Loops and Lines (Nov. Chores)

[Ember]

A young boy sat in the records room, hands gripping his hair in a white knuckled grip. He had a bit of a problem with archive duty. Not only was it known to be the most boring place in the weyr but he also couldn't understand the majority of what was written on the numerous hides. What was the point of sticking near-illiterate candidates in such a place? He removed his hands from the thick black hair he sported and picked up his writing item. The scribbles he was copying from one page to another made no sense to him. He could read and understand some, but for the most part he couldn't.

Dyleshi was certain he was making mistakes left, right, and center. That simply was not right. The boy normally produced flawless results for his efforts (however grudgingly given). Saying he was a bit of a perfectionist would be an understatement. The task might have been a little more bearable had he been able to read. It was much easier to write if one knew what they were writing, rather than just mindless copying of the exact same loops and lines. There was one tiny advantage to archive work though.

He didn't have to interact with any firelizards or anything. The kitchens were always riddled with the little flyers and there were a fair amount of them everywhere else too. The archives was one of the few places they were normally unwilling to go. He didn't really blame them. It was stuffy and dusty. It was a wonder he could even breathe in the archives. He'd always been more of a fresh air and outdoorsy type. Being cooped up in the archives wasn't helping his mood any more than his chore was.

[midnight]

Archive work, at least it was work the female could stand. She had managed to get herself together for this mission. Pulling her hair back, letting the layered hair flare around her face. Her bangs fell over her eyes as she hummed faintly to herself. She approached the records room, rubbing her hands together. She entered the room, and hummed a lighter tune. One almost loud enough to hear.

She approached the other candidate, at least that was what it had to be. She poked her head over his shoulder and frowned. "I don't know if that is exactly what they want you to do." She commented gently as she shifted a little and stepped around him to get a better look at him. "I'm on Records duty as well, want some help?" She said in a weak and cheery voice. She was doing her best to seem even more open then she usually did.

That bright and almost fake smile was gracing her features. She giggles softly and then reaches out to point her finger at her paper. "I hope you don't mind me saying, but I am guessing you don't happen to know how to read?" She asked lightly. She didn't mean to seem imposing, at least hopefully. She shuffled her hand back through her bangs, to give herself a better look. Pursing her lips she grabbed up her own utensils and slowly and neatly copied the document that he was working on.

"Do you want to know what it's saying, at least?"

[Requiem]

The slender drudge slipped into the archives, wrinkling his nose against the dust that immediately attacked his nostrils. Dust, dust everywhere. He was ever so tempted to take on the place and clear it of all this dust, but then that created other problems - namely, it would stir up so much that no one else could likely abide the infirmary while he worked. Still, he was tempted, if only because the prospect of copying squiggles he couldn't decipher was quite daunting.

Xerxes perked up upon seeing the other candidates, though, his natural friendliness directing him over in their direction. He glanced at the girl, his brows briefly knotting, before his gaze slid over Dyleshi. Where Meagan's cheer was forced, Xerxes' was much lighter and more genuine. He had a peaceful easiness about him that reflected in the calm smile and mild dark eyes. "Unless you plan on teaching us like a pair of weyrbrats letter-by-letter - or doing the copying for us - I imagine we'll just have to struggle through on our own," he commented lightly, stopping to one side of Dyleshi and squinting at the writing. "Those squiggles are fading. You picked quite a parchment to copy."

Another brief, apologetic smile at Meagan. "I don't see how knowing what he's writing would be of much help. It wouldn't help me, seeing as I still don't know how to write. But maybe he's smarter than I am. It's very possible." A hand squeezed Dyleshi's shoulder in silent reassurance. It was never fun to have someone notice you couldn't do something that almost everyone else could. Thus why he was so quick to admit he suffered from the same problem. Xerxes lowered himself gracefully into a seat across from the two candidates and frowned mildly at the inkwell.

"I always worry I'm just going to copy down mistakes," he admitted to both. 'Always' was something of an exaggeration, given he hadn't done this before at all, but Xerxes was still attempting to clear the tension out of the air.

[Ember]

Despite the silence in the records room, the arrival of someone actually went unnoticed. To Dyleshi her footsteps were nothing more than background noise that he tuned out long ago. He was concentrating so hard on copying the letters exactly that his tongue was sticking out slightly as he worked. A person suddenly leaning over his shoulder and speaking to him made the young candidate boy jump slightly. He was genuinely surprised that he hadn't noticed her at all.

He put down the writing implement and watched her copy what he'd been doing at least five times as fast. He grimaced slightly and fidgeted on his chair. Well then...What was he supposed to say to that? It was a bit disheartening to be grouped with a person who could do the same task with such ease. It reminded him very much of his own hold. Dyleshi was about to reply when another joined them. He managed a smile for them both and actually giggled at Xerxes' words. Letter-by-letter indeed! "I was told the more faded it is, the more important it was to copy it. It seems like I took on a bit too much, though," he commented wistfully.

Being a tactile fellow, the physical contact was very reassuring to the boy. He nodded in agreement with his words. "Yeah, I'm afraid knowing what it was I was copying would only be for interest's sake," he told Meagen. He appreciated his offer though. It really was a kind-hearted gesture, in his eyes. He passed what he'd been copying to her with a slightly apologetic smile. There was a second page that she might as well do as well, since there was still a bit of room on her page to add some of the original's second page onto.

"I know what you mean. It makes me wonder why Candidatemaster Emoyan would assign us a chore if we weren't really capable of doing." It was a bit like asking a weyrling dragon to fly sooner than it was able to. He reached for the pile of pages that needed to be copied and ruffled through them briefly. "Ah! This one should be easier," he commented out loud. The writing wasn't as cramped or faded as the previous thing he'd been attempting.

[midnight]

Meagen actually laughed at the boys surprise. She looked over at the other one as he arrived. Perhaps, it wasn't so bad here. She had never had to deal with the people treating her like they did at her old home. Her lips pulled into a slightly gentle smile as she looked towards Xerxes. "I could teach you, letter-by-letter." She stated lightly. Crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head back.

"I could do it, but probably not while we are looking. Probably be best to pick that up in the Common Room." She stated as she looked at the parchments and then looked at the other candidates. "I can do the copying for now, if you guys could find me the more faded ones, then that will work fine." She said lightly as she allowed her lips to quirk a little more.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad at all, I'm sorry if I did." She added as she looked at both boys. She smiled weakly and then tilted her head down. She didn't want to alienate herself from the other candidates, in fact she wanted to make friends. She wanted to be friends with as many as possible, because of the fact that she didn't want to be alone anymore. She was tired of being afraid, but maybe friends wouldn't be as completely damaging as her last pair had been.

Crystoph and Mikail had ABANDONED HER. Left her in a hold, they may have saved her, but they had left her. She shook her head and chuckled lightly. It would be better now, she didn't hold grudges.

[Requiem]

"We'll just let speedy over there take care of the really bad ones," Xerxes commented, the note of teasing behind his voice all too clear. The drudge had a natural soft spot for children younger than himself...considering he had three younger siblings of his own. He wasn't being dismissive of Meagen at all, but yes, he did feel inclined to be more supportive of the pre-pubescent boy than a nearly grown woman. (Of course, her rather graceless handling of the situation initially didn't help that much. You don't just walk up to someone and point out their flaws - or lack of ability - right off the bat. At least not without considerable more tact.) His warm gaze flicked to her. "Don't be silly, Meagen." Yes, he remembered her name. "It wouldn't at all be fair to let you do all the work. We'll just find something easier."

He nodded toward Dyleshi's choice approvingly - and in illustration. Xerxes stood, shuffling through the parchments briskly, pausing to drag his fingers lightly over the surface of one. It would do. "Tch. Chin up. You were just trying to be helpful. Dyleshi knows that, don't you, Dy?" He had a really good memory for names. The drudge settled back in his seat again. "If you've time, it couldn't hurt to learn," he added graciously to Meagen. They would need to develop that skill eventually, he would imagine.

If anything, when Xerxes began to copy it was even slower and more awkward than Dyleshi's attempt. Something that might well be explained by the fact that he held the quill quite strangely. This was clearly not a skillset remotely familiar to the young man. (He was much more comfortable with a spatula, spoon, or hammer.) "I would imagine," he began contemplatively, "that he likely doesn't know. I haven't told him that those handouts look like gibberish to me. Have you?" he questioned Dyleshi, wrinkling his nose in pure playful fashion.

He tapped the end of the quill to his lip, smearing a small amount of ink there that went unnoticed, and squinted at the writing on the page in front of him. Another careful line was added...making six letters thus far. Or what he thought were letters. "Is this everyone's first time to Stand?" he queried, thinking that some conversation would take some dullness out of this drone work.

[Ember]

Dyleshi smiled reassuringly at Meagen. She had made him feel bad, but she hadn't meant to so it was alright. Everyone had things they were good at right? Xerxes was an amazing baker, for example. Nevermind that he didn't believe he was good at anything...He added a few more strokes to what he'd chosen to copy while keeping both ears trained on the other two. Conversation would make the work go faster.

The young boy glanced up again and grinned. "Of course. You really are quite nice to be willing to help us," he told Meagen. "I would like to learn if we have time between lessons and chores." Private lessons with Meagen and Xerxes would probably turn out to be fun. Dyleshi wasn't adverse to learning and the company would be good, if he was any judge.

Dyleshi snorted slightly at the playful suggestion. There was a bit of truth behind it though. "I haven't either. Good point." When he spared a glance at Xerxes he blinked with mild surprise. That certainly was an odd way to hold a quill. And so the boy pointed out, "It works a bit better if you hold it like this." Dyleshi held up his briefly before thinking of a way to connect it to kitchen activity. "Think of it as holding a tasting spoon pointed down instead of sideways."

Dyleshi compared his work with the previous copier's work and grimaced slightly. His chicken scratch was obviously inferior. Was it even recognizable as what he'd been copying or would they 'read' it as he read any other written thing? Jibberish. Nonsense. Hmm? Oh, candidate talk. "Yeah, my first time Standing. I don't think candidates come much younger than me."

[midnight]

Meagen seemed to visibly cheer up. Making friends wasn't that hard, and she looked closer to these boys ages. Maybe she didn't have to worry about being alone for a change. Even if she didn't impress, she could still have people to talk to! Even if Cry decided that he was done with her, she still had these two. Two new friends, wonderful to have, at least that's what she was thinking. Her smile brightened as she continued to copy alongside them. She was more then happy for a change. The smile was real this time, they weren't fake anymore.

Now she had a reason to smile, people that actually were pretty awesome. She nodded faintly and then shrugged her shoulder back. "How about it then, after chores today, we start lessons? Or whenever you guys are up for it. I have nothing else really to do. No craft to practice or anything..." She said as she started to chatter. It was comfortable, comfortable enough that she forgot to keep up the disguise that she hadn't stood more then this one time. She was going to mess up, and she didn't know how these guys would take it. But at the time she wasn't thinking about it.

"No, I've stood before, quite often!" She exclaimed, and then stopped dead. Realizing what she had just said and giving them a sideways look. She hadn't really meant to reveal that, but she really did hate lying. "I hope... that doesn't bother you guys?" She whispered lightly.

[Requiem]

What? He blinked at Dyleshi, glancing down at the quill for a moment. He was holding it wrong? The young man's eyes flicked toward the other two, head canting to one side as he carefully matched the position of his fingers to mirror theirs. Like a spoon, only straight down...yes, he could see that now. Letting a small chuckle escape him, he nodded to Dyleshi. "Thanks." Well, at least there would be no doubt that he wasn't just making stuff up so the boy would feel better, right? Of course, it didn't help with his speed much. He steadily worked at the scratchings. Work was pretty monotonous when you had no clue as to what you were actually doing, wasn't it?

At Meagen's offer, Xerxes smiled apologetically. "I'd love to, really, but my sister roped me into helping with dinner tonight. They're understaffed. Maybe some other time? Of course, you and Dyleshi are more than welcome to start without me." He was a quick study when given the chance, and knew he would likely be able to catch up. Probably. Anyway, his sister was known for throwing things when crossed, and he had promised.

The former drudge shrugged mildly. "There have been plenty who look younger, though," he commented with a friendly smile. And yes, he should know. Xerxes could count the number of times he'd left Selenitas Weyr on one hand...all to Holds for one reason or another. Usually Gathers. It was nice having a Headwoman who deliberately scheduled people so that you had at least a day to enjoy the Gather when one was taking place.

Meagen's words interested him slightly - an interest that increased along with his puzzlement as she suddenly seemed to turn shy. Cocking his head, his confusion was quite clear on his face. "Bother me?" He wasn't the sort to speak for someone else, particularly when he didn't really know Dyleshi. "No, not bothered. I'd imagine that would be more likely to bother you than us." His words still held a touch of questioning. He really didn't understand why that information should mean anything negative to him. He'd seen people Impress after Standing six or seven times...sometimes right before they aged out. And others who never did. It just...didn't seem to have much to do with the person in particular. He hadn't yet found any way to tell which candidates would Impress and which wouldn't.

[Ember]

Dyleshi caught Meagen's smile as he glanced up and couldn't help to grin too. It was good to see her enjoying herself. Far better than feeling guilty over a slight she didn't mean. The young boy was pleasantly surprised by his company. They were interesting people. As Xerxes corrected his hold on the quill he went back to his own work, attempting to ignore the cringe worthy writing. It wasn't his fault, right? He'd get better at it and then he could show everyone.

He'd been thrilled to hear they could start their private lessons almost right away but his spirits sunk when Xerxes said he was busy. He was eager to start, but it would be more fun with someone else learning too. "I don't mind waiting for a time when we're all free. Besides, more writing after today might be really tiring," he commented, looking down at his writing with distaste. It really was unpleasant, though he doubted actually learning would be.

Younger looking than him? Dyleshi considered that before snorting and returning to his work. He supposed there must have been, but he looked young enough for his age that it was surprising. Meagen's tone made him blink and he looked up at her. "It doesn't bother me either. Don't be surprised if I ask you about what its like," he added to brighten the mood.