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.
Arkoss has done everything he needed to do so far as his firelizard is concerned. Fed him, oiled him, scritched him wherever he demanded it…and now Arkoss is working on himself, mainly by food. He's got at least three plates of food and eating as if food was going out of style. Good morning!
L'alie looks fit to kill someone at this early hour, stalking into the caverns like a cat on the prowl. Slung over one shoulder is something big, and pink, and extremely garish. Eyes dart around the cavern, taking in every detail. The food table is disdained.
Keziah has entered the caverns. Thank you. Thank you very much. There is certainly no sneaking or slipping in or any attempt to just merge in with the glad. Nope. Not Keziah. She's hyper yes she is as she runs into people that she recognizes from before. She's laughing and joking and then she gets a look of curiosity as murmurs start trickling back and then blinks and focuses on L'alie "What in the name of pretty little firelizards is /that/ on your shoulder?" she asks as she makes her way over to woman. "It looks.. it looks." she shakes her head "I'm not even sure it looks like something a feline would drag in."
Arkoss is just minding his own business, yep. He wasn't going to comment on the pink thing, not a bit. Nor does he have to, what with Keziah asking all the questions. Swerving around, fork in hand, he lifts his other hand in a wave, then grabs a plate and spears a piece of meat. Sorry, his mouth is full otherwise he'd say hi. In his distraction, his firelizard darts in and snags a different piece of meat, flying off smugly with his 'steal'.
L'alie gives Keziah a glance, whipping the pink clothing off her shoulder and spreading it with a flourish.. where it resolves itself to be! The most hideous dress you've ever laid eyes on. A multi-tiered affair with ribbons drapped between huge paper roses. Lace is tatted to every surface that isn't bedecked in ribbons or roses or hideous pink. Did I mention it's sewed so badly it may vary well fall apart? Oh yes, it's bad. "This is the dress that Adinaeth spent my hard earned marks on." She says with dispair, bundling the dress up again and looking speculatively at the hearth.
Keziah stares at the dress. She blinks a little and then she just cracks up laughing "I think I'm blind! That is the most eye-bleeding hazard of a.. a… what was he thinking? How did he get your marks. Sweet Faranth Mother of Dragons! Wait! Don't burn it!" she exclaims "I mean the fumes might poison us and…" she trails off a little and then looks thoughtfully at the dress "And I'm sure there is something we can do with it." She takes on a devious look. Hmm.
Arkoss also stares at the dress. "That would be the worst punishment imaginable for someone to have to wear, male /or/ female." he comments once his mouth is clear. "That would make the candidates behave." he smiles innocently at Keziah. "Penance being having to wear it for a day."
L'alie looks thoughtful and grins at Arkoss, "You've just spat upon a wonderful idea! What was your name?" Before he can answer, she cranes her head in the direction of the clearing, "You- what? Want what? WHAT?!" the brownrider begins gesticulating wildly, the dress flying around in her hand like some flail of doom, made all the more dangerous by it's eyesmarting color. "Adinaeth, that's terrible, I'm not- no, I'm not going to- what?! NO!" Furious, the pregnant woman rounds on Arkoss, thrusting it at him. "My silly brown wants /you/ to wear this, and model it for him."
Keziah watches the flailing with keen interest and then she just starts laughing so hard she falls into a seat "Oh, that's perfect." she states with hilarity. "It'd go so well with his hair too." she can't help but snicker "All the guys will be after you for sure." She holds her stomach in positive glee as she tries to breath. "It's perfect!"
"W-what?" Arkoss stammers, eying the dress. "Why /me/? I didn't do anything!" pause. "Arkoss." he adds warily, still staring at the dress like it was going to leap on him and devour him in all its pinkicity.
L'alie taps her temple, "You said the magic word. Can't keep anything from him, you see.. not without really trying, at least." She sighs, shaking the dress out and averting her eyes, "Best do it, he'll be sticking his snout in here if we don't get out there at least. He's a pushy thing, he is." One might even notice her eyes beginning to water just looking at the dress pinched between her outstretched fingers. SHe offers it do him, "Just… don't look at yourself in the mirror, and everything will be fine. Really."
Keziah graps onto the table. "Don't look in the mirror. Oh yeah, don't do that, you'll end up shattering it for sure." she snickers. "After all you'll be one hawt mamma." she chokes a little on her own laughter. "Can we parade him through the Weyr too?" she asks with glee.
Arkoss' mother always told him he needed to be more assertive in every day life. "N-no…" he protests weakly, but nevertheless grabs it. "Can't I just….hold it in front?" he demonstrates, looking hopeful. "It probably doesn't even fit…"
L'alie flaps her hands at Keziah admonishingly, "Be nice!" though snorts of laughter are breaking through her determined face set. Her head tilts again, and then shakes. "Adinaeth says no, it will fit, you must wear it. His words.. well.. actually, it sounded more like 'Like, make him wear the dress, L'alie. I want to, like, see it, okay?' This said in a low, but very prissy voice. It's a creepy combination.
Keziah snorts a little "Heck you'ld have an easier time than me I think looking at how skinny you are and all." She then attempts to look contrite at being told to be nice. But she can't help but snicker still "I'm sure it'll look better when it's on?" She states, sounding almost hopeful and almost ready to dissolve into a laughing fit again.
Arkoss appears /incredibly/ reluctant to actually put the dress on. "How does someone even /wear/ something like this?" he looks at it with a look of intense suffering on his face. "Top? Bottom?"
L'alie rolls her eyes, grabs the hem of the dress, scrunches it towards the neck. Then she dumps it, flying ribbons and paper roses and bits of badly woven lace alll over Arkoss' head. "Like that." She says cheerfully. Really, she couldn't look more proud of herself. Then she's reaching for Arkoss' arm should he not be flailing like a maniac by now, intent on dragging him outside. Keziah is given a head jerk to indicate she's welcome to follow.
Keziah slams a hand across her heart "Oh bestill my beating heart, I think I'm in love." she drawls out and then starts snickering before she promptly plants an 'i'm being good' look on her face. Really. She wasn't snickering…much. "Umm, it's, it's not too" choke, cough, hack. "Bad looking on you."
Arkoss keeps his eyes completely shut during all this, and is that a whimper that escapes the boy? Just your imagination. He'll move his arms through the sleeves, but he's /not/ going to open his eyes until it's taken off again. Likely, his face at this point is matching the color perfectly. He allows himself to be dragged off, stumbling a bit.
Xanadu Weyr - Clearing(#9292RJs)
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
People: Arkoss Keziah, and L'alie
Dragons: Vwayath, Adinaeth, Flameth, and Mellonath
Firelizards: Samantha
Obvious exits:
Resident Dorm <RD> Meadow <M> Beach <BE> Craft Complex <CC> Infirmary <IN> Hatching Arena <HA> Caverns <C> Tavern <T> Forest <FO> Queens' Ledges <QL>
L'alie parades Arkoss out into the clearing, looking triumphant. The pink dress stays scrunched up under his armpits, the huge bow on the back trailing towards the dirt as she hauls him along. Adinaeth, who is truly more pink than brown at this point in time, turns his head gleefully towards his conquest. « Perfect! Darling, that is /so/ you! » The dragon rumbles, thrusting his muzzle towards Arkoss. Keziah is given a wink over the poor lad's head. At least it might make sense to him if he saw the beast that demands this of him. As it is.. probably not.
Arkoss disobeys his previous decision and cracks his eyes open to look at the pink-brown. He saw him pinked earlier when the candidates painted him. He looks at the brown unhappily.
Keziah follows behind the procession, her eyes dancing as she strikes up an imaginary band as she sings "We'll drink, a drink, a drink to the guy dressed in pink a pink a pink. The silly one who Adinaeth wants!" she cracks herself up. Really she does.
L'alie can't help it, she bursts into fits of laughter as Adinaeth trumps around poor Arkoss, chuffing and waving his wings happily. « Yes! This one will, like, totally do! » the dragon announces, sitting back with his tail waving in amusement. « L'alie, ask him! » Ever faithful, the woman rolls her eyes and intones, "Arkoss, my meat-brain lifemate here wishes for you to stand for Kilaueth and Hesketh's current clutch on our Sands."
Keziah can't help but giggle and she looks over at Adinaeth and then back at Alie "I'm so glad he didn't do that to me." she murmurs between giggles "You you are a cutey. Though be better if you straigtened out the dress and all and such. Does he get to wear it all day long?"
"Yes, I'd love to, but can I take it off now that you've seen it?" Arkoss asks the brown plaintively. "It's a very nice dress, you have, er… excellent taste." flail. If L'alie takes his idea to make misbehaving candidates wear this, he'll be the best behaved candidate ever!
L'alie snorts, "Yeah, you can take it off. That's his Searching dress. He mostly won't Search anyone without that dress on them first." She pulls her braid over her shoulder, playing with the ends of it boredly. "Anyways.. if you'll follow me, I'll show you where the Barracks are. You can pick a cot out and get your things moved in there. Your name will be added to the duty roster and you will begin chores starting tomorrow morning." She fumbles in her pocket and pulls out a new knot for him, one that is threaded through with white to mark him as a candidate.
Keziah awws a little "Darn it. It looks cute on you." she bats her eyes in a mischievious fashion "Maybe I should find another pink dress? Would you wear it for me? I mean not many guys really have to coloring for such a shade of pink, but it looked oh so adoring on you."
It's with alacrity that Arkoss tugs the dress off over his head, though he is careful not to destroy it in any way. "You mean everyone who you search has to wear that?" he exclaims, then looks at Keziah somewhat flatly. "No." at this moment, the blue firelizard comes flying out of the caverns, scolding fiercely. He refused to go near Arkoss when he was wearing that pink thing. "All right." he tells L'alie, handing her the dress and slipping on the knot.
L'alie sniffs, "Not all.. just the ones he Searches when I have it with me. Actually, this is the new one to replace the one that got destroyed last cycle." Her nose wrinkles. "Anyways, this way.." She stomps off towards the Hatching Arena.
Keziah awws a little, though she doesnn't seem at all disappointed that he won't wear a pretty dress for her. After all, guys are like that. "Welcome to the umm, fold!" she says gleefully as she haves the two of them off. She can't help but toss a grin up at Adinaeth and then looks around "I've missed Xanadu. I really have."
Arkoss nods and follows L'alie into the barracks, not looking at Keziah. Why does he have a feeling she'll make sure everyone in the Weyr and /out/ of it will hear about this? Sigh.