Logs:Off-Kilter
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| RL Date: 13 October, 2015 |
| Who: Alida, Jo, Ilicaeth, Tacuseth |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Alida/Ilicaeth pay their first, extended visit on Jo/Tacuseth since R'hin's death. |
| Where: Jo's HideOut Weyr, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 22, Month 13, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Light, intermittant snowfall. Cold. |
| Mentions: Aishani/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, M'kris/Mentions, R'hin/Mentions, Z'ian/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Backdated. |
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| With drills long done and her presence not felt during further wing practices - sweepriding and the like - Jo is up in her weyr this early evening, lounging on her couch and surrounded by stacks of hides. Tacuseth is his usual rock sentinel on his ledge, provided that lately he and his rider have been parking at Leiventh's ledge, too. Not this day, however. She's out of her black leathers and into a tank exposing her scars and loose woven pants, and the bluerider looks to have retired early for the rest of the day by her attire and demeanor. Alida too has been busy with Glacier's drills - more intensive, perhaps as a way to focus in other ways and burn off energy - today, but she has other things on her mind than relaxation or business, this evening. It's right before dinnertime that Ilicaeth gently swirls his mica-laden sands onto the gritty ground of Tacuseth's arena, the often 'balls-out' and genial blue's touch more quiet, tentative...as it has been for the past 4 days. « We're comin' over. » Brother/friend/bestie. Solidarity and warmth flow from the younger blue to elder in a mental manifestation of sun-warmed granite laced with quartz beneath Tacuseth's feet, geothermal heat rendering his rock and silica more-than hospitable. « Alida's...still concerned. » Worried/wondering, as is *he*. Those gritty grounds of Tacuseth's are a wasteland of murky shadows, but the blue doesn't deny Ilicaeth's touch nor statement of coming over. By the time the other blue gets to the ledge, he would find space has been created for him. Looks like the blue's opened up to some visitors coming. « Yer welcomed, » is what he sends him at last, his touch dark and a bit distracted - as if he's conferring with Jo. Ilicaeth's backwinging to a careful landing soon enough, the burly blue letting out a low and throaty, concerned-sounding croon for his bromance partner once he's firmly settled. After Alida gathers some things and descends from her dragon's neck, 'caeth moves to settle himself down right beside Tacseth - hide-to-hide - and ultimately tries to rub his chin and jaw over Tac's neck and shoulders. Rumble. There's no words offered, none needed, unless Tacuseth wants, bottomless granite warmth and security - support - given in full measure. On her way inside, Alida pauses for a moment to look at the pair of blues...and suddenly hitches a massive spill of a sigh just as a free hand reaches out to try and pass a lingering carress over Tacuseth's hide, trailing upon Ilicaeth's as well before she leaves them in peace. Once inside Jo's part of their weyr, the large sack and satchel upon Alida's form are carefully deposited upon the table, the blonde then swiftly moving towards wherever Jo might be holed up at. As usual at this sad time, her expression is grave. But - for Jo - it also contains another not-oft-seen emotion: compassion. Tacuseth accepts Ilicaeth like a brother, his stance not so rigid now that the other blue has settled beside him. His desert wasteland maybe dry, but it's there that he lingers with openess with the other blue. For now, he settles for silence, a passing rumble for Alida when she reaches out to touch his hard hide. Inside, Jo must have been giving warning that she had a visitor for she was no longer lounging on the couch but rather sitting up and working on clearing some of the stacks of hide from the table and ground to make room for her. There seems to be some sort of order to the stacks since she's working carefully, only looking up from it once Alida appears before her. Dark eyes seem to read the Glacier bluerider as her hands work, and when she's done making room to straighten up, "What's in the bag?" Maybe it's easier to talk about that. A grave nod for Tacuseth's rumble is all for him, Alida *now* engaged in slowly opening up the bag and satchel. "Dinner..." the blonde murmurs low, her eyes lifting to Jo's for a long moment before resuming their focus upon her task. Various covered crocks of a special dinner are steaming as she uses her riding gloves to carefully lift them from concealment. It's comfort food, to be certain, but not the standard dinner fare. Instead, there's huge slices of wherry-pot-pie with extra spices, a small loaf of baugette wheat bread with a little crock of butter, a pair of huge, still-warm cinnamon sweet rolls, a salad for two with nuts and some kind of vinagrette dressing...and a big-ass bottle of what looks like dark beer. Jo watches Alida with the food - only looking the spread over once but mostly keeping her eyes on her. When Alida's done putting it all out, she leans forward to give it all her study before she states, "Between you 'n K'zin bringin' me food, I'm gonna have a serious problem if I don' get my ass into a fight soon." If it's meant to be a joke, it falls flat. She gestures for Alida to join her as she adds, "Thanks. I'm....not used to this. Folks wantin' to come 'round." Alida's expression remains open (for her, anyway): touched with ample notes of concern and compassion, though her frame is a little stiff. She's still not used to PDAs (this is public?), and - to those in the know - it shows. With Jo's comment on the dinner(s) comes a momentary nose-wrinkle at mention of K'zin, quickly evaporating into a faint smirk-smile at word of fighting. "I'll make sure ta pound ya inta' shape, dumpling." A quick, small flash of teeth in a tried-on grin that doesn't fully make it presages the blonde's slightly-unsettled bob of braided head for the thank you, and then she's pulling out utensils, and a pair of mugs. "Same here..." Snert. Once the feast's all laid out properly - the dark-amber beer poured right - the younger woman simply...stands there. Looking uncertain. "Just cuz I'm off-kilter right now doesn' mean ya'll have ample advantage to beat me," Jo notes in a gravelly voice as she starts in on the bread. She appears ravenous, at least, which means her apetite hasn't dropped. Still, when Alida doesn't sit, and she eyes that awkward look as she chews, "Ya here to talk," she says, stating the obvious now. "Reckon that'd be hard to do standin' over me. Ya should sit. I can' eat all of this myself. I'm fine. It's okay." It's all the words she tumbles together, watching her steadily as she takes up one of the mugs. The look Alida awards Jo for that 'off-kilter' comment shows more of her usual demeanor: smirk plus a small eyeroll, the blonde finally joining Jo in sitting down, and tucking into the bread and butter, first. Her first, low comment is a slightly-challenging, "We'll see about *that*," to word of no ample advantage, soon followed by a somewhat hesitant, "*What's* fine, Jo?" It's not a question full of ignorance, instead an inquiry comprised of simple friendship, compassion, and - as ever - a professional's focus on the details (or, in this case, the lack of such). Just in case Jo might plead her own kind of ignorance, or seek to divert or escape Alida's focus, the ex-guard murmurs quietly, "I never knew about you two." Beat. "I wonder if *anybody* did." It's not in any way an accusation. Once Alida sits, Jo resume her perusal of the spread before her, picking at the bread and meats rather than the sweets. Her gaze lingers on the spread as Alida talks, the silence from her lengthening until, "I never claimed him'n he never claimed me. He just-" Pause. Grimacing at a bowl, "Ya know I fuck a lot of folks. He just ended up bein' more than that. I usually don' kiss'n tell all of my liaisons," perhaps alluding to why no one knew about her and R'hin. "I'm fine. Yer worried 'bout me." Listening in silence as she too avoids the sweets, for now - the blonde instead tucking into her portion of the salad - Alida glances between food and Jo at times, never letting her gaze rest too long on the other bluerider to make either of them uncomfortable...though she still cannot help but study the elder woman. Habit. A low grunt of acknowledgement follows Jo's words of not-claiming, 'lida allowing a small nod for the rest...until she claims, "Bullshit..." at the other's being 'fine.' For a long moment, the blonde seems to experience an internal struggle over that 'worried' comment, but she finally winds up nodding gravely, just once, though. "I think I'm allowed..." Shrug. This time, her smirk dies aborning on lips. The meat is tucked into next, getting the most of Jo's attention as Alida cuts verbally through her words. Dark eyes cut to blue ones, that last getting her guardedness to weaken as she says, quietly, "I know." A hand transfers from the table to Alida's thigh if she's able, the look the convict rider gives her is an attempt to being reassuring. "I ain' gonna off myself or pitch a temper fit somewhere," she promises her, her gaze steady. "Losin' him....it scars. It scars me. He was a good man to me'n I didn' have a lot of that in my life. Ya know what it's like to lose someone that really gave a fuck 'bout ya? That knew all the dark shit ya've done'n still didn' judge ya despite all that? He was the only there for me when Aishani died. He was so....constant." She takes a drink from the mug and angrily wipes at her mouth as she looks away. "'Course ya know," she says quietly. "We're alike in ways, ya'n me. When we happen to find someone like that, we never wanna let'em go." With the lowering of some of Jo's caution comes a likewise lowering of Alida's, Jo's grasping of her thigh evincing the blonde's own returned one upon Jo's nearest forearm, her grip warm and firm, but not hard. Eating is abandoned, in this moment, Jo much more important than mere sustenance. Alida doesn't even try making light of anything the other woman tells her, this time, merely watching, nodding, and even allowing her grasping hand to gently stroke fingers over skin, if allowed. For a quick moment, the younger woman almost nods when Jo speaks of having somebody accepting her...until that caveat of knowing all the dark shit gets tacked on. The almost nod never truly appears, then, though she murmurs, "Only Ilicaeth." The admission comes out throaty and almost cracked, as if Alida's guarding herself against the mere thought of losing the only one who *knows and accepts* her completely. After wrestling suddenly-incovenient emotions back under some control, there's the quiet admission, "Didn' know you were so deeply attached ta' Aishani." Of course, Alida never really told anyone, either, about her own deep feelings over Azaylia...but, again, she understands. A slow nod agrees with Jo - some painful inner memory darknening the Glacier rider's gaze for a moment...and suddenly - though it's not speedy at all - she's scooting her chair back and aside just enough to free up space to try and allow her to wrap the other woman in her arms, and squeeze her tight. Not uncomfortably so, but it's close. Is it synchronicity or just fortuitous planning that, as Alida seeks to hug her bestie tight inside, Ilicaeth croons and tries to drape one slowly extended wing like a blanket over Tacuseth outside? No matter; the blue and his rider mirror each others' mood harmoniously, this time. (To Tacuseth from Ilicaeth) Alida's gripping her forearm with her touch over her skin. With that Jo reveals, "It was only Tacuseth for a long time," she can relate, it seems, her tone sober as she abandons the food for now. "I sometimes think maybe that's better. 'Least yer dragon'll never really leave ya, right?" Pause. "Aishani was....Never knew what havin' a sister was like 'til her. Mostly been 'round boys growin' up. She took me in as I was, too. Those were some real good times." But then she's being drawn into a hug....and after a brief pause, it's a hug she returns by pressing the blonde to her with one free arm. Tacuseth is likely listening in on what's being said inside, for the wing from his friend is accepted. « This is a good time that she needs her friends, » he sends, his mindvoice deep with those shadows mutating and moving about. « She's used to bein' on her own, bud. I've been working on her. Slowly. » (To Ilicaeth from Tacuseth) It's 'convenient' that they're now in a hug that doesn't allow Jo to notice the small shimmer of Alida's eyes, not the swallow that allows her to keep yet more unruly emotion in check. With a certain roughness, she allows her voice to finally reply, "Guess family's what we make it." Her, with no brothers or sisters, nor parents, or anyone that truly would claim her, aside from Ilicaeth and Pyrite. Sigh. "Yeah; better...in enough ways." Unspoken but so very obvious: and *not* better in enough others. Squeeze. "Just gotta be...careful. Wise." With who they truly let in. If Jo's not falling apart or enthusiastic about returning that hug, soon enough Alida will slowly draw back to her former, upright position upon seat, and present a wan bit of a smile to her fellow bluie. "I think I...kinda' felt that way about Azaylia." As is Ilicaeth, the younger blue also gently and subtly 'steering' his often unwieldy lifemate's emotions down hopefully better paths. Chuff. YES. « 'lida is finding out that it c'n be nice ta be relied on *this* way. » Emotional support, not only physical. With the motions and evolutions of Tac's shadows come the somewhat more animated gyres of 'caeth's still-muted-in-color sands. Again, YES. They're *both* been working on their lifemates, and hopefully a little more of that long and arduous effort is showing. Here's to hoping, bestie. (To Tacuseth from Ilicaeth) Yeah," Jo agrees, quietly. "It really is. Tacuseth still remembers her dragon. Maybe it's cuz of me." Releasing her from her own tight embrace, she draws a kiss to Alida's cheek as she pulls away, the action one of mutual comfort before she answers on bein careful, "Sometimes, ya can' help it. I never plan on it. It just...." She shakes her head, and when she hears about Azaylia, she reclaims her mug for a drink. "Azaylia? Didn' know ya were close with her. Guess we don' know much 'bout the folks we each associate with. Hm?" She pats that thigh before withdrawing and taking a drink. "Thanks for bringin' all of this," she says, belatedly. With Tacuseth in agreement, « Getting them around folks help, » he sends, the blue watching the skies once more. « Didn't have that before. Thanks, man. » He's relieved, really. The comfort being sent between their riders seems to soften the dragon's stance. (To Ilicaeth from Tacuseth) That kiss to her cheek has the younger woman flitting fingers across skin in its wake, her green eyes widening very slightly at the unexpected affection. "Ilicaeth does Hraedhyth, too..." Alida replies in a quiet rasp, her pale head shaking a couple of times as her index finger's pad taps significantly against her temple. "Yeah...guess so. Seems...fuckin' scary, somehow... bein' blindsided by it." IT. Love is still a four letter word, apparently, for Alida, when in conjunction with another human. As she slowly settles back down to eating, the guard murmurs in response of Azaylia, "Dunno if she did... 'r *I* did, either." Until she was gone. "'Least Ilicaeth recognized how much Hrae meant to 'im." She almost shrugs, but this time, the woman cannot quite bring herself to slough off the pain to that degree. Cautiously ventured: "Hope both uv' ya realized it, some..." Even if the thought of such an intense contact happening to *herself* is deeply concerning. "Uv' course." Headcock, smirk. "Ilicaeth says 'It's what *friends* 're supposed ta do.'" The added weight on that specific one of her lifemate's communication has the guard almost chuckling for a second. For a long moment, the woman studies her now-admitted friend's features, then returns her gaze to the beer they're sharing...lets it linger there as food finds its way from fork to mouth. In decidedly un-Alida fashion, she finally finds herself asking in an almost-gentle tone, "You know y' c'n talk ta me about it." « Around the right folks, anyway... » since Alida's way more abrasive than Jo. Snort. Ilicaeth looks upwards with Tacuseth, the skies of their home his external focus, though his internal remains both Tac and his own rider. « Neither did we. » Chuff. Thanks right atcha', « Brother. » His own, typically tough stance has shifted to something more warm with the advent of this whole 'good' feeling shared amongst all four of them...even in this time of great pain and loss. (To Tacuseth from Ilicaeth) "Happens even to the worst of us," Jo says on being blindsided, nodding once as she sits back with cradling her mug. "Yer a good friend, Alida," she says now, watching her. "Solid. Who'da thought, eh? From that first time we sized each other up'n ya were a guard from Pars? Come a long way." She pauses on the last before she leans forward to resume eating, nodding before she states, "I know. Gonna be awhile 'til I get my head together." Pause. "I hope M'kris suffers," she adds darkly now, her face turning cold. "I wish I could be there at that council to listen. I'm angry'n I wanna hurt someone'n I wanna fight. There were things I didn' get to tell him, 'n now I can'." It's all brisk, even-toned and hollowed out, the woman draining her mug. "Greeaat..." is all Alida can repsond with, though she keeps further opinions on the 'L' word to herself. Nom. Grunt. "Met'cha after I'd called Z'ian an asshole." Headshake, eyeroll. Another bad happenstance for Jo, and when the blonde realizes her mistake, she quickly tries to deflect with, "Long ways...with still lots ta go... 'r so 'caeth says." Snert. "Git. Do what I *wanna*." Still muleheaded, is she...but it again goes by the wayside with Jo's venom of M'kris, Alida again studying her friend in that habitual way...though there's a certain fire behind her eyes for her buddy's pair and ire. "Sunnuvabitch 'll go down, one way 'r another." A clench of her fist around mug soon finds fingers hurting enough to finally release it, also finds the guard noting with a certain keen edge, "I think I c'n make that come true, sweet." That dull fire in her eyes is still there, controlled, but present. "No stupid bar-room brawls over tail 'r cards. No petty shit." Stare. "Place with some truly nasty scumbags, at times. Dregs uv' Pern." Is she interested? He did have some small asshole tendencies," Jo allows on Z'ian, a small smile petering out. It's the talk of M'kris she favors though, the woman grunting at what Alida says with a firm nod. And then there's an offer - an offer that she's clearly considering, being that she's watching Alida closely. The silence lengthens before her answer, and then she says, "Can be down for that. Almost like old times." Jo was interested, but she gestures towards the food before she adds, "'Nother night. Tonight we eat." And presumably talk. "Yeah..." is murmured quietly, Alida managing to find a hint of a half-smirk for that memory, though she lets it alone, in present company. Sagenod. "Later...after yer up full on yer feet again." Sip. "Place's called the Vulgar Sow. Checked it out after my first time there almost became my last." Eyeroll. "No territory affiliations; way down south, with nothin' but a cothold near it." Green eyes flick up to meet Jo's dark gaze, hold steady for a few moments. "Pirates." After another bite of pot pie, "Thought it was just another dive bar." Headshake. Foolish of her to assume. "Some tight lil' piece uv ass almost stuck a knife between my ribs. Only been back a half handfulla' times in 5 turns, since then." Sip. "Don' feel like riskin' 'im." Cue a chin jerk out to the ledge. "Not all uv' 'em want blood, but most uv' 'em'd like yer purse." Indeed; tonight they eat...and talk, and share at least a few more moments of uncomplicated time together...the memory of R'hin not only dark and sad, but perhaps something even approaching kind as the beer gets consumed. |
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