Log: Of Flights and Turndays
Who: Amerie, Milani
When: Evening, day 11, month 2, Turn 15, of the Tenth Interval
Where: Common Room, High Reaches Weyr
What: The assistant headwomen talk a little bit about Teonath's flight and flight aftermaths in general, pretty dresses and turndays.
Just after dinner the Common Room is actually fairly hopping with post-meal folk enjoying a bit of evening relaxation. Many of the chairs are occupied with small groups of lower caverns people talking and laughing, the ones along the walls or by the hearth lined with aunties knitting and darning socks. There's a couple of hands of poker going and a bunch of kids playing something like jacks on the floor in front of the fire. Towards the back of the cavern, where it gets shadowy and quieter, Milani's in her typical pose of repose, legs dangling over the side of a chair, head resting on the chair's arm rest. Tonight though she has no snack, no klah and no book, but rather, an abacus, slender fingers sending the beads flying as she works through sums rapidly.
Unlike most of the traffic coming through the common room, Amerie comes from the corridor to her room, with her usual expression of vague boredom deepened; she's /actually/ bored. That might be why she's moved from her self-imposed solitude to brave the rather raucous room; after pausing a moment to glance around at the groups taking up the space, she spies Milani and actually seems relieved for a moment. Drifting over in the other Assistant's direction, she asks disapprovingly, "Are you working?"
Click-click-click-pause. Milani's bright blue eyes come up from the beads and a bright smile crosses her face. "Heya Amerie!" She gives the abacus a shake, resetting the beads. "Nope. Doing big sums for fun. Like, 89,567 times 867." The 'calculator' comes to a rest in her lap and she nods to the next chair over, a little side table with a glowbasket on it in between. "Sit for a bit? How was your day? Seems like I barely saw you. Hayda sure is keeping us hopping isn't she?" Big eyes made towards the Headwoman's office, then returning to the other girl.
Amerie takes the offered seat gracefully, flashing Milani a swift, slight smile. "The place is fairly crowded," she notes disapprovingly, eyeing her fellow residents as if they're interlopers. With a wrinkle of her nose, "And I can't understand how that's fun for you. But - yes, it seems that we're being kept busy. I imagine it's better in the winter than the summer?" Flickering a glance towards the Headwoman's closed door, "But it is a bit /much/, isn't it? As for my day, it was fine, if busy. How was yours?"
"Winter. After dinner. Yeah. Won't clear out much until the weather turns," notes Milani, eyeing the kids scrambling to pick up little pieces with a bouncing rubber ball by the fire. "I like numbers. They're ... they're easy. They make sense." Pause. "They always add up, unlike a lotta other things." Her lips purse slightly then she shrugs, one fingertip pressing lightly on a red bead. "tens, hundreds, thousands ... the rules are always the same with math." There's a brief pause while she spins that bead around and around. "Summer's busy in other ways ... I dunno, I guess it's just Hayda really. She's very very um ... thorough." Milani struggles to be politic, tempering her words for once and casts Amerie another smile, this one smaller. "Yeah. It's a lot. Lots to keep track of. Mine was busy too. And good. Definitely good."
Amerie watches the children as well for a moment or two, though the majority of her attention is for Milani, made full by turning her dark gaze to the other girl, faintly concerned - which is to say as concerned as she gets. Flickering a glance to the abacus, then back up, she asks, "Are you alright? I mean -" At a loss for a moment, as if she doesn't know what comes after the question, the girl makes herself continue after, tones still smooth. "I suppose that's true about math, but you seem to be thinking of something else."
Blinking a few times, Milani's brows draw together faintly, as if trying to understand that note of concern in Amerie's voice and on her face. "Me? Sure. Seriously, I like doing sums." A row of beads is gently nudged and the younger of the two girls considers for a moment before going on. "I guess I do have some things on my mind, but I'm not unhappy or anything? It's just been ... an interesting few months. Had my turnday y'know. Just before turnover. Finally sixteen. It's a good number." She beams a smile up at Amerie now and scooches up in the chair so she's sitting more upright. "When's yours by the way?"
"Okay." Amerie takes that with a nod, settling back in her chair and crossing long legs, swinging her boot back and forth. Choosing to now regard Milani and ignore the rest of the room, she shifts to rest her elbow on the chair, chin in hand. "I guess it was maybe just that you were thoughtful - you're not often the sort to be lost in thought for too long. And you did?" The darker girl's expression shades a bit dismayed. "Don't know how I missed it - but happy turnday? Belatedly?" With a blink, she has to think about it before, "Four months from now. The spring."
"Maybe I'm finally growing up?" Milani hazards with one of her trademark bright smiles and reaches over to set the abacus down on the side table. "I mean I /am/ sixteen now right, that's a big difference from fifteen, isn't it?" The younger girl asks this without any guile. "We've all been busy and well, Teonath was proddy and then she rose. So. Kind of dwarfs the occasion. Mum made me cake and took me to Weaver to get a new dress though." And now Millie bounces a little in her chair and claps her hands together. "And it's going to be /so/ pretty and /so/ grownup! And thanks. Spring? So sixth month when it's all pretty outside. We could have a picnic or something!"
"Maybe. And - I think it depends on how you feel, age? If sixteen feels different, I think it must be for you." Amerie offers this with total conviction, quirking a small smile for Milani. Again crinkling her nose, the tall girl nods to the reasons for the general distraction, though she notes, "I wouldn't say it so much dwarfs the occasion as forces itself on one. There's - not much to be done about it, is there?" With a shrug, she watches the bouncing with undisguised amusement. "I can't wait to see it," she assures. "Clothes are always nice. And - I suppose we could." Blinking again, "But it's honestly not something to make an issue of."
"Well, I guess I do /feel/ a little bit older. I've been trying harder to think things through and be responsible, so maybe it's making a difference." Milani reaches up to pull her hair back over her shoulders, gathering the long strands into a loose tail, then dropping them behind her. "And I suppose that is one way to look at flights. They sure do make things messy anyway."
Millie's lips purse again and she shoots Amerie an assessing glance, opens her mouth, closes it again. "And no, not much to do about them happening ... or how they turn out." Clearly, she's taking being grown up very seriously because she really did think about how she said that before she said it. Interest in the dress though makes her bounce further. "Should be ready pretty soon actually, well in time for all the Gathers in the spring and summer. Finally a really fine dress to dance in with swirly skirts and a low neckline and everything!" Bright eyes widen with girlish delight then solemnize a trifle. "Well not an issue, but everyone should have a /little/ fun on their turnday right?"
Lightly, "It's the first flight I've been through, so I haven't a basis for comparison, really. But I can see how it might be messy." To the assessing glance, Amerie arches one of her fine brows imperiously - does Milani want to ask anything? When the younger girl thinks better of it, she doesn't attempt to hide the fact that she's impressed, nodding a touch. "Is how they turn out honestly all that random?" she asks, not necessarily expecting an answer. "And it sounds like it should be lovely. I ought to think of something similar - I just keep changing my mind about what I'd like, and I never really find anything." A pause, then; "I think that's true. And - I appreciate you thinking of me, even though I missed yours."
"Lots of drinking very often, afterwards. Or y'know, worse." Milani makes a little face and then, since it's a night for being thoughtful, she considers at least a second or two before answering again. "Weeelll, depends. My mother says that mostly it is, it's chance and the male dragons' ability and so on and so on. But. The gold or green's rider /can/ influence things at least a little. Make suggestions, try to I dunno ... nudge the outcome?" She worries at a loose thread in the fold of her skirts as she muses through all that. "You should come with us when we go pick it up. Try some things on. I'll bet they've got some to-die-for stuff for someone with your looks." Blunt. Back to blunt. "Oh sure! Y'know, it could be fun?" Beam.
"I mostly hid out down here, then in my room. I didn't come out of it too badly, all things considered." Amerie curves an odd little half-smile for Milani, still amused - perhaps at the girl's attempt at /not/ being blunt. However, at the moment of thought, she shifts in that direction as well, pausing as she seems to file that away with other such information. "Hm. That's interesting." And that's all the assistant has to say on the topics of flights, as there's clothes to talk about. "I'd like that, really. I haven't exactly spent a lot of marks recently - and a couple of new things would be nice. As for the picnic, it could be fun - but it's hard to think of right now."
"Oh that's always a good idea. Especially if you don't want to spent most of the time shoving over-eager riders /away/ from you. It's just easier. Unless y'know, you /want/ to help out. Nothing wrong with /that/ either." Back to matter-of-fact, Milani lets out a little puff of air. "Well I'll let Mum know you're coming with then," the younger girl's suddenly arranging Amerie's schedule for her, "and don't think I'll forget about that picnic too. I'll make a note and some lists! And you'll have to tell me what kind of cake you like." Beat. "You do like cake right?"
As usual, Amerie needs to take a moment in the face of Milani's practicality and enthusiasm both, giving a little laugh. With a shake of her head, she quirks a wry smile the other girl's way. "Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. Another thing that depends on who you are? And are you sure your mother won't mind?" She doesn't seem overly perturbed by the schedule-arranging, taking it as a matter of course. "And - I would never expect you to forget about a party of some kind, Milani." Flashing a grin, "And I do like cake. Most kinds - I'll have to think about it." Glancing back towards the headwoman's door, the tall girl sighs and pushes from her seat. "I should get some rest - it was a long day."
"Totally," Milani says agreeably, one leg swinging restlessly back and forth already. "Mum? Of course not! She likes to fuss and be all ... motherly. And she likes it when I have friends. You know." One long-fingered hand waves and then Millie's catching up the abacus again, sending the beads clicking randomly. "Oh good. If you like cake that solves a lot of problems. And most kinds too. So you'll let me know and then we can sort of keep that in mind for when it gets /nice/ out." Beam. A nose-wrinkle is provided for Hayda's door. "Yeah, probably a good idea, before she gets all on our case again." But when Milani stands, it's another direction she heads in. "I think I'm going to go take a walk, I'm too restless to sleep. See you in the morning, Amerie." And she waves with the abacus in her hand, all the beads falling from one side to the other with a sturdy *clack*.
Amerie arches a brow for Milani's opposite direction, but gives her a nod and a wave all the same. "Don't stay out too late - but have a good night, Milani." She watches after the younger girl for a moment, then starts off back to her room.
When: Evening, day 11, month 2, Turn 15, of the Tenth Interval
Where: Common Room, High Reaches Weyr
What: The assistant headwomen talk a little bit about Teonath's flight and flight aftermaths in general, pretty dresses and turndays.
Just after dinner the Common Room is actually fairly hopping with post-meal folk enjoying a bit of evening relaxation. Many of the chairs are occupied with small groups of lower caverns people talking and laughing, the ones along the walls or by the hearth lined with aunties knitting and darning socks. There's a couple of hands of poker going and a bunch of kids playing something like jacks on the floor in front of the fire. Towards the back of the cavern, where it gets shadowy and quieter, Milani's in her typical pose of repose, legs dangling over the side of a chair, head resting on the chair's arm rest. Tonight though she has no snack, no klah and no book, but rather, an abacus, slender fingers sending the beads flying as she works through sums rapidly.
Unlike most of the traffic coming through the common room, Amerie comes from the corridor to her room, with her usual expression of vague boredom deepened; she's /actually/ bored. That might be why she's moved from her self-imposed solitude to brave the rather raucous room; after pausing a moment to glance around at the groups taking up the space, she spies Milani and actually seems relieved for a moment. Drifting over in the other Assistant's direction, she asks disapprovingly, "Are you working?"
Click-click-click-pause. Milani's bright blue eyes come up from the beads and a bright smile crosses her face. "Heya Amerie!" She gives the abacus a shake, resetting the beads. "Nope. Doing big sums for fun. Like, 89,567 times 867." The 'calculator' comes to a rest in her lap and she nods to the next chair over, a little side table with a glowbasket on it in between. "Sit for a bit? How was your day? Seems like I barely saw you. Hayda sure is keeping us hopping isn't she?" Big eyes made towards the Headwoman's office, then returning to the other girl.
Amerie takes the offered seat gracefully, flashing Milani a swift, slight smile. "The place is fairly crowded," she notes disapprovingly, eyeing her fellow residents as if they're interlopers. With a wrinkle of her nose, "And I can't understand how that's fun for you. But - yes, it seems that we're being kept busy. I imagine it's better in the winter than the summer?" Flickering a glance towards the Headwoman's closed door, "But it is a bit /much/, isn't it? As for my day, it was fine, if busy. How was yours?"
"Winter. After dinner. Yeah. Won't clear out much until the weather turns," notes Milani, eyeing the kids scrambling to pick up little pieces with a bouncing rubber ball by the fire. "I like numbers. They're ... they're easy. They make sense." Pause. "They always add up, unlike a lotta other things." Her lips purse slightly then she shrugs, one fingertip pressing lightly on a red bead. "tens, hundreds, thousands ... the rules are always the same with math." There's a brief pause while she spins that bead around and around. "Summer's busy in other ways ... I dunno, I guess it's just Hayda really. She's very very um ... thorough." Milani struggles to be politic, tempering her words for once and casts Amerie another smile, this one smaller. "Yeah. It's a lot. Lots to keep track of. Mine was busy too. And good. Definitely good."
Amerie watches the children as well for a moment or two, though the majority of her attention is for Milani, made full by turning her dark gaze to the other girl, faintly concerned - which is to say as concerned as she gets. Flickering a glance to the abacus, then back up, she asks, "Are you alright? I mean -" At a loss for a moment, as if she doesn't know what comes after the question, the girl makes herself continue after, tones still smooth. "I suppose that's true about math, but you seem to be thinking of something else."
Blinking a few times, Milani's brows draw together faintly, as if trying to understand that note of concern in Amerie's voice and on her face. "Me? Sure. Seriously, I like doing sums." A row of beads is gently nudged and the younger of the two girls considers for a moment before going on. "I guess I do have some things on my mind, but I'm not unhappy or anything? It's just been ... an interesting few months. Had my turnday y'know. Just before turnover. Finally sixteen. It's a good number." She beams a smile up at Amerie now and scooches up in the chair so she's sitting more upright. "When's yours by the way?"
"Okay." Amerie takes that with a nod, settling back in her chair and crossing long legs, swinging her boot back and forth. Choosing to now regard Milani and ignore the rest of the room, she shifts to rest her elbow on the chair, chin in hand. "I guess it was maybe just that you were thoughtful - you're not often the sort to be lost in thought for too long. And you did?" The darker girl's expression shades a bit dismayed. "Don't know how I missed it - but happy turnday? Belatedly?" With a blink, she has to think about it before, "Four months from now. The spring."
"Maybe I'm finally growing up?" Milani hazards with one of her trademark bright smiles and reaches over to set the abacus down on the side table. "I mean I /am/ sixteen now right, that's a big difference from fifteen, isn't it?" The younger girl asks this without any guile. "We've all been busy and well, Teonath was proddy and then she rose. So. Kind of dwarfs the occasion. Mum made me cake and took me to Weaver to get a new dress though." And now Millie bounces a little in her chair and claps her hands together. "And it's going to be /so/ pretty and /so/ grownup! And thanks. Spring? So sixth month when it's all pretty outside. We could have a picnic or something!"
"Maybe. And - I think it depends on how you feel, age? If sixteen feels different, I think it must be for you." Amerie offers this with total conviction, quirking a small smile for Milani. Again crinkling her nose, the tall girl nods to the reasons for the general distraction, though she notes, "I wouldn't say it so much dwarfs the occasion as forces itself on one. There's - not much to be done about it, is there?" With a shrug, she watches the bouncing with undisguised amusement. "I can't wait to see it," she assures. "Clothes are always nice. And - I suppose we could." Blinking again, "But it's honestly not something to make an issue of."
"Well, I guess I do /feel/ a little bit older. I've been trying harder to think things through and be responsible, so maybe it's making a difference." Milani reaches up to pull her hair back over her shoulders, gathering the long strands into a loose tail, then dropping them behind her. "And I suppose that is one way to look at flights. They sure do make things messy anyway."
Millie's lips purse again and she shoots Amerie an assessing glance, opens her mouth, closes it again. "And no, not much to do about them happening ... or how they turn out." Clearly, she's taking being grown up very seriously because she really did think about how she said that before she said it. Interest in the dress though makes her bounce further. "Should be ready pretty soon actually, well in time for all the Gathers in the spring and summer. Finally a really fine dress to dance in with swirly skirts and a low neckline and everything!" Bright eyes widen with girlish delight then solemnize a trifle. "Well not an issue, but everyone should have a /little/ fun on their turnday right?"
Lightly, "It's the first flight I've been through, so I haven't a basis for comparison, really. But I can see how it might be messy." To the assessing glance, Amerie arches one of her fine brows imperiously - does Milani want to ask anything? When the younger girl thinks better of it, she doesn't attempt to hide the fact that she's impressed, nodding a touch. "Is how they turn out honestly all that random?" she asks, not necessarily expecting an answer. "And it sounds like it should be lovely. I ought to think of something similar - I just keep changing my mind about what I'd like, and I never really find anything." A pause, then; "I think that's true. And - I appreciate you thinking of me, even though I missed yours."
"Lots of drinking very often, afterwards. Or y'know, worse." Milani makes a little face and then, since it's a night for being thoughtful, she considers at least a second or two before answering again. "Weeelll, depends. My mother says that mostly it is, it's chance and the male dragons' ability and so on and so on. But. The gold or green's rider /can/ influence things at least a little. Make suggestions, try to I dunno ... nudge the outcome?" She worries at a loose thread in the fold of her skirts as she muses through all that. "You should come with us when we go pick it up. Try some things on. I'll bet they've got some to-die-for stuff for someone with your looks." Blunt. Back to blunt. "Oh sure! Y'know, it could be fun?" Beam.
"I mostly hid out down here, then in my room. I didn't come out of it too badly, all things considered." Amerie curves an odd little half-smile for Milani, still amused - perhaps at the girl's attempt at /not/ being blunt. However, at the moment of thought, she shifts in that direction as well, pausing as she seems to file that away with other such information. "Hm. That's interesting." And that's all the assistant has to say on the topics of flights, as there's clothes to talk about. "I'd like that, really. I haven't exactly spent a lot of marks recently - and a couple of new things would be nice. As for the picnic, it could be fun - but it's hard to think of right now."
"Oh that's always a good idea. Especially if you don't want to spent most of the time shoving over-eager riders /away/ from you. It's just easier. Unless y'know, you /want/ to help out. Nothing wrong with /that/ either." Back to matter-of-fact, Milani lets out a little puff of air. "Well I'll let Mum know you're coming with then," the younger girl's suddenly arranging Amerie's schedule for her, "and don't think I'll forget about that picnic too. I'll make a note and some lists! And you'll have to tell me what kind of cake you like." Beat. "You do like cake right?"
As usual, Amerie needs to take a moment in the face of Milani's practicality and enthusiasm both, giving a little laugh. With a shake of her head, she quirks a wry smile the other girl's way. "Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. Another thing that depends on who you are? And are you sure your mother won't mind?" She doesn't seem overly perturbed by the schedule-arranging, taking it as a matter of course. "And - I would never expect you to forget about a party of some kind, Milani." Flashing a grin, "And I do like cake. Most kinds - I'll have to think about it." Glancing back towards the headwoman's door, the tall girl sighs and pushes from her seat. "I should get some rest - it was a long day."
"Totally," Milani says agreeably, one leg swinging restlessly back and forth already. "Mum? Of course not! She likes to fuss and be all ... motherly. And she likes it when I have friends. You know." One long-fingered hand waves and then Millie's catching up the abacus again, sending the beads clicking randomly. "Oh good. If you like cake that solves a lot of problems. And most kinds too. So you'll let me know and then we can sort of keep that in mind for when it gets /nice/ out." Beam. A nose-wrinkle is provided for Hayda's door. "Yeah, probably a good idea, before she gets all on our case again." But when Milani stands, it's another direction she heads in. "I think I'm going to go take a walk, I'm too restless to sleep. See you in the morning, Amerie." And she waves with the abacus in her hand, all the beads falling from one side to the other with a sturdy *clack*.
Amerie arches a brow for Milani's opposite direction, but gives her a nod and a wave all the same. "Don't stay out too late - but have a good night, Milani." She watches after the younger girl for a moment, then starts off back to her room.