Turnday at High Reaches
Day 4, month 7, turn 22 of Interval 10: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
Jiella's on a walk after an errand at High Reaches, and meets Vyshani. (+tag)
Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
The rest of the bowl may be barren, grass barely surviving at best, but here by the lake, it's brilliantly green in the warmer months: thickening and thriving in the silty, boulder-dotted soil just before it transitions to soft sand and thence to the cool, clear water itself.
A large freshwater lake fed by a low waterfall, it not only provides warm-weather bathing space for humans and dragons, but has one end fenced off as a watering hole for the livestock in the feeding grounds. The water there is often muddier than the rest of the clear lake, whose shallows drop off abruptly several yards out into deep water, and whose edge undulates against the coarse-hewn bowl wall: here close enough to just be bramble-covered rocks, there far enough away that a narrow land bridge divides the main lake from a smallish pond. Between are several rocky outcroppings that form excellent makeshift diving points, though only one -- across the bridge -- has a set of narrow, slippery, quite possibly tempting stairs.
The sun is high in the sky and there is not a cloud in sight. There's a breeze that tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air
Summer continues to cooperate by gifting the Reaches with another flawless day, the morning warming up steadily and promising a truly pleasant afternoon later on. Already people are taking advantage, of breaks, days off, or work that's of a portable variety that allows them to come out and enjoy the sunshine. As perhaps might seem universal, the verdant strip and sandy stretch of the lake shore is a popular gathering spot for people of all ages. Lounging, chatting, playing -- which could double as making fools of themselves. "No no no. You've /almost/ got it. Here, let me show you again," a dark-haired young woman is saying to a couple gangly children. And mindless of the skinny legs that get flashed, Vyshani demonstrates a cartwheel, turning right side up again with a bounce. "See? Completely sideways. Don't turn your body to land both feet at the same time." And then it's the kidlets' turns to try again, tumbling and laughing in the sand while the woman turns to sneak away, grinning.
Ugh, kids. Jiella is definitely avoiding them as she's enjoying the weather down by the lake for all that she might not call it ideal or even warm; the blonde's hair is unbound and she's wearing leathers, a likely indication she's not necessarily from around here. Or she could just be wearing them for the attention - and she does seem to draw that, like moths to flame, long legs shown off to perfect advantage. She might not be good at everything, but she's great at looking pretty. She does give the cartwheeling a cursory glance, with mild interest as Vyshani begins to sneak away - with a little smirk, she puts a finger to full lips - quiet! Secret's safe with her.
Pretty is always worth at least a second look -- sometimes envying instead of admiring, depending on the one doing the looking. Catching notice of the strange blonde, Vyshani lifts a hand to cover her mouth, shoulders hunching a little as she stifles the urge to laugh for that gesture. And apparently, she takes it as invitation to come over and be sociable -- minus rugrats, thankfully. "Good morning!" is greeted in a definite Bollian accent. "Gorgeous out, isn't it?"
As long as there's no rugrats involved, Jiella never minds being sociable. She's that kind of girl. With a brilliant, stunning smile for the stifled laugh, she gives a nod to the older, slighter woman. "Morning," she returns, in a languid, lazy tone, her voice mostly bearing the traces of Fortian areas. "And..." The blonde looks up to the sky, around and across the lake to judge before; "For here. And I don't mean offense by there, you know - it's just not tanning weather. I like to lie on my ledge, or go to Ista." And she does have a hell of a tan, golden and perfect. "Nice of you to be nice to the kids."
No offense is taken, if the grin that follows the comment is any indication. Vyshani nods her agreement, sloppy runnertail bouncing, "For here, yes. A little wetter and it might count as winter time, back home. Though I think they," with a lifted chin over in the direction of a pair of bikini-clad young women, more cream than tan skinned, walk along, "might disagree with us." But who really cares about them? "Ooh, Ista's really nice. /Black/ beaches; sea shells really stand out against them. Aw, they're not so bad. Energetic. Though I guess you have to not mind being silly, maybe?" She gives a little shrug, glancing over her shoulder where cart-wheel practice has turned into who can do the most somersaults and still stand up at the end without wobbling. "I'm Vy. What's your name?"
Rolling her eyes at the girls in bikinis, Jiella just shakes her head. "Exactly," she agrees with Vy, on the weather. "I mean, for Boll. I used to spend some time there. My grandfather is... well, he lives at the Hold." She'll just keep things simple for now. "I haven't been back in /forever/, actually, I should totally go visit." With a wide-eyed, serious nod about Ista, "Oh, it is beautiful. Last time I was there, things got a little weird, but it all worked out. I think it was worth the day there, anyway." As for the kids, with a wrinkle of her nose, flatly, "I don't like kids. They get all the attention. It's really annoying. And oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Jiella. Orisoth's rider." Another bright smile.
"Ooh, does he? I used to visit for the summer Gather. My family runs a Waystation north of there, about halfway up the Gar road on the coast." Vyshani tilts her head a little, brows lifting in clear curiosity as she blinks. "How'd things get weird?" The flat tone, or maybe the words themselves, make her brows go up a bit higher, "Some of them aren't so bad...." More uncertain than attempting to convince, and easily shaken off with another wide smile as she repeats, "Jiella. That's a pretty name. What brings you up here, if you don't mind me asking? Raining at Ista?" Already comfortable enough to crack jokes.
"Ah, all right. I don't know the /road/ very well, but I know of it. I don't really know much about waystations, but I do hear about them an awful lot. It seems like half the people I know are either from a waystation, or Blooded. Kind of a contrast." Jiella's amused by it at least, but that fact might indicate which side of the equation she falls on. With a little shrug, she glances Vyshani's way to explain, "The senior queen rose and my brown went after her. So that was definitely /odd/." As for kids, she just waves the subject off - she'll take the other woman's word for it - then beams. "Thanks. And I don't mind. It's my turnday, and I was informed I had to come get a gift." Petulantly, "I didn't need to come and get it, just someone wanted me to. Kind of annoying, but I suppose it's not the end of the world. It's a pretty ring."
Vyshani lifts a hand to scratch absently at the side of her nose, squinting a little at the other woman. "Really a contrast. We must seem pretty homely by comparison." It's noted rather cheerfully -- she at least doesn't seem to have any issues with being among the non-elites of Pern. Brown eyes go wide and her jaw drops a little. "Oh. Oh! Wow. Well, yes, I guess that would be really weird. Even weirder if he'd won, though, huh? A woman Weyrleader. Wouldn't that be something?" Pause. Blink blink. "Ooh, happy turnday!" Excitable little thing. "Gee, that seems a little rude. Unless they couldn't get it to you easily? Or didn't trust that it'd be delivered safely?"
With a little shrug, "It doesn't bother me at all. I just don't know much about what it's like, and people always seem sort of surprised... how little I know about how other people actually live, I guess? It's not like it's my fault." But it's not like Jiella's making any moves to expand her horizons either. Amused by the idea of a female Weyrleader - or maybe herself as Weyrleader - she notes, "I don't think Orisoth had much of a chance - or any of the browns, to be honest, though they all thought they did. But I wouldn't /mind/ being Weyrleader. I wouldn't have to get up early if I were, and people would give me things. More often." Smile wide for the well-wishes, "Thanks! And... less rude, more like /hopeful/. That I might stick around. But not likely." She'll take the gift, but otherwise? No thanks.
"Why should anyone be surprised?" Vyshani finds that more surprising than Jiella's admitted ignorance. "I never even went any further than Boll or Gar until I got searched, and I didn't really have much of a clue how people /really/ lived at a Weyr. And I wouldn't know the first thing about the life of Bloods." Her point being, "It's kind of unfair to expect you to know something you've never experienced." A shake of her head and a wave of her hand; people are strange. "Wouldn't you? Have to get up early. I mean, running a Weyr, that'd be an awful lot of work. And always someone wanting you for something I bet. But... I guess you'd have a lot of help, too. Since practically everyone would be working /for/ you." Pros, cons. She frowns a bit as she considers. Then, honestly confused, "But... you are sticking around. Aren't you?" With a glance around at the beach, and then up at the sky, just in case there's going to be a sudden incoming brown dragon to carry the blonde away.
Pleased with the other woman, "See, that's what /I/ think - but not everyone is so forgiving." Jiella just sighs a bit melodramatically - it's hard being her. "It's not like it's my fault I was raised a certain way." With a wrinkle of her nose, she's about to wave all the running-of-a-weyr work off until Vyshani remembers the minions; with a long finger tapping her nose, "Delegation. If everyone's working for you, you just make them do most of the work and only do what you have to. And sleep till nine or something." As for the sticking around, dryly, "I'm not screwing him, though. And I actually /should/ be leaving." She does sound a touch regretful, explaining, "I'm meeting my boyfriend a little bit later, and I ought to stop by home for an hour or so first. But it was nice to meet you, Vy." And she's sincere about that, or seems to be.
"I guess people just think that if you're educated you're supposed to know everything?" Vyshani shrugs as she pulls that guess out of the wide blue sky. "That sounds... really kind of boring. But I like working; I can't imagine what I'd do with myself otherwise." And there she goes looking mildly shocked again. "Oh. Right." Of course. "Aww. Well, it was very nice meeting you, too, Jiella. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your turnday!"
"Maybe. Like Harpers teach about waystations and weyrlife." With a roll of her eyes, Jiella flashes another of her lovely smiles, telling Vyshani, "Oh, I never get bored with sleeping. Anyway, if you're ever at Fort, you can ask to see if I'm around. I'm in the Glass Fountain a lot of evenings. And I hope you have a good day in nearly-winter-at-home weather, Vy." And long legs take her to the bowl, and presumably to her brown.
Jiella's on a walk after an errand at High Reaches, and meets Vyshani. (+tag)
Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
The rest of the bowl may be barren, grass barely surviving at best, but here by the lake, it's brilliantly green in the warmer months: thickening and thriving in the silty, boulder-dotted soil just before it transitions to soft sand and thence to the cool, clear water itself.
A large freshwater lake fed by a low waterfall, it not only provides warm-weather bathing space for humans and dragons, but has one end fenced off as a watering hole for the livestock in the feeding grounds. The water there is often muddier than the rest of the clear lake, whose shallows drop off abruptly several yards out into deep water, and whose edge undulates against the coarse-hewn bowl wall: here close enough to just be bramble-covered rocks, there far enough away that a narrow land bridge divides the main lake from a smallish pond. Between are several rocky outcroppings that form excellent makeshift diving points, though only one -- across the bridge -- has a set of narrow, slippery, quite possibly tempting stairs.
The sun is high in the sky and there is not a cloud in sight. There's a breeze that tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air
Summer continues to cooperate by gifting the Reaches with another flawless day, the morning warming up steadily and promising a truly pleasant afternoon later on. Already people are taking advantage, of breaks, days off, or work that's of a portable variety that allows them to come out and enjoy the sunshine. As perhaps might seem universal, the verdant strip and sandy stretch of the lake shore is a popular gathering spot for people of all ages. Lounging, chatting, playing -- which could double as making fools of themselves. "No no no. You've /almost/ got it. Here, let me show you again," a dark-haired young woman is saying to a couple gangly children. And mindless of the skinny legs that get flashed, Vyshani demonstrates a cartwheel, turning right side up again with a bounce. "See? Completely sideways. Don't turn your body to land both feet at the same time." And then it's the kidlets' turns to try again, tumbling and laughing in the sand while the woman turns to sneak away, grinning.
Ugh, kids. Jiella is definitely avoiding them as she's enjoying the weather down by the lake for all that she might not call it ideal or even warm; the blonde's hair is unbound and she's wearing leathers, a likely indication she's not necessarily from around here. Or she could just be wearing them for the attention - and she does seem to draw that, like moths to flame, long legs shown off to perfect advantage. She might not be good at everything, but she's great at looking pretty. She does give the cartwheeling a cursory glance, with mild interest as Vyshani begins to sneak away - with a little smirk, she puts a finger to full lips - quiet! Secret's safe with her.
Pretty is always worth at least a second look -- sometimes envying instead of admiring, depending on the one doing the looking. Catching notice of the strange blonde, Vyshani lifts a hand to cover her mouth, shoulders hunching a little as she stifles the urge to laugh for that gesture. And apparently, she takes it as invitation to come over and be sociable -- minus rugrats, thankfully. "Good morning!" is greeted in a definite Bollian accent. "Gorgeous out, isn't it?"
As long as there's no rugrats involved, Jiella never minds being sociable. She's that kind of girl. With a brilliant, stunning smile for the stifled laugh, she gives a nod to the older, slighter woman. "Morning," she returns, in a languid, lazy tone, her voice mostly bearing the traces of Fortian areas. "And..." The blonde looks up to the sky, around and across the lake to judge before; "For here. And I don't mean offense by there, you know - it's just not tanning weather. I like to lie on my ledge, or go to Ista." And she does have a hell of a tan, golden and perfect. "Nice of you to be nice to the kids."
No offense is taken, if the grin that follows the comment is any indication. Vyshani nods her agreement, sloppy runnertail bouncing, "For here, yes. A little wetter and it might count as winter time, back home. Though I think they," with a lifted chin over in the direction of a pair of bikini-clad young women, more cream than tan skinned, walk along, "might disagree with us." But who really cares about them? "Ooh, Ista's really nice. /Black/ beaches; sea shells really stand out against them. Aw, they're not so bad. Energetic. Though I guess you have to not mind being silly, maybe?" She gives a little shrug, glancing over her shoulder where cart-wheel practice has turned into who can do the most somersaults and still stand up at the end without wobbling. "I'm Vy. What's your name?"
Rolling her eyes at the girls in bikinis, Jiella just shakes her head. "Exactly," she agrees with Vy, on the weather. "I mean, for Boll. I used to spend some time there. My grandfather is... well, he lives at the Hold." She'll just keep things simple for now. "I haven't been back in /forever/, actually, I should totally go visit." With a wide-eyed, serious nod about Ista, "Oh, it is beautiful. Last time I was there, things got a little weird, but it all worked out. I think it was worth the day there, anyway." As for the kids, with a wrinkle of her nose, flatly, "I don't like kids. They get all the attention. It's really annoying. And oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Jiella. Orisoth's rider." Another bright smile.
"Ooh, does he? I used to visit for the summer Gather. My family runs a Waystation north of there, about halfway up the Gar road on the coast." Vyshani tilts her head a little, brows lifting in clear curiosity as she blinks. "How'd things get weird?" The flat tone, or maybe the words themselves, make her brows go up a bit higher, "Some of them aren't so bad...." More uncertain than attempting to convince, and easily shaken off with another wide smile as she repeats, "Jiella. That's a pretty name. What brings you up here, if you don't mind me asking? Raining at Ista?" Already comfortable enough to crack jokes.
"Ah, all right. I don't know the /road/ very well, but I know of it. I don't really know much about waystations, but I do hear about them an awful lot. It seems like half the people I know are either from a waystation, or Blooded. Kind of a contrast." Jiella's amused by it at least, but that fact might indicate which side of the equation she falls on. With a little shrug, she glances Vyshani's way to explain, "The senior queen rose and my brown went after her. So that was definitely /odd/." As for kids, she just waves the subject off - she'll take the other woman's word for it - then beams. "Thanks. And I don't mind. It's my turnday, and I was informed I had to come get a gift." Petulantly, "I didn't need to come and get it, just someone wanted me to. Kind of annoying, but I suppose it's not the end of the world. It's a pretty ring."
Vyshani lifts a hand to scratch absently at the side of her nose, squinting a little at the other woman. "Really a contrast. We must seem pretty homely by comparison." It's noted rather cheerfully -- she at least doesn't seem to have any issues with being among the non-elites of Pern. Brown eyes go wide and her jaw drops a little. "Oh. Oh! Wow. Well, yes, I guess that would be really weird. Even weirder if he'd won, though, huh? A woman Weyrleader. Wouldn't that be something?" Pause. Blink blink. "Ooh, happy turnday!" Excitable little thing. "Gee, that seems a little rude. Unless they couldn't get it to you easily? Or didn't trust that it'd be delivered safely?"
With a little shrug, "It doesn't bother me at all. I just don't know much about what it's like, and people always seem sort of surprised... how little I know about how other people actually live, I guess? It's not like it's my fault." But it's not like Jiella's making any moves to expand her horizons either. Amused by the idea of a female Weyrleader - or maybe herself as Weyrleader - she notes, "I don't think Orisoth had much of a chance - or any of the browns, to be honest, though they all thought they did. But I wouldn't /mind/ being Weyrleader. I wouldn't have to get up early if I were, and people would give me things. More often." Smile wide for the well-wishes, "Thanks! And... less rude, more like /hopeful/. That I might stick around. But not likely." She'll take the gift, but otherwise? No thanks.
"Why should anyone be surprised?" Vyshani finds that more surprising than Jiella's admitted ignorance. "I never even went any further than Boll or Gar until I got searched, and I didn't really have much of a clue how people /really/ lived at a Weyr. And I wouldn't know the first thing about the life of Bloods." Her point being, "It's kind of unfair to expect you to know something you've never experienced." A shake of her head and a wave of her hand; people are strange. "Wouldn't you? Have to get up early. I mean, running a Weyr, that'd be an awful lot of work. And always someone wanting you for something I bet. But... I guess you'd have a lot of help, too. Since practically everyone would be working /for/ you." Pros, cons. She frowns a bit as she considers. Then, honestly confused, "But... you are sticking around. Aren't you?" With a glance around at the beach, and then up at the sky, just in case there's going to be a sudden incoming brown dragon to carry the blonde away.
Pleased with the other woman, "See, that's what /I/ think - but not everyone is so forgiving." Jiella just sighs a bit melodramatically - it's hard being her. "It's not like it's my fault I was raised a certain way." With a wrinkle of her nose, she's about to wave all the running-of-a-weyr work off until Vyshani remembers the minions; with a long finger tapping her nose, "Delegation. If everyone's working for you, you just make them do most of the work and only do what you have to. And sleep till nine or something." As for the sticking around, dryly, "I'm not screwing him, though. And I actually /should/ be leaving." She does sound a touch regretful, explaining, "I'm meeting my boyfriend a little bit later, and I ought to stop by home for an hour or so first. But it was nice to meet you, Vy." And she's sincere about that, or seems to be.
"I guess people just think that if you're educated you're supposed to know everything?" Vyshani shrugs as she pulls that guess out of the wide blue sky. "That sounds... really kind of boring. But I like working; I can't imagine what I'd do with myself otherwise." And there she goes looking mildly shocked again. "Oh. Right." Of course. "Aww. Well, it was very nice meeting you, too, Jiella. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your turnday!"
"Maybe. Like Harpers teach about waystations and weyrlife." With a roll of her eyes, Jiella flashes another of her lovely smiles, telling Vyshani, "Oh, I never get bored with sleeping. Anyway, if you're ever at Fort, you can ask to see if I'm around. I'm in the Glass Fountain a lot of evenings. And I hope you have a good day in nearly-winter-at-home weather, Vy." And long legs take her to the bowl, and presumably to her brown.