Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Barracks
A long and roughly oblong cavern, about a third of the space is open, used for classes or chores as required. The rest of the space is filled with couches of varying sizes, all with plenty of space between them. Some couches are obviously intended for the very young weyrlings while the largest ones at the back are for the older weyrlings.
Fresh from the baths it seems, as both Mur'dah and Kalsuoth are glistening with dampness that towels could not quite wipe away. Standing next to his couch, the dark brown is patiently holding out his wings while his rider works oil into the fragile sails of his wings, over that baked earth illusion until it looks like wet baked earth, glistening in the barracks' lights. Murmuring softly, Mur'dah's voice is low and quiet, and Kalsuoth's eyes half closed in contentment.
Soriana and Luraoth have been out studying. Well, Soriana was studying, anyhow. There's a textbook under her arm. Luraoth was just curled around her rider, watching the pages of lessons through her eyes … and encouraging other weyrlings to come say hello when they passed near enough, because surely a bit of company is good for studying as well as being good in general. "…yeah," Soriana says as they enter, "but I didn't finish the chapter."
Mur'dah glances over when the gold pair enter, offering them a little smile. "Hey," he says. "What chapter?" he adds, ever curious as he moves his hands over the brown's sails, carefully rubbing the oil into the joints and making sure he gets it between all the creases. « Hello, sister, » Kalsuoth greets with a brush of loamy soil scents.
Soriana looks up and returns Mur'dah's smile, then twists her lips in a rueful expression. "The one on Western's history." The one they've been studying… and that they're supposed to be nearly done with. Y'know. That one. Soriana shrugs, and makes her way to Luraoth's couch to set down the book as the gold dragon sends tendrils of pale green vines with bell-shaped purple flowers. « Hello, brother. » The flowers quiver, and there's a soft chime. « How are you and yours? »
Mur'dah rolls his eyes a bit. "Ugh. So boring. Why can't they make history interesting? It's all stories, but it's so boring, somehow." Kalsuoth rumbles softly, caressing those purple flowers, sending delicate drops of dew to glisten on their petals. « We are well. I am being oiled and it is… » He doesn't have the word for it, so he just shares his pleasure through the link.
"I knooow," Soriana says. "If this were a novel, I'd be all about it. Shipwrecks! Pirates!" …and yet. She sighs, and shakes her head. "Mostly I just haven't had the time." Her gaze flits briefly to Luraoth. "I think I've got it, though. Mostly." « Oiling is good, » Luraoth agrees, as those flowers shine with dewdrops that make their petals iridesce with just a tinge of that oil. Not only that, but she nudges her rider, and Soriana's gaze returns to her. "…yeah, okay." Sori grins crookedly as she goes to get some oil herself while Luraoth settles down and gets comfy.
Mur'dah nods, "Yeah, exactly," he agrees with a wry grin. "Maybe one day I'll write an /interesting/ history of Xanadu. One that's got all the juicy details and gossip and all that fun stuff. And that's good. I think I've got it too. It's stuff I know at least, not like the other histories. Those just don't stick in my head." And he fails. Grinning a bit, he smiles as the gold seems to request the same treatment. "So…other than that, how're you?"
"Yeah. It kinda makes me glad for all the harper lessons I had before, y'know? Imagine if you were just swept up from some tiny farmhold somewhere." Soriana shakes her head in actually-I-can't-even, and sets down the oiling supplies, starting work on Luraoth's side. The task is, by this point, a familiar one, and she can carry on a conversation easily. "If you're gonna publish the details… wait at least 'til Kalsuoth can fly, just in case there's an angry mob." She grins teasingly, and then looks down to work her fingers around a wingbase. "Oh… I'm okay." Her expression's less of a grin now, but still mostly smiling. "Busy, y'know? I mean… I knew that, but I don't think I really got weyrlinghood before now."
Mur'dah nods, "Yeah," he says with a moment's thought. "Or if you couldn't even read. Guess we've got it alright, huh?" And then he laughs, gently rubbing the brown's wingsails between his hands, making sure the oil is spread in evenly and carefully. "Good point. I'll keep that in mind." Glancing at her, he's quick to smile and then his focus returns to his dozing brown. "What do you mean?"
Yeah, what does she mean? Soriana's smile slips for a moment, and she lowers her head to busy herself with working the oil in along the curves of muscles as she works thoughts into words. "It's… everything's about the dragon and the rider. There's no room for… us. For the people we were." She tilts her head, glancing over at Mur'dah. "I sort of wonder, now, if… if the reason people change isn't because of impressing, but because of weyrlinghood."
Mur'dah tilts his head a bit, pausing as he considers her words. "There isn't a lot of down time, that's for sure," he finally murmurs. "I…I sometimes feel like I still can't get my footing. That things are going way too fast and I just need time to breathe." He glances back at her with a small shrug. "There's lots to learn, lots…of challenges and changes. Maybe it's both. Because you wouldn't be in Weyrlinghood without impression."
Time to breathe? What's that? Soriana nods, returning her gaze to Luraoth's oiling. "Maybe. I mean, yeah, it'd have to be." She looks up again, the smile back. "Things aren't ever simple. If they were, there'd be no point to your tell-all history book."
Mur'dah chuckles, "Alright, good point, but still," he says. "I mean…there's got to be some way to make things a little easier on ourselves. Kalsuoth and I take walks down by the water. Just the two of us. At least we can do that now? It's soothing, if only temporary."
Soriana quirks her lips at the 'just the two of us' part, though she doesn't immediately say anything. Instead, she trails her fingers along Luraoth's side until they run out of oil, then nods. "Sometimes when I'm studying, I read aloud. Luraoth likes it, even when it's boring." And it becomes infinitesimally less dull for having an audience. "I shouldn't complain. I mean… we've got it alright."
Mur'dah nods, "That's a good idea. He might like it if I read to him too…" Thoughtful, he pats the dark brown hide and only gets a sleepy rumble in reply. "Yeah, we do. I mean I feel like I can't /really/ complain. It's hard, yeah, but I'm a dragonrider." And there's a lot of pride that goes with that for the boy. "We're fed, and clothed, and healthy…whining about it being hard just seems silly."
Soriana chuckles a little at that sleepy rumble. "And-" if it's too boring "-it's not like it's a bad thing if they fall asleep." The amused smile lingers as she nods to the rest of it. "Future representatives of the Weyr and all." She smirks as she continues with the oiling. "Future eaters of snails."
Mur'dah wrinkles his nose and snorts. "You did good at that though," he remarks, with a little grin as he moves along to Kalsuoth's haunches, getting more oil on his hands before he begins rubbing it in once more. "You hardly batted an eyelash at the weird stuff."
"I did?" Soriana asks with a tilt of her head, and laughs. "I felt so out of place. I was watching you and Darsce constantly." She gives her head a shake. "The weird food was like the one thing I could do. I mean, I've been hunting. At least fish eggs don't smell."
Mur'dah blushes faintly, the color light on his cheeks. "Yeah, it's one thing I /can/ do," he mutters. "It's not that hard once you know all the rules…" Then he shakes his head with a small shiver. "Ugh, I didn't like that at all. But…managed it."
"Yeah, you were good," Soriana agrees. "I just never bothered to learn any of that stuff. I mean, why would I need it?" She looks to Luraoth and grins wryly as she reaches for more oil and starts on the golden dragon's wing. "Maybe you can give me pointers."
Mur'dah nods, "Exactly. Most people never will need it, so…there's no use to learn it." And then he blinks, looking at her in some surprise. "Pointers? Like…what?"
"Like… the etiquette stuff." Soriana shrugs. "I mean, I know I'm going to forget half of it." She's already at a quarter forgotten, assuming she's remembering what she's forgetting. "But you know it. You know what finicky holders expect." She gives him a sideways look. "I don't know what. If I did, I wouldn't need it."
Mur'dah nods, "Well…yeah, I mean I'd be happy to help, but…" He thinks for a moment and then snorts. "My grandfather was the worst of them all. When I was eating with him it was best to just sit, eat, and be mostly quiet. Not all the way quiet, because he didn't like talking to himself. But mostly quiet. That way you wouldn't say something that'd get you in trouble." That was the hope anyway.
Soriana works her fingers up over Luraoth's wing, tracing the spars and then the sails between. It's a familiar enough task that her gaze can remain mostly on Mur'dah as she listens. She frowns slightly, the expression aimed off into the distance, and nods. "I dunno if I could have done that," she says quietly, and stares at Luraoth's gleaming hide a moment before giving her head a shake. "Bring on the snails."
Mur'dah shrugs a bit. "I didn't have any other choice, really. Kind of like being a weyrling. You just get on with it and do the best you can. But trust me, you did just fine."
"Yeah," Soriana says. "Just gotta do what you can and hope it's enough." She smiles, glancing over to Mur'dah, then hesitates a moment before asking quietly, "How's Kalsuoth doing with the hunting?"
Mur'dah stills for a moment, and then exhales softly. "We haven't tried again," he mutters, under his breath and with a grimace. "I…don't want others around to watch when he does, so I'm trying to get someone to take just us out…"
Soriana lets that moment pass in silence, then nods. "Makes sense," she says, and turns her gaze back to Luraoth, working in the oil. "He'll figure it out. Maybe you can go during one of the exercise sessions, it's not like hunting isn't plenty of exercise…"
Mur'dah nods, "That's a good idea," he says quietly. "I know he'll figure it out, but I don't want an audience around while he tries to."
"There's always an audience, seems like," Soriana says with a frown, and her gaze lingers on Luraoth a moment before she sighs. "But yeah. If I can help… y'know, more than just leaving you two alone," she grins crookedly, "just let me know."
Mur'dah nods, "Yeah, exactly. Always and it bugs me sometimes. I don't want people watching him when he…messes up." The brown rumbles slightly, shifting a bit before he settles again. Turning his head, Mur'dah offers Soriana a smile. "Thanks. I'll let you know if I can think of anything. Fair exchange for more ettiquete tips as I think of them."
And until then, Soriana will just practice her leaving alone! It's a useful skill. "Good deal," she agrees with a smile back. After a moment, that smile tugs sideways. "I'm sort of… I'm trying to not care about it," she says. "About messing up. Because when you're already doing everything you can to fix it, feeling bad… all it does is mean that some people try to make you feel worse."
Mur'dah sighs softly and grimaces. "Yeah, I know it shouldn't bother me but it does. Some things folks say…just…get to me. I'm trying to get over it. But it's so hard, you know? I don't want people to make fun of him." Or other dragons.
"Yeah, I know," Soriana says, and sighs. "I don't even want to know what Jnelle's saying about me now." Her lips twist, because in a way, she does, except, really, she's fairly sure she's happier just speculating. Anyways, back to the dragons. "But Kalsuoth's tough. He can hold his own. Shells, I think, if it was funny enough… he'd laugh too."
Mur'dah grimaces, "Ugh. I don't want to know either. I mean she's pretty and all, but…" Stunning, really. But even Mur'dah isn't /that/ desperate. Then he snorts. "It doesn't really bother /him/. It's…me that it bugs."
…but she's Jnelle. Soriana nods, frowning at the prospect and then giving Luraoth a put-upon look. Let's just not go there now, okay? More oil? Luroath chirps pleased assent, arching up as Sori works fingers against hide. "Yeah. It's hard." She smiles crookedly. "I still care, I just…" pretend "try."
Mur'dah nods his head a bit, finally finishing with the oiling and stepping back. A quiet moment passes between rider and dragon and once it's confirmed there's nothing left to be oiled, Mur'dah wipes his hands and sits down with a low sigh. "Do folks make fun of her?"
Xeosoth and M'kal arrive from outside the barracks. Having been out jogging M'kal's pulling on his shirt as he strides in, having removed it for the jog. He'd been out there a while from the sheen of sweat across his forehead and chest which may prompt some to wonder why he didn't stop by the baths before returning to the barracks. But he didn't..partially because Xeosoth is clearly trying wait patiently for an oiling. He's right by the barrels and clearly threatening to knock one over before M'kal gets there. "Hey hey hey!" protests the weyrling teen. "Calm down I'm hurrying!"
"Mostly not to my face," Soriana says with a brief laugh. "Kanekith says stuff sometimes, but…" she shrugs. It's Kanekith. And that over there menacing the oil barrels is Xeosoth. Soriana looks up, and hehs, lifting an oily hand to wave to M'kal.
Mur'dah sighs, rubbing a hand over his face and then regretting it. Now his skin is oily. Which in a teenager isn't the best thing. "Yeah, he says stuff to Kalsuoth /all/ the time…" Grump. "Hey, M'kal," he says with a little wave.
Menacing. The. Barrels. That's totally Xeosoth who's nudging them impatiently. If M'kal doesn't hurry the oil will be on the floor. "No! You're too big now to be rolling in oil that way." Hastily M'kal strides over with distracted nods of greeting to his friends Mur'dah and Soriana. "Heya." and he's at the barrels. With a whistle he rouses Elsie who pops over to help. "You're getting bigger!" grumbles the lad as the oiling process finally starts without oil barrels going on their side.
"Half the time, Kalsuoth starts it," Soriana says to Mur'dah with a lopsided grin. "The other half… yeah, that's Kanekith." She shrugs. "I think he's getting better as he grows." And he's definitely growing, like all the dragons are. M'kal's comment to that effect gets a smile from Soriana as her eyes drift away from the golden dragon she's oiling, seeking out Kanekith's couch for a moment. She sighs, mostly because that's also Ka'el's couch. Not that they're here right now. Or… well. Not that she's going to comment, and so she goes quiet for a bit as she continues to oil Luraoth.
Mur'dah smirks a little bit and nods. "I know, I know. And he told me as such. Still." He can still be grumpy about the bronze's attitude, right? He looks at Soriana with some concern in his eyes, and then looks to M'kal. "Have a nice run?"
"Yup!" replies M'kal. "Figured I'd get it in before class tonight." he talks as he oils. Xeosoth is quite content now with M'kal and green Elsie working on the oil. A young bronze peeks out from the pouch turned around so it's around M'kal's back. He gives a hungry creel!