Log: Bathtime After Candidate Chores
Who: acadia, piper. p'draig, xandra, leeana, p'wert
What: Bathtime after Candidate Chores
Saturday, September 11, 2004, 4:12 PM
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Candidates Barracks(#10244RAJ$)
This large low-ceilinged cavern provides temporary housing for the Weyr's Candidates. Various tapestries hang from the walls, lending an air of color and cheefulness to the dark grey walls. Neat rows of cots fill the back of the cavern, a small press at the foot of each. Numerous shelves dot the walls of the cavern. Littered with various containers and odd items, they seem to lend themselves more to firelizard perches than anything else. A few tables with chairs have been placed towards the front of the cavern, providing a place to visit or do handicrafts.
There's a general commotion as more Candidates return from the Feeding Grounds smelling ... ripe. A chorus of "ewww ... yuuuck" arises from a certain corner of the room.
Piper keeps a distance from those she walks into the barracks with. You see, she's had the foresight to slip into the hot springs and lather herself clean. Sproingy still-wet spirals of hair cling to the sides of her face and neck, but she is free at last of the stench of the feeding grounds.
Xandra comes from an opposite direction, carrying a freshly laundered pair of brown trousers. They are obviously too large to be hers. There is a spring in her step and almost slightly smug expression on her usually friendly and utterly brainless face.
Padraig , on the other hand, is covered from head to foot with gore. Yuck. He's wiped off his hands and that's about it, and seems to be rooting around in his press for fresh clothing. A towel is slung over his cot, marred with red hand prints, another, clean awaits his own trip to the baths. He looks up at the protests about the smell. "Hey ... whaddaya want?"
Piper wrinkles her nose, "Nice of you all to bring that smell in here," she fans her nose. However, her scolding is mildly spoken, having just rid herself of the self-same stench. Not so mildly put is another candidate's protest, "DISGUSTING!" hollers Shaye from where she hides toward the back of the barracks, "How coarse and gross you look."
Though there's more than a few entering in similar shape, her harsh words seem destined for Padraig first and foremost. Still not entirely over that cold noodles incident. Piper cringes somewhat as Shaye's voice grates on her and decidedly ignores her further. Instead, she spies Xandra and lifts a brow, "Now who's are those?" she inquires.
Xandra beams at Piper "I cleaned them all up for him!" She strides to Padraig and holds out the pants for him "There you go, just like I promised you...oh..PADDY!" she wrinkles her nose "That's awful. You'e supposed to clean them up...not roll in them!" She looks decidedly unhappy at the young man's state.
Padraig just gives Shaye a narrowed look. "Yep, that's me, coarse and gross," he repeats, shuffling the remarks off casually. "That's why, I'll be heading over to the Baths now if you don't mind," he pulls a very wrinkly shirt out of the press and sniffs it carefully. "This'll have to do for now," he grabs that and his towel and starts to pad out.
Leeana comes in from the inner caverns, just catching a little of the smell as she passes Padraig. She furrows her brows. "Oh my..." She sits on her chosen cot, and starts to feed Fiona. "Padraig...um...nevermind, I won't say anything." She looks around at her friends. "Hey, how are you guys?"
Shaye lapses into angry silence, huffing as she rolls to face away from the cavern at large.
Piper returns Xandra's smile with a rather knowing one of her own as she shakes her head a little and turns to greet Leeana, "Just got back from our turn in the pens, and may I say it has given me an entirely new perspective on chasing crawlers..."
Xandra lays the pants on Padraig's bed and sighs "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this afternoon. Why do they have to be so messy?" She looks at padraig for a second "Are you all right?"
Padraig grins at Xandra as he passes her by. "Why thank you Xandra! Yes I'm just fine, just uhh stinky" he says gaily then pauses. "Any one else for a bathe?" he tosses out to the room at large.
Leeana shrugs. "I'll go if the others do too." She strokes Fiona, who's crooning curiously at Piper and Xandra. Lee smiles for no reason at all. "Another leaky carcass, Padraig? Just out of curiousity..."
"Already had mine, but I'll join you all over there...think the company'll be better than it is in here," Piper declares pointedly.
Xandra beams "i'll come along. I...oh wait." She frowns "I have to bathe AFTER the clean up right? And it's my turn..." she looks out of the barracks mournfully "I don't suppose someone wants to trade? Padraig?" She looks after the candidate male hopefully.
Leeana sighs. "I'll trade, Xandra. I've nothing else to do." She grins, getting up and heading out.
Padraig just gives Xandra a -look-. "Sorry - that's two days in a row that I've gotten covered in blood and muck. And no ... not a leaky one this time Leeana ... -someone- threw guts at me when my back was turned." There's a glare sent Shaye's way.
Luckily, the slender yet shapely candidate's back is enough to deflect the look from her notice, and if the comment is overheard, it is thoroughly ignored.
Xandra beams after Leeana "Oh thanks! I'll do you two others in return!" she then looks after Padraig "That's just nasty." Her eyes flick t the sulky girl and she sticks her tongue out "hah!"
"So now you'll be free to come help Padraig get all clean," declares Piper innocently enough to Xandra, "And maybe you could braid my hair back for me, it's getting long."
Padraig sends Piper a sidelong glance, but doesn't protest the idea of help. Rather, he grins and nods. "Company's good ... well I'm off for it." And he heads out, snagging a bag of sweetsand on the way.
Hot Springs
The first thing which draws your eye when entering this vast subterranean cavern is the sheer height of it - a massive bubble hollowed out of rock by the pressures of volcanic gases at some time when Fort's volcano still spurted flame. The eye is drawn up and up into the darkness of the ceiling, where occasional flecks of mica reflect the light and catch the eye, flickering like solitary fireflies. Towards the northern end of the cavern, the ceiling disappears and the sky can be seen where the volcano eventually released built up pressure so long ago - now it forms an entrance to the hot springs for dragon and rider, dropping down through the open ceiling to the rocky lake shore or to various ledges high in the walls - from which the more daredevil riders have been known to dive on occasion.
Down at ground level, the warm lake laps the shore gently, never completely still. Steam rises from the surface and ripples stir from the movement of the hot water seeping in from hidden springs. The lakeshore closest to the Weyr entrance is smooth and gently sloping, a safe place to bathe and talk, but further out there are various rocky coves that can be reached by swimming or by dragon. At night, glows set in the walls reflect their glimmer onto the water; by day, the light from the ceiling gives the lake ever changing shades of blue and gold, deepening to soft opal at dusk and dawn, casting shadows that seem to harbor small crevices.
A wide corridor leads off to the southeast, curving back to the Inner Caverns.
Padraig is stripping down, leaving his clothes in a stinky pile. His towel he lays out well above were it'd get wet and then strides right into the pool, setting the bag of sweetsand down in a rocky niche where he can get to it easily. "Yargh ... this is -foul-," he remarks testily.
Piper perches up on one of the rocks near the water's edge, and calls, "Don't worry, you'll be clean soon enough...though I wonder if that smell'll ever get out of my nose. What I want to know is why those dragons can't just toss the carcasses where they should go instead of leaving them for us to deal with." She twitches at the memory of the rotting remnants.
Leeana laughs as she comes in, catching the last part of Piper's little speech. She sits on a rock near Pip, and sets fiona next to her. "They had enough help, so I came here."
Fiona has arrived.
Padraig grins over his shoulder at the girls. "Yeah - it'd be -nice- if they did that wouldn't it? All right ... farewell stench, for now!" he ducks under the water's surface for a good bit and emerges, water streaming down his face. "Ahh that's better already ... not so ... -sticky-." He swims over to where he left his sweetsand and starts scrubbing. "Hopefully we'll have something like, gardening tomorrow," he notes. "It's hard work, but I don't mind plain old dirt."
Piper grins at the other girl...woman. "Lucky break you got there," she notes, adding to Padraig, "If I Impress, I'm going to make sure my lifemate knows my feelings on the matter." She turns back to Leeana, "Is this your least favorite of our chores so far too?"
Leeana shrugs, petting her friend, Fiona, that is. She looks up with a smile at Piper. "Yep, I'm shardin lucky I won't have to do that again." She rolls her eyes still with a smile saying, "Yes, it's the worst so far. We didn't have to do anything like that at Telgar...ugh. If I Impress I'm going to make sure my lifemate knows where to put their carcasses too."
Padraig starts scrubbing foaming sand through his hair vigorously. "Hmm ... I wonder if others have tried that before and failed?" he quirks a grin at the girls. "Dunno if it ever occurred to any of my parents to try to teach them though."
Leeana's statement spurs Piper's memory, and she seizes upon it, "That's right, you were just a candidate at Telgar...what was it like? Was it much different than here?"
Padraig gets good and foamy then lets out a whoop and dives under the water where it's nice and deep. He surfaces a ways off, free of lather, grime and gore. "Ahhhhh ..." he says distinctly and rolls over to float on his back, bobbing a little from the waves other bathers further off are making as they move about. "Yeah ... what's it like to live at Telgar?"
Leeana raises a brow, thinking. "Well...yes and no. Some things here are different than some things there. I have more friends here now, and I had an enemy there...I think that Shaye is going on -that- list." She smirks for a moment. "At Telgar it's -very- cold, but the people are welcoming and nice. Being a Candidate there was hard, but also so much fun sometimes because of my friends. You'll be so nervous when on those sands, lemme tell ya."
Piper leans over to try to prod her fellow candidate further, "Yes, do tell...and who was your enemy there?"
Leeana laughs. "I didn't literally mean, let me tell you." She shrugs. "Oh well..." She pauses for a moment, recalling it all before saying anything.
Padraig floats closer. "An enemy? Shells," he remarks, brows lifting as he rolls again to swim properly forward. "Yeah, Telgar's as cold as the Reaches though ... Mum's from there by way of Benden."
Piper kicks off a sandal to the side to dip her toes in the water and flick a splash at Padraig as she comments idly, "I hate cold weather," before waiting for Leeana to continue.
Leeana smiles. "Oh, my fellow candidates and I all walked out there together, sweating, nervous, thinking 'whadda we do, whadda we do? What did they tell us?' Our memories were refreshed, though after a while. When you stand out there, and you see the first crack on an egg, it's magical. Then they all start breaking, and everything starts happening all too fast." She laughs. Oy...way to fast indeed. "My mind went blank for a while, and nearly all of my friends were Impressing already. A'tan was clutching my hand in a death-grip, and I was doing the same to him." She grins. "The little dragons crawl all over the place, and seem like they're looking you straight in the eye, then...the person next to you is hugging it and crying. It's confusing, I would guess, to pick out your dragon's voice above others." She turns back to her friends with rosie cheeks. "Any -other- questions?"
Padraig ducks the splashed water and swims closer to those toes. "Hmmm ... there's something wriggling in the water here ... I'd better check it out ... " he teases. Then nods Leeana's way. "Yeah, I bet the touching the other night was just a preview ... were you scared of the dragonets at all?"
Piper hastily, lifts her foot out of the water, and there it dangles, dripping runoff back into the water. She listens to Leeana's recounting of the hatching itself, and adds only, quietly, "They say you can't miss it if it happens.
Leeana nods her head to Piper. "True, I've heard that too. And the thing is screeching next to you, so I don't think it would be that hard." She laughs, then moves on to Padraig's question. "Hmm...well...I guess you could say scared. I think I prefer the word, curious. It was kind of scary seeing those sharp talons and whatnot, but the wee things are too cute. It makes you curious to watch their actions how they can get around so fast. -I- was curious as to why they ran most of the time instead of choosing to walk." Ah, here comes the Leeana gibberish...oh wait...she already spoke in it. She then remembers a past question. "My enemy was Metri, now M'tri."
Padraig swims closer ... closer ... "Cute? Huh ... I always thought they looked kinda ugly ... all the Hatchings at the Reaches ... you know ... kind of ... floppy..." He's covering up the fact that he's snaking an arm up to grab that foot of Piper's. "HAH! GOtcha!" he whoops and tickles the foot a little, before tugging on it to dunk Piper into the water. He's careful about the way he does it though - wouldn't want her to hit her head on a rock.
"What made you two enemies?" Piper wonders aloud, "I can't imagine you offending anyo..." she glerps as she spasms at being tickled, instantaneously contracting and therefore hitting the water in a balled up position, spluttering as she comes up.
Leeana hmphs. "I was very uncomfortable being around a lot of people, especially people I didn't know. Amarie, Lanisa, and Metri all lured me in to the Living Cavern one day, and I told them everything that was wrong. Metri and I sent sparks flying at each other ever since then, and he insulted me, I insulted him, so on so on. I tried to be nice, but he was only nice to me when Lani was around...there's more detail, but I'm not for explaining it." She cracks up at the sight of Piper going hysterical from the tickle-meister. Fiona's eyes swirl red-orange at Padraig, and she screeches at him. "Gentle, Fiona. He's playing."
Padraig grins gleefully. "Wooot ... got me a Piper!" he crows and winks at Leeana. "Wow ... that's some story Leeana ... are you still on bad terms with this M'tri fella?"
Leeana shrugs. "I haven't seen him since the hatching, so I couldn't say." She laughs at Piper again. "Are you ok? Can you breathe?
Piper coughs a time or two, but doesn't seem much worse for the wear. However the look she aims at Padraig seems to say that she's got murder on her mind. "Fine," she utters to Leeana, lapsing into silence to contemplate her bedraggled revenge.
Padraig blinks a few times as Piper doesn't laugh. Nope, she's glaring. "Um ..." he hesitates. "I'm sorry?" he offers up, a dripping-wet hand. "Thought it'd be funny ..." he continues and then stops. He looks over at Leeana ... beseechingly as if to say "Help! Please"
Leeana smirks, gets off of the rock, strips down to her underthings, and leaps to tackle Padraig, and knock him back in the water.
Piper wasn't so much glaring as plotting, and she seems about to take Padraig's offered hand with somewhat dubious intentions, but she's stopped short by an incoming Leeana.
Padraig oofs as Leeana launches herself at him and disappears under the water borne down by the unexpected assault. "Hey -- *glob*"
Leeana surfaces, taking deep breaths, and laughing. "Did that help, Paddy?" She laughs some more, then looks at Piper, wiping a wet, curly lock from her face. "Was that good?"
Piper can't help but laugh at last, "Alright, alright, I guess that'll serve for retribution. Friends again?" she offers her palm out to Padraig.
P'wert enters the hotsprings slowly. He moves to pick up a towel, and heads for thw water. Neatly folding his clothing and leaving it perhaps too close to the water, he jumps in. A fond smile and sigh slips free as he hits the warm water. He notices the candidates now, and looks over at them.
Padraig surfaces, coughing and choking on water that got into his full mouth. "Jays ..." he says soggily. "You've got one solid tackle, Leeana!" He scrapes hair out of his face and takes Piper's hand lightly. "Never stopped being 'em," he says with a cheeky grin. "Leastways, not on my part, I was just funnin' with ya."
Leeana looks over at P'wert with a smile and a wave. "Well hello there sir! How are you today?" She merges from the pool, and goes to get a towel. She dries off as she walks back over to her friends. "Why thank you Paddy, I am proud of my strength." She grins, flexes, and kisses her muscle. "Oh yeah. Ok, new rule, no more sweets for me."
P'wert shakes his head slowly. "Candidates. Shards and shells, be careful not to drown each other. The dragons wouldn't like that one bit." There's a little grin sporting on his face, however. He chuckles at Leeana, "Too bad. I was going to make dough dots tomorrow. I guess the rest of the candidates will enjoy them, then, eh? More fore them."
Piper gives a little giggle at Leeana's affection for her prowess. Or maybe that's not what the giggles about at all. As Padraig lightly covers her palm with his, Piper does her own show of strength, solidly securing her fingers about his and dragging them sharply and suddenly down with her to dunk the pair below the surface. P'wert's voice only intrudes just before she goes under, too late.
Padraig's eyes widen as Piper grabs him and there's another abbreviated shout from the Reaches lad. "Pipe ---- *glob glob*" And he's gone yep. Down under the water thrashing about. There's a lot of bubbles and froth and so on. Seems the lad's probably trying to grab Piper under the water.
P'wert looks over at Piper, and grimaces, "Piper. What did I just say . . . ?" He gives a large, frustrated sigh, "Perhaps you should go. Maybe you could get some juice for Padraig - Since you seem so eager to give him something to drink, yes?"
Padraig emerges from the water with a good grip on Piper. He's tickling her. Fiercely. "Huh?" he questions, not having really heard P'wert.
Piper manages to overhear that as she breaks the surface and draws in a hasty breath. Seems she didn't have an 100% easy time of getting back up from the depths. She looks suitably chastened, her laughter and lack-of-breath drawing to a quick halt at the bronzerider's words as she works to disentangle herself from her sound tickling, "Yes, ah, sir, I'll do that. Juice..." she says as she wades out of the water, fully dressed save for one sandal which she retrieves from the shore. She wraps herself in a towel and ducks out of the cavern post-haste.
Leeana re-dresses, and fluffs her hair a little. "Stupid curls...grr..." She smirks at Paddy. "Seems like you've been beaten up a little today...by girls!" She laughs, then holds out her hand to him. "Don't worry, you won't get beaten by me again." She looks over at P'wert in a sidways glance, then to his clothes. She stretches one arm out, and picks them up with a wicked smile. "Should I? Nah..." she sets them back down again farther away from the water.
.
P'wert eyes Leeana as her movement catches his eye. He stretches idly; surely he didn't notice. To Padraig, he winks. "When I was a candidate, well, the first and second time, the girls picked on me too. Just be thankful your hair's not full of bright pink ribbons."
Padraig just grins as he releases Piper and then wades out of the water to claim his own towel. He's about to shake hands with Leeana when P'wert's comment makes his eyes go round. "Sir ... don't give them any -ideas-!" Then he shakes his head at Leeana. "Say what you will ...I guess it came out even in the end," he says lightly. "But I'll adjust the tally ... one for Leeana."
P'wert chuckles softly at Padraig, "You'll find it won't matter whether I give them the idea or not . . . Still. You look like you could fend a few girls off yourself. A fair few of the girls I was speaking of could have lifted me up had I tried. I dare say you'd be too heavy to lift, if you know what I mean?"
Acadia walks in gingerly, bare feet making little noise on the stone floor. Without so much as a blink she strips off her outer clothes, splattered with blood. She makes a face and grabs a little bag of sweetsand and marches right into the water. All the way up to her chest, and she starts to scrub briskly.
Piper returns, and never let it be said that she does things halfway. She's a mug looped over each finger, and each hand is curled around a pitcher. That's right, there's not only juice, but cider for the having. She should be chastised more often. However, lessons in not being pert don't appear to stay with her for the duration as both brows lift at what she overhears as she comes in, "If Shaye giving you problems again, Padraig, or is it one of your other admirers...speaking of which...where is Xandy? I thought she was going to get a brush."
Padraig looks down and grins. "Yeah I guess so ... I'm trying to be careful actually ... not be too rough ... I wrestle with my Da and my Papa at home ... and they're both big men ... so I have to hold back a lot when I get into trouble with kids my own age." He hunkers down to collect the clean clothes he brought with him and toss them on.
Padraig snorts at Piper. "No ... Shaye is not giving me trouble, I've got -her- well in hand," he says, brows beetling somewhat. Mention of Xandra though results in a very slight pink flush around the ears. "Xandy? Dunno ... probably um ... hasn't found the brush yet."
Leeana says "You're not too tough Padraig, I tackled you for crying out loud. Can you see how skinny I am?!" She giggles. "Please..."
Once clean, Acadia moves into shallower water, shifting a bit on the sandy bottom. She waves to the other bathers and says, "Hi guys!"
Padraig lays a hand on his heart, and rounds eyes at Leeana. "You wound me m'lady!" he mimics the speech of a high flown Lord Holder. Then there's a grin for Acadia. "Heya!" he says blithely. "You just missed a whole lotta dunking."
"Do you now?" Piper murmurs in rebuttal to Padraig's Shaye comment before finding a relatively flat rock on which to unload her beverage burden, "Drinks are on," she calls behind her, before turning and spotting another familiar face, "Acadia," she waves, "See you've managed to scrub the yuck of the feeding pens off too."
P'wert moves out of the water, eyeing his moved-back clothes carefully for a moment, and looks at Leeana pointedly, "Thank you, Leeana." He gets himself a drink, the heads back into the water, "It's good that you don't wish to abuse you strength, Padraig." His blush is unfortunately noticed, "Oh, ho. Xandra got your eye?" The last is said softly to the boy, to try and avoid the girls hearing it.
Acadia nods to Piper and says, "Yeah, I got Carcass Removal today. It wasn't hard, just very messy." She winks at Padraig and replies, "I'll have to catch round two later. Besides, nobody would have wanted to come in contact with me until I was cleaned up anyway."
"Us too," Piper replies to Acadia, coming nearer to the water's edge. Doesn't matter if she winds up back in the water, as her clothes are already more than damp, "I think they cycled us all through in shifts, from what I hear. And you're right, the work itself wasn't hard...just gross." She smiles, "I'm certainly glad it's over." P'wert's comment to Padraig doesn't occasion comment from her, but that doesn't prove it isn't overheard.
Padraig bundles his stinky clothes up, so their reek spreads less and wraps his damp towel around them now he's dressed. He ducks his head slightly as P'wert passes, and shrugs. "Um ... more the other way 'round," he mutters also very quietly, and pads over to join Piper with the drinks. "Yeah, I think so," he says with a grin. "She knows what's coming if she tries anything else on -me-" he says and jabs a thumb at his chest. He takes up one of the mugs and pours cider into it, then perches nearby, sipping quickly, then laughs at Acadia. "Sure ... never any lack of it, is there?"
P'wert chuckles very quietly as he nods, and walks away from Padraig. "Good luck." He watches the candidates carefully, "Mind what I said about drowning, eh? Was there more than one flight today?" He asks Piper.
Acadia asks, "Lack of what? Drinks or bloody carcasses?" She also takes a drink and thanks Piper, downing half of it in one gulp. "Ahhhhh, that's better. Much better."
Leeana grins and starts to walk out. "Well my friends, I'm going to get some rest. I'm beat from tackling Padraig and movin around too much. I'll see ya later." She waves bubye and walks out.
Padraig shakes his head. "No ... dunkings!" he says gaily and sits, cross-legged, mug of cider held loosely in both hands. "Later Leeana," he says agreeably. "Rest well!"
As she's thanked for the beverages by Acadia, Piper aims a look at P'wert, stating dryly, "Oh, my pleasure," before his comment has her looking perplexed, "More than one flight?"
P'wert stretches again, and starts to get out to grab his towel. "Yes. With all the greens in the weyr - well, usually more than one goes up in a day. Some days none do, others just one. I was wondering if there was a few, hence more carcasses to clean." He glances towards the entrance, and shakes his head slowly. His clothes are gathered in a hurry, "I need to get going. Enjoy your bath, candidates."
Acadia says, "I don't know, P'wert, sir. All I know is that they had me in the pens for two hours today pulling carcasess out and learning how to butcher them properly. A truly revolting process--I was much happier eating steaks before I saw how they were cut off the bovines!"
Padraig just makes a face. "Someone was throwing guts at me when we were on duty with it, sir," he explains and shrugs. "Don't think I saw any greens flying today."
"Maybe there were more flights than usual yesterday, and that's why they had us doing this today," Piper muses over P'wert's words, "I had figured they just wanted to show us the less glamorous side of weyr life."
Padraig nods as P'wert exits. "Good evening, sir," he offers up, then grins over at the girls. "So ... whattaya thing it'll be tomorrow?"
Acadia ewwwwws and shudders. "Man, am I glad I missed your shift Padraig! Nobody was tossing anything gross while I was out there."
Piper fixes herself a mug of juice, and leans up against one of the rocks, "Let's see, carcass cleaning, stall mucking, garden weeding, glow changing, cavern sandbagging, crawler chasing...what haven't I done yet? Oh, right...a rest day?" she sounds hopeful before adding to Acadia, "Don't feel too bad for him, he usually deserves it," she aims an almost affectionate grin over at Padraig, "Although in this case, it was Shaye, so it might have just been her meanness."
Padraig rolls his eyes a little. "Yeah ... 'twas Shaye. Got hit in the back of the neck with a literal side of beef," he says a titch testily, then he corrects gently: "Paddy's fine, Acadia ... even my parents only say Padraig when I've done something bad and they're about to dress me down for it." There's an answering grin for Piper. "Ya got me there," he answers with a laugh. "Usually is at that," he nods and tips his mug up, drinking deep. "And Faranth, yeah, a rest day'd be good ... I'd like to maybe go outside the Weyr ... see a bit more of the area."
Acadia finishes off her drink and wades a little closer to get a refill. After a quick, discreet burp from the guzzling she asks, "Have you had Old Auntie or Uncle duty yet Piper? Or you Padraig? If not be sure to volunteer to help Auntie Svarga, or you'll get stuck with Uncle Apopho. He refuses to bathe and reeks from 10 feet away."
"Oh, disgusting," declares Piper, leaning over to refill Acadia's mug for her so she won't have to come completely out of the water, "Although, I think my nose may be dead after today's chores. I can still smell it though we're all cleaned up. Just stays with you." She considers Padraig's sentiments, and mentions, "I like Padraig better than Paddy, though of course, it's your name, you do with it what you like," she's very generous that way, "It'd be nice to do a bit of exploring. There's some lovely areas outside of Harper Hall that I used to run around at while my mom was doing trainings."
Padraig makes a face. "Thanks for the tip Acadia - I haven't yet, nope." He nods a little, then grins at Piper. "Well you can call me what you like ... "idiot" seems to get bandied about a lot by my siblings y'know." He winks then before his gaze sharpens. "Oh yeah? I think it'd be fun to pack a picnic and have a day running around in the sun ... maybe find a lake to swim in ... eat some good things ... come back sun-touched and ready for another seven-day of chores."
Acadia asks the other candidates, "How often have you guys gotten kitchen duty. So far, I haven't. Not even dish washing or tuber peeling duty. I was wondering if the Bakers were up to something or not."
Piper pokes out her tongue at Padraig and rolls her eyes, evidencing her age, "I am not going to call you idiot, silly." She shakes her head, adding, "I don't remember a lake, but there's got to be one somewhere. If you can talk them into giving us a vacation, Padraig, I'll help you find one." Acadia is regarded in turn, and Piper replies, "I had tuber peeling on one of my first days here, but I haven't had anything else since....and Padraig's definitely had kitchen duty, because I remember hearing how he put cold noodles down Shaye's back."
Padraig shakes his head. "Yeah I did, that, and sharding klahbark scraping," he says with visible disgust. "A little is fine ... but a whole barrel-load ... no thanks." Then he's sending that charming grin Piper's way again. "Like I said ... whatever you want .. lady's choice," he winks mischievously her way, then nods more seriously. "That sounds like a plan ... Julisin had a map out 'tother night and I saw a couple of lakes, big and small 'tween here and Harper ...
Acadia exits the water and puts her empty cup with the others. "Ok, I feel human now. I guess that means it's time for a late snack and bed. Good night to you both!"
Piper trades her stuck-out tongue for a nose wrinkle in Padraig's direction, "Lady, my shoe," she says before noting to Acadia, "I'm sure that's just the way the rotation's run, your turn will come," she says, "Or maybe you're too good at taking care of old aunties and uncles to be spared for kitchen duty." Padraig's plan, however, is the more interesting subject to her at the moment, and her eyes seek him out again, "That would be just wonderful...to see Harper Hall again would be almost like seeing home," she clears her throat, "And of course, exploring would be great too."
After wrapping her hair in one towel and herself in a much bigger one, Acadia waves and cheerfully exits. Leaving a trail of wet bare footprints behind her.
Padraig lifts his mug Acadia's way in toast of good night. "See ya in the Barracks - rest well!" he says cheerily. For Piper, there's a falling of his face though. "What? Don't like being called 'my lady'?" Then his more customary half-smile is back as she warms to the picnic and exploration idea. "It's a deal then? Next rest-day?"
Piper stretches out upon her rock-seat, mug placed to the ground as she explains, "It's just when I hear someone say Lady, it makes it sound like I'm giving myself airs, you know, like Shaye and her crowd, and I don't think I'm like that...that's all I was saying," she gives a reassuring smile to Padraig, changing the subject as she notes, "There's some really nice orchards near Harper, that I remember pretty well. We used to play apple stickball there - me and the other kids around."
Padraig watches the harper-girl with a thoughtful expression. "Huh ... sorry, I hadn't thought of it that way ... my Da calls my mum that when he's being a little silly, it's a fondness y'know?" But his head bobs up and down. "You're right though ... Shaye'd just eat it up if anyone called her "My Lady" and make you pay for it at the same time too." He draws one knee up and braces his foot on the rock he's leaning against, then props his elbow on that knee and his chin on his hand. "Apple stickball ... sounds like fun ... tell me more about it? An orchard could be fun to run around in ... or yeah ... a game of that. I'm itching to run around and burn off some energy in other ways than -work-." His voice sounds restless indeed, and his face shades with an expression to match.
Piper uses the crook of her arm as a pillow against the hardness of the rock, "Did you do a lot of travelling from Reaches? Do you think that's why you feel kind of...cooped up here? I know sometimes I do too, but I think it's a little different than it is for you. I," she pauses for a minute, eyes narrowed as she looks at fellow candidate, weighing her level of trust, "I really miss my mom," she admits, the vulnerability of her voice making her sound quite young, "I know that's silly, seeing as she's visited a few times, but...we've never been apart like this before." She clears her throat, marking her decision to quickly change subjects before she starts truly having a moment, "Apple stickball....You find a thick piece of wood, branches that got broken off that day usually work well because the old ones tend to just fall apart too easily, and then one person tosses an apple, and you try to hit it..."
Padraig nods slowly. "Yeah ... my parents are riders ... they take us to lots of different places ... and I hunt with my Da fairly often or go fishing," he explains, then he's listening again nodding. "I miss my folks a lot," he says down low, voice turning basso profundo of a sudden, where usually it's a lighter tenor that shades alto when he's embarrassed. "Yeah ... mine had a big fight right before I got Searched ... and yeah ... I miss them," he says quietly, then he looks up, eyes alight for the description of the game. "Heyyy ... now THAT sounds promising!"
Piper grimaces at the mention of the parents' fight, but as her cohort's already brightened, she doesn't ask further questions on a no doubt sore subject, instead smiling in exchange, "There's more to it than that for the true game, but we used to just take turns swinging at the apples," she grins, "We were pretty little."
Padraig's head bobs up and down. "You'll have to explain it all so we can get a good game going," he eyes are slitted slightly, in planning mode. "How old were you then? And hey ... how old're you now anyway?" It's asked friendly-like, lightly.
"Maybe 8?" Piper replies, tugging her lower lip between her teeth as she thinks on it, "Give or take a turn or two." She rolls up onto her side, lifting her head to prop it on a palm as she grins, unable to resist asking one of the more dangerous questions, "How old do you think I am?" Her curiousity is evident.
Padraig nods. "We used to play a lot of chase and hide when I was around that age. My brother and sisters still play that a lot ... and of course we have tons of snowball fights," he describes a snippet of life at the Reaches. He blinks a few times then gives her a long searching look. "Dunno ... maybe about the same as me? I've fourteen Turns ... just turned."
Piper continues to be quite curious about those snowball fights, but doesn't pursue it just this second. "You're supposed to think I'm older than that!" Piper laughs, "Everyone my whole life has told me I seem older than my turns, and here you come along, and guess it on the dot." She shakes her head, "Though it sounds like I've a few months on you. It's only a few months till my turningday."
Padraig laughs and shrugs. "Sorry ... I guess I'm hoping someone here's closer to my age?" His grin shades sheepish. "Yeah ... oh and Leeana just had one ... I was thinking we should do something nice for her ... and if yours is soon ... well ... d'you thing before the eggs? We should have a celebration ... Mum always made a big fuss over our turning days ... I guess it's sort of a family tradition."
Piper laughs, "Well, I would've guessed that you were a lot older than me, so there. But yes, you have someone your own age to keep you company," she favors fellow candidate with one of her nicer smiles before nodding, "I think it would be great to do something for Leeana. I'm sure she'd really like it. If everything I hear is true, it should only be another month, or more likely two before the eggs'll hatch, so I won't be quite fifteen yet. So we'll have to put all our energies into festivities for Lee."
Padraig takes a long draught from his mug, effectively emptying it and shrugs at the contents, finishing it off and licking his lips. "Ahh that was good .. .thanks for bringing it by the way," he notes, then favors her with a rather rakish grin. "Yeah ... 'aren't you sixteen? no ... ohhhh well you -look- it' *flutter flutter*" He scratches at his chin. "Not that I really mind being made a fuss of ... s'kinda nice actually ... but uhhh ... it's a little overwhelming sometimes," he says frankly, then colors a little. "Yeah ... um ... anyway ... party ... yeah! Maybe we could combine picnic, apple stickball and turnday festivity all into one?"
Piper collapses into giggles. It is just too much fun to watch Padraig go through changes of countenance, "You're absolutely adorable," is out before she can stop it, leaving her to affect wit with a tacked on, "M'Lord, just too much. But I think," she breezes right along without so much as a pause for breath, "That that'd be perfect. Lee'll like it, and it'll be hard for the weyrleaders to say no to our impromptu vacation from chores."
Padraig's gaze tightens slightly on the other Candidate from his rock to hers, and then lips twitch slightly. "Adorable ... now that's not one I've heard yet ... from a girl my age ... that's more... my Mum's term for me ... but ah ... yeah, I'll take what I can get," he muses and then laughs aloud for the 'M'Lord'. He rises up and bows, deeply, mug abandoned on the rock behind him. "Then, my dear ... Harper Lady ... we shall definitely have to do it," he says in a slightly affected tone, then holds out a hand to her. "Fancy a walk around the Bowl, it's kinda warm in here ... though I guess maybe warm's good for you? Being from the South n' all."
Piper drags herself upright to a standing position, managing none of the grace of her supposed station until she's actually up, "You'd wilt just like most northerners down there, wouldn't you?" she teases, "A stroll around the bowl you say? But what if we're seen slacking off in that most abominable manner," she's all smiles, ear to ear actually, as she reaches out a hand herself, "Dear sir?"
Padraig just smiles and takes that hand gently in his and borrows a page from the Weyrharper no doubt, by bending to kiss it. "I would indeed," he says, continuing a little of the game they've been playing, though his lips are starting to twitch with suppressed laughter. He threads her hand through his arm as he's seen proper holders doing and steps off. "Tsk ... it's nighttime dear lady! ... We're not on duty anymore ... 'less you've signed up to change glows?"
Piper is quite enjoying herself as well, her smile revealing much too much of that fact to be truly proper, showing, however, a hint of a flush that might be the result of high spirits, "I never sign up for duties to which I haven't been assigned, m'lord, it just wouldn't be seemly!" She allows her steps to be guided from the heat of the spring's cavern to the relative chill of the inner caverns, "Does a turn about the bowl satisfy some of your craving for getting out and about?"
Padraig sneaks a look or two over at his lovely companion to make sure she's still having fun, and reassured, continues with the game. "Tsk ... seemly is as seemly does," he's mimicking someone again, but it's not clear whom. It's another woman though, but a different vocalization than he's used before for his mother or some of the girl-Candidates. "Still, I find it wise of you, to do as you say!" Then there's a mirthful twinkle in his eyes as he responds gravely, hand tightening slightly on hers. "Some ... indeed ... some, though my heart longs for a bit of roaming in the woods."
Piper delights at the voice, whomever's measure it's taking. And she forgets herself as hoity-toity tones are abandon and she ducks her head nearer her walking companion to whisper, "Much as it might be nice to scout out ahead of our little planned expedition for Leeana, I think we'd be in so much trouble neither of us'd see that picnic through..." Shame. A thought occurs to her though, and she again, still Piper, rather than Lady Piper, wonders, "I bet sometime, though, we could talk one of the riders into giving us a lift up to the starstones...then at least we could see something new than what we've been seeing day-in and day-out...I bet M'ert would take us."
What: Bathtime after Candidate Chores
Saturday, September 11, 2004, 4:12 PM
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Candidates Barracks(#10244RAJ$)
This large low-ceilinged cavern provides temporary housing for the Weyr's Candidates. Various tapestries hang from the walls, lending an air of color and cheefulness to the dark grey walls. Neat rows of cots fill the back of the cavern, a small press at the foot of each. Numerous shelves dot the walls of the cavern. Littered with various containers and odd items, they seem to lend themselves more to firelizard perches than anything else. A few tables with chairs have been placed towards the front of the cavern, providing a place to visit or do handicrafts.
There's a general commotion as more Candidates return from the Feeding Grounds smelling ... ripe. A chorus of "ewww ... yuuuck" arises from a certain corner of the room.
Piper keeps a distance from those she walks into the barracks with. You see, she's had the foresight to slip into the hot springs and lather herself clean. Sproingy still-wet spirals of hair cling to the sides of her face and neck, but she is free at last of the stench of the feeding grounds.
Xandra comes from an opposite direction, carrying a freshly laundered pair of brown trousers. They are obviously too large to be hers. There is a spring in her step and almost slightly smug expression on her usually friendly and utterly brainless face.
Padraig , on the other hand, is covered from head to foot with gore. Yuck. He's wiped off his hands and that's about it, and seems to be rooting around in his press for fresh clothing. A towel is slung over his cot, marred with red hand prints, another, clean awaits his own trip to the baths. He looks up at the protests about the smell. "Hey ... whaddaya want?"
Piper wrinkles her nose, "Nice of you all to bring that smell in here," she fans her nose. However, her scolding is mildly spoken, having just rid herself of the self-same stench. Not so mildly put is another candidate's protest, "DISGUSTING!" hollers Shaye from where she hides toward the back of the barracks, "How coarse and gross you look."
Though there's more than a few entering in similar shape, her harsh words seem destined for Padraig first and foremost. Still not entirely over that cold noodles incident. Piper cringes somewhat as Shaye's voice grates on her and decidedly ignores her further. Instead, she spies Xandra and lifts a brow, "Now who's are those?" she inquires.
Xandra beams at Piper "I cleaned them all up for him!" She strides to Padraig and holds out the pants for him "There you go, just like I promised you...oh..PADDY!" she wrinkles her nose "That's awful. You'e supposed to clean them up...not roll in them!" She looks decidedly unhappy at the young man's state.
Padraig just gives Shaye a narrowed look. "Yep, that's me, coarse and gross," he repeats, shuffling the remarks off casually. "That's why, I'll be heading over to the Baths now if you don't mind," he pulls a very wrinkly shirt out of the press and sniffs it carefully. "This'll have to do for now," he grabs that and his towel and starts to pad out.
Leeana comes in from the inner caverns, just catching a little of the smell as she passes Padraig. She furrows her brows. "Oh my..." She sits on her chosen cot, and starts to feed Fiona. "Padraig...um...nevermind, I won't say anything." She looks around at her friends. "Hey, how are you guys?"
Shaye lapses into angry silence, huffing as she rolls to face away from the cavern at large.
Piper returns Xandra's smile with a rather knowing one of her own as she shakes her head a little and turns to greet Leeana, "Just got back from our turn in the pens, and may I say it has given me an entirely new perspective on chasing crawlers..."
Xandra lays the pants on Padraig's bed and sighs "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this afternoon. Why do they have to be so messy?" She looks at padraig for a second "Are you all right?"
Padraig grins at Xandra as he passes her by. "Why thank you Xandra! Yes I'm just fine, just uhh stinky" he says gaily then pauses. "Any one else for a bathe?" he tosses out to the room at large.
Leeana shrugs. "I'll go if the others do too." She strokes Fiona, who's crooning curiously at Piper and Xandra. Lee smiles for no reason at all. "Another leaky carcass, Padraig? Just out of curiousity..."
"Already had mine, but I'll join you all over there...think the company'll be better than it is in here," Piper declares pointedly.
Xandra beams "i'll come along. I...oh wait." She frowns "I have to bathe AFTER the clean up right? And it's my turn..." she looks out of the barracks mournfully "I don't suppose someone wants to trade? Padraig?" She looks after the candidate male hopefully.
Leeana sighs. "I'll trade, Xandra. I've nothing else to do." She grins, getting up and heading out.
Padraig just gives Xandra a -look-. "Sorry - that's two days in a row that I've gotten covered in blood and muck. And no ... not a leaky one this time Leeana ... -someone- threw guts at me when my back was turned." There's a glare sent Shaye's way.
Luckily, the slender yet shapely candidate's back is enough to deflect the look from her notice, and if the comment is overheard, it is thoroughly ignored.
Xandra beams after Leeana "Oh thanks! I'll do you two others in return!" she then looks after Padraig "That's just nasty." Her eyes flick t the sulky girl and she sticks her tongue out "hah!"
"So now you'll be free to come help Padraig get all clean," declares Piper innocently enough to Xandra, "And maybe you could braid my hair back for me, it's getting long."
Padraig sends Piper a sidelong glance, but doesn't protest the idea of help. Rather, he grins and nods. "Company's good ... well I'm off for it." And he heads out, snagging a bag of sweetsand on the way.
Hot Springs
The first thing which draws your eye when entering this vast subterranean cavern is the sheer height of it - a massive bubble hollowed out of rock by the pressures of volcanic gases at some time when Fort's volcano still spurted flame. The eye is drawn up and up into the darkness of the ceiling, where occasional flecks of mica reflect the light and catch the eye, flickering like solitary fireflies. Towards the northern end of the cavern, the ceiling disappears and the sky can be seen where the volcano eventually released built up pressure so long ago - now it forms an entrance to the hot springs for dragon and rider, dropping down through the open ceiling to the rocky lake shore or to various ledges high in the walls - from which the more daredevil riders have been known to dive on occasion.
Down at ground level, the warm lake laps the shore gently, never completely still. Steam rises from the surface and ripples stir from the movement of the hot water seeping in from hidden springs. The lakeshore closest to the Weyr entrance is smooth and gently sloping, a safe place to bathe and talk, but further out there are various rocky coves that can be reached by swimming or by dragon. At night, glows set in the walls reflect their glimmer onto the water; by day, the light from the ceiling gives the lake ever changing shades of blue and gold, deepening to soft opal at dusk and dawn, casting shadows that seem to harbor small crevices.
A wide corridor leads off to the southeast, curving back to the Inner Caverns.
Padraig is stripping down, leaving his clothes in a stinky pile. His towel he lays out well above were it'd get wet and then strides right into the pool, setting the bag of sweetsand down in a rocky niche where he can get to it easily. "Yargh ... this is -foul-," he remarks testily.
Piper perches up on one of the rocks near the water's edge, and calls, "Don't worry, you'll be clean soon enough...though I wonder if that smell'll ever get out of my nose. What I want to know is why those dragons can't just toss the carcasses where they should go instead of leaving them for us to deal with." She twitches at the memory of the rotting remnants.
Leeana laughs as she comes in, catching the last part of Piper's little speech. She sits on a rock near Pip, and sets fiona next to her. "They had enough help, so I came here."
Fiona has arrived.
Padraig grins over his shoulder at the girls. "Yeah - it'd be -nice- if they did that wouldn't it? All right ... farewell stench, for now!" he ducks under the water's surface for a good bit and emerges, water streaming down his face. "Ahh that's better already ... not so ... -sticky-." He swims over to where he left his sweetsand and starts scrubbing. "Hopefully we'll have something like, gardening tomorrow," he notes. "It's hard work, but I don't mind plain old dirt."
Piper grins at the other girl...woman. "Lucky break you got there," she notes, adding to Padraig, "If I Impress, I'm going to make sure my lifemate knows my feelings on the matter." She turns back to Leeana, "Is this your least favorite of our chores so far too?"
Leeana shrugs, petting her friend, Fiona, that is. She looks up with a smile at Piper. "Yep, I'm shardin lucky I won't have to do that again." She rolls her eyes still with a smile saying, "Yes, it's the worst so far. We didn't have to do anything like that at Telgar...ugh. If I Impress I'm going to make sure my lifemate knows where to put their carcasses too."
Padraig starts scrubbing foaming sand through his hair vigorously. "Hmm ... I wonder if others have tried that before and failed?" he quirks a grin at the girls. "Dunno if it ever occurred to any of my parents to try to teach them though."
Leeana's statement spurs Piper's memory, and she seizes upon it, "That's right, you were just a candidate at Telgar...what was it like? Was it much different than here?"
Padraig gets good and foamy then lets out a whoop and dives under the water where it's nice and deep. He surfaces a ways off, free of lather, grime and gore. "Ahhhhh ..." he says distinctly and rolls over to float on his back, bobbing a little from the waves other bathers further off are making as they move about. "Yeah ... what's it like to live at Telgar?"
Leeana raises a brow, thinking. "Well...yes and no. Some things here are different than some things there. I have more friends here now, and I had an enemy there...I think that Shaye is going on -that- list." She smirks for a moment. "At Telgar it's -very- cold, but the people are welcoming and nice. Being a Candidate there was hard, but also so much fun sometimes because of my friends. You'll be so nervous when on those sands, lemme tell ya."
Piper leans over to try to prod her fellow candidate further, "Yes, do tell...and who was your enemy there?"
Leeana laughs. "I didn't literally mean, let me tell you." She shrugs. "Oh well..." She pauses for a moment, recalling it all before saying anything.
Padraig floats closer. "An enemy? Shells," he remarks, brows lifting as he rolls again to swim properly forward. "Yeah, Telgar's as cold as the Reaches though ... Mum's from there by way of Benden."
Piper kicks off a sandal to the side to dip her toes in the water and flick a splash at Padraig as she comments idly, "I hate cold weather," before waiting for Leeana to continue.
Leeana smiles. "Oh, my fellow candidates and I all walked out there together, sweating, nervous, thinking 'whadda we do, whadda we do? What did they tell us?' Our memories were refreshed, though after a while. When you stand out there, and you see the first crack on an egg, it's magical. Then they all start breaking, and everything starts happening all too fast." She laughs. Oy...way to fast indeed. "My mind went blank for a while, and nearly all of my friends were Impressing already. A'tan was clutching my hand in a death-grip, and I was doing the same to him." She grins. "The little dragons crawl all over the place, and seem like they're looking you straight in the eye, then...the person next to you is hugging it and crying. It's confusing, I would guess, to pick out your dragon's voice above others." She turns back to her friends with rosie cheeks. "Any -other- questions?"
Padraig ducks the splashed water and swims closer to those toes. "Hmmm ... there's something wriggling in the water here ... I'd better check it out ... " he teases. Then nods Leeana's way. "Yeah, I bet the touching the other night was just a preview ... were you scared of the dragonets at all?"
Piper hastily, lifts her foot out of the water, and there it dangles, dripping runoff back into the water. She listens to Leeana's recounting of the hatching itself, and adds only, quietly, "They say you can't miss it if it happens.
Leeana nods her head to Piper. "True, I've heard that too. And the thing is screeching next to you, so I don't think it would be that hard." She laughs, then moves on to Padraig's question. "Hmm...well...I guess you could say scared. I think I prefer the word, curious. It was kind of scary seeing those sharp talons and whatnot, but the wee things are too cute. It makes you curious to watch their actions how they can get around so fast. -I- was curious as to why they ran most of the time instead of choosing to walk." Ah, here comes the Leeana gibberish...oh wait...she already spoke in it. She then remembers a past question. "My enemy was Metri, now M'tri."
Padraig swims closer ... closer ... "Cute? Huh ... I always thought they looked kinda ugly ... all the Hatchings at the Reaches ... you know ... kind of ... floppy..." He's covering up the fact that he's snaking an arm up to grab that foot of Piper's. "HAH! GOtcha!" he whoops and tickles the foot a little, before tugging on it to dunk Piper into the water. He's careful about the way he does it though - wouldn't want her to hit her head on a rock.
"What made you two enemies?" Piper wonders aloud, "I can't imagine you offending anyo..." she glerps as she spasms at being tickled, instantaneously contracting and therefore hitting the water in a balled up position, spluttering as she comes up.
Leeana hmphs. "I was very uncomfortable being around a lot of people, especially people I didn't know. Amarie, Lanisa, and Metri all lured me in to the Living Cavern one day, and I told them everything that was wrong. Metri and I sent sparks flying at each other ever since then, and he insulted me, I insulted him, so on so on. I tried to be nice, but he was only nice to me when Lani was around...there's more detail, but I'm not for explaining it." She cracks up at the sight of Piper going hysterical from the tickle-meister. Fiona's eyes swirl red-orange at Padraig, and she screeches at him. "Gentle, Fiona. He's playing."
Padraig grins gleefully. "Wooot ... got me a Piper!" he crows and winks at Leeana. "Wow ... that's some story Leeana ... are you still on bad terms with this M'tri fella?"
Leeana shrugs. "I haven't seen him since the hatching, so I couldn't say." She laughs at Piper again. "Are you ok? Can you breathe?
Piper coughs a time or two, but doesn't seem much worse for the wear. However the look she aims at Padraig seems to say that she's got murder on her mind. "Fine," she utters to Leeana, lapsing into silence to contemplate her bedraggled revenge.
Padraig blinks a few times as Piper doesn't laugh. Nope, she's glaring. "Um ..." he hesitates. "I'm sorry?" he offers up, a dripping-wet hand. "Thought it'd be funny ..." he continues and then stops. He looks over at Leeana ... beseechingly as if to say "Help! Please"
Leeana smirks, gets off of the rock, strips down to her underthings, and leaps to tackle Padraig, and knock him back in the water.
Piper wasn't so much glaring as plotting, and she seems about to take Padraig's offered hand with somewhat dubious intentions, but she's stopped short by an incoming Leeana.
Padraig oofs as Leeana launches herself at him and disappears under the water borne down by the unexpected assault. "Hey -- *glob*"
Leeana surfaces, taking deep breaths, and laughing. "Did that help, Paddy?" She laughs some more, then looks at Piper, wiping a wet, curly lock from her face. "Was that good?"
Piper can't help but laugh at last, "Alright, alright, I guess that'll serve for retribution. Friends again?" she offers her palm out to Padraig.
P'wert enters the hotsprings slowly. He moves to pick up a towel, and heads for thw water. Neatly folding his clothing and leaving it perhaps too close to the water, he jumps in. A fond smile and sigh slips free as he hits the warm water. He notices the candidates now, and looks over at them.
Padraig surfaces, coughing and choking on water that got into his full mouth. "Jays ..." he says soggily. "You've got one solid tackle, Leeana!" He scrapes hair out of his face and takes Piper's hand lightly. "Never stopped being 'em," he says with a cheeky grin. "Leastways, not on my part, I was just funnin' with ya."
Leeana looks over at P'wert with a smile and a wave. "Well hello there sir! How are you today?" She merges from the pool, and goes to get a towel. She dries off as she walks back over to her friends. "Why thank you Paddy, I am proud of my strength." She grins, flexes, and kisses her muscle. "Oh yeah. Ok, new rule, no more sweets for me."
P'wert shakes his head slowly. "Candidates. Shards and shells, be careful not to drown each other. The dragons wouldn't like that one bit." There's a little grin sporting on his face, however. He chuckles at Leeana, "Too bad. I was going to make dough dots tomorrow. I guess the rest of the candidates will enjoy them, then, eh? More fore them."
Piper gives a little giggle at Leeana's affection for her prowess. Or maybe that's not what the giggles about at all. As Padraig lightly covers her palm with his, Piper does her own show of strength, solidly securing her fingers about his and dragging them sharply and suddenly down with her to dunk the pair below the surface. P'wert's voice only intrudes just before she goes under, too late.
Padraig's eyes widen as Piper grabs him and there's another abbreviated shout from the Reaches lad. "Pipe ---- *glob glob*" And he's gone yep. Down under the water thrashing about. There's a lot of bubbles and froth and so on. Seems the lad's probably trying to grab Piper under the water.
P'wert looks over at Piper, and grimaces, "Piper. What did I just say . . . ?" He gives a large, frustrated sigh, "Perhaps you should go. Maybe you could get some juice for Padraig - Since you seem so eager to give him something to drink, yes?"
Padraig emerges from the water with a good grip on Piper. He's tickling her. Fiercely. "Huh?" he questions, not having really heard P'wert.
Piper manages to overhear that as she breaks the surface and draws in a hasty breath. Seems she didn't have an 100% easy time of getting back up from the depths. She looks suitably chastened, her laughter and lack-of-breath drawing to a quick halt at the bronzerider's words as she works to disentangle herself from her sound tickling, "Yes, ah, sir, I'll do that. Juice..." she says as she wades out of the water, fully dressed save for one sandal which she retrieves from the shore. She wraps herself in a towel and ducks out of the cavern post-haste.
Leeana re-dresses, and fluffs her hair a little. "Stupid curls...grr..." She smirks at Paddy. "Seems like you've been beaten up a little today...by girls!" She laughs, then holds out her hand to him. "Don't worry, you won't get beaten by me again." She looks over at P'wert in a sidways glance, then to his clothes. She stretches one arm out, and picks them up with a wicked smile. "Should I? Nah..." she sets them back down again farther away from the water.
.
P'wert eyes Leeana as her movement catches his eye. He stretches idly; surely he didn't notice. To Padraig, he winks. "When I was a candidate, well, the first and second time, the girls picked on me too. Just be thankful your hair's not full of bright pink ribbons."
Padraig just grins as he releases Piper and then wades out of the water to claim his own towel. He's about to shake hands with Leeana when P'wert's comment makes his eyes go round. "Sir ... don't give them any -ideas-!" Then he shakes his head at Leeana. "Say what you will ...I guess it came out even in the end," he says lightly. "But I'll adjust the tally ... one for Leeana."
P'wert chuckles softly at Padraig, "You'll find it won't matter whether I give them the idea or not . . . Still. You look like you could fend a few girls off yourself. A fair few of the girls I was speaking of could have lifted me up had I tried. I dare say you'd be too heavy to lift, if you know what I mean?"
Acadia walks in gingerly, bare feet making little noise on the stone floor. Without so much as a blink she strips off her outer clothes, splattered with blood. She makes a face and grabs a little bag of sweetsand and marches right into the water. All the way up to her chest, and she starts to scrub briskly.
Piper returns, and never let it be said that she does things halfway. She's a mug looped over each finger, and each hand is curled around a pitcher. That's right, there's not only juice, but cider for the having. She should be chastised more often. However, lessons in not being pert don't appear to stay with her for the duration as both brows lift at what she overhears as she comes in, "If Shaye giving you problems again, Padraig, or is it one of your other admirers...speaking of which...where is Xandy? I thought she was going to get a brush."
Padraig looks down and grins. "Yeah I guess so ... I'm trying to be careful actually ... not be too rough ... I wrestle with my Da and my Papa at home ... and they're both big men ... so I have to hold back a lot when I get into trouble with kids my own age." He hunkers down to collect the clean clothes he brought with him and toss them on.
Padraig snorts at Piper. "No ... Shaye is not giving me trouble, I've got -her- well in hand," he says, brows beetling somewhat. Mention of Xandra though results in a very slight pink flush around the ears. "Xandy? Dunno ... probably um ... hasn't found the brush yet."
Leeana says "You're not too tough Padraig, I tackled you for crying out loud. Can you see how skinny I am?!" She giggles. "Please..."
Once clean, Acadia moves into shallower water, shifting a bit on the sandy bottom. She waves to the other bathers and says, "Hi guys!"
Padraig lays a hand on his heart, and rounds eyes at Leeana. "You wound me m'lady!" he mimics the speech of a high flown Lord Holder. Then there's a grin for Acadia. "Heya!" he says blithely. "You just missed a whole lotta dunking."
"Do you now?" Piper murmurs in rebuttal to Padraig's Shaye comment before finding a relatively flat rock on which to unload her beverage burden, "Drinks are on," she calls behind her, before turning and spotting another familiar face, "Acadia," she waves, "See you've managed to scrub the yuck of the feeding pens off too."
P'wert moves out of the water, eyeing his moved-back clothes carefully for a moment, and looks at Leeana pointedly, "Thank you, Leeana." He gets himself a drink, the heads back into the water, "It's good that you don't wish to abuse you strength, Padraig." His blush is unfortunately noticed, "Oh, ho. Xandra got your eye?" The last is said softly to the boy, to try and avoid the girls hearing it.
Acadia nods to Piper and says, "Yeah, I got Carcass Removal today. It wasn't hard, just very messy." She winks at Padraig and replies, "I'll have to catch round two later. Besides, nobody would have wanted to come in contact with me until I was cleaned up anyway."
"Us too," Piper replies to Acadia, coming nearer to the water's edge. Doesn't matter if she winds up back in the water, as her clothes are already more than damp, "I think they cycled us all through in shifts, from what I hear. And you're right, the work itself wasn't hard...just gross." She smiles, "I'm certainly glad it's over." P'wert's comment to Padraig doesn't occasion comment from her, but that doesn't prove it isn't overheard.
Padraig bundles his stinky clothes up, so their reek spreads less and wraps his damp towel around them now he's dressed. He ducks his head slightly as P'wert passes, and shrugs. "Um ... more the other way 'round," he mutters also very quietly, and pads over to join Piper with the drinks. "Yeah, I think so," he says with a grin. "She knows what's coming if she tries anything else on -me-" he says and jabs a thumb at his chest. He takes up one of the mugs and pours cider into it, then perches nearby, sipping quickly, then laughs at Acadia. "Sure ... never any lack of it, is there?"
P'wert chuckles very quietly as he nods, and walks away from Padraig. "Good luck." He watches the candidates carefully, "Mind what I said about drowning, eh? Was there more than one flight today?" He asks Piper.
Acadia asks, "Lack of what? Drinks or bloody carcasses?" She also takes a drink and thanks Piper, downing half of it in one gulp. "Ahhhhh, that's better. Much better."
Leeana grins and starts to walk out. "Well my friends, I'm going to get some rest. I'm beat from tackling Padraig and movin around too much. I'll see ya later." She waves bubye and walks out.
Padraig shakes his head. "No ... dunkings!" he says gaily and sits, cross-legged, mug of cider held loosely in both hands. "Later Leeana," he says agreeably. "Rest well!"
As she's thanked for the beverages by Acadia, Piper aims a look at P'wert, stating dryly, "Oh, my pleasure," before his comment has her looking perplexed, "More than one flight?"
P'wert stretches again, and starts to get out to grab his towel. "Yes. With all the greens in the weyr - well, usually more than one goes up in a day. Some days none do, others just one. I was wondering if there was a few, hence more carcasses to clean." He glances towards the entrance, and shakes his head slowly. His clothes are gathered in a hurry, "I need to get going. Enjoy your bath, candidates."
Acadia says, "I don't know, P'wert, sir. All I know is that they had me in the pens for two hours today pulling carcasess out and learning how to butcher them properly. A truly revolting process--I was much happier eating steaks before I saw how they were cut off the bovines!"
Padraig just makes a face. "Someone was throwing guts at me when we were on duty with it, sir," he explains and shrugs. "Don't think I saw any greens flying today."
"Maybe there were more flights than usual yesterday, and that's why they had us doing this today," Piper muses over P'wert's words, "I had figured they just wanted to show us the less glamorous side of weyr life."
Padraig nods as P'wert exits. "Good evening, sir," he offers up, then grins over at the girls. "So ... whattaya thing it'll be tomorrow?"
Acadia ewwwwws and shudders. "Man, am I glad I missed your shift Padraig! Nobody was tossing anything gross while I was out there."
Piper fixes herself a mug of juice, and leans up against one of the rocks, "Let's see, carcass cleaning, stall mucking, garden weeding, glow changing, cavern sandbagging, crawler chasing...what haven't I done yet? Oh, right...a rest day?" she sounds hopeful before adding to Acadia, "Don't feel too bad for him, he usually deserves it," she aims an almost affectionate grin over at Padraig, "Although in this case, it was Shaye, so it might have just been her meanness."
Padraig rolls his eyes a little. "Yeah ... 'twas Shaye. Got hit in the back of the neck with a literal side of beef," he says a titch testily, then he corrects gently: "Paddy's fine, Acadia ... even my parents only say Padraig when I've done something bad and they're about to dress me down for it." There's an answering grin for Piper. "Ya got me there," he answers with a laugh. "Usually is at that," he nods and tips his mug up, drinking deep. "And Faranth, yeah, a rest day'd be good ... I'd like to maybe go outside the Weyr ... see a bit more of the area."
Acadia finishes off her drink and wades a little closer to get a refill. After a quick, discreet burp from the guzzling she asks, "Have you had Old Auntie or Uncle duty yet Piper? Or you Padraig? If not be sure to volunteer to help Auntie Svarga, or you'll get stuck with Uncle Apopho. He refuses to bathe and reeks from 10 feet away."
"Oh, disgusting," declares Piper, leaning over to refill Acadia's mug for her so she won't have to come completely out of the water, "Although, I think my nose may be dead after today's chores. I can still smell it though we're all cleaned up. Just stays with you." She considers Padraig's sentiments, and mentions, "I like Padraig better than Paddy, though of course, it's your name, you do with it what you like," she's very generous that way, "It'd be nice to do a bit of exploring. There's some lovely areas outside of Harper Hall that I used to run around at while my mom was doing trainings."
Padraig makes a face. "Thanks for the tip Acadia - I haven't yet, nope." He nods a little, then grins at Piper. "Well you can call me what you like ... "idiot" seems to get bandied about a lot by my siblings y'know." He winks then before his gaze sharpens. "Oh yeah? I think it'd be fun to pack a picnic and have a day running around in the sun ... maybe find a lake to swim in ... eat some good things ... come back sun-touched and ready for another seven-day of chores."
Acadia asks the other candidates, "How often have you guys gotten kitchen duty. So far, I haven't. Not even dish washing or tuber peeling duty. I was wondering if the Bakers were up to something or not."
Piper pokes out her tongue at Padraig and rolls her eyes, evidencing her age, "I am not going to call you idiot, silly." She shakes her head, adding, "I don't remember a lake, but there's got to be one somewhere. If you can talk them into giving us a vacation, Padraig, I'll help you find one." Acadia is regarded in turn, and Piper replies, "I had tuber peeling on one of my first days here, but I haven't had anything else since....and Padraig's definitely had kitchen duty, because I remember hearing how he put cold noodles down Shaye's back."
Padraig shakes his head. "Yeah I did, that, and sharding klahbark scraping," he says with visible disgust. "A little is fine ... but a whole barrel-load ... no thanks." Then he's sending that charming grin Piper's way again. "Like I said ... whatever you want .. lady's choice," he winks mischievously her way, then nods more seriously. "That sounds like a plan ... Julisin had a map out 'tother night and I saw a couple of lakes, big and small 'tween here and Harper ...
Acadia exits the water and puts her empty cup with the others. "Ok, I feel human now. I guess that means it's time for a late snack and bed. Good night to you both!"
Piper trades her stuck-out tongue for a nose wrinkle in Padraig's direction, "Lady, my shoe," she says before noting to Acadia, "I'm sure that's just the way the rotation's run, your turn will come," she says, "Or maybe you're too good at taking care of old aunties and uncles to be spared for kitchen duty." Padraig's plan, however, is the more interesting subject to her at the moment, and her eyes seek him out again, "That would be just wonderful...to see Harper Hall again would be almost like seeing home," she clears her throat, "And of course, exploring would be great too."
After wrapping her hair in one towel and herself in a much bigger one, Acadia waves and cheerfully exits. Leaving a trail of wet bare footprints behind her.
Padraig lifts his mug Acadia's way in toast of good night. "See ya in the Barracks - rest well!" he says cheerily. For Piper, there's a falling of his face though. "What? Don't like being called 'my lady'?" Then his more customary half-smile is back as she warms to the picnic and exploration idea. "It's a deal then? Next rest-day?"
Piper stretches out upon her rock-seat, mug placed to the ground as she explains, "It's just when I hear someone say Lady, it makes it sound like I'm giving myself airs, you know, like Shaye and her crowd, and I don't think I'm like that...that's all I was saying," she gives a reassuring smile to Padraig, changing the subject as she notes, "There's some really nice orchards near Harper, that I remember pretty well. We used to play apple stickball there - me and the other kids around."
Padraig watches the harper-girl with a thoughtful expression. "Huh ... sorry, I hadn't thought of it that way ... my Da calls my mum that when he's being a little silly, it's a fondness y'know?" But his head bobs up and down. "You're right though ... Shaye'd just eat it up if anyone called her "My Lady" and make you pay for it at the same time too." He draws one knee up and braces his foot on the rock he's leaning against, then props his elbow on that knee and his chin on his hand. "Apple stickball ... sounds like fun ... tell me more about it? An orchard could be fun to run around in ... or yeah ... a game of that. I'm itching to run around and burn off some energy in other ways than -work-." His voice sounds restless indeed, and his face shades with an expression to match.
Piper uses the crook of her arm as a pillow against the hardness of the rock, "Did you do a lot of travelling from Reaches? Do you think that's why you feel kind of...cooped up here? I know sometimes I do too, but I think it's a little different than it is for you. I," she pauses for a minute, eyes narrowed as she looks at fellow candidate, weighing her level of trust, "I really miss my mom," she admits, the vulnerability of her voice making her sound quite young, "I know that's silly, seeing as she's visited a few times, but...we've never been apart like this before." She clears her throat, marking her decision to quickly change subjects before she starts truly having a moment, "Apple stickball....You find a thick piece of wood, branches that got broken off that day usually work well because the old ones tend to just fall apart too easily, and then one person tosses an apple, and you try to hit it..."
Padraig nods slowly. "Yeah ... my parents are riders ... they take us to lots of different places ... and I hunt with my Da fairly often or go fishing," he explains, then he's listening again nodding. "I miss my folks a lot," he says down low, voice turning basso profundo of a sudden, where usually it's a lighter tenor that shades alto when he's embarrassed. "Yeah ... mine had a big fight right before I got Searched ... and yeah ... I miss them," he says quietly, then he looks up, eyes alight for the description of the game. "Heyyy ... now THAT sounds promising!"
Piper grimaces at the mention of the parents' fight, but as her cohort's already brightened, she doesn't ask further questions on a no doubt sore subject, instead smiling in exchange, "There's more to it than that for the true game, but we used to just take turns swinging at the apples," she grins, "We were pretty little."
Padraig's head bobs up and down. "You'll have to explain it all so we can get a good game going," he eyes are slitted slightly, in planning mode. "How old were you then? And hey ... how old're you now anyway?" It's asked friendly-like, lightly.
"Maybe 8?" Piper replies, tugging her lower lip between her teeth as she thinks on it, "Give or take a turn or two." She rolls up onto her side, lifting her head to prop it on a palm as she grins, unable to resist asking one of the more dangerous questions, "How old do you think I am?" Her curiousity is evident.
Padraig nods. "We used to play a lot of chase and hide when I was around that age. My brother and sisters still play that a lot ... and of course we have tons of snowball fights," he describes a snippet of life at the Reaches. He blinks a few times then gives her a long searching look. "Dunno ... maybe about the same as me? I've fourteen Turns ... just turned."
Piper continues to be quite curious about those snowball fights, but doesn't pursue it just this second. "You're supposed to think I'm older than that!" Piper laughs, "Everyone my whole life has told me I seem older than my turns, and here you come along, and guess it on the dot." She shakes her head, "Though it sounds like I've a few months on you. It's only a few months till my turningday."
Padraig laughs and shrugs. "Sorry ... I guess I'm hoping someone here's closer to my age?" His grin shades sheepish. "Yeah ... oh and Leeana just had one ... I was thinking we should do something nice for her ... and if yours is soon ... well ... d'you thing before the eggs? We should have a celebration ... Mum always made a big fuss over our turning days ... I guess it's sort of a family tradition."
Piper laughs, "Well, I would've guessed that you were a lot older than me, so there. But yes, you have someone your own age to keep you company," she favors fellow candidate with one of her nicer smiles before nodding, "I think it would be great to do something for Leeana. I'm sure she'd really like it. If everything I hear is true, it should only be another month, or more likely two before the eggs'll hatch, so I won't be quite fifteen yet. So we'll have to put all our energies into festivities for Lee."
Padraig takes a long draught from his mug, effectively emptying it and shrugs at the contents, finishing it off and licking his lips. "Ahh that was good .. .thanks for bringing it by the way," he notes, then favors her with a rather rakish grin. "Yeah ... 'aren't you sixteen? no ... ohhhh well you -look- it' *flutter flutter*" He scratches at his chin. "Not that I really mind being made a fuss of ... s'kinda nice actually ... but uhhh ... it's a little overwhelming sometimes," he says frankly, then colors a little. "Yeah ... um ... anyway ... party ... yeah! Maybe we could combine picnic, apple stickball and turnday festivity all into one?"
Piper collapses into giggles. It is just too much fun to watch Padraig go through changes of countenance, "You're absolutely adorable," is out before she can stop it, leaving her to affect wit with a tacked on, "M'Lord, just too much. But I think," she breezes right along without so much as a pause for breath, "That that'd be perfect. Lee'll like it, and it'll be hard for the weyrleaders to say no to our impromptu vacation from chores."
Padraig's gaze tightens slightly on the other Candidate from his rock to hers, and then lips twitch slightly. "Adorable ... now that's not one I've heard yet ... from a girl my age ... that's more... my Mum's term for me ... but ah ... yeah, I'll take what I can get," he muses and then laughs aloud for the 'M'Lord'. He rises up and bows, deeply, mug abandoned on the rock behind him. "Then, my dear ... Harper Lady ... we shall definitely have to do it," he says in a slightly affected tone, then holds out a hand to her. "Fancy a walk around the Bowl, it's kinda warm in here ... though I guess maybe warm's good for you? Being from the South n' all."
Piper drags herself upright to a standing position, managing none of the grace of her supposed station until she's actually up, "You'd wilt just like most northerners down there, wouldn't you?" she teases, "A stroll around the bowl you say? But what if we're seen slacking off in that most abominable manner," she's all smiles, ear to ear actually, as she reaches out a hand herself, "Dear sir?"
Padraig just smiles and takes that hand gently in his and borrows a page from the Weyrharper no doubt, by bending to kiss it. "I would indeed," he says, continuing a little of the game they've been playing, though his lips are starting to twitch with suppressed laughter. He threads her hand through his arm as he's seen proper holders doing and steps off. "Tsk ... it's nighttime dear lady! ... We're not on duty anymore ... 'less you've signed up to change glows?"
Piper is quite enjoying herself as well, her smile revealing much too much of that fact to be truly proper, showing, however, a hint of a flush that might be the result of high spirits, "I never sign up for duties to which I haven't been assigned, m'lord, it just wouldn't be seemly!" She allows her steps to be guided from the heat of the spring's cavern to the relative chill of the inner caverns, "Does a turn about the bowl satisfy some of your craving for getting out and about?"
Padraig sneaks a look or two over at his lovely companion to make sure she's still having fun, and reassured, continues with the game. "Tsk ... seemly is as seemly does," he's mimicking someone again, but it's not clear whom. It's another woman though, but a different vocalization than he's used before for his mother or some of the girl-Candidates. "Still, I find it wise of you, to do as you say!" Then there's a mirthful twinkle in his eyes as he responds gravely, hand tightening slightly on hers. "Some ... indeed ... some, though my heart longs for a bit of roaming in the woods."
Piper delights at the voice, whomever's measure it's taking. And she forgets herself as hoity-toity tones are abandon and she ducks her head nearer her walking companion to whisper, "Much as it might be nice to scout out ahead of our little planned expedition for Leeana, I think we'd be in so much trouble neither of us'd see that picnic through..." Shame. A thought occurs to her though, and she again, still Piper, rather than Lady Piper, wonders, "I bet sometime, though, we could talk one of the riders into giving us a lift up to the starstones...then at least we could see something new than what we've been seeing day-in and day-out...I bet M'ert would take us."