Get Your Just Desserts, No Really (Any Candidates)

[zeis]

It had been some days since the tragedy at the Weyr Bowl, and Zeis had noted that the looks of sadness and morning lingered still on the faces of those who gathered to eat at the Dining Hall. Though he was careful never to mention anything which might amplify the anguish the people around him felt, Zeis understood their lingering shock and was not unsympathetic. He stood now, quietly lost in his work with his meager yet tasty contributions to what would be lunch, and utterly unexpecting the loud peace-shattering chop of his mother embedding a knife into the cutting board. He jumped at the noise, and with unfortunate ease squashed the intricately decorated pastry that he had been working on.

"I can't stand it anymore." Cerena said resolutely, and whirled to face her son with an accusing look causing him to blanch in apprehension. "You know some of them aren't even eating? They just pick at their food like wherries. Wherries!"

"Wherries?" Zeis murmured with a blink, caught off guard by his mothers sudden outburst of concern and empathy, as well as secretly glad the object of her fury wasn't him. He wiped the smashed pastry off his hands absently, and then turned his head to look at his mother. "You mean the Candidates?"

"Yes, I- Don't you notice anything?" She huffed exasperatedly at him, crossing her flour flecked arms over her chest. "Well, I'll tell you what we're going to do."

Zeis swallowed at the sudden gleam in his mother's eye, and nervously dusted the crumbs futilely away from his workspace.

________________________________

And that was how, some candle marks later at lunch proper, Zeis ended up approaching the Candidates barracks laden down with two gigantic baskets filled with baked goods. One gigantic basket for the girls barracks, and another for the boys. He swayed a little under the weight of them, and if he tried to walk at a normal pace the baskets made disconcerting creaking sound as if the weave craft would break under the weight of pure dessert. This forced the boy to take almost comically short and slow mincing steps. His pale white face was flaming red with embarrassment by the time he reached the door to the girls side of the barracks, and it was then that he noticed a problem.

The doorway was going to pose a problem.

"Oh, Faranth help me..." He sighed, and simply stared at the looming doorway for some moments. Just how many pies and spice rolls was he going to lose to the floor by trying to get the girls basket through there? It couldn't be avoided. He shook his head, and once more hefted the basket with a grunt. He gave the doorway one last considering look, and sidled backward through it, carefully minding the sides of the basket. There was a choke-point where the basket caught, and he had to gently wiggle and tug while maintaining the balance of the precarious pile of pastries. Finally though the basket was inside with him, and better than that not a scrap of food fallen.

Smiling faintly, he set the basket back down and did a brief inventory of his appearance. His shirt and breeches were covered n crumbs and some smudge of jam and flour. The boy's smile vanished in an instant, and he dusted himself off for perhaps longer than was necessary. His hazel eyes then lifted to gaze down the hallway, and he nervously ran a hand through his dark hair, unknowingly leaving a streak of flour through it like a stripe. Satisfied, he picked up his basket of goods, and cleared his throat calling out in a voice that resounded down the barracks from front to back.

"Um, attention Candidates. If I could have you all come out here? I have a gift for all of you from everyone at the kitchens."

[purnip]

Wrynri barely heard the call as he was just on his way out to go for a walk. He paused, letting it process, and debated in his mind whether or not he should find out just what this 'gift' was.

Since the battle had taken place, the kid had been on high alert. If he hadn't trusted anyone before, then he was doubly as cautious now. Whenever other Candidates were in his vicinity, he sat away from them. Whenever people spoke to him, his replies were short and leaving much to be desired. He could not let anyone cause him disappointment in the future by putting his faith in them now. For the time being, he examined people from afar and determined which ones he'd be likelier to trust at some point in time. So far the numbers were low. How does 'no one' sound? So far, no one seemed to be trustworthy in his eyes. Everyone was simply waiting for a kid like himself to slip through the cracks. Of what importance could Wrynri be to this Weyr? Honestly, Candidacy was too much for a sort like him.

Wrynri still wanted to go on his walk though, and that meant passing the boy with the baskets of food.

Food...a weakness that worked its way into the kid's core. He had eaten his lunch, but they never served enough to satisfy Wrynri's great appetite. They also didn't serve all that much in the way of sweets or baked goods, and both happened to be favorites. He slowed down as he was getting closer, warily eying Zeis the closer he got. He did not recognize this person and therefore it factored into his reluctance. Not only would it be awkward to accept a gift from a stranger, but it wouldn't be all that wise would it? It would be like borrowing. He would owe something in return. His walk had slowed to such a pace that he had a manner about him unlike a squirrel, considering whether or not to take a peanut from a human.

He realized that about himself pretty quickly though, and just as easily bit back his apprehension and approached Zeis. "You...ah, you said a gift from the kitchens for Candidates?" Oh, smooth. Real articulate of you. Wrynri would kick his own head if it was possible, but it wasn't. He must have looked like some sort of bumbling idiot. Turning his head away, feeling more foolish by the second, he decided it would be cruel to punish the boy for his own shyness. His face was burning though, as he must have been blushing, but that arrogance of his fought through like the brute it could be. "So? That's what you said right? That's what this is about?"

He must have sounded like a jerk. Wrynri didn't really care all that much. He had the right to be defensive when he pleased, even if there's no reason for it.

[Reky]

There weren't many things Kesviry was obsessively neat about. The furs on her cot were in quite a tangled, nest-like mess right now, and her other clothes were draped over the end, and her hair was just barely brushed and she was in no way dressed fashionably. The papers in her hands, though, were getting reorganized. Alphabetical by title, she figured, was the way to go. This was her collection of songs and poems, from harpers at the holds and Weyrs she'd lived in, that she'd written down herself. The grimaced at how rushed and messy some of the pieces were. Some were written on multiple times, too, front and back and words squished into the margins... It wasn't easy to come by the nice sheets herself, so she made the best of what she had.

She lingered on one of the songs. She didn't remember that one. Most of them, she remembered, sometimes even recalling when exactly she'd heard them first and where. This one, though, wasn't ringing any bells right away. She set her leather folder of papers to the side and read through it. It conjured images of shipfish in the waves and people riding with them, and how stretching and blue the sky was and how the ocean rolled. The shipfish called high and clear like bells, and Kesviry found herself transported to this place. She remembered what the ocean was like in person. She smiled faintly.

Sharply, though, she was yanked back to her gauzy version of reality. Someone was calling? Hm. She tucked the shipfish song into its proper place in the folder, quickly going through the rest and ordering them as well. Wrapping a long piece of sinew around it, she closed the folder up nicely and left it in her nest of furs. Her feet touched the stone floor. She shivered; it was cold. She slipped on her sandals, then, and padded out of the room.

It was a small bit of a long walk down the hall to where the caller was. She was at the very end of the hall. There weren't very many candidates, since she'd caught word a hatching had recently taken place, so it wasn't a lack of options that landed her with that room. No, she'd picked herself. It was quieter the further she was from the rest of the Weyr. She liked that.

What was it they'd been called out for again? She hadn't quite been paying attention. Something about the kitchens, maybe? Well, she'd just have to see for herself. As she neared, she could make it out. Faranth, that was a lot of food. Sweet food, at that. Kes raised her eyebrows, rather surprised, but she hung back quite a few meters from Zeis. She didn't say anything, either, but her surprised gaze turned a little sour as she looked at the other candidate who'd come out.

He didn't sound very nice.

[aikastarr]

Rethalt wished that the night would hurry itself up just a bit. The daylight did not present anything, just the beginning of a new day, and even that held no special cause. Why not just have darkness forever? The lanky boy looked about him, trying to find something to satiate his ravenous boredom. So far, all of his hobbies were out of the question. He was awakened by the clanging of a bothersome Candidate in the room beside his, so sleeping was eliminated. Stargazing, impossible; how are you supposed to see the stars when it’s broad daylight? Krysthanine suddenly decided that she had to help any new Candidates that came to the Barracks on this particular day, so his favorite pastime, competing, was out of the question.
Sighing, Rethalt brushed his deep red hair from his chocolate eyes, wishing that there was some way to entertain himself. He spotted something trying to wriggle through the large doorway to the girls’ Barracks. Curiosity almost palpable, he waltzed over to see two young boys failing at maintaining a decent conversation. He opened his mouth to question, but saw that the wriggling thing was a basket full to the brim with pastries and other baked goods. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, hoping e wouldn’t begin to drool; it wasn’t often that one got this vast amount of goodies in one fell swoop!

[zeis]

Zeis was relieved to see someone actually come at his call, and he thought for a second that perhaps things would go smoothly after all. He offered a friendly smile as Wrynri approached, but his expression faltered as he noticed the boys eyes drift by him as if he intended to just walk past. However this wasn't the case, as the other boy soon slowed in his tracks and eyed him with suspicion. He blinked, feeling a little confused himself.

"Um, yes. This is a gift for all of you from the kitchen staff..." He murmured, a blush rising in his pale face at the other boys words. Zeis usually tried to avoid much in depth conversation with the other people of the Weyr, and he certainly had no experience whatsoever in dealing with anyone quite as important as a Candidate. After all, he was supposed to simply serve and smile, so the opportunity to really get to know any of them never really came up on the first place. He shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but..."

His words trailed off as he noticed two others responding to his call from their rooms. These appearance of others, especially ones who didn't press him for questions but who simply waited quietly, managed to give the floundering boy some amount of courage. He lifted his head, cleared his throat, and hefted the basket out to them. His full lips once again pulled into a smile, a nervous smile, but a smile all the same.

"Sorry to be a bother, but this is a gift from the Kitchen staff." He spoke evenly, with his hazel eyes glancing between Kesivry and Rethalt, notably avoiding eye contact from the similarly awkward Wrynri. "We thought that everyone might still be feeling poorly about well... you know, and not getting enough to eat... So, we put this together to try and cheer everyone up."

He looked down at the mountain of sweets which he held for a moment, and looked up with a slightly nervous chuckle. "I suppose I should have brought some milk or klah..."

[aikastarr]

Rethalt smiled a bit, finding that the boy was probably not used to talking with others. Well, I don’t mind dry pastries and such, and I’m sure all of us here spread our thanks, he chuckled, motioning towards the food, almost afraid to take one without consent. Though he thought that he was fully independent without need for guidance, he still had enough courtesy to ask before taking. His gaze drifted from the mass of food to the others, a girl and another boy. Giving a slight wave of the hand, he flashed a toothy grin towards the snack-bearer. By the way, I’m Rehalt. You? Before he could even get a reply, he continued. I just feel the need to introduce myself. Just in case we see each other someplace again.

Stretching, he leaned against the wall and stared at the clouds. Well, it’s the closest thing I can get to stargazing, he thought grimly, kicking at the ground. Oh, how he wished that he could change the time to his preference. Then, the Whers would flourish, and one would be His…..

Snapping himself to reality, he noticed he had slumped down into a sitting position, head between knees. Hastily picking himself up, Rethalt shook his head free of grogginess. So, you giving everybody pastries, or just us Candidates? he queried. He didn’t want to feel superior to others, even though he practically contradicted himself with his goal of being a leader. No, he would treat all with equal respect, and expect that his followers would follow suit. Shaking his head again, he pushed off from the wall to stand next to Zeis. Again, I thank everybody in the Kitchen for these goods, he repeated, maintaining a steady gaze at Zeis’s stripe of flour. Confused, he pointed at said stripe. Is that supposed to be there…?

[zeis]

Zeis flashed a look of gratitude toward Rethalt as he spoke, and his smile widened at the boys friendly gratitude. He wasn't sure how they were going to react to the well wishing parcels he brought, and to be honest he had dreaded the task from the moment his mother suggested it. She could have just as easily picked another kitchen boy, perhaps one with strength to carry the baskets easily, and it seemed a cruel joke that she had sent him. Of course, she believed him charming and fully capable, a sentiment that he himself wished he shared.

"A pleasure, Rethalt." He said after the other boy was finished, with most of his nervousness disappearing and his manner becoming easy at least in respects to this single Candidate. "I'm Zeis. And ah... A few faces here look a little familiar, but I spend a lot of time at work, as you might guess from the basket." He laughed quietly, and hefted the basket a little for emphasis. "So I rarely get to speak with anyone in the dining hall..."

He trailed off a little, watching at the other boy turned his eyes the sky and appeared to lapse into a slight daydream. The young Baker glanced up at the sky himself, wondering if perhaps there was something he should be looking at. A dragon maybe? That could explain Rethalts slightly far off expression, since he was in fact a Candidate. He found himself wondering if the Candidates ever got lonely waiting here for their Dragons, especially if they didn't get one at a hatching.

"Ah well, after I see that everyone is taken care of here. There is another basket being set up for the Weyrlings." He confessed, doing his best to keep the minor note of displeasure he felt out of his voice. He had dreaded coming here to speak with the Candidates, but he dreaded even more the thought of dealing with young riders and handlers as well as there Dragons and Whers. "I'll tell everyone the gift was well received when I return."

Zeis had been growing increasingly more uneasy as he spoke, since Rethalt seemed to be staring at some point just above his eyes. He was so busy worrying about it that he reacted with confusion when the Candidate actually addressed the issue. "Is what supposed to be where?" He ran a hand nervously through his hair, and stared at the flour on his fingers with suppressed horror. How long had that been there? No wonder Wrynri had been looking at him so. He blushed a furious red, and did his best to dust off his hair. He stammered to justify it to the other boy, and anyone else who was watching. "Ah, no... I didn't know it was there. Thank you."

[hatori3070]

It was odd how quiet it could be in the candidate barracks here. Back home, candidates had constantly been getting into trouble and making noise and throwing parties. It didn't make much sense to her that it would be so different in another weyr. Candidates came from all over the place, from all walks of life, so why would their behavior change from weyr to weyr? Well, maybe the leaders of the weyr had something to do with it. Whatever the case, she had not been expecting someone who sounded around candidate age to call them all out their rooms in the middle of the day. A gift from the kitchens? That could only mean one thing...food!

Talouse quickly left her room, not bothering to put anything on her feet as she sprinted down the corridor. "Did someone say a gift from the kitchens?" She said with a smile as she nearly slid to halt among the other candidates, looking greedily at the baskets filled with sweets. She loved sweets, and usually would manage to sneak some from the kitchens back at home, but she had yet to make herself acquainted with the kitchen staff at Dalibor. Seeing the large bounty provided for them, she decided she would have to rectify the situation, and soon!

The boy who had brought the basket seemed nervous, far too nervous. Well, she would have to help fix that. So what if he had flour in his hair? He worked in the kitchens. People who worked in the kitchens were constantly covered in flour. "It isn't a big deal. I'm sure you've had flour in worse places before." She showed off a big toothy grin, attempting to help him feel more at ease. "I'm Talouse. Nice to meet you."

[zeis]

If the girl had been trying to make Zeis more at ease, he had no idea of her intention. In fact the reference to having flour in worse places made him blush even worse. Flour in worse places? What did that even mean? Places like where? He simply stared at her a moment with an expression that tried to remain calm, but with hazel eyes that spoke utter social terror.

He came to his senses though when he glanced down and saw that he had the basket locked in an iron grip and his knuckles were turning white. She was smiling, and clearly hadn't meant to make him nearly die of embarrassment. And she had said it wasn't a big deal hadn't she? She was being fairly friendly after all, and introducing herself. It would be impolite not to respond in kind.

He swallowed audibly, and did his best to calm down and return her smile. "Charmed, Talouse. I'm Zeis, in case you didn't hear. And I do actually have a flour problem. It is very difficult to get it off one's clothes." He confessed shakily, thinking that perhaps it was best just to make light of the situation. Zeis forced himself to take a step or to away, and deposit the basket on a nearby ledge. Snapping the weave-craft in two wouldn't make a very good first impression. "Feel free, everyone, to take as much as you want. It was all baked fresh this afternoon."

[Reky]

Kesviry more or less melted into the wall. More people had showed up... People. She licked her lips a little. They had all started chatting, introducing themselves, talking about... whatever they were talking about. She felt extremely out of place. It wasn't that she really wanted to join in. No, she didn't feel the need to. Pointless pleasantries weren't her thing. However, she did feel like she was a bit of a bother, some random person hovering near without doing anything. The pastries were calling to her (she imagined them whispering, "eat me!"), though, so she was torn. Slink back away, or grab some? As it stood, they were in a place very much surrounded by people. It would be awkward to just reach in.

She was about ready to head back when the floury boy put the basket on a ledge, a little away from everyone else. Hopefully it wouldn't fall down, but at least it wasn't threatening to break the basket anymore. She made her way forward to it. Gangly arms hugged around herself, she looked at the mountain of pastries, trying to decide which one she wanted. She wouldn't take more than one... Oh, well, maybe two. She reached out and plucked out two types that looked particularly good.

Her big, girly brown eyes looked around at everyone else, very fleeting. She'd seen some of them around... but she didn't know any of their names. Should she stay and introduce herself? It would be rude if she just left, just like that. She felt uncomfortable, though. Kes wasn't a people person.

[/blockquote]

[purnip]

More people had started to arrive. Of course, the announcer didn't call for anyone specific. When it came to Candidates, Dalibor always had a good handful or more to offer. Wrynri simply did not want to be at the nucleus of a forming crowd, especially in the wonderful mood he happened to be in. As the presence of the pastries were explained, the kid began to feel a bit bad after being defensive with Zeis. He was just a delivery boy; no need to shoot the messenger, is there? Wrynri simply couldn't take screw ups well, especially his own.

He couldn't force himself to smile as the crowd grew, but he had left his conversation with Zeis on a bad note and he didn't want to look like a complete jackass and take the peace offerings without saying 'thank you' or something. Normally, it would have been really hard to get Wrynri to show anyone a bit of gratitude, but when it came to food, it was all free game. It simply took some inner persuasion.

So he waited for the boy to introduce himself to a couple more friendly people. Now that Wrynri had a name to call this guy by, it shouldn't be all that hard to thank him as soon as everyone was done talking up a storm. He waited, sheepishly set aside with growing impatience for the crowd. Eventually, he saw his opportunity and stepped forward again. His shoulders were hunched, mostly because the growing amount of people normally weighed his shoulders down like that. He didn't like to be surrounded at all, and Faranth forbid someone bumps into him.

"I should have thanked you," he started, then coming to a pause. Getting put on the spot always bothered Wrynri. It seemed like a girl didn't have to suffer through that as much; people were much willing to go out of their way to give you things. He continued just a second after he stopped, trying to maintain some fluidity to the conversation. "...instead of drilling you. So ah...thanks." Wrynri gave a short nod, seething a little with that awkward feeling clouding over him. "Thanks for you and the people in the kitchens."

He caught on to something that bothered him greatly. The way he spoke was...too much like a girl. He had forgotten himself so quickly, in this moment of weakness. His cheeks reddened a bit as his head turned down again, sort of ashamed. The will to become defensive returned, but he fought against it. "Name's Wrynri," he muttered, trying to strengthen his voice a little more.

[zeis]

Zeis sighed in his brief moment of peace, and was glad to see at least one candidate venturing forth to take as many pastries as she dared. He had made a portion of them himself, as the baskets were largely a collaboration between everyone in the kitchen. They were all skilled at their jobs, and of course he knew what he was doing in the kitchen as well. However, he still managed to harbor some anxiety that perhaps they wouldn't like them. He tried to tell himself that that wasn't going to happen, and that he was just being ridiculous. Tried being the key word.

He nearly jumped as Wrynri approached him and began speaking. The Baker had not been expecting him to start conversation after his initial suspicion, especially since he himself no longer carried the pastries. However he listened quietly, and the corners of his own mouth turned down as the other boy grew awkward, which in turn made him feel awkward anew. However it was still an expression of gratitude, and also seemed to be an... apology, almost? For being so suspicious? Here at least was someone who was finding everything about this as difficult as Zeis himself. The very idea of that heartened him a little.

"You're welcome." Zeis offered a small tentative smile, and spoke reassuringly perhaps a little bit too much, as if spurred own by the other boy's talkative streak.. "It's fine, really. No harm done. I was just a little nervous, I guess, so I'm sorry if I was acting , ah... strange at all. I'll bring back your thanks."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Zeis, but you might have heard all that already. I'm glad to meet someone as nervous as me..." He chuckled slightly, and perhaps a little desperately, in an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness. "In situations like this, I mean."

[matsi]

Catori walked into the Barracks. She was excited as she carried one small bag that held he few cloths and small things. Her blue eyes were wild with excitement as she walked, but her strides stopped as she spotted a group of people.
What is going on? Have i missed something? She walked forward a few more steps and looked. Were those...pastries?!?

A smile formed on her face as she threw her bag over her shoulder and walked the rest of the distance toward the basket.

''Hi-ya,'' She said to Zeis softly.
''Are new candidates welcome to have one too?'' She asked politely.

The sweet smell of the sweets made her stomach growl and her mouth water. Oh how she HOPED that she had permission to have on. She looked at the others that already had one and were eating happily. Oh it was killing her. She looked back at Zeis, eager for the OK.

[purnip]

It was more of a matter of honor that prompted Wrynri to apologize though the food was within reach. Sure, he could be a complete jackass it boiled down to it, but he wasn't a bad guy. Insecure, as always, he felt the need to defend himself at every turn. That didn't prevent him from keeping a certain degree of dignity.

But suddenly this boy became chatty. Why couldn't people just accept an apology and shut up? Wrynri was starting to regret uttering a word in response. It would have saved him time and face if he just snatched up a couple of pastries and fled. He listened, though it was probably starting to become apparent that his expression was turning grim. He didn't bother to hide his true feelings like most people did. With a knack for knowing little to no subtlety, it was easy to figure out why it was difficult for the kid to make friendship.

Yet he let Zeis go on. Eventually he'd stop or someone would be bound to interrupt him. He had, after all, called the attention of every Candidate in the immediate vicinity of the Candidate's Barracks. He would have no shortage of customers, especially at this time of day. Sure enough after Zeis finished speaking {or not, it really didn't make any difference} another Candidate came by and addressed him. Wrynri might have snapped back at Zeis by saying he wasn't nervous at all, but that would have been a lie and he really didn't feel like holding a conversation with food close at hand. The kid was like a beast with a short attention span; food could provoke him to do just about anything, but in the end he wanted to be left to his own devices.

So Wrynri only gave a half-nod and backed away, turning to take a pastry from the basket. The smell was intoxicating, so he couldn't help but take a bite of it while he was still on the fringes of the crowd. As he chewed, the delicious sweet flavor seemed to calm him down instantly. It had been ages since he felt this distinct feeling of pleasure. Wrynri had a deep appreciation for food of any sort. He stood there, forgetting about the people and simply savoring the treat he held in his hands. He nibbled at it daintily, trying to make it last. He'd grab another perhaps, if there were any extras.

[hatori3070]

Talouse was glad to see Zeis gain at least a bit of comfort with the situation. Even if his conversation with Wrynri was a bit awkward, it was better than nothing. Well, probably a good idea to grab some of those sweets before the other candidates who had yet to arrive finally showed up and snatched them all up. She grabbed a three for herself, and three for her roommate Bri. It would be a good way for them to, oh, what would be the right word? Get closer? Nah, um...bond! That was it! She shook her head at herself, nibbled on one of the baked sweets, and was about to make her way back to her room when she noticed another girl just kind of standing around by the basket. Well, that wouldn't do! She walked right up to the girl and said, "Hello there! The name's Talouse. I'd shake your hand, but my arms are kind of full." Looking down, she realized that she might seem a bit greedy taking so many. "Just so you know, these aren't all mine. I thought I'd grab some for my roommate while I was here." She gave the other girl one of her huge, toothy grins. In her naivete, she honestly thought a gigantic smile was the best way to say hello to someone, and not something that would make more shy people a little awkward.

[Reky]

They were good. The pastries, that was, as Kesviry had quickly found out as she nibbled on one of the two she held. Between tiny bites, she looked around warily. She didn't seem really "there," more like she was melded into the wall and simply watching. People-watching. It tended to be one of her more frequent past-times, runner-up only to writing and reading. She wouldn't associate with them, but she'd watch. She opened her mouth and made to take a bigger bite of the delicious dessertfood, finally, but she stopped. Someone was talking? To her? Since when did that happen?

Kesviry blinked. She swallowed at the sudden lump in her throat. Her eyes looked down quickly, after taking in Talouse's smile, and she shifted from foot to foot. She didn't really want to say something. She really didn't. But what was she supposed to do? Turn and leave? That was awfully rude, and that'd probably upset people. If it didn't upset them, then they would probably worry and wonder if something was wrong with her. "Mmm..." she mumbled, quietly, barely audible. She still kept her eyes to the floor.

Finally, she managed out, with a voice rarely used, "I'm... Kes." She mentally cringed at the sound of her own voice. She sounded so weak! She wished she wasn't.

[zeis]

Zeis ended up trailing off in his fleeting conversation with Wrynri, as the other boy appeared to grow more and more solemn with every word he spoke. Perhaps trying to find a common link with someone, especially this person hadn't been one of his more socially wise decisions. The Baker's hazel eyes flicked over to another approaching candidate who, mercifully for both Zeis and the other boy, politely cut into their conversation. Wrynri retreated, and he made no effort to stop him. Their brief interaction had been awkward enough for his tastes. Instead, he turned his attention to the new woman addressing him, and smiled slightly.

"Hello. Oh, go ahead and take what you like. They're for everybody." He offered encouragingly, gaining a little more confidence now that the flow of conversation turned back to the matter at hand. It was then that he noticed Catori's bags and assorted belongings. She was an extremely new candidate apparently. Deciding not to let his failed attempt at conversation plague him, he boldly tried again. "Welcome to Dalibor, by the way. Did you just arrive, or...?"

~~~~~~~~~

Another new arrival had just landed moments ago via Blue Search-dragon. The young woman had whooped enthusiastically as the blue came in to land, and had perhaps over-zealously thumped both rider and dragon with gratitude upon dismounting with her personal things. She didn't notice at all the look both rider and dragon exchanged before once again taking off, instead her eyes were for Dalibor Weyr alone.

Baharl had lived in High Reaches Weyr near all her life, and as such had grown used to the overall presence dragons as most Pernese have. However she still took a moment to marvel as the near rainbow of dragons sailing leisurely through the air and perching nimbly on the rim's edge, some colors she had heard of but never seen personally. She had heard the dragons of her future home roaring from far across the Western Sea some nights ago, and had heard rumors, whispers really, or some great deal of trouble taking place here. Her very shallow observation of the area noted no obvious signs of any of this being true, and in her good mood she easily dismissed it. Exhilarated by her first time aboard a dragon, the Weyr felt even more so like a breath of fresh air. A good place for a new responsible start if there ever was one. A good place to train a Wher.

Grinning to herself at the prospect, she shouldered her meager personal belongings, and pushed her wild matted hair, which had been driven to greater insanity by the wind, behind one ear. Speaking of ears, she had listened with half of one as the Blue-rider had given her directions to the Candidate Barracks. She barely remembered what he had said, but resolved to simply start walking and see what happened. It was more through sheer luck that she ended up going in the right direction, but the woman put it down to instinct as well as luck.

She poked her head through the doorway, and was greeted immediately with the scent of fresh baked desserts. There was a whole manner of younger people, one even carrying a bag of belongings, and what looked like hallways filled with rooms. Definitely the right place! And even if it wasn't, she would just help herself to a spice-roll or two and ask someone for directions. She made her way over toward the basket, and picked out a two pastries that looked good. One of which she rather unceremoniously stuffed into her mouth to free up a hand so she could take other. Dragon-riding made you hungry. Or maybe just delicious looking free food made you hungry. Pleased with her hoard, she retreated a distance away and shouldered her belongings against the wall. Her icy blue eyes then turned on the crowd with curiosity. Time to get to know some people.

[matsi]

Catori placed down one of her many bags and smiled.
''Thank you,'' She said as she took one of the many sweets.
''And yes. I am new. Just arrived about...oh i dont even know!'' She said with a gleaming smile. Her eyes seemed to glitter for a moment with excitement. She took a bite of the pastry and remembered something.
''Oh, im sorry, Im Catori,'' She said as she freed her other hand.
''But you can call me Tor,'' She added after a breife moment of hesitation.
She took another bite of the pastry. The sweet taste was heaven to her. As if to agree with that thought, her stomach let out a bubbiling sound of contentment. Catori's face went slightly red as she heard it. Her reddening face was soon followed by a slightly embarassed smile.

[aikastarr]

Gratefully grabbing a pastry for himself, Rethalt bit back devouring it in two bites. Slowly bringing the good to his face, the boy took a small bite, savoring the sweet flaky bread. He hummed a short tune while grabbing three more; another for him, two for his sister, Krysthanine. Looking around, he noticed two new Candidates have been dropped off. Giving a friendly nod in their direction, he turned back to Zeis. ”These are wonderful! I can’t even remember when I had something this good,” he remarked, flashing a gratifying smile.

Finally turning his head to Wrynri, Rethalt gave him a curt nod. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead clamped it down onto his food. What should he say to somebody that obviously isn’t the most comfortable in a crowd? Shrugging, he strolled back to the previous wall and chewed on his delectable treat. I guess I can wait for night to come, he reasoned, taking another bite from the pastry. I mean, it’s not this often that the Kitchens give away free food, particularly these baked treasures! Giving a contented sigh, he watched as Candidates came and went, pastries in hand.
~*~
Krysthanine heard people congregating near the entrance of the Barracks, and smelled the food long before it had reached its destination. Creeping from her room, she skipped towards the treats with growing hunger. Oceanic eyes searching frantically for a familiar face, she found her brother nibbling on a pastry. Squealing, the girl pounced on him, her acorn hair flying like a banner behind her. ”Hey, bro! I’m guessing you heard about the pastries?” she asked cheerily, snaking her hand towards two of them. Seeing as her brother would always get some extras for his favorite –and only- sister, the hyperactive teen snatched the two goods from under him.

Grinning, she took a huge bite out of one, wriggling in content. ”Who baked these? They’re AMAZING!” she exclaimed, taking another hearty bite. Looking about, she spied the boy that probably baked these wonderful pieces of heaven. Giving her brother a quick hug, Krysthanine jumped up and skipped toward the Baker. ”Did you make these? They are the best!” the girl chirped, giving him a hug as well. She didn’t know why really, but today just seemed like a hugging day. Flashing a toothy grin strikingly similar to Rethalt’s, she waited for a reply before continuing. ”I’m guessing you’re Zeis? I’m Krysthanine. Pleasure to meet you,” she introduced, shaking the boy’s hand. Today was going to be fun.

[purnip]

Finishing off the delicious treat, Wrynri couldn't help but discreetly lick the crumbs off his fingers as he surveyed the crowd through new eyes. Food was the window to his soul, and that window was wide open. Suddenly the world was just a little more rose-tinted. His mild claustrophobia was gone and he was content with watching the Candidates go by.

It was then he actually processed the presence of Rethalt. He was unaware that he had been staring at the boy now for a lengthy while. Wrynri's mood was now sedated, so no anger swelled up within him--only acute caution. It wasn't as if the other kid was going to make any harmful moves in this setting, so he thought. This was supposed to be, all in all, a pleasant experience.

That pastry was wonderful, and Wrynri sought to grab another. With his careful glance finally removed from Rethalt, he honed in on the treats and plucked up another. Fortunately he had a very high metabolism. Lately he was eating like a starving dragonet. He retreated to the wall opposite the boy he had a curious eye out for before and nibbled on the new boon. After this, he would likely go for a stroll. It was necessary to exercise after eating this much, even if he didn't like too much sun. It looked like Zeis's offering did the trick. Wrynri was successfully pleased.

[zeis]

"Nice to meet you, Tor." Zeis smiled, and felt some anxiety melt away in the face of Catori's obvious excitement. Most of the Candidates he had met so far had been very friendly, and he was quite relieved that the trend was continuing. His hazel eyes blinked a moment as the girls stomach growled, and he chuckled quietly. He took a few steps over to the basket and took one of the pastries himself before returning to the girl. "I'm Zeis. You must be starving... If you ever need anything to eat, feel free to pay me a visit. I spend most of my time in the kitchen anyway, so I won't mind."

The young man blushed faintly at the praise from Rethalt, and he gave a slight bow of his head in gratitude. "Everyone worked very hard on them. I'm glad they turned out so well."

With that said, he was about to return to his budding conversation with Tor, when he heard a very exuberant Krysthanine arrive, and saw her latch briefly onto Rethalt out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look curiously in their direction, when suddenly the newcomer was right before him. Too quickly, before he could even really process what was happening, the strange girl hugged him, and was soon after vigorously shaking his hand. Zeis simply stared blankly at her in a moment of horrified shock, with his handshake quite limp. It took him a while to recover.

"Um, well, I..." He stammered, looking past the girl with a blush as he struggled. "I made some of them, everyone in the Kitchen made some... Ah, yes, I'm Zeis. Hello, Krysthanine."

~~~~~~

Baharl leisurely enjoyed her plunder, and allowed her eyes to wander around the room to scope out the other Candidates. She would come to know these people pretty well over the next few weeks, she figured. One couldn't avoid social contact with this many people, especially when they lived in the same building, and were working toward the same goal. The short black haired boy who had apparently brought the desserts seemed to be finding that out now. The girl wondered which were the Dragon Candidates and which were the Whers. Of course there was no really way to tell.

Giving up her game, she took a few venturous steps forward, and thumped Zeis heartily on the back, earning a short startled cry from him. She grinned, and tilted her head. "My complements, friend." She offered no introduction and once again retreated to her place by her belongings, leaving the young Baker to blink in surprise after her.

[aikastarr]

Krysthanine looked at the Baker with a worried expression. ”You all right? You’re reddening! I’m sorry, I’m just in a good mood, in case you couldn’t tell,” she stated, taking another bite out of her pastry. She released her grip on his hand, and gave an acknowledging nod towards Rethalt, who gave a small wave back. ”I seem to have that affect on people. But I can’t help but smile when there’s a warm day, and newcomers, and not to mention sweets! Who wouldn’t?” She took notice to her blabbering, and ceased it after her little question. With that, she began circling around small groups of people, humming a happy little tune to pass the time. Did she care if anybody watched her? Not really. Should she? Not that she recalled. Nibbling on her goodie, she brushed her hair from her face to see the day a bit brighter. Nothing could dampen her mood now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rethalt started feeling as if he was being watched, and that sent chills up and down his spine. Looking back and forth, he spotted the Wrynri boy staring him down, as if he was going to run if get took a step forward. Feeling out of place and awkward, he gave another wave to the boy, hoping that that would ease the tensions. I don’t recall having ever talking to him besides today. Actually, I don’t remember talking to him at all! he thought, inching a bit away from the crowd, and away from Wrynri. Being stared at made his stomach turn; was there something wrong with how he acted? Did he smell, or look weird? Rubbing the back of his head, he began to pace, biting onto the pastry. What should he do to ease tensions with somebody he has never met?!?

[purnip]

Wrynri continued to eat and his gaze was drifting on random members of the crowd. Why was he sticking around here if he managed to get what he wanted? He didn't have the wonderful opportunity of seeing Rethalt's facial expression that resulted from his stares; he had already lost interest in the individual. He didn't like anyone to stare at him. The food made it tolerable.

Once he was finished disappearing the pastry, he brushed the crumbs off his hands and spared a final glance in Zeis's direction, only to turn to find that Rethalt was giving a small wave. Wrynri only responded with a wave of his own, so slight it might have not even been seen. He didn't really care all that much. He hadn't stuck around long enough to worry if anybody found anything strange about him. Besides, with all these people about, no one would be focusing on him any time soon. As the crumbs slipped away, Wrynri took the opportunity to start walking away from this bunch. He was through here. Hands in his pockets, he casually made his way back to his room, making eye contact with no one on the way back. The food sat well in his stomach and he was grateful for Zeis's gift to them.

[aikastarr]

As Wrynri waved back and walked to his quarters, Rethalt gave a sigh of relief. The staring had gotten on his nerves, and the sight of him walking off gave him some relief. Shoving the last of his first pastry into his mouth, he looked for Krysthanine to find her circling random groups of people. With his free hand, he beckoned her over. ”What’s up, brother? You want to talk about something?” she asked, sitting next to him. She had eaten the rest of her pastries while she was walking, and was content with her prize. Swallowing, he sighed. ”Zeis is a kind soul, to bring us these gifts. We have thanked him and the Kitchens. Now, I think it’s time we retired,”he reasoned, glancing at his sister to see her nodding. Smiling, he gave her a hug, and helped the two stand upright.

He glanced back at the Baker to see that he was smiling, more comfortable with his surrounding than before. Giving him a wave of farewell, Rethalt walked smoothly to the male Barracks, and retired to his quarters. Krysthanine, however, decided that it would be more proper to at least say goodbye formally. She walked through the increasingly large amount of Candidates to get to the boy. the pastries were good, as I have said. Maybe we’ll see each other in the future?” she concluded, this time offering hre hand instead of grabbing his. Hey, she had to make up for the first impression, didn’t she?

[zeis]

Zeis, in his earlier mortification, had only nodded and offered a shy smile at Krysthanine's exuberant personality. After speaking at length the girl had wandered off so socialize with the other Candidates, leaving him standing somewhat stiffly and at a loss. The young man had blinked away his temporary paralysis, and rubbed his shoulder gingerly where the other newcomer had... punched him hello? He almost thought that perhaps all the Candidates were that friendly and froward but there was Wrynri too. Where was he anyway? His hazel eyes searched the crowd for the other boy, and saw him retreating to his room. It must be awkward for him to live around such friendly people all the time.

The Baker didn't have anymore time to spare in thought toward the other boy however, because his attention was drawn toward Rethalt's wave good-bye. He offered a smile, and lifted a hand to give a wave in return. The first people were leaving it seemed, but they looked satisfied. A weight seemed to lift off his shoulders, and nibbled the pastry he had taken with enjoyment. They were good.

He hastily swallowed as Krsythanine approached again, and inwardly steeled himself in preparation for another sudden hug or handshake. The boy was relieved to see her offer her hand, and this time he took it gently with a more confident smile. "Of course. Feel free to visit any time you have a sweet tooth. Or um, just whenever."

~~~~~~

Baharl had finished her pastries in record time. There was nothing even remotely polite in her table manners, and Zeis had he been watching would have been somewhere between socially horrified for her and secretly impressed. She gave a small burp accompanied with a quiet laugh, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She dusted off her tunic and breeches, and turned her full attention back on the crowd. She had finally decided on someone to talk to. The other newcomer, another young woman, who's name she hadn't overheard. It might be fun to have a friend who was new here as well.She shouldered her meager bags, and made her way over to Catori, pausing in her journey to snatch another pastry from the slowly dwindling pile. She stopped in front of the girl and smiled sunnily at her.

"Hey! I heard you were new here too!" Baharl gestured at the other girls bags, and then at her own with her pastry laden hand. "I'm Baharl, by the way. Just flew in not a candle-mark ago." She laughed, and freed up her hand by stuffing the pastry in her mouth That hand she then offered to the other girl for a handshake, however she seemed to think better of it and wiped the crumbs and small dabs of jam hurriedly off on her pants. This done, she offered her hand again, and her grin widened.