Weyrhall - Monaco Weyr

This Hall rises in two open levels. High above the structure's center, a broad-beamed ceiling supports the slate-shingled roof. Carved wood from four massive trees provide pillars that are both functional and decorative. Bounding the entire open chamber is an upper tier with wide stairs affording access from the lower level.

The lower tier is arranged in grand style. Various tapestries adorn the lower walls, and tables, benches, and chairs are placed all about, allowing the entire Weyr's population to gather here. Built into the west wall, a large stone hearth houses a small fire that warms klah and some foods. Across the room, between the eastern pair of pillars, a large table stands laden with pitchers of juice and trays of food. Sitting next to the table are two casks of wine; one marked red, and stamped with a badge indicating it is from the vineyards of the North's Benden Hold, and the other, white with markings indicating origin in the newly-favored regions of the South upriver from the Paradise holding. Above the hearth is a large plaque upon which the symbol of Monaco Weyr, a particolored field of blue above white featuring a leaping dolphin, is emblazoned.

Elfarran is sitting over her breakfast, picking at her food and idly sipping juice. She doesn't look like she's been sleeping well, with dark circles that show up so well on fair skin.

Valenti passes behind on her way to grab some food of her own, quietly murmuring, "Boo," as she does so. "Elf? Is that you under that miasma?"

Elfarran blinks slowly and looks up, "Oh, good morning, Val. How are you?" she makes an attempt at a smile, one that even almost works.

"Everything's hunky dory over here." Val is entirely too cheerful, especially in contrast. Quickly gathering a plate and juice, she slides into the seat opposite Elfarran and peers over at the other girl. "Okay, what's wrong?"

After picking at her food for a moment, she takes a bite, before looking up, "What makes you think something's wrong?" Like Elfarran is fooling anyone, "Everything's fine."

Valenti rolls her eyes, not allowing the conversation to get in the way of eating. "When you get a chance, Elf, go take a look at yourself. Spill it, or I'll tell S'renn I think you're pregnant." Evil, ain't she?

Elfarran shakes her head a little, "I'm not pregnant...that's impossible." she turns a little pink, "Its just, I don't know what's wrong." This is about as likely as her being pregnant, of course.

Valenti chuckles. "I know you're not. But I'm not above blackmail when it comes to helping friends help themselves. C'mon, tell me what's wrong. Ain't like I'm going to rush to gossip it all over the place."

Auntie Valera leans so far forward she almost falls out of her chair and whispers loudly to one of her cronies, "I heard Sh'oddy got scored while he was away at Igen because he was so distracted over /her/. 'Course you'd think he'd be over her, now that he's a father too. *pause* What?! You didn't know?"

Elfarran sighs softly, hiding her face with masses of curls, "Oh...just a silly problem, its nothing important." she looks up worriedly and glances at the auntie, who _does_ gossip, "Really."

Valenti snorts softly, spooning something orange and mushy into her mouth. "If it's not important, you wouldn't be losing sleep over it." Evil /and/ stubborn.

Elfarran looks up, "Well, it certainly isn't earth shattering. If you must know, I'm 19 turns now, and haven't even had a single soul try to spend time with me, certainly not in any manner that would lead to children." She sighs softly and looks down at her plate, "And now I'm a candidate, so it really doesn't matter."

Valenti pauses. "Nineteen is pretty young, you know." She's trying to sound gentle about it. "You've got turns and turns and turns to snag yourself some bedtime attentions. I must admit I'm a little confused as to what being a candidate has to do with it- even if you Impress, it's not like the no-sex restrictions last forever. Or is there somebody in particular you've got your eye on?"

Elfarran picks at her food, looking down, "If I did, it wouldn't matter." she sighs a little and sips a little of her juice.

Valenti gestures with her spoon. "No, see, that's the confusing part. Why wouldn't it matter? Y'know, there's nothing that says you can't spend time with a person. You just can't, you know, do /it/."

Elfarran's ears turn red, since thats about the only part of her face you can see, "It doesn't matter because they don't notice me." Then, realizing she might have said too much, she goes back to supposedly eating her breakfast.

Valenti's eyebrows lift. "So they're blind." She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "Elf, we're talking about /men/ here. Most of the time they wouldn't notice a gem if they sat on it. Besides, have you thought about all the drawbacks that occur when they /do/ take notice? They get you in their clutches and expect to be the utter center of your world; they leave their dirty underwear all over the place assuming you're going to pick it up. If it's somebody you don't want, they either trail after you like a baby canine making an annoyance of themselves and getting in the way, or act mortally offended. How dare we turn down such a shining example of manhood?" she adds sardonically.

Elfarran looks up, giggling almost like her old self, "Okay, maybe some are like that." she looks back down, "But what if they are in love with someone else?"

Valenti ahs softly. "So that's the heart of the problem. Well, that's not good. You can cross your fingers and hope they get over the other person, or you can wait out the long falling-out-of-love period. Both of those are, yeah, rather painful, I'd imagine. I'm sorry, Elf. The best thing I can suggest is avoiding being around him, especially whenever he's with whoever it is he's fallen for. No sense in exacerbating the situation."

Valenti almost chokes on a bite of sweet roll. "Either? You're in love with /two/ of them?"

Elfarran looks up, face almost as red as her hair, "Well, I think so." She looks back down, "I can't think of what else it could be."

Valenti just... blinks. "Oh my. Well, if you're gonna do a thing, do it all the way, I guess. And they're both in love with somebody else?"

"Yes." Elfarran looks up, "At least to the best of my knowledge." She smiles a little, "I told you it was silly and unimportant."

Valenti shakes her head impatiently. "It's not silly and unimportant. I don't waste my time trying to help people deal with silly and unimportant things. I must say, though, you've certainly got yourself into quite a situation."

Elfarran looks up, sipping a little more juice, "I guess I'm making up for lost time?" She giggles again, looking a bit better, "Or just talent."

Valenti grins, eyes twinkling. "Of course, you realize when all this is over you're going to be the local expert on the heart. Every lovelorn girl in the vicinity will be flocking to you for advice."

Elfarran shakes her head, "I'm no mindhealer, and since I don't know how to fix this problem, how am I going to help anyone else?" She actually takes a bite, not picking at her food nearly as much.

Valenti's eyebrows rise, and she points out, "You'll know how /then/. Chalk it up to maturity and experience."

Elfarran laughs softly, "Provided its fixable. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up an old auntie, with nothing but nieces and nephews, watching everyone else."

Valenti shakes her head. "Have you ever /watched/ a woman giving birth? Personally, it doesn't look like an experience I'd want to suffer through. In fact, I think every girl should be forced to watch it at least once. Wonderful birth control method, I'm sure."

Elfarran smiles, "I'm a healer, or at least I was until I was searched again. I've had to help." She takes another bite, "But, it'd be nice to have that option."

Valenti pushes her plate away and sits back to nurse her juice. "Well, you only need to entice a man once for that, if it's spawn you want."

Kasmira comes in, muttering under her breath, and scrubbing ineffectually at a stained tunic. She looks around with a sigh. "Hello."

Elfarran looks up, seeming a bit more like herself for a change, and with dark circles around her eyes, "Hello, Kasmira....." She goes back to eating her breakfast, "I want more than just children, Val."

Valenti glances round. "Did it start raining or something when I wasn't looking? Everybody's mood, I swear... Heya, Kas. Grab a seat, join the little conclave." She nods to Elfarran, not particularly surprised. "I know. Just pointing out that getting children is comparatively easy."

Kasmira splashes klah into a mug before joining the other two. "Oh, just give me a few minutes, I'll be fine. I've never been good with young babies."

Elfarran smiles a bit, "I rather like them." she sighs a little, looking moody for a moment, "And I honestly wouldn't know the first thing about seducing someone for that purpose." she blushes again, after saying that.

Valenti chuckles, draining her cup. "As opposed to old babies?" she teases, getting to her feet. "Hmmm. There's gotta be somebody around here who could advise ya on that, Elf. Maybe stroll into dinner naked or something? Or better yet, wearing something not quite all-revealing, but enticing. But," she adds with a grimace, disposing of her dishes, "I'll have to ponder that one later. Gotta help with lunch, and I'm almost late already. See you two later." The girl disappears in a flash of ebony linen.

Auntie Valera sets her chair to rocking with a loud thumping. "Greenriders!"

Kasmira slumps with her klah. "No shortage of men around willing to help, Elf."

Elfarran just sits there looking astonished, and a little embarressed at the last bit, before looking at Kasmira and laughing a little, "After all the tales about weyrlife, and several turns of not being a candidate, you'd think someone would have at least tried."

Kirano perks up at the conversation, "Men to help with what?" he asks, uninvited, pouring himself a mug of klah.

Kasmira points out, "They've not tried with m..." She trails off, flushing bright red as her brother jumps in. "Um, nothing, Kir. Klah's good this morning."

Elfarran nods slowly, giggling a bit, before nodding to Kirano, "Oh, just talking about distractions."

Kirano looks between two blushing girls, "Good thing they havent tried.. and bad thing." he beams to Elfarran's comment, "I've got a wonderful distraction and neither of you two can have him."

Kasmira rolls her eyes, points out, "Kir, neither of us /want/ him."

Elfarran smiles a bit, "I wouldn't want to try to seperate you two, Kirano." She finishes her breakfast and sips a bit more juice, "I wouldn't want to seperate anyone in love." At this she starts looking moody again.

Kirano plunks in a seat, pointing out to Kasmira, "He's cute." he tries to cut back on the double glow basket smile for Elfarran's sake, "I would say a nice solid infatuation."

Kasmira asserts, "Don't want him, cute or not."

Kirano shrugs and then moves in, "So I hear you got Searched again Kas, congrats."

Kasmira says "Congrats? I'm back to tending the babies, Kir!" She points accusingly at a stain on her clothing, though she's starting to smile. "I wreck more clothing this way..."

Elfarran smiles again and nods, "I should join you, Kasmira....wouldn't want to neglect chores."

Kirano grins to Kas, "Aww c'mon, you /like/ kids." he winks, teasing.

Kasmira objects, "Not as /babies/."

Elfarran is sitting at a table, having finished her breakfast, and is sipping her juice, as if delaying the inevitable - chores. She has bags under her eyes, but otherwise, for the first time in weeks, looks much more her normal cheerful self.

Teague, on the other hand, is *scowling* as he enters the hall, irritation hastening his steps toward the klah-pot -- and the suspicious-looking stain on his tunic may suggest the reason for his ill temper. Once he eventually sits, mug in hand, he announces, "I really hate kids."

Kirano looks up from his klah, "Shards, what is it with this candidate class, kids are not /that/ bad."

Elfarran blinks slowly as she looks at Teague, "That's odd. That's the chore my section's doing right now." she glances at Kirano, "I like them. I'm glad its nursery duty and not repairing things with the smith."

Kirano chuckles, "Smith work's not so bad, if you've got the knack for it."

"Yes, yes they are," Teague argues, and however mild his ordinary temper, those words come with a kind of edge. And to Elfarran, he explains, "I was working in the kitchen, tidying up, and this pair of brats comes racing through and tipped a pot of Faranth-knows-what over on me."

Kirano frowns faintly, "Were you burned?"

Elfarran's mouth opens, as she nods, "Oh, I'm sorry, Teague, but children really aren't that bad." She looks ruefully at Kirano, "I've a knack alright, for finding my fingers with a hammer."

Teague shakes his head slightly as he shifts in his chair; offers to Kirano, "It was cold, whatever it was," before finally, *finally* daring a sip of his drink. And then, to Elfarran, he suggests, "Tell you what: any I happen to accidentally sire? You can foster them. All of them."

Kirano grins, "I'll take 'em Teague, the likelyhood of my siring them myself is tiny."

That pulls an almost-smile from Teague, and he turns pale eyes over Kirano's way. "No? Your, ah, dragon doesn't spit fire?"

Elfarran smiles wistfully, "I'd take them, provided I've at least one of my own." Since this doesn't seem likely to her, its a safe enough offer, especially with Kirano putting in his own.

Kirano chuckles to Teague, "I have boyfriends rather than girlfriends. Doesn't meet the basic requirements for littles to arrive."

Elfarran stands and stretches a little, before going and getting some more juice, "That would be a slight hindrence to that particular function."

Teague lifts his shoulders in a mild shrug, and does note, "There's plenty of men who like men, who also have kids."

Kirano nods to Teague, "True enough, although I dont have any kids from previous relationships. I'm unlikely at this point, to suddenly change the wing I'm in, just to sire a child. Easier to just foster."

Elfarran is sitting at a table, looking tired, but much more her old self. She looks at the two people she is talking to, "Fostering works, I suppose." She looks up and waves to Orilee, "Good morning."

Orilee steps into the Weyrhall, a slight breeze following her, and hinting of the stench of numbweed. An exausted wave is thrown out to Elfarran. "Hey Elfy..." She trundles toward the food table, snatching a few slices of bread. Swiveling back, hazel catches upon Teague, and a quirk of smile and tiny wave preceed "How do you stand that smell all day?" Laughing it off, she quickens her slow pace to come upon Elfy's table, settling down in a sloppily slid in chair. "And good morning to you too.."

Elfarran smiles, "What, numbweed? Its not bad except when you are boiling it, and I manage to avoid that by being good at finding rarer herbs."

"I stay away from the numbweed," quips Teague, and then pantomimes drinking something *else* altogether -- likely, by the way he feigns sudden droop-eyed esedation, a fellis cocktail.

Kirano snickers, "Numbweed's nothing compared to soaking hides."

Orilee huffs, stuffing the half-chewwed bread into her mouth and collapsing with arms folding onto the table. "Would ya teach me some time?" Meant to be unanswered, the girl laughs heartily into her sleeve. "Because I'm stuck with boiling the stuff... Are they trying to suffocate their Candidates or something? Hmmm?" Laugh. "Soaking hides?" The newest voice is noted, and she raises her head to look toward Kirano.

Valenti gives a wave as she returns, to reclaim her cup and seat, filling the former with juice. "Teach you what, Ori?"

Teague nods concurrence with Valenti's question even as he's tipping a curious, pale gaze back Orilee's way. "Teach you to soak hides? You planning on becoming a Tanner, like Kirano?"

Orilee shakes her head. "Smell that? I've been boiling numbweed all morning... stirring...stirring..." Exhausted arms flop out in front of her as the wind from which blows a disgusting stench off of her self. "Elf... she seems to have a cheat to get around boiling numbweed. What was it?" Head swings toward Elf then, cocking to the side as if to extract the answer. "Finding herbs, I think." Sigh. "I really need to learn that, as I'm stuck with numbweed boiling every time my chores include helping out the healers. But, no offense Kirano, if there's something worse than boiling numbweed, I wouldn't stick with that as a craft."

Elfarran smiles a bit, "Considering that I am training, or was training, to be a dragonhealer, staying away from numbweed is nigh impossible." She sips her juice and fades back a little from the conversation.

Kirano grins at Orilee, "You get used to it, honest."

Valenti's nose wrinkles. "That's what that smell is? I'd rather wondered, if only to know how to avoid acquiring it myself." She sits back to surveil Kirano and Teague from beneath lowered lashes as she takes a drink.

Orilee giggles, nodding at Elfarran and then sliding her chair around to face Kirano. "Used to it? If it's worse than numbweed...." A hand is brought up, finger poking at the tip of her nose. Eyes cross in front to inspect the nose itself. "I think my nose is numb." Poke. Poke. "The feeling in it anyway... although by some unfaranthish curse, I can still smell the stuff." A mock glare is thrown at Val, "And yes..." Head flops back and forth at each word, "That's what that smell is." Snicker.

Selene ambles in from the wide green commons outside.

Once again Teague lifts lean shoulders in a shrug, and after tossing back the dregs of his klah, gets to his feet. "Well, I'd love to stay and talk," he muses, "but I've got work to do. Children to strangle, that sort of thing;" and then he tips a small smile Selene's way, and steps out.

Elfarran shakes her head slightly as she nods to Teague, then glances up to smile at Selene, "Hello, ma'am." Ignore the dark circles around her eyes, for at least she is smiling again.

Valenti twists round to glance over her shoulder, both looking after Teague and giving a nod in greeting to Selene. "Afternoon. Ori, why don't you just ask them to put you on some other duty? Filing hidework or somesuch. Doing inventory. Things like that."

Selene comes into the Weyrhall, muttering quietly under her breath. There's a pause, however, and Teague's smile is returned, if distractedly. "Hello, everyone," she greets, with only a slight grimace at Elfarran's formality. Tone light, she grins and remarks, "I do believe you know me well enough to call me by my real name, yes? If you call me ma'am all the time, I'm going to start looking over my shoulder for my mother."

Elfarran grins and nods to the werywoman, "Alright, Selene, but I just know the first time I use first names without prior orders, it will be the one person to get upset with me." She glances out the door, then back, "And he's a strange one."

Orilee tips a hand in goodbye to Teague, turning her head o'er toward Selene. "Yes, 'allo ma... Selene." Grin. And if Effarran's dark circles don't distract enough, the numbweed stench around Lee will. Voice uttered again, in answer to Val's comment. "Well, if I ask for another duty, all the rest of the Candidates will ask, and then I'll get blamed for keeping them from doing their jobs..." She swings her head toward her. "Don't you think?" Gigglesnort. "But anyway, yes, good afternoon to you, too."

Valenti glances toward her fellows, amused. "Think I'll stick with ma'am for the nonce." Her shoulders lift in a shrug. "Maybe, but the worst they can do is say 'no'. And it might get you out of it at least once."

Elfarran grins as she glances at Selene, then back at the others, "We were candidates together last time, when she impressed Doloveth, speaking of which," she looks back, "How is she doing?"

Selene grins at Elfarran, remarks quietly, "I won't tell if you won't." Those dark circles get a curious look, and her nose wrinkles some at the numbweed perfume that Orilee's wearing. Valenti gets a good-natured sigh, and a shrug, "I just hope to get used to it, then." Elfarran's question prompts an indulgent smile. "Doloveth's doing fine. Enchanted by the idea of Candidates, and she's quite certain that we should be meddling in all of your lives."

Valenti pauses, looking a touch disturbed. "Er, dare I ask what form this meddling might be?"

Orilee nods. "Ah, well, I could try it once, you're right..." A moment of thought is given to her plan, and then mind jumps back into reality. "Oh! Really?" A bit late on her response, but it was to the fact that Elffy knows Selene. "That's interesting..." Quirking an enigmatic brow, she sets elbows on table to relax head in her palms.

Elfarran sips more juice, leaning back in her chair.

"Nothing malicious, I promise you," Selene replies to Valenti's question, laughing softly. "She doesn't quite understand the concept of candidate rules, you see, and has decided that she ought to try and pair you off somehow."

Elfarran blinks slowly, "Pair us off somehow?" A strange look comes into her eyes, one familiar to those having dealt with her lately, "You don't mean she's wanting to matchmake, do you?"

Orilee snaps her head toward Selene. "Pair off?" Crossing legs in front, she slides her chair from Valenti's view to Selene. "What...do you mean...?" Well, of course Lee understands, it just seems a bit surprising to her.

Valenti's eyebrows shoot up. "A matchmaking dragon. Um... That's the scariest thing I've heard so far."

Selene's shoulders lift, "That's what she'd -like- to do. She won't get the opportunity, though."

Elfarran nods and smiles a bit, "Tell her she can matchmake after we're no longer candidates." She murmurs a bit, "And do you still find time for your painting?"

Orilee giggles. "Ah, well, even the biggest creatures don't get what they want, do they?" Chuckling, she returns to knawing on her bread, listening in on the newest conversation.

Valenti dramatically dras the back of her hand across her forehead. "Whew. Close shave," she grins.

- Sometime Later -

Orilee snores silently, sleep comfortably taking over once her meal of bread is finished. Head leans sideways upon the table, arms settled beneath in a makeshift pillow. "Get away..." She mumbles softly in her sleep, brows furrowing in to express an emotion of anger. "Go.. firelizard... get away..." A hand goes up to paw at her hair. "Out..." And she moans softly, then silences.

Karelie ambles in from the broad front terrace outside.

Elfarran blinks as she looks at Orilee, as if she's gone mad, then looks up and nods to Karelie politely.

Matiaal ambles in from the western landing field outside.

Karelie hesitates in the doorway for a second, looking round the great hall, before stepping inside. She doesn't see anyone that she knows, but someone seems to notice her, so she smiles in return.

Elfarran notices the shoulder knot and smiles even more. It makes up for the dark circles under her eyes, "Welcome to Monaco, I'm Elfarran, my sister is a harper too."

Soon enough, Matiaal comes striding in on the heels of Karelie, going straight to the serving table as his two firelizards scold him for food, perched upon his shoulders. The woodcrafter quickly fixes a large bowl of meat, a plate of meatroll and fruit, as well as a mug of klah.

Orilee suddenly lets forth a grumble, and begins to violently toss and turn. "Away...." Groaning, she snorts a few times, tosses left, tosses right, all the while mumbling "Out... out.." As if receding back into the dream, her movements stop, body relaxes, and she once again settles back into a peaceful slumber.

Karelie moves towards Elfarran, with some relief that someone's spoken to her. "Glad to meet you, Elfarran. I'm Karelie." She casts a glance towards the slumbering Orilee, before continuing, "Your sister's a harper? I wonder if I know her. What's her name?"

Elfarran notices the arrival of the woodcrafter and his lizards and smiles a greeting to him as well, before replying to the harper, "Analisa. Last I heard she was posted at the hall."

Matiaal walks over to a empty table, putting the bowl of meat down, allowing Pride and Skyle to feed upon the meat. He returns the smile to Elfarran, blinking at the Harper's name, jerking his head to give Elfarran a glance. "Analisa... She was posted at Fort Weyr, only to be reposted at the Hall..." Sigh. Then he turns back to his plate of meatroll, munching idly on one and willing his firelizards to hurry up. He has a plan for the two.

Karelie nods, recognising the name. "Yes, she's a journeywoman there, isn't she? I don't really know her, but she was there when I left. I had a few sevendays at the Hall before I came here," she explains.

Elfarran nods and smiles, "Its been years since I've really seen her. I've heard from her though, and she'd mentioned that someone was getting posted here. Have you met S'renn yet?" She glances curiously at Matiaal, "Were you friends with her, then?"

Matiaal mumbles something to himself. "Oh, ehh.. Yes, I was. She taught me how to sing correctly and use my firelizards to, you know, sing along." slight shrug. Munch munch on meatroll. Eye Elfarran and Karelie curiously. "But who might you two be?"

Karelie answers Matiaal briefly: "I'm Karelie, and I've just been posted as the harper here." Then she turns back to answer Elfarran "S'renn... a youngish brownrider? I met him briefly when I first arrived, I think." Her eyes drift back towards Matiaal, and then to the serving table. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll just get something to eat. I'll be right back." She wanders off in search of food.

Elfarran nods to Karelie, then regards Matiaal, "I'm Elfarran, a candidate here." She regards him levelly, "And that's just the sort of thing she would do, but I thought she was previously posted as a wandering harper? I didn't know she had been at a weyr."

Matiaal's sapphire orbs flicks over the two for a brief moment, nodding. "I see. Karelie and Elfarran." Munch munch. Glup. Roll gone. Push hand through hair. "She is. It was a very long time ago, like a Turn ago or so. Maybe more." Then he eyes his firelizards, blinking at the bright color of Pride. Hrm.

Karelie returns with a beaker of juice and a plate of bread, sliced meat and fruit. She takes a seat near to the others, and picks up the beaker. "You're from Fort?" she asks Matiaal, as she takes in the shoulder knot and the two firelizards. The firelizards, in fact, get a long and rather sad look.

Elfarran leans back and sips her juice, looking curiously at the green fire lizard.

Matiaal snorts, hand coming up to his shoulder knot, taking it off his shoulder, almost jerking it off and putting it in a pocket. "For some time, yes. Originally was born at Cardiff Hold." Then he blinks at Karelie's long and sad stare at his firelizards. "Something wrong?" quizzes the crafter to the Harper, the glowing hide of Pride still catching his eye every once in a while.

Karelie shakes her head hastily. "I was just looking at your green, there, and wishing my firelizard hadn't deserted me. He took off after a wild gold, just as we were sailing out of the harbour when I was called back to the Harper Hall from Southern, and I never saw him again." She grins, a little ruefully. "I can only hope he caught her!"

Elfarran blinks slowly and looks almost puzzled, "I do too. Its not very usual for that to happen. He must have gotten confused."

Matiaal lifts a brow at Karelie, emitting a soft "Ah..." before blinking more. "Well, I'm sure your firelizard did catch her." Shrug as he eyes his green 'lizard. "If that's what I think it is, then there'll be eggs soon enough..." Sigh. "Those two have never left me for long."

Matiaal nods, "Sure. I'm sure I'll see you around." Beam of a smile at Elfarran.

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