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 Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:26 pm
When she spoke over him, he did his best not to show his frustration as the riders thanked them and he turned to leave with a half-bow. He could feel a burning on his cheeks, and was thankful that his tanned skin took some measure to hide it, though not completely. Back in the other room, the riders' voices rising as they began eating and drinking, he went to begin cleaning up the floor.
His frustration had blown over, and now he simply felt embarrassed. I know what she was trying to do... But I don't appreciate it. He had had the nervousness and humbleness pointed out to him many times before - he was well aware that he did it. However, not looking riders in the eyes didn't make him feel embarrassed in their presence, whereas making eye contact with them made him suddenly aware that he was seventeen, weyrbred, had a rider father, and still hadn't Impressed. I don't want to be a drudge the rest of my life... but shards! I don't want to be reminded that it's a possibility!
He began sloshing water over the soapsand, taking the brush from the bucket and beginning to scrub the klah stain from the stone floor. Face still burning red, he didn't want to make eye contact or let Lelia see his face until he knew it was gone.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:36 pm
Lelia curtseyed again, bidding the riders a polite farewell with both words and a smile, and skittered after Kaatan. She chalked up his not looking at her as some sort of linger reaction of being near the riders. How bizarre, but hey, different people reacted differently, she didn't know whether or not he'd had some bad experience with a rider, or what caused him to act that way, but it was his choice, and she would be out of her place to call him up on it.
She settled on the floor a few feet away from him, settling for the finer, smaller brush she'd happened to bring with. It didn't work quite as well for large surfaces as the brush Kaatan had but...she wouldn't complain. To be in his company was more than enough. She hummed quietly to herself for a minute or two, beginning to settle into the trance like state she used when she cleaned, only to stop herself. She was with Kaatan, Kaatan for Faranths sake. Who knew how long she'd be able to spend with him, it'd be a shame not to talk to him.
She considered beginning a conversation about the eggs but...that didn't seem like the best idea. From what she'd heard, he wasn't standing, but that could just be a rumor. What she did take into consideration was his peculiar behavior around the riders, and decided that, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be the best topic in the world, but that was okay. There were a million other things to talk about than dragons, right? "What do you like to do in your downtime, Kaatan?" she began. "I mean, in what little free time we have, outside of chores?" she clarified.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:52 pm
The break in conversation had given his face time to cool down, and he felt much better for it. His mind got lost in the contradicting shhh shhh shhh sound of the two brushes, until her voice broke the rhythm. "I have to say..." Kaatan considered the question a moment, watching the water seep into the rock for a moment. "I guess my favorite thing is to go up to the more accessible sunning ledges and spend some time with the dragons up there. That, or just spend time outside the weyr. I love the tunnels and things, but sometimes it's nice to just see some grass."
That hung in the rhythmic sounds for a few beats, and then he asked, "How about you? I assume it's not all spent in the kitchen."
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 5:25 pm
Lelia sighed and chuckled lightly in agreement. "I have to say I'm much of the same opinion; on, you know, the grass thing. The Weyr is nice, and it offers us protection, but it's so...drab. I like living things, I like color," she admitted, working her scrubbing into a tempo, a pattern, that allowed her to scrub without much thought. "It's silly, I know," she dismissed, and shook her head.
She thought about what he said for a moment. Or, at least, she acted like it. There were a million things that she could have said, because Lelia loved all sorts of things, but it wasn't in her nature to talk incessantly, contrary to popular belief. She wanted to make sure any response she gave was thoughtful, relatively. "I would have to say that my hobby is people. Talking to them, relaxing with them or just spending time with them. Words can only do so much, I think that's its the presence of people that I enjoy, and more than that, I like to make people happy." she looked over to Kaatan, to see if he was laughing at her at this point. She realized that in all likelihood she sounded like a disillusioned little girl.
"But if you're looking for a more mundane answer, I'd have to say it's training my firelizards. It's certainly time consuming," she stated. No doubt in part to Shayle's intellect, which rivaled that of a rock, and Zev's quick fingers, which had a habit of, acquiring objects that did not belong to him. The fun never stopped.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 5:42 pm
Kaatan nodded in response to her answer. It seemed reasonable enough - she was spending time with him, wasn't she? Not that he was really a loner, but he didn't tend to stop and talk to people he'd just met. And had we not had this little incident, I probably wouldn't have... He looked up at her, his scrubbing never stopping, "Those all seem like good hobbies," he admitted. "I guess people are interesting enough, but people being happy is important." Now he felt like he was rattling on... "I always imagined firelizards to be pretty difficult to train." He made a brief gesture to one upon her shoulder. "Their loyalty seems nearly unmatched though, aside from that of dragons."
There had been chances for him to tame a firelizard, but he wasn't overly fond of the little creatures. They had their uses, that was for sure, but he'd never really had a need for them. Sure, their companionship is nice, but they can't really speak to you like dragons can, and some of them are difficult to train in the first place... I give her credit, though. Aside from that one instance, hers seems very well-trained. "You must be very good at it. She went for being panicky to very subdued in a short period of time."
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:07 pm
Lelia didn't actively seek out company, being alone had its benefits; but all and all she loved people. She felt a surge of relief that he didn't criticize or tease her for her somewhat strange hobby. Not only was he good looking but he had a heart too, Lelia was impressed, even if she didn't say so. "They are pretty loyal, overall," she agreed, though she could recall a few incidents where the statement might have been questionable, she felt no need to bring it up.
Lelia laughed at the compliment, shooting Kaatan a teasing glance, but didn't expect him to notice it, much less understand the feelings behind it; how could he? "While I'd love to take that compliment, I'm afraid I'm not too deserving of it. You wouldn't be so quick to say that if you'd met my other lizard," she sighed, rolling her eyes at the thought of his antics. "And Shayle's good behavior could probably be attributed more to her placid demeanor and her incredibly limited intellect than to my good training. Between you and me, she's dumb as bricks. There's a reason her name's basically 'Shale'," she laughed, sending fond thoughts her firelizards way. Despite her teasing, Lelia loved her flits very, very much.
"Have you ever thought about owning a firelizard?" she asked, feeling it a very natural change of pace in the conversation. As she waited for a response, she scooted over a little to work on another patch of floor. With his help, they were actually making pretty good progress. She'd be done before too long! She'd be done before too long...and then Kaatan would leave. It wasn't like she could keep his company forever, but still, she didn't want him to leave. For more than one reason, she liked having him here and talking.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:20 pm
Kaatan stopped scrubbing a moment, looking up at her. "I never thought that firelizards were all that intelligent, though I suppose your Shayle proves it then, hm?" He continued his scrubbing, suddenly aware that he had paused, and chuckled quietly.
"Not really, no."The response was thoughtful and delivered as he scooted away from where he had been scrubbing. Both of his knees had wet spots on them, and soapsand clung to them, so he dusted them off before kneeling again and continuing the chore. "They're useful, sure and they are," he continued, his odd speech pattern falling. It was a habit that people had tried to break him from, but had never been successful, and it still slipped out at times. "but I guess I don't really have a use for one... Nor the time to train it. Besides, I think that the first creature that I'm to Impress will be a dragon." At least... I hope.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:18 pm
"Well, I think it varies. My Zev is too smart for his own good, sometimes. Gets into way too much trouble," she sighed, recalling a very recent incident involving a ring. He was lucky that he was so charming, or she might've had the heart to be mad at him, despite her relaxed manner. Thankfully Shayle was much better behaved, if a lot dumber.
Lelia hardly noticed how wet she was anymore, or the state of her clothing in general. Did it matter? Sure she would love to be gussied up and gorgeous, but it just wasn't practical. She noted the strange way he phrased his wording, but thought little of it other than that it was endearing. But to Lelia, anything Kaatan did was endearing, love was not only blind, it was blinding.
She understood why one wouldn't want a firelizard. They weren't for everybody; because unlike dragons, firelizards weren't personable. They were great friends, companions and pets, but they required time and patience that not everyone had. But oh, he was talking about dragons? Like most candidates, Lelia thoroughly enjoyed that topic. She smiled, but not a huge, friendly smile, it was demure, soft and sincere, and she wondered if it wasn't as much for herself as it was for Kaatan. "I know you'll impress, Kaatan. You're a good person; and dragons...dragons recognize that. It's just a matter of waiting for the right one...I know," Lelia stated, softly. Lelia'd had her share of failed impressions. Not that it was entirely her fault; Telgar didn't allow girls on the sands unless there was gold egg, and stands impressions weren't exactly a common occurence. She hoped to honest goodness that she would impress this time, that this would be the time, but if it wasn't...well, she still had a few years left in her, and she was patient. The right dragon. She just needed to wait for the right dragon.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:04 pm
"You have another, then?" One firelizard was quite impressive to Kaatan, having the patience to train them and care for them in general, but two? Granted, he had met people with more, but he just considered them crazy. "I guess keeping them out of trouble is a skill all its own then, huh! If I ever Impress one, I'll definitely come to you for help training it." He said it as a half joke, though it was a bit unclear which half was the actual joke - that he'd ever Impress, of that he'd come to her for help.
As the topic turned toward dragons, he felt a bit more at home with it. He thought that he knew as much as was possible to know about them without being a rider or a healer, and spent his leisure time among them. "Well, with a gold on the sands, that sure might happen! Do you think you'd be upset if you were to Impress a green instead?" He knew from experience that Candidates tended to have color preferences, though rarely cared that much. He did, too, but knew that whatever dragon were to choose him would make him more than happy. If she were to Impress a green, that would cause a stir around here. But it wouldn't do much other than that... There's nothing anyone could do about it. The rule is a bit silly anyway... but a fact of life. Best not say that loud though!
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:45 pm
"Oh I definately have another," she stated, emphasizing it. "It's hard to forget Zev," she said, almost as much for herself as for Kaatan. "I'd love to help you train your firelizard," she joked along with him. "I make no guarantees though, firelizards have personalities too. You can't do much with a flit that don't want to be trained."
Lelia was happy to not that he didn't seem put off by the topic of dragons. It seemed that he enjoyed it? Good, she was happy to be wrong on her previous assumption. She finished her section of floor, and set her brush down, turning to watch Kaatan, he was nice to watch, and it was easier than turning to try and speak to him every time she wanted to say something. This unfortunately meant that they were almost done but...at least she could go back to good kitchen chores after this.
Her gaze harded a little when he questioned her opinion on what kind of dragon she wanted to impress. "A dragon is a dragon, no matter the color," she stated flatly, trying to gauge his response. Had he been critical? Was he saying that girls should only ride golds? Lelia disagreed strongly with that. This whole Telgar bias against women was quite obnoxious. Where was the objectiveness, the openness the Weyrs were farmous for? Not here, that was for sure. She couldn't tell just what his ideas on the matter were but decided to lay out her opinion. "Green, gold, or any color in between...it is the dragons choice. I will be happy no matter what." She glanced to and fro, checking humorously whether anyone was around to hear them. "Can you keep a secret? A real secret?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:12 pm
"Well sure, and that goes for people, too," he stated with an amused chuckle. "Living things are stubborn like that." He continued scrubbing, seeing the edge of the sunken in klah. They were almost finished... And then on to other chores, same as usual. That's how it goes, I guess. Find good company, then have it quickly stolen away! Not that she'd be hard to find again... she's a Candidate for a gold!
When she stated her opinion to him, he was surprised at her sternness on the topic. Well, sure she'd be that opinionated on it. I mean, girls here have it tough... Candidates, anyway. If there's no gold egg, they're out of luck... He shrugged in response, and nodded. "I should've figured," he said mildly, with a soft smile. "I figured I'd ask, because most people tend to have a preference tucked in the back of their minds, though clearly feel the same way about colors, and dragons in general." His response was not defensive. It seemed clear to him that he could have easily offended her by the comment, and hoped that his response would diffuse that opinion, but he didn't see the need to apologize for the question - he never saw it necessary to apologize for a question.\
"A secret? Sure I can... Why's that?" The room was empty, and the jovial sounds of the riders in the next room were still quite loud. He set his brush aside as he sat back, his knees up slightly, bent, and his feet resting at the edge of the wet spot. Everything was clean, but he didn't really care to leave just yet.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:38 pm
"I couldn't agree more. I would go so far as to say life itself is stubborn. How else could it have survived so long?" she asked, rhetorically, of course. And he was darn straight that girls had it tough! Not that Lelia knew what he was thinking, but it was a point of contention to her, the whole 'you can only stand when there's a gold egg'; but this was also the birth of her secret, which she had recently elected to share with him.
"No, that's understandble. I think if anyone said they have absolutely no preference, they'd be a liar. I try to remain objective, but even I have a preference," she admitted, somewhat sheepishly. After all, she praised fairness and equality, it was only right that she be a little embarassed that deep down, she did have a little more bias, a little more favor, towards a particular color. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be judging her. Good. She didn't require that he have the same opinions as her, that would be silly, but she did expect to be treated fairly and with compassion.
"Well, it's just that, I had this dream the other day, right after the touching," she whispered, inching closer to him, eyes round with delight at this little breach in formality. "Where I impressed a bBlue! And I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I mean, they're so bright and quick, they can flame and last an entire threadfall, and it would make such a fuss with all those uppity, stuffy authority figures," she giggled conspiratorially. "Not that I want them to be mad, I don't want that, but I wish they would recognize that girls can do something other than ride golds," she confided, drawing her knees up to her chest to rest her chin on them, searching Kaatan's face with her eyes. "Does that seem silly to you?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:33 am
((I meant blue above... not green... My bad; fail memory x.x))
Kaatan's smile was knowing, in response to her response. "It's all right," he said simply with a shrug. "I have my preference as well. We are surrounded by them all the time, so of course we'd develop some type of preference or other. That doesn't mean we're disappointed in the end. I mean.. I'm sure that's the last thing Candidates even think of, once their dragonet has chosen them."
The water near them was drying as the hewn stone floor drank it up, leaving nothing but the gritty soapsand remaining. It mirrored the time they'd have left in this little meeting, though it seemed that, like he, she didn't particularly care to move on to her next chore. This is far more interesting, though not productive... Seems like they don't coincide very often.
When she scooted closer to him, he shifted slightly, opening himself up slightly from his legs-up-and-out position. Her excitement made the smile stay fast on his lips, and he listened intently. "It's not silly at all," he responded when she had finished, his voice firm. "Dragons do what they will, and it's wrong for Telgar's social standards to criticize." With a lower voice, he said this, not wanting to be heard by anyone but her. I don't think she'll judge though, by the sounds of it... that would surely be odd!
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:18 pm
"Yes, yes!" Lelia agreed, beaming at Kaatan as her skin crawled with excitement. It felt naughty, just talking like this while in Telgar. "You have no idea how much happiness and relief it bring me to find that someone agrees with me," she admitted.
"I mean, I don't see what's wrong with it. I might not be as big or as strong as some of the guys around here, but I have my talents and virtues," she asserted, proudly. "And I'm fairly hopeful that I'll impress, sometime. If not now, then later. If not today, then tomorrow. The dragon for me is out there, somewhere. I just have to be there when she, or he, hatches," she continued, drawing circles on the ground with a forefinger, and noting the fact that it was dry. How unfortunate, that meant there time was almost up. Not that she wanted to leave, she felt like she could spend an eternity here, confiding in and enjoying Kaatan's company.
Oh, if only he knew how she felt. She so desperately longed to tell him. She pondered telling him now, at this minute, but decided against it. Subtlety was the name of the game. She would draw this yet. I think...I will tell him when one of us impresses, whether it is he or I. That seems like a good time, she reasoned to herself, and smiled just a little wider at the thought. She liked that idea.
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 11:34 am
Kaatan sighed, nodding. It was good to hear that she shared the same type of hope as he did for Impressing. "Who knows," he replied with a soft smile, though it still held some air of silliness in it, "maybe we'll Impress at the same hatching. Wouldn't that be something?"
Kaatan didn't have many close friends - and certainly none that he talked to like that. Though this is the first we've ever talked. She probably wouldn't appreciate me thinking of her like that... I'm probably getting ahead of myself. Still, having a familiar and friendly face of the sands - more than one who used him as a physical shield half the time - would certainly be reassuring.
"I know you'll Impress. I know it. It's just a matter of when."
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