[PRP] By Your Bootstraps [A’mir/Talanth & Marinel]

[Avid_RPer18]

A’mir had been carefully checking over his riding gear, going over straps and harness inch by inch, ascertaining whether or not everything was looking good. Talanth was basking in the mid morning sunlight nearby. With his focus on their gear, the Blue was the first to notice one of the assistant candidatemasters approaching their work space.

’A’mirMine, we have company coming. Look alive,’ Talanth notified his focused rider, who blinked rapidly upon lifting his head, apparently having forgotten to blink for a little bit.

The rider set his oil down to stand up and stretch, also so that he could greet the list bearing assistant candidatemaster, a young lady probably in her late twenties. “Good morning. What can we do for you this fine day?” He wiped his hands off on the rag before tossing it next to the leatherwork.

She echoed their greeting before beginning either a much repeated or much practiced spiel about the current assignment being given out to the candidate class, to give them a taste of a day in the life of a dragonrider. And, if they weren’t too terribly busy today, if they would be interested in being shadowed for a little while, by a candidate or two. It was okay to say no if they were otherwise occupied.

After a brief exchange between rider and bondmate, A’mir offered a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, sure. I think we can handle a candidate for a while. I assume that’s a list of available kiddos?” A likely guess, a list of all the possible riders in all of Western Weyr would be quite extensive.

“Why, yes! Great! Okay, a single candidate for a blueriding pair. Let’s see...” Her tone trailed off to skim the list, pausing every few names to debate or mark off perhaps an already paired off candidate. “Ah, here! You’ll be getting partnered with a boy named Marinel.” She gave a brief description and a couple of places where the two of them may find their candidate for the day. Before turning off, she rattled off to encourage dialogue and questions, but also not to permit slacking.

And then, like a whirlwind, she was gone. With arched brows, A’mir blinked and then grinned up to the now standing blue. “Guess we’ve got a candidate to track down. Come along, Talanth. Help me keep and eye out for this Marinel.”

Talanth rumbled in accord, and walked along behind his rider. ’Will do. This will be a fun change of pace, I think.’  

[Thaliawen]

Mari was sitting on driftwood near the shore. He had a whittled down block of wood in his hand and seemed to be working at it with a knife. He would take a moment to look up at the horizon, hum a few notes, and go back to smoothing his wood into a familiar shape. He’d drawn a dolphin on the side of the block.

“What do you think, Liasa? Do you think Dolly will like this one?” Maybe he could talk to a woodcrafter about selling his work as an apprentice. If he got a stamp from a master, he was sure he could. It would help when, if, his plans to become a dragonrider fell through. He smiled as the green cheeked. “I think we might have to make another of his dragon, Strigonth isn’t a baby anymore.”  

[Avid_RPer18]

Talanth was doing the majority of looking out for the pair as they moved. A’mir was pondering what to do throughout the day with a candidate in tow. Walk this Marinel through where on a full grown dragon needs oiling for preventing friction and dry, itchy cracking from where riding gear tends to rub most? Answer questions about drills or fighting Thread? What weyrlinghood was like? Flightlust? He frowned deeply at the last though. Perhaps not that one. Unless he specifically asked for that information, maybe. Not ideal.

The blue spotted the boy working something with his hands and with a knife. ’Mine, he’s there. Perhaps a woodcrafter before he became a candidate? Or just, what is it, whittles? It’d be odd to carve fruit like that, so must be wood! Do you think he’ll show us what he’s doing?’

‘Hm? Maybe if we ask. However, I know some folk who make things with their hands prefer to not show what they’re working on until it’s completely finished.’ Looking to where Talanth had focused his gaze, A’mir spotted the teenager, looking about as the assistant candidatemaster described, give or take a few details. ’Good eye, Talanth.’

Opting for the more subtle approach, Talanth took to the air and let A’mir approach solo, circling in wide, lazy arcs overhead. Padding up alongside the makeshift driftwood bench, he cleared his throat. “Marinel? My name is A’mir and we’ve been partnered today. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”  

[Thaliawen]

Marinel looked up at the sound, pausing as he took A’mir in. Oh... “No, I wasn’t waiting long.” He hadn’t known he had been supposed to be waiting. “It’s nice to meet you, A’mir. You can call me Mari.” And where was his dragon? Marinel looked around, pausing when he saw the blue in the sky. He began to smile.

“You’re G’nik’s husband, aren’t you? I recognize your dragon.” He’d taken time to get to know G’nik by offering to help with Dazalth on the off day. He put his wooden square into his pocket. “What would you like to do today?” He asked. Maybe he’d get to meet Talanth, too. This would be fun! Shadowing a dragonrider. “How long have you been a dragonrider?” He asked.  

[Avid_RPer18]

A'mir nodded at the news that the boy hadn't been waiting long. Of course, if he had been wrapped up in his whittling time might have gotten away from him, but he wasn't feeling like he had waited, so the rider would take his word for it. "Mari, sure. I can do that." The circling shadow of his blue passed overhead, taking a wide, lazy bank to keep an eye on them.

His attention snapped to the teen at hearing his spouse's name. Chuckling, A'mir absently scratched his chest to busy his hands. "Yes, that's me and that," He indicated pointing skyward as Talanth dipped a bit closer. "Is Talanth." Sending off with the okay for the blue to land, he refocused to the boy across from him. "As for what we're going to do today, I've already gone over checking and maintaining our gear, but Talanth would never say no to an extra set of hands helping with oiling. I can point out the handful of places where straps and harnesses tend to rub most and therefor need the most attention...Plus, he's just a sucker for some TLC." The rider tittered at the wave of mock offense from his bondmate as the blue landed nearby. "I can walk you through the gear. Walk you through drills going on, point out the names for moves. Um." Why the sudden blank for what he did every day?? It was almost like a pop quiz. "Really, if you've got questions or interests, I'd be happy to answer questions, nurture inquiries."

"As for how long I've been a dragonrider," He puffed out a breath in thought. "Thirty one turns now, since Talanth picked me out of the stands."

Talanth closed the distance between, dipping his head down to sniffle the candidate that stood eye to eye with his rider, rumbling pleasantly in greeting.  

[Thaliawen]

“I would like that,” Marinel agreed, with a smile. That would be useful when he became a dragonrider, he wouldn’t have to worry about his straps stretching with strain if he knew how to care for them properly.

“I’d like to see how drills work,” he added, eagerly. “Or help oil Talanth.”

There was a pressing question, though, one that he’d asked a few dragonriders before. No one had been able to describe the sensation of Impression to him. “What’s Impressing like?” He asked. “Did not being a candidate bother you in weyrling lessons?”

Talanth was there then, and Marinel’s eyes were predictably all for the blue. “Hello, Talanth!”