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Post by Alsivor on Sept 1, 2008 18:25:49 GMT -8
(A few days after "Music of the Night")
He wasn't on duty today, had finished his chores early on purpose, not spreading them throughout the day and slipped away just after the noonday meal and headed outside of the Weyr. Silvio had given Genet the directions a couple of days back and the time he expected to meet her when he knew she had a day off duties herself. He hoped she wouldn't think this whole idea was too forward, but he'd been looking forward to this walk since he'd first made the offer.
The Caminar hastened his pace a little as the rocky ground just outside the Weyr gave way to the first of the light slopes that led away into the Telgar mountain range and he climbed swiftly enough, occasionally reaching for the bole of a young tree for support. There was a little dell at the foot of the other side of the slope and he squinted towards it to see if his would-be companion had made it out yet.
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Post by Invisible on Sept 1, 2008 19:31:20 GMT -8
Great pains had been taken in Genet’s appearance today. She did not want to seem as if she was trying to look good for Silvio, but she still made sure her hair was braided neatly and she had a clean dress on. None of her clothes were fancy so she didn’t need to worry about overdressing at least. The brown dress was dull and out of date, but with the scarf tied around her shoulders and the amber hanging from around her neck she felt like she was doing better than some might be. Once she’d cleared the bowl Genet had sat down to take off her boots and go barefoot to the meeting place.
Over grassland and rocks she went not worrying about stubbed toes or the occasional scratch from missing a leap from one rock to the next. It wasn’t just that she was meeting a friend, but that she was actually doing something. There was nothing Genet hated more than sitting around and this was definitely not doing that. She’d been so excited she had left earlier than she’d thought she would need to in order to make it to the meeting spot on time.
Genet worried she would seem over eager by being there waiting for him, but it beat being late she had finally decided. Besides she had worried about getting lost and had indeed taken a longer route than she might have had to if she’d had a better direction sense. So Genet was waiting for Silvio when he appeared although she did not see him right away. She had found a strange pile of rocks, to her anyway, and was giving it her undivided attention. Maybe it was a clue to a secret treasure!
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 11:33:03 GMT -8
The bright splash of color that was Genet's scarf caught Silvio's attention and he grinned, making his way down the slope carefully towards her. "Good day!" he called out and a moment later drew up alongside the young woman, smile all the wider for her bare feet. "Are you sure you don't have just a /little/ Caminar in you?" he joked a little and eyed the pile of rocks. "And looking for mysteries, hm?"
Silvio tipped his head back, looking up at the sky, cloudless blue today and smiled. "It's a good day for a walk under the trees," he noted and held his hand out towards her. "There's a creek not too far along from here as well, good for wading though it's a little cold so high in the mountains."
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 11:43:34 GMT -8
“Oh, hi!” Genet said when Silvio spoke. Her attention was pulled away from the rock mystery to smile widely up at him. “I am always looking for mysteries!” she pointed out with a laugh. “Alas, my family is not so exciting as that. Pure old boring holder through and through. I am an original.” That is how she liked to think of herself anyway.
Grabbing her boots she stuffed her feet back into them for now and tied them loosely. Then she used the hand offered to rise to her feet with a grin. “You will never believe what happened,” she said brimming with excitement. “It’s the most amazing thing! And I don’t mind a little cold!” It seems the most amazing thing mystery would be dragged out a little bit.
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 12:15:01 GMT -8
"Are you now?" Silvio said laughingly and shrugged about family. "And mine is just boring old Caminar?" he joked back with a wink. "I'll have to agree about original though. Definitely." And his charming smile turned up, though for all the charm it was sincere too.
His fingers curled around her warmly as he helped her to her feet, thoughtlessly brushing his thumb lightly across the back of her hand. Almost guiltily he firmed up his grip briefly, just a friendly squeeze and then drew his hand away. "What happened that was so amazing? I've heard no special news around the Weyr today. And good, then we can go cool our feet off and maybe see if there's any fish going over the little falls."
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 12:35:42 GMT -8
The thought of Caminar being boring was weird to Genet, but she had to admit to herself that if that’s what she had been she likely would have thought the same as her somewhat dull. All she said was, “Maybe to you. Since I don’t hardly know anything about Caminar they seem exciting and mysterious to me.” It is possible from her words he might infer that she thinks the same of him and while that would be true just saying it might give the wrong idea. Her nose wrinkled at his charm and she laughed.
“Oh, ho! The Golden Boy comes out to play,” she teased with a lilting quality to her voice. With the brush of his thumb dismissed as some accident it was much easier to continue the conversation. Unworldly though she might be Genet had to wonder what sort of signals he was trying to send. Every now and again he acted like he was not thinking of being her friend, but that was ok since for the most part they seemed just that. “Did you see the shooting stars the other night?” she asked as she skipped a few steps overcome with the excitement of it all. The excitement, she had to remind herself, of the star. Not being out for a walk with a handsome man because they were Just Friends.
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 13:07:31 GMT -8
"Well no, I don't actually think we're boring, we Caminar," Silvio amended hastily, "But whatever a person is used to probably seems normal and it's the different things that are more interesting," he mused aloud then grinned at her for her laughter. He really liked it when she laughed. A prompt mental kick to the seat of his pants followed and a sharp reminder to keep those pants buttoned no matter how much he liked his companion.
"You've caught me out," Silvio said, hanging his head in mock-shame for the tease and started to walk away from the dell over the next little rise, holding a branch back carefully for the holdbred young woman. "Oh yes. I climbed up onto the roof of the wagon and lay there watching with my younger brothers and sisters," the Caminar explained with a light edge of excitement in his own voice. "We see things like that fairly often but it never gets old."
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 13:16:16 GMT -8
“I was never allowed out at night,” Genet said with a quiet sigh. “Before G’tet left we would sometimes sneak out anyway and go exploring. Things are all different in the dark.” Just the memories of nocturnal explorations were enough to make her smile again and forget all about her sigh. “After he left for the Weyr that came to an end. If I’d been caught out- Well, it was just easier to wait for a chance to do it again.” It had chafed and she had often hated it, but in the end it had worked out so who cares?
When the branch was moved she stepped carefully past it and then bobbed a little curtsy with a grin. “Such a gentleman,” she teased with a wink. But the subject of the shooting stars was too exciting for her to tease for long and she pulled away from him to walk backwards and talk at the same time. “Well, this dumb girl was out watching them with her dumb friends and I said that if G’tet had been here we could find a fallen star and she just laughed.” There was a pause that was probably meant for dramatic effect, but failed because of the excited little squeal and hop up and down that she did. “And I found one! And I touched it! And I brought it back to the Weyr with me.” All by her lonesome? No, she feels slightly guilty and adds, “Emeni and D’ray were with me.” As if they were a negligible part of the experience.
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 13:44:04 GMT -8
"Sure are," Silvio agrees. "The world's different colors and you see differently," he says thoughtfully. "I can't imagine not bein' out at night. So many turns when it's hot we sleep up on top of the wagons for the breeze, or out in hammocks strung between them. "Some of the things the holds are strict about make no sense to me. But ... there are limitations amongst the Caminar too," he murmurs softly, smiling at the tease as he held the branch until she was well past, and ducked it himself.
"The Weyr actually seems to be ... more open than either your people's ways or mine. Somewhat. The dragons though, they bind the riders." He listens about the shooting stars and his brows lift. "You /found/ one? Howso?" And his head tilts to the side curiously, though that little bounce up and down held his gaze for slightly longer than it ought and he looked away suddenly off into the trees, nodded off along the slope towards where the sound of running water could dimly be heard.
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 14:16:56 GMT -8
If she’d been born at the Weyr then she might have known better about so much hopping. But Genet’s parents had not thought to warn her of anything but ‘stay away from men without one of us present’ so she was unaware that he looked or even looked too long. Pausing in her speaking she caught sound of the water and laughed. “It’s definitely different at the Weyr,” she agreed with an almost unnoticeable blush to her cheeks. “It is quite an adjustment from what I am used to.”
Best not to mention those differences because she could give the wrong idea talking about s-e-x to Silvio. Genet didn’t want to give the idea she was looking for anything like that. No matter how cute and charming he was. It was safer to talk about the star. “Well, D’ray took us up and then we landed and took off looking for one.” That sounded like Genet’s way. Take off and run for it with no plan at all. “Anyway so we were running and then I saw something and we checked it out and it was this piece of rock. Only it was not any rock. It was what was left of the star!”
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 14:26:56 GMT -8
"Same here. The walls, like we were talking about before. For me anyway. And there's a lot of ... well let's just say the Weyr's morals raise eyebrows not only for holders," Silvio said and slipped a little on a drift of pine needles, caught himself on a low-hanging branch and chuckled at his own clumsiness. "Careful, it's slippery here." And he extended a hand up towards her again should she need the counter-balance.
"A piece of rock. So ... shooting stars are made of rock?" Silvio asks curious and looking over at her for the answer. "I thought they were only light, I did not realize they were so ... concrete." And there's something almost disappointed in the way the Caminar says that.
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 14:45:58 GMT -8
The temptation was there to race ahead and show how she could make it without slipping where he could not. Genet thought about it but decided to hold back just this once. It did get her a chance to take the hand offered to her for assistance after all. Not that she wanted to for any reason but it was nice to have human contact. Just think of him like a brother she told herself firmly. “I’m so glad we’re out together,” she said with a sunny smile as she took his hand to make it past the slippery part. “It’s like having my brother here again!” There. That should do it.
“What lands is made of rock anyway,” Genet said as she looked at Silvio. “Maybe there’s parts of it that are not? I was hoping it would be sparkly at least. Or maybe shiny. But it was just a piece of rock. But I don’t think that’s all it is, right? How can it be? Rocks on the ground don’t shine.” Catching what might be disappointment she tried to think of something else to say but couldn’t come up with anything. “Can you swim?” she finally asked. “Have you seen the ocean?” This made her perk up at least. Genet had always wanted to see the ocean.
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 14:54:31 GMT -8
Her fingers in his again and Silvio felt the disquieting urge not to let go this time. Leave her be he warned himself. This was hardly the time to be thinking about how easy it would be to pull her closer, kiss her, move his hands to -- brother? He blinked once, cleared his throat and grinned at her lopsidedly. "I don't think I'll complain about being compared to such good company as you've said your brother is." He kept her hand.
"Ohh. I guess that makes sense," nod from the Caminar and he moved without any further skids down the slope towards the creek. "Sure, mostly lakes, but we do make it down to the sea as part of our wandering." His head tilted to the side a little as the creek came into view. "If we follow it up a little ways, there's a pool deep enough for swimming. But it sounds like you've not seen the ocean at all? Your brother's never taken you?"
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Post by Invisible on Sept 2, 2008 15:20:58 GMT -8
That had done it and Genet smiled at Silvio with a twinkle in her eyes. Friends or foster siblings even. Either was entirely safe to be and would get her to stop thinking about how romantic the day could be and if he might kiss her by the creek because she thought that would be romantic. Color touched her cheeks at the thought and she banished those thoughts with a toss of her head. “I cannot wait for you to meet him!” she said excitedly as they walked. “G’tet will get along with you great!” You hardly know him she reminded herself. You are not the type of girl who lets any boy she just met kiss her. Remember that!
When he mentioned the pool she shook her head rapidly. “Oh, no! I can’t swim. My parents said it was an immodest activity and I had no reason to learn. They were right I guess. About the latter anyway as I’m not near water but for the lake at the Weyr now. And I suppose it could be immodest. Someone told me about people at Ista who swim in almost nothing at all. That’s just shameful!” That is what she told herself. That it was shameful. That she shouldn’t think it would be wonderful to be out in the warm ocean feeling water around her.
“G’tet never got a chance since I’ve been here,” Genet said with a shrug. “Candidate and all. I am sure once he is back he will take me.” As for why he had not before she arrived at the Weyr? “My parents wouldn’t let him take me places when I lived at home. But when he is back he will. I want to see the ocean so bad. What’s it like?”
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Post by Alsivor on Sept 2, 2008 15:34:33 GMT -8
"Think so? All I can say is, he'd better have taken care of Aleda well," Silvio said with a hint of male protectiveness. "Though of course she's as likely to have taken care of him," he concedes in the next breath and starts laughing merrily thinking about it. It felt nice holding her hand. Nice enough that he started to shift his fingers again unthinkingly, to lace them between hers.
"Want to learn?" he asked, even more unthinkingly and ducked his head a little, chuckling. "It doesn't have to be immodest if you stay mostly under the water," he points out. "If ... if you wanted to we could go. I'll turn around, won't look." Caminar's honor? "Most of the time my brothers and even my little sister just run right in with nothing. No one really makes much of it. But I guess that's another difference between the hold and being on the road: you bathe when you can."
Silvio looked suitably sympathetic about not being allowed to go places. "I can't imagine being held back so. It's a Caminar's right to wander the world," he said boldly and made to squeeze her hand a little. "The ocean is ... it's endless. Endless water, moving endlessly. It's never still and it sings, the rush of the tide, surf on the sand. It's beautiful." Hazel eyes lifted to hers and he smiled at her widely. "I hope G'tet brings you some day. And if I had my own wagon, I would take you, though the journey would be long." The words came out and Silvio was mentally chastising himself again. She's plantado you fool. You wouldn't be able to without being cast out of your family.
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