Logs:Different
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| RL Date: 17 September, 2014 |
| Who: Devaki, Dilan, Issedi, Vinien, Sealene |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, High Reaches Hold |
| Type: Log |
| What: How Dilan spends his Turn at High Reaches Hold. |
| Where: High Reaches Hold / The Island / High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Month 1-10, Turn 35 |
| Mentions: Madilla/Mentions, H'kon/Mentions, P'kel/Mentions, Lilabet/Mentions, Alani/Mentions, Raija/Mentions, Drel/Mentions, Rilka/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: A co-written vignette/summary by Madilla and Devaki. |
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| The first month is spent at the Hold, and it's all pretty exciting. Vinien is keen to show off all the secret hiding and spying places in the Hold (some of them aren't very good, but there's a few great spots), his half-sisters mostly avoid the pair of boys, and all the Hold staff treat him respectfully as far as he hears. Devaki is busy, but tries to include both the boys in his work where he can -- taking them on short trips to the outlying hold areas here and there. Issedi is less welcoming, keeping her distance at first, though she doesn't treat him unfairly in any way. It's hard, at first. It's... it's not home, even if it is exciting, and more than once he has to stop himself from crying... but it gets easier. It helps, having Vinien. There's no Lilabet to be bossy (even if he misses her, too), and that pretty much means he gets to be the eldest. There's no way for him to really take advantage of that, though, even if he wanted to; it's easier to just be Vinien's friend, and to avoid the girls, and to just enjoy this whole thing. (And not think too much about home, and his bed, and his mom, and his Arekoth, and just... everything.) Halfway through month two, they go on a ship. It's thrilling, and Vinien has all these plans, intentionally bringing wooden swords so they can play pirates on the journey. Unfortunately, half a day out, he falls sea sick and spends most of the trip below decks throwing up. The crew mostly keeps to themselves, though the older boy, Drel, seems friendly enough, teaching him how to safely scale the netting. The girl that's constantly around him is way too bossy, however. Dilan's kind of pleased and proud of the fact that he doesn't get sea sick, and has something that Vinien doesn't; it's nice to feel just a little superior. Just a little, anyway, and just for a little while. It'd be better if it weren't for that stupid girl, though. Why is it always girls? The island is strange -- rocky and barren, not a place that could ever be thought of as home, and yet his father seems to view it as such. Devaki's expression as they approach the island is interesting: full of anticipation and hopefulness. It's okay at first, certainly -- the first night after the ship's been unloaded there's a big bonfire on the beach and all the Islanders come to mingle. Although there's a hut for them to sleep in, their father wants them to sleep on the beach, and Dilan can probably see the determined look in Vinien's expression -- if his father can do it, so can he. It continues like this for a little while. They're woken early in the morning by the sun, and Devaki takes the pair of them fishing. Even though they don't have the comforts he's probably used it, it doesn't seem so bad, and while their father goes off into meetings in the main hut now and then, he seems to spend a lot more time with them, telling them of the traditions and history. The stories of the sea monsters are fascinating, though Vinien seems to have nightmares for a few nights after that story, at least until Devaki teaches them how to perform an offering to the sea to appease the sea monsters. The offering thing is... weird. Dilan remembers his mom telling him that the islanders had interesting traditions, and he supposes this is one of them, but... it's still weird. No one at home does that kind of thing; it's hard to get his head around the idea that his father and brother seem to genuinely believe this stuff. It doesn't make the stories any less fun. (It also doesn't make teasing Vinien about seamonster sightings any less fun, either.) They return, late in month three, and by this time things seem almost alien. The beds are too soft, the food too rich and the sauces particularly strong. Even though they are back at the Hold, Vinien continues to provide offerings to the sea, a practice Devaki seems to approve of -- and that Rilka, the weird exile, does too. Paikoth seems particularly happy to see the boy back: Vinien isn't as fascinated by dragons as his half brother, so the fireheights with the watch dragon is a good place to reflect. Rilka is weird. She makes Dilan nervous; he tries to duck out of the way when he sees her coming, and mostly, it means he avoids the beach. At least the docks are safe, and there's always something interesting happening there. The fireheights, though; that's his home-away-from-home. Paikoth's not Arekoth, not even close, but there's this smell that dragons have, and... it's comforting. Once (okay, twice, but definitely not more than that), he sneaks his pillow-case up there to sit beneath the brown's leg, in the hopes of making it smell like home. Hraedhyth and Cadjeoth's clutch hatches in month four, and it's even more exciting being given a special trip from the Hold, including VIP seats right at the front. Of course, it's also great to see everyone -- mom and H'kon and Arekoth and Lilabet (and maybe even Raija), and it's hard not to reluctant to leave. But he does. He promised; he doesn't go back on his promises. He's eight, now, and that's too old to be chicken. A couple of sevens after the hatching, there's a trip to Harper Hall. It's noteable, in that Devaki brings along Dilan but leaves Vinien at home (something the younger boy is grumpy about for a few days after). Devaki goes to speak to the Masterharper after leaving Dilan to catch up with Lilabet. They stay long enough that they almost catch the evening meal, and it's exhausting by the time they get home. Issedi greet them with food when they arrive back at the Hold, asking questions about Tillek, before kindly ushering Dilan off to bed. Issedi has grown on Dilan. He wasn't sure he really liked her, at first, and was pretty sure she didn't like him, but... it's easier, now. Maybe they just know each other better. Lilabet gave him the side-eye when he commented on that, and then ruffled his hair (ugh), and told him he'd understand it better when he was older. She's kind of full of airs, now, like she knows everything, even though she admits she's got lots and lots to learn. She's different. Dilan wonders if he is; if all of this has changed him at all. Issedi gives birth to another half-sister in month five. Alani seems relatively quiet, not nearly as noisy as Raija was, eyes bright blue and curious indeed. Vinien grumbles constantly about "another dumb girl", and expresses a wish that "Dilan would stay forever and ever". Of course, he's saved from punishment about his grumblings for the fact that they've developed their own secret code language, like some Harper spy. In fact, they play spies for nearly two sevens, making use of all their hidey-holes, comparing notes in their shared bedroom at the end of each evening. It's how they find out about the trip before they're even told. By now, Dilan's kind of used to it being always sisters; he points out that at least they have each other, he and Vinien, but it's true that he wouldn't have minded another brother. He's less sure about the staying forever... sometimes it seems like it would be fun, like he could stay forever and have Vinien and Devaki and even the girls, except that... home looms large in his thoughts. He's had letters about the new weyr that Mom and H'kon are moving in to, and it's thrilling, this idea that he, too, will live in a weyr. The expected sailing trip happens in month six. Drel is there on the ship again, and this time gives Dilan his very own "pirate bandana" to keep. This time they head to Tillek Hold and spend a seven there, before travelling out to visit the island again. It's less alien this time, and the residents greet both boys with warmth and delight as if they're long lost family. It's a much shorter trip this time, and they stay only a seven before heading back to the Hold. There's something thrilling about sailing, by now. If he wasn't going to be a dragonrider... but he is going to be a dragonrider, and so while he thoroughly enjoys the trip, and is as proud as proud can be over his bandana, Dilan doesn't imagine himself all grown up and at sea. The island is fine; it's good, in a way. It's... Mom explained it, last time. It's his heritage, and in a way, it makes some sense. It makes him special, even if he knows the way people back home still talk about the exiles. Not about me, though, he tells himself. It's the middle of month eight when they take a trip back to the Weyr again, this time for Iesaryth and Reisoth's clutch. Devaki has Paikoth take Dilan to the Weyr a day before, to "give you more time with your mom", he says. It kind of just makes it harder to leave, though. Raija's gotten bigger, and even talks a bit, and there's the weyr, and Arekoth, and H'kon, and... Dilan eyes the eggs just that little bit harder, wistful and wishful. One day, it'll be his brown out there, and then he can visit Vinien and Devaki at a moment's notice, and belong both places, if he wants. It's a nice thought. It's a few sevens later that Sealene throws a huge tantrum, accusing Dilan of "stealing her doll". Vinien has his back, declaring they were together all day. Later, in bed, Vinien shows Dilan the doll he's taken with a secretive little smile, seeking his older brother's approval. Dilan smiles, but... it's a tentative thing. He feels sorry for Sealene, even if he's offended at being so unjustly accused. He ends up carrying her around on his shoulders (painfully, as it happens) for as long as he can in apology, even if it makes him seem 'soft.' "That's just what you do with sisters," he says, with a shrug. "I play with Raija all the time." Or... he used to. Raija seems uncertain with him, now, and it bothers him. In a way, he's nervous about going back to the weyr, at the end of the turn. It'll be different. Everything will be different. Everything is different. |
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Comments
Edyis (06:18, 19 September 2014 (EDT)) said...
I love vignette's like this, where you get to look at the same world from a completely different angle. It was interesting to see how Devaki reinforces the exile roots with his kids.
K'zin (12:59, 19 September 2014 (EDT)) said...
I really enjoyed this. :) I have wild plot predictions. Most Very Dramatic.
H'kon (07:12, 20 September 2014 (EDT)) said...
This was excellent.
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