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Gathering Hall
The room seems to loom as you enter, though the warmth within easily overcomes that feeling. It's huge, easily taking up a good third of the hall, and offering room for most people to sit and chat. The heat of the great hearth on the far wall spreads throughout, the merry crackling adding a peaceful undertone to the usually occupied room, heard even above the murmer of voices. Tables are all but littered about, pulled into and out of place by friends at a regular basis. Several more permanent tables and benches are settled along the far edge, an ever-full klah pot and several trays of various and sundry snacks almost always set out for the hungry and bored. The walls are decorated, tapestries denoting every part of Pern society strung about. Along the wall above the kitchen, in particular, is the pride and joy of the weavers: a string of dragons flying Threadfall. The vibrant flames and metallic hues of the dragons seem to glow as the flickering firelight strikes them. Above everything runs a long overhang, people passing to and fro, passing overhead of the figures and gatherings below. A handful of glowbaskets light the upper ends, the rest of the mainroom light brightly with candles and decorative lighting.
Arakiel, Alethia, and Bailyn are here.
Arakiel chuckles, "Ain't the truth. As long as Evan backs me, I'm safe. But you know how some people are skittish about anything sharp and pointy." Arakiel nods to Alain and Bailey.
Alain comes flouncing down the stairs, The Braid doing it's customary jig in Alain's wake, one hand carefully pinning the knee-length skirt to Alain's lengthening legs, the adolescent whistling jauntily, and pausing just at the foot of the stairs, effecting a nice li'l blush and a soft, "G'afternoon." before slipping over toward one familiar face...and grinning up at Bailyn.
A firelizard appears, spies Alethia, and lands on her shoulder with some difficulty. Firelizard is ignored for a moment. "Aye. Ain't it the truth..." Alethia chuckles, unrolling the message tied to the 'lizards leg. Once read, she rises. "If you'll excuse me, I'm needed back in Ista and must attend my business before hand." A crisp, well performed bow and poof! she's gone. Like that.
Arakiel sighs and watches Alethia go. Well that went well. Seeing Bailey and Alain, "Can I help you?"
Bailyn shakes her head as she walks into the hall. " Good Afternoon, Arakiel. No, I just came to relax." A grin is sent to her as she sits down at a near by table. "Hey Alain! Come and sit with me."
Alain gives Arakiel a quick shake of head, scuttling after Bailyn and dropping carefully to perch on the edge of the seat, eyelashes fluttering, ankles primly crossed, The Braid doing it's best to strangle Alain all the while. "Working right now Bailyn, or are you as famished as I am?" Alain asks with a giggle.
Arakiel peers at Alain. Well this is one of the newer apprentices. Frowning slightly, there's something wrong here or her childhood training isn't working.
Alain squirms very slightly under Arakiel's stare, and hurriedly turns to Bailyn, "A little of both, then, mm?" is twittered, The Braid finaly wrestled from around Alain's neck to lie properly as it's supposed to...for the moment.
Arakiel finishes her meal and just sits, sipping her klah, a bit bored but also curious about the unusual girl apprentice.
Bailyn grins brighter. "So then, what have you been doing around the hall?" She glances at Arakiel,holding a slight giggle under her breath.
Blue eyes roll ceiling-ward and Alain heaves an exasperated sigh. "Sweeping. It seems like all I ever do is sweep. Sweep and wash clothes." Lower lip is chewed a moment, then Alain hastily adds, "I'm afraid I'll break a nail or something...but I guess that's the price we /ladies/ have to pay for becoming profficient in a craft." Ooze sweetness...just ooze it.
Bailyn giggles slightly at Alain. "Thats why I am in GemCraft. But, I do like working in the Stables. You should try that, its quite fun."
Arakiel watches Alain and frowns slightly trying to figure out what is wrong with the *girl.*
A look of disgust flutters across Alain's face, but blue eyes are quick to catch Bailyn's enthusiasm and the end of The Braid is toyed with as Alain ponders that possibility. "Runners aren't too bad...not as smelly as herdbeasts." A shrug of narrow shoulders is offered and Alain grins a little, "Maybe I'll try that..."
Bailyn shrugs. "To bad, we have a stablehand now. She takes all my work.." Another grin is sent to Arakiel. "Are you feeling better yet?"
Arakiel frowning as she can't lock the wrongness down, sighs. "So Alain, tell me about yourself. Why are you here?" Almost ignoring Bailyn for a moment.
Alain gives Bailyn and awkward pat on the shoulder, "I'm sure that she wouldn't mind the help...maybe you could show me around the stables." is brightly suggested, before Alain blanches and slowly turns to Arakiel. "Why...I'm..." after a moment's pause Alain perks up, "Well...you could say that I was having...um...boy-trouble!"
Arakiel raises an eyebrow, "i'm fine Bailey. the healers were just here." But she's peering at Alain, "I see just that? boy-trouble?" She asks not really beleiving *her.*
Bailyn grins. "Boy Trouble? We have none of that here..Hardly any boys at that!"
The color that creeps to Alain's cheeks seems to be as impossible to controll as that darned Braid. A little nod of head is given, "Older boys, actually...I guess you could say men-troubles." Eyelashes are fluttered expertly, a little bit of tear-material glimmering in Alain's eyes under the glowlight. "I hate to put it this way...but I'm sort of...well...in hiding for the time being." There, that should end all questions...right? Alain's look plainly states the hope that it will.
Bailyn nodds again. "Nothing to worry about, Alain. The men here are nice..For the ones that I know." She eyes Arakiel, sure that she would agree. She moves her own hair to one side and starts to slowly comb through it in thought.
Arakiel narrow her eyes at Alain, not fooled by her discomfort. "You're too young to have men trouble. And when you are ready to come clean about your trouble. YOu can come to me." No Arakiel is close to putting a finger on what's wrong. "And if you don't stop fooling with that braid, I'll take a knife to it."
Alain's face flushes a darker red, this time not from embarrassment, and only a quick clamping shut of mouth keeps Alain from sparking back with a disrespectful reply. The Braid is flipped over one shoulder, Alain's face a mask of sulkiness, even as The Braid whips back around and slaps Alain's shoulder with a loud 'smack,' almost seeming gleeful that it's finally got an ally. "Too young." is snorted under Alain's breath, though the 12-turn-old doesn't bother to expand on the comment.
Bailyn now starts to get worried. This is not the conversation that she expected. "I'm sure you have something to say to explain to Arakiel. Do you , Alain?"
Alain blinks up at Arakiel, actually flinching a bit under her words, and squirms on the suddenly uncomfortable chair. "I only meant that the men at my father's cothold didn't have any respect for me as a growing young lady." That, at least, is definitely true. "And the braid's not so much trouble." is added much more meekly.
Arakiel leans against the table, playing with her blade. Evan isn't here so she can be a little more forward. "And?"
Bailyn frowns. What a sad way to live! If, its true. What is she saying? She belives Alain...She is friends with her. But, yet....
Alain blinks wide-eyed at Arakiel, genuinely confounded now. "And...and so my sisters and I agreed that it would be beneficial for me to leave the hold until I was...erp...older." Alain squeaks, very nearly cowering at the sight of the blades, casting a quick, pleading glance to Bailyn for some sort of aid.
Arakiel glares at Alain and catching the hesitant way he speaks of his sisters. "I see. And you think hiding here is a good thing?"
Not at the moment! Alain's expression blurts long before Alain's tongue even moves in reply, "W-well...it seemed a better idea than trying to fight off five men each three times as big as Iiee--" Alain comes to an ubrupt halt in the speech as the word pitches up an octave, the youngster's eyes going wide and one hand clamping over the offending mouth. After a painfull-looking swallow, Alain finishes, "...as I am..."
Bailyn sighs and sits up taller. "Arakiel, you are scaring her.. Would you please put the knife away? I'm sure she'll answer you better if we take it slow.." Pleading with her eyes she starts to shake.
Arakiel glares at Bailyn, "If hiding here brings trouble to this hall, don't you think Evan and I should know about it? And be prepared? Or do you fancy being attacked by strangers looking for this ...this...person?"
Alain raises both hands defensively, "Hey! I don't think there'll be any trouble with me being followed! After all, I--" Alain breaks off suddenly, blushing a nice deep crimson, and fidgetting with the hem of the skirt. "That is to say...I...um...I..."
Bailyn nodds to Arakiel. "Yes, Yes. We should know. But, can't we do it this way..Nothing will be fixed.." She stops and eyes Alain. "I must tell you, Alain. If there is anything to be said, best well be now."
Arakiel turns her attention back to Alain, "And?" She puts away the knife, waiting. She can always retrieve it and more. She may be recovering but she can still handle a blade or two.
"And..." And that's where Alain seems to break down. Nothing else comes to either mind or mouth and Alain sits slack-jawed for a moment, trying hard to think hard and ending up at a dead-end.
Bailyn grabs Alains shoulders. "No one is going to hurt you. Just tell us what is going on." She begs her, "Please."
Arakiel glares, "ohh snap out of it. I'm not going to hurt you." yet hangs in the air but Ara is leaning against the table with her arms folded. "Well? Should I warn Evan?"
Alain's hands ball into fists, clenching tightly at the hem of the brown skirt. Alain's eyes stay fixed steadily on the knees just beyond the fists, tears beginning to well up in them and threatening to spill over. Lower lip trembles, and a slight whimper claws it's way past Alain's throat as one tear edges down Alain's cheek. "N...no." Alain whimpers, voice barely a thread.
Bailyn puts her arm around Alain's back and talks softly. "Really, Alain. She won't hurt you. We need you to explain though..It might be something that needs cleared up with Evan." She sits up, "Now come on, tell us." A slight smile is given to her. "Please?"
Arakiel waits, glaring at the two.
Squeak...whimper...sniff, sniff. Alain draws a shuddering breath and slowly exhales it, part of it coming out as yet another squeak. "I...I didn't /mean/ to be any trouble." Alain pleads, eyes still cast steadily on fists. "I don't think they'd try and follow me this far...n-not to Iiee--" Alain gives a little gasp at yet another breaking of voice, and hiccups. "Ista."
Arakiel raises an eyebrow at the misprouncing of the island. "I see. Well, you're welcome to stay. Evan and I refuse to turn anyone out, unless it's their wish. And..." She glares at him, "We never turn down a fight."
One of Alain's hand slaps palm-down on the table with a dull thump. "Not just get away! They were going to kill me! To cut off my--" Alain blanches and goes a little pale, "--my limbs and torture me. I could take the killing, but not the torture." Alain glances from Bailyn to Arakiel and back again, eyes begging them to understand. Gosh would that hurt!!
Arakiel glares and begins to add things together. "So that why you're hiding behind a dress?"
Bailyn sits back and eyes both of them. She might not be stupid, but she can't quite put things together as fast. "Whats going on?"
For one moment it looks as though Alain's about to blurt 'I don't know what you're talking about' and flee the room. But instead Alain gives a rueful nod of head, leaning forward to scratch at one leg and snorting, "And these shardin' knee-high leggings, too." Gone is the petulant whimper of voice, but the flaming cheeks and downcast eyes could still pass for that of a very embarrassed girl. Only they aren't. Not an embarrassed /girl's/, in any flight.
Shoshana walks quietly down the stairs, stopping short at the last step, eyeing the goings on in the room. Uh oh...conflict? Her eyes widen as she hears Alain's explaination, bad conflict. Possibly bloody conflict. Not good to walk into? She attempts to creep to the back of the room unnoticed, and watch what's happening at the same time.
Bailyn looks utterly confused now. "What is going on?" She looks up at Shoshana, and frowns.
Arakiel glares at Alain, "Don't you think it's time you come out of hiding and face your problems like a man and not behind a shirt?"
Alain hops to his feet almost as if he'd sat on hot coals, frowning down at Arakiel, "I'm /not/ a man, yet...but I'd like to become one /some/ day!" Alain's voice does him the distinct disservice of cracking as he says 'some' and his face flushes an even deeper red. "And if they find me before then I certainly won't be able to breathe--much less have any (Faranth forbid) children of my own!"
Shoshana looks confused as well, and she's been noticed too, so steps forward a little, to get a better look at the happenings. "Hide behind a skirt? Face like a man? Isn't that a girl?" she mutters to Bailyn.
Bailyn gasps. She really didn't mean to, but, she couldn't help it. She had be tricked? And fell for it! "How could you?" Angry eyes stare at Alain. She didn't even care if it was for her or his life. "You lied to me? Even after I became your friend?" She slowly eyes Shoshana. "I also thought he was a female."
Arakiel scowls "and if they come here, they have to get through Evan and me." Taking a knife and offering it hilt first. "So why don't you remove that braid and ask Evan for knife lessons?"
Shoshana blinks as it becomes clear...or clear/er/ at least, what's happening. "She's a he?" she mutters to Bailyn, eyeing Alain. She's just trying to catch on to whatever happened, really.
Alain shoots Bailyn a guilty look and reaches a tentative hand toward her. "I...I only did because I thought--still think--that they'd dice me like a herdbeast when they find me! /If/ they find me." Alain ammends, a defiant look sparking in his eye. He turns back to Arakiel. "If you want me to leave, I will...but by my own method and asking you to keep this to yourself." he adds with a wave toward his garb.
Arakiel glares at Alain, starting to call him every name in the book and finishing with, "haven't you heard one thing I've said?" Still holding the knife. "You are part of the craft and now part of Evan's responisbility. Anything else is secondary. They have to deal with Evan if anything happens to you. And no one but no one messes with Evan."
Alain blinks at Arakiel in total shock, jaw gaping just a little. "Y...you said that I--" he shakes his head, sending The Braid in it's little swagger, and blinking a couple of times, as if trying to clear his head. "But you just told me I should ta-ake my own responsibilities..." he trails off, completely unaware of yet another voice-crack.
Arakiel glares at Alain, "I said, grow up. You've joined a craft and crafts rule Pern. Evan has more power over you now then any person on Pern including relatives."
Dennia ends her journey with a hop and a "Hello."
Alain stares at Arakiel for a long time. It's not necessarily disbelief on the youngster's face...more like incredulity. "M...Master Evan's responsibility? Me?" Alain sinks to the chair next to Bailyn once again, staring blankly down at the table's surface.
Dennia stops in her tracks, looking like she'd like to be back up the stairs right now and moves sideways toward the klah pots where she can tidy up and listen, too.
Bailyn stares off in space, hardly hearing anything that they're talking about. (Which, she hasn't ) Glancing up to see Dennia, she just frowns more. As soon as Arakiel is finished with Alain, She will start.
Arakiel still holding the knife to Alain, hilt first. "Well? you going to face the world as a man or continue hiding behind that braid and skirt? Choose."
Dennia notices Bailyn, and would normally ask her what's wrong, but she has enough sense to feel something is charging the room and she doesn't want any of it.
Alain peers down at the knife a moment, then blinks up at Arakiel's face, a slow grin creeping over previously thoughtfully puckered lips. "Well, I guess I just don't have to wear all this any more, if I have craft protection, that is..." Alain hastily adds, glancing from Bailyn to Dennia back to Arakiel for confirmation.
Shoshana stays silent, just watching what's happening, expression shifting from 'more confused' to 'less confused' back and forth.
Arakiel smirks, "Well you have craft protection from the outside world, I can't guarantee what the girls are going to do to you, once they find out."
Dennia flops into the nearest chair, almost tipping it over and tries to understand what she's hearing, still staring. Confusion can't help itself and just settles on her face openly.
Alain blanches at that just a moment, the adopts a determined look and hooks his thumbs through the waistband of the skirt. "Might as well get to learning to be a Smith." he states somewhat gruffly, and gives a tug on the skirt, pulling it down...down to his ankles...
Bailyn eyes Alain and faints. Thats it for her. A soft thud on the floor is all you hear.
Dennia is next to Bailyn in a heartbeat, her duty always taking over when nothing else is right. She pats the poor white face. "Bailyn.. you alright?"
Bailyn slowly murmurs something about Alain, but then is out again.
Arakiel doesn't even pat an eyelash. She's seen it all before. Knowing Dennia will handle Bailyn, "And the braid too. That thing is dangerous around the forge."
Shoshana looks /really/ confused now, and quickly turns away, staring as Bailyn goes *thump*. She kneels by the fainted Bailyn as well, but doesn't really do anything, just sort of keeps her head turned away.
Alain strips the blue chemise off over his head, as well, and blinks around, seeming to be missing a Bailyn. He peers down toward his feet and his jaw drops. So there he stands, staring down at a fainted Bailyn, wearing nothing...nothing but his shoes, a pair of knee-highs, and the ever present short-pants he's always worn under that confounded skirt. "Is she okay?" he asks softly, peering down at Bailyn.
Dennia sits Bailyn up in her lap as much as she can and just rocks a little, knowing the apprentice is at least safe as she watches, trying to catch the headwoman's eyes an get an answer to what she slid into.
Dennia ummina, ummina's at Alian "Sure.. sure.."
Bailyn starts to hum slightly. Her eyes don't even flicker, but her short breath makes a slight song in her humming.
Arakiel raises an eyebrow, still holding the knife. "you want me to do it?"
Alain whirls to face Arakiel, the braid whipping around behind him to seek shelter behind him, instead of wholloping him for once. "B-but! You don't have to cut it off! Really...I'll just keep it back." he states, starting to back slowly away.
Dennia smiles at Bailyn and whispers that it's alright to open her eyes, knownig she will when she's ready.
Arakiel scowls, "You can't work around the forge with that. Any master will tell you it's goo dangerous."
Bailyn stops when she hears Dennia. "I...don't wana...." She whispers.
Alain continues to back away, hands up defensively, the boy stumbling on a bench and scrambling back to his feet. "But I'm afraid I'd miss it if you cut it off!" he replies, trying to sound jocular and instead just sounding a little sick...
Arakiel shrugs, "I won't be responsibil for sending you to the infirmary with bad burns when it catches on fire."
Bailyn turns her head to one side and hums again.
Alain snatches a glance at Bailyn, "Bailey? You okay?" he softly calls, keeping a wary eye on the knife in Arakiel's hand.
Dennia takes a deep breath and finally speaks up "She's right you know... Best to cut it off." She doesnt' stop trying to sooth Bailyn.
Bailyn opens her eyes slightly to look up at Dennia. She smiles slightly, then closes them again. Still feeling lightheaded.
Arakiel isn't about to move. She's done what she's suppose to do. it'll be up to Evan to deal with this strange apprentice.
Dennia leans closer to Bailyn and asks "Want a bit of klah?"
Alain casts a worried glance toward Dennia. "But I...I've always..." he catches at the end of the braid fretfully, tugging the light blue ribbon from it and letting the piece drop to the floor, a simple leather band still holding his locks in a braid. "It's really not that much trouble." he insists, flopping to sit on a bench...practically petting the silly thing.
Bailyn looks up at Dennia. This time a funny smile is shown. "Klah? Yes..." Her voice is very quiet. "Klah sounds good, Anhelica..." She closes her eyes again.
Alain keeps a wary eye on Arakiel, and unfortunately doesn't notice Bailyn slowly beginning to look around. And so, he proceeds to pull off his shoes and then one by one the knee-high stockings...
Shoshana glances up slightly, "Why don't you wear it in a bun...wind the braid into a bun I mean...that would keep it out of the forge." she suggests, actually speaking for once.
Dale walks in from the Courtyard.
Bailyn looks up at Dennia again. "Why'd you come back?"
Dennia smiles at Bailyn and shrugs "I've been here, sweets," she says softly. "You feel like sitting up, yet?"
Bailyn nodds, "Sure..Sure..But what did you do with Ginger?" She slowly lets Dennia help her up, slightly opening her eyes.
Alain peers up from peeling off his second stocking and offers Bailyn a sheepish grin. "Sorry to scare you and all." he offers softly, a deep fear biding behind his eyes...
Dennia just smiles at her charge as she helps her sit up. "I'll get klah when you manage on your own."
Arakiel shrugs and tucks the knife away and sighs wearily. Too much excitment. Evan's going to kill her if she collapses again.
Bailyn sits up slightly, and grabs a chair arm for support. "Will you put your special thing in there? I always loved that..So did Papa."
Alain blinks down at Bailyn, and finally drops to one knee--barelegged, barefoot and barchested, and grabs her other arm, trying to help steady her. "Try taking deep breaths." he suggests.
Dennia sounds a bit concerned when she simply says "Lexie!" then turns to Bailyn "Of course.." she mutters and helps her to a chair. "Lexia, go play in the .. the courtyard."
Jaina moves silently in from the Smith Infirmary.
Dale makes his way in slowly looking at the large amounts of people here. He doesn't say anything just moves to a free bench watching the others, "Evening everyone." He smiles and watches them to see if he is needed.
Arakiel nods to Jaina. "Good to see you. Bailyn is having difficulties. And I think you'll need to do a mind test on Alain."
Lexia trots on out from upstairs, ringlets bouncing behind her ever so cutely. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. "Moooooommy?" Mother dearest? She's famished. And a bubbly might save her life. "I'm hungr-" Blink. What? Go outside? And soil her new shoes? You must be hallucinating. "Why- ooooooh." Gawk. That boy doesn't have his pants pulled up. How... undignified. Tiny nose crinkles as he points at him, the upright citizen she is, and comments, "Aren't you /cold?/" To say the least?
Bailyn nodds and grabs Alains arm. "Thank you." She softly talks to Alain. "Did she get the klah?"
Dennia sighs at damage done and a situation she definitely can't control. "Lexia, dear..." she tries again. "There's some rock candy growing in the kitchen..."
Jaina puts hands on hips and walks over to the crowd, kneeling near Bailyn. "Eh? Okay, what happened first off?" she asks, peering an dputting hand on Bailyn's forehead and checking a few basic things. "She jist fainted?" she asks, leering around "Get me some water, and a clean cloth." she directs a nearby apprentice of hers...
Dennia scurries off with the apprentice nowt aht Bailyn is in better hands.
Arakiel seeing the healer has everything under control, roll her eyes, heads upstairs.
Alain glances down at his near-lack of clothing...and, well...frankly it /is/ a bit drafty in the hall with nothing on but a boy's under-shorts...but that's besides the point right now. "Y-yeah...she fainted..." he neglects to mention the reason--that he dropped his skirt in front of her...
Shoshana glances around, backing up towards the stairs. Lots of people, and everything seems pretty worked out...or at least more worked out than it was before when people thought the he was a she...or something like that. So this is a good time to escape back upstairs.
Bailyn hears Dennia leave and calls, "Anhelica? You're not sopposed to leave!"
Shoshana goes home.
Alain glances around a little fretfully, and pats Bailyn's shoulder awkwardly. "It's okay...Anhelica's right here..."
Lexia harumphs. Loudly. "But that boy is not wearing his pants." She's hardly traumatized. She's seen her daddy in boxers. Furry legs are not attractive, like Xander or kitties, but are hardly disgusting. Like little brothers. "It's not right not to wear pants." she scolds, waggling a finger at him. "Put on some pants right now, Mister." Harumph. She has to keep the peace.
Bailyn hears Alain. "Alain? You know Anhelica? Are you friends?"
Alain ulps at that and shoots Lexia a glance that at first says 'shinde kudasai' and then says 'heh...cute kid...duddun't know what she's saying, though.' He shoots Lexia one of those little smiles that just oozes adultspeak--the kind that adults talk to two-turn-olds with. He turns his attention back to Bailyn and clears his throat, "Um...well...not exactly. How's your head feel?"
Bailyn frowns and closes her eyes. Slowly speeking to Alain she gets close to his ear. "I need a healer. Where is Anhelica?"
Jaina grins "I'm a healer," says a voice at Bailyn's side as the healer peers down at her.
Lexia is agog. Lexia is aghast. Was that a... a patronizing look he gave her? This, from a boy with no pants? She is belittled. She is hurt. She is... madder than a little wherry. "What was /that/ look for?" she wails, foot stomping as mahoany eyes narrow. Grrr. You, boywithnopants, are not gaining any brownie points. I'll make my kitty claw you. Yeah. "Everybody knows they're supposed to have pants. Stupidhead. You're a big stupidhead. A stupidhead with no pants." Yeah.
Alain glances around, really worried, now, and leans forward so Bailyn doesn't have to talk so loud...The Braid returning to it's regular job of being a nuisance and hanging right in Bailyn's face. A glance is given to Jaina and the boy asks, "Do you know what's wrong with her?" Well...aside from the obvious that is. *wink* A hasty glance is cast toward Lexia. This one much clearer in it's meaning than the previous one. It says, 'what in the name of all that flames are you babbling about?'
Bailyn looks up at Jaina. "You're my healer?" Her speech starts to slur. "What happened to Anhelica?"
Jaina shakes her head after nodding, "Yes, I'm the healer, and I don't know about this Anhelica. Can someone explain who that is to me?" she looks up and asks, peering right for Alain.
Alain blinks up at Jaina and shakes his head a little. "Maybe her old healer?" he suggests softly, cheeks now starting to turn a little pink as he is, in fact, squatting here in his undershorts with nothing else on...and girls all around...girls who are likely to kill him as soon as they can take in the shock that he's not really a girl...and he has been sleeping in their dorm... *cough*
Bailyn looks at Alain. "You know her..." she closes her eyes and almost falls back, but grabs onto Alain.
Lexia is mad. Grrrr. Mad. Can't you see how mad she is? Just look at her. She's maaaad. Grrr. Stomp. "Fine! I you want to be all naked, be naked! Stupidhead. Big stupidhead."
Jaina still rocks on her toes "Oka, will someone please tell me who this person /is/? Please?" she asks, sighing. What is up around this hall? Maybe they're all fine...and pranking her, or maybe they're all just...wierd? Except for Lexia.
Alain oofs and just barely catches Bailyn, flopping backwards and ending up with her practically in his lap. He peers up at Jaina, then over at Lexia--who is puffing up like a puff-adder. "Uh...she's prolly just a healer...can't you wake her up or something?" he wheezes, peering over at Lexia and wondering if she's about to spit flame...and it doesn't help that his eyes cross a little as he tries to support a woman five years his senior--and him just a 12-turn-old!
Bailyn eyes Alain. "Where is the Healer? I'm...." She drifts off, just now noticing that Alain still has no cloths on.
Jaina sighs and sets a damp cloth on Bailyn's forehead as the apprentice brings it back "About time, " she says to him. Peering back to the smith.
Bailyn feels the damp cloth but still doesn't move. Not caring that she's in a bare boy's arms.
Alain shifts a little and wriggles around to get a better hold on Bailyn. "I'll give her a hand up there..." he offers, nodding toward the stairs. "I need to get my stuff out of there, anyhow." And Faranth knows he won't be sleeping in the /men's/ dorms tonight, either!
Jaina sighs and okies, "She should be fine." if they let her sleep and rest...and she hasta get going back to her infirm.
Bailyn doesn't mind to put all her weight on Alain, even though she can't weigh more than a hundred or so pounds. "Bed?"
Alain staggers just a bit under Bailyn's weight, shifting his arm around her waist and looking not a little sheepish as he does so. "Can you make it up the stairs? We can getcha more water when we get up there..."
Bailyn nodds and starts to lead up the stairs. Now, if she was really knowing what she was doing, she wouldnt let him take her up.
Alain is careful with Bailyn, taking the stairs slowly, but still puffing with the exertion all the same. "Al--most." he heaves, shifting Bailyn's arm on his shoulders and heading toward the dorms.
Women's Dormitory
Similar in layout and design as teh men's dormitory, the Woman's too has cots lined along each wall. Each cot having its own indiviual trunk resting at the end, some with things peeking out. Different to the men's is the woven mat, this one having the hammer and quill in red on a white background. The area for study here is about the same size, and just as busy as the Men's as the craft starts to fill its ranks with females. Tapestries hang here too, different only in colours, the design of glasscrafter, a smith forging metal and a third seated and writting remains the same.
Baskets set into the wall are filled with sweet-smelling herbals.
Bailyn walks in from the East Wing.
Bailyn points to a cot. "Can I go to bed now?" She looks at Alain and almost passes out again, but this time holds her breath.
Alain holds his breath, too, but for a different reason. He nods, staggers, and practically flops over on top of Bailyn in the process of letting her down. He shifts a little uncomfortably, glad that at least most of the other apprentices seem to be asleep...but there is that slight problem of Bailyn still laying on his arm...
Bailyn moves slowly that lets Alain free to use his arm. She falls asleep, with a slight, "Night, Alain..."
