Fort Weyr - Living Caverns
This cavern, having been created by bubbles in the volcanic flow of this extinct volcano, has a breathtaking ceiling — a vast dome that arches high above the heads of the weyrfolk that scurry around beneath it. A hollow echo can be heard from loud enough noises, and the chatterings of various firelizards are consequently multiplied into a chaotic babble. All in all, the living cavern is a loud place.
Tables are scattered around the room, apparently in no particular order. Over to one side near the kitchens, two medium sized serving tables are constantly spread with snacks, klah, and other goodies. The tables look worn, yet perfectly fitted to the atmosphere of the caverns. In the 'corners' of the cavern, smaller two and four place tables are set up for more private talks or just a less chaotic atmosphere in which to eat.
Talmar is seated at a table, with a plate piled high with food of all varieties, although mostly meat. Sitting on his shoulder is a dainty green firelizard, obviously very young. The firelizard is leaning forwards, towards the food, almost too far forwards. The young candidate is cutting up bits of meat to feed to the firelizard.
Skippity skip, in enters Rabies! She hums as she bounces along, her ponytail bobbing gaily. She passes right by Talmar's chair, papers in her hands, and there's a clatter. The girl starts on oblivious to her lost pencil
Talmar giggles as the firelizard on his shoulder leans slightly too far forwards, and tumbles off of his shoulder and onto the table. A clattering noise distracts him from his task, and he frowns at the pencil on the ground. "Excuse me, did you drop this?" he asks politely, holding the pencil out to Raviaries.
Turning with a squeak of surprise, Raviaries blinks a few times, then ohs! and bolts back to grab up the pencil "yes it is! That IS my pencil! thank you!"
Talmar grins at Raviaries, ignoring the impatient green who is now nipping at his other hand. "My name is Talmar." he introduces, nodding. "And this little thing here, this is Jasmine." he rolls his eyes, and plops the firelizard right onto the plate of cut up meat, which she promptly begins to eat.
Raviaries beams at that and smiles, turning to eye the lizard. She pokes at Jasmine gently with the blunt end of the pencil "Nice to meet you. Hey! I'm talking to you! listen!" she demands of the lizard bossily. Then back to Talmar, and bends her knees into a curtsey "I'm Raviaries. Most call me Rabies."
Jasmine nibbles briefly at the end of the pencil, then, once she determines that it cannot be eaten, she returns to her pile of meat. Talmar giggles at the firelizard's actions, then nods to Raviaries. "Okay, Rabies… People call me Tal. Or clay boy. Well, I think that's only Z'ran that calls me clay boy, actually." he shrugs. "Tal works."
Raviaries giggles "Clay boy? Why'sthat?" she asks curiously, climbing up onto the chair beside him, on the opposite side of Jasmine. Poke.
Talmar shrugs. "Cause before I was searched," he indicates his white candidate's knot, "I was a potter, apprenticed to Master Jopier. I make stuff with clay." he grins. "It's fun, too."
Raviaries nodnods "I remember doing things like that in harper craft school. I still have my pot somewhere." She admits, ponderously "What things do you make?"
Talmar takes a deep breath, then grins. "I make lots of stuff. I made some clay pots for dragon oil, for J'xmi. I made some wine goblets, for Alisar. I made a statue of two of Sianne's firelizards, just for fun." a pause, and he grins at his own new firelizard. "That reminds me, I wanted to make ones of growing firelizards too." then he goes back to what he's made. "Right now, I'm working on making the eggs of the clutch. But I'm having trouble with the painting part." he admits.
Raviaries ooohs at that "Sounds cool. Can I ask a question?" she asks, her voice dropping to a conspirational whisper.
Talmar frowns slightly, and nods, leaning over at the whispered question. "Um, okay?" he answers, cautiously. Jasmine ignores all, concentrating on eating.
Raviaries asks "Have you ever had to make a potty?"
Talmar frowns slightly, considering the question. "Um, no. Not yet. I think they're made from different clay. Only the Journeymen and the Masters get to play with that stuff." he says, finally.
Raviaries goes pink and giggles again "Oh. I see." she states, losing intrest as she pokes at the dragon another tie.
Jasmine turns to Raviaries' poking finally, nipping the girl gently on the finger. Talmar frowns at the firelizard. "Jasmine! We don't bite people!" he frowns sternly, although it's rather a comical sight to see this twelve year old trying to be stern.
Raviaries had been using her pencil, but gives an excited shriek and drops the stylus again "Eek!"
Talmar frowns, pinching the firelizard's neck and picking her up like that. "No, Jasmine. No." he says firmly, dropping the firelizard on the other side of the plate this time. "I'm so sorry, she's still very young, I haven't been able to teach her much in the way of manners yet."
Raviaries giggles "Its' okay. I'm told people dont' like being poked." she admits a little, crouching to pick her pencil up once more
Talmar frowns at Jasmine still, but the firelizard doesn't make any move to attack anyone again. Instead, she yawns, showing off all of her sharp little teeth. It's a good thing she didn't bite hard. "Well, I'm still really sorry." he says, with a bit of a blush. He's embarrassed that he can't even make a firelizard behave. "I have to get her to be nicer. What kind of rider would I be, if I were lucky enough to impress, if I couldn't even make a firelizard be nice to people."
Raviaries wells "I hear you can tell your dragon to tell her to be nice." she points out
Talmar considers this, then frowns. "That's not much use to me now, is it?" it's a matter of personal pride - he's well behaved and proud of it, and thinks his firelizard should be as well. Then he realises he was kind of snippy with Raviaries, and sighs. "I'm sorry." he says, simply.
"Good point… maybe someone elses' dragon…" she suggests, then pokes Talmar "Stop that! you're forgiven!"
Talmar frowns at Raviaries, then nods. "Okay, okay." he glances to Jasmine, and smiles. The little green is drifting off to sleep, now. "Well, looks like I won't have to worry about it just yet, at least." he says, back to his normal cheerful self already.
Raviaries nods "Yeah. Maybe she wouldnt' like if you spanked her." she suggests.
Talmar laughs out loud. "Well, maybe that'd teach her not to do it again." but then he looks at Jasmine thoughtfully. "But she sort of has these spiky bits on her back and her tail. Kind of." he says, with a shrug. "Not very big, but they might hurt to spank."
Raviaries holds her hand palm up "Underneath?"
Talmar lifts up the tail of the sleeping firelizard, then nods slightly. "That could work."
Raviaries nods, looking proud "It was my idea!"
Talmar grins at Raviaries. "And a good idea it is." he agrees, idly scritching the sleeping firelizard's chin with one hand, and grabbing food off of his plate with the other. "Hungry?" he suggests, nudging the plate towards Raviaries slightly.
Raviaries perks up al ittle "Yes! Do you have any cookies?" she asks with a smile "And will you make pots after you get a dragon?"
Talmar grins, and turns the plate around. There are indeed a couple of cookies on the other side of the plate. "Go nuts." he encourages, happily. "And, hopefully. I hear that riders can sometimes go back to their crafts after impressing, and I'd really like that."
Raviaries snatches one up right away, munching delightedly "Well, I'm sure he'll help you cook the pots!" she points out.
Talmar laughs, then taps his fingernails on the plate. "See this? Clay. Clay is everywhere, it's a very useful thing." he says, proudly. "Most people don't even notice, but it's there."
Raviaries taps on the plate too, just as much and nodnods "I know! all sorts of things are made of clay. But he'd still help you cook them, with his fire."
Talmar nods. "That's true. But usually, clay gets cooked in a big special cooker." his term for a kiln,
Talmar nods. "That's true. But usually, clay gets cooked in a big special cooker." his term for a kiln, "At a super hot tem… temp… really hot."
Raviaries ohs "And dragonfire isnt' hot enough?" she asks, looking dissapointed.
Talmar frowns slightly, brows knitted in thought. "Well, it might be. I've never tried it." he admits, eventually. "I wouldn't know how hot it could be, actually." he says, with a shrug.
"Well, when you get a dragon and he learns to fire, why dont we find out? I know we can borrow the themometer from the kitchen…" Ravies begins.
Talmar grins. "That sounds like fun." he says, nodding. "It would be really cool if I could get a dragon to help with my clay stuff." he says, enthusiastically. Nothing in this world he loves more than clay.
Raviaries nods "Yeah. It could be a new fat." she concludes excitedly, chewing on the pencil in her energy.
Talmar grins, and nods. "It could, too. But, I might not impress." he warns, with a shrug. "Then, too, dragon fire might not be hot enough."
Raviaries snorts "The dragons are ALWAYS right." she states simply, nodding knowledgeably
Talmar smiles slightly, but only nods. "Dragons are impressive, that's for sure." pun not intended.
Raviaries giggles a little bit "Yes. In size and everything! You know one gets stuck in the door all the time?"
Talmar laughs. "I think I saw that one." he says, with a grin. "I think their wings are the most impressive. And the hardest to make out of clay." he lifts one of Jasmine's wings idly, then lets it flop back down. The green doesn't even so much as stir from her deep sleep.
