Logs:Truth and Lies
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| RL Date: 6 May, 2011 |
| Who: Devaki, Emmeline |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Emmeline confesses a truth, Devaki confesses a lie. Neither is taken quite as expected. |
| Where: Caves, Western Island |
| When: Day 5, Month 9, Turn 25 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Tomaeran/Mentions |
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| If there's one thing Emme is gleefully doing, it would be avoiding the hell out of the places with a lot of people. And -especially- avoiding that bonfire. With only a day or so between her and nearly being the evening's dinner appetizer, it's likely understandable. And, of course, flagrantly ignoring advice to stay in and rest, she treks up to the caves. There she can pretend to sort through supplies and feel useful. Plus, see if she can't finally manage to find a certain mindhealer that she and Riorde need for devious plans that she is now quite determined to put in motion. It's getting late in the afternoon, around the time that the fishing groups normally make their way back from the far islands. Devaki's diverted his path on the way back to head by the caves, presumably to pick up some supplies. He's carrying his normal makeshift torch, though it's unlit, the glows more than enough to provide sufficient light to scour the nearer of the caves. Fleet of foot, there's barely a whisper of bare feet against stone to mark the mind healer's arrival, maybe not enough to announce Devaki's presence before he stops within Emmeline's reach, peering over her shoulder. "My father always used to say, if you avoid a problem it doesn't go away, only gets bigger. Makes a lot of sense, in hindsight." If there's a flinch to hear someone's voice from over her shoulder, Emmeline is quick to relax again upon identifying the owner. "You're awfully hard to find except when you're deciding to chide me over something." Still, a brief smile appars when she turns to stand. "Actually, it was my inability to ignore a problem that caused... this one." She's grateful for the dimmer lightning when she glances down at her arm. "And now I would just prefer not to get myself tripped right /into/ the fire. But since you're here, I've a favor to ask." She gives a brief pause, her expression troubled a moment. "I imagine it will cause some trouble." There's a brief touch of Devaki's fingers on Emmeline's shoulder in sympathy, though he doesn't voice that bit aloud, instead moving past her with unerring sense of direction (or knowledge of the contents of the boxes in the caves). He rummages around in one of the boxes, and finally locates a small wrapped bundle of herbs, or what passes for herbs on the island. Emme's words draw his gaze back, and he positions himself in a lounging lean on one of the nearby boxes, giving her his full attention. "Trouble?" he scoffs, "From you, Emme? I don't believe it." The little curve of lips and amusement of his gaze suggests a teasing nature, though his gaze is fixed on hers expectantly enough. Emmeline seems unsure of what to do with herself, but folding her arms across her chest is apparently not going to work well since she tries it and winds up wincing. Then swearing. And finally just running a hand through her hair before she leans on another one of the boxes. Perhaps even uncomfortably close. But it at least allows her to tap her fingers against one of the crates nervously. "You must already know about the first... verbal scuffle I got into with Tom, right?" A smirk is her response to the subtle tease. "I was talking to Riorde about it." The more Emme fidgets, the higher Devaki's brows rise, until his expression is almost comical. "You look as anxious as if I were trying to treat you, Emme," he says, with an easy smile -- the intention of which is to diffuse her nervousness, though it may not have quite the effect he intends. "Mmmhmm. I hear /all/ the stories about my cousin." He's shooting for neutral, and makes it mostly: his expression patient, interested. It's the expression he uses when talking to patients, not that she would know that. "I'm not one of your patients, so cut it out." Emmeline retorts, referring to his first comment of course, because she doesn't have a clue what expression he uses for the actual ones. "Anyway, we were thinking that it might be nice to teach him a bit of a lesson, being the useless little shithead that he is." She can warm up to the topic a little now that she's calling Tom names at least. "But there's no way she or I could pull it off alone. We were thinking along the lines of a leaky boat, no oars..." she prompts, glancing over then to gauge his expression. Devaki cuts it out, or at least, makes no further comment as to her obvious state. He looks thoughtful, but otherwise doesn't really give too much clues about what he's thinking right now. Instead of immediately agreeing or disagreeing, he asks: "What exactly did he say to you? Tell me everything -- the other night wasn't the first encounter, I heard?" "In a nutshell?" Because going over the whole conversation would probably make her livid by the time she were through. So instead, she decides to sum it up in much the same way as she did for Riorde. "He pretty much told me that all us non-full blooded women are good for is breeding. And that we should remember our place, including me." Her smile there is like ice, brittle and cold. "And of course if we all happen to be rescued that the blooded men will more then likely toss us all aside like trash." Yeah, that one makes her mad enough that her eyes sting. "Apparently this time he also wants to find another teacher. I'm poisoning the children's minds." Rather than looking angry, as one might expect, Devaki rises from his casual lounge on one of the boxes, hands laced behind his back as he paces a circuit around the caverns. "Interesting," he finally says, voice markedly even. "My cousin has... his uncle's strong view of the world. I wouldn't let it get your back up. Blood will deal with Blood -- and everyone knows the elders rule the islands, even if his uncle thinks he controls everyone." With a quirk of lips, he adds, "Don't worry, Emme. I'll take care of it. Somehow." "I'm not asking you to take care of it." Now Emmeline frowns, deliberately stepping in front of him to try and stop his pacing. "Do you really think that he's going to listen to what you or anyone else has to say to him about it? I don't just shove my problems on other people like that and you know it." Though she's cautious about it, she still reaches up to try and clasp her hands together behind the mind healer's shoulders. "You do understand why that would make someone like Riorde and I angry, right? You understand? And I'd certainly like for it not to get my back up, but when he starts deliberately baiting me it's a bit difficult to walk away. And then when I do.." Sizzle. Yeah. "Emme," Devaki rocks to a halt, and reaches for her upper arm, squeezing it briefly. "I know how he thinks. I don't agree with it, but I know. He, of all people, will see logic. What do you think would happen, if we," that's apparently the Blooded-we, "Threw away our wives when we left the island? It would be like acknowledging that none of our marriages meant anything. It would be like admitting we were all bastard, illegitimate children. Even Tom will see that it's against his best interests to take that view." As Emmeline clasps her hands around his neck, he lets his hand drop from her arm, stilling. "Don't you see, though? You're playing into it. He enjoys baiting you, watching you get angry. If you walk away, there's nothing for him to play off of." A forcefulness creeps into his voice, "And regardless of anything else, you /are/ Blooded, Emme. Don't you forget that, and don't you let him forget it, either." "Tom doesn't see anything that doesn't benefit /him/. I never said you agree with him. I would never have even told you what he said if I thought you would actually think he's right." Emme scoffs, finally just resting her forehead on Devaki's shoulder. "Fine. I'll just leave it be." she whispers, not entirely happy to do it. But at least the fight drains out of her. "You're right." Her next breath suggests she has more to say, but she just goes still instead for a moment. Pensive, maybe. "Of course I'm right." Somehow Devaki manages to say it without sounding completely arrogant. Has something to do with the amusement in his voice at the time, no doubt. He pats Emmeline's back, comfortingly, but doesn't last that long in that position, gently extricating himself from her. Although he's keenly aware of that pregnant pause of more-to-say, he doesn't pursue it, instead stepping over towards the box to retrieve the bag of pseudo-herbs. "As for your job, I wouldn't worry about that, either. You're the only one that's been harper trained. And you're good with the kids. It's more important than anything /they/ don't forget where we come from." Emmeline just steps away when he does, watching him walk over towards the herbs. "That's not really what I was ever upset about." But he's also smart enough to know that. Smart enough too, apparently, not to pursue the pause in conversation. But, alas, she's apparently not that astute. "You have no interest in me at all, do you." Her tone is curious, but... duh, disappointed. "I suppose I can be smart enough to take a hint." Which includes stepping clear of the entrance to the supply cavern. "You know it doesn't matter a whit whether I do or not. The elders decide who we marry." Devaki is nothing if not matter-of-fact, straightening and at least doing her the courtesy of facing her, his expression somewhat regretful. "I'm sorry, Emme. The Blood /does/ matter. It's important to my grandfather, and it was important to my father, and I'd like to honor their wishes." He exhales, looks ceiling-wards, and confesses: "Truth is, one of the reasons I'm not already married is the lineages." "It matters to me." That's the only response Emmeline can manage at first, though she has the courtesy to hold back a snort of derision. "You haven't even looked at the lineages for yourself." At least, he hadn't as of a few sevendays ago. "So that's just an excuse." But if that's the one he wants to use, she's not going to further contradict him apparently. She grabs what looks like a pile of clean fabric strips and holds them up so that she can cary them out. "Maybe you think a bit more like Tom then you want to admit." Silence for a heartbeat, then, "I did. I did the lineages. I lied, because I didn't want anyone to know." Devaki's gaze is cast downwards, now. "I didn't want to disappoint my grandfather." He lets out a slow exhale, then a wince at Emme's latter accusation. The line of his jaw hardens, as if he's clenching his teeth, but he doesn't seek to contradict her, nor to stop her. Instead, all he says, faintly, as she makes to leave: "Maybe you're right." "I don't think you have any idea how disappointing it is for me to know that." Emme admits, turning briefly to look squarely at Devaki when she says that. "I thought you, of all people..." But she waves her hand a bit, pulling back in sharply when thinking she might just be too close to the cave wall. "Just stay out of what's going on with Tom. I don't need to feel looked down on by you as well." Anything else she's thinking she just keeps to herself, already wrapping one of the cloth strips around her arm as she goes. "I have some idea," Devaki counters, voice even but his lowered gaze betraying well-heeled guilt. When she lumps him in with Tom, his expression closes a little, though not quick enough to hide the hurt wince of reaction. He starts to open his mouth to protest, then after a heartbeat, decides otherwise -- perhaps believing things will be easier if he just lets her believe that. Silently, he turns back towards the caves, letting Emmeline retreat, making no attempt to pursue her. |
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