Xanadu Weyr - Clearing
A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.
The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.
Meira seems to be in a reasonably good mood, though she's not exactly looking her best. And she smells of runners. Even so, the chef-turned-candidate has managed to find something to be cheerful about, as she's whistling quietly to herself, not hitting any of the right notes, nor caring. She's headed for the caverns at the moment, a clean not-smelling-like-runners change of clothes draped over one arm.
Adinaeth swings his head around to regard Meira, and promptly sneezes on her. Ew. Dragon slime. « Oops. Sorry. » the dragon announces in his bubbly, cheerful voice. « I, like, couldn't help myself, ya know? » Alie cringes and rests her forehead on the paper. "Adie, why do you have to sneeze on every candidate that walks by?"
Meira blinks, and stares at Adinaeth, fairly shocked. "Uh. Sneeze. On me. Dragon sneeze. Ew." she manages, trying to gather her wits about her after that little surprise. "Um, does he do this a lot?" Meira then asks L'alie, as she seems to be the dragon's rider. "Is it because I smell? That's not me! I was assigned to groom runners today." she says in a rush, before inspecting her 'clean' clothes for dragon slime.
L'alie just groans, "Adie." She sighs and gets to her feet, picking up t he big pink towel she was sitting on. She simply offers it to the candidate. "He thinks it's funny. Every time new eggs come along he picks up a different bit. I think sneezing on you all is the best thing he could do.. about five turns ago he dyed the entire class pink. I just.. keep this with me now."
Meira frowns as she realises her clean clothes are not so clean anymore, then gratefully accepts the towel. "Between this, and the antics of the dragon we had to help wash the other day… Since I was searched, I've wondered, if I was cut out for riding. It's a great opportunity, an honour, and all, but…" she shrugs slightly, as she attempts to towel off the worst of the dragon slime. "Is it … worth it?" she asks L'alie then, curiously.
L'alie blinks and laughs, "It's worth it." She makes a face like she just ate something particularly foul and regrets it deeply. "Mostly. Most dragons are.. not quite as quirky. I'm guessing you're talking about Dulacth? He's the only looby in the water I can think of around here." She stretches her arms above her head, pacing back to Adinaeth. "No, it's worth it. You have to trust that dragons know who they belong to. I think they are an extension of our secret selves. Granted I'm not sure what it says about ME to have the Lord of Pink over there, but I would never change what I have with him."
Meira shakes her head slightly, "Didn't get his name. I was too busy trying not to drown." she says, with a slight frown, glancing down at the now rather less-than-clean towel. "Dragons know who they belong to? Hmm. I suppose I would get along well with an extension of me." she says, though it's obvious that she still has doubts. "I mean, I wouldn't even have been searched if I didn't have the potential to be an okay rider, right?" though she has doubts on that score too.
L'alie rubs her gloved hand through her hair, "Let me.. put it in these terms. Dragons fill a hole you didn't even realize was empty. And dragons can.. I dunno… smell your future or something.. If you're searched.. somewhere, some egg holds the cork to plug your hole." She frowns, "Er.. that sounded extremely wrong. But you get what I'm saying, right?"
Meira nods slowly, frowning as she tries to absorb this information. "Ah. I think so… But what about the people who grow too old, and can't stand anymore?" She seems full of difficult questions today, not unlike a young child asking why the sky is blue. And then, having mostly gotten herself as cleaned up as possible, Meira glances to the slimed towel, and grimaces slightly, offering it back to L'alie, for lack of anything better to do with it. Mmm, slimy towel.
L'alie takes the towel carefully between two fingers and slings it across Adinaeth's muzzle. "It doesn't happen." She says simply. "You'll never get tired of your lifemate. When you grow old, you go between, and wander between time and space forever, I suppose."
Senkyou wanders into the clearing, her hair looks like she hasn't brushed it today and has the distinct look of someone who has over slept. Her clothes are mismatch with a brown taint top and off green pants. "Hello you two, whatcha doing with all that muck." Looking at the towel, and spotting Adie with a smile, "Ahh, no need to explain if Addie's involved."
Meira shakes her head slightly, "I meant, people who are still candidates. Candidates all seem to be in a certain age range, what happens to those that grow too old to be candidates, but don't manage to impress?" she asks, briefly following the course of the towel with her eyes. To Senkyou, the chef-turned-candidate attempts to explain anyway. "He … sneezed on me." she says, with a shudder.
L'alie ahs, "I don't know.. I think that your dragon just .. doesn't happen. You know how some eggs never hatch? Maybe it's because their bond isn't there. I really don't know. If the dragons know.. they don't tell. Maybe it's all mythology anyways, this tale that everyone has a dragon somewhere. Maybe dragons just search you because they like you."
Senkyou chuckles at Meira, and watches as Dulacth comes up besides her humming to Adinaeth and giving Senk somewhere to sit. "I've always heard you just don't have one, tha' they give the eggs just enough an' the hatchling just didn't choose yu. If the other person was missing you could have possibly been the right person, but they're a better match." Shrugging she doesn't know to much about this subject
Meira nods slowly, glancing to the hatching arena. "I see… This is my first time standing, but Trian, a friend of mine, has been standing since he turned twelve. I don't know that he'll ever impress." she says, with a frown. She's concerned for him, yep. "If I don't, I can go back to cooking, but Trian has never had a craft."
L'alie sniffs, "Adinaeth's true bond must have been washing her hair during the hatching." she grumbles, thumping the big dragon's side with her fist affectionately. "Bet you anything she was using pink soap." Adinaeth huffs indignantly. « There could be no one more perfect for me than you, L'alie. » The woman waves her hand at the dragon, smiling in spite of herself. "Well, the worst thing you can do is give up, I think. And why doesn't he have a craft? They didn't even try to stop me from being a glasscrafter. Without thread falling, crafts take up everyone's time. Half of your day is devoted to your craft even when you're a candidate. It's a little harder during weyrlinghood, but even then you still get some time.."
Senkyou chuckles, Dulacth croons to Senk and is pretty quiet. "Dulacth did a lot of looking, so I think he found the right one. I always wonder if a person who has just impressed could have been perfect for more than one dragon." Pondering what she'll never know she listens to Meira and says, "Well you have to have a craft, I was seacraft and I couldn't imagine candidacy without something to do! Maybe you friend needs so more time, to find what she's good at besides chores." Dulacth finally speaks up and says, «I picked Senk because she was just right, none of the other where right for me»
Meira giggles, and glances to Adinaeth. "He's an … interesting dragon." she says, shaking her head absently. "Trian is… well, he just wants to impress, that's all he wants, just about. I don't think it's right." she frowns. "He could be a good crafter, I think, he just doesn't feel that he needs to." she shakes her head, "I … I grew up on a small farming hold. Every person had a job to do, every person did their job. Trian does his candidate chores, for the most part, but that's all he does."
L'alie shrugs, "Some people are lazy." she notes. "Yes, Adinaeth is.. a character." « What's THAT supposed to mean? » "It means you're a pink-loving freak weirdo." « Oh.. right. Okay! » The dragon examines his talons thoughtfully. « I think it's time for a manicure. » he reflects thoughtfully. « My paint is chipping. »
Senkyou chuckles at Adinaeth and Dulacth rumbles, «You have always been peculiar, though I'd never call another dragon weird.» He lets senk climb a little higher and she sits atop him comfortably laying her head on her hands she watches and giggles, "How much paint does it take to give him a manicure?" Asking and chuckling to herself.
Ethne walks out from the hatching arena into the clearing giving a bit of a sigh of relief to be away from the sands even if it's only for a short time.
Meira nods slowly, trying to wrap her mind around that. "I know that people can be lazy. It's just … different to what I'm used to. I guess I'm too much of a holder at heart. Here's hoping one of those unhatched dragons decides it likes that." she says, with a smile. She does try to put a positive spin on things whenever she can. As for paint, and manicures, she looks fairly lost. "Then again, maybe dragons are too confusing for a simple woman like me." she adds, with a small, slightly nervous, chuckle.
L'alie gives Senkyou one of those dirty looks she reserves for people who ask silly questions. "More nail polish than you could use in your entire life." She clears her throat, looking around, "I wonder if I can find someone to do it for me. He always spills the paint everywhere and then I'm scrubbing pink off my skina nd clothes for weeks."
Senkyou seems content and doesn't notice the dirty look, but looks at her grimy nails and comments. "I've never painted my nails before and I never plan on doing it." Sliding off her dragon she walks towards Adinaeth, "Yu know you probably could get the candidates to do it as a project, paint his nails and maybe even do some touch ups on his weyr."
Meira shudders slightly. "Ugh, no thanks, I don't /want/ to be pink…" a pause, and she grins, a devious grin. "Though, I think Trian might be interested. He loves anything to do with dragons. I find it a bit weird, but I guess I can be the same with … things." she shrugs, opting not to elaborate. But everyone has something that they enjoy more than anything else.
L'alie smiles, "I'm sure I'll find someone." she rubs her hands together. « Alie.. why do I get the impression that you're up to something bad? » He gets no answer from his rider, who looks like she's about to burst into mad cackles.
Senkyou sighs, "Well no rest for the wingleader, an' I've gotta go give orders. Be safe ya'll." Dulacth and her walk towards the forest, hopefully to get a shower and a hair brush.
Meira is not quite sure what's going on with L'alie, but she has the sudden urge to back slowly away. She actually takes a step or two, too, in Senkyou's direction… Who promptly has to leave. "Ah, I'm sure you will find someone. Someone who isn't me." That last part, she's less sure about. But really, it can't be all /that/ bad, can it?
L'alie waves Meira off, leaning back against Adinaeth and glancing up at the sky. "Go get cleaned up, kiddo." Grabbing the handle of the riding strap she vaults neatly onto Adinaeth's back. "Let's go see what the weather is like at Skull Rock, Adie!"
Meira nods, and seems about to run, before realising she never even gave her name. She pauses, thinks about it, then shrugs and runs off to get cleaned up. Better to introduce herself some other time, when she's not smelling of runners and dragon snot.
