LESSON Rotation 2, Lesson 1

[dragon]

Rotation 2 (Lesson 1)[/u]
Dyudahlii
Junaes
Erilena
Jerash
Eliah
Kaerlin
Talien (wher)
Kevin
Mayari
Kiana

---

-Welcome to the Weyr! –

A few more chairs had been added to the Common room after the first class had been sorted through, as the second class held quite a few more Candidates - hopefully. It seemed the first class was always the doozy in getting Candidates to attend. Which Emoyan did have a solution for.

Youngsters responded really well to positive reinforcement, was the theory, so Emoyan was going to give it a shot. Thus a tray full of spare cookies from the kitchens had migrated to the lesson room. Spare meaning there were only one or two of each kind - or age - of cookie. Making for quite a hash of types that anyone could find something they liked in.

Aware that there was no way to keep his pesky mandyr out of the cookies, Emoyan had selected a broad one and simply given it to Skink, and then set her on the mantle to keep her out of the way. Happily dwarfed by her prize, Skink had her mouth crammed onto the edge of the cookie, slobbering on it as she watched the room in general. Beside her, as patient a sentinel as there ever was, Rascal was sitting prim and proper, almost like a little statue. Only the occasional flick of the end of his forked tail betraying that he was indeed a real flitter.

Thus situated, Emoyan sat down in a chair and simply waited to see who was going to show. And how well the cookie bribe was going to work...

[Rei]

Erilena breezed into the room at a steady pace and froze bracelet jiggling from the sudden stop. Cookies? Well that was interesting. Looking about the room she caught sight of Emoyan and smiled brightly. “Hi!” She called out with a little wave before plopping down in a chair close to the sugary treats. Where those for them? Erilena thought so but she didn’t want to be rude by taking before asking first. Sitting up straight in her chair she examined the room thoroughly. The candidate smiled as she caught sight of Rascal. What a adorable flit. Did everyone at the weyr have them? It sure seemed like everyone she had met so far had one or two. Maybe she was just getting lucky and meeting those who did own one?

Erilena’s thoughts trailed away as she looked farther down the mantle and her eyes settled on something else. Something decidedly not a flitter. What in Faranth’s name was it? She took in Skink’s odd form and tried to process it. Whatever it was it wasn’t a flitter. Maybe she would get the chance to ask about it later. Looking absently about Erilena waited for the other candidates to file in. Surely she couldn’t be the only one attending class?

[jaq]

Dyudahlii was excited and nervous, this was her first day of classes, maybe she would learn a bit more about how this whole place works.

As she walked in, she took note of everything, knowing her surrounding was one way to help calm her down a bit. There was the Candidate Master, and only one other candidate present. She also took notice of the brown flit and the small green wormy thing near it, she had seen one of those at the flit hatching a few days ago, she couldn't recall seeing any before, she may have but either way she didn't really know what they were.

Qinaii started chittering again, trying to get her to hurry up. He had been screeching and chattering at her all morning, starting from when he woke her up by bouncing on her. Why was His so slow. Qinaii thought His should hurry and feed him so they can go to class. Then, after she fed him, Qinaii had rushed her out before she even had time to get something to eat herself. Luckily she was able to feed Bawnii and Klaiid while Qinaii ate.

Now, Dyudahlii was quite hungry and in a completely unfamiliar environment and Qinaii still wouldn't be quiet, she thought distracting him might help. "Come here" she said to Qinaii, who was currently bouncing around, screeching by her feet. Qinaii happily took wing for the first time that day and flew, a bit too quickly, up to her and ended up crashing into her. Dyu caught him, and cradled him to her. He quieted a bit as he cuddled into her arms. He liked being close to His, but he still wanted His to hurry up. So he still looked up at her and chittered his irritation at His's apparent slowness.

With Qinaii slightly less noisy, Dyudahlii was able to check out the rest of her surroundings. She noticed the cookies, she had never seen cookies before but the smell made her mouth water.
She looked to the others, her voice still rough and guttural but words coming much easier, and asked "Is this food?"

[absinthe]

Chirp. Chirp chirp. Squawk!

Junaes jumped the tiniest bit at the suddenly harsh sound right in his ear before glancing questioningly at Creampuff. It was what he’d decided to name his new companion after a few days’ deliberation. Two things factored into the blue hatchling’s name, and those two things were his soft, “fluffy” appearance, and the fact that he was an utter coward. The candidate had discovered this when the creature had been scared witless countless times by various things. So Creampuff he was, and Creampuff he’d stay. Right now, the hatchling was clinging to the candidate’s shoulder muttering various noises into his bonded’s ear. Having a firelizard was a new and very strange sensation for Junaes and he wasn’t used to the random mental images and emotions that his little Creampuff was sending him. For all that he wasn’t the bravest little blue, he wasn’t afraid of letting his bonded know what he wanted. And right now, he wanted to go see his clutch brother.

“Go on then… no one’s stopping you.” A sullen chirp followed the candidate’s words; he needed to come with! There was no doubt that Creampuff wanted Junaes to accompany him. Shaking his head, the lad glanced at the blue again as he turned a corner. Ah there was the classroom. “I have a lesson to attend. You can go on if you want to.” The little blue opened his wings briefly before folding them again and they gave a little twitch. He was nervous. He didn’t know what a ‘lesson’ was and wasn’t sure if he’d like it. Junaes reached up and poked him. “If you don’t like it, you can leave. Just don’t make a big fuss about it, that’s all.” Still skeptical, Creampuff nonetheless rode his bonded’s shoulder into the classroom, peering at those already in attendance. None of them were familiar to him. Hopefully they were nice!

But even as the blue was eyeballing the people a bit nervously, Junaes had spotted the cookies, which had him making a beeline for that side of the room. Glancing over at Emoyan, the candidate couldn’t resist a smile. “Hi.” Without further ado, he reached over and picked up one of the cookies. He made sure it was a big one, although the flavor didn’t seem to matter much to him. “Thanks for the cookie.” Some people might have been surprised by his boldness but Junaes was of the opinion that if Emoyan didn’t want them to eat the cookies, he wouldn’t have set them out in such a manner. Choosing a seat for himself, the candidate slid into it and slouched comfortably, cookie in his mouth as Creampuff edged over to sniff the sweet for himself. Was it good enough to eat? Apparently his bonded thought so. Taking a chance the blue grabbed the edge of the cookie and started pulling gingerly.

Junaes looked over at the firelizard who was attached to the opposite side of his cookie and frowned. The second Creampuff saw the frown on his human’s face he released the cookie and skittered back on the lad’s shoulder with an apologetic sounding chirp. He looked so forlorn that Junaes sighed before reaching up and taking it out of his mouth. “You could have just asked, you know.” Breaking off a small chunk, he offered it to the blue. “Here.” Sniffing the morsel, Creampuff carefully took it in his claws and sat on his bonded’s shoulder to nibble thoughtfully at the crumb. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. But it was certainly nice of His to share with him! He uttered a flute to Junaes as if thanking him before crowding close to the young man’s neck and looking around. There were only two other candidates in the room, so he supposed it wasn’t too bad. As long as no one yelled at him or anything.

[dragon]

Three Candidates. Was that it? Out of the ten that were supposed to show? Apparently he was going to have to go talk to some people about attending their lessons. Ah well ... he didn't have time to go running all over the Weyr and herding Candidates with a stick. Not that it would work, anyway - they probably herded like felines anyway. Volunteers was all he was going to get. Which, after a fashion, was actually a good thing, considering. Since those who didn't want to be bonded to a dragon would not make good Riders anyway. It was depressing to a degree, though.

As the first girl came in with a breezy greeting, Emoyan smiled and nodded to her in reply. When the second girl arrived and asked her question, he couldn't help it when his brows jumped up his forehead. Was it food? What rock did she come out from under? "Yes, those are cookies. Help yourself. Seems we're going to have plenty to go around." Especially since he'd brought enough for ten hungry youths - not three. When Junaes appeared and simply dived right in to help himself, Emoyan couldn't help but grin slightly. If there was one thing that kid knew - it was food. And how to put it away efficiently.

"Goodmorning." He said, as he got up from where he had been sitting. Picking up the tray of cookies, he passed it over to Erilena with a wink. "You girls help yourselves before you pass it to him." He teased. "Or you may not get any!" Returning to his chosen seat, Emoyan sat down again and waited a few moments to let the three Candidates get settled in and ready, cookies in hand (or in mouth as the case might be) and paying attention. Once the tray had come to a rest again and was not being passed around, Emoyan got started.

"First, I'd like to welcome you all to the Weyr. Congratulations are in order for not only being one of the few who are capable of Impressing to a Dragon, but also on having been found, and brought here to this Weyr. Fate is on your side this far, so things are looking good. Let us hope it prevails, eh?" Not the most formal of welcomes, but maybe a bit more personable. "We are going to cover some extremely basic things today, to get you started off in the Weyr. Some need to know things that you should remember. And if you can't - I do have some of it written down for you if you like."

"After I get done, feel free to ask any questions you might have. And even if you have questions during times that are not class - feel free to come ask me and I will assist you in any way I can. On any matter or issue you might have." Emoyan assured them. It was part of what he was there for, after all. Part of why he lived so near to where they did. As Candidate Master, he was more than just their guard, teacher, and punishment. He was also there to help them with problems, deal with issues, guide them, and whatever else might be needed.

"You are now all Candidates, and regardless of differences in age, you are all exactly the same rank. To the Weyr, you are all Candidates. Which is a rank that has a bit of an enigma surrounding it. One one hand you are the lowest ranking members of the Weyr, and just about everyone can give you an order that you must then follow. Within reason of course. But on the other hand, you are conversely the most important people in the Weyr, for without you - there would be no new generations of Dragons. But this is merely a matter of principle, and only applicable on Hatching Day. All other times, whenever you run into someone else, it is simplest to just assume that they outrank you, so pay them the proper respects. Even if you don't know who they are. Regardless of how old they are. Some pretty young people are full on Riders, after all."

"Life in a Weyr is very different from life anywhere else. Whether cothold, main Hold, crafthall, or wherever you might happen to come from. Things are very different here. For one thing, rank is not determined by the works of your hand, but more by the color of Dragon you happen to Impress - or not, as the case might be. It is also not at all unusual to have people running around without a scrap of clothes on chasing each other and saying or doing some really nonsensical things. These people are usually wrapped up in something known as a Flight - or a Run - and it's best to just stay well away from them. Do not, and I repeat - Do not try to talk to them, grab them, stop them, or otherwise interfere. It's a good way to get hurt, maimed, or molested. During those times, these individuals are not in possession of their proper minds, and are actually being highly influenced by highly hormonal bondeds. They are not the people they normally are."

"This particular Weyr is situated in a river canyon, rather than a mountainous cone, and thus possesses some inherent dangers that are not normally present in a typical Weyr. The most prominent being the river itself. It is not a tame creature, treat it with respect and caution. With a moment's notice it can either suddenly dry up (should a rockslide or other dam happen upstream), or flash flood (indicating a heavy rainfall upstream). Flashfloods can happen even on a perfectly clear day where not a cloud can be seen. Furthermore, there is a waterfall. It is downstream of the Candidate barracks, so if you do deign to swim in the river ... do it below the falls, not above it. Dragons have wings, you -sadly- do not. Candidates make very interesting smears at the bottom of the waterfall, and all we can do then is scrape you up off the rocks."

"As Candidates, there are some basic things that are going to be expected of you to perform during your time as a Candidate. Most prominent of these is attending lessons. If you skip lessons, you will not be allowed to Stand, come Hatching Day. Keep that in mind. Lessons are regular, timed, and posted, so if you are at all observant, you should not miss any of them. Another thing that is expected of you is the performing of basic duties, otherwise known as Chores. These vary from time to time, and are not -actually- a means of cruel and unusual punishment. Not only do these tasks teach you about what goes into making a Weyr run, and thus give you respect for the Weyrfolk that do this job day in and day out for all their lives, but it also gives you something to do that will build up your strength. Dragonriding, even as a Weyrling, is a highly labor-intensive life long job. If you are not prepared and in shape for it ... it will feel like sheer murder for the first few months. These tasks, even if grueling, will help you be prepared for your Dragon when they come looking for you."

"When Hatching Day does come around, there are some basic things that you are going to need. One of these is your Impression Gown. You probably have been given one already, it's that white, shapeless garment. Try it on soon, and make sure it fits. If it does not fit, take steps to get one that does. They come in all shapes and sizes so it should be a simple matter to have done. The last thing you want on Hatching Day is to be trying to squeeze into a gown that is half your size - or worse finding yourself wearing a tent you can't walk in. So be sure to check that out. When the time comes, the Weyr will reverberate with the thrums of all dragonkin. Hatchings are a big deal and there is no way you can miss them, so don't worry. When that starts, hurry into your gowns and then make your way to the sands. You are not allowed shoes on the sands, and you shouldn't be wearing anything other than your gown. Once assembled at the entrance, the boys should cut off to the side farthest from the Queen mother, and the girls to the side toward her. Always acknowledge the Queen, even if all you do is nod. She can at any time run you off - or eat you. Remember that. Now, I have never heard of a Queen eating a Candidate on Hatching day, but these days anything is possible. It's just a warning. Mind your manners and you will be good. When the dragons start to hatch, do not try to tackle one or grab it. Let the hatchlings do as they will, and if they are going to plow you under, get out of the way. Even if it was really headed for you, it is better safe than sorry. Even freshly hatched, dragons are very dangerous and are more than capable of killing you on the spot. Remember that. If you are lucky, you will be walking off those sands with a lifetime mindmate, and you will not know a higher joy than that moment. Nor will you ever be alone again, or even feel alone. And shortly thereafter, be flying Pern's skies with the rest of the Weyrs."

Perched upon the mantle, Skink eyed the candidates and the tray of cookies, convinced they were stealing what was rightfully her cookies. But since she wasn't making any headway on the one cookie she had, she didn't protest too much. Slobbering on the edge of the cookie that was too thick for her to actually bite a chunk out of, Skink grumbled to herself. Cookietheives. Cookietheives. Bad bad bad. No, mine. Nolove. she mumbled at everyone in the room.

Rascal ignored the salamandyr sitting next to him, but he did utter a chirp directed at the other flitters that had arrived. Mostly making sure they behaved themselves. No noise, no interruptions. Not until lessons were over, anyway. Then he'd gladly chase them around and around the room - but not until then. When not perceiving himself as on-duty, Rascal was actually quite playful. The only problem was that ever since he had lost two of his closest buddies barring Emoyan, he thought he was on-duty all the time. Making for a rather stern looking brown.

[Shiny]

Jerash swore between pants as he sprinted down a hallway some lady'd directed him down.

'How can I be so late?! How could I get this lost?! I can't lose this opportunity! Oh please, please, don't have started without me!'

He was covered head to toe with a thin film of dust, having just been in the Records Room, doing his first chore. He was so focused on looking for something "dirty" in the records that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. In his haste to get to the lesson, he tripped over a pile of books he'd set down beside his chair to work on, and set off a huge cloud of dust. He didn't even pause to brush himself off, just kept on going. Fear of being late caused his heart to go more than twice its normal pace as he finished a last few leaps.

A voice was coming out of the room just up ahead. His shoes squealed a protest as he skidded to a stop, his momentum causing him to fall to his knees. "I'm sorry I'm late!" He exclaimed, half-in and half-out of the door frame. He hastily got up, hair slightly tousled from the fall. He swayed a bit before his eyes widened.

Jerash realized that he'd interrupted a lesson that had already started. The lesson he was supposed to be attending at that very moment.

He whispered a "sorry!" and clasped a hand over his mouth, aware that he'd just been rude without intending to be. He began to shimmy into the classroom guiltily along the wall farthest from the instructor he'd been informed was named Emoyan.

'Oh man... I hope they don't think I'm some obnoxious jackass and kick me out. My life pretty much depends on this!'