You amble inwards to the bright and cheerful living cavern.
"You're addicted!" calls Ilesyn, pushing her way through from the Game Room. "And you'll pay for it! Mark my words, you hear? Mark my words!" The Mindhealer, casting one final glance back towards the occupants of the room, turns her attention towards hearth and seat, setting herself up there so that she can watch those who venture anywhere near the Game Room, regarding them with narrowed gaze.
M'ial comes up to Ilesyn from the direction of the Inner Caverns, unperturbered by her words. "Pay for what? And how much marks do you want for your words?" he asks in a slightly amused tone, though he doesn't take a seat at the hearth.
Osasune ambles out of the caverns, looking dusty and sweaty and coughing lightly into her hand.
Ilesyn exagerates patience, responding to M'ial in sarcasm-threaded words, "For neglecting their mental health in such a way, of course. What else?" She makes no reply to his comment about marks; instead, she lifts her hands towards the fire, eyes still set steely upon the passage.
M'ial shrugs. "Oh. Just thought you might actually do something fun like get back at them with a prank. Guess I was wrong." Then he moves to try and settle into the seat that Ilesyn is currently in.
Osasune heads over to a serving area to get herself a mug. She pours herself some juice, then glances about and waves. "Hello, Mati! Hello, Ilesyn!"
Ilesyn shifts her gaze, eyes narrowing towards M'ial. "You need help," she says, darkly, shaking her head ominously. "Yet another person who could use my services. You won't, though, of course." She spreads out, as if attempting to ensure that there's no room for M'ial beside her, eyebrows lifting after Osasune. "Morning," she agrees, solemnly.
M'ial nods his head, "That, you are exactly right, Mindhealer." he replies jovially. When Ilesyn doesn't give him any room, Mati goes ahead and sits /on/ Ilesyn's lap, grinning. "Ah, hello, Osa."
Osasune stops dead in her tracks on her way toward the hearth. "Uh. Uh. Uh. You're sitting on... you're sitting on..." she stammers.
Ilesyn positively squeaks - a sound rather unheard of, concerning the intense Healer. "My shards, you /are/ insane. Get off!" She makes to shove at the brownrider, wiggling beneath him as best she can, which, given her physical shape, is less effective than it might be.
M'ial shakes his head, "I admit, I am. Rather insane fun than sane boredom." At her pushing, he bounces up and down on her a few times, "Not until you agree to lighten up, Mindhealer!" a wink is sent to Osa, "On a Mindhealer, yes."
Osasune flushes darkly pink and peers at Ilesyn. "He's /sitting/ on you," she squeaks.
"Ow!" complains Ilesyn, attempting to peer around M'ial to catch Osasune's gaze; "M'ial, I want you to stop, and calm down," she says, finally, taking on her healer's voice again. "Take a deep breath, and count to ten. Then stand up." She pauses. "Yes," is her dry response to Osasune, "He is, Master of the obvious."
Osasune clutches her mug, redfaced now. "Umn. Umn." She glances about. "Nobody's going to sit on /me/, are they?"
M'ial snorts at Ilesyn's words, head turning to face her. "What makes you think I'll do that? And don't use that voice with me, that's not going to work with me." A shake of his head, though he can't help but grin. "Lighten up. Live. Your whole life's passing you by." A glance to Osa. "If you want me to, I will."
Ilesyn shakes her head, and her expression is absolutely serious. "M'ial, this /is/ my life, and I love it. Get off me, please."
"No!" Osa squeaks. "I don't want you /sitting/ on me!"
M'ial crosses his arms. "You love listening to other people's problems and fixing them for them?" Then he leans back against Ilesyn, batting his eyelashes at her. "Why should I?"
"Of course," says Ilesyn, without even so much as a moment of hesitation. "I love my job. No one should ever follow a career that they do not like. There is nothing I would want to do more. Now, please. Get off, because I'm asking you to." Her expression, if anything, is absolutely calm, although she glances towards Osa, commenting, "I don't think anyone wants M'ial sitting on them. Perhaps that's another of his problems."
"It's a good job," Osasune says, agreably. "It's /helpful/."
M'ial shrugs at Osa. "Welll, okay. If you really /don't/ want me to..." Then his attention reverts back to Ilesyn. "I see you're following your own advice... Interesting. Oh, sure, add another problem to my mountain." Roll of his eyes, wiggling his body around on Ilesyn.
"Following my own advice?" queries Ilesyn, her head tilted to the side. "I don't understand what you're getting at, Brownrider." If it's uncomfortable - and it no doubt is - she has schooled her expression against it, sitting perfectly still. "Thank you, Osasune. At least someone appreciates my art."
Osasune's head bobs. "Of course. I thought, um, well, maybe I should have another appointment soon. Umn."
M'ial takes on something similar to Ilesyn's Healer voice, "I want you to stop, and calm down." brow raises. "You're calm, despite having me on you, Mindhealer." Finally he does relent, rising up from Ilesyn.
Ilesyn's eyebrows lift, "You expect me to ignore my own advice and good counsel, M'ial? You must think me a great hypocrite." There's something of a relieved look to her face, as he stands, and she shifts over quickly, leaving him room of his own to sit down in. "A good idea," she agrees, towards Osa. "Drop by, some time."
Osasune remains standing, clutching her juice. She smiles a little at Ilesyn, then looks over at M'ial. "Was she, um, supposed to be consumed in the firey heat of lust if you sat on her?"
M'ial watches Ilesyn for several moments. "Many don't pratice what they preach." he replies, taking up the space beside Ilesyn in the chair. "There we go. See, wasn't that a good solution?" Blink at Osasune, "Hardly, Osasune. Anyone else would have been pushing and pushing to get me off."
"Physical violence is never a solution," Ilesyn announces, her eyes narrowing slightly as she attempts to squish even further away from M'ial. "Besides, I know I'm not strong enough to get him off." Calmly, the Mindhealer adds, twirling a finger through a lank strand of hair, "I don't bother with lust, anyway, unless someone lusts after me - unlikely, unless they're drunk, or flight addled."
Osasune blinks a few times. "Well, that makes sense. It's always so silly in the hides."
M'ial rolls his eyes at Osasune and Ilesyn's words for a moment, sighing. "That was violence? Well, you're a Healer, so you must know." Shrug, taking up the room that Ilesyn leaves behind. "There are other ways to get me off besides pushing. So if someone lusts after you, you'll do it with them?"
Ilesyn shakes her head. "No, but if I had tried to kick you off physically, it would have been." She's calm - in fact, she's even placid, although her eyes are anything but, flashing with some kind of emotion - difficult to tell. Sagely, she nods to Osa, and then, to M'ial. "Exactly."
Osasune flushes. "Umn. Umn. Anyone who lusts after... after... I can't believe I'm having this horrid conversation. And it's my fault."
M'ial chuckles at Osasune, "Your fault, yep." Then he tilts his head at Ilesyn, "Ever heard of tickling?" Shrug. "Just to help them with that problem?"
"Something else for us to work on, Osasune," comments Ilesyn, calmly. "Remember: it is not something to blush over. Sex. Sex. Sex." She's rather loud as she says this, drawing glances from about the room, some of them interested - until they see Ilesyn's face. "Well, I get pleasure of my own out of it," she adds, ignoring the tickling comment.
Osasune flushes a dark red, hunching a little more with each utterance of the s-word. "Aaaagh."
M'ial raises a brow at Osasune. "Too Holderesque, indeed." he comments quietly, nodding at Ilesyn. "Sex, indeed." echoes Mati. "How can you not? I don't think you're /completely/ cold, after all... just a bit frigid." An arm comes up around Ilesyn's shoulders to see her reaction.
Ilesyn positively freezes, lifting her own hand up to carefully, but firmly, draw M'ial's arm away from her. "Frigid I am not," she responds, calmly. "That is one word I would not use to describe me." Her smile - well, tight-lipped expression - towards Osasune is somewhat encouraging, "It's just a word. Get over the word. Say it out loud. Scream it, even."
Osasune twitches slightly, then peers about. She pauses a moment and whispers, "S-s-sex."
M'ial changes his mind. "No. Controlled is more like it." he answers, letting his arm be withdrawn. "Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex." Mati chants, drawing those same glances from the people, sticking his tongue out at them. "Louder." he tells Osa.
Ilesyn crosses her hands within her lap, encouraging Osa with a nod of her head. "Listen to the brownrider - he's being sensible for once. Louder - yell it. Sex!" She's louder, too, and draws more peculiar glances. "Controlled, perhaps. Diligent, hardworking, intense - that's how I would describe myself." Not to mention tactless, but she'd never admit to that.
Osasune hunches further, whimpering, "Oh, I don't - no, it's too - I don't want to - you're just going to keep bothering me, aren't you? Fine. Fine!" Osa straightens, draws in a deep breath, throws her head back, and promptly screeches at the top of her lungs, "SEEEEEEEEEEX!"
M'ial acks, covering his ears for a split second at Osasune's screech before dropping them and clapping. "Good job! Do it again!" he encourages her. Leave it up to a rider to do that. "Oh, yes, you're all that, Ilesyn."
Ilesyn positively beams. "Well done, Osa, I can see that you're truly making an effort." Never mind that her ear-drums will never be the same again. "We're going to beat this, I can see that, with some work." Ilesyn merely nods her head, in response to M'ial. "I know. I don't lie."
Osasune turns brilliantly red, hunkering down and trying to sort of - disappear through strength of will alone. "Uhhh..." She makes a squeaking noise.
M'ial sends the woman beside her a glance, "Nah, not you." Eyes go back to Osa. "Come on. Say it again. Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex." Finally he stops to catch his breath.
"Now, Osa," begins Ilesyn, almost kindly, "you need to repeat that, but without the blushing. It isn't worth blushing over - it's perfectly natural. Of course," she adds, dryly, "I don't encourage you being quite as obsessive as the brownrider, here."
Sanriel stops in the doorway, quirking an eyebrow at M'ial.
Osasune moans quietly. "I don't - it's - I can't not blush! I just yelled - it was loud!"
M'ial shrugs at Ilesyn, settling back into the chair. "I'm not obsessive. At least I didn't get anyone pregnant..." Brow raises. "Just trying to help." Sanriel is missed completely. "Well, yeah, it was loud." he agrees helpfully.
Ilesyn's eyebrows raised, "What's that supposed to mean? I certainly didn't get anyone pregnant, that's for sure." Her attention turns back to Osasune - she's rather careful about not looking at Sanriel, if indeed she's even noticed the Harper. "Yes, it was loud. But it was good. Liberating."
Having gone unoticed, the Weyrharper moves further into the room, stopping by the hearth to retrieve a mug of klah before stepping into the conversaton around the table.
"Nobody got anybody pregnant," Osa squeaks, eyeing M'ial.
M'ial nods, "Yep, you sure didn't." He doesn't answer the Mindhealer's question, ignoring it. "Liberate oneself..." Mati mutters. "Nah." to Osa, falling silent.
Ilesyn's focused-- not surprising, since she's doing what she loves best. "What scares you about sex, Osasune?" So what if it is the living caverns, and everyone is already staring.
Sanriel is quiet, watching mindhealer and brownrider gang up on the poor resident, and chuckling to herself.
"I'm not scared about sex!" Osa says instantly. "Much. Okay, yes. But it's, um, I mean, well, I'm not likely to /have/ any."
M'ial blinks at Osa. "Not right this moment, no, but sooner or later, you will." he replies. "This is a Weyr, after all. Someone's bound to try you more than at anywhere else. It feels good, it's fun."
"Again, he's right," agrees Ilesyn, drawing her hands back towards her lap, fingers fiddling with the fabric of her breeches. "It'll happen, and you won't be scared of it then. But-- you need to get over it now, so that you can enjoy it, then. It's only natural."
Osasune's jaw drops. "It's a Weyr, so someone's /bound/ to try to have - have intimate relationships with me?"
M'ial nods. "Just ask Weyrharper Sanriel." he tells Osa, finally looking at the woman. "Yes, someone is. It's just a matter of time..." An ankle is brought up to his knee, hand resting on it.
Sanriel raises an eyebrow at the brownrider before advising Osasune. "Just... Don't ask anyone to dance."
Ilesyn's head lifts, suddenly, as if she's only just registered Sanriel's presence. The harper is given nothing more than a glance, before Ilesyn shrugs, agreeing, "Do you /want/ to be alone, for the rest of your life? Someone will ask, and you might actually want to accept."
"I, I... ask someone to dance?" Osa turns to peer at Sanriel, cheeks red. "What? Umn, uh - well - uh, I d-don't want to be alone, but I d-don't want to just be - just be - someone's - well, you know - because - because no one better's around."
M'ial agrees with Ilesyn, "Exactly." Though he does let a small laugh out at Sanriel's remark, yet he doesn't comment any further, watching Osasune. "Perfectly understandable..." Silent again.
M'ial agrees with Ilesyn, "Exactly." Though he does let a small laugh out at Sanriel's remark, yet he doesn't comment any further, watching Osasune. "Perfectly understandable..." Silent again.
Sanriel picks a chair and perches herself on the seatback, feet on the seat and balancing easily. "Osarune, just... Let it flow." She suggests. "Don't /worry/! But... Do stay away from bronzeriders." This from someone who /knows/.
"How can you tell me not to worry and then warn me away from people in the same breath?" Osa demands, blurting it out.
Ilesyn notes, calmly, "Bronzeriders get very upset, very easily. Plus, they get people pregnant. Best to stick away from them." She's perfectly serious in expression, and in voice, adding, "Just let it happen, and be open to it. Experiment."
Kaela steps out into the cavern, looking a bit puzzled as she catches the last part of the conversation, before wandering over to get a mug of klah.
Sanriel laughs. "You're right. But it's true. And Ilesyn's right, as I know and much as she loves to admit it."
M'ial just doesn't say anything, glancing at Sanriel's belly for a split second before turning away back to the conversation at hand. "It'll hurt the first time, but after that, it won't. Take it from these ladies..."
Osasune's eyes widen. "Hurt? What? Hurting?"
"You shouldn't have mentioned that, M'ial," says Ilesyn, disaprovingly, turning her attention towards Osasune, as she attempts to look-- comforting? It's hard to tell. "Perfectly natural - it hurts a little, the first time, because your body isn't used to it."
Kaela blinks and pulls up a seat, "What hurts the first time?"
M'ial smacks his forehead. "Shouldn't have said that." He doesn't answer Osa's question, nodding at Ilesyn. "I apologize." A beam of a smile is sent to Osasune, "Sex." he answers Kaela.
Amanda ambles in from the inner cavern.
Osasune shakes her head. "What? What, with the hurting?"
Sanriel blinks over at the swell of newcomers before loking back to Osasune and her companions. "Didn't your mother teach you /anything/?" She asks finally.
Kaela turns pink as she gets an answer, before hiding her expression behind her mug, "Oh." After a pause, "Well, that would explain the pregnant. But brownriders can get you pregnant too, not just bronze ones."
"Anyone male can get you pregnant," Osa huffs. She eyes Sanriel, then glances at her feet. "I guess not." She still clutches her mug, which she hasn't drank from yet.
"For once, I concur with the Harper," says Ilesyn, dryly. "Have you never been taught the facts of life, Osasune?" The Mindhealer is sarcastic in response to Kaela, retorting, "Of course. But the bronzeriders are the difficult ones. Useless."
M'ial rolls his eyes at Kaela, nodding at Osa. "Right. Anyone male..." A little shake of his head at the girl. "She should have, before sending you off. Still, not my place to say anything." he backs off, listening instead, hiding a slight smile at Ileysn's sarcastic remark about bronzers behind an hand.
Osasune frowns. "Why are we all discussing the likelihood of me having sex in the middle of the living cavern?" she demands.
Kaela shrugs a little as she nods, "I don't know about it first hand. I guess some are though." A shadow goes across her features, "They flirt, then go and weyrmate someone else." She slumps in her seat, sipping her klah, "Anyway, is there any reason to be worrying about it?"
Ilesyn's lip curls, as she responds to Osasune, "You started it, as I recall."
Suddenly deciding she's had enough of this vaguely insulting conversation, Sanriel climbs down off the chair and, abandoning her mug, retreats to another end of the Cavern.
Amanda slips into the cavern, frowning at the rather large crowd. She mumbles something under her breath as she heads for the serving table, grabbing a mug of cider before finding a chair in a rather quiet corner.
Osasune blinks at Ilesyn. "S-sort of. I mean, I mentioned stuff in romance scrolls, but I didn't - I mean - ohhh."
M'ial just shakes his head at Osa and the others, retreating as well, but not with Sanriel. Instead, he moves over to join Amanda at the table, "Mind if I sit here?" he asks the girl.
Amanda looks up and stares at M'ial for a moment, then shrugs as she pushes out an empty chair with her foot, "Doesn't have anybody's name on it, so I guess ya can sit where ya want to." she smiles, "How's Xinth today?"
"It just progressed from there, did it?" Ilesyn's smile is knowing - and her expression suggests she doesn't believe this, entirely. "It lingers there, in the back of your mind, your fear. Comes out every so often, even though you don't intend it to, as such."
"Nooo!" Osa protests. "Well... maybe."
Kaela just leans back in her chair, staring off into the distance now, as she lets herself daydream, or at least contemplate.
That's it, San's had enough. Standing again, she bypasses Osasune's table on her way out. "Don't take her seriously. She'sjealous and vindictive." She advises in a half wwhisper before exiting the rom.
Sanriel walks off southeastwards to the darker inner cavern.
Ilesyn's eyebrows lift after Sanriel. "Jealous and vindictive? Surely--" further commentary is staved off by a rather more interesting subject-- Osa. "Maybe. See, there you go. Admitting to it is the first step."
M'ial nods a bit, taking the offered seat at the table. "Well, good. I hate sitting at the same chair everyday." Grin. "Xinth's doing good today. I'm going to bathe him in a while."
M'ial adds, "What about you?"
Osasune hunches a bit more. "Well, um. It's an - an interesting subject, I guess."
Amanda's gaze wanders over towards the group of people before they come back to rest on M'ial, "What's up with th'crew?" she wonders idly, "Whatever it must be, it's gotta be mighty interestin' for so many people ta be talkin' about it." she nods at M'ial's comments, then shrugs at his question, "Me? Guess I'm about th'same as i always am."
"Sit up straight, Osa," interjects Ilesyn, sharply. "Be confident in who you are. Yes, it's an interesting subject. Why do you find it interesting?"
[Missing pose, here]
Ilesyn sighs, leaning forward. "Osa? Slow down, and say every word slowly and carefully. It doesn't matter if it takes you several minutes to explain what you mean, just let the words come out. No one is going to bite you for them. That's another fear you need to get over."
"Well, I'm not really afraid of literal biting," Osa squeaks out. She takes a deep breath and mumbles, "I dunno what makes it interesting. Romance, I guess."
Ilesyn's eyebrows arch, "You could have fooled me, my dear," is her slow comment, met with a light smile. "Romance. Ah, yes. Like any good teenage girl, you dream of a man to sweep you off your feet, and make sweet love to you."
"W-well... sort of. Yes. Okay, yes," Osa mutters.
Kaela makes a soft snort, "More like sweep you off your feet and then go on to the next conquest." This is said softly, under her breath, with some wierd acoustics making it a little louder then intended.
Ilesyn laughs - an actual, amused laugh. "How sweet. It's almost endearing." Kaela's comment draws her attention, smirk crossing her lips. "Seems apt. Of course, in my case, they recover their senses, and kick me out. Life is not romance, that's for sure."
Amanda catches the content of the conversation, her eyebrows raising as she stares at them with curiosity, "Men never stay in th'same place fer very long." she interjects. "Not in /my/ experience, anyway."
Osasune blinks rapidly, and peers down into her mug. "I know."
Ilesyn accepts Amanda's words with a nod of agreement, "True enough. Men are fickle." More kindly, she notes to Osasune, as she stands, "Perhaps it'll be different for you, although I am here, always, to talk to you if you need counseling when things don't turn out how you wish. Good day."
Kaela shakes her head slightly, before nodding to the healer, "I suppose I should get over my own bitterness. Its been turns now."
Amanda stares hard at Ilesyn, light dawning as she finally recognizes her. The weird one. "Sometimes bitterness c'n be a /good/ thin'." she states in Kaela's general direction. "Keeps ya from makin' th'same mistakes again." that's /her/ advice.
"Umn, good day, Ilesyn," Osasune murmurs, dredging up a faint smile.
You amble southeastwards to the darker inner cavern.
Posted by Louise at January 29, 2003 11:13 AM