My mother didn't raise me to...

Igen Weyr - Candidate Quarters
While the barracks are little different from the dorms in layout and appearance, a little time makes it apparent that they house younger people, for the most part. There's also more order; "COTS" are lined with precision - almost as if laid out on a "CHART". The room is kept tidy, and the presses are closed and not leaking belongings. Though not segregated by sex, one side of the room appears to belong primarily to the female candidates, the other to the males, though there does happen to be some over-lapping. In general, the barracks are open, perhaps as an introduction to the more public, collective life of a rider. To one side of the door, a large "CHORE BOARD" lists the duties of each Candidate for the day.

A long day of grooming runners makes for tired candidates, especially in this heat. That doesn't stop Malakai from pacing up and down the barracks along the center walk between cots. He seems to be upset over something, but doesn't want to talk about it. Maybe he's waiting for a particular person?

Not long after the end of the designated afternoon chore period it's late enough in the day, but not quite to dinner when Zorya finds her way back to the candidate barracks from the gardens. The joy of weeds! A light flick of a hand brushes some of the sand still clinging to her skirt to the ground.

It's the end of the afternoon, which means no more chores. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to do. On the contrary, there's cots to tidy up, clothes to dust off, washing to be had. None of which is on Kelemi's list, the candidate looks quite happy to stroll towards his cot after slipping through the barracks.

It would seem it was Zorya the forester was waiting for, because as soon as he spots Zorya he walks straight over to her. Though when he gets to her, he's not quite sure how to bring up what was bothering him. She doesn't seem particularly bothered, except by dirt. "Ah… Zorya. How are you?" Is the best he can come up with. He glances at Kelemi when he comes strolling and gives him a bit of a nod as he goes by.

Zorya pulls a smile to her lips as the forester greets her. "Ah'm doin alright." she replies, "Warm.. but.." the rest is left unsaid, but then warm would be a bit of an understatement after being outside so long. "How bout you?"

Kelemi tilts his head ever so slightly as he passes the two, a brow dissapearing into his hair. A grin slowly pulls at his lips, nodding in greeting towards Malakai, "'Lo, Mal, Zorya." A little wave is given before he continues on his way towards his cot.

Malakai nods and kinda furrows his brows together, studying her face a little. "I see. I mean, that's good." His own brow raises at the harper at that grin. "Kelemi." Is all he says before getting back to what he was wanting to talk to the girl about. "I heard you were bein' harassed in the living caverns the other day. And I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Zorya was perfectly content until that comment is made by Malakai. Its then that the girl simply blinks, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. What is he talking about? "Ah'm jus fine.." She did say that already. Didn't she?

Malakai scrubs at his forehead with his fingertips before shaking his head and blinking at the ground a little. Ah, obviously he's over reacting or something, but he just can't help himself. "Look. I don't like the idea of guys yelling at girls. My mother didn't raise me to think that's ok. So if anyone ever bothers you I want you to come get me. Ok?" He ducks down just the tiniest bit to look her in the eyes.

Zorya ohs silently, lips forming the sound but no sound actually being made. "You mean about R'oc…" she says, just what he's referring to finally clicking. "Don't worry bout it. Ah've had worse. He was jus having a bad day." From what there was it wasn't exactly so good either though…

Malakai nods. "Yes, I mean about R'oc. And having a bad day doesn't excuse someone for yelling at a girl for no reason." He can feel himself getting heated up over it and has to take a calming breath so as to not go track R'oc down for something that happened a while ago. "I still want you to come get me if someone's bothering you. Doesnt mater what I'm doing. Ok?"

"That's sweet of ya." Zorya replies, the corners of her lips pulling to a soft smile. "But really, ain't no trouble Malakai." and from the looks of things that's the truth. "Ah think ya're making a bigger deal of it than it needs ta be…"

Malakai sighs and lets his shoulders slump a bit. "You're probably right." He gives her a bit of a look and taps the bottom of her chin lightly with his finger tips. "You probably wanna rest before dinner." He says, pulling out a smile and steping of to the side to hold out his arm as an usher to her cot.

Zorya might not be, but then it is something of an opinion of reactions. She seems happy enough that he's dropped it however. "Actually… Ah had some other things Ah was gonna work on til then." she returns, and he very well may have noticed that she's rarely in the barracks for more than a few minutes this time of the day.

Malakai smiles lightly and nods. "I thought as much." He had noticed, but ya can't blame him for trying to get her to relax a little. "What are you working on?" He's allowed to be curious right? Just as she's allowed to turn him down.

"Your welcome ta come.." Zorya offers after a moment of thought. "Ah really should be workin on gettin used ta other people." Not that that explains anything really.

Malakai gives her a curious look. "Well thank you." That really /didn't/ explain anything about what she's up to, but at least he gets to see first hand. "I'll let you leand the way then." he says with a nod and an encouraging smile.

Zorya laughs lightly, "Well come on then." she smiles, reaching to grab Malakai's hand to lead him back the way she came not so long ago and out of the barracks. Off the main caverns and down one of the many tunnels that lead through the inner workings of the weyr to somewhere less often crossed by others. Besides its cooler inside than out.

Malakai grins as he follows along after her, giving her hand a little squeeze as she leads him off to lesser used areas. "You're not taking me some place out of the way so you can kill me are ya?" Not that he really has much to worry about with her, and he's joking anyway.

Zorya blinks over towards the man at his joking. "Why would Ah do a thing like that?" Is there some reason to that she doesn't know about? But no, there's a smile as she stops having dropped the hand, if he did, on the way. Once she's stopped however she stoops to untie those infernal boots they get to wear.

Malakai chuckles a bit and rubs his cheek. "I don't know. You can never be sure of what's goin' on in a young lady's mind." He stops with her and raises a brow at her removing of her boots. "Alright, where are we going?" He's curious, as he's always been one to make sure his feet are protected when vernturing someplace unknown.

"Here." Zorya replies, blue eyes glancing up as she moves to slip the second boot from her foot. "These," she notes setting the boots to the side and against the wall, "Aren't so easy to move in though." The girl straightens into a quick and graceful twirl.

Malakai glances around the area a bit and raises a brow lightly before glancing back down at Zorya to see her twirl. He gives her an impressed smile and a little clap, realizing what they're probably here for. "I see. I'll stay over here where the klunky things belong then." He says with a chuckle as he leans against the wall next to her boots to watch her.

Zorya pushes her smile to stay on her lips, closing her eyes to take a deep breath. A moment passes in silence before she moves again. One movement sets up for the next as each placement of a foot is done with precision and grace. Each extension of slender limb crisp and taut.

Malakai stays silent at his spot on the wall and crosses his arms over his chest; watching her move. The way she moves, reminds him of a tree being blown about by the wind. Graceful and alive. Leave it to him to think of a pretty girl as a tree, but that's just how it is with him.

Clearly there's a song that plays though her head and each movement flows with the unheard music. A hand drops to cross in front of her face toward the opposite shoulder, at the same time her foot is lower and set to the ground in front of her, as her arm continuing from her shoulder across in a straight line til outstretched leads her into a turn. A step here, a turn there. A flourish of a hand. One movement feeding into the next, until one last spin and she finally comes to an end. Head dipped so that tendrils of long blonde hair obscure her face, on knee on the ground as the other foot is pointed out in front of her. Another moment passes before she pushes to her feet, a brush of crimson crossing her cheeks as she finally opens her eyes.

When she's finished with her dance, Malakai applauds her performance. No, not that fakey over the top kind and not that 'I'm clapping because I have to' kind. But a genuine short clap, given they probably don't want to attract a lot of attention. "That was /really/ good." he says earnestly. "I had no idea you could dance at all, let alone so well."

The blush across Zorya's cheeks deepens given the compliment. "Um.. thanks…" she hesitates with the words. "Ah'm still learnin'. Tryin' ta keep practicin' while Ah'm here…" Which would better explain where she is at that time between chores and dinner.

Malakai nods. "Well, practice makes perfect right?" He scratches his beard a bit and grins at her and her blush. "No need to be shy about it though. You put people like me to shame with that performance. I don't remember the last time I did any dancing. I'm sure I'd injure anyone on the dance floor." He says with a laugh.

"Still gettin used to people watchin.." Zorya admits, idly running a hand through her hair to rid it of any minor tangles that might have come from her dance. "Ah'm sure you're good at plenty a things Ah ain't."

Malakai shrugs a bit. "Comes with the territory of learning your craft though, doesn't it." He gives her hair a gentle tug and smiles at her. "Some day you'll know just as much about dancing as I do about trees I'm sure." His grin turns a bit mischevious then. "But there's one thing in dancing that I'll always be able to do better than you I think."

Zorya giggles. "Ah guess you're right." she agrees, a blush creeping back to lightly dust her cheeks once again. But then he's peaked her curiosity with that last remark. "Oh? And what's that?"

Malakai leans a little closer to then to make sure she paying very close attention. "Why, lift people in the air of course." And with that he grabs and lifts her up into the air and spins around a bit. Granted it's not a proper dance lift as she wasn't expecting it. And should she freak out at all he'll set her right back down, but for now his just grins up at her.

Zorya squeaks as he picks her up. No, she definitely was not expecting that just now. Hands quickly slip to the man's shoulder's if only for her own security, but soon enough she's giggling. "No. Ah suppose Ah can't, but Ah can still dance circles around you." He even said as much himself.

Malakai chuckles and sets her down slowly. "Yeah, I guess you win there." He smiles down at her for a moment before taking a step back and clearing his throat. "Thanks for letting me watch you." he says twirling his hand around like it's dancing. "It was really nice."

Zorya laughs. "You're welcome." she say with a smile before moving to collect her shoes and go through the process of replacing them on her feet. "Like Ah said, Ah need ta work on audiences." That's her big area to work on. "Maybe ya could come again sometime…?"

Malakai nods and shoves his hands in his pockets while he waits for her to get her boots back on. "Sure. That would be great." He says right before his stomach growls rather loudly. He laughs and pats his stomach. "Ah, I think it's a little early, but I think it might be dinner time for my tummy here."

Zorya nods, "Yeah, Ah think Ah'm about ready fer that too." she agrees, standing once her bootlaces are tied. "So maybe we should head that way." Cause ya know, after a long day of chores food isn't a bad thing by any means.

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