HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES
One thing that often gets forgotten about Candidates is how young they are. Even an eighteen year old is still young! We're talking high-school age here. Melodrama is everything to a kid that age, and sometimes it shows.
Ista Weyr Living Cavern(#1100RJMs$) The morning sun shines in through the large bowl entrance on the northwestern wall. Early risers are seated here and there at the many tables throughout the room, while the hearths are going full steam readying the Weyr's morning meals. Drudges stream in and out of the entrance to the Lower Caverns entrance to the southwest, bearing either food platters, or cleared plates. To the west, an occasional rider walks in bleary eyed from the entrance to the rest of the lower caverns there. Several huge tapestries, many of them ancient, are hanging on the stone walls. One particularly glorious one looks to be a study on the finger rock. You also see several 'places' to sit. Contents: Dorn Betting Scroll Sandia Refreshment Table(#15939C) Carving Table Serving Table Obvious exits: Hearths area Bowl Lower Caverns Use '+lhelp' for local help. Dorn smiles over towards Gina as he slowly chews on another piece of his redfruit. "Want some?" he offers, holding a large slice out to her. Gina shakes her head, yawning slightly. She's sweating, and wet up to the elbows. "No thanks....*yawn*..Dorn. Not right now." Dorn tilts his head sideways and leans back in his chair for a moment. "What's the matter Gina lass? Why won't you tell me. Have I offended ye some how?" he states, not taking his eyes off of you for a moment. Gina looks around at the small crowd always present, then shakes her head. "No, you haven't. Not at all." She grabs a broom so she looks like she's doing something, even though sweeping wasn't her assigned duty today. Dorn shakes his head and puts another piece of the fruit in his mouth, chewing soundly as he focuses his eyes on the table in front of him. "Then if I dinna do anythin, what's troubling ye lass. Didn't see your name on the cleanin duty today on the chart." Gina looks around furtively when he says that, raising a finger to her lips. "Shhhh! Don't get me in trouble!" Gina starts to sweep, keeping a wary eye out for Daria. Dorn glances about quickly for Daria, no headwoman in sight he relaxes his tense muscles and leans back in his chair once more. "I won't mention it again" he says under his breath as he finishes the last of his fruit up and stands, walking over towards the bowl. Dorn shrugs as Storm takes flight from his shoulder. Dorn walks outside, into the bowl. Gina returns her attentions to Dorn as she realizes no one's picked up on the duty change, and then says "Dorn, I.." too late. He's already gone. Dorn walks in from the bowl. Dorn wanders back in to pick up his dust rag that he's forgotten yet again. Gina all but slams the broom against the wall as he leaves, then says to the startled eyes that turn her way "Shards! Wrong duty." She storms down the hall back to the lower caverns, unaware that Dorn comes in in time to see her outburst. You walk down the corridor. West Cavern This is an oddly shaped cavern, almost resembling a half-empty wineskin draped over a man's shoulder. Several baskets of glows sit on crevices, giving the room ample light. Part of this cavern has been sectioned off as a quiet recreational area of sorts, with chairs and a notice board. Several tapestries here can be seen. It's a pleasant respite from the public bustle of the living cavern to the west. The cavern runs south, along which you can see many rooms opening out into the rock. East are more rooms, and the archway to the Living Cavern to the west. Obvious exits: Residents' Dorms Children's Cavern Living Cavern East Cavern Dorn enters from the living cavern. You walk down the cavern to the east. East Cavern This cavern continues from the rooms curving away to the west, and curls slightly around to the south-southeast as it heads towards the tunnel leading to the Weyr's entrance. Open-top glass globes of glows are spaced between every other curtained door that lines the northern and southeastern run of the cavern. This busy cavern passes through a narrowing corridor on its southeastern curve. An archway on the easternmost side of the southern wall leads out of the Weyr. The cavern narrows to the southeast. On the northeastern wall, a narrow archway opens into the Meeting Room, another archway to the south leading to the Bathing Pools. Nearby, a curtained entrance leads into the Candidates' Quarters. Obvious exits: Candidates' Quarters Bathing Pools Tunnel Out West Cavern Rooms Meeting Room Dorn arrives from the cavern to the west. You make your way into the candidates' quarters to the southwest. Candidates' Quarters(#1299RAJs$) The barracks of Ista Weyr are crowded almost Turn round with the Candidates for its queens' Hatching. Cots line both walls and even the space in between. All the cots have a small press at the foot of them for Candidates' few belongings. Most of the cots are emptying out, as the morning hours find it time for chore work again. A curtain leads out into the east cavern. Contents: Tamina Caprio Zephryus Gem Obvious exits: East Cavern Dorn makes his way in from the lower caverns. Dorn catches up with you, slightly out of breath. "What was that all about lass" he says softly, placing one of his hands on his chest to try and slow his breathing down. He glances over towards Tamina and gives her a little wave before turning back to face Gina. Gina storms in, ripping aside the curtain. She makes her way over to where she was scrubbing the floor earlier, and kneels down, raking her brush over the floor like a proddy green tearing up dirt. Tamina looks up in surprise as the two candidates come in. She looks at Gina with a raised eyebrow, "Something the matter?" Gina growls out under her breath as she scrubs: "You. Are. So. Sharding. DENSE! Dorn!" Dorn blinks his eyes and falls back in his cot, his face completely red. "What did..." he begins to say as he looks down at the floor towards his feet. You say "It's. So. Obvious. And. You. Keep. Picking. At. It." Tamina scrambles to her feet and looks slightly uncomfortable, "Oh um I think I have some um cleaning or something to do. I'll be going now." Tamina pushes aside the curtain across the exit to go out into the east cavern. Gina dunks her brush in the water hard enough to douse Churrun's cot and herself. She doesn't seem to notice as she goes back to wearing off a new layer from the stone. Dorn shrugs his shoulders. "What? What lass? I really don't know!" he says, looking into your eyes with an honest look. Gina brushes a loose lock of hair out of her face and looks up at you. "What's wring is if we're not careful we're going to both get in a LOT of trouble and you don't seem to notice!" Dorn blinks, and stares, and blinks again. "Trouble for what?" he half shouts, now becoming angry. "Chores? Workin?" he states, glancing about as he wipes a finger along the edge of his cot in search of dust. You say "No! How we feel about each other! Jays, Dorn! We're not supposed to even LOOK at each other right now, and you're all but kissing me in the Living Cavern!" Gina's voice is rising. Someone outside might be able to hear now. Dorn smacks his hand to his face and just shakes his head for a moment. "Lass. We both know we can't do anythin, but...it happens sometimes. And if that is the way ye want it, perhaps I should go now and leave ye be..." he says, trailing off, his once vivid green eyes now a dull shade. "I think I'll go outside now, the rain sounds good about now." Gina stands up and puts both hands on your shoulders. "Shard you, you brought it uip, YOU listen!" Gina is good and mad now. Her usual easygoing and deferring manner is totally gone. She must have been sitting on this for days. Dorn continues to remain seated and nods his head, full winning to hear her out. "I'm listening." Gina gets right up in your face. "I've liked you since I got here! I didn't want to say anything because of your friend at Igen. And then I didn't want to say anything because it's against the rules. And then you kissed me. But I won't spoil your chances at Impression! I won't get you sent from here! Dorn blinks his eyes. "But lass, that was for luck" he states, trying to find some way to dive out of this. "I dinna want ye to think anything else all right? No bad feelins. And none of us know who the dragons will choose, so our 'feelins' might not even have an effect on this one way or the other." Gina blinks, and then perceptibly deflates. "It was only for luck?" Dorn doesn't hesitate to answer. "Aye, it was" though deep within he knows it wasn't. "For luck lass. We'll both need it." Gina drops her hands from your shoulders, slow color creeping up her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Dorn," she says, voice barely audible. Dorn sighs softly. "Now, Gina" says with a soft voice. "No need for sorries. Feelins aren't wrong, evenif they come at a wrong time. It just wasn't meant ta be, now." Gina turns away and goes back to the scrubbing. "I feel like a drunken fool at a Gather. Don't make it worse, Dorn, all right?" Dorn slowly nods his head and steps towards the entrance to the room silently. Gina looks back at Dorn. He's probably not going to turn around. It's not going to help. But she's feeling really stupid for being so wrong about everything. Dorn stops at the entrance way for a moment and looks back. "Ye were right lass, about almost everything" he says under his breath, just barely loud enough for anyone to hear as he skips out of the room. Blaze crawls out of Dorn's cot. Dorn pushes aside the curtain across the exit to go out into the east cavern. Gina's eyes widen and she stares after Dorn. "You? Wha? I was?" she gets out, but he's gone. She just stares at the curtain. And she thought she was confused before! And what WASN'T she right about? Oh, this is going to drive her insane for days! Gina turns back to her scrubbing, trying to ignore Blaze's eyes on her from Dorn's cot. She knows the lizard is watching. Blaze croons softly and hops closer to the humanthing, yet, keeping his distance. Gina wipes suds from her face. She tries to avoid looking at the flit. Just one more thing she doesn't have to keep her company, after all. Mist hops off a cot with a mrowl. Gina looks up at Blaze finally. "I'm sorry, Blaze. It's not your fault your pet is exasperating, confusing, and a total pain sometimes." Blaze chirps and hops a bit closer, a soft croon emerging from his brown throat. Gina knows she's alone, but for lizards. She sits back on her heels and extends a wet hand to Blaze. "Thanks. I appreciate the sentiment." Blaze croons and rubs his head against your hand. Gina strokes along small eyeridges. "It's funny, you know? Mum's ben chasing me for Turns to get espoused and have babies. No one looked interesting. Then, I come here, and I can't even touch the first one I really liked!" She half-chuckles at the irony. Blaze chirples and nearly falls asleep at the rubs the humanthing is giving him. Gina gently picks up Blaze, if he permits, intending to cuddle him for a moment. Blaze croons and doesn't react when you pick him up. Gina gathers the little flit closer, fingers stroking over the tiny headknob and down the brown's spine. "Why are men so maddening? I know why Mum used to chase Da out of the house sometimes now!" Gina strokes her cheek along Blaze's back. Gina sighs and moves you to her shoulder. "Gotta get back to scrubbing, Blaze. You can stay if you like." Blaze croons and chirps as he hops back over to his pet's cot. Mist crouches under a cot, eyeing a particularly tempting bit of lacing, tangling from a candidates's pile of clean laundry on their cot. Gina gets about half the floor done and decides she needs a break. She eyes the feline. "Keppa won't be happy if you shred her breastband." Mist scrabbles across the floor to make a pounce attack on the lacing, right up until she hits a wet patch of floor and goes skidding, a la Bambi, right into Gina's feet. Gina does her best not to laugh. Felines hate that. She does look down at the big furball. "You meant to do that, right?" This tiny kitten is a bundle of energy and fur, much like any kitten. Her fur is a pale grey, long and silky and her eyes still the blue of the very young. Mist peeps up with her tiny kitten face and pathetically 'merewl's. Gina scoops up the kitten and grins. "Come on. Let's salvage that dignity. I have to salvage mine too, want to make it a group effort?" She knuckles behind Mist's ears. Mist puuuurrrrrs as she's cuddled and scritched. Gina grins. "I guess that's a deal, then." She leans over, picking up the brush and settling it into the water, then heading out.
HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES