
C'ian shrugs. "I could.." He picks up his stuff and glares at Niva. "If that's so what you want me to do, then fine.. I can leave you and your things in your wake." He shakes his head and looks sympathetic to everyone else. He is sorry that they're all getting this.
"It'll happen here because /they/ are here, Headwoman," Kirilla mutters, then releases a long-suffering sigh. "Perhaps we ought to take this to an office." She eyes C'ar and moves closer to Niva, speaking a little quieter now. "My assistants are capable of finishing this clutch and the next. I'm not working with them anymore. They're ready to pull off a revolt or whatever it is he's got them planning. Even Pheriannath doesn't want to work with them anymore. She started refusing to fly with them in exercises this week - you know she's one of the calmest, most patient dragons nearby. But I can't work with them anymore. I have to request transfer for immediately. Back to the Harper Hall."
Evy snorts, giving up on ladylike manners for the moment. "I will work whever I want, Niva. It is not convenient for myself or C'ian to relocate right now." Her attention shifts quickly as Kirilla mentions a transfer. Despite her slight dislike for the woman, it's distracting. "Harper Hall?" She fingers her Headwoman's knot, thinking of the journeywoman's knot in her office.
Niva reaches out in an attempt to stop C'ian as he starts to move, hand actually letting go of the klah mug to attempt to grab something to hold on to. "Wasn't talking to you.." And she turns back to stare at Kirilla, sighing softly before shaking her head. "Fine… Take your transfer and go to Harper Hall. Maybe your assistants will be able to do a better job of it then you have." Gaze drifting to Evy, she just stares and gahs. "Fine, then /I'll/ leave." Finishing the overly sweet mug of klah, she stalks away from the group, glancing over her shoulder with a glare as she does so.
Kilaueth> Clearing(#9292RJs)
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the everpresent watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
The cliff face to the south, the massive tunnel and a huge section to the west of the tunnel looks raw to the point of being an unweathered scar and huge piles of fresh rock heaped at the bottom suggests a recent collapse of some section. Ropes can be seen, deterring people with no reason to be there from exploring the tunnel or wandering amongst the rock that is gradually being moved away. Interestingly, a massive ledge just to the west of the tunnel has been revealed, level and potentially promising for dragons.
Kysli just stays where she is, /away/ from them all, sipping the now everpresent klah. She'll grimace at the argument and all, but, really… she shouldn't interfere… what can she do anyhow?
Kilaueth> Kilaueth spreads her wings agitatedly, mimicking her rider's mood as she shifts in the clearing, hide an unusual hue, set off by the red twinges in her faceted eyes. Head swings back and forth for a long moment before she momentarily settles, a deep rumble starting in her chest.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth, disturbed by Kilaueth's movements, grumbles and raises his head, looking in the direction of the Gold. He croons some, and looks around to the other dragons, rumbling deep in his throat.
Kirilla sends a last glare after C'ar before she turns and leaves herself, stalking out to the clearing. She calls over her shoulder, "Good riddance!"
Kilaueth> Pferienseth is curled up, clearly oblivious to his surroundings. Ripples of motion - little twitches of muscle - are the only signs of life from the dusky bronze.
Kilaueth> Pheriannath rumbles in agitation herself, disturbed by the going-ons of the cavern, and moves close to the entrance when Kirilla emerges, stalking across to vault up and mount. Pheriannath rumbles again and turns to glance at Kilaueth and the others, then rises and makes haste to leave the group, to her weyr.
Odean walks in just as Kirilla stalks out. He glances around, taking in the tense atmosphere. At this point, he just turns and walks right back out, afraid of getting dragged into an argument.
Evy closes her eyes, lifting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, shards…" She shakes her head slowly, sighing. "I didn't mean to drive you away, Niva." It's not certain the goldrider will be able to hear her, but Ev doesn't really care.
Kysli bites her lip and sighs, that didn't go well, from what she heard, which wasn't much. But enough, right? Yay Bergerath being elsewhere at the moment.
Niva glances after Kirilla, shaking her head and glaring back in the direction of the now smaller group. The mug is set down with a loud clank and she flops down in a chair, crossing her arms infront of her and glaring, a pout definitely on her face.
C'ian keeps a hand on Niva's shoulder, and just doesn't say anything.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth rumbles a bit louder, stretching her wings once more. This time, her rumble isn't one of agitation, rather her head is extended with a snort to Alhenaeth. Another snort and the gold is up in the air, gliding the short distance to the feeding pens, nearly hissing in challenge as she goes.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth launches himself off the ground, following Kila. Now just where does she think she's going, leaving him with all those.. /other/… dragons. He flies behind Kila, but doesn't dare get in her way. But he does land abruptly, onto a beast. Haha. Stupid beast.
Odean peeks his head back in the door. Had he seen Kysli in there? Yup, he had, as he looks from the doorway to her. He isn't sure if he should come on, or just… Stay in the door, or leave, or… so he hesitates at the doorway for a moment.
Niva glances up at C'ian, managing a slight smile to him as she does so, though she begins to pout once more, more like a child being reprimanded then someone who's actually upset. At least she's not screaming, right? A hand is finally raised to rest lightly on his, though the hold is tightened as she realizes what Kilaueth's doing. "Faranth no.." She murmurs softly, squeezing her eyes shut as she does so.
Kilaueth> Hotohorith relaxes in the sun, suddenly alert as he watches the parade come marching through the middle of the pens. blood is already spattered over his muzzle, him having eaten a bit ago…mrrrowr!
Kysli blinks and has /no/ c lue what is going on… as he dragon is elsewhere… thank /god/… though really he should be there… but her player is just, dead. So there! Bergerath is elsewhere… somewhere.
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh watched the green leave and the gold leave. Belatedly, the dull bronze follows, and once at the ground he peers at the various beasts, then drops onto one. Tearing the throat, he drains the beast and discards it. He peers around the pen quickly, then nabs another beast and repeats the process, blood smattering across his maw and staining his chest when he dips his head down and twist it to glance at Kilaueth.
Kilaueth> Pferienseth's languid slumber is disturbed by the rustle of wings, and a sudden, pressing need. With an angry hiss he cracks one eye, multifaceted red whirling swiftly. On night-swept wings, the bronze glides towards the feeding grounds, hovering above the beasts before diving into stampede of frantic hooves. A beast is felled with single violent swipe. Greedily he leans over the prone body, sucking it dry with ritualistic delight.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth hisses at Hotohorith, dropping on a beast a few moments after Alhenaeth lands on his own, downing it without a problem and dropping her muzzle to the stomach. A loud snort and she bloods the beast, extending her wings as she hurriedly takes out a second, going straight for the neck, hissing as she extends her wings, protecting her kill from the likes of Brookeroputh and Pferienseth. Hers.
Kilaueth> Hotohorith hisses himself, then becomes the silent brooding chaser, his muzzle already glowing faintly with the blood he's already ingested. But no, he'll wait, watching, ready.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth drives his muzzle into the beast, puncturing it's now corpse-like body with a small explosion of blood, which covers his nose. He bloods silently, without making a sound, his tail whipping around to hit, and fling, another beast into his open jaws. He bleeds this one as well, in taking the blood quickly, but somewhat cleanly.
Odean looks over to Kysli, then down at the ground. He shuffles his bag some, then walks on in, face down. Too many people. He heads back to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before coming back in. He hesitates for a moment, trying to decide what to do…
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh rumbles lightly, pacifying. He is not after her kill, and instead rises and drops on another beast, killing it with a quick snap of the jaw, tearing the skin, and blooding - but very conscientious not to spill excess blood.
Kilaueth> Pferienseth surfaces from his bloody banquet, dark maw stained darker with the remanants of his first course. Despite his length, he proves to be quite lithe in latching onto a second beast. Here the innards are split upon the ground, ritualistic sacrifice for the pending dance. There is no reason to his blooding - just the simple joy of causing death, and his ever-present lust.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth hops onto a wherry this time, crouching down to drain the blood, remaining crouched over the still beast for a long moment, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth, eyes more then simply rimmed with red as she rumbles once more angrily at Brookeroputh. So much for pacifying. Never leaving her crouched position, she hesitates and launches herself skywards, wings spreading and pushing downwards, attempting to quickly gain altitude and rid herself of the pesky males.
Kilaueth> Hotohorith screeches upwards, shooting himself high in the skies after the golden queen, his large brown body following, chasing, scraping as he just pulls himself up, up, and away!
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth hurls himself upward, his tail whipping around and slamming a beast across the field for good measure. His wings beat harder and harder, trying to gain altitude, despite being small. He watches others pass him, but he just beats his wings harder.
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh becomes silent as he finishes his last beast, and launches himself after the queen. It isn't difficult for the dull bronze to gain altitude, and rather than move higher than Kilaueth, he evens out a few thermals below, gliding swiftly across the sky. The blood that was on his chest is whipped away by the wind he creates chasing Kilaueth.
Kysli is leaning back in her chair, sipping the klah. The chaos that goes on… then Odean is noticed and gets a smile. "Hey" is said to him quietly… hopefully he'll hear.
Odean looks over at Kysli, glad that she noticed. He looks up, a bit nervous. People… Not good around lots of people, especially in a tense environment. "Hey, Kysli…" He stops there, though…
Kysli offers a bit of a wave and then shifts to get more comfortable. "So how're you? Haven't seen you in a bit." So what now? She's out of things to say.
Kilaueth> Pferienseth tosses aside another carcass, watching with satisfaction as the battered body cracks. Kilaueth's motions are eyed with the whirling gaze of a predator, sharp and biting. He echoes her motion by swiftly crouching, muscles bunching and then releasing as he propels himself upwards in pursuit of the gold.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth doesn't bother with hissing now as she keeps her wings pushing downwards, throwing her large body ever upwards, sliding into a thermal, even as she continues to move, utilizing it only to increase her speed. Altitude is gained and she pushes herself out of the thermal, limbs held close to her body as she fights to move forward, forward, away from the trailing males. Gliding is something she seems to not know, muscles rippling beneath glowing hide.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth swirves just a bit to throw off a few of the more inexperienced bronze dragons, but not all. His wings continue to beat as he surges forward, after the price. Feeling a favorable thermal, he tucks his legs, arms and wings in and nose dives with the thermal, attempting to gain speed and sling shot himself towards Kila. A moment later, his wings snap open and beat again.
Odean returns the wave, looking at Kysli. "Not… not too much. I… I got some work… I got some work commissioned… Xvetaoth… a dragon… I carved her…" He looks around for a spot to sit, not sure where to go.
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh follows Kilaueth upward, taking advantage of the thermals. The dull bronze takes a note of Alhenaeth, and finally he finds some need to be competitive, and starts beating the air with powerful downward sweeps of the wing, intensely whirling eyes fixed on the queen. Up, up, but not above, and not too close. He is careful, gauging the wind and thermals to his advantage. Sooner or later she will make a mistake or be caught off guard. They always are. And he will be ready to dart when the time comes.
Kilaueth> Hotohorith is the silent follower, that shadow that seeks but doesn't harm, you know…a faerie? Well, not really. This brown just follows, closely and quietly, staying away from tails and claws however.
Kilaueth> Pferienseth slides along like a shadow, each powerful press of his wings pulling him higher. Mimicing the rest, he slips into a thermal and accelerates forward, wraith-like form speeding towards the object of his bad intentions. The purple of his gaze is fixed doggedly upon one object, despite his erratic flight. Constant maneuvers create a zig-zagged flight, seemingly unstable and uncertain.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth cannot make a mistake. She cannot be caught off guard. She /is/ superior. And, as such, she snorts at the silly males, sneaking a peak at their locations, rumbling as one gets too close. Wings are suddenly folding and she dives for the ground, closing the distance until she spreads her wings at the last moment, leveling out and continuing to pump her wings, attempting to distance herself from the potential mates.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth wheels himself upwards into a roll and then nose dives straight from the ground after Kilaueth. He snorts at another, younger bronze that nearly clips him. He roars some as he's grazed but he continues downward towards Kilaueth, and spreads his wings slightly, trying to make himself more aerodynamic.
Kysli grins brightly. "Xyla's dragon?" Yes, she knows Xyla quite well, used to be her wingsecond and all. Then she just points at a nearby chair. "Sit, silly."
Kilaueth> Hotohorith wavers a little, haivng had meat with his blood earlier. Sigh, the poor brown looks like he's loosing someheadway, and that silent wraith subtly slips behind the leaders of the pack.
Odean sits rather awkwardly. "Yes, it was. J'hey had me carve it… What… What happened?
Kysli tilts her head and looks confused. "Happened?" What does that mean…
Kilaueth> Pferienseth's lithe form makes no move towards a dive. He emits a noise that seems to be part hiss, and part rumble…almost the dragonic equivalent of a malevolent laugh. Schemes seem to play into the twisted plot of his unstable course, which wends and winds its way through thermals. He dips slightly, 'sails tilting downwards for mere seconds before he levels out again, careful to maintain his altitude.
Odean scratches his head, then looks around. "I walked in, and someone was storming out…?"
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh was already lower than most of the other males, and he drops into a dive like a pro, placing himself once again in an advantageous position and rumbling at the other chasers, now back to being in a pack. He moves out of the pack, above it, and sweeps across the sky evenly after Kilaueth.
Kysli grimaces slightly and shakes her head. "I don't know…. I really don't." She missed most of it… then was out of it for the rest of the time. "Sorry, wish I knew… but kind of glad I don't… if that makes any sense. At least I wasn't involved."
Kilaueth> Kilaueth is starting to tire, the energy from the blooded beasts almost completely spent, and the gold falters, the rhythm of her wing beats momentarily lost before she regains her balance, starting to gain altitude once more, though she continues to put most of her effort into distancing herself from the others, rumbling as she does so.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth OOCly peeks. Catch attempts? :) And when you're done… page me with who you think should win, please. :)
Odean looks down at his food, then looks back up. "It's ok.. I'm kinda glad I don't know, either… Hey, you wanna… go for a walk, or something?"
Kilaueth> Hotohorith gives one last burst of strength, putting heart and soul into it before he maintains an even speed, catching up and trying to keep with her, hoping, hoping to catch.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth skims the ground, kicks his feet off a rock, incoming, and springs back into the air, flapping his wings. He swerves some more and beats his wings as hard as he can, trying to catch the gold and make her his own.
Kilaueth> Pferienseth's body moves forward solely on the liquid lust that runs through his veins, energy itself spent. Each breath, each wingbeat is propelled by the sight of the rising gold below him. Silently, the ominious form of the darkened bronze slides into place, effortless. A burnt tail reaches out in an attempt to entwine with the gold, as the wraith stands by to envelop her in his cold embrace.
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh sees his chance, and takes it. The dull bronze glides for a moment before he gathers himself compactly, and lets loose forward with a snapping dart of motion, wingsails taking advantage of a thermal to sweep him down and forward. He stretches out, reaching and hoping it will be enough.
Kilaueth> Kilaueth just can't go on, and she does falter, and is caught off guard as her forward progress slows, and her golden form is overtaken by the bronzen form of Alhenaeth, chase ending as she is, indeed caught and made his own.
Kilaueth> Brookeroputh backwings quickly and swerves below the pair, sweeping down toward the ground while rumbling with disappointment.
Kilaueth> Alhenaeth wraps his neck around Kilaueth's as he clutches her and roars loudly, shaking some of the Weyr caves. He has made her his own, and he wants all to know that he is Alhenaeth, and, for the time being, this is his Gold.
Kilaueth> Hotohorith croons and cackles almost, a quiet sound as he swoops to land, not to dissappointed because, well, he should have known better than to eat today. Ah well, his own fault. He's going back to Shimonith now.
Kysli sighs slightly. "I'll have to ask sooner or later, but I prefer later." After a moment she shrugs. "Sure, why not."
Kilaueth> Pferienseth hisses, cutting the air with his talons in angry defiance. His whirling gaze is tinged with red as he dives downwards, towards relief.