Candidate Quarters, High Reaches Weyr
Two caverns lead one right into the other from a hallway just off the Common Room. Taking advantage of the high, vaulted ceiling, bunk beds march in four neat rows of five beds each allowing up to forty people to sleep in one cavern. Functional and spartan in atmosphere, there's little in the way of decoration here, just the one tapestry depicting a hatching on the wall of the first cavern and eggs on the sands in the second.
Each bunk is made up when there are candidates in residence, with standard sheeting, gray woollen blankets and somewhat lumpy pillows. A trunk stands at both the head and foot of the bunks, providing a little space for the occupants to store their belongings while the wait for the eggs to hatch. The archway between the two spaces is covered over with a hide hanging, easily hooked back when both caverns are in use, but tacked into place when only the first is needed. A proper wooden door closes out noise and drafts from the hallway.
It's the early morning with most of the candidates still sound asleep and not looking to stir anytime soon. Of course, there's the select few that's stirring, looking over at those either snoring or looking to get up and get a head start on the day's chores. Neither of these options fit the newly-searched Jolie, however. She's sitting up on her cot, leaning her back against the wall she has her cot against while she's using her small knife to cutting pieces from a redfruit she's eating. Dark eyes flick towards each candidate she could see, watching them much like a predator does its prey, but the woman does not stir from her position other than to slice her sharp knife through the fruit. Probably a good thing that most of everyone there is asleep, or otherwise someone's bound to find her scrutiny pretty uncomfortable.
Ever the early riser thanks to a life of stable duty, Sho has long been up and away, doing his morning run through the snow. Afterwards he had time to go to the bathhouse and wash up before returning to the Candidates Quarters. The boy, not having thought far enough ahead to grab an extra pair of clothing, comes in wearing only his underwear since the rest of his clothing got sweated and soaked through while running. A little cold, really, but at least it was all within the caverns for the skinny youth. He doesn't look at anyone and ignores the odd looks he gets as he moves through to the far side of the Quarters. Being the first Searched he got his choice of bunk, and he found that the farthest corner was the quietest...so he took the top bunk there. And there is where he goes to, depositing his clothing in a pile on the floor before opening the trunk to search out new clothes for the day.
A young man in underwear would be hard to miss, so when Sho arrives Jolie is passing him a long look from where she sits. Looking down at what's remaining of her redfruit, the woman quietly slides down to her feet off her cot and pads her way over to where Sho is currently searching his trunk. She'll take the liberty to step over the deposited clothes and perch herself on his cot, then resume her cutting into the fruit while watching him. She'll say nothing at all -- preferring to pin an openly amused stare at the young man as she pops a piece of redfruit into her mouth and crunches on it audibly.
Searching...searching...did he forget to get clean clothes or something? The arrival of someone else who then sits up on his cot pulls Sho's attention away from his trunk for a moment and he pauses, looking up to see who it is. He rolls his eyes as he sees Jolie and smirks, "They just let anyone in here, dun they." he says sarcastically, then adds. "Can I help ya with something?" The last bit is said as he goes back to looking through the trunk, trying to find a clean set of trousers at the very least.
Jolie smiles around the piece of fruit in her mouth before a loud crunch could be heard. "See, I told a dragon that ya'd miss me," Jo starts talking at Sho's sarcasm, the words light and casual as she says them. "Dragon took just -one- look at me and must have agreed, cuz here I am! I got -so- curious about this whole candidate business after all. Can't let ya have -all- the fun." She's talking and she's eating, the sharp knife sliding through the fruit without much thought. It's at his question that she turns her gaze from the fruit to his face, studying Sho and his trunk before answering with a lowered voice. "Oh nothing. Just wanted to see how yer gettin' on. Yer my only friend, ya know," and she gives him a mock-pointed look at that. "Still. Since we're friends'n all, ya should do me a service and answer that question I put to ya a time ago." She must be assuming he remembers, because she's not elaborating.
Ah! Finally! His last set of trousers...but he still needs to change his underwear. Sho looks up at Jolie as he grabs a fresh pair and turns around, speaking as he removes his dirty underwear and putting on his new ones. "I'm surprised the dragon didn't try'n eat ya instead." Is that more sarcasm? Yep. "Well I guess ya can't be all bad if one'a the dragons picked ya. Who knows. Maybe you'll even get be a rider yerself." Underwear on, he turns back around and grabs the clean trousers, pulling them on as well. He pauses at the whole 'friend' bit and looks up at Jo a bit oddly, amber eyes peering at her intriguingly. "Why is it all my friends try ta kill me first..." He wonders aloud, pulling his trousers the rest of the way on and buttoning them before he stands straight and crosses his arms over his bare chest, looking at the girl. "What question was that? The one were ya were trying ta stab me?" Wait for it! Yep, more sarcasm.
"Is that wishful thinking I'm hearin'?" Jolie's all for the sarcasm, and her voice is taking on that tone as she settles back more comfortably on Sho's cot - as if it were her own. "But don't worry, kid. I'm a leavin' all that rider business to ya and these here folks. I'm just here for the laughs." Because having to do lots of chores is -so- much fun, apparently. Knife cuts a piece, piece gets tossed into waiting mouth. At that odd look from Sho when she mentions they were friends, "We try to kill ya to make ya stronger," she states this sardonically as if it was obvious. "It's only because we care. I asked ya something about stabbin' ya?" That gets a light frown from her, as if the former stablehand was trying her best to recall. Eyes lift to the ceiling in the brief pause before they drop back down to the other with her shrugging. "Nope, never asked that. I -did- ask about a mutual acquaintance of ours, though. One by the name of Taikrin?"
Jo gets an eyeroll from Sho, "No, but you were tryin' ta stab me when ya asked stuff before. Or don'cha remember?" He asks dryly, shaking his head as he leans down to pick up his dirty clothing from his morning run. "Do me a favor an' just offer ta help instead of actually tryin' ta kill me. Might be more useful if I stay alive, ya know?" He asks with a raised eyebrow before he looks around the Quarters. "Gettin' kind of crowded in here." He muses before looking back at Jo as she reminds him of the question. This gets a bit of a smirk. "Oh yeah, ya did ask that didn't ya." He says, then shrugs, "Well first I gotta take my clothes here ta the hamper. When I get back I'll give ya yet answer." And with that, the still shirtless youth turns to head out the door to take his dirties by the laundry area. It's rather likely he'll return since, even though the caverns are warm enough, he can't go outside without a shirt on! Especially with as little meat as he's got on his bones.
"Got memory loss," Jolie is blatantly in telling Sho this, the look she sends him deadpan. "Amazing that. Well, didn't look to me like ya needed any help. Not lookin' to kill ya just yet, either. Friends, remember?" Knife is lifted up in indication, though the casual observer would probably think the woman was waving the knife -at- him. Especially since there she it, sitting on Sho's cot while Sho was standing amongst all his clothes and trunk while the majority of the candidates there still slept on this very early morning. Jo doesn't look all that surprised when Sho evades her important question again, lips pressing together as she watches him leave off to his endeavors. She herself doesn't seem to be looking to leave anytime soon, however, the former stablehand returning to her cutting of the redfruit and eating her meager breakfast.
Early morning it may be, but Agnethe is up. Has been up for some time, one may be able to assume, as she is just returning to the candidate quarters, looking perfectly awake, with a basket held in her arms that's full to brimming with various bits of laundry - all bearing rips and holes. A small sewing basket rests on top. Never too early to begin on chores. She passes just by Jolie on her way to her own bunk, the one just past, and the knife is given an automatic sidelong glance - all she says though is a low, neutral "Morning." She sits herself down, still easily within talking distance, and begins sorting through the cast off clothing, lips slightly pursed.
"Mornin', darlin'," comes Jolie's reflexive response to Agnethe's own, seeming to ignore that look to her knife as she finishes up her meal near-messily. The clothes in that basket gets her attention as the other walks by, shifting her posture to face her more now that her main target has ran out of the quarters. "One of the new ones, eh?" she comments, even though she herself has only been there for a day or two. Dark eyes looking Agnethe over briefly, she pops the final bite of her redfruit in her mouth, and its through the chewing that she adds, "Name's Jo. Jolie. Good at sewing?" Her eyes fall pointedly to the small sewing basket she sees, brows lifting slightly in its emphasis.
Agnethe ends up with a torn pair of pants spread across her lap, the knee neatly ripped. She does quite a good show of looking like she knows what she's doing too, getting a needle threaded and prepared to thrust into the fabric - but that's where she pauses. The question, as to her newness, gets a flick of her own dark eyes back up to Jolie's face. A welcome distraction. "Newer than some, I suppose," she responds, with a flicker of a smile. She watches Jolie with some measure of frank interest, putting off her work for the time being. "Agnethe. Dreadful at sewing. Believe they're 'broadening my horizons.'" Her tone turns rather wry as she eyes the needle in her hand. Doubtful, very doubtful. "You're new too." It's half question, half statement, that.
Jolie and Agnethe are sitting on their cots, talking with the majority of the candidates either sleeping or waking up to get ready for the day in the early morning. And, rather, Jolie's sitting on /Sho's/ cot with a knife out, finishing up her breakfast of one redfruit while Agnethe's got a basket of clothes and her sewing kit at the ready. "Well met, Agnethe," Jolie is saying, passing the other woman a small smile as she shifts over to pull free a small rag from behind and starts in on cleaning her knife free of redfruit juice. "They broaden horizons here? Hm. Wonder what they would say to me, then." Her gaze takes in Agnethe's face, then that very needle she's holding with some interest while she cleans, and she gives into a brief nod at her own half-question. "New to the Weyr, some. New to /this/. Happenin' pretty fast. Where ya come from?" It's casual, the way the question is given - not at all like someone looking for information.
Enter K'del, accompanied by an intimidated-looking female candidate in her mid-teens, whose wet hair seems to suggest she's been recently in the baths. "I'm not sure how I managed to confuse myself," she's saying, as they cross the threshhold. "The Craft Complex is just less confusing, I suspect." Her voice lowers, given the still-sleeping amongst the cavern, but K'del seems to have no such concerns: /his/ voice can probably clearly be heard. "'s quite all right, Lienan. Used to get lost down here myself. Good /morning/, Candidates." He seems to intend that last sentence as a greeting to the cavern as a whole.
"Seems they intend to try," Agnethe replies, bowing her head to examine the rip, lips pursing again automatically in reaction to it. She seems reluctant to actually delve in, spinning the needle between her fingers with evident misgivings. "New to this too. Been here awhile." The last part of the question earns a glance, a hesitation, and then she sets her mending aside altogether, put off for the time being. She adjusts her position, sliding back to rest her back against the wall and tucks her legs up underneath her. "From Crom. Originally. You?" This is when K'del makes his entrance with the New Girl, and in response to his greeting she raises a hand to give a flick of a salute.
Sho is just returning from taking his dirty clothes to the hamper, dressed only in his trousers, remaining shirtless for whatever reason in the caverns...which must be cold considering that he doesn't have much meat on his bones. The youth's hair is loose, hanging down to mid-back in a rather flowing look, however as he walks in he's trying to get it gathered up, his eyes on the ground. This is a bad idea because in the end...he's heading right into a course of running into K'del.
"Good to know I'm not the only one here," Jo notes to Agnethe when she mentions how new she was, the woman getting a more crooked grin because of it. Wiping the rag over her knife a few times more, "Keogh," is her response on where she was from, Agnethe getting her intense study now. "Sounds like ya've been about. What parts?" And that's when K'del shows up with the new female candidate, the former stablehand merely giving the new girl a once-over before she shoots Agnethe a dubious look for her salute. Then, her attention turns to K'del, the Weyrleader getting a the glimmers of a smirk that doesn't quite come to the fore as his voice effectively wakes up every other candidate about her. Eyes turn to the side of K'del abruptly when she spots Sho, eyeing that collision he's on and looking very much as if there was an internal struggle within on whether or not to warn him. At least her lips twitch.
K'del's companion is new, but apparently not /that/ new: old enough, at least, that she already has a bunk claimed out, in one of the far corners of the room-- though it was probably empty as of yesterday evening. She scuttles in that direction now, leaving K'del to receive the varied responses to his greeting, and to /entirely/ fail to miss Sho behind him. 'Miss' him, that is, unless you count 'turning about to head back for the door and smacking directly into him'. Which would be... less like missing, probably. /Smack/.
Agnethe's returning that study, inexpressive as her fellow candidate is carefully - if casually - observed. "Been around," she confirms mildly. "Here and there. Keogh's nice. You travel much?" Almost as an afterthought, Jolie's smile is returned, with a flash of a smile soon gone as she catches sight of Sho's reappearance. She very nearly offers up a greeting to him as well, lips poised to form it, but it kind of hangs there unspoken as his trajectory is noted. She ought to say something, but like Jolie, she ends up just watching until the inevitable happens. That's when the greeting finally escapes, somewhat unnecessarily now. "'Morning."
Smack is right. Sho looks up just before he runs into K'del and the resulting collision has the boy falling back on his ass and holding his nose, which ended up ramming into into K'del's chin. Amber eyes stare up at K'del as Sho just sits there a moment, in a moment of shock. "Uh...sowwy sur." He says around his hand. Lot of help all the other nearby candidates were. Sheesh. Useless.
The collision happens and Jolie is shaking her head. "There's people in front of ya," she is all kinds of helpful now, after the fact, to Sho. She sends him the very smirk that's been threatening to break loose, then she slides that glance over to the Weyrleader and nods to him her wordless greeting. That once-over look? She seems to couch that with a non-chalant expression, before the she turns and pierces a lingering study on the new arrival. Back to K'del, "Got something for us....sir?" she tacks on the last, perhaps not used to addressing him in that manner even though her smirk still lingers. As for Agnethe, there's slight tilt to her head before she says, "Traveled a bit. Here and there," in borrowing her words with a quick rise and fall of her brows before her attention touches on the Weyrleader again.
"Shells!" is K'del's exclamation on impact, one hand reaching to grab at his poor chin, though at least /he/ remains standing. A quick glance around addresses the onlooking other candidates with a pair of raised eyebrows, but after a moment, he turns his attention back to Sho, offering the young man a hand to propel himself off the floor. "Not your fault-- least, not entirely. Mine, too. Sorry." Whether or not Sho accepts the hand up, he tips his attention back towards Jolie, then, allowing himself the opportunity to say, "Not 'specially. Just helping one of your-- colleagues find her way back." Poor Lienan, who looks pinker-cheeked and more awkward than ever. "Be nice to her - Lienan's a weaver. Could come in handy."
"And suppose we're culpable by non-action," Agnethe will throw in, readily throwing her - well, and Jolie's - responsibility into the mix, as for who is to blame for the run-in. The response she gets to her question, Jolie's borrowing of her words with equal vagueness, gets another long thoughtful look. She doesn't ask further, but she does say, "Well. Have to swap stories. One of these days." She leaves it there, bowing her head to her mending to finally take the plunge into stitchery, the needle being pushed through precisely but slowly, ahlf her attention still lingering on the weyrleader and Sho.
Sho glares past K'del to Jolie at her words, then back to K'del at the offer for a hand up. The youth takes the hand and stands, removing a hand from his nose to show a little trail of blood coming out of one nostril. "Thanks sir." Sho says, wiping at his nose with his arm when he feels it yet, then looking at the blood smeared on his arm. Grumble. "I should be watchin' where I'm going."
Sho is getting smile full of teeth from Jolie, flashed as it's there one moment and gone the next. She holds up a rag for his nose in case he wants it, though it's the very same rag that she's been cleaning her knife with. "He might toss a dead tunnelsnake in our cots if we're not careful," she leans forward and gives Agnethe for her comment on the matter, gesturing with her chin towards Sho. She notes the long look the woman gives her though, and her response to further words get her finally sheathing her knife along with a wry, "I'm down for that. Swapping stories. Maybe when we're stuck doing some unpleasant task? Or over good ale -- We can still drink, right? Sir" This question gets asked abruptly, her voice a little louder as she sends it K'del's way. Apparently she's one that doesn't pay much attention to the rules if they were given earlier. As for poor Lienan, Jo lets her study lingering without being too overly unfriendly. If the girl looks her way, she'll at least give her a nod for a greeting as she considers K'del's words for the weaver candidate.
"Next time," says K'del, easily, though there's a note in there that seems to encourage compliance, "We'll all be more careful, and more considerate, mm? But for now-- no real harm done, right, Sho? Though I seem to remember this isn't the first time you'n'I've connected like that." Not that the bronzerider seems upset; indeed, he's smiling at Sho as he says this, apparently amused. Jolie's question gets a wan smile. "You can drink," he confirms. "But no drunkenness." Lienan seems so shy that even /glancing/ at the other candidates is terrifying-- but she /does/ catch Jolie's nod of greeting, and it seems to please her. "How's it all going in here? Beginning to fill up, at least." But still not that many /weyrbred/ candidates, notably.
As the weyrleader confirms their continued ability to imbibe, Agnethe shoots Jolie a smile and a nod. "Sounds like a date, then." That said, though, she will quickly blend into the background, working on her mending silently.
Sho reaches out and takes the rag from Jolie with a rather disgruntled, "Thanks." Before holding it up against his nose and tilting his head back. Apparently it's not his first nose bleed. "I am surry sur, I dudn't mean ta run inta you." He asks, his voice sounding funny with his nose all plugged up. The boy watches Agnethe leave, then looks back to K'del. "Wha' are ya doin' here anyways?" He asks the weyrleader.
The same toothy smile that was sent Sho's way is now sent Agnethe's, though there's no brattiness to it this time as Jolie answers with, "A date," in confirmation. Then she'll leave the woman to her mending, nos focusing on the Weyrleader and fellow stablehand-turned-candidate. She lets the rag be taken, her smirk lingering on the young man as she takes up answering Sho's question for K'del. She leans back on Sho's cot, nodding sharply towards Lienan as she says, "Sho, meet Lienan, there. The Weyrleader here was bringing her in. And to check up on us, I imagine." K'del gets a raised brow, the smirk turning slightly more mischievous. Straightening back up to finally get herself off of the cot, "Going pretty good, I suppose," she answers for her, looking around at the other candidates rousing and making noise. "As well as can be for a morning. Guess I should be going." She eyes Sho as she slowly saunters pass him, tossing back her short hair and adding in a lower voice to him in particular, "Yer not off the hook, friend." Then louder, "I'm going to the baths."
Lienan speaks up for the first time since retreating to her cot, giving Sho a very shy smile. "I got lost," she explains. "Figured I might as well bring her back, see how things were," continues the Weyrleader, by way of further explanation. "And I know you didn't mean to, Sho. It's fine-- honestly." Jolie's answer to his question earns a bob of the head, his eyes following her as she begins that sauntering walk. "See you around, Jolie." If he even hears that lowered voice remark, he makes no comment of it, audible or facial.
The boy watches Jolie and listens to what she says as he remains with his head leaning back and the rag tightly holding his nose. "Oh." Is his response then, rather simple really after those two explanations. He lowers his head and takes the rag off, his nose no longer bleeding but some blood smeared around the area. It's at this time that Jolie walks by and he looks at her, giving her a bloody grin (literally). "If you say so, friend." He replies before looking back to K'del and nodding as the Weyrleader lets him slide. "Well...thanks sir. It's good ta see ya and I'm glad ya brought in a new person. It was getting lonely without many others...especially since Jolie is here now."
Arms stretch up and over languidly as Jolie moves, passing Sho a look for that bloody grin. "Ya can keep the rag," she says dryly, eyes dropping briefly to it before she picks up the pace and goes on by the Weyrleader. To K'del, there's a imperceptible lift of that chin as arms come back down and she ticks two fingers off her temple in a form of a lazy salute. Dark eyes glittering with that lopsided smirk of hers - like she has no care in the world - the candidate then pivots and continues to saunter out of the room with barely a glance back.
K'del's silent as he watches after Jolie, silent until after she's disappeared from the room. Then, he glances back at Sho, eyebrows raised. "Strange one, that girl," he reports, thoughtfully, though it gets followed up almost immediately by, "But what do you mean about lonely because she's here? That seems..." Not quite right? Something.
"Ya don't know the half of it." Sho informs the Weyrleader before he takes the few steps left to his already open trunk and leans down to grab another rag he has in there, using it to wipe the blood off of his face and arm before turning around. "How are things going fer you, sir?" He asks then, almost as if none of the previous stuff or conversation ever happened. After the blood is wiped off he goes back to tying his back length hair up in a runner tail for the day. For someone who doesn't like the cold, Sho sure has been without a shirt for a while. Of course, judging by the time, it's most likely he just got done with his morning run. "An' how are the eggs lookin' today?"
K'del opens his mouth, likes he intends to reiterate his question, but Sho's calm change of topic seems to change his mind, and in the end, he just shakes his head. "Things're fine," he says, somewhat vaguely, despite the intensity of his expression. "Haven't seen the eggs, but I can't imagine they've changed even the slightest since the last time you saw them. Give 'em a few sevens, then they'll start getting harder, but until then... Things are going all right, in here?"
"Yeah." Sho replies easily enough, looking around at the other Candidates as most of them still sleep or are slowly, finally, starting to wake up. Granted it's still early for most of them, but still. "Dun think I've ever seen so many people sleep so late. Ever since I was little I always got up b'fore the sun ta either take care'a the beasts or go for a run." His amber eyes continue to flicker over the others before he finally looks back at K'del, finishing his hair and letting it drop behind him, now neatly in a runner-tail. "But other'n that, I think everything is good. No fights, everyone seems ta be getting along." Shrug. "Could always be worse, yeah?" A grin as he asks the obvious, then rocks his head back a moment thinking back on K'del's earlier question. "And it was just a jab. I was trying to say she's crazy, pretty much. And I dun think it's to far off the truth either."
K'del's lips twitch in amusement at Sho's comment. "They'll learn," he prophesizes. "If they Impress, at least. First couple of weeks of that-- it's like having a newborn baby around, only they can tell you exactly what they want." He shifts his stance, considering Sho again, then adds, grinning, "Could be worse. Right. Yes. Totally could be." Of Jolie, he only shakes his head. "Reckon she's just-- I dunno. A girl. An interesting one, but still. Anyway-- ought to let you get back to things. See you later, mm?"
Sho smirks at K'del's comments and in the end just nods. "Yeah, I got a rather large chore list today, startin' with cleanin' up breakfast. They're gonna be expectin' me pretty soon." With that he turns back to the trunk and grabs a shirt. He slides it on and closes the trunk before turning back to K'del. "Thanks fer stoppin' in sir. All's well here. If anythin' happens I'll be sure ta tell someone else." He teases, but then offers a mini salute and heads past the Weyrleader to the exit.
That makes K'del laugh, but he doesn't say anything more-- just follows Sho towards the exit, then off in a different direction once they're beyond the barracks.
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