Logs:Seeking Answers
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| RL Date: 16 November, 2014 |
| Who: Lilah, R'hin |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: The day after the anniversary of Satiet's death, Lilah comes looking for answers from a hung over R'hin. |
| Where: Random Beach, Southern Continent |
| When: Day 14, Month 4, Turn 36 (Interval 10) |
| Evening has set over the eastern half of the continent by the time Eliyaveith reaches out with fire and flames to find Leiventh, already prepared for his cold winds in the way she wraps her heat around her. « Mine wishes to see yours. It is... » There is a thoughtful pause, even in the touch of thoughts, before she finishes her words with, « Important. To her. » The distinction is clear, and made with a slight disapproval on the queen's part. That fire is banked almost immediately by the cold winds of Leiventh's thoughts, setting sparks drifting upwards. He muses over the request, and too, over the Fortian queen's disapproval. There's no sense of R'hin in the bronze's thoughts, nor in the measured, deliberate way he provides an image minutes later. It's late afternoon where he is, the sun creating a pleasant and warm welcome to the southern continent, warm enough to make the clear blue ocean waters appealing. The location of Leiventh's image is even more appealing in person, the beach below sandy-white, with just enough breeze to prevent it feeling stifling. Leiventh is immediately visible, settled on the beach, cinnamon-splashed hide standing out against the light beach, perfectly still. If it weren't for the cold-breeze touch of his thoughts, it could be easy to think he were asleep. There's no immediate sign of R'hin, though there's a few discard (empty) bottles littering the beach, creating a haphazard trail that leads into the shade of the jungle's edge. Banked heat and embers of it serve as acknowledgement of Leiventh's image, reflected back only briefly before the queen appears in the skies above. When she lands, she does it with a practical purr, sinking lowly into the warm sands with a relish that comes before her rumbled greeting towards the bronze, there. Her rider slides down carefully, the skirts of her dark, green dress having to be wrangled as she does so. It isn't truly appropriate for her environment, this dress made for dancing, but it doesn't seem to matter to Lilah as she moves to that first bottle. And then, noticing the trail, perhaps, picks her way along it towards the edge of the jungle. The rumbling greeting of the bronze is, perhaps, more felt than heard through the sands, eyelids closed against the light, not even stirring at the new arrivals. The trail of bottles leads Lilah a few steps into the edge of the jungle, and from there -- once her eyes adjust -- she can likely make out the skew-limbed form of Leiventh's rider, having made a makeshift bed of some leaves and most of his clothes -- though he's still wearing shorts and an unbuttoned shirt. Lying face down, snoring comes irregularly from his direction. Annoyance floods those dark eyes briefly as they do catch on that form, Lilah's throat cleared before she calls, "R'hin." She stirs forward, still carefully gathering her skirts as she picks out the safest path between the jungle floor towards the bronzerider's makeshift bed. Louder still, in case the first didn't work, she practically yells, "R'hin." There's only the slightest stirring of movement at her first attempt, but the next surely works. It earns a pained grunt, and a reflexive press of hands over his ears. "Leave me alone you damnable woman," comes the throaty growl from R'hin. There is a moment where Lilah stills, her fingers curving into fists as she considers doing just that. But then, determination crosses her expression, settling in the gaze that falls on R'hin as she says, "No. No, I'm not leaving you alone or going away. Get up." Close enough, she finally gives up the care of her skirts to instead sink down next to that makeshift bed, kneeling even as she reaches out to grab at one of his wrists to pry away his hand. Another, this time wordless growl comes from the bronzerider in response to her persistence. The prying might be easier than intended, since R'hin's hand draws back, abruptly, fingers curling into a fist. Pale, bloodshot eyes finally crack, staring at Lilah, surprise flickering over his expression and quickly overwriting the momentary fury visible there. His fingers loosen, and his hand drops, though not before shaking away her touch. "What are you doing here?" he demands, voice rough. "I need answers," Lilah replies slowly, her fingers drawing back as he shakes them off, falling to her skirts instead to smooth them as if that is what she intended all along. "Why the gifts? Why remember my turnday and go out of your way to do something for it? Especially if you're only going to turn around and--." She doesn't finish her words, but the tip of her chin towards him is indication enough of what she means. Or, it is to her. For a long moment, R'hin stares at her. It's clear he's been hung over, and it's clear, too, he's not thrilled with the company or the questions. Instead of answering, he pushes his way to his feet, a little unsteadily at first, then strides past her towards the beach, shedding shirt and shorts as he goes. Out in the sunlight, scars are visible against his skin, some recognizable, some not. He heads straight for the water. "R'hin," escapes in a sharp breath from Lilah's lips, hurt and anger and shock reverberating in her expression. It takes her a moment to follow, but she does follow after the bronzerider with a determined stride that takes no more care in skirts or jungle or sand. She won't go as far as into the water, stopping at the edge to stare with a narrowed gaze after him. R'hin wades directly into the water, and when deep enough, dives under. He disappears for a while, taking his time, finally floating back to the surface. Once there, he roughly scrubs his hair, sinking back under the water one last time. When he resurfaces, he's heading towards the beach, striding carelessly towards where Lilah stands on the edge. "R'hin," Lilah repeats again as he moves towards her, as if somehow uttering his name again will get her somewhere. She doesn't move, as still as her dragon, except for the way her arms slide around herself. R'hin slows as he nears her, glancing sidelong to take in her measure. His voice is still rough, but there's less demand in there when he says, "There's fruit trees not far inland." He takes a couple more steps past her, but only to collect his shorts, tugging them on, skin already drying out in the heat. Otherwise, he appears to be waiting on her response. A dry, incredulous laugh meets R'hin's words, catching in her throat, even as Lilah turns to watch R'hin dress shamelessly. "I don't want fruit," she answers, flatly. "Shards, just-- Look at me." The words are said with the spread of her arms, hands waved over the dress she wears. "I want answers. I want to know if you like me, R'hin." "I do," R'hin answers, rather blandly. He does look, bloodshot, pale eyes drifting over her with a sharp exhale of breath. "I'm hung over, thirsty, and you woke me from a very pleasant dream wanting to know if I like you?" There's a pause, his lips pulling back into a grimace, and he leans close to growl: "I don't like you very much right now. I'm hoping getting some liquid and out of this fucking blinding light might help." And it appears he intends to do just that, crossing the sand for the shade of the jungle. Silence meets that growl, the harshness of his words, as Lilah's jaw only tightens with a twitch. It is as he starts to move away that she reaches for him, trying to grab at whatever part of him that she can to try to pull him back. And if that succeeds? She has every intention of trying to find her answers with a kiss. She manages to get a hold of his arm, and it's more out of surprise than enthusiasm that their lips meet. It's a lovely, tangled mess for a moment, and then R'hin's fingers are twisting into that red hair of hers and tightening so he can pull free. There's something harsh and even angry in his gaze as he stares at her wordlessly a moment, before he's pushing away from her and continuing his original course. Lilah's lips are more eager, seeking with a desperate need that flavors the way her mouth moves against his. But then he is pulling away and staring at her that way, which quickly kills whatever desire still lingers in dark eyes as they meet pale. Stung pride keeps her silent as she catches herself, watching him walk away for the moment. Leiventh's winds are still, though he isn't asleep, and a faint rumble comes from his direction. R'hin doesn't look back to see whether she follows or not; he seems set on his course. He does, at least, slow down once he's in the shade, following a slight hint of a trail infrequently used, towards a cluster of trees, fruit dotting the branches. "You could have just said no before," is what Lilah snaps towards poor, innocent Leiventh as his rumble reminds her of his presence. Dark eyes slide towards the bronze, though, studying him for a moment before she adds in a question, quietly, "Should I even bother to go after him?" Leiventh does not judge, but neither is he interested enough -- it seems -- to respond to the goldrider's question. Not even a tail twitch betrays he's heard. "You are as impossible as he is," Lilah accuses, where she gets no response. She sweeps a look back to the jungle's edge, staring as she hesitates longer, before the goldrider finally seems to make up her mind and move towards it and the trail beyond. It's much more pleasant in the shade, and it doesn't take long to reach the trees. R'hin isn't visible at first, though there's a rustling from above that might quickly draw attention. He's perched in one of the branches, a couple of the orange fruits already in hand, stretching for another. It doesn't seem at first he's noticed her arrival, and yet the, "Hold up your skirt," seems to indicate otherwise. Lilah's gaze drops to the skirt, already gathering dirt at the hems from both beach and sand as well as the jungle. This, at least, seems to be enough to prompt her to listen and gather her skirt up to outstretch in an impromptu net, even as she calls back, "Fine." One, two, three fruits are dropped into the safety of her impromptu net, with R'hin shifting above to reach a further four fruit which are soon dropped below. One, however, misses the net and thuds to the ground, juices leaking out. Soon enough, the bronzerider's following suit, albeit with a more graceful landing, walking towards Lilah. Lilah pulls away only one hand to reach for one of those fruits in her skirt, plucking it from the confines to extend it towards R'hin in an offer rather than waiting for him to come closer. "How long have you been out here drinking?" she questions, managing to sound more like a healer than anything else, tone kept neutral. "Is this all that you've been eating?" R'hin steps in close, taking the fruit without hesitation, and with a mute nod of thanks. He takes a bite of the fruit, but his pale gaze is on her and, unaccountably, he chuckles at her tone. "Lots of liquid content, and healthy fruit. I've survived on less." Casting his gaze around, he finds a tree root to settle on, stretching legs in front of him, tilting head up towards her. "I got enough for both of us," he gestures, before he takes another bite. Her lips part on the first instinct to say no, but the words never come. Instead, Lilah only reaches to shift the fruit carefully next to R'hin on his root, only keeping hold of one as she allows her skirt to fall back into place. "If you say so, but I doubt it's a healthy diet, to survive on alcohol and fruit," she answers simply, taking her own bite, careful of the juice. The bronzerider looks unconcerned, uttering, "You can trust that Leiventh, if no one else, won't let me die." There even seems to be a hint of self-directed droll amusement in the words. Lilah takes another bite even as she shrugs a shoulder up in a dismissive roll. Her fingers press to the corner of her mouth to wipe away some errant juice, even as she answers flatly, "I am sure." She is back to watching the bronzerider, though, with a hint of narrowing to her gaze. R'hin finishes his first fruit, and reaches for a second. He eats in silent for a time, content it seems, despise the look he's receiving from the Fortian. Finally though, he murmurs, "That color suits you." "So I've been told before," Lilah replies carefully. Her teeth catch, briefly, at her lower lip as she seems to consider something. But then, even as dark eyes linger on R'hin, she moves to push one of the sleeves of the dress off her shoulder and then the other, the fruit still clutched in her other hand yet forgotten now. "That's why I--" the sentence remains unfinished, as pale eyes take in her movements. R'hin's still as Leiventh, other than the hardening line of his jaw. It may be that Lilah's forgotten to breathe as she does this, her movements slow as she pushes the dress further until it fall to her hips, and then further still until it remains in a puddle of dark green fabric that matches so well with the floor of the jungle except for that interspliced copper-gold. "I do not know what else to do, to show you what you may want and wait for you to realize it," she says slowly, quietly. "And I am only going this far because I want you, R'hin. If you don't-- Tell me. I will walk away." R'hin exhales a sharp breath, dropping what's left of the fruit and pushing to his feet with the same gesture. Pale eyes are fixed on her as he reaches for her wordlessly, one hand snaking about her waist with the intention of pulling her against him, the other tangling into red hair as his lips seek hers demandingly. Her softness molds against his planes, a breathless word escaping even as Lilah gives in to the demand of his lips. She is as much fire as her dragon, a heat sparking quickly in the way she responds to his kiss greedily, wanting more. For once, it seems she's going to get exactly what she wants from R'hin; there's no chance of him pulling away this time, his shorts soon joining her dress on the ground as he seeks to meet her needs. It serves for a makeshift bed, which probably won't do much for the longevity of the dress, but that doesn't much seem to concern the bronzerider right now. It's only after that Lilah gives any care for that dress, humor found in it even as she buries her face against his bare shoulder to murmur, "I think we ruined your gift. And it was such a nice gift that I never got to thank you for." Despite it, she doesn't show any signs of wanting to draw away to check on it, except where she does shift to lift dark eyes beneath the fan of lashes to seek R'hin's. A question is written across her expression, studying his own features to find the answer there. If there's an answer to be found to her unspoken question it's not visible in R'hin's gaze; his eyes are closed, expression indeterminate, though the fingers that brush against the skin of her hip indicate he's not asleep. "Gifts are replaceable," is what he says, carelessly, like it's not important. "And what just happened? Replaceable?" Lilah questions, careful versus his careless, for all that she attempts to keep her tone light. "Any regrets?" There is a shifting from the goldrider, pushing herself onto an elbow to allow her to peer down at R'hin, especially shameless in the way she observes him with his eyes closed. "I try hard to live without regret." R'hin takes a long breath, as much felt as heard, before pale eyes open to meet hers. "You know what this is -- who I am. I'm not going to give that up. I'm not going to be reformed, or cured or changed." His other hand reaches up to brush under her chin, gently, to match his soft voice. "You know that -- right?" Lilah's words are wry and filled with humor, masking whatever reaction the goldrider may have to his, when she says, "I learned a long time ago that my vagina is not that powerful. This was what it was." Her fingers reach for his, curving around them to capture them, briefly, before she pushes them away. "As long as there are no more games. We can leave this as what it was, and have no regrets and--." Her bare shoulder curves upwards, where she can't find the words to finish her thoughts. With a brief chuckle, R'hin starts to push up enough that he can lean in to kiss her, but the gesture is gentle rather than the demand of earlier. "Come," he says, standing, stretching a hand towards her. "We'll go for a swim, then figure out what to do about your clothes." "I could always return to Fort naked, but Between might be a problem," murmurs Lilah, as if the rest of it wouldn't be a problem. With a smile curving at her lips, she pushes to her own feet without accepting the offer of help. She does not disagree, at least, with the idea of swimming. "That might be fun to watch," R'hin retorts, with a considering, sidelong look. He doesn't seem bothered by her refusal to take his hand, though he shortens his stride to match hers as they seek the cool refreshing waters of the ocean. "You would have to pay to watch," counters Lilah. Even as he shortens his stride, she quickens hers, until they hit the beach and she breaks into a sprint, challenging him only after with, "Race you." R'hin doesn't try hard to win, letting her pull ahead. Maybe it's purely because of the view, but he doesn't seem that upset at losing. It at least has the goldrider laughing, a bright sound that isn't heard often. She may even claim a prize in the form of a kiss, but at least she is no longer asking questions, now. Not with his answers before still weighing between them. |
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