The Inanities of Modern Television (Virika)

[redwerecat]

IC DATE/TIME: Week of June 19, 2011
Time: Late Evening

Sasha was currently draped over one of the long couches in the back of the common room, eyes closed with a book over his face. His original intent had been to catch up on some reading he'd been putting off, but he found that even the most recent of his scientific peers' thesis papers wasn't keeping his interest at the moment.

Then again, when it was another boring hundred-page explanation of another sub-deformity commonly found in the African Sparrow's second color-base chromosome... he couldn't even feign his interest. How could he pretend that another inane topic like that could be interesting when he was surrounded by creatures that couldn't possibly even exist? With dragons outside, the coloration genes of sparrows paled in comparison.

Sighing loudly and swearing in Russian, he tossed the papers aside and sat up. He adjusted his glasses for a second, and then glanced around the room, trying to figure out if it was even worth it to stay. Sashask had been grumpy recently, and she'd clearly shooed him from their residence when he had apparently turned the page of his book too loudly. The large white was exceedingly pushy...

Sasha stood up, stretched, and glanced down. TV guide, hmm? He shrugged absently, picked it up, and fell back onto the couch, snagging the remote and boredly switching on the TV. Well, if he couldn't get anything productive done, he may as well waste the evening with television.

[FaizahPandora]

Virika was heading for the common room, already late for one of her shows. Virisk as asleep in her weyr, cuddled up adorably with Rannoch. And she had already eaten, so the rest of her night would be spent watching tv.

That was her plan. Of course, once she reached the common room and saw an unfamiliar man flipping through the channels. She shrugged to herself, flopping into a chair. She turned to look at him, waved, and spoke.

"Hi. I'm Virika. You are?"

[redwerecat]

Sasha nearly fell off the couch.

"Eiarglynfnergle." He managed, straightening up and peering at the young woman who'd so sneakily...uh...snuck up on him. "I mean...My name is Sasha." He said, now significantly embarrassed. "My apologies. I did not know there would be others awake at such an hour."

He seemed to realize then he should probably try to be nice...
"Ah. I cannot seem to remember if there is a proper greeting for another in the Weyr...my time on Pern was brief and they were not fond of me. But they were very formal? I suppose my greeting should be something more like..." He cleared his throat, and made a vague gesture. "I am Sasha, bond-partner to the White Sahsask...or something. Anyway."

[FaizahPandora]

Virika smiled slightly. She tried to copy the gesture, but failed. She contented herself with introducing herself appropriately.

"I'm Virika of Green Virisk." She said hesitantly. Then she spoke again. "I've never been to Pern, so I wouldn't know. And they weren't fond of my cousins, so I don't see how they could possibly be fond of me if I were ever to go."

[redwerecat]

Sasha smiled, though it was nothing more than a momentary lifting of the corners of his mouth. "Then greetings to you, my dear, and Добрый вечер. Er. Good evening."

He stared at her for another moment, then nodded. "Cousins, yes...one of the Weyrwoman's rather large family, yes?" He nodded. " I seem to remember now. Well, at least that explains your presence here. Another nocturnal wher-handler."

He seemed to think for a second., then shook his head. "And yet, i am near positive we have not met. Then again, Sashask is hardly fond of the gold wher..."

[FaizahPandora]

"Yeah, Faizah is my cousin. Glad she is too... Otherwise I would still be in the hole my mother calls a "good life"..." Virika grew silent for a moment. Then, with a shake of her head, smiled once more.

"Sashask... The white? I've heard of you two, but I spend most of my time with Bronze-handler Lakeen." Virika provided. "I've only met Lakeen and Lakeesk, Samari and Samarsk, and Iggent and Iggesk. My green is Samarsk's daughter."

[redwerecat]

Sasha smiled. "Ah, yes, the bronze handler. I do believe we met one, in passing... did not say much so much as acknowledge the other's presence. Da. But it it what it is."

At the mention of the gold, Sahsa smiled wryly. "Yes...Samari is...a fine young woman. But with Sashask being so convinced that she is herself a gold..." he held up a hand and tried to explain. "Sashask is a white, and therefore a neuter, though technically more close to a male. However...she seems to insist on being called a female, and she very much deludes herself into thinking she IS a gold. I...have a hard time with her."

Still, a fond smile crossed his face when he spoke of his wher. "But do not let my words make you think I do not love her; I do. It merely seems that sometimes she is regarded as a monstrosity around here..."

[FaizahPandora]

Virika cocked an eyebrow. "Most people consider whers as monstrosities. I don't see why. I find whers to be better than the dragons." Virika said.

Virika began to speak again. "Lakeen isn't one to be in company often. Her wher, Lakeesk, is very mean and territorial. He kind of scares me sometimes..."

((Sorry for my fail. Not much inspiration there.))

[redwerecat]

Sasha's lips quirked into an ill-hidden smirk of amusement.
"Clearly you have not met Sashask. She is not...a paragon of beauty, even amongst whers. But I must agree with you. Rather as large as the golds, i find, and with the advantage of her...ah, shall we say, 'bulk', I fear that she would only instigate combat..."

He sighed again, and shrugged. "You find them better than dragons, you say? Why, if i may be so forward in my questioning, is that? I certainly have very little experience with them in comparison, but...I never found them to be anything less than accommodating when i was studying them."

[FaizahPandora]

Virika scoffed. "Why are dragons so great? On Pern, because the fight Thread. On Earth because we have so many legends about them. But really, they're just a telepathic, over grown lizard with wings. It's not like they can see in thermal, like the Whers. And I rather prefer the look of the Whers. Not as "majestic" as the dragons, but a more ruggad look."

Virika smiled sheepily after that. She hadn't often spoke so vehemently, but maybe it was better her point of view was seen and understood and respected. Whers were better than dragons!

[redwerecat]

Sasha shook his head. "Rugged. Well, that's...one description, I suppose. Perhaps it's more the difference between people who like golden retrievers for their beauty, and people who like bulldogs for their personality..." He shrugged. "Sorry. I like dogs."

He considered a moment more, then continued. "I see your point. On Pern, thread is the penultimate threat against survival. Dragons, as the rare creatures who defend against it, are revered. But, as I am told by what little history the Pernese have, the Whers were also bred to fight thread, albeit at night... is that not why they have thermal vision?"

"They are...fascinating creatures indeed. Though for the overgrown lizard bit...whers are much the same. Overgrown lizards with wings...just their wings don't work quite as well." He smiled.

[FaizahPandora]

Virika laughed. "I suppose comparing Dragons and Whers is like comparing a Golden Retriever and a Bulldog." She would have never though of it like that.

((Sorry for the fail... -_-*))

[redwerecat]

Sasha shrugged. "What can I say. I seemed appropriate." He waved off the oddity with a smile and a gesture. "Just be glad I didn't try something like a floral comparison."

((Pardon my own~))

[FaizahPandora]

Virika thought for a moment. Floral comparisons. She could do that. "Floral. It would be like comparing a lily for the beauty and the tulip for it's simplicity." She laughed at that. "Okay, I get your point. That was horrid. I will never make a floral comparison again."

[redwerecat]

Sasha held his grin back behind one hand, and just sort of politely cleared his throat.
"Indeed." There was a moment of contemplation, and he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.
"ou know, what I find funny is that on Pern...a comparison of canine breeds would be relegated to some phrase such as 'As like as a dragon and a watch-wher.'" He mused. "Strange. And yet, fitting. But I wonder if they even remember dogs-" here he grinned at Virika- "And of course flowers- came first?"

[FaizahPandora]

Virika thought for a moment. She didn't know much at all of Pern, but there was one thing she had learned. Something about fellis and something called numbweed.

"They might compare a dragon and wher in effect thread fighting like the compare numbweed and fellis for a pain killer." After she finished what she had said, Virika wondered if it made any sense at all.

[redwerecat]

Sasha furrowed his brow, but nodded. She'd gotten to the academic part of him at his core, and he was actually currently rather methodically bringing up the information he'd gained from his stay on Pern about the various sciences they had.

"I suppose. Fellis was, though, used more for treating the wounds of a rider, whilst numbweed was one of the few substances capable of treating a dragon's pain without requiring huge quantities of ingested painkiller..." He blinked a moment, and glanced over at the woman from behind his dark glasses. "Sorry. I ramble sometimes." He shrugged. "Habit picked up when you work alone in large empty laboratories. But fellis and numbweed. You know about them, so I'll ask- did you spend any time on Pern?"

[FaizahPandora]

Virika shook her head. "None at all. I have been handed a few scrolls from Pern, though. Faizah insists I learn them. In case I ever go to Pern."

((Sorry... failz... Majorly...))

[redwerecat]

Sasha raised an eyebrow in contemplation.
"None? So your Lakeen was hatched here, then? Hmm. That's what i get for not paying attention...that, and the resident Queen hates Sashask." He shrugged.
"Odd, though."

(Derp.)

[FaizahPandora]

Virika laughed. "Lakeen in my cousin's bronze. She went to Pern and Impressed him there. I have a green, Virisk. And yes, she was hatched here on Earth."

Virika remembered that night when Virisk hatched. She had wanted a gold, but once she had seen the gorgeous and prim green look right at her, she was caught. And her markings! Virisk's marking were quite splendid.