Xanadu Weyr - Candidate Barracks
A long, low ceilinged room opens off the entrance hall to the arena. One wall is slightly curved, set against the outer wall of the arena itself. Cots are set in two rows along the length of the room, 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. It's always warm here when there are eggs on the sands, and candidates seldom need more than a light blanket.
It's just after lunch, not that you can tell by the sky. No sun or blue sky in sight. Dark slate clouds add to the omnious gloom. It's pouring rain and the winds are screaming with rage. A huddled up hooded figure hurries into the barracks, dropping all over the floor. Unwrapping her coat, Kera is revealed and a very young bronze lizard rustles on her shoulder. A quick glance around to the occupied cots "Everything still standing in here?" Her gaze flashes towards the roof for leaks or worse.
A day full of nothing at all to do? The horror! Having little or nothing to keep him occupied makes Maorin an antsy boy, and thus he's resorted to..cleaning. Or as much as he can in the crowded barracks, with everyone milling about. There's a cot made here..and then re-rumpled by people sitting on it. Clothing picked up off the floor..only to be knocked over by someone moving around. Not much is actually getting /done/, but the teenager is at least trying. He blinks a little though at the arrival of the dripping Kera, offering a broad grin toward her. "Standing, sitting, sleeping..I think we're at various stages around here. But none the worse for wear!"
Not a trace of sun… now. Plenty of the candidates have the burns to prove that, just recently, they were getting far too much sunlight for their own good! Janaya has pushed her cot firmly against the back wall, and she sits on it now, watching Maorin clean. She could help him, but… nah. It's a hopeless venture anyhow! Someone else will make another mess, like… say… an arrival from outside to drop on the floor. She looks over that way curiously, then grins. "We've got a roof." And it's not even leaking! (Yet.) She nods agreement to Maorin, adding, "We're fine."
Kera doesn't spot any roof leaks, yet, but lets her eyes continue to drift about the cramped room. The pinkened faces are noted, a hint of a grin at the irony considering today's weather. "For now at least. Who knows if it'll still be attach in a couple of candlemarks. This storm is only gonna get worse." Kera shakes her head and thumbs towards the door, Maorin's cleaning seem to pause Kera's words, before she continues on. "I hope you lot havebeen working on a robe. It could be any day now that the eggs start twitching." Or candlemarks.
"Can't complain with the whole roof business. If it goes..well. It goes." At least they're not huddled in the bushes trying to stay dry. Maorin has finally given up for now, trekking back to his cot to drop down onto it. "Robe is..well it's there. I'm not much for a needle and thread, but that's what favors are for." Or just asking very nicely. "It won't fall off, and that's the part that counts, I think."
Janaya winces, looking up at the roof. "I hope it doesn't." But really, what can she do besides hope? It's stay here and hope, or go out into that rain. As for the robes, she grins and nods. "I made mine before the island. It's in my chest." She hops off her cot to go take a look, shuffling through things to find it. Hers is apparently a brand new one, with nice fabric and stitching that ranges from mediocre to dubious… and a bit along one sleeve that's actually not hemmed at all, because apparently she didn't actually get to that before being hauled off to the island.
Kera hangs her dripping coat up in an out of the way spot and gives Weasty a chin scritch, the young bronze crooning softly at the attention. Sidestepping to not walk through where Maorin was cleaning, she slows to look at Janaya's robe, nodding. Kera eyes the stitching, the healer having an eye for stitch work. "Nice work." Pausing at couple more cots, nodding that the candidates are prepared. Maorin gets a chuckle "Yea, as long as it doesn't fall off of ya out there. Should be just fine." Stopping suddenly as something small and poofy darts from underneath one cot and vanishes under another.
"I solemnly promise not to look at anyone whose robe does fall off." How considerate of Maorin. But he's fairly confident at least that /he/ won't be left stark naked on the sands. There's a grin thrown Janaya's way though, and a faint whistle for her shiny new robe. "Hope the color doesn't matter too much. I think mine's a shade or two..off from that." It's reused! Pristine white, alas, no longer. Scurrying furry bodies? Well the teen hardly seems to notice. He simply tilts his head and grins at Kera. "We've got a kitten infestation."
"Gee, thanks," Janaya says to Maorin for that solemn promise, then sticks out her tongue at him before grinning to him and Kera for the compliment. So, if this robe were an injury, it would pass inspection - good to know! She shakes it out a bit - and it doesn't fall apart as she does - then drapes it over the back of her cot. Maybe she'll work on it more later… when she's going stir-crazy again from still being stuck in here. For now, she laughs. "I doubt the dragons care… and it's not like anyone else is gonna be looking at us, they'll all be staring at the dragons!"
Kera drops lightly onto a trunk near the candidates, hand steadying the bronze before he scrambles down to perch on her leg. He'll give a sleepy little chitter to the pink faced candidates as Kera drags her fingers over the flitter's back as she chuckles at Maorin "That infestation seems to be going around. There's a couple at my cottage as well. I made sure these furballs had food and stuff while you all were away." Shifting more comfortably on the trunk, she smirks to Janaya. "Oh, you'ld be surprised. There's always betting going on up there. All eyes will be watching from the stands." The Awlm's eyes roll at that. "You'll be making marks for some in the stands, and causing others to lose them. Always happens."
Maorin just laughs at that, shaking his head. "I'll bet there's enough people who've seen plenty of hatchings in their day more curious about us than the dragons." There's a faint sigh then, fingers scratching through his hair briefly. "Never been a big fan of storms. Any word on how much longer they think this thing is gonna last?"
Janaya giggles at Kera's little firelizard friend, then nods. "Do we get a cut of it?" she asks of those bets, then grins to Maorin. "Sure, but they've probably seen plenty of candidates, too! If they've seen that many hatchings…" She shrugs, then looks to Kera again for that question. "It'd be nice to actually get out…" she says in a hopeful tone, glancing toward the door… and the drip-puddles by it from Kera's entry.
Kera shrugs to Janaya. "You'd I guess you could get someone to place a bet for you. Doubt the bookies care where the marks actually come from. Better use of your marks to spend them on something ya want rather than just give them away like that though." Kera has now said her two marks on gambling and peers out a window, giving her head a shake to Maorin "I wouldn't count on it passing any time soon. It's getting worse out there by the minute." (re)
Maorin grunts softly. "So they've no idea then. Lovely." Being cooped up with nothing to do may eventually drive the poor boy completely batty. He flops backward finally, stretching his arms above his head to grab his pillow. Which is then tossed in the air for something to do. At least he catches it and it doesn't whap him in the face or anything. "I'm not much for betting, myself. Never had too many marks to begin with, don't want to just /hand/ them to someone."
Janaya listens to Kera's suggestion, then shakes her head. "Nah… that sounds too complicated for me. Though… if anyone wants to bet on the storm…" She casts her eyes up to the roof, and hehs. "Or maybe on how long it'll take for someone to snap and go running out into the storm 'cause the walls are closing in on them?" She grins, looking down and over to Maorin.
A group of candidates have been playing cards at the back of the barracks, Quillan amongst them. He splits from them to get himself a drink, then meanders over to where Janaya is, overhearing her comment about snapping. "Shards, I'm about ready to bolt. But, this is better than being cooped up in a weyr with your mum for days. There's less nagging."
Maelle can apparently sleep through anything. /Anything/, when she's tired enough which is apparently right now. She's curled up in a corner with a blanket wrapped around her even if it's not necessary and is snoozing happily despite all the noise and whatever else is going on outside. Yep, oblivious.
Zhianna cant sleep, nope. The candidate is sitting on the edge of her cot slathering herself with a creme for her sun burn. "I feel like an over done pastry" is wailed as more is rubbed onto her face and hands.
Zak is also present off by himself, making sure that the robe that he is wearing fits and is ready to go, even if the call doesn't come soon it never hurts to be prepared.
Kera smiles as she listens to the candidates, every so often sending a worried glance towards the window when thunder rings and the lightening flashes. Soon she's not paying much attention to the chatter, her eyes peering sightelessly it seem out the window. Suddenly, she grabs the bronze on her lap and clutches the young flitter to her as she stands "Alright everyone. Seems the waiting is over. Do you hear that?" And indeed, even through the storm, a low hum begins to strengthen at Xanadu. "The dragons are beginning their birthing song. Get those robes on and be quick about it." Striding to the door and waiting for the flock to gather.
Maorin laughs a bit and sits up with his pillow, nodding. "At this rate a run in the rain sounds like a good idea. It's the whole..getting blown away by the wind that I'm worried about." Staying inside is probably..a better idea. Though in a rather quick moment, that thought gets completely shattered. That thrumming is certainly not from /thunder/. The candidate blinks just a bit, and his pillow is promptly tossed backward in favor of clambering to his clothespress. It doesn't take but a moment to exchange the clothes he has on for the robe he needs, shaking the thing out to fall properly. Once it's on, he takes off, hurrying off to the door to wait.