[CANDIDATES] Doomed Outing

[Arcane]

Did you hear the rumor that Naxen is considering planning a camping trip? After what happened at Fort. On the southern continent. With the spotties. Someone needs to talk her out of it- and quickly. I'm too young to die!

[nineofswords]

Candidate Hamuntep

"If you are afraid of death, I'm afraid you're in the wrong profession. Certainly on the wrong continent," Hamun said, casting a critical eye over the rest of the candidates in the room. "Dragonriders are meant to risk life and limb every time thread falls. And simply by being here, we are all constantly at risk of spotties. The walls are not enough to keep them out if they are truly determined to enter. They have shown that often enough. Safety is an illusion we all choose to buy into because it suits us, but that is all it is; an illusion." He wasn't terribly bothered by the idea of dying to the spotties. If he took at least one down with him, that'd be enough to be remembered for turns to come, after all.

Still, it would be better if he could impress a dragon, live long enough to make a name for himself and actually enjoy the glory that would come with it. But he wasn't about to say no to a camping trip simply because he would rather live. "Surely I cannot be the only one who does not fear a camping trip, with the watchful eye of Naxen on us all."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Candidate Phelps - Hamuntep

Phelps scoffed at his former shipmate. "Yeah, riders are supposed to risk themselves when it's to protect the rest of Pern, but we're a bunch of unarmed candidates who don't have dragons or whers to protect us. Semaca will frost over before you get me out in that jungle without proper protection." He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table in front of him. He wanted to explore the jungle, sure, but he also didn't have the death wish that Hamuntep seemed to.

"I think seeing what the candidates at Fort went though, Naxen would be more thoughtful and not put us in a situation like that. I heard one of them died. I'm not kicking it before I've even had a chance at the sands."

_________________________________________________________________

Candidate Brabbop

Brabbop wasn't a coward, and he was eager to prove himself. If that meant camping in the woods, that was fine by him. Besides, camping sounded like a lot less work than all the drudge chores and homework that filled his days. "Yeah, get me out dere! I ain't scared of a bunch of oversized cats."

He had heard plenty of stories about the spotties since transferring to Semaca, but hadn't seen one for himself yet. He didn't understand why everyone was so afraid of them when they not only had the protection of the weyr, but also of the dragons and whers. It seemed to him like typical older folks blowing things out of proportion to try and scare those younger than them into obeying their directions. Brabbop didn't care to be told scary stories as if he were a child to get him to behave.

"I'll pack my bag right now. Let me at 'em!"

[nineofswords]

Candidate Hamuntep - Phelps, Brabbop

Hamun turned and gave Phelps a dark look. "Mazurka is hardly out there risking their lives 'for the good of Pern' when they explore the summerlands," he told Phelps condescendingly. "They are risking their lives to sate human curiosity at best. Many of the other squads of Semaca similarly risk life and limb, and at most it is for the good of Semaca, but hardly all of Pern. And you and I have weathered storms which would turn some of those people's hair white. We will be fine, if we do not allow ourselves to be overcome by fear," he added with a sneer.

"You've had a chance on the sands, as I recall," Hamuntep pointed out. "It was one egg, but that does not mean that you were not given sufficient chance."

He turned to Brabbop at the man's enthusiasm, raising a wry eyebrow. "You know where the gates to the Weyr are," he pointed out. "If you are truly so eager to fight the spotties, you can simply walk out and do so." It wasn't that simple, and Hamun knew it, but foolishness or else false bravado (he wasn't sure which quality Brappop was displaying just then) were not qualities that served his purposes, and it might be funny to see the result of goading Brappop on.

[Windra]

Candidate Petraxen

"Man it's not like they knew there were dangers out there when they went camping. Give me a break!" groaned Petraxen. He stroked Honeysuckle's small cranium as she slept soundly in his lap, trilling in her dreams with little puffs that made her draconic lips ripple. Freaking adorable. "They didn't know there was a pack of whers out there. I mean, yeah, Golden Ghost or whatever but lot of people thought she was a goodie."

He waved his free hand to the rock wall behind them, metaphorically signaling towards the jungle expanse that lay well beyond their current domain.

"Most of us came down here knowin' full well what dangers we're facing. And new stuff is cropping up all the time! Didn't you hear 'bout that squid they found by Lominsa? Mo - Naxen - wouldn't put us willingly in danger if she didn't have a really good plan on how to go about it. So we'd go with some protection. Maybe watchdragons, or whers. Definitely weapons."

Yeah, Naxen would absolutely not put her own children at risk for a publicity stunt.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Candidate Phelps - Hamuntep, Petraxen

Phelps returned Hamuntep's sneer with a scowl of his own. "One egg for a whole class of candidates is hardly a fair chance. Besides, that egg didn't even pick any of us, it went for the stands," he grumbled. He didn't need to be reminded of the marks he had lost betting that the egg would be his, and was still annoyed whenever the solitary hatching was brought up.

"It's not fear, it's survival instinct, you dolt. Some of us don't suffer from perpetual delusions of grandeur. I'm not afraid to go out there, I'm just saying that I refuse to without proper preparation and means to protect myself." He was gesturing emphatically, raising his voice with frustration as he spoke. "Would you take a vessel without sails or rigging into a storm on the open sea? No, because that's a great way to get yourself killed."

He turned to the other candidate to give them some of his ire too. "The Fort candidates might not have known about the dangers of their woods, but we're well aware of the dangers of our jungles. Naxen is nothing more than a fool if she thinks taking us out there to be spotty bait is a good idea. Those things can take down whole dragons, from what I hear."
________________________________________________________________

Candidate Brabbop - Hamuntep

"You think dey'd let me walk out just like dat?" Brabbop asked Hamuntep eagerly. Going out and fighting a spotty sounded much more interesting than sitting around blowing a bunch of hot air in each other's faces. It was much better than doing chores too.

He stood up, grinning broadly. "Who else is gonna come with me? I'm not scared of the jungle like some people." He looked pointedly at Phelps as he spoke.

[Windra]

Candidate Petraxen - @ Phelps

There was a sudden pile of burning coals in his chest. The red glow grew intensely with each breath 'til he was sure to breathe fire. If Honeysuckle were not in his lap ... Carefully he removed her, setting her slumbering form on his sitting spot after removing himself from it.

And then, immediately, he was all up in Phelps face. He could glare down at the lad, towering over him by several feet courtesy of the other's sitting position, and let the fury show in his eyes without hinderance.

"You take that back," he snarled, tossing aside any personal space and leaning threateningly over the wood. "She's more sense and experience than you could hope to muster and would throw herself before a spotty before allowing somebody to perish at their claws. Naxen would not send us - or anybody else - out there without taking everything into account to ensure we return safely, so check yourself before you speak!"

[FirebrandPhlox]

Candidate Phleps - Petraxen
TW: Death Mention

Phlox did not take kindly to someone trying to intimidate him. As Petraxen loomed over him, he rapidly stood, sending the chair he was sitting on clattering to the floor. Even at his full height, the other candidate still had nearly half a foot on Phelps, but what he lacked in height he could make up for in volume.

"No!" He shouted veins in his neck bulging with the force of the word. He pointed emphatically as he spoke, digging his finger into the taller candidate's chest."She would be nothing more than an idiot to take us out there! What, she'd going to give a bunch of unproven whelps weapons to fight off the apex predators that cause issues for even experienced riders and handlers? That sounds like a great way to end up with a bunch of dead candidates! If she wants to go down as the worst candidatemaster in history, she can drag you lot out there, but I'm not going to be so careless about my own hide!"

[nineofswords]

Hamun - Petraxen, Phelps, Brabbop

"Not knowing there might be danger is not an excuse for being unprepared to face it," Hamun told Petraxen, lifting his chin imperiously. "Dragonriders are meant to face danger, and to adapt to unexpected complications. It is the difference between life and death for you, your dragon, and your squad."

Hamun's smile for Phelps was particularly nasty when Phelps grouched about the egg. "You really are such a sore loser, aren't you?" he taunted. His expression and tone turned aghast when Phelps asked about sailing into a storm. "Of course I'd take a vessel with no sails or rigging into a storm, are you daft? Or maybe all that time below decks peeling potatoes has dulled your sea sense. I'm hardly going to unfurl the sails in a storm and let myself be blown to Faranth knows where or to let the sails be torn to shreds." He was being pedantic, but that was who he was. He wasn't afraid to rile Phelps up, and it was painfully easy to do so.

Case in point. He was getting into a screaming match with another candidate over Naxen. Incredible. He turned his attention to Brappop. "No, they won't just let you walk out," he said idly. "They have this thing about not wanting their candidates to get mauled. But you can certainly try to sneak out. If you require company, I suppose it might be amusing to at least witness your attempt." He glanced at the other two. "Certainly more productive than this particular shardshow."

[Windra]

The best option would have been to back down, hands raised in surrender, and just let it be. But this guy ... this guy got under his skin. Befouling his mother's name like that, he had no right to even be turning it about in his mouth. The audacity!

"The why are you here?!" he snarled. The heat in his voice, clouding his judgment, was enough to stir Honeysuckle from her nap. Opalescent eyes swirled a noxious combination of peridot and citrine to echo her dazed concern, swiveling her neck here and there to regain a bearing of where she was. "As a dragon candidate, you'd be expected to lay down your life for the Weyr once you Impress. That's against Thread - or Spotties. And the best way to understand your enemy is to have a topographical understanding of the land you're supposed to defend. What happens if you take a hit during Fall and wind up in the jungle? Or if we get attacked and have to split off into the wilds, or swept away when monsoon season kicks up? You just gonna sit out there and hunker down, waitin' for folks to come save your hide? Get real! Going out campin' will prepare you for emergency situations, and Naxen isn't gonna let you get eaten alive unless you do some dumb shit like run off - and even then I'd be willing to bet marks that she'd put herself in danger to rescue you!"

Honeysuckle was chittering anxiously now, her orbs taking on sparks of red. This was the only thing to yank Petraxen away, for his hatred of this man was nothing compared to the love of his fire-lizard. Petraxen backed away, never tearing his eyes from Phelps' face until her was beside his bonded, whereupon he settled her with soothing sounds and scooped her into his arm.

"Calm down, love."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Candidate Phelps - Petraxen

Whatever it was Hamuntep was trying to be high and mighty about completely flew over Phelps' head as he got into a shouting match with Petraxen. Hamuntep was the old annoyance, forgotten as soon as a new irritant was in his face.

"Yes, lay down my life, once I've impressed! There's that detail of having a lifemate made of claws and teeth alongside me that you seem to forget we don't have yet." He was shouting, arms flailing as he gestured angrily. Was everyone in this room a complete idiot? Was he speaking a different language? Or maybe they all just had a death wish and wanted to drag anyone else they could down with them.

"Any of those scenarios you're listing are unlikely at best. If they do happen, so be it! I'll figure it out. I've weathered enough storms to know how to take care of myself, and also to not take unnecessary risk when it can be avoided. A damn weyrbat like you who's lived a coddled life wouldn't understand." He scowled at Petraxen, who was little more than an ignorant child in his eyes.

______________________
Candidate Brabbop - Hamuntep

"Honest? You'll come with?" Brabbop grinned at Hamuntep. He had taken the other candidate for little more than a fancy talker, but maybe he had more guts than he let on. He wasn't afraid of camping at least, unlike that Phelps guy who was about to pop a blood vessel if he kept yelling like that.

"No gettin' scared and runnin' back to da weyr. And no snitchin'! If we get caught, we get caught together."

[nineofswords]

Hamun scowled at Phelps, annoyed. He didn't like being ignored, and that's a bit what it felt like for Phelps to turn his attention so thoroughly to another candidate. Not that there was much he could do about it in that moment without looking like a petulant child, so he contented himself with a distasteful sneer and turned his complete attention to the person who was actually paying attention to him.

"You can trust me not to run off," Hamun assured Brabbop evenly. "If it takes being mauled by a spottie to make people take notice of me, so be it." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "The other condition...mmm...no promises," he said. "This is your idea, after all. If we are caught, the blame should go to the ringleader, don't you agree?" Hamun was a pirate and not above bending rules, but he was not risking his chance at a dragon over something like this.

[Ignys]

Candidate Ephraim - Open

"Surely we're a little more well prepared to handle the dangers here?" Sure it wasn't the best idea, considering all the added troubles Semaca had to deal with, and the level of intellegence spotties had displayed in the past, but they were (sort of) used to it by now, right? "We could still do it, and just have more guards and scouts. It sounds like fun honestly. A little danger never stopped us before right?"

If his sister were here, she'd probably be the one trying to talk Naxen and the others out of it... But she wasn't there, so Ephraim could speak his mind openly without fear of her lecturing him later about 'practicality' and 'safety', though she would probably be right to do so.