LOG: Shellfish Gathering
Date: Day 25, Month 12, Turn 23
Location: Southern Beach
Synopsis: Weyrfolk collect shellfish down south on a beautiful day that ends up slightly sour for K'del, when Sho pushes his button just a little too hard.
Southern Beach
Golden stand stretches in both directions for as far as the eye can see, broken only by the occasional encroaching cliff, the ancient stone formed into rockpools and outcroppings. Inland, open sand is gradually taken over by lush greenery: dense forest extending all the way back to distant mountains that might even be days of walking from here. The ocean, too, stretches out unbroken: there's no other land to be seen, nothing but blue and blue and blue until the point at which it hits the horizon, where blue meets another kind of blue, in the endless, cloudless sky.
A tent-like structure has been strung up between trees and a few tall posts, providing shelter from the hot sun. There are no tables, and no chairs, beneath it, however: just a few haphazardly slung blankets, providing only the most basic comfort. A few paces beyond the edge of the tent is a bonfire built from driftwood.
The water is shallow, here, protected by a sandbar a few lengths out.
It's a perfect day, really, all things considered: perfectly warm, with a cloudless sky and just enough of a breeze. The first groups arrived early this morning, but people have been coming and going for a few hours now. It'll be lunch time in another hour or so, but for now, most people are busy with either meal preparations, or the continued crustacean collection that brought them down in the first place. Among the latter group is K'del, shirtless, his trousers rolled up, though for now he's standing ankle-deep in the water, staring out into the distant blue.
Nehvien's in a group that's just arrived, and he's a little-- distracted-- is probably an accurate word. He's staring around, open-mouthed, until he's nudged by one of the weyrfolk to assist with unpacking a few of the supplies for the kitchenstaff to begin preparing lunch. He struggles with one of the crates, pausing every now and then to rest and look around with wide-eyed astonishment.
Sho was one of the first to arrive this morning, taking full advantage of their chance to be in the warm weather. Dressed only in shorts at this point, the youth is also on the crustacean hunt, and having fun with it too. He's already nabbed a few and now he's just...looking for more. There's been a change about Sho as well, one that might throw off anyone who hasn't seen him in the last day or so. His hair has been cut, or perhaps chopped is the better word. His hair looks like someone just pulled it up and cut straight through, giving it kind of a scraggly spiky look since it's no more then a few inches long. Sho doesn't seem to mind it, however, and just continues enjoying himself...in so much that as he gets closer to K'del in his stalking he makes a 'grab' into the war and (un)intentionally splashes towards the Weyrleader.
Silarra brought down a couple of candidates, arriving fairly recently. The greenrider has had chance to stow Liniath's strap though, along with her riding gear. The green dives into the water from the air, but at least she's far enough out not to send too big a splash to the shore. Silarra strides over towards the water, and the people there, looking like she feels a bit awkward in the bikini she's wearing.
"Hey now!" says K'del, on receipt of those splashes from Sho, but it would be more accurate to say that he's teasing the Candidate than that he's actually displeased - particularly when he aims a splash back in turn. Of course, that probably alerts every spiderclaw (or other creature) in the vicinity: it would be fair to say the work efforts are somewhat less than efficient. The basket he's carrying, though, is just about full, and after a moment of consideration he says, "Going to take this up the beach. See how long it is 'til lunch, maybe."
After a few more trips back and forth to haul some more supplies, Nehvien's panting, soaked in a sweat - but done. Or at least, he thinks he is - he's looking enviously towards those in the water - but before he can take a step in their direction, one of the cooks snags him with a sharp command and, leaping in surprise, Nehvien hastens to obey, hunting through the crates for the utensils she's requested. His hunt is probably not aided in any way by the pauses now and then to peek around.
Sho grins as he returns the splashes again, but stops as K'del gets ready to head ashore. "Yessir." Is his only reply before he goes back to hunting. Hey, where'd all the critters go? Grumble. He moves on to the next little pool and reaches down to grab a crawler...but Liniath's mini wave washes it away and causes Sho to pout and look out at the water. After spying the green he just chuckles and waves to her. But wait, if she's here, then...
Silarra isn't helping the spiderclaw hunt much when her first action, as soon as she's close enough, is to send a splash of water at Sho. After all, her job in this was ferrying residents and candidate gorups down. And now that piece is pretty well done. "Like the haircut."
K'del aims a grin at Silarra as he passes, but no more than that; he adjusts the basket in his arms, hoisting it higher as he makes his way up the beach towards the tent, and those people unlucky enough to be put to work in other places. He doesn't pay much attention to the actual dumping of his basket-load into a convenient crate of ice - instead, his head is lifted to consider the others at work, coming to rest, eventually, on Nehvien. "Something else, this kind of place, huh?" he says, tone just loud enough to carry that far. "Know if they're near ready for us to eat, yet?"
Nehvien, in the midst of looking at the view rather than focusing on the task at hand, starts at K'del's words, hastily turning. "Oh-- oh, yes, sir. I've never uh, been, well, anywhere, really," he admits kind of sheepishly, gaze wandering again before he resumes half-hearted hunt for the utensils. "Just starting to cook, I think. If I can um, find the-- oh, here," triumphantly, he takes one of the crates and begins lugging it towards the cooks.
Yep, just as he expected. The amber eyed youth turns just in time to have his torso splashed and he just smirks and shakes his head at Silarra. "I knew you were still a kid." He teases with, a bit of a sparkle in his eye before he runs his hand through his hair. "Oh, thanks. I was finally able ta cut it, so I did." It might look a little funky since he just used his knife, but it's cut. At this point Sho looks Silarra over in her bikini and smiles widely. "Ya look nice. See, there's benefits to it bein' warm." He says.
Silarra smirks over to Sho. "Takes one to know one. You're younger than I am. So if I'm a kid? Your a toddler." And just to show her maturity, Silarra will stick her tongue out at that candidate. That last comment gets a blush and an awkward shift of posture. "Liniath won the clothing arguement." She notes before glancing towards K'del, Nehvien, and the makeshift kitchen in general. "Think there'll be food soon?"
K'del grins, running a damp hand through his hair as he sets down his basket with the other. Both get wiped on his trousers, for all the good /that/ does. He keeps an eye on Nehvien as the other man begins dragging the crate towards the cooks, looking thoughtful. "Me, either," he reports, following a few steps closer. "'til i was at the Weyr, anyway, and mostly after I was a weyrling-- much later. It's-- shells. Need a hand with that? Sooner you get done up here, sooner you can get a better look at everything, right?"
Nehvien does appear to be-- struggling a little-- with the weight of the crate. "Um, well," he huffs, somewhere between grateful for the offer and hesitant to impose. "If you, um, don't mind, sir," he finally concedes. "Not used to the, uh, heat," he huffs some more, straightening to rest a moment. "And um, guess it would be nice to go wherever you wanted, whenever," he adds enviously, flicking a glance towards the dragons in the water.
Sho wrinkles his nose at Silarra and sticks his tongue out at her in return. "Yeah yeah, whatever ya say." He adds with a snort. "Yer just a baby is all." He teases, then looks down and spies a crawler. Quick hands grab it up and he glances at Silarra...then grins. "Oh no, watch out...it's gonna get ya!" He teases, holding the crawler out towards Silarra and wriggling it back and forth some as he takes a few steps towards her. Yes yes...he's evil.
Silarra is totally not the kind of girl to squeel when a crawler is held out towards her. Instead she just rolls her eyes. "Kid. Stop being such an idiot boy." That tongue is stuck out again before she moves to surface dive into the water, seeming like she might be swimming away from Sho.
Again, K'del wipes his hands on his trousers, and then moves around to take the other hand of the crate - as soon as Nehvien is ready to lift again. "It's no problem," he assures the Candidate, cheerfully. "Reckon while we're out here, we all need to lend a hand-- and the heat /is/ pretty different to work in. Anyway, getting to go wherever you want, whenever? Absolutely right: best thing ever. Reckon I went most of the way 'round the globe, when I was first allowed, just because I could. Makes it easy to keep up with my family, too. Ready?"
Nehvien brushes an arm across his forehead, squinting gamely at the bright vista. "I guess that's-- mind if I ask you something, sir? You can um, say no if you want, it's kind of-- personal, I guess." He darts a look at the Weyrleader as if to determine his reaction, before nodding, bending to grab the other side of the crate and heft it. He waits until K'del's ready with the other side before he begins shuffling his way towards the makeshift kitchen.
Grumble. Figures. Sho really should've known that but he had to try. Shrug. He tosses the crawler back into the pool and heads up the beach. "How long until foods gonna be ready?" He asks before thumbing over his shoulder. "That random Green rider wants ta know." Grin. Hope Nehvien's question wasn't /too/ personal.
K'del's eyebrows /do/ raise, questioning Nehvien's request, but without seeming entirely unwilling. His mouth does open to make an answer, but first, he heaves up his side of the crate and takes a few steps forward. And - for better or for worse - gets distracted by Sho. "Reckon it'll be soon enough," he tells the other candidate with a bob of the head. "Quicker if people pitch in to help." Adjusting his hands, he hastily glances back at Nehvien, adding, "Ask away."
Out of breath by now, and maybe a little hesitant - Nehvien focuses on the task of getting the crate to the kitchen, grateful to put it down. The cook mutters something about taking forever, and the scrawny candidate stammeringly apologises. Sho's arrival earns a brief look, and his eyes dart back at K'del's response. "Um. Doesn't-- nevermind," he hastily demurs.
Count on Sho to take a hint. He looks between K'del with his 'helpful' comment, then looks to Nehvien and his ever nervous self, and just shakes his head, stepping away and over to the cooks. He's no master chef, but he can boil stuff and make sure something doesn't burn. And that he does, one of the chef's doing multiple things puts him in charge of watching over some meat that's been roasting over the fire all morning and Sho crouches down to watch and wait, now out of earshot of K'del and Nehvien.
K'del makes what is probably an attempted 'winning smile' in the direction of the cook as he dusts his hands off, though his attention never slides too far from Nehvien, particularly as the candidate changes his mind. He's silent a moment, particularly as Sho removes himself, then says, "Sure? Don't mind. Or-- if you change your mind, right?"
Nehvien glances after Sho, with a furrow of brow, as if uncertain of the boy's hasty departure. "Um, sure," he offers a faint sort of smile to K'del. "Um, thanks for the help, sir. I'd uh, better help-- looks like they're getting set up to serve." Hastily, he darts off towards the cooks, and it doesn't take long for one of them to rope him into assistance, hauling some of the cooked vegetables out onto the serving tables.
Sho turns the spit the wild wherry is on, checking all the sides to see how it's cooking. Yep, so far it looks good. He glances back to see Nehvien and K'del seperate after he'd been only been gone a few moments. Hrm. There's definitely something going on with his fellow Candidate. Oh well. Back to the wherry.
Silarra can only swim for so long. The greenrider does take the time to catch a crawler of her own on her way out of the water. It's time to return the favor. K'del gets a quiet grin as she sneaks past him, coming up behind Sho to toss the crawler at him.
The way K'del's mouth opens looks more suited to a statement of protest than what actually comes out a moment later: "Uh-- you're welcome." His gaze somewhat narrows, thoughtful and considering, after Nehvien, but a passing lower caverns woman distracts him a moment later: apparently, even Weyrleaders can be In The Way sometimes, and sent off in other directions. He smirks, on his way past Silarra, but doesn't stop: he's off to wash his hands at a nearby basin, presumably in preparation for the meal.
Nehvien's send scurrying to carry over more food, though there's more weyrfolk coming in to help now, and the place is starting to get crowded. He manages to snatch a few scraps of the cooked herdbeast before he's put back to work, hauling a heaped bowl of tubers over to the table.
Yes yes, the meat is cooking nicely, and is actually done. The cook returns and nods, giving Sho permission to leave. Unfortunately the youth doesn't do more then stand before the crawler is thrown at him and starts skittering on his neck and shoulder. Sho lets out a yelp of surprise as he reaches back to pull the crawler off and look it dumbly before his eyes move back farther and he spots Silarra. He grins then, "Oh I see." He says, dropping the crawler before lunging at Silarra, trying to tackle her. If he'd thought about it for a moment he'd realize it never worked in the past, and probably won't work now either.
"/Away/ from the fire," calls out one of the Assistant Headwomen, inadvertently echoing Silarra, with her hands on hips and expression set into a frustrated glower. It's aimed towards Sho and Silarra, though it's the latter who gets the most disapproval from the woman-- ought to know better, her expression seems to say. "Just-- go and /eat/." She doesn't wait for a response, not really, not when the tables still need filling, and-- "Are we out of fresh water already? Shells, who's been drinking it all."
K'del, meanwhile, has ended up sitting on the edge of one of the rugs with a plate full of food, looking somewhat guiltily at those still working-- despite the fact that he has been more or less banished out of the way.
At some of the yelling and exclamations, Nehvien peers past the crowd - not that difficult with his height - and spots Sho. Unsurprised, he gratefully uses the distraction that the other candidate causes to grab a plate and start piling it up. Before he can get put back to work, he finds a spot out of the way, near K'del, and settles down, tucking into his plate. "Never had fresh shellfish before," he muses aloud, pondering his plate. "Didn't um, realise how different it tastes."
Good thing he has nice soft sand to pad his landing. Yep. Sho goes down hard and lets out an oomf as he winds up on his back, staring at the sky. "Oh, why do I even bother." He mutters with a little groan as he just lays there. One of these days he'll learn to not pick fights against those who can kick his butt.
Silarra smirks over to Sho. "Because you're an idiot? Or you like the sensation of flying through the air." With one last smirk over, she'll move off to collect her own plate of food, not looking guilty at all as she heads off over towards Nehvien and K'del.
"To less fresh shellfish?" K'del glances up from his own plate to consider Nehvien as the candidate speaks, nodding cheerfully. "Nothing like it. Kind of a pity this is the last we'll have of it, really-- like this, anyway. Everything we bring home'll probably end up frozen to begin with, then turned into soups or stews or whatever." Presumably, this is why the Weyrleader's plate is stacked high. "Hey, Silarra," he greets, as the greenrider approaches. "Taunted Sho enough for one day?"
"Yeah," Nehvien marvels, pausing to taste another one with obvious relish. "I mean, the closest to seafood we tended to have at Crom was fish that'd been imported from Tillek who-knows-how-long ago." Licking his fingers, he glances up at Silarra approaches, looking pleased to see the greenrider. "Good to see you, ma'am." He peers past her to see whether he can spot Sho, surprised it seems at K'del's comment.
Sho just grumbles some more. Women. The boy pushes himself up off the sand and heads over to find some food, piling it on his plate. He pauses as he passes by...oh, ice cubes...hrm...A small grin as a few are added so innocently to his plate. Yep, nothing but innocence.
Silarra smirks over at K'del as she sinks down to sit on the ground. "There's never enough teasing Sho. Ever." She notes before Nehvien gets a wince. "Silarra. I am /not/ a m'am. You're older than I am, I bet." She points out before adding, "How are you settling in? Not cursing me for bringing you to the weyr yet, are you?"
"Mm," agrees K'del. "Shells, we didn't do much better when I was growing up, and we were only a day or so from the ocean. Kind of envy weyrs like Southern and Ista, sometimes, getting this stuff all the time." He's stretched out his legs and leaned back, now, eating idly with his fingers. "Guess that's why there's never enough teasing Silarra for Sho, either, right?" He tips his head towards Silarra, grinning in an unconcerned kind of manner.
"Um, sorry," Nehvien is quick to apologise, conceding, "Silarra. Sorry, it's just um, habit, I guess." He looks a little uncomfortable at the question, shifting in place for a moment, "Um, well. It's a lot to take in," he says, hesitantly, trailing off after a moment, focusing on his food.
Sho is making his way over to the group, kind of going the, uh, long way around. As he passes by the little grouping there he quickly slides an ice cube off his plate and put's it in the middle of Silarra's back, letting it settle on her bikini strap to stay in place. Once that's done he darts around to the other side of K'del opposite Silarra and sits, smiling innocently before he shoves some veggies in his mouth. Yep, innocent little Sho.
Silarra flings the ice away from her back with a startled noise. Sho is eyed as he settles in with a narrow little glare. That ice piece is plucked up and winged over at the candidate. "Well, it's teasing Silarra time until I give him a bloody nose." She notes to K'del before looking towards Nehvien. "At least it isn't boring?"
K'del glances between Silarra and Sho, and /rolls his eyes/. "Shells, you two," is his light complaint, made with a shaking of the head. "You can't pause for five minutes, can you?" He sets his plate down, wiping sand off of his feet in an idle kind of gesture as he adds, mostly towards Nehvien, "if you think candidacy is bad for that, shells - weyrlinghood is worse."
"I-- I guess," Nehvien agrees, if a tad hesitantly, with Silarra, though he doesn't seem apt to elaborate. He eyes Sho askance, as if concerned what his fellow candidate is going to do next. He chews on another mouthful of food, then glances back up at K'del, with a slight furrow of brow. "Oh well, yes I imagine. But um, what about after? I mean, you don't have um, Thread to fight, right? Just um.. lots of drills and stuff?" He pitches the last part in a tone that suggests he's echoing something he's been told.
The amber eyed youth simply grins, until the ice cube thunks his forehead. Then he just grumbles and mock-stares at Silarra as he takes a few more veggies to munch on. K'dels question...well that just gets a shrug. "It has been known ta happen b'fore." He quips simply, grinning still. He doesn't say how often, or how long however. But for now Sho seems done with the teasing and happy just to sit and eat.
"Usually because I've knocked him unconscious. Or silenced him, um, some other way." One that involves Silarra blushing a bit. She's pause for a bite of food before looking over to Nehvien. "Afterwards you have an insist dragon in your mind who won't shut up no matter how often you ask. And who likes to eat and poop a lot at first."
K'del glances at Sho, and then at Silarra, and, okay, he really does smirk a bit at her blush. Otherwise, though, he shakes his head at the pair of them, and picks up a bread roll to pick apart as he considers Nehvien's question. "After weyrlinghood? Kind of depends. Sure, there're some drills, depending on what wing you're in. Sweeps and watchduty. Some people go back to crafts, or pick up new ones. We've some riders who work on fancy flying, and search and rescue type things. It's-- kind of an open book, really."
"Oh, um. Really?" Nehvien frowns a little at Silarra's response, not looking particularly encouraged. He pokes at the food left on his plate, a little half-heartedly. He glances at Sho, probably because the boy's quiet and he's not used to that, before looking at K'del. "Oh. I see." He scratches at his chin, kind of thoughtfully. "So um, that's it?"
Sho blinks and looks up at Silarra as she says the second part and notes her blushing. He just grins a bit and goes back to eating, remaining silent for the time being. After all, the current discussion involves his possible future too, so he figures it best to at least pay some attention. And yes, Sho can have his quiet moments too. They're actually kind of rare but it is known to happen. Food definitely helps.
"I actually like sweeps." Silarra pops in. "A lot of riders complain about them, but it's nice. Up there flying together with Liniath, zooming through the air. She's even /quiet/ while we do it." Which is apparently a good thing as Silarra peeks out towards where the green is still swimming in the water. "Right now she's all into her wish that there were giant fish out there big enough to be a good dragon-sized meal."
"Weyrlinghood isn't /that/ bad," remarks K'del, thoughtfully, talking around the piece of bread he just popped into his mouth. "Intense, mostly. And-- mm. Guess riderhood is kind of what you make of it. Sweeps aren't that bad, except maybe in the dead of winter. Watchduty, that's the one that kills me: so boring." He wiggles bare toes in the sand as he adds, mostly to Silarra, "There could be. Off Nerat there're some enormous ones, with teeth. Cadejoth and Yyth used to go hunting for 'em."
Although Nehvien hasn't quite finished all his food, he sets it aside. His gaze flickers from Silarra to K'del and back, considering silently. He hops to his feet, scooping up his plate. "I think I might, um, go for a bit of a walk down the beach. I'll see you later." He takes off rather hastily, all in all, stopping only long enough to set aside his plate.
Sho looks from rider, to rider, to fellow Candidate as they talk, actually remaining quiet for the time being. It's amazing how peaceful it can be when Sho keeps his mouth shut. Or at least full. He's already gone through half of his plate of food, and it's rather amazing how someone so tiny can eat so much. As Nehvien leaves Sho blinks and just raises a hand in farewell, his mouth to full to say anything. Strange...
Silarra wrinkle her nose over to K'del. "Please don't tell her that. Then she'll want to go catch one the next time she's hungry. And I'll have to get her really clean afterwards. Then it'll be forever to dry before we can between." Sigh. Sho gets a rather wary look for all this quietness.
K'del's gaze follows Nehvien for some distance before it flicks back towards his remaining two companions. Silarra's remark gets a low laugh. "I'll try and avoid it," he promises. "Reckon Cadejoth's forgotten, at least: been turns since they did it. Nasty looking creatures, as I recall." He tips his head back, adding, apropos of nothing, "Shells but it's nice to be out of the ice and snow for a bit."
Oh wait, something Liniath shouldn't know? Sho turns his focus away from where Nehvien went to smile innocently at Silarra. "Ohh, so I shouldn't tell her abou' the big fish, hmm? I guess we'll see..." He says...still oh so innocently. He can pull it off good. Too bad Silarra is generally immune. But then K'del speaks what Sho is thinking. "Yeah, it's nice ta be here. I think we should all just...move here." He suggests, using a fork to scrape at the last little bits of meat on his plate. Yep, that's all. He's such a pig.
Silarra gives Sho a /look/. "You tell her? You'll regret it. I have my ways." She states cooly before shaking her head. "I'd hate to live here. It's nice for a visit. Pretty. Great for bathing dragons. But it'd be overpowering to live in the heat everyday." She states before she stands, holding her empty plate. "Speaking of which, I should go get Liniath's bath in, while we're here with nice warm water."
"/Sho/," says K'del, too lightly for it to be a warning, and yet... "Can't say I disagree, anyway, Silarra. Enjoy the water, mm?" As the greenrider excuses herself, the Weyrleader turns his attention back towards Sho. "Think you might be outvoted. Not sure how a person'd ever get anything done down here, when it's all sticky and gross."
Sho smiles innocently still at Silarra, but then offers here a little wave as she stands to leave. "Don't worry, I've been praticing my running." He says. Now alone with the Weyrleader. Scary. He looks at K'del and shakes his head. "I dun understand how ya can get anything done when all your limbs are frozen solid. It seems ta me the heat would be better." And Sho really needs to start getting his tan back. He's still darker then most at the Weyr, but he's lightened considerably. "Besides, ya dun have ta work with all that constricting clothes and jackets. Just some shorts." He says, motioning at his own shorts. Tada!
K'del laughs, shaking his head. "Reckon you can always put on more layers, or heat the fire more, but there's only so many clothes you can go without-- and a person can't spend all day in the water." He's standing firm on this one, but that doesn't mean he isn't very obviously enjoying the warmth of today's escape. "Anyway. Reckon it'd be awfully uncomfortable being a rider, having to put on heaps of clothes in order to go flying, and then frying when you get back to the ground and it's all hot again."
"As I recall, the riders had something they wore that helped 'em while flying and Between, but it wasn't to hot on the ground. Least not as hot as yer leathers." Sho says, setting the plate down on the ground and putting his hands behind him, leaning back on them and just looking at K'del. "And ya don't have ta be in the water. But ya don't have ta have 3 jackets on either." Seems there's good and bad, and Sho is kind of realizing it. "Well, I guess yer right. Everyone's different. But I still think we need ta at least take more trips down here."
K'del just shakes his head, remarking, finally. "Not for a while, not after this. Reckon this'll be the last time you Candidates get out of the weyr before the hatching, and if you Impress..." It'll be an awful lot longer, his tone suggestions, even if he doesn't say it. "Winter with baby dragons is fun, though. They scramble over the ice 'til they get too big, or the ice gets too thin."
Scramble and Ice in the same sentence. That would mean he'd have to be out on the ice or at least outside. Sho shivers in the heat just at the thought. "What a horrible thing ta think 'bout." He mutters, then quickly corrects, "Not the dragons, but just...being outside." Yeah, there is that. But then he blinks, "Wait, ya think they're gonna hatch soon?" He asks curiously, looking the Weyrleader over skeptically. "I thought you didn't think they'd hatch." He says wryly. Perhaps not the best tone to take with the Weyrleader, but still...
K'del raises his eyebrows in Sho's direction for the first of what the Candidate says - and doesn't lower them again, particularly as he continues. "You Impress, you'll be out and about, whatever you think. And-- shells. Doesn't matter whether I think they'll hatch or not. Point is, you'd be a fool to let your candidates out all over Pern as the hatching gets closer, just in case. Last thing we'd want is to be caught out."
Sho regards K'del, for some reason not seeming to fear the Weyrleaders position...that much should be evident from their past meetings, really. But he is generally respectful. "So, seein' as the eggs'r still there...how do they compare ta the previous ones? Do they look...okay?"
"Surely you've seen dragon eggs before," remarks K'del, sounding surprised. "Yes, they look fine-- perfectly normal. Doesn't mean they /are/, but honestly, if we thought absolutely they weren't, we wouldn't have Candidates at all." There's a faint note of frustration to his response, perhaps as though he's getting tired of saying all of this.
Sho shakes his head, "I grew up at a Runner Hold. Never seen eggs before. Never seen'a hatching before. I dun even really know what's gonna happen." And at the frustration? Sho actually grins a bit. "I guess that's true, but ya don't have ta get mad. I just figured, since you were the one saying they'd be messed up in the first place, surely you'd know by now if it was still true'r not." Nothing like poking the bear.
"I'm not the /only/ one saying these things, Sho-- Faranth. You make it sound like I'm a person who has randomly decided that there might be a problem with something, rather than part of the /majority/ of people who're concerned." K'del stands, turning to consider Sho for a moment, before shaking his head and walking away.
Sho looks caught between trying to stop K'del to talk to him, and just letting him go. Eventually he just sighs. Sho needs to learn to just keep his trap shut. All he does is annoy and offend people otherwise. A hand runs through his short hair as he watches after the Weyrleader, looking a bit troubled before he stands himself and takes his plate back to wash it before heading out towards the water to enjoy the rest of the trip.
Location: Southern Beach
Synopsis: Weyrfolk collect shellfish down south on a beautiful day that ends up slightly sour for K'del, when Sho pushes his button just a little too hard.
Southern Beach
Golden stand stretches in both directions for as far as the eye can see, broken only by the occasional encroaching cliff, the ancient stone formed into rockpools and outcroppings. Inland, open sand is gradually taken over by lush greenery: dense forest extending all the way back to distant mountains that might even be days of walking from here. The ocean, too, stretches out unbroken: there's no other land to be seen, nothing but blue and blue and blue until the point at which it hits the horizon, where blue meets another kind of blue, in the endless, cloudless sky.
A tent-like structure has been strung up between trees and a few tall posts, providing shelter from the hot sun. There are no tables, and no chairs, beneath it, however: just a few haphazardly slung blankets, providing only the most basic comfort. A few paces beyond the edge of the tent is a bonfire built from driftwood.
The water is shallow, here, protected by a sandbar a few lengths out.
It's a perfect day, really, all things considered: perfectly warm, with a cloudless sky and just enough of a breeze. The first groups arrived early this morning, but people have been coming and going for a few hours now. It'll be lunch time in another hour or so, but for now, most people are busy with either meal preparations, or the continued crustacean collection that brought them down in the first place. Among the latter group is K'del, shirtless, his trousers rolled up, though for now he's standing ankle-deep in the water, staring out into the distant blue.
Nehvien's in a group that's just arrived, and he's a little-- distracted-- is probably an accurate word. He's staring around, open-mouthed, until he's nudged by one of the weyrfolk to assist with unpacking a few of the supplies for the kitchenstaff to begin preparing lunch. He struggles with one of the crates, pausing every now and then to rest and look around with wide-eyed astonishment.
Sho was one of the first to arrive this morning, taking full advantage of their chance to be in the warm weather. Dressed only in shorts at this point, the youth is also on the crustacean hunt, and having fun with it too. He's already nabbed a few and now he's just...looking for more. There's been a change about Sho as well, one that might throw off anyone who hasn't seen him in the last day or so. His hair has been cut, or perhaps chopped is the better word. His hair looks like someone just pulled it up and cut straight through, giving it kind of a scraggly spiky look since it's no more then a few inches long. Sho doesn't seem to mind it, however, and just continues enjoying himself...in so much that as he gets closer to K'del in his stalking he makes a 'grab' into the war and (un)intentionally splashes towards the Weyrleader.
Silarra brought down a couple of candidates, arriving fairly recently. The greenrider has had chance to stow Liniath's strap though, along with her riding gear. The green dives into the water from the air, but at least she's far enough out not to send too big a splash to the shore. Silarra strides over towards the water, and the people there, looking like she feels a bit awkward in the bikini she's wearing.
"Hey now!" says K'del, on receipt of those splashes from Sho, but it would be more accurate to say that he's teasing the Candidate than that he's actually displeased - particularly when he aims a splash back in turn. Of course, that probably alerts every spiderclaw (or other creature) in the vicinity: it would be fair to say the work efforts are somewhat less than efficient. The basket he's carrying, though, is just about full, and after a moment of consideration he says, "Going to take this up the beach. See how long it is 'til lunch, maybe."
After a few more trips back and forth to haul some more supplies, Nehvien's panting, soaked in a sweat - but done. Or at least, he thinks he is - he's looking enviously towards those in the water - but before he can take a step in their direction, one of the cooks snags him with a sharp command and, leaping in surprise, Nehvien hastens to obey, hunting through the crates for the utensils she's requested. His hunt is probably not aided in any way by the pauses now and then to peek around.
Sho grins as he returns the splashes again, but stops as K'del gets ready to head ashore. "Yessir." Is his only reply before he goes back to hunting. Hey, where'd all the critters go? Grumble. He moves on to the next little pool and reaches down to grab a crawler...but Liniath's mini wave washes it away and causes Sho to pout and look out at the water. After spying the green he just chuckles and waves to her. But wait, if she's here, then...
Silarra isn't helping the spiderclaw hunt much when her first action, as soon as she's close enough, is to send a splash of water at Sho. After all, her job in this was ferrying residents and candidate gorups down. And now that piece is pretty well done. "Like the haircut."
K'del aims a grin at Silarra as he passes, but no more than that; he adjusts the basket in his arms, hoisting it higher as he makes his way up the beach towards the tent, and those people unlucky enough to be put to work in other places. He doesn't pay much attention to the actual dumping of his basket-load into a convenient crate of ice - instead, his head is lifted to consider the others at work, coming to rest, eventually, on Nehvien. "Something else, this kind of place, huh?" he says, tone just loud enough to carry that far. "Know if they're near ready for us to eat, yet?"
Nehvien, in the midst of looking at the view rather than focusing on the task at hand, starts at K'del's words, hastily turning. "Oh-- oh, yes, sir. I've never uh, been, well, anywhere, really," he admits kind of sheepishly, gaze wandering again before he resumes half-hearted hunt for the utensils. "Just starting to cook, I think. If I can um, find the-- oh, here," triumphantly, he takes one of the crates and begins lugging it towards the cooks.
Yep, just as he expected. The amber eyed youth turns just in time to have his torso splashed and he just smirks and shakes his head at Silarra. "I knew you were still a kid." He teases with, a bit of a sparkle in his eye before he runs his hand through his hair. "Oh, thanks. I was finally able ta cut it, so I did." It might look a little funky since he just used his knife, but it's cut. At this point Sho looks Silarra over in her bikini and smiles widely. "Ya look nice. See, there's benefits to it bein' warm." He says.
Silarra smirks over to Sho. "Takes one to know one. You're younger than I am. So if I'm a kid? Your a toddler." And just to show her maturity, Silarra will stick her tongue out at that candidate. That last comment gets a blush and an awkward shift of posture. "Liniath won the clothing arguement." She notes before glancing towards K'del, Nehvien, and the makeshift kitchen in general. "Think there'll be food soon?"
K'del grins, running a damp hand through his hair as he sets down his basket with the other. Both get wiped on his trousers, for all the good /that/ does. He keeps an eye on Nehvien as the other man begins dragging the crate towards the cooks, looking thoughtful. "Me, either," he reports, following a few steps closer. "'til i was at the Weyr, anyway, and mostly after I was a weyrling-- much later. It's-- shells. Need a hand with that? Sooner you get done up here, sooner you can get a better look at everything, right?"
Nehvien does appear to be-- struggling a little-- with the weight of the crate. "Um, well," he huffs, somewhere between grateful for the offer and hesitant to impose. "If you, um, don't mind, sir," he finally concedes. "Not used to the, uh, heat," he huffs some more, straightening to rest a moment. "And um, guess it would be nice to go wherever you wanted, whenever," he adds enviously, flicking a glance towards the dragons in the water.
Sho wrinkles his nose at Silarra and sticks his tongue out at her in return. "Yeah yeah, whatever ya say." He adds with a snort. "Yer just a baby is all." He teases, then looks down and spies a crawler. Quick hands grab it up and he glances at Silarra...then grins. "Oh no, watch out...it's gonna get ya!" He teases, holding the crawler out towards Silarra and wriggling it back and forth some as he takes a few steps towards her. Yes yes...he's evil.
Silarra is totally not the kind of girl to squeel when a crawler is held out towards her. Instead she just rolls her eyes. "Kid. Stop being such an idiot boy." That tongue is stuck out again before she moves to surface dive into the water, seeming like she might be swimming away from Sho.
Again, K'del wipes his hands on his trousers, and then moves around to take the other hand of the crate - as soon as Nehvien is ready to lift again. "It's no problem," he assures the Candidate, cheerfully. "Reckon while we're out here, we all need to lend a hand-- and the heat /is/ pretty different to work in. Anyway, getting to go wherever you want, whenever? Absolutely right: best thing ever. Reckon I went most of the way 'round the globe, when I was first allowed, just because I could. Makes it easy to keep up with my family, too. Ready?"
Nehvien brushes an arm across his forehead, squinting gamely at the bright vista. "I guess that's-- mind if I ask you something, sir? You can um, say no if you want, it's kind of-- personal, I guess." He darts a look at the Weyrleader as if to determine his reaction, before nodding, bending to grab the other side of the crate and heft it. He waits until K'del's ready with the other side before he begins shuffling his way towards the makeshift kitchen.
Grumble. Figures. Sho really should've known that but he had to try. Shrug. He tosses the crawler back into the pool and heads up the beach. "How long until foods gonna be ready?" He asks before thumbing over his shoulder. "That random Green rider wants ta know." Grin. Hope Nehvien's question wasn't /too/ personal.
K'del's eyebrows /do/ raise, questioning Nehvien's request, but without seeming entirely unwilling. His mouth does open to make an answer, but first, he heaves up his side of the crate and takes a few steps forward. And - for better or for worse - gets distracted by Sho. "Reckon it'll be soon enough," he tells the other candidate with a bob of the head. "Quicker if people pitch in to help." Adjusting his hands, he hastily glances back at Nehvien, adding, "Ask away."
Out of breath by now, and maybe a little hesitant - Nehvien focuses on the task of getting the crate to the kitchen, grateful to put it down. The cook mutters something about taking forever, and the scrawny candidate stammeringly apologises. Sho's arrival earns a brief look, and his eyes dart back at K'del's response. "Um. Doesn't-- nevermind," he hastily demurs.
Count on Sho to take a hint. He looks between K'del with his 'helpful' comment, then looks to Nehvien and his ever nervous self, and just shakes his head, stepping away and over to the cooks. He's no master chef, but he can boil stuff and make sure something doesn't burn. And that he does, one of the chef's doing multiple things puts him in charge of watching over some meat that's been roasting over the fire all morning and Sho crouches down to watch and wait, now out of earshot of K'del and Nehvien.
K'del makes what is probably an attempted 'winning smile' in the direction of the cook as he dusts his hands off, though his attention never slides too far from Nehvien, particularly as the candidate changes his mind. He's silent a moment, particularly as Sho removes himself, then says, "Sure? Don't mind. Or-- if you change your mind, right?"
Nehvien glances after Sho, with a furrow of brow, as if uncertain of the boy's hasty departure. "Um, sure," he offers a faint sort of smile to K'del. "Um, thanks for the help, sir. I'd uh, better help-- looks like they're getting set up to serve." Hastily, he darts off towards the cooks, and it doesn't take long for one of them to rope him into assistance, hauling some of the cooked vegetables out onto the serving tables.
Sho turns the spit the wild wherry is on, checking all the sides to see how it's cooking. Yep, so far it looks good. He glances back to see Nehvien and K'del seperate after he'd been only been gone a few moments. Hrm. There's definitely something going on with his fellow Candidate. Oh well. Back to the wherry.
Silarra can only swim for so long. The greenrider does take the time to catch a crawler of her own on her way out of the water. It's time to return the favor. K'del gets a quiet grin as she sneaks past him, coming up behind Sho to toss the crawler at him.
The way K'del's mouth opens looks more suited to a statement of protest than what actually comes out a moment later: "Uh-- you're welcome." His gaze somewhat narrows, thoughtful and considering, after Nehvien, but a passing lower caverns woman distracts him a moment later: apparently, even Weyrleaders can be In The Way sometimes, and sent off in other directions. He smirks, on his way past Silarra, but doesn't stop: he's off to wash his hands at a nearby basin, presumably in preparation for the meal.
Nehvien's send scurrying to carry over more food, though there's more weyrfolk coming in to help now, and the place is starting to get crowded. He manages to snatch a few scraps of the cooked herdbeast before he's put back to work, hauling a heaped bowl of tubers over to the table.
Yes yes, the meat is cooking nicely, and is actually done. The cook returns and nods, giving Sho permission to leave. Unfortunately the youth doesn't do more then stand before the crawler is thrown at him and starts skittering on his neck and shoulder. Sho lets out a yelp of surprise as he reaches back to pull the crawler off and look it dumbly before his eyes move back farther and he spots Silarra. He grins then, "Oh I see." He says, dropping the crawler before lunging at Silarra, trying to tackle her. If he'd thought about it for a moment he'd realize it never worked in the past, and probably won't work now either.
"/Away/ from the fire," calls out one of the Assistant Headwomen, inadvertently echoing Silarra, with her hands on hips and expression set into a frustrated glower. It's aimed towards Sho and Silarra, though it's the latter who gets the most disapproval from the woman-- ought to know better, her expression seems to say. "Just-- go and /eat/." She doesn't wait for a response, not really, not when the tables still need filling, and-- "Are we out of fresh water already? Shells, who's been drinking it all."
K'del, meanwhile, has ended up sitting on the edge of one of the rugs with a plate full of food, looking somewhat guiltily at those still working-- despite the fact that he has been more or less banished out of the way.
At some of the yelling and exclamations, Nehvien peers past the crowd - not that difficult with his height - and spots Sho. Unsurprised, he gratefully uses the distraction that the other candidate causes to grab a plate and start piling it up. Before he can get put back to work, he finds a spot out of the way, near K'del, and settles down, tucking into his plate. "Never had fresh shellfish before," he muses aloud, pondering his plate. "Didn't um, realise how different it tastes."
Good thing he has nice soft sand to pad his landing. Yep. Sho goes down hard and lets out an oomf as he winds up on his back, staring at the sky. "Oh, why do I even bother." He mutters with a little groan as he just lays there. One of these days he'll learn to not pick fights against those who can kick his butt.
Silarra smirks over to Sho. "Because you're an idiot? Or you like the sensation of flying through the air." With one last smirk over, she'll move off to collect her own plate of food, not looking guilty at all as she heads off over towards Nehvien and K'del.
"To less fresh shellfish?" K'del glances up from his own plate to consider Nehvien as the candidate speaks, nodding cheerfully. "Nothing like it. Kind of a pity this is the last we'll have of it, really-- like this, anyway. Everything we bring home'll probably end up frozen to begin with, then turned into soups or stews or whatever." Presumably, this is why the Weyrleader's plate is stacked high. "Hey, Silarra," he greets, as the greenrider approaches. "Taunted Sho enough for one day?"
"Yeah," Nehvien marvels, pausing to taste another one with obvious relish. "I mean, the closest to seafood we tended to have at Crom was fish that'd been imported from Tillek who-knows-how-long ago." Licking his fingers, he glances up at Silarra approaches, looking pleased to see the greenrider. "Good to see you, ma'am." He peers past her to see whether he can spot Sho, surprised it seems at K'del's comment.
Sho just grumbles some more. Women. The boy pushes himself up off the sand and heads over to find some food, piling it on his plate. He pauses as he passes by...oh, ice cubes...hrm...A small grin as a few are added so innocently to his plate. Yep, nothing but innocence.
Silarra smirks over at K'del as she sinks down to sit on the ground. "There's never enough teasing Sho. Ever." She notes before Nehvien gets a wince. "Silarra. I am /not/ a m'am. You're older than I am, I bet." She points out before adding, "How are you settling in? Not cursing me for bringing you to the weyr yet, are you?"
"Mm," agrees K'del. "Shells, we didn't do much better when I was growing up, and we were only a day or so from the ocean. Kind of envy weyrs like Southern and Ista, sometimes, getting this stuff all the time." He's stretched out his legs and leaned back, now, eating idly with his fingers. "Guess that's why there's never enough teasing Silarra for Sho, either, right?" He tips his head towards Silarra, grinning in an unconcerned kind of manner.
"Um, sorry," Nehvien is quick to apologise, conceding, "Silarra. Sorry, it's just um, habit, I guess." He looks a little uncomfortable at the question, shifting in place for a moment, "Um, well. It's a lot to take in," he says, hesitantly, trailing off after a moment, focusing on his food.
Sho is making his way over to the group, kind of going the, uh, long way around. As he passes by the little grouping there he quickly slides an ice cube off his plate and put's it in the middle of Silarra's back, letting it settle on her bikini strap to stay in place. Once that's done he darts around to the other side of K'del opposite Silarra and sits, smiling innocently before he shoves some veggies in his mouth. Yep, innocent little Sho.
Silarra flings the ice away from her back with a startled noise. Sho is eyed as he settles in with a narrow little glare. That ice piece is plucked up and winged over at the candidate. "Well, it's teasing Silarra time until I give him a bloody nose." She notes to K'del before looking towards Nehvien. "At least it isn't boring?"
K'del glances between Silarra and Sho, and /rolls his eyes/. "Shells, you two," is his light complaint, made with a shaking of the head. "You can't pause for five minutes, can you?" He sets his plate down, wiping sand off of his feet in an idle kind of gesture as he adds, mostly towards Nehvien, "if you think candidacy is bad for that, shells - weyrlinghood is worse."
"I-- I guess," Nehvien agrees, if a tad hesitantly, with Silarra, though he doesn't seem apt to elaborate. He eyes Sho askance, as if concerned what his fellow candidate is going to do next. He chews on another mouthful of food, then glances back up at K'del, with a slight furrow of brow. "Oh well, yes I imagine. But um, what about after? I mean, you don't have um, Thread to fight, right? Just um.. lots of drills and stuff?" He pitches the last part in a tone that suggests he's echoing something he's been told.
The amber eyed youth simply grins, until the ice cube thunks his forehead. Then he just grumbles and mock-stares at Silarra as he takes a few more veggies to munch on. K'dels question...well that just gets a shrug. "It has been known ta happen b'fore." He quips simply, grinning still. He doesn't say how often, or how long however. But for now Sho seems done with the teasing and happy just to sit and eat.
"Usually because I've knocked him unconscious. Or silenced him, um, some other way." One that involves Silarra blushing a bit. She's pause for a bite of food before looking over to Nehvien. "Afterwards you have an insist dragon in your mind who won't shut up no matter how often you ask. And who likes to eat and poop a lot at first."
K'del glances at Sho, and then at Silarra, and, okay, he really does smirk a bit at her blush. Otherwise, though, he shakes his head at the pair of them, and picks up a bread roll to pick apart as he considers Nehvien's question. "After weyrlinghood? Kind of depends. Sure, there're some drills, depending on what wing you're in. Sweeps and watchduty. Some people go back to crafts, or pick up new ones. We've some riders who work on fancy flying, and search and rescue type things. It's-- kind of an open book, really."
"Oh, um. Really?" Nehvien frowns a little at Silarra's response, not looking particularly encouraged. He pokes at the food left on his plate, a little half-heartedly. He glances at Sho, probably because the boy's quiet and he's not used to that, before looking at K'del. "Oh. I see." He scratches at his chin, kind of thoughtfully. "So um, that's it?"
Sho blinks and looks up at Silarra as she says the second part and notes her blushing. He just grins a bit and goes back to eating, remaining silent for the time being. After all, the current discussion involves his possible future too, so he figures it best to at least pay some attention. And yes, Sho can have his quiet moments too. They're actually kind of rare but it is known to happen. Food definitely helps.
"I actually like sweeps." Silarra pops in. "A lot of riders complain about them, but it's nice. Up there flying together with Liniath, zooming through the air. She's even /quiet/ while we do it." Which is apparently a good thing as Silarra peeks out towards where the green is still swimming in the water. "Right now she's all into her wish that there were giant fish out there big enough to be a good dragon-sized meal."
"Weyrlinghood isn't /that/ bad," remarks K'del, thoughtfully, talking around the piece of bread he just popped into his mouth. "Intense, mostly. And-- mm. Guess riderhood is kind of what you make of it. Sweeps aren't that bad, except maybe in the dead of winter. Watchduty, that's the one that kills me: so boring." He wiggles bare toes in the sand as he adds, mostly to Silarra, "There could be. Off Nerat there're some enormous ones, with teeth. Cadejoth and Yyth used to go hunting for 'em."
Although Nehvien hasn't quite finished all his food, he sets it aside. His gaze flickers from Silarra to K'del and back, considering silently. He hops to his feet, scooping up his plate. "I think I might, um, go for a bit of a walk down the beach. I'll see you later." He takes off rather hastily, all in all, stopping only long enough to set aside his plate.
Sho looks from rider, to rider, to fellow Candidate as they talk, actually remaining quiet for the time being. It's amazing how peaceful it can be when Sho keeps his mouth shut. Or at least full. He's already gone through half of his plate of food, and it's rather amazing how someone so tiny can eat so much. As Nehvien leaves Sho blinks and just raises a hand in farewell, his mouth to full to say anything. Strange...
Silarra wrinkle her nose over to K'del. "Please don't tell her that. Then she'll want to go catch one the next time she's hungry. And I'll have to get her really clean afterwards. Then it'll be forever to dry before we can between." Sigh. Sho gets a rather wary look for all this quietness.
K'del's gaze follows Nehvien for some distance before it flicks back towards his remaining two companions. Silarra's remark gets a low laugh. "I'll try and avoid it," he promises. "Reckon Cadejoth's forgotten, at least: been turns since they did it. Nasty looking creatures, as I recall." He tips his head back, adding, apropos of nothing, "Shells but it's nice to be out of the ice and snow for a bit."
Oh wait, something Liniath shouldn't know? Sho turns his focus away from where Nehvien went to smile innocently at Silarra. "Ohh, so I shouldn't tell her abou' the big fish, hmm? I guess we'll see..." He says...still oh so innocently. He can pull it off good. Too bad Silarra is generally immune. But then K'del speaks what Sho is thinking. "Yeah, it's nice ta be here. I think we should all just...move here." He suggests, using a fork to scrape at the last little bits of meat on his plate. Yep, that's all. He's such a pig.
Silarra gives Sho a /look/. "You tell her? You'll regret it. I have my ways." She states cooly before shaking her head. "I'd hate to live here. It's nice for a visit. Pretty. Great for bathing dragons. But it'd be overpowering to live in the heat everyday." She states before she stands, holding her empty plate. "Speaking of which, I should go get Liniath's bath in, while we're here with nice warm water."
"/Sho/," says K'del, too lightly for it to be a warning, and yet... "Can't say I disagree, anyway, Silarra. Enjoy the water, mm?" As the greenrider excuses herself, the Weyrleader turns his attention back towards Sho. "Think you might be outvoted. Not sure how a person'd ever get anything done down here, when it's all sticky and gross."
Sho smiles innocently still at Silarra, but then offers here a little wave as she stands to leave. "Don't worry, I've been praticing my running." He says. Now alone with the Weyrleader. Scary. He looks at K'del and shakes his head. "I dun understand how ya can get anything done when all your limbs are frozen solid. It seems ta me the heat would be better." And Sho really needs to start getting his tan back. He's still darker then most at the Weyr, but he's lightened considerably. "Besides, ya dun have ta work with all that constricting clothes and jackets. Just some shorts." He says, motioning at his own shorts. Tada!
K'del laughs, shaking his head. "Reckon you can always put on more layers, or heat the fire more, but there's only so many clothes you can go without-- and a person can't spend all day in the water." He's standing firm on this one, but that doesn't mean he isn't very obviously enjoying the warmth of today's escape. "Anyway. Reckon it'd be awfully uncomfortable being a rider, having to put on heaps of clothes in order to go flying, and then frying when you get back to the ground and it's all hot again."
"As I recall, the riders had something they wore that helped 'em while flying and Between, but it wasn't to hot on the ground. Least not as hot as yer leathers." Sho says, setting the plate down on the ground and putting his hands behind him, leaning back on them and just looking at K'del. "And ya don't have ta be in the water. But ya don't have ta have 3 jackets on either." Seems there's good and bad, and Sho is kind of realizing it. "Well, I guess yer right. Everyone's different. But I still think we need ta at least take more trips down here."
K'del just shakes his head, remarking, finally. "Not for a while, not after this. Reckon this'll be the last time you Candidates get out of the weyr before the hatching, and if you Impress..." It'll be an awful lot longer, his tone suggestions, even if he doesn't say it. "Winter with baby dragons is fun, though. They scramble over the ice 'til they get too big, or the ice gets too thin."
Scramble and Ice in the same sentence. That would mean he'd have to be out on the ice or at least outside. Sho shivers in the heat just at the thought. "What a horrible thing ta think 'bout." He mutters, then quickly corrects, "Not the dragons, but just...being outside." Yeah, there is that. But then he blinks, "Wait, ya think they're gonna hatch soon?" He asks curiously, looking the Weyrleader over skeptically. "I thought you didn't think they'd hatch." He says wryly. Perhaps not the best tone to take with the Weyrleader, but still...
K'del raises his eyebrows in Sho's direction for the first of what the Candidate says - and doesn't lower them again, particularly as he continues. "You Impress, you'll be out and about, whatever you think. And-- shells. Doesn't matter whether I think they'll hatch or not. Point is, you'd be a fool to let your candidates out all over Pern as the hatching gets closer, just in case. Last thing we'd want is to be caught out."
Sho regards K'del, for some reason not seeming to fear the Weyrleaders position...that much should be evident from their past meetings, really. But he is generally respectful. "So, seein' as the eggs'r still there...how do they compare ta the previous ones? Do they look...okay?"
"Surely you've seen dragon eggs before," remarks K'del, sounding surprised. "Yes, they look fine-- perfectly normal. Doesn't mean they /are/, but honestly, if we thought absolutely they weren't, we wouldn't have Candidates at all." There's a faint note of frustration to his response, perhaps as though he's getting tired of saying all of this.
Sho shakes his head, "I grew up at a Runner Hold. Never seen eggs before. Never seen'a hatching before. I dun even really know what's gonna happen." And at the frustration? Sho actually grins a bit. "I guess that's true, but ya don't have ta get mad. I just figured, since you were the one saying they'd be messed up in the first place, surely you'd know by now if it was still true'r not." Nothing like poking the bear.
"I'm not the /only/ one saying these things, Sho-- Faranth. You make it sound like I'm a person who has randomly decided that there might be a problem with something, rather than part of the /majority/ of people who're concerned." K'del stands, turning to consider Sho for a moment, before shaking his head and walking away.
Sho looks caught between trying to stop K'del to talk to him, and just letting him go. Eventually he just sighs. Sho needs to learn to just keep his trap shut. All he does is annoy and offend people otherwise. A hand runs through his short hair as he watches after the Weyrleader, looking a bit troubled before he stands himself and takes his plate back to wash it before heading out towards the water to enjoy the rest of the trip.