The problem with being not hungry at meal time

[Kahvi]

Most of the candidates are off at meal time... S'mael reminded himself, looking at the empty common area. For some reason, I'm not hungry. Maybe I didn't work out hard enough today.

Don't overwork yourself, rider-mine. I'd never be able to live with myself if you get hurt just from trying to keep in shape.

I'm not an old man yet, Fenrath. And if I have anything to say about it, I won't be for a long time.

He looked around the common room ceiling for shadows. Spotting the area he was looking for, S'mael jumped up and grabbed a pair of small, easily missed handholds in the rocky ceiling of the common room for the candidates. He hoisted himself up until his forehead came close to the rock.

"One..."
then dropped back down and repeated the maneuver.
"Two... Three... Four..."

[FireThorne]

Raelwyn had the habit of skipping supper quite a bit. She really had enough to eat from breakfast and lunch, and several times a sevenday found herself forgoing the last meal of the day. It had been an occasion for her to sit and think, to get some time to herself before being surrounded by her fellow candidates again. The gold candidate loved to meet new people and make friends, but everyone needed their ‘me’ time. And for a candidate living in a dorm with countless others, that was slightly difficult.

Of course, she could also attribute several interesting occurrences to her habit, such as nearly being run over by a green weyrling, and meeting a new bronzer. Shaking her head at the memory, the Fort-born started for the barracks, noting that a chill was beginning to settle in the night air. Her light, cool skirt and top was meant for the heat of the Southern day, and right now she felt a bit cold. Rael needed to get a warmer shirt if she was to sit by the lake.

Tydus, as was usual for the bronze, was curled around her neck, his tail wrapped up in her hair and his little head nestled against her chest. He was ever growing larger, and would soon cover her whole shoulder. Grinning at a croon from the little firelizard, Raelwyn entered the candidate barracks, prepared to turn into the girl’s dorms when movement caught her attention.

A man was there, and he had startled her since she had not expected anyone to be there. “Oh!” The girl gasped, surprised. He was doing pull-ups in the corner. Then, she recognized him, and Raelwyn was immediately curious as to what S’meal was doing. ‘Well, besides working out.’ She thought to herself, trying to keep from grinning. Bronzers were always so meticulous about their physical condition. “I’m sorry, Candidate Master, I did not expect anyone to be in here.” Even Rael was a little intimidated by the bronzerider, and she was usually not affected by men in the slightest. Her fiery temper, though, was outmatched by his wildness. He looked and had the air of an untamed man, and that was something a little unusual. She treated him with caution.

Tydus raised his head, eyeing the man with distrust. A slight bit of red entered his whirling gaze as he saw the Candidate Master, but he stayed silent for the moment. The bronze was not too alaramed, since he was not too close yet.

[Kahvi]

"30." S'mael let go of the grips and turned to the newcomer. He eyed the candidate, as if performing one of his morning inspections.

"Hmm... Raelwyn.. Team 2 position 3 this morning... Yes..." He knew who she was. He made it a point to know every candidate that went through his tutelage. "And pet..." he said, noticing the bronze firelizard on her shoulder. He picked the rag from his waist and proceded to wipe some of the dew from his shoulders. "Not hungry again tonight, I take it." He put the rag back on his belt and proceded to addressed earlier comment.

"Normally, there is no one here at this hour, miss Kaelwyn." He stated that affermation of her earlier comment and proceded to roll his neck around. "But tonight, there is." He poured a glass of water. "Water?" He roughly asked, offering a cup.

[FireThorne]

Raelwyn stiffened slightly under the Candidate Master’s gaze, as she did every morning when he gave his inspections. She felt self-conscious when the bronzer was looking over her, almost as if he would find fault. It was not as if her physical appearance had anything to do with her candidacy, but she nonetheless stood rigidly straight and unmoving. S’mael always made her feel that way.

Listening to his report of her Ponaasian life, the girl barely kept a half-smile from playing on her face, wondering at how he always took himself, and his candidates, so seriously. The bronzerider never seemed to smile or laugh, but he did always appear professional and cool. He knew his stuff, alright, but she wondered if he ever had any fun.

“No, sir. I usually find myself sitting by the lake while the other candidates eat their supper.” The gold hopeful was surprised that he had noticed her not eating before, though she figured she should not have been. S’mael, as she had thought earlier, certainly had his stuff together. “I think Tydus eats more than I do.” Rael said mischievously, unable to keep from bringing a bit of humor to the very serious situation. She really thought the bronzer needed to have some more fun.

At the sound of his name, the little bronze raised his head, whirling eyes on his master. He was aware of her tone, but not of her words. He gave a questioning cheep. Grinning, the candidate gave him a reassuring stroke down his back.

Blinking at his rough tone, Raelwyn accepted the cup, offering him a small smile. “Thank you, sir.” He reeeeally needed to loosen up some, though she wondered. Perhaps if he seemed more laid back, his charges would think him weak and become unruly. The girl considered that, maybe, he was unable to loosen up. “Do you always work out in here while we are away, Candidate Master?” The queen hopeful asked, trying to make conversation. It was in her blood to be outgoing and make new friends, even with this rough, disciplined bronzer if she could.

[Kahvi]

"Mhmmm" S'mael listened to what Raelwyn had to say. He took a few sips of water when she mentioned him working out in the candidate common area when the candidates were not around.
"I try to stay in shape. Usually I'm not in here due to my duties." His voice wasn't too gruff this time. S'mael rolled his head around and popped his neck. It seemed to him that Raelwyn was trying to make conversation. S'mael decided it easier to keep the chat a bit more professional for now.

"So, I take it your studies are doing well. I've heard no bad reports about you." He took a few more sips of water, then a small gulp to finish off the glass. "I expect every candidate to do thier best... but I expect every gold candidate to go above and beyond that." He poured himself another glass of water.

[FireThorne]

Raelwyn visually cringed when the bronzer rolled his neck and popped the bone, wondering at how it did not cause him pain. She would not like to try it herself. His words, though slightly less gruff this time, were not less rigid and frosty, as if he was not inclined to let the conversation stray from being strictly cool between candidate and Master. Well, it was not quite the girl’s nature to remain so distant, but she did not want to push any borders with the rider either. “I imagine your duties require most of your attention, do they not? I can only imagine what it is like trying to keep up with so many candidates.” The Fort-born did not think that sounded too personal.

The Queen candidate smiled when the Candidate Master asked about her studies, and nodded a bit. Tydus then chirped reprovingly from his perch, and the girl and sighed and went back to stroking his back. The bronze was so demanding. “Yes, sir. Being weyrbred, my brother taught me many things even before I was chosen for candidacy. I enjoy my studies.” Raelwyn then nodded at his next statement. “I understand that, sir...a gold candidate will have more to bear if she Impresses. I hope to be worthy of that position.”

[Kahvi]

"Weyrbred, eh?" S'mael caught that miniscule statement like a hatchling jumping on a pile of meat. He rubbed his chin, thinking. One could almost see that minor comment had him raising his expectation level for Raelwyn by a minor factor. "Being weyr-bred then, I take it you know many things every candidate should know." And probably know of a few things a candidate shouldn't. S'mael took another drink from his glass of water.

The next logical question to come was obviously about he home weyr. S'mael put it off for a little by pausing long enough to pour another glass of water for himself.
"Speaking of weyrs and heritage. By what weyr did you come from if you mind not my asking." S'mael knew not all of his candidates were from ponaa, but had very limited inkling as to where they all were from. For the most part, where someone came from mattered very little to him... unless... S'mael pushed that thought aside for now.

[FireThorne]

Raelwyn was surprised that S’mael seemed so interested by her history, but she was not at all caught off-guard at his next statement. Leave it to the Weyrling Master to find something about her that would raise the standard in his eyes. He always seemed to find a way to make someone very self-conscious. The girl respected the bronzerider, but she did not know much about him except that he was very professional and hardly ever spoke. Oh, and that he was very tough with his candidates....well, tough but fair. “My brother taught me much. Actually, sir, I already know many of the things they are teaching us in our classes, and even a few things I am told is not taught until weyrlinghood. Of course, I have learned a few new things as well, but I have been told by more than one dragon that I am a most well-practiced eyeridge scratcher.” Smiling a bit, hoping that he would perhaps loosen up if only a bit, the girl wondered if Fenrath was anything like his rider.

At his next words, the candidate was rather surprised, actually, struck that he would even be interested enough in her to ask. Well, it not exactly as open and friendly as Rael liked to be, but for this particular bronzer, the question was a slight more personal than professional. Still stroking her little bronze’s back, the girl took a few sips of her own water before replying, her green eyes watching him over the rim of her glass. S’mael did look so untamed....but maybe there was a man in there that wanted to shake off some of that frost, if only the right person would try. “I do not mind your asking at all, sir. I hail from Fort Weyr, where my father is a wingsecond. He is a brownrider, but my mother rides green. One of my brothers also rides brown, but the brother I was the closest to, the one that taught me about dragons, rides blue. Both of my sisters ride green as well.” Before she realized it, Raelwyn had told him far more than he had asked, and suddenly hoped she had not annoyed him. “Oh, forgive me, sir. You did not exactly ask for my entire genealogy, did you?” Chuckling a bit, the gold-hopeful then turned her green eyes back upon the bronzerider. “If you do not mind my asking as well, Candidate Master, were you weyr-bred as well, or searched from Hold or Hall?”

[Kahvi]

"So... You're from Fort also..." S'mael seemed to relax a little bit. "Then you may or may not know my sire and dame. My parents are the stable-masters for Fort Weyr, they still have my two younger brothers assisting them. My youngest sister would be just starting to stand on the sands now, if the news I recieved from my sire is correct. Though, he did not seem to know what was expected of her."

S'mael took another drink of water. "Since you are experienced and from Fort, I expect you to show everyone here what it means to be the best of the best. It may seem like I'm expecting more from you than the other gold candidates. But my expectations are nothing compaired to what a weyrleader will have to bear. If a gold hatches on the sands again, I want you to be able to be able to face her as the best candidate any weyr has ever seen in ages." His words were not harsh. Rather, it almost seemed as if the gruff bronze-rider was trying to encourage her.

((Lets try to get a few more back and forth posts in and then wrap this up nice and neatly for the lovely gm staff ~_^ I think i'll also post something in the rumors thread so you might have a question or two to ask sammy))