| Characters | Iwa, Ligeia, T'ico (NPC'd by Iwa) |
| Synopsis | Ligeia's getting berries and Iwa and T'ico have questions. |
| Out-of-Character Date | October 12, 2021 |
Igen Weyr - Hydroponic Gardens
Vibrant sights and smells greet visitors to a lush desert oasis that oughtn't exist here in the crater of Igen Weyr. Everywhere one looks, lush greenery waves lazily, hiding growing lights and the fixtures which give off the subtle lighting. The cavern, a natural bubble in the rock, is mostly round - there is no closure to the outside, and there's a tapering off at the back before exploding into another bubble further back. One can just see that the next "room" leads to yet another room even further back.
There is no set aisle through the plants. Walkways meander here and there, sand heaped along the floor and kept warm by whatever device gives the Hatching Grounds their warmth. The heat is not as intense here, but the mist generated by clever automatic sprayers lends humidity to the air. Tubs of various depths and sizes are scattered higgeldy piggeldy, and the plants in them seem to have no rhyme or reason. Aromatic scents give the hint that kitchen herbs and useful vegetables have been scattered among the decorative flowers and trees.
The chain of rooms are obviously a newer addition, perhaps onyl a few decades old. Insects buzz about everywhere, and there is a quiet twitter of avains and firelizards, who seem quite at home here among the vegetation. Near the door, a wooden rack holds a few pairs of shoes, encouraging visitors to go barefoot.
The gardens are as gorgeous as they are useful - and Ligeia's here to enjoy not just the fruits available for harvest, but the sights as well. Even if this place is home, the young would-be-baker is still young enough that the world holds all sorts of wonder and this jewel in the figurative heart of the Weyr is one of them. For the time being, she's busy at some cluster of shrubs, stained fingers plucking at some fruit or another while she hums some aimless melody.
Iwa walks in with the Headwoman and another rider. Both sigh with the Headwoman asking "Are you sure?" and as Iwa sighs and gives the *look* the headwoman throws her hands up and hustles back off towards the kitchens. The rider, T'ico, shakes his head a bit and then follows as Iwa follows furthe ralong the path. As the pair come up near you she can't help but point "See, I told you they were ready." while T'ico huffs a little "If you say so, I thought they were still a bit tart personally. The Curved Hill's Holder will be excite though. I guess Sympath'll ahve to strecth his wings. They'll spoil between." that is if they're ready. Both look toward Ligeia, Iwa asking. "Ligeia!" it seems there's goign to be a request for another opinion.
A berry's popped into Ligeia's mouth at just the wrong time and she makes an ungainly squawk-choke of a sound while the fruit tries to make up its mind about coming up or going down. She manages to swallow at the last second, her eyes gone wide and wet with tears that are quickly blinked away. "Weyrwoman, rider- hi!" Her earlier struggles are forgotten and she gathers up her basket, flipping the lid down to cover the contents. "Is there- do you need something?" One question is swapped for another, uncertainty writ in every syllable.
T'ico smiles more kindly while Iwa crosses her arms, not entirely having missed what seems like a snitched berry. In this case it may actually work out "The Weyrwoman and I were having a discussion on whether these were quite ripe enough or not. I thought they were still abit to tart," and Iwa adds in her two marks "I think they're perfectly ripe, that nice sweet tart, and we've got an order to fill." both eyes focus on you "And seeing as you're here and might have a taste for the ripeness I thought I'd just ask for another opinion." yea, good luck.
Her tongue works a bit inside her mouth, attempting to gather up what remaining taste she can. It's not entirely a stalling tactic; Ligeia's just feeling snackish and thorough. "Oh. Um." She looks back at the bush, then back to T'ico and Iwa with eyes that get wide again. "Well. They-" she pauses again, then opens the basket so she can sneak another one for SCIENCE. "They're just ripe enough to cook with, I think. They'll make some really great bubblies and maybe a good cobbler or crisp," where the sins of tartness can be balanced out with sugar, "but they're maybe a little too tart to just eat for most people." Not that it stops her from eating them, but hey.
Iwa huffs a little in a way of i'm thinking on this response and weighing pro's and con's while the other rider nods now and then as you speak and tries very hard not to be saying 'i told you so' but you can .so. see it on his face. Expression changes to looking distant and the immediate issue fades from thought. "I'll take a few to go and consider. Toruth's upset .again. I" a hand waves after she gets a small cup of the berries and slips off back downb the path and out of sight, while the other rider chuckles. "Broody queens, don't let her bother you. i think that was an honest assessment."
She's not about to step in the middle of that mess; her discomfort at making the Senior- upset? Bothered? Ligeia doesn't have the vocabulary to articulate it, but the end result is just being uncomfortable in her own skin and she scuffs a bare foot on the ground. "It was honest," she agrees with T'ico, "but I didn't want to disappoint her." She blinks, then looks sheepishly at the rider. "Or you, either." It's an awkward position to be in! She pilfers another berry to try to soothe herself.
T'ico looks sympathetic "I think she's trying to please everyone, still new to the official title even if she's been doing most of hte behind the scenes for several turns. I am suspecting you've given her the solution though it may take a bit to filter in. Deliverying bubblies will be so much faster for me too. I have to fly strait the fresh fruit but I can take a shortcut with a baked good." He stretches a bit looking to your fingers "Looks like you've been at it awhile."
"Oh. Well. I hope that works out the way she will want it to." It's cautious speculation, with Ligeia warily eyeing T'ico. "Maybe jam or jelly would be better." But, without knowing the particulars, she falls silent for a moment while her teeth work at her lower lip. A soft "Oh," follows at the observation. "Oh! Yeah. Well, I need a lot of berries for what I want to try." She grins, wide and bright. "The berries have to be dried and powdered, so it takes a lot."
T'ico shrugs at the first "That's a bit beyond me. I just handle deliveries and messages." and then he looks distant, glancing toward the stone which seperated the chamber from the bowl. Here? is muttered surprised under his breath before he refocuses and catches the last bit. "Powdered?" that's something new. "Imagine it's easy enogh to dry 'round here, but what kind of concoction would you use powder for?" a quick glance follows but there's not really many folk about and he refocuses on you both on your answer but somehow more on you generally.
Her grin brightens. "Yup!" The 'p' is cheerfully popped and Ligeia bounces a little on the balls of her feet, seemingly oblivious to that generalized refocusing and that hazing of T'ico's regard. "Dried, powdered- and you can just… add it to all kinds of things. Like milk or yogurt orrr," and she draws the sound out dramatically before finishing, "frosting. Sometimes fresh fruit just makes everything gross." Her nose scrunches some at the idea. "I'm just not sure what kinds of fruits will do it well. So, I'm starting with these. And hopefully it works like I think it will."
The bluerider cants his head "Well now that sounds like an interesting theory indeed. Afraid I can't much help unless you need a taste tester," and clearly he's better than others "but I wonder if you might have a moment for soemthing else. My sympath senses something special in you, though you can't see him past the stone he's as close as you can get and he's rather suresure on this."
"Oh, sure! Yes! The more taste testers, the better." Ligeia is about to continue when T'ico's words finally catch up to her and her lips round into a wordless, breathless little 'oh' of a thing. Her earlier bouncing still and she just goes wide-eyed at him. She finally remembers herself enough to wet her lips and chew her lower lip and finally, finally, say, "Ohhh. Like- what? What's he looking for?" She looks around as if she might, somehow, see him despite the bluerider's assertions otherwise.
T'ico focuses again, "Well you see Sympath is quite search sensative and he thinks you'd do well to stand for the clutch we have on the sands. No promises of course but if you don't try then you'll never know." and as much as his dragon might be good about search his rider apparently still hasn't quite got the hang of this as he stumbles a bit on his words. "That is I mean to say will you stand?"
Could her eyes get any wider? Apparently so, because they do! Ligeia's basket is shifted to a forearm, freeing her hands up to ball into fists that are lifted in a nigh universal expression of squealing and excitement. "Oh! Of course! Of course! I would be honored! Thank you! And thank Sympath!" Even if T'ico's stumbling a bit over it? All seems to be forgiven - if she even notices! "Oh, golly! Those are some beautiful eggs, too!"
T'ico chuckles a bit lookign relieved as you accept and he didn't fumble to badly. "Well, let Iwa know. Flattery and all bound to earn some points somewhere. I'll let the weyrleaders know and you can move your things to the candidate barracks. Mind your experiment may have to pause awhile or fit in between chores. We're relaxed around here but not /that/ relaxed" apparently there's still certain work that will need to be done.
