You amble westwards to the bright and cheerful lower caverns.
Matiaal nods to Talya, "Yes, I'm awaiting the impending doom that will be brought to me through mail." Shrug. "From my Craftmaster, that is." then he puts on a dangerously sweet voice to Danya, "Oh, yes, I've seen a mindhealer about helping me solve my little problems... such as you." He narrows his sapphire eyes at her before turning and smiling brightly, "Speak of the mindhealer! Hello there, Ilesyn."
Ilesyn, with lank hair dripping in wet coils down her already dripping shirt, weaves her way through the caverns, attacking a dish of mush peas with vengeance--as Matiaal's words come to hear ears; "Speak of the mindhealer? Dare I make comment?" Plate full of the rather peculiar dish, the Mindhealer strides towards the group, head tilting into a nod of greeting.
Talya blinks at the two of them, then shakes her head.
Danya wrinkles her nose, looking quite confused, or at lease a brilliant mock-up of confused, "Matiaal, I wasn't aware that you even knew me long enough for me to be one of your overdramatic personal problems." She shrugs lightly, "I guess I must be better than I thought! And let me say, you've got me quite curious now. What did I do that made me such an issue in your life?"
Matiaal snorts, brushing some imaginary dust off his shirt, responding to Danya, "You came here." Not much of an answer but he doesn't say anything else. He grins and teases Ilesyn, "Why not? I'd like to hear what you have to comment."
"It only takes one meeting for a psychological problem to be begun," Ilesyn opines, as a side note, while she places down her plate, settling into a seat with her ankles crossed far beneath the table. "Depends what I have to comment about, Matiaal. We shall see."
Danya falls into a gale of laughter, "Oh! That's good. That's very good. May I remind you that when we met, I wasn't the one in trouble. It was mere coincidence that you got caught being...naughty. Now, what's really bothering you, hmm?" She notes, for Ilesyn, "I hope, if I did cause him any troubles, that they're not irreversable. I really didn't do much of anything. Unless he's really really unstable." Turning back to Matiaal she asks, "Are you really really unstable?"
Matiaal hrmph's, "Come on, you don't want to be near that evil girl." he comments to his firelizards, moving their bowl farther away from her. The firelizards only move along with the bowl, giving him a chirp. "Oh, I might be, around you." He tells Danya in a tone that it almost sounds like a threat, "You thrive on gossip. And trouble. You don't have enough sense to stay out of trouble that doesn't concern you."
Ilesyn leans her head towards Danya, noting in mock-serious tone, "He's sexually frustrated, as it is, so I can't see this will make much difference, in the long run." She casts a sly glance towards the young man in question, straightening her posture as the first green spoonfull is lifted to her lips. "Gossip?" she drawls, curious, noting, "Gossip is enough to unbalance anyone." All eyes on Danya, watching.
Danya blinks, "Gossip? Not me. I haven't breathed a word of what I saw or what I know to anyone. Gossip is for old shriviling Aunties. It's much more fun to keep secrets. And you've no right to call me evil. I did what was right. I was a witness!" She scoffs, "Thrive on gossip, the very idea."
Matiaal raises his eyebrow at Ilesyn, "Oh, I'm sexually fustrated, alright. I can't wait until Thera graduates..." Scowl at Danya. "Woman," the tone in his voice makes it sound like a insult to Danya, "Nobody even asked /you/ what happened. Yet you blurted out something that made it sound like more than it actually was. You /are/ evil, I'm sure of it." He only shakes his head at her performance, "And drop the act."
Ilesyn licks her spoon, commenting, "In what circumstances did you meet, that these accusations fly?" She leans forward, interest raised, intellect caught. "We already established that," is her agreement to Matiaal, "It's obvious, even if I didn't know." Smile -- she positively beams, showing far too many missing teeth.
Danya rolls her eyes, "Oh please, Matiaal. You had your head on her shoulder, there was a kiss in there, you were holding hands, I saw it all and I wasn't the only one. I've never met any man who can't wait a bit for sex. That just seems slightly rediculous to me. Do you have a problem with that too? Doesn't your hand work? Is that all she means to you? If you can't sleep with her you have to be grumpy? I'd say you were lucky to have anyone love you with the way to go around accusing innocent bystanders of being evil."
Matiaal shakes his head, "We weren't holding hands and how do you know there was a kiss in there? You couldn't have seen it until you were directly behind or in front of me because I was behind Thera." Then he takes more offense from Danya, showing it in his face with a growl, "I waited a Turn and more for Thera. I think that says more a about me than you, who've probably kissed five boys in one day." Roll of his eyes. "Of course, it's not all she means to me, she means more to me than you ever could. /And/ I'm grumpy because /you/'re around."
Ilesyn's gaze flickers from Danya to Matiaal, and back again. "My goodness, there's enough for a whole volume of research here." Blandly, the healer adds, "Hey, calm down. Both of you?"
Danya smirks, "You were too holding hands. I saw it. She was going to drag you away. And I know people who have waited much longer than one year for sex. And kissing five people is not the same thing. And besides, when I kissed them, it wasn't against any rules. If I wanted to restrain myself, I could. I have self control." She takes a careful sip of her wine and adds, "You do it to yourself, you know. I never did anything to you, you just 'decided' that I'm the source of your problems when really, it's your lack of control over your own bodily functions." She turns to Ilesyn and nods, "Now I'm done. Unless he says anything else far fetched."
Matiaal leans back in exasperation, "Woman, she was going to give me a new runner. /That/ is why she was going to 'drag me away,' as you so glibly put it. And yes, kissing five people shows that you don't have any control over your desires, simply that or you're just another wench with a trickster's ability to lie well." Roll of his eyes, "Restrain yourself? You hardly restrained yourself when you happened to see me and Thera, it took a /weyrwoman/ to do that for you."
"Sexual frustration can do a lot to a man," snorts Ilesyn, blandly. "Absolutely destroys all sense of reason, patience and optimism." This dry sentiment is followed by a rueful grin, "I don't think I should make judgements on this one, should I?" Very wise, and unusual, for that matter, to come from the Mindhealer. "A lack of restraint is poor in anyone -- but you both *could* shut up, if you'd like." Please?
S'vilen ambles in from the northeastern bowl outside.
S'vilen strolls into the living cavern from the inner caverns, a damp towel slung over one shoulder, hands in pants pockets, but no whistle, today.
Danya beams, showing no intention of shutting up, "And then that same werywoman gave me a job under the Senior Weyrwoman only moments after the event, which goes to show you exactly what she thought of my imput. And I wasn't kissing them out of a lack of control. I wanted my mother to have a reason to send me away. And she did. And I got what I wanted." To Ilesyn she notes, "I don't believe in it, to tell you the truth. Sexual frustration. There are ways of relieving it. If you believe that, you might as well tell me it's justification for violence by men against women."
Matiaal shakes his head again, "Which the senior weyrwoman probably doesn't even know that you're her assistant." Then he holds up a hand and points his index finger at Danya, "You know, I don't blame your mother." Then he leans back into his chair, "I don't have /that/ much sexual fustration. Besides, it's not justification for violence by men against women, there's no justification. Period." Then the crafter closes his mouth, quirking a eyebrow at S'vilen, "Wingsecond." he greets him formally, turning back to the others.
Ilesyn shakes her wet hair over her shoulder, attempting to drip it out -- making a nice, untidy puddle on the floor. Returning to her spoon, the healer explains, "Oh, there isn't, but that's what makes it part of mindhealing. People believe that they're sexually frustrated, and therefore, we have a term for it. There's plenty of ways to cure it, but because of the frustration, people don't think that they're really viable." Nodding placidly, she offers a smile. "Fascinating, isn't it? -- Oh, G'deve, Weyrsecond," she adds.
Danya smiles from ear to ear, violet eyes sparkling, "Well! Matiaal, that's the first intelligent thing you've said. In fact, I think we might have just struck a point of sympathy, you and I." Amazing! She gives a respectful nod of the head to S'vilen and then listens to Ilesyn's explanation, "If you want to know what I think it is, I'll tell you. Penis envy." She nods, very gravely.
S'vilen, not having heard the conversation going on, give Matiaal a puzzled look for that eyebrow-quirk, then nods to him, polite as ever. He snags a ripe apple from the serving table and wanders back towards the trio. One word stands out amongst the babble and he gives Danya a quick, startled look before managing, "Er, evening."
Matiaal blinks at Danya. "Shut up. I'm staying out of this conversation." The crafter remarks.
"You," Ilesyn decides, voicing her opinions towards Danya, "Have the makings of a mindhealer. Even so, are *you* envious, of Matiaal -- not to mention our Weyrsecond, here, -- having a penis? I know I'm not." She pauses, a burble of laughter escaping at Matiaal's response.
Danya is certainly ammused at the response to her assesment. Through her laughter she shakes her hand, "No no! I should clarify. Penis -size- envy. And Bronzerider envy. I've noted many, many men with bronzer envy. That is a powerful motivator if ever I saw one." Her delicate face is absolutely alight with good humor, "Evening Weyrsecond. Join the conversation."
S'vilen uneasily takes a seat, but he shakes his head at the invitation to join the conversation. He crunches into his apple, chewing juicily whilst staying out of the conversation.
Matiaal rolls his eyes, "The bronzeriders can have the Weyrwomen and greenriders, for all I care. I'll rather have female blueriders or greenriders, if riders at all. Other women suit me just fine, I don't need higher ranking partners to make me feel better or equal in their eyes."
Ilesyn's face shows a marked relief -- "Ah. She turns to glance at S'vilen, then Matiaal; "Do you compare sizes, may I ask?" A new paper idea. Journeywoman here she comes. "Bronzerider envy, yes. Men are such funny creatures." She gives a broad, cheerful smile, made curiously fearsome by her missing front teeth.
Ilesyn adds, calmly, "You're scared of rank, Matiaal."
Danya grins, sparkling eyes noting, "I've seen bronzeriders with every type of female. They all seem to flock to them...at least, in most men's eyes." Oooh, new topic! "Yes, do you compare them? Like, in the bathing caverns or something?"
Matiaal retorts, "Do you women compare breast size? Of course not!" Then he glances at Ilesyn for a thoughtful moment. "Scared of rank? I was Holdless, so rank doesn't mean /that/ much to me, it's just a way of life." A solemn nod.
S'vilen gives Matiaal an odd look and finds himself drawn into discussion. "I'll take the blueriders and the brownriders and the serving girls, too," he remarks. "I've never been involved with any Weywoman for more than a night. And not many greenriders either." He studiously ignores the prying question and goes back to munching on his apple.
"Some do," notes Ilesyn with a sage nod. "Not most, though. Men are more liable to it -- they have to size up. It's important not to be underrated." Her eyes roll, as she adds, "All the more reason for you to be rank-frightened, Matiaal." S'vilen's restraint from answering the question is met with a short sigh, which she swallows in order to take another bite of her mushy peas.
Danya sits up, quite clearly proud to see that she was right, "See? Bronzeriders like blueriders, too." She takes another long sip of wine, pondering over this idea, "I wonder, though, if it's not easier for bronzeriders to get women and that's the source of the envy? I've never kissed any rider of any color, so I don't know if it has anything to do with talent."
Matiaal shrugs at S'vilen, "Women are women, regardless of rank." He stops there. "You think whatever you want to think about me, Mindhealer, but I'm not saying anything else." And the crafter falls silent, munching on his meatroll with glares at both girls.
S'vilen shakes his head slightly. "All bronze means is a bronze dragon happened to like us," he says. "Beyond that, I haven't been able to figure out a specific trend. J'van was a womanizer and he's on bronze, but so was J'han, and he has brown. I was just a scrawny kid and I Impressed bronze."
Danya leans in to Matiaal, "Then why did you say that bronzeriders could have the green and goldriders? If women are women, why should there be a difference between a bluerider or a greenrider? Why did you make it seem like Bronzeriders would only be interested in the riders of female dragons?" She brushes her fingers over the rim of her wineglass, crossing her long legs as she wonders, "Do you think that no other men would be interested in that bluerider of yours?"
Ilesyn responds to Matiaal with an apparently charming smile, noting only, "It's what you don't say that is so telling about you, my dear." Her eyebrows raise at Danya's thought, head nodding slowly, in a short rhythmn. "Maybe 'tis. Could be an interesting study to make." Her head tilts, at S'vilen's comment, and she nods, "But there's something...I don't know. That's what I have to find out."
Matiaal smacks his lips clean of meat from the roll, "The only way Thera would be with another man would have to be during Flight. I know her." Another bite. "Just leave it at that, Danya. I was interested in Thera long before she even Impressed her Rilarenth. And there's no difference between greenriders and goldriders, just their rank." Shrug. "I'm not a bronzerider, don't ask me."
S'vilen drops out of the round of conversation again, focusing with quiet intent on his apple. Absently, he wiggles his left foot, unaware of the motion.
Danya tips her head, quite curious, "How much longer did you know her? Did you ever think that maybe her experiences as a rider might change her? Funny things happen to people after they Impress."
Ilesyn watches Danya with some curiosity -- Faranth, the girl seems to ask more questions even than Ilesyn does. She joins in, haplessly, adding, "Do you think she'll really stay with you, if a bronzerider goes after her? I think it's the charm, of having a huge dragon, like that. I suppose being chased by a goldrider would be the same, for a guy." She scrapes up the pea goop on her plate, filling her spoon with it, while raising it to her mouth.
Matiaal only answers, "Far longer than I've known you. And I can't say anything about her changing while she's a rider." Then he gives Ilesyn a odd glance. "Ask her yourself. If she goes with a bronzerider, I don't have much say rank-wise, but you can bet I wouldn't be very pleasant."
S'vilen nibbles the apple all the way down to the very core, then rises to discard the leftover in the appropriate place.
Ilesyn shakes her head -- eyes catching upon S'vilen once more. "Does this kind of conversation embarrass you?" she queries, twisting her gaze back and forth between the group. "Calm, Matiaal. You're too uptight. That's another one of your problems."
Danya stands up, having finished her wine and quite forgotten about her food, "Well, I don't see how that's much different from now. You've been entirely unpleasant every time I've ever seen you. But in any case, I should be getting back to Jalis. She gave me a pile of work to finish before the day's out." She follows the Weyrsecond's lead and disposes of her empty glass properly before making her way out. "Good evening, and don't miss me too much!"
Matiaal's voice rises to a growl, "Of course I'm uptight, this is my /personal/ life we're talking about here. And shut up about it." He narrows his eyes, shifting on his seat as he starts on a citron fruit. Then he peers at Danya, "I won't miss you at all, you evil girl."
S'vilen takes a roll and returns to his seat, giving Matiaal another puzzled look at his parting words to Danya. For himself, he bids, "Evening." Then he shrugs at Ilesyn, "No, not really. I just don't have much to add."
"I'm a mindhealer," explains Ilesyn, "I have to pry into personal lives. How else can I help you with what's wrong?" Her lack of tact is becoming more and more obvious, as the conversation wears on. "Oh, All right, then," she responds, smiling toothlessly to S'vilen. "That's all right, then."
Danya walks off eastwards to the eastern part of the lower caverns.
Danya has left.
Matiaal responds to Ilesyn, "In the middle of such a public place where others can overhear?" Grunt. "Great method, Ilesyn." Bite and chew of the citron.
S'vilen tears a bit of bread off his roll, giving Ilesyn an intent look. "Does everyone have mental problems?" he asks, curiously.
Ilesyn shrugs, "If you let me get you in the infirmary, I won't need to do so in the middle of this public place. It's a matter of priority, though." There's a smile that follows, as she sets her spoon down, pushing her plate away. "The abuse I get, for my art. Honestly." Flicking her gaze back to S'vilen, she nods, sage. "I believe so, yes."
Matiaal says nothing, continuing to munch on his citron.
S'vilen mms thoughtfully and chews meditatively on the bread. After swallowing, he muses, "I wonder what mine are then." He then shoots Ilesyn a quick look. "That wasn't an invitation to go listing your theories about me in the middle of the living cavern," he warns, just in case.
Ilesyn opens her mouth as if to begin such a list, but has the sense, or the self preservence, to shut her mouth with a snap. "I *could* tell you, or give a fair, basic estimation, but I won't." A sweet-induced smile flickers towards Matiaal; that's all he needed to do.
Matiaal lifts a brow at Ilesyn, "Why are you looking at me like that?" asks the crafter as he swallows. Bite. Chew. Swallow.
S'vilen flashes a smile at Ilesyn. "I'm curious enough that I'll grant you some time in the infirmary," he promises, turning his attention back to tearing another section off his roll.
Smoothly, "No reason. None at all." Ilesyn crosses her hands in front of her, leaning backwards in her seat in a modicum of comfort. "Wonderful!" is her enthused comment, gaze focused upon the bronzerider. "I'll keep you to that, I'll note."
Matiaal drops the remainder of the citron fruit and starts on a redfruit, humming softly. "Can you tell what the mental problems of someone is simply from their looks? Or body actions?" The crafter bites the redfruit with a bit of violence, tearing it apart, chewing it.
S'vilen pops a small bit of bread into his mouth and chews cheerfully, brown eyes resting briefly on Ilesyn before shifting over to Matiaal, and then back again as he questions the apprentice.
Ilesyn tosses her lank hair over one shoulder, inadvertantly letting it drip cold water down her shirt. "It gives some indication, yes, Matiaal. Talking to them gives more insight, though, but physical indications are very much an important part of mindhealing."
Matiaal eyes the mindhealer with blue eyes, watching as she tosses her hair around. "Such as? Could you give us a few examples, hmm?" asks the crafter with a eyebrow raised. "Do tell, I'm curious now."
"I'd be delighted." Ilesyn raises her fingers, checking off each point as she names it, "The way a person sits, if they blush, if they talk too loud, too fast, too vacantly. If a person avoids certain subjects," here, she hesitates, then continues, "has a particular gesture that they constantly do -- like rubbing ones arm -- and I could go on forever." She jumps up with a start, adding, "I'm late. Must fly." No time is wasted, as she rushes off. Curious girl.
You amble southwards to the infirmary.
Posted by Louise at January 29, 2003 01:47 AM