[[logged by Ali]]
Public Bathing Chamber
Steam billows, shrouding the many glow-baskets that line the low, tunnel-filled walls or swing down over the variable heated pools of clean water; light dances, lithe and sharp, defining the racks of freshly washed clothes yet to dry, or the tangle of muddled bundles yet to be washed. Shadows play over the large cupboard that holds fresh towels of orange and black, and a variety of bathing items including a vast array of sea-sponges from pumice hard to gentle softness.
Orbit is splashing in the water. Bubblebath time for the greenrider. She's forgoing her usual bath with Ivry for some Orb time with bubbles. Bubbles up to the ceiling, evidently. And oh won't the headwoman be happy with her for that?
"Hello?" Ali calls out tenatively, standing barely inside the door, her pose showing that she'll be quick to bolt out the door if there's a reason. A few small steps take her toward the pool, which is filled with bubbles, and she gazes in, "Orbit, s'that you?"
Orbit pushes her way through the bubbles and gives an impish beam, reminicant of her former 'brat days, up at the brownrider, "Yup. I decided I needed a bubble bath tonight since it's gotten so I can barely get up onto Ivrylth." She gives a soft chuckle, "I keep teasing Torey that it's a good thing she's the one that impressed a great huge gold.."
"You don't mind if I join you, do ya?" the shy weyrling asks, shuffling back towards the nearest bench and sits down upon it, beginning to unlace and remove her boots. "I usually just wash with Uillauth, but that water, it's so cold, and, to be honest, I miss smelling like a girl." Cinnamon brown gaze shifts to Orbit's growing waistline and she nods, "Looks like it isn't much longer now, hmm?"
Orbit tugs at a curl and gestures toward the pool o' bubbles, "I don't mind," She leans forward with a grin, "The bubbles are something I got from a healer friend who does a bit o' side work with herbs. They smell like flowers.." is commented happily. Ever expanding stomach is patted softly, "From what I can tell, near the time you graduate is when we'll get to meet the little one."
"Bubbles," Ali's smile expands to one similar to that of a thrilled child. "I love 'lauth more than anything, but smelling like oil and weyrhide and, well, sweat, those are things I'm not likely to get used to. Flowers, now *that* is my kind of smell," all of this is explained while she manages to slither out of her things, piling everything neatly on the bench before moving to the edge of the water and stepping in. "Did you know that's what I did back at Gar? Flowers, I mean."
Orbit tilts her head to the side and ponders a bit, "No, I didn't know that. You helped out in the flower gardens there? I remember playing in them as a little one. They always smelled so lovely.." is commented as the Orblet relaxes in the bubbles.
Ali takes a moment to just let the heat of the water soak into her tired muscles, sighing ever so slightly into the bubbles, causing them to float away from her. "I didn't have to, but I like them so much, so I was given permission to help there. It's what I did day in and out. Miss it now, but Uillauth likes outdoors as much as I do. We're trying to figure out how we can have a garden of our own."
Orbit considers this problem a moment, fingers absently toying wtih bubbles and making bubble mounds in the warm water. "Well… have you considered getting some boxes from a smith and trying to grow them in that? I've seen them once or twice at a hold… with handles so they could be moved inside during threadfall…"
"Uillauth said we could do it indoors, but I've been trying to figure out just *how*," Ali laughs happily at the idea. "We could put ropes on them so they'll hang from the ledge during the threadfree days to get light and heat, and bring them in when we need to." Thrilled with the idea, she laughs again before dipping her head beneath the surface of the water.
Orbit beams at her adopted lil' sis and melts into the water happily. "Oh good, you'll have to chat with the weyr smith then." Beam. Her idea. Beam. "I bet your weyr will smell so nice with all those flowers…"
"You'll be the first person I show them to, since it was your idea. That's fair, right?" Ali runs her fingers through her short locks, pulling the wet strands away from her face and neck before scooping a bit of sweetsand into her hands and scrubbing it into her hair. "I'd be willing to bet that I could find a nice flower that is easy to grow and can make your weyr smell nice, if you'd like."
Orbit just gleams over at Ali, "Would you really? That would be wonderful. You'd need to show me how to take care of it though.." is mused absnetly. "I was a dolphincrafter afore impressing, not a farmer…" She doesn't exactly have what one would call a green thumb.
"So we'll start with something easy," Ali's shoulders lift into a shrug, "there are vines that grow with little or no help, as long as you give them water at least once every sevenday, and let them have a little sun. Might be nice to hang near the opening of your weyr." Fingers scrub at her sable locks, attempting to get them back to their usual healthy glow. "Of course, it would be important to get something that is edible, or at least not inedible."
Orbit blinks a bit at the edible bit, then blushes a bit, considering. "Oh dear… I suppose I do need to childproof the weyr…" A pause. "How does one go about that anyway, maybe I should grab a nanny to come help me figure it out…" She's thinking things out outloud here.
"My cousin has a daughter," Ali points out with a small smile. "Not sure if you know her. Kaeryn, she's a harper?" Head is tilted to the side, as if thinking, or something. "Kae has her own room on the ground level, though, because T'rell doesn't think a ledge is a good place for a baby. I guess he's right, but you can make a barrier for little ones, right?"
Orbit just blinks a tad bit. She hadn't really considered ledges and babies? "Oh…." A pause. "A barrier, yes.. that would work. I don't imagine it'll be going very far for awhile though." She tugs at a curl and ponders this, "Oh.. Kaeryn, she's one of the weyr's harpers, yes? I believe I've seen her about."
Ali nods a little before dipping her head under the water once again, letting the suds be rinsed from her hair. When she resurfaces, it's with a grin, "I think T'rell is just afraid of what it means if he actually lets Kae and his daughter move into his weyr, if you want the truth. Bronzeriders, you know." Head shakes, retracting any seriousness that might have been found in the statement, "I think he's right, though, for the two of them. Just wouldn't do to have the pair of them in a weyr so high, because they'd have no way to get back and forth. And as for the barrier, looks like I won't be the only one speaking to the smiths."
Orbit gives a soft chuckle and a nod, "Quite true. I just need to figure out which weyr I'm going to fit it to." She tilts her head to the side and tugs at a damp curl absently. "I may have to get two, one for the weyr with Torey and one for Inya's weyr…"
"If you don't mind my asking," Ali begins, knowing that Orb doesn't usually mind her asking anything, "how did you and Torey wind up sharing a weyr? I mean, I know that you and Inya are kind of together, but where's Torey fit into it all?"
Orbit grins a bit, "Oh… I know it's a bit of a weyr scandle, their newest goldrider sharing a weyr with a greenrider.. and a girl at that. But it's nothing like a /relationship/. Tors is my best friend, and with us both being new at this, and somewhat young at impressing, we wanted to be together to have someone to talk with." She grins a little, "And it isn't like queens weyrs are small. Vae and Ivry get along well too."
"That sounds nice," Ali replies, a wistful note in her young voice. "To have someone to talk to all the time, like Ash. It's been the most difficult to be away from *her*." Pausing, she blinks, head tilting to the side once again, mouth opening again with the need to explain, "she's my twin. Did you know that? I have Uillauth, and I can talk to him, but it isn't the same as having her here. It's just, well, different."
Orbit gives a soft nod of understanding, "I don't really have any siblings.." a pause, "that I know about, but I know what you mean. There're just some things that a dragon doesn't quite understand the same way a human would. It's why I'm very glad to have Torey and Inya.." then she smiles a bit at the brownrider, "and you about."
"Oh, it isn't that I don't appreciate and need you around," Ali waves her hands in the air, trying to clear any lack of understanding that might exist. "You've been, well," she pauses, licking her lips, "the only friend I have here. But, it would be nice if she and I could curl up together on our bed and gossip the nights away like we used to."
Orbit ponders a bit, "Well… once you get your own weyr, there's nothing that says you can't invite your sister over for a night or two. And you'll always be welcome to come visit at my weyrs.." Yes, weyrs, plural. Orblet gives a nod, "You can have as many guests as you like, once you get your own weyr.."
"Was it hard for you, when you came here?" Ali's voice softens, as if worried someone else might hear the unsure child that's hidden in this not-quite-adult. "I'm not good with meeting new people, and I'm afraid that I'm not *going* to have people to bring to my weyr for late night gossip." Brown eyes open wide at the idea, undeniable wanting of a 'kindred spirit' evident in this one.
Orbit gives a little nod. "It's hard finding a place sometimes, especially if you're firmly established where you were before you were searched. I had some friends here already, which helped. But I was lonely for my foster family all through weyrlinghood." She reaches out to give Ali's shoulder a pat, "You'll have people to bring. The little one and I will come surely, and Inya too, quite likely. You'll make other friends once you join a wing, that helps too."
Ooh, an entirely *new* set of problems for Ali to worry about. "I heard someone talking about wings the other day. Are we put into certain wings, or are we chosen by wings, or do we choose? And what's the difference, there are so many." Worry worry. Don't get her started.
Orbit smiles a bit, "Oh… your wing will pick you. You'll be tapped into it. Already the riders from different wings are looking you over and discussing where we think you'll fit best, personality wise, and who you're friends with. Where we think you'll be comfortable." She pauses a moment to take a breath and start to lather her hair up with soap sand, "Of course, if we're wrong, you can always request a transfer later.." She gives a soft giggle, "I'd like you in Firestorm with me… but I hear that Stardancer and Galestormer want you too.." is whispered, gossip-ishly.
Ali laughs a little as she runs her fingers over the surface of the water and through the suds, "So I won't necessarily be with my fellow weyrlings, but should be with people that I'd fit in with?" A sigh of relief sounds from the weyrlings throat, and she grins, "That makes me feel a bit better about it."
Orbit gives a soft nod, "We try to find a wing you'll fit into nicely. Of course, you'll end up with one or two weyrlings in each wing, so you'll know someone there already. And we try to make sure that there's an older rider you'll feel comfortable with who's waiting to take you under his or her…" A pause, "wing, so to speak.."
Ali's giggles grow a little more confident, and she nods once again. "We learned ground formations today, but I'm sure you knew that already. It gave me a chance to watch some of the others." A quick shift leaves her leaning against one of the walls of the pool before she continues her explanation, "Some of my fellow weyrlings, or, more specifically, their lifemates, seem determined to be leaders. How are they going to like being in a wing and *not* being in charge?*
Orbit gives a soft grin and shrugs a bit, "Part of learning to be in a fighting wing is learning to take orders from your wingleader. If they truely show leadership qualities, they'll be nurtured and eventually, they'll make a wingsecond or wingleader position.." She can quote the weyr party line quite well?
"I can see that," Ali nods, but a crease lines her forehead, one of confusion or worry. "Zi'n and Orbyth were out with us today, and 'lauth says Orbyth was *not* happy when Uillauth and I were set as the point of one of the formations, even though it was clear we just happened to be in that part of the line to make it work best." Shoulders lift and she shakes her head again, "We just work hard to learn our parts. I like to think we're good at what we do, but I'd never be upset for not being chosen to lead."
Orbit gives a soft nod and a shrug, "Well.. you know how those bronze riders can be… men!" is exclaimed with a roll of her eyes and a giggle. "Who can ever understand'em. Myself, I'm perfectly happy with being a simple member of the wing…" She gives a soft shrug, "Surely he'll be done with that sort of thing by the time weyrlinghood is over though."
"I was wondering if it's just a bronze thing," Ali admits with a sheepish grin, "or if it was the bronze dragon and the rider together that made them want to be the center of attention at all times. I mean, look at R'kii, he loves being the attention as well, and T'nar…" her words trail off into nothing, having no words to explain T'nar.
Orbit beams a bit at the mention of her old candidate mates. "Oh… Zi'n and T'nar and well enough.. for boys. I like them, was a candidate with both.." is confided. "But.. they /are/ bronzeriders.." And who can figure them out? "Inya seems to like R'kii well enough though.."
"Who needs 'em?" Ali nods her head, causing ripples across the water. "Inya is really sweet, but I guess she's quiet like I am, or maybe we just don't talk much. I never did understand why she and R'kii are friends, though."
Orbit gives a soft shrug, "R'kii seems nice enough, from what I could tell from talking with him." She manages to look all dizzily love-struck, "If Inya is fond of him, it's good enough for me."
Ali obviously doesn't understand *that* relationship in the least bit, but she isn't going to ask, nope. Not this gal. Not tonight, anyway. "What are you going to name your baby?" Subject shift!
Orbit gives a soft beam, "I was thinking of Planit, actually…" is said softly. Quick, someone call the pun police? "Inya isn't so fond of that though, she doesn't like that it acknowledges P'kar as the father.."
"P'kar," Ali says the name quietly to herself, trying to place the name with a face. "I don't know if I've met him. Does Inya not like him, then?"
Orbit mms softly, "He's a male greenrider. A good friend of mine, but she's not too fond of him." Orblet ponders how to explain. "He's sorta.. ditzy." Ok, so he's your steriotypical male greenrider. "He kinda.. made her think that I had a boyfriend, before we figured things out.."
"Oooh, I see. She's jealous of him, right?" Ali isn't exactly all that great at beating around the subject, is she? Subtle? What's that? Ooh, another topic to pounce. "Why do you think a green dragon would choose a boy over a girl, being that the green is a female, or, of course, a brown choosing a girl. I'm definitely happy with Uillauth, but I never expected a male dragon to choose me, not that expected any of them to choose me, but," she pauses, realizing she's rambling, but shrugs, deciding to continue the ramble, "I'm a girl, a very girl, I think. I like gardens, but only because I like the flowers that come from them. I like dresses, and pretty things. I didn't think girls like me were brown dragon material. I guess I thought, well, that male dragons would prefer males, like bronzes do."
Orbit gives a soft shrug, repeating the classic cliche, "The dragon chooses. Who knows why, but their choice isn't ever wrong.." She gets all melty looking again as she thinks of Ivrylth, "They really are one half of you, once they choose you as theirs, haven't you noticed?"
Ali nods her head, accepting that as an answer, for now. "It's nice that he knows what I'm thinking, and knows what I need, but it's a little hard, getting used to have someone else in my thoughts all the time." A mischevious glint appears in her eye, "Uillauth has a way of making Keris go away when I don't have the nerve to tell him to on my own."
Orbit gives a soft giggle. "There's really nothing like a big ol' dragon coming after someone to get them to move in a hurry…" She shrugs a bit, "No matter how many times we tell the holders that they really do prefer herdbeast over holder, there're always some that just never believe.." She won't mention the herders that wish the dragons preferred holder…
Ali stretches her arms up above her head, and then pulls herself up to sit on the edge of the pool, legs still dangling down into the water. "He came to visit a few days ago, asking me to forgive him. I almost did, too," tongue slips quickly across her pink lips, dampening them again, "but now I don't think I ever will."
Orbit gives a bit of a blink, tilting her head to the side, "Really? What did he say, Ali? Was it that bad that you can't ever forgive him?" Inya would be Orblet's first serious real love and she can't imagine not forgiving her anything.
Ali takes a deep breath before trying to explain the meeting, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "He asked me to forgive him. Told me he loves me, and how he would try to come visit as often as he can, to see me." The crease reappears on her forehead as she speaks, frown deepening as she continues, "I told him how much what he did hurt me, and how it has been so hard on me. That I couldn't just pick up and start where we left off, giving him all of my love and trust again, asked if we could just start over."
Orbit gives a soft nod and starts to frown a bit, "That sounds reasonable to me, he didn't see it that way?" This Keris fella had best hope Orblet never finds him in a dark alley somewhere alone. He might not make it out and Ivrylth might have a snack.
"I told him that I love him and will probably always care for him, but I couldn't just forget how much it hurt me," Ali tries to explain to the best of her memory, keeping it as unbiased as one can when speaking of matters of their own heart. "But then he said 'but that isn't enough, is it?', and gave me this look like, well, like it was *my* fault we were in this situation. Like *I* went off and got handfasted. I was offering to him, going to give it another chance, but it wasn't good enough for him." A long sigh accents the end of the story, her usually straight posture suffering with it."
Orbit reaches out to give a shoulder pat, "Oh… I am sorry. And it isn't at all your fault." Orblet just harrumphs softly, privately of the oppinion that Ali is better off without such a male, but not quite tactless enough to say so. "It really isn't at all your fault, surely no one forced him to handfast someone else."
"I'll be alright," Ali assures her friend before pushing herself into a standing position and slithers into her clothes, despite the fact that she's still wet. "Thanks for listening though, really. But I need to get back, Uillauth has just woken, and he's hungry." With a small smile and a wave, she hurries out the door.
