==== February 7, 2014
==== Sara,Erikkhan
==== Sara makes Erikkhan eat and they share gossip.

Living Caverns
Dim light from hanging glow-globes cannot fully camouflage the ravages of time and neglect on Igen's busy living caverns, though hints of its former glory peek through in the decorative cuts to the cave's natural limestone and the high quality of dusty, tatty-ended tapestries. Here and there, skybroom tables — stained dark by wood finish and a decade of grime — sit in loose groups, flanked by wicker chairs with pointy, broken rattan that pokes out to invariably find unprotected skin. The seemingly randomly placed furniture, however, at closer inspection, forms a sort of cross-shape of negative space. At the northernmost walls and nooks of the caverns, a long buffet table with tarnished lazy susans hosts an array of finger-foods and pitchers for the interested, refilled occasionally by drudges that shuffle in from the curtained entrance to the south, beyond which lies the kitchens. To the east is a large arch leading outside and, across from that, to the west, a set of rattling doors that open to reveal the tunnels and stairs of the inner caverns themselves.

Its been a quiet afternoon in Erikk's world today. An entire day of undisturbed work has produced several covered canvases in various states of completion. The artist can now be found at his desk, scribbling out notes and various lists of things. The scratch and tick of his pen is all that is heard in the room besides the soft snores of Celeste and Summer.

Loud knocks echo out upon Erikkhan's door before Sara opens it up and pokes her head into the room. "Erikk, I know you're in one of your all-work-no-play binges, but really, you need to eat. And I'm sure Realilina is too busy to force you to do so." There is a grin on the harper's face- perhaps she has even been sent by said Realilina to dig Erikk out of his solitary.

Erikk looks up in a slight daze, his eyes taking a moment to focus. "Hmm? Oh… right, of course." He clears his throat and sands the hide he'd been marking on, placing the pen back in the ink well. "Come on in Sara." He comments, standing to stretch his long limbs. He comes out from behind the desk and his visage is covered with the fruits of his labor. Paint and charcoal spatter the old looking clothes he's donned. Charcoal smears his fingers and cheeks, dusting him and making him look the part of a miner come home from work.

Sara enter's the man's quarters, but leaves open the doorway to the craft complex for some reason. "Erikkhan, really. I'm here to drag you in the general direction of food." She looks her handsome old friend from tip to bottom and shakes her head gently, allowing her braids to swing behind her gently. "And a bath apparently."

Erikkhan laughs and looks down at himself. "Give me a moment." He disappears into the domicile section of his quarters and emerges with clean hands and face and a fresh set of clothing. "Surely I haven't been locked up in here that long? I remember having breakfast." He smiles and finishes crossing the room to Sara.

As Erikkhan moves into blocked off corner Sara moves deeper into his room, looking at the paintings scattered out the area. "This one would look beautiful in the Harper Erikk, any interest in letting me put it up? I think I have someone who would snatch it up if I put a seed in his ear." She reaches out to brush gently the edge of one painting.

Erikkhan nods with a smile. "I think that could be arranged. There's a few of those there that aren't ip for grabs though. The three with the blue sheets." Erikk leans against the open doorway to his quarters. "So, I believe there was mention of food?"

"Perfect! Just bring them down any time and I'll drop my whisper." Turning towards Erikk in the open doorway she offers her oldest friend an arm. "I did say food, shall we?"

Erikkhan nods and takes Sara's arm, waving her out first as it is the gentlemanly thing to do. He follows her out into the corridor and locks the door behind them. "Did Lina send you to dig me out?" He asks, curious.

Arm in arm the pair move outwards and into the living caverns. Any eyes the female and male harper get at being arm in arm is freely ignored. "Perhaps. Or maybe I just realized that I haven't had any time at all with one of my best friends and decided that it would be best if I came and took said time."

Arm in arm the pair move outwards and into the living caverns. Any eyes the female and male harper get at being arm in arm is freely ignored. "Perhaps. Or maybe I just realized that I haven't had any time at all with one of my best friends and decided that it would be best if I came and took said time."

Erikk laughs robustly and walks along, definitely ignoring any stares they may be getting. "Point well taken Sara. I agree, we haven't seen each other much as of late." Having come completely out of his work stupor, Erikk is jovial and in a pleasant mood. The corridors are traversed with practiced ease, places that had been new and completely unfamiliar less than a couple of turns ago.

"Did I tell you the latest nonsense Peaston has gotten into?" Sara glances sideways at Erikkhan as the enter the living caverns. She leads the pair towards the general direction of food.

Erikkhan shakes his head at Sara. "Is it something I'm going to want to hit him for?" Well known as it is that the two harpers have no love for each other, Erikk /has/ been /trying/ to behave where Peaston is concerned. And if his pace quickens a bit, well, it should be easy to guess why.

"Nah, just insulted a pair of trader lasses who came in for the scribing service. They had love notes they didn't want to be in their own hands and asked if Peaston would scribe for them." Sara shakes her head, a bit of mournful expression there, though mirth does dance in her eyes. Letting go of Erikkhan's arm she begins to gather up food for herself. "Instead of shutting his mouth and writting the darn letter, the idiot instead ended up giving them a lecture about morals and obeying their father. Sadly, I was out gathering and only came up when the girls were trying to escape."

Erikk lets out a harsh snort and shakes his head. "Poor girls…" Is all he replies at first, shaking his head once more at the stupidity of the men in the current world of Pern. He keeps that opinion to himself though. "Im sure you scalded his ears for it…" Erikk continues, having been on the receiving end of one of those scaldings a few times himself.

"I'm sure they heard us all the way over at Corks and Works," is Sara's very, very dry reply. "The man simply has no sense. You just don't talk that way to those who come seeking!" Her braids sway with her dismay as she finishes plopping food on her plate and turns away.

Erikkhan follows behind, grabbing a giant sized portion for his own meal, and a large glass of wine. He follows Sara out into the throng. "Doesn't surprise me any. Folk like that never change." Erikk heaves a heavy sigh. "I swear by the egg when I…." Wait…. he hasn't even told Lina about that yet. He snaps his mouth shut and then occupies it with a drought of wine, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Sara eyes her oldtime friend speculatively as she slides into a free corner of a table. "Spill it Erikkhan, there isn't any reason to keep it from me, now is there?"

Erikkhan chuckles as he sits and takes another . of wine before staring across the table at his long time friend. "I hear the WeyrHarper position is open. You trying for it?" He asks this, seemingly changing the topic of conversation, but there may be clues hiding in that statement.

"And leave the Harper completly in Peaston's hands? You don't even think that Erikk!" The thought of her precious instruments left alone with her archenemy has Sara shuddering slightly. "Perhaps Peaston might angle for it, to get out of The Harper completly."

Erikkhan snorts and looks slightly disgusted. "Fat chance he'll get it…" He responds, shoveling a mouth full of food into his gob and chewing. He uses wine to wash it down. "I didn't really think you'd leave the Harper unprotected. "

"Besides, I'd have to give up my time fixing things and go back to begging space from the Smiths." Sara's tone is firm and she punctuates her insistence by tearing a roll in half and reaching for some butter. "And I never was much of a teacher outside of my own specialty."

Erikkhan raises a brow. "What are you needing to beg space from the smiths for?" He asks, genuinely curious, no matter that Sara hasn't caught on the gist of his hints yet. Erikk and his guessing games… in some ways, he'll never grow up.

"Space to work where no one minds me messing everything up." Sara eyes Erikkhand. "I assume you're going for the position? You really think the hall would let you have it?" Being an oldtimer and all?

Erikkhan nods his head as yet more food finds it's way to his mouth. "You can use spare space in the studio if you'd like."The offer is made before Erikkhan commits to devouring half of his food. It's probably a good thing that Sara dragged him out to eat. "I think I have a fair shot at it. My work has spoken for itself since the dig st Southern. I've made more than a few friends in the weyr with my business and I feel I deserve it. Oldtimer or no, like you, I've proven I have skills that are useful. I'm hoping that's what they take into consideration."

Sara laughs at Erikkhan's offer of space. "Dear, we'd drive one another crazy within a couple of sevendays. We both need our space." Force two crafty crafters to share a space? Sara pops pieces of buttered roll into her mouth and chews around a smile.

Erikkhan laughs loudly at that. "As always Sara, you may be right." He shakes his head and washes down some crumbs with a drink. "What big project will you be working on now?"

"Nothing big." Sara continues after washing down her roll with a mug of juicce. "I don't want to get bogged down with anything when I might get called down to help with the harpsichord any second. With the weyr talking about raiding the bazaar… well. I don't need any help scaring away business from the Harper."

Erikkhan nods. "I can understand that. Well, if you need some help at the Harper I'm more than willing oblige. I'm sure Lina would rather I be there than holed up in the studio." And with that, Erikk is scraping the last vestiges if food from his plate.

Sara isn't eating nearly as fast as the other harper, taking her time to savor the food. "Though from how quickly you're eating, I'm going to guess you've got a painting you're itching to finish tonight."

Erikkhan nods. "I want to put the finishing touches on a portrait I'm doing for Sienna. I have about ten commissions I'm the works right now. But I wolfed my food because I was hungry!" He smiles widely at Sara. "I'd probably starve without you and Lina there to remind me to eat."

Erikkhan nods. "I want to put the finishing touches on a portrait I'm doing for Sienna. I have about ten commissions I'm the works right now. But I wolfed my food because I was hungry!" He smiles widely at Sara. "I'd probably starve without you and Lina there to remind me to eat."

Sara waves off the comment with a bit of bread before popping that same piece into her mouth. "Go on with you then. I'll see if I can catch Lina before she gets home so she doesn't try to drag you out again."

The look Sara receives from Erikk is one of fond, friendly adoration. He stands, gathering his empty dishes and sweeps around the table to give Sara a friendly peck on the cheek. "You're the best friend a guy could have, you know that right?" He gives her a wide, very Erikkhan smile.

Erikkhan just gets another general wave of the hand, this time one holding a mug of drink. "Don't stay up too late. Realilina really should sleep."

Erikkhan nods and gives a mock salute. "Yes ma'am. Ill keep that in mind." His tone is joking. With a side hug and a wink the Harper is off, depositing his dishes along the way. He whistles as he leaves the cavern, a lively jaunt in his step.