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+--- Thread: [G] [P] [EVENT] 740.08.24 | Gap Year (/showthread.php?tid=4521)
740.08.24 | Gap Year - Vaera - 03.Sep.19
It had been difficult to get a proper recounting of the Hatching from her father, but eventually Vaera had managed to convince him to give her a quick summary while he bustled around getting things organized because apparently there were dragonets to dissect - gasp! - and malnourished dragonets who needed a team of Healers on hand. And to top it all off, Madiquel had Impressed - from the Stands, no less - and wouldn’t be returning to the Hall for classes for at least a turn. As much as she hated to admit it, Vaera couldn’t blame her father for banning them all from attending. Healers seemed to be very attractive to dragonets - especially green ones, since nearly all the Impressed Healers seemed to be greenriders. Vaera wondered why that was. She remembered reading somewhere that dragons had a preference for people with high empathy, which was a common trait among Healers. Perhaps that was the draw?
Regardless of the reason, Madiquel had Impressed, and while it was terrifically exciting Vaera knew she was going to miss her friend’s presence at the Hall. The other girl was just so fun, and always nice, and she tried so hard in her studies. She was a good friend.
Vaera had been surprised - but not upset - to have Clover pop in one day while she was studying with a note from Madiquel, inviting Vaera to visit her and Zezeth. Zezeth! Her dragon! Vaera had written back immediately, handing the hastily written note to Clover who had squeaked happily before going between, presumably back to Madiquel. Within a fairly short period of time - firelizards were such helpful little things when it came to communication, Vaera would have to convince her father to see if he could get a few for the Hall - she and Madiquel had worked out a day and time for Vaera to visit, and Madiquel had arranged for T’ryn and Syrendryth to pick her up.
She’d smiled at both of them when they arrived, thanking them individually for bringing her to visit her friend. Syrendryth even lowered his head so she could scratch his headknobs again, and Vaera had flushed in delight. A bronze dragon thought she was polite, let her touch him even when not completely necessary, and had even spoken to her once. She was completely enamoured.
After a short flight - Vaera was never going to get over how fast dragon flight was, especially with betweening - they arrived at Ista Weyr, and Syrendryth brought them to a large stone ledge, where Madiquel and a very tiny green dragon were waiting.
“Madi!” Vaera said excitedly, hands clasped together in excitement, doing her best not to run forward and pull Madiquel into a hug. She looked tired, and Vaera wasn’t sure what the rules were now that she had a dragon. Especially since she’d heard how worried everyone was over the dragonets and how fragile they were, Vaera didn’t want to startle Zezeth if she could help it.
RE: 740.08.24 | Gap Year - M'quel - 03.Sep.19
Admittedly, her friends hadn’t been at the top of Madiquel’s list of importance for a bit there; she knew they would understand, but especially those who had dragons, and she knew her Healer friends would also understand, because they understood - if not the dragon side of things - the importance of keeping the unwell alive, and getting them well in the process. All said and done, however, as soon as her new life began to take on a routine that was becoming predictable (and that only took about a week, honestly) Madiquel had began reaching out to her friends and family (or the friends and family that weren’t A’tay, whom had been as constant a companion as they could get away with). Her Papa had been the most important, of course, and Madiquel was still overwhelmed by all the emotions involved in that first meeting between herself, Papa and little Zezeth.
Thankfully for all involved, Zezeth wasn’t prone to speaking; the little dragonet had a preference for sharing her thoughts and opinions through a channel of emotions and images, a lot like Madiquel was used to getting from Clover, though with decidedly more point to them. She thought it was a fun method of communication, overall, and Zezeth had clearly implied that she wasn’t particularly keen on speaking to everyone within broadcast range just because she wanted to speak to Madiquel. Madiquel had explained she would outgrow it, but apparently Zezeth didn’t want to wait that long. Whatever the case, her silence made her a good dragon for the girl who’s Papa was somewhat unstable in regards to dragons, mindsharing, and the bodiless voices dragons had.
Madiquel had invited Vaera to come and visit as soon as she was both able and allowed, and was delighted when, after some arrangements and careful organisation, it was only three weeks after Impression. Madiquel had been genuinely worried that Verec wouldn’t let his daughter come, and hadn’t counted on Vaera being allowed until she received notice from Eb’zer that Zellekath could see Syrendryth coming in for a landing, with a passenger on board. Madiquel squealed excitedly, bounding through the living area with young Zezeth bouncing along behind her. The dragonet was still notably small, but she was growing like a reed, shooting up and lengthwise with such determination that she was still horrifically skinny; but it was a kind of healthy skinny. Her hide had a good glow to it, and Madiquel took great care to keep it that way. She ate frequently and well, and was incredibly curious and self assured. Madiquel loved her.
“Hi!” Madiquel chirped, closing the distance between them and launching a quick hug at Vaera. Unlike Dyoricath, who just about ruptured eardrums whenever Misharan — Sh’ran — so much as looked at another human of any type, standing, or for any reason, Zezeth was very reasonable about Madiquel being in contact with other people. It probably helped that Madiquel was ridiculously innocent and sex was as far from her mind as it was closet to Sh’ran’s (not that Madiquel would have known that). After hugging Vaera tightly for a moment, Madiquel stepped back and grinned. “I’ve missed you!” She said brightly, completely sincere, and then took her friend's hand to hold out to Zezeth to sniff, as she introduced them.
“Zee, this is Vaera! Vaera, this is Zezeth!” The little dragon sniffed at Vaera’s hand, then made a soft chirping sound and let Madiquel show Vaera how Zezeth liked to have her eyeridges scratched just so, the skinny little green humming happily at the attention.
RE: 740.08.24 | Gap Year - Vaera - 03.Sep.19
Vaera happily returned the hug, so relieved Madiquel seemed to be her usual cheerful self. She’d overheard some of the updates her father got - and maybe, possibly, sneakily read some of the papers on Verec’s desk when no one was looking - and it sounded like the new Weyrlings were constantly worried, on edge, and not getting enough sleep, but it looked like a few weeks in they were doing a little better. Or at least, Madiquel was doing better. Vaera hadn’t met the other two, before or after Impressing, and couldn’t really comment on if they were acting normally.
“I’ve missed you too,” she said smiling, letting Madiquel move her hand around however she wanted. When Zezeth sniffer her hand Vaera couldn’t help letting out a soft ‘aww’ at how cute she was.
“Hello, Zezeth,” Vaera said, moving her hand from Zezeth’s nose to her eyeridges like Madiquel was showing her, “It’s lovely to meet you.” The little green’s hide was so soft, and even with how skinny she was Vaera thought Zezeth had a sort of elegance to her. She clearly still had a long way to being a healthy adult dragon, but in Vaera’s not-quite-expert opinion Zezeth looked like she was improving and would continue doing so. Vaera had seen some the sketches her father had been sent of the dragonets in their first week, and Zezeth definitely looked better than that now!
“You look so good, Zezeth!” Vaera turned to beam at Madiquel. “She looks so good!” Okay, maybe Vaera didn’t know a whole lot about what dragonets were supposed to look like at this age, but she was an apprentice Healer and Zezeth didn’t look like she was completely wasting away to her. And she definitely had improved since the sketches Vaera had seen.
“Now, tell me everything. What’s it like? What are you learning? Oh, hang on,” she said, spinning around quickly to wave at T’ryn and Syrendryth and thank them again for bringing her to visit Madiquel and Zezeth. She’d already thanked them twice, but she’d been so excited to see Madiquel she’d forgotten to thank them again. That task complete, Vaera turned back to Madiquel and continued peppering her with questions about how she was doing and all about Zezeth.
RE: 740.08.24 | Gap Year - M'quel - 05.Sep.19
Madiquel gasped, her eyes wide, and also spun to wave frantically at T’ryn, blowing him a kiss in thanks, feeling quite ashamed about not thanking him the moment Syrendryth had landed to let Vaera off of him and to spend time with her. Well! She’d just have to get a gift for him! A’tay would know just what to get him, and would no doubt help her obtain the gift. With that decided, Madiquel turned her attention back to her best friend and her baby dragon.
“She’s grown so much!” Madiquel said, latching onto Vaera’s hand and leading her fellow apprentice into the main weyr, and then through there. She stopped to introduce Vaera to anyone she didn’t already know, but didn’t let them linger. Zezeth led the way happily, stopping to look back over her shoulder whenever Madiquel paused to talk to her fellow humans, Zezeth’s emotions flowing back in such a manner that had Madiquel giggling and excusing herself with an anxious look towards her dragonet every time. “She’s also somewhat exasperated by me at the moment,” Madiquel explained quietly to Vaera, giggling again as Zezeth snorted at them and then nosed the bedroom door open.
“In here,” Madiquel said, pushing the door open further and leading Vaera in, and then closing the door with a low click. Zezeth had already bounded up onto the bed and made herself comfortable. She was so much bigger now, and leaving a lot less space for Madiquel – there was still space, but a lot less than when they’d first taken up residence in the room. Leading Vaera over to the bed, Madiquel settled herself and curled her feet under herself, grinning at Vaera as she made herself comfortable, too. “What were your questions?” Madiquel asked, laughing softly, before she started answering them, both of them knowing she didn’t forget questions that quickly, no matter how excited she was.
“It’s strange!” Madiquel said, glancing at Zezeth and smiling lightly before turning back to Vaera. “I never wanted this,” she gestured at the dragonet, the room at large, the change in her life. “But I couldn’t imagine not having Zee now?” She sighed, and shrugged one shoulder. “I miss learning Healing,” she said, “but I guess I’m still doing more than most Weyrlings, considering these three.”
“Mostly we’re not learning a whole lot,” she laughed. “Focusing on keeping the babies alive, really. From what I understand – we’ve compared lessons, TayTay and I – ” she smiled slightly, but didn’t indicate just how much time the young bronzerider had been spending with her, especially in the first week! For a bit over the first seven days, the only time Madiquel had felt it was safe to sleep was when A’tay was there to keep an eye on Zezeth. She was less obsessed with the fact that her dragon might die, now, and leave her alone to flounder in the darkness like her Papa, but it was still there and Madiquel had a feeling it would never go, because she knew so intimately what it was like for a dragonless rider.
“The first week is usually a lot of eating and sleeping, but we’re several weeks into eating and sleeping now.” She shrugged slightly. “I have a feeling most of our Weyrlinghood will be delayed, because of the rough start.” A pouty look was given to Vaera, “but hopefully not too much, because I want to come back to the Hall!” A wide-eyed pause. “Do you think I can come back?” She hadn’t actually had a chance to speak to Verec, to make sure it was still in the cards. She had just assumed, and suddenly she realised she’d been assuming and she went crimson with embarrassment. What if he didn’t want her to come back?
RE: 740.08.24 | Gap Year - Vaera - 01.Oct.19
Vaera let Madiquel lead her by the hand further into the weyr, smiling at everything Madiquel told her. She laughed and made encouraging noises in all the appropriate places, glancing back and forth between Madi and Zezeth all along the walk and while they talked in their room. Zezeth was so pretty, and Vaera was just so fascinated by dragons, but she was talking to Madiquel and she didn’t want her friend to feel ignored while she was talking because Vaera absolutely cared very much and didn’t want to give Madi any impression otherwise.
“They probably just want to leave a buffer after they’re ready to be extra sure they’re ready, just in case,” Vaera said reassuringly in response to the talk of lessons, “You’ll all be getting plenty of lessons soon enough.” Even if the dragons took a little longer at certain points, now that they were doing better there had to be lots the human Weyrlings could learn while they were waiting for their dragons’ bodies to catch up.
Then Madiquel asked about coming back to the Hall and she looked so worried, and Vaera immediately reached out to take her friend’s hands. “Of course you’ll be able to come back!” Vaera exclaimed. “Da likes you, I can tell, you’re a good student. And it’s not like there isn’t a precedent, look at Eb’zer and L’gan,” she added, inclining her head towards the door and the rest of the Weyr. Vaera couldn’t say for sure, since she hadn’t been there, but she was pretty sure her father had insisted on Impressed Healers getting the chance to return to the Hall. He’d been so upset when Eb’zer Impressed the turn before. There was no way he’d ban Madiquel from returning once Zezeth was old enough, and Vaera did her best to reassure her friend of this fact.
“Think of it as like, an extended study, like when Senior Apprentices or the younger Journeymen are tapped to work with a specific Master” she said excitedly. “We don’t have a whole lot on dragons, so your special project is observing how dragons grow up. And then when you come back to the Hall, you can use that knowledge to contribute to recreating our knowledge of dragonhealing. Here, I’m going to assign you extra homework for while you’re waiting on Weyrling lessons,” Vaera grinned cheekily. “Write me detailed letters about all you’re learning about dragon anatomy and physiology from observing Zezeth and her brothers! That way you’ll always have something to do, and I can take your observations and organize them so we can add them to the Hall’s records on dragons. It’ll be our little project.” She smiled at Madi, hoping the other girl liked the idea. Not everyone was as eager about homework as Vaera could be, she knew, but Madiquel was always so interested in learning, and writing letters to a friend was much easier than a proper essay. Vaera would be the one to translate it into a more studious format. It would be a fun and worthwhile exercise, and it was an excuse to ask for more letters and visits.