
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 color 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 colors 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.
The caverns, oddly enough, are rather vacant. A series of events in and out of the weyr have drawn riders off here and there and a certain event has frightened people away from this place. This certain event was caused by a certain person who -is- sitting in the caverns. Luckily few know it was his fault thanks to some major covering up. T'eo, the bronze-riding sailor sits by himself in his usual seat head resting on a book, rather than reading it. His little firelizards are playing tug o' war with a piece of string that must have come off of a roast.
Bellorya hobbles into the caverns, needing a chair as much as a glass of water. The latter she asks for from someone fleeing the room for the relative safety of the kitchen. The former she all but collapses into with a groan and a sigh. Untangling her left arm from the crutch, the Mastertanner stretches her incredibally long fingers and twists her wrist about.
Ember is the first one to spot it and with a squeak alerts T'eo and Hestia before taking off after a scuttling creature that dashes across the floor, trying to hide under the Mastertanner's chair. The bronze flit dives after chirruping with glee. "What? Where?" Appearently the bronzer had been talking to his dragon rather than sleeping. "Ember! Careful." The green echos his concern. But the bronze seems too involved to care, pouncing upon the crab and trying to lift it. It clamps against the ground on the flits toes. It squawks in alarm and anger, flapping it's wings and bouncing around to try and get free. All under the woman's chair.
Bellorya leans over to watch herself, though stiffly. With that free left hand, she reaches beneath herself, easily pinning the little arachnid between thumb and forefinger. "Now let go so I can get a look at you." They don't have too many of these in Igen, you know. Once the crab realizes that there's a bigger preditor to worry about, it lets go of the little bronze and tries it's natural best to look all the more big and menacing. To the desert bred tanner, it just looks weird. So what does she do? She puts it on the table to study it safely away from those pernicious claws.
Bellorya leans over to watch herself, though stiffly. With that free left hand, she reaches beneath herself, easily grabbing the tail. "Now let go so I can get a look at you." They don't have too many of these in Igen, you know. Once the crab realizes that there's a bigger preditor to worry about, it lets go of the little bronze and tries it's natural best to look all the more big and menacing. To the desert bred tanner, it just looks weird waving around it's legs one after another. So what does she do? She puts it on the table to study it in an almost…..more natural position than dangling before her face.
T'eo hurries to his feet, striding quickly over to the the woman and nodding. Sorry about that. The bronzen lizard zooms to his shoulder and chides the lizard from this safe perch while the green coos sympathtically and crawls over to inspect her companion's toes. T'eo eyes the crab on the table as it twitches uncertainly. "They're all over." He says offhandedly. No. Wasn't his fault at all. Nop. No-sir, not him… « Liar. »
Bellorya cocks an eyebrow. "What *are* they? I've never seen any thing so….peculiar." Curious to the last, the tips of her fingers stroke the chitioness shell before she taps on it gently. Fascinating.
T'eo chuckles as the crab clamps down on the table with fright. "Runnershoe crabs. A bunch load got loose when some crates, being brought to the kitchens, fell." He explains. "They make decent food but unfortunately they scare the Weyr half to death. It's not like they're dangerous but I suppose they're creepy-crawlie enough to be disliked." The smile on his face tells that he probably has captured a few and kept them as pets in his weyr. "Unfotunately they'll all die off pretty soon. Except maybe the ones in the hot springs."
Bellorya very nearly looks like a girl, studying something for the first time. Her eyes a light with wonder. "So they aren't native? Where did they get imported from? And why will the ones in the hot springs possibly survive and not the others?" At least she doesn't ask if they can be saved. "Can't they be…..herded in some way?"
T'eo grins. "They come from the shores, rather a good deal north actually. Fisher craft brough 'em in. They need water, perferably salt water, cause they eat the creatures in it and need to stay moist. The ones in the Hot Springs'll live longer for the sake of water though they'll probably starve. I sometimes wonder though, they're awful hardy little guys to have survived this long as it is. We tried to… I mean… er they tried rounding them up when they fell but there were just so… many… And they hide well. Blend in with things pretty well too… just look like bumps in wood and rock at first glance."
Bellorya ah's. "So then the Azov isn't fit for then?" Not so many questions come, since now she's realized that she's talking to someone. Someone she doesn't know. And just as suddenly as the questions came, now a blush lights in her face. "I…I mean…it…I would think…you know uh….it being a sea and…yeah." She's just going to shut up and stare at it the crab pointedly.
T'eo smiles at her sudden shyness and shrugs. "I think they need cold shores. Maybe their food grows best there. It'd be interesting to find out actually." He asks Raenth make note of this but the dragon sniffs indignantly. « I'm not your secretary. And I don't like cold water. » Well then. Guess he'll just have to remember it on his own. He takes a seat, hoping she doesn't mind. I'm sure it could live just fine in Azov, for a while at least. Though I'm curious to see why they're so far away." He imagines FisherCraft would know. As if taking the cue that it's no longer the point of interest the crab scuttles forward, leaping off the table into… hm… a human hand. T'e was quick enough to snatch the little creature up. "Hah. Not so fast buddy… OW! Stop that!" He holds it on either side of the shell to avoid getting bit again. "Supposedly these guys are a really old species. Not hard to believe with how strange they look."
Bellorya hrms in a curious way, thinking silently right up until when he gets bit. Then she starts forward a little, to lend what little, alright not so little hand she might could….maybe not. "So uh….the Ancients brought these things from Old Earth? Do they really taste that good?" She looks skeptical about them being good for eating at all.
T'eo gives a bit of a shrug. "Actually I'm not sure. They've copper blood base so I don't know if the were here or escaped." He frowns on that for a moment. But for eatings… "Oh yeah! They've a great flavor. Though I suppose it can be an aquired taste for some. We usually pack in quite a few on voyages for the crews and you get about as used to them as landfolk are to herdbeast meat really." He flips the critter upside down and examines his little legs which flail helplessly. "Amazing little guys really." And right side up again. One very very unhappy crab.
Bellorya is more adventureous with her tastebuds than she is socially. "I'll have to try some, sometime." With that decided she hazards a glance up to at least know the face of the man she's speaking to. Scanning the features of it quickly, she uses the attempt to push back a rowdy, frizzy curl out of her face to look away. Jays and shells, could she seem a little more like grew up under a rock? The thought brings back the blush. "Yeah." Gulp. "Amazing."
T'eo has noted the blushing and skittishness. Training from many a shy gal, paticularly one little green rider now at Igen, has him set to recognize the signs and avoid the silly questions such as "are you alright?" Instead he asks. "So what brings you to Xanadu? I doubt these little buggers." He says waving the crab a little. It wriggles it's legs unhappily.
Bellorya glances around looking for a moment a bit lost. She did ask for a water, right? Yes. She did, very distinctly ask for a glass of water. "The um…the hunt. Your weyrwoman was kind enough to organize it for me, the least I could do was make an appearance. Though I don't think *I* was much help, fortunatly my crafters are well versed in their arts, and didn't need much direction." Promotions will soon be in order, to be sure. And note, when she's on about her craft, she's a little more relaxed. "Oh shards! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm-uh…I'm Bel..lorya." Oh jays.
T'eo nods quickly. "Yes yes… Raenth and I picked up on teh tail end. Poor ole' lump. Missed out on catching anything. My fault really. Had it not been for and emergency on the docks we'dve been there much sooner. Put him in a right state it did, a foul mood. Luckily he's quick to shrug things off…" « That's what -you- think. » "Or not… In anycase he's better. Talking at least. That's how I can tell his angry, gets quiet." T'eo has a tendancy to ramble ona about things he loves. Yep. "Ah yes… I'm T'eo, rider of bronze, well, Raenth as you might guess… and Captain of the Silvara who should be pulling out very soon." His eyes alight realizing this! « Oh boy. »
Bellorya tries to follow some of that but only managed to come out with "Well met. And my duties to your lifemate….uh and Xanadu of course." And now what? Her eyes search around the room for a moment, looking for something, anything she can use as a point of conversation. But she's really really bad at this. How do people do it? How do they manage conversastions, friendships? Shards it's nearly too much, and so she starts to fidget. But she's not looking for a way out at least. She might be failing the social graces, but at least she's trying.
T'eo doesn't seem to notice too much her quiet. He can talk quite a bit and loose people when he does so. Though he, on many occassion, gets boweled over by the even more talkative. "I heard things went well for the hunt though, only a few injuries. How many beasts were lost? Friend of mine said one of the calves went with a ranchhand to Ista injured? I was surprised someone came down from Ista as it is. Must be a dedicated man." « Or really bored. » Be nice.
Bellorya nods. "Yes. One calf was injured, and a few herdbeasts were lost. But to me it's hardly a cost. More like a payment to the dragons for their help." Even though really it was the one old gold. "There were some sprains, bruises and scrapes. One of my tanners got a chemical burn when he tried to catch a barrel that a spooked runner knocked over. I pulled people from all over, because tanning seems to be a craft that's falling in peoples minds." There's at once a mourning and a definace in her soft voice for the possibility of being the master to preside over the end of her craft.
T'eo frowns at the very idea. "I don't see why. It's well needed, of course! I can't imagining teh weyr functioning without it. I mean I might be able to skin ya a fish for food, but I can no more weave canvas then I can skin a herd beast or dye or craft it. I've tried some of the tooling before on Raenth's straps." « It was a disaster. » T'eo rebuts the dragon alloud. "Will you STOP IT with the negative comments???" Pause. Gee. That didn't seem strange. "Sorry… er… Raenth… Being a pest."
Bellorya has been spending a disturbing amount of time around riders lately, so she's getting used to the speaking out loud though not to her in the middle of conversation. Though generally it's a 'leader doing it. "We…..don't do canvas. I guess people just don't like the smell of the chemicals. Or the gore. It's not a craft for the squimish or weak of stomach."
T'eo smirks a little at the throught. "Very true… though I said canvas by way of relating it, so ta speak. Though I must say isn't healercraft a bit the same if not worse? I mean at least in Tannercraft you get to be all artsy sometimes, eh? And with healercraft you're just experiencing the other stuff. Either way you're helping other people. Though I suppose it's a bit more direct in healercraft." « T'eo…" "What???" His voice changes which must mean he's talking to Raenth. « … easy… Reports came in for your Senior Apprentice. The CraftSecond wants to see you. » "Ah…" T'eo looks at Bellorya. "Raenth… again… I need to speak with the CraftSecond." There's apprehension in his voice. What would teh records say? Was he not permissible to sail? He looks at the crab. "Drop this guy off in my tank beforehand though. Unless you want one." he smirks.
Bellorya opens her mouth to answer about the Healercraft, who at least has new apprentices to train when T'eo's interrupted. Giving the poor creature a glance, she considers it for a half second before she shakes her head. "I doubt it would do well in Igen. Uh….Good luck?" That's the right thing to say there, right? Yeah. Has to be. Maybe. Sigh.
T'eo nods his head, reasing his hand, with the crab, to his brow in a salute. "Thankie. And goodluck with your endeavors aswell. Hope to see you again." And with that he head out tripping a bit on the stone at the enterance and nearly looking the crab. Hmm… Perhaps that's how the crab thing occured?