Let's Go Turn Some Heads
IC Date: Day 22, Month 6, Turn 2, 7th Pass
Players: Essdara, Vanya
Location: Vanya's Room
Synopsis: A short scene between the two friends before the party begins. Vanya tries to boost Essdara's lack of belief in herself, and helps herself in the process.
Vanya's Room,
Before the Party
There isn't much a person can do to disguise the fact this room is little more than a cave. The walls are stone, smoothed by hand or by some long-forgotten or long-gone machine used by those who first built the weyr. The door is solid wood, sturdy, the fixtures utilitarian. The basic furniture is all there -- bed, table, two chairs, wall shelves and a wooden storage chest. Simple. As is the occupant, since there is little in the way of fancy knickknacks or personal possessions. The bed has plain sheets, two down-filled pillows, and a warm, woven blanket in dark green. The chest holds clothes, and more blankets as a bastion against the cold, High Reaches winter. A glow basket hangs from the wall over the bed, another sits on the table, glows replenished whenever needed by those unseen people who perform this task.
On a shelf above the table are a bottle of ink, writing instruments, sand and some already prepared hides. Very rare and precious paper documents are carefully arranged on another shelf, held down by a polished stone collected from some place. Yet another shelf holds vials and bottles of lotions, astringents, and other containers of herbs and oils. The only luxurious thing here, if it can be called that, is a hand-made rug that lies beside the bed on top of a thick layer of reeds. Stone floors are notoriously cold on bare feet. A black cloak hangs on a peg by the door, as does a gittern, the instrument carefully wrapped in a protective bag. A basket, leather satchel and two pairs of boots sit on the floor beneath.
It's just around dinnertime, and Dara, dressed in the dress her friend gifted her with, has come to Vanya's room for a last bit of being made pretty. She sits now in one of the chairs, back straight and hands folded in her lap while Vanya gets what she needs ready. "Are you doing my hair, only, or do you have nefarious plans for other parts of me as well?" She asks, in a teasing voice.
"Not nefarious in any way, shape or form, sweetie," Vanya says, pulling things out of her trunk. With ribbons and earrings in her hand. "First the hair, then the decoration," she says, smiling. She is mostly dressed herself, lacking only to do her hair. That can wait. She studies Dara for a moment, and nods. "All right, turn around and let me get my brush." In a matter of minutes, she has the girl's hair brushed to a sheen, and begins braiding. "When I ask for them, the ecru ribbon, then the green." She works in silence, requesting the ribbons, and some hair pins on the table. Braided, then circled around her head like a coronet, the ribbons peep from between the strands, giving a dash of color to the hair. Then, the wider green ribbon is tied around Dara's throat, accentuating its slenderness, its grace. Lastly, the simple earrings in her ears. "There," she says, handing her a small mirror. "A little powder on your face, and some glycerine to make your lips shine. That's quickly accomplished.
Essdara looks into the mirror with no small amount of wonder. "You are amazing. You know that, right? I don't think I've ever looked so good, not even when mom did my hair at Turn's End." She moves the mirror a bit, looking at herself from different angles. "Thank you, Vanya. I don't know how to repay you, but I definaetly will. You can be sure of that!" Finally, she looks up at the healer. "I'd offer to do yours in return, but I wouldn't know what to do."
"Just hand me pins when I need them. I've practiced enough on my cousin's hair that I could do my own when the time came. I just wish I had some cosmetics. I look so pale next to everyone who's so tanned and healthy looking." She stops then laughs. "Faranth knows I never thought I'd hear myself say that!" She sets to work, her long hair going up on top of her head, tendrils dripping down here and there in wispy strands that soften her face. No ribbons for her, but a beautiful necklace and earrings with stones to match her dress almost exactly. She doesn't use the powder -- she's far too pale -- but does use the glycerine on her lips. It's mixed with a bit of color, making them shine a bit darker. "There. Not bad, but not great. I'll do, I guess. Can't do anything else without all the goop Honi used."
Essdara gives a soft giggle, pacing a bit nervously around the room while Vanya works. As the pins are requested, they are handed over, until both are as made-up as they will be. "OK, then. Ummm. I guess now we should go out, and see what's going on, and enjoy the dancing and festivities?"
"I suppose so," Vanya says, a bit of trepidation on her face. "I'm still nervous about this. I know E'sere said I looked nice, but what if I'm overdressed, or underdressed? What if --" She stops. Taking a deep breath. "No, if I keep questioning, I'll talk myself out of going." She looks at Dara. "You are beautiful, Dara. Truly so. It shines from inside you and ... you're just lovely." She pauses, then smiles. "By the way, T'ral was having a bit of fun with me. D'ven isn't seeing anyone steadily. Susannah is what he named his ... his distillery." There's a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I will find a payback for that joke, but not for awhile. I will let him think he got away with it first. Br'ce and I met after the bad fall, and he told me. He's also going to let me observe his men, and if I think there's room for improvement, he'll let me work with them. He even called me part of his wing staff!" She laughs. "I'll tell you all about it later."
A soft laugh and a shake of her head. "Vanya, my love, next to you I am humble and plain. Don't fear that you don't look right... You look stunning, and will be the most sought-after person out there tonight." She moves towards the door. "And it's good to know he's not taken, I guess that means you still have a shot at home. Well, as much chance as anyone does at taming a bronzerider!"
The blush on Vanya's cheeks is telling. "Well, I don't know that taming him is exactly what I was thinking, but I'm glad I won't be bringing strife into his life. He's been too nice to me for me to do that. And, yes, we should head out there before someone takes my wall seat." She stands up, smoothing her hands over he skirt. "Oh, wait!" She moves to the chest again, rummaging a moment, and coming up with two small vials of oils. "These are scented. I splurged at a Gather, and bought them when I was in a girly moment." She hands one to Dara. "That one smells like vanilla, and this one like lavender rose. Which would you like to wear?"
Essdara grins a bit. "Vanilla. It's a smell I am used to, and I think anyone close enough to smell it will be thinking of food anyway!" A soft laugh, and a light sprinkle of the oil, just enough for the scent to set. "I've... Never worn anything like this before. Do I really look ok, Vanya? I don't look... Out of place?"
"Do you trust me, Dara?" she asks, smiling and handing over the bottle. She finds some tufts of cotton, dousing hers in the oil. "Tuck that inside your bodice and it will keep the scent about you longer." She then does just that, dabbing more behind her ears and in the cleft between her breasts. "Now, listen to me. You are beautiful, and need to start thinking you are. It doesn't matter what other people say or do, you need to be beautiful for yourself. Head up, shoulders back, spine erect. We are two beautiful, graceful highborn ladies and and those who ignore us are just plain silly wherries." She suits action to words, and smiles, giving her head a toss like her cousins do. "Let me get my fan, and then we're ready."
Essdara gives a soft laugh. "I'm as far from highborn as you get, Vanya. Riders on both sides, I'm the very definition of Weyrbrat." A grin. "But, I will do my best to pretend, for tonight at least. Don't think I will ever believe Iam beautiful, though. I'll settle for tolerable."
"Never settle for tolerable," Vanya says, picking up a small bag that matches her overdress, and a folding fan. "Shall we, then?"
Players: Essdara, Vanya
Location: Vanya's Room
Synopsis: A short scene between the two friends before the party begins. Vanya tries to boost Essdara's lack of belief in herself, and helps herself in the process.
Vanya's Room,
Before the Party
There isn't much a person can do to disguise the fact this room is little more than a cave. The walls are stone, smoothed by hand or by some long-forgotten or long-gone machine used by those who first built the weyr. The door is solid wood, sturdy, the fixtures utilitarian. The basic furniture is all there -- bed, table, two chairs, wall shelves and a wooden storage chest. Simple. As is the occupant, since there is little in the way of fancy knickknacks or personal possessions. The bed has plain sheets, two down-filled pillows, and a warm, woven blanket in dark green. The chest holds clothes, and more blankets as a bastion against the cold, High Reaches winter. A glow basket hangs from the wall over the bed, another sits on the table, glows replenished whenever needed by those unseen people who perform this task.
On a shelf above the table are a bottle of ink, writing instruments, sand and some already prepared hides. Very rare and precious paper documents are carefully arranged on another shelf, held down by a polished stone collected from some place. Yet another shelf holds vials and bottles of lotions, astringents, and other containers of herbs and oils. The only luxurious thing here, if it can be called that, is a hand-made rug that lies beside the bed on top of a thick layer of reeds. Stone floors are notoriously cold on bare feet. A black cloak hangs on a peg by the door, as does a gittern, the instrument carefully wrapped in a protective bag. A basket, leather satchel and two pairs of boots sit on the floor beneath.
It's just around dinnertime, and Dara, dressed in the dress her friend gifted her with, has come to Vanya's room for a last bit of being made pretty. She sits now in one of the chairs, back straight and hands folded in her lap while Vanya gets what she needs ready. "Are you doing my hair, only, or do you have nefarious plans for other parts of me as well?" She asks, in a teasing voice.
"Not nefarious in any way, shape or form, sweetie," Vanya says, pulling things out of her trunk. With ribbons and earrings in her hand. "First the hair, then the decoration," she says, smiling. She is mostly dressed herself, lacking only to do her hair. That can wait. She studies Dara for a moment, and nods. "All right, turn around and let me get my brush." In a matter of minutes, she has the girl's hair brushed to a sheen, and begins braiding. "When I ask for them, the ecru ribbon, then the green." She works in silence, requesting the ribbons, and some hair pins on the table. Braided, then circled around her head like a coronet, the ribbons peep from between the strands, giving a dash of color to the hair. Then, the wider green ribbon is tied around Dara's throat, accentuating its slenderness, its grace. Lastly, the simple earrings in her ears. "There," she says, handing her a small mirror. "A little powder on your face, and some glycerine to make your lips shine. That's quickly accomplished.
Essdara looks into the mirror with no small amount of wonder. "You are amazing. You know that, right? I don't think I've ever looked so good, not even when mom did my hair at Turn's End." She moves the mirror a bit, looking at herself from different angles. "Thank you, Vanya. I don't know how to repay you, but I definaetly will. You can be sure of that!" Finally, she looks up at the healer. "I'd offer to do yours in return, but I wouldn't know what to do."
"Just hand me pins when I need them. I've practiced enough on my cousin's hair that I could do my own when the time came. I just wish I had some cosmetics. I look so pale next to everyone who's so tanned and healthy looking." She stops then laughs. "Faranth knows I never thought I'd hear myself say that!" She sets to work, her long hair going up on top of her head, tendrils dripping down here and there in wispy strands that soften her face. No ribbons for her, but a beautiful necklace and earrings with stones to match her dress almost exactly. She doesn't use the powder -- she's far too pale -- but does use the glycerine on her lips. It's mixed with a bit of color, making them shine a bit darker. "There. Not bad, but not great. I'll do, I guess. Can't do anything else without all the goop Honi used."
Essdara gives a soft giggle, pacing a bit nervously around the room while Vanya works. As the pins are requested, they are handed over, until both are as made-up as they will be. "OK, then. Ummm. I guess now we should go out, and see what's going on, and enjoy the dancing and festivities?"
"I suppose so," Vanya says, a bit of trepidation on her face. "I'm still nervous about this. I know E'sere said I looked nice, but what if I'm overdressed, or underdressed? What if --" She stops. Taking a deep breath. "No, if I keep questioning, I'll talk myself out of going." She looks at Dara. "You are beautiful, Dara. Truly so. It shines from inside you and ... you're just lovely." She pauses, then smiles. "By the way, T'ral was having a bit of fun with me. D'ven isn't seeing anyone steadily. Susannah is what he named his ... his distillery." There's a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I will find a payback for that joke, but not for awhile. I will let him think he got away with it first. Br'ce and I met after the bad fall, and he told me. He's also going to let me observe his men, and if I think there's room for improvement, he'll let me work with them. He even called me part of his wing staff!" She laughs. "I'll tell you all about it later."
A soft laugh and a shake of her head. "Vanya, my love, next to you I am humble and plain. Don't fear that you don't look right... You look stunning, and will be the most sought-after person out there tonight." She moves towards the door. "And it's good to know he's not taken, I guess that means you still have a shot at home. Well, as much chance as anyone does at taming a bronzerider!"
The blush on Vanya's cheeks is telling. "Well, I don't know that taming him is exactly what I was thinking, but I'm glad I won't be bringing strife into his life. He's been too nice to me for me to do that. And, yes, we should head out there before someone takes my wall seat." She stands up, smoothing her hands over he skirt. "Oh, wait!" She moves to the chest again, rummaging a moment, and coming up with two small vials of oils. "These are scented. I splurged at a Gather, and bought them when I was in a girly moment." She hands one to Dara. "That one smells like vanilla, and this one like lavender rose. Which would you like to wear?"
Essdara grins a bit. "Vanilla. It's a smell I am used to, and I think anyone close enough to smell it will be thinking of food anyway!" A soft laugh, and a light sprinkle of the oil, just enough for the scent to set. "I've... Never worn anything like this before. Do I really look ok, Vanya? I don't look... Out of place?"
"Do you trust me, Dara?" she asks, smiling and handing over the bottle. She finds some tufts of cotton, dousing hers in the oil. "Tuck that inside your bodice and it will keep the scent about you longer." She then does just that, dabbing more behind her ears and in the cleft between her breasts. "Now, listen to me. You are beautiful, and need to start thinking you are. It doesn't matter what other people say or do, you need to be beautiful for yourself. Head up, shoulders back, spine erect. We are two beautiful, graceful highborn ladies and and those who ignore us are just plain silly wherries." She suits action to words, and smiles, giving her head a toss like her cousins do. "Let me get my fan, and then we're ready."
Essdara gives a soft laugh. "I'm as far from highborn as you get, Vanya. Riders on both sides, I'm the very definition of Weyrbrat." A grin. "But, I will do my best to pretend, for tonight at least. Don't think I will ever believe Iam beautiful, though. I'll settle for tolerable."
"Never settle for tolerable," Vanya says, picking up a small bag that matches her overdress, and a folding fan. "Shall we, then?"