Probably not Fate (open)

[Kisha-Ra]

Someone, somewhere, hated her, Darya was sure. Some great all controlling being or group of beings, some spirits of the past, or maybe even just the nature of the universe itself really, really disliked her. That had to be it. There was just no other reason for this. Assistant weyrlingmaster, what a joke those cruel fates were having.

Darya raised an eyebrow at her paperwork and snorted. Fate, uncaring or otherwise? Was that seriously the best thought she could come up with? Normally she had no problem admitting the obvious, and then mocking it. No one wanted this job and someone probably said ’Hey, Darya’s really dreadfully bad at saying no, why don’t you ask her?’. Yes, that sounded very likely. Of course the worst thing was that she wouldn’t be able to just do as F’ur had (most sensibly) done and give up, she’d be stuck here until she died of frustration, or until she got kicked out for inappropriate behaviour.

That last thought comforted Darya somewhat, simply because with her shining track record for getting caught up either Azrath’s passions or Imp’s it wouldn’t take her all that long to be dropped from this post like a hot rock. Well, it was a slightly amusing thought anyway. She could just imagine the reactions when she started chasing her class around. Hopefully there’d be someone around who wasn’t totally incapacitated with laughter around who could sit on her until it was all over.

Well anyway she’d better get on with this damn paperwork, even though K’sel was done with his lessons and the new lot weren’t onto their first proper lesson yet the paperwork was still there to haunt her. Even though if there anything really important in the heaps it would be out of date by the time she found it. The papers were breeding weren’t they? For one moment Darya suffered a vision of heaps of paper slowly growing and producing new heaps of their own violation, then swiftly tried to get rid of it. That was very disturbing thought.

Darya’s eyes flicked around her office before settling back on the papers in front of her (which refused to combust, no matter how hard she glared), she should really get something in here to fiddle with, so she could avoid the plague of papers, or even occasionally leave the room. She really should find out a bit more about her class (she’d tried giving them to Sel’n but it hadn’t worked) sometime too, otherwise she was going to get a shock when she blundered into the classroom.

Stupid paper still hadn’t gone away, maybe it was fate.

[Requiem]

"Hello?" He rapped on the door again, harder this time.

Maybe the Azrath's isn't here, X'rxMine. Eveyth lay curled by his feet, yawning widely and butting at the door with her head to help Hers make a louder noise. He could, of course, just raise his voice, but something about being polite. Whatever polite was.

"She's in there. I'm certain of it," he responded quietly, wrinkling his nose. "Just determined not to hear us." Adjusting his armful, he tried the door. Locked. Really?

You're sure?

"Here." He set his burden down beside Eveyth, fishing around for...yes, there they were. Drudges had a few tricks up their sleeves, after all. It wouldn't be the first locked door he'd encountered. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching his...less than morally sound actions...X'rx jiggled the lock, nodding to himself at the soft click. He eased the door open with a foot, picking up the basket.

That was when Eveyth decided to rush inside. (Not to be beaten, not even by Hers.) X'rx squeaked, falling against the doorframe as the streak of green skittered across the floor, kicking up sparks from her long claws and trying hard to stop...before she slammed into the desk and crumpled into an ignominious heap with a quiet Ow, broadcasted to all in the room. X'rx winced, following after her and wincing - again - when the dragon batted at one of the falling papers and shore it in two with her claws.

He took a moment to crouch down and make sure his girl was okay...Eveyth too busy batting at papers to pay him much heed, her tail lashing playfully. He pushed her forelegs away a bit to protect the last of what might be important documents, which turned into her pressing against the push, delighted at this new game. Glancing up, he tried to see Darya past the desk, smiling rather sheepishly (if she could see it at this angle.)

The boy reached up and pushed the basket he'd been carrying across the desk toward her. "Sorry about that. Seems the latch on the door is loose," he commented cheerily.

[Kisha-Ra]

The cessation of a sound she’d been hearing for the last few minutes as she idly brooded made Darya realise that someone had been knocking at the door. Well it was locked, so whoever it was had likely come to the conclusion that she wasn’t in there, either that or they’d noticed that she was ignoring them because the knocking had stopped, and she was sure those little sounds outside the door had to be someone walking away.

Shame. Anything had to be more interesting than this, did she even need to know this crap? Could she hire someone with more patience to sort the gold from the dross in this mass of paper?

As Darya was considering these thoughts the lock clicked open and the door opened slowly, for about an inch, and then burst open with a squeak and a clatter or claws. Darya looked up just in time to see a green hatchling slide headfirst into her desk and a boy who was presumably this little dragon’s bonded fall against the doorframe. Darya very nobly resisted the urge to slam her head against the desk.

On the good side all her tiresome paperwork had gone flying off the desk (or was it that the desk had been slammed back by the impact of even a baby dragon against it and the papers had just stayed where they were?) and were currently being shredded by the overlong claws of the green weyrling. Just for that Darya decided she liked the green. Yes, it was true, Darya had even less tolerance for paperwork than she had for anything else.

Darya wasn’t convinced either of the greenpair could see her properly from where they were but she raised an eyebrow inquiringly anyway, and did her best to suppress the mirth that sparkled in her pale eyes. Weyrlingmasters were not supposed to start laughing at weyrling pairs bursting into her office and slicing up the paperwork, no matter how funny it really was. She leaned forward and propped her elbow on the desk and her chin on her closed fist instead. ‘I’m certain it is.’ Darya’s tone highly suggested that she was anything but certain of this. ‘I’m sure I locked it.' if this pair were so determined to get in here that they’d ignore a locked door and being ignored Darya was pretty sure a minor reprimand like that would give them no trouble.

‘However,’ she continued, rather curious as to what had been so important that they’d had to try breaking down the door, then fiddle the lock (she assumed that was how these two got in) when she wouldn’t answer ‘Since you’re in here you may as well tell me what you want.’ She had a sinking feeling it ha something to do with this basket that had been shoved across her desk. At least it wasn’t making any suspicious noises, so therefore could not contain anything living that the lad and his green might find it amusing to spring on her.

[Requiem]

Was it bad to cut the papers? I didn't mean to, Eveyth questioned Hers meekly, though she still tested his strength, her tail curling around his leg. She loved touching her mindmate, for she'd had a small scare at the Hatching, not being able to locate him right away - not that you could tell while she was racing her clutchsister - and while she didn't remember it, the need to reassure herself of his presence remained.

X'rx, who hadn't developed the knack for speaking mind-to-mind as some of his classmates seemed to master instantaneously (likely because he was older and not naturally adaptive, being a creature of routine and patterns) whispered softly to her. "No, I don't think she's angry, beautiful. Still, probably better not to kill any more paper. Mm?" I won't. Can we unkill them? "Unkill? You mean...fix? Paper doesn't go back together very well, I don't think." He actually didn't know. Being illiterate, paper had never really meant much to him.

Eveyth crooned anxiously, rolling to her feet and nudging at him. The Azrath speaks. Listen! "So she does," he couldn't help but respond, somewhat amused at how anxious Eveyth was that he catch every word. Adorable little thing. She butted against him again. You can admire and love at me later. X'rxMine... she whined, and he turned his full attention to Darya so as to calm his girl.

He merely smiled up at her, the expression not changing a bit as she commented on her locked door. It wasn't precisely a fib, after all. The latch was loose. He'd simply helped it into that state a little, was all. Stand up. On feet, on feet, Eveyth directed, nudging at him again. Isn't that the polite thing you talk about? He stood, careful to back up a little as he did so, not wishing to crowd Darya. He found he liked the woman on sight. She seemed no nonsense, yes, but she wasn't angry about the door (or the papers) and he could have sworn she was about to laugh just a moment ago.

"My mother said you hadn't been in yet. For lunch," he stated mildly, nodding toward the basket. It never occured to him to explain who his mother was or why she'd keep tabs on the weyrlingmaster; no one usually cared about such details. "There's eggs, too. For your salamandyr. They like eggs, don't they?" Settling a hand on Eveyth, who had squirmed backward to peek curiously at the woman, half-attempting to hide behind him, X'rx's smile turned a touch sheepish. "Although I did want to ask your help. I know we haven't started lessons yet or anything, but some of the other weyrlings are already talking to their dragons," he gestured vaguely, 'in their heads. And, no matter how they explain it, I can't seem to. Eveyth said you should be able to help. I think I'm frustrating her."

The small green coiled around him, whining quietly. You're not frustrating me. Whatever that means. It's bad, isn't it? No, no. You are just the best, and I don't want anyone thinking different because you can't talk to me inside yet. Her head swiveled toward Darya. She was friendly, but she still didn't make a habit of addressing other humans. This, she thought, was a special case. You will help, won't you? Even though I killed your papers? Mine doesn't think they can be unkilled, she added, the remorse light but noticeable in her tones.

[Kisha-Ra]

The whispered conversation, or rather it was partially whispered, at the other side of the desk amused her. Especially after she caught the word paper a couple of times amongst the other, more incomprehensible words. It occurred to her that this probably meant she had paperwork on the brain and needed to get out more.

There was an instant response when she started speaking, although it was from the dragon half of the pair, and the comment that followed made Darya realise the green had been talking about her. Well she hoped the opening statement hadn’t been ’she seems to be an idiot.’ or similar. The green clearly wanted her bonded to stand up as well, she seemed to be the one in charge in this pair so far, Dary6a thought, blithely unaware that though she considered herself and Azrath equal partners they probably came off the same way.

Darya worked out that the lad’s mother must work in the kitchens, though why she’d pay attention to whether or not Darya was there was a mystery, unless this was supposed to be some kind of bribery to get her son into Darya’s good graces (not that Darya would admit to having any). If that was the case she’d have to look up his mother (whosoever she was) and tell her that it’d be quicker and easier than feeding Darya to get her son and his dragon to shred every paper infesting Darya’s desk. She certainly wouldn’t miss any of them.

Eggsssss? The sibilant mindvoice emanated from nearby only a moment before a bronze streak wriggled out of the desk drawer and dove into the basket in search of his treat. Eggs! Favourite eggs! Good is. the bronze salamandyr announced, emerging from the basket with an egg most people would have sworn the bronze couldn’t pick up, much less carry, in his mouth. Imp rapidly vanished back into his new lair to wolf down the first of what he hoped would be many eggs. He liked these two, he did!

Darya vaguely wondered why Imp had to hiss the word eggs when he referred to them as food, she also wondered what his eating eggs in there was going to leave the contents of that drawer looking like.

Ah, ulterior motives, now that was something she understood, Darya mused as she peered at the contents of the basket. Of course it would have to be something she’d never thought much about. She and Azrath had always just, talked, without any complications. On that note she sent a wordless query to Azrath, who considered things. Maybe that was part of it? Too many words.

Eveyth speaking to her was a surprise, not many new weyrlings wanted to speak to someone other than their bonded, though Darya suspected this was exactly what it seemed, a mere check to make sure Darya wasn’t going to withhold whatever help she could give over the papers. ‘I’m thinking about it Eveyth, I can’t say it’s a problem I’ve ever had.’ Darya fell silent again for a few moments, frowning at the door as she thought

Right, it looked like they were well bonded, and Eveyth certainly had no problem talking with X’rx (okay so that list had been useful after all), so no problems on that score. It could be some kind of confidence thing on X’rx’s part she supposed. Well it wouldn’t hurt to talk to them, would it?

Darya decided it wouldn’t and waved a hand at the only other chair in the room, indicating that X’rx could sit down if he wished and could be bothered to evict a stack of old paperwork, stupid stuff got everywhere, and she wasn’t convinced it was all hers either. ‘You two can sense the, er, sort of emotional levels with each other can’t you? If you don’t know what I’m asking you can say so, I’m fumbling around the concept here.’ Darya didn’t normally think in the terms she was trying to now, but the wordless communication of concepts she exchanged with Azrath had given her a vague idea. It was working out the rest of it on the fly that was going to be the hard part.

[Requiem]

It's a little, X'rxMine. Hi little! Eveyth chimed to Imp, wriggling slightly in her happiness. "It's a salamandyr," he corrected beneath his breath. Wrath, is the little that just went into the drawer a salamandyr, like Mine says? X'rx stared down at her, an awkward expression tugging at his lips as he questioned, "You didn't believe me?" I believe you think it's a salamandyr but I wanted to ask Wr...How did you hear that, X'rxMine? "I...what? I always hear you." He glanced up at Darya, feeling more than just a little shy. It would have been much more convenient if this conversation could have been keep fully private. She seemed to be pondering their problem now, though, so he wasn't sure if she heard them at all.

Padding over to the chair, he pushed lightly at Eveyth. "I don't think the Weyrlingmaster wants any more of your...help...with her papers, lovely," he commented quietly, setting them aside and pulling the chair up around the side of the desk. No, he hadn't intended to get that close, but as soon as he turned his back Eveyth had circled around the desk, and was now nosing at the drawer that had the salamandyr in it, sniffing curiously.

"Emotional levels? Like...can I tell how she's feeling? Yeah, I have no trouble with that. It was...downright overwhelming at first," he responded honestly. He glanced over at Eveyth, but she was busy trying to ease the drawer further open so she could peer in without disturbing the bronze inside. "And she's been in my head from the start. Emotions. Thoughts. She'll respond to everything...sometimes before I even know I have them." There was just the slightest touch of wonder behind his voice. For someone who had never bonded to anything before, this bond with his dragon was something he never could have fathomed.

Frowning slightly, he realized that made it sound like he could talk to her in his mind. Whoops. "But it's only like...she picks up on what's there. I can't send her anything specific? I've tried to talk to her by thinking at her but it doesn't work. I don't think it's a big problem or anything, but she was upset when she found out I was trying to talk to her but she couldn't hear. And, well...it's inconvenient for everyone else to have to listen to my half of the conversation," he concluded quietly.

Eveyth was listening as well. She was. The little - the salamandyr - was very interesting to her, though. She'd finally gotten the drawer open just enough. You like the egg, little salamandyr? Mine has a dam, and she lays many eggs. We can bring more if you like. Would you like more? What is your name, little salamandyr? I am called Eveyth, and Mine is X'rxMine.

[Kisha-Ra]

Darya raised an eyebrow at Eveyth’s sudden interest in Imp, she’d probably outgrow that once she’d been around a few more salamandyrs. In spite of the problems he caused Darya Imp was one of the sweet ones. As X’rx and Eveyth mumbled to each other, or whatever the correct term actually was, Darya frowned softly.

‘In fact I wouldn’t mind some more of my paperwork shredded.’ Darya took an interest again abruptly, inwardly sighing as she noted it was once again at paperwork. One track mind much? ‘Most of it came with office.’ She added as if that would naturally explain everything.

Darya decided to just ignore the dragon for now, it wasn’t like she was doing any harm, Imp was unlikely to bite her, and Darya needed to focus on X’rx, and on forming the rest of her plan. The bluerider propped her chin on her fist again and fixed X’rx with a disturbingly intense gaze as the boy spoke, as if she could distil the exact meaning behind his words just by staring at him intently. It seemed to her, and to Azrath, who was now a silent observer in his rider’s mind, that Eveyth might well be taking all the communication upon herself. The question was, could they do anything about it? Darya certainly hoped so. it was their first real challenge, since their last class had been just one weyrling pair, and they had been close to graduating when Darya and Azrath had taken over.

They communicate, no doubt they would get through given time. Azrath observed, and Darya could sense the busy thoughts behind the blue dragon’s measured words. Maybe they’re placing too much on the words that don’t get through? As you thought, much of our communication is in thoughts, ideas concepts Azrath finally settled on the term he wanted. rather than words, it’s faster and more convenient. What harm does it do?[/color]

For us? None, but they aren’t us Azrath, that should be obvious. And what harm does it do them? It upsets them. So lets think about this semi logically, then make a leap of intuition when it fails. ‘Okaaay…’ Darya drew out the one word a little, making it clear she was thinking. ‘Azrath and I have a couple of ideas. To be honest though, we’re going to be a bit hampered, because, as Azrath pointed out to me, we do a lot of our talking in concepts rather than words. I think we got there from the exact opposite direction.’ Darya cheerfully confessed that, it probably wouldn’t make either of the greenpair feel better though.

‘Anyway, enough of my rambling. Since you do have what sounds like a great deal of emotional communication, you’ve got a good tight bond going there. I can give you some exercises to strengthen it if you want, but we’ll be covering them in class, and I don’t think it’s going to be the answer in this case.’ Darya carried on with what she referred to as her rambling almost instantly after saying that was enough. Unfortunately the only way she could approach the situation seemed to be long winded. ‘I think you might be subconsciously letting Eveyth do all the work. You’re putting you thoughts out there for her to hear, but only if she happens to be listening. You need to go just a little further. Turn your thoughts inward for a moment, and look for the Eveyth-ness in your mind. I’m sorry I can’t describe it any better than that. You should be able to sort of, reach you thoughts out of that part of your joined minds.’ Darya concluded lamely, embarrassed by her own inability to explain things that were as easy as breathing. ‘Don’t worry too much if you can’t, it’s probably my clumsy explaining.’ She added.

Imp, meanwhile, paid no attention to the human conversation. Not about eggs, green firelizards, or how wonderful he was? Not interesting! Wait a second, why was his drawer opening? Imp flared his frill and gobbled the rest of his snack before looking up to see who was looking in. Oh, just a giant green hatchling… Hihi. Much good. Many eggs, more eggs, not eat? Imp hopped out of his hideout and onto the surface of the desk, happily posing so the gint hatchling could admire him. He liked eggs yes, but wouldn’t the human egg layer be mad and eat him if he ate some of her clutch? Darter egg layers tried that, but he was sneaky, and fast. Imp hopped up and down and frilled proudly at that thought. Imp is I. Mine this. Imp knew the answer to that question!

[Requiem]

X'rx settled his hands in his lap, idly straightening the wrinkles from his pants as he watched her attempting to think, trying not to distract Darya. When her words came, they came in a flood, and it would be a lie to say that he'd managed to follow more than half of it, if only because he would start thinking about one thing she said and lose everything that came after for awhile. That she knew what she was talking about seemed obvious; that he couldn't actually follow what she was saying, though, seemed equally obvious. Quite a bother, in the long run.

"The Eveythness?" he repeated, his tone clearly questioning and not just a little disbelieving. How was he supposed to find the Eveythness in his mind? For that matter, how did one go about exploring his own mind? Even with most of her attention still on Imp, the green mentally nudged him, urging without words that he at least try what Darya had suggested.

Okay, so like brooding or daydreaming...just get lost in your own thoughts, right? Shouldn't be too hard. Other people did that sort of thing all the time, after all, and it wasn't as if he'd never daydreamed before. X'rx relaxed, trying to just let his mind...think. Did it feel any different than normal? Not really. He did feel excited and happy to be meeting the new...right. Eveyth's emotions. Where her emotions were, shouldn't her thoughts be...right around there? If one's mind was spatial and mapped out logically, which seemed a ridiculous thing after considering it. How was he to know just what his mind was like? For all he knew it was more like a great, quivering gelatinous mass that had no rhyme nor reason...

Mine, what are you prattling on about? So silly sometimes.

Whether it was Darya's suggestion of finding the 'Eveythness' or simply because he was concentrating more on his green, it suddenly felt as if her words were coming from somewhere. Maybe, then, if he thought in that...direction so to speak...it would reach her? Evvie, can you he- I told you the Azrath's would help! Oh, now we have to do something for her. X'rx smiled slightly, shaking his head. What about the lunch? You talking to me requires more than lunch, don't you know? Didn't she say...?

Oh, bother. "I don't think you probably should have - " Eveyth bounced over to the papers on the floor, raking her claws through them and throwing it in the air to try to catch them before they hit the ground. Yours doesn't like the papers, Imp. Help me kill them dead? "-told her that," he finished with a sheepish smile.

"It...seems to have worked," he added meekly, his smile gaining warmth and just the barest touch of excitement. Though that could have been Eveyth. What's an Imp? Well, I don't know. What's an Eveyth? I'm an Eveyth, silly! she chimed, liking this game as she waged war on the Weyrlingmaster's papers. And he's an Imp.

Fidgeting slightly, he fought the urge to drop to his knees and start cleaning up all that mess of shredded paperwork. "I can...fix it...I promise," he commented, mildly distressed.

[Kisha-Ra]

Darya’s eyebrows drew together a little more as she noticed X’rx was looking rather confused. That was what you got for having to explain things without the right vocabulary for it, if there actually was one for this situation. The Eveythness? Darya nodded solemnly and tried hard to look like she knew what she was talking about.

At least she seemed to have made enough sense for X’rx to try and follow her instructions, such as they were. Darya resisted the urge to tap her foot or wriggle around while she was waiting, definitely needed some things to fiddle with in here. At last, after forever, there was some slight change in their body language that made Darya lean forward again, expecting a breakthrough.

She was not, however, expecting Eveyth to leap on a pile of extraneous paperwork and start shredding it, and tossing it up in the air. Help kill. Evilbadbad papers. KILL Imp came streaking over the desk and bounded through the drifts of paper, grabbing and shaking sheets to death, and tearing great rents in them with his talons. He wasn’t as destructive as Eveyth but he was certainly just as enthusiastic, if not more. The papers were keeping his human pet in here, rather than doing anything Imp wanted her to do, therefore they were evil, and thus he would destroy them! Imp backed up a few steps, frilled and hissed defiantly at the strewn papers. Feel his wrath!

For a moment Darya was silent and still, then, faced with Eveyth’s enthusiasm in paper shredding, the scraps of paper that drifted around her office, X’rx’s obvious discomfort, and the onslaught of fierce satisfaction from Imp, Darya did the only thing that seemed exactly right for the situation: folded up with hysterical laughter.

Once, she’d recovered enough to look at X’rx without bursting out into a fresh batch of silly giggles Darya waved a hand at the mess. ‘It’s alright. I don’t think anything down there was that important anymore, and if it was someone will soon demand to know why I haven’t dealt with it yet.’ Darya seemed remarkably cheerful at the new outbreak of chaos in her office. Of course it helped that Eveyth had only done what Darya had been longing to. ‘At least no one around here will be short of something to start a fire with.’ She added, watching Imp viciously shake half a piece of paper.

‘On a lighter note, I’m glad that seems to have worked. Although I confess I’m still not sure how it prompted your dragon to start attacking heaps of paper.’ Darya raised an eyebrow inquiringly at X’rx, taking a bit of malicious pleasure in putting him on the spot. How was she going to get rid of all this? And if she told someone her paperwork had been attacked by a weyrling, would they stop giving her the damn stuff?

[Requiem]

Eveyth was gleefully going about her good deed, not oblivious to the discomfort of Hers, but not acknowledging it, either. The Azrath's had said she wanted it, after all, and would Imp be helping if it wasn't all right? (It was a logical enough progression, though if she'd been more familiar with salamandyrs Eveyth likely wouldn't have jumped to that conclusion.) The laughter only confirmed it. That and the easing she felt from Hers, the green sending him a brief touch of approval. Mines must be trained, they must. If she didn't acknowledge his silly feelings and encouraged his ease, eventually the silly feelings would go away.

Oblivious to Eveyth's plotting - if it could be called that - X'rx allowed himself to chuckle as well, more than just a little relieved that Darya hadn't flown into a rage and started throwing things at him or Eveyth. Still, he wasn't totally at ease, considering his hands had wandered up to Darya's desk and begun straightening things there without him even knowing it. Busy hands calmed him.

Nodding, he smiled at her, genuine happiness behind it. He was glad Eveyth wasn't worried anymore. (X'rx himself tended to believe that he would get things eventually, so it was perhaps the one thing he didn't fret about; being a little slower to pick things up compared to others.) The smile faded a little at her question, though, and he lined up a cup left on the table an exact six inches from both the front and the side of the desk, at the corner nearest him. "Uh. Well, she said that...that you helped us, so we should return the favor...and you said something about not minding shredding the papers." Fidget. Fidget.