Fort Weyr - Crafter's Cavern

The Crafter's Cavern is quite stunning to behold. A high vaulted ceiling arches overhead, ornately sculpted sconces along the walls, once having held glows, are now fitted with the electric lights, casting a gentle glow over the area. On the walls around the caverns edge hang beautiful old tapestries, which depict various aspects of craft life.

All around the cavern the tapestries extend, representative of every craft. The door next to each leads to the quarters of the WeyrCrafter, while the large area in the center is divided into smaller work spaces, numerous desks and chairs, terminals and sandtables clutter the space.


The weaver was true to his word, having left that night the tavern and not returned. He isn't seen again until the next day, when he's emerging from a long day of training and likely another tiresome lecture considering the down trodden expression on his face. Walking beside Kairhys are two other weavers, excitedly talking back and forth about the dying process and what compounds they thought would create the most brilliant of colors. "Hey guys I'm going to head out." he says when there is a lull, and the two girls in their mid-teens seem to suddenly remember that there was a very tall boy between them. "Oh! Kai. Sorry, we do get carried away. You going to be all right?" one asks, a chubby redhead with her copious amounts of cleavage more than making up for what her plain features lack. "I'm good, you all go on." he assures them with one of his toothy smiles. "Okay, if you're sure." the other replies, a brunette who certainly could turn a head or five, maybe even breaking a few necks in the process. "Come on Amalda, I bet we could catch the tail end of the advanced sewing techniques lecture if we hurry." Kai already forgotten, Amalda squeals. "Gwen, you read my mind." And off the two go, despite the evening meal time approaching rapidly. Kai waits until they are gone before stopping and exhaling a sigh, his expression now drawn and pinched as he watches his class fellows wander off past him all to their own destinations.

There are several reasons why Miki could be in the crafter's cavern, most of them involving transaction paperwork. But there's really only one reason why the rider ever wanders near the weaver's area, and his name is Aniki. Fortunately for others and unfortunately for her however, the frivolous weaver is nowhere to be found and Miki can only sigh in disappointment. "If he threw away my clothes…" It seems there's been trouble in the siblings' fasion paradise. And indeed, Miki isn't in her usual attire. She has a faded green t-shirt one size too small and a pair of black shorts two sizes to big on, held on by a rope, an outfit that could only have come from the storage caverns. Her attention more on pulling at her clothes than anything in front of her, Miki practically runs into Kairhys, stepping back a few steps and rubbing her nose as she winces. "Wall…." And when she finally opens her eyes, it's just in time to see the departing girls. "Wall that just lost the company of a couple of gals….is that why your expression's like that?"

"Whoa!" Kairhys says, as he is careened into and called a wall of all things, his books almost flying out of his hands. Managing to stop them from decorating he floor, he's turning then to look down at the tiny greenrider. For a second his expression shifts to one of surprise and then the mask of everything is fine and dandy is slid into place. Complete with shinning toothy smile, slightly lopsided. "Heya Miki." There is a blink and momentary flash of confusion before he half-turns the opposite direction with his upper half and hefts his books up with one hand, the other jerking a thumb the direction the two weaver girls went. "Amalda and Gwendellen?" he asks, making a face at that, though that doesn't stop him from looking longingly the way they wandered off, and releasing a sigh. "They're both into other girls. Got to love the weavercraft." He clucks his tongue off the roof of his mouth before brown eyes settle back on Miki again, brows shooting upwards in unison. "What brings you to the realm of all that I suffer?" he asks cheerfully, free hand slipping into his pocket.

"Hey you!" She flashes him a quick grin before eying the books, a bit of guilt creeping into her features before she's confirmed that they're undamaged. And then she's leaning to the side to look past him again and laughing. "Ahhh. You really do have it hard, huh?" With a small shake of her head, Miki leans back against the wall, idly fumbling with the rope at her hip with one hand while the other is used to push herself from the wall, only to fall back and continue repeating the process. "Aniki. What else? Sharding kid either hid all my clothes or threw them away. And I refuse to wear what he's put in my closet so I got these from storage." Dropping the rope for a second, Miki brings the hand to the top of her shoulders, bringing it down in a sweeping motion to indicate her current outfit. "Or I could just be here to see how torturous your classes are. You really don't look like you've been having fun."

The books were, in fact, quite safe. Several of them textbooks for the craft, and as always his ridiculously over sized sketchbook there on the bottom of the pile. Kairhys was carrying them all around as if it were nothing, but the thickness of the combined stack certainly insinuated the heft involved. "Hey yourself." he shoots right back, shifting his weight off to one leg and keeping that smile in place so effortlessly. "Insufferably so." is said despite the face splitting grin, "I'm sure I'd have much more luck if I lowered my standards as our devastatingly handsome bluerider friend put it yesterday, but alas. I can not." A chuckle follows this, quickly capped off however at mention of Aniki. "I'll talk to him if you'd like. Lock him up if I have to." A smirk for this, and probably all sorts of things implied considering the very sly and plotting glint to those surprisingly pretty brown eyes of his. From far away they weren't anything to write home about, but up close, mesmerizing undoubtedly to some. "I'm more inclined to believe that you're after your brother than any interest in weaver things, or me for that matter." A short laugh for this and then then a shrug of broad shoulders. "It's more or less job training. I just want to get to the part where I sit on my backside all day and draw."

Miki rolls her eyes a bit and smirks, "Well I'd say being picky is far better than not caring. As much fun as some people claim it is to sleep around with everyone and everywhere, the concept doesn't exactly sound…..pleasant." The weaver's suggestion for dealing with Aniki earn a giggle and blue eyes filled with laughter. "Talking I can do. Getting him to stop I can do. But if you could take him off my hands for a while. Whether that involves locking him in a closet, which I approve of, or you could drop him in a lake. Maybe even ship him off to the Hall for a few days. I won't ask questions so just take him away!" And she only seems to be half-joking about the whole thing. "Hmmm, you've got pretty eyes. But however pretty your eyes and teeth are, you're right. Came here for Aniki, came up fruitless. And Sohnyu's not telling me where he is either." For a moment, Miki loses focus, some private conversation no doubt involving Aniki. All negotiations failed though, the rider continues pushing off the wall and smiles. "That sounds like the ideal job for you. At least, that's something I can imagine you doing with your life. A few more turns and you should be up to Journeyman though, maybe?"

Kairhys can't help but agree with Miki, nodding several times as she talks about the not so pretty picture painted by people who bragged about sleeping around. "Sounds almost like a career the way some of them put it. Then again, have to wonder how many of them are all talk like I am." he grins wider somehow, though more lopsided than not. Expression faltering however at discussion of Aniki, not terribly so, but noticeably. "It might take me a while to work up to the point that I could do anything at all with him besides toss him in the lake. The boy tries my patience quicker than anyone I know." It might even be with fondness that Kai speaks of Aniki then, even if it is done begrudgingly. "I still haven't seen him when you are around, perhaps that will lower his annoyance factor. Or, I could just bring a big roll of tape." Whichever. He's kidding, considering the wink that follows. Kai is blinking at the sudden admiration given to his eyes, and teeth by Miki, unable to resist the jovial laughter soon there after. "My…teeth?" he muses, lips drawing back from said chompers and he points at them. Oh yeah, so sexy that. He can't hold this for too long, for he's soon laughing so hard tears spring to his eyes and he's wiping them away. "I got another four turns at least before I'm up to walk the tables. That seems like a lifetime away at this point."

"Maybe they're trying to compensate for those people that don't sleep around so often. The balance of nature and all that." By her tone, it's clear that Miki doesn't buy this sort of excuse but good humor returns soon enough and she smirks at the boy. "All talk and no play makes…..me one happy rider or something that rhymes with that. But there's a difference between the way you act and when people go around claiming they've slept with half the Weyr. But whatever." She waves off the annoyances those people present instead looking at Kairhys once more, eyebrow raising at his tone. "Or you could dump him in a snowbank. He'll be asleep in two minutes flat. Then you only have to worry about not letting him freeze to death." Of course when Kairhys starts laughing, Miki can't help but turn to him and plant her hands on her hips. "What? It's not that funny! It's true. And four turns….that's not so long. Shards, you'll still be younger than I am now……YOU!" Her comment trails off for a few moments, only for her voice to return far larger, echoing through the hallway as bright blue eyes fixate on something, or someone, behind Kairhys. "Get your butt over here now!" There's only one person she would talk to like this, and it is Aniki. The journeyman weaver stands several feet away from them, actually in midturn, changing direction to head back the way he had came. There's an obvious cringe as Miki's words reach his ears. Rather than listening however, Aniki seems frozen in place, face turned as if she still hadn't recognized him.

Kairhys doesn't know apparently, for his shrugging again, shifting his weight and that of the books he carries perhaps not so easily handling them as he may have been leading Miki to believe. Or his arm fell sleep. The boy leans back against the wall again after a time, books held between both his hands now, crossed over at the forearm. "I don't know." he replies simply enough, smirking becoming more obvious as the greenrider starts talking about dumping her brother into snow banks and such, though he does shake his head at the freezing to death part. He apparently just wanted the journeyman weaver to shut up, not curl up and die. That was something, wasn't it? As he's told off though, the boy's 'pretty' brown eye widen to the size of dinner plates, and he might of held his hands up in his own defense but they were in fact full right now. "I wasn't laughing at the whole journeyman thing. You said I had pretty teeth. That has got to be the weirdest thing anyone has ever said to…." And it trails off there because Miki's attention is on of all people, he elusive Aniki. The apprentice glances over in that direction when she says 'you' like that, brows lifting some before drifting back down again. "That's a guilty reaction if ever did see one." he mutters, under his breath, and completely to himself.

"It's not weird. You just have pretty teeth!" Miki voices one last protest against the laughter her compliment has induced, though she's far from being angry or really upset at the boy, just trying to justify herself. This slight moment of distraction is when the older weaver attempts to slink away, only to freeze again as Miki calls his name once more. There's a moment of stillness, where both siblings freeze, and then suddenly Aniki takes a deep breathe, straightening up to his 5'11 height. With a flare of the fur coat he is wearing, the boy turns around, grinning broadly and walking towards the pair with open arms. "Kai! My Miki!" He makes it towards the rider without hindrance, though when he moves to hug her, Aniki only receives a push of protest, making Kairhys his next target. Blue eyes, quite identical to his sisters turn to the younger boy and he spreads his arms widely. Aniki hardly makes it two steps however before Miki is grabbing his coat tail. "Let's go dump him in the lake now, shall we Kai?" It's rather hard to tell whether the green rider is serious about the whole thing, but Aniki certainly seems to take it to heart. He makes no further moves to advance, swallowing nervously (though he'd never admit that) and stepping back to Miki's side though he doesn't fail to insert a comment of his own. "Tsk tsk, the lake is rather unpleasant. We should all go to the living caverns and sit together by a nice, warm fire. Inside."

Kairhys really has to work at not laughing as Miki once more tell him that he has pretty teeth. He takes a breath, holds it, and even purses his lips in his attempt at willpower. For the most part he succeeds, but his shoulders do bounce a little regardless, even as he rolls his eyes towards the ceiling. He honestly and truly thought that this was hilarious, but as the greenrider did not, well he was trying his best not to press the issue. The further reining in of Aniki does well enough to quell his laughter, perhaps bracing himself for the incoming level of annoyance factor. Brows lift slowly this time, and then weave together in the middle there, before one definitely shifts up above the other. His mouth opens but then the Journeyman weaver is flaring and flipping his coat and the younger boy can only sigh and resign himself to his very next statement. "The guy is a force of nature isn't he?" he murmurs to Miki before Aniki sashays over, stepping back with all the almost hugs and pushing going on, appearing almost trapped when the rather pretty man goes to try and hug him instead. Kairhys really was all talk when it came to his flirtations, and it showed with the brilliant flush across his cheeks for the near advancement. "Uh…" Luckily he is saved by Miki and her keen brother stopping techniques, actually causing the weaver apprentice to look impressed there for a second. "Can I have his coat? It looks warm. In fact I'll take the whole ensemble, you'd look nice in it Miki." He'll go along with it, mirth dancing in his eyes.

Miki releases her hold on Aniki to give Kairhys a light nudge, though she is grinning now. "It really isn't!" How can she not protest when he's still so amused? She leans in towards him, whispering quietly enough so that Aniki cannot hear her next words. "I think forces of nature would be easier to deal with." And while Aniki may not know what they're saying, he certainly isn't pleased with being out of the loop. The weaver opens pink lips to protest, only to fall quiet at a shushing sign from his sister. Kairhys' flush hasn't been missed in all this commotion however and once Miki moves back towards him, the journeyman takes the opportunity to talk. "I'm sure you're glad to see me, Ka—" "Take this and the dozen other outfits he has in his closet. But me? Really? Maybe we can see which of his pieces suit each of us. Divide them up and such." And when Miki cuts him off, Aniki really can't seem to say anything, though there is a timid glance in her direction. After a few moments he clears his throat, slender fingers reaching into his coat and taking out the wooden fan. Aniki flicks it open, holding part of his face behind it and fanning himself lightly once or twice. "I….I've put your clothes in my workshop." Miki may not have asked yet, but the answer was already forthcoming.

It was impossible for Kairhys to completely hide just how amused he was with Miki's appreciation of his teeth of all things, but is kind enough to cover it with a bowing of his head when she protests it. He thought it was weird and this opinion was clearly not going to change anytime soon, as neither was hers. When she leans in to whisper to him, his chin comes up some and he leans in to a degree to listen, and once again he's trying to hide his laughter, a portion sneaking out despite his best efforts. Unconsciously brown eyes dart towards the Journeyman, and off they go again, up towards the ceiling this time. And such a lovely smooth spot of stone it is. Yes. It requires plenty of his attention, or at least enough of it as he needs to swallow back the chortle that had been threatening to erupt. He clears his throat several times, and only once he has things under firm control does he return to the siblings, though there was no killing of the sparkle in his eye. It was getting harder and harder not to laugh, especially with Miki goading her younger brother the way she was. Still, he schools his expression to something closely resembling neutral and serious, tsking himself once. "Well he is much shorter than I am. But I guess there could be a drudge or two that wouldn't mind a brand new fancy outfit to wear?" he asks the greenrider, totally noticing that timid glance that Aniki gives his sister. He's starting to relax now, seeing that Miki has everything including her brother, well in hand. He does look to the Journeyman when he spits out the location of the stolen wardrobe, features softening some. Whatever he was thinking just then however, he keeps to himself.

It would be hard not to notice the way that Kairhys is holding back his laughter, and it isn't lost on either sibling, though Miki seems far more amused by this than Aniki. A giggle actually does escape the tiny woman and she leans back against the wall, fiddling with the rope serving as a belt once more. "Oh, I certainly agree there. I mean, a weaver's joy in life /is/ to see clothes being worn about and well used, isn't it?" Aniki's own words being thrown right back in his face. Though Miki isn't really trying to be mean, there's quite a bit of fondness in her tone as she teases her brother. Lips part in protest, the Journeyman not savoring this idea in any form but no smart remark or self praising praise falls from his mouth. "The two of you can't possibly be serious…." The statement sounds more like a request with the way he words it. "I can make something else for them." Aniki's offer seems to sit quite well with Miki, and she has to hide a rather amused grin by turning her head towards Kairhys. "Hmmm, I don't know. What do you think Kai?" The Journeyman however, seems to be taking everything quite seriously and begins to fan himself more rapidly. "They haven't been altered either. Your wardrobe was simply revamped, upgraded….temporarily." The last bit is added as a wary qualifier, Aniki clearly unwilling to earn his sister's disapproval. "I shall return them, however."

It's about then that Kairhys can't hold it in anymore as Miki begins to do a fine impression of her brother, and even if Aniki doesn't find it as guffaw worthy as the apprentice does, he just laughs softly. At least it isn't loud. Reaching out he loops an arm around the man's waist and scoops him up into a hug, burying his face between hair and fur and smiles to himself. Apparently this is what the apprentice thought. He does let Aniki go though soon there after, flushed for sure but not trying to do anything other then perhaps hide it some. Not that the brightly light cavern was helping him accomplish this any. "Sorry." he murmurs, though whether he was apologizing to both siblings or just one of them was debatable. "Maybe we should let him off the hook this time with a warning." The big softy, even if he apparently liked the fan wielding Journeyman much more now than he was without his big sister around to bully him fondly into submission. As if remembering something, Kai leaps at the chance to change the subject, perhaps seeing an opportunity to try and make everyone as spontaneously forget just how intimately he just hugged poor Aniki. "You never got back to me about dinner." he says, to Miki. Pointedly not looking at the younger of the two siblings. "You can say, no Kai…I would never go on a date with you. Leave me alone you freak. Or something." Still not looking at Aniki. Nope. Miki has his full attention.

The Journeyman suddenly being swept into a hug surprises both siblings. For a few moments, Miki simply blinks, but there's a bit of a twinkle in her eyes as she watches the scene unfold and the rider brings a hand to her face, trying hard to avoid either from seeing the smug smile on her face. It's more than enough for her to see Aniki interacting almost /normally/ with another human being. But Aniki's reaction doesn't involve smug smiles. Eyes widen a bit at the sudden contact, but the weaver is quite malleable, molding himself to the younger boy's body quite easily for the few seconds that they remain in the position. Once he's released, Aniki takes a small step backward. "You musn't be sorry…" The momentarily stopped fan is restarted, the flicking movements far quicker than before, though there seems to be no other reaction from Aniki. Had Miki not been there, the Journeyman would no doubt have made some self-important comment, but her presence was making that quite impossible. That kind of attitude was only meant for when his sister wasn't around it seems. Miki herself doesn't bother to answer the apologetic words, assuming they weren't meant for herself. Kairhys' next comments however, are not something she can ignore and Miki's eyes widen a bit but soon she's laughing and shaking her head. "You were serious about that? Though it was just some joke you were playing on an older wom—" "Date?" And now it is Aniki's turn to interject, bright blue eyes moving between Miki and Kairhys. "You two?"

Random close hugging another guy one barely knows could hardly be described as normal behavior in general, but perhaps for Kairhys it was a thing. Maybe. Cough. Even with Aniki's favorable reaction during the hug, the comment afterwards and otherwise complacency well it has the flush across the apprentice's cheeks fading all too quickly. It's the laughter from Miki though that has the smallest fraction of hurt flicker across Kai's face, but he easily sweeps it away under his mask of amusement, books shifted to the other arm, as he chuckles lightly. A keen ear would hear the dullness of the normally lustrous sound. His heart not in it. Then Aniki interjects and really the youngest of the three waves off any hurt feelings perhaps that might be brewing. He had just randomly hugged the guy, and he couldn't read minds, so he had little idea why the Journeyman had spoken up so quickly and with so much interest. "No no, I was just being playful. It wasn't meant as a joke, something mean someone would do out of spite or whatever you want to call it. Glad that you kind got it." He glances over his shoulders then, and he takes a couple steps that direction. Backwards. "But listen I gutta go, else I'll miss my ride back to the hold. It was great seeing you two, together. Great genetics you guys got going on. Keep up the good work." He tosses in a thumbs up in there, or two and then turns his back on the siblings, wincing once neither can see the look on his face. "Smooth Kai. Smooth." he grumbles at himself, brows knitting. "Shit."

Aniki certainly doesn't register anything the matter with the boy. He can only stare at him because the only thing running through his head at the moment is that the apprentice standing in front of him had asked his sister out on a date. Not a serious date, but a date nonetheless. Miki doesn't miss the change in attitude though. Kairhys may not be one of the littles, but she's learned to read what's underneath and the rider furrows her brows slightly. "Hey…I didn't mean…" But it's too late, Kairhys is already backing away before she can say anything. And then he's talking about genetics and this only bring further confusion to Miki's features. "See you around then I guess…." She does shoot a smile in his direction before he leaves, as does Aniki though there isn't a verbal goodbye, just smiles and a wave using his fan. Once he's gone, Miki is left with Aniki, and the weaver doesn't seem quite so happy nor quite so meek as before. "A date? Why I never heard of this /date/ is quite beyond me….perhaps we should discuss it while picking up your clothes." Turning swiftly, Aniki begins making his way back to his workshop and Miki follows behind with a tiny groan. She would likely be hearing quite a bit of nagging in the next few hours or so.

'The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967, 2000. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on PernWorld MUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.