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.
"How long does it normally take eggs to hatch, anyway?" Arkoss asks curiously, having been present only at a clutching and a hatching so far, not the times in between. And different eggs both times.
"I'll talk to whoever's handling you guys, then. Archivist, huh? That is a lot of time with books. Maybe you could go for historian, too? Writing the stuff as well." R'in shrugs a little, but looks to Arkoss as she purses her lips. "About three months after the clutching, but we can't pin an exact date. The eggs hatch when they hatch, which is why you have to stick close to the Weyr."
Keziah wonders into the barracks holding a small bouquet of wildflowers foliage. She's smiling softly as she inhales the various scents. She also has a small ceramic vase to put them in, which she begins to do once she ges to her bunk. She sets the vase up on the window sill after pouring some water into it.
Andis shrugs his shoulders, idly toying with his hair and paying no mind to those around him. He's still not very comfortable to standing to someone so close who's…not dressed. He shifts from foot to foot. "I'm good with books but I don't want to be stuck with them the whole time. I like other things too."
"Mmm," R'in says softly, shifting the straps draped over her. "Well, you've got some time to figure it out. Don't worry too much about it. I've been a rider for… nearing on 4 Turns now and I'm just beginning to train as a DragonHealer." She shrugs, "You'll find something you enjoy." A pause and she tilts her head a bit, looking around. "Well, Andis. Welcome to being a candidate. Really- enjoy it, despite all the hard work. Uhm. Pick your cot, then go get your belongings and bring them in here." She turns, the buckles and straps that make up the only 'clothing' she wears rattling a bit. "I've got a delivery to make."
Andis nods his head in understanding, "I'm sure I'll find something I like, I'm not too worried about it." He flashes a smile, being careful to look /anywhere/ but down there. Right, keep eye contact at all times. "I'll go pick a cot and move in my stuff. Thanks for showing me here."
"You don't have to join a Craft either if you don't want." Arkoss suggests. "You could just find something you're good at that you like and do that, whatever it is. Small jobs on the side, if you ever want a few extra marks. It's not like you'd starve if you become a rider."
Keziah hmms a little at Arkoss comment and then glances at R'in "Yeah, especially if you don't bet the clothes off your back." she remarks with a bit of a snicker as she fluffs up her flowers and then flops onto her cot. "Course, maybe that would be better than marks. You might freeze, but you won't starve."
R'in heads out to the foyer.
Arkoss looks back over at Keziah now. "So where are the flowers from?" he asks her with a raised eyebrow. "Or rather, who?" grin.
Keziah glances up at the flowers and then grins at Arkoss "Some admirers that I have." she says with a bright and gets a chesire grin on her face. "Several of them infact." she tacts on at the end of it. "Isn't it so sweet?"
Arkoss laughs. "Well I suppose so, are you sure they weren't just trying to bribe you for something?" he teases her. He looks over the flowers, but he's just not interested in them, for all they're flowers he's never seen before. "We're on the same chore." he adds, pointing to the choreboard.
Keziah laughs and shakes her head "Bit of a cinic are ya?" she asks as she glances at the board. "Yup, certainly looks that way doesn't it?" she murmurs "But no, they weren't bribing me." she gets a secretive little grin "More like a way of thanking me you could say."
"Oh?" Arkoss asks, managing to convey a lot in just that one little word. He raises an eyebrow at Keziah. "I /see/." he smiles innocently at her, then goes digging through his stuff.
Keziah can't help but giggle a little "Oh /do/ you now? Hmm?" she rolls over until she's on her stomach and lifts her legs up behind her, waving them in the air. "So, whatcha lookin' for?"
"My pen, I want to write a letter." Arkoss replies, still digging through his stuff. "Hmm." he shrugs, then looks over at her. "So where are you from, anyway?"
Keziah watches for a few moments before replying "Originally or recently?" she asks finally "I've got on in my pocket if you need one." she notes as she opens up on of the many pockets she has in her vest.
"Originally." he asks her. And if you've got a pen can I borrow it?" Arkoss abandons his searching and goes over to her cot. "Got enough pockets?" he adds with a slight grin.
Keziah pulls the pen out of her pocket and promptly says "Nope." she then grins "It is a lot of pockets, but I like pockets. Never know when you might need something and it gives me a place to put it all." she peers through them "String, compass, knife, I've had birds eggs before, snacks, fishing line and hook. A whole bunch of different things."
"Well you never said where you were from originally." Arkoss adds with a nod of thanks for the pen, going over to write stuff down. "I'm from Katz Field Hold, in Igen."
Keziah blinks a moment and then ohs "I guess I didn't. I originally hail from Lost Hold until I went into the Beastcraft and then ended up at High Reaches Weyr." she states brightly as she watches him "So whatcha writing?"
"Lost Hold? Where's that?" Arkoss asks, curious. "And I…" he looks somewhat embarassed. "I'm writing a journal about candidacy and…well, if anything else happens. It's a new experience for me."
Keziah grins "It's just a small little hold near Keroon. It's bound to Igen and all." she states and then looks thoughtful. "Been awhile since I've been back home. Though I still write regularily and keep up whats going on and all with the hold and all."
"Oh!" Arkoss grins at Keziah. "Well that's something we have in common then, we both hail from the Igen area." he stretches, flopping back on his cot with a sigh. "First time being searched… dragons never paid attention to me before."
Keziah hmms a little and then nods "Tis true, though it's been longer since I've been to Igen than you I'm sure." she states. She ponders a little "Lets see, what else might we have in common? Are you the son of the Holders at all?" she asks curiosly as she reaches out to push open her press. "I've been a candidate a few times and all. Kinda gave up on it a bit there, but well I couldn't say no to L'alie when she came by. I did like it here and all and she said they'd be doing the survival camp again and all, so I had to come."
"Nah. Gardener and a laundress, hahaha." Arkoss replies, shaking his head in amusement. "No glorious lineage, sorry." Arkoss pauses, however, looking at Keziah. "/You/ didn't have to wear the pink dress I take it." sulk.
Keziah looks aghast "Me? Me?!" she scoffs at the idea "Of course I didn't have to wear a pink dress." she states imperiously and then grins "Sides, it only just came in anyways. The last one was wrecked." she adds and then snickers "Well, I wouldn't call mine a glorious lineage, I mean my parents aren't Lord Holders, but they are good Holders and all. They've kept the place productive."
"I left home when I was twelve, went to Igen Hold and became a stablehand there. Since runners are the main, uh…" he taps his chin reflectively. "Well, the main focus and export of Katz Field Hold, I knew probably as much about runners as a beastcraft apprentice. Never wanted to become one though."
Keziah grins "Runners are okay, I like caprines myself and all. That's what I've been studying." a pause "Course I've gotten in some child care as well thanks to Kalind." she rolls her eyes "He hates being cold at night, so he's apt to have someone warming his bed. He likes his kids though, so I can't say too much bad about him."
"Who's Kalind?" Arkoss asks, raising an eyebrow. "Your special someone?" he's not trying to pry or anything, so no offense. "Or a relative of some sort?"
Keziah cracks up laughing "Kalind? My special someone? Oh shards no!" If she wasn't already laying out on the bed she'd likely collapse onto it in a fit of giggles. "He's the Journeyman I'm assigned under." she states with a snicker. "I wouldn't sleep with him on a bet anyways. I'd rather be with someone for more than a warm night anyways."
Arkoss laughs. "Ah, I figured there was some sort of connection. Journeyman, huh?" Arkoss nods, sitting up from where he was just flopped on the cot. "No, apprentices shouldn't sleep with Journeymen anyway."
Amarante has an armload of things as she comes in humming to herself. She had a couple of markers down on one of the beds before, but has taken the time to collect the rest today. As she enters, she pauses to see Arkoss and another person there. "Hey!" she chirps in greeting curiously. "Arkoss, are you supposed to be in h-" Her eyes widen as she hurries over to her bed and tosses her stuff onto it. "Shards! You too? And you?" she includes Keziah in that. "There's so many of us! A big clutch must mean a huge Candidate group, hey?" She grins at them both. "I'm Amarante, by the way," she adds after, for Keziah's sake.
Keziah blinks at Amarante a moment there and then grins. Gotta love people with lots of vitality. "I'm Keziah" she notes with a grin and then nods to Arkoss "Nope, shouldn't least not if there's a chance of getting caught and all." Would she do that? Nah.. well certainly not with Kalind. Glance back towards Amarante "Welcome aboard and all that good stuff."
Arkoss smirks in Amarante's direction, and turns so she can see his knot. "Yes, I'm supposed to be here." he tells his fellow stablehand. And yes, Amarante is one of those people who should never be allowed any sugar.
Amarante chuckles and shakes her head at Arkoss and Keziah. "Pleasure to meet you." She eyes Arkoss for a moment. "Better keep an eye on Kira, though," she points out with sudden sobriety. "Delynni's a Candidate too. Hyakki's got nothing but mayhem in mind for him for some reason." She nods once at him before she starts to unfolding all her things and separating them to put away. She quietens down a little with a soft, "Sorry for interrupting, though. I didn't mean to. I was just surprised."
Keziah watches Amarante with amusement "And Hyakki is?" she asks curiously as she sits up a bit on her cot to stretch some. "But yeah, Arkoss there was it? He's been Searched well and proper. Even wore a pink dress for the occasion he did. Paraded it through the caverns and out into the clearing."
Arkoss sighs. "Yeah, I know, but…what can I do? Hmm." he looks at the firelizard, who has stolen his piece of paper and is scratching at it. "Hey, you, stop that!" he tugs the piece of paper away to the sound of complaining. "Hrm." Arkoss tugs out another piece of paper and balls it up, tossing it towards the blue. Kira complains again, then tackles the paper, trying to uncrumple it. Then Arkoss glares daggers at Keziah. "Do you have to tell EVERYONE?!" he hisses at her. Nyar!
Amarante pauses in her folding and sorting to level a LOOK at Arkoss. "I thought you liked /girls/?" she asks drolly of him. "Never wear pink, Arkoss. It's just not going to look good on you with that pale hair. Or, wait." She squints at him with a little cock of her head, obviously trying to picture him in it. "Actually, I think I have a pink skirt," she says as she digs through her clothes. "You want to try it on for size? Bet I could get Kagora to make you one later if you liked it…" To Keziah she offers quickly, "Hyakki is Delynni's little green firelizard. She has three. The green's the aggressive one, though. Not like Master T'eo's Hestia. She's green as well, but she's very friendly and loves to have a pet or two."
Keziah ahhs a little at Amarante and then glances towards the eggpot she has "Well, so long as she does bother Eirwyn at all." she murmurs and then grins "Oh he looks real good in pink, it brings out his features quite nicely. Might have been a little better if we had some padding and such." A thoughtful look "Pink shirt huh? Is it light or bright? I think a bright one would work better with him." With that said she smiles ever so sweetly at Arkoss and simply says. "Yes."
"Forget it." Arkoss growls. "I didn't have a choice with the sharding dress, but I'm never wearing a dress, a skirt, or anything pink ever again." aww, look, now you made him sulk!
Amarante snickers softly and says to her clothing, "You will if they say you should." La la la. Oh look! Pink! She tugs up the pink skirt and shakes her head at Keziah. "Skirt," she says simply. Then adds after, "Well, mostly pink. It has a bit of red and purple in it too, see?" She grins and cuts her dark blue eyes towards the sulking Arkoss. "Kind of makes you wish you had color to wear in the sands, doesn't it? I wonder why the only thing you're allowed to wear is white?"
Keziah awws a little at Arkoss "Ahh, don't be such a sour puss." she says ever so sweetly. Sickening? Isn't it? "Oh, they make you wear white so the blood shows up easier. Makes a wonderful contrast with the white." she states after a moment "Oh come on Arkoss, you'ld look great in it. Come on, I'll give you an egg even if you do it?"
"White's the color of initiation, that's why. It harkens back to Old Terra." Arkoss comments, ignoring the girls until Keziah offers him an egg? "Huh?" he blinks at her.
Amarante laughs a little and shakes her pale-blonde head. "Oh, it's NOT for the blood," she says, flumping her hands down onto her bed full of clothing and grinning widely at the other two Candidates. "I always figured it's so the hatchlings don't get distracted. But still. Could you imagine wearing a nice soft pink out there? Well." She doesn't look at Arkoss. Nope. "Maybe most of us," she amends, deadpanning it. But it's so /hard/ to do, her lips trembling with the effort not to quirk up. She peers over towards Keziah instead. "Eggs, though? You… have eggs?" She cranes her neck. "What kind?" She's on her chosen bed, Keziah is on hers, and Arkoss and his little blue firelizard, Kira, are on another - with a bit of paper they're playing with, apparently.
Keziah giggles at Arkoss "I'll give you an egg if you'll start wearing a pink skirt and all." she says sweetly. Yes, she's not above bribery, and who knows what else she might do if she had information. She grins at Amaranete "I've firelizard eggs, Eirwyn had a clutch shortly before I was searched. They're not completely hard yet, but they're getting there. There in that eggpot there."
Arkoss hrms, looking from the eggs to Keziah to Kira. "A gold firelizard?" he asks. One would assume he means the clutch is a gold clutch. "Any way of knowing if one's a gold or bronze?" eyeshift. He's weighing the humiliation and the rewards in his mind, it's clear.
Amarante sets her stuff down and pops to her feet excitedly. "Ohohoh!" she says with a grin. "Can I see them? I won't touch them at all! Just a peek?" She claps a little, grin so wide it's fit to split her face. "I love the patterns they have. It's like there's a little artist in them and the dragons too that just goes crazy when it's time to have a clutch, isn't it?"
Keziah gives a nod "Well, Eirwyns a little pale and all but she's a gold." she states and then then shakes her head "No, unfortunately not really aside from perhaps being a little bigger than the other eggs." Eirwyn, upon hearing her name peeks up from where she's curled around the eggs. She preens a little and then nudges at them somewhat. "Well, they're in the pot there." she eyes Amarante oddly "Well, I suppose there's worse things than having an artist up your butt."
"An hour. I'll wear it an hour for a firelizard egg." Arkoss decides finally. "I'm not going to leave the barracks though, so no parading me around."
Keziah bahs a bit at that "Where's the fun in that? You have to wear it a day. On chorse and everything." she states with a twinkle in her eye.
Amarante tips over towards the eggpot and peers towards Eirwyn. She waves a little and tells the gold firelizard, "Hello there. I'm just looking, not touching." She even clasps her hands in front of her so that she can prove it. She looks at Keziah strangely though. "Well, I didn't mean LITERALLY," she replies with a quirked brow. And then she looks back farther to Arkoss and nods. "What she said," she agrees. "It's a firelizard egg. You have to work for it if she's giving it to you, Arkoss."
"Hrm. Five hours during the day. That should be long enough for everyone to get a good gawk." Arkoss haggles it down as far as he can, geez.
Amarante shakes her head at Arkoss and tells Keziah in amusement, "I'll wear a pink skirt all day for an egg. Just to show him how it's done." She glances towards Arkoss, though, and winks at Keziah. She's kidding, of course.
Keziah ponders Amarante "Nah, be too easy for you to wear a skirt and all. I'll have to think of something else." She looks thoughful and then grins at Arkoss "Eight hours. I'll be satisfied with eight hours." she notes with a grin "Then I'll let you take a pick of one for when it's hard enough to be givin out."
Arkoss hrms. "Eight hours then." he agrees unwillingly. "Starting now?" he asks hopefully. He doesn't have any chores today because he was searched! He glances from Amarante to Keziah. "Just to clear things up, I am not gay." he tells them both defensively.
"So what if you were?" Amarante asks him, baffled. "Like anyone here really cares? We're Candidates, you know." She crosses her arms at her chest. "Besides, you don't have to be gay to like pink. I was only kidding, before."
Keziah shakes her head "Nope, starting any day after today." she states with a grin and then tips her head "So, what does being gay or not have anything to do about it?" she asks and then smiles as she gets up from her cot and moves over towards Arkoss and sticks her finger out to drag it down his chest if he doesn't move back. And if not, she'll poke too once. "It has nothing to do with being gay, and all to do with following my whim." she states and then turns to walk away, casting a glance over her shoulder "Nothing says you have too."
Arkoss glances from one to another, and doesn't move back. "Just making sure." he adds uneasily. "Just so there's no confusing it." he's a bit defensive but hey. This /is/ challenging his masculinity.
Amarante makes a sound and moves back to her bed to flop down onto it, sitting again. She starts sorting through her clothes. She's strangely silent this time, though, frowning a little as if something has occurred to her.
Keziah smiles as she throws herself onto her bunk "Oh I love life. It's so much fun." she states with a sweet smile. She glances down at the pot of eggs and hmms "It's going to be a great time here at Xanadu I think."
Arkoss sighs and flops back on his cot. "Well I suppose my first Search has to be memorable." he grumbles. "Too many girls though!" grump.
Amarante glances up. Pokes out her tongue at Arkoss. Then sniffs and starts physically storing her clothes at the foot of her bed in the press. "Too many /boys/ without good senses of /humor/ if you ask me," she grumbles as she works. "It's not like we asked you to wear your underthings on your /head/ for eight hours…." Scowl!
Keziah laughs at that "Guys do that anyways." a pause as she grins at Amarante "Course, they've a tendency to wear girls underthings on their heads too. It's wierd." she shakes her head somewhat at that.
"I don't." Arkoss tells them both quickly, sitting back up again. "Nor would I want to." Kira had fallen asleep tangled up on the balled up piece of paper…well, it's actually in tatters by now, but anyway. "Heh."
Amarante snorts suddenly, giggling and sounding vaguely like she's choking for a moment. She coughs and clears her throat, saying speedily, "I can see Arkoss with his long silken mane of underpants now." She pauses and squeezes her eyes shut. She'll regret this later. "… in his pretty pink dress," she finishes. Barely. And then sets her head down on her forearm in silent laughter. Apparently it's funnier in her head.
Keziah giggles maddly as well "Oh that would be a lovely picture." she says with a grin "Sure you don't wanna wear any underpants on your head as well?" she asks Arkoss. Course she ducks away a bit, in case he wants to throw something at her.
"NO." Arkoss tells them firmly, balling up two pieces of paper and flinging them at one and then another. "Quiet!" grumble.
Amarante feels a bit of paper smack her on the head and lifts it to grin at Arkoss. Lifting it, she hurls it towards him again, though it falls far, far short. She's not got that arm, no. She leans back on her hands, though, shaking her head. "That didn't work out well," she admits. "Eh well. I may have to get a look at you when you're wearing that dress, Arkoss. Just for future reference."
Keziah laughs all the harder as the paper smacks her in the chest. 'oh I love it." she says simply "I can just see all the girls now. I mean you do know a lot of them like to see cute guys in dresses. Even better if they're girly looking to begin with. They just go nuts all over it."
"I am not girly looking!" Arkoss retorts, feathers all riled now. "Hrmph. If anything, I look old at first glance." meh. He is /not/ girly in any way, shape, or form! "And I am never going to wear a dress ever again."
Amarante leans in and rests her head on her hand, regarding Arkoss from the floor at the foot of her bed. "Oh, I don't know," she replies slowly, thoughtfully perhaps. "I think you'd make a nice-looking girl, if we did you up just right… Just, I wouldn't go wearing those swimsuits you were ogling the other girls in at the Gather."
Keziah tilts her head a little "Just because you've white hair?" she asks and then shrugs "I've seen it before. It's your body. I mean look at those fingers. Delicate and all, your body. Sure you you could use some curves and all, but it looks good in a dress, and it's semi-long" she states and then shrugs "Just tellin' ya what some girls like."
"Hmmph." is Arkoss' only response. And just because it'll make him feel better, he's going to wear no shirt when he's wearing the skirt! So there! The teenager sighs gustly and stretches out on his cot. "Three months or so, R'in said."