| Characters | Alexa, Oddisa |
| Synopsis | Alexa is sweaty, Odi can't sleep, and there are questions that must be asked. |
| Out-of-Character Date | February 19, 2020 |
Igen Weyr - Galleries
From this vantage point, you can look over the balcony to the Sands below. The seating here stretches out around the perimeter of the Sands, the rows of seating rising high above. The benches are wooden, simple bleachers, and the stone steps have been worn down along their center from turns of foot-traffic. Above the bleachers, the ledge of the galleries is pocked and marked from dragonclaws where dragons have perched to watch the hatchings as well.
Summer - Month 7 of Turn 2724
Summer in Igen creates a change in routine, much like winter in colder parts of the planet. Early morning and late evening are the go-to hours, with activity stalling after 1 in the afternoon until the cooler hours of dusk. The mid-day nap or rest hour can lead to sleeplessness, especially as the eggs rapidly harden, and hatching looms over the heads of candidates. Odi is awake, at nearing 11pm, having slipped out of the barracks she's hopping down the gallery stairs one by one. Hop, hop, hop, the sound of her boots slapping the ground echoing through the cavern. The younger candidate has her hair loose, soaking wet from a recent bath, it hangs nearly to her mid-back in wavy blonde curls that stick to her face. Every few stairs, she stops to gaze out at the sands before continuing.
What are schedules when you've a brooding queen on the sands?! Alexa is no stranger to midnight snack runs or midafternoon naps (sometimes taken on the sands themselves with Raaneth's forearm as a couch). But today she's in the galleries, because the sands are too bloody hot and the woman needs a break from sweating. Or at least, from sweating as profusely as she has been. It's not a good look. Even at night, there's a messy bun and tendrils of blond hair that refuse to be tamed sticking to neck and forehead and cheeks, and clothes that stick to skin despite every effort to shake them free, until Alexa has decided that being somewhat miserable is justification for putting off work and just… staring. At something. At nothing. At least until the clomping of candidate feet has Raaneth issuing a low little 'grrrr' in warning, and bringing Alexa's eyes Odi-ward. "Pretty sure there's a curfew…" she hums, though there's enough of a quirk in the corner of her mouth to suggest that she is not about to enforce it.
The moisture of Oddisa's hair leaves quickly drying drops on the slippery sand-covered stairs, caught up in late-night debauchery. Sand creates a slick surface, and the sudden grr by Raaneth has the girl sliding down several steps at once with a gasp and a squeak. Landing on her butt, there's a moment where it appears she might cry, but then there's a trickle of laughter. Sitting with legs in front, feet pointed and leaning back casually Odi is the picture of ease. She didn't fall, she landed exactly where she pleased. Yep. Nothing to see, "Sorry weyrwoman, I, though' she migh' be asleep. There is a curfew." Tilting her head with a subtle nod that comes close to being somber, the giddy smile in her eyes mocks the seriousness of her frown. "Couldn' sleep." Shrugging and leaning back, comfortable in her own skin to an extreme, probably because there's not much of it. "How do yu stand it out there?" Popping her lips out to make a gentle sound.
"Tch," comes for the apology. Or maybe it's the idea that Raaneth was asleep, given Alexa's gaze goes straight to the queen on the sands. "When she's got eggs, she's never asleep. One eye open at all times." A little quirk of amusement, tempered some by the affection in her gaze, and she swings it back to Oddisa. If there was concern for the fall, she doesn't express it. No blood and no screaming so, must be fine. "It's easier up here than down there," she decides, in answer to how she deals. "But I have to do it, for her. So." Shrug. "It's not that bad." Or maybe it is, but Alexa is unwilling to voice it.
"Do yu resent it? Bein' trapped here? 'scuse my forward but, if you'd gotten a blue or a green you'd never have to be in the same place twice." Oddisa comments with a cant of her head, chin ducking down towards chest with a squint at the queen again before watching Alexa. The curls stuck to cheeks get pushed back, both knees move out with feet planted firmly together, soles of shoes touching. The pose isn't ladylike in the least, but no one has ever accused the half grown girl of being a lady. "Does she have a favorite egg? How many clutches has she had an' what's the sizes of the others? How've those dragons done overall?" The beastcrafter in her comes out loud, "How much've the offspring reflect there dam versus the sire? Do yu see her in them, or is it a mix?" The inquiries are not casual; the need for information that might relate to her future is pivotal to the girl. The quiet intensity afterward is a bit much, denim eyes locked on Alexa waiting for response.
The question brings a frown; a flicker of shock and confusion across Alexa's face. "Resent it?" As if the idea is so completely foreign, she can't comprehend it in this context. "How could I ever resent Raaneth?" It's almost defensive. Almost. The follow up of blue or green has a smidge of a smile on the weyrwoman's lips; just enough to show some amusement. Almost patronizing. At least she won't offer any of those silly platitudes about 'when you're older' or 'you'd understand if you had one'. Instead, she offers a simple answer. "Raaneth is a gold. I've never once thought about what life would be life had she been green, or blue. She is who she is, and I love her without question." The sentiment is undoubtedly returned, given the rumbly-croon from the queen on the sands. "I don't think of it as being trapped," she admits. "It's part of my job. Like any job. There are parts you like better than others." It's such a mature answer that even Alexa crinkles her nose in mild disgust at herself. "Ugh. I'm too young to sound like that," she declares. A sigh, and she peeks back at the clutch, half of which are hidden beneath a great, golden wing. "Faranth you sound like Tejra!" It's… probably not a compliment. "Her favorite changes on the daily," she admits. "She's had two prior clutches," (Despite what FLT says because FLT is WRONG WRONG WRONG). "Her first clutch had four eggs, her second clutch had five, and now she has six. I'm really hoping the pattern doesn't continue…" A squinty-eyed look at Odi and then Raaneth and Nymionth (because the bronze is definitely out there, too). "Probably better questions to ask a dragnhealer; I dunno. They seem to be a mix. The prior hatchlings, at least." A shrug.
The sudden facial expressions have Oddisa leaning back, pressing herself against the stone in response. The subtle flick of 'oh shit I should shut up' blinks on her face and then fades as she regains control of her reactions. Control of her emotions is a big thing, especially anything exciting or upsetting, runners read moods and react. "Was askin', I expect there's a blue in one of those eggs fur me." Self-assured to the last word, stating her expectations as if it were a breakfast order. The set idea that she's going to impress, no doubt. As the nose crinkles, Odi allows the serious expression to fade, pulling knees to chest and scooting sideways while walking her butt cheeks back to fully view Alexa. The Tejra comment has her wrinkling in disgust, as if she's smelling a rotten wher egg. "SHARDS le's forget I ever said anythin' tha' ones…" Shaking her head hard side to side, rejecting the idea that she and Tejra have anything in common outside of being human and female. The severity of the frown is softened by the sigh she gives, exasperated. "I'll find one an' ask, do yu still have fun? Get out and see the world? I've never questioned any of it, if I stood I jus' know I'll end up like my da and my sis. I figured I'd pick the time and do it, and it'll be done."
Human. Female. And full of questions. But Alexa doesn't want to point out the similarities any more than Odi wants to hear them. Pinching the fabric of her shirt, she fans herself in a vain effort to get some airflow. It at least flutters the little baby hairs not yet plastered to her face. "Sure," she allows, shrugging in indifference. "I mean, I've got responsibilities and stuff. But I still have fun. I still 'get out'," she declares, plucking the candidate's words and repeating them with a slightly sarcastic slant. Of course, the fault may be in assuming that Alexa wants to get out anywhere. But still, there's another shrug and a simple, "I go places that I want to go. I do things I want to do." A squint of green eyes, and she tips her head toward Oddisa; studying her with some scrutiny. "You make it sound like some sort of… chore. Like Standing is a nasty necessity that you'd better just get over and done with. And that's… I mean, I can see why you might— No, actually. I don't understand how you might see it like that." But neither is she terribly invested in learning, happy to let it go with another little shrug that turns into a stretch. "Dragons aren't like that. You can't plan shit around dragons. They'll do their own thing. You either Impress or you don't, and if you actually want a say in the matter, the only thing you can do is walk away before that day comes. Otherwise…" Ominous pause as she tips her head toward the eggs. "They're the ones that'll decide. And you'll just… have to deal with it."
Questions are natural, especially when in this odd between period where your whole life could be changed by a moment's decision by a dragonet. Or not. This chapter becomes her vacation in Igen, nothing remarkable. Her summer spent abroad, chasing a weird dream of being a dragonrider, a foot note in the story of Oddisa. Or not. Oddisa wiggles her shoulder blades, sweat running down her neck and shirt tail. "Gettin' out is importan'. No one ever remembers there best day spent indoors." Obviously Odi's not been indoors with the right people. "I'm, I don't mean to sound tha' way. Mostly I'm tryin' not to romanticize to much. Get to excited yu can get disappointed." A quiet sigh, before standing and walking to rail. "Yu see the blue one? That's my favorite. That's my blue." Pointing to it, "I'll bet yu a full mark, which is all I have. That eggs got my blue in 'er. I'll stand out there, it'll hatch, he'll fin' me and that'll be that. Easy." It's obvious she's thought this all through, she is sure she's right. No room for doubt. Being confident of something in this situation is a wild gamble. "I know it's intense, but I'm ready for him. I chose now, there's gotta be a reason I said yes." She's 15, so logical fallacy is her world view.
Alexa's not gonna touch that one with a ten-foot pole. There's a pale eyebrow arched and a skeptical expression that says it all. But who is she to burst bubbles and Debbie-down dreams? Not her. That's probably R'sner's job. Alexa's just gonna let Odi keep on keepin' on with her delusions dreams. Cause why not? She was fifteen once, and maybe she remembers it. So, all she'll say is, "I don't bet." Because she doesn't. A little paper shuffling, though ultimately it all gets put right back down where it was with a little sigh. "It's getting late," she points out. "And while I might be one for rule breaking," even if she's not supposed to be one for rule breaking, "You probably wanna get back to the barracks before N'sir or R'sner find you out. It'll be worse if they do. Seriously." She spent more than a few days doing the sort of chores she hates (GARDENING UGH!) courtesy of being caught out.
