Tough on Grease, Easy on the Eyes

Writers: Aaron, Halyonix
Date Posted: 2nd January 2024

Characters: Tirraze, Oriene
Description: Two friends chatting about Weyrlife
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 2 of Turn 11

Oriene

Oriene stared at the small pile of dirty pots and pans with her hands on her hips and exhaled. "At least it's not fellis pots," she muttered but her tone lacked any real upset. She looked around, didn't find what she was looking for, and then looked back down at the pots. "I am not doing this alone though," she said to the pile, wrinkling her nose and grinning. Being a Candidate had its ups and downs but it was mostly all ups, even when it came to washing dishes.

Any moment now, Tirraze would be here and they could knock out the chore together. So, while she waited for her friend to get there, Oriene perched up on a nearby table and began recounting their latest lesson as Candidates on her fingers, humming some of the lessons to herself to help remember them.

"Cracks," said Tirraze. She immediately got to work to help Oriene. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to have to start without me." She did not pause to be sure whether Orienne had actually started.

"Ugh, this smells foul â€" did they leave this sitting seven days just to spite us?"

"Probably," Oriene said as she abandoned her perch to join Tirraze at the pots. "You know how those boys Perisen and Baladian don't do their chores. They just make excuses for it. So the drudges just leave it for us because they know we'll get it done." Perisen and Baladian were Candidates too but older ones who thought that doing menial chores were for the newer Candidates who didn't know better. "Just wait 'til they Impress. Baby dragons are a lot of work."

"Psh. _If_ they Impress. With as much work as they're willing to do, they'll be lucky if they're left standing â€" it's either that or die in training or get eaten by Thread when you're not taking this seriously," Tirraze groused. That was probably a bit of an exaggeration, but perhaps not much as far as she was concerned.

Oriene grabbed a bucket of soapy water and rags, handed one rag to Tirraze, sat the bucket between them, and began digging into the first pot as she said, "I'd say they'd only Impress a green but then I'd feel sorry for the green! Plus, _I_ want a green dragon and I don't want to share that with those two."

"They'd be lucky to get a green," Tirraze muttered. "They're hardly the bottom of any barrels." She set about scrubbing dutifully, her nose wrinkled. "Unlike Perisen and Baladian. I'd almost expect to find _them_ under all this grode."

Her friend giggled. "They _do_ take showers, you know. I've seen them in the baths." She wrinkled her nose. "Not much to see there either." Another giggle. "But who cares. They aren't _nearly_ as cute as Sorial, that new Candidate that came in. I bet he gets bronze." Oriene let out a soft sigh. "Once we get eggs, I mean. I hope it's soon. I keep getting letters about going back to Dolphin Hall and I keep putting it off."

"I try to keep my eyes to myself in the bath," said Tirraze. "But Sorial _is_ easy on the eyes. I may or may not have sneaked a glance or two at that one." She grinned.

But then she tilted her head as she processed the rest of what Oriene had said.

"You aren't going back, are you?"

Oriene fidgeted for a moment. Too brightly, she said, "Of course not! Why would I go back there? I mean, I like dolphins but dolphins aren't dragons."

Tirraze quirked an eyebrow.

"But someone there wants you back?" she amended. "Do you need help?"

Oriene shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly. "My parents do, mostly. I mean, we're a family of dolphineers. I'm kinda breaking that lineage by being a Candidate, you know?" But in reality, even though Oriene liked dolphins, she envisioned herself as finding her own path in life, not just the same path everyone else wanted for her. The problem was finding the courage to do it. She bent her head, scrubbing a particularly tough patch rigorously as she added, "But what if I'm not meant to be a dolphineer? Just because my family does it doesn't mean I have to, right?"

"Nobody's really _meant_ to do anything, not like some kind of pre-written destiny you're born with. We don't have to just take whatever meaning we're given â€" we can make our own," said Tirraze. She felt she had some amount of familiarity with the notion, considering she had two different family destinies vying for her future herself.

While part of Oriene thought that it was easy for Tirraze to say that, given how ambitious her friend was. Tirraze just _knew_ which way she was going in life. Oriene was still...figuring it out. Still, this was the most she had given verbal form to it, preferring to just...continue onwards with her life until it figured it out for her. She envisioned something _different_ for herself but just wasn't sure what that was. The pressure from her family wasn't helping. Still, she sighed dramatically, smiled at her friend, and said, "You need to remind me of that the next time my parents send me a letter."

"I'd be glad to!" Tirraze smiled from ear to ear. It was difficult to tell the people you loved that you did not want to do what they expected of you, but Tirraze did not even know Oriene's parents. She could say it as many times as they needed to hear it.

"Just come get me the next time you're about to open one."

Oriene laughed, a bright, uplifting sound that would make just about anyone smile if they weren't already. "Oh, you'll know it," she said. She dug into a new pot. "Okay, enough of my troubles. What are we doing on our next restday?"

Her laugh greatly encouraged Tirraze and brought some relief to the worry that Oriene might leave.

"Well, we could see about ogling Sorial." She chuckled. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"What if," Oriene replied. Her tone took on a sly hint. "We organize a Candidate beach party. Food, sun, and a perfect chance for eye candy!"

Tirraze rarely turned down the opportunity to organize a party. It was among her favorite pastimesâ€" Probably as much as actually going to the parties themselves.

"How could I say no? I'll see what I can finagle. What do we want to bring?"

Last updated on the January 6th 2024

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Tough on Grease, Easy on the Eyes