Not Goofing Off

Writers: Emma, Rochelle
Date Posted: 28th July 2009

Characters: Thanja, Shaelis
Description: Thanja and Shaelis have a chat before Thanja checks on a student.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 3, day 16 of Turn 5

"DadaDAdum, dedeDAdada..." Shaelis hummed quietly to herself, the fingers of one hand quietly tapping out a beat on her thigh as she played with the notes to her latest tune in the sandtray in her office. It wasn't quite right yet. There was something throwing her off in the second meter, and it didn't quite have the _feel_ she was looking for, of that sunrise over the bay she and Aothart had visited last restday with the help of a friendly bluerider. "Dadadede, dumdum da..."

"Sounds interesting," commented the Hallsecond. She'd heard the humming as she'd headed down to check on some students.

"Hmm? Oh. Not really. At least, not yet." Shaelis answered absently, pulling herself out of the creative haze with the practiced ease of decades of experience. "It's still not right yet. Needs more work." She leaned back in her chair, settling the stylus safely off to the side. "How are you, Thanja?"

"Just about to check on one of my students, he's working hard on a project to walk the tables, but I think he needs a little attention today."

A white eyebrow raised. "Is he goofing off or just stuck?"

"Possibly goofing off because he's stuck and too stubborn to admit it."

"The stubborn ones are always getting themselves into trouble, aren't they." Shaelis observed dryly.

"True, but sometimes you can help them find the way without seeming to, a suggestion or two in the right place and suddenly they get it."

"You're better at it than I am," Shaelis admitted. "I tend to get impatient, or lose interest. But then, I am a composer. I'm supposed to be easily distracted." She gave a little laugh.

"But I doubt that really, or else you'd not have earned those knots."

Shaelis snorted. "That's because I got them when I was still too young and stupid to realize there was a whole world outside the Hall. To hear my old Hallmaster tell it, if I hadn't already gotten my knots here then I never would have received them. I gave that man more grief with my wanderings..." She chuckled. "He deserved it though. Officious tunnelsnake."

"Some people are just like that though," said Thanja with a laugh. "My husband would never believe that I got my Mastery before him despite bearing and raising children."

"My children were more of an afterthought." Shaelis admitted with a sad smile. "My first -Gaejirin- was a surprise. I was already a master. I thought I was too old to have kids by then."

"Children come when they are ready, that's what my mother told me."

"In my case, I think it was more of when I allowed them to." Shaelis said with a rueful laugh. "I was... pretty celibate until Gijirin. And then there was Aothart, of course."

"Finding someone you want to have a family with is half the fun though," replied Thanja with a chuckle. "then it's getting them to think the same of you."

"And staying together no matter what happens." Shaelis added, her smile twisting a little. "Sometimes, the man drives me a little crazy now that he's retired. I don't think Aothart and I saw each other for more than a few sevendays a turn for almost a decade after we married, what with both of us traveling, and now we're together every day. You learn how much you love someone, and how much they love you when you do that. And you learn how to stand on your own without them, and stand up to them when you need to."

"And that's the best example you can give your children for when they grow up."

Shaelis sighed. "I wish more people thought that way. They used to, but..." She shook her head. "Sometimes I have a hard time believing that this is the same continent I grew up on, let alone the same hall. I left because I didn't want to be part of it when I figured out what was happening, but I never imagined it would be quite like this."

"It was a bit of a shock to the system to see how people reacted at first. But I think things are slowly changing."

"Yes, but I can't help but wish they'd change back overnight." Shaelis sighed, shaking her head. "I'm unreasonable, I know."

"It will get better, if not for us, for our children."

"That may be true, but the fact that I sometimes have to put up with these attitudes from men my own age as well as the younger generation really..." Shaelis made a frustrated noise. "Those are the ones I want to throttle the most."

"Well try not to do it messily, better not make too much work for anyone cleaning it up," joked Thanja, understanding where her fellow master came from.

Shaelis laughed. "If you insist. But for your sake, not the cleaners. I want someone on my side when it comes time to file the paperwork for the trial."

"I better go chase up that student of mine."

"Have a good day, Thanja. I'll see you later."

Last updated on the July 28th 2009

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Not Goofing Off