Logs:Difficult Decisions
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| RL Date: 24 January, 2014 |
| Who: Ali, K'del |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Isyath calls Cadejoth to her. Awful, unhappy decisions are made about her flight. |
| Where: Ali's Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| When: Day 23, Month 11, Turn 33 (Interval 10) |
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| Cadejoth can feel the heat, first: like Rukbat's been turned on to face directly on him. It's a persistent irritant, like a feeling just under the skin, and shortly thereafter, Isyath's starry thoughts follow: « Not all of them will fly with me. » It's said in that tone of a petulant teacher, though she can't really stamp her foot at the same time. « You should come, show them how to fly. » « They're just not good enough, » is Cadejoth's answer, his chains hung with stars now; she always does such a good job of drawing him in. « But I will come. Perhaps I can make something of them. » They're not his pack, but that doesn't mean he, master of his own, can't try and exert some influence in making hers more suitable. It's some time after that, though, before the bronze appears in Fort's skies, making his explanation in the form of a weary sigh, the hint of pages and pages and pages. Booooo-ring. If they won't fly with her, they are /indeed/ not good enough: Isyath's in agreement on that point. It's with delight that the queen accepts Cadejoth's offer- not so much for the help at getting her bronzes and browns in line as much as simply effect of his presence. That delight - and with it a heat, felt all the more keenly in Fort's skies - rolls over the High Reaches bronze in greeting as he arrives. Surely it must even wash away the watchdragons queries, so joyful and loud her welcoming of Cadejoth is. Ali appears on her ledge, tilting her head back to watch the dragon's descent: her hair is damp, and she's wrapped in a towel. It's a big one, at least, but she's still out in public with only that on. « Just visiting, » promises Cadejoth to the watchdragon, and if there are stars in his thoughts? Well. At least Isyath's not due just yet. His enthusiasm radiates over the weyr, and over Isyath in particular, as he wings down to deposit his rider... his rider, who hesitates, just for a moment, when he catches sight of Ali upon the ledge. "Ali," he greets, pulling himself free of the straps and dropping to the ground, quickly releasing his bronze to return to the skies to show the Fort dragons What's What. "She called him. Again." So... hi! "Of course she did." It'd be polite for Ali to sound apologetic, and normally she might be, but not today. Today, she's laughing, and she greets him by going up onto tip toes and seeking out his lips with hers. Hi, indeed. When she has a moment to breath again: "It'll be a few days yet, and I suspect he'll get that daily until she does, so-" again, no apology, just statement of fact. Isyath's winging higher, now: « Cadejoth flies well, » she tells the dragons in the vicinity. That ought to ruffle some Fortian pride, and indeed, a few bronzes wing up to join them. Kissing Ali, while she's wearing a towel, while she's standing on her ledge? Is definitely a new thing, though not one the High Reachian bronzerider seems inclined to remark on. It's after that kiss that he has to make a face, albeit one that doesn't seem to be related to the kiss - just the words being exchanged. "He finds her difficult to resist," he admits, aiming to slide one arm around Ali's back, and escort her towards the indoors. It is, after all, autumn. "Which is..." Cadejoth's smugness over Isyath's compliment radiates as much as his pleasure over being here did; he shoots off after her, showing off for the newly arrived bronzes. He? He was sent for. Ali, indeed, doesn't seem aware of the chill, even if there's goosebumps on her skin- whether that's as a result of the heat that Isyath gives off or just the afteraffects of a bath is neither here nor there. She lets herself be led inside, leaning into K'del as she does so. There's laughter from the goldrider, now, sudden and pleased: at their dragons, no doubt. Inside, Iska's dozing in her cot, head turned towards the low-burning hearth that's producing no heat at all, despite the the oncoming evening chill. The dark-haired woman doesn't speak, quietly content in the bronzerider's company. That laughter gets a long glance from K'del, but it's the low-burning hearth that's caught his attention, perhaps because of his daughter's position in relation to it. He escorts Ali to the couch, aiming to settle her down there before he goes to deal with the hearth situation. "Do you want tea? Something else?" he wonders, gaze lifting. And, reluctantly, "We're going to have to stay away, after today, I think. Wish we didn't need to." "Something cool," is Ali's immediate response, the heat of her brush of fingers against K'del's arm as he pulls away lingering. Sitting down on the couch, she draws damp hair forward over one shoulder, idly combing it with her fingers, until the latter words penetrate. "Stay away?" she echoes, uncomprehendingly. K'del's nod answers that request, though the hearth is clearly his first priority-- even if it's obvious Ali doesn't need the warmth just now. He seems torn, as though he can't decide whether to stare at the fire or look back at the goldrider; her uncomprehending echo has his expression twitching, unhappily. "We can't chase, this time," he says, several seconds later, having run a hand through his curls for reassurance. "Not with... everything between our Weyrs, and with the Acting Weyrleader thing." Regret and disappointment are rich in his tone. "But Cadjeoth is /always/ there for her," Ali says, in the same tone as one might suggest the sun's going to come up tomorrow. At this point, K'del gives up on the fire, and on the possibility of drinks, too. He moves back to the couch, putting one arm around Ali, and taking up her hand, with the other. "It's going to be the hardest thing in the world to keep him away," he murmurs. "And I'm only doing it because... I have to, Ali. Don't want to. Really don't want to. But for both of our Weyrs." His voice is pleading. "But you have to-" Ali starts, then bites off the rest of the words as she looks at him, chewing her lower lip. The skin of her hand is warm in his, as she folds fingers with his. He can probably see the realization in her gaze- that she /gets/ it, but still: "/I/ need you there. That's our- you're always there." A hitch of breath, then quickly, "He probably won't win, because she- she never listens to me. It won't matter. Just you being there is what matters." Quietly, "And if he did win?" K'del's voice is miserable. "If I could be there without him, I'd do it in a second. But it wouldn't be fair." And it would very likely be truly awful for both of them. All of them. Then, on an exhale: "I hate this. That I have to keep him from her. That I can't be there for you. It's just not fair." Ali's silent now, no more pleading; but her head is bowed, hands pulling free to brush at suddenly wet cheeks. K'del burys his face into Ali's hair, a gesture that probably doesn't actually mask his own tears... though at least her hair is already damp. "I'm sorry," he murmurs into it, thickly. "You have to take her." It's mumbled into his shoulder, a jumble of thoughts that probably aren't entirely clear. "Take her?" No, not clear. K'del unburies his face, after pressing a kiss to Ali's hair, and then repeats himself in a less muffled (but still muffled, really, given the obvious emotion) way: "Take her?" A noise that's part sniffle, part attempt at steadying breath, but Ali doesn't lift her face from his shoulder. Perhaps because, at this angle, she can see the cot, as she murmurs: "Iska." K'del's head turns, slow and deliberate enough not to dislodge Ali, so that his gaze, too, rests upon the cot. Ah. Yes. "When?" he prompts, carefully. He has to swallow, thickly, just to get that much out; further commentary on, for example, the good care he'll take of her, or any promises to visit, will just have to wait. A further pause, to either gather her thoughts, or to brace herself to speak the thoughts she doesn't want to voice: "Tonight, when you leave. Before- before I change my mind." Ali's sharp inhale suggests she wants to take that back once it's out, but there's a tension in her posture like she's bracing herself to not do so. K'del tightens his arm around her, and presses another kiss to the top of her head. This time, he manages, albeit in a thick and awkward voice, to say, "We'll come and visit you. As often as we can. Promise." The other arm, now, sneaks around to complete a circle of arms around her; he holds her tight. "Promise," Ali echoes, like she's solidifying the bargain, clinging to him tightly for the time they have left, tonight. |
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Edyis (Edyis (talk)) left a comment on Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:12:52 GMT.
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Aww. At the same point, more cute little kids around to awww over.
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