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.
Cirilia sits on the floor by her couch. Tamasth has most of his face buried in his dinner, though it seems the dragonete is actually chewing and not just gorging. Splashes of blood cover his head and much of his neck.
F'alk, likewise, in on the floor and Rakirikath is likewise eating. Her motions are emphatic, if not terribly messy. She seems quite intent on eating the central areas of the meat first before proceeding onto the edges, however. F'alk is leaned up against the wall, watching her dazedly.
Cirilia eyes F'alk curiously. Sure Tamasth is covered in blood, but he's eating at a steady, messy pace. She stands up and clears her throat, "You're keeping her from gorging, right? It'll make her sick if she eats too much." Rote memory from her mother's constant teachings, but it's what she sticks to when everything else is uncertain.
"Mn?" F'alk shakes his head and his glance at Cirilia is both belatedly and not terribly alert. "She hasn't eaten that much yet," he decides, after another, excessive pause.
Tamasth looks up from his meal. A long strip of flesh hangs from his jaws, but that quickly disappears into his maw. Cirilia sighs, "That's enough, dear. You're going to need another bath after that." Tamasth snorts « Why do I need anotherrr bath? I am saving this forrr lllaterrr. » Cirilia nods, "Yeah, that's the reason." She turns to F'alk. Worry now washes over her features, "Are you.. uhh.. ok? You've been so quiet these last few sevendays."
F'alk's shrug is sedate and small, a mere lift of his shoulders. "Fine," he says and his eyes glaze slightly to convey something to Rakirikath, who draws her beakish head out of the meat and gives Tamasth a long look before withdrawing.
Cirilia grabs F'alk's hand, "Come on. Let's go outside to give them a bath. You need to get out." Tamasth swivels his gaze from Rakirikath and practically purrs « Outside? A lllake bath woullld be superrrb. » Cirilia grins, "And Tamasth agrees." To Rakirikath, "Would you like to join us, beautiful?"
"Out — yes, I suppose," F'alk says, and draws himself to his feet in a crouch before letting go of her hand. As if rather not wanting to impose too much pressure. Rakirikath walks around him and Cirilia in a broad arc, her head high (and dripping) and her wings partially outstretched. "She'll go," F'alk supplies.
Tamasth trills, leading the way. Cirila nods to F'alk, her expression still one of concern. He wasn't always the nicest person to her but that doesn't chance her concern that somehow, the green nearly trampling him broke the fun-hating candidate she remembers.
Rakirikath leads F'alk onto the beach — albeit not before surveying it with a certain critical eye and conveying something back to him, which he receives with a vague nod. Then, the green is making her descent toward the water, wings outstretched.
Tamasth bounds down the beach to the water, Cirilia's pair of exhausted firelizards trailing behind him. She smiles, "I'd have quite a bit more work without those two to help out." She eyes F'alk, "Look, I know I wasn't always nice to you, especially that whole business with Degs, but I'm worried about you. You've /never/ been this quiet."
"Rakirikath talks a lot," F'alk provides, setting his feet apart as if to brace himself. Rakirikath splashes chest first into the water, folding her wings in.
Cirilia smiles and nods, "Tamasth has an opinion about everything." She sighs and calls out, "You're going to get wet anyway. What does it matter that Rakirikath splashed you?" Shrugging, she laughs, "See what I mean? I guess we all have some things to get used to. Things Ma never told me about dragons." A brow arches, "Do you have riders in your family?"
"No." F'alk doubly confirms that with a shake of his head. "I don't. We're farmers." He clears his throat and adds, "Dragons weren't really what any of us … thought about." Rakirikath turns the initial splash into another one, farther in.
Tamasth pounces the deeper waters, sending a large gout of water up and over the firelizards. The girls chitter madly, berating the blue for his impertinance. Cirilia nods slowly, "Have you heard from them yet? I'd wager they're proud to have such strong blood in their lines." A wince.. this is people we're talking about, not runners. She mutters, "My Ma and Dad were both 'riders. But most of the time, we got answers to our questions along the lines of 'You'll see when it's your time'." She shakes her head, "I'm the only one to be asked to stand so far. Ma had given up on any of us riding when I got old enough. I got less answers than the others."
Rakirikath turns a long look at the firelizards and flaps her wings. She, however, is unable to fly. This is bothersome. She hisses. "They sent a letter," F'alk admits. "I … haven't read it. I'm also the only one to stand. Or to leave the farm."
"You should read it," Cirilia suggests. "They may be really pleased. At least yours won't be fraught with advice." Tamasth has decided this pouncing is fun and decides to pounce a little closer to Rakirikath. If firelizards are fun to douse, what about dragons? Cirilia looks out at the dragonets and sighs, "My dad rode a green. She was jealous, demanding and vain, but he loved her."
"I don't know about that. I never got on with my family," F'alk says, his voice bordering on the sullen, although it does not quite reach it, and, in fact, lightens at the end — about concurrent with Rakirikath's counter pounce. "Rakirikath is certainly demanding," F'alk says, low. "How's … Tamasth?"
Cirilia smiles, "In to everything, curious and.. mm.. always up to trouble." She pauses, "Sorry.. fabulous. I caught him emptying everyone's trunk then trying to pin the blame on Raath." She nudges F'alk, "He wouldn't dare pick on her, though. I think she has him a little scared." The blue raises his head from the water. Scared?? I'll show you scared! He whips his tail through the water, sending a wave towards the green.
Rakirikath bares her teeth and, if she takes the wave in the face, counters with a sudden pounce closer — her back-legs landing closer than her forelegs and her long tail swicking over the surface of the water. F'alk glances down at the point of the nudge. "I don't blame him," he says, trying a thin smile.
"You've an advantage, though. She can bite or pounce Tamasth without being devistated by it," Cirilia comments glibly. The blue squacks as he's hit in the face by the rushing water. He tries a new tactic.. submerged attacks. "You know, she really is quite lovely when she cleans up," she muses.
"/I've/ an advantage?" F'alk asks, raising his eyebrows, and looking at Cirilia directly for the first time. Rakirikath hisses and backs up, sticking her head under the water. But F'alk's tone is noncommittal to the last. "I guess so."
Cirilia's brow furrows, "Ok, you can't tell me nothing's wrong any more. Are you scared of her?" She tries her best to keep the incredulous tones from her voice, though a few sneak in. The tone is completely serious, though. Tamasth snakes under the water like a huge terran crocodile. Cirilia's told him about them. Horrible, terrifying beasts. He searches for green limbs benieth the surface.
"I …" F'alk grimaces and shrugs another warding shrug. Rakirikath dives, bubbles pouring out between her teeth as she searches for her clutch mate. Where, where …
Cirilia's eyes are trained on the other weyrling. She offers a smile, "It's ok to be. I'd be scared out of my mind if I didn't grow up with 'em. Teeth and claws and just general size." Tamasth slices through the water. His eyes are searching for emerald tail. Yep.. would be fun to play tug the tail with Rakirikath.
"It's not the teeth and claws and general size," F'alk says, tongue finally loosed. Speaking of tails, if not the rest, Rakirikath's does trail in front of Tamasth while its owner claws through the water. "It's the rest of it."
A brow arches, "The rest of it?" Cirilia pauses for a moment to consider this. "Is it the part up here?" She taps her temple. She chuckles, "Still getting used to that. Myrrath only talked to Ma. When Adi talked to me when we were Searched, that was the first time that's ever happened." Tamasth opens his maw to capture the tail. Just a tug and a twist and he's darting back off through the water.
F'alk nods to confirm /that/. "I — well. I knew full well if I Impressed, I'd have things speaking in my head. I just didn't expect—" he nods toward the water. "That thing. That brown dragon that Searched us was my first … experience, too." Rakirikath /squawks/, releasing her air, and F'alk on the beach startles and tenses as well. Rakirikath surfaces for air — only to dive right back down, claws outstretched for vengeance, her mind an agitated /red/ streaked with angry white.
Tamasth surfaces to catch his breath. Rakirikath's wrath makes him dive again. If he can outswim her til she can calm down… but oh she's angry. Cirilia nods, musing, "Makes you feel like you're losing your mind a little. Especially when it's a different voice and personality. It's different when it's your own thoughts kicking around up there."
"A little," F'alk agrees, his eyes wincing half closed as he puts the heel of his palm against his forehead. Och. "I was expecting a male dragon." Rakirikath is in full ferocious pursuit, intent on /winning/ — catching, anything.
Cirilia glances at Tamasth, "Ah, I see. Yeah.. I was.. well, I guess I'm not as stunned to have a blue. But, you know, it could be a good thing. She'll definitely keep any pink out of your soap." Tamasth has the disadvantage of having swum longer, and his stroke is still clumsy. He's only been allowed in the shoals before. Consequentally, his speed begins to fail. It's mainly fear that keeps him from stopping completely.
F'alk does not smile. "That's unimportant," he says, and drops his hand. At the same time, Rakirikath's claws close loosely on the blue's tail, then release, her vengeance easily sated. She swims back to the surface and toward the beach at that at a quick paddle. "I need to go," he says, quietly, and turns, his eyes directed up the beach a moment before he starts walking.
Cirilia calls to him, "Hey F'alk?" ignoring the blue's squeek and agitated tirade for now.
F'alk stops, inclining his head over his shoulder. "What?"
Cirilia drops her head, "You ever need to talk, I'm here. I really am sorry for being so mean to you before. But.. I guess since I have a male voice in my head and you have a female one in yours.. maybe we can help out each other?" She offers a weak smile, "I only pretend to be knowledgeable and steady. I told you. Ma didn't answer a lot of questions. So… this is an experience for me, too." She shrugs, "Just a thought."
F'alk actually manages that smile as Rakirikath pulls herself onto the beach, flipping her wings out. "All right. Thanks." He bobs a last nod as he turns again. "Might take you up."
Cirilia nods and tosses a wave, Tamasth now pulling himself on the shore with a wounded creel. "Oh, we'll bandage it up if you want. Serves you right. You tugged her tail first," she berates as she walks off down the shore with her lifemate.