Xanadu Hatching Feast

Winter in the South - Month 7 of Turn 2716
Xanadu Weyr - Caverns

A massive cavern in its own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as have walls hung with numerous tapestries that 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. The stone is carefully leveled 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 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. It's plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr, instead feeding people in shifts as they come off duty. On occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are borrowed from all the other areas.

There's also a big fireplace set into the western wall, 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, the largest an archway to the northeast that leads outside. Near it there's an alcove with hooks for coats and shelves for muddy boots. A tunnel to the east goes to the infirmary, and a set of stairs just a little south of that lead up to the offices and administration area. To the south, a long and sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs. The kitchen is off to the southwest, while the residents' quarters are reached by tunnels going west, deeper into the cliff.


Is it still raining? Probably. Or snowing, because it's winter. Either way, the caverns are full of people, food, and warmth. The hustle of the Hatching Feast is in full swing and, among the throng of natives and visitors alike is a familiar (to some) bronzerider from Half Moon Bay Weyr. S'van has partaken of the food, but abstained from the stronger of the beverages, opting for a local fruit juice instead. He's off to the side, somewhat away from the crowd, and his gaze alternates between scanning the sea of faces and flashing to those coming in from outside.

It may have taken some time but Nailii was able to deal with a certain brown dragonet, and able to actually get him to sleep which elped only with a belly full of food. The dragonhealer is making her way into the cavern looking a bit nervous as her mind keep drifting at any given moment even with a sleeping Talanoath. She finds herself having to pause and clear her mind at times honestly. Though onwards she goes, smiling when she catches a few greetings from others in the process.

Kelan…Lani has spent some time feeding her beloved and getting her settled onto her cot. Making sure things were just right for her so that she can rest of the exhaustion of the hatching. Only then did she realize that SHE missed dinner and feeding her dragon isn't as filling as it once felt a minute ago. There was a reluctance in leaving her sleeping beauty but finally she does with a nudge from one of the weyrlingmasters. A dash across the bowl through the rain and Lani finds herself in the great cavern. There is a shake of damp hair before she looks around. First to deal with is family, hugs and greetings before she pulls herself from them to find something to eat for herself.

S'van knows that look well, though it's been many turns since he Impressed Aedeluth. Still, the look on Nailii's face makes him smile just a bit; the corner of his mouth turned up in dry amusement at the memory of his own Impression and weyrlinghood. But it's not until Kelani… Lani now… steps in that he moves. "Kelani! Er, uh. Sorry…" and there's a characteristic grin as he scoots through the crowd towards her. "Lani now, I guess. Gonna take time for that one to sink it, but congrats!"

Nailii glances back slihtly as he hears someone calls Kelani's name and catches sight of her off greeting family. Ther is a pause and she smile sbefore for a moment she actually hopes and glance around the caverns searching it seems. There is a moment that shows she can't find who she was looking for anda faint breath escapes her. "So be it…" Is murmured softly before she is going to find something to drink.

See? Garouth and Leirith's babies hatched, and nobody died. D'lei is willing to call this one a success! And so, it's time to celebrate. Okay, so first it was time to make double-sure of the lack of death, but now? He's here to celebrate, making his way through the throngs and attempting to not get waylaid by anyone for too long before he manages to get himself a drink. Heeeeere, drinky drinky drink…

Noone died, the lights stayed on and they all hatched and impressed. What more could you want out of a hatching? Lani looks up from filling her own plate to the sound of her name. "Yes…she is perfect S'van…you didn't say how perfect they are." Oh likely he did, but she was caught up in her own worries to really take it in. She looks over to the fellow healer and waves her over, "What about him? Isn't he just perfect?" She asks of her brown before looking up to the bronzerider, "She looks like she stepped out a forest, bringing it with her."

No death, no dismemberment (though maybe someone almost lost a toe? Still. If it remained attached, it doesn't count) so yeah. Leirith and Garouth's hatching was definitely a rousing success! Sev certainly things so, even if it means one of his best friends is moving away on a more permanent basis. He can't stop the grin, really; splitting his face from ear to ear as he looks like he wants to do something totally ridiculous (like pick Lani up and swing her around or something). But he keeps his hands to himself, helped by the fact that he's got a glass of juice in one of them still. Family is definitely allowed to make with the greetings and congratulations first, but the second he sees an opening, he swoops on in. "Yeah, that part… I figured it was a given," for the perfection of new baby dragons. Even if his own is a bit, um, "Challenging", there's still fondness for Aede. A glance for Nailii when Lani addresses her, and a friendly smile is offered her way. "I didn't see as much from the stands. I'll have to meet her in person, someday." D'lei's arrival (and subsequent drink-hunting) is given a glance and a grin and, if spotted, a helpful 'over there' mouthed as he points. Because maybe he can take a guess about what the clutch-sire's rider is seeking.

Nailii is still totally in one piec, and as far as she knows everyone else is as well. So no scars to talk about and have stories for goosiping just yet. Thereis always a possibility of that changing in the coming days after all. With a glass of juice in hand she catches the wave from Lani andwith a smile will head on towards where she and the other can be found. "Hi." Is offered S'van as sh's not met him before, or at least she doesn't think she has, names are not always her strong suit. A grin is sent to Lani. "His great… An… loud. Very loud." Though she doesn't see to think that is negative for one reason or another. "I didn't think he would fall asleep. To some egree his still awake, my mind is still a jumble."

A drink, that's what more D'lei could want! Okay, it's mostly not from the hatching directly, but… "Aha!" There it is. A drink! It's some kind of fancy mulled fortified wine thing, the better to warm up after the cold and wet. And now? A large mug of it is in D'lei's hand, and being sipped to warm down his throat to his stomach where it belongs. Okay. That's handled! Now then… what's next? He turns back, with a wave to Moonie bronzerider and… braaand neeeew weeeeeyrlings! D'lei grins, ambling his way closer. And overhearing things, maybe because they're loud. "Must take after his mother," he says toward Nailii, and hehs with a glance between her and Lani both. "It's a lot to sort through."

Lani looks back to exit occasionally, clearly not quite ready to be away from her lifemate though personal needs must be met. She looks back up to S'van and smiles, "I just saw her and knew I had to be hers. I felt a connection in the egg as well, but when she hatched…I could not believe I was so worried about everything. Thank you for supporting me and encouraging me to stay." She says and leans against him for a moment. Right now not having a thought for what it means about her old home, and friends there. They have dragons after all and she has hers. Those thoughts will come later. "Oh S'van, this is..Nailii?" Lani a little uncertain on the name at first, "What a change…it will take some getting used to. S'van is a friend from Half moon Bay." She looks up to D'lei and nods, "Yeah, Rosalyth is quieter than the others so far…"

Creeping, Ricki appears in the caverns, stifling a yawn even as she does so, sparing at glance over her shoulder in the general direction of the barracks now and then. With Iczy stuffed and asleep, it seems that Ricki has realized she needs much the same treatment, though she is pausing on the threshold, getting her bearings.

"I'm not surprised," says S'van, echoing D'lei's words with a, "given who his mother is," that comes with a grin. "Hey D'lei," offered casually, free-hand lifted to give him a wave before that arm is put to use encircling Lani in a hug. SQUEEZE! He might not be able to swing her around, but he can definitely do the side-hug thing. "And it is," he agrees, again, with the other bronzerider. "Took me almost a month to get used to Aedeluth's… buzzing? Humming? I don't know how to describe it, but, it's always in the back of my head." This said mostly for Nailii, on the topic of loud dragons and not settling him. "Even when Aede's asleep, I hear him." As for supporting her? "I'm glad I could help," offered truthfully, a more genuine smile given to the healer-turned-weyrling. "Whether she remains quiet or not, it doesn't look like you'll mind," he teases, back to grinning amusement once again. "Nice to meet you," offered as names are officially exchanged, freehand offered to Nailii. "And congratulations, officially, on your Impression."

Nailii sends an amused glance to D'lei once catching his input on the matter. "Well.. Perhaps just a wee bit." This said with an amused tone at the idea. "I'm not going to complain just, different." Oh she might complain later to some degree at least. A sip is taken from her drink as she listens to Lani, a slight nod as she agree with the other, pondering a moment before she hums and glances back to S'van. Oh yes that's her name now. "It'll take a bit for me to get use to it as well honestly. Nice to meet you as well S'van." This said while taking hold of the offered hand to give it a slight shake.

D'lei returns the wave from S'van, then tilts his head at the name given to The Candidate Formerly Known As Jaelynn by Lani. "Different name, too." He grins. "Nailii, the… one and only?" Probably, at least. Who knows? "But yeah. Different is… a good way to put it." He glances back to S'van, then Lani. "Even, each dragon from another. The buzzing," apparently, "or the forest," or so he thought he heard. "Or… well. I was saying how they were different. And how we don't really understand them." He grins, and has another long sip of his drink, with a glance past that lets him see Ricki - he thinks - and nod slightly to her before returning his attention to more local conversations. "All sleeping solidly enough for now, though?"

The distance to the group is closed by Ricki, though it is done by way of the table where food and juice are gathered quickly. As her mug is slid onto a handy nearby table top, she smiles to her new fellow weyrlings, as well as to each of the riders gathered. "Sleeping, I hope. I'm sure she will let me know when she isn't." Or possibly not. "Did you say Nailii?" She asks after a moment, eyes darting to the brownrider curiously.

Lani looks back to the exit and notices another weyrling joining the dinner line and waves over at Ricki before looking back to the group she is coversing with. The one arm squeezed invites her own arm to give him a one armed hug in turn, albeit briefly since she needs two hands to eat just now. "Yeah, it feels like…a trickle of vines moving about my mind, slow and langourous." Lani explains of the feel of her lifemate just now looking like it something she is still getting used to. She looks up to D'lei and nods, "Yeah, filled up and sleeping and I figure I best get to the first part of that myself. I don't know if I will ever be able to fall asleep tonight though."

"Name change?" guesses S'van, before it's confirmed by both D'lei and Ricki. "Ah, yeah. That'll take a while. Especially if it was a drastic change. Mine wasn't so bad, but I've heard a few that were pretty creative. Dragons are… interesting sometimes." Different, as D'lei just said. "Congrats," are offered to Ricki, a smile delivered though it's clear he either doesn't know her name, or has forgotten it. Or maybe he's concerned it's changed, also? So just a smile, right and amused and full of good spirits. "Vines?" asked of Lani. "I've only had, uh… oh wow. I guess I've had four dragons in my head." The number seems to surprise him, and there's a rueful sounding "huh" of an exhale. "They all feel different. And you'll get used to it." A grin for sleeping though. "Hopefully you get some. It's kinda like having a baby," only it's exactly like having a baby, just bigger. And already speaking coherently. "You'll sleep when she sleeps, or not at all."

It would seem that Z'eir is the last of the new weyrlings to join in the party. There is surely a reason for it, since he was the second to head into the barracks and get a head start on feeding and tending to his new lifemate. Changed into some clean trousers and a tunic, he's thankfully set that stained robed aside - you try feeding a new dragon and not get a little messy! Receiving congratulations heaped on him as he steps into the caverns, he smiles and nods, thanking people as he heads for food for himself, and something to drink, while keeping an eye out for the others who impressed, soon approaching wherever the group is found, "Hey." Still got that slightly dazed look as if he half expects to wake up from some noonday nap in the stables and find it all but a dream.

"Seems Talanoath was interested in changing it completely to something he approved of better." Nailii offers with an amused tone. "I'll have to question it with him at another time. So far as I know I'm the only one." She says to D'lei before glancing to Ricki and nods witha smile. "Yes, that's correct." She'll wave Ricki on over closer to the little group that is doing the talktalk bit. "At the moment his asleep, but it just doesn't feel like a full sleep. Sort of like a dream at times." She isn't sure if that makes sense, or if it even makes sense to her honestly because it does not. She smiles to S'van and nods. "I was Jaelynn before, now Nailii… Which is interesting to say the least. He says he would explain why later." She offers a wave to Z'eir once his wanderd over as well.

"You'll get a sense for it," D'lei says to Ricki with a smile. "Even if she doesn't say, exactly…" He trails it off into a shrug, because dragons are hard to explain. They're just mind-friends, not sensible ones. "I mean, Garouth decided D'lei was the best way to put a Dashiel, so… that one might be my fault?" He grins to her, then turns his head to Lani with a smile as she tries to explain her own lifemate. He nods for that talk of vines, then has another sip of his drink before… he laughs. "Well, it's really up to you whether you spend the whole night staring at her in wonder or not…" he says with a grin, then nods with agreement to S'van. "You're going to be up at all hours for the next bit, taking care of her. And sharing her dreams." A glance to Nailii, for that part, and then… he lifts his hand, a wave to Z'eir and a grin to go with it. "Seems Garouth was right."

"Well, I think I am glad that Iczy decided that Ricki was just fine. I am almost afraid of what she might have come up with." Ricki offers, voice quiet as she reaches for her mug. "A baby that could roll over on you in their sleep?" She laughs softly at S'van, shaking her head just a little bit. "Not that I am too worried about that. I think even know she knows exactly where I am." A pause at the mention of dreams, though, and Ricki's eyes widen just a bit. "Shards, I didn't think about that." Is someone worried about the dream sharing going both ways, now?

"Yeah my change isn't too bad, nothing I haven't been called before." Kel, Lani…'hey look up from the book'. Yep that pretty much covers it for nicknames. She grows quiet for a bit to take to eating a bit of food as the others talk. There is a nod to S'van's comment and makes a gesture with her fingers like vines going over her head. "I don't know a better explanation for it really." As more weyrlings join the group she steps back a bit to make the circle wider.

"It would seem he did, sir." Z'eir answers D'lei before laughing and shaking his head, "I honestly didn't think I would, and was quite happy to merely stand and then go back to the stables." Talk about your life changes. Mention of dreams has him frowning and rubbing his face, "Night terrors…" Already got his first taste of that. "I think at least it was what it was.." It's hard to explain in some ways.

S'van has definitely fed a new dragon and… definitely got a LOT messy, so there would certainly be no complaints from him about it. You do you, Zash! "Congrats," adds the foreign bronzerider to the new brownrider, tacking on his own 'congratulations' for the new weyrling in the wake of the crowd. A knowing grin, for that dazed look, though Sev says nothing when he lifts his glass for a sip of his juice. "Oh yeah?" to Nailii for her description of how her name was changed. Eyebrows lift, and there's surprise for sure when he learns of her former name. "That really is a drastic change," he agrees with a laugh, and there's something else flickering behind his gaze; a private amusement perhaps, though he says nothing of it. "Do you like it?" he asks, genuinely curious as to how she feels about it. "Huh. That's a pretty big change too," for D'lei's former-to-present name swap. "Guess I got lucky with Aede," and there's a nod to Ricki for her relief at staying the same. There's a shift of his position, that smile of his strained just a touch as he glances around the crowd. A roll of his shoulders and a longer swallow of his juice. "Lani," which makes him grin just a bit because it is different even if it's not much. But he drops his voice, murmuring softly for her ear alone before he straightens and offers her another, "I'm glad I got to see you Impress. Congratulations again," and that, at least, is for the growing group of weyrlings. "Enjoy your night," and then he's slipping away, glass abandoned wherever it's appropriate to do so before he makes for the door on long, sure strides.

"Sharing dreams?" Nailii questions a bit at the idea and oys sofly seeing this is going to get interesting rather quickly she feels. "Hopfully he'll keep it to himself." FAT CHANCE. "I'll get use to the name, just may take a few days." She glances to Z'eir curiously at the 'night terrors' bit and ponder what fully he may mean by that. She glances back to S'van and smiles. "I don't mind the change, normally was called Jae or Lynn so I don't have a problem with a short name just… wondering if there is another reason behind it." Oh she will find out one way or another. A slight nod is seen while S'van is slipping off, and there is a slight pause before she clears her throat a bit. "I need to head back to the barracks anyway. Someone is waking up and trying to tip over a couch for something under it…" A quick bit of a wave is sent to the others before she is off to deal with her dear brown.

"She knows where you are," D'lei says to Ricki, "but she may not know how to get there from where she is." He shrugs a bit, and smiles. "That's part of what you humans are here for, filling in all the missing pieces for dragons that… are very good at whatever happens to be in their heads." And maybe kinda terrible at the rest! Or… maybe also terrible at the parts that are there? Like names. He nods to S'van about his own. "Dragons! They have opinions when it comes to names." Z'eir's mention of night terrors gets a bit of a grimace from him, followed by a glance to Nailii - and Ricki - for their own thoughts about dreams. "They do get shared, both ways, but… it's like with knowing where but not how to get there. Dreams don't have to make sense, and they usually don't get remembered." Unlike the trouble caused by young dragons, and D'lei grins wryly to Nailii. "Good luck!" He waves farewell to her and S'van both before returning his attention to the rest, and also his drink.

Z'eir nods his head to those that look his way, "It's why it took me so long to get here. No sooner than Asceorth was asleep and I'd just managed to get cleaned up.. BAM! I thought I was going crazy or needing a healer." You get slammed by yoru lifemate's full on night terror! It was scary business! "Took me a while to get him calmed down again, and back to sleep again.." Good thing Z'eir was awake and not asleep. Waving to those leaving, he finally takes a good gulp of whatever drink got handed to him.

Pushing the food on her plate around for a moment, Ricki seems to ponder D'lei's comments on the abstract idea of ~where~, and dreams, and all those other new things to consider. "She is just like.." A pause and another piece of food is pushed around. "Did you see how her color is so… changey? That's what it feels like, in my mind.. Like I can't pin it down." She shrugs, before settling into her food, inclining her head to Nailii and S'van as they excuse themselves in turn.

D'lei winces a bit at Z'eir's description. "That… does not sound pleasant," he says in what is quite the understatement. "Maybe you can get Ja- Nailii, that is… to take a look. Well, when she's not too busy with Talanoath herself, that is." Hands spread with a shrug, and then a grin. "You'll all be pretty busy from here. Eat up while you've got the chance." He has another sip of his own drink, then turns to Ricki, listening to her with a considering look and a slow nod. "I think… I've met dragons like that. Well. I've met dragons that look like that - in their minds, I mean - but they've had different reasons for it under the surface." Yet more ambiguities and questions! Yay!


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