Weyrling Barracks
Large as it is, the barracks seem small when filled with the constant activity of weyrlings and dragonets, working, learning, or playing. The couches each show touches of the individuals who occupy them, all of them kept swept clean as the WLMs demand, but with a variety of cushions and coverings neatly folded or scattered across them. The clothespresses are full, some not so tidily closed as they should be. Fresh glowbaskets are strategically placed about the room, ready to cast their light over the dark walls. At the northern end of the room are shelves containing a variety of supplies necessary for the care of young dragons, and over the shelves hang a number of charts and pictures…. [look closer]
Brown Khonsath, bronze Azmaioth, blue Nokith, green Izlasth, and green Safuriketh are here.
Lzi, D'lan, R'yn, and Tasi are here.
"Are there any ways we can minimize the shin-barking?" R'yn asks, reaching over and stroking a hand over the seemingly drowsing bronze's head. A second set of eyelids close over the whirling eyes, although there is a rueful little dragon rumble at Lzi's comment. Silly greens, all caught up in their looks. Then again, Faranth help anyone who accuses the proud Azmaioth of not being one of the most attractive bronzes in all of Pern.
Ryazusith comes out of Ryazusith's couch.
Tasi chuckles, listening to Lzi. "I see…well, Aeokaith thinks I'm silly for doing it, but I have to confess, I do dye his straps. I like the look of colors on him better than I like any of the natural shades of leather. I'm sure you two can find a color or style that you like, once you've outgrown your weyrling set." R'yn's question is received with a chuckle. "Be careful, and I'd consider some padding when you first get started. But I think a couple bruises and scrapes are just an inevitable part of the weyrling process, sorry to say." She nods at D'lan's reply, smiling. "If you ever have questions, grab any of the weyrlingmasters and we'll do our best to help you out. Now, if we're out of questions for the moment, I have one for you. Can any of you clever weyrlings tell me, is dragon blood like our's?"
"See!" Lzi says to Izlasth out loud, if for the benefit of everyone present. "Told you that you had nothing to worry about! I'll make you beautiful straps, you silly thing you!" At Tasi's questioning, Lzi is stumped, obviously relaying the question over to her green to see if she knows the answer. Nope. So, she just has to shrug and hope that someone else knows the answer.
"No it isn't the same really." D'lan says looking at Nokith,"They're different. More like firelizards than humans." He says as he considers Nokith again, who examines Lzi for a moment. Silly. /Being/ cool is better than looking the part. Although…"No brown for you Nokith. I think we'll get a colour I like a little better. Maybe a dark blue."
Prefering to let others answer questions, R'yn simply nods to what D'lan says. Something probably covered when he trained in beast-healing under the Kirai. As for straps, Azmaioth just rumbles something drowsily. "Yes, we'll get you black straps, I'm sure they'll blend in just perfectly with your 'mane'." Ry rolls his eyes, attempting to draw no further attention away from the lesson at hand.
Tasi nods slowly. "Excellent, D'lan. I won't get into too much detail about all of that, you can ask a dragonhealer if you really want to get nitpicky. But the important part is that dragons bleed green, so none of you be surprised if you notice green stuff around a minor injury on your lifemate, just grab one of us and we'll tell you what to do about it." She turns around again, looking at each weyrling. "And I'm out of stuff to talk about, but I'm happy to go into more detail on any of the stuff I brought up, if anyone wants me to." One eyebrow goes up as she watches the weyrlings carefully, waiting for some indication of a question.
"I plan to do so. N'ano's promised to teach me already." D'lan says grinning broadly. It is true really. Nokith seems rather pleased at the moment as he begins going back a little bit and just barely manages not to trip,"Oh Nokith. You really need to concentrate a bit more on walking."
Minka has managed to spend most of the lesson hiding guiltily up the back, head wearily rested atop the gold's thick torso region. Her gentle lulling in and out of a state of dozing is suddenly snapped when the sounds of something beginning to rip startles her. Immediately her gaze is drawn to Ryazusith. And the large blanket in her mouth, "Rya!" The name is hissed in desperation, as the young gold flicks her head again and sends a great big tear down the fabric. Min hurriedly gets to her feet, dodging a gangly wing and rushing to the front and promptly pulling the shreds of blue and white from Rya's maw. She's given a pained stare in return, big whirling eyes registering a saddened lilac, "Ok, if you are bored we are going to the /front/." Idle threats. The weyrling pair then get to their feet, Min slinking down and settling to the right of Lzi, Rya ambling over and plonking down heavily near her feet. Tasi is now given full attention - well, from Minka at least. Rya's a little too busy staring at Izlasth's wings.
Green? Ha, green blood from a green dragon! Lzi finds the concept amusing, while Izlasth, does not, who only complains that she wants to be oiled again. So, with an eye on Tasi, and hands rubbing oil all over her dragon, Lzi pays attention to both at the same time, as impossible as it may seem. "Anything we should be concerned about? Anything at all?" General question, yes, but Lzi wants to make sure that Izlasth receives the best of care. The green, on the other hand, has no such concern, and decides to use the time to show off her beautiful body to the willing onlooker, Ryazusith.
« Why did the dead baby cross the road? » Groan. R'yn looks down at his dragon, now fully awake with eyes whirling mirthfully. Not seeming to understand his rider's dismay, the dragon looks up and cocks his head to the side, « It -is- a legitimate question. » "Questions that -apply- to the lesson, and aren't stupid." Ry hangs his head, looking quite drawn for this odd quirk of his dragon. The bronze hurrumphs and sets his head back down. Well lessons weren't any fun, were they. Of course he does make the announcement of the punch-line to the other dragons « It was stapled to the chicken. » As for R'yn, he simply covers his face with his hands. Embarassing dragon.
Tasi smiles. "I see…you going to train as a dragonhealer, then? I'll be taking lessons with you, I suppose, N'ano's teaching me as well." Lzi gets a smile. "Unfortunately for all of you, constipation is a common dragonet ailment. If you see it, let us know and we'll help you make up a purge. Other than that, they're a lot like young children." She smirks a little as R'yn clearly meant that comment for his dragon, and goes on with her speech. "Minor cuts are common, and not a big deal. Clean them up, keep an eye on it. If you see anything that worries you, same answer as before. Grab a weyrlingmaster, we'll tell you if you need a dragonhealer or if we can take care of it. The only other thing is overexertion and pulled muscles. You lot are going to have to be the voices of reason for your dragons, right now. Many of them will want to impress you, or us, and they'll push themselves. Don't let them do too much." She smiles at Minka as the goldrider draws closer, then asks the same question. "Any more questions? You guys are coming up with some good things to ask, I'm glad you're thinking."
Minka leans forward a little, arms wrapping about pulled-up legs, "Does it matter that.." Pause, a look is directed over to Ryazusith. She's staring at Izlasth - that's a safe pastime. At least there's nothing in her /mouth/. She looks back to Tasi, "That she keeps chewing things. She just ripped and slobbered all over Ph'rick's blanket." The shredded blue and white pile earns another look, and a shake of the head. Ryazusith, in the meantime, tentatively reaches out with her muzzle and snuffles at the good-looking green. Impressed, perhaps. Again, that saddened look joins in, and whatever depressed feeling she's emanating, it's enough to get Minka to lean back and scratch Rya's golden jaw, "Hush. No one thinks that you aren't pretty." The pair do look up as Rya repeats Azmaioth's 'joke' - Minka voicing the confusion, "What?" Pause, weary-look. Followed by a tart rejoinder from Ryazuisth for her fellow weyrlings, « I don't get it. »
Young children? Lzi and children don't get along, so that answer doesn't please her very much. Izlasth receives a wary look from the girl, who then receives yet another lecture from her dragon. «I am nothing like a child. How dare you assume that.» Lzi rolls her eyes, trying to silence her dragon with soothing thoughts while thinking of more questions. Nope. She's fresh out.
Oh yes. Nokith has already proven that D'lan will need to take extra care with him. Not so much to impress as the blue just doesn't look before he leaps as it were. Nokith for his part pretends that such a thing was not heard! There's no chasm beneath his feet. It's just a little hole and it isn't worth worrying over before he falls in!
Azmaioth's attention is drawn away from the lesson and not towards the golden dragon, tilting his head at her. How could she not get it? Well, far be it for this determined dragon to give up. So, he tries a less leud riddle, directed at the golden dragon. « When is a door, not a door? » Well, at least this didn't really have anything that disgusting involved, so R'yn let's it pass. "Is there anything we can do for broken or splitting talons?" He asks, attempting to put his dragon's quirks out of his mind. "Azmaioth sharpens his claws and they flake sometimes." The dragon snorts to this, as if such minor trivialities were beneath him.
Tasi laughs, listening to the one side of Minka's conversation with Ryazusith. "Chewing, huh? Not a problem I've ever come across before." Her eyes narrow as she thinks about it, looking back up at Minka to ask a few questions. "Is she eating the things she's chewing on? And has she complained of pain, or told you why she's chewing?" R'yn's question is easier to answer, she turns and nods, giving Minka time to formulate her answer. "Keep them trim…you can help him to sand them down, they won't splinter like that if they're nice and short when he sharpens them. Talons that are already split, it depends. If they're causing pain, the dragonhealers can help you out. If they don't, then just leave it be, trim off any splintered bits and let it grow out on its own."
Minka is left out of the exchange with the bronze now, Rya apparently too absorbed in the odd statements coming forth from her former weyrling to give two hoots about Minka's query. The young girl looks back to Tasi, nodding as she queries, "No, I don't think she eats any of it. But, it's anything. Rocks, blankets, through to clothing." Pause, and there's obviously some conference between the two, Min hurriedly adding, "No, no, you've not done anything wrong. I'm just curious, that's all." She returns to Tasi, adding, "She says she just wants to know about them." She gives a helpless shrug, "I suppose it's harmless, right?" Fidgeting, a hand still lingers atop a golden haunch, stroking it in a soothing fashion. Ryazusith is far too interesting in Azmaioth to pay attention, now replying in her hushed tones. « A door is always a door. Because that is what it is. So therefore it can be nothing else. » It makes sense in her mind. So, obviously, it must make sense to the bronze too.
«Oh, these dragons and their problems. How undignified, chewing on things.» Lzi sighs, closing her eyes, very, /very/ glad that no one else can hear the thoughts running through her mind right now. She rubs at her forehead, ignoring her dragon, trying her best to listen in on the answers to the questions asked. Might come in handy.
« No, no, no. » Azmaioth replies to the golden weyrling, rumbling. « When it is a ajar. A door is not a door, when it is a jar. » At this point, R'yn is also left out of the conversation, and he's probably quite thankful for that much. He simply nods, making note of what to do with the nails. Perhaps if he could find some of that oil he's seen the feline-experts at the herder hall use on feline nails?
Tasi smiles, nodding to Minka. "Sounds like exploratory chewing, to me. Infants do it, and canine pups and other animals. Please caution her against swallowing or eating any of those things, as that /could/ cause harm. And you might want to keep a stash of blankets that belong to you, so that no one else is upset if she tears them." She grins. "Aeokaith liked breaking things, at first, so I can sympathize, there." It is faint, and perhaps neither heard nor understood by the others in the room, but a soft shriek of shrill protest travels from the bowl through the entrance to the barracks, apparently the grown blue expressing anger with his rider for betraying that secret.
Minka can't help but laugh, "Breaking things?" The shriek that rises from the bowl earns another giggle, "I should probably be thankful that she's just .. testing these things out. Rather than out to destroy them. But I don't know how I'm going to explain to Ph'rick about his blanket." Maybe he won't notice the slobbery mess. Pfft. Right. She turns back to Tasi, "So you think she'll grow out of it then?" Rya, meanwhile, is getting flustered. « A jar. » Bristle, and her golden muzzle angles towar Azmaioth, « That's not right. Ajar is a word. Right, Minka? » Her tone has hit a shrill note now, enough to cause a wince from Minka, "What? Oh, yes. It's a word?" « I need a bucket of cold water. » "Why?" « /You/ know. » Minka's a little exasperated,
«No, no, no, not there. There!» Izlasth could care less about Lzi trying to learn. She wants oil, and she wantes oiled /now/. Lzi offers Tasi a small smile and a nod to indicate that she really has been listening. Really, she has been.
Tasi steps away for a moment to scrawl out a message to someone.
Tasi returns, sending a firelizard off to deliver the message.
Tasi nods. "Yes, breaking things. Starting with his egg, which he was very interested in. Kept poking at walls and things, trying to figure out if he could make them shatter like his egg had." She smiles ruefully. "As for Ph'rick, just tell him he's lucky he wasn't in my weyrling class. And yes, the hope is that they'll grow out of all their peculialarities sooner, rather than later. If not, it's hardly the end of the world. Dragons get away with much weirder behavior than we'd ever get by on." She grins, then turns around as she notices some antsy dragons eyeing oil vats. "You're all excused, by the way. If you still have questions or want to talk, feel free to hang around. Otherwise, I will see you all later."
