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.
OOC: I know there's more to this log (before and after), but I only have the bits with Jonteim in them. If anyone has the rest, feel free to update this. :)
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." comes his reassuring reply with a vigorous nod. "I think I'm just worrying too much and it's affecting my sleep." There's a pause here and he suddenly narrows his icy blue eyes on her. "You, on the other hand, seem very relaxed. Don't you have fears or doubts?"
Gae opens her mouth like she'll answer that without even a second thought to her true feelings. But she pauses mid breath and reconsiders. "Sure, I guess. Everyone does, probably. But I don't think they're… specific to being here. Not about, you know, the eggs and them hatching and being a rider or not being a rider. Is that what you're worried about?"
Eltanin lifts a brow and smiles rather broadly ready to hear Gae's instinctive and honest answer but then no. Doesn't seem like it. "Err…Not really. I mean, of course, I'm pondering all of that but…" and his face darkens slightly. "…it's more being mauled on the sands that concerns me…"
Jonteim had been, for all intents and purposes, taking a nap. The guy seems to keep odd hours, really, preferring to work nights and only coming to bed when he absolutely must. It works all right, since - normally - the barracks are pretty quiet for most of the day. Although he managed to appear to sleep right through the sounds of Eltanin waking and the beginning of the conversation between him and Gaedrielle, he must've been following it behind his closed eyes all the while. Since, when Eltanin talks about getting mauled, he chimes in, "Worried about scars or bleeding out?" Cheerful guy.
It could be that getting mauled simply hadn't occurred to Gaedrielle. Her brows furrow into an intense sort of look as she studies Eltanin, then Jonteim's voice is pulling her attention around. "That's not going to happen," she tells them. Both of them. Like she's some sort of expert on this very thing. "It doesn't happen very often." There are a few seconds that pass before she's asking, "Right?"
Eltanin says "Both." is Tani's answer to Jonteim's so cheerful query. Chasing a shudder away by straightening his shoulders, his attention is on Gae again as she speaks comforting words. "I've read some occurrence in the archives…" his voice trails off and turns into a regretful sigh. "Now I know I shouldn't have been that nosy. But then, all we need to do is to sharp our reflex, I've been told.""
Yeah, Jonteim's not buying into the certainty of Gaedrielle's answer. He shrugs, which looks odd considering he's still laying on his back on the bed, making it harder to shift his shoulders, but he makes as much of the gesture as he can. Then, after her 'right?', he points out, "Must happen often enough that people've heard of it, that enough people've heard of it that we've got good cause to worry about it." There's a snicker after Eltanin's logic, and he asks, "Easy as that, huh? Just sharpen our reflexes." Sorry, but 'derision' is kind of his Thing.
"A lot of people are scared of lightning. And it's not because a lot of people get struck by it. It's just because it could happen and it's unpredictable. But lightning isn't alive. I doubt any of the babies will be trying to hurt anyone. And being scared of the possibility could just make them more anxious and more likely to hurt someone." Gaedrielle's voice only wavers a little bit as she makes her way through her practical monologue.
Eltanin allows some of his stress to leave the confines of his chest by exhaling deeply. "I don't know." And here is his main concern. Not knowing what will happen. "In our state…" he begins, also trying to convince himself more than finding additional arguments. "I'd say that we will pretty much relay on our instincts. I just hope mine will be sharp enough, yes, Jon. Anyway, I think….I need some air." He offers an apologetical smile at both of them as he stands up again. "Will see you all at dinner…" And here he goes.
Jonteim has to argue that lightning logic: "A lotta people are scared of tunnelsnakes, too. Know why? 'Cause a lotta people get bit by them. Just sayin', it could happen, and the power of positive thinking won't lessen the chances any." He props his head up somewhat, sliding his hand behind his head, he props his head up enough to watch Eltanin's departure, his smile - no, let's call it what it is: his smirk - in place for a few seconds until he drops his head back onto his pillow. "Long story short, everyone just better be ready to duck-and-move."
"Don't be silly. Tunnelsnakes aren't thinking, feeling creatures the same way that dragons are. If you walk up to a herdbeast expecting it to be skittish and weird, it's probably going to be skittish and weird." Leave it to a girl to base everything around her on her feelings. Gaedrielle shifts her seat around so she can watch Jonteim now that Eltanin has gone on his way, bending her elbows against her knees so she can prop her head on her hands. "You're not worried about it, are you?"
Chrystyne is sprawled out on her cot on her stomach with a book before her. Mostly any conversations around her go completely ignored for favor of the story she is reading. However eventually snip bits of the tunnel snake chatter reach her conscious thoughts which cause her to raise her gaze enough to look towards those chatting. "I love catching and skinning tunnel snakes." interjects the former Istan Weyr guard."
"Don't be silly," Jonteim counters, not quite mimicking Gaedrielle, but definitely pulling her words out purposefully. "Hatchlings aren't dragons. Hatchlings are confused, chaotic, sharp-taloned creatures that don't give two shakes about you until they're Impressed." As for Chrystyne's interjection… well, that gives him a moment to snicker again, this time looking up at the ceiling with his eyes focused on nothing in particular. "Dunno that catching and skinning hatchlings is really a viable solution, but hey. Good story." He sticks an arm up, thumbs-up at the end of it.
"Not caring if you get hurt and deliberately hurting you aren't the same thing," says Gaedrielle, evidently unruffled by Jonteim's attempts to be contrary. She only glances briefly in Chrystyne's direction, nose wrinkling at the idea of skinning anything, before she's shifting her cross-legged seat back to her journal. None of her notes are so doom and gloom!
Chrystyne snorts. "I didn't say I'd catch and skin a hatchling." a scowl is directed towards Jonteim. "Don't be an ass." shifting she props herself up on her elbows as she peeks between the two. "Are you worried about getting hurt at the hatching?" she asks either of them.
He could just concede the point. He really could. But Jonteim doesn't. 'Cause that's Jonteim for ya. "Bet that'll be a real comforting thought when you're bleeding to death on the Sands," he tells the ceiling, the faceless watcher of the weirdness that Candidates talk about when no one's around to make them do more productive things (like work). What he doesn't argue about is that he's an ass, just takes that one in stride, and answers Chrystyne's question instead. "Worried's not the word. More… prepared."
Gaedrielle glances over at Chrystyne again, but Jonteim's comment makes her roll her eyes before she has a chance to answer. And when she does, it's definitely to the other girl and not to him. Even if he's probably meant to hear what she says as much as Chrystyne. "No. I'm not worried about getting hurt. I'm not worried about any of us getting hurt. Though I'm starting to hope he gets at least a little scratch." She obviously wouldn't wish real injuries even on Jonteim. That would be mean.
Chrystyne's gaze flickers towards Jon briefly before focusing on Gaedrielle. "I'm Chrystyne." she introduces. "Not sure if I ever caught your name." a smirk brightens up her eyes with amusement. "Well if he's got a dragon out there to be hatched then certainly he or she would smack him around a bit. Just a little though." she pauses. "Then why were you talking about tunnel snakes?" which proves one shouldn't jump into the middle of a conversation
Jonteim, pushing first up to a sitting position and then swinging his feet down to the floor, pauses only that far into standing up to drum his fingers on his chest, telling Gaedrielle, "Aw, you do know how to make a man feel loved, darlin'." He bats his lashes her way, then finishes standing, telling Chrystyne, "Have to make proper introductions some other time. Ladies," with a sweeping bow of farewell, flourish included, on his way out of the barracks.