Logs:Fun and Freedom
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| RL Date: 2 August, 2011 |
| Who: Elgin, Iolene, Lujayn |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Some early morning introspection. Catching up after the gather and trying not to spill klah over duty rosters, among more personal topics. |
| Where: Living Caverns, High Reaches |
| When: Day 20, Month 5, Turn 26 (Interval 10) |
| Outside a gloomy sky hangs over high reaches, but with no rain falling people are bustling in and out of the caverns. It is breakfast time and people who were working outside of the caverns through the night have started to trek inside, while the caverns are starting to wake. This makes for a tremendous amount of traffic in the living caverns. Elgin has managed to find one quiet corner in the caverns. A forgotten table tucked away in the back of the room. He is lesuringly waking up this morning, mug of klah sipped, empty breakfast plate before him. Lujayn is at home in the bustle, rubbing elbows and exchanging chatter while making her way through the crowd without a hitch. Better to go with the tide than fight against it. Either it's her mission to get to know new faces or that she tires quickly of idle talk; she sidles her way to what seems like the only quiet table of the lot. "Morning Elgin," The goldrider has a stack of papers under one arm and a mug clasped in her opposite hand, both of which find ample room on the table as she greets the candidate. "Did you enjoy the rest of the gather?" Word has no doubt spread about the alleged theft - that doesn't seem to be what she's needling at just yet. "I heard some people were still stirring up nonsense." It takes a second for Elgin to realize who is before him in his waking stupor, he shoots into an upright position and salutes the goldrider, "Morning Goldrider Lujayn." Is offered before he takes a moment to consider the rest of the conversation, "Yes, well, I think in every situation if something happens human nature is to blame those whom we don't understand." He assumes she's talking about the searching of the candidates and islanders' belongings for a necklace. "Then in all groups of people there are both good and bad, so it is possible." The corners of his mouth tug downward as he studies the woman. "Did you enjoy the rest of the gather?" "True. Break up one disagreement and folks will find something else. Have I misunderstood you?" She teases, wiping sleep from gray eyes. "But really, I did enjoy myself after a time. It felt like I was doing more to keep people from hedging at each other than actually relaxing. Duties first, after all." She looks down to the papers, shuffling through them briefly. "Speaking of which, I have a few rosters here to distribute. Seems a few people are stuck on cleaning the latrines." It's not really a table topic, but the rider continues unabashed. "No one's getting up to any real trouble, I hope. Other than the holders, I - that is, we - you're comfortable?" Is it early for twenty questions? Nah. Two months is a long time to go underground for; to be under the proverbial radar and to go relatively unnoticed except in a conspicuous absence. Particularly for Iolene. But grief and mourning can do that to a person, cause them to disappear without warning. However she's managed to slip just beneath notice of those who know her best, the exiles, something's changed in her two-month morose demeanor as the thin blonde ducks in from the bowl with the glitter of the early morning's mist clinging to her hair. There's an at-peace smile on her face for one and a sudden levity to her stance. Perhaps it's too early in the morning for other exiles to inhabit the living caverns, making it all the more easier to pick out a familiar face in the crowd, and it's to Elgin that Io gravitates, with long, lithe strides, unhesitating in making a fervent, joy-filled declaration, punctuated by a girlish twirl with arms flung to the ceiling, "Did you see? Did you see? I saw the /ocean/ at the Gather," but it's only after she's spoken and spun, interrupting whatever conversation that's going on, that the presence of Lujayn pings in her periphery and a sudden apologetic look flies wide those dark blue eyes, comically shifting her features into a silent 'meep' look to both. The look that crosses Elgin's face, the drawing the brows but the knowing grin, state that he knows what it is like to spend most of the day trying to put out fires than enjoying a party, "Sounds like me at the Turnday celebration here." It was a while ago but Elgin is sympathetic to the goldriders plite. "Am I getting one, latrine duty that is?" Elgin comments at the rosters, he looks confused but his tone holds no protest. His frown deepens and his brows furrow deeper, "Comfortable? What do you mean..." But his thoughts are ended abruptly as Iolene waltzes in. The boy is moved to complete silence as he studies the girl when she approaches. He seems hesitant to speak to her, lest he extinguish the girls mood. Have a moment he smiles slightly, "Yah, I saw the ocean. It was nice." His smile grows, "Goldrider Lujayn this is Iolene." He says in way of introduction, and waving at an empty seat for the islander. "Care to join? We were just speaking about latrine duty." There is a teasing grin. "Looks like rest day for you, unless you want to go asking for work. And I meant," Lujayn shakes her head absently. "I was wondering if it's getting any easier, being here." Then: a girl who apparently loves the ocean. There's no offense in Lujayn's expression, an indulgent smile and the quirk of a brow all that's needed to sum up her reaction to Iolene's enthusiastic greeting. "It's a beautiful place, the hold." Indicating an empty seat, she sweeps a few errant papers into a neater pile to make room for the islander. "Did they take you to the shore? I'm afraid our lake doesn't really compare to the ocean if that's what you're used to. You're going to have to remind me.." Lu scans the top duty roster but doesn't find a name that matches the face before her. The absence of this young woman has apparently done the trick to make the goldrider's keen memory falter. Elgin's introduction neatly takes care of that particular question, however, and Lu nods in agreement with the invitation. "It's nice to meet you. I take it you're another 'yes' on enjoying an outing?" If Iolene catches Elgin's hesitancy, it doesn't manifest in the return of her post-meep smile, a beatific thing that, after her own uncertainty in regards to Lujayn, includes both weyrwoman and once-exile in its glow. "I didn't see you there," is her excuse, her shy-hinted explanation for Lujayn, for just barging in on another conversation, "I just- I was just-," a pause, leads to a simple word, uttered with just a bit of wonderment. "Happy." And had to share that happiness that even the mention of latrines or goldriderly confusion can dissipate. "I want to live there. It's almost like home with its rocky shores and the water. /The water/." On the verge of gushing again, a sudden glance to Elgin brings Io back to Pern quickly, again apologetic, this time enough to retrack to the interrupted conversation. "Latrine duty?" Iolene's sudden change in mood is still treated as teetering by Elgin, or maybe it wasn't sudden, but since the last two times he saw the girl he made her cry he isn't willing to skate out on the incase it is thin. "It was beautiful, and the scenery was a lot like home." And while he's smart enough to not bring up the fact that they are not welcome there, and that some of the holders treated them like a freak show on a trader caravan, deep wrinkles across his forehead join his frown and he studies the girl with a sad expression. Still, he cannot bring himself to dash her hopes, "The water was beautiful, I wonder if it just as cold there." Not that it is all that far away. At the girls apologetic look he manages a soft smile and a shake of his head, "No worries, Io, not for me or you." Which draws his attention back to the goldrider's question. "Getting along better? For me, yes. For the most part. I find once you talk to people for a bit they seem to understand that we aren't all that different" There is an emphasis on 'most' but it is said with a smile, as if the slight from these people is already forgiven. Lujayn grins, easily infected by Iolene's cheer. "I'm sure you'll get there eventually, if you really want to." Never mind the temporary ban. Holders will be holders. "We're not exactly tropical waters. It can be refreshing in the summer, though." Not that she does much swimming in the ocean. "Glad to hear there aren't any hurt feelings. These? Just duty rosters for the day, nothing deathly serious."" Shuffle, shuffle. Back to the papers, a ring from her mug evident on the back of one sheet. Not quite in the loop, she can't decide what to make of Elgin's mixed expressions and forges ahead into those foreign waters. "Do you like to fish? I'm afraid that's most of what the ocean around here is good for. Wouldn't want to see anyone breaking their necks on the rocks." "I do," in answering Lujayn first, it's clear Iolene's opted to either feign ignorance or is actually oblivious to Elgin's continued hesitancy. But a quick tip of her head to the exile-turned-candidate sends flickering lashes and a quizzical lift of her brows to the boy, before she's continuing with her response. "I fished for our settlement. I-... The waters around our island were cold too. But cold isn't so bad, was it, Elg? I've never-," she pauses, lips pursed thoughtful, "Never knew the ocean could be warm. Do you? If you weren't a dragonrider, I mean." It is something that both islanders can agree on, "We both fished. It was our job, and Celadion too." Elgin flicks a glance to the girl before addressing the goldrider again, "Celadion and I have been fishing here, when we don't have chores. He made some equipment..." Long fingers wrap around his klah, "Cela's even been taking the kids out to teach them, when the nannies will let him..." He pauses, "He's even talked about trying to learn to hunt with a bow, if the weyr will trust us with one." His mixed expressions suddenly lift, excitement creeps across his face as he updates Iolene on their fellow island-fisher, "Seems like more of us are learning to use our skills to adapt." He returns to the goldrider agreeing with Io's question, "Do you fish too?" "'Fraid not," Lujayn immerses herself in listening about the island lifestyle, fishing and gathering and everything she hasn't had to do - as long as you don't count herdbeasts for the dragons. "I was a runner when I was younger, mostly at Fort. Taking messages and parcels and things between the Weyr and beholden." She explains, unsure if such an occupation existed in the exiles' society. "Rielsath fishes for herself sometimes, but that's just for fun. I wasn't raised around much seacrafting." The ocean is still an alluring unknown, stirring the rider's imagination. "Seems you could be free out there, on the ocean. Just being." The word, "Adapt," is spoken with slowly, the vowels elongating as if she's testing how the word fits out with herself. Then it's repeated, even more quietly in an inconclusive consideration that's broken by the lift of her eyes off the table to find Elgin first and then Lujayn. "It is free being out there. I don't think... I don't think I realized just how free it was." Compared to here, is unspoken, and possibly the insinuation of it isn't even intentional in her wistful words. "I didn't know dragons could fish." Elgin watches as Io tests the 'adapt' on for size the first time, but he gives her privacy the second time she mouths it, instead answering Lujayn, "A runner?" After the explination he nods, "Not something anyone would have done full time on the island, we just weren't that spread out...That seems like freedom too, being able to move between places." Not being kept in one. "She fishes?" This is an intriguing concept, "I would love to watch that!" His brain is turning, always turning, "Maybe there are parts of how the dragons do it that we could use." Lujayn surveys the two before her, quietly taking in the wistful tone, the quiet words, the care with which Elgin responds. "It's a mess right now, I know. Things will work out, you'll be able to move around more. I miss it too, some days. Going, doing what's natural and familiar in your life.." At the prompting, she returns to the thought of fishing before the nostalgic air can be encouraged too much. "They swim, fish, make nuisances of themselves, sure. Just about anything they get stuck in their mind could happen," Lujayn elaborates on dragon behavior, always willing to spare anecdotes for education. "Not so much for feeding themselves as for the fun of it. It would take a lot of big fish to sustain even a weyrling." A big smile for fun, one of the goldrider's weak spots. Maybe bigger than freedom. Lujayn and Elgin's exchange draws her further out of her still sad memories and, unbidden, a smile floats back to her lips as she recognizes the signs of the other teen's brain churning away; learning to fish from the sea monsters carries some irony after all. But despite her own yearnings and the momentary distraction of dragons fishing, Iolene piques to what the goldrider says in response, a turn of her head finding the unfamiliar woman and listening to something beyond just what she says and perhaps more how she says it. "What," she begins, "What's natural and familiar for you?" The question is posed a little confused, as if the idea that one of their jailers could desire the same, or at least similar, things as herself, foreign. Elgin makes no comment, his eyes drift quietly between junior weyrwoman and newly re-emerged islander. A slow smile draws across his face, it is small. A recognition of the look on Iolene's face that he has seen dawn on so many islander and non-islander faces alike. That quizzical look that cannot be hidden as the realization that beneath all the difference the same longing occurs. A realization that cannot happen in talks of politics or grand parties, but that is found in the simplicity of life, the small conversations of what brings joy to the life of the other. And so Elgin is silent as life carries out a process that takes only a little nudge in the right direction. Still all of this is unheard, Elgin's smile, both on mouth and in his eyes, his slow content sip of klah, the only indication of what is going on inside. Maybe some time ago her response would have been different, but the junior weyrwoman's response is bona fide Weyrfolk. "After ten-odd turns, being a dragonrider is what I do best now." Lujayn gathers her empty mug and makes a presentable stack from her mostly pristine papers, distracting herself with the fidgeting work of tidying up. "Rielsath is familiar, the Weyr is familiar. It's my home and my life." As if to sum up a more formal discourse, more thought put into her words. "It wasn't always. I guess I adapted, too." That could be regret behind her softer smile, yearning for something more in her eyes, but there won't be time for that just now. "It was good to speak with you two," She exhales contentedly before standing, lingering after pushing in her chair. "Try not to worry too much, okay?" Is her parting encouragement, obviously reluctant to leave such a discussion. Duty is duty; those papers won't deliver themselves. She sidles back into the crowd with a wave. "I'll see you around." |
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