Logs:More Than Theory
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| RL Date: 13 January, 2016 |
| Who: Jocelyn, Telavi |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Telavi takes Jocelyn and Aidavanth up for their first joint trip between. |
| Where: Eastern Bowl, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 24, Month 10, Turn 39 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Quinlys/Mentions |
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| The good news: it's not winter, yet. The bad news: it's been raining and raining and raining. While a few lucky weyrlings had gotten in their first betweening before the drippiness really set in, and it's not like rain is going to get to stop them later on, and Telavi certainly never breathed a word about making sure those came out safe before taking this risky step with their juniormost gold... nevertheless Jocelyn and Aidavanth have had to wait. And wait. And wait. Days, now. But there's a parting in the clouds, and there Telavi is after breakfast, telling Jocelyn and a couple other weyrlings to go easy on their lunch. Very easy. Between, it's coming. Neither Aidavanth nor her rider take particularly well to waiting, but the understanding that there's great need for caution overrides most of their impatience; Jocelyn's perfectly perfunctory in her observations of which pairs have already made their first skips as the latter half of the month wears on. And there's the rain to contend with, which doesn't inspire the best of moods in many. It's an auspicious morning when that break in the clouds arrives with Telavi's instruction, and if the weyrling goldrider looks grimmer than usual when she and her lifemate meet the greenrider in the bowl after lunch has had some time to settle, her tone is at least quiet and fairly polite once she stops within conversational distance. "Ma'am." Flight gear at the ready, she takes up her usual at-attention stance, mouth set in a thin line for this culmination in their preparation, their studies of the theory. Telavi's bundled up, and brisk, but she lets herself smile for just a moment of those bright, bright teeth. It's not so much back to business as part of business, though Quinlys' assistant does put a little emphasis on, "Good afternoon." She's efficient about her explanation, nothing new, everything that's been repeated about how this is going to happen: they will fly up towards the Spindles, Solith will warn the watchrider to warn everyone else to stay out of their territory, Solith will give a sample go so they can not only see but feel what it's going to be like... and then get out of the way; Aidavanth will check the image with her, just as they have done and done and done, and then it will be their turn. Tela's dimple comes out of hiding at one point, but her tone and content stay professional, no distracting the pair with wild insertions 'to see if they were listening.' 'The pair' because, yes, those two are going first. "How do you feel? Ready?" Jocelyn's pale eyes lift momentarily to the Spindles during this last repetition of instructions, demeanor serious even as her expression turns considering. "As ready as we can be, " she replies, one hand extending to briefly touch whatever of Aidavanth's forelimb happens to be near eye-level. There's another glance upward, then a determined: "Time to find out." The brilliant gold, as large as an average-sized adult brown, shifts so that she's closer to the ground, eyes picking up speed with anticipation of the orders to mount and go. Telavi has one last quick look around, for Jocelyn's nose-- no colds!-- and Aidavanth's straps-- no breaks!-- and has to bite back anything distracting. No glances back to the barracks for her, for Quinlys, either. "All right! Let's go," go team. Then it's up, up and away, Solith quick off the ground after her rider's mounted, confident in the way things work. The watchdragon's nosy, the elderly blue's thoughts touched with hoarfrost; Solith has to flick wind at him to just back off and let that announcement ring out. Which he does. They have to wait, to see whether the skies clear; a flutter of firelizards passes by and is quickly hushed out of existence. More waiting, before Solith's own hop between and what she shares before she gets out of the way, the cold, the cold that's nothing like Aidavanth at least has ever, ever felt. The Star Stones. Home. No colds, no cracks in their straps. The pair follows swiftly in Solith's wake, even if Jocelyn's grip on her straps, the neckridge before her, is white-knuckled. Aidavanth's usual, genial warmth is tempered this afternoon with her focus - in fact, that's nearly all that's able to be sensed from her at present. The cold that Solith shares is staggering. She doesn't flinch, but that large head swings around so that she can peer toward what little she can physically see of her own lifemate before it moves again to stare across the bowl. High Reaches' Star Stones are suddenly quite at the forefront of her mind as she opens a connection for Solith and Telavi, a detailed visual that leaves little doubt: these two could see this in their sleep (and they probably do, at this point). They rise to the proper height for betweening, and await clearance. Focus is what they want. Telavi, Telavi and Solith, they don't hurry the other pair; a hint of the greenrider's presence may be felt through the dragon herself, attentive, attenuated flame. They check that image in all its details, check for too many details-- such as a dragon on a ledge in the distance that could swiftly change-- as well as not enough, but the result of training-- and that focus-- is that the image passes, and now they may too. Telavi sweeps a fist into the air; Solith's share is a single, wordless 'Now.' Now. Three, solid downbeats later, Aidavanth disappears between. Three heartbeats later, she suddenly re-appears above the Star Stones, presence fiercely pleased; they did it. There's a little shiver that flies down her frame from nose to tail as she circles downward, and Jocelyn's frame still seems locked into that super tense posture. It takes a moment of prying, but she pulls a hand free of her vice-like grip on the straps to raise it into a wave for Telavi: they're okay. Three downbeats, three heartbeats, and safe. Solith waits until she senses to warble with her own relief, her gladness at the latest young dragon's accomplishment; rather than signal downward, the sweep of Tela's arm-- and Solith-- signal to go back to the beginning, to try it again. To prove to themselves it wasn't a fluke. Then they can descend... or try it more. Aidavanth continues lower, only to pull up again with a push of muscles and travel back across the bowl to where the watchrider continues his vigilance. Once back at the Spindles, she sends her visualization once more, the same as last time, before they repeat the cold trip in that nowhere between existences. They succeed again, and Jocelyn looks shaky in the aftermath of pent-up nerves once they're safely landed and her feet hit the ground. It's very different to share the sensation with your dragon than to go with someone else's partner. She doesn't lose what little lunch she ate, but she does look to be in need of a break before they have another go. A break she'll get; a pleased Telavi stays with her, not hovering but around, to see her back to certainty. There are hot drinks on offer, and afterward the recommendation that she and Aidavanth take time together for a good oiling... but it is a recommendation, for they are free to go. There will be more trips between in the sevendays to come, increasingly out of the Weyr's immediate vicinity, perhaps harder for some weyrlings once they stop having to focus and focus so fervently.... but for now, this trip's done. |
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