Logs:Grown Up Enough
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| RL Date: 29 August, 2009 |
| Who: K'del, P'ax |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: P'ax and K'del are friends again. |
| Where: K'del's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 11, Month 8, Turn 20 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Madilla/Mentions, Milani/Mentions, Tiriana/Mentions, W'chek/Mentions, Z'yi/Mentions |
| K'del's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr Rank certainly has its privileges; among them are amply appointed apartments. Two chambers connect to form a large weyr, the outer cavern larger and better decorated. Here are impersonal furnishings: a seating arrangement of sofa and chairs in front of a large, tiled fireplace with a blue-and-black rug before it; an antique-looking desk, dinged and dented in a few places but polished and well-kept for its obvious age; a tall cupboard with tack-hooks beside it, gear for dragonriding neatly arranged inside. Two tapestries hung from the high walls depict overdone splendor for High Reaches Weyr, one a long view of the snow-covered bowl, and the other a hazy impressionist piece of dragons flaming over a springtime countryside. The inner weyr, a sleeping cavern and a bathing area, is smaller and cozier and less ostentatious. A double-sized wooden bed in good condition, made up with sheets, pillows and comforter in varying shades of navy blue, light blue and bronze fills much of the area, as well as a nightstand covered in books, a wardrobe. A folding screen mostly shields the bathtub and toilet, with a towel usually slung over it, and a small collection of toiletries in easy reach. There are signs of life within both parts of the weyr: an oil lamp on the desk, alongside papers and books and pens, often untidily stacked; a jacket on the back of the desk chair, the occasional empty mug or bottle of beer. A tendril of blackness. Boredness personified in her familiar, seductively chaotic mind. « Mine wonders if yours is available. » Grudgingly, under duress, she adds, « He wants to apologize. » (Yyth to Cadejoth) To Yyth, Cadejoth leans in to that tendril of darkness, the seductiveness of her contact. There's a pleasant, companionable twang of chains for a moment that is just /theirs/ , until the need to play messanger reasserts itself. « He's around. At home. You could come, too! » Beat. « If you wanted. » To Cadejoth, Yyth longs just a little after those chains, but not too long. « Do you want me to come too? » she asks coyly, playing it off with smooth indifference. Just so he gets the full message, she's still miffed at him for not chasing while she can still remember it because P'ax remembers it. « We'll be down. » Prompt: « Of course I do. » She's Yyth! There's no doubt of his affection for the green, his own thoughts touched with her darkness now that they're in contact, though he doesn't seem to have any awareness of this flight business: business as usual. Or, rather, /pleasure/, at this juncture. (Cadejoth to Yyth) Cadejoth must have passed the message on, because although there are papers and reports scattered about the desk, and a mug of klah that on closer inspection would appear to be half-filled and still relatively warm, sitting nearby, when the greenrider arrives the bronzerider is lounging on the couch, and there's a bottle of whiskey and two glasses set out nearby. He's staring rather intently at the wall, apparently in deep contemplation. To Cadejoth, Yyth relents with that reassurance and settles in closer. « You don't come see me much anymore. » Pout. P'ax takes his hat off when he enters the weyr, looking around momentarily, taking in papers and klah and finally coming to rest on K'del. He grimaces just a little, and the look says it all. "I'm having a bad week," is his explanation, blurted out right there in the middle of the floor before he can even approach or sit down or ask even if he /can/ sit down. To Yyth, Cadejoth has to pause to think about this. And then, « You don't come to see me, either! » And, « I'm sure there are plenty of other dragons who do! » K'del does sit up, as P'ax's footsteps sound, and so is looking at the greenrider as all of that gets blurted out. There's silence for several moments after that and then, frowning, he says, "Hello and good afternoon to you, too, P'ax." Beat. "Come and sit down. Have a drink. Guess you probably don't want to talk to me about it, but... dunno. Something." « You've been occupied. » HER. Iovniath. « Of course there are others. » As Yyth always has others. « But I'm yours, aren't I? » (Yyth to Cadejoth) To Yyth, Cadejoth can't help Iovniath, can't help that even the reference to her turns his thoughts icier, whiter, though he banishes that away in quick order - it's not polite. « I have been, » he agrees. « I am. But. Not so occupied I don't have time to think of you, Yyth. » With a jangling of chains, one seeking out to coil around her, he adds, « Of course you are. » P'ax chuckles awkwardly. "Hi, K'del." He takes a deep breath, lets it out and then shuffles around to the other side of the couch to sit down. "I drink too much as it is," but he's not turning down a drink either. He leans forward to put his elbows on his knees, looking intently at the bronzerider. "I think I fucked up worse than ever." So maybe he does want to talk about it. Who knows. K'del's eyes remain on P'ax as the greenrider shuffles around to sit, and though he reaches out with the obvious intent of pouring the whiskey, he stops halfway when he gets looked at so intently. "How?" he prompts, staying as he is, awkward position though it may be. "What's up?" That seems to be enough, Yyth makes the skimming journey across the Bowl to settle on his ledge. « So long as you don't forget that I am. » (Yyth to Cadejoth) P'ax glances up at the ceiling for a moment and back down again, chewing on his lower lip. "Do you happen to keep up with Weyr gossip at all? Specifically, the weyrlings?" « Never. » the bronze seems utterly sure of this, and now, utterly content, too, what with a green to extend his wing over, and twine his tail towards. It's got to be pretty boring, hanging around waiting while his rider does hidework, after all. (Cadejoth to Yyth) K'del's expression turns mildly perplexed, and he shakes his head, except; "Did hear that W'chek screwed Madilla over. Otherwise, though... no. Try to avoid them on the whole, actually." That last bit is rueful, and serves as a motivator for him to actually get to the pouring. He hands P'ax a glass with a finger of whiskey in it, then takes one for himself. To Cadejoth, Yyth leans her warm hide into his, tucking her head down against his chest. Very boring indeed, all that hidework. « You can always go flying with me. Or we could sit in the Bowl. » He does know her schedule, after all. P'ax accepts the glass, craddling it between his palms and running one thumb up along the side to trace the lip of it. "Yeah. W'chek is part of it. There's ... I like one of them very much. But he hates W'chek. Maybe not hate. Hate's strong. But I don't know how else one feels about the guy your boyfriend left you for. Maybe hate's not too strong." Rambling. He stops himself with a sip of the burning liquid, savoring it in his mouth. "'Fraid he's going to hold it against me, that Zhikath won." To Yyth, Cadejoth's sigh is one of pure contentment, his breath warm on her hide. « Maybe I should, » he agrees. « Better than just sitting here all the time, right? » Because that is boring. « Maybe I will, then. » K'del edges back on the couch, so that he's half turned towards the greenrider, but at least in a more comfortable position than before. His glass gets held against his bent knee, abandoned for the moment except by the hand that holds it there, so that he can listen without distraction. "It's just a flight, though," he reminds, eventually. "Not your fault who wins or loses. Just happens." After a moment more: "Shells, but they're all screwed up, this bunch. Relationship-wise, emotionally, all that." To Cadejoth, Yyth sighs out. « They're not as good as you. The others. » Her tail curls more tightly with his, true affection, the only she ever feels except which she feels for her rider. A yawn. « Of course you will. It was a good idea. » Because she's Yyth, and is full of good ideas. P'ax's nose wrinkles. "And me a fool to be tangled up with all of them. You're right there. Bunch of... messed up. That's good." And that's all he has for it. "Are you happy?" It seems an unexpected question. "Tiriana isn't making your life too difficult?" « I'm flattered! » enthuses Cadejoth, believing without question that what she's telling him is true. « I'm sorry. That I can't be-- you know that right? That I have to be Iovniath's for now, but maybe-- later. » You know. Eventually. « Of course it was a good idea. It was yours. » (Cadejoth to Yyth) K'del's mouth is already opening for him to say something more, but P'ax's shift in questioning takes him by surprise, and for a moment, he looks utterly fish-faced. Then, "Tiriana's a bitch, but we all knew that already. Coping, otherwise, I think." Beat. "No. More than coping, probably. If I'm being honest. May not be the best person to ever occupy this weyr, but I'm doing okay, and-- even if I weren't, 'happy' isn't just related to that." To Cadejoth, Yyth quirks a little, swirling up to examine him neatly. « After? » she agrees, like it has merit. « I would like that. If you would come be mine after. » And then she cackles. « But I think yours would like that as much as he likes you being hers. » P'ax tries very hard not to smile at K'del's off-gaurd expression. Mostly he succeeds. "Yeah. She's not so bad. Just... insecure." That's it. He turns the glass now between his hands, something to do. "Does it at least get you in with the girls? Not that you've really ever had a problem with that." To Yyth, Cadejoth is, it may be noted, thinking in distants; he's Iovniath's! That might last forever! But if it doesn't... « /He/ doesn't have to be /your riders/. Just because you and I are. Not all the time. » It's a nice thought. His tail goes thud-thud-thud against the ledge as he has it. "Mmm," is K'del's initial answer, non-comital. "I mean. Yes, yes she is just insecure. Doesn't make it easier to try and deal with her, sometimes. And I'm the fool who keeps trying to be nice." Finally, he lifts his glass towards his mouth, taking a careful sip of the contents. More amused, "Gets me rather /too/ much in with the girls. Ground weyr makes me way too accessible." He pauses, as if suddenly aware of how that sounds, then adds, "Kind of limiting my affections these days, though, so it hardly matters." To Cadejoth, Yyth thinks in the context of what is best for her. Which means, surely, he'll come back to her, if not soon, eventually. How can he not? « Not what I meant. Of course not. That would not work out. » K'del being her rider's all the time. To Yyth, Cadejoth hastily notes, « I know that. That would /never/ work. But why should it bother either of them, if you and I are with each other? » Perfect logic. Sort of. « They would deal. » But oh, such a remote thing; the white, the ice, the cold, it all hovers just out of sight, whatever he does and says. P'ax laughs. "Were you finding strange girls in your bed?" It seems an easier, lighter subject than the conundrum of Tiriana, or even the multitude of ways he's messed up lately. "You? Why? Have you found somebody?" An eyebrow lifts, news to him. To Cadejoth, Yyth can pretend, ignore, that lurking Other Woman. It's about them right now. « Some day, » she says wistfully, a trail of smoke adrift in the darkness. "Couple of times," admits K'del, rueful and at least a little bit embarrassed. After another sip of his drink, he adds, "Think they've learned not to try now, though. Guess I seemed more approachable than N'thei ever was. But--" He hesitates before answering the last question, shrugging, looking away. "Not-- just a couple, instead of lots. Milani's here a bunch, and occasionally a couple of others." To Yyth, Cadejoth can try and ignore her, too, even when it's his own thoughts betraying him. Them. Him and Yyth. For now. « Some day! And then we can always fly with each other, and perhaps K'del will be able to come too, because he won't be so busy. » Beat. Then, somehow smugly, « It's nice, having a pack, though. All my dragons. » His Weyr. P'ax actually looks a little shocked. "Some women are too bold," he says with a hint of scorn. "Think just about everyone's more approachable than N'thei though." He nods his understanding though. "Yeah. Thought maybe you and Milani.." but he trails off, lets the thought go without ever finishing it. To Cadejoth, Yyth likes that. She understands. A pack. For all she loves Cadejoth in however a way dragons love, she still has her own pack, followers that she routinely weeds, waters, and feeds with tidbits of promises and attention. « Yours can come too, » she agrees eagerly. K'del's eyes roll, his head shaking. "No kidding. It was-- awkward." Let's call that an understatement. P'ax's comment on Milani makes K'del concentrate rather more intently upon his drink, as though deliberately avoiding eye-contact, though all he says is, "Been a rough turn and more, for Milani. Reckon things are on the mend now, though." Beat. "Aside from being mixed up with messed up people, how are you, P'ax?" Silent and unspoken, but perhaps it goes without saying: Yyth is part of his pack, one of /his/ greens. Then again, the whole weyr is - but she is, in particular. Whatever Iovniath might think about that. « Then we will have a wonderful time, » he enthuses. « And see all kinds of things. And places! » (Cadejoth to Yyth) P'ax snorts and lifts his glass in mocking toast to awkwardness and leaves it there, another stone in the dust of conversation. "Glad to hear it. I still think about her, too chicken to talk to her since everything went down with A'son," however long ago it was. Him? He just blinks stupidly about it for a time. "The usual," he responds at length. "Nice to see my folks leaving. Probably not much better than that going on." To Cadejoth, Yyth would be /his/ regardless, at any rate. « We can go on adventures like we used to, yours and mine... and us. I have places to show you, even more places! » Another some day, when K'del is not buried in hidework. "She's doing good," promises K'del, and at least he's glancing up now, smiling, awkwardness apparently vanished now it's not the state of /his/ relationship with her being discussed. "She'd probably like to talk to you again." As for P'ax, that answer makes K'del shake his head, look-- amused? "Mm. Can imagine, about your family. But. Reckon this screwed up weyrling of yours likes you back?" To Yyth, Cadejoth yearns for such exploration, for such adventure! « I look forward to it, » he tells her, mind alive with the possibility of such an excursion, tail thumping again. « We can fly and fly and fly until we're too tired to fly anymore. » P'ax nods his head. "Probably. Or she might like to pop me in the mouth. Or maybe I'm just assuming most people would like to pop me in the mouth." It's probably a likely assumption. The question about one certain weyrling gets a small twitch in his cheek going. "I don't really know, to be honest. I've never asked him." Chicken, again. "He probably likes me well enough for a roll through bed. But I don't know if he...likes me. I'm not even sure how one goes about finding out such things." To Cadejoth, Yyth shares the excitement with him for a time, conjuring up possibilities of where they will go, and how long they will stay. Just them, where there is no icy whiteness, no commitments, no others. Unspoken, but reminded anyway: she would tire long before he did. K'del's lips twist; "Don't say that. Can't imagine why she would." He takes another sip of his drink as P'ax continues, turning the glass in his hand as he listens. "Not the best person to talk to about that, I guess," he laughs. "Though... generally you can figure it out from the way people react to you, I guess. Or you could just, you know, /ask/." To Yyth, Cadejoth shares in these conjurations, adding flourishes wherever he pleases - oh look, a fish with wings! A bird that swims! « We would rest whenever you needed to, » he promises. « Whatever you liked. » P'ax shrugs his shoulders lamely. "That's the thing. He never really reacts predictably around me. Would you think less of me if I admitted I was too afraid of being rejected if I just came right out and asked?" He sets his glass down, leans back into the couch until he can rest his head on one of the cushions and fold his hands across his ribcage. "He did just get dumped, too. Seems insensitive to go grubbing for a relationship with him right now. Selfish to even worry about ruining something I may not have ever had to begin with." To Cadejoth, Yyth takes her own casual liberties, and soon things are developing fangs or talons or spines with sharp points. « You're a good boy, Cadejoth. » K'del frowns in thought as he listens, and finally, laughs. "No. Wouldn't think less of you at all. To be honest," and he grins as he says this, drinking the last of the whiskey from his own glass in a pause between words, "Makes more sense to me, to just see how things go. Figure you'd probably work it out eventually. Nothing wrong with getting semi-regular sex, even if it's nothing more than just that, right? But this is me. Like I said, not exactly the relationship expert." All of which just excites Cadejoth more. Look at that! Look at that! His chains and tail match in tempo as they shake merrily in delight. « I am? I mean. Yes. Of course I am! » (Cadejoth to Yyth) P'ax smiles crookedly, though with some degree of effort, into K'del's laughter. "I get plenty of sex. It's nice. But, somehow, debauchery eventually becomes boring." He snorts. "Trust me, not a revelation you want to have when you're naked on a bed with a gorgeous woman and an attractive man - okay, we'll make it two gorgeous women, just for you." K'del's amusement visibly trails off, and he glances away in order to put his glass down. When he settles back into his seat, he notes, in a quieter voice, "Can imagine. Though--" he hesitates, then continues, "Dunno. Never really seen a problem with it. Sure, better if you can have something more stable; found it really frustrating, when Millie wasn't sleeping with me, because I had to go find it for myself. But. Mm. Maybe I'm just wired differently." To Cadejoth, Yyth settles in just that much closer, even though he's thumping away. « My good boy, » she murmurs, mindvoice taking on a tired edge. It's the day time, after all, not her most active period, and the company's good. Just for her, Cadejoth attempts to still that thumping tail of hers, and nestle in closer. He can't quite manage to be entirely still, but-- it's a good effort, coming from him. « Your good boy, » he agrees, quietly, warmly. (Cadejoth to Yyth) P'ax shrugs his shoulders, half-apology. "Probably. Maybe I'm just too eager to fall in love. Or maybe I'm just trying to sabotage a good thing." He shakes his head over it and sighs. "What kind of man am I, honestly, grumbling about getting too much sex? Forget I even said that!" To Cadejoth, Yyth appreciates it, it's there in the way her thrumming heart responds to the tempo of his beating chains. Stillness was never an issue for her, but she doesn't seem to mind his energy either, as long as she can stay curled up with him for awhile. K'del's head shakes: no apology needed. Though; "Love! There's your problem." And yet, that's said far less enthusiastically than it would have been, a turn ago, two. "I'll cast it out of my mind, I promise," he says, grinning. Then, more slowly, "Nice talking to you again." P'ax chuckles lowly. "I know, right? Love." Sigh. "Idiocy." He smiles though. "Nice not fighting with you," he qualifies. "I've been real stupid." To Yyth, Cadejoth isn't going anywhere. He's still going to move, but-- no. He's here. Hers. For the moment. K'del says nothing more on love, just lets his lips twist wryly. Of the rest, "Right. Not fighting. It--" He breaks off, stares at the wall, the ceiling, and then finally back at P'ax. "Well. If we can keep it up, it'd be good." P'ax echoes that twisting of lips for entirely different reasons. "Good," he repeats, sighs. "So. Friends again?" he extends his hand towards Kas, eyebrows uplifted. "Friends again," agrees K'del, extending his hand to meet P'ax's, and shaking firmly. "Maybe we're grown up enough now not to make the same mistakes all over again." Which only makes his smile rueful all over again. "I think /that/...is asking a lot of maturity from two very young men." P'ax smirks. "Missed your Turnday. You missed mine. You should dig yourself out a night off. We'll go root out something shameless to do to celebrate." K'del makes a face at 'very young', and notes, hastily, "Not /so/ very young. I mean, okay, younger than most of the weyrlings in this group, but... eighteen's not /so/ young." Really! He doesn't pause, though, before adding, "Did, too. Night Yyth rose, wasn't it? But. That sounds like a good idea. Let me work out when I can get away, and we'll do that. It'd be-- nice." P'ax grins. "Eighteen's a good age. Maybe the next batch will take us seriously, huh? Rielsath's gotta go up... well, it's been almost three turns now, so she's probably due." He hums. "Faranth, three turns. Can you believe?" He shakes his head over it, lets out a low whistle. "Yeah, yeah, it was. Your turnday gift, my turnday gift. Crappy. See, we both need a night out. Just let me know, huh?" He smiles and then lifts his glass and tips back his whiskey. "Think Yyth's going to stick around and snooze on your ledge awhile, if that's alright with you. I'm going to go get some food, I haven't eaten all day." K'del laughs. "Maybe. Though no doubt there'll /still/ be plenty older than us. The twenty-somethings." His head shakes at the thought of it, though, after a moment more, he nods: "Right. Should be due. Shells, /three/ turns." There's some amount of rueful mirth in his expression for the turnhday-ruining habits of their dragons, but in the end, he simply nods. "Will do. Promise. And sure, she's welcome to stay. Suppose I ought to get back to things-- have a good one, P'ax. Look after yourself." |
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