Lunch Meeting

Annik - Monday, August 19, 2002, 9:51 AM

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You head through the entrance into the dining Hall.

 

Smith Dining Hall

As you step into this large room, rows upon rows of tables first greet you. The scars and spots in the wood and the benches distinguish them as apprentice benches, victims to younsters' curiosity about their first blades. Farther into the hall are groups of round tables with chairs, journeymen tables it would seem and finally across the top of the room sits one long table. The master's table is on a slightly raised dais, no doubt to allow the masters to keep a better eye on the apprentices during the meal. A swinging door near the apprentice tables gives a glimpse into the bustling kitchen.

A large metal door to the west leads out to the main meadow.

Contents:

Talbak

Kuroyi

Obvious exits:

Kitchens  Main Meadow 

 

Talbak notices Annik and quickly goes to stand behind his seat, waiting for the craftmaster to take hers.

 

Annik enters the relatively quiet dining hall and smiles. "Afternoon," she says as she walks to the Master's table and sits down. She nods to a few apprentices in particular. "Glad to see you here."

 

Kuroyi also stands be hind his chair, looking intently at Annik as she walks in.

 

From out of the kitchen come a line of cooks and drudges bearing the mid-day meal. First are the beverages, then trays with a variety of sandwiches, bowls of mixed greens, and finally some bubbly pies.

 

Annik smiles as lunch is served, pouring herself some klah and taking a couple sandwiches with a serving of the mixed greens. "How is everyone this afternoon?" she asks to the room in general.

 

Kuroyi has claimed his seat, and grabs a couple of sandwiches off the tray as it passes it by. "Chemistry today.." as if that explains how his day is going.

 

Talbak smiles, taking his seat and nodding to Master Annik, "I've a good morning, Ma' - er - Annik." He says, "How about you?"

 

Annik chuckles at Kuroyi's response, a knowing look in her eyes. She swallows a bite of sandwich and shrugs at Talbak. "Busy, as usual, but good."

 

Taria comes in from the main meadow.

Taria has arrived.

 

Talbak nods slowly, taking a wherry sandwhich and eating it slowly, pouring himself a mug of klah before passing the pot along to the person sitting next to him.

 

Kuroyi sighs, resting his chin on his hand, as he takes a bite of his sandwich. "Why does chemistry have to stink so much?" he asks at large, before filling his glass with juice, setting the pitcher down on the table.

 

Taria has been here all along, munching on her lunch as she has a lively discussion with another apprentice about the mechanics of something or other. The topic keeps jumping about soit's hard to pin down excatly what the two are quibbling on.

 

Annik finishes her first sandwich and starts on the second. "Do you mean literally or figuratively?" she asks Kuroyi.

 

Talbak sees Taria and smiles, budging along the senior apprenticess table to sit opposite her, "Hey, Taria." He says, grinning. "Still here?" He asks, glancing at the apprentice she was talking to.

 

Kuroyi grins at the Craftmaster. "Figuratively. I know why it stinks literally."

 

Taria smiles back at Talbak. "Sure thing, say help me out here will you Tal, Forbes here is convinced you can't make musical instruments outta glass." she states softly.

 

Talbak looks at Taria for a moment, "Well, you can't." He says, grinning slightly, "How'd you expect to do something like that?"

 

Kuroyi shakes his head, "That's not true, you could make some instruments out of glass I bet. Theyw would just sound different."

 

Annik chuckles and shrugs at Kuroyi. "It's just one of those subjects that only appeals to certain people. I know some Smiths who think chemistry is the best class here."

 

Kuroyi wrinkles his nose, "I know.. One of them bunks next to me in the dorm. You should hear him go on about how copper bonds with nearly anything."

 

Talbak looks between Kuroyi and Taria, "Only as ornamental...they'd be too fragile to play - imagine having a gitar made out of glass, it'd just break..." He thinks for a moment, "Though you could maybe make some of them...what-dya-call-ems."

 

Taria flashes her teeth at Kuroyi, and then glances at Tal. "Some help you are." she comments, with, oh was that just a hint of mild sulkiness. Then she smiles. "Oh well, we'll just have to proove the theory then."

 

Annik grins as she stabs a fork into her greens. "Well, I can appreciate chemistry, but I'll leave it to others to study it."

 

Kuroyi nods at Annik. "Exactly my opinion." To Talbak he calls, "A flute made of glass might work pretty well. I mean think about it the glass would hold the reverberation well. Might actually sound more pretty. Though you're right it'd be fragile as all get out."

 

Annik smiles over towards the senior apprentices. "If you want to have a really in-depth discussion on what you can make with glass, ask Carissa about it sometime. Now, it's not very feasible to make many intricate, working instruments with glass, but there's always the possibility of using glass for parts of an instrument."

 

Talbak grins at Taria, "Sorry..." He says, then looks at Kuroyi, "Flutes are too complicated with all them little bits, they'd break." He nods to Annik, grinning again, "Yes, Master."

 

Taria nods. "Could we make a stronger glass do you think, or better yet, would those new plastics serve to do the job effectively?"

 

Kuroyi shakes his head at Talbak, "I meant a simple flute, with just the blow opening and then holes for the fingers."

 

Annik swallows her last bite of greens and picks up a bubbly. "We're always trying to make stronger glass, so that's a possibility, though glass of any kind will limit what you can make. You certainly can't use glass for anything that needs to give or move, or any percussion. Plastics wouldn't do much good, especially since that stuff is still in experimental stages."

 

Kuroyi wrinkles his nose again. "And it stinks. Badly. Makes sulphur *almost* smell pleasant."

 

Taria nods at the craftmaster. "Of course ma'am. But it's a possibility then isn't it?" Looking at the bubly, she grins at her own half forgotten food, and chews away quietly for a bit.

 

Talbak nods slowly, "Intrument making's handled by harpers, so we don't need to worry about it." He says, grinning, "And they mostly just use wood, and just get nails and tools from us, don't they?" He takes another bite of his sandwhich.

 

Annik grins at Taria. "Someday, perhaps. By the way, Taria, while you're here, how are things going at Ista?" She nods at Talbak. "Yeah, instrument making is a Harper domain."

 

Taria smiles. "I never said I was actually going to make the things, I just said it was possible!" as she turns back tot he CM. "Oh, things are pretty well. It's a good thing you asked me that, they've found this interesting new ore deposit out in the volcanic island chain. At least that's the rumor I heard."

 

Talbak nods to Annik, then looks at Taria, "Really? How large?" He asks before quickly shutting up and leaning back it his chair, finishing off his sandwich and klah.

 

Annik raises an eyebrow and picks up another bubbly. "Oh? I'll have to have Tanon investigate and keep me updated on that. I'd like you to come back here to the Hall, for awhile at least. There are some teachers who want to keep a closer eye on your progress," she says with a smile.

 

Taria shrugs at Tal. "Lot's of sulphur deposits too." she says, winkling her nose as she glances at Kuroyi. She nearly misses what Annik says next and then blinks. "Oh, I've not done badly have I?"

 

Taria grimaces. "Knew I should have studied those oxidase reduction steps harder."

 

Kuroyi frowns slightly, "Are sulphur deposits typical of volcanic activity?"

 

Annik shakes her head. "Not at all, Taria. We've been hearing such good things of your work over there that Master Wen and I think you ought to be here taking those last few classes you need."

 

Talbak's eyes glance between Annik and Taria, helping himself to more klah. He looks at Taria and grins, though doesn't say anything.

 

Taria ohs softly, then ohs again. Startled into a reflective silence for once.

 

Kuroyi grins at Taria, glad she's not in trouble.

 

Annik grins and sips from her klah. "I'll contact the Istan Weyrleaders and let them know." She shifts her gaze just slightly and says, "Talbak, would you come up here for a moment?"

 

Taria nods, a little regretful, but she can't help but grin as it's now Tal's turn for the master's attention.

 

Talbak looks up at Annik, "Master, I didn't do it..." He says quickly, but stands anyways and walks towards Annik's seat.

 

Kuroyi pauses in the middle of eating a bubbly, and puts it down as Talbak's name is called.

 

Annik chuckles and shakes her head, murmuring something quietly to Talbak.

 

Talbak nods slowly, "Yes Annik..." He says, then turns and walks towards the apprentices table, glancing at a few of them. He stops beside Kuroyi. "You. Stand up and get that knot off your shoulder." He says, trying to keep a straight face. "Put this one on." He holds out a senior apprentice knot to Kuroyi.

 

Taria claps with delight at the outcome of that interchange. "Alright Kuroyi!"

 

Kuroyi's mouth drops open in surprise, and he gets to his feet. "Thank you.." he manages in a strangled voice.

 

He also removes his knot, accepting the new one from Talbak.

 

Talbak grins now, pointing to the senior apprentice table, "Go and sit down then, Senior Apprentice." He says, "So that we can all get back to our sandwiches and klah."

 

Annik grins at Kuroyi. "Congrats, and keep up the good work." She glances at Talbak. "Remain standing, please."

 

That smile that was on Taria's face is still plastered there, though now it takes on a slight smoirk. "Heh." she says and mumbles something to that apprentice next to her again.

 

Talbak shrugs, "OK, Kuroyi...don't sit." He says slowly, watching Annik.

 

Annik shakes her head, chuckling. "No, Kuroyi may sit, but I'd like you to remain standing, Talbak."

 

Kuroyi moves to take an empty seat at the Sr Apprentice table, still looking rather dazed.

 

Talbak remains standing, not really moving. His eyes glancing at Taria.

 

Taria smiles at Kuroyi again, welcoming him to the table, shoving goodnaturedly at a colleague to get him to budge around a bit for the newcomer. Not that they need much urging.

 

Taria just smiles back at Talbak sweetly.

 

Annik stands, face neutral, and walks around to the front of the Master's table. "Talbak has been here at Smithcraft for nearly three turns now, and in that time I've watched him grow quite a bit. I believed he's learned a lot, and I hope he thinks the same thing. But there comes a time for every apprentice..." Here she trails off in a long pause.

 

Talbak looks at Annik, nodding to Kuroyi in congratulations, but not saying anything. He shifts from one leg to the other.

 

Taria grins, and nudges her mate again. Together they start tapping hte table quietly at first, but after a minute the hant is taken up, and soon a few more appies are all chanting "Walk walk walk!" in a low undertone.

 

Annik continues, "There comes a time when an apprentice must move on and learn some things on his or her own. Talbak has reached this point. After some long turns and much hard work, the other Masters and I have decided that Talbak is proficient enough to practice the craft on his own. In order to that, he needs one important thing, and that is what I'm about to give him," she says, a slow smile growing on her face as she holds up a journeyman's knot.

 

Talbak grins at Taria, then looks at Annik, "Me?" He asks in astonishment, "Me?" He repeats, his grin broadening.

 

All about the snr. apprentice table, the chant is picked up and intensified, as hands thud down loudly. "Walk - walk walk." they call out at Talbak, in their especial tribute for a fellow apprentice who's apprentice no more.

 

Annik steps closer until she's standing among the journeyrank tables. "Yes, you, Journeyman Talbak," she says, her smile now a grin. She holds out the knot and joins in with the chant. "Walk, walk, walk!"

 

Talbak nods slowly, walking slowly and glancing around. Reaching out to take the know from Annik, "Thank you, Master." He says.

 

Annik grins brightly. "Congrats. You've certainly earned it."

 

Talbak nods slowly, fixing the knot onto his shoulder, "Thank you..." He says.

again.