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.
Zevida comes into the Tavern with a sigh, rubbing at her temples as she finds a table with an irritated hiss directed towards the nearest person to her. She's in a bad mood, and her day was going so well too! She had a lovely night, the night before, and now it was ruined. A grumble as she finds a table, settles her plate from the caverns down and begins to eat. Some nice wine is brought to her, in which she ignores the server, because he already knew exactly what she wanted, she has no reason to thank or even look at him right now. With everything settled, she goes about eating her lunch.
Thea steps into the tavern, her face looking like a thrundercloud with her dark brows lowered over icy eyes and her lips frowning. Folks who knew her might be surprised; this isn't her usual disposition. She stalks in without greeting anyone, looking neither right nor left and makes her way to the bar counter, and stands there to drum her fingers upon it irritably. She's not ignoring anyone, she just doesn't know who is in here. And at the moment, she doesn't appear to care. Gliding along behind her silently and smugly is a bronze firelizard, who rather than perch upon the weyrwoman, takes a spot overlooking the room.
Even an oblivious person would have a hard time missing the pair of thunderclouds moving in, especially when each have that shiny gold cord in their knots. As Chaise is busily watching the room, back leaned against the bar as she cradles her mug, the two weyrwomen draw her eyes and cause her brows to lift. Softly clearing her throat, she leans slightly toward Thea and murmurs a bland greeting. "ComputerCraft's duties." Her voice is low-pitched and the mumble might go totally unnoticed with Thea being all preoccupied, but she's done the 'polite' thing.
Zevida shoots Chaise a look, she's speaking. Anyone else in the room seems to be silent and avoiding the whole.. Talking while there are pissed weyrwomen around. Knowing it very well could get them banned, if they were Niva. Instead, she lets out a sigh rather than exploding on the woman. Sipping her wine with a bit of interest before she turns fully to Chaise. "New here?" Thea gets a look, offering a soft. "Just ignore it." Though, Zevi isn't doing too hot, either.
Thea turns her head towards the voice, the tension in her forehead easing just a bit, and she utters automatically using the traditional Holder greetings, "Cold Stone's-" She corrects herself, "Xanadu's Greetings, uh…?" A look is flashed at Zevida as she speaks and Thea's brows scrunch back down, but thankfully the 'tender plunks Thea's usual glass of wine in front of her at that moment. Not one to ignore manners, she looks back to the girl beside her, "Thea, Seryth's Rider. "Well-met…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." She's that out of it, yes. Above the bar, Ruin peers with interest and pleasure at her foul mood.
Chaise takes another slow sip of her ale, eyes sliding to Zevida as one brow arches a bit. Lowering the frosty mug back to rest on her thigh she just nods. "That I am. Chaise, Journeyman ComputerCrafter." That last is offered with a nod to Zevida, then one to Thea - one introduction to serve both. "And well met, both of you." She pauses, showing just a bit of
the wary thought the rest of the bar's patrons have exhibited. "Is something…" she trails off, then just shakes her. Better left alone most likely.
Zevida smiles as Thea relaxes, if only slightly, she pokes about her food for a bit before digging in at a rather decent pace. At least she's not looking piggish. "Zevida, Avaeth's rider." She notes, glancing at the woman with slight interest as she's not seen her before. "Ah, welcome then, to the Weyr. We'll have to apologize as there's a bit of.. Tension in the air." A
smile before the woman tilts her head. "But, don't think much of it… Chaise. Well met. I hope you'll find out Weyr to your liking. We are, in fact, one of the most technology based Weyrs. Your crafting skills are quite welcome."
Thea gives the 'tender a grim nod, hopefully he will understand her silent thanks. Likely he's seen all sorts of moods in here. Her knuckles about the glass are white as she lifts the glass to sip, looking past the rim to listen to Chaise. Lowering the glass, she nods as she swallows, places the glass on the bar and slides it to the man behind the counter, "Spike it, please."
She points to a bottle on the shelf and waits. She opens her mouth to answer the newcomer, then thinks the best of it and shuts it. She just nods in agreement with Zevida. Tension or welcome skills? She doesn't define it, "Could use all the help you can offer." Still grim, but not as grouchy-looking, which disappoints Ruin no end.
Chaise's second brow joins the first, both lifted above narrowed moss-green eyes at the mention of tension. "So I noticed," she mumbles almost too quietly to be discerned, but then she simply nods and pulls a faint but polite smile to her wide mouth. "Thank you for the welcome in spite of whatever is in the air today. Xanadu's technology is why I requested this
posting, and I hope I can be of some help." Trailing off, she tosses back another gulp of ale instead of offering any more lame comments, eyeing Thea's glass as it gets its hit of liquor. "Is the… ah… tension something I can help with?" As if computers would cause goldriders to be this grouchy.
Zevida finishes off her plate and leans back into her seat, not moving closer towards Thea and Chaise, nope. She's resting in her spot. Taking the wineglass into her hand she looks it over carefully before sipping again. "You should work on your welcoming, Thea." She notes idly, though there's no hint of harshness, and it's the truth as all the girl can do is nod. Towards Chaise, she quirks a brow. "Very smart of you, but no. It's a problem that can't be fixed."
Thea ignores Chaise's mumbled comment but replies to the other glumly, "Not unless you can reverse history," She raises her glass to sip once again, coughs slightly, blinks rapidly and grimaces. "Igen Firewater's not any better in wine, either," Lifting it in an unspoken toast to the general direction of the Weyr, she continues sipping, distaste for the drink plainly
written there on her face. Zevida's comment causes a head-turn and a brief frown,"Please Zevida! Any other day…" She's doing her best just to keep silent on what is bothering her. "We are glad to have ya here." This last to Chaise in a bit warmer tone as she manages a wan smile.
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's got Chaise wrapped up tight and she's not the sort to be stopped by cautionary tales. So she stays where she's at, perched between two clearly upset goldriders, and sips at her ale. "Sorry to hear that," she offers to Zevida, waiting a beat to make sure there isn't any more useful information forthcoming. Then to Thea, a
slightly deeper smile in response to the wan curve she receives. "Thanks, but really it's alright. You obviously have… something on your mind." A beat, then she nods to the bottle of firewater. "It's a little better in juice. I'm not sure anything goes very well with wine."
Zevida chuckles at Thea's comment, if only a slight snicker as she twirls the wine in her glass. "Hnn. Sorry, it's true, Thea." She notes softly, "just something to remember. Efficency is the best way to get things done." She states simply as she watches the youngest junior. "I don't imagine it'd taste better. Firewater doesn't sound pleasant at all." There's a nod of
approval at her last comment towards Chaise and the woman relaxes again. "Still, can't be too rude to new residents.. Wouldn't be good." Well, Zevi doesn't like to be rude. Much.
Thea tires of standing and slides into a stool, working on that glass. "Taste isn't all that important right now anyway." She shrugs, dismissing her glass. Zevida's comment draws a quietly sarcastic, "I'll work on it." She props her chin in her hand and stares at the counter for a few moments, trying to think up a polite question for the newcomer. "Chaise, where do ya
call home?" She ignores the gloating chuckle Ruin makes overhead. Between the other weyrwoman riding her and an annoying firelizard it's fairly challenging to relax.
A flick of the fingers is Chaise's reply to Zevida - she grants that the weyrwoman is right on all counts, especially as she has no experience in welcoming new residents herself. It's back to her mug which is rapidly growing empty, until Thea ventures her polite question. "Well, here now I suppose, but I've been at Landing until now. My father's there." She taps long fingers against her glass, awkward. "Where are you from?"
Zevida ignores the sarcasm in Thea's voice with a cool smile before she sips her wine and drops the subject. "Can always ask Cenlia if you want something to get drunk off of fast." Chuckling, she listens to the conversation between the two with idle interest.
Thea's interest is caught, in spite of the day's events and she looks at Chaise with genuine interest. "Landing huh? I've always wanted to go there. Haven't had the time…" She lifts the glass, sipping and swallowing hard before biting out softly in response to Zevida, "Not going to do that," meaning getting drunk. "T'was Ysa that told me about this stuff." She bites her bottom lip, which has begun to tremble just a bit and she firms it. "Cold Stone Hold," she answers Chaise belatedly, waving a hand in a general northerly direction, "back of beyond in High Reaches." A breath, "So what's Landing like?"
Vrizana doesn't usually come to Xanadu weyr from Rubicon, but perhaps with all the troubles in that region, it was a matter of time. Leaving her runner at the stables, the Dolphin CraftSecond, only newly minted within the last two Turns, makes her way towards the tavern after settling up a few items of craft business with some of the riders of Xanadu. She doesn't enter hesitantly, but all the same she does pause a moment on the threshold to glance around quickly. One might term it speculatively, even. A moment later, she's off again, this time to claim a drink and a place to sit, though not necessarily in that order.
It's somewhere around the lunch hour so the tavern's doing brisk business. Chaise sits at one end of the bar with Thea nearby while Zevida occupies a table. For her part Chaise doesn't have a meal in front of her, just a nearly empty mug of ale in hand and a pile of belongings at her feet. Turned away from the bar with her back resting against it, she sees Vrizana as the woman enters and gives her a nod as she comes to claim a drink. A blink for Thea then, those expressive brows sliding upward again. "High Reaches? That's about as far from here as you can get. You'll have to tell me the story of how you got way down here sometime." She pauses, tongue flicking out to wet her lips, then shrugs. "Landing is about
like you'd expect. Busy and interesting and full of people trying new things. It's the only place I've really ever lived so I don't have much to compare it to really."
Zevida nods slowly, "getting drunk isn't enjoyable. Waking up after being drunk is like waking up after a flight." But, that's only because Zevi's had bad experiences. Ending up with both men kicked out on their rears shortly after she beat them out of her bed.. She glances towards Vrizana with a curious look, examining the woman before offering a smile and a nod of her head.
"Tell me about it. Once was enough. I'll never do it again." Thea answers Zevida wryly. Meaning getting drunk, not flights. Seryth gives her no choice on that matter. Vrizana gets a nod, but with so many coming and going the weyrwoman doesn't seem to expect to know everyone in here. She sips slowly, the fortified wine is hitting her empty stomach and doing it's job; she's relaxing. "Sometime I will," she answers Chaise. "Always wanted to see Landing, being such a historical place and all."
Vrizana hears the mention of "Landing" as she bellies up to the bar, and glances Chaise's way. "Landing?" she calls over in a curious, if cool, tone. "I remember doing my Apprenticeship there for the Dolphincraft. It's quite the place, isn't it?" She smiles faintly, briefly, with a nod for the women before turning to make her order. The scent of the food reminds her that she's not eaten, however, and so she goes about remedying that little oversight as well.
With a nod to the bartender, Chaise sets her mug on the bartop and soon enough it's full and frothy once again. The talk of being drunk brings a wry smirk to her lips which she hides behind a long pull of her drink. "I suppose it depends on who's asking… maybe about both," she offers. "I know more about the first than the second of course." Vrizana gets a hint of a
smile and another nod before she replies back to Thea again. "Quite a place, yes. You should go sometime. You do have the advantage of nearly instantaneous trvel and all. What's keeping you?"
Zevida nods, "yea.. I don't do it anymore, either." A sigh as she sips her wine and eyes the ones chatting about Landing. "She can't go because Seryth is going to be heavy with eggs, soon. But, she'll be free to go once they Hatch." Depending on Seryth, though. A glance towards Vrizana, "greetings. Xanadu's greetings. What brings you by?"
Thea drains the glass, sets it down and pushes it away with a headshake to the 'tender's raised brow. "Dolphins are remarkable creatures," she remarks in Vrizana's direction. "The dragon flu first and then…yeah. What Zevida said. Quarantine postponed my plans and the eggs now as well." Her eyes wander, coming to rest on the bags and trunk on the floor briefly, then back to Chaise in a bit of surprise. "Haven't been settled in yet?"
Vrizana nods towards Zevida's welcome. "My thanks. Rubicon's to you, as well. I came on craft business with some of the riders here. I was thinking of speaking with your senior, though, about some ideas for the wings. Search and Rescue type missions, practice… especially with the recent tragedy at Rubicon." She frowns slightly. "It's going to take a bit more
manpower to find the wreck of that ship that went down. There's no telling where it might've gone, but the pods can find it if we have an idea of where to scour the floor over." She hesitates and then admits, "Not that that's not one of my interests, understand, but there you have it." She smirks a bit. "Dolphins are indeed remarkable, however. My partner is Icthyis. He and I have come a long way together in the last eleven Turns."
Chaise nods slowly. "Eggs. Right. I hadn't thought about that." Even new as she is to the weyr that makes sense. Dolphins are a bit more familiar than dragons and she nods to Vrizana. "It's amazing what you can do between dragons in the air and dolphins in the sea, but it still hasn't been found, mmm?" Her eyes flicker over the trio of women who would know
about these official things far more than her. And then it's down to her ramshackle pile of belongings with a twitch of a grin. "I have a room, I just haven't managed to get over there yet. I figured I'd wrangle a few lads to help me drag all this down once I'm done with my drink."
Zevida hmms softly, glancing at Vrizana still before smiling. "You might want to wait to speak with our senior. Another day might be better, she's not in the best of moods.." Chuckling, she downs the rest of her wine and listens to the conversations.
Thea is remiss after the events earlier today, murmuring a belated welcome to Vrizana and flashing Zevida a cautiously grateful glance for not calling her on it. Her eye crinkle in the first real smile she's been able to manage for the time she's been in here, "I'd love to meet Icthyis sometime." Chaise draws the first breath of a laugh she's had all day, "Remind me to
introduce you to a friend of mine later. Cenlia is of like mind." Her head shakes a regretful negative regarding finding of the ship's captain and crew. She contradicts Zevida's warning with a slightly acidic, "She seemed quite delighted when I left her." Now she's back to looking grim, but it isn't directed at the newcomers. She rises abruptly, "I apologise, ladies. I need
to see to something." and she hurries out.
There's not going to be any screaming? No throwing things, no breaking glass? With a grumble of disappointment Ruin swoops down from his perch, heedless of passing too close to the heads of folks who might be enjoying their leisure. He trills joy in any cries of irritation as he glides out the door to seek misery where he can wallow in it.