Delia sits on a bench in one of Sat'htine's atriums in a small pool of sunlight that is so wonderfully warm and bright.
Delia has been very well treated by the members of the house. She wonders, as many of the Houseless have, what it would be like to live as a part of such an extended family.
Delia does have a family of her own and wouldn't trade it for all the Householdings in the world.
Delia does enjoy the sense of community here. But then the small town she grew up in was a lot like this. Maybe that's it.
Delia hasn't felt homesick for quite some time, years in fact. Of course she always was one to want to know what was over the next hill.
Delia leans back on the bench, feet swinging like a little kid. The world was not made for such as she. ~~ soft laughter ~~ Still it was all so very interesting at least until...
Delia feels her mood trying to shift back to worry about whether or not she passed D'zoll's last test. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly while doing a quick relaxation exercise, she manages to recover her cool.
D'zoll walks alone, neither slowly nor briskly, into the atrium, and sits down next to Delia. He does not consciously ask for support, but of course his field has a mind of its own.
Delia's automatic response to a channel's nager is ~~ light support ~~.
D'zoll smiles appreciatively.
D'zoll: Thanks, Sosu. You certainly haven't lost your touch.
Delia turns to look up at the channel and smiles.
Delia: Nice to know. I haven't exactly been getting a lot of practice. Will I be getting more practice?
D'zoll: Quite likely. But let me tell it my own way, if you don't mind.
Delia refuses to feel anxiety. And nods consent to D'zoll.
D'zoll: First of all, if you care, you passed the melon test with a score of 42, pretty much as I expected.
Delia lets go a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.
D'zoll: [whimsically] It's not really called the melon test, of course. I got it out of an old book we got from some Householding or other that no longer exists, and I touched it up using some specialized Farris techniques.
D'zoll is practicing his jocose lies, and hopes he can get away with this one.
D'zoll: In any case, it has a long history, and I doubt anyone will question it. With that, plus all the other uniformly positive tests, I think we can give you a definitive clean bill of health.
D'zoll: That is to say, I am prepared to offer my Word Unto Sat'htine that you are completely safe for any channel, except perhaps the well-known delicate Farrises.
D'zoll smiles again.
Delia smiles then draws her brows together in a frown.
D'zoll: What's up?
Delia: So you are saying, Hajene Farris, that I'm not fit to work with you? ~~ mischief ~~
D'zoll: Oh, me! I'm not delicate. [mock-doubting] Am I?
D'zoll zlins that Delia isn't actually distressed.
Delia withdraws her ~~ light support ~~.
D'zoll pretends to crumble into a ball of nageric blue cheese.
Delia: I'm so sorry to have troubled your nager with my clumsy attempt at support. ~~ suppressed giggle ~~
Delia immediately replaces her ~~ Tecton Standard Light Support ~~ and bursts into peals of ~~ laughter ~~.
D'zoll: Ahhh, that's muuch better. But tell me, were you Farris-trained before?
D'zoll knows the answer perfectly well.
Delia: No, I wanted to be a part of the Snake River project. They required a high First for their rotations and I thought it might be interesting to expand my skills into the exclusive Farris domain.
D'zoll: Well, I have an alternative suggestion. At present, it's just a suggestion, and I may or may not be able to carry it through depending on, well, various delicate political matters. But I think, if it does work out, it might be the best thing for you, in my professional opinion as a mind-healer.
Delia listens ~~ enraptured ~~.
D'zoll is encouraged, and goes on.
D'zoll: How would you like to go to work where the people are, generally speaking, plain-spoken, frank, not easily upset, and with a sense of humor that other people have been known to consider ... unusual? Does that interest you at all?
Delia: Sounds like old home week! Where are these slightly twisted people? Who are they?
D'zoll: The Tigues, actually. Of Householding Keon.
Delia's little face bursts into a huge grin.
Delia: Finally! a channel who won't be three times my size! Actually I had the good fortune to work with a Tigue channel once. I did enjoy it.
D'zoll: Ah, good. Who was it?
Delia: Olandra Tigue. I don't know if she had any House affiliation. I don't remember seeing it in her file.
D'zoll: I've never heard of her, but I can look. There must be lots of Tigues scattered around, but the only place you can get formal Tigue-capable Donor training is Keon.
Delia: From what I've read, they're as strong as Farrises, tough as iron and don't have any specialized requirement other than selyn in large quantities.
D'zoll: That's the general idea, but there are special features that make it impossible for lots of people who have the nageric strength to work successfully with Tigues. You have to be able to put up with Tigue-style arrogance, which is quite different from Farris-style. That implies a willingness to [English] kick butt [Simelan] when the channel requires it.
Delia finds that she is intrigued by these "special features".
D'zoll: Farrises tend to assume that everyone knows everything they do until proved otherwise, after which they ignore you completely.
D'zoll: Tigues tend to assume that everything they believe is common sense, and everyone else will believe it too, until proved otherwise, at which point they are shocked, shocked, and argue interminably.
Delia: My legs may be short but I can kick butt with the best of them both figuratively and literally. Enforcement personnel are Dar trained.
D'zoll nods.
D'zoll: That's the spirit.
Delia ~~ suppresses another giggle ~~.
D'zoll makes a funny face.
D'zoll: Go ahead, giggle. Nobody here but us.
Delia ~~ laughs ~~ nagerically and physically.
D'zoll enjoys Delia's laugh thoroughly, and laughs himself.
D'zoll: Okay. Now what I need to do is disappear for a day or two until I can get all this written up, including the melon test, and then send my recommendation to Sectuib. Who then has to decide if he wants to call in a favor from Keon. Which I and a certain Companion of the House are going to see that he does want to.
Delia: I knew I liked you for some reason. I'm usually a very good judge of character. But I wouldn't want to be the cause of your House using a favor. I'd rather not show up there under a cloud either. Maybe you could lose me to them in a game of chance?
Delia, being the child of Pen Gens, has a rather warped take on the whole people as property thing. But then being a Tecton employee isn't really that much of a step up.
D'zoll laughs, rather surprised.
Delia grins back.
D'zoll: First of all, the whole point of favors is to use them for worthy causes. I think you qualify.
Delia is genuinely ~~ touched ~~ by the sentiment.
D'zoll: As for the game of chance idea, no Farris House will gamble with a Tigue House. I won't actually say they cheat, but, well, historically such things haven't gone well. We much prefer the even swap.
Delia: Fine by me. Just tell me when to git and I'll git.
D'zoll gives Delia The Look.
D'zoll: Now is that the way to show your appreciative enthusiasm for this entirely new and ground-breaking offer?
Delia has her usual reaction to the look... none.
Delia: I just didn't want to you to think I would drag my feet when the time came... though I shall miss this patch of Eden in the midst of the tumult that is my life. ~~ sighs forlornly ~~ ~~ not ~~.
D'zoll: [sardonic] Oh, right.
D'zoll: No, no, the spirit here is onward and downward -- down to Gulf Territory, that is. So stick around, kid, until I can twist Hiram's, umm, arm.
Delia: Hajene!! ~~ mock scandalized ~~ How could you even think of doing such a thing? And to your own Sectuib... Are you the Heir to the House by any chance? ~~ barely contained giggles ~~
D'zoll: Nope. That's my cousin. But if she knew, I'm sure she would approve.
D'zoll makes a mental note to tell Katsura the whole story some time, under seal of course.
Delia does giggle.
D'zoll giggles too.
Delia: Then you are her good strong arm, er... right arm.
D'zoll: Believe me, if I were Sectuib, you wouldn't be going anywhere. We'd assimilate, err, pledge you so fast your head would swim. But such is not the case. And not likely to be, ever.
Delia: I think I like you much better when you aren't trying to fix me. But you really are a terrible liar though quite charming nonetheless.
Delia has no dimples but she does have a sweet pixie quality when she lets her guard down.
Delia: I know I have nothing to offer your House but selyn and you don't have a shortage of that. But thank you for the sentiment. ~~ beams ~~
D'zoll: You have a lot more to offer any House than selyn. You have the unique content of your character.
Delia: And a twisted sense of humor. Yes I heard it all before, "It's not you it's me..." Or maybe in this case, "It's not you it's us..." I don't think I would pledge to any House. I have a family and a home already.
D'zoll: Sure. But with this training, you could write your own ticket as more and more Tigues appear in the Tecton. They aren't all going to move to the hills beside the mighty Mizipi, never think it.
Delia: You have a good point there. Maybe I could find some who have the wanderlust too.
D'zoll: Maybe so.