[LOG] - Ulyana: Illogical
Title: Illogical
Summary: Ulyana chats with Katriona. Dragons and Impression are discussed.
Characters: Katriona, Ulyana
Location: Inner Caverns, Fort Weyr
Time: Day 18, month 7, turn 35 of Interval 10
RL Date: 08/16/2014
A resident working in the laundry has quite a few tasks on the average day; no matter what the supply situation is for the weyr, clothing, linens and other things still need to be cleaned. And so it is that Katriona has just emerged from the living caverns, deliveries made and her task done for the moment. Freed of her chores for the moment, the young resident wanders through the inner caverns with her hands clasped behind her back; she seems to simply be people-watching, to see who's wandering about this morning.
Likewise, it would appear Ulyana's duties are also done; the girl emerges from the passageway that leads to the infirmary with a satchel slung over a shoulder. The girl's regular visits to the infirmary are both normal and a probably familiar sight for the ex-Candidates. Her difficulties in sleeping and other minor peculiarities all conspire to keep her a regular visitor to the Weyr's Healers. She pauses just at the end of the passageway, gray-eyed gaze cutting one way and then the other as if discerning which direction she ought to go next. She doesn't seem to immediately spot Katriona - but it's in her general direction that the girl ultimately goes, clearly bent on completing some task and locked in her peculiar kind of tunnel-vision.
The slightly older, taller of the two ex-Candidate offers a smile to the other, unclasping her hands from behind her back to offer a cheery wave. "Ulyana! Done for the day? I'm done. I'm trying to figure out what to do for now. Where are you headed?" Speaking with Kat can sometimes feel somewhat like being caught under an avalanche of words.
Ah. There. Katriona's familiar voice cuts through and all but stops Ulyana in her tracks. Her head cocks to one side like some mechanical avian's might and she finally pivots on a foot to properly face the other former-Candidate. There is no smile or wave, just her customary up-down-center nod of acknowledgment. "I am done, yes. I was going to go to the Records Room and do some further research," she explains. One corner of her mouth lurches to a side in an attempt at a wry half-smile that falls flat. Equally flat are her next words, though they're plainly apologetic in their construction: "I am not sure that would be of any interest to you."
"Oh. Why not?" Katriona tilts her own head in mimicking query, but it's more in the manner of a curious sparrow than Ulyana's dispassionate and precise gesture. She takes a step closer, regarding the other girl thoughtfully. "What are you planning to research this time? More of the same?"
Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised by the other girl's reply. Ulyana rolls one shoulder in a lopsided shrug and turns a little, toward the living cavern. "It does not seem to be of much interest to others, that is all. It is very solitary work." She cuts a glance toward the slightly closer Katriona again. "I am not sure yet. The questions-" and, here, her expression cracks with frustration, "-there are still too many. There are no satisfactory answers to anything." She draws a breath, holds it, and lets it out slowly through her nose. It takes her a moment too long to continue, but this, too, is normal. "I was also going to see if the kitchens could spare a snack. If you are not busy, you are welcome to come."
At that, Kat's usual mood -- the slightly hyper, cheerful demeanor that so often defines her -- seems dampened momentarily. More soberly, she observes to Ulyana, "There are worse ways to stay busy, but I don't think it will matter. If none of those who already know dragons and their health so well have an answer, chances are you won't find one in old records before there's another clutch to Stand for. And then you'll be too busy to keep studying." Because all the ex-Candidates who've stuck it out will Impress, of course. Mention of the kitchens, however, restores some of her enthusiasm. "I was thinking of heading there. I could use some food."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Ulyana starts to move, her pace measured - calculated, like everything else she does. "But I will not be able to rest until I am satisfied that I have exhausted everything. If there is no answer, so be it," but she is far from convinced that is the case. There's a look flicked askance to Kat at her next words and, as should be expected, misinterpretation is had. "I am sure there will be plenty to do at Crom after this is over." Such is her certainty. The topic is cast off, however, in favor of another topic: "I think they have some kind of citrus tart today for dessert." A beat. Two. Then: "When do you think we will finally Stand? Which gold do you think will rise?"
Katriona considers this. "The older golds had both clutches a bit more than a year ago," she points out as she moves along with Ulyana. "They could rise again sometime soon. But Aedrielth could rise for the first time, as well. And why are you so certain you will be back at Crom after we Stand, Ulyana?"
This is all taken in with a shallow, up-down-center nod that lingers just a beat at the down motion. Ulyana intones, "It is also possible Eilyaveith could rise properly," but it's also not a truly serious suggestion. She shifts the weight of the bag slung cross-wise over her person. "That," says she of Aedrielth in concession to Kat's words, "is most likely the case." It's the latter question that gives her pause - or, rather, must be forced through the strange gears of her thoughts. Ultimately: "Because there is no other way to think. The dragons must decide otherwise - until they do, I will return home." One eyebrow quirks upward. "What do you think will truly happen? Do you think the dragons would choose from us - or from the others that they will Search?"
"I'm not a dragon; how should I know what they think?" Still, there's a slightly distant, almost wistful look to Kat's face for a moment as she says this. "But the riders? Well, it would make sense if they Searched fewer Candidates than usual, wouldn't it?" Katriona counters. "Since they already have a number of us who have been promised a chance to Stand. That means we have a better chance of being chosen, doesn't it?"
"Very little of anything makes sense any more," Ulyana points out. "Searching before the eggs are laid- how does that make sense?" Her nose wrinkles. "So, Searching for more seems just as logical." In the end, though, her shoulders rise and drop helplessly. "I am not sure it improves our odds, in either case. Not unless they choose to Search no more - or the gold lays a large amount of eggs." She considers for a moment, then wonders, "It is strange that the dragons only choose from those presented to them, despite the number of people that watch. Surely the dragons must wonder what else there is."
"Now /that/ seems like an interesting line of research," Kat replies brightly, offering Ulyana a grin. "Have they ever picked someone from the audience? Or is it a matter of distance, that they can only pick from those a certain distance from them, and so the audience is placed far enough back?"
"It must have happened at some point," Ulyana responds. This time, she does look at the other girl a bit more directly; the mutual interest seems to have sparked a different kind of life in the analytical candidate. "But, it is entirely possible it has not. That does raise the question of whether dragons truly search for a mind that's perfect for their own, or if they are limited only to what they see and smell. In which case - what can a candidate do to attract a dragon?" More speculation; at least it's of a sort that seems to be interesting to others, as well. "Do you do any research? Do you like to study anything?"
"Mostly, I do laundry," Kat replies, her smile now lopsided. "But I think about what a dragon wants, how they choose. How we can make ourselves more likely to be picked. Who /wouldn't/, when they're going to have a chance to Stand?" She spins around, walking backwards now as she regards the other once-and-future-Candidate. "I think it has to be picking only from those available, though. What if a Northern dragon's perfect match was somewhere in the South? They probably wouldn't be found on Search, and the dragon would still choose someone. And haven't there been riders and dragons who had problems with each other before? Where they proved not to be the best match?"
The girl keeps her slow and steady pace, with the living caverns looming not too far ahead. "Do you have hobbies?" The question is inserted at some point before the dragon talk continues. For her part, Ulyana just offers a singular left-right-center headshake. "I am not sure of the relationships between dragons and riders," she admits. "Speaking historically, we only have the Records to go on - and those cannot always be trusted in such things." Facts and numbers are one thing; intimate relationships are a totally different beast. "So, I am not sure. Do the Search dragons choose based on their preferences? How..." but the questions are too many and she falls silent. "We are almost there," she finally says and the topic of dragons and the questions surrounding them are soon twisted into talk about the pastries of the day. The adventure will inevitably conclude in the kitchens - if not -satisfactorily- for at least one of them: there were no citrus tarts after all.
Summary: Ulyana chats with Katriona. Dragons and Impression are discussed.
Characters: Katriona, Ulyana
Location: Inner Caverns, Fort Weyr
Time: Day 18, month 7, turn 35 of Interval 10
RL Date: 08/16/2014
A resident working in the laundry has quite a few tasks on the average day; no matter what the supply situation is for the weyr, clothing, linens and other things still need to be cleaned. And so it is that Katriona has just emerged from the living caverns, deliveries made and her task done for the moment. Freed of her chores for the moment, the young resident wanders through the inner caverns with her hands clasped behind her back; she seems to simply be people-watching, to see who's wandering about this morning.
Likewise, it would appear Ulyana's duties are also done; the girl emerges from the passageway that leads to the infirmary with a satchel slung over a shoulder. The girl's regular visits to the infirmary are both normal and a probably familiar sight for the ex-Candidates. Her difficulties in sleeping and other minor peculiarities all conspire to keep her a regular visitor to the Weyr's Healers. She pauses just at the end of the passageway, gray-eyed gaze cutting one way and then the other as if discerning which direction she ought to go next. She doesn't seem to immediately spot Katriona - but it's in her general direction that the girl ultimately goes, clearly bent on completing some task and locked in her peculiar kind of tunnel-vision.
The slightly older, taller of the two ex-Candidate offers a smile to the other, unclasping her hands from behind her back to offer a cheery wave. "Ulyana! Done for the day? I'm done. I'm trying to figure out what to do for now. Where are you headed?" Speaking with Kat can sometimes feel somewhat like being caught under an avalanche of words.
Ah. There. Katriona's familiar voice cuts through and all but stops Ulyana in her tracks. Her head cocks to one side like some mechanical avian's might and she finally pivots on a foot to properly face the other former-Candidate. There is no smile or wave, just her customary up-down-center nod of acknowledgment. "I am done, yes. I was going to go to the Records Room and do some further research," she explains. One corner of her mouth lurches to a side in an attempt at a wry half-smile that falls flat. Equally flat are her next words, though they're plainly apologetic in their construction: "I am not sure that would be of any interest to you."
"Oh. Why not?" Katriona tilts her own head in mimicking query, but it's more in the manner of a curious sparrow than Ulyana's dispassionate and precise gesture. She takes a step closer, regarding the other girl thoughtfully. "What are you planning to research this time? More of the same?"
Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised by the other girl's reply. Ulyana rolls one shoulder in a lopsided shrug and turns a little, toward the living cavern. "It does not seem to be of much interest to others, that is all. It is very solitary work." She cuts a glance toward the slightly closer Katriona again. "I am not sure yet. The questions-" and, here, her expression cracks with frustration, "-there are still too many. There are no satisfactory answers to anything." She draws a breath, holds it, and lets it out slowly through her nose. It takes her a moment too long to continue, but this, too, is normal. "I was also going to see if the kitchens could spare a snack. If you are not busy, you are welcome to come."
At that, Kat's usual mood -- the slightly hyper, cheerful demeanor that so often defines her -- seems dampened momentarily. More soberly, she observes to Ulyana, "There are worse ways to stay busy, but I don't think it will matter. If none of those who already know dragons and their health so well have an answer, chances are you won't find one in old records before there's another clutch to Stand for. And then you'll be too busy to keep studying." Because all the ex-Candidates who've stuck it out will Impress, of course. Mention of the kitchens, however, restores some of her enthusiasm. "I was thinking of heading there. I could use some food."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Ulyana starts to move, her pace measured - calculated, like everything else she does. "But I will not be able to rest until I am satisfied that I have exhausted everything. If there is no answer, so be it," but she is far from convinced that is the case. There's a look flicked askance to Kat at her next words and, as should be expected, misinterpretation is had. "I am sure there will be plenty to do at Crom after this is over." Such is her certainty. The topic is cast off, however, in favor of another topic: "I think they have some kind of citrus tart today for dessert." A beat. Two. Then: "When do you think we will finally Stand? Which gold do you think will rise?"
Katriona considers this. "The older golds had both clutches a bit more than a year ago," she points out as she moves along with Ulyana. "They could rise again sometime soon. But Aedrielth could rise for the first time, as well. And why are you so certain you will be back at Crom after we Stand, Ulyana?"
This is all taken in with a shallow, up-down-center nod that lingers just a beat at the down motion. Ulyana intones, "It is also possible Eilyaveith could rise properly," but it's also not a truly serious suggestion. She shifts the weight of the bag slung cross-wise over her person. "That," says she of Aedrielth in concession to Kat's words, "is most likely the case." It's the latter question that gives her pause - or, rather, must be forced through the strange gears of her thoughts. Ultimately: "Because there is no other way to think. The dragons must decide otherwise - until they do, I will return home." One eyebrow quirks upward. "What do you think will truly happen? Do you think the dragons would choose from us - or from the others that they will Search?"
"I'm not a dragon; how should I know what they think?" Still, there's a slightly distant, almost wistful look to Kat's face for a moment as she says this. "But the riders? Well, it would make sense if they Searched fewer Candidates than usual, wouldn't it?" Katriona counters. "Since they already have a number of us who have been promised a chance to Stand. That means we have a better chance of being chosen, doesn't it?"
"Very little of anything makes sense any more," Ulyana points out. "Searching before the eggs are laid- how does that make sense?" Her nose wrinkles. "So, Searching for more seems just as logical." In the end, though, her shoulders rise and drop helplessly. "I am not sure it improves our odds, in either case. Not unless they choose to Search no more - or the gold lays a large amount of eggs." She considers for a moment, then wonders, "It is strange that the dragons only choose from those presented to them, despite the number of people that watch. Surely the dragons must wonder what else there is."
"Now /that/ seems like an interesting line of research," Kat replies brightly, offering Ulyana a grin. "Have they ever picked someone from the audience? Or is it a matter of distance, that they can only pick from those a certain distance from them, and so the audience is placed far enough back?"
"It must have happened at some point," Ulyana responds. This time, she does look at the other girl a bit more directly; the mutual interest seems to have sparked a different kind of life in the analytical candidate. "But, it is entirely possible it has not. That does raise the question of whether dragons truly search for a mind that's perfect for their own, or if they are limited only to what they see and smell. In which case - what can a candidate do to attract a dragon?" More speculation; at least it's of a sort that seems to be interesting to others, as well. "Do you do any research? Do you like to study anything?"
"Mostly, I do laundry," Kat replies, her smile now lopsided. "But I think about what a dragon wants, how they choose. How we can make ourselves more likely to be picked. Who /wouldn't/, when they're going to have a chance to Stand?" She spins around, walking backwards now as she regards the other once-and-future-Candidate. "I think it has to be picking only from those available, though. What if a Northern dragon's perfect match was somewhere in the South? They probably wouldn't be found on Search, and the dragon would still choose someone. And haven't there been riders and dragons who had problems with each other before? Where they proved not to be the best match?"
The girl keeps her slow and steady pace, with the living caverns looming not too far ahead. "Do you have hobbies?" The question is inserted at some point before the dragon talk continues. For her part, Ulyana just offers a singular left-right-center headshake. "I am not sure of the relationships between dragons and riders," she admits. "Speaking historically, we only have the Records to go on - and those cannot always be trusted in such things." Facts and numbers are one thing; intimate relationships are a totally different beast. "So, I am not sure. Do the Search dragons choose based on their preferences? How..." but the questions are too many and she falls silent. "We are almost there," she finally says and the topic of dragons and the questions surrounding them are soon twisted into talk about the pastries of the day. The adventure will inevitably conclude in the kitchens - if not -satisfactorily- for at least one of them: there were no citrus tarts after all.