Keeping Busy

Writers: AL, Rochelle
Date Posted: 29th August 2009

Characters: Irlani, Tatitem
Description: Tatitem and Irlani talk about the recent changes in her life.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: J'gen

Tatitem marched briskly through the hall outside the classrooms, exchanging nods and and the occasional greeting with the small clumps of mothers and fostermothers holding still younger children as they waited for the journeymen to finish with the harper classes. She slowed a little as she tried to wade through a particularly large group of fostermothers, and stiffled a groan when she noticed the calculating expression on one of the older -and more vocal- women. She really didn't want to deal with Mishra's complaints today, and the woman would certainly try to corner her
if she didn't find a distraction in a moment...

Ah! There, on the far edge of the group of fostermothers' clearing a path
for her. She'd been wanting to check in and see how things were going with Gyta and J'gen since she'd handled the request for a new, larger weyr...

"Irlani." Tati smiled warmly at the woman, coming to a stop in front of her and pointedly ignoring Mishra's approach. "How are you settling in?"

"Quite well, Tati, thank you." Irlani's gaze flickered but a moment over the other fostermother who stared at Tati's back, but she didn't let it linger. "It's just as well - I was practically living at J'gen's weyr beforehand. Now we simply have more room. It's not quite as tight a squeeze."

"Good." Tatitem nodded, satisfied. "I had hoped that one would serve. It seemed like a perfect fit, but you can never quite tell until you've had a chance to settle in."

"Well it's working out quite well, and I thank you for arranging it so quickly." In a way the recent developments were a surprise and yet not. Irlani had wondered if J'gen would ever ask her to be his Weyrmate and when he finally had, it felt like pieces of a puzzle had finally fallen into place.

"Quickly might not be the right word for it." Tatitem admitted. "It was sheer luck that weyr came available a few days before you put in your request."

"Are we that close to capacity?" Irlani's eyebrows arched upward in curiosity.

"Not exactly. For staff quarters we are pretty full, although there are still rooms to be had if you're willing to compromise." Tatitem said that sentence slightly louder than the first, hoping that one of Mishra's cronies would hear it and get the hint. "But the trick with the dragon weyrs is that there are always new requests for more spacious or ground weyrs, and only a limited number of them. We've been cleaning out and fixing up some old weyrs higher in the cliffs, but we have to focus on the new weyrlings and transfers first and most of those are single occupancy."

"Sounds like you have your hands full - and politics to go along with it." Irlani didn't envy Tatitem. She did a marvelous job - Irlani would stick with her children. "It's a lot to juggle."

"It keeps me occupied." Tati said dryly, thinking of how grateful she sometimes was for the work as a distraction from the increasing emptiness of her weyr as the children moved on and the constant struggle with her son.

"Sometimes keeping busy is best. It keeps you from dwelling on things." Irlani cast a glance toward another foster mother who's voice rose at some annoying subject.

"True. Unfortunately I get to dwell on other people's problems more often than not." Tatitem answered, very pointedly ignoring Utyi's latest rant. "What about you? Are your hands full with your new little family?"

"I could take another child or two, but I wish to concentrate on the two that I have." Gyta was getting better, but Irlani still didn't want to divide her attention any more. "Speaking of which, I should collect Ravyan. He has a checkup today."

"Are the children settling in well?" Tati inquired.

"They seem to be." Irlani had watched closely to see if either of them had trouble, but neither had. Most Weyr children were used to change of some sort and Ravyan had taken everything in stride. Irlani had known he would. It was Gyta she had worried about, but Gyta seemed happy more than anything and was taking the changes quite well. "They keep me busy...and I keep them busy!"

"That's the way it should be." Tati said approvingly. "I'd better be going. I'll see you later, Irlani."

Last updated on the August 29th 2009

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Keeping Busy