Xanadu Weyr - Wanderin' Wherry Tavern
It is often whispered in the crowds that converge here, that a certain Weyrleader was asked what he wanted in the remodeling of the pub that was not so long ago given a refreshing. He muttered back over the rim of his ever-present mug, "I don't care what you do with the place, just so long as there is plenty of ale." With that in mind, cask after cask of ale lines the walls of the tavern, the remodeler's idea of a jest. As they age, the casks bring a real rustic atmosphere to the pub, along with the deeply wooden flavor that seems to be the theme throughout.
The lighting is dim, as it should be in all good pubs, and the tables and chairs are plentiful. A long mahogany bar, intricately carved with runner beasts, stands vigilant duty at the head of the bar, lined with stools for those patrons that seek the bartender's company.
K'vin is sitting with a couple of sheets before him and a mug of cider beside him and obviously, he's working where it's calm at least, because sometimes, the living caverns aren't calm at all.
Neferennu steps into the tavern, thankful that the nannies took over their duty once more of watching the weyrbrats. Though of course, since she seems to have better luck with a few of the colicky babies, she had them again this morning. There is dried spit up on one shoulder, paint on her pants from the toddlers, and a haphazard band of string tied around her right wrist. Even though knowing there might be a rule against candidates drinking, she really needs one right now. So to the bar and ordering a mug of ale, she turns around to lean on the bar, only to see K'vin sitting at a table. A worried look then she forces a smile, takes the mug of ale, and heads over to him. "Working on paperwork sir?" Her tone is light, though it is still tinged with a bit of annoyance from her chore this morning.
K'vin raises his head and blinks. "Neferennu right?" He asks, gesturing to a chair. "Looks like you're done with some duties and thankful that you're done with them I'd say." He says with a light tone.
Neferennu chuckles softly and the smile becomes more true and less forced. The chair motioned to is pulled out and slipped into, with a sip of the ale taken. "Yes, I'm Rennu. I had brat watching duties this morning, of course I got the babies." A brush at the shoulder that got spit up on to no avail. "So, K'vin, may I ask what you are doing?" Another sip of ale and she leans forward to look over at the papers out of curiosity. Depsite being a candidate, she still wears her badge and does her duties in the annex.
K'vin smiles. "Well, I'm watching over the numerous wounded dragons and the report of their health and such you know, how they got treated and if it's working, have to do that each day."
Neferennu nods slowly, takes another sip of her drink, then reads over the paper closest to her. "Oh, I understand. Since Ethne left, I've been designated as the person to enter all the information into the computers. When there isn't any to input, sometimes I can find some bits of information in the system about what I would like to study once I reach grade 3." Interest seems to have been lost on the paperwork as she leans back into the chair.
K'vin nods his head and stacks his papers into one pile. "Tell me what would be your interest then." He asks with a smile, looking right into Rennu's eyes. "And well, I've been aware Ethne left, no idea why."
Neferennu shrugs and shakes her head slightly, the smile turning into a slight frown. "I have no idea either. Didn't even leave more in her message than that she was going back to Ierne and she'd keep in touch." A long drink before she answers about her interest, crossing one leg over another. "Genetics, specifically how genetics may affect golds and males with infertility issues. It is what got me interested into dragonhealing back home at Landing, and why I came here." A warm smile before another drink and shifts into a bit more comfortable position. "I didn't realize these chairs could be so hard…" A slight blush when she realizes this was spoken outloud.
K'vin smiles. "Well, do you have a more confortable place where we could sit?" He asks with a smile, rubbing his back, which apparently seems to pain him. "And yes, it's quite interesting, I got to study some of that too."
Neferennu laughs and shakes her head. "Oh no. When that older grade 5 decided to test everyone, especially us trainees about being able to sew a torn wing through numbweed with a blindfold on…" Her voice trails off, smile fades a bit, and she moves uneasily. "Needless to say I took out my bad day on the miner Satoris. I don't know what happened, but on top of getting in trouble for being up in the middle of the night, one of the weyrwomen came in and had all of our cots removed from the barracks. So unless you have an idea, I don't know where there are any comfy chairs at this time of day."
K'vin nods his head. "I heard about this." He says softly. "There are some confortable chairs in my weyr if you want to go there." He says with a smile.
Neferennu raises an eyebrow. "I wouldn't mind, as long as I don't get in any more trouble. Haven't had a day off of chores since I agreed to stand." To this she frowns and downs the rest of her ale, placing the mug lightly on the table. "Anyways, you mentioned that the topic I want to study you need to study as well? Do you know what has been studied and if there are any advances on the reason why some golds seem to only produce eggs every other time they mate?"
K'vin shakes his head. "Now, I don't know and I don't know either if it has been found." He smiles at Rennu. "I'll pretend I didn't see that mug and I promise you nothing will get you into troubles." He adds with a smile.
Neferennu snorts but stands up anyways. "No disrespect, but I highly doubt that. The weyrwoman Ysa has hated the sight of me since Kilaueth's mating flight. Though the hatching of her eggs was exciting, but I'm a little nervous that girl impressed gold. I know she's more stable than her sister and brother but still.." An unconcious shiver and then to help the bartender the chair she was sitting in is pushed back under the table.
Home Sweet Home(#9580Ae)
A trio of rooms, each one closed off with a thick plank door. The main room seems to be a combination of Living Room, Kitchen and Dining room all rolled together. To the left of the front door, one wall is covered with upper and lower cabinents with a sink set into one of the lower ones. A table is set beneath another window, four chairs are set around it. The other half of the room is dominated by a large fireplace, before it rests a thick woven rug. A couch and matching chairs make comfortable places to sit, as do the large pillows that tossed about on the floor.The other two rooms are easily named, one is a large bedroom and the other a bathing chamber.
The bedroom is filled with the simplest of furnishings, a large bed, clothing presses, a child's crib, and lights. The floor is covered by scattered rugs, and a single window looks out onto a corner of the garden. The bathroom is just that, a natural spring fills a constantly emptying pool with hot water while a bench is the perfect place for the pile of clean towels and any clothing that is taken off or to be put on.
K'vin shows Neferennu the way in and offers her a chair inside. "There." He says with a smile. "Please sit down, would you like something to drink?" He offers
Neferennu follows through the forest into a door past two dragons and just takes in the entire area. "Wow, you have a big weyr. I thought riders were lucky to get two rooms. Not that I'm complaining…" A large smile and she runs her fingers over the material covering the couch before sitting down. "Drink? Oh, um…I better just have some juice for now." Better not to get drunk or L'alie might through her off a cliff during that camp coming up. "Do you do your own cooking here too?" A motion towards the sink.
K'vin nods his head. "It happens, when we're too lazy or it is too late." He says with a smile as he moves to get Rennu a juice. "There you go." He says, giving her the juice.
Neferennu thinks for a moment then nods, taking the juice with a thank you. "Well, I can see why you may not want to go to the annex on your days off." The tone of her voice is half joking and then she leans back into the couch. "Ahh…so nice to have something soft to sit on again. I hope baby dragons are nothing like baby firelizards. If my gold hatchling decides to tear into my back one more time, I swear I'll find a way of getting rid of her."
K'vin nods his head and smiles, sitting on the bed in front of Neferennu. "Well, tell me more about what you want to do and how you got into that." He says softly, looking at her with a kind of flirting smile though he doesn't make any more towards Rennu
Neferennu takes another drink to clear her throat before crossing her legs again. Crossed legs means she's comfortable. "Oh, well see my parents have access to the AIVAS database at Landing. They allowed me to do some research, hoping I would get interested in computers. That is where I found out some golds weren't able to produce clutches or had really small ones. Then I found out about the dragons and their genetics. I got the idea that maybe the two were related. Once I started reading more about dragonhealing, that is when I knew I wanted to do that instead of computers. So I came here. I would love to be able to take genetics samples of the eggs, unfertilized of course, and find out if there are abnormalities. Though sometimes I wonder if the dragon's mind has anything to do with it, or the male as well."
K'vin nods his head. "That's quite an idea indeed." He says with a smile, crossing his legs as well and leaning a bit forward. "Quite an interesting idea I must say. We got to find some eggs now."
Neferennu laughs and has to watch to make sure she doesn't spill the drink all over his floor. "Well, it was an idea I came up with. However, I am still only grade 1. I don't think any gold would willingly allow us to go in and disect her ovaries for eggs though. Not to mention the rider. From what I've learned, dragons aren't interesting in mating outside of flights like other animals, so that would be hard too. You would know more than me on how to get the genetic samples. I am assuming since some females, us, are infertile but have no physical signs…it is the same with dragons. So a blood sample probably wouldn't work."
K'vin nods his head. "Yeah, that's true, and dragons and riders alike are a bit warry when confronted to sampling like this you know, even for unhatched eggs." He says with a smile
Neferennu hrms and frowns a bit, nodding slowly. "Yes, I can see why though. I told you I was up in the middle of the night the other night? I was actually up in the galleries. Turns out one of the weyrbrats took a dare to try and touch Kilaueth's eggs. I wouldn't want to be out there when the gold got all upset." Her eyes had looked down, then she too leans forward and looks at him. "Wait, there is an incubator in the annex. If golds wouldn't allow unhatched eggs off the sands until they were sure they were dead, why do we have one?"
K'vin nods his head. "Because we thought that it'd be a good idea in case one of the queen decided to give us one of her unhatched eggs." K'vin outstretched a hand to touch at Rennu's cheek. "You know you're pretty when you are serious like this."
Neferennu blinks and does even move when he touches her cheek, too deep in thought and lost in her own mind to realize. When she does, she just smiles and sits back a little bit. "Well, that would make sense. As any testing been done to find out why a dragon doesn't develop enough to hatch? I had read about Ruth in the 9th Pass, and the theory that the shell was thickened so they couldn't get out. I still don't understand it though." A laugh at the pretty comment as it finally sinks in. "Oh, I doubt it. You haven't seen me scare some of the new trainees when they accidentally mix up fellis with another herb. Just the look on their faces would make you think I looked like someone who had gotten burned by dragonfire across the face."
K'vin grins. "Heh, but I still like your face when you are in deep thought like this." He says with a smile, trying to outstretches a hand to caress one of her knee.
Neferennu smiles and her hands intercepts his from touching her knee, just holding it for a minute before letting it drop. "Well, my foster mother said the same thing. Then she'd get upset because she'd find me on the computer in the middle of the night." Another drink of juice and then she sighs. "So, when do you think the next time will be to get a chance to look at an underdeveloped egg? It would be a great experience and could learn something as to why they are laid in the first place. Not that I'll be able to do more than look on for a couple turns…" A long sigh at that and then another sip of juice. "That's what I get for not finding my niche until later in life."
K'vin smiles and squeezes Rennu's hand in his own before she drops it. "Don't worry about it. I'll tell you when something's happening so you'll be able to look and I'll explain things to you." He says with a smile.
Neferennu smiles and gives a courteous nod. "Thank you. I would appreciate it. Now as to whether or not I'll have the time anytime soon will be decided when Ellamariseth's eggs hatch. I got looked at twice when Kilaueth's eggs hatch, but I wasn't exactly surprised I didn't impress. A little down, I admit, but at least I wasn't scared like those mountain kids were. Still thinking that hatchlings maul people. I think Eastern's last clutch was laid on the sands wrong."
K'vin nods his head. "how so?" He asks, leaning back on his back. "Do you have a theory on that?"
Neferennu shudders and shakes her head. "No, I really don't. I heard about the boy who got killed and so many candidates hurt. It was like the hatchlings actually wanted to hurt them. Maybe that area of the sands got too hot and made the hatchlings delirious? Kind of like we get that way when it gets too hot and there isn't any water." A reference to the Igen deserts perhaps. "Afterall, they are cramped up in that shell. Surely they hatch because they don't have any more water or food to develop from."
K'vin shrugs. "I have absolutely no idea." He looks at Rennu and sits up straight. "It shocked you, didn't it?" He asks gently. "You can talk to me about it you know?"
Neferennu looks at K'vin and her smile fades into a solemn line. "I must seem so silly. I want to be a dragonhealer, one even the weyrwomen can't argue with when it comes to healing their lifemate, and yet I find something wrong with the Eastern hatching. Oh I had read about the hatchings of old where maulings were common. They seem to have all but disappeared since Threadfall ended though. They tell us to get out of the way because they won't notice if we aren't who they are looking for, but intentionally killing a candidate? I thought dragons wouldn't kill a human under any circumstance."
K'vin stands up and kneels beside Rennu before wrapping his arms around her shoulders, if she let him that is, trying to confort her. "I understand." He says softly, sighing. "It was dreadful."
Neferennu doesn't even mind him holding for a time. "I can't even figure out why it happpened. All I can tell the candidates that are scared is that it was one incident out of thousands of clutches over a hundred turns. I just don't know what to think. Hopefully the eggs left hardening won't hatch out that vicious."
K'vin nods his head and continues holding Rennu close to him. "Yes, I understand, I don't think anything that bad will happen again though, keep your hopes high Neferennu."
Neferennu chuckles softly, wanting to put the incident out of mind. "Well, I'll keep my hopes high it doesn't happen again. As for impressing, not everyone can. Plus, it must be interesting to have two dragonhealers out on the sands." In a reference to certified healer Saige and herself.
K'vin nods his head and releases Neferennu now, going to sit down beside her on the couch now. "Yeah, indeed, I'll be watching you know?" He says with a smile.
Neferennu smiles. "Oh, I know you will, as will most the weyr I think." The last of her juice is downed and she looks at the glass a bit disappointed but then turns her eyes back to him and smiles. "If I may ask, how was it for you?
K'vin chuckles as he sees Rennu watching her glass and he stands up to refill it for her. "I remember like it was yesterday, it was a bit smooth, I remember some got left on the sands but nothing really happened."
Neferennu hands him her glass with a thank you. "So did you get left standing before you finally impressed?" A movement to press her back against the back of the couch and recross her legs the other way.
K'vin nods his head. "I got left on the sands once." He says softly. "But I didn't give up and stood again to impress this time."
Neferennu hms and watches him curiously. "So, what was impression like? I've only imagined how it must be to be able to talk to a dragon in your mind."
K'vin nods his head. "This will have to wait for another time, it's a long story and I have some duties to attend to." He says with a smile. "But if you need to talk about something, I'm here, just so you know."
Neferennu nods and stands with a smile. "Ok, I will be sure to ask you about it later then. I better get back to the barracks and change clothes. I'll see you in lessons in the annex soon." A slight bow to him and then she heads back out the door.