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Post by Kitsuneko on Mar 12, 2012 13:01:17 GMT -4
Aristide didn't usually dance at Gathers, and it wasn't because he was blind. No, his lack of coordination and rhythm was entirely natural. Still, he liked listening to the music, so it wasn't uncommon for him to find himself hovering on the outskirts of the dance area when he attended Gathers, and today was no different.
Regal was sleeping off her first meal, but Zexx was at his side as always, and Kaleo as well, when the huntyre wasn't making a nuisance of himself. He was quite jealous of any attention he received, and the lunar was not above approaching others or heckling them from afar if it drew people's attention to him. Aristide frowned in aggravation when he did this; despite his best attempts, the huntyre was not easily trained to a more manageable sociability and he had eventually given up entirely.
Even as Aristide listened to the harpers' music, the huntyre flew off again, as was obvious when the weight on his shoulder suddenly disappeared. He groaned as he heard Kaleo's chirps of excitement as he greeted someone else, hovering in place beside them, and Aristide scolded the huntyre. "Kaleo, leave whoever that is alone. Can't you ever behave?" he added in exasperation.
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Post by Bellatora on Mar 12, 2012 13:20:18 GMT -4
Adventure wasn't overly pleased by having a sudden invasion of his space... But he was not overly opposed. His should have more adventure and introduce him to more interesting creatures like this. Tizzy, however, well, she immediately became extremely upset, setting up in a green ball of fury and chittering irritably at Kaleo... Stayn hissed on Xaemia's shoulder. Xaemia wanted to be here as a Harper... though she was primarily voice trained... Moth wasn't far away and she was concerned.
Mine... We have done nothing wrong. Are you alright.... Mine? The concerned and nervous voice of her dragon made Xae smile. We're alright... Stayn thinks this is just an overly excited huntyre.
Huntyre? Oh... bother... Mine. I don't like it. Why is it bothering you. You didn't harm it or... or scare it... or...? Xaemia sighed. "No Moth." she said aloud. She could hear the constant chatter of dragons at the back of her mind... like always... but she let it go as a hum that was to be ignored for now... Not sifted through... though she did sift through it more and more often, picking up interesting and useful tidbits. She did her best not to let S'vrin know she was a Hears All Dragons. After all... she didn't think he would take kindly to some of the messages he and his people had not meant to be over heard... being, well... over heard by a Weyrling. She wondered where the Huntyre's owner was... She couldn't see anything... not on her own... She was stuck again until Stayn and tizzy started giving her images again and guiding her. Adventure, her little Epidote, wasn't so good at it, quite honestly. He was too busying having his adventures.
Tizzy and Stayn started to direct her around the bird... but how well that would work... no one really knew... She would have run head long into anyone behind him, however... what with Stayn and Tizzy both upset and neither working in their usual tangent to guide her... and Moth not there to take up the job in their failure...
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Post by Kitsuneko on Mar 12, 2012 13:48:48 GMT -4
Kaleo's excited chirps continued as he hovered in front of the girl. This one had lots of friends, that was interesting! Even if most of them didn't seem too thrilled at his presence. He ignored the ones hissing at him, chirping at the Epidote flit, who seemed the most interesting of the three.
Sensing that Kaleo hadn't moved, Aristide whistled irritably to get the lunar's attention. "Kaleo! Back here," he ordered as Zexx climbed to his feet. "Forward, Zexx," he added, trusting the canine to keep him from running headlong into the object of Kaleo's interest.
They came to a stop and almost immediately, Kaleo backed off, sensing he was in trouble. With a resentful hoot, he settled down on Aristide's shoulder, who rolled his eyes. "Are you okay, Miss? I'm sorry about Kaleo; he's nearly impossible to train, though I've tried." He cocked his head to one side slightly, waiting for her answer. He knew she was a woman by the sound of her voice earlier, though he couldn't tell anything else about her besides she was not someone he recognized.
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Post by Bellatora on Mar 12, 2012 14:18:40 GMT -4
"Tizzy, Stayn, Adventure. Calm yourselves," she said to her trio of flitters who soon settled down on her in various places, Stayn and Tizzy taking up one shoulder and Adventure another. "It's alright... no harm done... I am Xaemia of white Moth. I don't believe we have met... or at least your voice doesn't sound familiar..."
She frowned, trying to think if she had heard it before. She hardly ever recognized people by anything other than voice, gait, and the way they walked... and the way they smelled. But she only faintly recognized anything about this man. "It isn't your fault... I have much the same trouble with Adventure and his training. You seem somewhat vaguely familiar... maybe from the far past?" She was speculating. She reached out a hand to him. "Do you mind... If were to touch your face... It gives me an idea of what you look like... a little more tan what your voice suggests," she said. She didn't know he was blind like her. She didn't know that she was talking to someone who likely understood her and the troubles she faced... well... some of them anyways.
She felt odd for a moment.
(Sorry for shortness... x.x))
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Post by Kitsuneko on Mar 12, 2012 15:26:01 GMT -4
Aristide might not have recognized her voice, but the name of her and her dragon certainly rang some bells in his head. He could hardly fail to hear about the blind girl who had managed to nevertheless Impress a white dragon. Having grown up in the Weyr himself, he knew just how odd an occurrence that was.
"I don't think we've met before, no, but I do remember hearing about how you Impressed your Moth. The news of a blind girl Impressing was rather interesting to me...it's not something that happens to people like us often, after all." He grinned, though he was a little taken aback when she asked to touch his face. He guessed he'd never been outgoing enough to care what people looked like, but he shrugged.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. The name's Aristide, by the way. Trelis-born Weyr..." He was certainly too old to be a "weyrbrat," and he shrugged. "Drudge, I suppose. Also blind. Interesting, huh?"
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Post by Bellatora on Mar 12, 2012 15:58:13 GMT -4
"I suppose it is strange... But... Moth did pick me. She is flightless, of course, but... to me she is perfect." She sighed and reached out her hand to gently place it on his face, her feather light touch skimming over his face, examining each plane and dip, careful not to poke his eyes. "Have you ever been able to see, Aristide...?" she asked wistfully.
"I think I have heard your voice before... but I don't think we have actually met." She frowned slightly and grinned. "How different is being Weyrborn from being Holdborn...?" she wondered allowed.
She smiled slightly. "I can't honestly say I have ever met someone who was blind before... It is rather interesting." She wondered if maybe he could Impress if he wasn't blind.. she almost felt guilty for Impressing all of a sudden. "I suppose... I'd never have had a chance if I couldn't hear all dragons..." she said with a sigh, dropping her hand slowly back to her side. Adventure chirped softly while Stayn and Tizzy seemed distressed by Theirs emotions.
Moth crooned softly, not knowing what to say...
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Post by Kitsuneko on Mar 12, 2012 16:20:17 GMT -4
Aristide held very still as Xaemia touched his face, and didn't respond until after she had finished. "I can dimly remember being able to see...and I guess I'm not entirely blind. I can sort of recognize light and dark, but not enough to be of any use, really." He shrugged. What little sight he did have was inconsequential, so he tended not to think about it. "But I was a very young child when I got sick, so I don't remember much from before."
He nodded thoughtfully and poked Kaleo's head. The huntyre was still sulking and ignoring the two of them, which was perfectly fine with Aristide. "I suppose I don't have much to compare being Weyrbred to; I've never lived outside Trelis, after all, and aside from Gathers, I don't venture outside its territory that often. I suppose I was lucky, having a dragonrider for a father, though. I enjoy being around dragons, even if I couldn't stand for a clutch."
He frowned, trying to keep any trace of jealousy out of his voice. He had often daydreamed in his youth about Impressing a dragon from the stands during some Hatching, though he was seldom even in attendance. He would have thought hearing of Xaemia's Impression would have raised his hopes again, but--well, as she said. The fact she could hear dragons and Moth's own injuries didn't exactly speak well of his own chances of Impression. Even if he wasn't getting close to the upper age limit, he'd be laughed out of the Candidate Barracks if he said he wanted to stand. "You must be very lucky," he said with a wry grin.
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Post by Bellatora on Mar 12, 2012 17:25:57 GMT -4
"I was born sick without being able to see... sometimes... I can see blurs of movement... if the contrast is high enough...." She was quiet for a moment. "I always wonder what it is like to see... I always wonder how it is that other people experience the world. She looked thoughtful and far away... of course... neither of them could see it.
"It's too bad you couldn't... I don't know why I was able to Impress... but I'm sure there is a dragon for you..."
I agree Mine. He seems like he would be a good Candidate. The white spoke so that both could hear her. "Sickness is... a horrid thing sometimes... takes things from us..." She sighed and bit her lip. It can take a lot from someone indeed.
"I certainly feel as if I have gotten lucky." She reached out a hand and gently found his, giving it a squeeze. "Even if you can't stand... I think you will have a chance... You should attend hatchings... and maybe you will Impress from the stands... I know why those who are blind don't normally Impress... but... I don't know... It seems almost more of a human thing... than a dragon thing..." She sighed.
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Post by Kitsuneko on Mar 12, 2012 17:45:52 GMT -4
Xaemia may have wondered about how people saw, but Aristide just gave a shrug. "I never let myself worry too much about how other people see, or the fact that I can't." he said. "I have other ways to get by, and well, dwelling on it just didn't seem that healthy to me." Of course, it no doubt also helped to contribute to his general loner nature, but then the good thing about being a natural loner was that he wasn't bothered by that.
He was surprised to have Moth speak directly to him, and even more surprised by what she said. Even though Xaemia couldn't see it, a slow grin crept onto his face. If there was one thing he regretted about being blind, it was not having a dragon of his own. He let her take his hand, not minding the contact, and he let out a dry chuckle. "Now that would be interesting...though I don't have the advantage of being able to hear them that you do. But who knows, that might be worth a shot." He laughed. After all, if one dragon chose a blind person, crippled or not, why not another dragon?
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