S'vilen ambles in from to Avila and Elaesyth's ledge.
S'vilen slouches into the weyr, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He pauses on the ledge and glances at Elaesyth, nodding politely.
Avila is ready. She's got her comfortable little couch, a nice fire, and even a few sweetrolls on a plate, and Klah brewing over the fire. She's got hides around her, and blank ones for herself and Ilesyn. As they both enter, she stands and smiles. "Oh... I'm so glad you came! And you, S'vilen! I teally thought you'd wherry out. But you're here afterall! Come on in! Klah?"
S'vilen might not have wherried out, but he doesn't look precisely happy to be here. "I do what I say I'll do," he replies. "But, yes. Klah would be nice," he adds, glancing at Ilesyn as he moves closer. "Where do you want me?"
Ilesyn strides in after S'vilen, evidently having made herself up here somehow, her expression hinting at pure glee. "Would I miss it for anything, Avila?" She digs hands into her pockets, head dipping in greeting towards both riders, an innocent smile made in response to S'vilen's glance towards her. She takes a seat, adding, "Klah would be nice."
Avila moves to the hearth, dipping the ladle to pour three mugs. "Oh, just make yourself comfortable on the couch, S'vilen. You can even lie down if you want. Isn't that how it's done?" Avila's not explaining if she's referring to the mindhealing or romance segment of the conversation. Turning with mugs in hand, she grins broadly. "I'm really very glad to be able to broaden my research. So far, I've got quite extensive information on one bronzerider, but I suspect he's not quite the norm." Is that a bit of a blush rising? "It'd be interesting to see."
S'vilen mms and seats himself a little primly. Notably, he doesn't lay down. As he grasps the cup, he wonders, "What sort of interview is this, anyway?"
"I imagine if you can't see us, S'vilen, you might be more inclined to say more, although that's a theory not entirely proven." Ilesyn smirks upon listening to Avila, her hands moved to fold in her lap, "If there is such a thing as the norm. Best still is to research them all, but I suppose that would be time consuming."
Avila waves her hand dismisively. "Oh, only a bit of fun, S'vilen. Really! We're just trying to see if there is any basis to the romantic stereotypes connected with color of the dragon. It'd help in my scroll writing, and also in Ilesyn's research. I understand she started with brownriders, hmmm?" Avila raises a brow in her direction. "I suppose a girl could try, isn't that so? To research them all? But we'll start with Siv." Avila consults her hide for the first question. "How would you rank yourself? A) Blazing Rubkat, he's a Love Machine! 2) Nothing to sneeze at, and he keeps 'em happy 3) He'd do in a pinch. 4) I'd have to be pretty drunk 5) Please Dear Farnath... NO!"
S'vilen clears his throat. "You'd really need to ask that of someone who can speak from personal experience. I have never made love to myself, so I really can't be certain. They usually come back for more, though, so I guess that rules out 3, 4 and 5. They've never sneezed at me, so I guess I have to go with A."
Ilesyn pickss up her hide, and a stylus, hand poised over it in readiness for some kind of response. "Brownriders, yes," she agrees, lightly, "Fascinating. Bronzeriders ought to be similarly interesting." She expresses a placid smile, adding, "She could, indeed, Avila. But that's for later consideration." Her eyes fall into S'vilen, watching, as she scribbles a note down. "A love machine. Impressive."
Avila raises a brow and nods in agreement with S'vilen. "I /am/ impressed. You might find bronzeriders a more... rewarding avenue for research, Ilesyn." Avila pauses, running her finger to the second question. "How would you go about getting a woman to notice you? 1) Give her gifts and flowers and poetry; 2) Tell her about your exploits, 3) Just gaze her way and sigh a lot or 4) Tell her you ride bronze and just stand back?" Avila turns to Ilesyn and adds, "You can ask one, too, if you wish."
S'vilen glances from one woman to the other. "I don't think any of those apply, really," he says, after thinking to a moment. The remarks between the two, he lets go unheeded.
"I'll test that," avers Ilesyn, gaze rather resembling a stare in S'vilen's general direction. "The rewards could be /quite/ worth the trouble." Her eyebrows raise, and she jots something more down on her hide - apparently in big letters. "Well, how would you describe what you'd do, then?"
Avila was just about to ask the same question of S'vilen. "Yes? What /is/ your technique? I thought that question was a bit weak, as there are /so/ many ways. Why, in "Danger in Avoz", M'nly caught the eye of the lovely Eden by bathing his dragon daily in her presence without his shirt. Of course, that was in Azov... a little warmer there. But in "Rubkat over Ruatha" it was accomplished by H'ndsome thoughtfully bringing his lady love sweet klah everytime she even thought of it. Just... being attentive. That could be nice... or incredibly annoying."
S'vilen shrugs loosely, still focusing only on the questions. He shifts a little under Ilesyn's look. "I don't really try to get women to notice me. I just make friends with people and if I'd like something more." He pauses to think for a few breaths, "I'd mostly just tell her so, unless it was obvious she wasn't interested. I flirt, I guess, but that's whether I'm trying to do anything, or not. And of, course, it would depend on the woman. Some women might like flowers. Others might like to go for long walks while discussing wing maneouvers."
Ilesyn shifts her gaze over to Avila, having listened to S'vilen's response, and comments, "I think I'll leave most of the questioning to you, and follow up with any concerns of my own." Having said this, the Mindhealer scribbles something more down on her hide, muttering beneath her breath, and finally asks, "What's the best technique to flirting, then, in your mind? What works best, generally, and then more specifically?"
Avila has a question as well. Farnath knows, this 'I treat 'em all the same' approach just won't cut it in a romance scroll! "S'vilen! You mean to tell me that you flirt regardless of your interest? And that you discuss wing maneouvers with women you like?" Avila lowers her hide, and narrows her eyes. "S'vilen? Just how busy are you? Really? Because that doesn't sound very effective to me."
S'vilen shakes his head firmly. "None. I don't flirt to get results. I flirt to have fun and to make someone else feel good. Anything else is incidental. However, I'd have to say it varies. Not everyone appreciates the same things." He rolls his eyes at Avila. "I flirt regardless of whether I want to get into bed with the woman, yes. And, I'll talk about wing maneuvers if they want to, yes."
Ilesyn's face contorts into a frown. "But doesn't that mean that you hurt feelings? It really isn't romantic to flirt with someone, and then not take it anywhere. That would make you the-'bad guy', I suppose." A glance is cast towards Avila; that much is out of her depth, although she adds, "It's bad for a person's confidence, even if it makes them initially feel good."
Avila considers both S'vilen and Ilesyn. "Well, there's flirting and there's flirting. It seems to me that S'vilen here is an example of the first kind. The kind where you compliment and gently tease, but all the women know he does it to everyone, and they just enjoy the compliment. That's kind of what a romance scroll would characterize as 'charming'. But then.. there's flirting. Like in "Moon over Monaco" where St'dlie just stared at Ravisha across the room until he finally got up, crossed over to her and told her that his life had just begun that night." Avila takes a moment to swoon. "Now /that's/ flirting. And yes... if he'd done that to someone else the next night, Ravisha would have been crushed." Avila pauses, and then turns to S'vilen. "I suppose you've not met your Ravisha yet, hmm?"
S'vilen peers at Ilesyn for a moment. "Who said anything about being insincere. I never say anything I don't mean. It's simply that getting into as many women's beds as possible isn't my goal." He pauses and looks at Ilesyn for a moment, "If I say you have beautiful hair and I love to be around you, I mean it. It doesn't mean I'm pining away because you won't have me in your bed. Or that I'll be crushed if you don't. Most women simply take my compliments and are happy with them." He eyes Avila for a moment. "I'll accept the first part, but the second isn't flirting."
"Personally, I wouldn't call that first kind flirting," decides Ilesyn, noting something down. "I mean, if a woman did that, she'd be considered to be friendly, and a nice person, who always has something nice to say about everyone. With a man, it's automatic flirting, and to me, flirting means something more than that - I suppose it's a bit like that, yes, Avila." She does, however, tilt her head in a nod, as if accepting S'vilen's response, "So, you compliment a lot, and sometimes that gets you a bedmate."
Avila notes something, too. "The second one would not be flirting? What would you call the second one?" Avila turns to Ilesyn, tilting a brow. "So far, he's not fitting the stereotype.. except for that love machine thing. He's much too sincere for a bronzerider, according to the charts." She turns back to S'vilen and tries again. "When you see a woman you think is beautiful, what's the first thing that comes into your mind? a)Wooo! When does /her/ dragon rise? b) Fabulous, but unattainable. I suppose I can sit and stare though. c) I'll tell her she's fabulous, wink a lot, and smile that killer smile of mine, or d) Looks aren't everything! I'll bet she can't even discuss the metaphysics of *between* intelligently!"
S'vilen shrugs and nods cautiously, accepting Ilesyn's summation. "Um," he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips at the next question. "I probably think something along the lines of how wonderful the world is to have let me see something so beautiful, and I'll usually talk to her. Perhaps closes to c, I guess."
Ilesyn wrinkles her nose, accepting Avila's conclusion with a tilt of her head, "He isn't, is he? I suppose it might be a psychological imbalance of somesort. This didn't come out when I interviewed him last time." She doesn't quite glare at S'vilen, as peer owlishly over her hide, and note something else down. "So beauty attracts you, before anything else? -- I suppose, Avila, in that much he's a typical bronzerider. -- What defines beauty, for you? And would you /actually/ *wink* at a woman?"
"Oh... a /good/ one!" Avila nods approvingly at Ilesyn. "What /does/ define beauty in a woman for you? This will be good to know for my scrolls!" She scribbles down a few notes, then turns with a brilliant smile. This one she /really/ wants the answer to. "Like... name names! Who is beautiful that you know? Who is attractive to you? And why?" Ilesyn gets a glance and a smile and Avila poises her stylus. "For example. Is beauty more important than mental stability?"
"I can't wink," S'vilen replies flatly. "But I would'n't if I could. And no, my answer doesn't indicate whether I prefer beauty to tall else. It absolutely isn't. I said I'd talk to her. If she was revolting in personality, I wouldn't bring her into my bed. Who is beautiful? Moloka is the most beautiful woman I know," he responds, a faint smile playing around his lips. "There's a woman at Monaco named Dastria who's just about perfect - but she's never been in my bed. Yilisa is beautiful. Thera is beautiful. Jalis is beautiful. Avila is beautiful. Danya is lovely. Daera is delightful.... shall I go on?: he asks wryly.
"Thank the shards for that once," decides Ilesyn, with a wrinkling of her nose. "Winking shows a definite lack of self confidence, in that a person believes they have to wink in order to get their meaning across." Ilesyn's smile widens, however, as she comments, "All these people are beautiful, then. And I'm sure thrilled to hear that you say such a thing." A glance to Avila, as if gaguing that woman's reaction to being included upon the list. "But I do want to hear you answer Avila's question in more depth: is beauty more important than mental stability? Would you rather bed an ugly woman who is interesting, than a beautiful woman, who isn't?"
Avila smiles widely as she's named. Number six on the list, but hey. She'll take it. "Obviously, you value beauty over mental stability though, judging from some of those names." Which ones brought Avila to that conclusion aren't mentioned but... "What makes a woman beautiful? What attracts you? L'in, for instance, said he was attracted to me for my pastries. I'd like to know what makes an attractive heroine, so I can write it in my scrolls. Should I make her flaxen haired, demure, the pure daughter of a Lord, learned and ever polite? Or should she be a black-haired spitfire, bold and strong, earthy and yet utterly feminine? Which would you go for?" Avila has obviously been drafting characters here. "Demura or Volcana?"
S'vilen nods firmly at Ilesyn. "Absolutely. There must be some physical attraction, but if a dragon isn't involved, there must be a mental attraction as well. And, possibly, for some of the women I mention, my perception of their physical appearance is influenced by the fact that I like them as people." He eyes Avila for a moment, eyebrows lifted. "You asked if they were beautiful. Not if I'd have them in my bed."
Ilesyn's nod is sage, as she scratches something else down in her illegible handwriting; she's a healer, therefore, it's impossible to read. "So a woman who wasn't theoretically beautiful, could feel beautiful, by personality. Mm-hmm." Ilesyn sticks her head up, to add, "L'in was only attracted to me for being female when he was flight-lusty, but I suppose that doesn't count. I'm interested in this one, though." So she stares at S'vilen, waiting thoughtfully.
Avila considers S'vilen's comment. "Point. Oh, you do have a point. There are men I think are good-looking but scary as a maddened watchweyr. Wouldn't go near them. So some of those women you named are in the scary but beautiful category?" She pauses, batting her eyes a little. Wonder which side of the line Avila falls? "Next question? I think true love is a)The most wonderful thing on earth and should be sought by every living breathing creature and I'm looking for the one woman to devote my life to; b) A wonderful thing for some, but not for a bronzerider, c) Fleeting, and before you know it, you wake up one morning wondering what in Farnath you've done; or d) The entire concept is a crock. I'm out for a little fun and don't you /ever/ say that 'W' word!"
S'vilen shakes his head. "e) none of the above," he replies, wry amusement twisting his tone. He returns Ilesyn's look uneasily. "Intersted in what?"
"The question Avila just asked, and you just answered, even if you did answer it badly." Ilesyn is quick to explain, adding. "Er, Avila - what's the 'w' word?" Must write this down in big letters, for future reference. "Why none of the above? Do you think that love is a fine thing, if it happens, but you're not obsessed with it?"
"The 'W' word, Ileysn, is 'Weyrmate'. I've read in scrolls that there are riders who tremble when they say it, or take to spelling it, or just... hold up three fingers. So it looks like a W?" Avila demonstrates. "It strikes fear in the hearts of many. Just try saying it around I'lani, for instance." Back to S'vilen. "So what /is/ your take on love? And.. on Ilesyn, for that matter?" Avila, for her part, thinks Ilesyn's answer was just as quick a cover as S'vilen's. And Honesty is the important thing here. An inaccurate Romance Scroll? Based on something merely fanciful? Horrors!
S'vilen shakes his head slightly. "/True/ love is the most profound and special thing that can happen - outside of Impressing a dragon. Weyrmating is something you do only if you are certain, beyond any doubt at all, that what you have is something you are commited to - good or bad - for the rest of your life. None of this 'gee, it isn't working' after two turns. You don't do it lightly. As for whether I'm obsessed with it, no. I don't expect it to happen to me. I have too many other things filling my heart. Namely, the most amazing dragon even shelled, and my responsibilities to the Weyr."
"On me? Faranth." That's all Ilesyn says, busy jotting notes down in response to S'vilen's response. "You're a romantic, just like Avila. I can see it now. And that's why you're a failure as a bronzerider. So you don't think weyrmating should be anything less than handfasting? What happens if people change, and grow out of each other? It can happen, surely."
And Ilesyn clearly is /not/ a romantic. Avila, for her part, is on the couch swooning, writing furiously. "Lovely, S'vilen, just lovely. Sweet, but tragic. Deeply committed but only to a concept. A healthy knowledge of what you've left behind, yet an acceptance of your current situation and joy found within it. On the contrary, Ilesyn?" Avila turns. "I think he's quite a successful bronzerider." Watch it! Her romance is showing. "And people change, but to enter a weyrmating expecting it to end is just... well... it ruins the ending of nearly every scroll I have!" Avila gestures to a rather substantial collection on her shelves. "Everyone knows that they live happily ever after after finding true love!" She turns to smile at S'vilen, feeling much more generous in her assessment. "Is there anything we've left out? Do I have a clear picture of you?"
S'vilen stiffens abruptly. "Excuse me?" he asks, all trace of amusement gone from his face as he looks at Ilesyn. He doesn't even seem to have heard all that Avila has babbled at him.
Ilesyn blinks, very rapidly, S'vilen's turn towards her causing her to drop her stylus in surprise. "Er, what?" Her gaze rather rapidly turns back to Avila, eyebrows raising, expression - confused. "Why's he staring at me, Avila? What did I say?"
"That he's a failure as a bronzerider? Ilesyn, I don't think you quite realize what you just said. Really. For a mindhealer, I'd think you'd have a bit more sensitivity." She turns to offer an apologetic smile to S'vilen. "There's so much to being a rider that I think a nonrider could ever understand. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to share your mind with another beast? How about the stress of flying thread? And flights? The demands of the weyr? The ways others look at you? S'vilen's handled all of these magnificently. And you called him a failure because he's a romantic?" Avila squeezes her eyes, a trace of moisture showing as she opens them again. "That must mean that you think that I'm a failure as a greenrider, too, as I'm clearly a romantic myself." She gulps, sets her jaw, and then stands, fist in the air, determined. "Romance is /not/ a weakness!" Hear her roar.
Avila's melodramatism seems to get through to S'vilen, and he eyes her for a moment. "I wouldn't get quite that worked up about it," he murmurs. "But my lovelife, even were it nonexistant, would have nothing to do with my success or failure as a bronzerider."
Ilesyn shrugs her shoulders philosophically, understanding very little of what being a dragonrider is all about. "Personally, I suppose I don't see there being much to being a dragonrider. It's all just heroism, isn't it? But I apologise. You're merely a failure to the...stereotype." Avila's reaction is rather met with surprise. "Er. Oh."
S'vilen shrugs loosely. "Well, there's not much to being a healer, either. You just repair things," he says casually, almost derogatorily. "Not much different from the Weyr's handymen."
Avila, unfortunatly, is worked up now. She's in a regular lather, defending romance and the bronzerider way. "The stereotype /is/ a failure, Ilesyn! Who wants a rider who is..." Avila reaches down to pick up a scroll. "Full of himself, vain, consistantly flirtatious, unable to make a committment, shallowly charming, and pompous?" She lets the scroll drop, then turns to Ilesyn. "That's the stereotype. The negative side, anyway. And I'd be pleased to be a failure to that." She turns to S'vilen and beams. How's she doing? "Any bronzerider who can see the value of romance and true love is a shining beacon to all other riders. A symbol of their own potential. Am I not right?" She sits down with a slump and a sigh. "Shards, Ilesyn. I thought you got that much. Did you forget about your heart when they taught you all about your brain?"
Ilesyn has the grace to blush, Avila's comments obviously earning some response. S'vilen's comments, however, earn a shrug. "At least I don't have to act the hero to do what I do. I'm not stupidly offering my life every time I go to work." Tactlessness, thy name is Ilesyn. "There's nothing wrong with romance, though. Nothing at all. And I never said that failing the stereotype was a *bad* thing. I don't like stereotypical bronzeriders."
S'vilen smiles a little nastily at Ilesyn. "I'll remember not to risk my life for you next time. How about that? I'll just let any tangle near you go by, since you think what I do is stupid." He smiles a little more sincerely at Avila, then turns back to Ilesyn, "I can accept that you don't understand why we do it, and wouldn't want to do it yourself, but it's really not necessary - or smart - to sound like you'd rather none of us did it."
Avila is bonding here with S'vilen. Ichor seems to be thicker than water. "I don't fly thread to act the hero. I fly thread to save my family that I left behind, to save the food crops that you all eat, to save the homes, the forests, and to save your sorry hide!" Avila is standing again. "It seems that you're not really going to be helpful in helping me delve the thoughts of a bronzerider if you don't understand this much." She sighs, then just shakes her head. "I might have to do the rest of my research myself."
Ilesyn winces, evidently finding it within her to regret what she's said - even if she does actually believe it to a point. "I don't believe what you do is stupid. I'm sure it's very important. I don't see why you'd want to, though. But I'm obviously unable to understand it, and thus shouldn't even bother. I guess you will, Avila. My apologies. To both of you." She rises to her feet, hands jammed into pockets. "I'll go."
S'vilen subsides, accepting Ilesyn's backpedalling. "So long as you appreciate it, I'll keep doing it," he says, without replying to whether or not Ilesyn ought to be leaving.
Avila lays her notes aside. "S'vilen, I think that I do understand what you're saying. Valor. That's the word /I'd/ use." She turns to Ilesyn again. "Valor. Look it up. It's a good word. It's a word of the heart." And Avila's a heart kinda girl. She sits slowly on the couch again, turning to S'vilen. "Now. Is there anything else about romance you'd like for me to know?"
Ilesyn's eyes roll, her head turning back to allow her to nod, briefly, towards both riders. "Whatever turns you on." And then she's gone - no doubt her attempts to flag down a passing rider to get down will eventually pay off.
Posted by Louise at January 29, 2003 10:58 AM