Sunlizards & Firesets [Tagged Muze]

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

The sun was drifting close to the horizon, pinks, reds, and oranges flying and swirling together. 

"Like firelizards! Look at the sky and all the colors, soaring along in the horizon, playful and fun!" She squealed, one hand holding her leather soles, the other one eagerly patting at her friend's arm and then pointing out to the sunset. "They are sunlizards." The epitome popped into her head, and she shouted it all at once, hopping up and down. The sand between her toes flying as she did her little dance. She stopped suddenly as another darted through her head.

"Or is it a fireset?" She pondered out loud, tilting her head and shooting Mazarakru a coquettish glance through her lashes. Which was then promptly ruined by the cold breeze. It tossed her already wild hair into her face and she ended up giggling and spitting hair out of her mouth. 

"Can you imagine all the firelizards just swirling around in the sky, having fun, dancing, playing, and the big gold orb, the sun, is the queen, directing them like a.. a what do you call it, director? Conductor? The musical leader.."

She looked at her freckled friend, playing dumb, but mostly trying to analyze him through her rambles and questions. She wanted to know everything about this young man, but didn't know how to ask the deep questions. What are the deep questions? She tried to think if she had ever asked anyone deep questions. Instead, she just talked, talked and waited for something deep to stem from the rambles. That could happen, right?

She continued to meander, or was she skipping? She was trying to contain her energy as they traversed along the beach, tossing her bright blue gaze between the 'fireset' and the cliff-side. She was supposed to be looking for possible caves where small firelizard clutches might reside, but man, the setting of the sun was distracting and the farther it fell the colder it was getting. 

The tiny blonde spotted a small-ish log and ran over to grab it, and pulled it into her arms, displaying it with pride. "This is perfect for our fire on the beach, don't ya think Maz?"

tovaana

 

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

He couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Siorreya. Her energy was like a fire and far more colorful than the muted sunset. He chuckled as she toward and into him excitedly and then moved away. He took a fleeting glance at where her attention was held. The sky was quite beautiful and it only held his attention because he was searching for the colors of dragons and imagining the dragon he could impress. His green blue eyes flicked back to Siorreya. His skipping was not so graceful, his movement was more of a half jog every now and then to catch up with Siorreya when she darted one way or another.

Maz also carried his well-worn leathers shoes in one hand and in the other he was toying with the strap to his bag that he had slung over his shoulder. He was enjoying the feeling of the soft and hard sands under his feet. He had heard that they would be able walk the eggs in the warm nesting sands…it was hard to imagine what it would be like with the cold wind whipping at his damp feet and the chilling sands under foot.

“Hah, yeah, that is basically how it is actually.” He chuckled again, spreading his arms out momentarily. Then suddenly she was gone; his eyes followed her movement as she darted toward a log and brought it back like a dog who had fetched a stick.

“It’s perfect Sio! Alright, alright, but… of the small knowledge I have about making fires…” He said, struggling to think what he did know about fires other than watching his mother start them when he was younger. “I think we need to smart with some smaller ones.” He pointed at her log and put his fingers together, “that’s a liiiiiiittle too big.”

“A pit… I think we should dig a little to protect it from the wind?” It made sense in his head, since it was windy and he couldn’t imagine starting flame with the wind attacking their warmth. There was the thought… what if they couldn’t get flame going? But he tossed the worry aside, simply enjoying the bite of cold, the sunset, and the energy of his friend.

“Like these.” He said, his mind going back to the idea of needing sticks for their fire, plopping down his bag and shoes as he went over closer to the cliffs where driftwood had been bleached from the high noon sun. He picked up as many as he could and came back to where he had abandoned his things. “Yeah, these look good?”

kevna

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

Siorreya nodded matter of factly when he indicated the log was too big. "You are right!" She sighed dramatically, and perked up his suggestion of the pit. She knew enough about fires to blow glass, so they could do it. "Yes, that is so correct, like an oven for glass blowing. You have to build up the heat, and it's best done when the oven is closed! So, a pit will kinda do the same." She dropped the big log, knelt down and began digging furiously, taking a moment to look at the sky every now and then as Maz wandered off looking for smaller sticks. She made the pit as deep as she could, and then started widening it, so that they could sit in the pit too, maybe it would help stave off the wind. Her blond hair tumbling down her shoulders was getting so sandy. 

Maz walked back over to her, presenting the smaller sticks proudly. "Yes, those are perrrfect." She rolled her r's as she shivered, and just as proudly showed off her pit, standing up straight and twirling. "Do you think it's too big? I was thinking we could sit in the pit too, the wind is slightly chilly." She pulled her thickest coat closer around her, and dug through the pockets and brought out her flint. She had used this flint many times to start fires in the glass craft oven, but looking now at the feat they were trying to start, she realized she had only ever used coal in her fires to make the fire hot enough. Never just wood. 

"This flint is the one I've used each time I made my glass dragons. I always got up early enough to start the fire for the oven. I loved the stillness of the morning, the quiet... Like I had a whole world just to myself to explore, or at least the whole blowing room, and my own fire, a fire that was used throughout the day. It made me feel like everyone's creations were just a little bit mine, because the fire was mine. But I've never just used wood to start a fire, but we can do it. How hard can it be? Right?" 

She tilted her head, and studied the firewood that they had collected. I think we need a little more, a few medium sized ones..." She was gone, prancing toward the cliffside, and grabbed as many pieces of wood she could hold in her arms. Slowly, at least for her standards, she stumbled back to their pit, plopping the wood in the pit. She stacked the medium pieces in a square like she did for coal fires, but instead of coal going in the middle, she thought the smaller sticks would work just as well.

"So, do I think the smaller ones should go in the middle, and the middle ones with start to feed the fire, and then the larger ones will bring it to life. What do you think?    

tovaana

[tovaana]

Maz;

His eyes widened at the pit, clearly impressed with her quick work. “Wow.” He also felt a tad silly, like he had underestimated her or not thought about the fact that she would have worked with fire a lot more than he. It would take some humble work to be okay with the fact that she’d be taking the lead on this project, probably far more prepared for starting the fire than he.

“It’s perfect!”

Then she started to talk. He was starting to enjoy the small ranting that she went on. He loved finding new friends and all their quirks, but there was something about the way Sio brought… life. She breathed life into every conversation. Usually at home it was him carrying the brunt of the energy, but Sio had so much that she almost sapped it from him – or was it that he was too stunned? Or forget to react? He was smiling at her knowingly till her got to the end and he nodded, agreeing with her. Then realized he should be shaking his head, he shook it, “I mean, it can’t be hard- right.”

Again, she disappeared after deducing they needing some different sized sticks to keep the fire going. Too right she was. When she was back and started to make a little structure. He plopped down to his knees, trying to help and not feel obsolete. “I appreciate that you’re letting me have input, when I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.” He admitted with a chuckle, shaking his head as the wind took a swipe at his curls. “But yea, that sounds about right. Wanna show me how to actually get a spark going?”

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

She relished his shock. She liked it when people underestimated her. She had a lot of surprises up her sleeves, and she was more than what others could see in her small little body. "It's okay, this will be a great learning opportunity. For both of us."  She wiggled a bit, and then began piling the smaller sticks in a nice little teepee looking structure. "Ok, so you take the flint in your hand like so," The small blonde showed how to hold it in her hand, "and then you take a stone, or steel is better, but I use stones usually because steel is a little harder to come by, and you strike the flint like this." She grabbed the stone in her pocket and mimicked the movement without actually creating the sparks. 

Siorreya offered the flint to her friend, giving him the opportunity to try to start a fire. "Here, you try. I've started plenty of fires."

tovaana

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

He watched her small scarred hands as she demonstrated how to start flint. Maz had watched people do it before, but he had never been assigned to care for the fires. Cleaning, oh yes, plenty of scrubbing and washing of floors. Laundry, he hadn't much liked handing dirty laundry, even his own. So his soft green eyes watched in the growing dimness. Then she offered him a go at making fire. His head turned to look at her face. "Yeah? Could I?" He reached out and took the flint and stone gingerly and shifted closer to the group of sticks and aimed it toward the smaller ones. His hands went to hit them together, but he hesitated and they stopped short. He glanced nervously up at his friend and grinned sheepishly. He tapped them together, as if aiming, and then them suddenly, sparks flew - and he gasped at the success...Well, there was no fire, but he had hit them together. "Like that?"

"How many times do I have to do it?" He hit them together again, the sparks were not as bright as the first strike. Sparks flew and he watched the little sparkles in the night fall onto the sticks and simmer into coldness. "And they just... catch on fire?" Perhaps he had to do it more vigorously?

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

Sio watched her freckled friend prepare to strike them, and then, out of no where he paused mid-strike. He glanced at her, and then knocked the two together delicately. Beautiful sparks rained down on the dry wood with little effect, and the blonde tilted her head and bit her lip, hiding a smile as best she could. He tried again with less success and even less gusto then before, which she hadn't thought possible. He turned his questioning eyes back to her, his tentative questions full of confusion. She had been a little child when she had learned how to start a fire, and she tried to think back to how she had really learned... Maybe the best way was from the beginning for Maz, like her. 

"Uh, yeah, kind of like that, I would try putting the flint in your non-dominate hand, and put it as close to the twigs as possible, keep it there and continue to strike it with the stone over and over. The goal is to heat up logs until one of those beautiful sparks takes to the warm dry kindling and decides it's ready to become flame."

muze

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

Perhaps another would have felt embarrassed for not knowing something so simple as starting a fire, but Maz was intrigued by the new experience. Instead he was fighting the urge to be frustrated that he was looking silly in front of his friend – but on the other hand, he had just demonstrated that he could sing very well... Perhaps another song later on would calm his ego. His eyes glanced up at her without moving his head much, listening to her instruction.

“Alright.” He said calmly and he switched hand positions and placed his hands close to the smaller sticks with fraying bark. He tried replicating what she had described to him, and the sparks that flew were similar to his first attempt. Maz tried hitting the two more hard together and watched with eagerness as the sparks flew and settled on the pile. ‘Please take, please take….’ He thought desperately, and he saw something red and he stopped in his excitement.

“Oh, oh, oh! Sio, look, look!” And then it faded and his shoulders slumped exaggeratedly. “Well, how about you show me how it’s done, then next time I can start the fire.” He chuckled wryly, offering the flint and stone back to Sio with an amused smile that hid his discomfort well.

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

Sio watched with satisfaction as Maz followed her instructions, changing his hand positions and leaning in towards the wood pile. He began striking the flint with more vigor, creating beautiful sparks that fell to the wood like falling stars. She loved the look, the idea that in a way they could make their own stars, their own light. She was entranced by the look, but was broken from her reverie when Maz excitedly called her back to the present, and the reason for the sparks. Sure enough a flame had tried to take life, but just as quickly it died.

“That was almost it-“ She was saying as he pushed the flint and stone into her hands. She didn’t resist, because it was cold, and she had little patience for waiting for something she could just as well do a lot faster. “For sure, next time.”

She positioned herself close to the kindling, and began striking the flint with the stone with the precision of experience. Sparks flew, and she quickly began to feel the warmth of the sparks as they tasted wood. Red specks on the wood quickly turned into a baby flame. The blonde dropped flint and stone, one hand holding her hair back which the other helped her lean in even closer to the flame. Gently she blew at the flame, and with her breath the flame grew, slowly eating its way up on stick, and then onto another. The larger the flame became, the quicker it spread, emanating heat with its life.

Sio leaned away, a satisfied smile across her lips, and then she presently scooted farther away. She understood the danger of fire all too well, a respect born of burns. She leaned her back along the sand wall, and looked to her friend, patting the spot next to her.

“Okay Maz, I have given you fire, now you must give me song.” She demanded playfully, wiggling a bit, both her energy and a desire for comfort driving the movement. “Oh how about Lessa’s ride, or Moretta’s ride, or Sunset’s gold, or Fighting Thread, or or the Honor song… You could just sing all of them, or you could play some of them, and then maaaybe I wouldn’t bother you all the time to sing to me. Or play for me. What were you planning on playing for-“ The small woman’s question was interrupted by a yawn, and she giggled. Her energy had to run low at some point. “For me?” She finished, and gave him an impish grin, wiggling some more as all the possibilities ran through her head.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

He watched her nimble hands take the tools and start up the fire. Now that he had watched her, he was sure he’d be able to do it next time. So, the feeling of incompetence of the matter lightened and instead he enjoyed the warmth that the pile of logs was starting to produce. His light green eyes lifted and broke the trance as Sio spoke to him, drawing him back to reality.

Grinning he nodded as he thought about what song he should play for her. In reality he had picked already, but he pretended to consider the songs she presented as options. His eyes widened in shock at her yawn. “You do get tired?!” He asked in mock shock. He reached for his bag and drew out the wooden flute that he had carved and painted on with multiple colors. “Hmmmm.” He thought as he fingered his instrument fondly.

He glanced at the cliffside, distracted for a moment. “It’s too bad we didn’t get out here early enough to search for firelizard eggs. We’ll have to do that a different evening after classes.” He said wistfully and shook his head a little and gave his flute a stern look before looking at Sio with a serious expression. “This is called… Sweet Sea.” His serious look broke with another of his grins. “I think you’ll like it. Besides, we’ll have plenty of time for me to play you songs. I need to keep in practice, anyways.”

Then after a few practice notes he went into the introduction, playing softly at first, then letting the melody pick up volume. After a few minutes Maz ended the song with a quiet softer note and rested the flute in his lap. He had liked the way the waves had complimented the music, it had almost sounded like a duet. He glanced at the ocean for a moment then back to Sio with a wordless smile.

kevna

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

The short blonde chuckled and stuck her tongue out in response to his teasing, "Oh course I get tired! I am like the sun, I rise with it, and when it goes down I'm about ready for bed myself." He talking resulted in another yawn. 

She watched her freckled friend gingerly handle the instrument, and wiggled excitedly. She followed his gaze to the cliff side, and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I wish so too. But there will be plenty of other days! We will get another evening to look for our firelizards. We will get them." She wiggled some more as Maz informed her of the song. It was one she didn't know, and oh how she loved new things. They were so interesting and fun and well.. New. She nodded again when he told her about all the opportunities she would have to listen to his songs. She had made the correct friend! Siorreya didn't say anything, she didn't want to lengthen the time to listen to her song.

As he played, she closed her blue eyes. It was a soft song, and she listened to the fire crackle and the waves crash, assisting the song, and the feeling behind the song. She slightly swayed, opening her eyes to watch the fire dance. It danced to the music too. Sio smiled when the music stopped and for a breath she left the ocean and the fire applaud Maz. Finally she took a deep breath and let it out.

"Wow, that was beautiful Maz. Sounds almost like a lullabye or something, but powerful, and strong. And the beach.. This was the perfect place to do it. With the fire and the waves... What-what does the song even mean?"

She turned an intent gaze to the red head, leaning closer to her friend. 

tovaana

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

Maz surveyed his friend and gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Yeah? I’m glad you liked it.” He had been confident she would, but the positive feedback fed his ego – making the earlier mishap with the fire fade from thought. "Hopefully you won't get tired of it, you'll probably hear me sing and flute often." He thought he may either start saving up for materials to make a gitar or buy one outright during a festival... It would probably be more affordable to get the raw materials and do it himself. 

He scooted a little closer; so they were barely brushing – responding to the way she had leaned in toward him. Maz’ru loved making connections with people and he was enjoying Sio and her strange energy. He fingered his carved flute with swirls and other fine details. He offered it to her for her to look at if she wished.

“The song is about a ship sailing on the ocean, love of the sea. If you’d like I can tell you the words of the song on our walk back." He paused, looking at his new friend with a feux-critical gaze. “Which should probably be soon, the way you’re yawning.” He turned to the fire, leaning slightly toward with outreached hands as close as he dare to the flaming fire Sio had nursed to life. “It’s too bad we’ll have to put out the fire so soon though.”

kevna

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

The small blonde's wiggle had a little less energy, but she felt the extreme joy of hearing him promise lots of singing and flute. For a moment she wished she had been better at music. But even as a little child she had been deaf to music like her mother. She could still remember her mother singing what was meant to be a lullaby, and while it had made her feel at ease, it had not been pretty. The thought brought a smile to her mouth, quirky, but there. 

Sio refocused on her friend as Maz leaned closer in response to her, and painted a picture of the song with his words. She looked out to the ocean, picturing a boat on the ocean, and the courtship between a boat and the ocean, the romance and love of it. She nodded in response to Maz's query, and gave him a grim look. He was right, she wouldn't last much longer. 

"Yes, I would love to hear the words.. Maybe you could sing them to me on the way back?"

She gave him her best wide-eyed doe stare. Pleading with him internally. She then turned to the fire, and blew a wisp of hair out of her hair matter of factly. 

"Yeah, what a shame... It's sooo warm." She pulled her shoulders forward, as if she could suck the fire and it's heat into her body. Relactantly she grabbed handfuls of sand and began throwing them on the fire. "But I am tired. This is one of the faster ways to put the fire out. See? Like this."

tovaana

[tovaana]

Mazarakru;

He chuckled, he couldn’t refuse to not sing. He hadn’t been at the weyr long and he was finding reasons to sing and use his current talents while he learned new ones. It still didn’t feel real, but just another chapter in his life, one that seemed dream-like. “Yeah, of course.”

His eyes flickered to the fire as she started throwing sand on it. She was right, it started to sizzle and sputter from lack of oxygen. Maz moved to his knees and scooped up sand to pile on the fire, immediately missing the warmth.

Brushing his sandy hands on his pants he stood up and offered to help Sio up. He packed up his flute in his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Common, time to rest so you can wake me up tomorrow morning with that energy of yours.” He took her hand and weaved it through his arm and wrapped and arm around her waist lightly – offering warmth and guidance to the tired lady. Mazarakru was naturally warm and thought little about what other people called ‘bubble of space’… so he did not think it was a big deal to wrap Sio close in a side hug as they walked.

“Alright, now for that song you requested.” He said, clearing his throat.

"My nightly craft is winged in white
a dragon of night-dark sea
swift born, dream bound, and rudderless
her captain and crew are me

oh, sweet sea, oh dear sea
take me far from shore
but bear me safely to my hold
when morning comes once more

The fickle wind's my foe
with tide his keen ally
they're jealous of my sea's love
and taunt her with their lies

oh, sweet sea, oh dear sea
take me far from shore
but bear me safely to my hold
when morning comes once more

I sail 100 sleeping tides
where no sea-man's ever been
and only my white-winged craft and I
know the marvels we have seen

oh, sweet sea, oh dear sea
take me far from shore
but bear me safely to my hold
when morning comes once more"

He sang softly, seeing as Sio was close enough to him, he didn’t want to yell in her ear and wake her from her half sleep. He held out the last note and gave Sio a squeeze as they made it back to the caverns. He hummed as they walked back to the barracks.

Maz untangled himself from his new friend and shifted a little so he could meet her gaze – so she could see that he meant these next words. “Thanks Sio, today was awesome.” He shifted his bag over his shoulder, his body facing more away and toward the guy’s side of the candidate barracks.


OoC// kevna you can fade/end with your next post – Maz will have offered a last smile and headed into the barracks!

[kevna]

Siorreya - Candidate

She was glad he responded so well to her doe eyes, giving in quickly enough. He helped her put out the fire, and then stood quickly, offering a hand up. She blinked at the hand in her face, realizing just how tired she was if anyone was beating her to their feet. She was usually the faster one. A humorous smile dawned her lips, and after brushing her hands off, she took his offered hands.

"Rest does sound nice." Sio stated, and blinked when Maz folded her into an arm. She tried not to be stiff, forcefully relaxing into his grip, which was warm and comforting. It was much better to have his arm around her then for her to be naked to the wind. "What a gentleman." bumping her him against his. A dreamy smile replaced the humor and she listened as Maz sang in her ear. She leaned her head lightly towards his, and let the music drift her into dream state, her lids half lidded.

Suddenly his voice was quiet and she felt a brief instant of increased pressure around her and then nothing. She blinked again and was surprised to find them in the commons. "What a song. It'll be my favorite from now on. And you will have to sing it to me often. Thank you."

She moved further away from Maz towards her side of the barracks, and then paused to look over her shoulder. 

"We are gonna be the best of friends Mazarakru." 

She took in his last smile, and then trotted off toward her bed, excited to sleep and dream of the song, and Maz's sweet voice in her dreams. 

Fade Siorreya

tovaana