Staying in shape
Who: D'kai with Mikhuth, Hattie with Elaruth, Phara with Bennath, and W'ton with Dasarth
Where: Weyrling barracks
When: Morning on day 11, month 3, turn 19
What: D'kai and Phara wake up the weyrlings. Win's already awake. He gets in trouble and runs laps. Hattie does not get in trouble. She's a suck up!
It's still early morning, some time before breakfast and drills and before the Weyr's even really properly awake, but that hasn't stopped little green Ollienth from rolling off her couch in her sleep and waking up all the barracks with her screeching. Y'dros flutters anxiously around her while she waves one wing, grievously injured by the sounds of it, but once D'kai's burst in on the scene and inspected the young green, he pronounces her just fine -- maybe a little strain -- and checks the rest of the barracks for further signs of life. "It's almost time to get up anyway," he announces to the weyrlings with a laugh, "so those of you who're faking might as well knock it off." Since likely no one could've slept through that racket!
Dasarth was not faking it at least. The bronze slumbers through the green's shrill complaining and even when D'kai decides to wake everyone up he slumbers on. Back legs kick out in his couch as he shifts himself with a heaving sigh over to his side with his wing extended just enough to not be caught under his tiny bulk. But just because Dasarth slumbers does not mean his rider does. W'ton's been awake for not quite an hour already and is freshly bathed although that's going to be hard to tell since he steps out of the meat storage alcove with another bucket to be chopped. His clothes are freshly pressed and protected as best he can with a big ole apron. Sleeves rolled up he sets down the bucket with a thunk and shakes his head. "Morning, sir," he announces cheerfully to D'kai although he cannot salute until he's got that bucket pushed back from the edge of the table.
Having been jolted awake a short while ago by both first-hand vocal and second-hand mental shrieking, Hattie is right beside Elaruth, opposite the little queen and easing herself away from the required cuddle. She sets her hands to sweeping gently along her lifemate's jaw and stubbornly refuses to be drawn back into that hug. Eyes focused entirely on Elaruth's, the battle goes on for a while, but eventually the gold stops her agitated fidgeting and restless rustling of her wings. /That/ earns her the embrace she so desperately wants, whilst Hattie manages to cease looking so pained and actually take in her surroundings. "Good morning, Sir," she mumbles in D'kai's general direction.
Phara isn't far off Deke's heels after he's checked on the green. She's still on T'rev's time, which is, butt-crack of dawn wake up calls. She's already got an egg and a slab of ham wedged between two pieces of bread, and she makes it disappear at a steady clip while she waits for people to start rolling out of bed. Deke gets a grin and a wink if his eyes stray to her. "You know, I think they got it soft, Deke. We used to get buckets of water poured on us straight from the lake." And Telgar Lake is cold even in the best of weather. "Come on, kiddies, get your dragons up and fed, the day's not waiting for anyone and we have things to do."
From his knelt position on the floor, D'kai is carefully flexing open Ollienth's wing, spreading the joints and speaking in a low voice to Y'dros, who has regained his composure and now stands cross-armed with the occasional sharp nod for what the bronzerider is saying. "-- if she reports any pain, straining, twinging, anything at all, or if you feel it yourself, let us know as soon as you can, right?" Finally, with a last scratch for the chubby green's eyeridges, Deke unfolds himself upward and acknowledges W'ton with a nod of his own. "'Morning. How's Dasarth? Get him up, c'mon." And then for Hattie, mildly, he says, "She's all good? You've got her settled? Good job, that." He does catch Phara's wink, and meets it with a lopsided grin. "I think the early hour's punishment enough." Though he certainly seems perky.
And since there's Phara down comes the knife so W'ton can salute her as well and give her a sunny, "G'morning, ma'am." Yes, he's already got some of the other weyrlings dreading his early rising, morning person ways. But he's utterly unbothered by it of course. Dasarth in his couch rolls over to his other side and doesn't seem quite awake. But since W'ton's got to put the knife down and grimace as he nearly wipes his tongue with hands a wee bit dirty from meat handling it's a good bet the bronze is awake and speaking to him at least. "He's up, sir," comes a moment later although the bronze still doesn't move. Eyes do eventually open as he struggles to sit up and wraps his tail around a back leg and tumbles down. There's no complaint from the bronze or bleat or protest. Instead he sits up and looks around imperiously. He meant to do that. W'ton just chuckles under his breath and goes back to chopping.
Dragon> Sweeping past each and every dragonet comes the loud clatter of a distant train of caravans, interest coalescing about individuals in the form of swirling skirts and rattling pots and rumbling laughter. << Y'all righ', then, lads? G'mornin', ladies, >> and then just as quickly he's gone again: just checking in on the kids, although the distant tinkle of tambourines and the bright flash of gold-capped teeth indicates Mikhuth's keeping an ear open for -- or maybe on -- the young dragonets. (Mikhuth to Elaruth and Dasarth)
"Yes, Sir," Hattie confirms, detangling herself from Elaruth, who follows her every move. Head ducked, she presses a hand to her forehead in an attempt to stave off the headache that all that feedback has invited in, but there's only a second spared for that and she's already reaching for the covered bucket beside her bed. Meat all chopped before she set about stealing what brief sleep she could, she's quickly back to an already creeling Elaruth and offering over mouthfuls. She glances over her shoulder to greet Phara with a distracted, "Morning, Ma'am," that's barely out of her mouth before the gold noses forward to demand more food.
Phara considers Win and his perpetual tongue wiping. "You know, we can teach you how to stop that - the tasting it, I mean. Bennath used to have me smelling coal smoke all day when I first Impressed." It's an offhand offer, distracted before she's scanning the room again, just /waiting/ for somebody not to get up so she can pounce on their lazy bones. "Nothing they won't have to get used to, D'kai. Sure did me a favor when I got tapped."
Deke eyes W'ton for a good long moment, watching that tongue-wiping with some interest before he adds to Phara's offer, "That can't be very hygienic," along with a nod towards that bucket of meat, and then the weyrling's hands. The tongue touching, not the taste, although the older bronzerider turns to look speculatively towards Dasarth as well before glancing back at the weyrling in question. "We could work on it later on, if you'd like." Maybe Hattie would like to participate as well. D'kai's attention swings her way next, lingering a moment on Elaruth. "And you, as well, if maybe you think it might help."
"Ain't all the time," W'ton offers with a shrug of his shoulders as he finishes his work. He looks at Dasarth as he wipes his hands on his apron, no way his clothes are getting messed up! The bronze looks back and finally pulls himself from his couch to walk over to where his rider is waiting with breakfast. He plops his butt down and waits with twitchy impatience to be fed. "Not so bad as it was before," the weyrling adds as he selects the proper piece of meat to feed the picky bronze. Dasarth has to examine it before he'll consent to take it. It's not a fast feeding because each piece requires examination to make sure it is suitable, but it seems like W'ton's used to this and has managed to get it right.
Since she's chewing like a good girl and not requesting more food, Elaruth takes the time to eye D'kai curiously and draw her head back a little more to get a better angle. But then there's food and that really does have priority. Hattie, meanwhile, is still slowly tuning back in to the barracks and her gaze rests a moment on the assistant weyrlingmasters, then W'ton and Dasarth. She blinks as she's addressed by D'kai and focuses needlessly on feeding Elaruth, pretending she hasn't heard the offer of help for a good few seconds at least. Jaw set, she takes a deep breath in and releases it just before she agrees, "Yes. Please."
Phara shrugs in patient agreement, "Raw meat, full of all sorts of nasty bacteria." She's still contemplating the bronze and the way W'ton is cottoning to him. Not that she's one to judge, since she put up with plenty of things Bennath did at this age, especially The Alone Times. "Well, we're going to teach you how to separate yourself from them soon enough anyways. It's essential to learn - if you get hurt and you can't break yourself off, we'll have a berserking dragon on our hands. And if your dragon gets hurt -" she shrugs, "Well, you'll be useless and we'll still have a berserking dragon on our hands. There's other reasons, but that's the best one." Darn it, Phara, why you always gotta be taking this so seriously? But it's offhand, like she's pondering the reasons for things out loud to herself more than trying to explain. "What do you think, Deke, something to do during breakfast?" Grin.
"Atta girl," D'kai beams over to Hattie despite her reluctant acceptance, and he casts around for somewhere to sit, finally plopping himself down on a conveniently empty cot nearby. Although W'ton seems to brush off their offer, Deke's having none of it, and instead fixes the bronzeriding weyrling with his best Adult Stare once he's settled himself comfortable. "It's something that you'll need to learn in time, regardless of whether the taste bothers you or not, or how frequent it comes by." Have they convinced him yet? "Plus all of the reasons she said. Might as well have extra practise at it, since it seems to get you more strongly than some of the others, eh? You, too, Hattie."
"It ain't like that," W'ton begins and then stops as he makes a face because Dasarth has stopped what he's doing to look at his rider and presumably tell him something. "It isn't like that," he begins again and only when his grammar is correct does the bronze take another piece of carefully examined meat from him. "I don't taste what he's tasting. There's just this..." He settles the bowl into his lap and gestures with that hand to his mouth. "This feeling like I've been licking metal when he talks to me. Or like how you suck on your finger when you cut it. Something like that. Huh. Sucking on a bloody blade maybe?" He muses this over without seeming too concerned about it. Even though it is sort of a disgusting concept and all. His head tilts and he looks at Dasarth before turning to nod to D'kai. "Sit through whatever lessons I need to, sir. I'm just saying it ain't- isn't what you all might be thinking it is. Happy for help, but want to make sure it's not help I don't need in place of something I do, sir."
Empty bucket: all done! Elaruth licks her mouth and looks herself over for any stray flecks of blood. One or two, and she goes for those next whilst Hattie finds a rag to wipe her hands on. The weyrling glances over at W'ton somewhat wearily, but doesn't attempt to argue or talk over him; instead blinks a couple of times up at Phara, then settles her gaze somewhere past D'kai, all compliance and patience even if it does look like quite the effort. "Things to be done," she says to nobody. "Sooner we set to it, the sooner we can put it into practice." During this, Elaruth inches closer and slowly nudges her rider's arm away from her side so she can poke her head through the gap.
Phara snorts, "Know /exactly/ what it is, W'ton. Remember, Deke and I, been at this for awhile," she motions to the bronzerider and to herself in an inclusive way. "It's how his mind /feels/ to you, right? Bennath's like flying, like when you stand on the other side of the entrance into the living cavern at meal time and stick your head in and out, the sound keeps coming back and fading really fast. Like ... one of those little motors they've been working on at the Smith hall and all sorts of smoke. And it used to all buzz and rattle in my head, loud noises and coal jumbling around. Til I learned how to put up a curtain between us. I can still hear what he says and the images he gives me, but it's not all ... put into my head so much." She leans back against the wall, stuffing the last bit of bacon and egg sandwich into her mouth and chewing mightily. "Suppose we should start with the theory of how it works before you try it. They won't /like/ it, mind you, when you try it at first. But it's necessary."
"It's the feeling of /him/," D'kai indicates Dasarth with a tilt of his head, though his eyes stay on W'ton, "which, right now I bet, is wonderful and reassuring and sometimes annoying depending on what's happening and what you're feeling and what he's feeling. But it's not that you're feeling it that's the problem, it's the fact you don't have any control over whether you feel it or not." Get it? The bronzerider leans back, supporting his body on his hands and bend elbows, and nods around the barracks in general. "And it's something /everyone/ has to deal it. But since Dasarth is such a," beat, "forceful personality, you," W'ton, "might just have to deal with it a little /more/." Hattie's encompassed in that little nod, however, and D'kai turns now on her with a gentler sort of smile. "I can pretty much guarantee Elaruth won't like this one bit, but you'll just have to be patient like you have been so far. Beautiful, all right. So the theory is this," he picks up from Phara, "that you're going to create a barrier between the two of you that shuts out all the peripherals but keeps the important parts, the bond, the mind. I was taught to imagine it like pulling a blanket up over you: a knitted one with little holes that you can still poke your fingers through, but it's still keeping you warm." Deke glances at Phara. "Not sure how you were taught, though; did you have something different?"
Being cocky is just in his nature and despite the best efforts W'ton's put into it since impressing he still cannot stop himself in time from speaking every now and again. "Begging your pardon, ma'am," he says all manners to Phara as he feeds another piece to Dasarth who's not near done being a slow, picky eater, "But how is it that everyone's always telling us each person is different and each dragon is different, but that our teachers are the end all, be all of knowledge to tell us what to do? How does that work knowing it all and being clueless about the particulars?" There's no smile as he asks, he seems genuinely curious for an answer even if even he has to know the question was maybe a wee, tiny bit presumptuous and all. Maybe even disrespectful although there's none of that in his tone and manners. As for Dasarth, the ever forceful personality, he continues to be fed perfectly cut pieces of meat like he's got all the time in the world. It's his due, his place, his reward for being himself and so wonderful in his very existence. And how can his rider deny him that since he's so wonderful in his very existence himself? The universe may not revolve around them yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Hattie opens her mouth to argue and only produces an odd noise that lowers into a faint growl as she closes it again and makes herself prepare to comply. "No. She won't like it," she murmurs a short while later, and it's as if she might elaborate on that, but then W'ton gets what is probably the most exasperated look she's ever shot in his direction. "They're babies," she states, encompassing both dragons. "They need to learn, like we do. How do you ever expect to master something if you ain't willing to give it a shot?" She blinks and pauses before making clear, "I mean master the process, not /them/." Elaruth's wings rustle and her tail twitches: she's on her way to worried again. Hattie takes another deep breath and closes her eyes whilst she tries to calm her down again and makes every effort to tune everything out whilst she does.
Phara's mouth twitches for a moment, and sweetly, oh so sweetly, she says, "W'ton, congratulations, you just won yourself five laps around the Bowl." And then her face hardens. "While you're doing that, you can contemplate just how hungry Dasarth still is. And then you can come back and tell me why it might be important to separate yourself out from him. We are a unit, W'ton, team players. We are here to mold you into part of that team. If you are too busy thinking about the itch on your dragon's ass, you're going to miss something important, and somebody on your /team/ might get hurt. If you're lucky, it won't be bad. If you're not lucky, somebody might die. Do /you/ want the death of a dragon on your hands, W'ton? I sure don't." Phara's got her big girl britches on now. She takes a deep breath, calming herself, but still she frowns. "We're here because we know something that you don't, W'ton. How to work effectively as a unit, and it is our job, our duty, to teach you what we know. It is your /privilege/ to learn what we have to teach you. Now I suggest you get on those laps and think hard about the gifts you've been given." Sure, she overreacts a little. But that's Phara's style.
While outwardly, D'kai shows no signs of his approval or disapproval of Phara's reaction, he does sit up on that empty cot and lift his brows mildly in W'ton's direction, as though curious to see the weyrling's reaction but nothing else. "We're not clueless about your particulars," he adds quietly, once the bluerider has finished, "As much as it may seem so to you." And that's all he has to say on the matter: this bronzerider is not going to fight, not now, and instead he turns to Hattie. "Okay. So it sounds like you're willing to give it a try, at least? We certainly don't expect it to be perfect the first time, but the earlier you start the earlier you have -- the both of you," and he smiles faintly down at Elaruth, "to get used to the sensation. And if anything at all goes wrong, or if she gets too worked up, there's both of us here, and by no means do you have to force it on yourself or her."
Elaruth shivers in reaction to the tone of Phara's voice and presses herself right up against Hattie, closer and closer until she's almost shoving the girl over entirely by accident. The sharp, "Elaruth!" that Hattie produces only kicks that shivering up a notch and she swiftly retreats, nearly winding herself into a tangle. Hattie presses both hands to her head and lets out a quiet hiss. When she eventually gathers herself to look up, she glances between D'kai and Phara. "Too worked up?" she echoes, trying for a wry tone even if it doesn't quite make it.
Phara shrugs at Deke and sighs, passing her hand over her face. "Let's get her calmed down, first," she murmurs. "And I think this will really be good for both of you. No, don't yell at her, Hattie. She needs your comforting. There's nothing wrong with that. You just need to teach her that you can't always be there with her. Eventually you're going to be spending stretches of time places she can't follow you. It's time to learn how to be together without being physically together, and how to separate yourself when you need to. Like, a switch you can flip. But, you know, calm her down, first. Make sure she knows you're there and not mad at her. Nobody is mad at her."
The reaction is an amused grin to Phara as W'ton stands up with half-empty bucket and sets it on the counter. Then he takes off his apron and folds it neatly beside it to be washed later. He salutes crisply, although he's still grinning. "As you wish, ma'am," he tells her with a properly deferential tone. But there's still that grin. Deke gets the same sort of salute and a quiet, "Sir," before the weyrling heads towards the exit with an annoyed looking Dasarth behind him. Because the bronze is not going to be left behind. At the door W'ton cannot help but look at Hattie and if she managed to catch his eye he winks. Because he's just that studly. Then the pair disappear to run laps. Well, he runs laps while his bronze watches. And when he's done he doesn't get back in right away because V'rel finds him and the two have a long talk.
Where: Weyrling barracks
When: Morning on day 11, month 3, turn 19
What: D'kai and Phara wake up the weyrlings. Win's already awake. He gets in trouble and runs laps. Hattie does not get in trouble. She's a suck up!
It's still early morning, some time before breakfast and drills and before the Weyr's even really properly awake, but that hasn't stopped little green Ollienth from rolling off her couch in her sleep and waking up all the barracks with her screeching. Y'dros flutters anxiously around her while she waves one wing, grievously injured by the sounds of it, but once D'kai's burst in on the scene and inspected the young green, he pronounces her just fine -- maybe a little strain -- and checks the rest of the barracks for further signs of life. "It's almost time to get up anyway," he announces to the weyrlings with a laugh, "so those of you who're faking might as well knock it off." Since likely no one could've slept through that racket!
Dasarth was not faking it at least. The bronze slumbers through the green's shrill complaining and even when D'kai decides to wake everyone up he slumbers on. Back legs kick out in his couch as he shifts himself with a heaving sigh over to his side with his wing extended just enough to not be caught under his tiny bulk. But just because Dasarth slumbers does not mean his rider does. W'ton's been awake for not quite an hour already and is freshly bathed although that's going to be hard to tell since he steps out of the meat storage alcove with another bucket to be chopped. His clothes are freshly pressed and protected as best he can with a big ole apron. Sleeves rolled up he sets down the bucket with a thunk and shakes his head. "Morning, sir," he announces cheerfully to D'kai although he cannot salute until he's got that bucket pushed back from the edge of the table.
Having been jolted awake a short while ago by both first-hand vocal and second-hand mental shrieking, Hattie is right beside Elaruth, opposite the little queen and easing herself away from the required cuddle. She sets her hands to sweeping gently along her lifemate's jaw and stubbornly refuses to be drawn back into that hug. Eyes focused entirely on Elaruth's, the battle goes on for a while, but eventually the gold stops her agitated fidgeting and restless rustling of her wings. /That/ earns her the embrace she so desperately wants, whilst Hattie manages to cease looking so pained and actually take in her surroundings. "Good morning, Sir," she mumbles in D'kai's general direction.
Phara isn't far off Deke's heels after he's checked on the green. She's still on T'rev's time, which is, butt-crack of dawn wake up calls. She's already got an egg and a slab of ham wedged between two pieces of bread, and she makes it disappear at a steady clip while she waits for people to start rolling out of bed. Deke gets a grin and a wink if his eyes stray to her. "You know, I think they got it soft, Deke. We used to get buckets of water poured on us straight from the lake." And Telgar Lake is cold even in the best of weather. "Come on, kiddies, get your dragons up and fed, the day's not waiting for anyone and we have things to do."
From his knelt position on the floor, D'kai is carefully flexing open Ollienth's wing, spreading the joints and speaking in a low voice to Y'dros, who has regained his composure and now stands cross-armed with the occasional sharp nod for what the bronzerider is saying. "-- if she reports any pain, straining, twinging, anything at all, or if you feel it yourself, let us know as soon as you can, right?" Finally, with a last scratch for the chubby green's eyeridges, Deke unfolds himself upward and acknowledges W'ton with a nod of his own. "'Morning. How's Dasarth? Get him up, c'mon." And then for Hattie, mildly, he says, "She's all good? You've got her settled? Good job, that." He does catch Phara's wink, and meets it with a lopsided grin. "I think the early hour's punishment enough." Though he certainly seems perky.
And since there's Phara down comes the knife so W'ton can salute her as well and give her a sunny, "G'morning, ma'am." Yes, he's already got some of the other weyrlings dreading his early rising, morning person ways. But he's utterly unbothered by it of course. Dasarth in his couch rolls over to his other side and doesn't seem quite awake. But since W'ton's got to put the knife down and grimace as he nearly wipes his tongue with hands a wee bit dirty from meat handling it's a good bet the bronze is awake and speaking to him at least. "He's up, sir," comes a moment later although the bronze still doesn't move. Eyes do eventually open as he struggles to sit up and wraps his tail around a back leg and tumbles down. There's no complaint from the bronze or bleat or protest. Instead he sits up and looks around imperiously. He meant to do that. W'ton just chuckles under his breath and goes back to chopping.
Dragon> Sweeping past each and every dragonet comes the loud clatter of a distant train of caravans, interest coalescing about individuals in the form of swirling skirts and rattling pots and rumbling laughter. << Y'all righ', then, lads? G'mornin', ladies, >> and then just as quickly he's gone again: just checking in on the kids, although the distant tinkle of tambourines and the bright flash of gold-capped teeth indicates Mikhuth's keeping an ear open for -- or maybe on -- the young dragonets. (Mikhuth to Elaruth and Dasarth)
"Yes, Sir," Hattie confirms, detangling herself from Elaruth, who follows her every move. Head ducked, she presses a hand to her forehead in an attempt to stave off the headache that all that feedback has invited in, but there's only a second spared for that and she's already reaching for the covered bucket beside her bed. Meat all chopped before she set about stealing what brief sleep she could, she's quickly back to an already creeling Elaruth and offering over mouthfuls. She glances over her shoulder to greet Phara with a distracted, "Morning, Ma'am," that's barely out of her mouth before the gold noses forward to demand more food.
Phara considers Win and his perpetual tongue wiping. "You know, we can teach you how to stop that - the tasting it, I mean. Bennath used to have me smelling coal smoke all day when I first Impressed." It's an offhand offer, distracted before she's scanning the room again, just /waiting/ for somebody not to get up so she can pounce on their lazy bones. "Nothing they won't have to get used to, D'kai. Sure did me a favor when I got tapped."
Deke eyes W'ton for a good long moment, watching that tongue-wiping with some interest before he adds to Phara's offer, "That can't be very hygienic," along with a nod towards that bucket of meat, and then the weyrling's hands. The tongue touching, not the taste, although the older bronzerider turns to look speculatively towards Dasarth as well before glancing back at the weyrling in question. "We could work on it later on, if you'd like." Maybe Hattie would like to participate as well. D'kai's attention swings her way next, lingering a moment on Elaruth. "And you, as well, if maybe you think it might help."
"Ain't all the time," W'ton offers with a shrug of his shoulders as he finishes his work. He looks at Dasarth as he wipes his hands on his apron, no way his clothes are getting messed up! The bronze looks back and finally pulls himself from his couch to walk over to where his rider is waiting with breakfast. He plops his butt down and waits with twitchy impatience to be fed. "Not so bad as it was before," the weyrling adds as he selects the proper piece of meat to feed the picky bronze. Dasarth has to examine it before he'll consent to take it. It's not a fast feeding because each piece requires examination to make sure it is suitable, but it seems like W'ton's used to this and has managed to get it right.
Since she's chewing like a good girl and not requesting more food, Elaruth takes the time to eye D'kai curiously and draw her head back a little more to get a better angle. But then there's food and that really does have priority. Hattie, meanwhile, is still slowly tuning back in to the barracks and her gaze rests a moment on the assistant weyrlingmasters, then W'ton and Dasarth. She blinks as she's addressed by D'kai and focuses needlessly on feeding Elaruth, pretending she hasn't heard the offer of help for a good few seconds at least. Jaw set, she takes a deep breath in and releases it just before she agrees, "Yes. Please."
Phara shrugs in patient agreement, "Raw meat, full of all sorts of nasty bacteria." She's still contemplating the bronze and the way W'ton is cottoning to him. Not that she's one to judge, since she put up with plenty of things Bennath did at this age, especially The Alone Times. "Well, we're going to teach you how to separate yourself from them soon enough anyways. It's essential to learn - if you get hurt and you can't break yourself off, we'll have a berserking dragon on our hands. And if your dragon gets hurt -" she shrugs, "Well, you'll be useless and we'll still have a berserking dragon on our hands. There's other reasons, but that's the best one." Darn it, Phara, why you always gotta be taking this so seriously? But it's offhand, like she's pondering the reasons for things out loud to herself more than trying to explain. "What do you think, Deke, something to do during breakfast?" Grin.
"Atta girl," D'kai beams over to Hattie despite her reluctant acceptance, and he casts around for somewhere to sit, finally plopping himself down on a conveniently empty cot nearby. Although W'ton seems to brush off their offer, Deke's having none of it, and instead fixes the bronzeriding weyrling with his best Adult Stare once he's settled himself comfortable. "It's something that you'll need to learn in time, regardless of whether the taste bothers you or not, or how frequent it comes by." Have they convinced him yet? "Plus all of the reasons she said. Might as well have extra practise at it, since it seems to get you more strongly than some of the others, eh? You, too, Hattie."
"It ain't like that," W'ton begins and then stops as he makes a face because Dasarth has stopped what he's doing to look at his rider and presumably tell him something. "It isn't like that," he begins again and only when his grammar is correct does the bronze take another piece of carefully examined meat from him. "I don't taste what he's tasting. There's just this..." He settles the bowl into his lap and gestures with that hand to his mouth. "This feeling like I've been licking metal when he talks to me. Or like how you suck on your finger when you cut it. Something like that. Huh. Sucking on a bloody blade maybe?" He muses this over without seeming too concerned about it. Even though it is sort of a disgusting concept and all. His head tilts and he looks at Dasarth before turning to nod to D'kai. "Sit through whatever lessons I need to, sir. I'm just saying it ain't- isn't what you all might be thinking it is. Happy for help, but want to make sure it's not help I don't need in place of something I do, sir."
Empty bucket: all done! Elaruth licks her mouth and looks herself over for any stray flecks of blood. One or two, and she goes for those next whilst Hattie finds a rag to wipe her hands on. The weyrling glances over at W'ton somewhat wearily, but doesn't attempt to argue or talk over him; instead blinks a couple of times up at Phara, then settles her gaze somewhere past D'kai, all compliance and patience even if it does look like quite the effort. "Things to be done," she says to nobody. "Sooner we set to it, the sooner we can put it into practice." During this, Elaruth inches closer and slowly nudges her rider's arm away from her side so she can poke her head through the gap.
Phara snorts, "Know /exactly/ what it is, W'ton. Remember, Deke and I, been at this for awhile," she motions to the bronzerider and to herself in an inclusive way. "It's how his mind /feels/ to you, right? Bennath's like flying, like when you stand on the other side of the entrance into the living cavern at meal time and stick your head in and out, the sound keeps coming back and fading really fast. Like ... one of those little motors they've been working on at the Smith hall and all sorts of smoke. And it used to all buzz and rattle in my head, loud noises and coal jumbling around. Til I learned how to put up a curtain between us. I can still hear what he says and the images he gives me, but it's not all ... put into my head so much." She leans back against the wall, stuffing the last bit of bacon and egg sandwich into her mouth and chewing mightily. "Suppose we should start with the theory of how it works before you try it. They won't /like/ it, mind you, when you try it at first. But it's necessary."
"It's the feeling of /him/," D'kai indicates Dasarth with a tilt of his head, though his eyes stay on W'ton, "which, right now I bet, is wonderful and reassuring and sometimes annoying depending on what's happening and what you're feeling and what he's feeling. But it's not that you're feeling it that's the problem, it's the fact you don't have any control over whether you feel it or not." Get it? The bronzerider leans back, supporting his body on his hands and bend elbows, and nods around the barracks in general. "And it's something /everyone/ has to deal it. But since Dasarth is such a," beat, "forceful personality, you," W'ton, "might just have to deal with it a little /more/." Hattie's encompassed in that little nod, however, and D'kai turns now on her with a gentler sort of smile. "I can pretty much guarantee Elaruth won't like this one bit, but you'll just have to be patient like you have been so far. Beautiful, all right. So the theory is this," he picks up from Phara, "that you're going to create a barrier between the two of you that shuts out all the peripherals but keeps the important parts, the bond, the mind. I was taught to imagine it like pulling a blanket up over you: a knitted one with little holes that you can still poke your fingers through, but it's still keeping you warm." Deke glances at Phara. "Not sure how you were taught, though; did you have something different?"
Being cocky is just in his nature and despite the best efforts W'ton's put into it since impressing he still cannot stop himself in time from speaking every now and again. "Begging your pardon, ma'am," he says all manners to Phara as he feeds another piece to Dasarth who's not near done being a slow, picky eater, "But how is it that everyone's always telling us each person is different and each dragon is different, but that our teachers are the end all, be all of knowledge to tell us what to do? How does that work knowing it all and being clueless about the particulars?" There's no smile as he asks, he seems genuinely curious for an answer even if even he has to know the question was maybe a wee, tiny bit presumptuous and all. Maybe even disrespectful although there's none of that in his tone and manners. As for Dasarth, the ever forceful personality, he continues to be fed perfectly cut pieces of meat like he's got all the time in the world. It's his due, his place, his reward for being himself and so wonderful in his very existence. And how can his rider deny him that since he's so wonderful in his very existence himself? The universe may not revolve around them yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Hattie opens her mouth to argue and only produces an odd noise that lowers into a faint growl as she closes it again and makes herself prepare to comply. "No. She won't like it," she murmurs a short while later, and it's as if she might elaborate on that, but then W'ton gets what is probably the most exasperated look she's ever shot in his direction. "They're babies," she states, encompassing both dragons. "They need to learn, like we do. How do you ever expect to master something if you ain't willing to give it a shot?" She blinks and pauses before making clear, "I mean master the process, not /them/." Elaruth's wings rustle and her tail twitches: she's on her way to worried again. Hattie takes another deep breath and closes her eyes whilst she tries to calm her down again and makes every effort to tune everything out whilst she does.
Phara's mouth twitches for a moment, and sweetly, oh so sweetly, she says, "W'ton, congratulations, you just won yourself five laps around the Bowl." And then her face hardens. "While you're doing that, you can contemplate just how hungry Dasarth still is. And then you can come back and tell me why it might be important to separate yourself out from him. We are a unit, W'ton, team players. We are here to mold you into part of that team. If you are too busy thinking about the itch on your dragon's ass, you're going to miss something important, and somebody on your /team/ might get hurt. If you're lucky, it won't be bad. If you're not lucky, somebody might die. Do /you/ want the death of a dragon on your hands, W'ton? I sure don't." Phara's got her big girl britches on now. She takes a deep breath, calming herself, but still she frowns. "We're here because we know something that you don't, W'ton. How to work effectively as a unit, and it is our job, our duty, to teach you what we know. It is your /privilege/ to learn what we have to teach you. Now I suggest you get on those laps and think hard about the gifts you've been given." Sure, she overreacts a little. But that's Phara's style.
While outwardly, D'kai shows no signs of his approval or disapproval of Phara's reaction, he does sit up on that empty cot and lift his brows mildly in W'ton's direction, as though curious to see the weyrling's reaction but nothing else. "We're not clueless about your particulars," he adds quietly, once the bluerider has finished, "As much as it may seem so to you." And that's all he has to say on the matter: this bronzerider is not going to fight, not now, and instead he turns to Hattie. "Okay. So it sounds like you're willing to give it a try, at least? We certainly don't expect it to be perfect the first time, but the earlier you start the earlier you have -- the both of you," and he smiles faintly down at Elaruth, "to get used to the sensation. And if anything at all goes wrong, or if she gets too worked up, there's both of us here, and by no means do you have to force it on yourself or her."
Elaruth shivers in reaction to the tone of Phara's voice and presses herself right up against Hattie, closer and closer until she's almost shoving the girl over entirely by accident. The sharp, "Elaruth!" that Hattie produces only kicks that shivering up a notch and she swiftly retreats, nearly winding herself into a tangle. Hattie presses both hands to her head and lets out a quiet hiss. When she eventually gathers herself to look up, she glances between D'kai and Phara. "Too worked up?" she echoes, trying for a wry tone even if it doesn't quite make it.
Phara shrugs at Deke and sighs, passing her hand over her face. "Let's get her calmed down, first," she murmurs. "And I think this will really be good for both of you. No, don't yell at her, Hattie. She needs your comforting. There's nothing wrong with that. You just need to teach her that you can't always be there with her. Eventually you're going to be spending stretches of time places she can't follow you. It's time to learn how to be together without being physically together, and how to separate yourself when you need to. Like, a switch you can flip. But, you know, calm her down, first. Make sure she knows you're there and not mad at her. Nobody is mad at her."
The reaction is an amused grin to Phara as W'ton stands up with half-empty bucket and sets it on the counter. Then he takes off his apron and folds it neatly beside it to be washed later. He salutes crisply, although he's still grinning. "As you wish, ma'am," he tells her with a properly deferential tone. But there's still that grin. Deke gets the same sort of salute and a quiet, "Sir," before the weyrling heads towards the exit with an annoyed looking Dasarth behind him. Because the bronze is not going to be left behind. At the door W'ton cannot help but look at Hattie and if she managed to catch his eye he winks. Because he's just that studly. Then the pair disappear to run laps. Well, he runs laps while his bronze watches. And when he's done he doesn't get back in right away because V'rel finds him and the two have a long talk.