Logs:Getting a H'kon to Talk, Experiment 1
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 30 September, 2013 |
| Who: H'kon, Tayte |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Tayte's been wanting to meet H'kon since she learned of his existence at girls night with Madilla. They finally cross paths picking up littles. Tayte conducts an experiment (the first of many to come, poor H'kon). |
| Where: Nursery, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 10, Month 12, Turn 32 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Delinda/Mentions, Dilan/Mentions, Madilla/Mentions, Yvalia/Mentions |
  |
| Nursery, High Reaches Weyr The double door to the nursery is sturdy skybroom and a good three inches thick, meant to contain the natural noisiness of young children. Beyond the doors, a complex of interconnected, glowlit caverns houses the Weyr's infants and children under seven, opening out from a gaily painted foyer where an auntie usually sits to guide visitors and keep a rheumy eye out for would-be escapees. Two large play caverns see the most everyday use, their smooth walls decorated with layers of more fanciful paintings left by generations of rider and resident offspring. While one cavern is nearly bare, intended mostly for running and roughhousing during inclement weather, the other is lined with shelves at the right height for short legs, stocked with suitable toys, games and crafting supplies aplenty. Beyond the play caverns are two 'quiet' rooms, one with cribs and cradles, the other with low cots for use during both naptime and nighttime sleeping, each with a small sleeping cubicle for nannies on duty during the night shift.
H'kon is seldom one of those waiting for littles, not officially anyone's parent, and seldom asked to fill in. But even Delinda has a plans, sometimes. And there are some nights where Madilla seemingly must work. So here he comes, the brownrider not looking entirely at ease, scanning warily no sooner than he's into the cavern, looking for a certain little boy who's obsessed with a certain brown dragon. He doesn't spot Dilan right away. It leaves him standing, quiet, alongside Tayte, who's not even been given a glance yet. He's still searching. "H'kon, right?" Tayte has seldom been called shy and today isn't one of the occasions. "I think I saw one of the nannies taking Dee to the necessary just as I came in." She offers further with a warm smile for the brownrider. "I'm Tayte." She offers her hand, "Vali's mom. Dee and Vali play together sometimes." As if that should explain why she's started the whole conversation with the man and how she knows of him. To H'kon, Arekoth projects, « Everybody poops. » It's just after Tayte has offered an explanation as to Dilan's whereabouts that H'kon's breath catches a moment, and then is let out in something almost like a groan, one he can't quite keep to himself. Eyes that had gone to the ceiling drop back over toward this woman, and H'kon offers his own hand stiffly in return, an awkward attempt at a smile made. "I see," answers all of that; her name, her association, everything. The groan has the smile going a little wider, dimples showing on Tayte's cheeks, "Just be glad you didn't have to take him this time?" She suggests. If his taciturn response is off-putting, you'd never know it from the way the woman continues, "I'd actually been wanting to meet you since Madilla and I managed to get out to Ista for drinks. You know, just to see if it was all true." She makes it sound a little scandalous, a single brow quirking just a little to add mystery. To H'kon, Arekoth projects, « Tell her, yes. You're just as short as they say. » H'kon's mouth opens, an answer almost ready on his lips - but it closes, aborting the mission. Before he can come up with an alternate plan, she's moving on, and he's nearly rolled his eyes again. But he stops, and he blinks, and in lieu of attempting a smile, he tilts his head and looks a bit more attentive. "Ah." If he's concerned, that, at least, goes unexpressed. Tayte's smile changes as she looks on him. If H'kon had any hope that the blonde would be discouraged by his lack of contribution to the conversation, that hope was in vain. The smile is now more intrigued than before. "Do you drink, H'kon?" She asks simply. This at least, should garner her some sort of response. It's the abrupt blink and refocus on her that covers the 'um' part of H'kon's response. "On occasion," is cautious, and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and then back again to the first. Tayte herself is given a more cautious inspection, albeit one centred mostly on her face. "What do you prefer when the occasion arises?" The woman asks simply, the smile unflappable as she's examined more closely. Tayte's form doesn't shift, doesn't show any sign of discomfort at the brownrider's cautiousness or attention, and her expression is just as affable as it began. H'kon lifts his chin faintly, eyes not narrowing, but the change in vantage point having more or less the same effect - at least, from his end. "Scotch," comes after a delay that is, most certainly, not on account of uncertainty over his answer. Perhaps it's more her question. Any questions of his own are held behind carefully-closed teeth, following his response. "Thank you," Tayte answers simply, with a smile, offering no explanation this time, and also issuing no invitation related to her inquiry. She turns her eyes back toward the room and the children occupying it. H'kon looks at the woman a bit longer than etiquette might dictate before giving a faint nod to acknowledge her thanks. He, too, looks back to the children. And when Dilan is still not to be found, he resigns himself to attempted conversation: "I might wonder why you should ask." "Might you." Tayte's smooth alto rises a little in something that might be a combination of amusement and delight judging from the microexperessions around her eyes and the incremental increase in dimpling. "Well, if you wondered that, I might be inclined to tell you that I'd like to give Madilla a bottle of something you'd be inclined to share with her." Which might not be surprising since Madilla's drinking habits might be described as 'on occasion' also. "Ah," comes with another nod, this one bringing with it some slight relaxation through his posture. H'kon looks back to the children, quiet a few moments, and, when Dilan still has yet to emerge, turns a sidelong glance to Tayte once more. "I would be content enough with other things. Wine. Brandy." Girlier drinks, though far be it from H'kon to specify those. "Would you?" These pair of words is lifted in question. "I'll bear that in mind when I make my selection for a gift. Perhaps the better question is if there's anything you can't or won't willingly imbibe?" The smile has dimmed to a more casual level, but Tayte's tone is still inviting the conversation to continue. "I always prefer asking better questions, the best if possible. Don't you?" "I prefer things which are not over sweet or fruity." It's not a strong stance against them, not in the worse themselves, but they do come as answer to her better question. And Tayte's comments on that make him tilt his head lightly to the side, and peer at her a moment. Then, following another failed attempt at locating Dilan, "I should wonder if poor tithing has made for a less regular diet." It's muttered, almost to himself, except for that look on H'kon's face that dragonriders sometimes get. Tayte is acknowledged with another look thereafter, almost sheepish. A nod answers the brownrider's words, simple acknowledgement that she's heard them, and likely as not will take them under advisement, since she went out of her way to ask in the first place. "You do seem to wonder a lot of things," The blonde observes, but not unkindly. If she takes any offense or even recognizes the dragon conversation for what it is, she makes no signs. "I imagine Madilla quite likes that about you." This speculation is made thoughtfully. Just before the little blonde girl attaches herself to Tayte's leg. Where did she even come from? It's a mystery, but there's Yvalia and her mother bends to disentangle arms and heft the child. "Ready to go, my love?" The knotless woman queries of the girl. It's not even a breath later that Yvalia starts rattling off every single detail of her day. Tayte offers H'kon one more smile over the girls head, managing to get in a- "I hope to see you again," before she's accused: "Momma, you're not listening!" What care do four turn olds have for the manners of adults? "Hm," comes as a sort of clearing of his throat, and H'kon lifts his arms to cross over his chest, and ducks his head. Beneath his beard, it's just a tiny bit possible that his cheeks are a shard darker than before. The little girl is a (welcome) distraction, and the brownrider steps back to allow the reunited duo more space. "As you say," answers Tayte's sort-of farewell. H'kon does even manage a smile for her daughter's censure before they're gone. And most assuredly, he and Dilan will pass them shortly, when the boy returns and does his headlong rush for Arekoth, the very best part of being picked up by H'kon, hands down. |
Leave A Comment