Green beads and a blue hide.
Who: Javeri and Balinne
Where: Lower cavern and onward
When: Evening around day 25 of month 5
What: Javeri catches Balinne alone to give her a belated gift for her work as candidate coordinator. Talk turns away from the gift soon enough to Chadamalith. He continues to be difficult (if most awesome) and after Balinne finishes scaring Javeri they speak of it.
It's somewhat overdue, the reason that Javeri's been trying to track down Balinne, but eventually she manages to take the time from everything she has to do and hunt the weyrlingmaster up this evening. This is a task that would have been easier if Chadamalith had felt like just asking Zelieth for his rider, but he was too busy contemplating his non-existent navel or some such to spare a moment to find the green and ask her where her rider might be. So much for him making it easier as someone suggested! So, doing it the old fashioned way as Javeri wandering through the Weyr and occasionally just asking someone if they've seen the greenrider about. She's just finished peeking into the bowl and is headed to try the baths when she spots a couple of her fellow weyrlings and stuffs something into her pocket quickly. It stays there even when they have moved along.
And there she is. Balinne's got a small group of weyrlings around her, recognizable as the "older" weyrlings from Nalaieth's clutch. It's a quick lesson of some sort, and not of the serious variety (lots of grins and giggling going on). But Javeri seems to have lucked out, and Balinne's quickly dismissing the group with a wave of her hands towards the bow
Luck! Finally! Javeri waits for any stragglers and then heads over to the weyrlingmaster. "Excuse me?" she asks all polite. "Do you have a minute? I don't have a question or anything." In case she was looking forward to time off after whatever lesson she had just given. "And nothing's wrong." In case that was the next thought.
Balinne's mouth opens, closes, opens, and closes again. Apparently Javeri's got it right, and concern was the next thing on Balinne's mind. But now that that fear is laid to rest, she simply folds her arms over her chest, leans back against the very conveniently placed wall, and bobs her head. "And hello back, Javeri! And go ahead, I've nothing to do but, well... stand really." And grin.
Javeri's hand digs around in her trouser pocket and comes up with a small, inexpertly sewn little bag. "Well, I am really late with this because I wasn't sure how to do it, but I talked to X'lar and he gave me good advice so even though it's late, well, here." Here is accompanied by the holding out of her hand towards Balinne. "It's just a little sort of thank you gift. For your work as our candidate coordinator. I'm sorry it's late and all. I didn't want the others to think I was trying to, you know, buy favor or something with you since you're weyrlingmaster now and all." So many words for such a small, light, lumpy bag.
"What's this?" asks Balinne, eyes going straight for that package once it's thrust towards her. Her hands eagerly reach for it, but she resists the urge to tear it open as she listens to Javeri talk. There's a little giggle, a slight lift of her eyebrow, and Balinne wonders, "Buy favor, hm? Must be good then, if you think it might buy you favor! But you should know," and her voice takes on a mock serious tone, "That I am not so easily bought." Either way, she's eagerly tugging at the corner of the package, working it free so that she can get to whatever is inside.
"Oh, it's not anything great or special or anything," Javeri says with an embarrassed tone as her feet shuffle on the ground. "Just, you know? Giving gifts. It's what kids used to pick on other kids for in harper lessons and all. Chadamalith and I have enough trouble sometimes fitting in and all." The bag fits easily in the palm of the hand and has three small, round lumps in it. Rather than speak through the opening of the bag she's content to stand silently and let the gift speak for itself. Inside are three beads about the size of a thumbnail each a shade of green that matches Zelieth's hide. And on each bead is a different little miniature drawing of one of the obstacles from the obstacle course the candidates ran.
"Any present is a good present!" decides Balinne with delight. "Well. Unless it's something silly, like a wool cap. Though, maybe a dragonrider could find a wool cap useful, even in Ista." She must be in a good mood, and giggles happily. The package is opened and Balinne carefully pours the beads into her and, oohing softly. Each one is turned over gently with her fingers, so that she can see each of the designs. "Oh! They're wonderful, Javeri! Did you make these?"
Anxiety over a bad gift fades when Balinne seems to like what she was given. Javeri shakes her head and then stops and nods. "Well, I did not do the carving on them because I was kinda busy. But I made the beads and handled the color." A group effort then with her and someone else. "A friend of mine at the hold helped me out. He owed me a favor." Shoulders rise and fall in a shrug as she says, "I wasn't sure if it was the sort of thing that should have a gift attached, but I like making things for people so I figured that was a good enough excuse to hand out gifts."
The wrapping is discarded carefully, bundled up and stuffed under her arm as Balinne folds her hands around the beads. "Wonderful! I should put them on a string and wear them as a bracelet. Or maybe a necklace!" Now ideas are whirling in her head, and the Weyrlingmaster rocks on her toes with delight. "Thank you very much, Javeri. It is a very nice reminder of my time as a candidate coordinator. You're very creative!"
"I learned beads first when I was a kid," Javeri says with no small amount of humility. It's nothing at all what she did and she seems almost embarrassed over the thanks. "I'm very glad you like it though. I was stuck on what image for them and thought that was the easiest to have done and one of the more memorable things." Grinning she says, "Besides it was either beads or take forever trying to finish something bigger."
Balinne grin widens. "Hey, they're wonderful," she tells Javeri finally, giving a firm bob of her head to end that dispute. After another look, she pockets the beads carefully, assuring herself they won't slip out, and grins. "It's not the size that matters, you know. It really is the thought." She moves as if to sling an arm over Javeri's shoulders, grinning wide. "And yeah. That was a memorable day, wasn't it! I'll never forget the look on Sunniva's face when she fell in the mud!"
Javeri's chuckle comes at the mention of Sunniva in the mud. "It was terribly funny," she admits with a slight shake of her head. "I felt bad for wanting to laugh, but I figure everyone had a chuckle at my attempts at sewing." The weyrling doesn't move or shy away when Balinne tries to put an arm around her shoulders. There's no other weyrlings around after all to call her a butt kisser or anything. "It was pretty crazy. Please tell me we don't have to do that as weyrlings. I don't think I could go through it again."
There's more giggling for the memory, Balinne's head shaking. "Ahh, I doubt she'll forget it, either But she survived!" Poor Sunniva. Balinne's grin is nice and wide when she tells Javeri, "Nope! Well. No obstacle course, at least. But, there will be plenty else to test you, and get you thoroughly filthy! Just wait until we start tossing firestone sacks, and then Chadamalith starts breathing fire! Ash, everywhere!" And how gleeful she sounds about it, too.
"I don' mind getting dirty," Javeri says with a smile and laugh. "I was a potter. My whole job was about getting messy. It's why I loved it. If someone looked at me and complained I was too dirty I just told them to shove it because that was how I worked." Dirty, not a problem at all for this weyrling. That problem can be Neraset's. "No obstacle course is good. I think I can handle anything else so long as it is not climbing walls and jumping through hoops and all."
"So I recall!" says Balinne for Javeri being a potter. Or ex-potter, as the case may be. "And dirty... it does tend to come with dragons. I didn't have much problem with it, either. But some," and there's a wry smirk and a barely suppressed roll of her eyes, "Seem to mind a lot. Oh well, they'll learn? Are you hungry?" and before an answer can be had, Balinne's attempting to steer them towards the Living Caverns. "Oh, now, I didn't say /that/," says Balinne with a sneaky little chuckle. "There will be rock climbing. But not for a long time. Have to cover a bit about Search and Rescue, you know. Repelling off of your dragon and that sort of thing."
Since steering commences Javeri doesn't even try to answer the hungry or not question. Instead she blinks as she walks and says, "Rock climbing? Repelling off- Oh. I think I'd rather have the obstacle course back then, please." Just when one thinks it cannot get worse it always does. "Search and rescue? Is there a lot of that to be done? It sounds kind of dangerous." And she sounds rather concerned over the whole idea. "Spare me future horrors, please? It's enough getting through the day knowing what the rest of the seven will bring sometimes."
Immune to the distress she may be causing, or maybe reveling because of it, Balinne giggles and grins. "Ah, but it's so much /fun/!" she says in a voice meant to be reassuring. "But be happy, you and Chadamalith won't be learning to catch dragons from the sky - he's far to little for it, since he's blue - but you might get to play a victim!" Oh, the horror. They're steered into the next Cavern, Balinne's nose sniffing experimentally. Alas, it is too far to smell anything good yet, and she makes a face. And then, thankfully, she turns to a different topic, "How is Chadamalith doing? Have you watched the drills yet?"
She is an evil, evil woman. While Balinne may delight in tormenting her pupils Javeri can only suffer appropriately. "Falling from- Oh. Umm. That sounds-" Horrid. Scary. Terrible. "Slightly worse than having to catch someone falling from the sky." There that should do it! "You like scaring us, don't you?" It's a question that is asked while Balinne sniffs the air and it comes out before Javeri can stop herself from asking it. There's a loud clearing of her throat and she tries to brush past it by saying, "Chadamalith is- himself. We've watched some of the drills. He's very keen on seeing them."
"Scaring?" says Balinne, with enough honest surprise that she just /may/ have been unaware of the distress. "I didn't mean to, really. And please, don't be scared," and now she really is trying to reassure. "It's all very safe, with harnesses, and experienced 'riders below ready to catch if you-" but she seems to realize that finishing that sentence would not be so reassuring, so she settles for just smiling. "Well, good! It's always easier when the dragon is interested. Zelieth had absolutely no desire to watch. Just wanted to nap all day!"
"Fall," Javeri still finishes with sounding about ready to go hide under her cot or something. "It's not," she begins as she tries to get images of plummeting to her death out of her head, "As if I am afraid of heights because I am not." Now she allows a small pause between statements and then she adds, "I am just afraid of falling from great heights and being smushed like clay." Splat! Falling to her death is set aside in favor of talking about her dragon. "He's really interested in a lot of stuff. I think if he could not sleep he would not sleep."
And now, for real, Balinne will drop the subject of.. dropping. And falling. And doom in general. But there's a lingering smile for the past topic, and a quick squeeze of Javeri's shoulders for reassurance. No death, that gesture seems to say. "How different. Zelieth would just as soon sleep through... well, everything! Unless it concerns her, she is not interested. It was rather tricky getting her to do anything with lessons unless I could relate it to her own interests - namely herself. And oh, when it came to firestone!" A groan and a wide roll of the Weyrlingmaster’s eyes.
Dropping the falling thing is an awesome idea! When the conversation is firmly on new ground Javeri relaxes and walks less stiffly. "Chadamalith seems like he is in his own world sometimes, but then he asks questions about something like he was paying attention all along. I don't know how he does it." Shaking her head lightly she lifts a hand to chew on her thumbnail a moment before saying anything else. "It's like he's asleep, but he's not asleep. He's awake, but just not really concentrating and when I ask him he just says he is thinking about something. Not often does he tell me what he is thinking about. I guess at least he's self-involved in an entirely different way than it sounds like Zelieth was."
"If he can ask questions," says Balinne wryly, "He's paying way more attention than Zelieth ever did. She perfected the art of looking alert while napping. Really, I would almost swear she could sleep with her eyes open!" A quick little giggle and then, "But.. oh, I shouldn't say those things to Weyrlings, should I?" she wonders with a smirk. "Might give you all ideas. Just know, if I catch anyone sleeping.. well, it won't be fun!" And that is, apparently, her idea of a worthy threat. "Ohh, I think I smell wherry!"
"Oh, he can ask questions," Javeri says in the tone a weary mother might use of her toddler who has just learned how to ask, 'why?' She sniffs at the air and then says, "I can't smell anything yet." She's not really trying most likely. After the barracks with all the dragons and required couch cleanings it can be best to ignore the nose for a bit. "Oh, I do my best to stay awake!" she's quick to assure Balinne. "Even if he keeps me up some nights. He'll go all day not wanting to say a word to me and then just as I am about to fall asleep he's got questions he wants answers to and he can't wait because what if he forgets? I think he does it on purpose."
"Still?" wonders Balinne, a more worried lilt to her tone of voice. "I'd hoped he'd be past that by now." She frowns only a little though before asking, "Has it gotten a bit better, at least? He's not waking you up at odd hours? Things should be a bit more routine..." but now they are walking into the Living Caverns, and Balinne is eyeing the distant serving tables with eager eyes. "Wherry, definitely," for the invisible smells.
The worried does not get missed and Javeri chews on her thumbnail again as they walk. "He's sort of scheduled. I mean he doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night, but he doesn't always let me go to sleep until the middle of the night. He says there's no reason to be confined by someone else's concept of what time is appropriate for things. That since it is abstract anyway-" She stops, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "I'm not sure I understand what he's saying sometimes. I thought he was supposed to be just a kid? That I wouldn't be asked questions I had no idea how to answer cause I didn't even understand them."
"No... he may be young," says Balinne, "But he is not a kid. Not the way you might consider a weyrbrat to be a kid. Their minds are quite developed." But it seems Balinne has not been satisfied, and she's looking more and more serious. "Well. Abstract or not, conforming or not, you still need decent sleep at night so that you can function during the day - it will only get tougher as we progress." She purses her lips briefly. "I feel that there is no other action to take but to just be... firm with him. He may not like it, but he's going to have to understand that night time is /bed/ time. If he wants to say up, that is his business, but he cannot keep keeping you up, or waking you up."
"But, really? If I am too firm with him what if he gets mad at me?" This is a huge concern for Javeri at least. Unlike the others she's never entirely sure if Chadamalith really likes her. Beyond the whole unconditional love bit. "I'm not tired or anything. Really I am not. I get enough sleep." There's only so much scolding or firmness she's willing to do with her dragon. "He still seems like he's ancient compared to some of the others. I get that they are all different and such, but still it does feel like he's way more difficult than anyone else's. Probably because I am dealing with him, I know. It's not easy for anyone I guess but I'd still rather it were easier for me." No more selfish than anyone else most likely!
Balinne's answer is, perhaps, not the one Javeri wants to hear. "Let him," she decides of being angry. "He can be angry if he wants. He'll get over it, and calm down, and learn to respect your wishes. Each pair have their little spats. Ask T'mic sometime about how Aath used to walk all over him. Sometimes, you have a very firm personality in a dragon, but you must take the upper hand. It might not seem as if sleep is an... important topic to be firm on, but if you let him get away with the little things - not that lack of sleep is little - he will be pushing you to give up other things as well. What if he disagrees in who should lead the Wing, or if you ought to fly at all? What will you do then? You can't simply refuse to fly drills." Practical. "If you are firm now, it will be easier in the future."
Javeri doesn't look thrilled with the whole idea of putting her foot down with Chadamalith. "Ok. I guess I'll try that. I just don't want there to be trouble with him." She looks towards the food tables without any real interest in what is on them. "And he doesn't walk all over me," is an almost heated afterthought that she adds. "I don't just- I mean it's not like that at all." Not exactly like that anyway. "He just needs to know he can trust me is all. And if I am too hard on him what if he doesn't Then he won't ever do anything I need him to do either."
"Didn't mean to imply that he was," says Balinne apologetically. "Simply that Mic knows what it's like to put his foot down, and, well... Aath still loves him." Different, but the same. Balinne's certainly interested, even if Javeri is not, and she quickly unwinds her arm so she can help herself to a plate and go about serving up a decent dinner. "I will be around," says Balinne with a smile. "I am usually in my office until late, and if worse comes to worse, Zelieth can lean on him and help him understand." She won't say restrain. "And... perhaps putting your foot down will be just what he needs. How can he trust you, if you let him get away with what he wants. You must both be independent, even if you are together." Cryptic!
"I just don't want to do the wrong thing is all," Javeri says after a moment as she watches Balinne get her food. The weyrling makes no effort at all to find food for herself. Maybe she's eaten already? "I'll try to be more firm with him. I just hate arguing with him. He just tries to shut himself away from me entirely." Which is ever so sad which can be figured out by the tone of her voice. "But I'll try it. Maybe it will work." She seems doubtful of the whole thing, but willing to give it a shot anyway. Turning her head at the sound of a voice she groans quietly. "Ugh. I think I'll eat some other time when K'mron is not here. A little of him is more than enough. I'm going to go check on Chadamalith instead." She lifts her hand and lets out a sigh as she rubs her palm. "I think he's itchy. Thanks for talking to me."
"You'd do yourself more good by not worrying about doing the wrong thing," chides Balinne. "Weyrlinghood is about making mistakes and /learning/. Can't be perfect out of the gate." A scoop of vegetables (GASP!) is added. "M, alright. We'll talk more about it, though. I really ought to have sat down with you about him before. But not tonight. Go on, then. Run before K'mron sees you!" and she makes a little 'shoo' motion with her free hand, grinning. "You're welcome. And have a good night!"
Javeri's expression shows her very thrilled she is with the thought of that conversation. But since it is not happening right now she's just going to wave and duck around other people to not have to listen to K'mron and his leering voice. "You too." To having a good night since it is followed up with a wave. Then that ducking occurs and she's on her way to her pain in the butt blue.
Where: Lower cavern and onward
When: Evening around day 25 of month 5
What: Javeri catches Balinne alone to give her a belated gift for her work as candidate coordinator. Talk turns away from the gift soon enough to Chadamalith. He continues to be difficult (if most awesome) and after Balinne finishes scaring Javeri they speak of it.
It's somewhat overdue, the reason that Javeri's been trying to track down Balinne, but eventually she manages to take the time from everything she has to do and hunt the weyrlingmaster up this evening. This is a task that would have been easier if Chadamalith had felt like just asking Zelieth for his rider, but he was too busy contemplating his non-existent navel or some such to spare a moment to find the green and ask her where her rider might be. So much for him making it easier as someone suggested! So, doing it the old fashioned way as Javeri wandering through the Weyr and occasionally just asking someone if they've seen the greenrider about. She's just finished peeking into the bowl and is headed to try the baths when she spots a couple of her fellow weyrlings and stuffs something into her pocket quickly. It stays there even when they have moved along.
And there she is. Balinne's got a small group of weyrlings around her, recognizable as the "older" weyrlings from Nalaieth's clutch. It's a quick lesson of some sort, and not of the serious variety (lots of grins and giggling going on). But Javeri seems to have lucked out, and Balinne's quickly dismissing the group with a wave of her hands towards the bow
Luck! Finally! Javeri waits for any stragglers and then heads over to the weyrlingmaster. "Excuse me?" she asks all polite. "Do you have a minute? I don't have a question or anything." In case she was looking forward to time off after whatever lesson she had just given. "And nothing's wrong." In case that was the next thought.
Balinne's mouth opens, closes, opens, and closes again. Apparently Javeri's got it right, and concern was the next thing on Balinne's mind. But now that that fear is laid to rest, she simply folds her arms over her chest, leans back against the very conveniently placed wall, and bobs her head. "And hello back, Javeri! And go ahead, I've nothing to do but, well... stand really." And grin.
Javeri's hand digs around in her trouser pocket and comes up with a small, inexpertly sewn little bag. "Well, I am really late with this because I wasn't sure how to do it, but I talked to X'lar and he gave me good advice so even though it's late, well, here." Here is accompanied by the holding out of her hand towards Balinne. "It's just a little sort of thank you gift. For your work as our candidate coordinator. I'm sorry it's late and all. I didn't want the others to think I was trying to, you know, buy favor or something with you since you're weyrlingmaster now and all." So many words for such a small, light, lumpy bag.
"What's this?" asks Balinne, eyes going straight for that package once it's thrust towards her. Her hands eagerly reach for it, but she resists the urge to tear it open as she listens to Javeri talk. There's a little giggle, a slight lift of her eyebrow, and Balinne wonders, "Buy favor, hm? Must be good then, if you think it might buy you favor! But you should know," and her voice takes on a mock serious tone, "That I am not so easily bought." Either way, she's eagerly tugging at the corner of the package, working it free so that she can get to whatever is inside.
"Oh, it's not anything great or special or anything," Javeri says with an embarrassed tone as her feet shuffle on the ground. "Just, you know? Giving gifts. It's what kids used to pick on other kids for in harper lessons and all. Chadamalith and I have enough trouble sometimes fitting in and all." The bag fits easily in the palm of the hand and has three small, round lumps in it. Rather than speak through the opening of the bag she's content to stand silently and let the gift speak for itself. Inside are three beads about the size of a thumbnail each a shade of green that matches Zelieth's hide. And on each bead is a different little miniature drawing of one of the obstacles from the obstacle course the candidates ran.
"Any present is a good present!" decides Balinne with delight. "Well. Unless it's something silly, like a wool cap. Though, maybe a dragonrider could find a wool cap useful, even in Ista." She must be in a good mood, and giggles happily. The package is opened and Balinne carefully pours the beads into her and, oohing softly. Each one is turned over gently with her fingers, so that she can see each of the designs. "Oh! They're wonderful, Javeri! Did you make these?"
Anxiety over a bad gift fades when Balinne seems to like what she was given. Javeri shakes her head and then stops and nods. "Well, I did not do the carving on them because I was kinda busy. But I made the beads and handled the color." A group effort then with her and someone else. "A friend of mine at the hold helped me out. He owed me a favor." Shoulders rise and fall in a shrug as she says, "I wasn't sure if it was the sort of thing that should have a gift attached, but I like making things for people so I figured that was a good enough excuse to hand out gifts."
The wrapping is discarded carefully, bundled up and stuffed under her arm as Balinne folds her hands around the beads. "Wonderful! I should put them on a string and wear them as a bracelet. Or maybe a necklace!" Now ideas are whirling in her head, and the Weyrlingmaster rocks on her toes with delight. "Thank you very much, Javeri. It is a very nice reminder of my time as a candidate coordinator. You're very creative!"
"I learned beads first when I was a kid," Javeri says with no small amount of humility. It's nothing at all what she did and she seems almost embarrassed over the thanks. "I'm very glad you like it though. I was stuck on what image for them and thought that was the easiest to have done and one of the more memorable things." Grinning she says, "Besides it was either beads or take forever trying to finish something bigger."
Balinne grin widens. "Hey, they're wonderful," she tells Javeri finally, giving a firm bob of her head to end that dispute. After another look, she pockets the beads carefully, assuring herself they won't slip out, and grins. "It's not the size that matters, you know. It really is the thought." She moves as if to sling an arm over Javeri's shoulders, grinning wide. "And yeah. That was a memorable day, wasn't it! I'll never forget the look on Sunniva's face when she fell in the mud!"
Javeri's chuckle comes at the mention of Sunniva in the mud. "It was terribly funny," she admits with a slight shake of her head. "I felt bad for wanting to laugh, but I figure everyone had a chuckle at my attempts at sewing." The weyrling doesn't move or shy away when Balinne tries to put an arm around her shoulders. There's no other weyrlings around after all to call her a butt kisser or anything. "It was pretty crazy. Please tell me we don't have to do that as weyrlings. I don't think I could go through it again."
There's more giggling for the memory, Balinne's head shaking. "Ahh, I doubt she'll forget it, either But she survived!" Poor Sunniva. Balinne's grin is nice and wide when she tells Javeri, "Nope! Well. No obstacle course, at least. But, there will be plenty else to test you, and get you thoroughly filthy! Just wait until we start tossing firestone sacks, and then Chadamalith starts breathing fire! Ash, everywhere!" And how gleeful she sounds about it, too.
"I don' mind getting dirty," Javeri says with a smile and laugh. "I was a potter. My whole job was about getting messy. It's why I loved it. If someone looked at me and complained I was too dirty I just told them to shove it because that was how I worked." Dirty, not a problem at all for this weyrling. That problem can be Neraset's. "No obstacle course is good. I think I can handle anything else so long as it is not climbing walls and jumping through hoops and all."
"So I recall!" says Balinne for Javeri being a potter. Or ex-potter, as the case may be. "And dirty... it does tend to come with dragons. I didn't have much problem with it, either. But some," and there's a wry smirk and a barely suppressed roll of her eyes, "Seem to mind a lot. Oh well, they'll learn? Are you hungry?" and before an answer can be had, Balinne's attempting to steer them towards the Living Caverns. "Oh, now, I didn't say /that/," says Balinne with a sneaky little chuckle. "There will be rock climbing. But not for a long time. Have to cover a bit about Search and Rescue, you know. Repelling off of your dragon and that sort of thing."
Since steering commences Javeri doesn't even try to answer the hungry or not question. Instead she blinks as she walks and says, "Rock climbing? Repelling off- Oh. I think I'd rather have the obstacle course back then, please." Just when one thinks it cannot get worse it always does. "Search and rescue? Is there a lot of that to be done? It sounds kind of dangerous." And she sounds rather concerned over the whole idea. "Spare me future horrors, please? It's enough getting through the day knowing what the rest of the seven will bring sometimes."
Immune to the distress she may be causing, or maybe reveling because of it, Balinne giggles and grins. "Ah, but it's so much /fun/!" she says in a voice meant to be reassuring. "But be happy, you and Chadamalith won't be learning to catch dragons from the sky - he's far to little for it, since he's blue - but you might get to play a victim!" Oh, the horror. They're steered into the next Cavern, Balinne's nose sniffing experimentally. Alas, it is too far to smell anything good yet, and she makes a face. And then, thankfully, she turns to a different topic, "How is Chadamalith doing? Have you watched the drills yet?"
She is an evil, evil woman. While Balinne may delight in tormenting her pupils Javeri can only suffer appropriately. "Falling from- Oh. Umm. That sounds-" Horrid. Scary. Terrible. "Slightly worse than having to catch someone falling from the sky." There that should do it! "You like scaring us, don't you?" It's a question that is asked while Balinne sniffs the air and it comes out before Javeri can stop herself from asking it. There's a loud clearing of her throat and she tries to brush past it by saying, "Chadamalith is- himself. We've watched some of the drills. He's very keen on seeing them."
"Scaring?" says Balinne, with enough honest surprise that she just /may/ have been unaware of the distress. "I didn't mean to, really. And please, don't be scared," and now she really is trying to reassure. "It's all very safe, with harnesses, and experienced 'riders below ready to catch if you-" but she seems to realize that finishing that sentence would not be so reassuring, so she settles for just smiling. "Well, good! It's always easier when the dragon is interested. Zelieth had absolutely no desire to watch. Just wanted to nap all day!"
"Fall," Javeri still finishes with sounding about ready to go hide under her cot or something. "It's not," she begins as she tries to get images of plummeting to her death out of her head, "As if I am afraid of heights because I am not." Now she allows a small pause between statements and then she adds, "I am just afraid of falling from great heights and being smushed like clay." Splat! Falling to her death is set aside in favor of talking about her dragon. "He's really interested in a lot of stuff. I think if he could not sleep he would not sleep."
And now, for real, Balinne will drop the subject of.. dropping. And falling. And doom in general. But there's a lingering smile for the past topic, and a quick squeeze of Javeri's shoulders for reassurance. No death, that gesture seems to say. "How different. Zelieth would just as soon sleep through... well, everything! Unless it concerns her, she is not interested. It was rather tricky getting her to do anything with lessons unless I could relate it to her own interests - namely herself. And oh, when it came to firestone!" A groan and a wide roll of the Weyrlingmaster’s eyes.
Dropping the falling thing is an awesome idea! When the conversation is firmly on new ground Javeri relaxes and walks less stiffly. "Chadamalith seems like he is in his own world sometimes, but then he asks questions about something like he was paying attention all along. I don't know how he does it." Shaking her head lightly she lifts a hand to chew on her thumbnail a moment before saying anything else. "It's like he's asleep, but he's not asleep. He's awake, but just not really concentrating and when I ask him he just says he is thinking about something. Not often does he tell me what he is thinking about. I guess at least he's self-involved in an entirely different way than it sounds like Zelieth was."
"If he can ask questions," says Balinne wryly, "He's paying way more attention than Zelieth ever did. She perfected the art of looking alert while napping. Really, I would almost swear she could sleep with her eyes open!" A quick little giggle and then, "But.. oh, I shouldn't say those things to Weyrlings, should I?" she wonders with a smirk. "Might give you all ideas. Just know, if I catch anyone sleeping.. well, it won't be fun!" And that is, apparently, her idea of a worthy threat. "Ohh, I think I smell wherry!"
"Oh, he can ask questions," Javeri says in the tone a weary mother might use of her toddler who has just learned how to ask, 'why?' She sniffs at the air and then says, "I can't smell anything yet." She's not really trying most likely. After the barracks with all the dragons and required couch cleanings it can be best to ignore the nose for a bit. "Oh, I do my best to stay awake!" she's quick to assure Balinne. "Even if he keeps me up some nights. He'll go all day not wanting to say a word to me and then just as I am about to fall asleep he's got questions he wants answers to and he can't wait because what if he forgets? I think he does it on purpose."
"Still?" wonders Balinne, a more worried lilt to her tone of voice. "I'd hoped he'd be past that by now." She frowns only a little though before asking, "Has it gotten a bit better, at least? He's not waking you up at odd hours? Things should be a bit more routine..." but now they are walking into the Living Caverns, and Balinne is eyeing the distant serving tables with eager eyes. "Wherry, definitely," for the invisible smells.
The worried does not get missed and Javeri chews on her thumbnail again as they walk. "He's sort of scheduled. I mean he doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night, but he doesn't always let me go to sleep until the middle of the night. He says there's no reason to be confined by someone else's concept of what time is appropriate for things. That since it is abstract anyway-" She stops, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "I'm not sure I understand what he's saying sometimes. I thought he was supposed to be just a kid? That I wouldn't be asked questions I had no idea how to answer cause I didn't even understand them."
"No... he may be young," says Balinne, "But he is not a kid. Not the way you might consider a weyrbrat to be a kid. Their minds are quite developed." But it seems Balinne has not been satisfied, and she's looking more and more serious. "Well. Abstract or not, conforming or not, you still need decent sleep at night so that you can function during the day - it will only get tougher as we progress." She purses her lips briefly. "I feel that there is no other action to take but to just be... firm with him. He may not like it, but he's going to have to understand that night time is /bed/ time. If he wants to say up, that is his business, but he cannot keep keeping you up, or waking you up."
"But, really? If I am too firm with him what if he gets mad at me?" This is a huge concern for Javeri at least. Unlike the others she's never entirely sure if Chadamalith really likes her. Beyond the whole unconditional love bit. "I'm not tired or anything. Really I am not. I get enough sleep." There's only so much scolding or firmness she's willing to do with her dragon. "He still seems like he's ancient compared to some of the others. I get that they are all different and such, but still it does feel like he's way more difficult than anyone else's. Probably because I am dealing with him, I know. It's not easy for anyone I guess but I'd still rather it were easier for me." No more selfish than anyone else most likely!
Balinne's answer is, perhaps, not the one Javeri wants to hear. "Let him," she decides of being angry. "He can be angry if he wants. He'll get over it, and calm down, and learn to respect your wishes. Each pair have their little spats. Ask T'mic sometime about how Aath used to walk all over him. Sometimes, you have a very firm personality in a dragon, but you must take the upper hand. It might not seem as if sleep is an... important topic to be firm on, but if you let him get away with the little things - not that lack of sleep is little - he will be pushing you to give up other things as well. What if he disagrees in who should lead the Wing, or if you ought to fly at all? What will you do then? You can't simply refuse to fly drills." Practical. "If you are firm now, it will be easier in the future."
Javeri doesn't look thrilled with the whole idea of putting her foot down with Chadamalith. "Ok. I guess I'll try that. I just don't want there to be trouble with him." She looks towards the food tables without any real interest in what is on them. "And he doesn't walk all over me," is an almost heated afterthought that she adds. "I don't just- I mean it's not like that at all." Not exactly like that anyway. "He just needs to know he can trust me is all. And if I am too hard on him what if he doesn't Then he won't ever do anything I need him to do either."
"Didn't mean to imply that he was," says Balinne apologetically. "Simply that Mic knows what it's like to put his foot down, and, well... Aath still loves him." Different, but the same. Balinne's certainly interested, even if Javeri is not, and she quickly unwinds her arm so she can help herself to a plate and go about serving up a decent dinner. "I will be around," says Balinne with a smile. "I am usually in my office until late, and if worse comes to worse, Zelieth can lean on him and help him understand." She won't say restrain. "And... perhaps putting your foot down will be just what he needs. How can he trust you, if you let him get away with what he wants. You must both be independent, even if you are together." Cryptic!
"I just don't want to do the wrong thing is all," Javeri says after a moment as she watches Balinne get her food. The weyrling makes no effort at all to find food for herself. Maybe she's eaten already? "I'll try to be more firm with him. I just hate arguing with him. He just tries to shut himself away from me entirely." Which is ever so sad which can be figured out by the tone of her voice. "But I'll try it. Maybe it will work." She seems doubtful of the whole thing, but willing to give it a shot anyway. Turning her head at the sound of a voice she groans quietly. "Ugh. I think I'll eat some other time when K'mron is not here. A little of him is more than enough. I'm going to go check on Chadamalith instead." She lifts her hand and lets out a sigh as she rubs her palm. "I think he's itchy. Thanks for talking to me."
"You'd do yourself more good by not worrying about doing the wrong thing," chides Balinne. "Weyrlinghood is about making mistakes and /learning/. Can't be perfect out of the gate." A scoop of vegetables (GASP!) is added. "M, alright. We'll talk more about it, though. I really ought to have sat down with you about him before. But not tonight. Go on, then. Run before K'mron sees you!" and she makes a little 'shoo' motion with her free hand, grinning. "You're welcome. And have a good night!"
Javeri's expression shows her very thrilled she is with the thought of that conversation. But since it is not happening right now she's just going to wave and duck around other people to not have to listen to K'mron and his leering voice. "You too." To having a good night since it is followed up with a wave. Then that ducking occurs and she's on her way to her pain in the butt blue.