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Corian comms. She looks fairly tired, which is understandable given the current
hour. She also looks a little rattled, which is less explainable. Also odd is
the teddy bear perched on her desk. "Good morning, I think? I do hope I'm not
calling at a bad time."
Honalee is, as always, unrumpled and unruffled. She may be an evil tease, but her poise is also everpresent. She's seated in her wicker chair, completely taking it with her presence, making it her own rather than simply sitting in it. "Good morning to you as well, dear. It is never a bad time for you to call. But are things all right there? You look upset."
Corian shakes her head slightly, making a concerted effort to look less upset. It works, somewhat. "I am not upset, not exactly. I am just... confused, I suppose, and tired, and frustrated." She rests her arm on the desk and pillows her head on it, still in the picture but much closer to the bottom of the screen now. She says, quietly, "Men are very odd."
"Corian, I think you have perhaps lit upon one of the universal truths."
Honalee pauses, considering you a moment. "Although another universal truth
is that women are very odd, at least if one is a man. It is the difference
between us that has made the set up successful over the years. Perhaps if we
try this one thing at a time. Confused?"
Corian's voice is still quiet, and thoughtful, with only a hint of tired
complaint. "I really don't understand him at all. He -says- he enjoys
spending time with me, but then he says that my time's too valuable, that I
shouldn't spend it with him. I still don't really know which he wants, or
what I should do, or... well, anything."
Okay, even Honalee can be lost. But her tone is gentle as she questions,
"Perhaps if we backed up a bit. Him?"
Corian pauses a beat. Oh. She hadn't given that information. "Tarrant," she supplies. "My van'chela." She pauses for another moment, then adds, with a hint of wry humor, "The one who was the lumberjack, Hona, when I was a tree."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Honalee looks a great deal more enlightened, although she is still refraining
from random evil, instead quite serious. "Ahh, the lumberjack." There is a
pause, "And he says he enjoys spending time with you..." The tone would seem
to invite further explanation.
Corian nods at that, though without lifting her head. "Sometimes he does.
Sometimes he says that I'm busy--even if I'm not--or that it's late--which it
usually is--or something else along those lines." How many hyphens can we
abuse?
"He says these things after you have spent a good deal of time together?"
Honalee, master relationship detective.
Corian rubs lightly at her eyes. "Sometimes." She really isn't helpful, is she?
"Today--I think it was today--he said when we'd not been together for very
long at all. This time it was..." She pauses a moment, trying to remember.
"It was that he'd been monopolizing too much of my time. But usually it's
after we've already spent time together, yes."
Honalee is quiet a moment, thinking. "It sounds to me as if he would rather
spend a great deal of time with you, even more than he does now." She smiles,
"Men are often backwards creatures, they will say the opposite of what they
are feeling. They become frightened easily."
Corian finally lifts her head at that. "But, Hona," she protests, "-I'm- not frightening. I don't think I am so, at least. The children aren't afraid of me, even the small ones." She shakes her head, settling her chin in a cupped hand. "Why don't they just say what they really mean?"
"But Corian, darling, you are different with children, and in fact different to most people. You are polite, and pleasant, and professional... But all of that can be frightening to someone wishing to perhaps be more than friends, they are held at arm's length." Honalee's words are as gentle in tone as she can make them. "Why don't they say it? I would be tempted to say because they are fools, but there are other reasons. If a man who was a friend of yours came to you and said he wished a further relationship and you did not wish such a thing... Well it would color further friendship. Perhaps your young man is too afraid to lose what connection he has with you now."
Corian blinks quite a few times at your words. "You... you think that Tarrant
wants..." She fumbles for a moment, then latches on to your phrasing, "A
further relationship?" She shakes her head, looking, if anything, more
rattled. "I don't see how that's possible. I... he..." She shakes her head,
generally looking confused. She really needs to be beaten with some form of
clue bat.
Honalee does not have a clue bat, but she does have patience. "It is often the
easiest explanation for inexplicable behavior in men. They are very odd
creatures when they have fallen in love." She shakes her head, "Don't you
dear? See how it's possible I mean?"
Corian shakes her head slowly back and forth, after pausing a beat at the
l-word. 'A further relationship' is bad enough, but the thought that someone
might be in -love- with her... poor Corian, this is quite the startling
thought. "I don't know, Hona. He's my -van'chela-." When in doubt, repeat
what you've been saying all along. She doesn't really look like she can think
of anything else to say.
"Just because you think of him only as a friend does not mean he feels the same
way, Corian, dear." Honalee gently re-arranges the sleeve of her blouse. "You
are two seperate people."
But there's the big question--whether Corian thinks of him only as a friend.
She doesn't say anything for a moment. "I know, Hona," she says finally,
voice low. "He is... quite different from me. I know that he's a separate
person."
But Honalee is not going to press that question just yet, taking Corian's words
at face value. "So his feelings may be wildly different from your own. I
cannot fault your young man for having these feelings, you are a wonderful
young woman, dear."
Corian's head lowers to rest on her arm once more, though her eyes remain on
you. "Thank you," she replies. It's automatic, that's obvious. She doesn't
say anything about her own feelings, though something about her manner might
suggest her uncertainty. "This... I do not know that you can answer this, but
what do I do now?"
That however does beg the question. "That depends, dear, on what your feelings
are for the young man."
Corian shakes her head at that. "I am uncertain. It was only when you suggested
it that I even considered he could want anything beyond friendship. I hadn't
thought at all about whether I would."
"Then my best suggestion is that you consider that, dearheart. Take what time
you need. If he's a decent sort, he'll wait. Your father waited after all. If
he won't, well then he wasn't worth the having." Honalee suggests, her tone
still soothingly calm.
Corian manages a faint smile. "I think he would wait," she murmurs. "If he
really -does- want that, that is." She slowly straightens once more. "I will
think about it. Thank you, Hona." She's still looking like someone's hit her,
but it's a thoughtful kind of stunned deer look, now, at least, should that
sort of look exist.
"There is no need to thank me, dear. I am just glad you called." Honalee's smile is in fact rather contented, she likes being needed after all, who doesn't? "Get some sleep, things will be easier to sort out in the morning."
Corian nods at that as she rubs at her eyes, looking about half her age, if that. "Sleep sounds like an excellent idea." Lowering her hands to her lap, she inquires, decidedly wistful, "Have you heard any more about whether you're going to be able to visit? I don't mean to pester, Hona, but I do miss you. Talking like this would be so much easier if you were here."
"It is still being discussed. My health is not what it was, and the doctor
seems to think the travel through hyper would aggravate the situation."
Honalee shakes her head, "The poor little boy is a worrywart, but at your
grandmother insists I listen to him."
Corian blinks at that, tired enough to let her own worry at that show for a
moment, before turning to pleasantness once more. "Well, then," she says
lightly, "I may just have to visit you, then. I would get the chance to see
Mother and Father as well, which would be nice."
Spotting the worry, Honalee shakes her head in a dismissive gesture, "Do not worry, child. I'm fine. I just may not be doing a great deal of regular travel anymore. The rest of my life isn't impeded, just long distance spacial jumps. I intend to try to arrange a visit however though."
Corian shakes her head at that. "Hona, perhaps you should listen to the
doctor," she suggests. "It -is- possible for younger people to know things
after all--though I know it's a rare thing."
"I have the same degree he does, as well as a great deal more experience. He is
accustimed to dealing with frail old ladies, and frail I have never been."
Honalee smiles, "But I will not go against his wishes, your grandmother would
whine me into submission. No, he and I are trying to work on my health so
that it improves enough for the trip."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Corian relaxes a bit at your words, head moving in a brief nod. "That sounds like an excellent plan," she approves. You know. Just in case you needed her approval for something you'd already decided to do. "Though I may still visit anyway, if my employers do not stop being quite so insistent that I work." There's a bit of tired humor touching her voice at that last.
"I'd certainly appreciate the visit," There's a pause, as Honalee actually
edits out a teasing remark in deference to your tired state. "But for now,
get some sleep dear."
Corian nods to that, with a warm smile. "I'll certainly try. Have a good day,
Hona--and thank you." It's a good thing she doesn't know about the edited
remark. If she did, her faith in the order of the universe would likely be
shot.
"You're welcome, dear. A pleasant night." And Honalee disconnects the call.