Logs:On The Contrary
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| RL Date: 9 June, 2014 |
| Who: Alida, Lilah, R'hin |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: R'hin tries to teach a Fortian weyrling the value of a good bottle of wine. Alida and Lilah do a deal. |
| Where: Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 10, Month 13, Turn 34 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Hattie/Mentions |
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| It's the second time in three days that Eliyaveith has graced the skies of High Reaches Weyr, the young dragon making a shivering statue on the rim of the bowl. Of course, given her presence, Lilah has also made another trip to her northern neighbors, but it seems at least as if she has purpose here. She waits quietly in the roaring insides of Snowasis, tucked into a table at the back in a shaed stalagmite in some attempt to escape notice. And it isn't hard, given that the woman doesn't wear her knot, and her clothes don't exactly draw attention where they blend into the cavern: faded, grey trousers and a tunic that hang off her without highlighting curves. She holds a glass of wine, taking small sips as she scans the room. Over near the bar, a game of darts is in progress, the knots of the participants marking them as riders. There's enough jostling and rivalry that one could guess they don't fly in the same wing, though the rivalry seems mostly genial. They're probably the most noisy group in the Snowasis tonight. The problem with working so hard to be unnoticed: for some people that kind of effort earns exactly the attention one is hoping to avoid. And while there is a back part of the Snowasis, there's also a back entrance, up the stairs from the inner caverns. That feeling that someone is just there over your shoulder is probably a sensation that should be trusted; R'hin's leaning casually just behind Lilah's shoulder, ostensibly watching the game in progress. He definitely wasn't there a moment ago. It's the group of riders that Lilah is watching, rather than her back, as a particularly loud jeer goes up from the crowd. It takes her longer than it would for any enterprising person to murder or kidnap her (or something much more mundane) for the goldrider to finally notice that itchy feeling of a presence nearby, finally lifting her dark gaze to R'hin. She startles, jumping slightly as wine sloshes in her glass. "Shi--You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that." "And you shouldn't waste such good win--" R'hin squints at her glass, and makes a face. "Nevermind that. You bought the house wine, didn't you? Tsk," his tongue clucks, as if she's performed some egregious error. "That won't do." He's striding towards the bar without so much as a by-your-leave, chatting familiarly with the bartender. Moments later, he has a bottle and a second glass in hand, and is returning to the table. Lilah's lips part on a retort. A retort that she never gets to use, given that R'hin doesn't give her the chance before he leaves again. Her gaze slides after him, a dark, narrowed thing. Or maybe she's really interested in those dart players by the bar, and not the bronzerider at all. When he returns, she finally gets to say, "I don't waste anything. Marks or wine." Apparently Eliyaveith took Ilicaeth very seriously, for while Alida's been sneakily digging in the hatching ground sands (while Pyrite was out drinking and taking a quick dunk in the Weyr lake ), Lilah's already at the Snowasis. Give the bluerider about 8 minutes total, and she's also striding into the bar, Ilicaeth having picked up the Fortian's whereabouts from other dragons on his personal and extensive grapevine. At this point, the pale-headed woman is craning her head, and looking all about for the foreigner with the shorter, red hair. R'hin does seem to have a habit of doing that. The bronzerider reaches for her glass, even as she speaks of not wasting things, and dumps the contents onto the floor, without so much as a by-your-leave. "If you're going to do it, do it well. Life's too short." And then he's popping open the new bottle, pouring her a fresh glass, and then watching her expectantly. The wine is a lot lighter than the one he unceremoniously discarded: sweeter and smoother, too. Over by the bar, Glacier and Savannah are involved in their usual darts game, and it's going about as well as it usually does: that is to say there's plenty of spirited yelling and jibes. "Your life's too short, because you only have so much left," Lilah replies dryly, deadpan as she watches the older dragonrider pour her drink. Yet, she can't quite mask the appreciation for the wine as she lifts it to her lips, savoring that first sip with the beginnings of a smile. However, any gratefulness or words of thanks are put off in favor of Alida as the goldrider catches sight of her, lifting her wine glass in a gesture to attempt to get her attention rather than try to call out over the noise of the cavern. She is tucked into the back of Snowasis in one of those stalagmite seatings, with R'hin now. The second glass remains empty: he doesn't pour for himself. At least, not until her expression suggests appreciation, after which R'hin gives a throaty, knowing laugh. Then he splashes wine into the second glass. "If the words were intended as some jibe about my age, well... there are plenty who appreciate the experience that age brings." It's meant to be suggestive, but then one gets the feeling it's par for the course with this bronzerider. When Lilah lifts her hand, R'hin turns to see who has gotten her attention, and it's with a grin that his eyes settle on the bluerider, who gets pulled (perhaps unwillingly) into the darts game as a Glacier stand-in. "I don't have very much need for experience in my life at the moment," Lilah answers, matching suggestiveness with dismissiveness, matching that throaty laugh with only a quirk of her eyebrow. But despite herself, humor flickers in dark eyes, and one gets the sense that she needs to look away, as her own gaze follows his to that game of darts, watching for a moment. "On the contrary, I think you have every need," R'hin retorts immediately, reaching for the second glass. He lifts it in a toast: "To new experiences." And whether or not she drinks, he will, a deep drought, though pale, amused eyes linger on her as she watches the dart game. "I wouldn't have guessed your tastes ran that way. You strike me more as the sort that... falls madly in love with unattainable men, and pines in silence." Does Lilah flush at the accusation? Surely that is just the lighting in here, or the fact that she did lift her glass and take a long sip from the fine wine at the toast. She manages to be too indignant, a hint of frost to her words as she answers, "Love doesn't really concern me right now, either." And then, it seems she understands exactly what he was implying with the other half of his statement, just as she lifts her glass to her lips again, choking a bit. "I'm not-- No-- She has firelizard eggs that I'm interested in." There's nothing like being accosted by one's own wingmates along the way to business - and with fragile 'cargo', too! - but Alida finally had to give in to her more drunken Wingmates' insistence that she toss a few rounds of darts with them. At least the blonde is able to lift them up out of the cellar with her keen eye and sharp reflexes... which is likely why Glacier insisted she join them in the first place. Even now, as she makes her excuses and departs, the others are calling to her that she *must* join them again in a few minutes. Translation: we accept no excuses. Looking more than a little irked - though somewhat resigned to her continuing 'fate' at Glacier's hands - the bluerider finally moves to the place Lilah and R'hin occupy, and unceremoniously flops her ass down beside the Savanna wingleader. The ceramic pot she carries is, however, settled to the tabletop with utmost care. "Fuckin' JAAAYS..." her alto grinds out. Another cluck of R'hin's tongue, this time in understanding. "Ah. Spoken like a woman who has had her heart tragically broken. Love," and here, the bronzerider is grinning all-too smugly and knowingly, "Rarely lets us choose it. It chooses us, no?" At her choking response, his brows go upwards. "Ah. Firelizards," in a tone that suggests he really doesn't believe the excuse. As the bluerider approaches he shifts over to make room for her, with a smirk. "It's difficult to be so in demand isn't it?" and why does his gaze flicker knowingly to Lilah as he says that? "Or spoken like a woman who has more important things in her life at the moment, like weyrling training and a dragon and a Weyr that could use her more than her genitals." If looks could kill, R'hin, there might be one less person sitting at this table. Lilah gaze remains narrowed sharply on R'hin for that knowing flicker, meeting blue with dark, this time harder to draw away to focus on the bluerider across from her rather than the needling bronzerider. "Good evening, Alida. Maybe we should have met somewhere else," is offered politely. Well, as politely as the goldrider can manage, at the moment. One gets the feeling that R'hin is, too, used to such deadly looks, given how easily he waves it off with a dark chuckle. "Oh, come now. You've finished your training. All that's left is the boring bookkeeping and the endless meetings with political figures. It's all downhill from here -- you might as well enjoy your brief break from the tedium of a day in the life of a weyrwoman. Faranth knows just about every one I know would love nothing better, even if they daren't admit it aloud." At the suggestion the pair should've met elsewhere, the Savannah Wingleader draws in a sharp breath. "Wait, I'm not the charming, dashingly handsome figure you were hoping to meet in a dark bar in High Reaches? Oh, you wound my fragile ego." He presses a hand to his chest as if it hurts. "Here it is...!" the bluerider puffs out, patting the ceramic pot a few times. "Dunno what's in it, uv course. There's only eight, total." Shrug. Incisive green eyes can't help but detecting the tension between R'hin and Lilah, and their words only confirm such, the woman smirking softly, then carefully nudging the pot over to Lilah across the tabletop. "Sands 'r in it... so it's really warm. Best get it back ta Fort within 40 minutes." "I don't know, I haven't exactly seen you try to be charming yet," Lilah replies dryly, casting a challenging look over the bronzerider. (Shh, no one point out that she didn't exactly address the handsome part of that question.) "Or was this you being charming?" Though, one has to admit the wine--. Well, that is lifted back to her lips for a slow, savoring sip, even as her attention turns to Alida. "How much are you selling them for? I think I only need one. Actually, two. One as a gift." "Oh, ho. Touche, little goldrider. Touche." R'hin does allow acknowledgement of a good comeback when they hit, before he settles his gaze on Alida, curiously. "Selling your wares to Fortians, now? Perhaps you should've been a trader, not a guard, Alida," he says, with amusement, gaze flickering between the two. He's not unaware of Lilah's enjoyment of the wine, as well, and it seems to please him, judging by the faint chuckle from his direction. There's a slender smirk for Lilah's riposte to R'hin, the bluie commenting glibly, "What; ya haven't belted 'im, yet?" Gasp! "Ain't *my* wares. I'll take a few marks as payback fer all the crap Pyrite's given me over those freakin' eggs." Cue a major eyeroll, and then said guard is noting a fair sum to the goldrider, especially since "Parents 'r bronze 'n gold, so ya might get nearly anything outta' yer egg." Well... maybe not another gold, since the Flight was rather short. Over to R'hin: "Gonna buy me a drink?" Smirkie. Lilah's features wince at the sum, for all that it may be fair. And yet, the goldrider doesn't haggle. She reaches for her marks reluctantly, counts them out carefully, and then slides the marks across the table. "I don't want to start an incident between our two Weyrs. After all, I am a guest," she replies lightly to the bluerider, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips before it's obscured again by that wine glass. "Buy? No. But if the goldrider's feeling kindly, perhaps she'll share her bottle?" R'hin gestures to the one on the table, then quirks an eyebrow at Lilah, as if it's her choice to decide whether to share the bottle's contents with Alida or not. Watching the exchange of marks, he chuckles. "Though... given how much you just profited, Alida, perhaps you should be the one buying me a drink?" It is a decent number of marks, and Alida's not shy about asking for them, the woman palming them under her slightly arched hand like a pro gambler at a high stakes table. As for incidents, "I gotta' feeling R'hin's used ta such things." Smirk. To the bronzerider: "Fuckin' cheapskate." Sniff. The blonde lightly waves off the drink, and then suddenly hunches down into the booth when she notices - from the corner of her gaze - her Wingmates looking around for her, again. "I'm *not here*..." is muttered out low. "Neither am I," Lilah replies wryly to Alida, though humor warms her words where she expects, perhaps, that no one will exactly notice her without her knot. (Though, she does make a gesture of fingers pinching together at R'hin as the bronzerider refers to her by goldrider, a shushing thing.) "I'm not sure I am ever going to share again. I think I've forgotten how. This wine is better than anything I've had in a long time." "I'd offer for you to hide under my skirts, but sadly, I left my dress in my other closet," R'hin's, frankly, amused at Alida's sudden attempts to hide from her fellow wingriders. "It's such a burden being so talented, wanted, needed, isn't it?" He's probably not really helping with the whole hiding thing. When Lilah makes a noise indicating her desire to go incognito, he clears his throat, puffs up his chest, like he's about to make some sort of announcement... then stops at the last moment, exhaling sharply. "Saved by your own tastebuds. Hard to fault a woman who enjoys a good drop," he finally says, with a nod of satisfaction. "Will you shut the fuck *up*?" the bluerider grumbles at the bronzer, the woman slowly coming back up as the drunkards return to their near-daily game of dart tossing. She's ready to reply to Lilah when R'hin puffs up...and instead, Alida tries to elbow him in the side to shut him up... which he does so himself. Glare. Good. To the Fortian, "Why share when y'v just gone through most uv' weyrlinghood havin' ta do so with yer clutchmates? Like the ol' man said, you'll never get this particular chance at privacy again, likely. Grab it." "I'm not sure he's capable of it," murmurs Lilah to Alida's grumble, yet still, there's something about the way that her gaze lingers thoughtfully on R'hin--. But then, the goldrider might just be getting drunk, as she lifts her glass again and drains it, extending it back out to R'hin expectantly. "Saved by your own instinct to live, I hope, rather than being murdered by--." She cuts herself off abruptly, shrugging a shoulder instead. "It is very good wine. Is it strong? It feels strong." There's a, perhaps mostly exaggerated noise from R'hin when Alida half elbows him, though with the gesture aborted the exaggeration is obviously that. He looks pleased with the unexpected support from the bluerider, however: "See? Even blueriders agree; bronzeriders know best." Which is not exactly what she said, but the Wingleader's going with it. Smoothly, he reaches for the bottle to refill her cup -- and his own, only partially drunk. "It's not that strong for one used to drinking." Which isn't really an answer, but then that, too, seems par for the course for the older rider. There's a sideways look for R'hin when Lilah first speaks of him, the bluie's lips quirking into an odd hint of a half-smirk before her alto notes, "I think he's capable of quite a bit...more 'n he lets on, fer sure." As for bronzer knowing best... *that* gets a little stamp of her boot heel upon his foot, since their extremities have likely met a few times, by chance, under the table they all share. If it contacts, it won't be super painful, but it'll sting, for certain. "Runner shit..." the Reachian woman mutters to the man, snerking loudly. To Lilah: "Watch out about gettin' too sloshed ta Between back safely." She's looking at that wine with some hope, given that the blonde won't order a drink right now, due to it attracting attention from her Wingmates. "I thought within the heirarchy of everything, we all agreed at some point that goldriders know better?" Lilah challenges to R'hin's statement, a hint of laughter on words that are already warmed by wine. Except, it's Alida's warning that recalls the goldrider, and she straightens with a quick breath and a nod. "You're right. I should go, and get the egg somewhere warm. Eliyaveith will be happy to go home." She starts to draw to her feet, a glance flicking towards R'hin before she turns her attention to the bluerider. "Thank you for the egg. I appreciate it." "You're just being kindly to my fragile ego," R'hin says to Alida, though he's laughing lowly as he does. "But I really do -- OW!" This time, the reaction is not entirely feigned, the hasty retreat of the bronzerider's own booted feet evidence that the bluerider hit her mark. "Now I'm going to have to hobble everywhere for the rest of my life. Here, have my glass," he pushes it towards Alida, "Just don't do that again." Then, with a dry look at Lilah. "That's just want we want you to think, darling." He even reaches over to apply a condescending pat to her arm, with a knowing quirk of lips. When she starts to rise, he taps the bottle. "Such a shame. Shall I keep it for another time?" It's subtle at first, the sense of cold winds. After all, all of High Reaches is cold this time of Turn, and Leiventh's thoughts float on the same winds. It's something quizzical, concerned, but light for all that. « Will you both be well returning home? » (To Eliyaveith from Leiventh) To Leiventh, Eliyaveith banked heat answers, flames already burned down to embers as Eliyaveith waits in the cold, crisp air of High Reaches. « I will take care of her. » That is a promise, one that has been forged since Impression. « I know Home. » Leave it to Alida to 'rescue' a fellow female from some evil, perverted bronzerider's clutches. With Lilah's recollection comes a knowing little grin and a nod, even as she's jerking her head to the side to notice R'hin's partially-feigned bark of small pain. "Serves ya right, dink." She'll 'graciously' accept his glass of remaining alcohol, then batting long, very pale eyelashes at him. Those green eyes are watching the former Monacoan's pat of the Fortian's arm, and all 'lida can do is shake her braided head a little, and tip back a generous sip of 'her' booze. "Yer welcome. All I'll ask is that ya be a fair, kind, 'n firm owner when it hatches out..." is supplied for Lilah. Home. Leiventh presses in on that thought, inspecting the images associated with it, before retreating, satisfied. Not all the way, though -- he skirts on the edges, watching from the shadows of one the nooks and crannies of High Reaches' ledges, keeping a light, distant contact. (To Eliyaveith from Leiventh) Dark eyes drop to that pat against her arm, only to lift back to R'hin challengingly, a sharpness to the way she curves one brow upwards. "And you wouldn't want us to think too much," is deadpan in return, annoyance quick to return. "I may be too busy pining after the unattainable. I am sure you can find someone else to charm with it." She offers a nod to Alida, adding, "I will, and good luck with him," before turning to make her way from the Snowasis. Eliyaveith stirs on the rim of the bowl, launching herself down to meet her rider. Forewarned this time, R'hin makes sure most of his limbs are mostly out of reach of Alida, even if there are no punishments coming this time. Carefully restoppering the bottle of wine, he gives a dark laugh at Lilah's words. "I'll take that as a yes. The wine is very good, and as the dear bluerider said, one should enjoy a chance when offered. Just don't wait too long -- a good white doesn't last long." Yep, he's a real one... and so says Alida's knowing little smirk when offered to Lilah, the blonde chortling softly when the Fortian responds as she does. "He ain't *my* responsibility, thank Faranth." Snerk, sip. "Have yer queen bespeak Ilicaeth after that egg hatches. He's curious ta know what comes out uv' it." Grin. "Safe flight." A look over to her remaining booth mate is addened by a low, "I'd almost pay ta see if you tried that bullshit with...saaay...someone like Hattie," Alida notes casually to R'hin after Lilah departs. Pale eyes track the departure of the Fortian for a moment. "Hattie?" R'hin rather looks like he's considering the challenge offered by the bluerider. "The Weyrleader's only won her flight, what, four or five times? Seems far too easy. Besides, what kind of man do you take me for? I hear they're weyrmated." He does manage to play affronted well enough. Maybe even he does have lines he doesn't cross. After the cold of between, the chill of the bronze's wintry tones are probably barely noticed, and yet he's there, making sure they're safely back in the skies of their home before the taciturn bronze retreats. (To Eliyaveith from Leiventh) As R'hin digests and responds to her words, Alida observes him with a twitch of her lips, the blonde finally laughing aloud to that 'affronted front' he puts up. "Mhm... yeeeaah." Snerk. To Leiventh, Eliyaveith seems surprised at that, all told, given their last encounter. And yet, the queen takes the time to assure the bronze of their arrival, sharing the images freely. "Come on. Drink up, and then I'll kick your ass at darts for the next round. Though, really, you should be paying given how rich you are right now." R'hin says, with a knowing sort of smirk. "As long as I get ta exit with ya, this time. I've had enough uv rescuin' my wing t'night..." Alida mumbles only a hint crossly to R'hin, then downing the last of 'her' drink before pocketing her marks and bumping his leg in signal for them to rise. "Duty's always callin'..." is sighed out. "Fine, fine. Bailout pact it is. Firelizard emergency, or something." R'hin's not really fussed -- he clearly just wants his free drink, because they taste so much better than those bought for. It doesn't take long for the pair to be pulled into the game, in opposite teams of course, though most of Savannah's greenriders are absent tonight, so they don't win the first, or second, but finally do win the third round against Glacier. |
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