Logs:Favourites
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| RL Date: 4 November, 2009 |
| Who: K'del, Teris |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Teris doesn't much like K'del. Or Z'yi. Probably. |
| Where: Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 16, Month 2, Turn 21 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: B'tal/Mentions, W'chek/Mentions, Z'yi/Mentions |
| Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr The Snowasis is rarely quiet, and even then, the high-ceilinged former weyr is kept from echoing by the fantastical booths tucked into its convoluted perimeter. The secluded seating spaces have been shaped from the truncated stalagmites that escaped the smoothing of the main floor, and are both softened and separated by colorful hangings that are thick and opaque enough to make each corner its own private nook. Some of the smaller stalactites still roam the ceiling, their jagged teeth tracing a bumpy, inverted spine to the hearth. There, a thick rug with a low klah table and comfortable armchairs and couches sit, their upholstery and cushions changed sporadically to match the season: bright, light colors in the summer, fresh greens and yellows in the spring, warm autumnals in fall, and clear, rich hues for winter. Small tables litter the rest of the cavern, enough to fit up to four people each, while stools stand along the smooth wooden bar behind which is the passthrough window to the kitchen. Glass-paneled cabinetry behind the bar provides a clear view of the available liquors, the many colors reflecting the soft light of glows tucked into strategic niches around the cavern. Once upon a time, the middle of the afternoon, even in the middle of winter, would not be a peak time for riders to be setting up camp in the Snowasis, but with riderly duties less and less pressing, this has, of course changed. Even so, K'del is not a usual occupant at this kind of time, but at least he seems to be here for a meal, plodding through a plate of leftovers with a beer beside him, long legs coiled in beneath the bar and around the bottom of the stool he's sitting on. She's not a large presence here at the Snowasis during the more peak times of the day. This is a far more likely time and here Teris is, obviously going about some sort of routine. She approaches the bar to sit down and asks for soup but nothing to drink. And a piece of bread, too. She waits until she's settled to glance over to where K'del is seated and she must recognize him, of course she would, because the line of her lips tightens slightly. The trouble with sitting at the bar, of course, is that people don't even need to sit near by by design to end up there-- though, of course, there's no obligation to talk to anyone, either. Even so, as K'del mops up some gravy with his hunk of bread, he must catch Teris' movement out of the corner of his eye, because his gaze shifts up, allowing him to consider her for a moment. Then, lazily, "Afternoon." Her eyes narrow for a brief moment, some thought passing there before she returns in a polite voice, "Afternoon, Weyrleader." Teris looks for her soup to come but it's not as obliging as she'd probably like it to be. She's left with little more than to glance back at the young man. Not that she couldn't be looking somewhere else. But she's not. "K'del," corrects the bearer of that name, with a vague wave of his hand. "Not on duty or anything at the moment." It wouldn't be a stretch to call his tone almost flirtatious; it would certainly go with his warm smile, despite her desire to be gone, which, surely, he must have noticed. "Late lunch?" "You're /still/ the Weyrleader," Teris corrects back but not with any sort of firmness that would suggest irritation with being corrected. "K'del," she says anyway, to humor him if nothing else, a small smile on her lips. "Mmhmm. Usually is." When her soup does arrive, she offers a much more nicely offered thanks to the one that brings it and after she pays, she's breaking off a bit of bread to dip into it. "I'm also /still/ a normal person with a name," retorts K'del, but, well, he's smiling too. "Thank you. I appreciate it." Now that this has been dealt with, he can actually eat his sop of bread, chewing vigorously, then swallowing, and then, "Mm, me too. Often eat while I'm working, even, but... nice to get out, sometimes, sit somewhere different. See different people." Like Teris! Who gets another smile. Teris casts a doubtful look at the bronzerider for this claim to being a normal person. She even looks as though she'll say something for a moment but thinks better of it instead and focuses on her long overdue meal. "Difficult to eat while I work," she notes after a few bites. "Not inclined to take my food back to the resident quarters. A little rude, I think. So I meet all sorts of people." Which probably isn't nearly as thrilling as her tone would suggest for her. K'del must be aware that there's something she was going to say, but didn't, but he doesn't ask for it; something in his expression suggests he thinks he's well aware of what she thinks. "Guess it is for most people," he confirms. Beat. "Eating while they work, I mean. What is it that you do?" There's an unspoken pause there, as though he'd tack 'again' on the end there if he needed to - as though he's not entirely sure whether he knows her or not. "I like getting to talk to different people. Makes the day more interesting." "I'm an assistant in the stores." That answer is given easily enough and after another two bites, she continues, "And my name is Teris." She apparently expects him not to have any idea who she is at all. "I suppose someone like you ought to enjoy talking to different people. Can't imagine how it might be if you didn't. Not that I'd really want to anyway." K'del gets in, "Stores!" before Teris continues to her name, and the name definitely does stir some kind of recognition, though it seems to take him a good few moments before he actually works out why. Then: "You're B'tal's sister. Teris." He wipes his bread through his bowl again, giving it only a vague amount of attention as he adds, "You'd think, right? A Weyrleader who hated people'd be hard pressed to get through his day. But you... don't? Like people, I mean. Or talking randomly. Am I bothering you?" "Right," Teris says. "B'tal's sister. Suppose that's how most of you will associate me for the rest of my life, hmm?" She actually smiles at that, though, amused for one reason or another. "I don't dislike people," she allows. "I certainly don't like certain sorts of people. But you," she says, looking at the young man, up then down of what she can see, "You seem pretty harmless." Despite her smile, K'del winces, instantly apologetic. "I'm sorry, didn't mean it like that. Know what it's like, always being someone's brother or someone's sister or whatever. Not that it happens so much now, but I do remember it. Teris, then, on her own, not just defined by her siblings." He pushes his bowl away, looking thoughtful as she speaks. "Harmless. Should I consider that a good thing?" There's that smile again, oh so close to being outright flirtacious. He rubs at his chin, adding, "Guess it's better than being the kind of person you don't like." "Better. Much better. I love my brother. But we're just," Teris glances down at her soup, stirring it absently, "We're different." The way she says it is fond, warmer than a lot of other things she says. She takes a bite. Then another before breaking off some more bread to dip in the broth. "You might not be the kind of person I don't like, but you're not my favorite person. Specifically you, mind. Not just the sort of person you are." It's all so casual. One might think she's kidding. K'del's head bobs along to what Teris says first, his expression understanding, in a way that suggests he understands /entirely/ what that's like. He's just in the process of reaching for his beer when she comes out with that last comment, his gaze flicking instantly back to her as, at first, he looks inclined to laugh, and then... less so. Beat. Another beat. A third. Finally, as his hand closes around the handle of his mug, he asks, casually, "And why's that?" Teris takes that last bite of bread and then she's apparently had enough of her meal, pushing the bowl a little further to the off side of the counter while she turns herself just a little to look at K'del. "Do you not have any idea why I might not think of you as my favorite person?" She's smiling. "C'mon, you've got to have some sort of guess." But K'del, genuinely, doesn't seem to know what she's talking about, blinking rapidly as, bewildered, he seeks for some kind of clue in Teris' expression. Then, awkwardly, "Really, got no idea. You hate the idea of the weyr farming? You... think I'm too young and am ruining something. Tell me. Maybe I can fix it." Beat. "I'd rather you liked me." "Being young might have something to do with it, maybe. Since I'm guessing that you're not stupid. You're not, right?" Teris looks at him a little more closely like it's something she'd be able to see on him. "Anyway, I'd rather I liked you, too. You're kind of cute. But, really. I might not be one of you and even I'm hoping there was a damned good reason to put B'tal in that wing. And I hope he knows what it is." Beat. "I like to think I'm not st--" begins K'del, though he gets cut off before he gets to the end of it, as understanding, in the wake of Teris' words, sinks in. And then, lightly, "Ah." A long pause follows, the bronzerider fingering the handle of his mug, then releasing it, without a sip being taken. "He's doing all right, isn't he? Regardless of anything else. Coping fine." There's pink around the edges of his face, a blush that isn't quite held back properly. But; "There are reasons for everything. Always." "Is he?" Teris returns the question on him. "He hardly ever talks to me anymore so I don't really know how he /is/ doing. Coping." She doesn't like the last word so much by the way she says it. "Whatever you want to call it. And then there's B'mel." She shakes her head at that, resting an elbow on the bar to prop her chin in her hand. A finger taps her chin. "So lets here some of these reasons. I'm so curious." "I haven't heard anything otherwise," is K'del's not very effective response; he's not coming off too well here, oh no. His hand closes around his mug again, and he draws it towards him, though it still doesn't leave the bar's surface. "Glacier won't let B'mel touch your brother," he says, then. "They have plenty of opinions, but whatever they think of B'tal, he's one of theirs, and they won't stand for that." He thinks. Or does he know? It's hard to tell from his expression. "I don't have to explain myself to you. If B'tal wishes, he can request a transfer, simple as that." "Have you even /checked/ on him?" Teris asks, eyes narrowing that little bit more. She's not wearing her fake smile anymore at least. The next at least keeps her from getting too terribly worked up because she has to think about it first. But then there's that and Teris gets that look on her face that any many with limited experience with women is bound to recognize. He just went there. "You will damned well explain yourself to me if he gets hurt, you can count on that." Not the conversation K'del was hoping to be having with the blonde sitting next to him at the bar. All traces of that almost but not quite flirtation? Gone. He frowns, reaches again for his drink, stops, then shakes his head, ignoring the first question entirely in order to say, "No. Know you're protective of him - do the same for my sister - but I do not answer to you. He'll be fine. If he's not, it will not be my fault." His tone has turned sharp. Doo dee dah. Here comes trouble! Z'yi enters, the big man relaxed after a long day of drilling-- a satisfied fatigue about his face. Oh hey. People he should avoid! Isz, of course, sits down RIGHT THERE next to them. Specifically, next to Teris. Oh hey. Didn't see you there. "A beer," he calls towards the 'tender, gesturing vaguely to himself. "Weyrleader, sir," he states with perhaps almost exaggerated respect to K'del, leaning forwads past Teris to rather pointedly not-greet her first, dipping his chin in a nod. "Teris," stated with-- a considerable less amount of respect, as if an afterthought. There's that look on her face like she's so ready to go off on all of this and say a bunch of things she'll probably regret later. But then some big guy is sitting next to her and Teris has to look at him to say, "Do you /mind?/" You can almost here the 'ugh' in her expression when she realizes just who it is. She turns back to K'del to ignore the bluerider more readily. "Fine," she says. Like that's that. "But I'd hope you wouldn't put your sister in that position." She definitely has more going on in that head of hers but it's probably in everyone's best interests that it stays in her head. It's a good point for the bluerider to arrive, to distract K'del from Teris for just long enough to stop any truly, monumentally rude things from escaping his lips. He draws them in, instead, takes a breath, and then says, "Hello, Z'yi. And it's K'del-- we're off duty." It's the usual litany: K'del, K'del, K'del. He doesn't actually answer Teris until after he's /finally/ taken a swig from his beer and then set it back upon the bar. "My sister doesn't rely on me for protection, she looks after herself. Got to let him stand on his own two feet, Teris." It's mostly polite, tone aside. Here comes Mr. Obnoxious's beer. Z'yi accepts it with a quiet nod, lifting the tall glass to his lips for a long draw. "K'del, then, sir," Z'yi states easily in reply, not looking over towards the stopped-in-conversation pair. Teris is ignored as easily as he's ignored by the storeroom clerk. "He never will learn to defend himself if everyone's always sheltering him," Isz butts in with an ease unlike the quiet man. He leaves it at that, however, returning to his perpetual silence to sip his beer and focus on a hot blonde across the way. Hell~o gorgeous. "B'tal does /not/ rely on me for protection," Teris retorts maybe a touch too defensively. That's just ridiculous. "But he obviously doesn't make the best decisions," she continues, flicking a look at Z'yi. Case in point. "He's not sheltered. He's reckless. You should know that," she actually says to the bluerider. But for now, thankfully, she doesn't have anything else to say to the bronzerider. Given that he's clearly not going to be having any luck with Teris (ah, K'del, as if you ever were), it's no real surprise that K'del's gaze follows Z'yi's, lingering, if only briefly, upon that hot blonde, too. Mmm-mm. But; "Not going to learn, is he? If people like you keep protecting him. Guy's got to grow up, eventually, make his own mistakes. He's /fine/." And he'll toast that, too, with another long swig of his beer. "Right," Z'yi drawls, dryly, to Teris. "Because I'm obviously the worst decision he ever made." He leans forwards, again, to continue his obnoxiousness by asking K'del, "Has she ever /met/ W'chek?" Then he's settling back, with a see-there's-his-point smugness. And hey. Hot blonde, again. If he flashes her a smile, a halfway expression of lopsided boyish charm, well... someone's been opening up recently. Distracted, "You should listen to the k-- uh, K'del. He has a point." That's to Teris. "Do you know her?" He motions towards the blonde. "I think she's checking you out." "Maybe if there were more people like me in his life, he wouldn't be such an idiot." Teris is perhaps a little disgusted with the whole checking out the blonde business. And maybe some tiny part of her is just a little jealous. She is a girl, after all. And girls are weird like that. "Of course I've met W'chek. But last I knew, they weren't even together." /That/ makes her smile. It's a real one. It might come back to bite her if either of them remember it when she's wearing a fake one later. Teris glances toward the blonde, too, since everyone else is. Conversationally; "Or more of an idiot, /completely/ unable to make decisions for himself." K'del is not especially impressed. Except by the blonde... well, he /was/ flirting with Teris, at least until she decided she didn't like him. So. What's a man to do? Being on the same side as Z'yi also means he doesn't comment on very nearly being called 'the kid'; there's no doubt he knows about that one, though. "Thought she was checking you out," he tells the bluerider, around the rim of his mug. "Or maybe it's Teris." "Bet you it's Teris," Isz companionably offers towards K'del. The hot blonde's focus. Hey, once all three of them are looking, the busty brownrider from across-the-way flickers fingers in a hi-there wave. "I think she's from Telgar. Those colors are Telgar's, aren't they?" The questions are idle. He didn't just get quiet hearing confirmation that B'tal and W'chek are no longer together, nope. He downs most of his beer in one long draw, a hint of old broodiness settling over his facial features like a cloak. "Oh, don't be an asshole." Such a lady. "It's not like I hold his hand while he uses the necessary. I know what you're trying to do. You're just trying to turn this back around on me. Like if anything bad happens, it'll be my fault. But it won't be." Teris /looks/ at K'del for suggesting her, "Maybe she is. At least that would mean she has taste." She doesn't notice anything about Z'yi going broody. "Maybe if you go grab her we can all go have sex in K'del's weyr." Her tone is too casual. She's probably kidding. "No," says K'del. "I'm implying that if anything bad happens, it won't be /my/ fault... and you're just going to have to accept that you can't protect him from everything." Not that he's anything but distracted as he says all that, though... Teris said the magic words. And anyway, the brownrider waved - so K'del waves back. Leisurely, "That'd be hot. Teris and the other blonde. You're always welcome in my weyr, Teris. I like 'em feisty." Right. Like this is supposed to help anything. Z'yi snorts, and rises to his feet. "Maybe you, the hot blonde and K'del can get right on that," Isz states grandly to Teris. The bluerider looks tempted to say something further, but instead shifts the correct change for his beer onto the bartop. "Night," he offers to both, moving off with long-legged stride. "Just because I'm concerned about my brother doesn't mean anything but that. I've never kept him from doing any of his stupid ideas." Which is really even more or less true. It's hard to tell if the 'ugh' is for K'del or for Z'yi. Or maybe it's for both of them. But despite the 'ugh,' maybe somewhat oddly, she asks the bronzerider as she watches the bluerider go, "Really? You want to go have sex right now?" Z'yi's relatively sudden departure draws a frown from K'del, but he doesn't comment on it, nor even on Teris' defense of herself. Or the 'ugh'. But that last question? He shrugs. "Unless you intend to use the opportunity to, you know, murder me in my bed or something. Sure." Despite the nonchalance of his words and tone, there's a thoughtful, measuring expression in his gaze. "I'd just as soon murder you as I would sleep with you, K'del." Which might seem like a weird thing to say after what Teris just said. "I think it's cute that you'd take that chance just to get laid, though. Maybe I won't dislike you so much after all." The woman slides from her stool, makes as though to pat the young weyrleader on the leg with a smile, then she turns away, "Good luck with that blonde, dragonrider." "Pity." Not that K'del's going to cry into his beer or anything, or indeed do anything but smile, but there's the word, anyway. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't, anyway," he concludes, considering her for a moment, then shaking his head and waving her off. "Reckon I'll pass, as it stands. Have a good one, Teris." |
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