View source for Logs:Noses Where They Don't Belong

{{Log
|involves=High Reaches Weyr
|type=Log
| who = N'ky, Sabella, N'ky{{!}}Cailluneth, Sabella{{!}}Ghislaith
| where = Sheltered Lakeside Ledge
| what = Cailluneth coaxes Ghislaith into playing, while N'ky's concern makes things... awkward. 
| when = It is a spring night, 21:00 of day 15, month 5, turn 31 of Interval 10.
|day=15
|month=5
|turn=31
|IP=Interval
|IP2=10
| gamedate = 2013.03.29
| quote = "I'm going to be fine, don't worry about me. ''Please.''"
| weather = The sky is clear today. The air remains cool and damp, but the weather is overall pleasant today.                                                   
| categories = 
| mentions = K'zin, Mave
| ooc = 
| icons = sabella headtilt.jpg, sabella ghislaith2.png, n'ky serious.jpg, n'ky cailluneth.gif
| log = 
'''Sheltered Lakeside Ledge, High Reaches Weyr'''

''The far side of the lake gets much less foot traffic - there's less grass, due to the poorer soil, and the bed of the lake is muddy and not at all as nice to walk in. But a small stand of four willow trees with long branches hanging low and swinging in the breeze provides some relief from the sun during the heat of the day. A pair of small curved benches sit underneath the trees. The ground rises up sharply towards the northwest end of the lakeside, and the waterfall that feeds the lake thunders downwards there, foaming the water and creating a fine mist in the air that distorts the light.''


It's post-dinner on one of the nicest spring nights the Weyr has seen yet. With time to themselves, N'ky and Cailluneth have meandered far enough along the lake to end up near enough at the base of the waterfall. The spray lingers in the air, making it feel damper here than elsewhere, but the weyrlings aren't overly bothered - Cailluneth is in the water, and N'ky, in shorts with his clothes piled up on the shore, is attempting to be brave enough to follow his lifemate into the freezing lake.

It's post exams as well and as such, Sabella has wrangled some amount of time away from E'sren in the library. Ghislaith and herself are wandering along the lake shore, the girl kneeling now and then to pick up a flat rock. She has quite a few by now, the bottom edge of her oversized sweater turned up into a pouch to carry them. Her reserved lifemate is enjoying the water, plodding along in the little waves of surf off the lake. When they approaching the other greenriding pair, her smile turns up and she whistles something like a cat-call at N'ky to get his attention. "You're going to ''freeze'' to death!"

The whistle gets N'ky's attention; he turns to Sabella, blushing deeply as he holds his arms over his bare chest. He's made it deep enough to be covered to mid-calf, and while he doesn't look like he's going in any further, he doesn't make any effort to get out, either. "Th-there's a trick to it," the weyrling calls back to her, looking over his shoulder. "You, um, g-get straight in and s-start s-swimming, a-and you warm up... b-but I can't bring myself to do it." Cailluneth warbles a hello to her sister, rearing up on her back legs and spreading her wings in an invitation to come play.

"I hear that if you go into near freezing water there's a possibility of shock and death. But don't worry, I'll drag you out if you start to look blue." Sabella reassures him, her smile impish as she kneels to pick up another flat rock. Eventually, her and Ghislaith are near enough that she doesn't have to call over to him anymore. She finds a relatively dry spot and sits down, crosslegged near the shoreline. "That might mean that you should put your clothes back on and not swim in that lake." She suggests, her tone warm but with amusement laced throughout. Meanwhile, Ghislaith isn't so sure she's up to that on-your-legs-wings-spread thing. But she'll fall into pace with her sister, quiet but accepting of her company.

Dragon> Spring. Time to open the windows, clear out the musty air and dust. The door is left open and the creaking is almost minimal, the hinges oiled recently perhaps. Peace is the only echo in her halls tonight. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

N'ky braves the water for a few minutes more, before deciding that Sabella's right. So he retreats, leaving Cailluneth to splash along in the water beside Ghislaith, while he pads barefooted up the shore to where his clothes are. He grabs them, carries them over to where his fellow weyrling has picked a seat, and folds his leggy self down to echo her cross-legged position. "Why're you c-collecting rocks, Sabs?" His tunic is tweaked at, pulled out from the pile, then slipped on over his head.

Dragon> To Ghislaith, Cailluneth's mind is not peaceful, but neither is it too offensive; a whirl of silver and wintery cool, the damp of the falls' spray turned into shimmering crystal that reflects and refracts her ever-present moonlight. To Ghislaith, she reaches out a pearly invitation; the water is a plaything she wants to share.

Sabella shakes the stones loose from her sweater, letting them tumble onto the ground that's between them. They're all smooth and flat, roughly smaller than the size of her palm. So they'd be much smaller in his own, if he were to pick one up. She takes one and hefts it in her hand, measuring the weight of it. Her wrist flicks and it makes it three skips and ''thunk'' down back into the lake it came out of. "To skip them. Why else would I want to have a pile of rocks?" She asks, flashing a smile at him before she takes another, but not before gesturing at him to help himself to her stash.

Dragon> The shimmering crystal spray is something to be taken in by. Ghislaith is quiet in her observation of Cailluneth's mind image and then the actual falls themselves are watched in turn, fascinated. The invitation is accepted, tucked away in a rusty little box that has the flag turned down. She'll drift into the chill water with her sister. Even going so far as to splash experimentally. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

"Oh." N'ky watches the course of the skipping stone, but not as closely at Cailluneth does; she sees the movement and is on it as fast as she can bound through the water, sending up a spray that catches the twin moons' light. "I've, um, n-never been able to get the h-hang of it," the weyrling teen says with a gentle shrug, passing up on the offer. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and watching Cailluneth. After a long moment of silence, he says, hesitantly: "Um, Sabs? C-can I ask a favour?" 
Dragon> Encouraging green curls around Ghislaith's thoughts, an attempt to draw her in. Cailluneth's colours soften for her sister, a gentle rainbow of pastels, but their meaning remains the same. Watery grey-green shifts and laps around her mind, washing in and over the shimmering blue of playtime. She'll splash back, both mentally and physically, crooning and comforting and coaxing her sibling. (Cailluneth to Ghislaith)

Sabella laughs brightly when her friend's lifemate bounds after the skipping stone. She picks up another and does the same thing, sending it past the green a few feet away. "No? I think it's one of those things you do until you get it. Then you can always do it. Like swimming?" Or riding a bike. If Pern had those, but they don't. His question would have caught her off guard, if it weren't for the long moment of silence before he spoke. She tempers her smile down and shifts towards him, leaving the game behind for now. "Of ''course'' you can. What do you need?"

Dragon> The colors are nice, Ghislaith enjoys them. That much is easy to sense in the way the halls of her mind are suddenly brightened by sun. There's a light tinkling of something like crystal against crystal, that sounds possibly like laughter. Full on into the water she'll venture now, lifting her wings back and even appearing interested when those stones skip by so quickly. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

Whatever it was he was going to ask, N'ky doesn't seem to want to ask it any more. He smiles awkwardly at Sabella, cupping his chin in his hand and shrugging. "A-actually, um, it's ok. It d-doesn't matter." What a good distraction the dragons are right now! And the stones. The stones are good distractions, too, and he picks one up to to with it, rubbing his thumb over the smooth surface, tossing it gently in his palm. "So, how do you s-skip it?"

Dragon> To Ghislaith, Cailluneth likes the sunlight and the crystal; she echoes them with ripples of giggle-like silver, that fizzle and pop like bursting bubbles once they've washed over Ghislaith. Each stone skipping by brights a wash of keen yellow across her mind, tinged on the edges by a blood-bright red; the instinct to chase and capture fuels her excitement, and she's eager to share it.

Really. Sabella puts her hand out onto the other weyrling's leg and narrows her eyes at him. "N'ky. It does matter or you wouldn't have bothered to bring it up at all in the first place." There's an arch to one of her eyebrows and she picks one of the stones up. Her eyes flicker from what's in her hand over to his. Quietly, "I won't twist your arm to make you tell me, but you're my friend. If you need something, it's okay." Her fingers wrap around the rock and she holds it out to show him. "Get it like this."

The touch on his leg makes N'ky's cheeks blush darker, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. "It's n-not for me," he admits, patting her hand awkwardly. He then watches what she does with the stone, trying to copy it. "Like this?" Then he shakes his head, frowning guiltily. "It's none of my b-business, really. Um... j-just... just forget I said anything." Whether he's got the hold right or not, he throws the stone towards the lake - where it hits with a ''thunk''.

Dragon> Bubbles. Those are very nice. She responds with the clattering of ceramic to wood, excitement. Caught up in the fun of play, Ghislaith will even allow herself to maybe, maybe chase one of those tones. -- But oh, the first that she does sinks so quickly. How disappointing. Where is the next? (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

That N'ky seems to feel awkward, whether it's about something else or just around her seems to be working at making her feel it a bit as well. She withdraws her hand and lets it hang in her lap now. He throws the stone regardless of form and she picks up another. There's a lapse into silence and she holds this one up, again showing him. Very deliberately she overdoes the flick of the wrist in silent example. "But whatever it is, it's under your skin enough to have mentioned it." Sabs bites down on her own lip now and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I said wouldn't twist your arm."

Dragon> To Ghislaith, Cailluneth proves that the sinking stone doesn't necessarily mean less fun by sticking her head underwater, searching, searching... This one! A triumphant sparkle of gold as she raises her head, flinging the pebble between her teeth out over the water. More bubbles are sent Ghislaith's way, sparkling and tingling cold as they pop into fine silver rain around her - not unlike the spray from the waterfall.

Dragon> Oh, but how does she know? Ghislaith is unable to tell once she has her own head beneath the cold water of the lake. She hunts, poking around and picking up different objects from the floor. An old boot? That's certainly not one of the ones her lifemate skipped across the surface of the water. The spray is cold and the green shivers, a dense roof shielding herself from the worst of that rain. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

N'ky sighs, slumping forward with his shoulders sunk. "It's o-only because I like you, and he's... well, Waki's my best friend, Sabs, and I d-don't want you ''or'' him getting in t-trouble. Or f-falling out if ''something'' happens." Has he said enough to get his point across? He hopes so, but he can't quite bring himself to look up at the weyrling beside him. With his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, he exhales sharply. "''Don't'' say anything to him -- please?"

Dragon> Old boot? Cailluneth picks that up from her sister, and her colours flare up in vibrant excitement. She bounces to Ghislaith's side, jostling to get in to where that particular prize is, radiating pleasure as she presses her muzzle on it, in it, grabbing it by the laces to pick it up and fling it, before she darts after it. Her sister is commended in coppery tones for her excellent find - a boot is ''far'' better than a rock! (Cailluneth to Ghislaith)

Sabs sucks in her breath and her expression is unreadable for a beat, maybe two. Alright, maybe even three before she exhales. The stone she was about to throw out across the water gets placed carefully onto the ground. "He told you?" That's a question he has to know she's going to ask as she finally brings her eyes to look at him. "I- I am trying to really think about what I say next. Because I'm caught between respecting your position and wanting to tell you to mind your own business. But I get the feeling I probably should have known better to begin with."

Dragon> To Cailluneth, Ghislaith moves out of the way, not one to stand between her sister and an old soggy boot. << More where that came from, I'm certain. >> Comes the dry, well amused comment from her. But while she enjoys this, she's not so keen on picking it up in her mouth, no.

"It ''is'' n-none of my b-business." Nerves have N'ky twitching, and he chews worriedly at his lip. "W-we share a lot. We're f-friends, and... h-he's the only p-p-person ''I'' can s-speak to about a ''lot'' of things. I sh-shouldn't have s-said anything." He drops his face into his hands, leaning forward with his elbows digging into his bare knees. "You c-can do wh-whatever you want, b-b-both of you. I-I'd be k-kissing Mave if I c-could -- if ''she'' w-would. If ''she''," this time, the pronoun is for Cailluneth, as the tilt of his head indicates, "would l-let me."

Dragon> To Ghislaith, Cailluneth shares the taste of wet leather; grey-brown, soggy, musty, ''exciting'' in its newness. Then there's an image of N'ky's boot, discarded as it is with its partner beside his trousers and socks; a mischievous flash of purple suggests it, too, might make a good plaything, while gentle grey smoke curls questioningly around it: would new be better than old, for Ghislaith?

Sabella lapses into silence, though her teeth are still cutting her lower lip. Eventually, "No. You're his friend and you want to keep him out of trouble. I can respect that." There's a smile that tugs onto the corner of her mouth, "And you like me well enough but you'd rather that I not make things hard for him." There's something difficult in her expression despite that curve to her lips, but it's not expressed outright. She takes a quick breath and nods her head. "I won't tell him that we had this conversation. I promise." The weyrling tugs the sweater close around and gets to her feet. "Don't feel badly, you're right. I'm sorry that you feel frustrated about other things too." It sounds genuine, even if it also sounds like she might be trying to quickly get away as well.

Dragon> Musty is exciting? Ghislaith has plenty of exciting must laying around in her mind if Cailluneth wants more of it. Her amusement is almost palpable and she's very near to joking. << It would defini- Oh. Excuse me. >> Apologetic. But troubled whisps thread their way through her thoughts and she begins to retreat to the waters edge. Things begin to board up and her typical silence again begins to loom. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

"''You're'' my f-friend too. I-it's as much about y-you not g-getting into trouble, Sabs..." N'ky peeps sideways at her through his fingers, then shakes his head. He seems surprised that she's ''leaving'', and he looks up over the top of his fingers at her, before he, too, gets to his feet. "Th-there's more to it," he says softly, not quite sure where to look since he's too embarrassed to actually look ''at'' her. "D-did I upset you? I'm s-sorry, I-I... I d-didn't -- that w-wasn't my int-tention."

Dragon> Tendrils of blue-grey whisper after Ghislaith in wordless question - What? Where are you going? Why? The boot is picked up by its laces, while she thoughtfully offers N'ky's newer one to her sister on a hopeful pillow of powdery blue, if that will make her stay. (Cailluneth to Ghislaith)

"Sure." Sabella replies, not sounding reassured exactly. But it's spoken in a way that suggests she's not prepared to discuss it at length either. "I can keep myself out of trouble, N'ky. You don't have to worry about me. And ''please'' don't feel sorry. I should be apologizing to you, for making you worry about him at all." Her shoulders lift and she smiles, wryly at him. Even if he's not going to look at her. "What else is there?" The sweater is tugged on again, pulled closely in a self-hug. "No, I'm alright. You don't need to feel guilty, I'm going to be okay. Really."

Dragon> There's a soft rustle of curtains, pulled gently across the windows. They're not there to block out the sun or keep things out, merely an aid to stop any from looking inside. To hide what's within for now, protect it. There's a moment of silence where it would seem Ghislaith might speak again. But intead there's just quiet and the unspoken promise of returning to play later. (Ghislaith to Cailluneth)

When he finally looks up, N'ky's gaze fixes on Sabella just for a moment, before he drops it back down to his bare toes. "F-Faranth, he'll ''k-kill'' me for saying th-this, but... he likes you. I d-don't know if he likes ''o-only'' you, though." This, it would seem, is a Big Thing to N'ky. "M-maybe you should, um, know that, i-in case it... it m-might h-hurt you, or s-something. I d-don't want that a-any more than I w-want ''him'' hurt." He groans, knotting his fingers into his wild - wilder now, thanks to growing! - curls. "And I'm j-just digging myself into a d-deeper mess n-now."

Dragon> To Ghislaith, Cailluneth's questioning doesn't give up at first; it presses closer, trying to find a way in, parting for that silent potential - before finally withdrawing. Unsatisfied in doing so, but understanding the need for it. That leaves Cailluneth on her own with her prized boot, flinging it across the water and diving after it alone.

Sabs stares at N'ky for a long moment before she take a long, steadying breath and then exhales it. It's really hard for her to wind up her system into 'feel bad for yourself' mode when he's looking the way he looks right now. She takes a step forward and lets go of her sweater, putting her hands onto the other greenrider's arms and squeezing gently. "I've met K'zin before a couple of days ago. Talked to him before. I have an idea of the kind of angle he plays." And now she's looking at him very seriously. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry about me. ''Please.''"

N'ky bites hard down on his lip, drawing in a deep breath when Sabella squeezes his arms. "I w-worry about ''everyone''," he admits softly. He raises his gaze to meet hers, brows low over his brown eyes in a concerned frown. "I sh-shouldn't stick my n-nose in... it's y-your business. Yours and h-his. Just..." Teeth sink into his lip, and he leans forward to wrap his arms around her shoulders in a gentle squeeze. It's awkward, and not only because of the height difference. "D-don't hurt each other?"

"Do it a little bit less." Sabella advises, on the worrying about everyone part. Her smile is small and she accepts the hug, awkward as it may be with a quick squeeze around his middle. When she breaks away her arms are pulling the sweater close once more. The girl tips her head back in the direction that she came from. "I'm going to go. You can have the rest of my rocks, N'ky." As for the last, she shakes her head. "No, you were right. You didn't do anything wrong." Which doesn't so much answer his request, really. Ghislaith is out of the water now and padding up to her. She gives him a quick wave, a short wiggle of her slender figures before they begin to trudge back the way they came.

"Thanks." For the rocks? The hug? For saying he's not done anything wrong? All of the above? N'ky returns the parting wave with a waggle of his own fingers, watching Sabella leave before looking back to Cailluneth, who's still happily tossing around her old boot. He picks up a small handful of the left-behind stones, sending them one by one towards the water until they're all gone, and he's still not managed to skip a single one. Then he calls to his green, picks up his clothes, and leads her back down to the barracks.





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