Xanadu Weyr - Craft Complex
The large area has been separated into a variety of smaller sitting areas, couches and chairs organized into rings and squares, tables set where they can be used easily. A few desks for studying are pushed against one wall, while another has a variety of doors spaced along side it, opening into private quarters for the ranking crafters posted at the weyr. A set of double doors opens to the general apprentice dorms, and a long hallway stretches outwards, providing access to the various workshops.
It's been busy times at Xanadu lately and Fiara's had her share of involvement in between duties. Mostly though, she's just been around, teaching most mornings, sometimes taking her young charges on little field trips and trying to keep some of them from charging off to pitch headfirst into collapsing caverns and the like. Busy times, definitely busy times. Today though, Fia is not teaching, nor is she ambling about taking in the changes around the Weyr. She is simply sitting quietly at one of the tables in the crafters' building, apparently writing and sketching, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth often for the latter. A pile of notebooks and other paraphernalia scatter the table in front of her.
R'sul's usual business only got worse when Niva's daughter ended up being Searched — not only is he now without an assistant, but he needs to avoid Niva in case she thinks it was his idea. With Hesketh now spending so much time on the sands, the bronze unusually protective of this clutch, R'sul has been spending more and more time researching, studying, and trying to make sense of the current situation. What brings him over to eh craft area this time is a simple need for someone sensible to talk to, to bounce ideas off. A fresh mind to give a fresh perspective. And it doesn't hurt that Niva's not over this way at the moment.
Should one approach, what Fiara is sketching and annotating, in spite of her claimed lack of ability with archives, seems to be a variety of things. Bits and bobs from around the Weyr, but also items that are clearly relating to the quest for answers about the strange children. Just now though, the harper is coloring in a sketch of the caves as seen from the front. It's not the best drawing in the world, but it does seem to at least give an idea of what it looks like. Fia's pencil lifts after a moment and she starts chewing on the end thoughtfully. Footsteps not far off though, turn her head and she spots the Weyrleader, pulls the end of her pencil out of her mouth and clears her throat. "Good day, R'sul. Hiding out?" she queries with a hint of teasing in her voice.
R'sul laughs, quickly running a hand through his hair before shaking his head, "I never hide. I run a lot, but I never hide." It's a pretty lame attempt at a joke, but at least it's an attempt. He heads over in her direction, taking a quick peek at her drawings as soon as he's close enough to see them properly. "I was loking for Satoris, to be honest. Wanted to ask him a couple of questions about the mine. Had an immensely stupid idea that our rock fall might have been the result of distant tunnelling or something, after all our 'friends' do seem to like cave systems." It wouldn't take a genius to figure out who he means by 'friends'.
Fiara laughs anyway. "Well. Right now you look more like you're walking, not running, so maybe that's an improvement?" There's a twinkle of good humor in the harper's eyes that fades a little as he mentions their 'friends' and she nods, serious now, pulls that drawing forward a little. "That doesn't sound all that outlandish to me, but he'd definitely be the person to ask about that. I've been sort of … documenting though. Never thought when I took the posting I'd wind up writing and drawing so much, but it's good practice." Her fingers smooth over the outline of the cave's rough mouth on the page. "Caves. Good for lots of hiding," she murmurs, tips a look up at the Weyrleader sidelong. Is that a joke she's making now.
"Only an expert in running away can make it look like walking." R'sul jokes back, though his eyes quickly fix on her drawings. "It does sound dumb, but I can't help wondering what they're up to. I can't see him just having given up everything and if he does have a rider with him…." He drifts off, then follows with a quick, "Sorry. I think I've come up with a million conspiracy theories since Hesketh took up residence on the sands. I swear he's there more than Kilaueth." He looks back at the drawing, then down at Fiara just in time to catch her joke. A bright flush glows at the back of his neck and he rubs at it selfconsciously. "Bad for my nerves though." is his eventual reply.
"Ahh, well then, far be it from me question your expertise," Fia quips back in return. Her head shakes though at that second statement. "I don't think it sounds dumb. Aren't we all wondering and trying to put the pieces together in order to understand?" And there's a quasi-rueful gesture to all of her notes. "And goodness me, Hesketh is? Very paternal it seems. Though I suppose that also leaves /you/ much at loose ends." Next her hand moves to indicate a nearby chair. "Have a seat, run those theories by me? None of them can be any crazier than my own or half of the ones I've heard bandied about the Weyr." That flush earns a sympathetic smile though and she leans in to offer up in confidential tones: "Might help with those nerves too."
R'sul slips into the chair, taking a risk with a gentle tease of, "Bet you never thought you'd end up being a theorist when you got posted, either." A quick pause, then he continues, "Hesketh's an odd one sometimes. All about duty, so there's any chance of someone harming his children he's going to make sure it doesn't happen. And he'll do anything for Kilaueth." Shame the same can't be said about R'sul and Niva. Leaning forward he rests his elbows on his knees, settling his chin onto his upturned palms as he stares at the drawings some more. "It was all about the meteors you know. That was his sign. Which means he has some knowledge of Starcraft. Or someone does. Crafters, at least one rider…." He pauses, settling back again, "Did you know he told Ysa he wanted to be recognised one day as having his own hold?"
It takes a second and then Fiara's laughing again. "Oh no, never. I always thought I'd just be a player of music and a teacher." Her pencil taps lightly against the paper and she regards the Weyrleader with interest. "I learn more and more about dragons every day I'm here too. It's interesting to know just /how/ dedicated they can be and no one dragon the same as any other, or it seems bonded with a rider in quite the same way either." Her lips purse faintly then smooth out into a little half-smile. "Mm, I've heard the kids talking a bit about … the reactions to those." Both of her brows lift and she shakes her head. "No, that I /hadn't/ heard." And her pencil stills, the harper looking down at the page thoughtfully. "It seems like that winds up being a theme, over and over though, through history. Doesn't it? That back and forth between who has land and who doesn't and what it means to a person."
R'sul smiles, his fondness for his over-polite lifemate clear, "Wouldn't change him for the world. Well maybe his habit of catching Kilaueth but nothing else." his aze drifts back down to those drawings again and he nods slowly, "A recognised hold. I can think of far better ways of getting it. And… you see… that just doesn't match up with everything else. if he wanted that like he said then why the deaths? Why the hate for the weyrs and saying we don't listen? Why the idea of thread coming back?" He shakes his head, thumb resting against his bottom lip for a moment, "I still don't think we've heard the last of him."
Again, Fia smiles, hearing that fondness, though there's curiosity on her face again. "Don't actually fancy being Weyrleader?" she asks quietly, with a quick look around and then back to the Weyrleader. "And there's so many easier ways, yes. I mean really all you have to do is talk the right person into naming you as successor and then passing Conclave. He doesn't seem to be … un-clever, but —" and the harper's shoulders lift a little. "Perhaps it's as simple as not being quite all there in the head. I mean. Thread. Returning. How?" Her gaze drops again, down to the page and she idly colors in a little tuft of grass. "It's not the first time that hate has been directed at a Weyr though. History is full of /that/ too. Different times, different reasons."
"Don't fancy Niva." As soon as it's out R'sul blushes a bright red, dropping his head and trying his best to not curl up in horror that he even thought to say it aloud. His hand makes another trip through his hair, as if that could erase his embarassment. A cough follows, then an attempt at derailing the conversation onto safer topics. "Oh I would never think him dumb, you know. He had a lot of people following him, and that would suggest that he has something. It wouldn't do us well to underestimate him, no matter how strange his thoughts are to us. He had to be getting something out of it. Somewhere."
"That happens though, doesn't it?" Fiara's voice is gentle as she makes that remark. "In Weyrs." And she turns away briefly, lets him collect himself while she stacks together some things, brings others more into view. "Especially if there /are/ riders or a rider involved." And the sketch in front of her is of that insignia that was picked up in the sea. "Lots of questions, not too many answers. What. Why. Where. And more how, even if we have hints."
R'sul lets out a long breath before nodding. "What always bothered me was why the secrecy. I mean, why not just ask for meetings? And why Ysa, does that mean he wants a gold? Was he trying to start another weyr? He wanted power, that much is pretty obvious. He got it too, somehow. What was he going to do with it. And why the thread thing. To control them? To keep them scared and listening to him? Did he really believe it?" This sigh is more of a grunt of frustration, "Everything I think of just brings more questions." There's a pause and he adds, quietly, "And between us I'm worried about the eggs."
"If they really believe in Thread, that makes sense maybe, wanting a gold. Because … if there's Thread to fight, wouldn't they need dragons and riders who believe to train and … be ready?" Troubled, Fiara, pushes restlessly at that sketch of the badge. "And has anyone figured out about this badge yet?" Her gaze lifts back up to the Weyrleader, puzzled. "Why? That there's something wrong with them? Or — well, I guess if they /did/ want dragons and riders, you don't think they'd be aiming to /steal/ eggs, do you?"
R'sul nods as Fiara runs along the same mental tracks as his own train of thought, then shakes his head at her question about the badge. "Best we can figure is it's an old wing badge, but it's practically antique. Could just be someone's personal jewelery or something." At her last question he nods, seemingly ready to leave his answer unspoken. After a moment he adds, "Steal them. Damage them. I don't know. I'm probably just being paranoid because of everything else but I wouldn't put it past him to try something."
Fiara's finger continues to trace the lines on the badge. "Antique. And no idea which Weyr, so we can't go looking at the right Weyr, but maybe the Hall /might/ have something," she murmurs thoughtfully, looks back up at the Weyrleader and reaches across the intervening distance, hand aiming to rest lightly atop his for a moment. "Hesketh and Kilaueth are vigilant," she says firmly. "And I just can't imagine anyone /damaging/ an egg on purpose." She looks back over at the sketch and draws a long breath. "I can see if I can find this," Fia offers. "Even if it's not my specialty I have friends, colleagues who might have an idea."
R'sul doesn't quite expect that touch, but neither does he flinch away from it immediately. There's a faint flicker of a smile, and a faint hint of red at his collar, as he nods. "Anyone damaged one of those eggs, or Ella's, and… well you're probably right they wouldn't. I'd hunt them down, never mind Hesketh." There are some things even the shy vaguely geeky Weyrleader won't stand for. "If you think someone at the Hall might know about that you're more than welcome to ask." He nods towards the badge drawing, "The problem with it being so old is we don't know if it's really relevant. Could have been someone's grandparent's. Great grandparents even."
"Right, the whole Weyr would mobilize I bet!" Fiara rounds her eyes a little at the Weyrleader and leans her elbow on the table, her turn to prop chin in hand. "Is it really old though? I mean, given how crazy these people are, perhaps there's flitting about between times too, I mean clearly they've got, you know, /issues/ with boundaries and the way the world is." Her non-propping hand waves vaguely.
R'sul just stares open mouthed at that thought. "Oh no. They wouldn't… no… they couldn't, surely. I mean…." For all his theorising that's one he hadn't come up with, and it's clear that the thought rather scares him. "It would explain knowing about the meteors." But then again so would a little research.
Fiara shrugs her shoulders loosely. "It wouldn't be the first time someone's done the risky thing and bopped around with time. I mean, I don't know about you, but the Ballads of Moreta and Lessa's Rides are … pretty much fixed in my memory and after AIVAS and the push to move the Red Star … anything is possible, isn't it?" The harper's grin is wry again, though there's just the faintest twinkle of humor in her eyes. "It would explain a lot, maybe. Though a good enough StarCrafter would be able to find the meteors and calculate their arrival."
R'sul adds one word into the mix, "Ruth." For a moment he's quiet, then suddenly he laughs. "You know if we go on like this we'll probably prove that I'm not really me, you're not really you, and this conversation never really started."
"Ruth," Fiara echoes with a nod and blows out a long breath. Her laughter joins his and she tweaks the papers together, stacking all of them this time. "And that would be quite the shame. Because I like talking to you," she says sunnily, taps the stack of newly gathered papers. "I think that maybe you've been doing a little too much theorizing and could stand a walk and some fresh air. Maybe a beer. What say you?"
R'sul hesitates a moment before nodding, "That sounds like a good plan, seeing as I… um… really like talking to you too. I don't drink though. Well not often. I tend to get drunk too quickly to enjoy it." There's a touch of shy babbling going on, but at least he's not running away. "Beach?"
Laughter, merry as Fia finishes putting her things together and holds up a finger. "Hold a second here then, let me just put these away and I'll be right with you." She moves off down the corridor towards her room, returns a moment later and nods towards the door. "Beach it is. And fruit juice is always refreshing too. Faranth forbid I should get the Weyrleader /tipsy/."
R'sul doesn't make a break for freedom while Fiara's away tidying up, which is always a good sign, and the trip to the beachis filled with quiet chit-chat — enough to prove that casual conversation is not a natural thing for him. Invariably he tends to drift off onto safer topics - eggs, or even the current situation at the weyr.
On the other hand, Fiara is quite good at making conversation and apparently her harper's training makes her deft enough at shifting topics when the Weyrleader starts to get uncomfortable. it makes for an odd patchwork of talk, but Fia doesn't seem to mind it. "Now see this, is part of why I asked for a posting down here," she notes as they step across the sand and she gestures to the view. "You just can't beat this sort of loveliness for constant surroundings. That ice storm really caught me by surprise, you know. Not at all what I'd bargained for. I came down here to get /away/ from that." There's a little pause and she tips a teasing smile up at R'sul. "See, you're not the only one good at running away."
"I think it took everyone by surprise." R'sul nods, looking over to her with a slight smile, "And you're right, it is lovely down here today. I mean after so long I've sort of got used to it." The idea of her running away from things seems to intrigue him, "Anything else you're running away from or shouldn't I ask?"
"Mm, likely, especially when it's supposed to be warm pretty much all the time," Fiara agrees and bends to pull her shoes off, wiggles bare toes into sand. "Oh it does feel nice to be able to walk around like this. Half the turn up at Tillek was frozen," she notes ruefully and laughs. "Well. The weather at Tillek. Perhaps the idea that I should have gone back to the Hall to do a little more intensive study. There are … certain mentors of mine I'd rather not face. I know they care, but they're ambitious on my behalf and that's not really what I'm interested in right now. Advancement, you know."
R'sul nods, understanding the pressure all too well, "That's always been part of why I enver went into a craft. The pressure, not the weather, Keroon was never exactly freezing." he's not so quick to remove his shoes, happy to stay as he is for the moment. "So what are your plans for now if they don't involve advancement? Just living for a while?"
"Yes. I had … some difficulty with that when I first went to the Hall," Fiara muses slowly, looks down at her feet as she starts to walk again, heading for the water itself. "It was a big difference, studying under the local harper, over constant every day learning at Harper," the journeywoman explains further. "That first turn was incredibly hard. I had help and managed to push through and actually, after that, I tried to take things a little less seriously, tried to focus on the actual learning, rather than just making the good marks, you know?" The latter two questions earn a quick grin. "Teaching. Playing. Apparently getting better at archives and helping you with your project," she teases just a little with that and goes on. "Otherwise, yes, just living. Being. Getting used to /here/, to the Weyr and everything that goes with it. I'd like to stay for a good long while, though of course the Masterharper may have other ideas eventually."
R'sul follows on down towards the water, though pauses before he actually it so that he can also remove his boots at last. "I never knew pressure like it till Hesketh flew Kilaueth. Honestly thought in that first sevenday I was going to go crazy, or end up getting slapped for changing things. Didn't help that Niva and I never really got on back then." They have a vague truce these days, but will never be the best of friends. He makes arather lame attempt at teasing her back with a quiet, "Well if you find it that boring I'm sue I can find you something else to do." than adds, "Weyrs are tricky places to get used to. Might find it's turns before the masterharper takes you back."
Fiara pauses as well, to roll up the cuffs of her pants before stepping into the shallow wash of surf that runs up over damp sand. "That must have been very hard," the harper murmurs sympathetically. "I can't imagine not being able to /choose/ the person I'd have to run things with. At least at the Hall the Masterharper chooses his or her own Seconds. Really, my hat is off to most riders who wind up in that situation and still manage to keep a Weyr running smoothly." Her smile flashes briefly for the quiet tease. "And what other things might you be able to find for me to do? If I /did/ find it boring. I mean, after all, being engaged and focused is better, right?" her smile reappears briefly then Fia looks out over the water, the sun glinting off the waves. "I'm in no hurry to go anywhere. In fact, other than perhaps eventually applying myself to taking the Master's exams, I think I /could/ see myself just staying here. It's near enough to home, and it's interesting, even if parts of it are overwhelming sometimes."
"Well I did get to choose my weyrsecond." R'sul replies, "That almost worked." He develops a sort of wry grin for a moment, then shakes his head, "Made a whole lot of bad decisions then, but it worked out eventually." He doesn't go much into the water, keeping more to the damp sand and the occassional touch of water against his toes. "Oh I could put you to work in the stores or something. I'm sure there's a lot of fun to be had there keeping candidates in line. And let's face it, someone needs to." he pauses a moment and smiles, "It's not usually this chaotic here. You might find it boring when things go back to normal."
Peeking over at the Weyrleader: "Almost?" And then Fiara nods understanding. "I guess that's normal any time you start something you've never done before." Her head tips back, laughing again. "So … you think I'm the sort of person who'd be fascinated by Stores and babysitting candidates?" she asks with some amusement, then lifts her shoulders. "I'll admit, some of the things going on are … exciting. All the mystery. But there's something to be said for normal every day tasks and just being interested in your own work, you know?"
R'sul nods, "Almost." As she laughs he can't help but smile, "Actually it was teh worst thing I could think of seeing as I could still use that help when things calm down at last. Just hope it's sooner rather than later. That things go back to normal, I mean, not your helping. Though that would be nice sooner too but.. you know what I mean." There's a hint of a blush creeping up his neck again.
"With the project, or with the Stores?" Fiara continues to tease, though it's light but she nods over at the Weyrleader. "I've no interest in /not/ continuing to help you with the /project/," she clarifies. "In fact I'm looking forward to poking around a little for that too if I'm heading to Harper to ask about ancient rider badges," the harper continues thoughtfully and leans a little, aiming to bump his shoulder lightly. "Yes. I do."
R'sul just isn't going to win this conversation, and as the blush creeps higher, his head dips lower. "Well if you're going looking anyway." Is pretty much all he can think of to say, though there's another little smile as she bumps his shoulder. "Half tempted to have you look after the candidates anyway, they scare me."
"I'm looking anyway," Fiara echoes and there might be some subtle innuendo in the remark as it's very clearly /him/ she's looking at right now. "The candidates scare you hm? Well, I suppose I can help out around my busy teaching schedule," she jokes. "But I'm usually busy with that every morning until lunch time except rest days."
R'sul's hand makes a trip through his hair - the surest sign that he's nervous. "They scare me. Well Vivian does. She's already decided there's a gold and it's hers." There's a pause as he looks out over the ocean, "Only mornings?"
"Vivian, the Weyrwoman's daughter," Fiara's figured that much out in her time here and makes a little face. "I think I know the type actually, though in my case it was who was going to walk the tables first and oh boy, wasn't /he/ surprised when he didn't go ahead of others he didn't think were worthy." She snorts softly and rolls her shoulders, skims toes through a bit of incoming surf. "That's generally how it works, yes. THe children have lessons, dismissal after lunch for chores and I work on other things, keeping my instruments in good repair, writing letters, records, marking papers, that sort of thing in the afternoon."
R'sul nods. "Niva's daughter and… well… she's special, let's put it that way. I still don't remember how she ended up as my assistant, but there's a lot of the time it feels like I work for her. Can't file so save her life though." He glances over and nods as he listens to the description of her day. "Sounds like oyu enver get a minute to yourself as it is. Maybe I shouldn't inflict the candidates on you as well. Unless you need an assistant or two?"
"Special … how, if she can't file?" Fiara asks inquisitively and drifts a little further out towards the water itself briefly, then ambles back up towards the Weyrleader. "Oh my evenings are my own to do with as I please, mostly. I trade off with the other harpers on entertainment duty, but that's hardly every night and in the end, it's a big part of why I became a harper in the first place," she explains. "And actually, that might be a good compromise solution. Send me the ones who like kids and music and writing things and I'll keep them busy."
"Special in her own little world." R'sul clarifies, digging a toe in under a stone near the water's edge. "I'l send some of tehm your way, if you're sure you don't mind. I wouldn't want to impose or make things difficult for you. Can I ask you something? It'll probably sound silly, but I've always wondered." he leaves it there for a moment, waiting for permission to ask a dumb question.
"Her own little world … hm. Sounds like you mean utterly spoiled," Fiara says with perhaps disturbing frankness, turning about to walk backwards as she gains a little on the Weyrleader, heels making vee-shapes in the backwash of water that rushes back out to sea. "I wouldn't have offered if I minded, R'sul. I'm not in the habit of signing up for more than I think I can handle, though certainly I'm glad to do my duty by both Weyr and Craft," she answers lightly and tips her head to the side. "You can always /ask/ I don't guarantee answers."
R'sul nods, murmuring a quick "Thank you." before leaving his stone alone to catch up with Fiara again. "I know this will sound dumb, but… what do harpers actually do to relax? I mean, most of the rest of us would listen to some music, or read, or something. But that's what you do all the time."
"Read, play music, go for walks, sit around lazily on the beach doing absolutely nothing at all," Fiara answers promptly, grinning cheekily now at the Weyrleader. "And you know, many of the other things that people who /aren't/ harpers do to relax and have fun. I like going to the tavern now and then for a mug of beer and to watch people come and go."
"Don't you ever find yourself trying to analyse things as you listen though?" R'sul keeps going, after all if you're going to sound dumb go the whole hog and sound really dumb. "Picking faults with people's singing or playing or writing? I would have thought it's not really something you can turn off, though maybe that's just people wiht vocal specialities?"
"Maybe some harpers do, but not me?" Fiara hazards with a somewhat bemused smile. "I prefer to just listen and experience. If I'm teaching, then I analyze for correction. But sometimes, I just want to /be/, you know, live the music. I can't entirely listen as if I had no training anymore, but mostly I find that adds to, rather than takes away from it. Because there's another level of appreciation," she explains further. "And … yes, maybe, the voice masters are that way, but I am no vocalist. I sing well enough, but my passion is for playing the violin."
R'sul nods along with the explanation, then offers a slight chuckle, "Sorry, I guess that really was the weirdest question you've ever had. Just always wondered but never really had anyone to ask before." He bends down suddenly, scooping a shell up from the sand next to his foot. It provides a distraction for a moment, turning it over and over in his hands. "We should arrange a concert or something. Give you a chance to perform and show everyone how good you are."
Fiara shakes her head. "Not at all. You'd be surprised what kinds of mind-bending questions /children/ can come up with in lessons," the harper replies. "And now you know about /this/ harper at least, though I'm afraid I can't speak for the entirety of my Craft." Still walking backwards, Fia smiles, lifts her shoulders. "Might be a good way to get people's minds off of things, but I'm not really a show off either. I'd rather make it something fun for everyone, not just about me. Besides, don't you get enough of my playing every few evenings?" That last is asked playfully.
"I like music." R'sul offers, though it's rather lame especially since his neck is threatening to compete with the sun for brightness. "Maybe you could organise a candidate concert or something, make them be useful. Just don't give Vivian anything that can be thrown." He grins, trying to make a joke out of it. A moment later he offers over the shell he just picked up.
"All kinds, or do you have a favorite type?" Fiara asks next, dutifully ignoring the Weyrleader's renewed blushing. "Now that's a lovely idea. As they come in, I'll go about asking who's got talent, shall I? It'll help out for recruiting future harpers too in case they don't Impress," she joshes a little then bursts out laughing about Vivian. "Understood. I'd rather not have anything that hurts tossed at my head. We can put her on the big drum that you only beat once a measure. Bom. Bom. Bom." And she mimics swinging a large mallet against the side of a drum. The offered shell is received by two hands, the one cupping his lightly for steadiness as Fiara comes to a halt and the other turning the shell towards the light. "You never know what the sea is going to wash up, do you?" she says softly and looks up at him with a warm smile. "Thank you. I've a little bit of a shelf in my room where this will go nicely."
R'sul shrugs a little, "Pretty much anything really. I just like listening. Unless it's me singing, then I adivse using cheese to block your ears, it keeps most of the sound out." The idea of Vivian with a drum makes him wince, "Might want to avoid giving her anything that makes too much noise. Unless you give her just one cue to hit it, right at the end or something." As her hand touches his, his gaze drops - eyes fixing on the shell once more, "It's a wonderful thing the sea." He pauses for a moment, then adds a quiet, "You're welcome."
"Then I won't ask you to sing, but I'll happily play for you sometime," Fia offers, expression still warm. "And I rather think that cheese would be a mess to get in and out of one's ears." Back to merry as her fingers curl around the shell, but her other hand lingers for a moment on his. "I like living near the sea again. It has its own music, don't you think?"
"Cheese is definitely better eaten than worn." R'sul agrees with a smile, gaze lifting to her face for a moment before roaming over the horizon once more. "I like th esea, I have to admit. Peaceful. Almost makes you forget where you are sometimes, if you stare at it long enough." Slowly, almost reluctantly, he reclaims his hand.
"I think I like it better that way myself," Fia continues the banter and her eyes meet his steadily until he looks away. "It does at that, washes away cares, provides a good spot for sitting and thinking. Her fingers curl away from his and the harper laughs again, this time with the faintest hint of self-consciousness and a little trace of pink in her cheeks. "I'm too forward, sometimes" she apologizes and turns to resume walking. "So. You know I'm from Paradise River, where did you grow up R'sul, not here, right?"
R'sul shakes his head quickly, "Not at all. Honestly. It's not you. I'm just… I'm not good around women. I tend to do something stupid or say something stupid and mess everything up." And when it comes to messing things up he's an expert. "I'm… um… Keroon. Beasthall." He latches onto the change of subject quickly, though adds a little reluctantly, "I should probably head back to the weyr soon."
Taking all that in with another unflinching look, Fiara listens to the first part and through the stuttering next part. "Keroon and its plains. Perhaps you'll take me sometime R'sul. When things are calmer and Hesketh isn't Sands-bound," she suggests gently. "I'll bring my violin and the gitar and you can take a little break from being Weyrleader for a while. How's that sound?" The hand that's not curled around the shell comes back up to rest against his arm, light as a feather. "And R'sul, you haven't said anything stupid to me yet, and I still like talking with you." Beat. "Very much." She smiles then, warmly and sincerely. "And if duty calls, then duty calls." Simple acceptance there as Fia steps back a little and gives the Weyrleader his space back.
R'sul nods, "I'd like that, though you'd best be ready for the smells of the hall." he glances at her hand on his arm, and for a moment there's a smile appears that could be considered fond. He covers her hand with his for a brief second, then pats it twice and lets his hand drop once more. "I like tlaking with you too. Been a long time since I met someone I could babble at and they didn't think I was crazy." he takes a small step backwards, "I'll maybe see you at dinner?" he hesitates a moment for an answer, before heading abck to his boots, and from there back to the weyr.
"I grew up in a fishing hold," Fiara confides with that spark back in her eyes. "I think I can handle runners and herdbeasts." Her smile only grows the brighter for the acceptance of the invitation and his hand on hers. "Definitely not crazy, Weyrleader," she teases just a little more but nods about dinner. "Yes. I will see you then. I'm just going to walk a little more before I get back to notes and marking up essays. See you later, R'sul." Fia waves as he goes, then turns to continue walking and at times, skipping along the tideline as she hums a merry tune to herself.