Logs:Not My Problem
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 5 August, 2013 |
| Who: Alida, N'ky |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: April's angry. Alida finds out why. |
| Where: Snowasis |
| When: Day 10, Month 6, Turn 32 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Warm sunshine and cloudless skies make for a beautiful day and pleasantly warm evening. A breeze tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air. |
| Mentions: April/Mentions, Quinlys/Mentions, I'zech/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. The 'Reaches summer is in full swing! And that means that tonight, there are more punters soaking up the warmth on the patio, rather than propping up the Snowasis' bar. Which means all the more room for a sun-kissed N'ky, who's standing up against the counter talking animatedly to a girl beside him - April, as it happens. She doesn't look incredibly impressed with him and turns on her heel to storm out in a huff, leaving the greenrider to stare after her with eyes that start off wide, but end up narrowed as she slips out the door. Then he turns back to his drink, and to leaning against the bar. One of those people out on the patio is Alida, the sitting bluie partially hidden from view behind an ever-shifting wall of humanity. The blonde has the back of her seat lightly propped against a granite wall, her attention settled mostly upon a couple other Glacier riders who are regaling her and about 4 other people with a not-so-tall tale of their recent run-in with a half-handful of Miners. Loud and expressive, the pair's words of their fight and subsequent drinking call up much laughter from everyone hanging around the table, Alida snickering and shaking her pale head before mentioning something to one of the former combatants. The guard earns a low 'Wooooo...' from a few of the others around her, one of the males graphically cupping his hand over his crotch in a quick grope, then mock-flinching away from her. April just happens to barge on out past the Glacier group as one of them's making that crude gesture, and she stops to give him a dirty look. Her gaze quickly shifts away from him to settle on Alida, giving her clutchmate a stern sort of look - she's not happy at all, and she's not doing overly well at holding it in as she snaps at the bluerider. "You." A finger points towards the blonde, just in case there was any ambiguity as to who she's addressing. "Go knock some damned sense into that lanky bastard at the bar. He listens to you." With a huff, and another dark look at the crude rider, the Snowdrift bluerider storms off. "Might almost be tempted...but I don' fraternize with lightweights..." Alida notes in smooth riposte to that fellow Glacier guy. Her comeback earns the blonde a loud cheer from the rest of the group, one of the women in it laughing aloud "Set yerself up for *that* one!" to the man, who's shaking his head, smirking, and facepalming. And then there's an April blowing by with that point to and piece of 'advice' for Alida, the blonde's brows drawing together a little as she observes her clutchmate's storming off. Soon enough, the woman adopts a long-suffering expression, then muttering something to her tablemates as she finishes the rest of her drink. From Between - over the heads of those at the table - pops a little, sunflower-toned firelizard, the still young pet then swooping down to land upon a forearm the guard offers her. After some moments of murmuring and looking pointedly into the gold's eyes, the woman sends Pyrite off into the depths of the bar, where she flies as near the ceiling as possible...apparently looking for something. Not long after, the flit zips back out to her human and chirrups her information, receiving a rub of her chin and an unshelled peanut from the blonde. Crooning her pleasure, the little queen zips off to attack and snack on that bit of human food while the bluie murmurs her apparent farewells, and steps away, and into the Snowasis itself. Greens peer all around for that tall, thin greenrider. Who's leaning against the bar with his arms folded, clasping his elbows and talking to the 'tender about something or other. He looks about as pleased as April was when she stormed out, and his conversation partner seems somewhat sympathetic to whatever he's having to listen to. N'ky raises his glass in a salute to the older man before downing what's left in it, with a refill quick in coming. Then he's left on his own as the bartender's attention is taken elsewhere; he drops his chin to his hand and leans, drumming fingers off both his cheek and the counter top. Given the throng of humanity out (and in) celebrating the nice summer weather, it might go without saying that Alida - who is not short at all, but not really quite tall, either - gets lost in said crowd. She takes her time and approaches the bar from an oblique angle, letting the moving crowd disguise her motions. And so it is that, after a minute of shifting around within the throng, the guard simply seems to have appeared from the blue at N'ky's side, the silent woman already ordering her newest drink, and murmuring to the bartender that "...it goes on S'ris' tab." While the greenie drums, she simply stands there, and watches, waits. N'ky has to be aware of the bluerider by his side once she appears there, but it takes him a few frowning moments before he glances her way. Seeing that it's Alida causes his frown to deepen a little more - though not in disappointment. His drumming gets harder against the bartop for a few seconds after he looks away from her, then stops abruptly as he slaps his palm down in a frustrated gesture. "'Lida." This time when he looks at her, it's with a distracted, 'can I help you?' expression. She emotes not a single thing besides bland curiosity to N'ky and his frown, Alida simply taking a few more moments to observe him. After N'ky's recognition of name, the woman notes just barely above the blaring of the crowd, "Apparently ya' pissed off April." Her voice is just about as bland as her features, right now. "Huh," is N'ky's non-committal response to that. He turns back to look at his drink, contemplating it for a moment before raising it to his lips and chugging the whole lot. After he sets the empty tumbler down, he asks, "Did she go bitching to you?" There's surprise there, and he gives Alida an unhappy sort of look. "She shouldn't've." A small lift of brow is given for that chugging of his, Alida then rolling one of her shoulders slightly. "Not really. She just blew by me, said I should try ta talk some sense inta' ya'." So... why isn't the bluie already doing such, then? It's at this point that her drink arrives, the blonde thanking the 'tender, then taking up the bright-pink, berry fru-fru slushy thing in one hand, and sipping from the reed straw. N'ky eyes Alida's choice of drink... curiously, but refrains from saying anything. The tiny smile that tweaks up the corner of his mouth ever so slightly has unspoken opinion aplenty, though. "April's..." He starts trying to explain, then shrugs. "... got a p-problem that I don't think has anything do to with me, e-even if she says it does." Alida presses her shoulder up against the lip of the bar itself, idly jogging one brow a little again when N'ky peers at her drink, though she remains quiet so as to better hear him in the din. Sip, mmm. After hearing him out... "And the problem is?" The way it's inquired, it's totally up to him whether he explains or not. "Guess." N'ky bites hard on his bottom lip, in frustration and uncertainty, if the unsteady sort of look in his eyes gives anything away. He pauses for a moment as he orders himself another drink, then spills a little more while waiting for it. "Didn't Quinlys or someone teach you all to go between or something? After... stuff?" She looks just a hint irritated at his 'guess,' Alida then clipping off blandly, "Cai's scratchin' uv' 'er blue." 'This is silly,' says her expression. Sip. Huh? For some moments, the blonde's trying to puzzle out just what the shit the greenie's talking about when he inquires that...and then the lightbulb finally goes off in her head, and leaves her blinking, staring into N'ky's eyes. "She's...preggers?" A hint of surprise is nestled within her low alto. "And it's not my problem, e-even if she says it is." N'ky's shoulders hunch up both defensively and fearfully, and he clutches at his drink as if it's a lifeline. "It c-can't be, 'Lida..." Only he really doesn't sound so sure, as he turns to the bluerider for reassurance. "I'm not... we're not j-just with each other, a-and there's been flights, and..." And that lets him off the hook, right? Wrong answer, N'ky...and the hard glare in Alida's eyes says so, if her frown isn't enough. "Outside..." the blonde fairly orders the greenie, her tone clipped and cool, brooking no rejection. If she has to, she'll drag him out into the Bowl, beyond the merry throng...though the woman still takes her rarer, fru-fru drink with her. N'ky doesn't argue, nor does he take his drink with him. It goes down the hatch in the same fashion as the last one, the tumbler left on the bar as he leads the way out. His hands are stuck deep into his pockets and shoulders hunched as he stalks along the patio then practically runs down the stairs to the bowl, where Cailluneth is waiting. Glistening wet from the lake, by the looks of it. He takes up a spot near her, and waits for Alida. As soon as they're far enough beyond the Snowasis for raised voices to not easily carry, the silent blonde opens up on N'ky, and while her voice isn't truly loud, it *is* raised enough to drive the point home. "That was a shitty thing ya' did." Stare. "Handled it like a fuckin' punk-ass kid." Cailluneth is given a small nod of greeting in afterthought, the blonde then looking back to her lifemate. "Whether it's yers 'r not, ya' could've been *decent* ta her." "You don't even know what I said!" N'ky's quick to retort, a touch of heat to his own tone. "She comes in, tells me she's... that I've... a-and I said wh-what about all the flights Darcielth's b-been in? 'Cos he's won a-at least a couple by now, a-a-and what about e-everyone else she's been with? And why me?" As if his stutter wasn't enough to give away how flustered he is, the greenrider knots his fingers in his hair and paces. "W-we barely even... n-not so much any more, s-so I just... I just tried to be... reasonable, 'Lida." That's Alida for you, jumping to conclusions in an emotional situation. She's irked that N'ky's rounding on her, but even the pigheaded bluie can see there's more to this situation than meets the eye, and so she just glares at her clutchmate for a little longer, sips her drink. After he's done speaking, the blonde remains silent, suckling at the strawberry goodness from her straw, and thinking for awhile. "She needs ta talk with the Healers, no matter what..." is finally noted around an exasperated sigh. This is *so* not her kind of thing. "No matter the father, if she decides ta' keep it, it'll change things some fer 'er." No wonder April's upset, maybe even scared. Sip, mull. "She's got a whole Weyr fulla' people that c'n help 'er raise it, 'r just take over fer 'er completely." That doesn't seem to soothe N'ky much, as he shakes his head and knots his fingers tighter into his hair. "So tell her." He's freaked out about it all, too. "A-and tell her it c-can't be... 'Lida, I've n-not been with her for... f-for... it's been a-ages, before Cailluneth... Darcielth l-lost Pasiyath's flight. I-I was there and we... b-but that was it, I've not... that's m-more than a month ago, I-I don't..." Words to properly express himself just don't seem to want to come anymore, and N'ky just shakes his head, holding tight to his curls as he leans back against Cailluneth's supporting muzzle. "Sweet Faranth; how far's yer head up yer ass?" Alida notes testily when N'ky responds like that. Stare. "Ya mustn't've listened well enough ta I'zech's boys part uv the lecture...'r maybe that dope didn' even bother with it." Eyeroll. "It sure as shit could be yer kid; just depends on when." A finger points unerringly at him. "*You* need ta talk with 'er; and her with all the guys who could be the da'. S'up ta' her in the end, though." Shrug. "Given all the hulabaloo about it, might be best fer 'er ta just Between a few extra times." And forget it. "I n-never got a lecture from I'zech," N'ky frowns, shifting his grip from his hair to rub anxiously at his upper arm, scratching through the summer-weight fabric of his shirt. "I don't want a kid, 'Lida - I don't want to be a dad. What if I turn into my dad?" He straightens up from his lean against his lifemate, turning to stroke her muzzle absently. "I... I-I need to... I've g-gotta go. I... I've j-just gotta go." He pauses for a moment, hovering uncertainly before adding, "S-sorry she... she sh-shouldn't have spoken to you, 'Lida... I'm s-sorry she involved you." An attempt at an apologetic smile is made, before he turns to make his way around to Cailluneth's straps. "No ya' don't..." Alida notes crisply when N'ky turns away after he's done talking, her free hand grasping at his nearest arm like a python might its prey. "Hidin' from it's not gonna do anyone any favors, in the end. Just make it worse, likely." Her words are crisp, no-nonsense. "You *may* be the physical father, an' ya' might *not*. Just man the eff up 'n talk with her about it. *Face* it. 'Cause whether ya want a kid 'r not, she's preggers. FACT." Greens try to stare into browns as she also tries to hold him back. N'ky would normally submit to a hold like that simply because it's Alida, but not today. He pulls his arm free, shaking his head at her. "'s'not mine," he denies again, "and I'm going." Cailluneth swings her head around to form a gentle barrier between him and Alida, nudging her muzzle in between the two of them so her Heart can climb up onto her back. It's a soft, almost sorry whuff of breath she exhales over the bluerider as she raises her head again, before trotting off to where she can take off safely. As she spirals upwards, she shares a quick image with Ilicaeth: a hilly island, surrounded by beach and sea, dotted with ovines. Then she disappears both mentally and physically as she winks into between. |
Leave A Comment