Just an Experiment [Nicole/Artemis]

[Shoki]

75.10.11

B’ow was walking at a fair pace, holding a pretty odd suite of items. He of course had his usual faire, a pouch with some sturdy gloves in them, and a few odd and ends he had found. However he was holding a small box that lacked a lid, and inside was a small pouch with a set of five dice in it, two notepads, a set of loose pages, some writing equipment, some marks, a weight on the end of string attached to some sort of hanging structure and an abacus. It was an odd collection. Of course as he moved he was having a conversation with Hailreth. He was near constantly having a conversation with the dragon. After all, the dragon always wanted to be learning.

You mean not at all? The neon Purple was in the Bowl watching a Lifewing land. He looked somewhat perplexed.

Correct. B’ow kept on the move. He was looking for Artemis. It was well and truly after lessons, and he’d already gotten a stint in with the dragonhealers. Therefore he had to track her down.

That seems inconvenient. How do they get around then? Hailreth was examining the creature in the bowl, quietly taking in the form of the Lifwing while he waited for B’ow’s detailed explanation.

The boy took a breath and stopped where he was before sending an organized set of images. B’ow had known that people could do this with their dragons and he found it incredibly efficient to practice this so that he could effortlessly communicate what he wanted Hailreth to know. Especially since the Purple was extremely technical and wouldn’t want half measures. So Hailreth got a set of images, a harness on a dragon, how it connected, and a harness on a lifewing, and how they connected together. A dragon’s innate abilities work on itself and anything that it touches. This is why even though humans have no ability to go between we can ride on dragons and be carried along. This works with Lifewings when properly connected. Dragons will always control the travel, but they can travel with the harness, or I have heard rare cases that they grab onto a dragon, usually the tail to get a ride. However the latter gives a danger of coming disconnected in transit which would leave the Lifewing lost between, since they have no way to get out. Other than that, you can perceive the manner in which they fly. B’ow restarted his speedy walk.

Seems inconvenient. Can they but on such a harness by themselves?

Not that I have seen. B’ow could feel Hailreth thinking, and added quietly, Tell me if you need me to make notes for you.

I will. Hailreth was considering how inconvenient the harnesses were and how much more efficient it would be if a Lifewing could put on a harness itself or a dragon as well… Well he had to consider how they current worked, maybe it would give him an idea on how to improve it. He watched the Lifewing to see what they had at their disposal. Feet, wings, beak. Dragons had forelegs, back legs, wings and mouth. Maybe tail. Lifewing tails didn’t look like they would be useful for that. His mind started running a million miles a minute, trying to work out how to make it better for people.

B’ow was coming on Artemis’ barrack. Hopefully she would be here? Hard to say. Well maybe not. He waved at the two Wherhandlers. He recognized them. Likely they would not recognize him. He offered them the box, if they wished to review its contents. Apparently not. He shrugged and knocked.

[Nicole]

Artemis had been stretching. This had become a normal routine for her – to eat and then, after oiling Zabrielth and making sure she was okay, stretching out. She spend the day running around and working and listening and studying sparring and – well, if she didn’t stretch out, her body would become knotted and tense and just unlikable.

So when somebody knocked at her door, she popped up from her spot on the floor, a light sheen of sweat making her skin glow, and bounced over to see who it was. B’ow stood awkwardly outside her door, clutching a box between her two wherguards.

She would have thought he was studying the LifeWings with Hailreth in the Bowl. (She wouldn’t tell him that she liked her dragon more than she did him. That was rude. Hopefully Hailreth’s cheerfulness would rub off on his strange nature in time.)

And though she mostly wanted to finish stretching and study for the night, she put a smile on her face, remembering L’ras’ words about getting out and letting Zabrielth be seen. This wasn’t quite the same, but having B’ow dislike her seemed pointless.

“Hello, B’ow. Can I help you?” She glanced back at the Azure curled up asleep on her bed, smiling affectionately at Zabrielth. The Azure was growing quickly, skin stretching and muscles growing with every meal she ate. When she wasn’t eating or running, she was sleeping. She needed it.

She turned her head back to B’ow. “Perhaps we can take a walk.”

[Shoki]

Artemis opened the door, and he was again struck with the fact that he didn’t have to look up to meet her eyes, as they were the same height. He appreciated that.

“Greetings.” He watched her gaze move to her sleeping dragon and listened to her speak again. Ah, not wanting to disturb her slumber. He took a step back and motioned with his arm. “After you.” B’ow looked as much as he usually did, observing everything but in a restrained way. He was aware he wasn’t the most interesting of people. Just sort of weird.

Is there a way to tighten a loop and not have it untighten? Hailreth’s observation came through suddenly, like he’d had a flash of inspiration. B’ow looked distant for a moment while he gave an image of a strap with a latch. But that is too … fiddly. B’ow raised an eyebrow and sent another image with a lasso, and showed it behavior. More like that, yes! Could you…?

Of course. B’ow’s attention returned and he looked back to Artemis. “Pardon me a moment.” He grabbed one of the notebooks a moment and opened it, flipping it to a blank page. The other pages all seemed to have diagrams on it, mostly involving dragons. This was Hailreth’s notebook. The neon Purple tended toward things that were physical and could be seen, so it was a lot of drawing. Fortunately his rider was at least competent with pictures. B’ow balanced the book against the box, producing a writing utensil to make notes with. He quickly sketched the loop and how it was produced (as far as he could remember) before pausing. Where?

Hmm. We’ll go with this for now. B’ow got an image and sketched a lifewing’s foot and a dragon’s foreclaw. Rough drafts would always require editing but it was decent enough. A note was added to the bottom to remind him what it was, but quick as anything it was noted, closed and everything was back in the box.

“Please excuse the interruption. I have become a stenographer of late.” It was probably the closest thing to a joke Artemis would have heard from him, though he didn’t change from his dry tone.

[Nicole]

Artemis' lips twitched upwards in amusement as she slipped past him, pulling the door shut behind her. Hailreth's ambitious curiosity was adorable, in its own way - though Artemis sensed that it wasn't something she would be able to handle for long periods at a time. He was a good match for B'ow, with all of his scinetific notions and enthusiasm for peculiarities.

Speaking of peculiarities - now that they were here, what did the young Purple rider want with her?

She gestured for the wherguards to remain with Zabrielth, sighing as two of the six still detached to stick firmly to her sides.

B'ow slid the book back into his box and turned back to Artemis. "Please excuse the interruption. I have become a stenographer of late."

Artemis blinked once, very deliberately, because it was a better response than asking whether or not it was a joke. Then she shrugged and smiled. "Is Hailreth the reason you're been drawing so much?"

[Shoki]

B’ow watched Artemis, noting her pause before putting on a friendly demeanor. Huh. He suspected that proceeding would be easier if he was more apt to getting people to like him. He had no wish to make such a thing happen through manipulation though so he would proceed regardless and hope that she saw things the way he did.

“This is true. Hailreth often requests I draw things for him so that we may both remember what he was attempting.” B’ow paused, not getting a statement from Hailreth, but rather remembering what he was supposed to do. “Hailreth says, ‘Hi.’”

Thank you!

B’ow moved slowly, taking deliberate steps, as a walk was what was requested. He spared a glance for the two handlers that were to accompany Artemis, and considered. He wished to make his thoughts known in such a way that no one took things the wrong way. Considering that both Artemis and the handlers were interested in the Azure’s wellbeing there was a certain wrong way to say things that he wished to avoid. However, say it too benign and he risked not being taken seriously. He never considered whether or not he deserved or even was naturally taken seriously. However, he proceeded as he thought best.

“Regardless. I wanted to get your permission to perform some experiments in the general vicinity of Zabrielth. I brought the box to show the implements I would be employing.” B’ow looked at Artemis, as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world. Of course it seemed so to him, he’d been considering this ever since the dragon hatched. The fact that he knew Artemis in some capacity beforehand was more like a pleasant coincidence.

“I imagine it will be largely annoying, barring one particular experiment depending on your predilection for gambling, therefore I would work around your schedule, not mine.” That and he was some sort of wizard with getting the most use out of a day given various appointments. If he couldn’t fit everything in, he would find something else to do. Shards, there was a reason people questioned if he ever slept. He hardly did. Hailreth was becoming accustomed to that as well, Neon Purple he was, true and proper.

“But of course, that’s if you care to deal with it at all. No doubt you have enough annoyances already.” That was about as close as B’ow got to making a jab at the Handlers. He actually felt they were totally reasonable and doing good work. He just knew that if he was in her position he would have going stark raving mad by this point. He preferred invisibility. He found it well enough by disentangling himself from Hailreth. But there were more plans yet. More to be done, more shadows to slink into and more dark corner to light up.

[Nicole]

Artemis knew Hailreth had said no such thing, but the Neon Purple's vigorous thank you was enough to bring a small smile to her face. "Well, let him know that I say hello as well."

She waited patiently as B'ow began to explain his proposition, shaking his box as he explained what he'd been thinking about. The more B'ow talked, the more Artemis was tempted to punch him in the face, to the point where her irritation woke up the young Azure.

From her spot on Artemis' bed, Zabrielth raised her head, reaching out to her Rider with a loving brush. Are you okay, Mine?

Artemis kept her head firmly forward as they slipped through the hallways, her eyes hidden in the dark hallways, knowing B'ow couldn't see that she was talking to her dragon even as he talked to her. He wants to do experiments on you. Not on any other dragon; on you. Meaning that he, in some way, is determined to either prove that the curse does or does not exist, and I just - gah. Why? And I could argue and point out that he would need a base group so he could have some comparison, and in which case, who else would he be experimenting on? And then if things go poorly, it's just going to make this whole thing worse. Faranth's Eggs.

I do not think he means to insult. But if you do not want to be involved, say no. You are a queen, and I am a Queen. We do not often have time for experiments.

Artemis took a deep breath as Zabrielth and B'ow finished at almost exactly the same time, turning to him with a tight smile. "B'ow, while I appreciate your interest in Zabrielth, I don't think I'm going to have time. I have Zabrielth to care for, my own lessons to keep up with, Weyrling lessons, Weyrwoman training with Rilora and, you know, trying to get some sleep." There was no hint of annoyance in her voice as she made her excuses, no sign that she found his request insulting. She just smiled apologetically and reached over to pat his box. "But if I get time farther down the line, I will let you know."

[Shoki]

B’ow looked up at Artemis’ tight smile. He suppressed this hatred for being patronized (which is what her pat felt like). He collected himself mentally and spoke as he normally did, though it took a moment to respond. He didn’t even sound disappointed, merely stated his words.

“Interest in your dragon is not what is driving me here but I understand your schedule is tight. No matter. It would be best to have a more steady income before planning on gambling on a regular basis in any event.” He smoothly stepped to the side, far more grateful for less proximity. “Sleep of course is important, don’t let me tell you otherwise.” Hard to tell that he was running on two hours right now. “I shall divert myself in other ways. “ He didn’t sound crushed. Even though he hated to give up on it all. No, she wouldn’t get back to him ever. Something about her told him that.

You aren’t just going to use lessons as a time to roll dice in the back? I thought you said you knew most of what L’ras was talking about? Hailreth, absently spoke, still focusing on something.

Die is singular, dice is plural.

Really? That seems morbid. But no die rolling in the back?

It’s noisy and disruptive. Getting in the way of lessons is not something I’m going to do.

Hmmm. Hailreth focused a little more of his thoughts on B’ow’s problem. Maybe present the game bit first? Even though you did say you had to look up…whatever it was that makes dice games work for this.

It’s possible to use the expected value of a game to-

Right, but it’s still a game. And games are supposed to be fun.

B’ow didn’t respond, he just shook his head. He wasn’t going to spin anything anyway. It seemed manipulative. Instead he tried to think of his plan B. Maybe if he got into a large enough group of people and started asking questions it would work as well as a well put together set of facts on correlation? No, it would do because then he couldn’t get through that bit that was important to him. Feh.

“Alert me if you have time. It’s ...” What? Important to him? Being stuck in a world where emotional arguments were more compelling then logic crushed him? That he couldn’t even do something that he hated when others did not do themselves? There was no good way to say any of it. Artemis hardly cared about him, why should he bring anything like that up? “…Probably better when we either have a break in terms or become Senior Weyrlings.” Well back to the shadows for him. Hailreth could stay out in the Weyrbowl, he was going to drown himself in some books. Maybe that would cheer him up.

“Sorry to disrupt your busy schedule.” He started walking away, rolling his feet as he usually did, and thinking about what to try next. The Neon Purple would likely keep pondering his quick Lifewing harness or whatever it would actually be called. At least until something else distracted him.

[Nicole]

You shouldn't feel guilty. Zabrielth settled her head back on the pillow as B'ow moved forward. Artemis sighed, reaching up to tuck a loose curl around her ear.

Weyrwomen were polite and kind and tried to make room for every rider in their schedule, at least the ones Artemis wanted to emulate. They didn't ignore what they didn't want to do, and to let B'ow walk away without saying anything would be to do that.

She reached out and touched B'ow's shoulder. "B'ow? As soon as I have time, I'll let you know. You're never a disruption." And she put a kind smile on her face, a true one.

[Shoki]

B’ow stopped, at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Artemis. Everything about this should have made him feel better. He should have been content that at least she was considering him and his ideas and that it meant that he could get through and first confirm his ideas, then proceed to use that as a foundation for even more.

However, this combination of actions and words had an instant and opposite effect. B’ow liked being logical, but he knew, that there were some circumstanced that even he went for and immediate emotional reaction. For the time being he had no idea why he had suddenly flipped from feeling uncertain toward Artemis to being scared of her. He didn’t show it, REFUSED to show it, and buried it underneath the more thoughtful part of him. What was he thinking? What was he saying?

A moment or two passed and he spoke again. He didn’t sound, or look any different than he had before, but he lost a couple seconds looking dazed. He hoped that it didn’t seem rude, even though there was something in the pit of his stomach that wanted to make him sick.

“I appreciate that.” It didn’t seem like enough. What could he say? Something helpful. Yes. He was helpful, he could be helpful. “Oh, tell me if you ever need help with studying. I’d be happy to help.” He pushed his sinking feeling way down. Yes, he was going to be a dragon healer, the entire Dragon Care curriculum was pretty easy for him. Yes. He ignored the emotional response he was having, trying to think of her as a stranger for a moment. It was easier when he didn’t understand what was going on.