Just Hanging Around

Writers: Allison, Jane
Date Posted: 1st July 2007

Characters: Swift, Laram
Description: Swift and Laram discuss Yara and Laram's status as an apprentice
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 4, day 20 of Turn 4

Laram was sitting in the dining area, just finishing up his lunch when Numbweed, who was perched on his shoulder hoping for handouts, flew over to a blue flit who was perched up in the rafters. Numbweed started chattering to the other flit and acting very full of himself. "Well, looks like he's found a friend," Laram said to himself softly.

"That's Red - he's mine," Swift said as he paused in gathering up the empty plates. "Very newly mine, still."

"Oh! Hello! The brown is Numbweed. He likes to make new friends," Laram said and smiled, ducking his head. "I didn't realize you'd Impressed a firelizard Swift, congratulations. I heard your granddaughter, Yara, will be here. Has she already arrived or are you still waiting for her?"

"Arrived yesterday on the Dawn Crest," the kitchen hand admitted with pride. "And my son too, just to get her settled here. I've an embarrassment of riches, going from having nobody to -" he hesitated and left his relationship with Kateena out of the conversation with the apprentice, "-having two family members and a firelizard."

"Lucky you!" Laram said and grinned. "I haven't had a chance to see my family in a while, so it's nice to have family around. However, Numbweed keeps me from getting too lonely. Hopefully I'll get to meet Yara then. What is her ranking?"

"She's a journeywoman." Swift smiled and shrugged. "My family were all dolphineers, so it must just be me that was destined for other things."

"That's neat. Hopefully I'll get a chance to meet her. Has anything new or interesting been happening in your life?" Laram replied as he started helping Swift gather plates.

Swift gave the younger man a startled look. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason, just making conversation," Laram said and blushed.
Lately, he'd been trying to make an effort to overcome his shyness, althought sometimes it seemed like he was moving backwards instead of forwards!

"I don't mind, Laram," Swift said, seeing the other man's blush. "I just wondered if you had heard anything."

"Oh no, no one really confides anything in me. In fact, if I find something out, that usually means everyone else already knows!" replied Laram.

Swift thought his life was exactly the opposite - with everybody confiding in him, but that was probably only because he was always underfoot. "In this case you were right. Something interesting is happening in my life."

"Oh? Is it good news then?"

"Definitely. I -" He tried a few phrases out in his head and settled for, "I'm courting."

"Wow, that's great!" Laram said enthusiastically. "Who is it?" he said in a confidential tone.

The kitchen hadn grinned, thinking Laram really must be studying quite hard if he was oblivious to everything around him. "Journeywoman Kateena."

"Oh, I know her. She seems like a nice person, so good for you," Laram replied. As always, he was probably the last person to find this information out. It was pretty typical to not hear anything until someone dropped the news to him.

"I think so. And what about in your life, Laram? Anything new happening there?"

"Not really," Laram said and smiled over at Swift. "I'm still studying and still trying to get better so I can move up to the journeyman rank.
That's my current goal at least."

"That's a very important goal," Swift agreed. As they got older it was the goal the apprentices focused on more and more. "And when you do walk tables it will mean the end of chores like this."

Laram rolled his eyes. "Thank goodness for that! I'm ready to try something new, that's for sure!"

"And I'm sure you will, very soon."

Last updated on the July 1st 2007

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Just Hanging Around