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[G] [P] 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Printable Version

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743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 10.Jul.22

Mylorah took in the view of the Hold and Halls as Xyxyth began his descent. It wasn’t the first time she had been to Fort Hold but it had been quite a while. It looked much like she remembered though last time didn’t have a Master Harper waiting for her arrival. She smiled and waved when she spotted Gangleri waiting at the edge of the field used for landing but suddenly had a moment of being a proper girly girl—or a holder girl.

What if she wasn’t dressed appropriately? She’d actually put thought into her outfit, thanks to spending so much time with Tazikel at his functions and understanding the importance of clothing. While she did have a couple of the simpler dresses from her lordling—Tazikel kept most of the lavish outfits at his Hold—Mylorah had opted not to go with them. She wanted to be presentable but still herself. It wasn’t every day you got to meet the wife and brother of one of your lovers, after all. A survey of her siblings and some friends was taken, making them pick their favourite out of three options. Most liked the dark blue one but Mylorah started to worry about colours. Tazikel had explained how important certain colours were to each Hold and Hall and she knew a shade of blue was for Harpers and didn’t want to accidentally insult the actors. She knew she was overthinking everything but still went with the second place winner of a pale grey that had little bursts of flowers of yellow and pink embroidered onto it with a fairly respectable neckline. It was also one of the slightly longer dresses she owned that reached just above the knee and actually had sleeves instead of the slim straps most of her dresses sported. But these sleeves were cute and fun with the way they billowed out and Mylorah adored T’ryn for getting it for her.

Not that it could be seen as they landed. She gave A’tay a kiss on the cheek and a reminder that she would borrow Fret to send a letter when she was ready to go home. Then she was dismounting and showing off her own version of riding gear that consisted of simple pants and a leather jacket from Cazan. The pants were shimmied out of as soon as she was on the ground and then they were rolled up and shoved into the bag she had with her. The jacket came off next and Mylorah made sure her dress was sitting properly and gave her cutesy shoes a frown. She missed her boots but appearances and all that.

Finally she smiled again as Gangleri approached and she bounced over to him to greet him with a hug and a kiss to the cheek as well. That seemed appropriate enough for anyone spying on them. “Hi! This is my brother A’tay and the wonderful Xyxyth.” A’tay gave a shy smile as he greeted Gangleri while Xyxyth inspected the Master Harper and gave a trill of greeting. She wasn’t sure if he actually spoke to Gangleri or not but assumed he had given how outgoing he was. She gave the men a moment to chat before finally shooing her brother off and turning all of her attention back to Gangleri. “I can’t wait to meet your family!”


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 10.Jul.22

Gangleri's home life had been in a moderate bit of upheaval since his baby brother had gone and fucked around only to find out. It was so very hard to pretend to be oblivious as his brother skulked about and tried to arrange for the occasional quiet chat with his wife. At least Gangleri was being productive, after the quiet chat he'd had with his wife about the very awkward letter he'd received at the Hall, he had decided to get started on certain preparations a bit sooner rather than later. With his own baby on the way along with his promise to not kick his brother out, Gangleri had decided that his home office would just have to be sacrificed until he could either expand or find a new home for his family altogether.

It was only appropriate after all, since he'd thought it would make an ideal nursery from the beginning. His wife could set up a rocking chair by the fire and he could play music or sing soft lullabies or tell stories. It was a dream that had died long ago, but now here it was again. So even with Geric's momentary lapse of judgement, he was in an overall excellent mood. Such an excellent mood he hadn't even thought to question his wife or feel even remotely cautious when she suggested that he bring Mylorah over for dinner before taking her to see the play.

Now as he waited at the edge of the field closest to his home he was wondering if perhaps he should be a bit more nervous about Mylorah meeting his wife. He saw the dragon in the distance and squinted up at it, smiling as he thought he saw a wave. By the time Mylorah was close enough he could clearly see her he was grinning and had forgotten most of his imagined concerns about what sorts of terrible plotting his sorceresses could get up to together. He waited until the bronze dragon had landed before he walked over and laughed at the greeting the young woman gave him. "Hello to you too! You look absolutely lovely." He turned to her brother and smiled, releasing Mylo from his hug so he could walk over and pull him into a tight hug as well. Because there was a score card or some such thing if he was remembering correctly, so he may as well be friendly.

"It is good to meet you! Any family and friends of Mylorah's are friends of mine." As soon as he released A'tay he turned to the dragon and gave him a sweeping bow. "And a pleasure to meet you as well, Xyxyth. Will you two be staying long or will you just be taking off directly? I'm sure we can get enough to feed at least one of you decently enough if you wanted to stay longer."

He couldn't help but grin as the bronzerider struggled awkwardly for a moment to excuse himself to take care of a meeting he already had arranged with someone else. With Mylorah helping his escape, Gangleri couldn't help but give her a pout. "Awe, but I think he likes me!" It didn't last long though before he was offering her his arm and to take her bag before heading back home.

"Quilriana is looking forward to meeting you too. Just be gentle with Geric. He's a bit shy and my family doesn't have a scorecard system like yours does," he said teasingly. Really that was probably his biggest fear, that Mylorah would do anything at all and make his brother panic even more than he already had been lately. He pushed the door to his home open as he asked, "Oh, do you play any musical instruments or want to learn? I've been trying to clear out my home office to make room, and I really don't need those particular projects lying around taking up space. They're not even my specialty. I can show you them after a quick tour of the house if you'd like."

His younger brother was lurking in the corner of the main room as they entered, curled up in a chair with one leg tucked under him and the other draped over the chair's arm, scribbling away at a bit of paper. A blue firelizard Gangleri had never seen before sat at Geric's feet, steadfastly ignored Fret's curious inspections. "Huh... anyway how about I give you a tour before I introduce you to everyone."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 11.Jul.22

Mylorah was biting her lip to stifle a giggle as A'tay left. Gangleri was behaving and probably the most reserved she had ever seen him, yet her brother was flustered and going full blown shy on them. He had come out of his shell a lot thanks to Zelly and the mentor program he had joined not too long ago but it seemed new people were still a tad overwhelming for him. Or maybe it really was just Gangleri. She rolled her eyes but was still smiling when he mentioned the score card. "We didn't start it. Most of us just find it funny." She wasn't sure if A'tay actually knew about it or if he pretended he wasn't a part of it. She, at least, typically didn't bring up sexy time chats with him or Wynera. Zory used to be counted in that but he was flourishing, even if he did blush through a lot of it. 

As they walked, Mylorah asked a few more questions about Geric. Since he was described as shy, she was picturing someone like A'tay but wanted to know a little more so she knew how to act. She was about to find out as they entered the home and spotted the man, distracting Mylorah from the question while she silently watched Geric work on whatever he was writing. Mylorah decided maybe he was more like Orgailian. Not that he was shy in any way but his standoffish attitude that made it easy for him to ignore the presence of other people while he focused on his writing was seen right then right down to the way Geric was sitting. She really wanted to say hi and see what Geric was working on but she was trying to behave and make a good first impression so she nodded at Gangleri and the idea of the tour. She also circled back to the question about instruments.

"I've never played a real instrument before. We used to make little whistles and pipes out of reeds in Katila. There was a little patch of them that kept growing in one specific spot that was within the area we could safely play around in." She smiled fondly at the memory and how the older kids would make them for her and the younger ones until she became old enough to start making them as well. They were all terrible and used more just as noisemakers than for making actual music but it was fun and that was the important part. "We were terrible but still pretended to have fancy gathers like we were told about in stories or mimicking the parties the adults had in Katila. So maybe a wind instrument? I never thought about learning anything since coming North. T'ryn and Orgailian can play a little guitar."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 12.Jul.22

Gangleri had done his best to try and describe his brother in a positive but realistic light. So while he did admit his brother was painfully shy and awkward when it came to interactions that got too personal like flirtations or talking to pretty people, he also talked about how Geric could act quickly and cleverly, was discerning and good at research and had very clever hands. "He is actually an excellent archivist, and he helps with the production of all my books."

Though now that he'd seen his brother writing away in the corner he was hoping that all of his work trying to make Geric seem as normal and impressive as possible hadn't been undone. Oh well. The only thing for it was to carry on with the tour, showing off his brother's shockingly clean and tidy room (with space cleared in case he needed to add a crib, Gangleri noted), then a quick peek at the master bedroom which Quilriana had enhanced with her own presence and redecorated enough that it felt like an entirely different space now.

"Ah I'm a strings man, so I don't have any wind instruments but I could trade for one probably," said Gangleri as he pushed open the door to his office. Half of it was already empty, packed up in neat organized bundles in preparation to move into storage or to his office in the Hall. The couch was still there, along with its end tables and his desk, but the walls of books and piles of papers had been greatly diminished. There was a pile of musical instruments, mostly strings, in one corner. Finding out Orgailian knew how to play made him walk over to rummage through it all. "Also don't mind the current mess. I've been trying to clean things up, get rid of things I don't need and stick to just having my office in the Hall. Ah, this one," he pulled out a small parlor guitar, one that he'd already finished fixing up.

He found its accompanying case and set it inside along with some spare strings before setting it to the side. "So Orgailian can have that. The original idea was that it would be easier for me to travel with, but then I just made a different case for my primary instrument so this just sat here with the other projects I had brilliant ideas for but were then forgotten. I even have a little mandolin that I was going to scale the tuning on!" He picked up the little four course instrument and gave it a jaunty strum before passing it to Mylorah. "But instruments aren't really my specialty, and I already neglect most of these so I'm downsizing. Need room for a crib after all." Gangleri couldn't help but grin.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 12.Jul.22

Mylorah went through several emotions in rapid succession. She was both relieved and sad that Gangleri didn't have a wind instrument as she thought learning might be nice but also didn't want him to give her anything or think he had to be the one stuck teaching her. And then she was panicking at the idea of him trading in one instrument for another. "You don't need to do that! Honest! It's probably better this way for everyone. There would be so much frustration and bleeding ears... I like dancing while others play." Was he even listening? She watched the Master Harper rummage through his belongings until he triumphantly pulled out a small guitar.

She gawked at the cased instrument when it was set aside. He was actually serious about giving away such precious things? "Again, you really don't have to. Gaili will be insufferable now. A handsome man giving him gifts?" She was smiling, though. "It really is sweet of you and it'll be good for him as well. I don't think he's played for a while and it will give him something else to do while he continues to take it easy after the poisoning." She was glad he had decided not to Stand at Fort without her pressuring him into resting. Zory took only a little nudge since Zelana also wasn't going and he didn't want to go alone.

She glanced at what Gangleri called a mandolin that was now in her arms before giving the man a curious look. Instruments weren't his speciality and he'd said a few times before that singing wasn't either. So what was? Maybe composing? Maybe it was simply he liked recording histories and stories and eventually turning them into plays like the one he was taking her to see later. That was probably it and he'd probably told her before as well but she'd forgotten and was now too embarrassed to ask for clarification and Gangleri had just said the most interesting thing so it didn't matter anyway.

"A crib?" Mylorah repeated and then was smiling brightly and carefully throwing herself in his arms so as not to damage the mandolin during a hug. "You said you had big news but I thought it was about another play. Congratulations! When is Quilriana due?" While she had no desire to be a mom, Mylorah did like being an aunt and loved seeing other people happy and it was obvious Gangleri was thrilled about becoming a father.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 12.Jul.22

"Nonsense! I think I even know someone who could either make something if it's just simple flute you want, or has something already available in their own collection of neglected toys. You're clever I'm sure you'll be able to get past the bleeding ears quickly enough. Though I've always found dancing with a mandolin wasn't too hard, or a fiddle. Sadly my only fiddle is in... well it's a bit incomplete." He gestured towards the instrument, or rather the separate neck and body that could eventually become an instrument. "It would need tuning pegs, string hardware, a bridge... but if you know someone handy enough it wouldn't take too much longer to finish."

Hearing that Gail would enjoy the guitar made Gangleri smile a bit more. "Good. Hopefully he gets some good use out of that. It's a shame I wasn't able to go visit with all that poisoning business going on." He frowned giving her a worried look. "Just try and stay safe for me?" He ignored the compulsion to offer her any of the antidotes that he still had, those were a valuable commodity and tended to raise questions he didn't want to answer.

At least she was excited for his news. He let himself forget about the dreary poisoning news to return the hug and grin. "Thank you! And sometime towards the end of the year." He could hardly wait and had already begun to start making ridiculous plans about what sort of instrument he'd try to teach and what songs and what adventures he could take his family on. He glanced over at his instruments thoughtfully. "Hmm... you said your brother T'ryn also plays... maybe he can have one of the standard guitars. I have one that I'd started to customize but never finished. It's got a bit of inlay on the fretboard, but I never finished the rosette. So if he's fine with a half carved guitar he could have that one..."

He glanced over at Mylorah, eyebrow raised as he realized she was still trying to fight some of his gifting. "Really, I need to get rid of most of this pile at least. I may as well share them with people I care about." Gangleri gave a quick glance towards the door before leaning down to sneak in a kiss. It wasn't that Quil didn't know what he'd been up to with the dancing girl from the Weyr, but it felt polite to at least be a bit more discrete in his own home.

"Think over what sort of instrument you'd like, if I don't have one I'll arrange for it. In fact, before you can try to fight that further," his voice trailed off as he pulled away and went to his desk to scribble a quick note. Fret popped in, giving Mylorah a cheery chirp before he disappeared with the note clutched firmly in his claws. "There. Let's go see how dinner is getting along."

With a grin and a wink he gently steered her towards the kitchen. "Quilriana!" He sang his wife's name excitedly, "I've finished the tour, dinner smells lovely, and this is charming young woman is Mylorah."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 14.Jul.22

Mylorah sighed and cradled the mandolin to her chest as she watched Gangleri start poking around the mess again while he continued going on about more gifts. She was only giving him a look, biding her time for when she could properly turn down everything or try to bargain and only take one item instead of everything. But his counterpoint before she could start it back up had her biting her lip in thought and then smiling from the quick kiss he snuck in. If it helped him clean out his space while also spreading some joy to some of her brothers, then she could accept everything he kept offering. “Okay. I’ll take the guitar for T’ryn as well. Our dad’s mate, B’jin, is a Harper and has been teaching T’ryn to play recently and I think B’jin would be able to finish up the carving or whatever needs to be done.” She gave the guitar a once over and while she could identify the instrument and see what Gangleri was talking about, Mylorah also couldn’t see if there was further work to be done.

The mandolin was set beside the smaller guitar case since she really didn’t know what to do with it and if it was actually on offer or not. She waved at Fret when he greeted her and was rather polite in not pestering Gangleri about what he wrote. Sometimes she knew a lost battle and decided to save her strength for future ones. The night was still very young and she still had to properly meet Geric.

As they entered the kitchen, Mylorah was struck with a wave of memories that had her stopping a bit behind Gangleri. Quilriana had her back to them as she checked on dinner and all Mylorah could see was the dark hair and flashing back to their little hut in Katila with their mom making dinner. It wasn’t really even that odd of a sight! A’tay and Zelana invited her over regularly for meals and she was never triggered like that. Maybe it was simply the hair and the scent of the fine meal combined that did her in. But she didn’t want to worry anyone by having a moment or crying over what was lost and couldn’t be changed. So she smiled, something that was easier to do when she saw Quilriana and was able to push the memories further aside.

The woman was beautiful and a glance at Gangleri showed how much he truly did love his wife. Mylorah hadn’t really known before that moment. She assumed he did since he spoke highly of Quilriana but maybe she had hoped he didn’t love her so she wouldn’t feel guilty for stealing so much of his time and making him do silly things and inspire songs. She’d worry about feelings later as she had a wife and hostess to properly meet. “Hi! Lovely to meet you, Quilriana!” Mylorah had promised herself she’d try to act like some form of a holder but her excitement over the evening’s events was returning and she bounced across the room to greet the older woman with a hug like they were close friends.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Quilriana - 14.Jul.22

Quilriana only had a moment to take in Mylorah before she had the young woman hugging her. She laughed and returned the gesture, finding it easy to see why Gangleri was so taken with her. It wasn’t the first time she had seen Mylorah since she’d attended some Hatchings and the girl always stood out with the way she interacted with those around her and even with people in the audience. But it was nice to properly meet her and experience that affection first hand. “It’s lovely to meet you as well, Mylorah. I hear you’re also a sorceress so we’ll have to talk shop soon.” She laughed again as Mylorah seemed momentarily at a loss for words, probably trying to figure out how much she knew about her relationship with Gangleri, before she went with grinning and a nod. Yes, this one would certainly help keep Gangleri on his toes.

“Gangleri, go wash up and then get your brother. I’ll have dinner on the table in just a few minutes.” Quilriana started to shoo her husband away but Mylorah surprised her by offering to fetch Geric and was out the door before she could be stopped. “I should worry about that but I think the shock and interaction will do Geric well.” He was making progress with the baby ordeal but a little extra practice with a whirlwind of energy would be good practice.

“Wash up and then go rescue him if you think he needs it,” she ordered before turning back to the roast beef that had sat long enough and was ready to be carved. By the time everyone returned, dinner would be on the table and would likely be the smoothest part of the evening for most of them.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 15.Jul.22

Gangleri nodded, smiling. "Then he can have it, B'jin should be able to get it finished rather nicely. I'll just pack the instruments together so that they're secure enough you won't have to worry about them too much on your return trip. Hopefully your brothers like them." Especially Gail. But he'd fretted enough about him and the other attacked brothers through letters, he didn't need to cling to that worry while she was here in his home.

When they entered the kitchen he couldn't help but smile as he watched Quil busy herself with the meal. But then he was struck with a moment of worry as glanced down and saw Mylorah staring at his wife. He couldn't quite read the emotion on her face, but he quickly dismissed the concern as she was suddenly filled with her normal joyful exuberance and hugging Quil. Gangleri let out a soft chuckle as he leaned against a counter to watch the two women.

The reaction she had to his wife's comment about their sorcery made him grin. "That's right, two sorceresses in one room. Clearly I am a doomed man." He was going to obey her command, even if he suspected it was just so the two could have a moment alone to have some sort of conspiratorial conversation. But then he did have an honest moment of concern as he watched Mylorah run off in delight to fetch his brother. She was certainly intense and personal, and those were not things Geric was used to dealing with. The fact that he'd slept with anyone at all was a shock, a woman he'd knocked up had been all the more shocking. Ah well, it would probably be a good learning opportunity at least, he thought with a small shake of his head.

"I'll give her a few minutes at least, or wait until I hear him scream or cry." It was only partially a joke, but he figured the odds of Mylorah somehow getting that far were pretty low. As excited and friendly and lively as she was, she was also rather kind and observant enough to notice if she made Geric too distressed.

Brushing thoughts of his brother aside, Gangleri closed the distance to his wife, carefully made sure she wasn't wielding anything dangerous or otherwise occupied, and then wrapped his arms around her in a fond hug. "This was a nice idea, you look absolutely beautiful, and dinner smells delicious. I'll go wash up, let me know if there's anything else I can help with when I get back. Unless I have to rescue Geric from our very enthusiastic and friendly guest."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 15.Jul.22

Geric had relocated to his room once he realized his brother had taken the woman to his office. Even with the door open so he could hear the call for dinner it felt a bit more secluded, a bit safer for the letters he was presently exchanging with his baby mama's real father. Because after talking to her with Quil, it turned out she'd been as full of lies and terribleness as he had. Too bad she hadn't been lying about the baby though, he still existed though his name turned out to be just as fabricated as her own.

So he'd been exchanging letters with a man in Igen, carried back and forth by the blue firelizard he'd found out was named Lapis as they tried to do plan for travel arrangements. Raxiana's father was more than willing to accept a ride from Qu'va, who thankfully was just as willing to provide said ride from the last letter he'd sent, it just seemed the man was incredibly busy and had to make sure his affairs were in order before he could leave. He must have been a very important merchant, his name seemed familiar in a way that nagged at him, but he couldn't quite place it. Either way he was jotting down Qu'va's name and stating he'd down to provide a ride when there was a bright and ringing voice and then there was a blur out of the corner of his eye and he panicked.

"Nothing!" His pen skipped and smeared, he wadded up the paper, and shoved it hastily at the waiting firelizard. It took the crumpled note with a disdainful look in his eyes but poofed away promptly. And then the strange woman was on his bed, and somewhere in the back of his head he knew this was Mylorah, his brother's mistress. That just made Geric freeze in shock, staring at her with wide eyes as he tried to think of what to do. What should he do? He had to assume anything he said or did was going to get back to his brother, it was safer that way. For now he couldn't help but wonder what she'd seen and what she knew. "I... I was just writing a letter to someone."

He realized that she'd also tried to confirm who he was and he cleared his throat to quietly add, "Yeah, I'm Geric." He studied Mylorah for a moment longer, intently staring at her face, her eyes, the set of her mouth, the tension in her forehead. No, he didn't think she'd seen anything, though she was probably bothered by... oh. That was probably his fault because he was an anxious mess and she could tell. Geric cringed, shrinking in on himself and glancing towards the door. "Is... is dinner ready? Sorry for... uh... sorry. You just startled me. But yes I'm Geric. Nice to meet you. You're my brother's... friend. Right?"


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 15.Jul.22

Was Geric always this skittish and secretive? She watched the frantic removal of the letter and frowned at the firelizard that didn't seem too impressed either before going off to do his job. This wasn't exactly the first impression and meeting she was hoping for but it was the one she had so might as well work with it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Geric," Mylorah was practically sitting on her hands to keep from pulling him into a hug or to grab a hand for a slightly more normal shake. It seemed like neither would be overly appreciated and she didn't offer her hand because she felt like she'd be left hanging for quite a while as Geric made up his mind about her.

"I'm his friend but why the pause before you said it?" Her head tilted to the side in consideration and the smile that had been so easy to hold finally started to slip away as she realised Geric was a proper Holder and how he must have viewed her like so many other Holders she'd met beside Tazikel. "Oh. Holders would be a lot happier if they didn't have so many negative views and labels and had less narrow boxes. Friend, escort, lover, mistress, whore... whatever you're comfortable with, I don't really care." It had taken a while for the names and comments to get to her and she had her moment of crying alone but since then, Mylorah had focused on quiet revenge and not letting the mean girls get to her. She knew what she was and what she had with the men they wished would notice them.

"Anyway, you were writing to Lord Igen, right? I think I saw his name. Sorry, I didn't mean to read anything but his name caught my eye when I approached you. How do you know him? I met him briefly a while ago at a party I attended with Lord Tazikel. He's pretty fun and flirty." Both excellent traits in a man, though she was embarrassed to say she only ever had eyes for Tazikel when she was attending events with him. "Maybe one day I'll go to Igen Hold." Not that she believed Habraxel would remember her or care that she was visiting his Hold but it was still a region she hadn't explored yet regardless.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 15.Jul.22

Geric turned a bright shade of crimson and physically recoiled, pulling back to hug his knees to his chest. "That's... no, that's not what I meant at all. I'm sorry, I just... uh... I don't know how secretive Leeri is about it or if you wanted it to be a secret or not. He doesn't tell me about things... but they're not my business and I don't ask because.. again. My business. I just.. uh. I notice when he gets letters from you and is always smiling and... and I know he was seeing someone, but not who and he probably just expected me to figure it out or forgot he didn't tell me or something and I was just trying to be polite."

He was going to make himself dizzy at this rate with how fast his heart was beating, how hard it was getting to breathe. Great, just great, Gangleri was going to be angry with him for insulting his mistress. "I didn't call you a whore," he squeaked out as a soft whimper. And then she was asking if he was writing to Lorg Igen and what was she talking about? She'd seen a name? Why would she know Lord Igen? Why would he be writing Lord...

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, what had he done. He was writing to Raxiana's dad... Habraxel... about... about the baby. Not the Lord of Igen Hold. Except if Mylorah recognized his name then that meant he'd knocked up a Lord's daughter and he wasn't even sure if Quil or even Gangleri could save him now. The edges of his vision darkened until he gave a small despondent squeak and slumped over and off the bed to collapse on the floor unconscious.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 15.Jul.22

Gangleri had finished washing up, and was on his way to make sure that Mylorah and Geric were getting along well enough when he heard an unexpected but unfortunately familiar sound. It was a pained little squeak, high pitched and whiny from Geric forgetting to breathe as he panicked about something and... ah yes. There it was, the thud that indicated he'd fainted and a gasp as Mylorah probably witnessed it.

He picked up the pace, walking straight away into his brother's room, frown on his face, brow furrowed in concern. He could see Mylorah perched on the bed in a bit of her own mild state of panic as she quickly said she hadn't done anything. "It's fine, it's fine," he said gently, though his focus was on his brother at the moment. "I just need to make sure he didn't hit the ground too hard."

Very carefully he reached down to feel along his brother's neck and head. There was no blood at least and no odd angles or bits that felt broken so that was nice, but there was quite the bump to the back of his head. Satisfied that a healer wouldn't be needed, Gangleri grabbed hold of him and grunted as he got his brother into position lying flat on his back before lifting his legs towards Mylorah. "Here, just prop those up against the bed. Don't worry, he used to do this a bit more frequently when he was younger. It's been a while since the last time though, I didn't even think to try and warn you to be a bit more subdued."

After a quick glance at Mylorah and seeing the concern on her face Gangleri couldn't help but smile though, reaching out to give her hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry he'll be fine. I think Quil has been helping him face a bit of personal drama, which probably has him on edge and a bit jumpier than usual."

On the one hand he was quite proud that his brother had been facing his fears and had gotten personally involved with handling the whole baby with Quil's help (and prodding), but now he was tempted to try and just step in again. If this fainting spell was any indication Geric was much more stressed about things than he had realized. He'd talk to his wife about it later.

For now Gangleri leaned down to give Geric's face a few gentle pats before shaking him. "Come on now, wake up. We'll be late for dinner. Mylorah dear, would you jab the bottom of his foot?"


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 16.Jul.22

“I know you didn’t but I wouldn’t care if you did,” Mylorah tried to reassure Geric and found that it wasn’t working. He was definitely moving into a full blown panic attack. Her next instinct was to touch him, soothe him, but she didn’t think he’d appreciate it so she did the opposite by standing and giving him a little space while still saying she wasn’t offended and apologizing for giving him a list of words to use. But was he even listening anymore? It was getting worse and Mylorah didn’t know if it was still because of the names or because she knew he was writing to Lord Igen.

And then he was on the ground and she gasped, hand covering her mouth to keep from screaming. She probably should have called for Gangleri but Mylorah was too afraid a blood curdling scream would escape instead. Orgailian had dropped and started vomiting blood in front of her not too long ago. T’ryn had to watch Parella die. Cazan watched T’ryn fall unconscious. What if it wasn’t just panicking but she’d somehow brought the attacks with her and Geric had been poisoned? When Gangleri came in and she babbled she didn’t do it, she knew she was being silly and close to panicking herself. She hadn’t even tried to help Geric! But seeing the Master Harper so calmly tend to his brother and say it used to happen regularly calmed her and she helped when she was told to.

Mylorah nodded at the explanation, though Gangleri was still focused on Geric and trying to rouse him. “I interrupted his letter writing and he panicked and sent that pretty blue firelizard off with it,” she started as way of confession while moving to Geric’s feet. Jab the bottom of his foot? She shrugged and gave it whirl as she continued, “but I called him out on his hesitation to find the right label for me. He went with me being your ‘friend’ and I said Holders were small-minded and gave him a list of other titles he could use for me. He latched onto ‘whore’ and freaked out that he didn’t call me that.” She sighed and jabbed Geric’s foot again, this time a bit harder since the first one didn’t seem to do anything.

“He didn’t insult me, I swear!” Mylorah suddenly felt an urge to protect Geric. It was her fault he’d fainted and she didn’t want Gangleri angry with him over that or any misconceived slights. Feeling horrible for what she had caused, she took a few steps back. It probably wouldn’t be good for Geric to see her right away.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 16.Jul.22

"More letter writing? I wonder if it had anything to do with his work or if it was personal... I've never seen that particular blue firelizard before today so I'm not sure who it belongs to." Upon hearing that Mylorah had called Geric out on calling her a friend made far more sense for the current situation though. Gangleri paused in his attempts at waking his brother to nod. "Ah that makes sense. I was fairly certain he knew about you, but he was probably just trying to be polite and discreet. I don't exactly openly talk about certain aspects of my personal life with him." He was also fairly certain that Geric knew Quil had a lover as well, though he never talked about it at all.

Mylorah's sudden insistence that Geric hadn't insulted her both confirmed that was probably a contributing factor to this fainting spell and also had Gangleri curious if his brother's anxiety was somehow contagious. He gave her a gentle smile. "I know, he didn't insult you. He's a bit too cowardly for that unless he's working and doesn't actually care about the content of his words so much as their effect. That was something I was able to teach him at least, when it's not something that's real to him he can be almost eloquent. Not quite enough to star in any of my plays, but enough that I can bring him in to help train apprentices." Teaching apprentice actors how to properly lie was always easier with assistants.

"Come on, Geric. Wake up before I have to go tell Quil. You wouldn't want her to worry would you?" Gangleri gave his brother another pat on the face followed by a gentle shake as he saw Mylorah poke him harder in the foot again. At least that seemed to get some sort of reaction and Geric stirred, grumbling incoherently as he tried to feebly bat his brother away and his legs twitched. "Ah there we go. See, he'll be just fine, Mylo. Geric. Geric! There we go, how about you take Mylorah to go get washed up so we can have dinner. I'll go let Quilriana know you're on your way." And also put something a bit extra into the boy's drink to help him calm down and also recover a bit from his fainting spell.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 16.Jul.22

Geric was still fuzzy as he blinked up and saw his brother fussing over him. And...there was a woman too. No wait. He recognized her... Mylorah. "Not a whore," he croaked out softly. His brother easily ignored it while talking to him about getting ready for dinner. But was it dinner time? Oh right. Mylorah was there for dinner. He pushed himself up to sit and rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking around. "Sorry... sorry about that. Are you okay? I'm not sure what happened. I mean, I know I fainted..."

He let himself trail off at that and just shrugged. It was possible he'd gotten worked up over the whore thing, which he was still confused about but it was slowly coming back to him. Little by little his brain started to catch up, first with more coordinated movement as he stood up and beckoned Mylorah to follow him, then with more memories of what had led to his moment of panic. At least a lot of his emotions were still delayed enough that he wasn't too upset by it, rather things just made more sense, and that lapse in emotional function let him actually acknowledge his letter. He had been writing to a lord, and not just a minor one either but Lord Igen. About how he'd knocked up his daughter and invited him to visit for a meeting so that they could talk about the baby's fate.

"Fuck." He'd muttered the word under his breath, having forgotten that Mylorah was there. He blinked at her and forced a sleepy bashful smile on his face. "Sorry... just thinking about how fainting sucks." He didn't keep the smile up for long though as he walked into the washroom to splash a very generous amount of cold water on his face, leaving the door open and scooting over to make space at the basin so that Mylorah could join him if she wanted. "Sorry. Sorry you had to see that. And sorry for freaking out. I still didn't mean to imply anything mean or negative, I just... I didn't know what sort of word you would have wanted me to use. Friend seemed easy enough."

He eyed himself in the mirror and cringed at the mess he was before frantically trying to straighten his hair with his fingers. He was feeling much more himself now, though at least he no longer had the shock lingering and filling him with panic. There was just the usual dread now. "Don't tell my brother about the letters? Or at least nothing else if you told him anything already." Geric sighed and rubbed his temples before glancing at his brother's mistress. Friend. Person. "Can we start over? I'm Geric, it's nice to meet you."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 16.Jul.22

Mylorah wanted to protest and ask not to be left alone with Geric again. It felt like Gangleri was punishing his brother for what she had done but she was also the guest in their home so she stayed quiet and continued to be so as she followed Geric down to the washroom. This visit was going horribly, though it was going as well as Gaili had teased her it would go. He didn’t think meeting her fancy lover’s family was one her best ideas but it had been Gangleri’s so that had to count for something. She had been excited about the dinner and play, just doing normal things, because she knew they had chemistry together but wanted to know more about the Master Harper as a person; as a friend. She wanted to meet new people and have a so-called normal interaction. Sex had never even factored into what she hoped would come of the night. She just really wasn’t cut out for any part of the Holder life.

At least Geric had the courage to look at himself in the mirror. Mylorah couldn’t face herself. She didn’t want to see how close to tears she was over upsetting Geric and possibly ruining a nice dinner and didn’t even want to know what she looked like in a proper dress and trying so hard. The only mirror she had was a small hand held one that was a little cloudy and while she knew Casa had large ones and wouldn’t mind her popping in, Mylorah didn’t want to work herself up more than she already had been by fretting too much over her appearance. Maybe she should have. Maybe the dark blue dress would have been better. It had the more appropriate neckline but was actually a little bit shorter than her current dress. Maybe she should just calm down and stop assuming everyone would want to be friends at first glance. She’d all but been told directly that she would scare Geric yet she still skipped into his room like they were old friends and poked her nose into his business and judged him because she assumed he was judging her.

As Geric moved over a little for her to reach the basin, Mylorah gave him a weak half smile in answer for the gesture. She didn’t trust herself to talk, at least not until he asked a direct question and head shakes wouldn’t work. “I didn’t tell him anything about the letter,” she replied, voice barely above a whisper as she lathered up her hands and then rinsed them off. But when he asked if they could start over and he reintroduced himself, the smile grew a little more and some of the light returned to her. “Nice to meet you, Geric. I’m Mylorah, Gangleri’s friend.” She owed him an apology but didn’t want to ruin the moment by lingering on the past they were apparently going to pretend didn’t happen so instead she was lame and mentioned dinner smelled good and stepped aside so Geric could lead them to the table.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 16.Jul.22

There was something that felt off about the whole situation and Geric blinked, frowning for a moment as he tried to figure out what it was. It wasn't him right? Usually it was, but he didn't think it was this time other than his general bummed demeanor. No, it was Mylorah. She'd been very perky and... emotive. Brash. Bright. And now she was just sulking and he couldn't help but have a brief moment of worry that it was his fault. "Hey... I... I didn't upset you did I? Please don't be upset. I'm already bad enough at things I don't want to add meeting my brother's friends to the list."

At least he didn't have to worry about the letter and that made him relieved a bit. "I just don't want Leeri to worry about or poke his nose too much into who I'm talking to. I just... I've got some personal stuff I'm trying to figure out, and I don't want to tell him about any of it yet." Wait, was he accidentally talking shit about his brother to his mistress? "I mean, I don't think he'd be upset with me, he's always been there for me and been supportive I'm just not... not ready yet."

Geric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't want them both to go back to the dinner table looking terrible and sad. His brother would be upset and that would only make him feel worse and he wasn't really sure what to do or how to make anything better. "Is there anything I can do to try and make things up to you? I could tell you stories about Gangleri or just... I don't know. I feel like I'm only making things worse now, and this was supposed to be a good dinner. Leeri was excited to have you over to meet everyone and I wanted to see what the lady who made him smile so much with her letters looked like. You're younger than I thought you'd be."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 16.Jul.22

“It’s not you and I’m fine,” mostly. But it wasn’t Geric’s fault, it was hers. She had to stop trying to fit in where she knew she didn’t belong. She loved living in the Weyrs, even loved living in Katila, but sometimes being fancy and going to parties with a gorgeous lordling was fun and exciting and the thought of attending a play with the Master Harper that wrote it was equally so. But neither areas were a true part of her world and her mannerisms and somewhat brash personality showed that again. And she thought she had toned down her personality but still made a Holder faint from panic over dealing with her. She wanted to laugh but didn’t want to insult Geric further with more misunderstandings.

It was a good thing she hadn’t laughed when Geric started talking about the letter. Was he having his own affair? With Lord Igen? Some of the gossip Tazikel had told her did align with this idea and it put his reaction into a whole new light. If only he knew the things she had gotten Gangleri to do. “Your brother is very open-minded. My being in your home is proof of that. He won’t judge you, Geric.” Everyone else probably would from what she knew of the Holds but screw them. Her fire was coming back and the determination to not let the haters win was strong and she took Geric’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze in solidarity. They could be outsiders and secret lovers together. Only not actually together. Although he was cute. And just like his brother by calling her young.

Mylorah rolled her eyes but she was smiling brightly again, mostly thanks to knowing her letters made Gangleri smile. “I’m twenty-two,” she replied, politely leaving out that she was fairly certain Habraxel was even older than Gangleri and Geric seemed to be close to her age so he didn’t have much room to point out age differences. But she wasn’t upset over it and found it amusing since she had finally gotten the Master Harper to acknowledge her as a grown adult—though sometimes she couldn’t help but throw in a little teasing comment about him being old.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 16.Jul.22

It was hard to try and relax, but at least Mylorah insisted it wasn't his fault. Still he felt bad for killing a guest's mood. This was probably why Leeri never hosted any parties at home. And at least Mylorah was nice and trying to offer more reassurances. "I'm not sure if he's that open minded," Geric said with a small grumble. Still though he sighed and shrugged, "And maybe you're right and he won't just... later. When I feel more ready and have things figured out."

The hand squeeze startled him for a moment, and he blushed slightly at the gesture though it was more from embarrassment and surprise than anything else. Mylorah had no idea what he was going through, her support and positivity should have been meaningless, but it was still nice and he couldn't help but give her hand a gentle squeeze back in return before gingerly pulling his hand away. "Ah, sorry about that. I get clammy... you wouldn't want to hold my hand for long."

And then she was rolling her eyes and he couldn't help but let out a soft snicker. "You're older than me," Geric said with an amused smile that was more honest. "I just meant that I thought Leeri would be going after an older woman. I've seen him dismissively shoo away young women enough times at the Hall. Though that may have been because he thought they weren't interesting enough and relying too much on their looks to try and find a man to marry." He scratched his jaw thoughtfully at that, wondering if it was the fact that a weyrbred girl wouldn't care about trying to ensnare a man for marriage. Then again he had gotten married to Quil, but he also loved his wife. Though maybe not enough to be faithful to her? That didn't seem right at all to Geric, but he wasn't about to try and ask his brother for more information about his romantic life. That would only lead to more stress and discomfort.

He shook his head and gave Mylo another thoughtful smile as he offered her his arm. "Come on, let's go get dinner or Gangleri will think I fell down or did some other dumb thing again. You already met Quilriana right? She's great." Much more quietly he added, "Much better than his first wife. But don't ask him about her or he might get upset or sad."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 18.Jul.22

“It’s your truth to tell and I know you will when you’re ready,” Mylorah continued with being supportive and encouraging despite not knowing much about Geric. She hoped he found his happiness and some of his nerves left him once he was comfortable with who he was and loved and knew his brother would continue to support him no matter what. Would Gangleri mention his own discoveries? She didn’t really think either brother were the sort to share intimate details with the other but there was a chance he would at least mention he had some casual hook-ups with men as well so Geric would know it wasn’t so bad to love another man.

“Ah yes. My aversion to marriage does make me rather desirable,” Mylorah drawled, tone dry. She doubted that was a reason for Gangleri’s interest and she knew it wasn’t her age given how much he dwelled on it. There was something early on that she swore both attracted him and frightened him but he never said what it was and it didn’t seem to haunt him nearly as much now. A part of her wondered if she looked like his first wife but Geric didn’t react to her like he’d seen a ghost or mention anything other than that apparently she wasn’t as wonderful as Quilriana. She desperately wanted to know more about that wife and try to pick Geric’s brain over why Gangleri was initially drawn to her but it wasn’t the time and she still believed the Master Harper would tell her himself one day.

Dinner looked and tasted as amazing as it smelled and Mylorah ate her fair share. She had never been the type to only nibble and declare herself full like some of those weird Hold ladies at the fancy parties. The conversation was a lot more stimulating than those parties as well. Quilriana asked about her life and was genuinely interested while also easily sharing stories of her own. Mylorah really liked the woman and was glad that Gangleri had her in his life. Geric seemed more relaxed since they sat down and answered her questions, though she made sure to stay away from love lives and letters.

When Quilriana started to clean the table, Mylorah offered to help and started to get up but the hostess waved off the attempt so she sat back down. At the Weyr, everyone helped clean up after themselves and she knew better than to think she needed to lift a finger at the parties with Tazikel. But here, she wasn’t sure of the rules. So she turned back to Geric after Quilriana announced cherry pie would be coming out in just a moment. “I didn’t even think of it until now but are you coming to the play with us? A man on each arm is always better than just one,” she couldn’t help but lightly flirt with him now that they seemed a bit more at ease again.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 18.Jul.22

"Odd, usually it's tits that do that," Geric said in his own flat conversational tone. It was something he would have joked to Ullie about, someone he was actually comfortable around, and when he realized what he'd said he blushed and stammered out a quick apology. "Uh sorry... sorry about that. Just joking. Really." He cringed a little, because even if it was fine he felt it shouldn't have been because Mylorah was still a stranger, or at least his brother's lady and not someone he should just be comfortable around.

Quil clearly didn't count because she was basically a mother and it was so hard to see anything sinister about that even when she was doing sinister things like tricking him into doing things for himself or even for others, like pulling out a chair for Mylorah and helping to get pitchers to refill drinks as needed.

And probably because she was around, he felt a bit more at ease as dinner went, mostly listening, but also answering questions about himself, and occasionally even asking a question of his own about how dragons talked to each other. Occasionally he'd pay particularly close attention to Quilriana's reaction to a question or statement, curious if he could piece together what she really thought about everything.

At the question he couldn't help but tilt his head. "It seems like it would be too crowded to walk down a hall with three of us in a row like that. I could walk you though if Leeri wanted to walk with Quil. I can't remember if she's staying in or not." He gave his brother a frown as he heard the man snickering. "What? All I did was... Oh." He finally realized she had flirted with him and groaned, turning slightly pink from embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm awful. And really, people might just get confused if they saw you with me, wondering who put you up to it."

At least Quil saved him with a slice of cherry pie. Geric very quickly grabbed his fork to take a bite only to glance up at her and set it down as he waited for everyone else to get there's as well. He supposed he could be polite and embarrassed at the same time.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 18.Jul.22

Gangleri let out a small sigh of relief when he saw Mylorah and Geric returning together and both of them seemingly fine. He wasn't sure if happy was the right word, but they seemed to be getting along well enough for the moment and there were even some smiles. He turned his attention back to his wife, reaching over to gently squeeze her hand out of gratitude for putting up with his momentary fretting. And for making dinner. And for thinking to invite Mylorah. And all of the myriad of other things that she did and he appreciated her for, but she must have seen the look in his eye since she gave his hand a gentle pat and gave him a look that reminded him they still had company.

So he refocused on dinner and his guest, enjoyed in the conversations and noted that Geric's drink seemed to be helping quite a lot with keeping him more calm and relaxed. He didn't particularly enjoy dosing his brother with that particular cocktail, especially since he had to make sure neither of the ladies drank it on accident. So while they talked at the table, he subtly encouraged Geric to drink up until his glass was empty and could be refilled with something a bit safer.

Gangleri helped to organize what dishes he could to make them at least easier for Quilriana to take away, before sitting back down and listening to Mylorah and Geric as his wife went to go prepare the pie. Though as soon as Geric answered her question he couldn't help but laugh, though he tried to keep it a bit more subdued and not so obvious.

"Oh don't give me that look, Gerry," he said with a grin as his brother finally caught on. "You know if you got out more often or traveled with Ullie you'd have so much more practice with that sort of banter." Watching his brother's face and how he held himself, he could easily tell that he was embarrassed, but more importantly, Gangleri could see that he wasn't in a panic over it either. This was just a rather ordinary display of emotion and there was no sign of his earlier panic coming back to the surface. He turned to Mylorah to give her a reassuring smile and wink just in case she had any concerns about it too.

He idly took a bite of his pie once Quilriana sat down to rejoin them. He turned to his wife, head tilted curiously as he asked, "Are you up for the play? You've already seen this one before so don't feel like you have to humor me to do it. I'll be staying for the post party of course, and I suspect Mylorah might be so inclined as well." A quick glance at Geric had the young man shaking his head as he tried to decline the party.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 19.Jul.22

Mylorah bit back most of a smile at how innocent Geric took her flirting until he caught on thanks to Gangleri's reaction. She saw the smile and wink the Master Harper gave her but it wasn't needed. If anything, Geric's response only encouraged her and Gangleri likely saw the glint in her eye that appeared when she was up to something wicked. She was feeling better after their disastrous introduction and the man's comment about tits earlier let her see a glimpse of his personality and know there was someone in there that knew how to have fun. How could she let him stay home and sulk about Lord Igen when there was a nice evening out to be had?

She waited for Quilriana to join them once more since the older woman seemed to be a bit of an ally when it came to keeping the men on their toes and believed she would back her up in some way. "You have to come now, Geric! And I don't care what people will think if they see me with you. We can just assume they're jealous and we can bicker over which one of us we think they wish they were." Mylorah paused to take a bite of the pie and her eyes lit up as the taste burst across her tongue. It was so good! Not too sweet and not sour like some cherry pies could be. She gave Quilriana well-deserved praise and had to remember to tell Qu'va how lucky he was to have her as a mom. Amazing meals aside, the woman just seemed so caring and attentive with a playful edge to her.

But back to Geric! "We could double date or Gangleri can be our chaperone. Besides, you know how popular he'll end up being at the after party with everyone wanting his attention and who will I be left with for dancing and keeping me out of trouble?" She was certain Gangleri would make more time than was necessary for her with or without Geric but she also didn't want him to feel too torn by being a proper Master Harper dedicated to his craft and showing her around.

Quilriana seemed to be in agreement with her as she encouraged Geric to get out of the house for an evening and have a little fun. But she declined going herself, stating she had to clean up the kitchen and wouldn't mind a quiet night to herself without the men around. Fret could keep her company and out of trouble.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 19.Jul.22

Geric was about to object when his brother loudly and cheerfully declared it was a wonderful idea. Of course he was willing to be a chaperone for Geric and Mylo, and it would prove a delightful little source for the rumor mill. Not that he wanted to give anything to the rumor mill, but any objection to that point he knew would be easily dismissed. Rumors could be very useful if wielded properly, even for someone who wanted to stay under the radar like him.

So he pouted and frowned and did his best to look as reluctant as possible so that maybe Myorah would take pity on him, but no, he was sorely defeated and he sighed, taking a bite of delicious pie to soothe him before he nodded. "Fine... I'll go to the party." Geric still felt embarrassed and unsure about it all but he lifted his glass for a drink and stuck his tongue out at Mylorah anyway for just a split second, because clearly she deserved it.

At least he was able to convince everyone he could dress himself up nicely without having their guest (and his party date and Gangleri's mistress) go in to help him. Once Gerric was set in his suit, and Gangleri had finished adjusting his tie again, he gave Quilriana a hug and offered Mylorah his arm while his brother took her other side with an amused chuckle. She stayed between them even once they arrived at the Hall's theater and took their seats.

It wasn't the first time Gerric had seen the play, he knew the gist of it well enough, even without memorizing the lines. It would open with the greenrider, flamboyant and young and prancing about the stage at first with his much higher jumping and more acrobatic partner in a green dragon costume. Then the sinister Evil Lord Ashpebble came in and manipulated the naive rider to do his bidding, convincing him that it would help him get the dashing bluerider he'd been pining after. Once the first incident led to murder it was too late for the greenrider, he was trapped and easily blackmailed and worse, the dashing bluerider was investigating the deaths.

In a way it almost made Geric think about himself. He'd done one stupid thing and now he was having to make an entire thing out of it in order to try and just keep his head. He might have been paranoid enough to wonder if Gangleri knew if he didn't already know when it had been originally written. There were more murders, and he noticed that his brother kept watching Mylorah for reactions; he couldn't help but wonder if she'd been involved in any of that drama. He'd ask later maybe.

For the moment he returned his attention to the play as it resolved the romantic plot, with the bluerider thinking the green hated him for some reason, but their dragons taking matters into their own hands with a very silly dance number across the stage to represent a flight. There were a few chuckles at the ridiculous moans and shouts that the actors decided to throw in from off stage, along with some clothes that were thrown onto stage to be collected afterwards by the shirtless men and then hastily pulled back on. That part he was pretty sure the actors had ad-libbed, but this was the final showing so he doubted anyone would be too upset.

The ending of the play always made Geric sad though. After having found his love, the greenrider went to confront Lord Ashpebble by himself only to be killed and have his body hidden. The bluerider at least managed to find an enigmatic and half finished note in his lover's quarters that had the actor shouting dramatically he would get revenge as the curtain was drawn. He added his applause as others began to clap, and glanced curiously over at Mylorah. He knew how his brother felt about his own play already after all, but he wanted to see what she'd say.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 20.Jul.22

Mylorah was silently crying as the play came to a close. She knew the idea had been loosely based on what had been happening in the Weyrs but it was different enough that it didn't directly mimic any real events. However, she could see similarities in some of the characters to people she knew. If the greenrider had been a bluerider, it would be like seeing R'dal up on stage. He was so sweet but also gullible so there was a real chance he could be manipulated by a Lord. But then to have the greenrider find love and happiness only to be killed was awful. It was brilliant writing and story-telling but still so sad. It also brought back the memories of every time the dragons keened for their lost companions from the murders and the landslide. She hated that sound. It was so mournful and heartbreaking but there was a beauty to it as it showed how deeply dragons cared for one another. Maybe that was part of the reason why hearing it hurt so much.

She still applauded with everyone else as the actors had all done a wonderful job and she was a sucker for Harpers in general. It was why, even with tears sliding down her cheeks, she was still one of the first on her feet to show her appreciation. Was it appropriate to do such a thing at a more professional show? Mylorah had no idea but she did it anyway since it was what she did at gathers with the much smaller and shorter little plays put on. She also always cheered and jumped around at the end of songs when she was on the dance floor since Harpers worked so hard for others to enjoy themselves. She refrained from cheering but was now smiling as she wiped away her tears and sat back down between her dates.

"That was a wonderful story, Master Harper," Mylorah turned to Gangleri to give him the praise he deserved. "It was respectful as well, though I might need a moment before going to the party. Which I do still want to attend," she quickly added as she turned to Geric to make sure he wasn't about to use her emotions as an excuse to get out of it. But the younger Harper probably deserved to know the reason why she needed a few minutes to shake off some memories so she lowered her voice while taking his hand in hers just so she had something to look at and focus on as she spoke.

"Most of my siblings have been attacked; three of them recently. Last year a close friend died in a mass attack that I only got a small stomach ache from because I didn't stay after only having a couple of small sips of the poisoned wine." She still missed Katiryn and sometimes felt guilty for barely being affected by the attack but she knew her own death or being in more pain at the time wouldn't have saved Kat.

"Anyway!" Mylorah smiled again as she shoved all of that aside to deal with later. "Can I really meet the actors? They need to know how great they were." It may have been Gangleri's words but the actors brought the story to life and deserved as much praise for moving her so much.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - L'ri - 20.Jul.22

There was a bit of conflicting emotion running through Gangleri as he kept glancing over at Mylorah. On the one hand she was crying and he couldn't do more than gently squeeze her hand and pass her a handkerchief, but on the other hand it was an immense compliment to the play he'd written and the performance of the actors he'd taught and worked with. He couldn't help but be pleased with her reaction, and as the play closed her praise just made his heart sing even more as he reached over to pull her into a hug.

"Thank you very much for sharing so many of your stories." Gangleri resisted the urge to linger in that hug, instead releasing her and nodding. "And of course you can meet the actors. They will all be at the party and Geric can point them all out for you if they decide to be tricky and not be in costume. It depends on their mood if they stay in them or not." He took a look around the audience and spotted a familiar face and couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his lips. It was inconvenient the man had chosen this particular showing to attend, but at least he'd finally come.

He turned to Geric and gave him a pointed look. "I have some administrative matters to handle for the play, do keep Mylorah entertained." Administrative work was the bane of everyone's existence, which had always made it a very fitting and common code phrase for the more unsavory tasks his former specialty occasionally demanded. When his brother offered to proofread, Gangleri just brushed it aside. "I'll be fine, I'm sure. You focus on your date."

He gave his brother a wink at that little bit of teasing before giving Mylorah a bow and taking her hand to trace his lips over her knuckles in a suitably dramatic gesture. "Thank you again for your help and patronage, I will see you later at the party. If you need a bit more time I'm sure Geric can give you a quick tour of the facilities." Not wanting to lose sight of his target he quickly excused himself and made his way to the man to greet him in a friendly and enthusiastic fashion.


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 20.Jul.22

The tears were surprising, and for a moment Geric wasn't sure what to do if anything. Her explanation made sense, and he frowned to hear that so many people she knew had been affected by such dreadful business. "Is there something... uh... I don't want to sound rude but special about your family? Do you have any rich relatives? Holdings or some sort of political reach? I didn't think the murders were so wide spread... at least from the raw numbers I'd seen." He frowned, rubbing his neck. "I'm not trying to make what happened insignificant, it just.... it seems too much for coincidence, though I guess that's possible."

Gangleri's quick comment about having some administrative things to handle distracted him and he very calmly asked, "Oh? I can help you proofread if you want." It seemed a very odd time to try to get into any sort of wet work, but sometimes those sorts of things couldn't wait. Either way he was relieved when his brother declined his offer to help and instead just directed him to distract Mylorah. He turned back to her and beckoned for her to follow. "I can show you the back stage are if you want, where they store a lot of the props. We might be able to run into a few actors back there too before they get to the party."

He resisted the urge to see who it was his brother was headed towards, and instead decided to just try and talk a bit more to try and be a more effective distraction. "Gangleri tried to get me into one of his plays when I was younger. It was a lot of fun, until I realized our dad was watching and I panicked and fainted on stage. I haven't been in a performance since, though sometimes I still help him teach younger actors. But it's fine, I like making books more anyway. What about you? Do you have anything you like to do or make?"


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Mylorah - 21.Jul.22

T'ryn had voiced his suspicions about how odd it was that their family kept being targeted recently and multiple times last year as well but Mylorah had waved it off as exactly that. Just being suspicious and paranoid. But to have Geric bring it up? Maybe she should give it a bit more thought and pay more attention to everything around her. "My dad's brother is Lord Gulf Stones and his sister is Lady Ice Ridge but I don't think that would have much to do with the attacks in the Weyrs. Pendalier doesn't even acknowledge our existence and Eridella is lovely but Ice Ridge Hold is just horses and nothing to make us targets." If she were to believe T'ryn and Geric, then Mylorah figured it was definitely someone within the Weyrs and maybe one of them did something to that person and now they held a grudge. An ex-lover of R'nd? They'd be there a while if they had to clear each one of those.

She was still considering the options when Gangleri announced he had to leave them for a bit. Mylorah smiled in a very 'told you so' way. She knew the Master Harper would be popular. "You go take care of business. Geric and I will probably behave ourselves," her smile turned wicked for a brief moment to tease Gangleri with as she draped herself on Geric's arm. He was her date after all! She watched him leave and frowned when she saw the man he seemed to be heading toward. She'd dealt with that man before and was suddenly very happy she pestered Geric into coming so she didn't have to tag along with Gangerli.

"No, you didn't!" Mylorah's attention was back on her date as he told her about fainting on stage. Poor Geric! He was a constant bundle of nerves and wondered what his dad was like to cause such a reaction. She didn't interact all that much with her own dad but as a kid, Mylorah always viewed her mom's mate as a father figure and he loved them and treated them well. Until mom died and he abandoned her and K'dar. She always believed dads were supposed to be supportive and love you no matter what but her real dad never knowing about her until only a few years ago and her fake dad ditching her as soon as possible, and seeing how so many Lords viewed their children... maybe parents just sucked.

"I..." What did she do? She didn't have a craft, she hated needlepoint when she tried it, she wasn't that useful in the kitchen outside of a couple of recipes C'dhin got her to master. She sometimes read but it wasn't really a hobby, just something to pass the time with when she was left alone and bored. "I don't do much. I don't have an important role in the Weyr so I do my share of chores and then... I like dancing and swimming. I'm good at some sports. I like making sure other people are happy so I hang out with friends a lot. And I enjoy sex." Maybe she did need to find a hobby or be more useful than just a moodmaker while other people worked. Maybe she really should just be an escort.

"But tell me more about your book binding and why you like it. It sounds like something that could be very relaxing. And then you can show me around and tell me all the gossip and secrets associated with the mysterious backstage."


RE: 743.07.09 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre - Geric - 21.Jul.22

Geric nodded as she commented on the fainting incident. "Yeah right on stage. Dad said I was a huge disappointment and maybe I should just try to salvage what I could of my strings to see if I could make up for being unable to sing and specialize in music." He shrugged, realizing he might have been making his father sound like a bigger dick than he really was. "He meant well... I think he was trying to be encouraging but didn't know how. I guess everything always came easier to Leeri, so there was never any disappointment with him. Then I showed up after he was already a senior apprentice, and then was so busy helping with me that he couldn't walk the tables early like dad wanted."

It wasn't really the most comfortable thing to talking about, but he had been tasked with distraction and so the purpose behind the words was able to carry them beyond his own discomfort. He gave Mylorah a smile as he guided her towards the back stage section for the tour. "It's probably fine to not do much if you're doing enough and also happy. You do chores so that's at least something. I still have trouble reminding myself to do those sometimes, but I've gotten better about doing them regularly since Leeri brought Quilriana home."

He did pause to raise a curious eyebrow though and added, "Dancing is something. So are swimming and sports I suppose. Dancing is interesting because it's easy enough that anyone can do it if they don't overthink, but also incredibly difficult to do well. There's a lot of coordination and strength involved in some of the movements I've seen, it's taken more seriously here than in the Holds." And maybe in the Weyrs if Mylorah didn't think much of it.

He politely glossed over the part where she mentioned she enjoyed sex. That wasn't anything he wanted to really think about too closely and thankfully she'd asked about the book binding. That was something he could endlessly babble on about. "I like how the pages feel when they turn, I like the smell of books, carefully laying out pages into signatures, sewing those together then securing them to the spine. It's just soothing to see a jumble of words and pages come together into one cohesive tome. And that's before I even get to the covers!"

It was a topic that Geric was honestly and truly passionate about, something he knew he did well and that others could appreciate (even if his dad couldn't). So he rambled on as he continued the tour, occasionally interspersing comments about the various odd props they found behind stage into his commentary on the different methods of binding he knew and the best uses for them.

Gradually the back stage talk took over, especially after they ran into a couple of actors who were pregaming for the party with flasks. After an introduction, where he very clearly added that Mylorah had provided Gangleri with a lot of assistance in his research to give her a better person to be associated with than himself. He only turned a bright shade of red as the comments about him managing to snag a pretty girl as a date for once kept rolling in (at least they seemed good natured from what he could tell), and while he sputtered and flailed any time he was poked and prodded at about Mylorah he didn't flee or faint, which was a big win in his book.

Though as he watched the actors put on the charm and chat with her, part of him wondered if having him act as Mylorah's date had also been a way for Gangleri to ensure none of the actors would try to whisk her away into a private room for a "personal reading" of some sort during the party. It certainly sounded like a reasonable bit of social calculation and cunning. He brushed that thought aside when the actors finally excused themselves to go to the party and he promised to see them there when he was done giving Mylorah a tour.

Hearing their fading whispers though he turned red again and softly groaned. "Ugh... they... they probably think I'm going to take you to the Skeleton Closet to make out..."