Main Hall and Ballroom (#4517)
     The echoing space of the formal Ballroom is a mosaic of mosaics. The floor is covered with a precise and colorful ocean, slim pillars of smooth marble reaching up to support the balcony overhead. The low, flat ceiling decorated with bright golden-yellows and reds in a depiction of a partial eclipse of Rukbat. Beyond the cover of the balcony, the space rises in an airy arch far overhead, an ironwork window round over the gracefully curving marble staircase.
     An elaborate mural lines the walls, stretching from the mosiac on the floor to the ceiling. One the 'northwall' and 'southwall' are portraits of some of Pern's influential Masterharpers. The 'eastwall' and 'westwall' show aspects of harper life.

Kaeryn (#7720)
     With a height of about 5 foot 4, this young woman is not exactly overbearing in stature, but the confident air about her makes her seem a little taller. The strands of her golden hair flow fluidly down her back, ending in gentle curls at her waist. Bringing attention to the features of her heart shaped face are her blue eyes, highlighted with golden flecks, that sparkle mischievously in the light. Her skin is lightly tanned and delicate, tiny freckles powdering her small nose. A mysterious look in her eyes, and the way her pale pink lips upturn in a smile make her seem even more attractive. On her right wrist, there is a strip of harper blue wherhide that was formed into a bracelet.
     A soft, luxurious flaxen dress in a rich shade of russet drapes gracefully from Kaeryn's shoulders. The neckline is a demure scoop and is decorated with tiny golden tigerlilies. The sleeves are long and close fitting, tapering to a point at the base of her wrist. The bodice is close fitting as well but flares out from the hips to allow full dance movement. A black belt with a simple gold clasp sits snuggly around her waist. A pair of russet, calf height, wher-hide boots completes the ensemble.
     A bright silver knot dangles from a fine silver chain, a mark of friendship.
     A knot of blue and white adorns Kae's shoulder. Two twisted chords formed into a loop and a long tail represent her ranks as a Journeyman of the Harper Hall. Within the knot are ribbons of black and orange signifying her posting at Ista Weyr.
     She is wearing a silver and gold braided chain bracelet with the Dolphinsinger charms.
     Kaeryn is 27 Turns, 11 months, and 19 days old.

Rijalvas (#20656)
     Fine bones move under the deeply tanned skin of Rijalvas' face, its smooth surface bestowing upon him a youthful aspect. His brown eyes are deep, liquid in the same sense as a deer's -- little cunning lurks in them, just a low, quiet calm. Sable hair falls in dark waves to his shoulders, falling across his face and into his eyes.
     He stands a shade on the tall side for his age, an effect exaggerated by his stretched proportions. Long legs and arms, the ribs visible beneath his skin -- the narrow construction of his frame tries to trick the eye into imagining him with several inches more.
     His shirt was clearly made for someone with a more solid build; it hangs loose around the shoulders, and the deep V in the front which ought to reveal a solid musculature and hints, perhaps, of chest hair reveals only hairless skin and the relief of a few ribs. His pants are somewhat better fitting: their worn fabric seems deliberately billowy, and is captured at waist and ankles. He wears a clumsy pair of sandals. Perched on Rijalvas's shoulder is Caius.
     Rijalvas wears the knot of a Harper Apprentice.
     Rijalvas is 15 Turns, 9 months, and 3 days old.

Rijalvas wanders down the stairs a bit aimlessly. The hour being a bit late for classes or chores, he is probably either bored or trying to convince himself he is; procrastination is an inborn reflex in some. His hand trails lazily along the banister, and his eyes are focused on it more than on his path -- lost in thought, unsurprisingly.

Kaeryn turns slowly, in a circle, studying the room in which she stands as if trying to picture it some other way. "Hmmm," sounds softly from her lips, the sounds of either concentration or lack of thought, though probably the former. Her blue gaze lands on the apprentince at the stairs and a hand is lifted in greeting, "Good evening, apprentice...."

Rijalvas's eyes lift at the greeting, a startled-doe look in them. "Oh," he says. His eyes flicker to her knot before he returns the greeting. "Journeyman." There's a brief pause, then: "Kaeryn, right?" He's not too horrible at remembering names and faces, when they are of people who have significant power over his life. "You're back at the Hall?" Well, obviously.

"Not really," Kae replies, her lips curling up into an amused smile, "I mean, I am right *now*, but only on a come and go basis." A pause occurs while the journeyman attempts to put a name to the face of the apprentice standing nearby. "Forgive me. I've seen you around, but I'm afraid I'm not sure I remember your name."

"Rijalvas," the apprentice provides easily. "You sat in on a lesson Journeyman Tolia taught once, with your baby. I wouldn't really expect you to remember me much from that. It was a while ago." He pauses as his face lightens. "Oh, right. You're organizing the gather, right? The turnover gather?"

"Rijalvas, right," Kae's eyes sparkle as her memory is jogged ever so gently. "I knew I recognized the face, but there are so many new faces around here, and with me at the weyr, it's hard to remember them all." A small scrap of hide is slipped into a hidden pocket as she begins to turn again, nodding, "Yes. It's approaching quickly, and I still have quite a bit left to do. Like decorate this room, for instance."

Rijalvas nods, turning his eyes to sweep the room. "It kinda seems a shame, almost, y'know?" he asks with near-maximum redundancy. "I like the way it looks in here all the time, but its like things have to be done up for formal events. I remember thinking that it looked nicer before the decorations for some events, but no one really seems to notice it. I mean, with the mosaic, and the murals, and -- well, the architecture... It's a great place."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kae mumbles softly, giving him a grin before turning once again. "Don't worry, I don't plan to do anything dramatic, because I like it this way as well. Do need tables and chairs around the walls, though, and I was thinking that maybe.." she trails off, cocking her head to the side and closing her eyes partway. "Just a few glows opened, so there's light, but not too much. Want to make it a little dreamy. Maybe if I covered some of the glowbaskets with colored fabric."

"Huh?" Rijalvas blinks obliviously at the journeyman's first statement, but moves on easily, well accustomed to a sense of vague confusion. "Oh. Yeah, that might work. It'd hafta be thin cloth, though. You might also set them up so they point at and bounce off the walls, instead of just shining out at everyone? That might be dreamy."

"I don't want it to look like someone that's been drinking fellis, though," Kae can't help but grin at the idea, but she shakes her head as well, "but, mostly, just so that it isn't brilliant. Just give it a softer, more relaxed edge. After all, who wants a ball in the brightest of light?" As her statement is made, she moves forward and runs her fingers across northern wall, feeling the stone as she thinks.

Rijalvas lifts a hand hurriedly to his hair, brushing it back in a gesture that hides the quick flush of his cheeks as the journeyman turns away -- he'll just hope she didn't notice. "Yeah, makes sense," he says simply. "Does everyone dance at these things?" That does tend to be the point of a ball, but the slight emphasis on the subject lends the query a bit of a plea.

Kae turns to face Rijalvas leaning back against the wall as she does, her form looking that much smaller against the figures painted there. "Does everyone dance? Not always. No one has to dance, of course, if they don't want to, in case that's what you're wondering." Her hand lifts and motions in the direction of the opposite wall, "There will be tables and chairs, food and drink, for those that choose not to, or that just need a break. And we need music, as well. But what fun is a Ball if you don't dance at all?"

Rijalvas makes a loose fist and hits it lightly against his other palm, a nervous gesture more than anything agressive. He shrugs slightly, looking only a bit uncomfortable. "Just wondering," he says. "I just -- well, it's like I don't know whether I'd rather dance with the ones who are laughing at me or the ones who -- I dunno." He manages a brief, vaguely self-effacing smile. "It's confusing being an appy, I guess. None of the girls make any sense." A brief pause follows this, before he is struck by his words enough to hastily add: "Um, no offense."

"How many turns do you have, now?" Kae gently queries, one of her hands moving quickly over her skirt to smooth it out. "16 or 17, I would think? I've almost 28, and, to be honest, I still don't understand men any better than I did when I was an apprentice. Lucky for me, I happened upon someone that I understand enough. It gets easier, though, I guess." With a push of her hands against the wall, she straightens her posture and puts a little space between herself and the stone. "Girls tend to laugh, or giggle, when they're nervous. Don't take it personally."

"Not quite sixteen yet," Rijalvas replies, his gaze dropping, then lifting again. "And I guess. But I definitely see why we're supposed to wait to think about it until we're journeymen. /Not/ being in a relationship is complicated enough, with the stupid rumors than start and stuff." He pauses, wetting his lips a bit self-consciously, then lifts his gaze ceiling-wards. "Where're the musicians gonna be?" he changes the subject with tremendous art.

"Take it from me, it's probably easier to go through just being friends with all of your peers and not worrying about relationships," Kae notes the look of discomfort, and makes one final comment on the subject before moving on, "and I'm not saying that just because I'm supposed to. Just know that, chances are, the girls are just as scared that no one will ask them to dance as you are that they won't want to dance. It's a game of chance, if you will." The musicians, good question. She turns her head, running her fingers through her hair, and turns to face the wall she was just standing against. "Perhaps this will do?"

"Take it from me, it's probably easier to go through just being friends with all of your peers and not worrying about relationships," Kae notes the look of discomfort, and makes one final comment on the subject before moving on, "and I'm not saying that just because I'm supposed to. Just know that, chances are, the girls are just as scared that no one will ask them to dance as you are that they won't want to dance. It's a game of chance, if you will." The musicians, good question. She turns her head, running her fingers through her hair, and turns to face the wall she was just standing against. "Perhaps this will do?"

Rijalvas takes a step backwards, away from the wall as he contemplates the location. "That's nice," he says finally. "It's away from the door, but pointed at it, so people coming in and out can hear, but aren't instantly deafened." His gaze skews upwards. "One disadvantage of the high ceiling is that the acoustics don't really point outwards from anywhere. A lot of the sound is lost. But with a ball, that doesn't really matter as much as at a concert, right?" He pauses. "And clusters of tables near the door will be further from the noise, better for talking and stuff."

"So that means all the important factors will be covered, right?" Kae asks as she steps toward the center of the floor. "This will be the dance floor, of course, and I think a few chairs on each side might be appropriate, for those wanting to take a rest but still watch."

Rijalvas nods, following a few steps behind the journeyman as she walks out onto the floor. "Maybe benches there?" he wonders. "They tend to seem less like places for conversation than chairs do, and might fit better as lining. Move less, you know?"

Kaeryn nods slowly in agreement, "Good idea. I'm sure I could borrow a few from the other rooms so we'll have enough to line the walls." Pausing mid-stride, she spins around to face the apprentice, "I've been debating as to whether I should have the song competition in here or in the rehearsal hall, but I think what you said a moment ago made the decision for me. The rehearsal hall would definitely work best."

Rijalvas seems a bit taken aback, but nods, a touch unsure. "Glad I helped?" he offers. "Do you have to decorate that, too, or not?"

A shake of her head shows that she doesn't think that would be important, "No, I think it's fine as it is. Just set up a few chairs for people to sit in, and that's that."

Rijalvas nods, scrubbing one palm against the fabric of his shirt. "The people I've talked to have seemed really excited about the competition," he says. "I'm finishing up a piece for it, and I've talked with a couple of other people who are, too. How's the judging going to work?"

"So I'll be able to hear something of yours, then?" Kae's eyebrows raise in query and she grins, "I'm looking forward to it. As for the judging, to be fair, we're going to put harpers and nonharpers in separate categories, and have both harper and nonharpers as judges. I'll preside over it, but prefer to not be a judge myself, because I've offered to help a few folks work out kinks in their songs before hand."

Rijalvas shrugs slightly at the first statement, his gaze skewing over towards the door to the rehearsal hall, in search of a functional resting place. "Makes sense," he says again. "Don't want any hard feelings from non-crafters, and they really don't have the same training. It's be unfair. Like having a glass-blowing contest or something. The smiths'd just... well, win. A lot."

"That's exactly my point," Kae nods, yet again, giving her somewhat-new aquantaince a grin. "I'm pleased to hear that there's at least a little excitement over the competition. I thought that, if nothing else, it would give folks the opportunity to show off their hard work."

A faint smile touches Rijalvas' lips, and he nods. "It will that," he says. "I swear, you just don't work as hard on things when you aren't expecting to perform them. The stuff I wrote for Chananhikan's concert, and again, this song, have much more consistant and... well, /pretty/ melodies. I'm not that good at them, so I don't tend to work as much on them unless I think someone's gonna see them. I figure on some level it's all just a scheme to make us work harder."

Kaeryn's eyes sparkle mischeviously, but she shakes her head, attempting a look of innocence. "Why would we ever do such a thing? That isn't the sort of idea that *I* would come up with." Her shoulders lift into a shrug and she laughs, "Alright, so it is, but why not. I mean, if it makes you work harder on a talent you generally don't have time to develop, I think it's worth it."

Rijalvas shrugs easily. "True enough," he admits. "And I don't really mind. But I want you to know I'm doing it willingly, not being manipulated by your journeyman wiles." As the conversation progresses, he seems to be relaxing into it, joking more easily. He offers Kaeryn a brief, teasing smile. "But I won't tell anyone. No worries."

Being the easygoing harper that she is, Kae just shakes her head and shrugs her thin shoulders once again, "It's an optional thing, so no one should feel forced to work or something they don't want to do, but the people that care to do it might just learn something." A proud light sparks in her eyes as she gazes around the room, "It's amazing what people can do, when they really want to."

Rijalvas nods, his eyes lifting to look around, following Kaeryn's gaze. "Yeah," he agrees willingly. "Were you here when they had to rebuild the hall here?" He makes a random stab at the meaning of her pride, not quite considering dates, ages, and the commentary on her age that might accompany the question.

"Rebuilt the hall?" Kae can't help but laugh and shakes her head in negation. "I'm afraid I wasn't here back then, sorry. Actually, I was only here for a small period of time as an apprentice before going to the weyr with Jerran and then off to Tillek as a journeyman."

"Oh," Rijalvas' cheeks heat, a darker hue against deep tan skin. "I imagine what that must've been like sometimes, with all the harpers here working to rebuilt the stuff that was destroyed. The mosaics and stuff must've been an amazing effort for everyone, kind've... I don't know. A renewal or something." He pauses, memory touching his mind for the first time. "Oh! Aren't you the one that did all the murals?"

The corner of Kae's mouth tugs upwards into a quirky little half-smile, which, with a bit of effort, is forced away, but with a scanning glance around the room again, she can't help but let the smile return. "The last time this hall held a Ball was the night it was revealed to the public. Did you know that?"

"Really?" Obviously, Rijalvas did not know. "That was... a while ago, huh?" He pauses. "Huh. Weird. They're really pretty." Rijalvas, for all his talents, is far from an art critic. "We do seem to be kinda overdue for another, though."

Kaeryn laughs again and shakes her head, "That makes me feel just a little old, you know. It was probably around eight turns or so, so I guess it was a while ago, but still." Fingers brush through golden locks, pushing them away from her face so she can really look at the room, the way she did those eight turns back. "This was my pride and joy back then, and for many turns after. It's amazing the pride you can feel over something you work hard on."

Rijalvas opens his mouth, then closes it. No, he is /not/ going to mention what percentage of his life had not yet passed eight turns ago. Instead, he opts for a simple nod, a silent acknowledgement of the journeyman's points. "There's not really anything I feel that proud about," he says. "I've done things that were good and stuff, but -- I don't know. I guess I feel like all my important stuff wasn't good enough, and all my good stuff wasn't important enough, if that makes sense."

"We all feel that way, though," Kae replies softly, trying to be encouraging. "I thought that about everything I'd done up to this, but it just came together. I didn't think I'd ever do anything that could match or top this. Boy was I wrong." Once again, her fingers return to her hair, pushing it back out of the way of her line of sight. "You never know what's going to really touch you. I really do sound like a teacher now, don't I?"

Rijalvas shrugs. "It's okay," he says simply. "You're not yelling at me, which is better'n most of my teachers." Was that humor? Maybe partly. "And I figure there's something I'll feel really proud about someday. But -- y'know, I don't really figure I'll be a great harper, and I don't really want to be. Just do my best, and do some good, and that's enough for me."

"Actually, maybe I sound more like the parent that I am than the teacher that I try to be," Kae explains, moreso to herself than to the student. "I always assumed that being a harper would always be *the* most important thing to me, but that was before I had a daughter. Now I realize that I'll always love being a harper, but never as much as I love being a mother. Surprise Surprise. So, I suppose the best 'mother' thing to say right now would be that nothing can be better than when you give your best."

Rijalvas watches Kaeryn as she speaks, a smile slowly growing on his face. "That sounds a lot like my mother," he says. "She always used to say that she thought she was a better miner before we were born, not because she lost any ability to mine, but 'cause she lost her ability to concentrate completely. And she always told me that when I thought about what I wanted to do, I shouldn't think about where I'd do best naturally, but where I'd want to try the most."

"I guess that's the way it is. When you become a parent, everything else becomes second. Not much you can do about that," Kae wrinkles her nose, indicating she thinks even trying to do something about it would be a waste of time. Her arms lift above her head and she glances toward the door leading toward the courtyard. "Speaking of being a parent, T'rell should be outside waiting for me to get back to the weyr so I can gather my daughter from my cousin's care and get her into her own bed."

Rijalvas glances at the door after Kaeryn, almost reflexively. "Oh, sorry," he says. "I didn't mean to keep you from the stuff you had to get done." A bit sheepish, he offers the apology earnestly, but without much self-recrimination.

"Oh, don't worry," Kae shakes her head as she leans down to gather her bag and jacket, "if T'rell was in a hurry, he'd come in and rush me. Besides, you were actually helping me think things through for the Ball, and I appreciate it." Jacket is shrugged into and fastened before the bag is tossed onto her back, "I look forward to seeing you for the Gather, if not before. Good luck with your song."

Rijalvas smiles with vague relief and simple appreciation. "Thanks. And yeah, I'll see you then. Good luck with... well, everything, I guess."

Kaeryn gives a small wave before turning toward the door and heading out toward the courtyard. Just before slipping through the doors, she glances over her shoulder, and calls out, "Have a good evening!"

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