Logs:Moonlit Reconciliation
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| RL Date: 8 May, 2013 |
| Who: N'ky, K'zin, Cailluneth, Rasavyth |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: K'zin comes to find N'ky. The two make progress in repairing their friendship. |
| Where: Star Stones, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 15, Month 9, Turn 31 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Alida/Mentions, Meara/Mentions, D'kan/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Aishani/Mentions, Taikrin/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Scene backdated, played via google docs. |
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| Star Stones, High Reaches Weyr High on the southeastern edge of the Weyr, the Star Stones cast a now-lopsided shadow over the sheared stone plateau that holds them, a hole in the skyline left where the Eye Rock once stood. A watchrider stands guard here day and night, Pass or Interval, keeping an eye out for incoming visitors and inclement weather. Where the Eye Rock once stood, a scattering of debris remains, but nothing else; two dragonlengths south, the silent column of the Finger Rock stands alone, awaiting the balancing of the sun on its tip at the solstice to warn of the imminence of Thread. Between, and set out slightly to the side is the squat shape of the actual Star Stone, with an arrow pointing to where each of the other two stones should stand. The view from the Star Stones is unparalleled, its closest match that from the southern rim. A full circle around the Weyr can be seen from the Snowy Wastes to the north, to Keogh in the east, the peaks of the Western Range and Tillek Bay to the south, Pars and River Bend to the west. The only way up or down from the Star Stones is a-dragonback.
It's been four days since the barracks got a whole lot quieter. Four days of sleeping in his own space. Then N'ky stopped showing up to Flurry drills and switched to the other weyrling wing. K'zin hasn't been avoiding him, but all his interactions with the greenrider have been casual, without pressure for more conversation. Rasavyth's landing on the Star Stones is graceful. It took him time to learn his landing skills, not a natural, but he's put the time in, and the end result shows it. K'zin is swift to dismount, his worn riding leathers keeping him more or less guarded from the winds. The setting is different, but the scene is familiar. His walk this time is casual, but not fearful this time. He meanders closer to the other pair, Rasavyth following close behind to run Cailluneth interference if it were to become necessary. "Hey Nick." His greeting is casual, just loud enough to carry to the greenrider over the winds. By the time Cailluneth alerts him to Rasavyth's approach, it's too late to get up and move away. So N'ky stays, marking his page in his book before closing it to watch the bronze land, brown eyes steady on K'zin as he approaches. Cailluneth lifts her wing so it's not quite as closed down over her weyrling, torn between watching the bronzerider, and sending questioning silvery smoke towards Rasavyth's mind, making him fully aware of her Heart's protective bubble. It's rainbow-coloured today though, not steely cold; good signs that she's not about to deafen his lifemate again. "K'zin." N'ky doesn't get to his feet, peering up at the younger rider. Silence, during which he doesn't look away; his gaze holds steady, no sign of his typical acquiescence to the usual balance between their friendship, that would have him one step behind. "I got your present." A hint of a crooked smile tweaks at the corner of his mouth, just enough for the dimple to appear in his cheek. "It's pretty cool." The bronze's returning touch to the green is a subtle reflection of her rainbow, his pallet in pastels. His mind doesn't reflect much in the way of images just now, just sensation. Protectiveness is there, but it's passive. He waits after N'ky's one word acknowledgement. There's no expectation in K'zin's face, so there's no surprise when the dynamic is what it is. There's a faint smile for the words of the greenrider. "Glad you like it." He might say more, bring up why he did it in spite of things being messed up, but perhaps he thinks bringing that up isn't the best mood. "I was serious, though," He adds, "If you want, we can make more. If it works for you. When you pick your weyr." He takes a pair of steps around Cailluneth's form toward the greenrider. "Might need to make me some, too. It's been hard to sleep the last couple nights. It's so quiet." Then he nods to the stone near, but not too near the green weyrling. "Mind if I sit for a bit?" N'ky's eyes narrow a little when K'zin steps towards him, but he doesn't move other than to have his gaze follow the bronzerider's progress. "It's a free Weyr, K'zin. I c-couldn't stop you if I wanted to." But, contrary to him saying that, he pats the ground beside him, within the shelter provided by his lifemate. "You'll get blown away, if you sit over there." It's a peace offering, the first move towards reconciliation. While waiting for his fellow weyrling to make up his mind where to sit, the greenrider tucks the book he was reading away into an inner pocket of his jacket. "I'm going weyrhunting with D'kan tomorrow, if we can get away. Aisha's not as hard a task master as your wingleader is, but we're not slacking off, either." The words make K'zin hesitate, but then the that pat is encouraging. So he meanders over to the indicated spot and drops easily into a cross-legged seat. It's only now that he starts divesting himself of his goggles, helmet and gloves, letting them sit in his lap, one hand going to run through his helmet-matted locks. "Sounds like a good time. Once you have a place, maybe I can come by and help you get the chime set up? Not that you need help." The last is quick to be said. It's meant to be a casual excuse to get together. "If you and Cailluneth wanted to, until then, you're welcome to come crash at our place. It's got-- well, people having sex on the walls and Ras says I have to paint over them, but there's an extra bedroom and plenty of space for Cailluneth to be comfortable too." This all comes out in quite the rush, a blush touching his cheeks at the announcement of the nature the murals on his new home. "But, you know, no pressure." He adds last. "What's Cirrus like? Other than Aisha being a little less--" He makes a hand gesture that doesn't seem to indicate anything but must be his way of echoing what N'ky has already expressed. N'ky looks sideways at K'zin, a gust of wind sneaking past the shelter provided by Cailluneth to catch his curls and blow them into his eyes, no doubt ruffling K'zin's helmet-hair, too. He bites down on his lip, blinking slowly as he listens, eyes narrowing just a little at the invitation. "Maybe you can come help. I'll see what my weyr's like, when I choose one. Yours sounds..." His nose twitches as he thinks of the right word, while he tries to brush his hair back from his eyes. "... b-bright?" Then he looks away, a hint of a frown tugging the corners of his lips down. The 'no pressure' comment makes his mouth twitch. "We've got our couch, Waki." If nothing else, that is a good sign that he's getting over things; he's not used the bronzerider's old nickname at all, since their fall-out. "D'kan's still in the barracks. It's quite nice, and quiet, and there are no people having sex on the walls." Which makes him blush deeply, even if he maintains an awkward sort of look. Mentioning the S-word brings up other memories, half-made promises for this particular phase of their weyrlinghood, and it makes N'ky squirm. He draws his knees up to his chest and hugs them. "I'm enjoying Cirrus." Happy change of thought-track! "It's easier for me to, um, do everything. I fit in better." The gust has K'zin's fingers chasing stray locks, wincing as one gets into his eyes. It's flicked away just as quickly. "Okay," He agrees readily enough, not pressing the point. "Just let me know if you don't mind my coming by sometime." He chooses those words because he'd like to come by, obviously, since he just suggested the invitation, but leaves it without much more pressure than it took to simply make it known. "Alida thinks it's awful. Ras says it's inappropriate. I think they're kind of-- um, educational?" He chooses the word after only a brief moment. "I mean one wall's got food, another dancing, and the other--" Well, he already talked about that. "Ras wants it to change them to be a little-- less--- um, pointed. He wants to make one wall into a big map. That shouldn't be so hard after putting together that giant game in the training cavern." He babbles. It's half-comfortable, and half not. "Yeah, I can imagine the barracks is kind of peaceful now." Maybe he didn't hear about Kaz' adventures in redecorating. "I guess I'll get on painting them off. The humping murals I mean. The living space isn't even as... uh, graphic as what's in the bedrooms." He's got a lot of painting ahead of him. Cirrus as a topic is snagged to take them away from the uncomfortable 's' word. "I'm glad you're having an easier time of things. Still feels weird not to have you in Flurry." "I don't have anywhere to come by yet, but I... I guess you can come. When I do have somewhere." N'ky shrugs. "It... it sounds awful. I agree with Alida... and with Rasavyth. Will you get a Harper to paint your map?" He shuffles his hips, shifting his weight. "I don't want painted walls. Just plain ones. No colour. I don't need it. Just stone." His short sentences come as he thinks them, quick-fire one after the other. He stretches out his long legs, rubbing his hand on his upper arm, across the leather of his flight jacket. "In less than a turn we'll all be in different wings anyway, so I g-guess now is just... it's p-practice? For that? I won't be drilling with you then." He shrugs, then, shyly and with his gaze firmly fixed downwards, he asks: "Can... c-can I see them? Before... b-before they go?" There's a small smile from K'zin for the small step that is N'ky saying he can come around. "Yeah, you know, I didn't think of that. Getting a Harper. That's a great idea. I'll have to ask about it. It'd come out much better that way than if I did it myself." The bronzerider gives a little nod to the idea as he files it away. "Plain walls?" There's more thoughtfulness. "Is that because Cailluneth is so colorful?" He tilts his head to look at N'ky. "Yeah, unless we end up in the same wing. But I guess that depends on who get's picked up for what." The bronzer gives a little nod to the talk of wings, "Still feels weird. But I guess it's for the best. If you're happier with Cirrus." He doesn't love it, clearly, but he'll be happy if it makes N'ky happy. "The murals? Sure. Come by anytime. I'll wait 'til you get a chance to see them before I paint over them." "I see colour all the time. I don't need more all around me, in my weyr." N'ky confirms that Cailluneth is the reason for that with a nod of his head. "A-and I like the colour of stone, anyway. It's nice here. All quartzy." Pulling one knee up to his chest so he can rest his cheek on it, looking sideways at K'zin, he frowns, shaking his head. "I don't think we'll be in the same wing. You'll be in... i-in Iceberg, or Avalanche, or maybe even Glacier. Those wings won't want me; I'm not right for them. I'd like... maybe Taiga." No points for guessing why that is. "But I want to be able to maybe practice dragonhealing. So maybe Snowdrift? I'm not sure." He shrugs, blowing curls out of his eyes. "If you have to go to, um, the threadfall, would you go?" Or would he rebel, like so many others are? K'zin's nod shows his understanding of the greenrider's color predicament. "Yeah, the stone here is pretty nice. I've thought about trying to scrub the walls clean of paint, but I'm not sure I could get it all the way clean. So repainting's probably best. Any ideas for what I should paint the other walls? I was thinking maybe a runner, but... honestly, I think that'd just seem as weird as like, the fruit and stuff on the one wall." The talk of wings meets with a thoughtful silence and then a shrug. "I'm not really sure where I fit in all this. Right now, I'm just trying to work hard and follow the rules and do my best, with everything. It doesn't always go right." There's a smile then for his friend's interest in dragonhealing. "Dragonhealing seems pretty interesting. I'm not sure I'd have what it takes to do it. I'm learning about human anatomy from the healers for my drawings and some more first aid stuff, but with dragons, it's so different." He thinks then on the threadfall, "I'm not sure. I'm sorta torn about it. What about you?" "Don't paint anything. Just p-plain colour. Grey is nice." And boring. "Why would someone paint fruit on a wall? Isn't it... silly?" N'ky can't seem to fathom why such a thing would be done, as he shakes his head, brushing back his curls once again. "I think I'd be good a dragonhealing, especially with Cailluneth. She's... soothing. Plus I was good with runner anatomy and the healing classes I took. Maybe I could do dragonhealing and maybe apprentice to Meara, to be a trainee assistant weyrling master? But I think I'd need wing experience, first. I'll h-have to ask her." And that brings him back to the wings. "I want to see how it's done. We're never going to have to fight thread, but it makes sense to see how it's done? But, um, I don't know. I'd want to support K'del." "Hmm." K'zin gives the idea it's due consideration, but it doesn't seem to strike a chord with him. But then, he doesn't have colors in his head. So long as he doesn't paint Bones' face leering at him, he's probably safe from any dragon-mind echoes. "I'm not sure about the fruit. 'lida wants a scene of Ista's beach on her wall. He's giving the greenrider his full attention as he discusses his aspirations and there's nods along with his words. "That all sounds really good. I wish I knew what I wanted to do." The way N'ky evidently does. "But I guess I have time to figure it out. Seems like you like Meara pretty well?" He's nodding to the talk of wings, obviously agreeing on both fronts. "'Lida likes warm places, so that makes sense." N'ky nods, leaning back against Cailluneth. The wind's growing stronger, so she lowers her wing over the two teenagers and curls closer around them, trying to block more of it out. K'zin might get a feeling of what it might have been like for N'ky hiding in his Cai-den, that night by the lake. "I like Meara. She listens. She makes me feel good about myself. I want to be like her." He looks at the bronzerider, frowning. "You don't have any idea what you'd like to do? N-no idea at all?" As the wind grows and Cailluneth moves her wing, Rasavyth moves too. Perhaps he's uncomfortable with K'zin being even a little obscured from his sight, or maybe he's being helpful. Either way he shifts his bulk to help block the wind. His cloak of dull bronze is spread revealing the rich hues on his inner wings. "That's good. You should feel good about yourself." He chews his lower lip a moment, hesitating. "'lida would probably skin me alive for telling you, but we talked about it, and she-- and I--" He adds that, not because he doesn't want to share it, but because in light of certain conversations they've had recently, he thinks perhaps it's not as obvious as it should be, "We agreed that you're the best of us." He rolls his shoulders in a little shrug, shifting to draw his knees up picking at the seams on their sides. "Some idea. But not really, specific, the way that you think it. I know... I know I want to lead. Something. I never really thought I could, but with Ras-- I think I could do a good job?" He questions it, uncertain. "Do you think.. I mean, like, later, once K'del and Cadejoth are too old or whatever," Because 30 is so far from 18 that K'del and Cadejoth will clearly hit a point where they're too old while K'zin and Rasavyth still qualify. (None of this has occurred to K'zin, of course.) "Do you think I would be a good Weyrleader? You know, if I learn not to put my feet in my mouth and never ever ever try that kind of motivating people ever again?" The one that went so poorly with N'ky. Cailluneth gently shifts to allow Rasavyth to join her in blocking the wind, adjusting herself to create a more elements-proof hollow for the teens within. When N'ky learns that he's been the topic of conversation he squirms, running his fingers through his curls to squeeze them by his crown. His gaze is suspicious when he looks at the bronzerider, unbelieving of what he's just heard. "The 'best' of you? I'm not the best at anything." There's more discomfort when K'zin brings up the question about being Weyrleader, and it takes him a long time to answer. That, alone, should be enough to hint at the direction his thoughts on the matter are going. His answer, eventually, is as diplomatic as he can make it - perhaps those journals he's reading are coming in handy? "I think no-one knows if they'll be good in a position until they're put in it. You can study all you want but you can still fail, because life isn't what's written in books." "Yeah, you are." K'zin's tone brooks no argument. His face looks only sincere. "You're the best at this." The bronzer leans hard, invading N'ky's personal space only for a moment to tap at the other man's heart. Then his hand's quickly withdrawing. "You get it when people feel. You know how to listen to them and how to empathize. You've seen me try, I botch it almost every time. 'lida's probably worse than I am. Though I think she's trying, now. Do you know how key understanding people feelings and moods are to leading people or teaching people? It's why I'd make a horrible weyrlingmaster. I'm not patient like you are. Or thoughtful. I wish I knew how to be sensitive, but I'm just-- an idiot and kind of an ass, sometimes. But that's what would make me a decent Weyrleader one day, because they have to make hard choices and not feel bad about it, or at least, not let feeling bad stop them from doing what's right. Like with K'del and Aishani's father. Not that K'del was being an ass. But-- uh, am I making any sense?" Maybe he's not. He seems to take N'ky's diplomatic but not really supportive opinion in stride. After all, many would-be leaders have met with a lack of support on the home front. And as N'ky says, no one knows what they can do until they're in the moment. The touch to his chest is watched carefully, N'ky stiffening up, even though it's so fleeting. He listens to what K'zin has to say, frowning uncomfortably throughout. "And they're all things that a lot of people think are weaknesses, and they're all reasons why I hurt so often." He squirms, drawing his knees up to his chest. "And they're all reasons why the Weyr's lucky that Cailluneth's green. I'll never be Weyrleader, and that's a good thing, because... I don't think I could do it." He tangles his fingers in his curls again, looking sideways at K'zin. "You're making sense. But if Rasavyth ever makes you a Weyrleader, you need me as your Weyrsecond or you'll talk yourself into a bigger revolt than Taikrin's got now." "But they're not. You know why I'm no good at them? I'm not strong enough to bear it. I'm not smart enough to see it. You are. Shells, didn't you hear me?" It's said with a laugh, not in a tone of exasperation. "Nicky, I said you're the best of us. And I meant it. I'm trying hard not to say things without thinking them through, since that gets me into all kinds of trouble. That one I thought through, even talked through with 'lida. There's nothing for it but for you to accept that we see the strength and smarts that we wish we had in you." There's another laugh then, a blush touching his cheeks and he lets his knees drop again into a butterfly. "I despise that you hurt, and I like it even less when I'm the one that's made you hurt. And maybe this sounds stupid, but all that hurt means that when the world goes crazy, you and Cailluneth are going to be the best people to have around because you'll know how to handle the hurt and keep going. Thinking about some of the mess that K'del's had to go through as Weyrleader. I'm sure I'd go to pieces if some of it happened to me." He looks up towards the green and bronze canopies, "I'll need you as my Weyrsecond, or at least as my best-friend because you'll be the one who can hold me together if the world ever shatters around me." Like it seems to have done around his mentor so many times in his as-yet young life. "Of course, you might have to fight 'lida for it. We've sort of... allied? She's thrown in her lot with me and Ras. If you don't think it's too crazy, and don't mind having turns of patience for things to happen, you could throw in with us to?" His tone is tentatively hopeful. Before he gives the greenrider a chance to respond, he's reaching for the man's hand. "N'ky, I am so sorry for having hurt you." His face and eyes show the depth of his feeling; how much he has hated himself, how much pain it's caused him to have done it, how terribly he feels about it. N'ky doesn't look at all sold on any of the stuff K'zin says about him, but he doesn't argue with it. Then his hand's being grasped, and he stiffens up a little uncomfortably, looking from the hold up to the bronzerider's face briefly, before dropping his gaze back down. It's far easier to look away, though he does give a gentle squeeze of his fingers. "I know you are." It's a little flat to be a true acceptance of the apology, but it's an acknowledgement, at the very least. Eager to change the subject (and yet he doesn't pull his hand away, waiting for K'zin to let go), he picks up on another vein of their conversation: "You can have two Weyrseconds." He shrugs, toying with that one curl that always, no matter what, works its way free to bounce against his forehead. "If we've h-had a woman Weyrleader, then, um, two Weyrseconds wouldn't be too much t-trouble. And, um, I think K'del once said there was even a greenrider W-Weyrleader, once. Acting Weyrleader, anyway." The hand might've moved all too quickly when N'ky tensed, but for the way he then squeezed back. Still, it doesn't linger over-long, soon returning to its owner's knee and drumming fingers there. "Two Weyrseconds. Hadn't thought of that either." Clearly, if he ever ends up Weyrleader, he's going to need all the help he can get. "Yeah, I heard mention of that. I think it's happened on a couple different occasions. I guess when it's cases like acting Weyrleader it really does come down to who's best for the post for that time in between." He purses his lips, expression thoughtful. "And with the way things are going, who knows if that's not a better way to do it. Guess the thing I don't like about it is that it seems like embracing that would throw all the bronzers out of the running just because they're on bronze. Can you imagine how much it'd suck not to have K'del back as Weyrleader just because Cadejoth's bronze?" He gives a little roll to his shoulders, and then makes move to rise, ducking slightly to keep from hitting his head on their thinly membraned ceiling. "It's getting late." Alida had told him to keep it brief, not push things. Perhaps it is with this in mind that he starts to make move to take his leave. "When you get your weyr, just have Cailluneth tell Ras how to find it and when it'd be alright for us to come by, and we will." N'ky shakes his head about K'del and the bronzeriders not being eligible. "Wouldn't happen," he says softly - soothingly, even. With her wing being lowest, Cailluneth raises it to allow K'zin to stand, gently bumping against Rasavyth as she, too, gets to her feet, followed by N'ky getting to his, too. Yep, it's definitely getting late. The greenrider smiles crookedly at K'zin; he's still not entirely comfortable, but there's clearly been progress made. "Ok. When we get our weyr, sure." Nodding, he leans back against his lifemate's side, slipping on his gloves and goggles before curling his fingers around the straps, ready to mount up. "See you later, then?" "'Course. You couldn't see me when you didn't want to, imagine how bad it'll be if you start wanting to, again." K'zin jokes gently, leaning in to bump his shoulder against N'ky's. In his expression there's still residual regret, but the majority is a tentatively hopeful expression for the progress made. But rather than linger and chance things getting awkward, he heads out of the dragon-fort, Rasavyth adjusting to allow the green her space. He pops on his helmet, gloves and goggles as he goes, swinging up into Rasavyth's straps and soon the pair is winging away, Rasavyth offering a parting rumble to the green as they take off. |
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Alida (Alida (talk)) left a comment on Thu, 09 May 2013 01:59:59 GMT.
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- Finally*... the boys are back in town. ^^
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