Log: In which weyrlings have post-hatching bliss
Date: Day 1, Month 1, Turn 24 of Interval 10
Summary: Immediately following the hatching, the new weyrlings get a chance to get to know their new lifemates. D'awww! Note: I'm missing the beginning of this log, with Jolie. It picks up as soon as S'ren and M'sar enter the barracks.
NorCon MUSH - 10/22/2010
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Weyrling Barracks, High Reaches Weyr(#395RAs)
Tucked off the back of the training room, the barracks are a huge, high cavern that stretches far back into the stone of the Weyr. Both of the longer walls are lined with couches for the dragons, enough for a couple of Pass-sized clutches at once, each matched with a cot and press for the weyrling dragonrider. In this day and age, however, the couches in the back have been allowed to grow dusty with long disuse. Hearths are spaced between every few couches to heat the big room.
For decoration, there are a number of tapestries on the walls, looking almost as beat-up as the couches out in the training room, but scattered flower pots with their bright blooming contents provide a cheery touch. Additionally, some of the couches have had graffiti scratched into them over the Turns that were never quite cleaned off: smears of chalk messages or even rough pictures, some not fit for young eyes. In many cases names and dates have been painstakingly carved into the rock, a record of those that once made their home here.
Contents:
Kushvetath
M'sar
Cerveath
S'ren
Tacuseth
Jolie
Meara
Obvious exits:
Training Cavern
Meara's busy with another weyrling when Jolie calls, but she arrives at the pair with another pail a few moments later, grinning. "Looks like you've got a grip on this, thus far. How's he feeling?"
<< Good! Because I have a lot of them. >> Cerveath shares, broadcasting freely, not just to S'ren but to the dragons nearby. << First we will find something to make my stomach feel better. I'm sure that *you* know of such a thing. >> There's confidence radiated towards S'ren as the tiny blue stays close to the teen.
Tacuseth seems pretty pleased with Jolie's laughter; the sound seems to delight him, and he taps his tail merrily against the ground, as though mimicking the beat of a drum that he's never heard. << A racing runner? >> He considers this. << But you'll have me. I'll be better. /Faster/. Especially if you give me more meat. >>
It's wary steps that bring M'sar into the barracks, edgy of all the attention that his new companion may be bringing him, but yet sneaking pleased little looks to the side where his smile reaches his grey eyes even if he doesn't quite allow the expression on his face. His fingers snake out -- can't quite bring themselves to touch metallic wingsails. The hand curls in tightly right before contact.
Likewise Kushvetath is free-sharing as he stalks into the caverns. << Will you eat with me, M'sar? Because surely you must be as hungry as I am. Breaking that egg was /terribly/ hard work you know. >> He pushes against his lifemate, turning that almost-touch into nearly a tackle. << We are /very/ hungry. >>
"Yeah, I'm sure we can fix that." S'ren says, following with the weyrlingmaster into the barracks with one hand picking another little bit of egg off Cerveath. Once inside the barracks Sho takes a look around, then holds a finger out to the blue. "Hold on." He says, not waiting for someone to come bring him a pail, but instead going to find one. Sho isn't one to wait, nope. He finds a pail and takes it back to the blue, setting it in front of him. "How's this?" He asks.
"Talkative," Jolie answers Meara as she exchanges the empty pail for the full one. "He's talkative. Are they -all- like this? Cuz, he seemed like the pushy sort out on the sands." At least to her he did. "Oh, ya mean how he's...." she pauses, looking down at Tacuseth for a moment before twitching out a shrug. "Must be fine if he's talkin' about other things," she answers that, nodding her thanks to the weyrlingmaster before crouching back down and starting to feed him again. Missing the arrivals and something said gets her to start feeding him again, "I have....you," she pronounces the 'you' in whole, the concept sounding as foreign as she says it. "True," she admits after a moment. "Still. We can have things. Runners will make marks if I --we, play in the right circuits." Nevermind how she'll afford one, but she's not paying attention to that particular detail.
Cerveath sticks his large head forward to examine the bucket of meat. At the scent of it, the sound of his stomach rumbling begins. << Oh. I think that will do nicely. But we must try it and see. You never know if something will actually work unless you attempt it. Do I stick my head into the bucket? I am not sure it will fit well when I need the bottom pieces. >>
Meara just laughs, telling Jolie, "Some of them are, some not so much. My Isath--" but she's trailing off to shake her head: Jolie surely doesn't need to hear about her Isath, not now. "He looks good. Yell out if he needs anything, right? Oil, or more meat, or whatever." She waits long enough for any answer that might be coming, then continues her circuit, pausing in front of each weyrling in turn to check for their needs: "How're we all doing, mm?"
Lina might be a relatively unfamiliar face, but she /does/ come bearing meat. The older greenrider limps her way towards the last of the arriving pairs, handing off buckets to those who seem to stunned to manage on their own-- which means M'sar will find one shoved at him whether he's entirely ready or not. "Beautiful, just beautiful, all of them." She continues onwards, pausing by Sho with one final bucket in hand. "Let me know if he needs more, hmm? Such a bright blue."
Tacuseth doesn't seem /entirely/ certain about what all this runner stuff is-- only, well, maybe he's gleaning it from Jolie, because he seems distinctly less confused by the moment. << Oh! So you make stuff from it! And then you get /things/. >> Who knows where that concept came from, but he seems enormously pleased with it. << I like that. We're going to have /things/. >> His tail taps against the floor some more, quite merry. Louder, so that all of his clutchmates can hear: << Things! We're going to have THINGS! >>
S'ren gives a mock roll of his eyes as he kneels down next to Cerveath. "Ya could always try. Might be kinda funny if ya got stuck." He says as he reaches into the pail and pulls out a chunk of meat, offering it out to the blue. His blue. The squishy red mess does cause the new rider to wrinkle his nose a bit, but in the end he doesn't seem to mind so much. "Alright, now tell me what kinda plans ya got. Somethin' fun?" S'ren asks as he raises an eyebrow.
Jolie focuses on the feeding, her gaze taking in M'sar and S'ren with a twitch of her brows before Tacuseth gets her attention again. Blinking at the concept put forth from him, "Wha--- nah, nah! Ya -run-'em and then if they beat all the other--" who the hell was she kidding? "Ya know what? I'll tell ya later," she decides to say, passing him more meat as she eyes that tail of his - just to make sure he doesn't hit anyone and get them in trouble already. He's quite a loud one, isn't he? She's frowning a bit at him, "Wanna tell the next Weyr over, too?" she notes, passing a scrap over and sending the blue a smile to take the sting from her tone. "Yeah, we'll have things. Whatever that is." Eyes landing over on S'ren, "Maybe we can get -his- things," she notes as an aside, likely said to goad more than being serious. Jo is still Jo, after all.
<< I don't know that it would be that much fun to get stuck. I may have to see someday. >> Cerveath decides before he takes the meat from Sho's hand, trying to slurp it down whole. << That is tasty! This is a successful experiment so far. I believe we will have to repeat it. Quickly. >> That meat bucket is eyed as he adds. << First make the *hunger* stop. Then we will explore! Test out new ideas! You and me. Together. >>
Tacuseth doesn't seem all that concerned by Jolie's admonishment: perhaps it's the smile. Perhaps it's that it was /Jolie/ who said it. His eyes are whirling pretty fast, and pretty /blue/ as he stares at her, after all. << People should know. We're going to be /so/ happy. >> /Are/ so happy. << Why would we want his things? We should have our own things. People will give them us, because we're going to be /awesome/. You'll see. >> His tail twitches. Again. And-- << That feels funny. Wriggly. Iiiitchhy? >> He tries the word out.
S'ren can't help but laugh at Cerveath as he seems quite so...feisty. "Alright, alright. Should probably make sure ya chew though, cause I dunno how ta make sure a dragon doesn't choke on food." He says, pulling out more meat and chain feeding it to the blue for now, pausing to make sure that he chews and swallows before giving him another. At the comment from Jo, S'ren glances over at her and smirks. "Ya can't have my things. But I'm gonna steal all'a yers." He replies, looking at Cerveath conspirationally. "What'cha think?" There's still something for the amber eyed youth that doesn't seem to have sunk in. This dragon that he's already talking to like a brother...well, it's his. Perhaps in time.
<< I don't think it's very fair to take things that belong to other people. >> Cerveath states even as he continues to eat, listeing just enough to be chewing his food. << We should have our things. They should have their things. We may share but not take. >> The blue seems quite firm in this decision, positively radiating certainty, before he adds, joyfully. << But this meat is good! >>
Itchy? OH. "Nothing gets to ya, huh?" Jolie's learning something about Tacuseth each moment, the pail emptying as she passes the last of the scraps on over to him. She looks around for an oil pail then after watching a few of the other weyrlings about her, adding, "That's good. Always stay in control, Tac. Ya and me will be golden." She even seems a bit pleased that the blue is certain they will be given things - just because. S'ren and his remark gets an eyeroll before she gets up. "Ain't stealin' nothing of mine, friend," she notes to him, his blue given a look before she's off to find a bucket of oil for her little blue.
<< Should it? >> Tacuseth wants to know, considering Jolie with surprise. He laps up the last of the meat with relish (well, not /actual/ relish - though he might like that!), distinctly cheerful, despite the discomfort the itching is inducing in him. A discomfor that Jolie might well be sharing at this point. He's a little doleful as she walks away from him, but he's strong! He can survive! For a few moments, at least.
Before Jolie can go far, Lina is there to offer both bucket and well-worn paddle. "Here you go-- Jolie, was it?" Her gaze trails over first the weyrling, then her dragon. "He does look as though he could use it. Don't be surprised if he falls asleep while you're doing him, though. They often do." A fond smile, all involuntary, flickers on her lips. "Hatching is hard work, you know."
Jolie only made a few paces before she finds her path blocked with the very things she's looking for. Eyes fall on Lina then, a shift of her weight of one foot to the other an ackward one as the blue's itches start to take effect on her. She wavers there for only a moment through her words before she nods and takes the bucket and paddle. "Yeah," she confirms her name, the discomfort evident in her tone. "He doesn't seem to want to sleep. Pretty hyper, that one." She nods her thanks again and turns to drop back to Tacuseth's side. "Finished the meat?" she asks then, looking over him critically with that paddle raised. To answer his question since she feels his surprise, "Maybe. Ain't use to havin' ya in my mind, pup. I tend to get a little ....sharp. Don't mean to. Ya give me some time, though," though her sharp tongue isn't really going anywhere, but it could temper with time. "So. Tell me where ya itchin' and I'll get this stuff on ya."
Tacuseth gives an experimental wiggle of his wings, tipping his head towards Jolie as she asks about his itches. << Around my belly? >> Maybe she can get a sense of it, too: the strange tickling feeling, the /itching/ running between joints, and around edges. << Maybe everywhere. Maybe it should go everywhere. Will it feel good? >> Having answered this, he settles back into contentment, telling her, cheerfully, << You'll get used to me. That's what happens. I think? I don't mind what you say; I still know you love me. >> And he loves her too!
S'ren raises an eyebrow at Cerveath, then just shrugs, "Yeah, maybe yer right. Fer now." The youth agrees at least in part to the whole taking things...oh well. He gives the last of the meat in the bucket to his little blue before he tilts his head slightly and asks, "Ya still hungry?" Something tells S'ren that the blue still is but he feels the need to ask, for some reason.
Putting the oil everywhere was probably best, and so Jolie starts to slather on the oil around his belly first since he mentions it. While working it in like she would brushing her runners in the stables, "Think ya gotta get used to -me- first, Tacuseth," she counters his words in her head, though she doesn't respond to his last. Instead, there's a secret smile that starts, tentative at first and very brief before vanishing. Either way, it was only meant for the little blue, the feelings attached being sent on the insider rather than on the out.
There's another bucket of oil and paddle on their way, courtesy of Lina. She limps over toset them down beside S'ren and Cerveath, still grinning fit to burst. "I'm sure you'll find you'll be needing this, too. I didn't catch-- what name did you take? And this is Cerveath, yes?"
Tacuseth's thoughts are increasingly of the 'mmm-mmmmmmm' variety as that oiling begins-- and he leans in, aiming to rest his head against Jolie, as best he can, heedless of the fact that that probably (almost certainly) gets in the way of her oiling efforts. << Won't be a problem, >> he insists. << You're mine. >> Was that a yawn? Maybe a /tiny/ one.
Cerveath eyes Lina and her oil for only a moment before his attention is back on his S'ren. << It is not so bad as it was, but I do not think my stomach is full. That is an experience I would like to try. >> Cerveath states cheerfully. << And I am right. If I am not, I simply need to modify my procedure. >>
Well apparently it doesn't matter whether Cerveath is still hungry or not, because there's more food! S'ren looks up at Lina and grins at her, nodding his thanks. "Thank ya." He says, before answering her question. "S'ren is my name, and yes this here is Cerveath. Hungriest blue in the world." He says, chuckling softly and almost affectionately. "Alright, full it is." The amber eyed youth agrees, grabbing meat out of the new bucket and again chain feeding the dragon.
Jolie starts to work the oil on other parts of Tacuseth, idly running her fingers over the seemingly scarred hide as she does so. She catches that tiny yawn if it was one, the weyrling conitinuing to work the oil in before responding to him. "Wait till my brothers find out," she says aloud, not bothering to add about the Greenfields gang, too. Wait till -they- find out, as well. Lanvec and them filled her mind then as she worked, adding in a rather simple, "I am," to his being hers. It seems as though she's getting acclimated to the fact that she had Tacuseth in her mind now, though one can be sure that there's an amount of shock going on still.
<< Brothers? >> Tacuseth has brothers, too-- like Cerveath! And the others. But; << Who's Lanvec? >> He's distinctly curious about this, and perhaps somewhat wary-- but not too much, because he has /another/ yawn, and that oiling? It feels pretty awesome. << I'm glad I have you, Jolie. You're perfect. >>
Cerveath << Food! >> Cerveath states with enthusiasm as more arrives. It doesn't take /too/ much more though, before he is slowing down. << I think this is full. >> The itching is starting, and probably spreading it over to S'ren. The blue ignores it pretty well, focusing on the feeling instead. << I like this feeling. I think we should repeat this feeling a lot. >>
"Well met, S'ren and Cerveath!" Lina bends at the waist so that she can smile down at Cerveath. "Hungriest blue on all Pern, is he? Good thing we have the best meat on all Pern. There's plenty and more, but don't let him overstuff, hmm?" She shifts her attention to S'ren, one eyebrow twitching upwards in admonishment. "Let me know if you need anything. A good oiling, and he'll probably fall asleep." She straightens, gesturing: all around the barracks, tired pairs are slowly claiming couches as their own. "Go ahead and pick an unoccupied one when you're ready."
Jolie almost pauses in her oiling when she hears Lanvec's name from her blue. She shoots a look his way, then towards the weyrlings close to them like S'ren before she's lowering her voice and forcing herself to appear non-chalant. "Ya'll know him soon enough, I reckon," she murmurs, keeping her eyes on those around as she oils towards Tacuseth's tail. "Don't worry about it. My brother, though. I got four of them. Goody types, for the most part." The little blue is laying the compliments and adulations on thick, and it's clearly something that Jo is not used to. She looks dubious at him, moving to look him in the eye before wryly responding, "No need to get all mushy, Tac. I know ya appreciate me. Keep it up and I'll be expectin' compliments all day. Ya don't want havin' a big head, do ya?" Tapping the side of her head with a bloody finger, "Ya'll be itchin' to get outta here."
Tacuseth accepts the explanation on Lanvec, and Jolie's brothers. But-- << Big head? Like... Cerveath? >> He'll even project an image of that other blue towards his rider, maybe with a /slightly/ exaggerated head. Of course, the whole thing is somewhat lessened by the /enormous/ yawn that starts escaping him, this time. << But I /do/ love you. Is this-- why do I feel so funny, now? My brain is-- slow. >> His eyelids are drooping, too.
S'ren drops the last few pieces of meat back in the pail and he sets it aside before he grabs a towel to wipe his hands with. He doesn't get them spotless, but close enough. He's still smirking as Cerveath's words reach him and he can't help but...like him. He's analytical which is something strange to S'ren, but there's something about it that is almost comforting. "We can repeat it as often as ya like, 'kay?" S'ren offers, grabbing the oil and paddle, then pausing as he looks from the paddle back to the dragon and he puts it down, pouring some on his blue and rubbing it in instead. The dragons to small, the paddle would probably not work. But S'ren has no problem just rubbing it on. "I can tell yer itchin' too, so let's do this ta help, yeah?" He offers. He continues rubbing the oil in as he looks back up at Lina and nods, "Thanks ma'am. I really 'ppreciate it."
Cerveath peers up at Lina, giving her a quick croon before his attention is right back on S'ren. Right now, it doesn't seem as if his world extends far beyond their relationship. << Itching? Is that what it is? Huh. >> He'll stand still to get the oil rubbed in, giving a big yawn as S'ren does. << I feel so sleepy! But there is so much to do. How can I sleep through it all? >>
Cerveath? Jo looks over at S'ren and his Cerveath, the image projected getting her eyes to widen. "So it seems ya got a sense of humor. Charmin'," she drawls once she looks back at Tacuseth once she finishes the last of the oiling. "Very charmin'. I'll tell my dear--" she stops at the yawn, perhaps feeling the effects he's feeling as well projected on her. "Time for ya to rest," she tells him, setting the paddle down and moving to run her hand over his knobby head. "Get yerself settled and I'll be right here. There'll be plenty of time to fill my head with adoration later." She wasn't use to the affection, and the blue more than likely picks up on it, but the weyrling is sending him a lopsided smile as she continues to run her hand over his head and down his back - as if she couldn't believe that he was -there-, and she needed to touch him to make sure.
Tacuseth /leans/ in to Jolie's touch, radiating affection again. It's all very sweet. << I get a couch of my very own? OR-- >> He corrects himself, << /WE/ do. Which is the best one? We should have the best one, Jolie. >> Not so tired that he can't engage in /that/, of course. << We need our space. >>
S'ren nods at Cerveath, pouring a little more oil on the blue and spreading it around gently to all the different crevices and edges, even gently along the wings. "Yeah, that's itchin'. If ya don't help it it'll just get worse. Or if ya leave it alone it'll go away. Well, on humans at least." The youth explains as he looks around the little dragon and makes sure that he's got everywhere and that the itching has stopped. "There we go." He says, satisfied. The last bit gets S'ren to chuckle, "Well, there's lotsa time fer that, and ya won't sleep through it all. But ya should probably sleep before ya make me tired too." He glances around and spots a nearby couch, a smaller one. Perfect. "C'mon, let's go over here." He says as he stands and leans down to scritch the little blue's eyeridges gently, leading him to the couch. "When ya wake up we can do whatever ya want." Something inside of the boy is finally settling into place. This is truly /his/ dragon, and he is Cerveath's. And something else. That emptiness that was in him before is now filled. His family may not have been close to him, but now he had someone that was.
"It's what I'm here for, S'ren. To help you." Lina clasps her hands together, raising her voice slightly. "I'm Lina-- Aryeth's my green. We'll be one of your weyrlingmasters. I'm certain you won't remember--" She flashes a dazzling, dimpled smile as she starts absently picking up discarded buckets, "-- but if you need anything, call for Lina. Aryeth will be checking in on the new dragons. Those of you that are awake and hungry are welcome to head to the hatching feast. I'm sure your parents will be pleased to see you."
"Looks like we do," Jolie answers on couches, the woman straightening up to watch one of the weyrling pairs move on towards the couches. "Don' ya worry, Tac. We will definitely get the best one," she says this with certainty, as if that would be no question. She was intimidating enough to try and get her way anyway, so she keeps her hand within Tacuseth's reach as she eyes the couches critically for one that would be perfect. Finding the right one to the side against the wall, not too far back and not too far to the front that there would be enough air reaching her, she sends a smile of mischief down to Tacuseth and nods toward the very couch she chooses. "Let's grab it before some poor sap does," she states, moving to guide the little blue should he need it so that he could properly rest.
<< We'll have to try that some time. See if leaving the itching alone will make it stop on a dragon as well. >> Cerveath decides before he lets out another big yawn. << Sleep. Then we will explore. You will explore with me, together. After sleep. >> And as soon as he's on the couch, his eyes are closing.
Tacuseth examines the couch along with Jolie, and apparently finds it satisfactory: it takes him almost no time at all to climb inside, and to curl up: fast asleep. Awww.
S'ren nods his agreement to Cerveath, "We can try, I really dunno either." He agrees, then smiles fondly down at the little blue as he lays on his new couch and starts to fall asleep. "Yeah, we will. Explore everything." He agrees, reaching out to scratch the blue's eyeridges gently as he falls asleep. Once that new feeling fades from his mind and S'ren is sure the blue is asleep, he stands slowly. He looks down at Cerveath for a few moments, that smile still showing...a smile that S'ren has never really had before. Such a change. But now that that's done, his own stomach lets out a growl and he turns, removing the white burlap sack from over his head before looking around at all the new pairs. So...interesting. What a change this is going to be. His eyes fall on Jolie at last and he walks towards her, "Wanna go get somethin' ta eat?"
Jolie is there at the edge of their chosen couch, watching Tacuseth fall off to sleep when S'ren approaches. Unreadable her expression may be, the new weyrling turns to regard him closely before getting slowly to her feet. "I think food would be nice," she answers, moving to try and ruffle his short hair. "Who'd have thought, eh? Ya and me weyrlin's together. Must mean we're besties now." Uh-huh. He could believe that one if he wants.
S'ren manages to duck the ruffle this time and step away, wrinkling his nose at Jolie and her attempts. "Yeah, that's gonna be interestin' now isn't it." He agrees half-heartedly. "Looks like were gonna be spending alot more time together. Maybe you'll even tell me s'more 'bout yerself." He says, a gleam in his amber eyes. He turns then to find Lina, "Um, ma'am, is there anything else ta do before we can go eat?" He knows she said they could, but best to check, after all. Again something new, that extra concern, but as S'ren gives a warm look towards Cerveath it's obvious why.
Lina pauses in her shuffle around the barracks, an absurd amount of buckets dangling suspended from one arm. "Hmm? Oh, no." She glances at the couches, noting the two sleeping blues, then gestures towards the exits. "So long as they're sleeping you're free to go. Come back right away if they wake up, and-- no drinking. We'll go over the rules later, so don't worry your heads too much."
"Now yer reachin' it," Jo notes on her telling him more about herself, though she's likely goading. "Guess we will be spendin' a lotta time together. Pretty odd, that. Aren' ya tired of seein' me by now?" Dark eyes go to Lina then when S'ren speaks to her, though she's pretty occupied by the intrusion of blue in her head right - even if he is leaving her alone right now. At the mention of no drinking, -that- gets her attention. "When ya say 'no drinking'..." she seems afraid to even ask, the frown starting already.
S'ren rolls his eyes at Jo, "Yeah yeah." He says, then reaches out to try and grab her arm and pull her out of the barracks towards the Living Cavern. "C'mon. I'll make sure ya don't drink nothin' ya shouldn't. It's like when you were little." He pauses. "Scratch that. It's like when /I/ was little." That's probably much more true, at least. Shrug. He starts going again, trying to bring Jolie right along with him.
"Now, a little taste isn't going to hurt anyone," Lina confides conspiratorily, "But it is a risk, you know. Your dragons won't understand why your thoughts have gone fuzzy, and..." She shrugs, sending all the buckets clanking wildly. "... bad things can happen. Best to be safe. Now get on with you, you must be starving! I'm sure they have something prepared."
Summary: Immediately following the hatching, the new weyrlings get a chance to get to know their new lifemates. D'awww! Note: I'm missing the beginning of this log, with Jolie. It picks up as soon as S'ren and M'sar enter the barracks.
NorCon MUSH - 10/22/2010
------------------------
Weyrling Barracks, High Reaches Weyr(#395RAs)
Tucked off the back of the training room, the barracks are a huge, high cavern that stretches far back into the stone of the Weyr. Both of the longer walls are lined with couches for the dragons, enough for a couple of Pass-sized clutches at once, each matched with a cot and press for the weyrling dragonrider. In this day and age, however, the couches in the back have been allowed to grow dusty with long disuse. Hearths are spaced between every few couches to heat the big room.
For decoration, there are a number of tapestries on the walls, looking almost as beat-up as the couches out in the training room, but scattered flower pots with their bright blooming contents provide a cheery touch. Additionally, some of the couches have had graffiti scratched into them over the Turns that were never quite cleaned off: smears of chalk messages or even rough pictures, some not fit for young eyes. In many cases names and dates have been painstakingly carved into the rock, a record of those that once made their home here.
Contents:
Kushvetath
M'sar
Cerveath
S'ren
Tacuseth
Jolie
Meara
Obvious exits:
Training Cavern
Meara's busy with another weyrling when Jolie calls, but she arrives at the pair with another pail a few moments later, grinning. "Looks like you've got a grip on this, thus far. How's he feeling?"
<< Good! Because I have a lot of them. >> Cerveath shares, broadcasting freely, not just to S'ren but to the dragons nearby. << First we will find something to make my stomach feel better. I'm sure that *you* know of such a thing. >> There's confidence radiated towards S'ren as the tiny blue stays close to the teen.
Tacuseth seems pretty pleased with Jolie's laughter; the sound seems to delight him, and he taps his tail merrily against the ground, as though mimicking the beat of a drum that he's never heard. << A racing runner? >> He considers this. << But you'll have me. I'll be better. /Faster/. Especially if you give me more meat. >>
It's wary steps that bring M'sar into the barracks, edgy of all the attention that his new companion may be bringing him, but yet sneaking pleased little looks to the side where his smile reaches his grey eyes even if he doesn't quite allow the expression on his face. His fingers snake out -- can't quite bring themselves to touch metallic wingsails. The hand curls in tightly right before contact.
Likewise Kushvetath is free-sharing as he stalks into the caverns. << Will you eat with me, M'sar? Because surely you must be as hungry as I am. Breaking that egg was /terribly/ hard work you know. >> He pushes against his lifemate, turning that almost-touch into nearly a tackle. << We are /very/ hungry. >>
"Yeah, I'm sure we can fix that." S'ren says, following with the weyrlingmaster into the barracks with one hand picking another little bit of egg off Cerveath. Once inside the barracks Sho takes a look around, then holds a finger out to the blue. "Hold on." He says, not waiting for someone to come bring him a pail, but instead going to find one. Sho isn't one to wait, nope. He finds a pail and takes it back to the blue, setting it in front of him. "How's this?" He asks.
"Talkative," Jolie answers Meara as she exchanges the empty pail for the full one. "He's talkative. Are they -all- like this? Cuz, he seemed like the pushy sort out on the sands." At least to her he did. "Oh, ya mean how he's...." she pauses, looking down at Tacuseth for a moment before twitching out a shrug. "Must be fine if he's talkin' about other things," she answers that, nodding her thanks to the weyrlingmaster before crouching back down and starting to feed him again. Missing the arrivals and something said gets her to start feeding him again, "I have....you," she pronounces the 'you' in whole, the concept sounding as foreign as she says it. "True," she admits after a moment. "Still. We can have things. Runners will make marks if I --we, play in the right circuits." Nevermind how she'll afford one, but she's not paying attention to that particular detail.
Cerveath sticks his large head forward to examine the bucket of meat. At the scent of it, the sound of his stomach rumbling begins. << Oh. I think that will do nicely. But we must try it and see. You never know if something will actually work unless you attempt it. Do I stick my head into the bucket? I am not sure it will fit well when I need the bottom pieces. >>
Meara just laughs, telling Jolie, "Some of them are, some not so much. My Isath--" but she's trailing off to shake her head: Jolie surely doesn't need to hear about her Isath, not now. "He looks good. Yell out if he needs anything, right? Oil, or more meat, or whatever." She waits long enough for any answer that might be coming, then continues her circuit, pausing in front of each weyrling in turn to check for their needs: "How're we all doing, mm?"
Lina might be a relatively unfamiliar face, but she /does/ come bearing meat. The older greenrider limps her way towards the last of the arriving pairs, handing off buckets to those who seem to stunned to manage on their own-- which means M'sar will find one shoved at him whether he's entirely ready or not. "Beautiful, just beautiful, all of them." She continues onwards, pausing by Sho with one final bucket in hand. "Let me know if he needs more, hmm? Such a bright blue."
Tacuseth doesn't seem /entirely/ certain about what all this runner stuff is-- only, well, maybe he's gleaning it from Jolie, because he seems distinctly less confused by the moment. << Oh! So you make stuff from it! And then you get /things/. >> Who knows where that concept came from, but he seems enormously pleased with it. << I like that. We're going to have /things/. >> His tail taps against the floor some more, quite merry. Louder, so that all of his clutchmates can hear: << Things! We're going to have THINGS! >>
S'ren gives a mock roll of his eyes as he kneels down next to Cerveath. "Ya could always try. Might be kinda funny if ya got stuck." He says as he reaches into the pail and pulls out a chunk of meat, offering it out to the blue. His blue. The squishy red mess does cause the new rider to wrinkle his nose a bit, but in the end he doesn't seem to mind so much. "Alright, now tell me what kinda plans ya got. Somethin' fun?" S'ren asks as he raises an eyebrow.
Jolie focuses on the feeding, her gaze taking in M'sar and S'ren with a twitch of her brows before Tacuseth gets her attention again. Blinking at the concept put forth from him, "Wha--- nah, nah! Ya -run-'em and then if they beat all the other--" who the hell was she kidding? "Ya know what? I'll tell ya later," she decides to say, passing him more meat as she eyes that tail of his - just to make sure he doesn't hit anyone and get them in trouble already. He's quite a loud one, isn't he? She's frowning a bit at him, "Wanna tell the next Weyr over, too?" she notes, passing a scrap over and sending the blue a smile to take the sting from her tone. "Yeah, we'll have things. Whatever that is." Eyes landing over on S'ren, "Maybe we can get -his- things," she notes as an aside, likely said to goad more than being serious. Jo is still Jo, after all.
<< I don't know that it would be that much fun to get stuck. I may have to see someday. >> Cerveath decides before he takes the meat from Sho's hand, trying to slurp it down whole. << That is tasty! This is a successful experiment so far. I believe we will have to repeat it. Quickly. >> That meat bucket is eyed as he adds. << First make the *hunger* stop. Then we will explore! Test out new ideas! You and me. Together. >>
Tacuseth doesn't seem all that concerned by Jolie's admonishment: perhaps it's the smile. Perhaps it's that it was /Jolie/ who said it. His eyes are whirling pretty fast, and pretty /blue/ as he stares at her, after all. << People should know. We're going to be /so/ happy. >> /Are/ so happy. << Why would we want his things? We should have our own things. People will give them us, because we're going to be /awesome/. You'll see. >> His tail twitches. Again. And-- << That feels funny. Wriggly. Iiiitchhy? >> He tries the word out.
S'ren can't help but laugh at Cerveath as he seems quite so...feisty. "Alright, alright. Should probably make sure ya chew though, cause I dunno how ta make sure a dragon doesn't choke on food." He says, pulling out more meat and chain feeding it to the blue for now, pausing to make sure that he chews and swallows before giving him another. At the comment from Jo, S'ren glances over at her and smirks. "Ya can't have my things. But I'm gonna steal all'a yers." He replies, looking at Cerveath conspirationally. "What'cha think?" There's still something for the amber eyed youth that doesn't seem to have sunk in. This dragon that he's already talking to like a brother...well, it's his. Perhaps in time.
<< I don't think it's very fair to take things that belong to other people. >> Cerveath states even as he continues to eat, listeing just enough to be chewing his food. << We should have our things. They should have their things. We may share but not take. >> The blue seems quite firm in this decision, positively radiating certainty, before he adds, joyfully. << But this meat is good! >>
Itchy? OH. "Nothing gets to ya, huh?" Jolie's learning something about Tacuseth each moment, the pail emptying as she passes the last of the scraps on over to him. She looks around for an oil pail then after watching a few of the other weyrlings about her, adding, "That's good. Always stay in control, Tac. Ya and me will be golden." She even seems a bit pleased that the blue is certain they will be given things - just because. S'ren and his remark gets an eyeroll before she gets up. "Ain't stealin' nothing of mine, friend," she notes to him, his blue given a look before she's off to find a bucket of oil for her little blue.
<< Should it? >> Tacuseth wants to know, considering Jolie with surprise. He laps up the last of the meat with relish (well, not /actual/ relish - though he might like that!), distinctly cheerful, despite the discomfort the itching is inducing in him. A discomfor that Jolie might well be sharing at this point. He's a little doleful as she walks away from him, but he's strong! He can survive! For a few moments, at least.
Before Jolie can go far, Lina is there to offer both bucket and well-worn paddle. "Here you go-- Jolie, was it?" Her gaze trails over first the weyrling, then her dragon. "He does look as though he could use it. Don't be surprised if he falls asleep while you're doing him, though. They often do." A fond smile, all involuntary, flickers on her lips. "Hatching is hard work, you know."
Jolie only made a few paces before she finds her path blocked with the very things she's looking for. Eyes fall on Lina then, a shift of her weight of one foot to the other an ackward one as the blue's itches start to take effect on her. She wavers there for only a moment through her words before she nods and takes the bucket and paddle. "Yeah," she confirms her name, the discomfort evident in her tone. "He doesn't seem to want to sleep. Pretty hyper, that one." She nods her thanks again and turns to drop back to Tacuseth's side. "Finished the meat?" she asks then, looking over him critically with that paddle raised. To answer his question since she feels his surprise, "Maybe. Ain't use to havin' ya in my mind, pup. I tend to get a little ....sharp. Don't mean to. Ya give me some time, though," though her sharp tongue isn't really going anywhere, but it could temper with time. "So. Tell me where ya itchin' and I'll get this stuff on ya."
Tacuseth gives an experimental wiggle of his wings, tipping his head towards Jolie as she asks about his itches. << Around my belly? >> Maybe she can get a sense of it, too: the strange tickling feeling, the /itching/ running between joints, and around edges. << Maybe everywhere. Maybe it should go everywhere. Will it feel good? >> Having answered this, he settles back into contentment, telling her, cheerfully, << You'll get used to me. That's what happens. I think? I don't mind what you say; I still know you love me. >> And he loves her too!
S'ren raises an eyebrow at Cerveath, then just shrugs, "Yeah, maybe yer right. Fer now." The youth agrees at least in part to the whole taking things...oh well. He gives the last of the meat in the bucket to his little blue before he tilts his head slightly and asks, "Ya still hungry?" Something tells S'ren that the blue still is but he feels the need to ask, for some reason.
Putting the oil everywhere was probably best, and so Jolie starts to slather on the oil around his belly first since he mentions it. While working it in like she would brushing her runners in the stables, "Think ya gotta get used to -me- first, Tacuseth," she counters his words in her head, though she doesn't respond to his last. Instead, there's a secret smile that starts, tentative at first and very brief before vanishing. Either way, it was only meant for the little blue, the feelings attached being sent on the insider rather than on the out.
There's another bucket of oil and paddle on their way, courtesy of Lina. She limps over toset them down beside S'ren and Cerveath, still grinning fit to burst. "I'm sure you'll find you'll be needing this, too. I didn't catch-- what name did you take? And this is Cerveath, yes?"
Tacuseth's thoughts are increasingly of the 'mmm-mmmmmmm' variety as that oiling begins-- and he leans in, aiming to rest his head against Jolie, as best he can, heedless of the fact that that probably (almost certainly) gets in the way of her oiling efforts. << Won't be a problem, >> he insists. << You're mine. >> Was that a yawn? Maybe a /tiny/ one.
Cerveath eyes Lina and her oil for only a moment before his attention is back on his S'ren. << It is not so bad as it was, but I do not think my stomach is full. That is an experience I would like to try. >> Cerveath states cheerfully. << And I am right. If I am not, I simply need to modify my procedure. >>
Well apparently it doesn't matter whether Cerveath is still hungry or not, because there's more food! S'ren looks up at Lina and grins at her, nodding his thanks. "Thank ya." He says, before answering her question. "S'ren is my name, and yes this here is Cerveath. Hungriest blue in the world." He says, chuckling softly and almost affectionately. "Alright, full it is." The amber eyed youth agrees, grabbing meat out of the new bucket and again chain feeding the dragon.
Jolie starts to work the oil on other parts of Tacuseth, idly running her fingers over the seemingly scarred hide as she does so. She catches that tiny yawn if it was one, the weyrling conitinuing to work the oil in before responding to him. "Wait till my brothers find out," she says aloud, not bothering to add about the Greenfields gang, too. Wait till -they- find out, as well. Lanvec and them filled her mind then as she worked, adding in a rather simple, "I am," to his being hers. It seems as though she's getting acclimated to the fact that she had Tacuseth in her mind now, though one can be sure that there's an amount of shock going on still.
<< Brothers? >> Tacuseth has brothers, too-- like Cerveath! And the others. But; << Who's Lanvec? >> He's distinctly curious about this, and perhaps somewhat wary-- but not too much, because he has /another/ yawn, and that oiling? It feels pretty awesome. << I'm glad I have you, Jolie. You're perfect. >>
Cerveath << Food! >> Cerveath states with enthusiasm as more arrives. It doesn't take /too/ much more though, before he is slowing down. << I think this is full. >> The itching is starting, and probably spreading it over to S'ren. The blue ignores it pretty well, focusing on the feeling instead. << I like this feeling. I think we should repeat this feeling a lot. >>
"Well met, S'ren and Cerveath!" Lina bends at the waist so that she can smile down at Cerveath. "Hungriest blue on all Pern, is he? Good thing we have the best meat on all Pern. There's plenty and more, but don't let him overstuff, hmm?" She shifts her attention to S'ren, one eyebrow twitching upwards in admonishment. "Let me know if you need anything. A good oiling, and he'll probably fall asleep." She straightens, gesturing: all around the barracks, tired pairs are slowly claiming couches as their own. "Go ahead and pick an unoccupied one when you're ready."
Jolie almost pauses in her oiling when she hears Lanvec's name from her blue. She shoots a look his way, then towards the weyrlings close to them like S'ren before she's lowering her voice and forcing herself to appear non-chalant. "Ya'll know him soon enough, I reckon," she murmurs, keeping her eyes on those around as she oils towards Tacuseth's tail. "Don't worry about it. My brother, though. I got four of them. Goody types, for the most part." The little blue is laying the compliments and adulations on thick, and it's clearly something that Jo is not used to. She looks dubious at him, moving to look him in the eye before wryly responding, "No need to get all mushy, Tac. I know ya appreciate me. Keep it up and I'll be expectin' compliments all day. Ya don't want havin' a big head, do ya?" Tapping the side of her head with a bloody finger, "Ya'll be itchin' to get outta here."
Tacuseth accepts the explanation on Lanvec, and Jolie's brothers. But-- << Big head? Like... Cerveath? >> He'll even project an image of that other blue towards his rider, maybe with a /slightly/ exaggerated head. Of course, the whole thing is somewhat lessened by the /enormous/ yawn that starts escaping him, this time. << But I /do/ love you. Is this-- why do I feel so funny, now? My brain is-- slow. >> His eyelids are drooping, too.
S'ren drops the last few pieces of meat back in the pail and he sets it aside before he grabs a towel to wipe his hands with. He doesn't get them spotless, but close enough. He's still smirking as Cerveath's words reach him and he can't help but...like him. He's analytical which is something strange to S'ren, but there's something about it that is almost comforting. "We can repeat it as often as ya like, 'kay?" S'ren offers, grabbing the oil and paddle, then pausing as he looks from the paddle back to the dragon and he puts it down, pouring some on his blue and rubbing it in instead. The dragons to small, the paddle would probably not work. But S'ren has no problem just rubbing it on. "I can tell yer itchin' too, so let's do this ta help, yeah?" He offers. He continues rubbing the oil in as he looks back up at Lina and nods, "Thanks ma'am. I really 'ppreciate it."
Cerveath peers up at Lina, giving her a quick croon before his attention is right back on S'ren. Right now, it doesn't seem as if his world extends far beyond their relationship. << Itching? Is that what it is? Huh. >> He'll stand still to get the oil rubbed in, giving a big yawn as S'ren does. << I feel so sleepy! But there is so much to do. How can I sleep through it all? >>
Cerveath? Jo looks over at S'ren and his Cerveath, the image projected getting her eyes to widen. "So it seems ya got a sense of humor. Charmin'," she drawls once she looks back at Tacuseth once she finishes the last of the oiling. "Very charmin'. I'll tell my dear--" she stops at the yawn, perhaps feeling the effects he's feeling as well projected on her. "Time for ya to rest," she tells him, setting the paddle down and moving to run her hand over his knobby head. "Get yerself settled and I'll be right here. There'll be plenty of time to fill my head with adoration later." She wasn't use to the affection, and the blue more than likely picks up on it, but the weyrling is sending him a lopsided smile as she continues to run her hand over his head and down his back - as if she couldn't believe that he was -there-, and she needed to touch him to make sure.
Tacuseth /leans/ in to Jolie's touch, radiating affection again. It's all very sweet. << I get a couch of my very own? OR-- >> He corrects himself, << /WE/ do. Which is the best one? We should have the best one, Jolie. >> Not so tired that he can't engage in /that/, of course. << We need our space. >>
S'ren nods at Cerveath, pouring a little more oil on the blue and spreading it around gently to all the different crevices and edges, even gently along the wings. "Yeah, that's itchin'. If ya don't help it it'll just get worse. Or if ya leave it alone it'll go away. Well, on humans at least." The youth explains as he looks around the little dragon and makes sure that he's got everywhere and that the itching has stopped. "There we go." He says, satisfied. The last bit gets S'ren to chuckle, "Well, there's lotsa time fer that, and ya won't sleep through it all. But ya should probably sleep before ya make me tired too." He glances around and spots a nearby couch, a smaller one. Perfect. "C'mon, let's go over here." He says as he stands and leans down to scritch the little blue's eyeridges gently, leading him to the couch. "When ya wake up we can do whatever ya want." Something inside of the boy is finally settling into place. This is truly /his/ dragon, and he is Cerveath's. And something else. That emptiness that was in him before is now filled. His family may not have been close to him, but now he had someone that was.
"It's what I'm here for, S'ren. To help you." Lina clasps her hands together, raising her voice slightly. "I'm Lina-- Aryeth's my green. We'll be one of your weyrlingmasters. I'm certain you won't remember--" She flashes a dazzling, dimpled smile as she starts absently picking up discarded buckets, "-- but if you need anything, call for Lina. Aryeth will be checking in on the new dragons. Those of you that are awake and hungry are welcome to head to the hatching feast. I'm sure your parents will be pleased to see you."
"Looks like we do," Jolie answers on couches, the woman straightening up to watch one of the weyrling pairs move on towards the couches. "Don' ya worry, Tac. We will definitely get the best one," she says this with certainty, as if that would be no question. She was intimidating enough to try and get her way anyway, so she keeps her hand within Tacuseth's reach as she eyes the couches critically for one that would be perfect. Finding the right one to the side against the wall, not too far back and not too far to the front that there would be enough air reaching her, she sends a smile of mischief down to Tacuseth and nods toward the very couch she chooses. "Let's grab it before some poor sap does," she states, moving to guide the little blue should he need it so that he could properly rest.
<< We'll have to try that some time. See if leaving the itching alone will make it stop on a dragon as well. >> Cerveath decides before he lets out another big yawn. << Sleep. Then we will explore. You will explore with me, together. After sleep. >> And as soon as he's on the couch, his eyes are closing.
Tacuseth examines the couch along with Jolie, and apparently finds it satisfactory: it takes him almost no time at all to climb inside, and to curl up: fast asleep. Awww.
S'ren nods his agreement to Cerveath, "We can try, I really dunno either." He agrees, then smiles fondly down at the little blue as he lays on his new couch and starts to fall asleep. "Yeah, we will. Explore everything." He agrees, reaching out to scratch the blue's eyeridges gently as he falls asleep. Once that new feeling fades from his mind and S'ren is sure the blue is asleep, he stands slowly. He looks down at Cerveath for a few moments, that smile still showing...a smile that S'ren has never really had before. Such a change. But now that that's done, his own stomach lets out a growl and he turns, removing the white burlap sack from over his head before looking around at all the new pairs. So...interesting. What a change this is going to be. His eyes fall on Jolie at last and he walks towards her, "Wanna go get somethin' ta eat?"
Jolie is there at the edge of their chosen couch, watching Tacuseth fall off to sleep when S'ren approaches. Unreadable her expression may be, the new weyrling turns to regard him closely before getting slowly to her feet. "I think food would be nice," she answers, moving to try and ruffle his short hair. "Who'd have thought, eh? Ya and me weyrlin's together. Must mean we're besties now." Uh-huh. He could believe that one if he wants.
S'ren manages to duck the ruffle this time and step away, wrinkling his nose at Jolie and her attempts. "Yeah, that's gonna be interestin' now isn't it." He agrees half-heartedly. "Looks like were gonna be spending alot more time together. Maybe you'll even tell me s'more 'bout yerself." He says, a gleam in his amber eyes. He turns then to find Lina, "Um, ma'am, is there anything else ta do before we can go eat?" He knows she said they could, but best to check, after all. Again something new, that extra concern, but as S'ren gives a warm look towards Cerveath it's obvious why.
Lina pauses in her shuffle around the barracks, an absurd amount of buckets dangling suspended from one arm. "Hmm? Oh, no." She glances at the couches, noting the two sleeping blues, then gestures towards the exits. "So long as they're sleeping you're free to go. Come back right away if they wake up, and-- no drinking. We'll go over the rules later, so don't worry your heads too much."
"Now yer reachin' it," Jo notes on her telling him more about herself, though she's likely goading. "Guess we will be spendin' a lotta time together. Pretty odd, that. Aren' ya tired of seein' me by now?" Dark eyes go to Lina then when S'ren speaks to her, though she's pretty occupied by the intrusion of blue in her head right - even if he is leaving her alone right now. At the mention of no drinking, -that- gets her attention. "When ya say 'no drinking'..." she seems afraid to even ask, the frown starting already.
S'ren rolls his eyes at Jo, "Yeah yeah." He says, then reaches out to try and grab her arm and pull her out of the barracks towards the Living Cavern. "C'mon. I'll make sure ya don't drink nothin' ya shouldn't. It's like when you were little." He pauses. "Scratch that. It's like when /I/ was little." That's probably much more true, at least. Shrug. He starts going again, trying to bring Jolie right along with him.
"Now, a little taste isn't going to hurt anyone," Lina confides conspiratorily, "But it is a risk, you know. Your dragons won't understand why your thoughts have gone fuzzy, and..." She shrugs, sending all the buckets clanking wildly. "... bad things can happen. Best to be safe. Now get on with you, you must be starving! I'm sure they have something prepared."