Difference between revisions of "Logs:So I Can Resent You"

Bathing Pools, High Reaches Weyr

Omnipresent clouds of steam slink across the tops of three naturally warm pools, set into the floor of this kidney-shaped cavern. Near the entrance the ceiling is high and polished, gleaming with little mineral specks as it sweeps downward into increasingly ragged, uneven steps. The foremost of the pools is squared off with wide steps leading down into the water and has faucets for bringing in cooler water from a rain-catching cistern. Primarily used for laundry, there's an almost constant film of suds along its surface until the circulating current clears it at the end of the day. Four sinks line the nearest wall and various tubs stored beneath allow for the washing of delicates. Laundry bags can be dropped off in the bins near the door and clean, folded laundry is stacked in rows of tall cubbies for easy pickup.

The bend in the cavern leads to a rougher-hewn part of the chamber where the two circular bathing pools welcome those in need of a wash. Towels and washcloths are kept in neat stacks on shelves along the wall, along with sacks of sweetsand and a few bars of precious soap. Stone benches provide a place for sitting to remove shoes and clothing, while a row of gleaming brass hooks stand above, ready to hold clothes and robes.

The day's usual ordeals are finally over, though they're really /far/ from over for some of the weyrlings. There's enough time for a meal and a good bath before other duties have to be handled ... and it's the bath part that Rascela's currently enjoying. She's sunk in as deeply as she can get in the pool, eyes half-lidded and looking, for all the world, like someone just on the verge of a nap; the scrubbing's done so she's just basking, and, of course, watching those few people that happen to be bathing near her.

K'del has been... not /avoiding/ the other weyrlings, in particular the silver-threaded ones, but 'too busy to stop and chat' most of the time, spending every free moment at work in some way or another. But even he needs a bath sometimes, and with the snow outside turning to dirty slush, and Cadejoth being the kind of dragon he is, that time has come now. Kas is wet, and dirty, and even so, he sort of hesitates on his way in, just enough of Rascela visible to be recognisable - his foot hovers, just off the ground, expression one of intense deliberation.

Perhaps it's nothing more than a hunch, perhaps she catches a glimpse of a shadow ... or, more likely, nothing more than wanting to check out the guy headed just that way after finishing his bath. In either case, it's enough to spur her to tilt her head -- under the pretense of rubbing behind an ear -- and note her fellow weyrling's posture. And, for a moment, she's silent, deliberating, before she flicks her fingers at him in a wordless 'come on over'. "Hey." No smile, of course, but there is a sense of uncertainty in the creasing of her forehead as she regards him.

Sprung. K'del's expression turns bashful, an embarrassed hand running through his hair, but he nods, venturing, with slow, not quite reluctant, footsteps, towards the bath where Rascela reclines. "Hey," he echoes, trying - audibly trying - to sound entirely comfortable, calm and friendly. "Nice bath?" He sits, pulling off his boots, then sodden socks, still moving slow.

Uncertainty dissolves almost immediately when he answers, a slight nod being offered and her mien settling into something a shade more friendly than her usual indifference. There's a not-quite-smirk on her lips at his question. "Better'n it was." And while Rascela might normally be perfectly fine with any ensuing silence, she shifts a little, then cranes her head to look at him a bit more acutely. "Ya a'right?"

"Yeah?" Kas doesn't press that point, instead simply nodding, as his shirt joins his boots and socks not far from the pool's edge, and he moves on to his pants. He seems to be avoiding actually looking at her, except that, every so often, his head ducks up a bit, as if to prove that it's not that at all, he just needs his concentration for pulling off his pants. He does not, however, lift his head at all, as he answers her question. "Fine, sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

And, despite all appearances to the contrary, she's not oblivious to any of it. "Yeah," is a noncommittal and answering echo of K'del's words, the gray-eyed young woman studying him with that lingering, half-lidded gaze. "Ain't seen ya all day," him being busy, her being busy. "Just wonderin'." And as he gets to the pants-removal portion of the stripping, Rascela drags her gaze away and tilts it up; the ceiling is a safe thing to look at. "Was thinkin'," she begins, "wouldn't mind someone t'spar with. Later."

"Busy," says K'del, by way of explanation, as his pants hit the floor with the rest of his clothes. Despite his mood, he's not unaware of Rascela's gaze, and there's a twitch of his lip in her direction as she stares at the ceiling. "Someone to spar with?" he repeats, as he steps into the water, positioning himself so that he can look at Rascela - but only if he wants to. "Can fit that kind of thing into your day, can you?" Your /busy/ day.

"Figured." Shoulders rise then fall, with her straightening just a little to try to work a kink out of her neck. Tilt, tilt, *crack*. He repeats her question and Rascela snorts, ever-so-softly. "Yeah." Didn't she just say that? Of course, his latter words are enough to pull her attention from the ceiling and over to him, just a sidelong flicker of her eyes. "Can, for a friend." There's a beat, then she continues, her attention shifting away, "Hittin' things an' bein' hit sometimes helps if I'm in a pissy mood. Work it out."

K'del misses Rascela's sidelong glance at him, his own commencing a few seconds later, as he mulls this over, visibly deliberating over how to respond. He takes up some soapsand to fill in the gap before he speaks, lathering it up with focused intent. "/Yeah/," he says, finally, looking at his knees through the water again, instead. It's probably a response to the last - the usefulness of hitting things. "Maybe that'd be good," he tacks on, several beats later. "If you do have the time."

Movement in her peripheral vision is worth a look askance, just watching him from the corner of her eye. "A'right." And Rascela continues to observe, mouth slowly moving to one side. Thoughtful. Then: "If I don't," she reasons, "I'll make it." Simple as that. Silence follows. And perhaps it's all that avoidance that's got her gaze slowly, but surely, tracking more fully to him. The crease right there between her eyebrows starts up again and deepens, subtly. Maybe he notices; maybe not.

"That's--" begins K'del, breaking off before he gets out more than that single word. He tries again, his gaze, just briefly, meeting hers - then moving on, two ships passing in the night. If he notices that crease, he makes no comment on it, verbal or otherwise. "Thanks. I'd like that. I--" Another break off. This time, K'del concentrates on soaping his knees, feet bobbing on top of the water. "If you can't, that's cool, though. Might be busy myself, anyway. Lots going on."

"What?" follows that broken off 'that's' and hangs relentlessly there. At the passing of his attention again, Raz eases just a little closer, barely a ripple following her slow, calculated movement. The 'what' isn't repeated again at his second break-off, though her brows lift inquisitively, wordlessly seeking more -- though it does nothing, if he's not looking at her. "Don't think I'd keep t'my word?" is bluntly asked, with her a good foot and a half closer than she was. "Or don't want me to?"

K'del, angsty teenager, doesn't look up, or even seem to notice Rascela's progress, until she's that foot and a half closer - at which point he blanches, and turns his head away again. "Neither of those," he explains, head shaking awkwardly, though he doesn't continue the thought immediately. He dips his hands back into the water, clearing the soapsand from them, and sighs. "Know you'll keep your word. You're good like that. Just," he looks up, finally, and his cheeks are pink, his expression embarrassed. "Kinda don't want you to, so that I can resent you." There. The words come out jumbled, too fast, and he sounds properly disgusted with himself.

"Hnh." It encapsulates everything he says, with her ceasing her progressive movement. And then silence, while the words are digested and fully mulled over. At least he's looking at her now; the hand that's half-lifted from the water just drops back down and Rascela nods, once, before wanting to know, "Why?" There is no judgment in her tone, just an open sort of wondering. And while there's that single verbal prod for more, her eyes are searching, head tilting just a little while she attempts to catch and hold his eyes. To pin him.

K'del can't seem to look away, though the way he keeps shifting, some uncomfortably, he almost certainly wants to. "You, and the others," he clarifies, sounding utterly miserable. No prize for guessing who he means by that. "But mostly you, because I like you, and I respect you, and it would be easier if I could just point at lots of reasons why I would have been a better choice. But you're nicer than you pretend to be, sometimes. You just hide. And you're good at stuff." Beat. "I'm such an idiot. Sorry."

"You woulda been," she replies, shoulders rolling in a shrug. "Their loss." Statement of facts made, she considers him for a moment or two longer before breaking the gaze to lift her chin at him. A ghost of a smile, not more than a slight movement of the corners of her mouth, follows and she slides just a little closer until she's next to him. "They'll see. Prob'ly mixed our cots up." And, for that, Raz does sound serious -- but, then, doesn't she always? There's that worry-wrinkle at his apology; she shakes her head, sharply. "'Sa'right. Don't need to 'pologize, yanno?"

Despite his awkward contrition, K'del can't help but look pleased at Rascela's words, accepting without question that she means what she she says. "Doubt that," he says of the cots, his head shaking. "Just have to prove they were wrong, is all. And I will." He watches her, as she comes closer still, visibly relaxing with every word in her response, though there's still a crease in his forehead, marking his own awkward unhappiness. "If you say so," he says of her last, lips parting into a half smile. "Feel bad, though. Not really used to not getting-- to not succeeding, you know?"

"Ayuh. You'll do a'right." It's as good an admission of faith as any. Rascela tilts her head toward him, then returns his half-smile with a small one of her own. "Can imagine. Ain't easy bein' th' one that's overlooked an' not havin' any way t'prove yourself otherwise." Rascela settles back, elbows being rested on the lip of the pool and her head tipping back. "Ain't your fault, though. So, just focus on doin' what yer doin' an' I'll try t'keep up."

K'del nods, just the once, and reaches for more soapsand, lathering it up to continue his scrubbing. "Yeah," he agrees, to everything, or perhaps something in particular, but unspecified. "You'll keep up, though, no problems," he assures her. "And-- if you learn anything interesting, pass it on? 'd like to know." He lets out a long breath, swishing water over his body to rinse away the lather.

"Enh." Where she has faith in him, it's sorely lacking in herself. But, she's now unmoving, contented to rest where she is, if only for the time being. A vague noise rattles at the back of Rascela's through at the last bit, a noise of assent that's given proper shape when she says, "Yeah. We'll let ya know. Keep notes an' all that. Reckon it'll do you more good'n me." Fingers flick absently in the water after a moment, much the same way that Uanth 'rolls' his claws on his couch.

"/Raz/," childes K'del, head shaking, pulling away from the wall so that he can glower at her face-on. "They saw something. Bet Uanth agrees. Me, too, even if I am horrendously envious. Shouldn't doubt yourself like that." He stays there, looking fierce, aside from the lather sliding down his cheek from a clump caught in his hair. "And if you really are having trouble, let me know, and I'll help. If I can."

P'ax heads in from the inner caverns.

A snort precedes a return to her 'normal' self, conceding his point without a word and only a slight tip of her head. "Got suds on ya." Obviously. Helpfully -- or just because she *can* -- Rascela reaches over in an attempt to flick some of the lather off of K'del's cheek. No answer to his offer to help, but there's not much of one needed; she will and he knows she will. The two are in one of the pools, which has been effectively abandoned at this point with people either making their way to get dinner or having finished their baths by now.

"Huh?" says K'del, intelligently, blinking around, although he stills in time to allow Rascela to flick the lather away, looking, by this point, amused by the whole thing. He doesn't push that other topic of conversation any further, dropping it as easily as she does - just grinning at the brownrider as he splashes water on his arms to remove the last of the suds from them, too.

P'ax comes in off of dinner duty with flour in his hair and a towel slung over his shoulder. The mostly empty cavern is mostly unnotable except for two of his fellow weyrlings. He approaches the bathing pool carefully. "Hey guys."

"Might wanna go under," she remarks, gesturing at his hair. Rascela's hand lifts just a little, perhaps primed to ruffle K'del's hair and a breath away from doing just that, but then P'ax arrives and her attention shifts that way. "Hey." The hovering hand is then withdrawn and she pulls back from K'del, elbows going back on the edge of the pool and back arching just *so* in an attempt to pop it. "Jays." Muttered, mostly under breath.

Though K'del nods, registering Rascela's suggestion, he stills, watching both her hand and her face, until the both are pulled away, and he, too, turns his attention towards the new arrival. His nose promptly wrinkles, and, instead of greeting P'ax, he follows that earlier advice, ducking under the water to free himself of the remaining suds.

P'ax frowns just a little, looking between the two of them. "Oh, I've interupted something, haven't I?" He sniffs and rubs his hand through his hair, coming away with a cloud of white powder. "Oh well, shouldn't be canoodling in the baths anyway." Over it as eay as that.

"Just talkin'," is all Rascela supplies, fixing P'ax with an even look -- if upside down, since she has to tip her head a bit further back to see him, rather than the ceiling. The look is a brief one and her attention shifts to the water, to where K'del ought to be. Then back to the back arching, with her expression darkening. She's met with a series of loud pops for her effort, but it's evidently not the one she's looking for from the way her expression sours. "How's th' kitchens," is meant for P'ax, even if she's not looking to him directly.

K'del, still underwater, misses P'ax's remark, and Rascela's response to it. His head emerges from beneath the water just in time to hear - and see - Rascela's next round of back arching, to which he winces, just slightly. Sounds awful. Stretching out, he paddles back towards the edge, leaning against it, though his gaze sweeps this way and that, lingering on neither of his companions for long, though more on Rascela than P'ax. He has, however, a smirk, for the reference to the kitchens - and this he aims directly at the other boy.

P'ax considers the two of them for another moment before turning away to undress and proceed into the water. "If you want, i could pop your back for you,' he offers, sinking into the warm water. "Oh, it's kinda peaceful, you know. I mean, not as peaceful as knitting, but there's something a little soothing about it. Don't get to hang out with Yyth so much, but she won't care once the sun comes out again and things warm up." He simply returns K'del's smirk with a smile. "How are weyrling lessons going?"

There's a slight shake of her head for the offer, even as she turns away and digs her knuckles into her lower back. "I'll get it." Eventually. Rascela listens or, at least, seems to, grunting just a little at the mention of Yyth. She glances over at P'ax when he asks his question but, discerning it's for K'del, she says nothing at all. Instead, a look over her shoulder is given to the bronzeriding weyrling, a brow quirked curiously. Amused.

K'del's expression is about as amused as Rascela's, though perhaps for a different reason. He shifts himself, again, reclining in the water so that his head rests upon the edge of the pool, and, with a light shrug, says, "Fine. Good, even. Start flying together, soon. And our own weyrs, in another month or so." He seems most taken with this idea, a self-satisfied expression crossing his face. "You got that yet, Rascela? The noise..." Makes him twitch, apparently.

P'ax shrugs at Raz. "Suit yourself." He glances between them and nods. "Yeah, yeah.. that's cool." He swirls his fingers in the water for a moment. "Must be nice. Dunno where they're putting me yet. Probably staying in the barracks." He drops his head back into the water to swish the flour clean of his hair. "So has Uanth come up with any more occult rituals to teach my dragon yet?"

Annd ... *crkk* ... "There." No sigh of relief for her; she just turns and gives her fingertips a once over. Pruned; lovely. It doesn't stop her from reclaiming her leaning spot against the edge of the pool ... it just means she's lacing her fingers behind her head from here on. "Better have a shardin' good bed," is all Raz will say on the topic of their soon-to-be weyrs. To P'ax, just a shake of her head. "He's been dreamin' up things, lately."

K'del's left eye twitches for that final *crkk*, before his face smoothes back into a more normal expression - light, easy, unconcerned. "Anything'd be better than a teeny tiny cot, like the ones we've got. But: mm, a bed'd be nice, yeah. Proper one. Guess you probably will stay in the barracks, P'ax," he adds, /sounding/ friendly enough, though his expression cools a little. "Yyth's not allowed to fly yet, is she? Uanth delights Cadejoth. Think he believes all of the stuff Uanth shows him; gets really excited, sometimes."

P'ax's eyebrows raise. "Sounded like a good one," he notes conversationally of Rascela's final back pop. "Yeah, the queens are keeping her on the ground. She's pretty peeved about it, too. She keeps trying to fly when noone is paying attention. She never gets very far. One of them always tunes in and slaps her down. It's pretty wearing." He smiles just a little. "Yeah, Yyth eats it up completely. She really likes Uanth. Cadejoth, too."

No comment on the grounded green, nor on the popping of her back. As talk shifts to include hers, Raz' eyes haze over briefly. "Yeah. He believes a lot of it, too," she finally says, eyes clearing and shifting from one to the other as they speak. "Reckon he likes everyone. Says it's interestin', how they're all connected." Not that she can explain it any better than that. "Has me drawin' most of th' stuff in his head." But, her mouth abruptly pulls to a side. "Ain't gonna have much time for it, though." Huh.

"And you haven't bothered to apologise to Satiet, yet?" Kas sounds dismissive as he says this, though that's no surprise when talking to P'ax. Like, ever. "Cadejoth likes her, too." Unspoken: weirdo. "Sure you'll fit a little time in there," he tells Rascela, smiling again. "Even if it's just-- you know, rest days and stuff. Occasionally."

P'ax nods at Raz sympathetically. "Yeah, the leadership stuff. Sorry about that. Well, I mean, sorry if you'r enot happy about it. But - yeah-" he agrees with K'del, "I'm sure you'll have time at some point." His eyes smooth towards K'del and he shrugs slightly. "I'm supposed to meet with her in a couple days. I will then. She's sorta been elusive. I got her something though, so ... maybe it'll be better."

Whether she's happy or not about it, it's hard to say. She shrugs, then shifts her stance a little, enough to put her palms on the edge of the pool. Not yet getting out ... but soon, from the looks of things. "Enh. We'll work it out," she says. Rascela doesn't offer a proper smile to K'del, but it's close enough -- a half-smile that reaches her eyes, if only for a second or two. Then impassivity sets in and she looks at P'ax. "Reckon so?" about the 'something' making it better, of course.

For a split-second, K'del looks relieved: no mention of himself, in relation to the leadership program. Moving along, he puts in, quickly, "What /did/ you get her? Do you trust yourself to-- you know, not screw that up, too?" Rascela's half-smile gets returned with one of K'del's own, a brief, encouraging, grin. "Don't really know Satiet, myself. But. I'd be careful."

P'ax gives Raz the most reassuring smile he can manage - it probably looks like he's about the vomit. He's not a good smiler. "Hope so." He drifts back against the edge of the pool, setting his chin in his palm and glancing at K'del appraisingly. "I hope, yeah. She was knitting, when I saw her. And /I/ like to knit. So.. well, I mean, I already got Eila some yarn to make up for what I said about Kelerith, so I couldn't afford anything new... but I was going to give her one of the skeins of yarn I got before I got Searched. It's nice, it's like, different shades of black and purple. So ... so maybe she'll like that." He sinks down a little, insecurely. "She probably won't. She'll think I'm trying too hard, won't she?"

"Might like it," is Rascela's eventual guess on Satiet's response to the gift. "Can't hurt." She finally pushes herself up and out of the water, if only to get so far as to perch on the pool's edge and then lean back to get her towel. Beyond those words, she seems to have nothing really to say, a shrug of 'your guess is as good as mine' being sufficient for now while she works the towel vigorously over her face and hair.

"Maybe," says K'del, his tone dismissive, though probably more due to lack of interest - knitting! girly things! - than any particular distaste for the gift in question. "No idea. Women tend to like presents, though, I think." He tilts his head up, watching Rascela as she hops out of the water, though less in an oogling kind of way, and much more thoughtful. "Mostly, though, reckon you just need to be honestly apologetic and contrite. Reckon she'd appreciate that more."

P'ax hurriedly looks away from Rascela, turning a horrible shade of red that has nothing to do with the heat of the water. "Well, I mean, we'll see." He clears his throat and asks brightly, "What are you guys up to now?" Distraction, whoo!

It might just be out of spite that she just /sits/ there, though the towel's draped over her neck. Rascela glances to P'ax, asking a flat, "What?" of his hurried looking away. If he was trying to keep attention off him, he's failed. Utterly. As to his latter question ... no answer; she's doing it. Sitting. Ta da. To K'del, though, she issues, "Most do. Some don't. Depends. Somethin' sweet usually wins 'em over. Or jewelry." Neither of which work on her, from her tone.

K'del smirks openly at P'ax's discomfort, leaning back against the side of the pool lazily, one toe extending out of the water, but most of the rest of him still comfortably submerged. "Going to smooth down the pads on my straps tonight, I reckon. And show N'par some of it; he's having trouble. Maybe do some reading before bed. Still bathing, here, though, right now." His head inclines, thoughtfully, at Rascela's remark. "And those that don't?" What wins /them/ over?

P'ax clears his throat and wrinkles his nose. "Nothing. Just, you know, shouldn't wave those things all around and all." He moves to get some sweetsand, lathering it into his hair. "Oh, you've already gotten pads onto your straps? Were they very hard to make?" His ear cocks towards Raz. "Girls are so strange. Boys don't really like things, you know?" "Gotta be a damned good kisser," Raz responds without a blink to K'del. "Works on me every time." A rare break in her usual mask comes in the form of a wink for both of them, though it might just be a deliberate act of teasing in the case of P'ax. Especially at that 'things' remark; the aforementioned 'things' are jiggled. Ah, spitefulness. "Ain't nothin' no one's seen before." Back to talk of straps with, "Gotta finish mine. Ain't quite done yet. Uanth's bein' particular 'bout how much paddin' he wants."

See K'del. See K'del cheshire cat grin. "Duly noted," he tells Rascela, returning her wink, with a little extra flutter of his long eyelashes. By now, there's really no denying it: he can't help himself, but stare at Rascela's-- 'things', as it were. Seen before, sure, but: this is all but free license to stare! And, also: fifteen. "Not too hard," he reports, though his hands, covered in needle punctures, might deny that. "Cadejoth's not so keen - says they feel like he's being trapped, caged, or something. But I think they're nearly done."

P'ax shudders just a little. "K'del may have seen them before, but /I/ try not too look." Hence, not looking. "How do you know if someone's a good kisser, anyways? Can you just tell by looking?" Eyes soooorta shift toward Raz, firmly planted on her face and not at her jiggly..things. "Oh, well. I'm sure yours will turn out okay, Raz. And... Well, Cadejoth just has to get used to the way they feel, right?"

"Dunno. Just gotta do it. Ain't no harm in kissin' -- or lookin'," or so Rascela seems to think. "An' if it's bad, it's bad. Happens." She leans back just a little, palms flat on the ground behind her and her legs still in the pool. "Never had a complaint on mine, if y'wanna find out," is half-joking, half-serious. Mostly amused. Of straps, "Uanth likes his. Mostly 'cause they're t'protect me."

"Kissing's fun," pipes up K'del. "And most people get better with practice, so you can always just... keep trying. Which is better for everyone." He presumably takes her half-serious offer as intended for P'ax, for makes no comments on it except to smirk over at P'ax, again, concluding, on the other topic, "Yeah, he will. Looks forward to having me up there, so, guesses it's worth it, I think. Can't wait, really.

P'ax kind of just gapes at Raz. And then he replies stiffly, "I've never kissed anyone." Quickly he picks up the topic of straps. "I thought about maybe trying to make some, but I'd probably get in trouble and I don't want to dig myself in any worse. They'd probably get suspicious if they saw me examining the pattern or anyone else's straps too closely anyways. They left me up on the Star Stones last night, anyways, so I don't think I'm their favorite person to begin with."

"Gonna have to. Otherwise, yer gonna be in a world o' hurt when Yyth goes up and y'ain't ready." Ah, the joys of being Weyrbred. Rascela tilts a look to K'del. "Y'want to?" As shamelessly as that. Straps still manage to be interesting enough to garner her attention as she adds, "Yeah, prob'ly would," to P'ax' observation. "Could getcha some drawings, though. Diagrams. Ain't hard. Just takes time."

"You're too old to be that innocent," remarks K'del, lazily. "Raz's right: need to fix that one up." A beat after Rascela's question, shameless or no, he replies, as easy as if she'd asked if he wanted to wear shoes, "Sure. I'm up for it." Despite his apparent nonchalance, he doesn't quite manage to respond intelligently to the rest of what gets said, only noting, "Probably." Probably what?

P'ax scowls and says acidly, "No chance of Yyth going up if she can't fly. It'd have to be a run, not a flight. And no self-respecting dragon's going to hop after her over hill, over dell." K'del gets a slightly dirty look. "Apprentice, Candidate, Weyrling. Where'd I have time for kissing? Or, well, anything." His throat clears and he glances between the two of them, quietly letting the subject of straps fall away. "Er - you're not going to kiss /now/ are you?"

"Ain't no reason they'd keep her down for that. 'Course, if y'pissed off the Weyrwoman bad 'nuff that she can't fly when she's mature-" well, Rascela leaves it at that, snorting a little for P'ax' excuses. "There's time, if yer inclined." And then her head tips to K'del, brows lifted in mute curiosity. The ball's in his court for that, it would seem. For fixing up P'ax, though: "Could do it, if no one else will." Such a selfless volunteer.

"Cadejoth probably would," puts in K'del, though his nose wrinkles at the idea. "I think he'd think it was fun. Surely you could've gotten away with /kissing/ as an apprentice. Madilla has." And the healer apprentice is well known for being a /good/ girl. "If you've the time, I can make the time," he tells Rascela, already rising to a standing position, to wade closer. "It'd be educational, P'ax. Good for you. Learn some tips, maybe."

P'ax shrugs. "Who knows. I've made a good enough mess of things, it's possible I just won't catch up in time. When do greens normally go up, anyways? I have no clue. Not something we learn in Harper lessons." He glances between bronze and brown rider, sinking uncomfortably into the water. "Er, dunno so much about that, Raz." And then: "Who's Madilla? And there aren't a ton of girls at the Hall, you know? They keep us pretty well apart unless there's an adult hovering over you."

"Suit yourself," is aimed at P'ax. "An' Uanth'd chase, for th' record. Said as much." A beat, two, "A turn, turn an' a half?" Something like that, though she seems a bit uncertain herself. Ah well. She flicks a look to K'del, then straightens, leaning a bit forward now. "Yeah, educational. Ain't gonna kill ya. An' it ain't 'gainst th' rules." Then the corner of her mouth lifts and her attention turns to K'del. One brow lifts. Well?

"Yeah, you've probably got, like, a turn to catch up. If you're good. So you should probably-- you know." Be good. Kas takes the last few steps towards Rascela, position himself in front of her - with her sitting, and the depth of the pool, the positioning is at least relatively workable. "Healer Apprentice," is K'del's last comment, an explanation to P'ax. "Coulda kissed a boy, if you were forward thinking enough." But. Enough of P'ax. Rascela's eyebrow lift draws a smirk, a grinning one, one that gets wiped away as he leans in to smooch the other weyrling. Good and long, if he has anything to do with it.

P'ax doesn't look like he believes the girl. "Are you /sure/ it's not against the rules?" he asks carefully. "Er, yeah, coulda kissed a boy. Too late now." Oh, and then they're kissing, and P'ax just gapes awkwardly at K'del kissing Rascela. And.. Rascela kissing K'del. P'ax clears his throat and goes about rinsing soap out of his hair.

"It's not 'gainst th' rules," and she would know, if only because she's the sort that wants to know when those rules are /lifted/. That is uttered from the side of her mouth in a noise that's more of a growl, a growl silenced by K'del's kiss. Good and long if he's got anything to do with it; verging on rules-breaking if she does. But it does break. Eventually. And Raz intones a wry, "When's that other rule lift? Coupla months?" Hopeful? Never.

K'del doesn't respond to P'ax. There's this girl, see. And oh, rules-- so close to being broken. When it breaks off, Kas looks positively pleased with him. He's clearly had some practice with this kissing thing, perhaps even as much as his bravado suggests - but it's been a while, just to make it all the better. "Maybe when we get our weyrs," he suggests, though this might be hope as much as anything else. Soon. Please.

And they're still kissing when P'ax runs out of soap to wash off and so he just stands there watching dumbly, a nice unhealthy shade of pink. When they break apart, he offers helpfully, "I think they said.. um, when the dragons are old enough for mating flights, last I heard." Sorry to burst your hormone bubble, guys.

Satisfied, if only for now, Rascela reaches over with the full intention of ruffling K'del's hair now, if only because she can. And if he's had experience, she's had more -- and across a much broader spectrum -- which could be interesting. "Hnh. Maybe. Reckon they wouldn't keep us from it /that/ long," being directed to both of them, most likely. "'sides, ain't like they can supervise if we've got our weyrs."

K'del lets her, well pleased with himself, with her, with, presumably, everything - except perhaps P'ax. "Can't believe they would," he agrees, pulling his gaze away from Rascela and towards P'ax, briefly, so that he can roll his eyes at the other weyrling. "Right. Privacy, yeah. Can't really patrol it, if they give us our own space. Besides, Cadejoth didn't seem at all fussed by that kiss. Bet he'd be fine with more, even now." Though the water still covers him above the waist, Kas sinks lower into the water, pruned hands sweeping at its surface, splashing, vaguely, in the direction of Rascela's legs.

P'ax crosses his arms over his chest and eyes them both suspiciously. "Well, you should ask, if you're so curious. I mean, if it's that important and all. Don't get the big deal though. It's just mashing your faces together. What's so great about that?" Blue eyes roll and then a deep breath is exhaled. "You guys go ahead and test that theory when you get your weyrs and let me know how it goes, yeah? Just don't tell them I knew. I'm in bad enough."

"Plan on it," Rascela answers P'ax, sliding a look askance to him that lingers only as long as necessary. Then, back to K'del -- mostly to look a bit amused at his lowering in the water and his vague splashing. She kicks a bit of water back at him, adding, "Uanth's got his thorns all up," but she seems to dismiss that as being normal or expected in some way. "He just don't want me gettin' too close t'anyone that ain't him."

"Wait until you try it to pass judgement," Kas promises P'ax. "You'll see. Unless you're too nasty to everyone for anyone to want to get close, in which case, well, I guess you won't." He looks almost embarrassed for Rascela's amusement, but also resigned, maybe even a little amused: what can you do? "Poor Uanth. He shouldn't worry; no one could usurp him. Just a bit of fun."

P'ax shrugs and admits without any hint of his usual self-pity, "Probably right. Likely won't ever find out." He grabs a towel, slinging it around his waste as soon as he's clear of the water and hoping up to sit on the edge of the pool rim just a bit from Rascela. "Yyth's kinda like that. She gets jealous, especially when I pay more attention to someone and not her. She's a little better since I started working in the kitchens though. It means she has to spend a lot more time without me. Really good for her to learn independence. Uanth'll get used to it, I'm sure." He gives the female weyrling a look like he imagines she isn't going to give up flirting any time soon. Or everything that follows.

"So y'think," Raz snorts, then flicks a look to K'del. "Enh. 'Swhat I'm tellin' him. He's settlin'. Tryin' t'explain th' difference between one an' th' other. Sure he'll be fine with one, so long as it ain't got th' other attached." Love versus lust; that age-old thing. A nod to P'ax, "Yeah. Kinda like that. Reckon he will, though." Some day. More water is kicked in K'del's direction, just because.

In response, K'del flicks more water at Rascela, pausing then to examine his wrinkled hands, and grimaces. Time to get out? Awkward, though. He seems to have followed her words well enough, because he nods: "Only ever had experience with the one, myself. Plenty happy with that alone, though." After shooting a glance at P'ax, for an unspecified reason, he begins to wade back towards the side of the pool, where he hovers, as if waiting for exactly the right moment to hoist himself out.

P'ax isn't paying attention to K'del, he's paying attention to Raz. "So what did you do before you were Searched, Raz? I know you were Weyr-bred. Here, or another Weyr? Did you work in the lower caverns?" His eyebrows raise expectantly, trying to engage the airy girl in conversation. For whose sake, it's hard to tell.

"Ayuh. None of that shardin' ... nonsense goin' with it," she agrees with the bronze weyrling. "Any time y'wanna." And he can fill in the blank after that. While K'del's obviously got to wait -- and, yes, that is a wickedly knowing look shot his way -- Rascela's moving to get up and finish the drying off process. "Hunter," is her initial reply, though she does clarify with, "From Fort Weyr." A hand is dragged through her short-short hair, spiking it up a bit.

"Right," agrees K'del, with a lazy roll of the eyes. "Waste of time, the nonsense. Life's too short, all of that." His head inclines with her offer, a rueful grin, a sharper nod: noted. And, probably, reciprocated, though he doesn't say as much verbally. Despite his predicament - and, well, made easier because P'ax isn't paying attention to him at all - he now pushes himself out of the water, covering the evidence with his towel in short order. "Got things to do," he reports, mostly to Rascela, maybe to P'ax. "See you all later." He'll dress, evidently, somewhere else. After.

P'ax tips his head in interest. "Hunter, huh? Yeah, guess that fits. Uanth and all. Him and Yyth are something. He still like eyes?" His eyes flick to K'del covertly and he drawls, "Yeah, I bet you do."

Her clothes are here, so here's where she'll dress. Raz lifts her chin to K'del, "A'right. See ya." And, to her credit, she doesn't chuckle -- though there is definite amusement there. /Smug/, even. And maybe, just maybe, understanding. While she dresses, she answers P'ax with, "Yeah. Still likes eyes. Likes sharin' th' taste." She sticks her tongue out, briefly, with disgust. "He's odd 'bout it, still wants me t'keep an eye under my cot at night."

But K'del isn't fussed by P'ax's drawl, merely returning it with a light shrug of the shoulders: well, what do you do? He has a similar expression for Rascela, if tempered by more amusement, matching hers. "Later," he agrees, and then he's gone, taking his dirty clothes with him.