Logs:On Their Toes
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| RL Date: 2 January, 2016 |
| Who: Ellerey, Jocelyn |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Flurry's leadership meets after drills to status and discuss safety. |
| Where: Jocelyn's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 18, Month 9, Turn 39 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Lys/Mentions |
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| It's post-drills, and post-chewing firestone and letting loose burps of fire (at least on the weyrling dragons' parts), and -- so far -- everybody's come out relatively unscathed. Well, except for that blue and brown who almost singed themself, almost toasted their rider's boots, respectively. Still, no harm done, ultimately, though surprise and anxiety were to be found at such times (enough of those Ellerey's, too). And -now-? It's time for Flurry's 'leader and 'second to meet up, hole up privately and go over the day's decisions, debacles, delights, even. Virisceth's mental touch is swift and dark, shadow and sodium-yellow flashing strobes for her golden sister: it's -time-. Only with Ellerey's restraint of her somewhat impulsive green comes their arrival ten minutes after the announcement (instead of two), the tall former Trader clearing her throat outside of the inner hanging to annouce herself, while Virisceth stretches out on Aidavanth's ledge, and starts grooming her darkling talons. Jocelyn and Aidavanth don't get to experience flaming in precisely the same manner as the rest of their class; while the orange-gold's peers are busy chewing firestone, she's quietly reaching out to check in on them as their digestion progresses - is everyone thinking of the correct stomach, chewing carefully enough, not experiencing any ill sensations? Her rider, meanwhile, uses that time to run through the basic checks on a flamethrower. They frown collectively for the almost-accidents, and the wingsecond holds both pairs back after drills to stress caution for the umpteenth time. For Virisceth's sudden, if expected announcement, Aidavanth responds with her usual warm clarity, tempered with a sharp, crystalline focus that's as much her own as that of her lifemate. The young queen is, as always, welcoming to her darker sister, and as has become her habit during this month, shares her own impressions of how the others are faring. Inside, Jocelyn is just finishing with retrieving a tray that's been sent over from the kitchens, setting out pitchers of juice and water on the broad table in the entryway. There are glasses, too, and a small plate of crisps and cheese. "Ellerey. Sit. Help yourself." There's a wave toward one of the chairs before she briefly disappears into the private section of the weyr, returning some moments later with some folders, spare pages for notes, a well-worn pencil. "That could have gone better, " is her opening observation as she settles into one of the sensible seats at the end of the table, already opening a couple of files to put to the side. "No actual incidents, thankfully." Virisceth innately understands that Aidavanth is the subtler, more politically correct, reasonable of their 'leadership pairing, and she 'allows' the queen to speak for her with others when the large green's sounds, her actions, and her dark and rather creepy presence don't inspire the other weyrlings enough. Fear would do, if it got them to obey her and Ellerey...but -- thank Faranth -- everybody has Aidavanth 'steering' her strong sister along! While the smaller dragon cranes her head backwards and rumble-creak-croons her dark thoughts about their long day to the young gold, inside, Ellerey enters and offers a quick smile to Jocelyn, the dark-haired woman murmuring a thoughtful, "Thank you..." as she does just as indicated, and finally rubbing at her eyes and smirking at Joce's words of that brown and blue. "Did you see the brown's expression? I would've -sworn- he was going to have a heart attack or two." Though she's grinning broadly for a moment, it subsides as the two women get down to business, and Elle inserts cheese and a crisp into her mouth to be quickly munched. "I can't really blame either of those pairs. It was just...bad timing, random chance." Sip. "Though I want to limit just how much random chance affects -any- of us." Aidavanth takes on the role of spokesperson when it's deemed necessary with ease; it's a natural position for her to fill, and one that she performs with equal parts firmness and wit. "Far better that they make these mistakes now rather than later, " supposes Jocelyn practically, lips pursing faintly while she pours a glass of juice. "I agree that we should all be as prepared as we can, but general safety and sense are going to have to fill in the blanks where we can't foresee every possible scenario." Still, her pale eyes are keen as they lift to study Ellerey across the way, expression considering. "Drills seem to be going well overall, and we haven't had a significant number of tardy notations to make yet." Whether that's because everyone's excited for flaming or unwilling to cross either of this month's leaders, well. "Incidents like today's may get more common as everyone starts feeling more confident. I think our current structure for keeping everyone focused is holding up at present, but if you think we should make changes - I'm all ears." Wryly, almost as an afterthought: "At least we aren't going between yet. I don't envy our successors in a few sevens." "Exactly..." Ellerey murmurs between sips of their juice, the tall woman leaning forward and starting to look through all the notes Jocelyn's been keeping. Elle tends to store her 'stuff' more in her mind. Nodding thoughtfully to her contemporary's words of Flurry, the woman finally winds up stretching long legs out, and noting with mixed understanding and snark, "Most of them are still just kids, too. Teens, even worse." Brown eyes look over to Jocelyn's own bluer gaze, the greenrider's expression darkly bemused: remember when -they- were teens? Yikes. "I'm sure we can expect the inevitable, hormone-fueled feelings of immortality, the rashly-independent outbursts, the impulsive risk-taking from most of them any moment, now." Siiigh. Between, though? Ach...or so the greenie's headshake and twitch of lips silently speaks. As for changes, well, Elle's open to suggestions, and offers a few of her own, as well. "Hmm. Maybe mini-groups of 4 or 5 'lings, with their own 'sub-'leader' and 'second that rotates every couple of days? It'd put them in each others' shoes -- even our own, to a certain extent -- and encourage interdependence and teamwork." Oh, wait. Frown. "But that could just as easily start squabbles and elitist behaviors. You've seen how..." Pulling forward in her seat, Ellerey stars flicking her long figers through Jocelyn's extensive notes at their corners, until the one about one of their female blueriding fellows comes up. 'Her.' "How -she- handles herself and others when given opportunity." By being bossy, rather arrogant and entitled, somewhat of a know-it-all. SHe's kept it to a low roar while Jocelyn and Ellerey have been 'leading, but they've all seen said girl's...proclivities. "I wouldn't have been ready for this as a teenager." Jocelyn's very certain of that, leaning toward the back of her chair. "Our level of training combined with 'hormone-fueled feelings, ' as you put it, " and she allows that train of thought to trail away with a little grimace, tapping her pencil against the table as she listens. "Teamwork is already a tenet of what we do every day and has been since the inconvenient hour at which our two broke shell, " she points out, eyebrows lifting. There's a marked frown for the file Ellerey's chosen, followed by a decided shake of her head in the negative. "If you want to rotate people and remind them that every action they take will impact us as a wing, unexpectedly change who's going to fly point in this formation, and this one, when we next run this flight pattern." On a blank sheet of paper, she sketches out quick, miniature shapes reflecting the structures she has in mind. "It's nothing any of them can't do at this point, " hopefully, "but it might keep them on their toes." There's a quirk of a smokey half-smile for the 20/20 backwards look at both of their 'foolish' teenager times, but quickly enough, Ellerey's focusing on the here-and-now again. And then the greenrider is intent once more, listening to Jocelyn's exacting, precise words of how to more efficiently implement her general ideas for wing cohesion combined with mutual responsibility...and the taller young woman winds up grinning softly at the former assistant headwoman. "I know not every moment between us is without tension...but remind me again why we're not sisters? Cousins, at the very least." Because Joce -nailed it.- "And how about keeping them on their toes at times even outside of our typical training? Oh, not often, mind you; those kind of mental gymnastics for too long can drive people crazy. But, on occasion, a sudden , practical test of the lessons all of us need to be digesting." Jocelyn's look is faintly amused as she reaches over to snag a crisp and piece of cheese. "Our dragons are sisters, " she settles for saying after some moments. "It'll have to do, if relation is what you seek. Unless you have family who passed this way a little over two decades ago and dropped off a redheaded baby to be raised here." That last bit is dry and mostly dismissive; it isn't the most likely concept, but that doesn't render it completely impossible. "There are quite enough tests of mental agility available daily in juggling everything at present, regardless if one has a silver thread in their knot or not. We want to operate as a unit, not cause one part of our cohesion to falter across the board because something we did exceeded what they can handle." She isn't outright shooting down this idea, but her stance is a cautious one. One file in particular gets pushed to Ellerey's area. "I'd like to swap you for one of the riders in your half for writing mid-month progress reports and completing assessments at the end of the month. I have no concerns over whether I could finish this evaluation fairly, but I'd like to avoid even the mere suggestion of favoritism for a - close friend, no matter how capable, from cropping up in the future." It's Lys's, of course. "Do not even -begin- to suggest our dragons have -that- much influence on us..." Ellerey notes with her own mixed humor and asperity. Because...Virisceth. Yeek. There's a small headshake and small raise of brows for the whole 'Trader foundling' bit of fun the other weyrling suggests, but -- again -- business comes to the fore. More cheese and a crisp later, there's a faint wrinkle between the dark-haired woman's brows for Jocelyn's more cautious stance, the greenrider noting firmly, though not at all aggressively, "They'll... -we'll- have to learn how to handle at least modest emergencies sooner or later..." But she's balanced between the urge to push borders and the goldling's wish for caution, at this time, and so Elle winds up vaporlocked. "Another time..." is quickly enough noted, the woman waving off the topic, especially when one that's of more present importance comes up. She's not dumb by a long shot, and -- when Joce is finished speaking -- the brunette softly murmurs, "Lys. Yes; we can do that." Beat. "What about..." And, with only a hint of awkwardness that's soon banished, Elle's offering choices of those individuals directly under her 'care' who can aide her wingsecond the best. There's more to talk about, plan, consider, as well, and it will take a good hour or so before either of them likely feel decent enough about 'work' to call it quits. There's a wry curve of a smile for Ellerey's remark about their lifemates, but it thins afterward into something of a stubborn line. "We will, " Jocelyn concurs regarding the management of some emergencies, "but I'm more concerned that we don't create one this month. Take a field trip to the dragon infirmary, if we must do something, but we need to get through the next few sevens without panic or injury." There will be plenty of opportunity for both to crop up next month, after all. Files traded, she spends that next hour engaged in discussion with the wingleader; once they've wrapped up for the day, she retreats to her study after waving the greenrider out with a brisk, "See you at dinner." |
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