Go fly a kite.
Who: Issa, Miniyal, R'en, Riann (NPC), Roa, assorted kite flying NPCs
Where: Mountain Clearing
When: Day 16 of month 10, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
What: There is a picnic and kite flying. People turn up. There is kite flying. There is no death.
5/17/2007
The noonday sun is shining brightly. Sure, it shines behind a bank of clouds, but it is there. It is hardly its fault that people have the poor taste to live /under/ the clouds where they cannot benefit from its warmth. However, a couple of bonfires are just beginning to get going and heat radiates out from it. Kept near the fires is a small stack of blankets being watched over by one of the fire tenders. Those who wish one can, of course, get one to rest their bum on. Most people, having hardly been here that long, are more interested in getting their kites going. A couple of tables have been set up for the food, but other than a few small children no one is really interested in that either. Mostly, it is people coming along. The whole weyr hasn't turned out, but some do have to work, however it looks like a nice group will be appearing throughout the day.
Weyr events are a chance and cause for family time. R'en is taking advantage. With Riann bundled against his hip with a little hood on against the weather, he's made his way here sans dragon. Sehkrath must be sleeping. There are a few people here yet he knows so he gravitates towards them to grin and say hello while watching the setting up of things go on around him.
It will, likely, surprise very few people that one of the blankets has been claimed already and upon it sits Miniyal. Spiffy black coat upon her person she is not, as is often the case, alone. Which makes her easy to miss because who expects to see her surrounded by a bunch of kids at the beginning of their teen years. However, there she sits with about five of them chatting and making last minute changes to this kite or that.
Overhead a blue circles around, coming in to land near a few other dragons. The rider climbs down and then pulls a few people over to help him unload one more table and even a few folding chairs for those too old or infirm to sit on the ground for fear of not being able to get back up. These chairs are carried over to the fire where those of creaky bones are most likely to want to sit while watching the swirling colors of fabric overhead.
R'en is not, despite all his remarks regarding his own age, going to sit with the creaky people. In fact, once he spots Miniyal, he's breaking away from the group of folks he was chatting with to wind up near her and her gaggle with a blanket he picked up along the way. Shifting the toddler on his hip and kneeling to spread the padding on the ground, he makes no remarks on her choice of company. Or, maybe, on the kids'.
There are not many kites up in the air yet, but a few of the not so young and not so old children are being schooled by their parents. A kite here and there rests on the ground as a few strings are untangled, already. One of the teenagers gets up and walks over to the table and collects a few of the mugs there. He seems to be the one voted to fetch refreshments for those gathered with Miniyal. She does not watch this, but she does keep track of who is around her and so when R'en arrives with a toddler she looks over and just nods to him. No reason to be overly friendly. One of the girls with her looks over and squeals softly. "Oh, she's so cute." Still, as much as she might want to go coo over the baby she remains where she is and fiddles with something on one of the kites.
Plunk. Riann, giddy, is deposited on the square of blanket. R'en settles behind her, his hands around her middle keeping her from getting up to, well, toddle. "Miniyal." No reason to be overly friendly. He does smile at her though, then at the girl who said cute. 'Cute' is an attention-getter. "What's that?" Riann asks, fairly repetitively, sometimes with a few 'hey's and 'daddy's thrown in there. "Kites, kiddo. Kites, picnic. Might start thinkin' this is gonna be a normal day."
Returning to the blanket the drink fetching kid hands out mugs to everyone before sitting back down to reach for one of the kites and check something on it. Miniyal holds her mug and then frowns a moment before focusing over on their neighbor. "Do you want this? I imagine it's easier for me to fetch drinks than someone who has to carry someone along. It's just cider. Safe for the both of you to share." Friendly enough. One of the kids stands up and carries a yellow and red kite over towards where people are starting to get them in the air. The girl on the blanket divides her time between paying attention to a particular boy working on a kite and the baby close by.
"That!" Riann points up at the sky, at the vast blue and beginnings of real kite flying, and makes a noise that's either tortured or absurdly curious. Her hood falls back to expose blazingly red hair. "That? Uh. Oh." Miniyal's offering him something to drink. There was a time when he would have sniffed it first. That was before. He takes it, gives the goldrider a look, murmurs a thank you. Then, to the girl on the blanket, "Why aren't you flyin' a kite yet?" Riann wanders a few steps away but R'en's hand around hers keeps her from getting very far.
Hey, it was fetched by someone else so it wouldn't have anything slipped into it! Miniyal tucks her hands into her pockets since she did not bother to put on her gloves. She remembered a coat after all. That was likely hard enough for her. This is where someone else might make small talk. If she had any real idea /how/ to do that she might. Instead she just nods again when thanked. The girl spoken to grins and points to one of the kites on the blanket. "This is ours. It's got a small problem we're working on fixing. Then we're going to get it higher than anyone. What's her name? I'm Caro. And that's Bertie. We made it together, but there was a problem. Just getting help." From Miniyal it seems. How odd.
How odd. R'en shifts his eyes to look at Miniyal again when he gets that information. "Riann. Hey, kid." He gives the redhaired baby's hand a squeeze. "Say hi t'Caro'n Bertie." Riann turns a little and flaps her hand. "Hi Caro Burrie." Then she gets shy and covers her mouth with that same hand, hides her face against Daddy's shoulder. "So you're gettin' help from Miniyal?" That is the most interesting thing, see. He'll smirk too, sideways, at his fellow weyrling.
"Sure. She's the one who gave us the design for it after all." Caro grins at Riann and wiggles her fingers at the toddler. Bertie just rolls his eyes. Babies don't interest him, but they don't interest many boys who are fourteen or so. Instead he makes another adjustment to the placement of one of the supports on the kite frame. Miniyal just loves being talked about like she's not around. She just loves being talked about in general, but this is even better. Another of the kids gets up and heads off with his kite, but just when it seems like she might be losing guests on her blanket two more kids holler out and move as if they're going to take the place vacated. "Found it in some old book. It's brilliant. We're sure to win something."
"Prizes?" R'en didn't know about prizes. He puts his hand on Riann's back to keep her steady while she leans against him and mouths on the side of his face. Clearly he's accustomed to such treatments. "How d'you win? Is it like a race or somethin'?" Racing with kites seems dubious.
"Nah," say Caro. She points towards where a few people are grouped together near the kite fliers without strings in their own hands. "The judges. They pick, umm, highest flying and longest flying and lowest longest flying and most original design and some other things." Shrugging her shoulders she watches Riann, unable to keep her nose from wrinkling a little. Babies are cute, but she doesn't want one gnawing on her face. "Age categories too. So's the little kids don't get beaten and not win anything. We're going for highest. Kite's designed just for that. No one else has one like this I bet." Miniyal seems content to let the conversation go on without her. Instead she scoots across the blanket to examine the new arrivals' kite.
Eventually Riann's attention span has her moving to something else for her little mind to occupy itself with. She's spotted that kite, see, and now comes for it with wide blue eyes. R'en snatches for the waistband of her little skirt and misses; making a face, he le-e-eans and gets her around the waist, inches from what would most certainly have been mass destruction. "What're the prizes?" he asks next, like nothing happened.
Caro scoots over an inch or so to try to create an obstacle should the toddler of doom escape again. She watches what Bertie is doing, but seems content to let him do all the work. Other than murmur a few words every now and again quietly. Likely pointing out something he needs to do still. "There's a couple blankets. One's a masterweaver's work. Another is made of this super soft rabbit fur that has the prettiest sort of design. And new boots. Oh, and some pieces of jewelry. Little stuff, you know? And for the kids there's toys and all.' Bah. Toys. She's too old for toys. Yep. Too old.
Which R'en seems to pick up on. "Reckon you'd rather have one of the other things." He reckons. Riann stamps her feet on the blanket and makes a face of her own. She wanted over /there/. But Daddy brings the mug up for her and she makes big eyes again, clamps her hands down, one on his and one on the handle, and makes to sip. "Who else is goin' for highest?"
"Probably lots others. Think it'll be easiest. Or just don' want to go for longest cause they're lazy. But, you gotta go long for height. Can't just send it up, ya know?" Caro, it seems, has done her homework. She smirks and points to where three men who look to be in their thirties stand. "Highest. That's what they're going for. Figure to win it before they get drunk. S'my brother and his friends. But me and Bertie, we're trading off. Take turns and keep the kite up all day. Got some other friends comin' when they're done with work. That way anyone gets higher we just keep it up and go for it."
"'Fore they get drunk, huh?" Riann spills a little dribble on her chin and smacks her lips. "Uhoh." Uhoh? R'en darts a look downward, looks relieved when it's only cider. He whips out a hanky and dabs at her until she's dry. "All gone. Sounds like you've been thinkin' about this some," he remarks to Caro, grinning crookedly at her.
Caro grins back and looks down for a minute so she can assist with the tying of a knot on her kite. "Yea. We been thinking on it since we heard about it. Started doing research. That's how we met Miniyal. She was a real help." Helpful, of course, is the word everyone uses to describe Miniyal. Looking up from her kite, Caro grins again. "We're gonna win. And, my brother and his friends are always drunk. It's disgusting. But, just means one less person who can beat us so that's great news!"
"Surely." But R'en gives the group of men over there a look anyway. "What's that?" Riann bunches down and hops up, pointing at the sky again. Oh, to be young and not care if you end up falling on your butt. "Kites." "No." "Clouds?" "/Clouds/?" "Puffy things... those? Clouds." There. The moment is passed. "/I/ think you guys'll win."
Bertie looks up for the first time, pimples quite visible on his pale skin. "Yea, we're gonna kick their butts." Enthusiastic, he is. At least he didn't say kick their ass. In front of the toddler. Still, he does get a punch in the arm from Caro. "Watch what you say, stupid. There's a kid here. You are so dumb." Bertie looks less than upset at this, but, hey, a punch from a girl is almost as good as a kiss sometimes! So, he just grins and makes a final adjustment to the kite before standing. "Think we got it. You want to come help me get it up or you busy talking?" He is not jealous, of course. At all. He just wants her help getting the kite going. Teenagers. Always fun.
There are a few people with kites in the air, off to one side of the clearing. Nearby are three people, judges, watching everything that goes up or comes down in the sky while talking amongst themselves. The tables have been all set up and a few people linger around looking over or sampling the food. Across from them, where kites can be watched without much interruption, sits Miniyal. Away from where the dragons land and lounge watching the kites. A blanket is spread out and the gold riding weyrling sits on it with a few teenagers going over their kites with them. Another blanket is spread out next to it, recently occupied by R'en and Riann, but recently departed as the latter of the two required a clean up trip. Toddlers. A teenage girl and boy rise from Miniyal's blanket and run off to where the other kite fliers are to get their own entry up in the sky.
Up from the path, Issa ambles through the other onlookers, maneuvering her heavy steps around the blankets that dot the clearing. Her own blanket, white and wooly, is clutched in a bundle underneath her arm, a secondary bulge to go along with her swelling belly that peeks out from beneath her open jacket. She wears a particular, new black sweater beneath the bulk of that jacket, one that a particular goldriding weyrling would easily recognize. Her eyes linger on a young couple that sit in the grass, huddled under their shared blanket, but they soon drag up to Miniyal as she comes up behind her. The blanket to her one side gets a quick glance, then she marks the empty space to the other side before stepping up beside the woman, a small, friendly smile so far from the expression normally seen in the training cavern. She forgoes greeting to simply ask, "Mind if I sit here?"
Looking up from the kite she was helping a couple of teenagers do a last minute adjustment on, Miniyal studies Issa for a moment. Then she nods her head and stuffs her hands into the pockets of her pretty black leather coat. Shock! A coat. Still, it does look warm at least. "No one's sitting there. Umm. Ma'am." Right, ma'am. She almost forgot that. Her salute lacks somewhat, but one of her hands is busy holding a bit of string in place after told to do so by one of the teenagers. Once the knot is in place her hand goes back into her pocket and the kids get up and head for the kite flying area. Shaking her head, the weyrling rolls her eyes at them and checks on the last of the teenagers on her blanket. But, they don't seem to need her help right now.
Issa gives a short nod for Miniyal's odd sort of permission, then another for the addition of her title, eyes lingering on Miniyal a second after she turns away before busying herself unfurling her tightly rolled blanket. With a quick flap in the wind, the blanket straightens and the greenrider bends over as far as she's able in order to settle it to the ground. A faint grunt sounds when she straightens, striking the classic pregnant pose with one hand bracing her lower back while she looks back over to the kite improvements going on next to her. "Looks like a good one," she comments casually for the teenagers while her toe nudges at a corner of her blanket, idly flattening it out. "How long did it take you to make?" Miniyal gets her share of glances, and just then the wingsecond spares her a peek of her smile.
The teenagers look up and over, one of the boys winking at Issa. He's a bit young to be flirting, but he might be an early bloomer. Or maybe he likes pregnant woman. Freak. "We're going to win something. Sure of it. Our design is sure to win." He holds up a box kite done in black and blue. "It's made special. Not just some plain kite. But what it's made of is a secret." As he talks, Miniyal rises to her feet and rolls her eyes. "Not going to win anything sitting here." Then there's a slight pause as she glances at Issa. "I was going to get a drink. Do you want anything? I mean, since I'm up. And, you know. I'm used to being fat and getting up off the ground and all." Aww. She called Issa fat. That, likely, did not come out the way she meant it, but she doesn't bother trying to correct herself.
"A secret," Issa repeats with raised eyebrows and a slow nod, her smile quirking up high enough to squint her eyes at the boy. She settles in with a stiff shift of her hips, trying it with her knees bent before she gives that up and crosses her legs. The offer of a drink earns another hitch of her eyebrows as her gaze switches over to Miniyal, but she nods soon after. "If you don't mind. Just some juice for this fat woman." The belly gets a quick pat before her hand falls to the blanket again, pushed down to prop her up while she turns to watch the multicolored kites that dot the sky.
Well, it didn't go as badly as it could have. Before leaving, Miniyal gathers up cups already on the blanket. Likely from people who were there before. For all it seems odd she would have been, well, around people. The last of the teenagers wander off with their kites before she returns. With two cups, one of which she hands over. "Cider. Not the hard stuff. Umm. It's cold. I didn't ask if you wanted the warm stuff. Anyway. Sorry about the fat comment." Biting her lip when the cup is taken from her she then settles onto her own blanket once more. "Did you bring a kite?" An invisible hidden kite of some sort. Tucked under her shirt somehow. "I didn't get a chance to make one, but I helped a few people with their design and all, you know? When I had time."
"Oh, that's fine," Issa murmurs quietly as she accepts the cup, perhaps purposely leaving it vague as to whether she's referring to the cider or the comment. The cup pauses on the way to her mouth, a sip held in limbo while she looks back to Miniyal. A kite? See that pregnant belly? It's actually a kite she's been hiding for months in wait for this moment. Ta da! "No," she says, pausing for that interrupted sip before she explains. "All of my time was spent making sure that you had no time." Her smile quirks higher on one side and she turns her face up to follow a particularly wild-swooping kite that suddenly takes a dive into the grass below.
The kite flying is under way. Weyr residents and Caucus students of all ages are in the area of the clearing designated kite flying zone. Near by stand three judges who talk amongst themselves when not moving about talking to those who are flying their contraptions. Seated where she can watch all of it, without participating, is Miniyal. To either side of her blanket there is a blanket. One has Issa on it, who has lost herself in the watching of the kites and has a mug on her blanket. The other is empty. Every now and again, Miniyal will wave to someone flying a kite. And, oddly, when she does, someone waves back. It seems like there's actually two or three groups of teenagers out there who wave at her or sometimes shout her name to 'look at this now.' Still, she sits alone. With a mug in her hand. The other hand is tucked in the pocket of her black coat, unbuttoned, but worn. It's a start.
Down from the path comes one more participant, though only to observe, it seems, as the rounded weyrwoman has no kite tucked under her arm. She wears her riding coat, hood pushed back, eyes upwards as she pads into the clearing. Roa stands to simply watch the kites swirl about for a few minutes, but then her attention moves groundwards and over to those seated on blankets. Picking an empty spot near a couple familiar figures, the weyrwoman heads over to the blanket near Miniyal. "Hey. Can I sit?" she asks looking first to Miniyal and then offering Issa a nod hello.
Blink, blink. Pulling her attention away from a particular wing-shaped kite of orange, Miniyal looks up at Roa. Novel concept. Of course, seated she's still almost as tall as the shrimp. Lalala. Well, not. Still, she looks at the blanket and then shrugs. "R'en and Riann were there. They went off to do baby things or something. Go ahead." And, because Issa is close by even if she's not paying attention the weyrling remembers to tack on a "Ma'am" to her last sentence and even a salute even if it requires shifting her drink from one hand to the other and freeing the other from her pocket.
"Oh," Roa murmurs as she hears R'en was there and drifted off. "Well. I suppose she probably liked getting to see all of those colored shapes up in the air. They're supposed to like that sort of thing, I think." Carefully, Roa lowers herself down onto the blanket. It's a bit more of an endeavor than it once was, but after a couple minutes the weyrwoman is seated, resting her weight on her hands, and peering back up at the dipping kites. "It's a good day for it."
"You didn't bring one?" Miniyal peers over, just in case Roa has hidden one. It's possible. Well, Issa hadn't, but still, you can't trust pregnant women! "It's a nice day though, yes. And the wind seems to be cooperating. There are some interesting designs." Small talk. See how well she tries it. Roa sits on the blanket that had been R'en and Riann's. It's fine to sit near Miniyal, but with her? No, no. That was for those reckless teenagers who didn't know what she was really like. Or were just taking advantage of her brains. Braaaaains. More kites fly in the sky and soon enough two of them get twisted up, resulting in much waving of the arms and shouting by those caught in the mess.
"Sorry," Roa says with a shake of ehr head. "I didn't have time to make one. Did you?" She glances away from the tangle and the flailing to look over at the newest weyrwoman, brows lifted. "Hmm. That looks a bit tricky to undo..." she adds with a chinjerk towards the pair of trapped kites.
Issa's reverie ends with a soft chuckle as she watches the kites tangle together and the resulting confusion it creates. Then the other half of the conspiracy of pregnant women out to ruin Miniyal's life turns her eyes back to her immediate area, small smile picking back up where it left off. She lets Miniyal handle the small talk for now-- hey, she needs the practice-- and remains silent. Or mostly so, as long breath culminates in a soft grunt, her weight leaned to one side so she can place a hand along the side of her big belly.
Miniyal's attention goes to the tangle as well and she frowns a moment before shaking her head. "None of mine. That's good at least. Probably that guy on the right's fault. He looks madder. So, likely his fault. Trying to blame the other guy. I don't think it was the other guy's fault. His design seems fine and he was doing fine last time I looked." Taking a sip from her drink she shakes her head again. "No, I didn't have time. But I remembered everything I'd ever read about kites which was not much, but still. Plus talked to a few people. I helped some of the others with their designs." Phah. Pregnant conspiracy.
There is a small glance towards Issa at the grunt and Roa leans back, lowering her arms so that she rests on er elbows instead of her hands. "You weren't even watching and you know wose fault it is?" she asks, quietly bemused. The smile grows a bit as Minial lists her reasons for being the greatest kite expert within three blankets. "Sounds a very productive day. Did you make one, Issa? Reyce isn't out there somewhere trying to fly it, is he?"
Issa's fingers massage a small circle into the offending ache that spawned that grunt and then go to curl around the cup left sitting near her knee, bringing it up for a quick sip. She manages to get out a laughing, "No," for the thought of Reyce manipulating the strings of one of those brightly colored kites before she ducks in for her drink. "No," she repeats on the other side of that swallow, "he's in Benden. Surprise wedding for one of the brood that required his attendance. So he's gone." The explanation has a mild tinge of bitterness to it, though her smile is flooded with the same muted cheer and her shrug with muted indifference. She tilts back her cup for another drink then glances idly back over to follow the untangling efforts of the two kite owners with her eyes.
Eyes rolling as she gestures with one hand, Miniyal explains. "I'm good at reading people is all. I mean, not always if I'm talking /to/ them I guess, but you can tell a lot by watching how they act. I don't need to hear them. Just see them." Also, she knows everything. Duh. "I've spent my entire life watching people. Navan would be even more disappointed in me if I hadn't learned plenty about reading people and human nature in general. It's why I was such a good assistant even if I hated it. I know all sorts of things about all the people I worked for." Emptying her cup she sets it on her blanket and puts her other hand in a pocket as well. "But, for the record, today wasn't so busy. Just helping with a few minor adjustments. Some of them were working on them since they first found out. I consulted. That's what I am. A kite consultant." It is, of course, impossible to tell if she jokes or not. She /sounds/ serious anyway.
The kite tanglers seem to be sorting it out with some bitterness on both parts. Apparently tangling up is not something for which any prize will be rewarded. Which is a shame as not only the strings, but the tail of one of the kites seems to be part of the knot. Others with their kites still in the air do their best to just stay out of the way of the mess.
"Surprise wedding?" Roa laughs. "What, they just sprung it on them? Good morning, how are you, guess what you're doing today?" She shakes her head. "Kite consultant," she adds to Miniyal, "can be added to your long list of accomplishments, I suppose. Why do you think Navan is...well, anyhow, you seem to have gained a few followers."
"Something like that," Issa responds with a twist to her smile that's definitely not for the rather tame performance that can be seen from the other kites right now. She looks back to the goldriders at her side. "More like she found herself pregnant," her lips quirk again, but there's no glance down at her own big belly, "and the noise and shame she was stirring up forced his brother to marry her." The wryness touches her voice there toward the end, but she treats it with the same inconsequential air that the rest of her gossip gets. "Only the story's even better, because the girl's Reyce's ex-girlfriend." There's a touch of impish delight to the little laugh that follows, but she lets it fade away quickly to turn back to the rest of the conversation, one eyebrow hitched higher. What was this about Miniyal's followers?
"My list of accomplishments is getting long enough as it is these days. Still, it's not a bad thing to add. It was fun anyway." Miniyal shrugs, sounding as if it was not fun. It's not like she will admit it was fun. Really, that would be silly. She keeps her gaze on the kites overhead rather than either of the women conversing. Kites, after all, are safe. "Caro and Bertie were brilliant without my help. I just offered a few little ideas is all. They were all smart. Well, I mean, other than asking for my help. That was certainly a sign of brilliance." She stops here and tips her head over so she might glance at Issa for a moment. However, nothing is said because the less said about Reyce the better in her book. So, she just looks up at the kites again as she mumbles, "I wouldn't call them followers. Just friends of a friend I helped out is all. No big deal." To change the subject she drops Reyce's ex-girlfriend and her followers to say, "I got a late birthday present from J'cor." Random subject change! "I don't know if his painting has improved as I never saw anything before, but it is quite good."
"she's..." Roa looks over at Issa, brows high and lips twitching. "Get out, she is not. Somebody before you was able to put up with Reyce?" She tips her head back to watch the kites, one foot twitching idly. "What did J'cor paint? Where did you put it?"
"Apparently," Issa offers for Roa, but that's all she offers. The light amusement in her voice transfers to her smile, growing wider for all her efforts to keep it contained. A moment watching the kite fliers quiets it back to a normal level, though, and she turns to listen to Miniyal's talk of J'cor without comment.
"Maybe she lost a bet." The ex. Or Issa. Both maybe. Well, it's likely the nicest thing Miniyal could think of to say in relation to Reyce. And, well, it could have been much worse so all in all not bad. Watching one kite lose the wind and dip down because the kite flier was spending more time staring at one of the women observing him she shakes her head. "Oh. He painted the spires. Peloth has said they look just as they should so, of course, there is no arguing about how well it turned out. Not that it didn't turn out well! But, anyway. Umm. It's not a big painting. But, it's not like I have anywhere to put it right now anyway. It's put up safe. I guess things at Igen have been busy and all so he wasn't able to. . .it's weird. I didn't even know he knew when my birthday was. His is about two months away. Fuck. I have no idea what to get him now. Birthdays are a pain."
"Write him something," Roa suggests. "He gave you something that represents a creative skill, you could do the same. Or some sort of bracelet...you make those too, don't you?" Roa shifts her weight from one hip to the other in an attempt to get a bit more comfortable. "Well, I'm sure Reyce is having a perfectly lovely time." She doesn't bother to hide her own amusement.
Miniyal's comment gains a glance slid sideways from Issa, though her smile is still a mildly mirthful one, even when she looks away. In fact she seems to be quietly amused by much of what Miniyal says, though none of that shows in her voice as she suggests evenly after Roa, "Maybe painting supplies? The journeyman my mother works with knows how to make several dyes from native plants. You could have paints made. Different brushes." The greenrider shrugs off her suggestion easily even before Miniyal has a chance to comment on it, eyes scanning not only the native plants around the clearing, but the people gathered, as she reaches again for what remains of her cider.
Frowning thoughtfully, Miniyal gets distracted again by the kites, watching them with as much interest as many of the little kids running around with finger sticky from too much food and not enough washing of the hands. "I don't know," she says absently. "He's not really the wear bracelets sort I thought. Anyway, ribbons. Not. . .I'm not, like, creative. With writing, I mean. Paints might work, but it seems sort of. . .cheating. Since I know he'd use them. It's what I always got for Corin when I couldn't think of anything else. I'll think of something. I have two months. Hopefully things settle down there for him. Anyway, umm. Right." Right, enough talking about her. "Can I get anyone anything?" Not just asked, of course, because she can avoid conversation by fetching for the pregnant women.
"I'm all right," Roa offers rather unhelpfully, if one is attempting to avoid conversation. "Thank you, though. I, hmm..." she falls silent for a beat before noting, "Igen has a lot of stories and mythos specific to the region. Maybe you could find some tales from over there and use one of them to inspire a gift?"
The question causes some internal debate with Issa, her cup drawing away from her sip so she can stare down into it thoughtfully. "No, thanks," is decided best in the end and she tosses back the dregs in her cup. "Mmm," she adds vaguely for Roa's suggestion, saying "tea leaves and goats and death songs," with a lurking dry note in her voice. Never mind how she knows all this.
Drat. Damn Roa and her not helping. And doubly so for Issa! "He gave me a collection of stories from there. About dancing. For awhile we were sort of trading dancing things. But, I am not sure if he is tired of that or not. It's more difficult with him so far away. I might cheat anyway. I could always copy the stories into a nice bound book and do some illuminations for the stories and maybe a map of the region where he. . .that might work." Because, of course, she will have time for all of this in the next couple of months. "Anyway. I should, umm, probably be going. I have, umm, things to do and all."
"Busy, busy," Roa agrees with a smile. She's pushing herself upright. "I should probably head back as well. Tithes and hidework and all the fun stuff." Rising is more awkward that sitting, but it is managed with a small sigh of relief when she's once again on her feet.
"Sounds good to me," Issa offers for Miniyal's plan, though it lacks any strong conviction to the idea, light as the kites weaving through the sky in front of them. But when they both rise to leave, Issa eyes are only on them, tracking them as they straighten. "Well, have a nice day, you two," she says for her farewell. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you both soon." Roa's belly gets an extra glance before she shoots them both a smile and returns to viewing the people bustling in among and around the festivities.
It's much easier for Miniyal to stand. She's used to carrying around weight. So, once she's on her feet she nods her head and does her little salute thing that's really almost worse than not doing it all. Brat. "Ma'ams." Hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat she wanders off to go cause trouble somewhere else for a bit. Or, behave. Yea, right.
For Issa's glance, she gets a return examination and a quirk of Roa's brow. "Good afternoon, the both of you." And then she's trailing back up towards the weyr wth a bit less grace and a bit more waddle than perhaps she wishes she had.
Where: Mountain Clearing
When: Day 16 of month 10, turn 3 of the 7th Pass.
What: There is a picnic and kite flying. People turn up. There is kite flying. There is no death.
5/17/2007
The noonday sun is shining brightly. Sure, it shines behind a bank of clouds, but it is there. It is hardly its fault that people have the poor taste to live /under/ the clouds where they cannot benefit from its warmth. However, a couple of bonfires are just beginning to get going and heat radiates out from it. Kept near the fires is a small stack of blankets being watched over by one of the fire tenders. Those who wish one can, of course, get one to rest their bum on. Most people, having hardly been here that long, are more interested in getting their kites going. A couple of tables have been set up for the food, but other than a few small children no one is really interested in that either. Mostly, it is people coming along. The whole weyr hasn't turned out, but some do have to work, however it looks like a nice group will be appearing throughout the day.
Weyr events are a chance and cause for family time. R'en is taking advantage. With Riann bundled against his hip with a little hood on against the weather, he's made his way here sans dragon. Sehkrath must be sleeping. There are a few people here yet he knows so he gravitates towards them to grin and say hello while watching the setting up of things go on around him.
It will, likely, surprise very few people that one of the blankets has been claimed already and upon it sits Miniyal. Spiffy black coat upon her person she is not, as is often the case, alone. Which makes her easy to miss because who expects to see her surrounded by a bunch of kids at the beginning of their teen years. However, there she sits with about five of them chatting and making last minute changes to this kite or that.
Overhead a blue circles around, coming in to land near a few other dragons. The rider climbs down and then pulls a few people over to help him unload one more table and even a few folding chairs for those too old or infirm to sit on the ground for fear of not being able to get back up. These chairs are carried over to the fire where those of creaky bones are most likely to want to sit while watching the swirling colors of fabric overhead.
R'en is not, despite all his remarks regarding his own age, going to sit with the creaky people. In fact, once he spots Miniyal, he's breaking away from the group of folks he was chatting with to wind up near her and her gaggle with a blanket he picked up along the way. Shifting the toddler on his hip and kneeling to spread the padding on the ground, he makes no remarks on her choice of company. Or, maybe, on the kids'.
There are not many kites up in the air yet, but a few of the not so young and not so old children are being schooled by their parents. A kite here and there rests on the ground as a few strings are untangled, already. One of the teenagers gets up and walks over to the table and collects a few of the mugs there. He seems to be the one voted to fetch refreshments for those gathered with Miniyal. She does not watch this, but she does keep track of who is around her and so when R'en arrives with a toddler she looks over and just nods to him. No reason to be overly friendly. One of the girls with her looks over and squeals softly. "Oh, she's so cute." Still, as much as she might want to go coo over the baby she remains where she is and fiddles with something on one of the kites.
Plunk. Riann, giddy, is deposited on the square of blanket. R'en settles behind her, his hands around her middle keeping her from getting up to, well, toddle. "Miniyal." No reason to be overly friendly. He does smile at her though, then at the girl who said cute. 'Cute' is an attention-getter. "What's that?" Riann asks, fairly repetitively, sometimes with a few 'hey's and 'daddy's thrown in there. "Kites, kiddo. Kites, picnic. Might start thinkin' this is gonna be a normal day."
Returning to the blanket the drink fetching kid hands out mugs to everyone before sitting back down to reach for one of the kites and check something on it. Miniyal holds her mug and then frowns a moment before focusing over on their neighbor. "Do you want this? I imagine it's easier for me to fetch drinks than someone who has to carry someone along. It's just cider. Safe for the both of you to share." Friendly enough. One of the kids stands up and carries a yellow and red kite over towards where people are starting to get them in the air. The girl on the blanket divides her time between paying attention to a particular boy working on a kite and the baby close by.
"That!" Riann points up at the sky, at the vast blue and beginnings of real kite flying, and makes a noise that's either tortured or absurdly curious. Her hood falls back to expose blazingly red hair. "That? Uh. Oh." Miniyal's offering him something to drink. There was a time when he would have sniffed it first. That was before. He takes it, gives the goldrider a look, murmurs a thank you. Then, to the girl on the blanket, "Why aren't you flyin' a kite yet?" Riann wanders a few steps away but R'en's hand around hers keeps her from getting very far.
Hey, it was fetched by someone else so it wouldn't have anything slipped into it! Miniyal tucks her hands into her pockets since she did not bother to put on her gloves. She remembered a coat after all. That was likely hard enough for her. This is where someone else might make small talk. If she had any real idea /how/ to do that she might. Instead she just nods again when thanked. The girl spoken to grins and points to one of the kites on the blanket. "This is ours. It's got a small problem we're working on fixing. Then we're going to get it higher than anyone. What's her name? I'm Caro. And that's Bertie. We made it together, but there was a problem. Just getting help." From Miniyal it seems. How odd.
How odd. R'en shifts his eyes to look at Miniyal again when he gets that information. "Riann. Hey, kid." He gives the redhaired baby's hand a squeeze. "Say hi t'Caro'n Bertie." Riann turns a little and flaps her hand. "Hi Caro Burrie." Then she gets shy and covers her mouth with that same hand, hides her face against Daddy's shoulder. "So you're gettin' help from Miniyal?" That is the most interesting thing, see. He'll smirk too, sideways, at his fellow weyrling.
"Sure. She's the one who gave us the design for it after all." Caro grins at Riann and wiggles her fingers at the toddler. Bertie just rolls his eyes. Babies don't interest him, but they don't interest many boys who are fourteen or so. Instead he makes another adjustment to the placement of one of the supports on the kite frame. Miniyal just loves being talked about like she's not around. She just loves being talked about in general, but this is even better. Another of the kids gets up and heads off with his kite, but just when it seems like she might be losing guests on her blanket two more kids holler out and move as if they're going to take the place vacated. "Found it in some old book. It's brilliant. We're sure to win something."
"Prizes?" R'en didn't know about prizes. He puts his hand on Riann's back to keep her steady while she leans against him and mouths on the side of his face. Clearly he's accustomed to such treatments. "How d'you win? Is it like a race or somethin'?" Racing with kites seems dubious.
"Nah," say Caro. She points towards where a few people are grouped together near the kite fliers without strings in their own hands. "The judges. They pick, umm, highest flying and longest flying and lowest longest flying and most original design and some other things." Shrugging her shoulders she watches Riann, unable to keep her nose from wrinkling a little. Babies are cute, but she doesn't want one gnawing on her face. "Age categories too. So's the little kids don't get beaten and not win anything. We're going for highest. Kite's designed just for that. No one else has one like this I bet." Miniyal seems content to let the conversation go on without her. Instead she scoots across the blanket to examine the new arrivals' kite.
Eventually Riann's attention span has her moving to something else for her little mind to occupy itself with. She's spotted that kite, see, and now comes for it with wide blue eyes. R'en snatches for the waistband of her little skirt and misses; making a face, he le-e-eans and gets her around the waist, inches from what would most certainly have been mass destruction. "What're the prizes?" he asks next, like nothing happened.
Caro scoots over an inch or so to try to create an obstacle should the toddler of doom escape again. She watches what Bertie is doing, but seems content to let him do all the work. Other than murmur a few words every now and again quietly. Likely pointing out something he needs to do still. "There's a couple blankets. One's a masterweaver's work. Another is made of this super soft rabbit fur that has the prettiest sort of design. And new boots. Oh, and some pieces of jewelry. Little stuff, you know? And for the kids there's toys and all.' Bah. Toys. She's too old for toys. Yep. Too old.
Which R'en seems to pick up on. "Reckon you'd rather have one of the other things." He reckons. Riann stamps her feet on the blanket and makes a face of her own. She wanted over /there/. But Daddy brings the mug up for her and she makes big eyes again, clamps her hands down, one on his and one on the handle, and makes to sip. "Who else is goin' for highest?"
"Probably lots others. Think it'll be easiest. Or just don' want to go for longest cause they're lazy. But, you gotta go long for height. Can't just send it up, ya know?" Caro, it seems, has done her homework. She smirks and points to where three men who look to be in their thirties stand. "Highest. That's what they're going for. Figure to win it before they get drunk. S'my brother and his friends. But me and Bertie, we're trading off. Take turns and keep the kite up all day. Got some other friends comin' when they're done with work. That way anyone gets higher we just keep it up and go for it."
"'Fore they get drunk, huh?" Riann spills a little dribble on her chin and smacks her lips. "Uhoh." Uhoh? R'en darts a look downward, looks relieved when it's only cider. He whips out a hanky and dabs at her until she's dry. "All gone. Sounds like you've been thinkin' about this some," he remarks to Caro, grinning crookedly at her.
Caro grins back and looks down for a minute so she can assist with the tying of a knot on her kite. "Yea. We been thinking on it since we heard about it. Started doing research. That's how we met Miniyal. She was a real help." Helpful, of course, is the word everyone uses to describe Miniyal. Looking up from her kite, Caro grins again. "We're gonna win. And, my brother and his friends are always drunk. It's disgusting. But, just means one less person who can beat us so that's great news!"
"Surely." But R'en gives the group of men over there a look anyway. "What's that?" Riann bunches down and hops up, pointing at the sky again. Oh, to be young and not care if you end up falling on your butt. "Kites." "No." "Clouds?" "/Clouds/?" "Puffy things... those? Clouds." There. The moment is passed. "/I/ think you guys'll win."
Bertie looks up for the first time, pimples quite visible on his pale skin. "Yea, we're gonna kick their butts." Enthusiastic, he is. At least he didn't say kick their ass. In front of the toddler. Still, he does get a punch in the arm from Caro. "Watch what you say, stupid. There's a kid here. You are so dumb." Bertie looks less than upset at this, but, hey, a punch from a girl is almost as good as a kiss sometimes! So, he just grins and makes a final adjustment to the kite before standing. "Think we got it. You want to come help me get it up or you busy talking?" He is not jealous, of course. At all. He just wants her help getting the kite going. Teenagers. Always fun.
There are a few people with kites in the air, off to one side of the clearing. Nearby are three people, judges, watching everything that goes up or comes down in the sky while talking amongst themselves. The tables have been all set up and a few people linger around looking over or sampling the food. Across from them, where kites can be watched without much interruption, sits Miniyal. Away from where the dragons land and lounge watching the kites. A blanket is spread out and the gold riding weyrling sits on it with a few teenagers going over their kites with them. Another blanket is spread out next to it, recently occupied by R'en and Riann, but recently departed as the latter of the two required a clean up trip. Toddlers. A teenage girl and boy rise from Miniyal's blanket and run off to where the other kite fliers are to get their own entry up in the sky.
Up from the path, Issa ambles through the other onlookers, maneuvering her heavy steps around the blankets that dot the clearing. Her own blanket, white and wooly, is clutched in a bundle underneath her arm, a secondary bulge to go along with her swelling belly that peeks out from beneath her open jacket. She wears a particular, new black sweater beneath the bulk of that jacket, one that a particular goldriding weyrling would easily recognize. Her eyes linger on a young couple that sit in the grass, huddled under their shared blanket, but they soon drag up to Miniyal as she comes up behind her. The blanket to her one side gets a quick glance, then she marks the empty space to the other side before stepping up beside the woman, a small, friendly smile so far from the expression normally seen in the training cavern. She forgoes greeting to simply ask, "Mind if I sit here?"
Looking up from the kite she was helping a couple of teenagers do a last minute adjustment on, Miniyal studies Issa for a moment. Then she nods her head and stuffs her hands into the pockets of her pretty black leather coat. Shock! A coat. Still, it does look warm at least. "No one's sitting there. Umm. Ma'am." Right, ma'am. She almost forgot that. Her salute lacks somewhat, but one of her hands is busy holding a bit of string in place after told to do so by one of the teenagers. Once the knot is in place her hand goes back into her pocket and the kids get up and head for the kite flying area. Shaking her head, the weyrling rolls her eyes at them and checks on the last of the teenagers on her blanket. But, they don't seem to need her help right now.
Issa gives a short nod for Miniyal's odd sort of permission, then another for the addition of her title, eyes lingering on Miniyal a second after she turns away before busying herself unfurling her tightly rolled blanket. With a quick flap in the wind, the blanket straightens and the greenrider bends over as far as she's able in order to settle it to the ground. A faint grunt sounds when she straightens, striking the classic pregnant pose with one hand bracing her lower back while she looks back over to the kite improvements going on next to her. "Looks like a good one," she comments casually for the teenagers while her toe nudges at a corner of her blanket, idly flattening it out. "How long did it take you to make?" Miniyal gets her share of glances, and just then the wingsecond spares her a peek of her smile.
The teenagers look up and over, one of the boys winking at Issa. He's a bit young to be flirting, but he might be an early bloomer. Or maybe he likes pregnant woman. Freak. "We're going to win something. Sure of it. Our design is sure to win." He holds up a box kite done in black and blue. "It's made special. Not just some plain kite. But what it's made of is a secret." As he talks, Miniyal rises to her feet and rolls her eyes. "Not going to win anything sitting here." Then there's a slight pause as she glances at Issa. "I was going to get a drink. Do you want anything? I mean, since I'm up. And, you know. I'm used to being fat and getting up off the ground and all." Aww. She called Issa fat. That, likely, did not come out the way she meant it, but she doesn't bother trying to correct herself.
"A secret," Issa repeats with raised eyebrows and a slow nod, her smile quirking up high enough to squint her eyes at the boy. She settles in with a stiff shift of her hips, trying it with her knees bent before she gives that up and crosses her legs. The offer of a drink earns another hitch of her eyebrows as her gaze switches over to Miniyal, but she nods soon after. "If you don't mind. Just some juice for this fat woman." The belly gets a quick pat before her hand falls to the blanket again, pushed down to prop her up while she turns to watch the multicolored kites that dot the sky.
Well, it didn't go as badly as it could have. Before leaving, Miniyal gathers up cups already on the blanket. Likely from people who were there before. For all it seems odd she would have been, well, around people. The last of the teenagers wander off with their kites before she returns. With two cups, one of which she hands over. "Cider. Not the hard stuff. Umm. It's cold. I didn't ask if you wanted the warm stuff. Anyway. Sorry about the fat comment." Biting her lip when the cup is taken from her she then settles onto her own blanket once more. "Did you bring a kite?" An invisible hidden kite of some sort. Tucked under her shirt somehow. "I didn't get a chance to make one, but I helped a few people with their design and all, you know? When I had time."
"Oh, that's fine," Issa murmurs quietly as she accepts the cup, perhaps purposely leaving it vague as to whether she's referring to the cider or the comment. The cup pauses on the way to her mouth, a sip held in limbo while she looks back to Miniyal. A kite? See that pregnant belly? It's actually a kite she's been hiding for months in wait for this moment. Ta da! "No," she says, pausing for that interrupted sip before she explains. "All of my time was spent making sure that you had no time." Her smile quirks higher on one side and she turns her face up to follow a particularly wild-swooping kite that suddenly takes a dive into the grass below.
The kite flying is under way. Weyr residents and Caucus students of all ages are in the area of the clearing designated kite flying zone. Near by stand three judges who talk amongst themselves when not moving about talking to those who are flying their contraptions. Seated where she can watch all of it, without participating, is Miniyal. To either side of her blanket there is a blanket. One has Issa on it, who has lost herself in the watching of the kites and has a mug on her blanket. The other is empty. Every now and again, Miniyal will wave to someone flying a kite. And, oddly, when she does, someone waves back. It seems like there's actually two or three groups of teenagers out there who wave at her or sometimes shout her name to 'look at this now.' Still, she sits alone. With a mug in her hand. The other hand is tucked in the pocket of her black coat, unbuttoned, but worn. It's a start.
Down from the path comes one more participant, though only to observe, it seems, as the rounded weyrwoman has no kite tucked under her arm. She wears her riding coat, hood pushed back, eyes upwards as she pads into the clearing. Roa stands to simply watch the kites swirl about for a few minutes, but then her attention moves groundwards and over to those seated on blankets. Picking an empty spot near a couple familiar figures, the weyrwoman heads over to the blanket near Miniyal. "Hey. Can I sit?" she asks looking first to Miniyal and then offering Issa a nod hello.
Blink, blink. Pulling her attention away from a particular wing-shaped kite of orange, Miniyal looks up at Roa. Novel concept. Of course, seated she's still almost as tall as the shrimp. Lalala. Well, not. Still, she looks at the blanket and then shrugs. "R'en and Riann were there. They went off to do baby things or something. Go ahead." And, because Issa is close by even if she's not paying attention the weyrling remembers to tack on a "Ma'am" to her last sentence and even a salute even if it requires shifting her drink from one hand to the other and freeing the other from her pocket.
"Oh," Roa murmurs as she hears R'en was there and drifted off. "Well. I suppose she probably liked getting to see all of those colored shapes up in the air. They're supposed to like that sort of thing, I think." Carefully, Roa lowers herself down onto the blanket. It's a bit more of an endeavor than it once was, but after a couple minutes the weyrwoman is seated, resting her weight on her hands, and peering back up at the dipping kites. "It's a good day for it."
"You didn't bring one?" Miniyal peers over, just in case Roa has hidden one. It's possible. Well, Issa hadn't, but still, you can't trust pregnant women! "It's a nice day though, yes. And the wind seems to be cooperating. There are some interesting designs." Small talk. See how well she tries it. Roa sits on the blanket that had been R'en and Riann's. It's fine to sit near Miniyal, but with her? No, no. That was for those reckless teenagers who didn't know what she was really like. Or were just taking advantage of her brains. Braaaaains. More kites fly in the sky and soon enough two of them get twisted up, resulting in much waving of the arms and shouting by those caught in the mess.
"Sorry," Roa says with a shake of ehr head. "I didn't have time to make one. Did you?" She glances away from the tangle and the flailing to look over at the newest weyrwoman, brows lifted. "Hmm. That looks a bit tricky to undo..." she adds with a chinjerk towards the pair of trapped kites.
Issa's reverie ends with a soft chuckle as she watches the kites tangle together and the resulting confusion it creates. Then the other half of the conspiracy of pregnant women out to ruin Miniyal's life turns her eyes back to her immediate area, small smile picking back up where it left off. She lets Miniyal handle the small talk for now-- hey, she needs the practice-- and remains silent. Or mostly so, as long breath culminates in a soft grunt, her weight leaned to one side so she can place a hand along the side of her big belly.
Miniyal's attention goes to the tangle as well and she frowns a moment before shaking her head. "None of mine. That's good at least. Probably that guy on the right's fault. He looks madder. So, likely his fault. Trying to blame the other guy. I don't think it was the other guy's fault. His design seems fine and he was doing fine last time I looked." Taking a sip from her drink she shakes her head again. "No, I didn't have time. But I remembered everything I'd ever read about kites which was not much, but still. Plus talked to a few people. I helped some of the others with their designs." Phah. Pregnant conspiracy.
There is a small glance towards Issa at the grunt and Roa leans back, lowering her arms so that she rests on er elbows instead of her hands. "You weren't even watching and you know wose fault it is?" she asks, quietly bemused. The smile grows a bit as Minial lists her reasons for being the greatest kite expert within three blankets. "Sounds a very productive day. Did you make one, Issa? Reyce isn't out there somewhere trying to fly it, is he?"
Issa's fingers massage a small circle into the offending ache that spawned that grunt and then go to curl around the cup left sitting near her knee, bringing it up for a quick sip. She manages to get out a laughing, "No," for the thought of Reyce manipulating the strings of one of those brightly colored kites before she ducks in for her drink. "No," she repeats on the other side of that swallow, "he's in Benden. Surprise wedding for one of the brood that required his attendance. So he's gone." The explanation has a mild tinge of bitterness to it, though her smile is flooded with the same muted cheer and her shrug with muted indifference. She tilts back her cup for another drink then glances idly back over to follow the untangling efforts of the two kite owners with her eyes.
Eyes rolling as she gestures with one hand, Miniyal explains. "I'm good at reading people is all. I mean, not always if I'm talking /to/ them I guess, but you can tell a lot by watching how they act. I don't need to hear them. Just see them." Also, she knows everything. Duh. "I've spent my entire life watching people. Navan would be even more disappointed in me if I hadn't learned plenty about reading people and human nature in general. It's why I was such a good assistant even if I hated it. I know all sorts of things about all the people I worked for." Emptying her cup she sets it on her blanket and puts her other hand in a pocket as well. "But, for the record, today wasn't so busy. Just helping with a few minor adjustments. Some of them were working on them since they first found out. I consulted. That's what I am. A kite consultant." It is, of course, impossible to tell if she jokes or not. She /sounds/ serious anyway.
The kite tanglers seem to be sorting it out with some bitterness on both parts. Apparently tangling up is not something for which any prize will be rewarded. Which is a shame as not only the strings, but the tail of one of the kites seems to be part of the knot. Others with their kites still in the air do their best to just stay out of the way of the mess.
"Surprise wedding?" Roa laughs. "What, they just sprung it on them? Good morning, how are you, guess what you're doing today?" She shakes her head. "Kite consultant," she adds to Miniyal, "can be added to your long list of accomplishments, I suppose. Why do you think Navan is...well, anyhow, you seem to have gained a few followers."
"Something like that," Issa responds with a twist to her smile that's definitely not for the rather tame performance that can be seen from the other kites right now. She looks back to the goldriders at her side. "More like she found herself pregnant," her lips quirk again, but there's no glance down at her own big belly, "and the noise and shame she was stirring up forced his brother to marry her." The wryness touches her voice there toward the end, but she treats it with the same inconsequential air that the rest of her gossip gets. "Only the story's even better, because the girl's Reyce's ex-girlfriend." There's a touch of impish delight to the little laugh that follows, but she lets it fade away quickly to turn back to the rest of the conversation, one eyebrow hitched higher. What was this about Miniyal's followers?
"My list of accomplishments is getting long enough as it is these days. Still, it's not a bad thing to add. It was fun anyway." Miniyal shrugs, sounding as if it was not fun. It's not like she will admit it was fun. Really, that would be silly. She keeps her gaze on the kites overhead rather than either of the women conversing. Kites, after all, are safe. "Caro and Bertie were brilliant without my help. I just offered a few little ideas is all. They were all smart. Well, I mean, other than asking for my help. That was certainly a sign of brilliance." She stops here and tips her head over so she might glance at Issa for a moment. However, nothing is said because the less said about Reyce the better in her book. So, she just looks up at the kites again as she mumbles, "I wouldn't call them followers. Just friends of a friend I helped out is all. No big deal." To change the subject she drops Reyce's ex-girlfriend and her followers to say, "I got a late birthday present from J'cor." Random subject change! "I don't know if his painting has improved as I never saw anything before, but it is quite good."
"she's..." Roa looks over at Issa, brows high and lips twitching. "Get out, she is not. Somebody before you was able to put up with Reyce?" She tips her head back to watch the kites, one foot twitching idly. "What did J'cor paint? Where did you put it?"
"Apparently," Issa offers for Roa, but that's all she offers. The light amusement in her voice transfers to her smile, growing wider for all her efforts to keep it contained. A moment watching the kite fliers quiets it back to a normal level, though, and she turns to listen to Miniyal's talk of J'cor without comment.
"Maybe she lost a bet." The ex. Or Issa. Both maybe. Well, it's likely the nicest thing Miniyal could think of to say in relation to Reyce. And, well, it could have been much worse so all in all not bad. Watching one kite lose the wind and dip down because the kite flier was spending more time staring at one of the women observing him she shakes her head. "Oh. He painted the spires. Peloth has said they look just as they should so, of course, there is no arguing about how well it turned out. Not that it didn't turn out well! But, anyway. Umm. It's not a big painting. But, it's not like I have anywhere to put it right now anyway. It's put up safe. I guess things at Igen have been busy and all so he wasn't able to. . .it's weird. I didn't even know he knew when my birthday was. His is about two months away. Fuck. I have no idea what to get him now. Birthdays are a pain."
"Write him something," Roa suggests. "He gave you something that represents a creative skill, you could do the same. Or some sort of bracelet...you make those too, don't you?" Roa shifts her weight from one hip to the other in an attempt to get a bit more comfortable. "Well, I'm sure Reyce is having a perfectly lovely time." She doesn't bother to hide her own amusement.
Miniyal's comment gains a glance slid sideways from Issa, though her smile is still a mildly mirthful one, even when she looks away. In fact she seems to be quietly amused by much of what Miniyal says, though none of that shows in her voice as she suggests evenly after Roa, "Maybe painting supplies? The journeyman my mother works with knows how to make several dyes from native plants. You could have paints made. Different brushes." The greenrider shrugs off her suggestion easily even before Miniyal has a chance to comment on it, eyes scanning not only the native plants around the clearing, but the people gathered, as she reaches again for what remains of her cider.
Frowning thoughtfully, Miniyal gets distracted again by the kites, watching them with as much interest as many of the little kids running around with finger sticky from too much food and not enough washing of the hands. "I don't know," she says absently. "He's not really the wear bracelets sort I thought. Anyway, ribbons. Not. . .I'm not, like, creative. With writing, I mean. Paints might work, but it seems sort of. . .cheating. Since I know he'd use them. It's what I always got for Corin when I couldn't think of anything else. I'll think of something. I have two months. Hopefully things settle down there for him. Anyway, umm. Right." Right, enough talking about her. "Can I get anyone anything?" Not just asked, of course, because she can avoid conversation by fetching for the pregnant women.
"I'm all right," Roa offers rather unhelpfully, if one is attempting to avoid conversation. "Thank you, though. I, hmm..." she falls silent for a beat before noting, "Igen has a lot of stories and mythos specific to the region. Maybe you could find some tales from over there and use one of them to inspire a gift?"
The question causes some internal debate with Issa, her cup drawing away from her sip so she can stare down into it thoughtfully. "No, thanks," is decided best in the end and she tosses back the dregs in her cup. "Mmm," she adds vaguely for Roa's suggestion, saying "tea leaves and goats and death songs," with a lurking dry note in her voice. Never mind how she knows all this.
Drat. Damn Roa and her not helping. And doubly so for Issa! "He gave me a collection of stories from there. About dancing. For awhile we were sort of trading dancing things. But, I am not sure if he is tired of that or not. It's more difficult with him so far away. I might cheat anyway. I could always copy the stories into a nice bound book and do some illuminations for the stories and maybe a map of the region where he. . .that might work." Because, of course, she will have time for all of this in the next couple of months. "Anyway. I should, umm, probably be going. I have, umm, things to do and all."
"Busy, busy," Roa agrees with a smile. She's pushing herself upright. "I should probably head back as well. Tithes and hidework and all the fun stuff." Rising is more awkward that sitting, but it is managed with a small sigh of relief when she's once again on her feet.
"Sounds good to me," Issa offers for Miniyal's plan, though it lacks any strong conviction to the idea, light as the kites weaving through the sky in front of them. But when they both rise to leave, Issa eyes are only on them, tracking them as they straighten. "Well, have a nice day, you two," she says for her farewell. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you both soon." Roa's belly gets an extra glance before she shoots them both a smile and returns to viewing the people bustling in among and around the festivities.
It's much easier for Miniyal to stand. She's used to carrying around weight. So, once she's on her feet she nods her head and does her little salute thing that's really almost worse than not doing it all. Brat. "Ma'ams." Hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat she wanders off to go cause trouble somewhere else for a bit. Or, behave. Yea, right.
For Issa's glance, she gets a return examination and a quirk of Roa's brow. "Good afternoon, the both of you." And then she's trailing back up towards the weyr wth a bit less grace and a bit more waddle than perhaps she wishes she had.