Sewing Fingers - uh, Straps

R'yat, K'fen and Jenna work on straps, and Jenna shows off just a wee bit.

Jenna - Tuesday, May 07, 2002, 3:08 PM
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Weyrling Barracks(#991RAJ$)
Row after row of stone couches line this gigantic cavern; weyrlings of all ages tend their dragons, hurry in and out, and perform various chores. Next to each couch is a small cot and press, so that riders can sleep by their dragons.

A small area is set aside near the north wall. It seems to be a classroom: the wall near it is covered in diagrams, as well as signs reading "Oil Daily" and the like. A large bin full of oil is strategically placed nearby, ceramic pots and long paddles lining the shelves behind it, ready to fill for an itchy dragon's oiling. Far in the back wall is a curtained partition that leads to the bathing cavern. Near the entrance is a dark, cool room with hanging slabs of meat and a gigantic bin filled with chunks for the young dragons to eat. Against a wall not far away are a few long tables where the Weyrlings take their meals.
+view is available.
A wide opening to the east opens out into the Bowl.
Contents:
R'yat
Elisel
Randoth
Weyrling Board
Toranth(#875OQVaeps)
Raith
Eishith(#5656OVabepst$)
Teth
Laide
Oil Bin

"Wouaiie!" R'yat exclaims suddenly and he quickly goes on sucking one of his finger. Behind him, Randoth emits a low and concerned warble. "No, no, I'm okay. I'm just as eager to fly with you, Rand."

Jenna jumps about a foot and a half, and Niyath gives Randoth a gentle scolding. "Fardles, Rey! Don't *do* that. What'samatter? Having problems stitching your straps?"

R'yat freezes himself hearing both Jenna and Niyath. He swallows and nods. "Err, yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just awful at sewing. I just hope I won't fall from Rand's back."

Jenna grins a bit and asks, "How big're you making 'em? You do realize he'll grow before you get to use 'em, right?"

Randoth
Sleek and glossy hide is stretched taught over curving muscles and powerful wings. Slipping and sliding across his hide like reflections on a metal mirror, shadows and shapes change and move as he does. Velvety soft wings with transparent membranes flutter like the sails of a great sea-bound vessel, their dappled bronze and auburn complexion catching and bouncing back the light. Gleaming silvery talons and villainous arching eyeridges compliment his devil-may-care presence. A wispy and flickering tail lashes behind him like the mooring ropes of a ship. Burnished and polished his body is sturdy and strong; rippling muscles dancing beneath bronzed hide.

Randoth wears no straps.

Upon Randoth you can see:
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There is nothing and no one.

Randoth is 0 Turns, 3 months, and 27 days and is 21 meters in length with a wingspan of 35.

R'yat's eyes suddenly narrows as this thought comes across his mind. He lifts an eyebrow, looks at Randoth then back at Jenna. "Oh no...I completely forgot about that." He sighs deeply. "Did you start yours?"

Jenna chuckles and nods. "I'm used to sewing wherhide, remember?" She teases lightly, and then says, "How much is he growing per sevenday at this rate? - And I'd be happy to teach you some of the tricks. Funny, considering I taught Zak too."

R'yat sighs again and throws a piece of leather a little away. "Now I have to hurt my fingers again..." He perks and smiles. "You will? How nice of you, Jen. Hummm." And he take a moment to think. "I don't know really well. I'd say one or two meters?"

Jenna asks, "What'd you do? Run the needle up under a nail or something? Lemme see." She doesn't wait, but gets up to investigate the bit of hide. Niyath watches rather proudly. See how smart her girl is? "Well, what I'd do is make it about two sizes two big. It should take about two sevendays to make a new set, and that way you'll have time. Just be glad they're not as complicated as fighting straps. Just add a lot more buckle notches."

R'yat nods slowly. "I just made it too short is all." He shakes his head looking at the hide. "Now two size bigger sounds good. I only wonder if there's leather enough in the storeroom." Catching Niyath he offers a smile. Randoth, for himself, is peering at the leather thing on the ground. *sniff*?

Niyath> Randoth senses that Niyath says a trifle tartly, << Move your great big lump of a head out of the way so She can see? She has nearly finished mine. >> A little smug there, perhaps.

You say "Well, luckily, they don't get as large - you're punching your holes even with the awl, right? I can show you a way to backstitch. It's sturdier, and you don't have to punch as many out, so not as much stitching." She stoops to retrieve the leather from under Randoth's head, "Shove over boy, let me see?"

Randoth was about to -only Faranth knows but it is obvious that this bronze lump would have nibble that tasty-looking leather thingy- do something but snorts instead. Looking at Niyath he snorts again.

K'fen comes through the wide archway to the east which leads to the bowl.
K'fen has arrived.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Randoth sounds a little grumpy. << All right. I move. But this thing looked really chewable. >>

K'fen ambles in, stretching himself and stifling a huge yawn. His salute comes late and looks quite lazy for once. The little rider peers around at the growing dragons, nodding here and there. "Hi, hello, hello..."

Jenna filches the bit of leather out from under Randoth's nose before he can - She starts to giggle a bit. "He was going to *chew* on it, Rey?" Niyath seems similarly amused. Silly bronze. Needs someone to look after him *and* his rider, clearly. She stretches out her neck to whuffle at him from across the aisle of couches.

R'yat lifts an eyebrow eachoing. "Punching with the awl?" All right he said he was awful at sewing.

Jenna salutes K'fen, the movement finally becoming second nature, even as she nods to R'yat. "Right. Don't tell me. The reason you were pricking your finger was because you were using a sharp needle?" She goes to Niyath's couch, rummaging under her cot, and pulling out a long length of coiled hide. This she hefts at R'yat. "Here, take a look at mine." Funny, there are holes punched in the length of leather where the stitches leave off.

Randoth disdainfully turns his head away from Niyath. But the maneuver doesn't last as he arches his neck and warbles. R'yat giggles but perks as he notices K'fen. His salute also comes late but he's smiling. Quickly to Jenna he nods. "Yes. For both of your questions, Jen." He smiles again as he peers at the hide.

K'fen stops by Jenna and gives her a more serious salute -- she's goldrider after all, see? His gaze wanders from Jenna to Niyath, then to R'yat and Randoth. "Hello there. Working on your straps I see?" he curiously asks, looking at the hide.

R'yat continues to smile and it's slowly turning into a giggle. "More or less, Sir. I'm trying to save as many fingers as I can." The giggle goes on. "Interesting piece of hide you have here, Jen."

Randoth, in his brainless showing off behavior, suddenly turns his back to Niyath, displaying his wings fully. See? Nearly as big as yours.

Niyath snorts lightly at Randoth. Her tail snakes out across the aisle to take a poke at the bronze sliding under the trailing edge of one wing, as her rider nods, "Yessir - see, Rey, there's not a needle been yet invented to go through a double thickness of hide without a guide hole. You punch out a set of holes first," and she shows him on her own set of mostly finished straps, "And then you stitch them back up. Saves loads of time. Then, once you get the lengths sewn, you can add the rings and buckles." A pause and the unusually serious weyrling scowls faintly, "What's so funny?"

K'fen grins at the pair and casually sits on R'yat's couch, uninvited. "You're cheating Jenna, you already know how to sew such thick a material. Though I can't imagine how you learnt it?" There is more and more curiosity in his voice.

"Nothing really." R'yat quickly replies. "It definitely looks like a girl's work. I mean..." *cough* "It's perfect that is." Randoth feels that sort of tickle? then hops to the side, avoiding to smash a cot only from a trundlebug length. Croon?

Niyath's tail coils quickly about her side and she looks away, affecting a studiously disinterested air. Wasn't her. Nope! Jenna starts to answer K'fen, and then gives a rather loud 'Hey!' at Rey. "Whaddya mean, girl's work! I've been sewing with hide longer - well, longer than your brother's been a rider." She actually sounds faintly offended. She looks to K'fen and musters her dignity, "Runners have to make their own shoes, sir. Not much different to the technique of preparing the leather for soles than for straps."

R'yat blinks several times. "Oh I didn't mean to offense you, Jen." His voice, though, is clearly betraying his playful mood. Teasing.

K'fen coughs to hide a giggle at Niyath's antics and then his attention his fully on Jenna. "Ah! I didn't knows that -- but then I know very little abuot runners, shame on me. Well, then you could surely help some of your fellows weyrlings with sewing..." R'yat gets a sideway glance, and a slight smirk. "Better get used to it, leather doesn't last forever..."

Niyath stretches, coyly arching her neck away from the bronze, an oddly adult gesture that seems almost out of place on her. Jenna snorts slightly at R'yat. "Uh huh. Well, if you *want* to fall off Randoth, I'll just go back to my own straps. Or studying dragonhealing or..." Valry emerges from the back of the barracks, looking faintly amused at the conversation.

R'yat wiggles one hand in the air quickly. "Oh no, Jenna. Please! You won't leave a friend in all that leathered mess, won't you?" Even Randoth is now adopting a rather cute expression. Try to picture a tall guy, hands joined in a supplication and a big bronze head just above him, crooning and blinking.

K'fen idly salutes Valry and gets up slowly. "Well, there is an idea. We might consider providing weyrlings with awls after all, but really, it'd spoil the fun." His eyes unfocuse a moment. "Right, good straps are more secure, but we -do- check 'em anyway," he says aloud.

Jenna sniffs, "Well, if you're doing so fine without me that you're weilling to sacrifice blood rather than listen to a girl talk about it." She trails off suggestively, as Niyath eyes Randoth.

R'yat bites his lower lips and pretends to sniffle. "Well, I'll hurt my fingers just as you hurt my heart, now Jen."

A slow, disappointed salute is given to Valry as she somes in. R'yat sighs.

K'fen clears his throat, bows politely at the pair of weyrlings and starts again, wandering around the Barracks and idly chatting with other weyrlings until he finally gets chat he came for -- another little pile of hides. Then he strides out with another salute, even lazier than the first one.

K'fen steps out through the cavern's arch into the open space of the bowl.
K'fen has left.

Jenna pfffts! "Right. And you and Ember thick as renegades before the hatching. Tell me another one, Rey. Here. I'll teach you how to use the awl." She pauses and her grin is pure evil, "Or you could ask your baby brother to teach you."