Early Morning in the Barracks
cbarracks.jpg

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.


Orla nods her head a touch as she listens and continues to watch intently. "I like it, I always used to be a nuisance around the farm tinkering with the machinery and building things up. After a few turns of that they sent me up to the craft hall to be apprenticed. Turns out I was good at working with the stresses involved in structures and how to best keep them up so that's where I specialised." She shrugs. "It happens, you said you'd been here for about a year, did you get posted here or searched before?"

Delenn, perhaps surprisingly, looks pleased with Orla's response to his question. Nodding his head once with a bob, another item from the large pile of clean laundry in need of mending is selected where he sits with it on his cot. The early morning is ticking away as he talks with Orla who sits across from him. Needle and thread applied to yet another item, he shakes his head at the question posed to him. "Neither. I started my apprenticeship back home, and I moved here eventually when I learned I had a younger brother. I was recently promoted to Journeyman status, and searched soon there after." he says, and looks to the woodcrafter, "How about you?"

Keziah steps in from outside carrying a small skin. "Shards but it's thick out there." she mutters as she heads for the bunk and then lays on her belly and dangles over the side of it as she sticks her hand into a pile of blankets. "How's everyone?" she asks cheerfully. Though it seem almost as if she's forcing the sound of awakeness. Especially with the yawn that comes right afterwards. "'scuse me."

Orla grins a bit at his enthusiasm and listens. She's looking a bit uncomfortable where she's sitting, but not because of the company. "I spent a bit of time at Telgar before as a candidate, out with of that though I've spent the rest of my time in the Lemos valley until now. That's where I worked construction duties most of the time, the rest of it I spent back in the workshops designing and shivying my masters apprentices to get the cut of the beams just right for the projects." She glances round when Keziah comes in and lifts a hand in greeting.

Delenn cants his head to the side, this time because of Orla's obvious discomfort. Taking a moment to set down his work, he shoves the items he has yet to mend aside and offers her a comfortable spot on his own cot. After all, it was more comfortable then sitting on the frame of the things. The already fixed pieces are relocated to his lap, while his sewing box and pin cushion are returned to his press. The scissors are left out as well as the spool of thread. "What's it like?" he asks Orla, brows lifting. "Standing, I mean. The stories of everyone's experience is different, and I find them very interesting." Delenn gives Keziah a smile and wave as she enters, "Well, thank you. Yourself?"

Orla shakes her head at the offer. "Nah, I'm fine, I really need to get some more comfortable clothing, this is fine for nice summer gather rather than these hot climes." She replies to him. "That and a bath would be really good." She shrugs, leaning back by placing her hands a little behind her on the cot. "It differs depending on who you speak to, it's really tense, it's hot and uncomfortable out there, I don't think people really estimate how hot the sands underfoot can be once you've been standing on them for ages, it's really not like wandering along a beach."

"Good." Keziah murmurs and then she sits up with a smile and then she grins at Orla "The lakes really good for coolin' off in and all." she listens to Orla's impressions on Standing and she frowns a little remembering her conversation from last night "It's enervating and can be quite depressing afterwards" she notes and then shrugs a little.

Making his grand entrance is none other than one tall and lanky redhead with pants in earthen tones that threaten to engulf him whole right up to his chest and brightly grass-colored suspenders that cling to his shoulders to make sure they stay well in place. Even if they look to be riding a little high in the back for the young man but he doesn't pay it any mind. One clumsy step after another with large feet, he settles down on his cot and sighs heavily before leaning back, bringing a hand up to push the strands of his firey red bowl cut high on his forehead before scratching at other regions of his anatomy, don't mind him. Bright eyes peer over to Keziah and then the rest as he chimes, "I bet it's not as depressin as this time, I went to the kitchens and the stew we be given made me sit in the privy fer two whole /days/?" There's a brow wiggled in question to Kez at that.

Again, Delenn tilts his head, this time in regards to Keziah. "I can understand that. Though you should look as the entire process positively rather then dwell on the bad. Don't you think?" he asks, and then sets off another mended item in favor for one that still needs fixing. He nods to Orla as well, more quick small equally spaced stitches replacing the hole that once deemed the fabric unwearable. A pair of long underwear this time. "I've noticed a lot of people seem to focus on the heat, the uncomfortableness of it, and the depression that accompanies with not finding a dragon companion. There must be something that drives people to accept to stand again and again, despite the disappointment. Other than the possibility of being chosen."

Orla nods her head by way of response, Pareols actions pretty much ignored as she replies to the others. "I think it depends on how you think about it." She says. "If you go into expecting to impress to a dragon and you don't then of course you're going to be sharding disappointed with how it turned out." She says. "Don't expect anything and remember what craft you could be going back to and you'll hopefully realise that it's not all bad, just a bit of a long holiday with lots of work."

Keziah groans a little, she's had to little sleep to be cheerful and philosophical. A glance down at the floor beside her bed and then she shrugs a little at Delenn. "Yeah, I guess." she murmurs as her attention wanders over to Pareol "Well dang, that's jsut gotta suck. Course, I suppose it's no worse than having your arm stuck up a caprine and all." she states with a straight face and then she can't help but snicker which dissolves into a fit of giggles. Finally she pipes up an answer for Delenn "Survival Camp!" she exclaims at the top of her lungs and then covers her mouth as she gets a bleat from down below. She leans over and whispers "Sorry."

"Havin yer arm up a Caprine? I've had me arm up lots of things but I don't recall if I've had the pleasure of Caprines. Had the pleasure of skinnin and cleanin and takin up the brains. I've got quite a collection me 'pprenticemaster says, though he also says I need to be usin more of what's in me own head rather than what's in me buckets. Dunno if that's gonna work though," Pareol says as he scratches at his chin while tilting his head from side to side with a look of pure concentration. Watch out for smoke… "Well, it might. Animals got enough brains to tan 'is own hide and I be a pretty big lad, mayhap I do has a decent 'mount of brains." Look at that grin on his face, it's only something his mother could love in all of it's puffed up squirrel, toothy glory.

"I don't see it that way," Delenn says, applying his scissors to another row of tied off stitches and tossing the completed effort in with the others. Randomly he selects something else, and starts anew. "While I've never stood before, I've decided to apply whatever happens to a learning experience. I have no preconceptions of what will happen when the time comes, but either way I won't come away from this any less of a person as when I came into the experience." he tells the women, snipping and tossing another repaired item. "I don't think a lifemate could make me any better then anyone else, nor would it make me more special than someone who did not Impress. Same goes for if I do not, and someone else does. I can see why someone might see Impression as a way to increase their value, but I can't personally attribute that to myself." Realizing he's babbling, Delenn flushes and goes quiet again, glancing once to Pareol but returning to his own task quick enough.

It's somewhat of a wonder that Arkoss was sleeping all through the conversation, but it must've been Keziah's shout that finally woke him up. Groaning, he sits up and stares blearily around. "It's too early." he complains. His chore is to run errands, so he hasn't been on call yet. He should be /soon/ though. "What time is it?"

Keziah rolls over onto her back from where she's laying on her cot and stares at the ceiling "Well duh. Only you can make yourself better and all, but it's not good to think of yourself as better than anyone else, because it generally means you're not and you're just full of yourself and other things. She rolls back over to eye Delenn and some of us are just born /special/" she states in a tone that can certainly imply other meanings and then looks pointedly at Pareol and then smiles sweetly at him "Course, a critter does tend to have the brains to fit it's body, that can't always be said about people." A pause "Especially guys who sometimes seem to have their brains stored elsewhere."

Orla bobs her head as she moves her arms and pushes herself up to a proper sitting position again. "It'd probably make it easier to cope with the disappointment that way." She replies to Delenn. "You'll do fine with that attitude." She tells him as she gets to her feet. "Thanks for the directions, I'll see ya later once I've got my stuff together." With that she glances round the barracks before she heads for the doorway and her mission.

Alara has been busybusy doing the dishes from the baking that was done during the night, and now that those are finished, she has a break from dishes duty until the early rider breakfast rush. So here she is, returning to the barracks, looking all /too/ bright and cheerful this morning, albeit still her quiet self, mmmm-hmmm!

"Don't be tellin me ye just be gettin up now, boy! Ye missed all sorts of fun things this morning when we got up 'fore sunrise!" Boy being Arkoss…cause he is one? "Got up in the morn, went the laundry and I did a bit o'sewin meself and there, I had to find what had to be the /biggest/ pair of undies I've ever seen! Asked the aunties 'bout it, didn't think they made clothing for herdbeasts." Pareol scratches the corner of his mouth before chuckling softly, turning his gaze towards the rest, "Ayup, felt bad for the critter so I gone an made 'em a tail hole in the rump so it's not all bent awkward while she's prancin bout." Little pink frillies and everything. Keziah is given a wide grin and nod of his head, sending that red bowlcut a'bouncin as he does. He can't agree with her more.

Arkoss is only two turns younger, what's he mean, boy?! "I get up when I get up." he grumbles. "I was up a few hours before dawn because Kira was hungry."

Delenn smiles and nods to Orla as she departs, "Nice to meet you." he says, even if they never quite got down to the exchange of names. Sometimes, it just didn't matter as long as there was a decent conversation involved. He files away what the older woman says into his memories and regards Keziah for a moment, "Exactly. No one can make that distinction. Who you are, is who you are, nothing can shape that. Not your upbringing, not your parents, and certainly not a dragon." A pause, "However, if you want to look at it another way, merely being searched should be enough. Though so many seem to view this experience as bothersome, yet they accept the honor regardless, because it's just that. An honor." Alara's entrance is met with a smile and nod, hello there, but Pareol gets a blink and a gentle shaking of the healer's head. Some boys were just less mature than others. "That's a good point," he tells Keziah, accepting that some males aren't able to focus on anything other than that which dwelled below their navels. "Though some aren't able to think at all. They rely purely on their looks and physic to get them through life, though to be fair, so do some women."

Keziah just eyes Delenn a little and just stares at him "Are you for real?" she asks after a moment and then shakes her head. She waves to Alara "You look positively cheerful for so early in the morning. "Come in and listen to the doc, he's philosphying and all that. Real riviting entertainment it is." A look at Arkoss and she rolls her eyes "You're such a baby. Try nursing." she states and then sticks out her tongue "Some people are such wimps. "Course it was thick as soup out there earlier, so I guess you didn't miss much. You'ld likely of tripped or something." Pareol is simply snickered at "Well that was nice of you, I'm sure the owner of said pants will be happy."

Alara blushes faintly as she's caught in the act of returning, certainly the Healer didn't know she'd cause such a fuss or, well, she probaly wouldn't have returned. but, instead, she offers a smile to Delenn and a smile to Keziah and shrugs. "I'm a morning person," she mumbles as she makes her way past people and over towards her cot, brushing her hands on the apron she currently has tied abut her waist.

"You stole someone's undies and put them on a herdbeast?" Arkoss asks, rubbing his eyes as he says so. "I don't think I can nurse anyone, I don't have the equipment." Arkoss jokes to Keziah. "But hey, if it's your thing, go for it."

Whoever invented morning needs to be shot. Especially since now people are cramped together, it's kind of hard to sleep when voices intrude on ones dreams. There's a quiet groan in annoyance from somewhere near Andis' cot. He shifts his pillow, pulling it over his head as he tries to drown out the sounds and fall back asleep, "What in Faranth's name are you all doing up so early." The short lad will lift his head to glare at the others.

There is a blink for Keziah as Delenn goes quiet for a moment, returning to the act of his morning chore. After all, he has to get those done before the midday meal so he'll have time to eat and then attend his afternoon craft classes. After some consideration, he looks to Keziah again and nods. "I am, are you?" Another smile for Alara, his pale eyes drift over the two males that should have been up candlemarks ago, though his face does not betray his thoughts on that matter.

Whoever invented morning needs to be shot. Especially since now people are cramped together, it's kind of hard to sleep when voices intrude on ones dreams. There's a quiet groan in annoyance from somewhere near Andis' cot. He shifts his pillow, pulling it over his head as he tries to drown out the sounds and fall back asleep, "What in Faranth's name are you all doing up so early." The short lad will lift his head to glare at the others.'.

Keziah glances over at Andis "Nursing." she says with a cute little smile. Delenns remark gets another snicker "Oh, you're too funny." she smerks some "Yes, by dear, I am as a real as they come." Again, she dissolves into laughter. No, Kezi's not a very quiet person in general. And of course Arkoss can't go ignored "Well you could, just not with the same equipment." she states as she controls the laughing. Course that could be taken in so many ways. However, she doesn't elaborate and just tosses a now empty skin at Arkoss "Here, wash this!" And with that said she collapses back onto her bed, holding her stomach as she laughs.

Andis finally just gives up, it's quite clear that he's not going to be getting anymore sleep. And with a quiet groan, Andis finally slips out of bed, a hand roaming over his face as he tries to wake himself up. "What are you guys talking about anyway?" A brow arches slightly, letting his eyes flicker about the barracks, landing on Delenn in particular before turning away, instead facing Keziah. "Nursing? You mean like a healer or…?"

The little Healer-girl settles on her cot, eyes carefully watching the scene play out in the Barracks. Alarapeers after Keziah, smiling faintly as she talks about nursing. Quietly, she lifts a book from her blankets and opens it, only to begin writeing.

Arkoss catches the skin, looking at it. "Wash it? What?" he asks her. "Is this the skin of the caprine from yesterday?" he adds. "What am I supposed to do with it?" he glances at Andis and grins. "Nursing as in baby needs milk." he tells him, setting the skin to the side. Kira at this point wakes up, pouncing on the skin.

"Yes, what Arkoss said." Delenn nods to Andis after arching a brow at Keziah, he might be confused as to her sudden amusement from the expression that flickers briefly over his countenance. When she erupts into a series of giggles, he stares at her a bit, putting down his mending. A small leather bound book emerges from somewhere beneath the pile of laundry yet to be done and he starts to jot down something as he eyes her a bit, the puzzlement and concern clearly set on his features. A bit of a shake to his head and the book is closed, and then disappears again.

Keziah eyes Arkoss "No, it's not her skin. It's a waterskin, been using it for milk silly." she rolls her eyes "You really aren't awake are you?" she asks curiously as she peers over the side again. Poor little guy is sleeping. She grins at Andis "Yeah, gotta give my baby milk." she smiles softly and then grins "Though he needed a little healer type nursing as well. He wasn't breathing when he came into this world and then of course the umbilical cord and afterbirth had to be taken care of."

Andis peers between one person then another, a brow arching in the air. "Baby…? But we're not supposed to /have/ babies." He stares in disbelief between the two. Don't mind him, he's a bit in the dark. he moves to pull on his shirt, frowning as it almost looks as if he's wearing a tent instead of a shirt. "I should get some clothes that fit me." Pout.

Arkoss points at the baby goat in the barracks. "We've all got a baby." he remarks, then blinks at Keziah. "Oh, right." he looks at the skin again, squinting. "It's dark in here." he complains. "But sure, I've nursed baby runners before because the mother abandoned them. It happens sometimes, if it's the mother's first time."

Delenn's attention wanders to Andis, "There are stores that'll have some basic items, just off the main cavern. You should see if they have anything that will fit you better." he suggests, before moving on to another piece of clothing, this one with more holes than cloth and it's frowned at before being set aside. No, he won't be mending that particular item. A look is cast to both Keziah and Arkoss, but it seems that the healer's philological opinion has expired on the conversation as it'd drifted off into a completely different direction. A direction that for now, Delenn seemed to have no interest in following. Instead, he focuses on his work, glancing at the time every now and then.

Keziah grins brightly at Andis "If you want, you can come look at him. He's such a little thing still, and gets cold easily. He was born a little prematurely. His mother wasn't really full grown either." she states and then smiles "I've named him Nougat since he sorta looks like it."

Andis nods his head absently, turning his head in the direction, he'll quickly flash a smile over at Delenn. "Perhaps I'll do that! I'm tired of looking like this." He pulls at his clothes, "Least the ones you stiched up for me are holding together." He winks playfully before heading out, "Be sure to treat the baby well!" And then he's gone.

A mirrored smile can be found on Delenn as Andis takes his advice and teases him, shaking his head with a bit of a chuckle before a glance at the time suggests he should start preparing for lunch and his afternoon classes. Gathering up the mended things, representing half the pile, he leaves the unmended with his sewing stuff and wanders out without further ado.

Arkoss stands up and stretches, rubbing his eyes some more. "Who wants errands run this early in the morning anyway?" grumbling to himself, he picks up the skin and goes to eye the kid. "Y'know, he looks a lot different now that he's not covered in blood."

Keziah glances down as well "That he does. And oh trust me. Lots of people have messages. After all most of the wings have been up for awhile now."

Arkoss sighs. "Well I can run errands when I'm awake to be able to do them properly. It's counterproductive to do /anything/ when you're still half asleep!" at least, that's Arkoss' excuse.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License