Xanadu Weyr - Candidate Barracks
A long, low ceiling room opens off the entrance hall to the arena, one wall slightly curved as it is set against the outer wall of the arena itself. Cots are set evenly the length of the room, in two rows, each with its own small press at the foot, for personal belongings. Wide windows are spaced along the outside wall, letting sunlight in, while other lights are available for the night time hours.
The scene of the barracks is a somewhat tumultuous one. The candidates transferred in from Telgar are still settling in and most have spent a number of clutches at the northern Weyr and had 'usual' bunks. Xanadu's different setup, different people, and different atmosphere have thrown them for a loop and there's a number of debates. Other candidates have gotten in on the act and are bartering to swap cots: new friends wanting to be closer, rather than at opposite ends. A few bargains work out and go according to plan, others are building to more heated arguments. Satoris is just returned from handling laundry and sits down on his cot, looking as perplexed as ever when he has to do chores he's just not as good at. Suddenly, there's a hand thrust in his face- a hand that may be even more calloused than his own. The miner looks up to the tall, broad-shouldered man before him and soon stands, to meet him eye-on, own hand extending for a shake. It's a firm, professional affair, with the Telgari uttering: "I'm Jorrel." Journeyman-turned-candidate nods, "Satoris. Nice to meet you." The other nods, gruffly gesturing at the cot next to Satoris': "Anyone fightin' over this 'un?" A smirk and Satoris shakes his head, "Not that I'm aware." The transfer nods and drops his bag down, kneeling to start putting things in the press.
Ruzel's reaction to the sudden influx of squabbling newcomers is one of frustration. He's lying on his cot trying to read, frequently distracted by arguments over nearby pieces of real estate. He occassionally has to fend off another request to switch with one of the new folks. "I'm quite happy with where I am, thank you. No need to relocate." He mutters before returning to his book.
Rogawani looks as if he's already had a fight over his bunk, although a few have probably figured out that the huge bruise over his eye and down one side of his face isn't from dealing with the recently arrived Telgari candidates. Still, it seems to be enough to ward off most new arrivals from trying to oust him from his claimed spot. On suggestion from the healers, he's got a fairly decent sized piece of raw meat shoved against his eye, and three firelizards sitting on his cot who are staring at him quite hungrily. Now and again, the smallest of the three whines a little, confused at the fact that her owner, and her dinner appear to be the same thing. When one younger candidate from Telgar walks up to him, all it takes is one look from his good eye and the boy shuts it quickly and keeps on walking. At least the black eye had one advantage, it made him seem unstable, perhaps even dangerous, especially figuring that fighting wasn't allowed. Who knows just how Rogawani had managed to get away with that one.
Morlanol sits on his cot, avoiding fighting by making his claim very clear. Agate and Bloodstone sitting on his chest, one crooning lizard getting stroked by each hand. Unexpectedly, one of the Telgari walks up to him, "Get up, kid. I want this bunk." Both lizards hiss at the candidate harshly while Morlanol sighs, sits up a little straighter, looking the boy straight in the belly-button with a harsh glare, "No. Find another bunk."
Sabrina has had a few people come on over to her bunk, probably looking to procure it for themselves, but the Landing hairdresser has managed to trap them into some other thought. She's most likely got them talking about different hair colors and is trying to convince them they need something a little more ourtageous than the norm in their hair. Because she's quite fond of her cot and with her own firelizards lounging on her pack underneath the cot, she has no intentions of moving untill the candidacy is over.
The much larger boy leaning over Morlanol's bunk gives him another menacing glare, "C'mon, you have almost nothing to move, just move over there so I can have a view of the door." Morlanol levels an equally dire glare, still on the boy's belly button, "No, I may no' have much, but it's se'tled here, leave me be." He points to a bunk not far beyond the boy, "Tha' bunk's free an' shoul' be able t' see th' door."
Satoris is perfectly content talking to Jorrel. Likely probing questions to see if the man knows his brother- a Smith? From Telgar Weyr? He must! Few bother the two, as the men are likely larger than most any other candidate. It's a weird conversation; full of monosyllabilic answers and short sentences. Amazing that there's someone else who communicates like Satoris does.
The larger boy tormenting Morlanol finds a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You'd best find an empty cot or we'll give you the ones in the back." And the speaker doesn't mean the ones set up: he means the ones stacked up, too broken for most to use. The speaker in question? An older, but still strong, bluerider who's not on active duty so much anymore: an Assistant Weyrlingmaster. His size and strength are more implied in his carriage and voice than anything else. Otherwise, he's not very imposing.
Ruzel grows increasingly annoyed with the squabbles and demands for his bunk. Clearly, getting any reading done under these circumstances isn't a feasible plan. He sighs, shuts the book, and tucks it under his cot before he sits up. "Where did they find these people?" He grumbles, apparently to himself. "It's like everyone has regressed to childhood. And really, does placement of cots really matter that much?"
Removing the piece of meat from his eye, there is a moment where it seems as if Rogawani might be intending to throw it at the Telgari candidate harassing Morlanol. Luckily for the both of them the imposing weyrlingmaster steps in instead. So, to hide what he'd been planning, Ro' rips off a piece of the meat and tosses it towards the three firelizards, who squabble over it breifly before the small gold comes out with the prize. His good eye looks over towards Ruzel, quirking a smile as the meat is pressed back against the bruise. "That pretty much sums it up. It's like naptime in the lower caverns all over again, everyone has to jockey around for the best cot." He snorts, seemingly amused by the whole thing, but not all that annoyed.
Into the chaos steps Thea, looking tried and harassed, carrying a huge stack of folded sheets. She pauses just inside the door, the irate voices reaching her and for a moment she just blinks, taking it all in. Not pleased is written all over her face as her lips form a flat line of disapproval. "Excuse me!" She says it in clear, meant-to-carry tones, "If you don't want to sleep on the floor, then find an unclaimed bunk -now-." Her glare sweeps over the both Telgar folk and already-established Candidates alike as she barks, "Hustle." A foot taps out her irritation.
Morlanol sighs in relief when the boy is moved on by the imposing Weyrlingmaster. He had no intention of giving up, but he also wasn't stupid enough to think that he could take the much larger boy in a fight… luckily, he also hadn't intended to fight. He lets out an even more notices Thea walk in. Both of his flits settle as he goes back to stroking. Staying on his bunk until told to get off of it by someone who wasn't going to try to steal it.
Sabrina was already thinking that getting up to partake of the 'yummies' would be a good idea and was suggesting it to the people she was talking too, but then Thea comes in and orders everyone to find a cot. Ducking down lightly she waves the other candidates off before getting up from her cot with the intention of helping one of the two women attempting to quell the chaos. "Would you like a little help?" She ends up asking Vora since she seems to be struggling with the tray of food.
Satoris looks up, both at the weyrlingmaster sort intercepting and Thea's call. There's the brief flash of a smirk at the comment of sleeping on a floor. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but thinks better of it and instead sits back and watches as people clamor for cots. There are, however, two boys towards the back of the barracks, still fighting. They're not Telgari, either; they're a pair of brothers just brought in from a small hold near Igen.
The weyrlingmaster, let's call him M'car, grumbles under his breath, glancing to Thea. He jerks a thumb in the direction of the two squabbling. "Ye want to handle, or shall I?"
Ruzel smiles tiredly at the arrival of Thea and her subsequent declarations. Finally, some semblance of order. Having maintained his grip on the cot he claimed when first searched, he simply remains there. He gives the most recent candidate to try to steal away his space a smug smile. Realizing that a little bit of formality might be in order he sits up straighter, peering curiously over at Thea to see if further orders come.
A small laugh manages to rumble up from Rogawani's throat as Thea joins in the fray, but he seems content to sit right where his but is. What he doesn't realize, is his green firelizard now has her eyes on the meat pressed to his face. She's creeping ever closer around his side, trying to sneak up on her prey while it isn't looking. Without a lot to say on the matter at hand, Ro' just peeks out from his cot, looking first down at the squabbling brothers and then up to the front to spy Thea and M'car. Better to stay out of it.
Thea's head turns and her face clears as Sabrina offers to help. "Thanks, if you would take some of these sheets," She lowers her arms a bit so Sabrina can take some. "And go down the other side of the room offer them to those who need them." The weyrlingmaster's voice reaches her then, "Oh M'car! Didn't see you in here." She nods to the pair in the back and gestures with her sheet-laden arms, "Hand full at the moment. If you don't mind doing it?" She gives him an apologetic smile as she starts down her aisle singing out, "Who doesn't have sheets yet?" Her eyes flick to the sheets on cots, noting their cleanliness or lack thereof.
Donakan, easily ignoring the bunk bickering, is laying on his bunk in the back, quiet for once. The normally loud boy has been ignoring those coming by trying to barter for cots, and instead has his face pressed into a letter written on pink paper. Now and again, he sighs, whistfully, apparently so lost in the note that he's ignoring the outside world.
Morlanol scoots so that he's sitting up straighter on his cot, shifting the two firelizards quickly to his thighs as he does so. Both trill in welcome to Thea as she passes *their* cot. Morlanol glances back at Donakan, then smiles to Thea as she passes.
Jorrel doesn't have sheets, so he raises a hand when Thea calls out for those that are in need. Satoris' area is immaculate. Save for his work boots, but those are in a permanent state of dirty; stained through and through. They are, however, clean enough to not be getting dirt on the floor or anything. They're simply at odds with the rest of his things. As people scamper to bunks, one teenage girl near-shrieks, standing up with a hand on her hip. The other is pointing, nearly right up the nose of the young boy who's settled in next to her. "Haven't you ever heard of a BATH?!" Thea may know that the boy worked in the stables of his home hold — perhaps the smell stuck? Then again, there is a lot of dirt smudged about his face and ears.
M'car nods curtly to Thea, "Yes'm," and heads for the back. The boys are about to launch themselves at one another, but the bluerider is too fast for them; he grabs one by the collar and hauls him back. "Settle down-" he's about to add more, but the one he's holding solid points at the other and shrieks: "He started it!" Clearing his throat, M'car continues: "-or you're /both/ going home." They shut up, swiftly, and mutter under their breath. "Now tell me what's going on here?" He lets the boy go, bracing himself with arms folded, waiting for their reply.
Sabrina takes a good half of the sheets when Thea lowers them enough for her to take some. "Alright then." She says before turning to move down the line of cots. "Sheet? Sheet? Anyone needs a sheet?" She asks even as candidates new and old take one from her stack. She grins lightly at the couple who aren't quite sure they need one, but then they might, but no, yes, no; they're good. She does her best not to get in the way of fight straightening and instead just drops the remaining two sheets on the cots they're standing by, figuring that they'll likely end up there.
Ruzel shakes his head at the offered sheets when they make his way past his cot. Alerted by the shrieking female candidate he takes a whiff of the air, wrinkling his nose a little at the unpleasant smell from some of the new candidates nearby. "Yikes. The more people we get in this place, the worse it smells… think they could spare an air freshener for this place?"
Rogawani gives a quick glance to his cot, which is made at least somewhat neatly with his ragged old quilt thrown over it. However, his eyes pause as he only sees two firelizards there. Uh oh. As he turns to try and find Kialio, the little green strikes, leaping at the meat dangling from his face. "Aagh." He blinks and quickly drops it, firelizard and all. Rolling to the floor, the green quickly is on her feet, holding the meat that's nearly half the size she is proudly in her muzzle even as people go walking by. She hisses now and again, and then proceeds to bolt under Morlanol's cot. "Kia…" Rogawani mutters to himself, and gives an apologetic look at the ex-miner. "You've got a stow away, you mind?" He asks, getting up and walking across before crouching down, trying to peek under the cot for the stray lizard and lost meat.
For now the shrieking of others is ignored with a little sigh and an eyeroll as Thea moves down the aisle, plopping sheets on bare mattresses. Occasionally she darts sharp glances towards that back corner, keeping a watchful eye out that M'car is being heeded. She plops a pair of sheets at the foot of Jorrel's cot, flashes Morlanol a smile before pausing by Rogawani's cot. She's just noticed that meat on his face, but it is dropped and whisked away before she can say anything, although her mouth is open to ask. As Rogawani delves under Morlanol's cot, she waits for him to emerge. Oh yes. She's caught a glimpse of that shiner.
Morlanol's bunk is almost as clean as Satoris'. There is some evidence that his young 'lizards have been exploring and therefor have de-neatened some of the stacks and bundles, but overall everything is clean. He nods when Ruzel asks for an air freshener, "Yeah, tha' migh' be good. I though' the bunkroom back home stunk, bu' this is rediculous." Morl jumps when Kia hisses and pounces. Before he can react, Agate and Bloodstone are after the meat under his cot as well. He lets out a heavy sigh, lowering himself to the floor on the other side of his cot, glad that he only has a few things stored there. He looks under the cot, catching sight of all three flits back lit. He whistles harshly, trying to call his own to him, but the meat is too much of a temptation as they both grab an edge and begin to pull at it, starting a tug-of-war with Kialio
Someone coming by Donakan's bunk finally brings the boy back to reality, and he hurridly tucks the pink note away beneath his pillow, doing his best to look completely innocent in the process. He sits up strait, and looks off towards the ceiling. Nothing to see here.
Sabrina moves back towards her own cot then, stopping to pull a little bag of jerky out of her pack and dangle it at the blue and brown lizards keeping out of everyone's ways. "Come on Loley, Doyle, time for a little treat while everyone's busy." She says to them with a little grin. Sitting crosslegged on her cot she begins feeding tidbits to the flitters. A grin pops up on her face at the attempt at looking non-chalant about the obvious lovey-dovey letter he was hiding. "You know I wonder if that's what D'mos does when I send him a letter. Yes, she talks to her firelizards, but only because they seems to be glad enough to listen to her when she's got food for them.
Rogawani is oblivious to Thea's presence behind him, scowling down underneath Morlanol's cot. "Shard it all. Sorry 'bout this." He sighs and reaches his arm down underneath, trying to grab hold of his green lizard. However, the three all seem to be too far back to snatch. Kialio tugs now and again, trying to keep up with the force of the other two lizards, but finally the meat gives up the ghost and a piece rips free with green lizard attached. Rolling backwards, green emerges from beneath the cot just in time to spot thea, chirp once, and disappear between leaving whatever remains of the meat to be fought over by the other two. With this, Rogawani sighs and pushes himself to his feet and seems to almost wish he could do the same as his lizard. Spotting Thea, the boy freezes, and gives a sheepish look. "Uh, hey Thea."
"Thanks, m'am," Jorrel says curtly, standing up to begin putting the sheets on his cot. He works quietly and at some point, from within the jacket he wears, comes a green firelizard. She extends across his shoulders — getting comfortable — to watch the other going-ons. Satoris just shakes his head slightly at the clamor and various bits of chaos, pulling out a small jar of oil; he's not oiled his 'lizards in a bit and from the way they all come to him, it'd seem they've needed it.
"I want /that/ bunk," one of the two brothers — twins, by the look of it — argues. "But I got there first!" the second counters. This goes back and forth until M'car clears his throat. "And what's wrong with the other bunk?" The two just shrug, looking at their feet. With a heaved sigh, he points at the one that he /didn't/ have to pull off. "/You/ get this bunk." That boy starts to preen, while the other curses under his breath. "And you… I won't have any of this fighting. Come with me." He doesn't give the boy a chance, grabbing him harshly by the arm and dragging him towards the front of the barracks.
Ruzel glares over at the quarrelling siblings. Realizing that the mere presence of authority figures isn't going to make the annoying squabbles die down immediately, he sighs heavily and claps his hands over his ears. It's almost as much of a childish attempt to communicate his frustration as it is a way to drown out the noise.
The meat continues to give and, as Morlanol whistles again, his two emerge each carrying their own chunk of meat. Morl scoops them up and grins sheepishly at Ro, "No pro'lem. I's par' of takin' care o' things with th' mental capacity o' a five-turn-old." He settles himself back on his cot as Agate and Bloodstone finish gulping down their respective chunks of meat. "Sorry I couldn' ge' yer meat back, Ro." He glances at the squabbling siblings and sighs, "At leas' th' flits aren't causin' th' biggest fuss."
Donakan's eyes shift over to Sabrina with one of those glaring looks he likes to reserve particularly for people who annoy him. "Shut it." He growls, apparently not appreciating her talking about anything remotely related to his well hidden love-letter. His eyes keep darting to it, however, and that's the most blatent give away there is.
Squabbling firelizards underfoot are not new to Thea, but at least she's not moving so, they aren't in danger of being flattened by her stepping on them. The noise level hasn't seemed to have abated in the least, which causes the weyrwoman to eyeroll once more. "Shards. How -does- anyone get any rest in here?" It's a soft, frustrated mutter to herself. She steps aside to allow M'car to pass with the Candidate, ignoring them otherwise for the time-being. Her attention is focused on Rogawani and she's been doing a slow boil. By the time he speaks he's likely to see it by the flash in her eye. As he stands, they scan the black eye grimly. Her voice, however, is mild when she does speak and in the presence of so many others all she does is ask him in an undertone, "Ronani?"
The eyebrow above Rogawani's uninjured eye raises as he catches the flash of something behind Thea's eyes, and all he can do is pray that whatever is there it isn't a bad thing for him. When she says the name of his father, however, Ro' stiffens a little bit, and looks down at the floor with the only eye open at the moment. The toe of his boot makes a nervous tapping sound on the floor and his shoulders hunch forward as if he were worried over whatever would be coming next. However, after facing down his dead-beat dad, nothing could be worse, right? So, he straitens a little and raises his head. "Yeah. Decided he didn't like my face much. Thought he'd re-arrange it for me." There is a pause, and the hardness in his expression softens a little. "If you want me out, I'll go. I understand." Apparently he's under the assumption that his time as a candidate is numbered.
Sabrina makes an innocent face at Donakan, brows arched and lips pursed, the whole shabang. "I didn't say anything to /you/." She says, smiling mischeviously. "I was talking to these fine gentlemen here on my cot." She says tossing them each another bit of jerky. She stratches her head a bit, tempted to take the braids out, but that can be saved for later on. "Besides," She starts, now actually talking to the boy. "There's nothing wrong with getting a letter from someone."
For a moment, it seems as if Donakan doesn't quite trust Sabrina, looking at her with narrowed eyes. Perhaps it's just his nature to be distrustful, but he snorts and looks away from her quickly, "Whatever." He lifts his chin and seems to ignore the girl. "Stupid girl talks to firelizards. What a nutjob." He mutters to himself, grabbing for a small wooden board that he has tucked under his bed. He leans over the edge of his cot, trying to get the attention of the boy next to him. "Want to catch a game of stones?" He asks, tuning out the rest of the goings on.
"So, you said his name is Mathis?" Jorell begins speaking again once his cot is nearly done. Satoris glances up and nods. The two are, apparently, fairly good at tuning out everything else. "He's my older brother. I haven't seen him since he was sent there." Jorell grins, briefly, "Yeah, I know 'im. Good guy. The apprentices all like him." Satoris smirks, nodding again. "Figures. He always was likeable." They converse further between themselves.
The weyrlingmaster stops at the very front cots, jerking a thumb at the girl who occupies one. "Move to the back." She starts to protest and his sheer glower cowls her and she quietly begins picking things up. "You," he says to the boy, practically shoving him into the cot itself, "this is your spot. So we can keep an eye on you and your brother won't be in your way." The boy looks towards the back, where his twin has already flopped down onto the cot he 'won' and looks to be torn between joy at the location and terror at being so close to where the weyrstaff can nab him. M'car, satisfied, moves to Thea's side. "Anythin' else ya need, Weyrwoman Thea?"
Thea is fighting with something as Rogawani explains and for a moment it may appear to bode ill for the boy as it looks like she's about to lose her temper. Her jaw tightens, her lips press in a flat line and the knuckles on the hands that hold those sheets turn white. By the time the lad says he'll go, her eyes are a-glitter. "You'll stay right here!" It comes out as a growl. On the heels of that she sniffles coving that with a quick movement, tossing the stack of sheets on an empty cot nearby, dashes the back of her hand across her eyes and turns all in one motion striding to the door muttering something about her crossbow and Ronani. Being mentioned in the same sentence like that? Does not bode well for Ronani. And he's not even a bronzerider!
Morlanol watches Thea go, his brow furrowing before he turns to Rogawani, his flits chattering with interest, "Who's Ronani and why'd he mangle yer face?"
Sabrina can't help the smirk that pops up on her lips and she gives her little flitters a scritch under their chins. "Don't listen to him, he's just a bit riled up." She tells them before tieing up the bag of jerky. "That's it for now." She says as she leans over her cot to tuck the bag back in her pack. Her bulky little brown Loley moves up onto her shoulder then perching there to nuzzle against her as he takes to watching the people still making so much noise and her lively little blue moves out to the end of the cot like a sentinel to guard his lady; sqwaking sharply at people every now and then.
Rogawani's expression sinks, at first expecting to get one hell of an earfull from Thea. Then, when she actually speaks, his head lifts, surprise showing there, at least as much as it can with one half of his face bruised up. "Sure." He says quickly, not about to argue with her. Concern marks his brow as she disappears, mumbling about her crossbow. "Huh?" Turning to Morlanol, Rogawani manages a half-smirk, running a hand through his hair. "Journeyman Ronani. My father, biologically at least." He mutters the name as if it were a curse. "Don't think he liked it much when I pointed out what a useless pile of runner dung he was for leavin' my mom when she was pregnant with me." Since it seems that he's not about to get kicked out of candidacy just yet, he can have a little bit of pride for his accomplishment.
Morlanol's eyes grow large, both his flits giving a chorused quizzical cheep, "Yer da' lef' when y' weren't born yet? Tha's lower than a tunnel snake. An' he hit y' fer sayin' as much? I wish I'da been there, I'da.." he pauses, reality sinking in, "I'da done nothin' 'cause that'd've ended m' can'dacy."
M'car watches Thea go, features screwing up in consternation. The older man lets out a huff and turns to face the barracks. He clears his throat a few times before cupping his hands around his mouth and /bellowing/: "QUIET AND SIDDOWN!" Most of the candidates do just that. And those that don't? Well, either their neighbors make them aware, or they catch the expression on M'car's face. The bluerider isn't happy.
"Yeah, that's exactly the problem." Rogawani replies, a small chuckle finding it's way from deep in his chest. However, he doesn't have time to reflect on that too much before M'car is shouting orders. With a half-shrug, the boy walks back across the aisle and sits himself down onto his bunk, the two remaining firelizards looking up at him as if he had abandoned them to a life without meat. Propping his head on his hand, he tilts his head so that he can look towards the front of the barracks with his good eye.
Donakan, on the other hand, is still talking quietly to the boy next to him, and only pauses when the bellowing starts. With an annoyed sound of his own, he chucks the game back under his cot and sits there, looking sulky and sullen. "Didn't have to yell it. Not deaf you know." He says in an undertone, shooting his eyes towards his pillow again before sighing exaggeratedly and looking up at the ceiling, bored.
Morlanol was already sitting, but he shifts his two flits to the foot off his cot, "Stay there an' be quiet you two. Don' get me in trouble." They both cheep understandingly, then settle quietly, their eyes whirly mostly blue-green with an occasional red-orange tinge as they watch the assistant weyrling master stride through the room.
Sabrina's eyes go large when the order to sit down and shut up is issued. Siting up a little straighter she whispers to her flitters to maybe find another place to relax for a while. It takes a moment of prodding, but the two of them take off and pop between to who knows where. The greenhaired girls shifts a little on her cot, but otherwise is silent while she waits to see waht the weyrlingmaster has in store for them.
Satoris and Jorrel quiet down swiftly, though they weren't loud in the first place. The former Miner continues to oil his 'lizards while he watches the weyrlingmaster, eyebrows raised slightly.
M'car clears his throat again, setting to pace down the line of cots. "Now that the place is getting full, we need to lay down some rules. This has been your first inspection and y'all didn't do /too/ bad, but it could've been a sharding sight better. You're candidates, some of you will become dragonriders, and I dunno where ya been before, but a Weyr ain't as lax." Clearly oldschool, but also perhaps the perfect man to be here. "First off…" he bends over and picks up a tunic discarded in the middle of the floor, "keep yer things to yerself! Y'all gotta suffer each other. Try to make it easier on the others, got it?" He throws the tunic at a nearby boy, who passes it off, sheepishly, to the proper owner. "Second…" here he stops before the stable boy, squinting down at him, "our baths are free and plentiful. USE THEM."
Donakan is the first of the candidates to start tuning out the weyrlingmaster. Rather than pay attention, he reaches for the letter under his pillow, unfolding it and holding it open in his lap to read it over a third or fourth time. It's hard to tell how many times he's gone over the words on the frilly pink page. In either case, he seems not to care about what's being said. It's all old hat for him, he's been through it before.
Rogawani leans forward from his bunk, and his two firelizards do much the same as red-bronze and golden heads peek out to watch the loud weyrlingmaster go by. As the tunic gets passed along, trying to find its way back to an owner, Ro' holds it at arm's length, eyeing a dirty spot on it that could be a number of unpleasant things. So, he just moves it on down the line. The comment about the baths, however, almost causes him to chuckle, and he quickly covers it with a conspicuous cough.
Morlanol grimaces slightly, thinking back to his physical state when he was first searched, but he continues to listen closely, quite certain that Satoris will cuff him if he doesn't. Though Donakan's behavior amuses him, he does his best to hide it, not wanting to be called out.
Sabrina finds herself checking around her cot to make sure she doesn't have anything just laying on the floor all loose like, but for the most part, she's glad to see that she's not goign to be yelled at for having a sloppy area. And she'd just taken a bath earlier in the morning, so she's all good! Unless there's more. She chews lightly on her lower lip as the weyrlingmaster passes by her cot, hoping he won't find something she didn't notice to call her out on.
"Also, I'm sick and tired of this squabbling. I don't care if ya don't get along. It doesn't matter. Find a way to deal with it. If you can't? Well, you can just go on home. If you want to stay… ye'll find a way." M'car stops by Donakan's cot and reaches out, since the boy's not paying any attention, to snatch that pink paper. Should he be successful, the bluerider strides away to begin reading it, eyebrows rising steadily in continued interest… or is that surprise?
"Hey!" Donakan pipes up, blinking in surprise as his letter gets snatched right out of his hands. "That's mine!" He protests, and then pauses seeing that it's the weyrlingmaster reading it. He curses under his breath, and turns three shades of red, the last one closer to purple. His lower lip sticks out, and the boy just sits there, hands clenched into fists looking embarassed and a bit annoyed.
Rogawani decides to take a page out of Satoris's book and make use of his time. He grabs his usually elusive bronnze firelizard, who chirps unhappily about being handled, and sets him into his lap. He grabs a small canister of oil from the messenger bag slung over the end of his cot, and begins to work on oiling the irritated bronze, his tail whiping this-way and that. Each time the bluerider speaks, though, his head pops up to watch, and when his brother's voice joins in the fray, Ro's face twists into a mixture of a smile and a wince.
Morlanol winces slightly when the assistant weyrling master grabs the note from Donakan. The wipes the expression, hoping not to get caught. His flits begin to chatter amongst themselves with no particular goal.
Sabrina gets a slightly sick feeling for Donakan when his letter is snatched up to be read by the weyrlingmaster, but really, it's his own fault for reading it while an inspection is going on. She shoots him a sympathetic look before her eyes dart down to her pack. She's glad she keeps most everything tucked away and out of sight. It's just safer taht way.
M'car begins chuckling, at long last. He clears his throat once again as he reaches the front of the room, turns, and loudly reads from the letter: "Dear Donakan, How can I tell you how wonderful you are? Your personal power makes you a sight to behold and your satuesque features are a constant draw to my eyes." It's obvious he, like many, thinks
Donakan is only there by sheer pity of his parents. "You give me reason to come to the barracks, just to watch you. I'm rooting for you to bronze and I'm sure you'll get it." The bluerider can barely keep a straight face, but manages to. "A man as gorgeous, intelligent, and resourceful as you is certain to be Weyrleader someday and I hope you be your Weyrwoman. Sincerely," he finishes, glancing out around the room… likely for a girl equally as embarassed as the boy he snatched the letter from, "Your Secret Admirer."
Donakan's face goes absolutely beet red, and then all the color washes out of it. The glare he gives M'car is one of absolute detestation. In a split second, the boy is on his feet. His mouth moves, as if he were saying something but nothing comes out at all. Finally, his mouth settles into a hard little line, and his nose scrunches up in a sneer. He's so furious that his hands shake. Finally, the eyes of everyone on him, and the mocking of the weyrlingmaster is too much, and the boy just stomps towards the front of the barracks, not looking back at anyone. In his haste, not looking where he's going, Don catches the side of one cot with his foot, stumbling foward. He nearly hits his head into the wall, but slamming into it hard, he grunts, scrambles back to his feet, and then walks out.
The weyrlingmaster isn't the only one trying to figure out just who it is who wrote that letter. Rogawani's face shows absolute amusement and surprise. There is no way to contain his laughter, and it bubbles up for a split second before being choked back again. He claps a hand firmly over his mouth, which of course hits the bruise on the side of his face and causes him to wince. It's probably clear from his reaction that he's not the writer of the letter, as the amusement is so raw and uncontrolled. He barely has the self-control to look down, trying to concentrate on oiling his firelizard, even as his brother stomps out in such a childish display of temper.
Sabrina is not the writer of such a letter, but her own cheeks are tinged in pink and that's a definate frown on her face. She can understand the type of courage it takes to send that kind of letter to someone, especially when you're in the same barracks as them. She watches as the boy storms out of the barracks and feels a little sick when he trips like that and nearly hits hits head. She catches sight of a girl then, who'd managed to keep from looking to embarassed, but there's a definate look of distress on the younger teens face when Donakan walks out. Sabrina just shakes her head lightly, itching to grab out a pen and paper to write a letter of her own.
Morlanol giggles softly, his flits continuing to chitter amongst themselves like old aunties. He covers his mouth with one hand, grabbing some oil from under his bunk and making himself busy oiling his lizards as well.
M'car watches Donakan go with a slight shake of his head. He lets the boy go, too. Eyes unfocus and he mutters something to his dragon about making sure the other Weyrlingmasters know to keep an eye out. Then it's back to the candidates and he tosses the letter to whoever is closest. "Whoever wrote that- thanks for the laugh, I've needed it." Perhaps he recognizes a prank when he sees one. Or maybe he's just that cruel. "Save for those of you who are slobs and those who can't be civil… the place is alright, so you pass inspection for now. Next time, you may not be so lucky." With that, he turns and stalks out.
Once the bluerider is gone, Satoris leans back and exhales with a sigh. "Now I understand…" he murmurs. Jorrel blinks, asking a simple, "What?" Sitting up, the miner-turned-candidate begins explaining to Jorrel the ways in which /he/ tortured the candidates in previous cycles. They speak quietly between themselves for a while.
It's hard to tell if Rogawani has even a shred of sympathy for his brother's plight, as he simply continues to work through with his lizard. Glancing up, the boy watches M'car stalking out, and then lets out a relieved sigh. It had been bad enough that Thea noticed his black eye, he didn't need twenty questions from the weyrlingmaster, too. "Okay, you can go." He pushes at his bronze, who seems tired of being treated as a common pet and flaps into the air, vanishing *between*. In the meantime, Kialio has reappeared, curled up on the boy's pillow as if she'd never done anything wrong. "You, are in trouble." He points at the green, who looks up and then yawns at him. "Grr." He growls playfully, but seems to give up, having far too much tolerance for lizard antics. Then, he pushes himself to his feet, sighing to himself. "Probably should go warn my mother. She's going to get an earful from Don after he's done sulking." Without a look back, Ro' shoves his hands into his riding jacket, and heads out.
Morlanol continues to oil his lizards until they both gleam in the light and crawl around to curl up by his pillow. Morl yawns and lays down as well, pulling his blanket over himself, a light smile playing on his lips.
Sabrina shakes her head one final time before reaching down into her pack and pulling out her notebook and pen. Flopping back onto her back and crossing her legs up all bent to make a desk of sorts, she starts writing a letter; intent on getting it done before she does anything else.
Ruzel's reaction to the sudden influx of squabbling newcomers is one of frustration. He's lying on his cot trying to read, frequently distracted by arguments over nearby pieces of real estate. He occassionally has to fend off another request to switch with one of the new folks. "I'm quite happy with where I am, thank you. No need to relocate." He mutters before returning to his book.
Rogawani looks as if he's already had a fight over his bunk, although a few have probably figured out that the huge bruise over his eye and down one side of his face isn't from dealing with the recently arrived Telgari candidates. Still, it seems to be enough to ward off most new arrivals from trying to oust him from his claimed spot. On suggestion from the healers, he's got a fairly decent sized piece of raw meat shoved against his eye, and three firelizards sitting on his cot who are staring at him quite hungrily. Now and again, the smallest of the three whines a little, confused at the fact that her owner, and her dinner appear to be the same thing. When one younger candidate from Telgar walks up to him, all it takes is one look from his good eye and the boy shuts it quickly and keeps on walking. At least the black eye had one advantage, it made him seem unstable, perhaps even dangerous, especially figuring that fighting wasn't allowed. Who knows just how Rogawani had managed to get away with that one.
Morlanol sits on his cot, avoiding fighting by making his claim very clear. Agate and Bloodstone sitting on his chest, one crooning lizard getting stroked by each hand. Unexpectedly, one of the Telgari walks up to him, "Get up, kid. I want this bunk." Both lizards hiss at the candidate harshly while Morlanol sighs, sits up a little straighter, looking the boy straight in the belly-button with a harsh glare, "No. Find another bunk."