Logged: 27th December 2000 =================================== Weyrling Barracks The large covered entryways open into two immense U-shaped caverns that stretch back deep into the rock of the cliffside. Glow baskets lining the cavern walls cast a soft light dispelling the shadows and illuminating the home of all High Reaches weyrlings. Stone couches, some smaller for the greens and blues and some, for bronzes and the occasional gold, so large they have to be climbed into, rise up to loom over the walkways of well-packed dirt. Along the walls nearest the entrances, shelves and pegs sport several sets of leathers and various books and tools needed when teaching and practicing; crates and supplies also take up residence in various nooks and crannies. Toward the back, a large, man-dug pool for use by the dragonets and their lifemates and several large containers kept full of fresh meat serve as conveniences for the busy residents of these barracks. To the southwest, you see Kelitath, Vespurath, and Niamhyth. Snuggled in with the leather supplies and tools are nine firelizards. You see Weyrling Progress Record and Dragon Wing here. Lylia walks in from the Training Grounds. Ilare is eating cookies. Yup. Has a plate, on the table. Yup. Lylia is waved at with a cookie-filled hand. "Mornin'." Dun dun DUN! Lylia slinks in, looking all devilish and.... eviiiiil. The brownrider does give a chipper, chipper beam as she sees something even she can appreciate: another brownrider. "Hey, Ilare." Hehe. The rider slinks closer. "Whatcha doin'?" Ilare is eating cookies? Wait, no, can't say that. "Thinking. At Chanticoth." she adds. After all, don't want to be accused of daydreaming now do we? "How're you?" "Uh-huh.... And how's Chanticoth? Doing his stretching exercises properly, I hope? And eating well?" Weyrlingmaster concerns at the forefront, always. Lylia's gaze shifts over to the brown for a moment, before settling back on Ilare. "I haven't seen you in the straps classes as of late. You've always been 'conveniently' missing for those." Maybe because most of them are at ungodly hours. But still. Ilare makes a face. "Well.. umm.. I kinda need that class, yeah." Well, not HER fault he tires himself out 'dancing' and makes her cosset him, which leads to her sleeping while others have classes. *huff* Anyhoo, not that she objects, mind.. "He's doing his exercises very well.. Chanti, come here please?" She winks at her dragon before offering the fellow brownrider a cookie. "Show Lylia how well you've built up your muscles." And you shoulda seen him dancing. He's started a trend, don'tcha know? Great. A line of electric sliding dragons, that's just what Lylia needs. The rider still stares critically at the brown, eyeing him warily. "He looks buff, anyway..." Ly's buff, too. Yeah. "And if you /need/ it..." That sinister tone once more comes to light. "You'll have to deal with it. Today. Or be horribly behind." Chanticoth pads up to Ilare's side before sitting back and extending a wing a little way. Not the full way, but you can just see those lovely muscles. See. Right there. Ilare winces again. Behind? Nonono, not that! please! "Um.. May I please have that class today?" A cut look is given - seeee? She's as innocent as her dragon. Yup. Completely. "Well... I /suppose/. If you must. I mean, I can't have you sitting around and wallowing in sloth while the others are doing ground formations..." Or Lylia could just put Ilare on her dragon and have her do them as well.. Hehe... Slipping riders, always fun. "But for this we need something." Quick as an elf, the rider darts back into the office and emerges a moment later, dragging large strips of leather. Mwahaha. Leather. Yeah. And being left behind is NO fun. Nuhuh. Clearing the table of anything that might spill, Ilare moves so that she makes way for Lylia, watching curiously. She'd seen G'deon with lots of leatherstuffs. Hmm... Well, obviously, they'll need leather to make th straps, but.. "How do we start? Making tha straps I mean." "The first thing is to choose your leather. We get loads of it free from the weavers... It comes in strips about this size." Lylia cheerfully points to the rather lengthy strips. "Do you know anything about choosing leather, about what to look for?" Ilare ponders the question; she knows a smidgeon - her dad is a rider, so... "Um.. you have to check how supple it is? Dry cracked leather would break and be uncomfotable?" Wild guess? Just a tad. "Right!" Wow, a weyrling that actually /knows/ a few things... Lylia's never seen one of those. "Gotta have nice, supple leather. Also, you want to check and make sure it's not worn out, or has any really odd discoloration. Also check its strength, and that it's not rotted.... Like this one." Lifting a foul-smelling strip, she smirks and tosses it towards Ilare. Mwah. "Since Chanticoth's a brown, you won't need /that/ many, but it'll probably take four to six strips for him, to make your weyrling straps. The essential thing to have is a buckle, so that you'll be able to not only put the straps on, but loosen them out. Since he's going to grow a /lot/ before getting new straps." Ilare blinks and snatches the icky-smelling leather, wrinkling her nose. Yuck. Nodding as she listens to Lylia explain about the strips, she chuckles, although a smile is flittered at her brown. "The way he's growing, that'll definately be necessary.." Isn't he getting big? "So, check for flaws, colour and feel. And smell," looking up at the rider, she tilts her head. "Yep. And you can even rub it against his neck, to make sure it doesn't itch or irritate his hide. He'll tell you what he likes." Most do, anyway. Lylia flops down on a bench, her pile of leather sliding down next to her. "And basically, your weyrling straps are going to have one loop, that goes between the fourth and fifth neckridges. It'll have a buckle in the middle... I think they're in a box in the back... When you make your adult straps, they'll have two loops. And your passenger straps, when you make those... Well, those have a lot." Ick. Everyone hates passenger straps. Passengers? She has to share riding her drag--oh, wait, not yet. Eventually, yeah, but not yet. Hurrah! *cough* "Between fourth and fifth, got it.." Ilare echoes, even as the strap of held leather is swatted against her palm. "How long do they take to make? And what material do we sew with?" Surely your average thread isn't going to be of use? "Pretty long. I mean, it takes awhile to get through... It's pretty tough to sew. We've got some thick stuff for sewing with, and some special leather needles. Only way to pierce through it. Plus, if it weren't hard enough, you've got to double over the leather to add some extra strength. Sharding nuisance to sew." Hahaha, and Lylia's got hers done long ago. "And pound the stitches flat, too." Ilare ahhhhs... And nods, not at al put off. "Gotcha." Hmm.. A glance at her dragon, then an eyeroll. "What about strap colours... and any.. accessories that might eventually be added.. What would suit him, do you think?" AFter all, Lylia rides Brown. So she MUST know. "Oh. Dyeing! Yeah." She knew she forgot something. Lylia quickly bounces in to her favorite part. "Before you sew your straps, you can dye 'em if you want. There's buckets of color in the back, and if we don't have it, the weavers do. We can get most types and most patterns that you want. You just dunk the leather in and let it soak until you get it to the darkness that you want. Then let it dry and soak all the excess dye out in water. But Quara's probably the best at talking about colors, she /fabulous/. And any accessories, like pouches or whatever, that you can think of, you can add. Some people like tassels. Auri likes jingle bells." Shudder. Shardin' jingling menace. Kyrenna *jingles at Lylia. Chanticoth eyes Ilare with a humourous glint in the whirling depths. Accessories? Tassels? How about some tiny little wooly pom-pom balls dyed the same colour as the straps? Come on... they /might/ be interesting. Ilare raises an eyebrow, and giggles. "Bells?" Well, anyone must be able to hear THAT dragon coming... A glance is shot Chanticoth. "No lacey frilly things. Nonono." That is directed at the brown, although an amused grin is directed at the rider. "some of us thought of doing blue and black striped straps... What?" Clearly aiming that question at Chanti, she has to giggle. "Wolly pom-po-- No! Absolutely not!" Chanticoth snuffles to himself in amusement. Alright, maybe not. But has Ilare never heard of making a fashion statement? "Fuzzy things are fun," Lylia adds in sagely. Well, they /are/. "Any ideas on colors? Nice thing about brown, you've got a lot of good options..." Ilare stares at Chanticoth a moment, before nodding at Lylia. "Uh.. yeah.. Um.. I thought a nice shade of green?" Or maybe indigo? Black'd be nice, but not very bright... Hmm.. "Sky blue? I don't know really. Haven't thought about it enough, I suppose." Although Chanticoth'll probably be more than happy to play Muse, neh? Of course he will. Just give Chanticoth a chart of colours and let him do the rest. Then they'll talk accessories. Hmm... wooly pom-poms... "Green's good. Just stay away from the lime end of the spectrum. Medium and darker greens look dashing, though... Sky blue might be good." Hrm... Lylia's a little wary of that one. "I'd think of it soon, though. Straps are important!" And it's too quick to get the leather. Ilare makes a thoughtful sound, even as she reaches for a cookie. "Will do." No pom-poms, Chanti. Now, fringe maybe? That'd look kinda cool, no? "I thought a nice rich forest green perhaps.. Or midnight blue." Time for lifemates to have a lil' discussion, no? "Ohhh. Both those are /nice/ shades." Funfun. Lylia's partial to them... Mostly because Dru's straps have both of those. "And if you need any help, us weyrlingmaster-types can assist. I think that's all there is for this lecture..." Now, the /next/ lecture.. Bwahaha... Fringe. Even better. Chanticoth was joking about the pom-poms. Honest. He would want it short though. Not too long. And a deep forest green would be nice... Well then, that's settled, neh? "Thanks, I'll take you up on that.. And thank you for the lecture." She badly needed the straps class, did Ilare. "Just don't /stay/ behind now that you're caught up...." Did that make sense? Yes, yes it did. All things Lylia make sense. Ilare nods. That made PERFECT sense. Utterly. Completely. "I'll try not to," is the promise. Besides, she's up to date now. Yay! Lylia *idles into a post-lesson idledeath. Ilare * snickers Chanticoth *'idledeath'? Do I need to get out the defribrill-whatsits?