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 Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:11 pm
Nan was a job shuffler, though not be her own choice. The forces that be seemed to decide that it was better that they kept moving her around. It wasn't that she would ever run out of people to talk to – they had given up on that one a long time ago – it was more to do with protecting the innocent. If she stayed in one job for too long she started making a gossip circle, which quickly got out of hand whenever there was a green ready to Rise. Today, it seemed that someone's green was proddy, as the infamous Nose had been removed from kitchen duty and sent to the corner, so to speak, to do mending duty.
She didn't seem to mind the change, however, finding that the women in charge of mending were just as talkative as the kitchen staff. Not quite as gossipy but that was to be expected. They were not in any of the key locations to overheard juicy tidbits. Instead, they seemed to talk about children a lot. Little Foran had torn his good set of pants again. No doubt chasing tunnelsnakes again, that rabble-rouser. Clearly someone needed to tell his Foster Mother what he was doing. And things like that.
For her part, Nandeli was simply nodding along, halfway through mending a torn sleeve. She was just sliding the needle through when one of the girls asked her about the Klah-Off. Her needlework was forgotten instantly. "It was great! You guys should have stopped by. Even the Candidatemaster and Bronzerider S'kagi did." That earned a few oohs from the audience. "And we were offering a free kiss to the first lady to take a drink! From Sovann, you know, the one that Kell from the kitchen adores. Thinks he's adorable. He kissed a girl too! On the cheek, but she stopped her choking right away!" Clearly this was Big News.
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:23 pm
Being that Inaari had been somewhat of an accomplice to the rigmarole that had been the Klah-Off, she had been given yet another duty that suited her talents. Mending. It was possibly one of the easiest, most mindless chores that a woman could be employed at. Making a new dress, or outfit, or really anything was more interesting than repairing a hem, or darning socks.
Especially Rider socks. Talk about nasty!
At the exuberant mention of Sovann, Inaari's heart fluttered, and she looked up sharply at the speaker. It appeared to be 'Nan', the loud one who was shouting and cavorting around. It was her who had brought over Old Grumpy to taste her Klah.
Interesting.
"Is that why he did it? I'd always wondered." Putting her sewing into her lap, Naari leaned forward. "What else do you know about him?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:35 pm
Nan turned her attention to the questioner, and was surprised to find that it was Inaari. She remembered seeing the girl at the Klah-Off, but only briefly. Inaari hadn't been yelling or kissing anybody, so she wasn't likely to have attracted the Nose's attention. Still, she was the only girl in the competition, so that meant that she had to know her on the basis of principle. Her interest in Sovann, however, was very peculiar. She would have to remember it.
"Yes, sadly, he didn't come up with that on his own. Okassis did, and then we egged him on until he did it. He seemed a little reluctant to do it though. I wonder if he's secretly gay..." She paused to tap her chin theatrically. "What do I know about him? Well, not much really since he's not that exciting. Another boy from a fishing family, which isn't anything new. Friends with Okassis as far as I can tell, though they could be friends with benefits. It's hard to say these days. Did you not know him before the competition?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:44 pm
Leaning back slightly to think, the blond reached up underneath her kerchief to lightly scratch her scalp. It'd been somewhat itchy lately, and seemed to be going around. Inaari hoped she hadn't caught something, but was prepared to all but drown herself if she had to.
"All I knew was that he tried to be very charming. He's not so good at it when he's in a large crowd, you know?" That was easily noticed at the klah-off. Inaari was perfectly calm in a large group, but her older friend was not so blessed. "I wouldn't really know about the ah...' she whispered the word like it was a curse, 'gay. But he rarely is anywhere with out Okassis. It's possible. He did write him a song, and made me sing to him."
It was very hard to think anything now but that Sovann was having secret relations with his 'best friend', and this caused a good deal of internal stress to the poor girl. Biting her lip, she looked straight over at the other girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Inaari. I saw you at the klah-off, but I don't think we met."
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:07 pm
"Charming?" Nandeli repeated incredulously. "Really? I wouldn't have believed that. He seemed so completely and utterly flustered last time that I was surprised he kissed that girl without fainting!" Now that would have been funny. But alas, he had managed to stay upright, and even to comfort the girl he had kissed without any kind of warning. That was a real gentleman for you.
The way Inaari said gay nearly made Nan giggle, but she managed to hold herself together. Clearly the girl had never seen two guys kiss, or three for that matter. She just needed to be introduced to the appeal of the whole thing, then she would understand why it was okay to squeal about secret gay relationships. "Oh he wrote that song? The one about him being a jerk? Woooow~" Now if that wasn't some pretty concrete proof she didn't know what was. "Does Sovann like writing songs? Or is he just one of those creative types?"
Nan beamed at the introduction. "It's a pleasure to meet you Inaari! I'm Nandeli, which you probably already know but that's okay. You can call me Nan if you like, or the Nose. I think Okassis has started making that even more popular than it already was."
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:59 pm
"I think I'll stay with Nan, it's much better than Nose!" She was somewhat scandalized that someone would be called by a body part, but would never, ever say that.
"Sovann well..he tries to be, but it doesn't always work. It's pretty obvious, and he pouts more than my little sister does. And she pouts a lot." Almost all of Inaari's life experiences came from her Cothold. She'd barely been at Fort for a year before being Searched, and that was not nearly enough time to learn everything about life in the fast lane.
However, the Weyr was more like hopping between every few seconds, just to get around the world as fast as you could. There was almost no time to catch your breath before something new and exciting happened. "I think he can only be charming when it's not important too, you know? Not about kissing and stuff, but other things." The patented ridiculing eye roll was off again at the antics of Sovann.
"I think he likes to write things, but he won't show me. After all, I'm just the little Holder girl." That last part was slightly bitter. Those boys would never see that she was growing up, and what did Holder matter? "He hates Holders for some reason. I don't know why, I'd somewhat hoped you did."
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:28 pm
Nandeli simply chuckled softly at Inaari's proclamation. Perhaps Nan was much better than being called the Nose, but she'd been using both nicknames since they'd been given to her. If she wasn't the biggest gossiper in the whole Weyr she might have minded the Nose bit, but why try to be something you're not? It wasn't like the nickname misrepresented her any.
She listened intently as Inaari talked about her friend, taking very good mental notes. So he was the charming type… but only when it came to not flirting with girls? That sounded so funny to her, however she had to remind herself that she was dealing with Holders and not Weyrfolk. There was something to be said about the freedom of sexuality in the Weyr.
"Well, what does he consider the not important stuff? Because he was certainly having trouble holding himself together at the klah-off. Or maaaaaybe…" She paused with a rather thoughtful look on her face. "It's possible that he's only charming around you. There's a possibility he's only trying to win over your attention." Perhaps to combat the rumours about his secret crush on Okassis? Oh, wait, she hadn't started those yet. This would require some careful thought.
The bit about him hating Holders distracted her from Sovann's love life, and she frowned slightly. "He hates Holders? I can't imagine why, but I can definitely try and find out for you. He doesn't really come across as the hating type, you know? Though maybe that's just me. And if he won't show you his writings then you have to try to be a little more persuasive. Or just read them when he's not there."
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:24 pm
Blinking with slight confusion, Inaari blushed almost indignantly at the idea of Sovann wanting her attention. "More like he didn't want me to run and tell on him to someone important, you mean. He seemed to have some peculiar ideas about 'us Holder girls'. That all we're good for is looking pretty, and being silly wherries. Sharding foolish, if you ask me! I've worked hard my whole life, and my sisters even harder than I have!" Her tone was indignant and insulted. It still smarted, and even made her somewhat fearful, remembering the tone and sneer that moved across his handsome face as he spoke.
"As for what's not important...I'd think he doesn't like girls that run around like headless wherries. You know the type I mean. Fawning, preening. Showing off their bodies like fools." She quite agreed with him, if it were the case. Those girls weren't worth any attention. Or spit. Or air. "Do you think? I haven't met many since coming here though."
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:39 pm
Aaah denials. If the blush on Inaari's face was any sign of her true feelings she rather liked the fact that Nandeli had suggested that Sovann was interested in her. Not that she blamed the Holder girl. He was certainly an attractive young man – and he'd make a very attractive rider that much was for certain – not to mention he seemed to have a good temperament. Yes, he and Inaari would probably be quite good together. That is to say, if Sovann wasn't already crushing on Okassis. She almost felt bad for Inaari.
"A lot of boys do seem to have very strange opinions about girls when they get to the Weyr, though they're usually about Weyr girls. People seem to think we put out more or something to that effect. The further out the worse the rumours get!" Nandeli sympathized. Girls seemed to work hard everywhere as far as she could tell, but people always seemed to think that location somehow changed girls from hardworking housewives to lazy flirts. It was one of those unsolved mysteries.
She nodded at Inaari's assessment of Sovann's dislikes. "I haven't exactly seen him being sociable to any girls besides several at the klah off, though Okassis was doing most of the talking. He seems to be more drawn to... charisma, shall we say, than anything else. Perhaps he likes you for your personality and not your looks?"
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:46 pm
The blush only remained, a stain under a marring of freckle as Inaari's deft hands faltered in her mending. Like her for who she was? Did he even know who she was? The blond highly doubted such a thing. "I don't think that he knows very much about me, other than I didn't let him bully me. Maybe he likes those types of people? Certainly his friend Okassis is not the sort to be bullied. It would be nice, if he were one of those boys that didn't put stock in a girl's looks. We can't all be beauties!"
The teen certainly didn't consider herself to be one. Her mother was certain she was not. Her skin was abhorrent, and her pale hair was rare, but unruly to a fault! The mass almost never hung smoothly, and seemed to like to whip about at the slightest breeze. Picking almost self-consciously at a peeling section of skin on the back of her hand, she smiled at Nandeli. "Certainly up here at the Weyr, there's a good deal of interesting girls. Perhaps the competition makes it that way?"
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:54 pm
The gears in Nan's head began to turn as she absorbed Inaari's observations. Apparently Sovann had a thing for people who didn't let him bully them. Or perhaps he just liked being dominated by those around him. While it was possible that the young man did swing both ways, she liked to stick with her original hypotheses. Still, if Okassis and Sovann didn't work, Inaari and Sovann would be an interesting substitute. The girl certainly did have quite a bit of character.
"I agree completely! Though it is rare to find boys who look for inner beauty rather than the outer kind. Perhaps there is hope yet. Still, a little outer beauty never hurt anyone. You're certainly pretty enough to attract his attention, and if your personality is good then you can easily hold it." Typical Nandeli with her straightforward observations. She idly hoped that Inaari wouldn't mind, since so far the girl had been a good sport. "Oh it's possible that competition makes it like this. Having Queen eggs on the Sands always brings in tons of interesting girls. Bronzes tend to pick them up, and each rider is looking for something different in a potential Queen, so I've heard. Some want really wild girls, others want them pretty and willing. More likely to fall into the bronzerider trap that way." She tsked softly.
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 10:18 pm
Smiling still, the fifteen year old couldn't help but sit up a little straighter at the compliment. Her father told her she was lovely, but fathers were always somewhat biased when it came to their daughters. To hear it from another source was something entirely different, and had a boosting effect. "Thank you. So....each bronzerider picks a girl he wouldn't particularly mind....flying?!" Her eyes widened a bit as she thought of the rider who had brought her in. She didn't remember much about the man, and had seen him rarely since coming to the weyr.
It was horribly disconcerting to think that she was brought only as a suitable bedmate, however. "And what is a bronzerider trap?" Goodness, she really was ignorant of such things! It was almost intolerable, especially when such worldly observations all but dripped from the other girl.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:43 am
She was inwardly pleased at how Inaari took the compliment. Some girls liked to blush and turn their faces away whenever someone told them that they looked pretty. Some girls liked to just brush it off. But Nandeli had always liked girls who could take a compliment to heart and not worry too much about whether the person who said it was trying to be flattering. Yes, Inaari and S'van would definitely make a nice substitute if S'van and Okassis couldn't get together.
"You're very welcome," Nandeli replied with a grin, though she was hard pressed to keep the expression in check at Inaari's questions. Aaah the poor Holder girl. Sometimes she forgot that not everyone had grown up in the Weyr. "Well, some of the bronzeriders go out and pick the girls that they wouldn't mind seeing in bed, in or out of flight. Some of them pick girls they think would make good leaders, while some of them will pick girls they think can be easily bossed around. Nobody really knows what the Queens will be looking for, so they tend to just pick the ones that they like. And the bronzerider trap...." She paused for a dramatic effect. "Is when bronzeriders tell the girls they bring that if they sleep with them they'll be guaranteed a queen. As if the bronzes tell the queen which girl to pick."
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