Midnight Snack (Open)

[Invisible]

Insomnia was not something that Genet normally dealt with. Usually she was asleep nearly as soon as her head hit her pillow. Her mother had always believed getting up early made one a better person so sleep was essential to Genet’s having a good day. She was certainly not a morning person. At least in the fact that she hated being up early. It didn’t make her grumpy so much as annoyed with the world. Which was entirely different she would point out when she needed to. This was all why she found herself completely at loose ends when she tossed and turned as others slept around her. Finally giving up she dressed in the dark, a skill she’d picked up as a child when her and her brother would sneak out for some reason or other.

Once dressed she made her way to the door and then out into the hall. It was there she paused, completely unsure of where she might even go. She was still not used to the Weyr, but there were a few places she could find without much thought. Letting her feet take over she scuffed along, dodging an occasional late night drudge or fellow insomniac without thinking. There had been a few times since the hatching she had wondered about going home, but she could never bring herself to do it. Not when G’tet had managed to get her here in the first place.

Pushing open the door to the kitchen she let out a sigh. She had thought it would be an easier adjustment from home to the Weyr, but for some reason she was having a harder time than she had figured on. Maybe that was why she was up now. The kitchen was in an unusual state of near rest this time of night and other than a few sleepy looks she was left be. Getting her bearings she found the klah and poured herself a generous mug. This would not help her sleep, but so be it. Adding to that a slice of older bread with some available preserves she found a spot in the corner with an unused table. Propping her elbows on the table she watched the sleepiness around her and considered what to do now.

[hails]

Nysta woke from a deep, dreamless sleep to the sound of snoring. She looked around, pupils dilating in the dim light of a few glows. But the sound had stopped. Her mouth was terribly dry, had she been the one snoring? She never snored, at least not her her knowledge. And why was her throat so sore?

As she sat up in bed, her nose began to run and she noticed a dull pounding in her head. Great. She was sick. With a grumpy pout, she kicked off her covers and stumbled her way into the kitchen, not even bothering to change out of her nightclothes. Her hair was probably a cowlicked mess and if she looked as bad as she felt, she wished mercy on whoever saw her.

Feeling very much like she was still asleep, she put leaves and herbs in a small pot filled with water and sat it to boil. Maybe some spices, too, to help unclog her sinuses. A nice cup of tea with honey was what her mother always fixed her when a cold was creeping up. She hummed to herself as she waited for the water to bubble, the simple tune interspersed with a few sniffles and a sneeze.

[Invisible]

Even in the middle of the night people came and went from the kitchen. Many of them didn’t linger or went right to some task or other and so were ignored by Genet. They would not give her what she desired. No conversation would occur if they were just passing though. A glum sigh escaped her lips as she took another bite of her bread and then licked preserves off her fingers. It was really very good, but eating alone was no fun.

Possible interaction came in the form of…wow. Genet just stared for a few moments at Nysta. Shaking off the brief stun at seeing someone willingly going out like that Genet smiled. No matter what she looked like the making of tea made it seem as if she would stick around. “Hi!” Genet called out to the humming sneezing woman. Humming was a good sign. Surely someone who would hum was not too dull! “You can sit over here. It’s just me. I couldn’t sleep. What happened to you? It looks like a wherry tried to nest in your hair!” A cheerful smile as she said those words accompanied a wave of her hand to another chair.

[hails]

Nysta ceased her humming as the tea became nice and warm. It was a habit she only did while cooking, something she picked up from her mother. She carefully poured it into a mug and began to stir a large amount of honey into the liquid. She knew other people were about but it still surprised her when she was spoken to...and slightly insulted. Mug in one hand, Nysta self-consciously felt the top of her head. Yep, very messy.

"Hi," she said softly as she sat across the woman at the table. She took a long sip from her mug and let out a content sigh. She cleared her throat with a small cough. "My name's Nysta. It's nice to meet you. I can't really sleep either. Think I'm coming down with something." Then she peered at the bread the woman had nearly devoured. A small snack wouldn't go amiss and if she was getting sick, she should try to keep her appetite up. She got herself a slice of bread, the end slice was her favorite, and slathered on the preserves. Surely the woman would comment about her sweet tooth and chide her as others often did.

[Invisible]

“Normally I sleep like there’s no waking up,” Genet said with a bright smile. “I don’t know why I can’t sleep tonight but it’s so not right.” She huffed quietly and shook her head. “Well, no sense getting upset about it, right? That won’t change anything. I refuse to get upset over things I can’t change. Even if I hate being up at night because there’s never anything to do.” The rest of the bread is stuffed into her mouth and it’s not until she’s chewed and swallowed that she speaks again.

“I’m Genet. I haven’t been here too long. My brother’s here though. Well, not right now. He’s away somewhere right now. He’s a rider. Her name is Kalpeth and she’s the most adorable dragon I’ve ever met. Not that I’ve met that many or anything, but still. Oh. And he's G'tet. We're twins. I'm older though so if you ever meet him don't listen to what he says!” This time she pauses to take a drink of her klah. She never seems to take a break to breathe, but eating and drinking is something else. Genet does notice the preserves and grins widely. “Aren’t they the best? I swear there were none as good at home. I could just eat a whole jar by myself. Of course then I’d get super fat like my nana. I have no desire to do that. Have you always lived here?”

[hails]

Nysta idly wondered why the woman, Genet was her name and a very pretty one at that, was so talkative despite it being so late and eerie. After she chewed and swallowed a bite of the bread she found herself nearly whispering in response.

"I don't have a brother," she began. "I mean, I suppose I had one once but I was the only one to actually be born and live. I can't imagine having a twin who's a dragonrider, though." She was going to say that it seemed a lot to live up to but decided that bordered on being rude. "There's no dragonriders in my family as far as I know. Except for maybe a distant cousin." She mused to herself for a moment before coughing into her hand.

She winced and swallowed down a gulp of tea. She might have to go get a lozenge from a Healer if her throat refused to get better. Nysta rubbed it before answering the older woman's question. "I was actually born at Telgar Hold. My mom's from here, though, so when my dad died a bit ago, she decided to move us back so I could be around family." And without waiting for sympathy or pity, she jumped into a question of her own, "What about you? Are you a Candidate or a worker or...?" Nysta had a foggy idea about the requirements of being a Candidate and she was fairly sure that the woman wasn't too old. She only seemed a few years older than herself, actually.

[Invisible]

Being wondered about is something Genet is used to so if she knew about it from this girl she’d just shrug it off. Since she didn’t there wasn’t even a shrug from her. “I have lots of brothers and sisters. Well, six not counting G’tet. But we were late babies and none of the others were any fun at all so we spent all our time together. Never separated until four turns ago when he was searched.” Taking a drink from her klah she sets down the near empty mug and lets out a faint sigh. “And now. Stupid Weyrleader.” Blinking she looks over at Nysta and grins. “Oops. I shouldn’t say that stuff.”

“G’tet’s the first in our family. My parents were horribly embarrassed I think because Kalpeth is green but I think it’s ridiculous. I mean, a dragon is a dragon.” Shaking her head she peered at her mug. “I am so glad to be away from them. I am thankful to be here. I was a candidate. It was dreadfully dull and boring even on the sands. It was exciting to watch the dragons impress to people but waiting for that one egg to hatch was horribly boring.” Standing up she picked up her mug and grinned. “I’m gonna get more klah. I know it just keeps me awake and I don’t need that but I am already up. Want more bread? What do you do here? I haven't settled into anything yet."

[hails]

The rest of the bread was consumed while Genet explained her family life. So she wasn't from the Weyr either? Nysta smiled as she drank the last of her cooling tea. Honey had sank to the bottom, out of reach. At least the herbs would hopefully help soothe her throat and sinuses. She shook her head at Genet's offer for more bread. The tea was already working to make her drowsy but since she was rarely allowed to converse with others during the day...

"Dragons seem nice but I haven't had the chance to get to know one personally. I'm always in the kitchens here helping my mom bake. I'm still not used to everything." She chuckled. "I mean, I don't mind working in the kitchens but I want to be able to do my own thing and try out different ingredients." Her voice dropped to a confidential whisper. "But only the older cooks get to do that and only for special occasions." She was also going to tell her about her love of making candies and other treats, but held back because of the other people drifting around. People seemed so hard-wired to focus on necessity when all anyone needed was a bit of fun and something sugar-coated.

Now that her stomach was content, she leaned back in the chair and began to try and comb her hair out with her fingers. Because it was short, it untangled easily enough though it still looked slept in and would until she could wet it in the morning. She also desperately hoped no men decided to lurk about. Maybe she should've at least taken the time to at least throw on some pants.

[Invisible]

“Just because you have to work all the time doesn’t mean you have to work all the time,” Genet said with a grin. Refilling her klah and fixing herself more preserves with a sliver of bread to smear them on she returns and plops back into her seat. “You get a rest day surely? I mean, they don’t have you working all the time. That’s not right if they do. You should complain. Everyone gets a rest day.” Shaking her head she sipped her drink before taking a big bite of her bread. “When G’tet and Kalpeth get back you can meet her,” she offers after swallowing her snack. “Although she won’t remember. Kalpeth is fun like that.”

Well, fun is one way of describing Kalpeth’s memory. “You know,” she said conversationally after peeking around to be sure no one was too close. “You don’t need permission to everything. So long as you don’t get caught. G’tet and I used to do all sorts of things that if we’d asked we’d be told no. Oh! Don’t you have anything you can trade? You could go to the Caminar and see what they had! I could go with you. My brother searched one and I had to go fetch his things on account of him being hurt. I also got this nifty pendant.” As if the amber around her neck needed to be she picked up its chain and waggled it around. “Isn’t it the best? Come on! We can go see them tomorrow. I have some marks. My brother’s bets came through and some of them gave the marks to me to hold for his return.” And since he was not back yet she would gladly go spend them.

[hails]

"Oh, I get rest days," Nysta said with a chuckle. "And I spend them doing exactly that. Resting. Or mending clothes or visiting relatives I've never heard of. Like just last week I had to go eat lunch with my great-great aunt or something and she fell asleep in the middle of it."

And then she listened wide-eyed to Genet's ideas. Visit her brother's dragon? Wow, that would be amazing. Something she could tell all her old friends if she went to the Hold for a visit. And she didn't need permission to bake what she wanted? The thought had never occurred to her. And the Caminar...what if she made some sweets to trade? Tarts were simple enough to make and she could make a few in different flavors. Perhaps that'd be enough for a small trinket of her own. She didn't want to resort to borrowing money she had no way to repay.

"That sounds great," she said with an excited bounce. "My mom told me to stay away from the Caminar in case they try to kidnap me." A roll of her eyes told what she thought of the idea. "But I'm sure she won't mind if I went with someone else! Or I could just sneak away after breakfast." Her mind was now abuzz with plans and ideas, sickness forgotten.

((I just thought of how funny it'd be if she accidentally coughed on the food and infected half the Weyr. I had a friend do that once and it was hilarious...after we got over being sick, that is.))

[Invisible]

“You know,” Genet pointed out all helpfully, “A rest day is yours to do what you want. Just tell your mother no. She can’t force you to do things you don’t want to do.” Genet was most helpful in these matters. Nevermind her own mother’s grey hairs that tripled with the twins. “Just disappear before she can haul you along. Or fake sick. Is your mother…I don’t know, if I claimed my monthly my mother would flee the room and I could do as I liked wherever.” Stopping for a drink she grins a charming, if somewhat mischievous, grin that made her look much like her missing twin. “She never even noticed I got those at least twice a month.” Stuffing the rest of her bread in her mouth she held up a preserves stained finger while chewing.

Once she’d washed the last of her snack down with klah she smiled again. “What your mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Just say you’re going with a friend to do…oh, whatever. No need to have her try to deny you your chance.” It is not that Genet means to get people in trouble. It is just that she has never seen a reason for obeying silly restrictions. Those were for the other people who wouldn’t take a risk. If there was any guilt at possibly causing this girl trouble it only came out in, “You just have to be sure you’re up for punishment if you get caught. Does your mother beat you? A beating can be worth it, but if that’s a risk we’ll have to make sure we have that much more fun.” It is probably not that hard to imagine an exasperated Genet’s mother turning her and her brother over to their father for a sound thrashing.

“Anyway! We’ll go in the morning! Well, it’s already morning. Perfect! You’re clearly too sick to work. You can just cough for your mother and all. Do you know how to fake a fever? Wait, no, that could get healers involved. Ugh. We don’t want to risk it.” Genet mulled over options while sipping her klah and wondered how it was none of the people her own age seemed to want anything to do with her. She kept getting stuck with kids. It was somewhat annoying. The good news was, kids were easier to lead around. Not that she meant to. She just needed someone to have fun with until G’tet returned. As an afterthought she asked, "Do you have something nice to wear? It never hurts to look pretty." She was good enough to keep the doubt out of her voice on that last part. After all, it's not like Nysta looked so great right now.

[hails]

Nysta nodded at Genet's many suggestions. "I'll just tell her I don't feel good. She probably won't want me around food if I'm sick anyways." She smiled. "And then I'll get dressed up and meet up with you. If she does ask where I'm going, I'll just say I'm meeting your brother or something." A rather foolproof, if not simple plan. Her mother would most likely be happy that she looked to be making friends around the Weyr.

And as for looking pretty, she already had an outfit in mind. A very feminine cream blouse with a purple circle skirt. The skirt had once been cream like the top until Nysta got bored one day and decided to dip-dye it. It was now one of her favorite skirts. "It'd also show her that I don't always look like something the wher dragged in."

[Invisible]

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Genet says with a shake of her head. “The meeting my brother part anyway. G’tet’s gone and all. And of course I know that so would never say to anyone to come meet him! No, just say we’re doing something. Surely I am good enough without my brother for doing things.” Picking up her cup she hid a grin behind it. It almost had sounded like she was offended, but she wasn’t. Still, no sense making that too obvious.

A thought drifted into her head and she frowned a moment. “You’re not going to be too sick are you? Because if you’re going to throw up we’d best wait til you are better because…you know? Ewww. I have no desire to be around that.”

[hails]

Nysta looked at Genet with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that I'd rather meet your brother or anything! I just...thought it'd be a good excuse is all." She began to chew her bottom lip, a bit flustered at the thought of being rude.

"A-and I don't think I'm that sick. Just a sore throat and a runny nose. But the tea really helped." If it hadn't been, she most likely wouldn't be having a conversation with a stranger in the middle of the night. "I'll just take some water with me and sit down if I get too tired." Would it be better to wait until she was better? She was so excited to go and meet these strange traders. And she didn't want to seem that much like a sick and sniveling little kid.

[Invisible]

Unable to control herself Genet giggled. “Oh, I’m not mad. You just should be more careful how you say things is all! Someone else might get upset. Not me. If I were upset you’d know. Now or later depending on how upset I was.” Not that she was threatening anyone. It might have sounded like it, but she didn’t mean it that way. One of Genet’s many social problems was surely that she could sound as if she meant one thing and be completely unaware of such.

When assured that Nysta was well enough Genet just nodded her head with a grin. “That’s good. Because it’s very dull to do things by oneself. I hate it. When G’tet was searched four turns ago I spent a long time doing things on my own because the other people at the hold are dull and boring and no fun.” All of which are the same thing, but surely that gets across exactly how dull and boring her life was, yes? “Hopefully we can find people who will trade with us. I would like to get something as well. I don’t know what. My brother was having a new dress made for me, but it’s not done yet. One to match my new necklace I got after I first got here. I want earrings, but my ears aren’t pierced and I don’t know anyone who will do it yet. Of course, I could buy some and then get it done. Which I might do. After all, he owes me big time!” Talking to strangers in the middle of the night was not a problem for Genet. She was always in the mood to talk to people.