Girls Gone Wild
Who: Aida, Miniyal, Roa
Where: An island
When: Lunchtime on day 17 month 11, turn 2 of the 7th Pass.
What: Roa absconds with Aida and Miniyal off to a beach. Nothing important is discussed, a tree is climbed, fruit is thrown.
12/4/2006
It is lunchtime on the seventeenth, or even a little bit earlier when Roa comes wandering into the Caucus office. She has a wicker basket in one hnad and see nudges open the door and peers around at the desks within, seeking one face in particular.
Given that Aida doesn't tend to head out for lunch until after most people are already finished, she's still at her desk, taking advantage of the quiet to go through some hides, reading from one and writing down on another at the same time. Possibly copying. When she hears the door there's a brief wince, but that gives way to a bright smile when she spots Roa. "Hey," she greets, tone cheerful, eyes bright. Good mood, it seems.
Miniyal> "Hey," is the rejoinered. The litle weyrwoman looks a touch...tired or stretched, maybe. But her smile comes easy as she leans against the doorframe. "Put those down," she instructs placidly, "and follow me."
Her head tilting to one side, Aida considers for only a moment before she's nodding, setting her work aside and sliding to her feet. Her jacket is snagged from the back of her chair, slid on. "Where am I following you to?" The question is all light curiosity, interest.
"Sudden and immediate rebellion of daily schedules," is the solmen and serious response offered by the little weyrwoman. She begins backing up from the door, but pauses. "Oh. But the records room, first." Aida is flashed a quick smile and then Roa turns and is dashing down the hallway towards said aforementioend destination.
Pause. Aida stops for a moment, glancing back at her desk, then after Roa. Uh. This takes consideration, and she does -- but eventually she's rolling her eyes and turning to take a much more sedate walk down on after, hands shoving into her pockets as she strolls along.
As if it's a given that is where Miniyal will be! How dare the weyrwoman assume that if she's not doing any work Miniyal will be in records? Fine, fine, she /is/ there, but still. Unaware of impending doom. Happily chatting away with Bothal about this and that in between watching him deal with caucus students that she can ignore.
It will be Roa, then, who arrives at the records room first, what with the running and all. She stops, at least, at the doorway to step inside quietly, peering around for 'familiar face number two'.
Stroll, stroll, stroll. Aida doesn't venture in after Roa when she does finally arrive, just leaning up in the doorway casually and watching with a little smile on her lips.
Poor Bothal has to take a pretty blonde off to show her where something is located. Yes, he looks heartbroken even when he winks at Miniyal over said blonde's shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Miniyal bites back a laugh and absently picks up a hide off the table to see what he was working on.
Familiar face number two is spotted, and Roa moves towards Miniyal, the basket held low by her side and swinging in her fingers. "Miniyal," she begins, smiling faintly. "Good afternoon. Do you have a moment?"
Lean, watch. Aida seems content to hang back for the moment, her attention following Roa as she heads for Miniyal. There is still curiosity hovering, though it's mild enough. Mellow is apparently the order for the day.
Looking up from something she's not even really reading, Miniyal tilts her head to the side. "Probably. I was just trying to discuss something with Bothal, but he's busy trying to get into that girl's dress so I imagine I'm done with that for the day. If she noticed Aida by the door, and she probably does, there's no indication of such.
"Well, if Bothal can spare your company," Roa leans forward to peer around to where he and the blonde vanished, "I'd love your company for a little while. For lunch." A slow blink as she looks back towards Miniyal. "It's lunchtime you know." Nearly.
More just watching from Aida, though her smile does creep up at the corners. She does glance over her shoulder back out towards the hall for a moment, but it doesn't take her attention long to swing back to the pair inside. Look, she can hold her tongue.
"Bothal won't need me if he can arrange a meeting with her later. And even if he doesn't there's plenty of featherheads about today for him to try again with." Miniyal sets down the hide and tips her head to one side, almost smiling. Whatever makes her smile she keeps to herself, just waving one hand.
Roa turns to peer over her shoulder at whatever Miniyal waved and smiled at. Such actions are a mite unusual from the once-recordskeeper. "All right," comes Roa's calm agreement once she turns back. "Come on." She backs up a few steps before turning and making towards the entrance and Aida. At least she walks this time.
There's a grin flashed for Miniyal when Roa starts towards the door; she slides back a few paces and out of the way, hands staying in her pockets. Still quiet, for the time being. Curiosity is creeping higher, of course.
With nothing else to do, Miniyal follows after Roa. When she sees Aida her forehead wrinkles and she looks back at Roa. "Is something going on?" Because clearly something is up, yes? Aida herself gets a nod and puzzled smile.
"Scheming. Machinations. All those sorts of things," Roa murmurs, ducking her head down as she moves towards the bowl. Near the entrance, Tialith sits, crouched and ready. The gold's attention is, oddly enough, off on the lake and not on the approaching rider, but her elbow extends just the same.
"Apparently," Aida tells Miniyal, giving a helpless sort of shrug and sending a pointed look (that's coupled with a grin) Roa's way. "I've not figured it out, yet." She follows along, flashing another bright smile up towards Tialith whether the gold seems to be paying attention or not.
"Oh. Well. Alright." Whatever, Miniyal's tone implies. It's not as if she doesn't think Roa a bit on the weird side anyway. "Umm. We're going somewhere? Are we going to be gone long?" Because clearly Tialith means travel. She's brilliantly observant like that!
"Not too very long. Just for lunch." Roa turns a bit, holding out the basket for either of them to take. This is so she can climb up those straps before peering down. "Come on!" she calls. "Pass the basket up and then follow."
When the basket is held out, Aida attempts to snag it, though there's no throwing down with Miniyal over it. She waits until she's prompted, then passes it on up, gesturing for Miniyal to climb on aboard before she does so herself with at least a decent amount of comfort with it all.
When in doubt, just be quiet. So Miniyal retreats to silence because it's clear she's not going to be told anything else and she won't pry. Aida reaches for the basket and so Miniyal lets her have it. She just climbs up and points out, "A little warning and I could have dressed for this." Meaning not scramble up a dragon in a skirt. Sheesh! But, she's had enough experience doing so that she manages to not break her neck. Huzzah!
"I worry if I'd warned you, you would have been harder to find." The basket is secured and Roa peers behind to call, "Everyone snugged in?" On the presumption the answer is an affirmative, Tialith crouches and leaps, mosaic wings launching her up into the sky to the proper level before they vanish into the icy black and reappear over a small island, high enough to get a good look at it. Miniyal will know, from her maps, that it is one of the tiny uninhabited islets off of Ista. The gold circles, hide gleaming in the sun (though not unusually so) as she lowers in for a landing.
"Uh huh," Aida responds, once she is indeed settled in and has a hold of straps and things. There's a brief grit of her teeth that's obvious on the other side of coming out of between, but her smile comes back only two heartbeats later, and then she's leaning to the side just a bit, to get a good look down below. "Oh!" Pleased, pleased surprise, that.
There is no response because she could only answer in the affirmative to being harder to find. So Miniyal, other than giving her own assent to being ready, doesn't say anything at all. When they reappear she looks down at the island then around to get her bearings and then is still quiet. Remembering where she is at and all.
Tialith comes in for a landing that is less thumping than it could be. Her size, at least, means the touchdown is less jarring by default. She crouches again and Roa loops the basket over one arm as she unbuckles and climbs down. "There's short-seeleved shirts and half-pants." Her chin jerks towards a discreet sack dangling from Tialith's straps.
The island itself is green and gold and blue where the sea creeps close to shore. They are settled on a beach that leads towards verdant underbrush and in the distance is some sort of watery murmur, the hush of a far-away waterfall or swimming hole.
Climbing down as soon as she's unbuckled, Aida gives a little stretch, drawing in a deep breath of the warmer air, eyes half-closing with pleasure. Oh, warmth. She shrugs her jacket off and tosses it down, and then she's crouching to start untying her boots. "Thank you, Roa," she offers up, sounding terribly grateful. "This is /lovely/."
A near slip climbing down, but Miniyal doesn't quite fall or anything else too terribly clumsy. To accommodate the change in climate she just takes off her sweater and rolls up the sleeves of her blouse. Thank you very much she'll not do more than that. All of this she does while studying the landscape, peering into the distance and not quite aware that maybe she should say something to.
"It was a spot...well, I got it from a friend. The location. But I hasn't visited and..." she inhales and exhales slowly. "It felt like a good time to run away for a little." The sack holding the alleged pants and shirts also harbors a thin blanket that is pulled free. "Eat on the ebach, do you think?"
"It's a good day for lunch out here," Aida chirps, dropping her boots and socks off onto her jacket, pulling the sticks out of her hair. Her heavier blouse gets dropped on top of that in favor of a tank top, and then with a tuck and tie of her skirt at the side to pull it up a little bit, she straightens and is apparently ready to go. "Eating on the beach is good. It's been too long since I've been out somewhere warm. Man."
Oh. Someone's talking. Blinking, Miniyal turns around and focuses on the people here with her. "Wha-Oh. Sure. Sure, the beach works. Do you have a map?" Then she focuses on Aida for a moment to inform her, "There's nothing wrong with cold. Warm is overrated I think. Weather anyway. I mean, nothing wrong with being warm, but I like the cold."
"No map," Roa shakes her head. "But we can do a low sweep over the island before we go, if you'd like to make one." The basket is set down, the blanket shook one. Only then does Roa peel off her boots, socks, and sweater, leaving her long pants and shirt on as she sits. "I like the snow. I like being able to hide from it for a few hours, too."
"I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with it," Aida points out cheerily, ruffling her fingers through her hair and shrugging her shoulders as she flashes another grin towards Miniyal. "But like Roa said -- I like visiting the warmth. It's nice." With that said, she slides over to flop down onto her stomach beside where Roa is sitting, propping her chin up on her hands and looking around as much as she can without moving her head. "This was a really good idea, Roa."
She doesn't quite sit down yet, the lure of exploration too strong for that. "I'm not that hungry. I could go-" Oh, right. It does sink in to Miniyal that she is probably not going to be allowed to sneak off. She's got to be social. So, with a final look towards the whole unmapped expanse of land she sits down. Before she can't quite stop herself from walking off.
The basket is lifted and set down squarely in the middle of the blanket and opened. Various dishes are brought out, all edible with finegrs insead of forks. If one is willing to forego fancy manners. There are meatrolls (of course) and little seasoned tubers. There are redfruits and crackers and wedges of cheese. Some sort of melon sliced into little cubes. Cookies for dessert. And there is juice and wine and three glasses. Roa sets it all out befoe glancing over to Miniyl. "I'll bring you back later," she promises, "and leave you to it."
Food! Perhaps surprisingly, once the food is all laid out Aida jumps on it, snagging herself a bit of this and a bit more of that, promptly beginning to much on things. She grins up at Miniyal at the cut off words and then Roa's response to it, and then that grin is offered over Roa's way. "You put a lot of thought into this," she points out. "Thank you again. So." Pause. "How are you doing? Both of you?" A look between them to include both.
"Oh. Thank you." Said in reply to Roa's offer to let her come back and map. "I've never gotten to do that for a place that's not already. Really? Thanks." Miniyal smiles and then ducks her head lest she seem too overly enthusiastic. The food is not given much attention. Eventually she might pick at it. Aida's question is considered before she nods once. "I'm fine, thank you."
Roa leans back on her hands, ankles crossing. "Going slightly mad," she notes with a faint smile. "Hence the abductions and the frantic escape to tropical climes. Mmm. And the wine." One leg bends at the knee, foot planting itself flat on the blanket. "And you, Aida?"
"I'm glad," Aida notes Miniyal-wards, around bites of seasoned tuber. Yum. She does wrinkle up her nose at Roa's response, then offers a sympathetic look after. "I imagine you are," she says quietly. "A lot. I wish I could make it not so." One shoulder is shrugged and she glances down to the food bit in her fingers before admitting sheepishly, "I'm doing really good."
Feet tucked under her, boots still on, Miniyal can't help but look over towards the rest of the island every now and again. A distraction to be sure, but she seems to be paying attention still to the conversation. Seeking something to say here and finding nothing she just looks from Aida to Roa quietly.
The little weyrwoma leans forward to snatch up a meatroll and her inerest gets snatched by Aida's statement. " Phrases like 'really good' require elaboration," she notes solenly before taking a bite. Roa chews and swallows before asking, "would you like anything to drink, Miniyal?"
"Well, my sister is here," Aida explains, rolling over to her back abruptly and popping the last bite of what she'd grabbed into her mouth. It's chewed and swallowed before she continues, now staring up at the sky. "Harper, she got assigned here. As much as I wish she were elsewhere that might be a little safer, it's nice to have her here." Pause. "And it's been really good to have Jensen back here, too." Yes. "I'm just...you know. Things have been going good, for once. I'm happy. Suppose it had to happen eventually. How's G'thon, Miniyal? I haven't seen either of you lately to ask." With that question she stretches a little bit, pushing up enough that she can tilt her head backwards and peer over upside down at Miniyal with curiosity.
"Oh, no thank you. Not yet." Miniyal grins sheepishly and rolls her eyes. "My stomach's always a little unsettled after landing is all. I'll be fine in a moment. Thank you." Then she looks at Aida to hear what she has to say. When the topic of her comes up she blinks as if not having expected it. "Oh. We're fine. Thank you." She smiles, bright, and then ducks her head, absently rubbing her thumb over the blue stone on her ring. "Good, I mean. We're, yea. It's nice."
"Mmm," is Roa's lazy contribution to the conversation. As Aida mentions her sister, she ges a nod and a smile. As she mentions Jensen, Aida gets that arched brow and one of those looks that asks for more information without actually bothering to ask for it. She makes quick work of the meatroll before flopping onto her back, hands behind her head. "Favorite fruit?" she queries, tipping her head up to glance at Aida and then Miniyal. "Mine's oranges," A faint quirk of her lips. "Almost as much fun to pick as they are to eat."
There's pleased laughter for Miniyal's response, and Aida beams at her briefly before she settles down again, folding her arms beneath her head and giving a little stretch. Maybe she missed that prompting look from Roa. Yeah, that's it. "That's good to hear," she replies lightly. "I'm really glad you two are doing good." Pause. "Mangoes, I think. My favorite fruit, I mean. Messy as they might be. I was uncertain at first, but they're really very good."
"Favorite. . .I don't know." Well, she doesn't. Miniyal frowns as she considers it and finally just gives up. "I really don't know. I've never considered it." Looking at Aida she considers a moment, head tipped to one side. "Roa wants to know more about Jensen." She saw the look. "I imagine because you mentioned him in the middle of all the really good things going on. You know she'll eventually get it out of you. It's best to just get it over with so it's not hanging over your head the rest of the conversation." Or maybe she's thinking of conversations between her and G'thon here.
The little weyrwoman laughs and shakes her head. "She dropped Jensen in the middle of her happy thoughts, and she avoided my pointed look. She already told me what's going on with him," is her bemused response. "I'll poke for more, later. Mmm. Or I'll see if I can wheedle it out of Jen." Her eyes close. "Miniyal, it's your turn to ask a question."
"See, I am very good at communicating without words," Aida declares, pushing herself back up to sitting up, shifting around until she's leaning on one hip and a hand and can look at both of them. She flashes a grin towards Miniyal, shrugging. "I could gush and giggle, but I try to avoid such things as much as I can. And that ought to answer the question the rest of the way." Beat. "We're playing this game?" A face gets made for Roa. "I warn that I may not have any good questions."
"I suppose so. And, what? Oh. Umm." A question. Clearly Miniyal is lost now so she is quiet awhile to consider something she can ask and be done with. Social games. Yay. "Which direction?" A pause and then, "North." Well, the question means something to her.
Shoulders lift and fall awkwardly, considering Roa reclines on her back, but she's still grinning at Aida for a beat longer before she blinks up at the blue and cloudless sky. Everything is just so cheery here. Miniyal's question is given silent consideration before she offers, simply, "Up."
"I'm torn between up and forward," Aida chirps, after only a moment of thought on the matter. "I think I'll have to go with forward." Not that she knows precisely what she's answering. Still, she seems certain about it anyway. "My turn. Uuuuh. Would you *like* regular lazy days, if they were offered to you? I would've said no to that...not all that long ago. Now, though? Yes. I so would."
The answers given draw just a nod from Miniyal. Filed away for later consideration in relation to what she was really asking. "Umm. No." Simple answers. No elaboration given to her answers. Dropping her head down she folds her hands in her lap, twisting absently at the fabric of her skirt. Nervous fidgeting.
"Faranth, yes," Roa groans faintly, her arms coming up so she can press the heels of her hands against closed eyes. She stays that way for a moment before lifting her head and glancing towards Aida and then towards Miniyal. "Shall we maybe take a walk?" the weyrwoman suggests idly.
Aida flashes a grin over at Roa, then nods her head agreeably and starts to shove up to her feet. "Sounds good to me," she says. "I've got all sorts of restless energy, still." Once she's up, she goes through the motions of a careful stretch, then rubs at her face. "Lots of island to explore, too."
"Sure, a walk is fine." Everyone else wants to walk, Miniyal will walk too. Standing up she brushes a bit of sand off her skirt that wound up there. "It's very quiet." Quiet, wide open. Neither are things she is used to. Not so much of each together so it is possible these things are the cause of her nervousness and not the social aspects of the meal.
"It sort of is. Seemed like, before the pass started, there was more of a hum. More tiny things. I don't know. Maybe they've adapted or hidden away." Roa rises (if only Tialith would do the same), stretching herself before glancing over at Miniyal, "North, you said?" And then to Aida, "you were a trader, weren't you? Did you ever go exploring any place that felt untouched?"
Looking around at the area, Aida wanders only a few steps away before she stops and turns back, letting one of them pick the path before she moves to follow. "My father was, at least," she says. "I traveled with him off and on. I...not really. There were a few spots up on high where I followed other trails, rather than the roads, where it was almost untouched, but...not quite. We never went far from where people were."
"Still quiet. I don't think I like it." Miniyal shrugs and then manages a brief smile. "I'm just not used to it. Or. . .well. Being outside so much. Outside is. . .well, outside." Yes, that is what it is all right.
Outside's outside," Roa agrees easily. "Maybe it will feel less so, once we get under the trees." She is trudging that way, towards the line that separates the beach from the forest. "Is it easier to make maps when you've walked places? Or is it easier to base them on aerial views?" There's a nod to Aida as well. "I suppose, if you're a trader, you go where things can be traded."
Rather than walking normally, Aida sort of hops about, bouncing on her feet as she follows along. Yeah, someone's hyper. "Yeah," she agrees. "My Da was old enough by the time I started going with him that he wasn't doing it to explore, he was just doing it to make marks. He used to tell stories about all of the various places he saw, but that was before me." Shrug. "It's why I used to want so bad to see everything."
"Maybe. I mean, the trees." Miniyal walks carefully, unused to maintaining sure footing on sand. So, she's slow, but keeping up. "I think it depends. I mean, an aerial view would be a good way to get your bearings, but you can't really know what you're mapping without walking it. Stuff can be missed in the air I think."
To Aida, Roa queries, as she slips into the treeline, "Do you miss it? the wandering?" And then to Miniyal, "Can't you miss things, walking? I mean," she gestures before them. The trees grow thickly enough that walking between may need to be done single-file in some places, "how do you get a sense of space from standing square inside it?"
Quiet for a moment, Aida stops with her bouncing, slowing as she considers the question. Look, she can walk like a normal human being. She ruffles a hand through her hair, then eventually gives a shake of her head. "No," she says, offering over a little smile. "I don't really miss it at all. Not right now, at least. I can go anywhere I want to, if I want, and...don't really feel the need any more."
"Don't you just. . .feel it?" Miniyal peers curiously from Aida to Roa to see if they understand. "How can you not? I mean, you just know where you are. Where things should be."
The weyrwoman shakes her head. "No," she says to Miniyal with a small smile. "I think that talent may be unique to you, Miniyal. Or, at least, unique to some. I can remember where I've been, but I don't sense where I'm going." She looks to Aida, brows lifted. "You?"
"Well, I don't generally know where my path is going," Aida admits, shrugging her shoulders and lifting her chin, looking up through the trees in the direction of the sky. "But I can certainly feel the lack of walls, here."
"Oh. You just don't think about it. Where you are is easy." Miniyal nods at this, earnest. "It's where everyone else is that makes no sense." And now she's thoughtful, almost morosely so, but she shakes it off with a shrug. "I like walls."
"That's because you like secrets," Roa informs Miniyal idly as she squirms between two trees and then pauses, peering up at one and squinting. "There's fruit up there," she notes. She glances to Aida to add, "Sometimes I worry less about where my path is going and more about who's on it with me." She turns to peer back up at the tree. "Sometimes, the other way around."
Laughing, Aida sends a grin over Roa's way as she draws up to peer up into the tree, searching for this fruit that is apparently up there. "I used to care very much about where I was going in life," she admits easily, reaching up to grab one of the lowest branches and shake it, see how sturdy the thing is. "It's a lot less important, these days." Pause. "And walls are good. They're safe." Another pause. "Well. Safer." There's a little emphasis for the 'er' part of that word.
Watching Aida with the tree branch, Miniyal frowns. "It's not safe. If you fall you're liable to break your neck." Shaking her head, she points out, "It's not worth it." Now she blinks and looks at Roa. "They like me. It's different." Stepping away from the tree she folds her arms over her chest and tries to look like someone being the voice of reason here about the tree.
Roa leans her shoulder against the tree and watches Aida check. She makes no protest if the girl plans to climb, but only notes, "That all depends on what you mean by safe. And safe from what. Walls, I mean. I think," a glances towards Miniyal, "that safety being assured isn't always necessary. In fact, sometimes, there needs to be risk, or there can't be gain. Sometimes it -is- worth it." Blink. "Walls like you? How so?"
"Of course it's not," Aida chirps, flashing over a grin towards Miniyal and then latching on with both hands, putting a foot against the trunk and shifting her weight about some, further testing. "But I'm good at climbing trees. I think it's safe *enough*, at least." And with that said she drops back down from foot-against-trunk, and starts to haul herself up onto that first branch.
"No. Secrets. Walls are indifferent to me. I'm beneath their notice." It is quite possible Miniyal means to joke with her answer, but it sounds so serious if that is the case she needs to work on it some more. Watching Aida she doesn't say anything else, burying the rest of her old auntie words of caution in silence. The same as any response she might have made about risk and rewards.
Roa lives with Ashwin. She has become very good at diving humor from deadpan, and her lips quirk upwards a bit at Miniyal's omment, although her eyes remain on Aida. "I think it was red," she calls, "The fruit. Or, well, pinkish. Dark. You'll know when you see it." She puts a hand up to shade her eyes. "Secrets like you? How can you tell?"
"So noted," Aida calls down lightly, not looking back down to grin until after she's hauled herself up onto that first branch. She takes a moment to catch her breath -- getting started is the hardest part, after all (aside from getting down safely), and so she rests. Soon enough, she's starting to climb her way upwards again though, slow and steady with it. Careful. It does appear, at least, that she is quite decent at tree climbing. Much practice, and all.
"They find me." Miniyal watches Aida as she talks to Roa. Partly to keep a nervous eye on the other woman and partly because it helps her avoid the dreaded eye contact. Careful or good at it, from the ground someone clearly is just waiting for someone else to fall. "I can't explain it." I can't explain it to you. So good she is at leaving out words in sentences that are too impolite.
"Mmm," comes Roa's reply as she watches Aida go. "She climbs differently than I do," Roa notes. "When did you first start climbing trees?" is called up to Aida. And then, to Miniyal, she notes, "You think secrets like anybody that they find?"
"Five or six turns old?" Aida calls back down, hooking a foot around one branch as she reaches up and behind for another, keeping herself attached in at least two spots as best she can at all times. It doesn't always happen, but at least mostly. "Adelaide was afraid of heights, so it was a good place to hide."
"No. I don't know." Miniyal looks away from the tree and its climber to give Roa a considering look. "They're not people. They don't. . .they don't work like that." Back to the tree goes her gaze. "People want things to be known or they wouldn't share them. Or do them. If you really want to keep a secret you never tell anyone ever no matter what."
"Got you beat!" Roa calls up, cupping her hands to her mouth. "I was -four-!" She smirks over that for a brief moment befoe turning back towards Miniyal. "What if the secret's between more than just one person?"
"Clearly it was the early tree climbing that stunted your growth!" Aida counters, hooking a leg around a branch so that she can twist about and send a grin down towards Roa and Miniyal, eyes sparkling. "I can see it now, it's not much higher, so I'll be throwing it down to you momentarily." And, back she goes to working her way back up.
"Then it's going to be found out. More people that know sooner it happens. It's the way of things." Miniyal doesn't know much, but she knows secrets. And people pretty well on an impersonal sort of level. She can't watch Aida now so keeps her gaze locked on the tree someone below where the other woman is climbing.
First order of business is the required retort of "Smaller means faster!" to Aida before Roa lets her hands drop to her sides. She looks back over at Miniyal. "So if multiple people are witness to a secret, it will get told. But if a single person is witness to a secret, and they want to keep it, it never will. Hmm."
It's not too much longer before a fruit comes dropping down in Roa's general direction from above -- with no warning, of course. Aida is hanging again, peering down towards Roa and her reaction, another fruit in hand and ready to throw. Miniyal, at least, goes unassailed by fruit.
"Well, something like that. The people involved in the secret might tell. But it's like any information. You want to keep the world from knowing something never tell a living person. You want everyone to know something you tell a few people and soon enough everyone will." Miniyal shrugs at this as well. When the fruit falls she jumps and then looks upwards. There better not be any flung her way.
Roa's looking at Miniyal when the fruit descends and she yelps, the thing bouncing off her shoulder. Whatever it is, it's thick-skinend and rolls a few feet away. She tips her head up, eyes narrowed. "Cheater!" but it's a challege to keep the laughter from eher voice. "Try it again when I'm ready." Secrets are, for the moment, forgotten.
"It's no fun when you're ready," Aida calls back, her own voice threaded with humor. Still, a beat later another piece of fruit is getting tossed down, vaguely aimed for the smaller woman's head. After she's thrown it, she does call out, "Incoming!"
Taking a step backwards, Miniyal distances herself from the whole fruit tossing scene. She just watches it silently.
This time, Roa's watching and her hands come up to catch the falling object, despite the belated warning. It lands in her hands with a decisive *thwack*, and the weyrwoman winces. Hard object. Soft palms. Ow. The fruit is lowered and then Roa looks to Miniyal with a faintly devilish smile. "Catch." The red oblong object is tossed, gentle and underhanded, towards the other girl.
And more fruit is plucked, after Aida climbs around a bit more to get at more of it. It's all tossed down, with the occasional attempt at dropping it on Roa's head. Halfhearted attempts, certainly -- but attempts all the same. She's got the high ground, after all -- it's not like she's going to get fruit thrown at her. At least, until she comes down.
Ack! Not ready for something being tossed at her, Miniyal makes a grab for the fruit and misses. Instead it lands on the ground by her feet, rolling an inch or so before coming to a stop. Crouching down to pick it up she holds it in both hands. Look, see. Hands full. No more tossing things at her.
Fruits are caught mostly, missed sometimes, and one bonks Roa on the head which Aida will know wabout when the "Ow!" floas up her way. Evenually a substantial amount is gathered and she calls, "Think we've got enough!" She peers over at Miniyal and muses, "I wonder if they're edible."
"Okay!" Aida chirps, and then she's starting the climb down, just as careful -- if not more so -- than she was in going up. Because it's easy to fall when you're coming down. Still, it's a bit quicker going, and so eventually she's dropping the last few feet and landing on the ground with a bit of an 'oof'.
Blinking, Miniyal peers back at Roa and looks at the fruit in her hand. "I don't recognize it." When Aida lands safely on the ground once more she gets a relieved look. No necks were broken so far today. Despite the opportunity to do so which means all is well again for now.
"I think we're probably past the lunch hour," Roa notes as she looks around at the fruit on the ground. "I say we gather this stuff up, bring it back, and see if anyone in the kitchens knows what to make of it."
"Sounds good to me," Aida replies lightly, going through the rounds of a thorough stretch before she sets about starting to gather up the fruit, using her skirt as a place to carry it. "I'm sure somebody will know. If they can't use it in the kitchen, they can probably use it in the infirmary, right?"
Gathering up what little she can carry without falling down and being clumsy, Miniyal nods her head. Once her hands are full she considers, head tilted. "Thank you." It's polite yes, to thank one's hostess and such. "For the trip and everything."
Her own arms full, Roa begins to head back to the beach and the dozing gold waiting there. "Thank you for coming, Miniyal. I'm glad you did." She looks back over her shoulder at Aida, "And -you- had better watch out. Next time I'm climbing and you're catching."
"Mmhmm," Aida agrees cheerily, flashing a bright smile at the both of them as she follows along after them, back to bouncing about. "I look forward to your attempts at revenge. I dodge fruit pretty well, though. And yes -- thank you. This was really nice."
Where: An island
When: Lunchtime on day 17 month 11, turn 2 of the 7th Pass.
What: Roa absconds with Aida and Miniyal off to a beach. Nothing important is discussed, a tree is climbed, fruit is thrown.
12/4/2006
It is lunchtime on the seventeenth, or even a little bit earlier when Roa comes wandering into the Caucus office. She has a wicker basket in one hnad and see nudges open the door and peers around at the desks within, seeking one face in particular.
Given that Aida doesn't tend to head out for lunch until after most people are already finished, she's still at her desk, taking advantage of the quiet to go through some hides, reading from one and writing down on another at the same time. Possibly copying. When she hears the door there's a brief wince, but that gives way to a bright smile when she spots Roa. "Hey," she greets, tone cheerful, eyes bright. Good mood, it seems.
Miniyal> "Hey," is the rejoinered. The litle weyrwoman looks a touch...tired or stretched, maybe. But her smile comes easy as she leans against the doorframe. "Put those down," she instructs placidly, "and follow me."
Her head tilting to one side, Aida considers for only a moment before she's nodding, setting her work aside and sliding to her feet. Her jacket is snagged from the back of her chair, slid on. "Where am I following you to?" The question is all light curiosity, interest.
"Sudden and immediate rebellion of daily schedules," is the solmen and serious response offered by the little weyrwoman. She begins backing up from the door, but pauses. "Oh. But the records room, first." Aida is flashed a quick smile and then Roa turns and is dashing down the hallway towards said aforementioend destination.
Pause. Aida stops for a moment, glancing back at her desk, then after Roa. Uh. This takes consideration, and she does -- but eventually she's rolling her eyes and turning to take a much more sedate walk down on after, hands shoving into her pockets as she strolls along.
As if it's a given that is where Miniyal will be! How dare the weyrwoman assume that if she's not doing any work Miniyal will be in records? Fine, fine, she /is/ there, but still. Unaware of impending doom. Happily chatting away with Bothal about this and that in between watching him deal with caucus students that she can ignore.
It will be Roa, then, who arrives at the records room first, what with the running and all. She stops, at least, at the doorway to step inside quietly, peering around for 'familiar face number two'.
Stroll, stroll, stroll. Aida doesn't venture in after Roa when she does finally arrive, just leaning up in the doorway casually and watching with a little smile on her lips.
Poor Bothal has to take a pretty blonde off to show her where something is located. Yes, he looks heartbroken even when he winks at Miniyal over said blonde's shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Miniyal bites back a laugh and absently picks up a hide off the table to see what he was working on.
Familiar face number two is spotted, and Roa moves towards Miniyal, the basket held low by her side and swinging in her fingers. "Miniyal," she begins, smiling faintly. "Good afternoon. Do you have a moment?"
Lean, watch. Aida seems content to hang back for the moment, her attention following Roa as she heads for Miniyal. There is still curiosity hovering, though it's mild enough. Mellow is apparently the order for the day.
Looking up from something she's not even really reading, Miniyal tilts her head to the side. "Probably. I was just trying to discuss something with Bothal, but he's busy trying to get into that girl's dress so I imagine I'm done with that for the day. If she noticed Aida by the door, and she probably does, there's no indication of such.
"Well, if Bothal can spare your company," Roa leans forward to peer around to where he and the blonde vanished, "I'd love your company for a little while. For lunch." A slow blink as she looks back towards Miniyal. "It's lunchtime you know." Nearly.
More just watching from Aida, though her smile does creep up at the corners. She does glance over her shoulder back out towards the hall for a moment, but it doesn't take her attention long to swing back to the pair inside. Look, she can hold her tongue.
"Bothal won't need me if he can arrange a meeting with her later. And even if he doesn't there's plenty of featherheads about today for him to try again with." Miniyal sets down the hide and tips her head to one side, almost smiling. Whatever makes her smile she keeps to herself, just waving one hand.
Roa turns to peer over her shoulder at whatever Miniyal waved and smiled at. Such actions are a mite unusual from the once-recordskeeper. "All right," comes Roa's calm agreement once she turns back. "Come on." She backs up a few steps before turning and making towards the entrance and Aida. At least she walks this time.
There's a grin flashed for Miniyal when Roa starts towards the door; she slides back a few paces and out of the way, hands staying in her pockets. Still quiet, for the time being. Curiosity is creeping higher, of course.
With nothing else to do, Miniyal follows after Roa. When she sees Aida her forehead wrinkles and she looks back at Roa. "Is something going on?" Because clearly something is up, yes? Aida herself gets a nod and puzzled smile.
"Scheming. Machinations. All those sorts of things," Roa murmurs, ducking her head down as she moves towards the bowl. Near the entrance, Tialith sits, crouched and ready. The gold's attention is, oddly enough, off on the lake and not on the approaching rider, but her elbow extends just the same.
"Apparently," Aida tells Miniyal, giving a helpless sort of shrug and sending a pointed look (that's coupled with a grin) Roa's way. "I've not figured it out, yet." She follows along, flashing another bright smile up towards Tialith whether the gold seems to be paying attention or not.
"Oh. Well. Alright." Whatever, Miniyal's tone implies. It's not as if she doesn't think Roa a bit on the weird side anyway. "Umm. We're going somewhere? Are we going to be gone long?" Because clearly Tialith means travel. She's brilliantly observant like that!
"Not too very long. Just for lunch." Roa turns a bit, holding out the basket for either of them to take. This is so she can climb up those straps before peering down. "Come on!" she calls. "Pass the basket up and then follow."
When the basket is held out, Aida attempts to snag it, though there's no throwing down with Miniyal over it. She waits until she's prompted, then passes it on up, gesturing for Miniyal to climb on aboard before she does so herself with at least a decent amount of comfort with it all.
When in doubt, just be quiet. So Miniyal retreats to silence because it's clear she's not going to be told anything else and she won't pry. Aida reaches for the basket and so Miniyal lets her have it. She just climbs up and points out, "A little warning and I could have dressed for this." Meaning not scramble up a dragon in a skirt. Sheesh! But, she's had enough experience doing so that she manages to not break her neck. Huzzah!
"I worry if I'd warned you, you would have been harder to find." The basket is secured and Roa peers behind to call, "Everyone snugged in?" On the presumption the answer is an affirmative, Tialith crouches and leaps, mosaic wings launching her up into the sky to the proper level before they vanish into the icy black and reappear over a small island, high enough to get a good look at it. Miniyal will know, from her maps, that it is one of the tiny uninhabited islets off of Ista. The gold circles, hide gleaming in the sun (though not unusually so) as she lowers in for a landing.
"Uh huh," Aida responds, once she is indeed settled in and has a hold of straps and things. There's a brief grit of her teeth that's obvious on the other side of coming out of between, but her smile comes back only two heartbeats later, and then she's leaning to the side just a bit, to get a good look down below. "Oh!" Pleased, pleased surprise, that.
There is no response because she could only answer in the affirmative to being harder to find. So Miniyal, other than giving her own assent to being ready, doesn't say anything at all. When they reappear she looks down at the island then around to get her bearings and then is still quiet. Remembering where she is at and all.
Tialith comes in for a landing that is less thumping than it could be. Her size, at least, means the touchdown is less jarring by default. She crouches again and Roa loops the basket over one arm as she unbuckles and climbs down. "There's short-seeleved shirts and half-pants." Her chin jerks towards a discreet sack dangling from Tialith's straps.
The island itself is green and gold and blue where the sea creeps close to shore. They are settled on a beach that leads towards verdant underbrush and in the distance is some sort of watery murmur, the hush of a far-away waterfall or swimming hole.
Climbing down as soon as she's unbuckled, Aida gives a little stretch, drawing in a deep breath of the warmer air, eyes half-closing with pleasure. Oh, warmth. She shrugs her jacket off and tosses it down, and then she's crouching to start untying her boots. "Thank you, Roa," she offers up, sounding terribly grateful. "This is /lovely/."
A near slip climbing down, but Miniyal doesn't quite fall or anything else too terribly clumsy. To accommodate the change in climate she just takes off her sweater and rolls up the sleeves of her blouse. Thank you very much she'll not do more than that. All of this she does while studying the landscape, peering into the distance and not quite aware that maybe she should say something to.
"It was a spot...well, I got it from a friend. The location. But I hasn't visited and..." she inhales and exhales slowly. "It felt like a good time to run away for a little." The sack holding the alleged pants and shirts also harbors a thin blanket that is pulled free. "Eat on the ebach, do you think?"
"It's a good day for lunch out here," Aida chirps, dropping her boots and socks off onto her jacket, pulling the sticks out of her hair. Her heavier blouse gets dropped on top of that in favor of a tank top, and then with a tuck and tie of her skirt at the side to pull it up a little bit, she straightens and is apparently ready to go. "Eating on the beach is good. It's been too long since I've been out somewhere warm. Man."
Oh. Someone's talking. Blinking, Miniyal turns around and focuses on the people here with her. "Wha-Oh. Sure. Sure, the beach works. Do you have a map?" Then she focuses on Aida for a moment to inform her, "There's nothing wrong with cold. Warm is overrated I think. Weather anyway. I mean, nothing wrong with being warm, but I like the cold."
"No map," Roa shakes her head. "But we can do a low sweep over the island before we go, if you'd like to make one." The basket is set down, the blanket shook one. Only then does Roa peel off her boots, socks, and sweater, leaving her long pants and shirt on as she sits. "I like the snow. I like being able to hide from it for a few hours, too."
"I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with it," Aida points out cheerily, ruffling her fingers through her hair and shrugging her shoulders as she flashes another grin towards Miniyal. "But like Roa said -- I like visiting the warmth. It's nice." With that said, she slides over to flop down onto her stomach beside where Roa is sitting, propping her chin up on her hands and looking around as much as she can without moving her head. "This was a really good idea, Roa."
She doesn't quite sit down yet, the lure of exploration too strong for that. "I'm not that hungry. I could go-" Oh, right. It does sink in to Miniyal that she is probably not going to be allowed to sneak off. She's got to be social. So, with a final look towards the whole unmapped expanse of land she sits down. Before she can't quite stop herself from walking off.
The basket is lifted and set down squarely in the middle of the blanket and opened. Various dishes are brought out, all edible with finegrs insead of forks. If one is willing to forego fancy manners. There are meatrolls (of course) and little seasoned tubers. There are redfruits and crackers and wedges of cheese. Some sort of melon sliced into little cubes. Cookies for dessert. And there is juice and wine and three glasses. Roa sets it all out befoe glancing over to Miniyl. "I'll bring you back later," she promises, "and leave you to it."
Food! Perhaps surprisingly, once the food is all laid out Aida jumps on it, snagging herself a bit of this and a bit more of that, promptly beginning to much on things. She grins up at Miniyal at the cut off words and then Roa's response to it, and then that grin is offered over Roa's way. "You put a lot of thought into this," she points out. "Thank you again. So." Pause. "How are you doing? Both of you?" A look between them to include both.
"Oh. Thank you." Said in reply to Roa's offer to let her come back and map. "I've never gotten to do that for a place that's not already. Really? Thanks." Miniyal smiles and then ducks her head lest she seem too overly enthusiastic. The food is not given much attention. Eventually she might pick at it. Aida's question is considered before she nods once. "I'm fine, thank you."
Roa leans back on her hands, ankles crossing. "Going slightly mad," she notes with a faint smile. "Hence the abductions and the frantic escape to tropical climes. Mmm. And the wine." One leg bends at the knee, foot planting itself flat on the blanket. "And you, Aida?"
"I'm glad," Aida notes Miniyal-wards, around bites of seasoned tuber. Yum. She does wrinkle up her nose at Roa's response, then offers a sympathetic look after. "I imagine you are," she says quietly. "A lot. I wish I could make it not so." One shoulder is shrugged and she glances down to the food bit in her fingers before admitting sheepishly, "I'm doing really good."
Feet tucked under her, boots still on, Miniyal can't help but look over towards the rest of the island every now and again. A distraction to be sure, but she seems to be paying attention still to the conversation. Seeking something to say here and finding nothing she just looks from Aida to Roa quietly.
The little weyrwoma leans forward to snatch up a meatroll and her inerest gets snatched by Aida's statement. " Phrases like 'really good' require elaboration," she notes solenly before taking a bite. Roa chews and swallows before asking, "would you like anything to drink, Miniyal?"
"Well, my sister is here," Aida explains, rolling over to her back abruptly and popping the last bite of what she'd grabbed into her mouth. It's chewed and swallowed before she continues, now staring up at the sky. "Harper, she got assigned here. As much as I wish she were elsewhere that might be a little safer, it's nice to have her here." Pause. "And it's been really good to have Jensen back here, too." Yes. "I'm just...you know. Things have been going good, for once. I'm happy. Suppose it had to happen eventually. How's G'thon, Miniyal? I haven't seen either of you lately to ask." With that question she stretches a little bit, pushing up enough that she can tilt her head backwards and peer over upside down at Miniyal with curiosity.
"Oh, no thank you. Not yet." Miniyal grins sheepishly and rolls her eyes. "My stomach's always a little unsettled after landing is all. I'll be fine in a moment. Thank you." Then she looks at Aida to hear what she has to say. When the topic of her comes up she blinks as if not having expected it. "Oh. We're fine. Thank you." She smiles, bright, and then ducks her head, absently rubbing her thumb over the blue stone on her ring. "Good, I mean. We're, yea. It's nice."
"Mmm," is Roa's lazy contribution to the conversation. As Aida mentions her sister, she ges a nod and a smile. As she mentions Jensen, Aida gets that arched brow and one of those looks that asks for more information without actually bothering to ask for it. She makes quick work of the meatroll before flopping onto her back, hands behind her head. "Favorite fruit?" she queries, tipping her head up to glance at Aida and then Miniyal. "Mine's oranges," A faint quirk of her lips. "Almost as much fun to pick as they are to eat."
There's pleased laughter for Miniyal's response, and Aida beams at her briefly before she settles down again, folding her arms beneath her head and giving a little stretch. Maybe she missed that prompting look from Roa. Yeah, that's it. "That's good to hear," she replies lightly. "I'm really glad you two are doing good." Pause. "Mangoes, I think. My favorite fruit, I mean. Messy as they might be. I was uncertain at first, but they're really very good."
"Favorite. . .I don't know." Well, she doesn't. Miniyal frowns as she considers it and finally just gives up. "I really don't know. I've never considered it." Looking at Aida she considers a moment, head tipped to one side. "Roa wants to know more about Jensen." She saw the look. "I imagine because you mentioned him in the middle of all the really good things going on. You know she'll eventually get it out of you. It's best to just get it over with so it's not hanging over your head the rest of the conversation." Or maybe she's thinking of conversations between her and G'thon here.
The little weyrwoman laughs and shakes her head. "She dropped Jensen in the middle of her happy thoughts, and she avoided my pointed look. She already told me what's going on with him," is her bemused response. "I'll poke for more, later. Mmm. Or I'll see if I can wheedle it out of Jen." Her eyes close. "Miniyal, it's your turn to ask a question."
"See, I am very good at communicating without words," Aida declares, pushing herself back up to sitting up, shifting around until she's leaning on one hip and a hand and can look at both of them. She flashes a grin towards Miniyal, shrugging. "I could gush and giggle, but I try to avoid such things as much as I can. And that ought to answer the question the rest of the way." Beat. "We're playing this game?" A face gets made for Roa. "I warn that I may not have any good questions."
"I suppose so. And, what? Oh. Umm." A question. Clearly Miniyal is lost now so she is quiet awhile to consider something she can ask and be done with. Social games. Yay. "Which direction?" A pause and then, "North." Well, the question means something to her.
Shoulders lift and fall awkwardly, considering Roa reclines on her back, but she's still grinning at Aida for a beat longer before she blinks up at the blue and cloudless sky. Everything is just so cheery here. Miniyal's question is given silent consideration before she offers, simply, "Up."
"I'm torn between up and forward," Aida chirps, after only a moment of thought on the matter. "I think I'll have to go with forward." Not that she knows precisely what she's answering. Still, she seems certain about it anyway. "My turn. Uuuuh. Would you *like* regular lazy days, if they were offered to you? I would've said no to that...not all that long ago. Now, though? Yes. I so would."
The answers given draw just a nod from Miniyal. Filed away for later consideration in relation to what she was really asking. "Umm. No." Simple answers. No elaboration given to her answers. Dropping her head down she folds her hands in her lap, twisting absently at the fabric of her skirt. Nervous fidgeting.
"Faranth, yes," Roa groans faintly, her arms coming up so she can press the heels of her hands against closed eyes. She stays that way for a moment before lifting her head and glancing towards Aida and then towards Miniyal. "Shall we maybe take a walk?" the weyrwoman suggests idly.
Aida flashes a grin over at Roa, then nods her head agreeably and starts to shove up to her feet. "Sounds good to me," she says. "I've got all sorts of restless energy, still." Once she's up, she goes through the motions of a careful stretch, then rubs at her face. "Lots of island to explore, too."
"Sure, a walk is fine." Everyone else wants to walk, Miniyal will walk too. Standing up she brushes a bit of sand off her skirt that wound up there. "It's very quiet." Quiet, wide open. Neither are things she is used to. Not so much of each together so it is possible these things are the cause of her nervousness and not the social aspects of the meal.
"It sort of is. Seemed like, before the pass started, there was more of a hum. More tiny things. I don't know. Maybe they've adapted or hidden away." Roa rises (if only Tialith would do the same), stretching herself before glancing over at Miniyal, "North, you said?" And then to Aida, "you were a trader, weren't you? Did you ever go exploring any place that felt untouched?"
Looking around at the area, Aida wanders only a few steps away before she stops and turns back, letting one of them pick the path before she moves to follow. "My father was, at least," she says. "I traveled with him off and on. I...not really. There were a few spots up on high where I followed other trails, rather than the roads, where it was almost untouched, but...not quite. We never went far from where people were."
"Still quiet. I don't think I like it." Miniyal shrugs and then manages a brief smile. "I'm just not used to it. Or. . .well. Being outside so much. Outside is. . .well, outside." Yes, that is what it is all right.
Outside's outside," Roa agrees easily. "Maybe it will feel less so, once we get under the trees." She is trudging that way, towards the line that separates the beach from the forest. "Is it easier to make maps when you've walked places? Or is it easier to base them on aerial views?" There's a nod to Aida as well. "I suppose, if you're a trader, you go where things can be traded."
Rather than walking normally, Aida sort of hops about, bouncing on her feet as she follows along. Yeah, someone's hyper. "Yeah," she agrees. "My Da was old enough by the time I started going with him that he wasn't doing it to explore, he was just doing it to make marks. He used to tell stories about all of the various places he saw, but that was before me." Shrug. "It's why I used to want so bad to see everything."
"Maybe. I mean, the trees." Miniyal walks carefully, unused to maintaining sure footing on sand. So, she's slow, but keeping up. "I think it depends. I mean, an aerial view would be a good way to get your bearings, but you can't really know what you're mapping without walking it. Stuff can be missed in the air I think."
To Aida, Roa queries, as she slips into the treeline, "Do you miss it? the wandering?" And then to Miniyal, "Can't you miss things, walking? I mean," she gestures before them. The trees grow thickly enough that walking between may need to be done single-file in some places, "how do you get a sense of space from standing square inside it?"
Quiet for a moment, Aida stops with her bouncing, slowing as she considers the question. Look, she can walk like a normal human being. She ruffles a hand through her hair, then eventually gives a shake of her head. "No," she says, offering over a little smile. "I don't really miss it at all. Not right now, at least. I can go anywhere I want to, if I want, and...don't really feel the need any more."
"Don't you just. . .feel it?" Miniyal peers curiously from Aida to Roa to see if they understand. "How can you not? I mean, you just know where you are. Where things should be."
The weyrwoman shakes her head. "No," she says to Miniyal with a small smile. "I think that talent may be unique to you, Miniyal. Or, at least, unique to some. I can remember where I've been, but I don't sense where I'm going." She looks to Aida, brows lifted. "You?"
"Well, I don't generally know where my path is going," Aida admits, shrugging her shoulders and lifting her chin, looking up through the trees in the direction of the sky. "But I can certainly feel the lack of walls, here."
"Oh. You just don't think about it. Where you are is easy." Miniyal nods at this, earnest. "It's where everyone else is that makes no sense." And now she's thoughtful, almost morosely so, but she shakes it off with a shrug. "I like walls."
"That's because you like secrets," Roa informs Miniyal idly as she squirms between two trees and then pauses, peering up at one and squinting. "There's fruit up there," she notes. She glances to Aida to add, "Sometimes I worry less about where my path is going and more about who's on it with me." She turns to peer back up at the tree. "Sometimes, the other way around."
Laughing, Aida sends a grin over Roa's way as she draws up to peer up into the tree, searching for this fruit that is apparently up there. "I used to care very much about where I was going in life," she admits easily, reaching up to grab one of the lowest branches and shake it, see how sturdy the thing is. "It's a lot less important, these days." Pause. "And walls are good. They're safe." Another pause. "Well. Safer." There's a little emphasis for the 'er' part of that word.
Watching Aida with the tree branch, Miniyal frowns. "It's not safe. If you fall you're liable to break your neck." Shaking her head, she points out, "It's not worth it." Now she blinks and looks at Roa. "They like me. It's different." Stepping away from the tree she folds her arms over her chest and tries to look like someone being the voice of reason here about the tree.
Roa leans her shoulder against the tree and watches Aida check. She makes no protest if the girl plans to climb, but only notes, "That all depends on what you mean by safe. And safe from what. Walls, I mean. I think," a glances towards Miniyal, "that safety being assured isn't always necessary. In fact, sometimes, there needs to be risk, or there can't be gain. Sometimes it -is- worth it." Blink. "Walls like you? How so?"
"Of course it's not," Aida chirps, flashing over a grin towards Miniyal and then latching on with both hands, putting a foot against the trunk and shifting her weight about some, further testing. "But I'm good at climbing trees. I think it's safe *enough*, at least." And with that said she drops back down from foot-against-trunk, and starts to haul herself up onto that first branch.
"No. Secrets. Walls are indifferent to me. I'm beneath their notice." It is quite possible Miniyal means to joke with her answer, but it sounds so serious if that is the case she needs to work on it some more. Watching Aida she doesn't say anything else, burying the rest of her old auntie words of caution in silence. The same as any response she might have made about risk and rewards.
Roa lives with Ashwin. She has become very good at diving humor from deadpan, and her lips quirk upwards a bit at Miniyal's omment, although her eyes remain on Aida. "I think it was red," she calls, "The fruit. Or, well, pinkish. Dark. You'll know when you see it." She puts a hand up to shade her eyes. "Secrets like you? How can you tell?"
"So noted," Aida calls down lightly, not looking back down to grin until after she's hauled herself up onto that first branch. She takes a moment to catch her breath -- getting started is the hardest part, after all (aside from getting down safely), and so she rests. Soon enough, she's starting to climb her way upwards again though, slow and steady with it. Careful. It does appear, at least, that she is quite decent at tree climbing. Much practice, and all.
"They find me." Miniyal watches Aida as she talks to Roa. Partly to keep a nervous eye on the other woman and partly because it helps her avoid the dreaded eye contact. Careful or good at it, from the ground someone clearly is just waiting for someone else to fall. "I can't explain it." I can't explain it to you. So good she is at leaving out words in sentences that are too impolite.
"Mmm," comes Roa's reply as she watches Aida go. "She climbs differently than I do," Roa notes. "When did you first start climbing trees?" is called up to Aida. And then, to Miniyal, she notes, "You think secrets like anybody that they find?"
"Five or six turns old?" Aida calls back down, hooking a foot around one branch as she reaches up and behind for another, keeping herself attached in at least two spots as best she can at all times. It doesn't always happen, but at least mostly. "Adelaide was afraid of heights, so it was a good place to hide."
"No. I don't know." Miniyal looks away from the tree and its climber to give Roa a considering look. "They're not people. They don't. . .they don't work like that." Back to the tree goes her gaze. "People want things to be known or they wouldn't share them. Or do them. If you really want to keep a secret you never tell anyone ever no matter what."
"Got you beat!" Roa calls up, cupping her hands to her mouth. "I was -four-!" She smirks over that for a brief moment befoe turning back towards Miniyal. "What if the secret's between more than just one person?"
"Clearly it was the early tree climbing that stunted your growth!" Aida counters, hooking a leg around a branch so that she can twist about and send a grin down towards Roa and Miniyal, eyes sparkling. "I can see it now, it's not much higher, so I'll be throwing it down to you momentarily." And, back she goes to working her way back up.
"Then it's going to be found out. More people that know sooner it happens. It's the way of things." Miniyal doesn't know much, but she knows secrets. And people pretty well on an impersonal sort of level. She can't watch Aida now so keeps her gaze locked on the tree someone below where the other woman is climbing.
First order of business is the required retort of "Smaller means faster!" to Aida before Roa lets her hands drop to her sides. She looks back over at Miniyal. "So if multiple people are witness to a secret, it will get told. But if a single person is witness to a secret, and they want to keep it, it never will. Hmm."
It's not too much longer before a fruit comes dropping down in Roa's general direction from above -- with no warning, of course. Aida is hanging again, peering down towards Roa and her reaction, another fruit in hand and ready to throw. Miniyal, at least, goes unassailed by fruit.
"Well, something like that. The people involved in the secret might tell. But it's like any information. You want to keep the world from knowing something never tell a living person. You want everyone to know something you tell a few people and soon enough everyone will." Miniyal shrugs at this as well. When the fruit falls she jumps and then looks upwards. There better not be any flung her way.
Roa's looking at Miniyal when the fruit descends and she yelps, the thing bouncing off her shoulder. Whatever it is, it's thick-skinend and rolls a few feet away. She tips her head up, eyes narrowed. "Cheater!" but it's a challege to keep the laughter from eher voice. "Try it again when I'm ready." Secrets are, for the moment, forgotten.
"It's no fun when you're ready," Aida calls back, her own voice threaded with humor. Still, a beat later another piece of fruit is getting tossed down, vaguely aimed for the smaller woman's head. After she's thrown it, she does call out, "Incoming!"
Taking a step backwards, Miniyal distances herself from the whole fruit tossing scene. She just watches it silently.
This time, Roa's watching and her hands come up to catch the falling object, despite the belated warning. It lands in her hands with a decisive *thwack*, and the weyrwoman winces. Hard object. Soft palms. Ow. The fruit is lowered and then Roa looks to Miniyal with a faintly devilish smile. "Catch." The red oblong object is tossed, gentle and underhanded, towards the other girl.
And more fruit is plucked, after Aida climbs around a bit more to get at more of it. It's all tossed down, with the occasional attempt at dropping it on Roa's head. Halfhearted attempts, certainly -- but attempts all the same. She's got the high ground, after all -- it's not like she's going to get fruit thrown at her. At least, until she comes down.
Ack! Not ready for something being tossed at her, Miniyal makes a grab for the fruit and misses. Instead it lands on the ground by her feet, rolling an inch or so before coming to a stop. Crouching down to pick it up she holds it in both hands. Look, see. Hands full. No more tossing things at her.
Fruits are caught mostly, missed sometimes, and one bonks Roa on the head which Aida will know wabout when the "Ow!" floas up her way. Evenually a substantial amount is gathered and she calls, "Think we've got enough!" She peers over at Miniyal and muses, "I wonder if they're edible."
"Okay!" Aida chirps, and then she's starting the climb down, just as careful -- if not more so -- than she was in going up. Because it's easy to fall when you're coming down. Still, it's a bit quicker going, and so eventually she's dropping the last few feet and landing on the ground with a bit of an 'oof'.
Blinking, Miniyal peers back at Roa and looks at the fruit in her hand. "I don't recognize it." When Aida lands safely on the ground once more she gets a relieved look. No necks were broken so far today. Despite the opportunity to do so which means all is well again for now.
"I think we're probably past the lunch hour," Roa notes as she looks around at the fruit on the ground. "I say we gather this stuff up, bring it back, and see if anyone in the kitchens knows what to make of it."
"Sounds good to me," Aida replies lightly, going through the rounds of a thorough stretch before she sets about starting to gather up the fruit, using her skirt as a place to carry it. "I'm sure somebody will know. If they can't use it in the kitchen, they can probably use it in the infirmary, right?"
Gathering up what little she can carry without falling down and being clumsy, Miniyal nods her head. Once her hands are full she considers, head tilted. "Thank you." It's polite yes, to thank one's hostess and such. "For the trip and everything."
Her own arms full, Roa begins to head back to the beach and the dozing gold waiting there. "Thank you for coming, Miniyal. I'm glad you did." She looks back over her shoulder at Aida, "And -you- had better watch out. Next time I'm climbing and you're catching."
"Mmhmm," Aida agrees cheerily, flashing a bright smile at the both of them as she follows along after them, back to bouncing about. "I look forward to your attempts at revenge. I dodge fruit pretty well, though. And yes -- thank you. This was really nice."