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 is settled down in an oversized chair, taking a break from whatever work she had been doing, though a rather large folder is on the floor next to her. Vivi is on her lap, the toddler almost completely occupied with the cookie in her hand as Niva speaks softly with another rider over her shoulder.
Asiree meanders into the living caverns, humming to herself and smiling as she heads over to the table. Is that fresh food that she smells? Indeed it looks like it…
The other rider wanders off, waving her fingers at Vivi, the girl giggling and waving a hand back, Niva's attention now semi-free to roam over the other occupants of the cavern. Pausing on Asiree's entrance, she just waits, tickling her daughter slightly, though her attention remains on the bluerider.
Asiree is incredibly exciting too, especially as she trips over a chair. But Ree doesn't really seem to pay much attention to that, she picks some food out, only managing to knock over /one/ item on the table. Perhaps an improvement for her. And then, when Ree decides that there's enough food for the first trip to the table, she looks at the tables. Who to sit next to and bug?
Niva laughs softly, hiding her face in her hand for a moment at the minor disasters, shaking her head. "Asiree, is everything alright?" And she leans back a bit to continue to watch her, Vivi taking advantage of her mother's distraction to reach for another cookie off the table next to her.
Asiree is just a walking disaster, that's all. Ree looks over at the person that called her voice and smiles to Niva, waving at the mother-daughter pair and smirking at the cookie snatcher. "Hello, and yeah, everything's fine. How about you two?"
A cookie filled hand is half-waved at Asiree as Vivi manages a 'Hi', Niva grinning before she shrugs slightly, settling back down in the chair. "With this break, better then I was." A hand is waved idly at Asiree as she reaches for a glass of juice. "Going somewhere? Otherwise.. sit, sit.." And she takes a sip of her juice, then carefully offering the glass to Vivi, the girl taking a careful drink before its returned to the table.
Actually Asiree was going to run off to some dark corner and messily consume her 'prey' there. But if Niva insists, perhaps the bluerider will enjoy some company and put on some manners. Ree heads over to Niva, plate in hand, to sit near the goldrider and toddler. "So, uh, how goes all the work?"
Niva shrugs slightly. "T'eo's learning, certainly. And things are finally starting to fall back to where they should be." Which is always a good thing. Vivi slides off her mom's lap, carefully holding her balance for a moment before headed towards the bluerider, Niv keeping an eye on her all the while. "Are you enjoying your wing work, Asiree?"
Asiree eyes Vivi. Little germball ought not come too close to Ree. Eeeewww. Ahem. Ree risks a glance up from Vivi to Niva, "Oh yeah, most definitely." Where else can Ree have fun playing with electricity and uh, attempting to improve the weyr? Ree glances back at Vivi, giving the toddler a wary look before she picks up a piece of food and eats it. Hah.
Vivian is like a dog, really.. She smells fear. Or something like that. The toddler leans against the chair, wide eyes looking up at Asiree. "Up?" A half-gnawed cookie remains in her hand and the girl offers it to Asiree, as Niva rolls her eyes and nods. "You'd prefer to stay in that wing, then, I take it?"
And there's plenty of fear exuding from Asiree, that there is. Ree blinks at Vivi. "No?" Half-gnawed cookie with toddler spit. That stuff is /deadly/. "Uhh… sure?" is her reply to Niva. She's a bit too distracted by the toddler. Ew.
The other hand joins the first in reaching for Asiree, a bit of a pout coming to Vivi's lips. "No up?" Pause. "Up?" Stubborn infectious little creature. Niva pulls something out of the folder then, tossing it in Asiree's direction idly. "Congratulations, then, Wingleader." And the goldrider sits back, a grin on her face as she watches the two. Which will prevail?
Asiree has dirty grubby toddler hands on her now? Eww. "No?" Asiree says again in a half-questioning, almost wailing tone. Niva's spawn is /evil/! And what's worse is that Niva's doing nothing about it. Evilness must be passed down then. "Huh?" Ree says, giving Niva a half-confused, half-panicked look as the knot ends up in her lap.
"Oh, Ree, just humor her?" But Niva does get to her feet to gather up Vivian as the girl first starts to pout, then looks like she's ready to cry. Holding the girl on her hip, she glances at Asiree. "What, wingleader? Problem?"
Asiree looks /immensely/ relieved as Niva finally retrieves her child. Ree's allergic to children, see? "Wingleader?" With the child gone Ree picks up the knot and looks at it, then looks at Niva. "Really?" Who would have thought that /Ree/ would have gotten promoted? Uh, let the chaos begin?
Niva bounces Vivi slightly to prevent the coming temper tantrum from occurring, another cookie grabbed and offered to the girl as she nods her head, settling back in the chair. "Unless you'd rather I gave it to someone else." Niv apparently wants to destroy the weyr.
Yeah, Niva must want to destroy the weyr. But hey, what's the fun in having an intact weyr? Asiree beams, the whole impending child doom behind her. "No, no…" Ree says, peering at it, then beaming at Niva. "Thanks!" There'd be something like 'you won't regret it,' but uh, this is Ree…
The tidal wave from Vivi is avoided, the toddler quieted by the cookie, and Niva smiles at Asiree and nods. "If you have any questions, you can always ask. Make sure you talk to Lahela for her records and procedures, too."
And undeniably Vivi is much happier with Niva than with Ree. Asiree nods to Niva and smiles happily. "Alright, I'll do that." And Sukith is going to burst with pride. Heh.
But, Vivian wanted to be with Asiree! Because, Asiree needs a child to pick on her, for a while at least. Niva nods, "Well, that's one less thing to worry about, then. Congratulations."
But Asiree is already sure that she doesn't want any children, so she doesn't need a child to pick on her to convince her that children are evil and she shouldn't have any. Ree nods at Niva, still beaming happily of course. "Thanks!"
Niva bobs her head again, though she wrinkles up her nose as Vivi starts to squirm. "I think its time for her to go back with her dad. He can get her calmed down for a nap." So, maybe the evilness does come from Niva. Standing up, she shifts the girl on her hip, gathering up the folder in her other hand. "Congrats, again, and I'd suggest getting to work." And she's headed off towards the clearing, bouncing and hushing Viv as the girl starts to complain.
Of /course/ the evilness comes from Niva. Of course. As if there were any doubt. Heh. Ree nods, "Right, I'll get on it… and go find Lahela." And she'll try not to blow up the weyr. Heh.