Stop for a Bite

Half Moon Bay Weyr - Living Cavern
Here is the center of Weyr life, the living caverns. These two main rooms were man-shaped from smaller caves, and are joined by a carved arch with depictions of dragons in flight and dolphins leaping in swirling waves. One room has many round stone and wooden tables and a stone fire-pit instead of a hearth. Over the round-walled, gas fired pit is a large conical hood made of polished bronze, with reliefs of dragons with their riders flying over ships guided by dolphins. This hood and chimney keeps the room smoke-free. Through the archway is an enormous hall, with long tables and benches, some carved from the rock floor, many crafted of wood. This room is a combination dining and meeting hall, and can seat over 300 comfortably. Above both rooms, angled shafts lined with polished metal bring in sunlight during the day. Electric lights also burn, day and night.


It's dinner hour for just about everyone, and so just about everyone is in the living caverns getting their food. Except a certain candidate who likes to sass the weyrlingmasters and senior weyrmoman. It's day three of eight of double chores, and Emiallis is starting to show it. Her hair is a bit of a frizzed mess, barely contained in a braid with many a wisp flying about, and there are the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. Today's set of chores seems to be waiting on and bussing the tables during breakfast and dinner, as well as lessons. She's walking with a moderately brisk pace between tables, wiping a spot down shortly after a person vacates and picking up any dishes carelessly left behind.

Venryk, lucky Venryk..does not have said chores. Except for the ones already assigned, at least. Which is why he's able to eat dinner in moderate peace. He's settled in with food on his plate, chattering away at another candidate that happens to be sitting nearby. Emiallis doesn't go unnoticed however. There's a few glances sent the way of the frazzled and chore-laden candidate, before he finally lifts his hand, waving rather animatedly toward her as she passes. "Emi! Emi hay../hay!/" Yes..he will /have/ this attention..if only to thrust a biscuit at her. "You've gotta eat before you fall over. You kinda look like you might, you know! That's totally dangerous."

Screeeeeech! Emiallis comes to an abrupt halt as she hears her name being called out. For a moment there's a hint of panic like she did something wrong. She can't take more punishment on top of what she already has! But then it registers that she's being called by her shortened name, not her full name, and she relaxes visibly. The beckoner is identified and she crumples into a seat across from Venryk, lacking most of her careful poise. "I'm not sure I'm hungry anymore." She probably passed that stage about thirty minutes ago.

Venryk makes a slight face at that, still holding the biscuit out. Yep. It's given a shake. Shake..shake shake. "Well if you've gotten /past/ that point then you really should eat something, shouldn't you?" There's a quick grin at least, looking briefly around. "Besides, you're already sitting down. Don't tell me that they don't let you have /any/ breaks!" Cruel and unusual, that would be. He pokes his fork into some of his own food with the other hand though, still watching the other candidate.

Emiallis looks at the biscuit being held out and shaken at her. And it's totally out of sympathy for that poor biscuit that she plucks it out of Venryk's hand, only to stare at it for a few moments in hers. Before her stomach gurgles. Audibly. "I mean, I can sit down for a bit I guess." She concedes, tearing off a bit of biscuit and popping it into her mouth. Was there chewing? Maybe. Most likely not. It's gone. "The last thing I need is for one of them to come by and think I'm not doing what they said." Although with how soundly she's been sleeping around those four extra pillows of hers, there's little doubt that she's actually been doing those double chores. But neither Sundari nor Agalia have come to collect on their debt. There's another morsel popped into her mouth, that disappears just as quick. "They're trying to kill me now. I swear." But she'll comply so she can impress that gold, blast it all!

Venryk shrugs both shoulders, shaking his head. "Well I had you stop, that's all." Because the healer is /so/ authorative. "I'll only keep you a few minutes, anyway, and then you can be off, running around and doing tons of chores. But I mean, come on. You can stand to have something quick to eat before wiping down another table." A mouthful of food is promptly stuffed right in, and the teen chews at it thoughtfully a moment or two. "They're not trying to /kill/ you. I mean, sure, that's a bit rough, but you did say some stuff that..well..if you don't mind my saying so, was pretty stupid to say. Not that you're stupid, just..your mouth was."

Emiallis is quiet for a few very long moments as she puts more of that biscuit into her mouth and remembers to chew this time. "No one ever gave me chores when I made those sorts of comments back home." And she honestly sounds confused. Oh the poor, spoiled, somewhat naive girl! "I just don't understand why we're doing these things like mucking stalls when that's one of the last things we'd ever being doing once we impress. We're not drudges, or stablehands." In fact some of those larger runners downright scare her. At at least she's being open with Venryk. Seems like the girl is more willing to be open with her own age group, rather than showing her superiors respect like she should, or discussing such problems with them.

Venryk tilts his head somewhat. There's a slow smile however, before the teen leans forward on both of his arms, peering closer at Emiallis. "Emi…Emi.. Do you think that dragons /don't/ poop?" There's a faint lowering of his lashes, and the healer is all smiles after that. "/Oh/ they poop. And they get pretty big before they're allowed to do any betweening to get rid of things like that. You know who has to /deal/ with their poop? We do." Big, startling revelations? Well, maybe! Who knows? But the boy is quite entertained nonetheless, laughing as he sits back in his chair again, comfortably. "Baby dragon care is all about the rider and dragon bonding and stuff, so we'll have to do it all, if we impress. Handle raw meat, clean up after them..all of it. Nobody's gonna do it for us, so yeah..it /is/ kinda preparing us for it." He points his fork at Emiallis then, wagging it back and forth. "One of the nannies at Fort would've whapped me right in the butt for talking that way. Or the head. That's a little less fun..the /ears/..good grief.."

Emiallis' familiar cross expression is aimed at Venryk as he starts to laugh, and she's pretty sure it's aimed at her. "They aren't like firelizards? They can't start going between shortly after hatching?" To be fair, before her parents shipped her off to the Weyr for lessons in behavior she never gave a second thought about dragons. She was all into enjoying the moment with no responsibilities. But she's not going to be put off of her complaint. "But runners are still runners. Those things are scary. They're definitely not as smart as dragons." That one is debatable, depending on the runner. Some are pretty eerily smart. Emi looks at that waggling fork before her gaze returns to the boy waggling it. "No nanny. Just mama and papa." And thus, a very spoiled child.

Venryk shakes his head quickly. "Heh, nope. They don't do that, so the weyrlings get to take care of the mess. Isn't that fun? ..Well no it's not. Doesn't sound much like fun, but it'd be worth it. ..I guess." There's little to equate /worth/ for shoveling poop. The teenager looks thoughtful though, letting out a bit of a sigh. "Can't say I've ever been terribly fond of runners, but I don't hate them or anything.." Perhaps that requires a bit more thought, since he takes another bite of food and simply seems…to ponder. "Mm, had those too, but we tended to run around in a big group, tended by the Weyr and all."

Emiallis looks at the dwindling biscuit in her hand, debating going for another, because her stomach is still demanding satisfaction. "I grew up at Sykan Hold." Y'know, that place in the isles here that loves to host gathers? Doesn't that explain a lot? "Mama and Papa would just take me with them until I got old enough to run around by myself." And not cause herself serious harm. But oh, the things she had to amuse herself with so her parents could work. Emiallis seems to be doing a little of her own thinking. "They don't expect us to butcher the beasts for our dragons, do they?" Sticking her hand into raw meat she can handle. Butchering one would be the last straw. This whole shennanigan of taking them out to the wilderness in a sevenday is enough to stress her poor limits. Emi and the wild outdoors? Nono. Bad combo.

"All on your own?" There's a tiny frown from Venryk for that, but the boy shrugs. Not much he can do to comment on how other people raise their kids. The healer knows little of Hold life, after all. The question though about the meat part gets a slight tilt of his head though, before he sighs. "That I don't know. Like..actually /butcher/ the animal? Maybe not.. I mean, seems unlikely. I know I've heard that some places have the weyrlings cut up meat for the dragons, but I always assumed it was already like..off the animal."

Off the beast, but needing to be chunk-i-fied Emiallis could deal with. Make no mistake, she doesn't like menial labor in slightest, but at least she starting to realize if it gets her something she wants, she can suck it up for at least some period of time. Sheer stubbornness. The girl takes in a breath and exhales sharply in a quick sigh. Her biscuit is gone, and she's eyeing the boy's plate to see if there's some other finger food he won't miss if it walks off. Anyhow. Subject change! "Are you good with the outdoors?"

Venryk taps his fork lightly against his mostly empty plate. "Well that's a question." ..So it is. The teen tips his head to the side though, curiously peering right back at Emiallis. "I /like/ being outside, and I know plants pretty well. But I don't know much about..a whole lot of other stuff?" He gives a weak smile for his equally weak response. Ah well.

Emiallis gives a somewhat mournful sigh this time, at Venryk's response. "This trip is going to be positively dreadful." Is stated matter-of-factly as she slowly pushes to her feet. Her biscuit is gone and his plate is pretty empty. That means her break is over right? But at least that hectic-frazzled look is diminished and her cheeks aren't flushed with exertion anymore. Wordlessly with a half-smile she holds out a hand for his plate and fork.

"Aw, don't say that! I bet it'll be fun! You know, apart from the dirt, and the bugs and the possible horrible /death./" Venryk positively beams at that, handing his plate right over when it's gestured for. Alas, with break time over, and his own meal done with, the candidate simply gets to his feet as well. "Not that..there'd be any of that death part. We've been assured of the lack of death going on." Hopefully? Fingers give a wave though as the teenager promptly heads off, deeper into the Weyr.


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