Logs:Girl Time
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| RL Date: 2 November, 2014 |
| Who: Edyis, Farideh |
| Type: [[Concept:{{{type}}}|{{{type}}}]] |
| What: The promise of Benden Wine out weighs the weather. |
| Where: Vinter Hall, Benden Hold |
| When: Day {{{day}}}, Month {{{month}}}, Turn {{{turn}}} ({{{IP}}} {{{IP2}}}) |
| Mentions: Wulfan/Mentions, Cron/Mentions, X'vae/Mentions, Gretvyn/Mentions, Teoma/Mentions, Mishal/Mentions, Aishani/Mentions, Mattias/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Feel free to edit/add anything I may have forgotten or missed. Backdated. |
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Benden Hold The Hold's cliff rises high above the courtyard, its impassive stone face studded with Threadfall shutters thrown wide, surmounted by the fireheights where the Gather flag snaps in the wind. A symbol of its Lady's public belief in the Interval, the Hold's grand doors are barely ajar for once, the Gather a sprawling and wholly outside affair. Food and drink are served in the upper court, its central fountain performing double duty as a place to keep ale kegs and wineskins cool, away from the porcine roasting on its spit. While the side nearest the greenhouse is lined with tables bearing platters of simple party food, the side opposite has long trestle tables and benches brought out from the Hold itself, with festive lanterns to light the scene as the sun goes down. A few steps down in the much larger main courtyard, a regular rotation of harpers entertains the masses from a dais next to the dancing square. The vintners are doing good business at the entrance to their Hall, but the booths of other tradespeople are down the ramp in Crafter Row. Obvious exits: Vintner Hall Benden Area There is nothing quite like a gather at Benden, braving the cold is worth it for a chance to taste the wines. At least that seems to be Edyis's thought process as she moves through the crowd into the warmth of the Vinters' Hall. Even her (of late) somber mood has lifted as she all but chirps at the different wines on display. "I really didn't realize how much I needed to get away I guess." Edyis expression growing steadily more cheerful. Cold winter winds plague Benden the same as they would at the Reaches -- a fact which does not escape the laundress wrapped in layer upon layer, attempting to protect every sliver of skin from the ruthless frigidness outside. Vintner's craft showing, of their finest and worst (but let's be real, do they even have a worst) vintages, has attracted many a wine connoisseur. Not surprisingly, Farideh follows in Edyis's wake, wrapped with an extra scarf and her hair piled on top of her head like a bird's nest. "I always need to get away. One more dirty towel with who knows what stained all over it," she says, pulling a disgusted face as she walks from the cold into the warmth of the hall, where hogsheads of wine and other liquors are stacked up against the wall. "And yet you stay, the lady doth protest too much I think." Edyis smile widens, as she glances back to her bundled friend. "I don't even want to think about those sheets." A shiver of horror racing down the young woman's spine at the mere thought. She moves with purpose first to the white wines (her favorite), asking to sample the particular vintages. "Are you still pulling doubles after that one girl, the busty one, sprained her ankle, or have things finally come back to normal." "There are worse places I could be," the young brunette concedes with a sly smile that doesn't quite convey her inability to agree whole-heartedly. Stained towels and sheets are the last thing she wants to talk about, now, with so many wines to sample and so little time until they have to go back to their icy home. Moving onto a less gross topic, and towards the wine taps: "Doubles? Ha, no, not me. It's not like Leita ever did much work. She is always the one with the tongue that wags the most -- mostly about herself and her latest bed mates." Farideh goes the lesser-travelled route, and simply asks the young apprentice manning the nearest barrels what he suggests. That's how she winds up paying for a glass of a fruity white with crisp apple and citrus undertones. "How has work been at the.. lounge, isn't it?" Edyis snickers a bit at mention of Leita's bedmates. "I suppose it is to be expected, the laundresses always have the best gossip." Trying one and then another, giving each its due appreciation with an expression of utter contentment. She finally selects one from amongst those she tries, light and sweet with something of a faint sparkle to it, buying three small wineskins of the stuff in addition to her glass. "Harder than I thought, tips were good at first but they've gone down considerably. Still I needed fewer hours, and it wasn't right to request such and expect to keep my assistant's knot." Farideh stands off to the side, one arm tucked across her abdomen, fingers curled in the crook of her opposite elbow. She twirls her wineglass, waiting for Edyis to finish sampling and choose; her smile widens as the other woman wraps up her purchasing. "I still don't understand why you need fewer hours. We get paid so little as it is. I would have to save up for ten turns to be able to buy any kind of good boots from the weavers." Her words end in a heavy sigh, but her mood hasn't lightened any, her footsteps aimed with the flow of the crowd, further within the Hall. Looking speculatively at her emptying purse; she frowns at the question her friend poses. "My brother's been gambling again." She explains finally, after some thought. "Normally that's not an issue but, well he's been betting the future profits of Esvay on a couple of occasions. I knew he had a problem, but it was under control. He had similar issues when he was at the craft hall." She frowns, "I don't know what to do about it, if things continue to progress the hold could potentially be reclaimed by Nabol, and I can't ask anyone for help." Because the crowd is moving inward, so is Farideh, but she stops, dead in her tracks, with her friend's startling revelation. "Your brother is doing what?" Her shock is palpable, her lips parted as her over-wide hazel eyes lock on Edyis'. "Tell your mother, or your stepmother to cut him off." She puckers her lips, getting over the initial surprise, and looks past the other brunette at some point across the hall; people mumble and complain as they move past, being as the laundress has stopped completely in what was amiably moving traffic. "I can't think of anything you can do, though. He is a man and we," wistfully, "are silly little girls with idealistic notions." Shaking her head, she turns and starts walking again. "It isn't like she has that kind of control over Cron; She's only a few years older than he is." She admits with a blush, "She knows now, if she didn't before. I may have punched him when I went home last time. " She states with embarrassment. "He just made me so angry, and he started to call me something and I just - I lost my temper." She explains glancing back as though to urge Farideh forward, but the other girl is already moving by the time she does. "Does that not make you angry?" She asks, falling in step with the brunette. "Just accepting that there isn't anything that can be done?" "You punched him?" Farideh says with a laugh. "Did he cry? I hope he cried." She is still grinning, listening to the rest of her friend's tale, but sobering thoughts draw some of the humor from her face in the end. "I get angry about it sometimes. Not as much as I used to." Her fingers curl protectively around her wineglass and she tries bumping shoulders with Edyis in a gesture of comradery. "I think that is why some women marry. They can make a difference through their families, through their husbands - the weight of their words carried by a man." "No, he just kept trying to catch his breath for a minute." She explains, with surprise at the laughter, though it does seem to be infectious from the way her lips twist ever so slightly as she lifts her glass. "I'm not sure I could handle being married. I would love to have children some day, but to essentially be relegated to the same position of a broodmare, seems a bit much to accept." Edyis's brows furrowing. "There has to be some middle ground somewhere." She decides. "You can be a single woman and have no voice," Farideh ticks off, "or a married woman with no voice unless your husband allows you to have one through him, or you can be a dragonrider and you don't have much of a voice then either since they're always kowtowing to their wingleaders or weyrleaders. Unless you become the Weyrleader." She ends her spiel with a mischievous grin, and takes a long drink from her glass. "I'll be an old, married woman someday. Think of me when you're zipping around Pern on your dragon, Edyis." "Zipping about Pern on a dragon. I will have to give that one some thought, though from what you tell me, I'd need to impress a bronze, which sadly I don't have the necessary parts for." Wryly grinning as she lifts her glass in a toast. "Though I do feel somewhat sorry for the poor bastard who gets yoked with you. You will have your voice and he'll never have use of his." "From what I understand, brownriders can win those flights too. You only need Impress a brown dragon, Edyis, and the Weyr could be in the palm of your hand. You would only answer to your Weyrwoman," Farideh corrects, and immediately dissolves into laughter. She touches Edyis' glass with hers, making the necessary 'clink' sound. "Mm, we can always hope for that best case scenario." "Brown would be about as likely." Edyis counters with a snort. "Do I seem like one of those brash women who fucks, fights, drinks and curses like a man?" She tilts her head a moment considering Farideh, "Then again I am not entirely sure I want to hear your answer on that." Edyis smirks, "Are you saying he's a she?" She counters, though she seems contemplative at the mention of X'vae. "Is he? I've heard from his roommate he's trouble. So far though for Monacoan's they seem pretty harmless." Her empty glass joins Farideh's though not without an undeniable twinge of guilt in her expression. "Hraedhyth scares me, but Iesaryth was always much calmer. I stood twice for her clutches and was actually looking forward to standing again. Though with Aishani gone, I am not sure I have the courage to face a remarkably territorial dragon brooding over her eggs." She tilts her head at Farideh laughing. "You could always just up and weyrmate with some big shot, I'm sure that would piss them off proper, then again there's that whole prickly issue of monogamy. To listen to the Weyrwoman you'd think it the greatest evil of society, then again she may just feel that way because not everyone likes to share." "No, but, not all male riders beat people up and screw everything they see walking around. That only applies to bronzeriders, apparently," Farideh explains, and quickly amends, "That's not true either. Most bronzeriders." Satisfied, she smiles and listens, showing proper sympathy to her friend's concern. "They have to let you on the sands on hatching day. That's the whole point. Or, you're talking about when they let you touch them." She blows a breath out of the side of her mouth and puts a fist on her hip as she walks. "It's unnecessary anyway. It won't make a difference whether they choose you or not." As for weyrmating someone: "That is positively horrible, Edyis, that you would wish that on me." "I want nothing of the sort my dear Farideh, I am merely listing other options." She laughs, "My wish is that you could be happy without marrying and live your life as you please." The scribe tucks a stray hair behind her own ear, pausing at another of the booths serving sweet rolls, long enough to purchase two. Offering one out to Farideh while biting into her own. "What have you been getting up to lately anyway?" "Wouldn't that be something?" Farideh eagerly accepts the pastry, breaking off a piece to stuff into her mouth. She speaks around the roll, so it's a little muffled - her mother would be so disappointed! "The laundry is always the same, though the rumors are often different." She sighs and picks off another part of the sweet roll with her fingers. "Working and not much else. I did receive word my sister's husband sent off portraits to some fancy who's-it for consideration. Not that I think that bid would go through. I'm not quite fancy enough for their ilk. And if they did consider me, they would be quite disappointed on the first meeting," she says, happily; sabotage is obvious. "Mm, wouldn't have been Benden's selection would it? I wonder if any of Lord Keroon's daughters will wind up in the finals. Laryla seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and a better understanding of politics than one would have expected... Then again even now she's still quite young. Her older sister maybe." The scribe muses aloud reflecting on an encounter turns ago. "Why is he suddenly insisting that you are properly taken care of? I thought you said your brother in law was a total ass?" "You heard about that?" Farideh asks, inexplicably energetic of a sudden. "I think they're looking for the best alliance. Girls can be taught. Wives can be taught, but the Blood matters. Which is why this whole charade is ridiculous. I'm no Lady." She shoves the rest of the pastry in her mouth, as if to illustrate that fact, and smiles around the fullness; this time, she does chew and swallow before speaking. "Same thing. They want more," lifting a finger in the air, "more," even higher now, above her head, "more! They can never have enough, and if your relatives have plenty, well." She shrugs unconcernedly. "Having Benden as a connection would open by trade agreements and shipping rights, I'm sure." The scribe nods, "Hard to miss hearing about that, and Telgar's little power struggle. You are right though, many minor holdings have suffered for poor choices in alliance." She chuckles softly. "That is a very valid point, though even diluted blood if packaged correctly can be an advantage with the right combination of charm and foresight. With yours feeling on the subject, I can't imagine why he'd be stupid enough to try to submit you anyway, knowing full well you are unlikely to cooperate and play a part as necessary. It would reflect exceedingly poorly on whatever hold submitted an unpalatable candidate." She smirks, touching on those plans of sabotage. "Really if you make it past the first round you could damage his standing for turns and turns to come." "I'm sure he could come up with something to get me to comply. He's slick and slimy." Farideh's eyes narrow, her lips puckering, though her attentions are introspective rather than out; still, someone could easily construe her stare as centered on them. "Mattias, I have heard, is fairly handsome and well-read. He would be a nice catch, if I were interested in anything like that. Igen would do well to couple with Benden, but Lord Wulfan doesn't have any daughters to offer. That could be the reason he's so stuck on it," she says, her lips sliding into a frown. She chuckles to herself, "I'm sure he's bound to have a few displeasing traits, seems like most men do." She decides though the twitch in her smile at the words well-read wouldn't be hard for someone close to catch. "Lord Wulfan has enough trouble keeping his own affairs in order after the Igen incident. He may find himself deposed if the conclave is given sufficient reason and someone more suitable of the bloodline." They could go on and on about the insufficiencies in the male species, but they've come to the Vintner Hall for some fun and wine. Farideh lets that one slide with a small "mm" and follows up with a side-eye towards Edyis. "Why do you say that? Igen has its issues, but I highly doubt they would depose him. He doesn't have any heirs. Who would even take his place?" "Blood isn't the only aspect of power the holders are dissatisfied, and forced to deal with highly negative results of what they feel is his incompetence, something has to change or else things deteriorate. Perhaps things have settled for him, but they are going to remember the Leprosy scare for turns to come." She muses, "But I suppose that is just one opinion." She attempts to reach for her friend's hand, as she spots another stall. "Enough politics though. Let's finish looking so we can get back and warm ourselves up hm?" |
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