Logs:Solith's Candidate
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| RL Date: 7 September, 2013 |
| Who: Jinja, Telavi |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Telavi has an excellent idea that works out (mostly) well for Jinja, if apparently less so for Telavi. |
| Where: Greenhouse / Bowl, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 25, Month 9, Turn 32 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Madilla/Mentions, Treinan/Mentions |
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| Greenhouse, High Reaches Weyr
Long, deep troughs of soil line the inner stone wall, planted with an assortment of broad, leafy tropicals - practical and decorative alike. Fruit and vegetable baskets hang from rafters, optimizing space, tempting in reach with a perpetually ripening harvest. A series of stone shelving is devoted to flourishing, aromatic herbs and new green shoots; even the softest touch releases a burst of savory scent from tender leaves. Amidst the greenery, a handful of wooden benches have been scattered, making this a temptingly warm and secluded spot to sit. Shuttered vents serve to regulate humidity and heat given off from a small hot spring recessed into an alcove at the back; a secondary pool with cooler waters siphons off to provide a constant, fresh supply for irrigation. A small potting station nearby is cluttered with watering cans and gardening tools of various uses, with a wooden bin for composting materials tucked underneath.
The hand Jinja uses to pat down her own hair is mostly for self-satisfied reasons: her hair doesn't frizz up like that, thankfully! She's probably supposed to be harvesting something, though the basket she's slung over her elbow is empty except for the unused shears, and she's not paying much attention to the plants. "It looks fine," she promises, in that dutiful way that friends make such promises, true or not. "You look fine." Dutiful or no, Telavi seems reassured, tossing the whiskey-blonde length back behind her shoulder with renewed ease as though they were strolling on some beach instead. She has a bright smile for Jinja, too, if one that's touched by just a little anticipatory wickedness at the corners. "I'm sorry. I just got a glimpse in the window," blurry though it must have been. "What else did your mother say?" "So vain," teases Jinja, as if she hasn't been eyeing her reflection up whenever she can. "Oh, you know my mother - well, I mean, you don't, but you've heard me talk about her. She just kept going on and on about how now was the perfect time to be back at Nabol, and I should really come home because I could end up working with the next Lady Nabol, and wouldn't that be amazing." Not so much with the amazing, her expression suggests, not to much her tone. "I'm going to write back and tell her something awful. I haven't decided what yet." Green-today eyes slide to Jinja, and linger, and if it's possible to brighten, they do. "Come here," Telavi says confidentially, and tugs her friend toward a particularly private dead-end. She tips her lips towards her friend's ear, and murmurs, "You know how you'd wanted a break from all those people coming in with sniffles? Well. Imagine the break you'd have if you were a candidate. And imagine what she'd say to that." Jinja's basket swings into her side as she's tugged, and it's bothersome enough that she dumps it on the ground behind one of the bushes as soon as they've found themselves to that dead-end. Abruptly, her eyes light, though really that's just the enthusiasm in her expression, which draws her gaze wider and leaves her positively grinning. "That," she says, triumphantly (if quietly), "Would really put a-- well, you know. She'd about die. And it would be a break, too." "And imagine the break from, well, imagine the different rules," Tela murmurs on top of that, delighted by her friend's enthusiasm. Different rules, lighter rules. "Come see Solith? We should make it look real, and besides, you deserve a show. Whenever you're ready. Poor Treinan, having to do your errands," and that could even be pity in her voice, the better to add spice to the glee. "Treinan will be positively green," declares Jinja, though really, knowing Treinan, that's unlikely to be actually true. She all-but wiggles, rising up on her toes and turning her head so that she can stare down at the bowl. "If we do it now, then I don't need to go pick the stupid-- whatever it was I needed to get." Which is when she gives a little, dainty kick at the basket near her feet. "Now, now, green is a very nice color," Telavi says archly-- and then laughs. "It's an especially nice color for him to be. Come on then, we need to make it look natural," or something, "in case anyone's watching." She almost, almost kicks the basket too, out of solidarity and all, but then takes up an ultra-casual version of their earlier stroll. When they make it out of the vestibule and down the stairs, Solith's not far off, evidently having been persuaded to join them. "Why hello, Solith, how nice to see you." Not that that's natural at all, not with the humor bubbling right up through it, but then no one's close enough to hear them, only-- maybe-- see. Jinja's answer is breezy: "Him and Solith, but for different reasons!" She would probably be inclined to skip, never mind that such things are usually beneath her dignity, but Telavi's ultra-casual stroll clearly informs her own, in the end. "Hello, Solith!" she echoes, tilting her head up so that she can directly look at the green. "Aren't you looking pretty today!" Lower voiced, she wonders, clearly towards her friend rather than the green, "She's not going to be bothered, is she? I hear that some dragons would be." "Why would she be bothered?" Clearly this is a foreign concept. The slight breeze ruffles Tela's hair but little more, certainly doesn't sweep away the fog around them. Tela adds, "She likes the compliment," only to wrinkle her nose and explain, "not that she puts it in words like that? Except that I can feel it. Hold out her hand, let her sniff it." Solith's not a large green, if also not the shortest, and light-boned at that; still, she's a dragon, and they're mere girls. She's already lowered her head, the smooth whirl of her for once unlidded eyes speeding up into turquoise curiosity, though there's an uncertain swish to her tail. Dutifully, Jinja lifts her hand, palm turned up towards the green. "I don't know. Because this isn't real, really, and we're pretending, and that means we're making her pretend, sort of. But maybe not? Anyway, thank you. This is so exciting!" That she doesn't really grasp what Telavi means by way of the lack of words is probably obvious, but clearly, Jinja doesn't much mind, or even care. Instead, she lifts up onto her toes again, and beams. "Oh, she likes you," Telavi says reassuringly, as though it were just that easy. "That's good, Solith," because the green is sniffing the girl's hand now with an unfamiliar delicacy, her nostrils flaring a green brighter than her hide, and then Jinja's glossy and un-frizzed hair. "We'll just... Solith?" "Does she?" Jinja gets that question out before Telavi's question, and before she has to stop and giggle, because clearly that breath is tickling her, and also, equally clearly, it's kind of fun. "What is it?" she asks, apparently either not daring, or not wanting, to turn her attention away from the green - she's looking up at Solith with some amount of awe and glee and excitement. "Oh..." Is the air a touch fresher now? The fog certainly isn't moving much. It's just as well for Telavi that Jinja isn't looking back to see her and the concentration creasing her forehead; why, it could turn into a wrinkle. "It's all right, it's good!" Tela says more cheerily, and a moment later Solith rubs her cheek against Jinja's hand, not quite as delicately now, yet nowhere near enough to push her over. If consciously smoothing out her forehead means that Tela just has to bite her lip in trade, well, Jinja doesn't have to see that either. Jinja doesn't have to see anything at all, except Solith. It's lovely, being that oblivious. She giggles, attempting to rub Solith's cheek in return - though that mostly means she's lifting her other hand, as well, all the better to do so. "She's lovely," she tells the other girl, genuinely. "I think you're right: she really does like me. I'm glad! I don't think I've ever been liked by a dragon before. I mean, not that I know many." Telavi just watches the pair of them, her friend and her dragon, her arms firmly crossed and her chin ducked. Solith certainly seems to be enjoying the attentions, to the point that there begins to be a soft, audible croon; it might be startling to someone unaware, but then again, how could anyone in her vicinity feel that she's anything less than pleased? The way Tela's biting her lip means that she's also biting off other things she could say, such as You do realize this is fake and Don't let her fool you. Her tone is bright enough when she replies, "She is, isn't she." Her dragon is lovely, yes. "I think that's good, don't you? We can go report in to the... one of the assistant headwomen, or whatever. Before it gets any clammier, brr." It's probably a good thing that Jinja is still oblivious to any undercurrents; she'd probably be horrified, otherwise, for one reason or another, or perhaps all of them. This is, after all, not real. When she does finally turn her head, she's (somewhat reluctantly) giving Solith one last pat before withdrawing her hands, beaming when she says, "You're so lucky, Tela. I mean, not that I want to do it for real. But she's just so lovely. I think you're right - anyone who saw would definitely be convinced. Oh, this should be fun!" She'll skip, even, for real this time. Bright smile, Tela. Bright, white smile. "I'm so glad!" and the greenrider can make that sound sincere, it mostly even is sincere, as she traipses off with Jinja. It's just that they aren't alone; for a creature so much larger than they, Solith can certainly move quietly when she wishes, and she accompanies them all the way to the caverns themselves. Telavi refuses to look back. Jinja probably wouldn't have noticed their tail at all, except that she turns back with the presumed intention of waving at the green - she looks surprised, but pleased, even if she doesn't mention it. Presumably, Tela knows. "I can't wait to write to my mother," she says, ever cheerful, just short of babbling. "And tell Treinan. And Madilla. Oh, this is going to be fun!" As always with Telavi, knowing and admitting can be two different tales. "Let me know what she says!" she says. "...What they say!" And if she's a touch serious when she turns Jinja over to the assistant headwoman, why, that just adds realism. Having dutifully promised that she will - and, also, given the greenrider enthusiastic and certainly genuine thanks (plus Solith, of course), Jinja's more than happy to turn her attention to the assistant headwoman... and bubble at her, instead. Isn't this all amazing? Isn't she lucky? It may be that she very quickly feels less lucky, however, for reality brings with it a few takeaway points: the need for permission from Madilla, for one, not to mention the fact that her morning duties will be unchanged, only afternoons turned over to All Things Candidate. No getting out of errand duty. No getting out of most of the more boring healerly things. And restrictions? Very likely still enforced. And that is disappointing. Still. By the time she's settling herself into the candidate barracks (which are in the actual lower caverns and not the stupid isolated craft complex!), Jinja's feeling enthusiastic all over again. Some change is better than none at all! |
Comments
Alida (Alida (talk)) left a comment on Sun, 08 Sep 2013 06:27:18 GMT.
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I think we should have a contest for 'How many Sham Candidates can rider's bring in?!' for Hrae's clutch! :D
Alida (Alida (talk)) left a comment on Sun, 08 Sep 2013 06:27:48 GMT.
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I think we should have a contest for 'How many Sham Candidates can rider's bring in?!' for Hrae's clutch! :D
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