Meet me under the willow tree (for bornstrong)

[eumenis]

They didn't really set a time of day to meet, Furiosa realizes after she parts ways with Iphigenia. Maybe it doesn't matter. Time has limited meaning in the Nexus anyway, as far as she can tell. Sometimes she's sure she's been there for hours and comes home to find the sun has barely moved. When she arrives today, she takes a detour to make photocopies of several pieces of sheet music, then goes to settle under the tree to wait for her new friend.

What she's managed to dig up is impressive in its sheer variety. The Song of Seikilos is there, but so are two or three Italian art songs from the 19th century, early 20th century blues, several showtunes, and Madonna's 'Like a Prayer'. Furiosa had started out by picking a half dozen she liked, and then the Sisters all pitched in excitedly, so she has an extensive roster of favorites in her lap. Iphigenia may end up having to sing for the women of the Citadel too, at some point. Furiosa is wary of bringing them to the Nexus, but if they make up their minds to come, she can't--and won't--hold them back.

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[bornstrong]

And soon enough, Iphigenia's there at the tree, sitting down underneath it. Her dress, a floral print--surprisingly modern by the princess' standards--spreads out under her, and she has a little basket, filled with some fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

She hopes it's enough--she thought Furiosa wanted to barter for the goods, but Iphigenia wants to be kind and give what she can. Besides, she's learning to sharpen her bargaining skills, and that, she supposes, may someday come in handy.

She sees Furiosa sit down and immediately, her face brightens.

"Hello! How have you been?"

[eumenis]

Made mellow by the gentle social occasion and the pastoral surroundings, Furiosa returns the smile. It makes her look a little younger, when she does, and she has dimples that show when she's pleased. "Busy, but safe," she answers honestly. "And the Sisters are enthusiastic. I may have to bring them to meet you some time."

Or, well, the reverse might be possible, bringing Iphigenia back to the Green Towers? But it's not a pretty place, and the risk if someone from the Nexus were trapped there worries Furiosa. At any rate, she has her stack of sheet music and she's quick to scoot closer and show her new friend what she's brought. "I brought you fifteen pieces. Don't feel you have to learn them all, all at once."

[bornstrong]

"Oh, thank you!" She laughs a little, pleased by the offering. "I think I'll try to learn as many as I can."

Now it's time to show Furiosa what she has for her. The princess takes the basket from her side for her new friend to see, pointing to the items in it.

"There are some fruits here, and vegetables, and also seeds. I managed to get some herbs as well--those will be good for sicknesses, though I'm sure you know that--and the seeds are for grains and fruit."

Iphigenia really hopes it's enough. She knows next time she ought to try to find some eggs, or perhaps a baby goat to raise for milk.

[eumenis]

"Do you have any instruments? I can't give you ours in good conscience; we need them for morale. But I could lend, maybe."

She brightens at the sight of the basket's contents. "You didn't have to bring me things. Just news would have been enough. But I won't turn them down. Thank you!"

She picks up a pomegranate gingerly, rolling it in her palm, and smiles. "Never seen some of these before."

[bornstrong]

"I have only my voice," she admits, shrugging. "But I'm open to suggestions! I'm sure I could be accompanied easily by any sort of instrument you have in mind."

She grins when she sees Furiosa's reaction to the basket.

"And yes, I know, but I wanted to surprise you. Besides, I needed to practice my bartering skills. It was good for me."

Developing skills she can use and self-confidence? Iphigenia's pretty pleased with herself right now.

[eumenis]

"We have a couple guitars. Capable still plays hers. And there's a piano, but that's far too big to bring to the Nexus." She holds the pomegranate to her nose as if trying to smell it, but finds it isn't especially fragrant, aside from a faint fresh, meadowy scent. "Plus Coma and his drummers all had apprentices."

"You...could visit us, if you wanted. But ours is a harsh world. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble."

She sighs contentedly, pulling out a jar of seeds next, and slowly sorting through the basket. "This is chrome. Can you tell me what it all is?"

[bornstrong]

"The seeds are barley and wheat,and that fruit you're holding is a pomegranate," she says. "You can eat the seeds of the pomegranate! They're very good."

Iphigenia turns to look at the sheet music Furiosa gave her, eager to see what she's got.

"I've not heard of many of these songs," she comments, flipping through them. "That may be a good thing. It'll be a fun challenge for me, something to pass the time learning."

She looks over at the other woman when she hears her mention visiting.

"What do you mean by 'harsh', exactly?"

Could it be like Aulis, with its masses of men gaping at her and no fresh sea breeze for days on end? Iphigenia wonders.

[eumenis]

"I've seen wheat, but we've got no barley," she's pleased. "So you eat the seeds, but they can also be grown? We'll have to try a little of both."

Their climate is probably perfect for pomegranates. A bit arid, but nicely warm year-round. She's already gotten olive and orange trees, though it will be a long time before they fruit.

"Mn. The climate is unpleasant at times. It's a desert. Scorching during the day, chilly at night, very dry all the time. At the Citadel, we have resources like food and water, but only skilled or lucky survivors can last in the wasteland or on the road. And that...tends to shape the people."

She tucks her chin on her folded right hand, trying to think of how to explain without horrifying the poor young woman. "There's violence and abuse of power. Less now in my settlement than there once was. It used to belong to a powerful warlord, but he's carrion now, and good riddance."

This could be a long story...

[bornstrong]

She frowns slightly when she hears Furiosa talk about her home. It seems to Iphigenia that her friend deserves better, that all of the people in that world deserve better.

"It doesn't sound like a very forgiving place," she comments, looking down a moment at the sheet music. "It must be frightening at times."

She only ever knew how powerful her father was, and sometimes, that was frightening enough.

[eumenis]

They had better once, but that got ruined for them by the previous generations. It's not especially fair, but it's what they have to work with, and it's enough that people still cling to survival here and there. Some people even want to rebuild, like she and the Sisters do, and that's probably some kind of testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.

"Often," she admits. "There's a lot there to fear and to fight against." She leans back against the tree, looking up at the leaves with a little sigh. "I'm hoping if some of us take charge of the fearing and fighting, the rest can handle growing and building."

Hope is a mistake. Max said that, but she's not convinced any longer. Her people have hope, and that pleases her very much. "You'd like the Sisters, though. You remind me a little of Cheedo, the youngest. She's a scholar at heart; gentle, easy to underestimate. But she's clever."

[bornstrong]

Some scholars of ancient history might say similar things about Iphigenia's home--that there was much fighting, and fear, and an unforgiving social order. A rough environment for a young woman to grow up in, perhaps.

But Iphigenia is only now starting to realize that. Until recently, she just thought those things were relatively normal.

"I think you can do it," she says, her voice quiet but insistent. "You're a determined sort of person."

She smiles a little then, when Furiosa mentions the Sisters.

"I wish I could meet them. I never really had the chance to make any friends my age back home."

Such is the life of a princess, she supposes.

[eumenis]

Furiosa smiles, then chuckles softly at the compliment. Iphigenia doesn't know the half of it, really, but she appreciates the faith in her. "I've been told that," she admits. "Not always in such nice words. My initiate mother named me for relentlessness."

They almost called her Alecto.

"I'll see what I can do. Don't you have friends in the Nexus?" She seems to sweet and friendly, Furiosa can't imagine people wouldn't be drawn to her.

[bornstrong]

"I do have friends here," she admits, laughing lightly. "But what I meant is female friends my own age. I seem to have a knack for meeting everyone else but that."

Iphigenia has, in fact, never really had those sorts of friends. Back home, she had servants--she couldn't really confide in them--and her little siblings, who were fun to coo and giggle at, but not really for much else.

"It would just be nice, that's all," she continues, smiling.

[eumenis]

"Sorry I'm not a little younger," Furiosa jokes softly. She feels the age difference between her and the Sisters keenly--though she thinks of it more as an experience difference. "But I don't mind spending time while I'm here. Guess I could teach you to drive or fix engines."

She's not going to offer to teach her to shoot a gun. That would be impractical in the Nexus, what with the antiviolence field, and somehow it doesn't seem to suit her, either.

[bornstrong]

"Oh, no! I like you quite a lot, don't worry!" Iphigenia says, suddenly feeling bashful and more than a little apologetic.

"Drive? Like a chariot, or something more modern?" She's a little wary of doing either, frankly. And fixing something? What could she possibly fix that would be mechanical? Iphigenia's mind is a little boggled by the possibility.

Besides, she wonders what she could teach Furiosa in return--somehow, using a weaving loom doesn't seem right for the other woman.

[eumenis]

Furiosa winks, having been half teasing her. It's easy to fall into a sisterly role with a younger woman, and she's growing fond of Iphigenia. "Glad to hear it."

"I mean a machine. A bike, or a car. It's not something to undertake lightly, though." Furiosa shrugs. She's genuinely looking for an excuse to teach something now, but doesn't want to force any ideas on the girl she isn't comfortable with.

[bornstrong]

"Will I have to get dirty?" She wrinkles her nose, but then--

"I meant, how dirty is it? I'm really not used to fixing things. Women don't do that sort of work, where I'm from."

But maybe she could? Iphigenia's not certain, but she doesn't want to refuse outright without learning more.

[eumenis]

What a question! Furiosa looks for a moment like she wants to laugh, but manages not to. She can tell Iphigenia has been terribly sheltered, which is not at all what she's used to. Even the Sisters, as protected as they were, weren't quite so squeamish. Still, she doesn't want to offend or discourage her. Her lips quirk, but then she sobers again.

"The wonderful thing about dirt is it can be washed off," she points out tactfully. "Especially here. There's so much water around."

She shrugs again. "But it depends what parts you're fixing how dirty it gets. Engines are greasy. Guns are a little tidier, and smaller devices like my arm can be much cleaner."

She flexes her metal hand as if to illustrate. Aside from a little lubricant to keep the workings smooth, she keeps it very clean.

[bornstrong]

She glances at Furiosa's arm for a moment.

"I could handle something small, I think," she suggests, shrugging a little. "I shouldn't be so fussy--it's just, well, I was a princess back home. I never really experienced a lot of...dirt, frankly."

Until Aulis, but even then, she was kept hidden away for the most part.

"I want to learn something, though."

Iphigenia hopes she's not coming across as too insistent--that's never becoming for a princess, she thinks.

[eumenis]

Furiosa isn't sure what to suggest at this point, and thinks maybe she'll let the Sisters offer some guidance. They've at least been sheltered and cooped up in a way that sounds a little similar to Iphigenia's history. She herself grew up wild, and it took a lot to make her act tame for even a short while. Dirt is meaningless once you've had motor oil and the blood of your enemies caked on your skin.

In the meantime, she notices the look to her arm. She can tell the girl is curious, and it's really very polite of her not to have asked before now. She decides to take mercy.

"Do you want to know about this?" It's a calm, quiet question. "I'm used to curiosity. You won't offend me."

[bornstrong]

"I--" She begins to speak, but Iphigenia realizes that she's not really certain if she does want to know. Perhaps in this case, ignorance is bliss.

But after a moment, she gathers her courage and nods.

"If you don't mind," she says, her voice soft and shy.