Crafters, Riders, Craftriders

Characters Eresai, Janja, Kytaer, R'en
Synopsis Just a normal day for the Weyrleader being surrounded by children. Then Janja kidnapped some apprentices. Let the good times roll.
Out-of-Character Date December 1, 2014

Igen Weyr - Living Caverns & Feyruth's and Emeliuth's Weyr
Second only to the Hatching Sands in size -- although its walls are not so nearly circular -- the living cavern is filled with numerous rectangular tables, almost too many to count. The Weyrleaders have the table farthest from the kitchen and hearths at one end of the cavern. The hearths are kept as low-burning as possible during the day when folk come inside to escape the heat outside. They burn brighter at night to keep away the deserts chill. No matter hte level of flame, there is always a stew pot that hangs for nibblers at a good temperature. Favored drinks, particularly iced klah and juice, are kept on ice and interspersed at various food tables scattered about, along with baskets of rolls and fruit. There are, of course, scheduled mealtimes, and at certain points of the day the available fare slides into the menu for the nearest meal, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late-night snackings, but the staff has long since acknowledged that people will sit to talk and nibble here at all hours. In the cooler parts of the evening in particular, the cavern hosts games of chess, checkers, dragonpoker, and others. Several degrees are knocked off thanks to the Technician Craft's cooling system.


There are arguably better places to do small carving projects than at one of the tables in the living cavern at lunch time. That 'essence of wood' is not a popular seasoning is probably why there are a handful of empty seats around Eresai and the arm-long, shaped plank he's sanding. Beyond the dust, the senior apprentice isn't bothering anyone, though a dark look is given him now and again as someone sits and then realizes why no one's sitting there and relocates. The teen is oblivious to all, though, focused in on the work at hand. He might not even realize, despite the noise and increase in bodies occupying the cavern that the lunch array has been spread across the serving tables.

Wandering in from outside, R'en gives the living cavern a glance over and arches his brow at the young man sanding a plank at one of the tables. He has a book with him, and rather than heading over towards where the food is, he decides to invite himself to sit at one of the spots that has sawdust all over it. Of course, he wipes the table and seat where he's going to sit, but the fact that there are fewer people around this spot seems to appeal to him. "Afternoon." He offers to the teen, lest he be misconstrued as impolite.

R'en's word of greeting breaks through Eresai's supreme concentration on the arm-length plank he sands at one of the tables. "Hello," is offered in a way that seems automatic given that it comes before hazel eyes have even landed on R'en's face. To get to the older man's face, however, his gaze has to slide over the knot, so the teen's eyes are a little wide by the time they get there. There's a swallow and a "Sir," added that awkward moment later. Then he notices the nice clear patch in all the dust and looks at the dust as if he's got to take a moment to sort where it's come from, "Oh, oh, sorry." The woodcrafter is shifting hurriedly to grab a rag from his lap and dust the surface of the table, his eyes ranging about as he does to take in the fact that it's now lunch and the cavern is no longer sparsely occupied but full of hungry people, some in need of the empty seats around the two men.

There's a brief nod when the 'Sir' is added, and no reprimand - though there also isn't a handwave of allowing impropriety either as some leadership has been known to do. "There /must/ be better places to do woodwork than in the middle of the living caverns, isn't there?" R'en wonders aloud, though he isn't entirely sure where that place would be. Not here, assuredly, though this other place isn't coming to mind either. He opens the book, and it appears to be something healer related rather than any other subject he might be looking into. Other people are certainly digging into their lunches, while he seems content to just take the space at the table to start reading. "What're is it that you working on?" He asks, though he doesn't lift his gaze from the book to look at the plank.

There is a palpable air of discontent rolling off Janja as she stalks into the living caverns. From scowling face to stomping feet, she projects her sulk into every tense muscle. And were someone so blind as to miss all those signals, she announces to the room as she enters. "Paperwork is stupid. I shouldn't have to do it." She glances over the crowded cavern, gaze coming to rest on the Weyrleader and his tablemate. Once tableside, she drops her file folder, once held so limply in hand, without regard to the sawdust covering all. The results are as to be expected and Janja wails out her added complaint of "And now I'm all over dirty!"

The look Eresai gives R'en isn't blank, but thinking doesn't fill the void left by his lack of immediate answer. "There is a better place," the apprentice admits slowly, "Only, we stained the cabinet doors this morning and if I get dust on them, we'll— I'll have to do it again," since he's the apprentice and certainly his journeywoman won't be wasting her time fixing his mistake. He shifts the plank a little toward the bronzerider so he can see the subtle ornamentation if he should elect to look away from his book, "Base board. We're sprucing up some of the cabinets that were installed before we arrived," presumably in the new storage caverns. Janja's file-drop makes the teen jump, eyes jerking to her, wood pulled closer to him now as if it might somehow ward off the goldrider's irritation, "Sorry," his voice even breaks mid-word as he looks to the woman uneasily.

"Couple of 'em were installed crooked, too." There's another teenage boy voice, though it isn't actually coming from the table. It's coming from the wall very near the table, where the body attached to it is closing up the panel meant to control the coolant system. He has a wrench actually behind one ear, and is also lightly coated in dust. "The cabinets, I mean. I don't think the woodcraft did that, I think it was some clueless lower caverns worker, I had to move one to fix a light switch. Er, sorry for interrupting —" That's a junior weyrwoman and the Weyrleader, Kytaer, you should probably register who you're interjecting at before you speak.

"Shards, I feel like I'm surrounded by children." R'en comments, glancing between Janja and Eresai before closing his book with the sawdust now stuck between the pages. Even if he's no woodworker, he does seem to have some appreciation for the work that's gone into the baseboard as he glances at it before Eresai pulls it closer to himself to spare it from Janja's ire. The all over dirty comment just gets a roll of his eyes, "And whose fault is that?" His tone denotes that it surely isn't the sawdust's fault that it was spread around by her dropping of her files. When Kytar interjects, R'en's gaze looks up to see if there's dirt falling from where he's been working too. "Crooked cabinets?" He perks, then shakes his head. Not his problem.

Based on the befuddled look that greets R'en's comment to her, Janja is completely stymied by the question of dirt and fault. No one seems inclined to rescue her either so rather than puzzle it out, she drops into an empty chair and snatches the arm of a passing server. "Chilled juice and stuff to eat, please." she directs, adding a vague hand guesture to emphasize the 'stuff'. The server, clearly used to this behavior, just nods and walks off. However, the interruption seems to have cleared the her mood and the curious look Janja shoots towards the protected board is a vast improvement. "You didn't put in the crooked cabinets, did you?" she asks of Eresai.

Eresai's "No," to Janja is as close to a blurted answer as the apprentice ever comes, followed by an awkward, "ma'am." He swallows and looks away from her. "We heard the story when we came in," the woodcrafter elects to say to Kytaer because, let's face it, he's clearly the safest person to talk to here. It's definitely better than admitting to his youth to the Weyrleader. "Not enough crafter hands to go about when the going got tough, so they trusted some of it to…" There's an awkward look as it likely occurs to him it's bad form to speak ill of the workers at one's brand new posting in front of some of its leadership. "Anyway, we're fixing it," that's what's important. He offers the sentiment brightly to R'en and Janja with an attempt at a smile.

"It wasn't horrendously notably crooked," Kytaer defends the poor person who did install that cabinet, though it clearly wasn't Eresai or his boss. "Just crooked enough to be blocking something I needed to get to otherwise the lights weren't going to turn on, s'all. Probably an error in measurement by someone who didn't have a clue as t'what they were doing." He shrugs, clearly not considering the politeness Eresai has. He hasn't met this person, therefore he can speak a LITTLE ill of them. "Most've all, though, the new kitchen looks great, runs great, will run better. So's this," the panel gets shut all the way. "Should be a whole degree cooler in here on average now."

"I guess one degree less is better than none." R'en quips, as he's no lover of the heat. He sighs a little and opens his book to shake the pages so that the wood shavings come out of it rather than stay embedded into it. "I think it does look a lot better." He agrees, though when the server slips off to get Janja's drink and stuff to eat, he starts getting himself to his own feet. "I have some things I want to work on, so I'm going to head back to my weyr." He mutters and seems content to slip out without any further ado.

Janja's lips purse into a perfect little oooo. She claps her hands delightedly. "Any little bit helps R'en. Igen is so HOT." Even her eyes widen on the last word so the sheer immensity of the heat can be conveyed. "Telgar was so much milder." Here she pauses, as thoughtfully as she ever gets. "But Feyruth likes Igen better." Important point decided, the goldrider nods her head in a single bobble. "I don't suppose you two would like to do a little work in my weyr? I've always wanted a bit more fancy work on the innter weyr." She doesn't seem completely sure what speciality each has but asks generally towards both anyways. "Oh and I'm Janja. Feyruth's, you know." Dainty hands drop onto the dusty table, conveniently shoving the dreaded paperwork file even farther from herself. "What's your names?" She seems unfased by her own rudeness.

Eresai's smile is appreciative for the degree of difference Kytaer's tinkering will provide, but he leaves the words to people with bigger knots. His head bobs in a respectful nod of parting to R'en's back, and his eyes slide briefly back to Janja before he carefully places the plank back onto the table, where it might now be safe. "Eresai, ma'am. Senior apprentice woodcrafter," to be perfectly formal about it. "We met, briefly, in the…" He blinks rather than finishing, "You wanted me in light blue," in case that helps her remember. Then another uncertain look, this one to his fellow teen. "I'm not sure…? But I'm sure…?" That's a lot of unfinished sentences. Perhaps Tae can translate.

The one degree is an accomplishment if you ask Kytaer, who worked very hard to get to that tiny, almost indistinguishable point! "Can't make it like Telgar in here, but I'm hoping — cooler, still," he says, obviously not all that fond of the heat either. He didn't pick his posting. "My name's Tae, ma'am, also a senior apprentice but I'm a tech," in case that was not as obvious as his displeasure with the heat. And then he's guessing: "If you meant both of us, and not him'n his master, we'd likely be glad to but are you sure you want a pair of apprentices and not the journeyman?" Maybe Eresai wasn't sure if they were allowed. Tae isn't sure either. "I am working on portable cooling systems, so — could experiment. On a little one. If you wanted." Coolest weyr in Igen.

And the puzzled look returns to Janja's face again. She stares at Eresai for long moments. "OH! You're the boy who ran away from me. Why ever did you run away from me?" She glances down at herself as if there might be something there to frighten others, though it's been days since their last meeting. But luckily for the woodcrafter, she moves on to a different subject so there's a fair chance she'll have forgotten before he has to answer. To Kytaer she answers, "Well of course I was talking about you both. If it's too much for you, you'll tell your masters and that will be that won't it?" She waves both her hands in a dismissive manner, again wafting a little on the close side to the baseboard. "Would you like to come take a look now and see what you think can be done?"

She noticed that, did she? Eresai looks, briefly, like he might be about to perform the same trick, cheeks touching with his blush. "You.. wanted me to.. spin.. and.." He tries to explain but then gives up, his helpless look sliding between the two. Quickly, he jumps onto the more practical subject, "I'm sure I could make it look nice," as though bare tech doesn't look nice all on its own! "Or Journeywoman Saresha could," since he is just a newly advanced and untried senior. "We… could?" Go look. Was that the right answer? He looks to the techcrafter, almost in silent conference, even if it ends up one-sided.

Kytaer mouths 'Dance?' at Eresai when he thinks the goldrider isn't looking at his face, and does not seem to be offended by the idea that a portable cooling system might not look nice. Especially since right now the prototype … doesn't. "Yeah, um," he agrees, "we could, if you wanted?" Not that she doesn't want, because she did ask. "I don't have the equipment or the parts for the fan, but I'm happy to look at what wiring you have and what you'd like worked on? And — plan about making it look nice?"

Apparently that's all decided than because Janja whirls to her feet again, taking special care to wipe off and smooth her clothing. The bit of embroidery on her collar gets special attention even. Then with a moue of distaste she picks up her folder and begins striding out of the caverns towards who knows where. "This way boys!" Never mind that they both likely have other things they need to do first, nor that she's not yet received her lunch and likely won't if she steps out. "Oh and, do give Feyruth plenty of room." The last is said with a nervous nip to her lip should either boy be able to see from his angle.


Igen Weyr - Feyruth's and Emeliuth's Weyr
The age of the weyr is visible in the vast front cavern of a junior gold. The sandstone ledge, large enough for only one at a time, leads via a narrow opening into a pale ruddy cavern large enough for two or three of the largest sized dragons. The stony floor is kept scrupulously clean with a massive white sand wallow taking up one entire wall. A silvery gray curtain is pinned up but can be dropped to close off the entrance at any point. Delicate white painted sconces for both electric lights and glows line the two side walls. The backwall holds a solid looking white wooden door and two openable real glass windows showing hints of the room beyond.

The inner weyr walls have been plastered over for a smooth clean finish. They are painted a dove gray with crisp white baseboards and crownmolding. The front half of the room is separated by white chair rails as well and contains a conversation nook of elligant spindly white and sky blue chairs and chause. A dainty white side table holds a bouquet of fresh lilac and blue flowers. The windows are framed by heavy silver curtains emroidered with a blue and lilac rose trim. A large four poster bed takes up the rear of the room, covered in gray linens with accents of sky blue and lilac. The bed canopy is more of the silver gauze with embroidered sky blue and lilac flowers. Several more delicate chests and dressers are scattered about the room, as well as multiple soft gray and lilac rugs. White crystal studded sconces line all the walls to throw off a soft cool light.


Maybe Eresai didn't catch the word that was mouthed at him or maybe the combination confused look and slight headshake and shrug is the answer even if he did. It doesn't stop him from giving Kytaer a thumbs up below the edge of the table in approval for goldrider appeasement. The woodcrafter must've missed Janja's nervous nipping in his haste to tuck away sander and rag and tuck his plank under an arm to follow the goldrider, but as they approach the weyr, he doesn't seem inclined to do other than give the aforementioned dragon as much space as he possibly can. Obviously, Eresai's not weyrbred. No weyrbrat would look this reticent and concerned, although the latter might be chalked up to the fact that they're entering Janja's weyr.

Kytaer is staying clear of the dragon, for sure; golds are intimidating and Really Big, and an actual instruction to give one space will be making sure he stays as far away as possible without completely missing where he's going. He follows with similar apprehension, but a little bit of excitement clear in how despite his somewhat blank expression he's bouncing on his heels as his tool belt clinks when he walks. "Don't think they eat humans, but I'm not sure," he whispers to Eresai as they sidestep Feyruth. Louder, as he enters, "Good lighting," with a less-nervous grin.

Feyruth lifts her head to watch the parade of humans pass by, causing Janja to pause long enough for an affectionate scritch over the gold's nose. "Hello, love." She says no louder than a sigh. Then it is on to the enclosed portion of the weyr. She swings the door open, no lock necessary thank you very much, and steps into the dainty, fashion concious room. "I wouldn't mind a more formal trim in here and if you could make it cooler I'd be very so happy." She wipes at her clothes again, though all dust has been removed by this point. Clean, she drops gracefully into one of the chairs in the conversation nook. "I'd think in the back. I love to be nice and cool when I sleep."

"I'm sure we'd've heard, if they.." Did. This is Eresai's murmured aside to the other apprentice. "Maybe that's what happens to the candidates that don't Impress." You know, the ones that actually go back to their homes outside the Weyr. This is probably not the most brilliant of things to be muttering about upon entering a goldrider's weyr, but there it is. "The trim?" He's happy to refocus, to cast his eyes around the room. His lips pull to a thin contemplative line. "Any… idea what kind of thing counts as more formal?" It probably looks okay to him. Why wouldn't it? It's not like he's ever had a room of his own before. Apprentices doing home decorating, what can go wrong?

Failing at polite, Kytaer doesn't sit — he's busy eyeballing the back area in question, trying to puzzle out where he could put what. "'ve you got air conditioning in general in here, ma'am?" he asks, not actually facing the weyrwoman or Eresai or anyone, kind of talking and listening at once. He hyperfocuses when he works. He also gives the lights another appreciative glance, like the sconces are the best thing he's seen ever. Poor Janja, just peppered with questions from her abducted apprentices.

Janja doesn't seem to notice any lack of manners in the others. She cheerfully watches as the boys pace around the weyr taking in this and that and all the others as well. "Yes. It's wired in with the main weyr system but it doesn't really get as cool in here as it does is the deepest caverns." She doesn't really seem to have anything of use to add here, but that's not an uncommon situation either. "Erasai, I'd like a slightly more decorative trim. Maybe something with an carving to match the window trim?" She sayas as she guestures towards her needlework. "I have to sell my wares as well, and the better they compliment, the better they sell." Weaver, the only job she takes seriously.

Eresai was probably about to ask some pertinent professional question about the trim, or maybe even the air conditioning, but Jinja's last words… That has him stopping short and turning to face both the others, his expression one of open surprise. "I thought," he says after a pause to, y'know, think about what he even wants to ask, "That weyrwomen were just … weyrwomen?" He seems confused now; was that what he wanted to ask? Kytaer gets a look as if to see if the other apprentice knows anything about this. Maybe she's just pulling his leg.

In this case, Kytaer can actually help! Translate. Something. When he's done tapping at walls, which is what he'd started doing, finding wires. "Wouldn't be too hard to actually add a base cooling system that isn't portable, I don't think, then, just really expensive-" There's a question and he forces his brain out of locked-on-work mode. "Riders can be crafters. So I mean I guess if there are enough weyrwomen or not too much weyrwoman work. There's time to still be a crafter." He looks to Janja for confirmation, like, right? is that right?

The surprise on Janja's face is pretty strong at the questions and seems to either knock some sense into the woman or bring what sense she does have out into the light. "Well of course we can be crafters. I mean..not when your dragon is young and needs lots of attention but." She pauses off and shrugs "So once they are grown, a dragon only needs a few hours of attention each week. They can mostly feed themselves so it's all down to cleaning every few days and keeping up your gear." She shifts her position in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. "And without any thread to fight, no need to do all that training. No weyr really needs a hundred search and rescue riders." She rolls her eyes. "In fact, Igen actually prefers our riders keep at their crafts. Granted, we weyrwoman and the weyrleader do have other responsiblities. I can't put as much time into my craft as I'd like but." Speach about over, she nods. "Craftriders bring in money and reputation to our weyr."

Eresai has to suck in a breath after all that, his cheeks are after all quite red, clearly he's not getting enough oxygen. Maybe the AC isn't working properly? He looks first to Kytaer, "Well, I mean I knew riders could be crafters," he must have seen them in the Crafthall at times, learning rather than about other duties. "I just.. meant.." He starts to trail off looking at Janja. "I thought it was different for goldrider. You said you 'have to' sell your wares, and I thought goldriders are probably paid.. and.. That you wouldn't 'have to' and that maybe.. golds.. I mean, they're so big, and they have eggs, and…" Nope, that's all Eresai knows about gold dragons. "I didn't realize your proceeds go to the Weyr and…" Awwwwkward. He looks away from Janja to the other apprentice. This look is easy to read: 'Help!'

The air conditioning is working! It's just probably not working that well, since Janja and C'vryn's weyr doesn't have its own thermostat. Kytaer would be very sorry either way, if it weren't. He does his best to help, though: "That's actually very clever, putting money back into the Weyr like that. 'cause I mean I hope weyrwomen are paid pretty well for that sort've job, especially since you didn't pick it, but I'd also hope you'd get to do the job you did want." He's looking at them and then he's looking at windows, hunting for someplace for an electrical hookup to go in nearby, hoping there might be one.

Janja nods. Now that they are straight, she seems less agitated. "Oh yes, we do, all riders that is, get a payment if you do some job directly for the weyr. For example, we have riders that work in the greenhouses. They get all pay from the weyr. I get some pay, but also my crafter sales. Those I tith a percent back to the weyr for upkeep." Those questions now out of the way she turns to assist Kytaer who is going to make her weyr cool! "I think the walls in here have been plastered over. I'm not sure if it's directly on the rock or not." She shrugs helplessly. "I just painted and put up the trim."

Eresai takes the opportunity with the shift of Janja's attention to the other apprentice to turn and keep looking at the trim. He doesn't seem to get any further with getting a clue the second time. "I think Journeywoman Saresha has more experience with… matching." He admits defeat with good grace, "I'll ask her to find you, ma'am, to come see what you'd like us to do." He offers before starting to edge for the exit. That running away thing, must be a habit!

"But the plans are probably archived-" Kytaer has reached a point of having an idea, and it's not like him to leave thoughts to be acted upon later, so it's not just Eresai who is running away. But Kytaer is less escaping than just following through (even if escaping is a skill he also has — its not quite been required). "The wiring plan is on file somewhere. I should look at it. See where I might be able to put air conditioning. If you don't mind excusing me, ma'am." His salute is really terrible. But he's trying.

With a heave, Janja stands to walk the boys out. Wouldn't do to upset the gold just outside the door. "Well. Ok than." She says in a clearly puzzled but accepting voice. "I'll just wait to hear back shall I?" A slight frown comes to the rider's face and she tries to subtlely sniff herself and check her clothing setup again. "Thank you for your time?" What should be a statment comes out more as a question for both. "And if I'm not in, you can always leave the information with Ryn."

That escort, that dismissal, that's all Eresai needs to go. Go, go, go. Under other circumstances, he might stop to talk to Tae a bit beyond his aside as they go, "That dragon might make an exception with the eating and I might be glad of it if I could get my foot any farther into my mouth," though he'd probably taste wholly of foot at that point, and probably not even a dragon would find that appetizing. He might, under other circumstances pause to chat longer, but he's got a mission: go hide behind Saresha's skirts (or pants as the work day likely requires).

"I'll get in touch soon — very soon, I hope, by tomorrow," and not earlier, which would be almost unusually prompt. Kytaer bows his head and looks almost guilty for the abrupt departure … but he does have things he needs to do, like look up the wiring for her weyr, and until then he can't really do much of assistance. Which he might explain someday. "About putting in air conditioners. You have windows, so that will be helpful. Ma'am." Dismissed, he ducks out alongside Eresai with a nod and sotto voce, "Golds are terrifying and I wouldn't want to be within a hundred feet of that one proddy," before he returns to his original, interrupted work in the living caverns. And then to the archive, for those plans.

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