It's about Daigoro...
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 14th February 2006
Characters: Cinale, Jio
Description: Cinale looks to her friend for advice on men...
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 10, day 13 of Turn 3
Cinale smoothed down her skirts yet again, trying to gather enough courage to knock on the door. She didn't know _why_ she was so nevous... Jio was her friend. And he already knew how she felt... With a frustrated sigh, she steeled herself and knocked on the door to his workroom.
"Come in," Jio called. He smiled when he saw Cinale walk through the door. It faltered ever so slightly as he said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I sent my lunch tray back with Apprentice Gramme. Did he not bring it to you?"
"What? Oh. Yes, he brought it to me. Thanks, hon." She gave him a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Cinale, what is it?" the journeyman asked as he rose from his desk. "It's not Miryene is it?" He could feel his heart beating faster as he looked into her troubled eyes.
"No, no, Jio. It's not Miryene." She gave him another smile, hoping to ease him a little. "I'm sorry I made you so anxious, hon..." She came closer. "Mind if I sit down?"
Jio breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course," he said as he brought the chair around to his side of the desk. "Please, have a seat and tell me what's on your mind."
"It's Daigoro," she murmured once she sat.
"Oh?" They had talked about the Hallsecond before, and how she thought she might care for him. He noticed that this time, though, she wasn't blushing like an adolescent at the mention of his name. Jio nodded for her to continue.
She glanced at him. Then looked back down to her hands, which were folded tightly in her lap. She drew in a deep breath, meaning for her next words to come out calm, soft and composed. Instead, she blurted, "I keep getting mixed signals!"
"Mixed signals?" he asked gently.
She flushed. "Shards and shells," she muttered before giving him an apologetic look. "Yes," she managed to say in a quiet tone. "Mixed signals."
Jio nodded. "All right. What kind of signals?"
Embarrassed, she looked down at her hands again. She really shouldn't be discussing this with a man... "Sometimes...sometimes I'll catch him looking at me, but then he'll look away when I try to look at his eyes. Or sometimes he'll..." she blushed. "He'll touch me, and when I touch him back, he'll distance himself..." Shards! She sounded so _young_.
"Oh shards, Cinale. You call those _mixed_ signals?" Jio chuckled softly. "He's _shy_!" That thought made the journeyman outright laugh.
Who would ever have thought that _Daigoro_, that big loud brewer of a Hallsecond, could be _shy_???
Her blush deepened at his laugh. "They seem pretty mixed to me," she mumbled, her hands clasping together.
The journeyman quickly got himself under control. He covered her hands with one of his. "All right, Cinale. Let me explain this to you. When a shy... man," he decided to omit the word 'young', "really likes a gi... woman, he likes to look at her and touch her, but he'll quickly look and move away when it seems like she might like it too because he doesn't know what to do next."
The cook thought this over for a moment. "Are you telling me Daigoro doesn't know what to do next? _Daigoro_?" He always seemed so sure of himself in everything!
"Yes," Jio smiled. "Our Daigoro. You can tell you've won him over, Cinale, 'cause only love can make a big man like him scared."
She blushed. "But what do I do, Jio? I mean...you say he's shy... What do I do to get around it?"
"Well," he said gently, "what do you want to _happen_ Cinale? How do you feel about him?"
"I love him."
Jio grinned at the conviction in her answer. "Well, then, I would say you have two options. You can wait for Daigoro to get over his shyness enough to make a move, or you can make the first move yourself."
Her eyes widened, and she wondered if she'd be brave enough to 'make the first move'. To know that Daigoro wanted as much as she did made her a little less nervous, but still.... "All right," she managed to murmur.
"Now, you don't sound too sure about this..."
"Well, shards, Jio! How do you expect me to sound?" She gave him a small, nervous smile.
"Happy! Excited!" He gave her a little shake. "Don't you get it? The man you love is in love with _you_ too!"
She blushed brightly, but her smile grew wider, softer. "I am happy,"
she whispered, her blue eyes bright.
"Shards, and a _Hallsecond_ too! What a catch! I don't know why more girls don't take up being cooks." The saucy journeyman gave her a wink.
She lightly slapped his hand, her smile turning into a grin. "Oh hush, you."
Jio's face grew a bit more serious as he squeezed her hand gently once again. "Talk to him, Cinale. And if you can't, make sure and give him all the chances and encouragement you can. He'll come around. You'll see."
Last updated on the February 14th 2006