The Big Bronze V The Floozy From Tillek
Who: Ella, Miniyal, S'ol, and Xalth
Where: Southern bowl
When: Following dinner on day 20, month 7, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
What: Weyrlings gather. Words that don't follow the rules, tempers, and inquisitiveness are all discussed. Also, there is wrestling.
Note: I had to leave early to go about my baking. The scene continued on without me.
4/7/2007
At High Reaches Weyr, it is after dinner on day 20, month 7, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
Following dinner, required, the weyrlings break up. Eating together is not exactly a fun time thing for some of them, but one must do what one must do. Once that is done there is a scattering of weyrlings everywhere. Including out here in the bowl. The storm that threatens to come in has not done that, but it's enough that many people are not lingering outside. Not everyone is in a hurry to get in however. Miniyal wanders, absently, with a path that doesn't seem designed to take her anywhere. For now she seems to just be enjoying no required socialization. And not baby dragon demanding anything which is a blessing.
Some folks don't mind the rain, or the potential for rain. Some folks use the cloud-covered bowl as a way to gain a rare moment of near-privacy. Ella is one of those someones, and she is seated, leaning up against a large rock, a hide held in her hands. She squints a little as she reads, maybe due to the darkening sky or maybe due to lack of comprehension of whatever's on the page.
Miniyal's feet take her wherever they want to. There's no rhyme or reason to where she goes. It is just good to be out and relatively free and unbothered. Wrapped up in whatever thoughts consume her, and there's always thoughts that consume her, she seems unaware that she nears the rock upon which a fellow weyrling sits. If she knew, surely, she would change her path and go somewhere else.
"Hey!" comes the ornery snap as Miniyal's feet wander too close to Ella's hand for comfort, only then she looks up and the glare that was getting ready shifts into an expression of surprise instead. "Oh," she begins again, clearing her throat. "S'you."
"Unless you find someone else who wants the job," comes back when she is recognized. Miniyal blinks a few times, giving her head a shake to clear it of the remnants of thoughts. "Oh. Umm. Hi." And she stands there, shifting her weight back onto her heels and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her pants. "Umm. Sorry. I didn't see you. I'll just, you know, go walk over there. Or something."
"Someone h'wants what job?" Ella asks as she peers up at Miniyal. "En't tryin' t'chase y'off. Jus' don' want m'fingers cracked under y'boot. Sit, y'stayin'. M'neck's gonna hurt starin' up like this."
Shaking her head, Miniyal glances down at those boots. "Yea, umm. Job of being me. It was a thoughtless attempt at a joke. Right. Nevermind." Another shake of her head and a somewhat hopeful look around the bowl as if there might be something on fire or exploding or anything to pull her away from awkward conversation. There being nothing and her brain not finding any polite way to depart she sits down. "What're you doing?"
Ella smirks a bit when Miniyal explains her joke, her dark eyes following the goldrider as she sits. "Words tha' don' follow th'rules. Fuckin' lot've 'em. Don' get spelled th'way they sound y'know?" Ella turns the hide around to show said list. It contains words such as 'physical', 'knowledge', and 'mnemonic'.
"Most words break one rule or the other," Miniyal explains with a nod of her head. "I don't know why. I guess it's something the people who made up the way things are spelled decided. But, there are rules for the sounds of the words. You just have to learn the phonetic sounds and rely on those. And, umm, then just remember the weird spellings. A lot of it is memorization." Which is, granted, no problem for her.
"Yeh," Ella sighs, setting the hide down beside her. "S'what I'm realizin'. En't any good at this sorta stuff. Hate it." She moves her hand from the dropped hide to scrub at her face. "B'tween Reth an' th'lessons and these fuckin' hides, feel like m'head's gonna burst wide open, all th'stuff'm crammin' in't."
Miniyal's hands come out of her pockets and rest together in her lap so she can twist at the ring still worn most of the time on her finger. "You just have to make places for it all. I mean, if you try to let it all, you know, mix in together it can get confusing. If you create little boxes for everything you learn and keep things separate you can fit a lot more inside your head. And it makes it easier to remember because instead of sifting through everything you know you just have to find the right box."
There is a moment as Ella considers that information, but then she only shakes her head. "Think y'givin' me more credit n'y'should. En't s'smart, Weyrwoman. Don' barely know what's goin' on in m'own head, let alone 'f I got boxes in there. Y'kin put stuff away an' take't out s'easy?"
"Sure. Umm. Everyone has boxes I think. Just sometimes you can't, see them I guess. I don't know. I've always been able to do it." Miniyal shrugs her shoulders and looks down at her hands. "It's hard I guess at first? You have to learn. The same as you learn anything else." Seated by Ella, the pair seem to be talking. With no fireworks yet. Ella has a hide in her hands and Miniyal twists at the ring on her finger. It's sometime after dinner and the approaching storm has kept most people out of the bowl.
The darkening sky portends an oncoming storm, but a few brave (or stupid or waterproof) souls risk the outdoors anyhow. Among them are Miniyal and Ella, the two weyrlings seated near a large rock and engaged in a discussion about how to spell words and compartmentalize one's thoughts. The older woman with shorter hair shakes her head. "Dunno 'f I wanna go rootin' 'round in there. Been a big mess f'a long time an' en't done m'no harm yet. Y'think too much 'bout y'self, y'only end up feelin' sad an' havin' a headache."
Sometimes, it just isnt your choice. About being out in impending storms or the like. Xalth has a noted interest for natural phenomenon -- just ask Rysia -- and as such, he is wandering around the bowl. He is seemingly deep in conversation with S'ol, who is trotting along with him with a dazed expression on his face that speaks heavily of that aforementioned conversation. It is the young bronze that is doing the guiding it would seem as he subtly redirects S'ol towards where Miniyal and Ella are sitting. Fortunatly, the bedazzled bronzerider snaps out of it before running into the two and sort of blinks. "Oh." He says. "Hi, Miniyal. Hi, Ella. I'm not disturbing anythin...." He pauses. "We aern't disturbing anything, are we? Xalth wants to see the storm rolling in, and.... talk to me about some people." Xalth, does not see Peloth or Reth around and as such thrusts his head towards the two women. Pet him, he seems to say.
Blinking a few times, Miniyal finally shakes her head. "You can't not know. I mean, it's in your head. How can you stand not knowing? I mean, how do you deal with not knowing it all?" She sounds truly puzzled, truly curious about this odd phenomenon. After her question is asked and before she can say anything else a new one arrives and she blinks and looks up. "Oh. Umm. I don't think so, no. Hi." Xalth is given a look. No way. She's not petting anyone. She doesn't have to. Her petting monster is sleeping.
"Uh." Ella blinks. "Yeh," she says with a shrug, "I kin. S'easy. I jus', y'know, don' think 'bout it." Which is what she's been saying all along. "How kin y'stand -to- know all'a that stuff?" Oh look. Big bronze noggin. The woman from Tillek smirks and grabs hold of Xalth's headknobs to affectionately jostle his head from side to side. "Cocky," she notes, amused. " 'lo S'ol. H'still makin' y...y'know, get mad?"
Xalth looks to Miniyal with a long, sort of irritable expression. That grows more irritable by the second. What? She doesn't want to pet him? How could she not? He is the center of.... at this point, his headknobs are taken hold of and he is jostled around. The irritation fades as he gets the attention he wanted and it is replaced by an amused rumble as he steps forward -- aiming to press his forehead into the woman's chest and bowl her right off the rock. Into something soft, preferable. S'ol watches, with a relieved expression. "Miniyal. Next time, even if you'd just poke him in the nose, I'd be really appreciative. He... flies off the handle if nobody acknowledges him." Ella has saved the day, however. "Uh." He says to Ella, quietly. "On a daily basis. I think I'm getting a LITTLE bit better at it, but it's hard to say. I think I've made progress, then he gets angry again and I fly off the handle. I still want to bite people, though.."
"Because," is the first thing Miniyal says to Ella's question. Her tone asks how she could ask such a dumb question. "It's there. Do you know how much is there? I mean, not just in my head, but in the world. There's. . .stuff everywhere. Records at all the major and minor holds and the crafthalls and the weyrs and the stuff at Harper alone is. . .there's so much information out there. And you don't want to know it all? It's like- it's like willing agreeing to being blinded. Cutting yourself off from what's there. And once you read it it's in your head and you can remember it whenever you want and it keeps you busy." Being busy is important. And S'ol's words make her eyes roll as she looks at the dragon. "Big baby. Get used to it. You can't make yourself the center of my world. S'ol, he has to learn to deal with his temper. I'm not going to jump when he says and you shouldn't either." Focusing solely for a moment on the weyrling bronzerider she asks, "Do you ever lose /your/ temper? Or is it all just him?"
"Hey!" This from Ella as she is suddenly head-butted by something larger than her and goes topping back. One foot flies out, aiming to conenct with Xalth's shoulder in recompense. "Don'cha know better'n t'shove a girl 'round? En't no sorta manners." She pushes up on her elbows to swing an arm around the bronze's neck, right where it meets is head. Headlock! The other hand forms a fist and rubs vigorously on the skin of his forehead. Noogie! "Know there's more stuff 'n'th'world'n 'm ever gonna know. Figgur better t'spend m'time doin' right what I kin than trying t'learn 'bout everythin'. Got simple needs. Y'smarter'n me. Y'kin do all that learnin', y'want. I en't." She is, instead, going to wrestle baby dragons.
Xalth is impressed with this. He wasn't expecting much from the raggedy little thing that Ella is. But, he resilience to his shoving causes a bugle of something like happy surprise. S'ol never does this with him. He keeps saying how he needs to be calm, and relaxed. And save his energy for the lessons. His multiple eyelids closed, knowing that Ella has a firm grip on him, Xalth sort of half rears and steps back -- meaning to pull her off balance if he can and then lunges forwards, with intent to send her to the ground if he can; head pressing into her belly either way. Go for the pin! S'ol is just sort of watching with an expression on his face that wavers between amused and horrified. "Ella." He says. "He outweighs you by fifteen times, he'll break something! This isn't Reth that you're wrestling with, he's... " A sort of mental grumble from Xalth causes him to put his hand to his head, and look towards Miniyal for help. That distracts him. "Um. Miniyal. You didn't know?" He asks, his face falling a little bit. "That... would be why nobody will sit beside me, anymore. I can't control him. I'm having special lessons for it. Trying, but.. when he gets angry, I get angry and try to bite people...The Weyrlingmaster knows, he says it isn't my fault.. that Xalth is just foreceful, and he's trying to help me with it..."
Eyes blink once and then twice and Miniyal just stares at Ella like she has a second head. What a weirdo. "I'm not smart. I just. . .want to know things." She would expound on it, but she turns to S'ol and shakes her head, ignoring the wrestling. Thank goodness Peloth is not around to get ideas. "No. That's not what I asked. And, of course I know. I know everything that goes around here. Who do you think keeps all the secrets of the weyr? Forced into those barracks there's nothing I can't find out. What I asked was, is it ever /your/ temper? Or is it all brought on by /him/?" Shaking her head she sighs softly. "Also, umm, you /told/ me all that stuff about him and about the special lessons. Don't you remember? I thought he had the bad memory."
With Xalth's help uuup Ella goes with a laugh and doown Ella does with a thump. She gives her head a shake and, as the bronze's eyes are closed, sets her fingers on his lids and wriggles them. On Reth, it is the only ticklish spot she has found. "H'won't," she grins. "Only usin' 'is head and it en't s'big's me. Wrestled with m'brothers. En't nuthin' besides that." Tickletickletickle. She arches her back to buck against the pinning nose. "Can't wrestle w'Reth." Miniyal's comment on secrets gets a bit of Ella's attention, though most of it is on her draconic opponant. "Smart n' nosy," is all she proclaims of the goldrider with another laugh.
S'ol sort of pauses for a moment. Miniyal's question has brought some thought to him. "I'm sorry." He says, then; face still a little bit crestfallen. "I kind of forget what I say sometimes. To be honest though... it's not me in the least. I don't have a temper at all. I never did. I get sad, but I'm one of the more level headed people you will ever met as far as anger goes. It's all him.. and I've never had a temper so I don't know how to deal with it. I find, um, yelling helps alot but people sort of stare at me." He's still watching Ella and his lifemate with a worried expression. Xalth may be having the time of his life, but he's worried about Ella's safety. "He's going to break her neck." He mumbles quietly to Miniyal. "And I'm going to be responsible. But I feel bad just telling him to stop...he's having fun." Ticklish, there? Why, yes, the bronze is. It causes him to, lean his head away; twisting it to the side as he takes a step or two back; likely permitting the other to free herself. He lowers his head then, sidestepping -- apparently waiting for her to give him another opening to try again. S'ol pipes up then, to Ella. "Miniyal." He says, with an honest voice. "Is probably the most intelligent person I know. I am in complete agreement."
"I am not nosy!" Miniyal announces this indignantly, arms folding over her chest. "I am inquisitive and it is a good trait to have. It means I can make sure nothing escapes my attention and that the people who need to know something important find out about it." Pausing a moment she ducks her head. "But I am not a snitch. I just. . .I can't help it if I learn things. It's just I've always lived here is all. But I am not nosy. It's important to know your surroundings, that's all. So I know them." Maaaaybe touched a nerve there. Well, Ella's good at that. It doesn't have her stomping off at least. Not when she can distract herself with S'ol. "That's your problem. You need to lose your own temper sometime to learn how to deal with his. No wonder you're having so much trouble." Shaking her head she looks sympathetically at him and then glances towards Xalth and Ella wrestling. "How do you not lose your temper anyway? I mean, ever? In your life? That's weird." Pause. "Umm. No offense."
"Ha!" Ella crows as Xalth backs off. She takes the moment to shove to her feet and give her head another shake. As Xalth seems to be waiting for her to do something, the crop-haired woman takes the moment to catch her breath and become more of a participant in the human conversation. Her eyes remain on the bronze, though. "Y'don' let nuthin' 'scape your attention. Y'know ever'one's secrets. Y'know what's improtant t'other folks." Sniff. "That's 'nosy'." Ella doesn't sound particularly upset by any of that. Just entertained that Miniyal denies it. "C'mon y'lump," she goads Xalth as she lowers into a waiting crouch. "Make m'work f'it."
S'ol glances between Ella and Miniyal, again. "I trust you not to be a snitch." He murmurs. "Don't let it bother you. She's not being down on you, you know. Smile and nod." The last three words are delivered in a whisper that is aimed for the roughhousing woman not to hear. S'ol sort of settles down then -- sitting on the rock near Miniyal that Ella has vacated in order to roughhouse. "I have a little bit, I guess. I mean, I get angry sometimes. But I don't get that kind of angry. I get like... a little annoyed, or vexed I guess. The want to smash something or hit someone or anything.... is completely new to me. I guess, I never saw the point in violent rage before. No offense taken, by the way. I know I'm strange." He says it in a tone that is not self defeating, but... just someone who has been telling themselves that for a long time so that they can accept it. Xalth is sort of staring, with wide-eyes at this fiesty little human. But his head lowers and gamely he lunges in again. This time though, his head aims for her lower abdomen -- meaning to thrust her upwards, onto her tiptoes or even off of her feet. "Careful.." says as worried S'ol at her. "Don't get him too excited."
Eyes narrow somewhat as Miniyal looks at Ella, shaking her head. Dropping her arms from her chest she worries at her ring, watching it as she twists it around on her finger. "Whatever." Mumbled as she continues to stare at her hands. If S'ol's words are heard she doesn't make any indication of such. Instead she rises to her feet and glances off. "I have to go. Have fun."
Ella is the pea and Xalth is the spoon. Scooped up by her belly, Ella 'oofs!' and flings her arms around the dragon's neck, clinging as she's bounced up. "Aw, don' go. Weren't tryin' t..." she huffs as she's butted again and tighens her grip. " 'M rude. 'M bad tempered. 'M not good't thinkin' thin's out. So y'nosy. So th'fuck what?"
Xalth is not as dumb as he looks. As Ella begins speaking to Miniyal he helpfully holds his head still -- just a little bit too high, enough that she will have to stand on her very tiptoes -- but he does hold it still in the exchange. S'ol is just confused, as his question goes unanswered. He doesn't press it though; looking between the two. Silently waiting to see what happens.
Miniyal resists her internal desire to stomp her foot. Although it is hard. Arms folded over her chest she snorts quietly and glares at Ella. "Because I am /not/ nosy. I do not intentionally try to. . .I don't. . .Dammit. I just don't. There are pieces in the dark is all and they don't belong there. Nothing belongs there. Someone should know. That's all and it's not my fault no one else is trying and if someone is then I don't bother, but if no one else is then someone /has/ to." Shoving her hands into her pockets she turns to S'ol and rolls her eyes. "And that, S'ol, is losing your temper. And you may not know it, but inside is this big bubbling part of you that wants to explode and if you don't ever let it then someday you will and make a total mess of everything and nothing will ever be right again. /That/ is why you have trouble with him. Because you've suppressed a part of yourself and now all at once you have to deal with it in your head and you're confused."
Sort of dangling and sort of stationary, Ella blinks over at Miniyal. "Oh. Right. 'S c'mpletely d'ffrent'n nosey," she says with an utterly solemn and serious face. And then, as Xalth is still, she lets go of his neck and drops to the ground, reaching again for his headknobs. Dragons can be pinnable too. Maybe. If one has the proper leverage.
S'ol scratches his head as he listens to Miniyal, running his fingers over the stubble of his freshly shaven hair. It is relaxing to do so, an it -does- feel quite nice. "People tell me I supress a lot of things." he says, sadly. "I've heard that so many times from people over the last three months..." He trails off, not angry, but there is a little bit of a hurt tone. He sort of brightens up, though. "I... well, I don't think so? Nothing anyone has ever done has ever really gotten me going. Maybe hurt my feelings, or made me scared.. but really angry? Nawww, never." His head peers back to Ella, and he frowns -- because he knows Miniyal isn't going to take that one well. Xalth's headknobs are taken hold of, and with sort of rumble of alarm he is forced to take a step forward because she has control of his head -- face turning towards the ground. But she is already down, and so he steps up again -- meaning to press his face into her belly again with a satisfied rumble on his face. This human might be all squishy in ways and places that S'ol isn't, but she is fun to wrestle with.
"Well, as tempting as it is. . .I'm not supposed to meddle. But I'm telling you, keeping things in is not good." See how Miniyal ignores what is said by the annoying floozy from Tillek? Oh, well, it's because it's not entirely being done. "It is. Stop calling me nosy. I am not." Head shaking she takes a step backwards. "I have to go. Peloth is awake. There goes the rest of my night." Another step and she clears her throat. "Look. I don't always handle things well, right. And I don't. . .please don't call me nosy. If you have to think it, fine. But don't. That's all I'm asking. Just don't do it when I am around. I'll see you later, S'ol. Peloth is being smug so keep an eye on Xalth. I know they are up to something." Off she goes, turning around and hurrying off.
"A'right, a'right," Ella grouses as she hangs onto Xalth's headknobs. "As y'like, Weyrwoman." And if it is said chidingly, out of breath, and between small grunts of exertion, it at least comes out as being sincere. Then Ella curls her back and leans forward so she can plant her lips on Xalth's nose and blow air out between them. Thbbbbbth! Dragon raspberry.
Xalth recoils as though he had been slapped at the raspberry, disengaging from her altogeather unless she has ahold of his headknobs still. In that case, he'll happily just drag her with him. His eyes are wide, a little glistening spot on his bronze hide where her lips had been. He is shocked to the point of immobility. S'ol has clearly not done anything like that to him. Speaking of S'ol, he is looking after Miniyal. "But... what if you've got nothing to get out? Really, honestly. I'm sane. I just... don't get angry like that." He opens his mouth to say something else, but he stops. "All right. Take care." He turns then. "I should probably take this thing off so that I can prepare for my lessons tonight." Xalth tenses at this, but he knows that S'ol is right. And so, in return to for the raspberry he advances on Ella again with an expression of pure hellery on his face. He likes this one. She is safe. His attempt is to tackle her with his head as done before, but if successful at this point he will begin a long sort of slurp that begins at the waist of her tunic and is likely to tangle at the hair in the top of her head. And then if successful, he is darting off towards the barracks -- leaving S'ol and Ella both behind.
Where: Southern bowl
When: Following dinner on day 20, month 7, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
What: Weyrlings gather. Words that don't follow the rules, tempers, and inquisitiveness are all discussed. Also, there is wrestling.
Note: I had to leave early to go about my baking. The scene continued on without me.
4/7/2007
At High Reaches Weyr, it is after dinner on day 20, month 7, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
Following dinner, required, the weyrlings break up. Eating together is not exactly a fun time thing for some of them, but one must do what one must do. Once that is done there is a scattering of weyrlings everywhere. Including out here in the bowl. The storm that threatens to come in has not done that, but it's enough that many people are not lingering outside. Not everyone is in a hurry to get in however. Miniyal wanders, absently, with a path that doesn't seem designed to take her anywhere. For now she seems to just be enjoying no required socialization. And not baby dragon demanding anything which is a blessing.
Some folks don't mind the rain, or the potential for rain. Some folks use the cloud-covered bowl as a way to gain a rare moment of near-privacy. Ella is one of those someones, and she is seated, leaning up against a large rock, a hide held in her hands. She squints a little as she reads, maybe due to the darkening sky or maybe due to lack of comprehension of whatever's on the page.
Miniyal's feet take her wherever they want to. There's no rhyme or reason to where she goes. It is just good to be out and relatively free and unbothered. Wrapped up in whatever thoughts consume her, and there's always thoughts that consume her, she seems unaware that she nears the rock upon which a fellow weyrling sits. If she knew, surely, she would change her path and go somewhere else.
"Hey!" comes the ornery snap as Miniyal's feet wander too close to Ella's hand for comfort, only then she looks up and the glare that was getting ready shifts into an expression of surprise instead. "Oh," she begins again, clearing her throat. "S'you."
"Unless you find someone else who wants the job," comes back when she is recognized. Miniyal blinks a few times, giving her head a shake to clear it of the remnants of thoughts. "Oh. Umm. Hi." And she stands there, shifting her weight back onto her heels and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her pants. "Umm. Sorry. I didn't see you. I'll just, you know, go walk over there. Or something."
"Someone h'wants what job?" Ella asks as she peers up at Miniyal. "En't tryin' t'chase y'off. Jus' don' want m'fingers cracked under y'boot. Sit, y'stayin'. M'neck's gonna hurt starin' up like this."
Shaking her head, Miniyal glances down at those boots. "Yea, umm. Job of being me. It was a thoughtless attempt at a joke. Right. Nevermind." Another shake of her head and a somewhat hopeful look around the bowl as if there might be something on fire or exploding or anything to pull her away from awkward conversation. There being nothing and her brain not finding any polite way to depart she sits down. "What're you doing?"
Ella smirks a bit when Miniyal explains her joke, her dark eyes following the goldrider as she sits. "Words tha' don' follow th'rules. Fuckin' lot've 'em. Don' get spelled th'way they sound y'know?" Ella turns the hide around to show said list. It contains words such as 'physical', 'knowledge', and 'mnemonic'.
"Most words break one rule or the other," Miniyal explains with a nod of her head. "I don't know why. I guess it's something the people who made up the way things are spelled decided. But, there are rules for the sounds of the words. You just have to learn the phonetic sounds and rely on those. And, umm, then just remember the weird spellings. A lot of it is memorization." Which is, granted, no problem for her.
"Yeh," Ella sighs, setting the hide down beside her. "S'what I'm realizin'. En't any good at this sorta stuff. Hate it." She moves her hand from the dropped hide to scrub at her face. "B'tween Reth an' th'lessons and these fuckin' hides, feel like m'head's gonna burst wide open, all th'stuff'm crammin' in't."
Miniyal's hands come out of her pockets and rest together in her lap so she can twist at the ring still worn most of the time on her finger. "You just have to make places for it all. I mean, if you try to let it all, you know, mix in together it can get confusing. If you create little boxes for everything you learn and keep things separate you can fit a lot more inside your head. And it makes it easier to remember because instead of sifting through everything you know you just have to find the right box."
There is a moment as Ella considers that information, but then she only shakes her head. "Think y'givin' me more credit n'y'should. En't s'smart, Weyrwoman. Don' barely know what's goin' on in m'own head, let alone 'f I got boxes in there. Y'kin put stuff away an' take't out s'easy?"
"Sure. Umm. Everyone has boxes I think. Just sometimes you can't, see them I guess. I don't know. I've always been able to do it." Miniyal shrugs her shoulders and looks down at her hands. "It's hard I guess at first? You have to learn. The same as you learn anything else." Seated by Ella, the pair seem to be talking. With no fireworks yet. Ella has a hide in her hands and Miniyal twists at the ring on her finger. It's sometime after dinner and the approaching storm has kept most people out of the bowl.
The darkening sky portends an oncoming storm, but a few brave (or stupid or waterproof) souls risk the outdoors anyhow. Among them are Miniyal and Ella, the two weyrlings seated near a large rock and engaged in a discussion about how to spell words and compartmentalize one's thoughts. The older woman with shorter hair shakes her head. "Dunno 'f I wanna go rootin' 'round in there. Been a big mess f'a long time an' en't done m'no harm yet. Y'think too much 'bout y'self, y'only end up feelin' sad an' havin' a headache."
Sometimes, it just isnt your choice. About being out in impending storms or the like. Xalth has a noted interest for natural phenomenon -- just ask Rysia -- and as such, he is wandering around the bowl. He is seemingly deep in conversation with S'ol, who is trotting along with him with a dazed expression on his face that speaks heavily of that aforementioned conversation. It is the young bronze that is doing the guiding it would seem as he subtly redirects S'ol towards where Miniyal and Ella are sitting. Fortunatly, the bedazzled bronzerider snaps out of it before running into the two and sort of blinks. "Oh." He says. "Hi, Miniyal. Hi, Ella. I'm not disturbing anythin...." He pauses. "We aern't disturbing anything, are we? Xalth wants to see the storm rolling in, and.... talk to me about some people." Xalth, does not see Peloth or Reth around and as such thrusts his head towards the two women. Pet him, he seems to say.
Blinking a few times, Miniyal finally shakes her head. "You can't not know. I mean, it's in your head. How can you stand not knowing? I mean, how do you deal with not knowing it all?" She sounds truly puzzled, truly curious about this odd phenomenon. After her question is asked and before she can say anything else a new one arrives and she blinks and looks up. "Oh. Umm. I don't think so, no. Hi." Xalth is given a look. No way. She's not petting anyone. She doesn't have to. Her petting monster is sleeping.
"Uh." Ella blinks. "Yeh," she says with a shrug, "I kin. S'easy. I jus', y'know, don' think 'bout it." Which is what she's been saying all along. "How kin y'stand -to- know all'a that stuff?" Oh look. Big bronze noggin. The woman from Tillek smirks and grabs hold of Xalth's headknobs to affectionately jostle his head from side to side. "Cocky," she notes, amused. " 'lo S'ol. H'still makin' y...y'know, get mad?"
Xalth looks to Miniyal with a long, sort of irritable expression. That grows more irritable by the second. What? She doesn't want to pet him? How could she not? He is the center of.... at this point, his headknobs are taken hold of and he is jostled around. The irritation fades as he gets the attention he wanted and it is replaced by an amused rumble as he steps forward -- aiming to press his forehead into the woman's chest and bowl her right off the rock. Into something soft, preferable. S'ol watches, with a relieved expression. "Miniyal. Next time, even if you'd just poke him in the nose, I'd be really appreciative. He... flies off the handle if nobody acknowledges him." Ella has saved the day, however. "Uh." He says to Ella, quietly. "On a daily basis. I think I'm getting a LITTLE bit better at it, but it's hard to say. I think I've made progress, then he gets angry again and I fly off the handle. I still want to bite people, though.."
"Because," is the first thing Miniyal says to Ella's question. Her tone asks how she could ask such a dumb question. "It's there. Do you know how much is there? I mean, not just in my head, but in the world. There's. . .stuff everywhere. Records at all the major and minor holds and the crafthalls and the weyrs and the stuff at Harper alone is. . .there's so much information out there. And you don't want to know it all? It's like- it's like willing agreeing to being blinded. Cutting yourself off from what's there. And once you read it it's in your head and you can remember it whenever you want and it keeps you busy." Being busy is important. And S'ol's words make her eyes roll as she looks at the dragon. "Big baby. Get used to it. You can't make yourself the center of my world. S'ol, he has to learn to deal with his temper. I'm not going to jump when he says and you shouldn't either." Focusing solely for a moment on the weyrling bronzerider she asks, "Do you ever lose /your/ temper? Or is it all just him?"
"Hey!" This from Ella as she is suddenly head-butted by something larger than her and goes topping back. One foot flies out, aiming to conenct with Xalth's shoulder in recompense. "Don'cha know better'n t'shove a girl 'round? En't no sorta manners." She pushes up on her elbows to swing an arm around the bronze's neck, right where it meets is head. Headlock! The other hand forms a fist and rubs vigorously on the skin of his forehead. Noogie! "Know there's more stuff 'n'th'world'n 'm ever gonna know. Figgur better t'spend m'time doin' right what I kin than trying t'learn 'bout everythin'. Got simple needs. Y'smarter'n me. Y'kin do all that learnin', y'want. I en't." She is, instead, going to wrestle baby dragons.
Xalth is impressed with this. He wasn't expecting much from the raggedy little thing that Ella is. But, he resilience to his shoving causes a bugle of something like happy surprise. S'ol never does this with him. He keeps saying how he needs to be calm, and relaxed. And save his energy for the lessons. His multiple eyelids closed, knowing that Ella has a firm grip on him, Xalth sort of half rears and steps back -- meaning to pull her off balance if he can and then lunges forwards, with intent to send her to the ground if he can; head pressing into her belly either way. Go for the pin! S'ol is just sort of watching with an expression on his face that wavers between amused and horrified. "Ella." He says. "He outweighs you by fifteen times, he'll break something! This isn't Reth that you're wrestling with, he's... " A sort of mental grumble from Xalth causes him to put his hand to his head, and look towards Miniyal for help. That distracts him. "Um. Miniyal. You didn't know?" He asks, his face falling a little bit. "That... would be why nobody will sit beside me, anymore. I can't control him. I'm having special lessons for it. Trying, but.. when he gets angry, I get angry and try to bite people...The Weyrlingmaster knows, he says it isn't my fault.. that Xalth is just foreceful, and he's trying to help me with it..."
Eyes blink once and then twice and Miniyal just stares at Ella like she has a second head. What a weirdo. "I'm not smart. I just. . .want to know things." She would expound on it, but she turns to S'ol and shakes her head, ignoring the wrestling. Thank goodness Peloth is not around to get ideas. "No. That's not what I asked. And, of course I know. I know everything that goes around here. Who do you think keeps all the secrets of the weyr? Forced into those barracks there's nothing I can't find out. What I asked was, is it ever /your/ temper? Or is it all brought on by /him/?" Shaking her head she sighs softly. "Also, umm, you /told/ me all that stuff about him and about the special lessons. Don't you remember? I thought he had the bad memory."
With Xalth's help uuup Ella goes with a laugh and doown Ella does with a thump. She gives her head a shake and, as the bronze's eyes are closed, sets her fingers on his lids and wriggles them. On Reth, it is the only ticklish spot she has found. "H'won't," she grins. "Only usin' 'is head and it en't s'big's me. Wrestled with m'brothers. En't nuthin' besides that." Tickletickletickle. She arches her back to buck against the pinning nose. "Can't wrestle w'Reth." Miniyal's comment on secrets gets a bit of Ella's attention, though most of it is on her draconic opponant. "Smart n' nosy," is all she proclaims of the goldrider with another laugh.
S'ol sort of pauses for a moment. Miniyal's question has brought some thought to him. "I'm sorry." He says, then; face still a little bit crestfallen. "I kind of forget what I say sometimes. To be honest though... it's not me in the least. I don't have a temper at all. I never did. I get sad, but I'm one of the more level headed people you will ever met as far as anger goes. It's all him.. and I've never had a temper so I don't know how to deal with it. I find, um, yelling helps alot but people sort of stare at me." He's still watching Ella and his lifemate with a worried expression. Xalth may be having the time of his life, but he's worried about Ella's safety. "He's going to break her neck." He mumbles quietly to Miniyal. "And I'm going to be responsible. But I feel bad just telling him to stop...he's having fun." Ticklish, there? Why, yes, the bronze is. It causes him to, lean his head away; twisting it to the side as he takes a step or two back; likely permitting the other to free herself. He lowers his head then, sidestepping -- apparently waiting for her to give him another opening to try again. S'ol pipes up then, to Ella. "Miniyal." He says, with an honest voice. "Is probably the most intelligent person I know. I am in complete agreement."
"I am not nosy!" Miniyal announces this indignantly, arms folding over her chest. "I am inquisitive and it is a good trait to have. It means I can make sure nothing escapes my attention and that the people who need to know something important find out about it." Pausing a moment she ducks her head. "But I am not a snitch. I just. . .I can't help it if I learn things. It's just I've always lived here is all. But I am not nosy. It's important to know your surroundings, that's all. So I know them." Maaaaybe touched a nerve there. Well, Ella's good at that. It doesn't have her stomping off at least. Not when she can distract herself with S'ol. "That's your problem. You need to lose your own temper sometime to learn how to deal with his. No wonder you're having so much trouble." Shaking her head she looks sympathetically at him and then glances towards Xalth and Ella wrestling. "How do you not lose your temper anyway? I mean, ever? In your life? That's weird." Pause. "Umm. No offense."
"Ha!" Ella crows as Xalth backs off. She takes the moment to shove to her feet and give her head another shake. As Xalth seems to be waiting for her to do something, the crop-haired woman takes the moment to catch her breath and become more of a participant in the human conversation. Her eyes remain on the bronze, though. "Y'don' let nuthin' 'scape your attention. Y'know ever'one's secrets. Y'know what's improtant t'other folks." Sniff. "That's 'nosy'." Ella doesn't sound particularly upset by any of that. Just entertained that Miniyal denies it. "C'mon y'lump," she goads Xalth as she lowers into a waiting crouch. "Make m'work f'it."
S'ol glances between Ella and Miniyal, again. "I trust you not to be a snitch." He murmurs. "Don't let it bother you. She's not being down on you, you know. Smile and nod." The last three words are delivered in a whisper that is aimed for the roughhousing woman not to hear. S'ol sort of settles down then -- sitting on the rock near Miniyal that Ella has vacated in order to roughhouse. "I have a little bit, I guess. I mean, I get angry sometimes. But I don't get that kind of angry. I get like... a little annoyed, or vexed I guess. The want to smash something or hit someone or anything.... is completely new to me. I guess, I never saw the point in violent rage before. No offense taken, by the way. I know I'm strange." He says it in a tone that is not self defeating, but... just someone who has been telling themselves that for a long time so that they can accept it. Xalth is sort of staring, with wide-eyes at this fiesty little human. But his head lowers and gamely he lunges in again. This time though, his head aims for her lower abdomen -- meaning to thrust her upwards, onto her tiptoes or even off of her feet. "Careful.." says as worried S'ol at her. "Don't get him too excited."
Eyes narrow somewhat as Miniyal looks at Ella, shaking her head. Dropping her arms from her chest she worries at her ring, watching it as she twists it around on her finger. "Whatever." Mumbled as she continues to stare at her hands. If S'ol's words are heard she doesn't make any indication of such. Instead she rises to her feet and glances off. "I have to go. Have fun."
Ella is the pea and Xalth is the spoon. Scooped up by her belly, Ella 'oofs!' and flings her arms around the dragon's neck, clinging as she's bounced up. "Aw, don' go. Weren't tryin' t..." she huffs as she's butted again and tighens her grip. " 'M rude. 'M bad tempered. 'M not good't thinkin' thin's out. So y'nosy. So th'fuck what?"
Xalth is not as dumb as he looks. As Ella begins speaking to Miniyal he helpfully holds his head still -- just a little bit too high, enough that she will have to stand on her very tiptoes -- but he does hold it still in the exchange. S'ol is just confused, as his question goes unanswered. He doesn't press it though; looking between the two. Silently waiting to see what happens.
Miniyal resists her internal desire to stomp her foot. Although it is hard. Arms folded over her chest she snorts quietly and glares at Ella. "Because I am /not/ nosy. I do not intentionally try to. . .I don't. . .Dammit. I just don't. There are pieces in the dark is all and they don't belong there. Nothing belongs there. Someone should know. That's all and it's not my fault no one else is trying and if someone is then I don't bother, but if no one else is then someone /has/ to." Shoving her hands into her pockets she turns to S'ol and rolls her eyes. "And that, S'ol, is losing your temper. And you may not know it, but inside is this big bubbling part of you that wants to explode and if you don't ever let it then someday you will and make a total mess of everything and nothing will ever be right again. /That/ is why you have trouble with him. Because you've suppressed a part of yourself and now all at once you have to deal with it in your head and you're confused."
Sort of dangling and sort of stationary, Ella blinks over at Miniyal. "Oh. Right. 'S c'mpletely d'ffrent'n nosey," she says with an utterly solemn and serious face. And then, as Xalth is still, she lets go of his neck and drops to the ground, reaching again for his headknobs. Dragons can be pinnable too. Maybe. If one has the proper leverage.
S'ol scratches his head as he listens to Miniyal, running his fingers over the stubble of his freshly shaven hair. It is relaxing to do so, an it -does- feel quite nice. "People tell me I supress a lot of things." he says, sadly. "I've heard that so many times from people over the last three months..." He trails off, not angry, but there is a little bit of a hurt tone. He sort of brightens up, though. "I... well, I don't think so? Nothing anyone has ever done has ever really gotten me going. Maybe hurt my feelings, or made me scared.. but really angry? Nawww, never." His head peers back to Ella, and he frowns -- because he knows Miniyal isn't going to take that one well. Xalth's headknobs are taken hold of, and with sort of rumble of alarm he is forced to take a step forward because she has control of his head -- face turning towards the ground. But she is already down, and so he steps up again -- meaning to press his face into her belly again with a satisfied rumble on his face. This human might be all squishy in ways and places that S'ol isn't, but she is fun to wrestle with.
"Well, as tempting as it is. . .I'm not supposed to meddle. But I'm telling you, keeping things in is not good." See how Miniyal ignores what is said by the annoying floozy from Tillek? Oh, well, it's because it's not entirely being done. "It is. Stop calling me nosy. I am not." Head shaking she takes a step backwards. "I have to go. Peloth is awake. There goes the rest of my night." Another step and she clears her throat. "Look. I don't always handle things well, right. And I don't. . .please don't call me nosy. If you have to think it, fine. But don't. That's all I'm asking. Just don't do it when I am around. I'll see you later, S'ol. Peloth is being smug so keep an eye on Xalth. I know they are up to something." Off she goes, turning around and hurrying off.
"A'right, a'right," Ella grouses as she hangs onto Xalth's headknobs. "As y'like, Weyrwoman." And if it is said chidingly, out of breath, and between small grunts of exertion, it at least comes out as being sincere. Then Ella curls her back and leans forward so she can plant her lips on Xalth's nose and blow air out between them. Thbbbbbth! Dragon raspberry.
Xalth recoils as though he had been slapped at the raspberry, disengaging from her altogeather unless she has ahold of his headknobs still. In that case, he'll happily just drag her with him. His eyes are wide, a little glistening spot on his bronze hide where her lips had been. He is shocked to the point of immobility. S'ol has clearly not done anything like that to him. Speaking of S'ol, he is looking after Miniyal. "But... what if you've got nothing to get out? Really, honestly. I'm sane. I just... don't get angry like that." He opens his mouth to say something else, but he stops. "All right. Take care." He turns then. "I should probably take this thing off so that I can prepare for my lessons tonight." Xalth tenses at this, but he knows that S'ol is right. And so, in return to for the raspberry he advances on Ella again with an expression of pure hellery on his face. He likes this one. She is safe. His attempt is to tackle her with his head as done before, but if successful at this point he will begin a long sort of slurp that begins at the waist of her tunic and is likely to tangle at the hair in the top of her head. And then if successful, he is darting off towards the barracks -- leaving S'ol and Ella both behind.