Logs:Why Are You Here?

From NorCon MUSH
Why Are You Here?
RL Date: 16 December, 2008
Who: K'del, P'ax
Involves: High Reaches Weyr
Type: Log
What: Cadejoth drags K'del along with him to visit Yyth. Surprisingly, there's no fighting.
Where: Yyth's Ledge, High Reaches Weyr
When: Day 24, Month 6, Turn 18 (Interval 10)
Mentions: Milani/Mentions, Nakasha/Mentions, Rascela/Mentions


Yyth's Ledge, High Reaches Weyr


Turns of sitting out in the sunny open of this claw-marked ledge has bleached a pair of old reed chairs white. They sit to one side, just behind twin gargoyles, sculpted of stone to look like glowering watchwhers. These two figures, facing the sun, stand guard over landings and takeoffs from their vantage point; and at dawn and dusk their rough backs and raises claws cast long, eerie shapes across the ledge.


Cadejoth and Yyth have been at conversation for some time. If it came up at all, K'del was, apparently 'catching up on his study', though there's an affectionate note for that, and the subtle implication that that might involve an equal amount of 'dozing off on the books'. Hard to tell; Cadejoth's too nice about that. But over the course of the conversation, Cadejoth it has been decided that now is, quite plainly, an excellent time to visit - and K'del, now awake, or, rather, no longer studying, has been dragged along. Probably unawares, if his expression as Cadejoth comes to a landing atop Yyth's ledge, is anything to go by. The bronze, to Yyth, sounds smug. Pleased. « Creepy creatures! » The gargoyles.

There's something strange in the air, a scent of strong acid. It's like ferment, vodka that went the wrong way. It's not awful, but it's not the sort of smell one lingers in if they have any olfactory cells left. P'ax probably doesn't, it's why he's prodding at something submerged in a very large beaker of clear liquid with a copper stirring rod out on his ledge. Yyth, for her part, looks smug and parades past one of the gargoyles and makes room for Cadejoth on the stone ledge while P'ax cringes visibly. « They are wonderful, aren't they? »"

K'del looks like he's just going to sit there, refuse to get off, wait until he can convince Cadejoth to leave again. But the bronze is far too interested in those gargoyles for /that/ to happen, and seems to be implying, with his actions, and the subtle thread of thought that Yyth gets, that if K'del just wants to sit there, well, too bad for him. Arms crossed, the bronzerider scowls. « Wonderful! Like little guardians, looking out for you. And marking your territory, so no one else will dare to come near, unless you want them to. » He's clearly very pleased with this idea, though he doesn't try to get any closer for a better look: there's only so much room, after all.

Yyth will gladly yield ground, backing into the sheltered portion of the cavern and pressing Cadejoth to admire these gruesome guardians. P'ax eyes K'del with mistrust and then shrugs. "Heard it was your turnday. Happy belated, and all that." He gives the acid another jab and a piece of waxy substance floats free. "Not that I begrudge your dragon his friendships, but why are you here?"

So Cadejoth will take up that opportunity, lunging forward for a better look heedless of his lifemate, who clings on to straps and neckridges with a distinct lack of amusement. It's about at that point that P'ax speaks, and, reluctantly, but in the manner of one with not much choice about the matter, K'del turns his head to consider the other weyrlings. "Thanks." Short. Cool. "He said we needed to come see something. That I needed a break. He didn't tell me where, and now he won't take me home again. I'm kind of stuck." That's probably as close to an apology as is likely to be forthcoming. "The hell are you doing, anyway?"

P'ax shrugs one shoulder, his back still to the bronzerider. "Might as well get down. I've some klah in the pot on the mantle, and there's some pastries, too. One nice thing about working the kitchens for so long, they never bat an eye when I come to filch food." He glances over his shoulder and has the grace to look both mortified and amused. "I'm bleaching the vertebrae of a herdbeast Yyth killed. I'm going to string them up for a curtain. I know, it's completely gross, but... Yyth says we have a presence to maintain, and I might as well put my apprenticeship to good use." Yyth waits until Cadejoth is settled to poke her headback out, crooning with pleasure. « I'm glad you came to see them. »

K'del hesitates, clearly thinking over the safety of actually being on solid ground, but he relents, swinging down, his nose wrinkled at both the description of what P'ax is doing, and the smell. "Nasty," he concludes, but in a relatively uninvolved kind of tone. "But-- you learned how to do that kind of thing, when you were apprentice?" This he /does/ seem to find disturbing. Slinging hands into his pockets, he stays where he is, venturing no far forward, though Cadejoth is still nosing towards the statues thoughtfully. « So am I! I think they're even better than you suggested. And perfect, for you. Do you like living here? I like my weyr. Our weyr. » His and K'del's. « It's /ours/. No one else's, unless we want them to be there. »

P'ax nods his head in a disconnected way. Then, after a few moments of stretching silence, he lifts his head. "Sorry, what? Oh, no, not really. It sort of was a conjecture. You see, when you spill agenothree on your hands, your skin turns yellow. If you leave it on too long, you get blisters, like when you're in the sun too long. And, well, a base would be much better suited to this since it dissolves fat instead of burning it, but agenothree is much easier to get ahold of in a Weyr and Milani would have wanted to know why I was trying to make off with her cleaning supplies." He obviously finds it facinating, even if K'del doesn't. He grabs a set of tongs and pulls a cleaned bone out of the beaker, dropping it into a pail on the floor, probably one full of water. "I'm not going to dump you in, if that's what you're worried about. You could be in the lake before it even started to itch, let alone burn, and then I'd have just wasted my chemicals." Yyth gives a barking chuckle, twirling her tail around her feet. « I understand completely. It is our space, though I will happily share with you, Cadejoth. Do you have anything like my stone friends? »

During that silence, K'del stares at anything - everything - except P'ax, and what he's doing. He even leans forward to examine one of the stone gargoyles for himself, but only after casting Cadejoth a long, searching, glowering look; the bronze appears to be ignoring him, tail sweeping across the ledge in happy contentment. « Thank you! It's nice to visit. Your view is different. We don't have anything like your stone things, no. » Beat. « But K'del found this... cave thing. Under his floor! » He projects the image of it, clearly pleased, adding in a couple of books that he treats with an air of awe; naughty books. Ooh. "Okay." says K'del, blinking in response to P'ax's ramble. "Whatever. I guess that's... Eh."

P'ax comes away from his little experiment, grabbing a wet washclothe to clean his hands with and stepping out to look at the dragons. "Have a seat?" he offers, nodding towards the wicker chairs. "What about you? You must have something you're really passionate about. Besides girls, and Cadejoth. They're a given, I suppose." He steps to the hearth and takes down two mugs, filling them from the pot. Yyth's attention zooms curiously to first the cave, and then these naughty books. « What are those? I wonder if there is a cave under my floor. Do you have to keep those in your cave, or can you put other things in it? »

K'del does take the offered seat, though he perches on the end of it, still apparently intending to leave as soon as he can, though for now his attention is upon P'ax, not quite friendly, but at least thoughtful. "Like to read," he offers. "Used to play all kinds of games with my sister, too, before I left. Not sure I'm passionate about all that much, though. Ambitious, but that's... different." « I'm not quite sure, but when K'del looks at them, it's like he's with one of his girls. So. Something like that? » He settles down onto the ledge, not completely still (he never is), but settled all the same. « No, we could keep lots of things in there! Anything we liked. Treasures, maybe. »

"Yeah? What sorts of games?" P'ax queries, holding out one of the mugs of klah to the slightly older boy. "What's it like having a sister, anyways? I always wanted a sister, or a brother, or, shards, even just a close cousin." His shrug indicates it never happened. "I don't think ambition is that much different. It channels what you do differently, but ambition is still just a sort of passion. It's a passion to do well and be somebody, moreso than a passion for an activity or hobby." Yyth will dare to come forward farther, get real close to Cadejoth. Her mindvoice drips bloody adoration as she croons, « I would keep the still-beating heart of my enemy in it. »

"Kid's games," K'del clarifies, accepting the mug with a nod - a thanks, of sorts. "You know, catch, and sometimes those pretend games where you act like you're someone else. We climbed trees. All that kind of stuff." Rueful, he adds, "You can have some of mine. Kash, my little sister, she's cool, but we were the youngest, and there's a bunch older. Always the babies, you know?" Thoughtful, his head inclines into a nod for the rest. "Suppose. Just feels... people tend to separate work and play, I guess." Cadejoth seems pleased enough to have Yyth as close as she is, huffing a long breath in her direction. « Do you have an enemy, Yyth? That would be fun! But maybe smelly. Maybe I'll bring back some pretty rocks, and make K'del put them in there. Special things. »

P'ax takes the other chair, easing into it's yellowed woven back and craddling his mug, staring out over the bowl, happy just to be for a moment and listen to K'del talk. "I'd rather be the youngest than the only. It seems great, I bet, when you have to share with so many, but it's like... never having to work hard to find people who just get you or accept that they don't and love you in spite." He glances sidelong at him and says in a quiet voice, "Not really a baby anymore, I'd say." He takes a sip from his mug, savoring it before speaking again. "Why? If you love something, should find a way to make money off of it, or at least find a way to enjoy what makes you money. Never got that. But then again, I did run away from my craft to be a rider so I wouldn't have to find a way to do either." Yyth for her part, leans into Cadejoth's side, her eyes whirling faster in excitement. « Not yet, but I will! » she proclaims confidently, and then her mind dials away the intensity. « Rocks? Will they be kidney stones? Fire stones? The stones you throw at your enemies? »

"Dunno if they really /get/ me, but I take your point," says K'del, staring off into the distance. "I mean, they're great, but... Grass is always greener. Reckon they'll always think of me as the baby." He misses that sidelong glance, too intent upon the horizon. "Kash, now, but she'll get married eventually, and then it'll just be me, needing care packages and who knows what, because the weyr might not look after me properly." He shifts the mug in his hands, looking, now, at the other weyrling. "You figure being a rider is easier? Suppose at least it means you're going to be a rider, whatever else. Less to choose from." More relaxed, than when they first arrived, he's still a little wary. Nuzzling at the green, Cadejoth even lifts a wing to let her shelter there, should she like. « Good for you, » he tells her. « I don't know. Pretty rocks. I don't think I have an enemies, either. I think I'd rather not have enemies: just friends! But I'll find a use for them. »

P'ax is nodding, just listening. "Yeah. If you don't make it to Journeyman, well, you've washed up the best years of your life. Not much work available to a flunked out smith apprentice with a knack for chemicals, you know? Thought at least Dragonrider was a sure thing. Figures I'd find a way to screw it up, huh?" He smiles wryly to himself and drinks again. "It's easy for you. Everyone likes you, more or less." Yyth lets out a hard sigh, as if Cadejoth disappointed her by not wanting to have enemies, but she'll gladly siddle under that wing, small skinny frame tucking into Cadejoth's equally knobby one. « Friends are okay. But enemies keep things interesting. I would like to see your pretty rocks, when you get them. »

K'del shifts his mug to his other hand again, and sips, while P'ax talks. There's a short nod for his explanation, and a grimace for the rest. "You'd be easier to like if you were less..." But he breaks off, waving his free hand vaguely, clearly not quite able to come up with an appropriate word. He seems to have declared some kind of truce, though: he doesn't add anything nasty, just leaves it at that. Cadejoth's wing settles down atop the green, two skinny dragons snuggling comfortably. « I just like it better when everyone gets along. It works better. I will /definitely/ show you my rocks. You'll have to come visit, and we'll play with them. When I have some. »

P'ax chuckles and fills in the blank. "I believe the colloquial term was 'asshole'. I've also heard insubordinate, stubborn, rude, prickly. And Raz's favorite - head up my arse." Unbothered by this, he sinks lower into the chair. "Some things are easier than others. Wish people came as naturally to me as knitting." Yyth rests her head on her paws, closing her first eyelid in contentment. « I will. And we will fly, and you can show me the places. »

"Asshole. Yes. Though I like Raz's, too." K'del sneaks a glance at P'ax, watching him with obvious curiosity. "You can learn. Surely. Just... think about whether something might upset someone, and work out if it's worth it, first. Something like that, right?" Beat. "Why knitting, anyway?" « Goody! I think that'd be fun. We'll have to do that, you and me, Yyth. »

P'ax scratches delicately at the tip of his nose and then lets his hand fall to his lap. "Well, that helps. Have to ask myself what I'd want to hear, and if it would hurt my feelings to hear what I want to say. It gets confusing, and it doesn't always work, but it's getting better. I haven't gotten punched recently, so that's something." He taps his toes idly on the ground. "It's peaceful. Doesn't take much thinking, because it's just a pattern, over and over again. And you have something to show for it afterwards. Like meditation that also keeps you warm in the winter." Then he laughs. "Who gave you the mating flights talk, anywyas? Was it awful?" Yyth rumbles, the sound vibrating through her ribcage, spreading to her companion. « We. » A superimposition of his mind and hers, a mingled landscape joined by their friendship, stretching out on either side and seperating eventually to touch and then overlap their riders.

"Good." Exactly for what bit, K'del doesn't elaborate, but he's not grimacing, at least. "I... suppose. Don't have the patience, myself. Or the interest. Other things to do, I guess." His head shakes, at the question, "No one has, yet. Saving it up, maybe, or maybe they just think I don't need it. Cadejoth's not exactly shown any interest." He glances at the bronze, the green curled up beside him. "Aside from the obvious. You?" Cadejoth matches that rumble, his deeper than hers, but warm, content. « We, » he agrees, accepting the image, that mingled landscape. Then: « They haven't yelled, yet. That's good, right? » "We need to go soon. Raz's coming over tonight." Kas is not apologetic, as such, but... He's not rushing. It's something.

P'ax shrugs. "Wouldn't want to competition anyways. Don't think that the weyr's ready for two knitting boys in the weyrling ranks just yet." His smile is subtle, tucked away, but there. "No one? Leova did me. Could have been weirder, but it was pretty awkward nontheless. Can't imagine why I got one either. I mean, Yyth's nowhere near rising yet, though she's the worst sort of flirt I've ever seen. She's got Tausreth just as bad, and just about all of the other weyrlings. Unless they're smaller than her. She's a bully to the smaller greens, and especially Kelerith still." A pause, another sip of klah while he mulls over the last statement. "Think Uanth will let you two get up to anything, or is he still doing the jealous rage thing?" « It's something. » Yyth agrees, very pleased.

K'del gives a light, if slightly awkward, little chuckle for the knitting comment, but nods. "Mm, not yet. Guess it's some kind of random order, maybe. Guess mine won't be too far away. Not fussed by it, though. Not like some of them." Silly, his tone says, to be so fussed by it. "Cadejoth likes her." He glances across at them, twists his lips into a grin. "As you see. Oh, Uanth is dealing. We've been seeing a lot of each other. Raz says he's-- they've come to an agreement. Of some kind, anyway." Cadejoth nuzzles down at Yyth, well pleased, though he's already shifting, if a little reluctant to do so. "Cadejoth says they're on their way. I do need to go. But." Beat. "Thanks. For the klah." Still only half drunk, as he sets it down, but - whatever.



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