Harper Hall - Dining Hall


It's still winter, and the snow is falling thick and heavy outside. For some, this means cozy feelings and happiness, but for one Journeyman Baker it's not so pleasant. She stands at one of the windows, peering out with a look of scowling dismay on her face. Leaning on a cane, her right ankle is obviously wrapped and held up so just the point of her toes is touching the ground. Cue a long, heavy sigh, which has the small brown canine by her feet to stand on his hind legs and plant his paws against her pant legs and whine.

Seeing dragonriders coming and going from the Harper Hall isn't such an uncommon thing, really. Probably. Br'enn thinks so by now, considering how many times he's been here on small visits to research something or somewhere, or talk to someone, or other such things. This is the first time he's been in the dining hall, however. He's one of those people who finds happy feelings in winter, so sitting near a window to watch the snow while eating is what he's purposing to do right now. The sigh of the woman he passes catches his attention, as does the canine which, coupled with the fact that she has a cane and an obviously injured foot, has him giving her a curious look. "Ah, 's not so bad," he notes lightly, smirking a bit. "s' just snow 'n' a little cold. Won't last forever."

Tyani exhales heavily and turns grey-green eyes to give the rider a level look. "Not to hear other people say it. They say winter up here lasts forEVer. Yes, Kilo, mommy sees you." That's to the canine, obviously, and cooed as she bends to scoop up the fluffy canine to tuck against her side.

Br'enn's smirk deepens, and he chuckles softly. "Who's 'they'? Whoever 'they' are haven't been to High Reaches, I reckon," he replies, popping a vegetable from his plate into his mouth as he steps a bit closer so as not to speak to the woman from behind. "Nah, it warms up eventually. 's cold here more often than other places, but still. Spring 'n' summer 're nice. Haven't been here long, 'm guessin'?" He sidles a bit closer to the window, glancing at the little canine as it's scooped up.

Tyani tosses her head a bit to clear blonde strands from her eyes, and looks at his knot. "No, Rider, I haven't been here that long. From Southern Hold. I never even seen snow." And she doesn't like it. "Spring and summer are nice? You promise?" she asks giving him a wide-eyed and hopeful look.

"Promise," Br'enn replies with a dip of his chin. "Well, 's my feelin' on it, anyway. I've spent so much of my life outdoors, what I think is cold isn't gonna be what you think is cold, o' course. Br'enn, bronze Tovihasuth's, from Fort Weyr," he tells her. "Y'really never seen snow before?" His tone is colored with a bit of disbelief; seeing snow is just something he's always taken for granted!

Tyani shivers at the very talk of cold, and she moves back a bit from the window, though awkwardly. "Well met, Br'enn. I'm Tyani, Journeyman Baker newly posted. Well met. And no, I never had until I came here. Spent my whole life on the coast of the southern continent…"

Giving the baker a bow of his head, Br'enn smiles in earnest. "Pleased to meet ya, Tyani. Baker, eh? Been meetin' a lot from the craft lately. You all come out for the winter or somethin', make sure we stay padded up for the cold?" he quips, slightly teasing. Her awkward movements are noted, however, and his eyes drop briefly to her wrapped ankle. "What happened, if y'don't mind me askin'?"

Tyani giggles lightly, shaking her head. "No, there's just a lot of us around! Because you do have to eat." Looking down at her ankle, she exhales a long suffering sigh. "I tripped on some stairs and rolled it. Should be fine in another few days but I don't want to rush it."

"Lots of us to feed, too," Br'enn notes, nodding with feigned sagacity. He's rather good at stating the obvious. Tyani's answer has him wincing. "Good call. Care to sit, on that note? Get off your feet?" His smile grows a bit crooked. "Make sure I don't sit somewhere I shouldn't? First time in here."

Tyani chuckles. "Tell me about it. And here has more formal affairs that I've ever seen to in my life. There's always something important going on. And food, of course, plays a big part in that." She flashes him a wide smile. "I would, thank you." Hobble, hobble, hobble over and she points. "This table is good."

Br'enn holds up his arm for Tyani to use, a little dismayed that she starts hobbling along before he has the chance to offer his support properly. Still, it's there if she wants it. "Not much for formal dinners, myself," he says with a slight grumble to his tone. "They challenging for ya, or just…a change of pace?" He waits for her to sit first, staying near to help her into her seat if she needs it, then parking himself across from her. "How long y'been up here? What brought ya?"

Tyani will take it, and happily so, even handing him her cane so she can use him as her personal cane instead. "Thank you! You're a true gentleman," as she flashes him another bright smile. "No? They can be fun…but they can also be boring. It's all in the company, really. They're a bit stressful from the Baker's side of it. Food has to be perfect, have to know regional dishes if folks are from other places on Pern, you have people with allergies and restrictions and likes and dislikes. It's a lot to keep organized." She settles into her seat with another smile, and plants Kilo in her lap. "A few sevendays is all. And the Craft posted me here."

"Me?" Br'enn chuckles at being called a gentleman. "Dunno 'bout that, but I try." And had his manners honed via weyrlinghood, which has come in very handy since joining Phoenix. "Y're talkin' to a guy who wants to wear what's practical 'n' eat with one sorta fork off a plain ceramic plate. Formal dinners for you sounds like a day flyin' sweeps 'n' solvin' problems for me. So y'got my respect on that one." He takes a thoughtful sip of his klah, nodding at her reply and glancing toward the window again. "So y'never seen snow, 'n' y'don't seem to like the cold much…but give snow a chance, eh? Once y're ankle's better, bundle up 'n' go out in it a bit. Throw snowballs. Might change your mind." He shrugs. "'n' it might not. But it could grow on ya."

Tyani shivers, eying the window in distaste. "I doubt it. But…maybe. We'll see. So what's it like being a dragonrider? Is Phoenix your wing?"

Br'enn nods, opting not to answer with his mouth full. "Bein' a rider…" he starts once he's able, reaching up to rub at his neck a bit. "…Well, 's a good deal diff'rent than bein' a hunter. Hard work, just like any other craft can be, but…with a friend who's always there for ya. Closer 'n a friend. Part of ya, always lovin' ya no matter what… Let's y'see the world a whole diff'rent way, too. I've been all over this continent on foot, but…" His eyes go out the window again, a slightly distant cast overcoming his gaze before he looks back to Tyani with a grin. "Seein' it from the sky is somethin' else." A bit more eating gets done before he asks, "Ever flown before?"

Tyani smiles. "So you were a hunter before you impressed?" She can assume that, at least? She listens with a smile and attentiveness, when she's not ruffling Kilo's ears. Then she gasps. "Flown? Goodness, no. I'm just a Holder's daughter and a Baker. No need for a dragon to take me anyplace."

Again, Br'enn nods to Tyani's question, and her reaction to his question has him chuckling a little again, his expression puzzled alongside his amusement. "'Just'? Shells, how'd y'get up here, then? Boat 'n' runner back? Not that there's anythin' wrong with that; plenty to see 'n' all. But 'm sure if y'ever needed to get somewhere, there'd be a rider willin'." Really, he doesn't see the big deal! Especially since Tovihasuth seems to like having passengers a good deal, most of the time.

Tyani clicks her tongue and nods. "Long boat trip and a ride by wagon." /Not/ pleasant mid-winter. Which might also explain her distaste of winter at the moment. "Where would I go?" she asks with a laugh, but his answer might not get to be heard as her name is being called from the stairs down to the kitchen. "Back to work. Excuse me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Br'enn of Phoenix. Clear skies and stay warm!"

And so the bronzerider is left to his own devices in the Harper Hall's dining hall. He does rise as Tyani does, just be sure she's stable, before letting her go off to her duties. "Likewise, Tyani. 'n' remember - give the snow a chance!" he tosses after her with another smirk. Then it's back to his klah and finishing his meal before another bit of research about yet another boundary dispute - tedious, bit not without it's points of interest. Something Tovihasuth is always quite good at finding in the midst of it all.