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.
Kera sits on her cot, her infirmary uniform no where to be seen right now. In front of her, displaying his wings, Minimur is holding still while oil is rubbed in little circles across hisbrown hide. "Okie, stretch your neck up Mini." The little lizard does just that, churling softly as his tiny little eyes swirl a contented shade. While she works, Kera eyes the mess around a certain red headed candidate's cot and and sighs with a shake of her head.
Garawan is lying on his cot reading, it seems! It's a book about… dynamic pricing of goods. What else would a trader be reading? Besides, he's kind of concerned about profit, even when in candidacy. Perhaps ESPECIALLY now, when he can't really devote his time to selling things. His firelizards are perched around him on the cot. Except for Princess. The gold is perched right on his tummy. Because that's her perch!
The mess around Innes' cot isn't doing any creeping today (at least for the moment), nor is its occupant anywhere to be seen in the barracks. But that's because she's currently walking through the doorway, a notebook in hand, scribble notes between steps as she haltingly makes her way toward her cot. "Hello, everyone," she calls without looking up, waving her writing hand in the general direction of the rest of the barracks. The room could be empty for all the attention she's paying to the world outside her notebook.
Sorel hasn't been in Xanadu very long yet, and so he's still trying to get settled in. It's strange for him, the thought of being a candidate and all, and one can tell by the way he moves around that he's definitely out of his comfort zone. At the moment he's sitting on his own designated cot (or so he hopes it's his, he didn't see anyone's things around it) with a needle in hand and net in lap. After stabbing himself for the third time today his brows knit together and he pushes the project away in disgust. It's then his attention falls upon Kera and he watch her oil the firelizard. "They always seem to be itchy don't they?" His own little nuisance currently isn't around. One can thank his lucky stars for that. The reading Garawan isn't given much attention being he's reading and Sorel doesn't wish to disturb and as for Innes and her arrival he just quirks a brow at the greeting between writing. How does she manage not to run into things he wonders to himself with a slight chuckle.
Kera glances up as Innes comes traipsing through the barracks, very intent on her notebook scribbles, which Kera narrows her gaze on with a growing frown. "G'day Innes." She continues with her oily tasks, dipping fingers in the little pot then rubbing it into the lizard's hide. "So, what's on your agenda for today? Coming up with yet another 'project' to volunteer me for?" The look on Kera's face says she certainly hopes not. Shaking her head in amusement though, her attention drifts around to the others scattered around the chamber. A quiet headtip towards Garawan and his winged group, "You awake over there Garawan?" Ya never know, he could really be asleep behind his book. Dipping fingers once more, she nods agreeably to the other candidate "IT seems like it at times. Even when I make a point of reoiling him twice a day. I'm Kera by the way."
Garawan looks up over the book at the sound of a voice, brows raising in acknowledgement. Yup! Looks like he's awake! Clipboard? Oh, is this… that thing. Yeah, that thing he heard about. "Hello," he offers, closing the book and moving Princess off of his stomach and onto the bed so he can sit up. He looks to Kera oiling Minimur and chuckles at the contented noises from the firelizard. And he also replies on the tail end of that chuckle, "I'm awake." Sorel gets a nod to greeting too, and a smile. Garawan hadn't seen Sorel poke himself with the needle, but he sees the project and looks at it. Though he doesn't say anything about it. He does say something about the 'itchiness' of the firelizards. "I think some part of it may be that they simply like being oiled," he notes to Sorel.
Innes glances up when she hears her name, searching the room for a moment for the source before her gaze settles on Kera. "G'day," she echoes with an overly bright smile in response to Kera's frown. "I did tell Las Sorianas," - don't ask - "that I'd be happy to help with other volunteer duties. But unless you've put your name on my handy sign-up sheet, you're not volunteered for anything." She waves her hand in the direction of the doorway, indicating the posted sheet that hangs beside it. And yes, she's rather smug as she says all of this. She makes it the rest of the way to her cot, shoving a few items out of the way in order to perch herself cross-legged on top of it. "Do you all have firelizards?" It's directed to no one in particular.
"Sorel." He offers to the girl who gave her own name. And after a few moments he clears his throat, as if nearly forgetting to add a, "Nice to meet you." Sorel, the awesome people person! "I think I would try to unimpress my firelizard if I had to oil it that much. She thankfully doesn't come around disturbing me that often. And sometimes I suppose she's helpful." Helpful as in tangling nets and getting ropes more knotty than they should be. As to Garawan he chuckles and nods, "I'm sure that's part of it. Some of them can be quite needy afterall. And I do suppose most people like being touched so don't see why firelizards wouldn't as well." But what does he know, he's a terrible pet owner. And the seacrafter listens to Innes rattle off things about sign-ups and duties and all that fun stuff before her last question is asked and a smirk curls his lips. "I do, would you like one? I think M'uru's gone and gotten herself a clutch not too long ago."
Kera gently nudges Mini around so she can get to his back and the outer side of his wings. Chuckling at Innes's nickname for the weyrwoman, "I've plenty of duties already showing up without adding even more. "Gotta have a little time do be lazy and do nothing. Otherwise, someone's liable to go rather strange." Shaking her head as Innes settles down on a pile of stuff. Since the other already knows she has a firelizard, she doesn't respond, letting others do that. Nodding to Garawan "I guess there is something to that." Spreading the oil over the back his the brown's wings she peers to Sorel curiously "Nice to meet ya. What are you trying to sew up?" She ask after he gives his thoughts on firelizards being touched and nods thoughtfully.
Garawan raises an eyebrow at that— Las Sorianas? What's that? He does however look to the signup sheet. Very strange, all of that. The question of if everyone had firelizards draws a nod. "It seems that way," he notes. Hey, she hadn't obviously aimed the question in particular, so how was he to know, right? He nods to Sorel's words about the neediness of firelizards. "They can be indeed," he agrees. And he looks POINTEDLY at Princess, who just looks up at him and warbles softly and sweetly. Why who could you EVER be talking about, she seems to be saying. And a nod to Kera. "For some it is." Another pointed look at Princess. The next is a flat tone as he looks at the firelizard. "Trust me when I say this."
"I-… what?" Innes' attention shifts to Sorel with evident surprise. Oh, hello. Was that directed at her? She assumes so, and responds with a speculative, "I'm kind of curious, so maybe." One of those things might prove to be good practice for a dragon, after all. She glances back to Kera, lifting both shoulders in a shrug. "You don't have to, like I said. I know Perri wants to do it and I'm sure we'll get some more. I just like to be busy, otherwise I'm wondering why I'm here and not, you know," she makes a vague outward gesture with her writing hand, "everywhere else." Who's worried about going rather strange? Not her.
At mention to the net Sorel's gray eyes flicker to the foot of his cot where he's pushed his net. "Just mending a net is all. I thought I'd be getting out of this, being I just found myself promoted, but apparently not." One would have thought that if he went through an entire apprentice ship he'd be able to properly sew a net, but one would most assuredly be wrong. "I hear golds can be especially bad." Another smile is lighting upon his lips as he pointedly eyes Princess. He does not envy Garawan in the least. "And then you have to deal with more eggs to try to figure out what to do with. Such a pain." He grumbles a bit before Innes' reaction causes him to laugh. Taking people off-guard is rather amusing. "Could be good practice I suppose, if we do end up impressing. You know, being we're candidates and all." It has to be the tone of which he's saying the bit as if he doesn't really believe he /is/ a candidate. There's such a thing as fake candidates right? "Well either way let me know. I'm sure I could get her to take me to them, but who knows if I'll find 'em before the tunnelsnakes will."
Kera watches her fellow candidates with a grin as her gaze drifts from one to another as the conversation flows. Trying to finish her oily task would be easier of Minimur wouldn't keep flicking his spaded tail. "There's nothing wrong with spoiling them a bit. I wouldn't call it being needy though… hold still brat…." That last said she she snorts and grabs the twitchy little tail and finishes her task quickly after that. Glancing back to Innes, Kera cants her head slightly. "Nothing wrong with keeping busy. Just don't forget the little things. " Strange indeed "I should introduce you to Journeyman Cyrus. I bet you two could have some interesting conversations." Kera smiles sweetly….someone should worry. Listening a bit longer as Minimur admires his own hide momentarily before stretching out as much as he can to take up the end of the bed to himself. Sorel is peeks to again before she seems thoughtful and begins rummaging around her trunk "I had a couple of thimbles…they may help ya." As she searches, The other candidates are glances around to hee or there as they speak up. "Aww, They aren't that bad Garawan. And look at her. She's the picture of innocence."
Garawan chuckles at Innes's surprise, but doesn't interrupt her conversing with Sorel. Princess clutched a while back, so he's fairly certain she won't clutch again for some time yet. "They can be," he confirms to Sorel's statement. "It seems like some take their nickname of 'little queen' to heart." A chuckle. He also nods in agreement to the mention of practice with the firelizard eggs for possible dragon impression. Though he winces a little at the mention of tunnelsnakes. And he chuckles at Kera's statement about Princess being the 'picture of innocence'. "That is… highly doubtful," he replies with a smirk.
Innes isn't worried, even if she probably should be. She is, after all, largely oblivious to things that aren't immediately relevant to her life. "I never forget the little things," she declares, while sitting on her wreck of a cot. Never, clearly. She twists to look at Sorel with another pleased grin, teasing, "That's what these fancy little white knots say, at least." She gestures to the one on her shoulder. "But thanks. I'll think about it, and get back to you later today. Hopefully that won't be too late." Speaking of too late, the candidate glances down at her list, blinks several times, and then swears loudly. "I have to go. I have… Things to do." What are these important Things? Whatever they are, she's not telling. She hops off her cot and trots her way out of the barracks, calling a farewell over her shoulder as she goes. "Don't have too much fun without me!"
A thimble, what an amazing thing. And yet. "Naw, I think I'm good, thanks for your concern though." Because obviously thimbles aren't manly enough and what type of male would admit to needing to protect his thumb from a little stabbing? Not Sorel! Or maybe he's just a glutton for punishment. Who's to know. "I think I'll just try to find an apprentice and rope them into it." One can nearly hear the young man cackle, because up until a sevenday or so ago he was that poor hapless apprentice. "Remind me never to go near a gold firelizard clutch." He shakes his head at the thought of something that wants to be treated like a queen dragon. They already seem to require so much! On that note he pushes off his cot, scoops up his net and dips his head. "I think I should go and try to find that apprentice and find something else more interesting to do. I will catch you two later." And with that he's already heading towards the exit.
Kera looks over her shoulder to Sorel, nodding as she sets to returning her trunk to its original condition. Closing it, she flops back onto her cot, turning to prop on her side so she can see the other candidates still. Waving to Innes as the other girl rushes off to add more task to her lists. Shaking her head "That girl's gonna exhaust herself within a sevenday at this rate." Chuckling to Sorel. "Bet ya don't really mean that." She gestures over to Princess. "Afterall, ya wouldn't want to hurt her feelings would ya?" She flashes an amused wink to Garawan.