Logs:More Than Dragonriding
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| RL Date: 7 November, 2015 |
| Who: Pia, C'ris |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: C'ris and Pia are both early-morning risers. |
| Where: Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 18, Month 3, Turn 39 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Quinlys/Mentions, Silva/Mentions, K'zin/Mentions |
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| It is that pre-dawn before drills, before even C'ris usually shows up at the weyrling barracks with his usual deliveries of klah and pastries. It is clear that is what he's waiting for, leaned against one banked heart in his riding leathers and talking in a quiet murmur with a woman that is gathering up a basket for him. The woman shares enough of the younger man's features to mark a familial link, but there's a seriousness to her features that is not reflected in the easy smile of the bluerider's lips or the laugh lines of his eyes. "More fruit ones, please. We have a weyrling who likes them; they'll go fast," is what he's saying at the moment, gratefully. It will surprise no one to know that Pia is an early-bird, one of those weyrlings who is not only up before the morning wake-up call, but often dressed, fed, ready to go... and unnaturally cheerful. As Luishaeth gets older and older (she is just over two months old, now, and will be taking down her very first kill in the pens in the next few days), Pia is up earlier and earlier, and today, that wakefulness has brought her here. "Oh, do you have any of the almond ones? I love those." That's what she says as she comes up alongside C'ris' shoulder, all dimples and smiles. C'ris is quick to straighten from his casual lean at the presence of the weyrling, though his lips flash into a bright smile of his own in return for Pia. It's to his mother that he adds, "And almond ones, please?" Risca only snorts, softly, and shoves the basket at C'ris. Then, wiping her hands on her apron, she turns to retreat. Maybe she's going to get more pastries. But it leaves the bluerider to focus his entire attention onto Pia, greeting, "Hey there! You're up early. Everything ok?" "Is that your mom? She looks like she must be. Hi, C'ris' mom!" That last is called after the retreating kitchen worker, as Pia, wiggling on her toes, turns a brilliant smile upon C'ris. "Oh, I'm fine. Lui's still sleeping-- she hates mornings-- but I was awake, and I just wanted to... get out, I guess. Up and out. I can help you carry everything back, though, if you like." "Uh, yeah. That's my mom," agrees C'ris, and he manages not even to flush at admitting it to the weyrling and her brilliant smile. Risca, however, seems unimpressed as she does not acknowledge the greeting, instead focusing on seeing to breakfast for the rest of the Weyr. "Yeah? I know how that is. I don't like to sleep in. Too much energy I guess, and too many things I could be doing, but--." As an answer, he holds out the basket for the greenrider to take. "The baths are a nice place to be at this hour. Or the star stones, when she's big enough or when you end up getting watch duty. There's something peaceful in watching over and protecting a sleeping Weyr." Pia takes the basket cheerfully, swinging it in a controlled fashion: it's not especially like to get over-balanced for the moment. "The baths are good," she agrees. "But it all gets a little lonely, sometimes. What I'd really like to be doing, I think, is flying-- I think this would be a good time of day to make my maps! Only, that relies on Luishaeth. Her being big enough, for one, but also... I'll have to wake her up. She doesn't really do mornings. Does Mivength?" "Maps?" C'ris questions encouragingly, only giving a moment's glance towards the swinging basket before he moves to collect an empty jug and start to fill it from the pot of klah on one hearth. "He doesn't especially like mornings, but he likes late evenings. He's gotten used to them, though, with drills. Lui will too, you'll see. After enough turns of waking up for drills--." There is an encouraging smile to punctuate encouraging words, bright and believing. "You could try in the evenings, when she's big enough. And you're allowed out of the Weyr. I'd offer to take you with Mivength, but-- I mean, you still have to wait until you're allowed." "Evenings," Pia says, with a sigh that is still far too happy to be disappointed or despairing, "won't work because of the dark. I mean, pre-dawn doesn't work either, but once the sun starts to rise... I'm a starsmith. Was a starsmith. The kind who makes maps, though, not the math or star kind. That's why I agreed to Stand: Lui and I are going to travel the world and map out everything from above. It'll be amazing. I'm absolutely itching to get started." Which would be why, no doubt, she seems so very enthusiastic about the prospect of Mivength's assistance. "You really would take me? Once I'm allowed?" "Right, right. There are wings, though, that are focused on crafts; they have more free time. K'zin left us for one of them, and that might work for you and Lui and your maps," C'ris offers helpfully, his smile warming for her enthusiasm even as he finishes off pouring the jug of klah. He straightens, drawing it and its warmth to his chest as he nods to the weyrling. "Of course. Where ever you'd want to go." A pause, before he adds, "As long as you want and Lui doesn't mind." "Tundra," Pia confirms, pronouncing the name with quiet pride and glee. "I don't know K'zin, but I know R'vel-- he's my mentor-- and I'm super excited about getting to fly there one day." The basket continues to swing, but it really does seem to have been carefully calibrated: Pia's starsmith training, perhaps, and All That Math. "I don't think Lui will mind. She doesn't mind much, except maybe nicknames, and... well, okay, she minds a lot of things. But not me being independent. She," and she lowers her voice, as if this is a secret, "she's kind of grumpy, actually." "Seems you already have your wing picked out," assumes C'ris with a hint of a laugh but his smile is proud, almost. "It's good to look forward from weyrlinghood to your future. Makes weyrlinghood easier, I think, when you have that. The ones that struggle-- Well, not always, but sometimes." He rolls up a shoulder, and makes a gesture with the jug towards the exit, only turning briefly to give his mother a wave and a smile. He doesn't say goodbye, though, before he starts to head out. "Yeah, uh. It seems to happen a bit. Clash of personalities, like they're trying... I don't know. Mivength is grumpy, too. For the most part, he's just happy to be left alone to do his own things, though." Pia, too, turns her head so that she can smile brightly in Risca's direction, then trails after C'ris. "I've always known what I wanted," she explains. "I mean, since I first discovered maps. So it was easy to... focus on that. I think people tend to think I'm just flitting my way through life, but truly I'm not. Everyone is going to use my maps, one day. Do you think it's better, when we're different to our dragons? I think a lot of us are." "I don't know. Not really. I'm not-- you know, the best person to ask about all that. But I think balance is a good thing and it must be a way of balancing. I've known dragons and riders who were very similar, and their bonds have always been-- I don't know, different," C'ris answers slowly, with thoughtful care for the words he offers the weyrling. But he also smiles towards Pia, and adds, "But I think life is what you make it, too. And that includes your bond with your dragon. And it sounds like you're going to do just fine." A pause, and that smile softens. "How much? For a map? I want to buy one; your first map. You could map out the Weyr, right, even if you can't go outside it?" The firmness of Pia's nod suggests she's in full agreement with C'ris, and perhaps a little more forceful about it, too. It's that last that suddenly brightens her expression (if such a thing is even possible!) and sets that basket to swinging higher and higher (and still not spilling any of its precious cargo). "My first map as Dragonrider Pia," she says, utterly gleeful. "I could do that! D'you think I'd be allowed to take a quick trip up to the star stones, to get a view from above? If Luishaeth didn't mind? Or I suppose I could start with the ground, and work my way up." "I think-- I think it'd be fine. I mean, you could get back down to Lui quickly and you wouldn't be out of the Weyr," says C'ris with his own nod. And, ever helpful, he offers, "We could go. Drop these off and get up there before anyone else really wakes up. Or start earlier on another morning." "Oh, could we? Would you?" Pia's eyes shine, her free hand balling up into a fist that she presses towards her heart. "I'd like that so much. I know we're supposed to be busy as weyrlings, and I know it's all important, but I miss it, and-- I'll need to gather my supplies. Can we pick a morning and plan it in advance? I promise I'll be quick and I won't cause any issues." There is only a warm laugh and easy agreement on C'ris' part where he offers lightly, "Of course. Just let me know and I'll come get you early." He reaches out to tap his knucles against Pia's shoulder in a friendly gesture, something to lighten the mood, maybe. "You're allowed to miss it. Being a dragonrider is important, but so is having a life outside of it. We have enough dragonriders who have nothing else, but to drink their lives away or-- Well." The smile Pia aims at C'ris in reply to that tap of his knuckles is less effusive than some of her previous ones, but perhaps all the more genuine for it. "I-- know," she says, rather more quietly, this time. "I heard about the bronzerider who drank himself to death. And others. I don't want anyone to be like that. It should-- it seems plain that dragonriding is not the only thing we need in our lives. I'm lucky; I've always known what else I wanted. But I worry about some of the others. I think being bored just... just makes for trouble." So... perhaps not so much lightening the mood, then. "Yeah, yeah," agrees C'ris in a sigh, his own smile faltering into something more somber as he considers the weyrling. But, there is a bright ray of optimism that he adds, "They'll figure it out for themselves. A lot of people struggle in weyrlinghood, but it doesn't mean-- I struggled a lot in weyrlinghood." A pause. "Most people find themselves afterwards. Or at least some purpose." "I hope so. I think so. You're probably right." Pia smiles (again). "A lot of them are young, and I guess not everyone works things out when they're that young. Or even when they're my age, or maybe even your age. There's probably lots I haven't worked out, too, for that matter. It's not like I think I'm perfect! Honestly, I think I'm just incredibly lucky." C'ris ducks his head slightly at his age being brought into this, but he only exhales a laugh and smiles at the weyrling. "You are lucky, and smart and maybe not perfect, but you seem to have a good handle on everything," he offers anyways. "But if you need anything or you see someone struggling-- Well, I am always willing to listen. If you can't bring it to Quinlys and her staff." "I will," promises Pia, with determined seriousness. "I mean, I think everyone knows that Silva is struggling, but if I notice littler things, less obvious things. I will. Thank you, C'ris. Um. I mean, Bluerider C'ris. I guess we should get the pastries in to the others?" "Just C'ris is fine, I swear," C'ris counters with a flash of a smile. "And no need for thanks or-- Well, I am just happy to help." But he nods his agreement to the question, gesturing again down the right tunnel to head towards the barracks, following with the klah. "C'ris, then," says Pia, as she cheerfully turns upon her heel to lead the way in. Pastry delivery~~ |
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