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.
A sudden loud thud breaks the relative silence of the barracks. at one extremity of the line of cots, Eltanin is grumbling, obviously searching for something. Another thing obvious is that he doesn't seem to find it. But then, it's a known fact that a male is just not able to find anything. "Shards….where is it!" he keeps grumbling as if it'll be helpful. He angrily kicks his cot's edge before plopping on it loudly, shaking his head…
"Whatcha looking for?" Briari asks curiously as she peeks her head up over the book she had her face jammed into. Rolling to her side, she props herself up a bit and eyes the young man with a squint. "Also, be careful, you don't want to break your cot and piss off Darsce if she does an inspection."
Eltanin winces, instinctively placing one hand to his heart blinking and, yes, screaming. "Bri!! You were here…?" Of course she was. It's the candidate barracks and she's a candidate. Looks like the starcrafter has a guilty mind. "Oh, err…." he coughs, truing to calm his pounding heart down a bit. "…nothing important. What are you reading?" he counters, nodding his chin at the book she's holding.
"Yeah.. I was here the whole time.. reading.. and if it's nothing important, why are you getting upset and kicking things?" Briari smirks as she rolls off the bed and rises up to her full height. "Just a book of poetry that I found interesting. So, what are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find it."
She's coming his way! Quick, find something! "Nah, it's okay really. It's just that I keep losing things these days." A smile now curls his lips as he follows. "I promise, I'll stop grumbling and kicking things. Poetry you said? I happen to like it too. Do you have a favorite poem?" He's standing up as well, walking to meet her half way.
"You keep losing things?" Briari asks with a grin on her face, lips curving upwards. "It's obviously a big deal and you are totally avoiding and changing the subject, which makes me all the more curious." She strides over to him, smirking. "Did you lose something for a girl?" Her brow lifts upwards, grinning like a cat. "And I have a few favorite poems, mostly from the old days."
Eltanin opens his mouth to protest, both hands raising. But then no words come out and he simply drops his shoulders, sighing deeply, a smile still on his face though. "I'm trying to keep myself focus since…" and he idly taps his white knot with one hand. "And don't torture me, I am changing the subject and I won't say anything." He adds a wink, quickly adding. "Care to share your poems?"
"Yes, you always keep saying that you want to be focused, yet, you act like a goof ball around girls, Tani." Briari says as she gives him a playful poke in the chest. "So, you won't tell me what you lost? Really? Now it's going to drive me nuts until I find out." At the question to her poem, she thinks for a moment. "Every time that you wake up breathing - every night when you close your eyes - every day that your heart keeps beating - there's purpose for your life. So don't give up - Don't lay down - Just hold on - Don't quit now.. Every breath you take has meaning - you are - here for a reason."
Eltanin takes a single step backward at that playful poke, rubbing his chest a bit. No. He's not feigning. She's got some punch. A grin lightens his face though. "Good ball…yeah…I guess it's me." Here comes another deep sigh as he lays on the edge of the nearest cot. "It's really beautiful Bri…" Yes. He's avoiding the subject again.
Flopping down next to him on the cot, Briari peeks up at him with a curious look. "You always act so weird around me." She points out as he bumps her shoulder gently to his. "You know, I'm going to start tearing this place apart until I find random stuff laying about, wondering if it's the thing that you lost."
"And make fun of me again?" comes Tani's quick reply as he turns his head to look at her, bumping her shoulder right back. He keeps his eyes on her to see if his clue reaches her swift mind. "Anyway I'm sure you won't find them…Gaaah…" his words turn into a groan. He's just spoke too much.
A wide grin spreads along the girl's face. "The shorts! You lost your swim shorts?" Briari cackles to herself as she looks up at him triumphantly. "Where'd you lose them at?" She asks as she starts to look around his cot, finding herself giggling. "Let me guess, I bet you were showing off at the hot springs or something and I bet some girl stole them."
Eltanin looks horrified now and he frantically tries to stop her, wiggling both arms. "Oh please Bri, don't. And no. None of that. I just lost them is all. I promised myself I'd get rid off them but didn't find the time to do it properly. Oh..no…not over there…!!!" And he leaps above the cot, rolling on his back and grabbing a random piece of what seems to be some undergarment just before it comes into her range. "And I should have known you'd laugh…."
"They're just swim shorts, Tani! Oh come on, they aren't even bad. They're just way too snug for you to be wearing. You need to get some looser ones." Briari laughs as she dives for them as well, though his longer arms and keen eyes catch them first. She reaches out to wrestle with them, giggling as she looks to pin him down to the cot and yank the shorts away. "We should go shopping so I can pick you out a new pair. Something way more macho."
Eltanin surrenders. Yeah, that quick. He's smarter than to wrestle with her. Staying on his back with a smile that splits his face from one ear to another he lets her wiggle her trophy. "You're impossible, you know that? Once you have an idea in mind nothing on Pern could stop you, eh? And I'd love to go shopping but it'll have to wait and…and…" He suddenly blinks, her last word echoing in his mind. "Macho?"
Taking her prize, Briari flops them on the cot next to them. Crossing her arms as she leans against his chest, she smirks. "You have nothing else to do right now but go shopping with me. Chores are done and I'm bored. And, yes, macho. Something with a bright blue to it, or red. Not boring black. Color catches the eye." Leaning upwards, she grabs him by the hand and tugs him up to his feet, looking to drag him for the entrance. "With Kyra gone and Chrystyne doing something, I need a shopping buddy. At least you'll get some good advice."
Eltanin is dragged away, ruffling the sheets on the cot as he voluntarily tries to give her a hard time pulling his hand, chuckling. After a short moment he's on his feet again but Bri still has to tug to make him walk towards the exit. "I could…continue study my charts…or resolve those orbital equations…" He muses between laughter. "….okay I must admit that I like the idea of something red but I'm warning you. If I accept to come with you promise me it'll just for a new pair of swimming shorts. No shirts or pants or anything with a tie…." He feigns to groan out as the two silhouettes vanish in the brightness of the hatching arena.
The once calm barracks slowly regain its relative calm now that the giggling youth made their way out. Tani's cot is a total mess. Sheets are all wrinkled and the pillow threatens to fall any second now but something else may catch the eye. Stuck under the mattress, a forgotten piece of black clothe is hanging.