Difference between revisions of "Logs:Chance and Chess"

Craft Complex, High Reaches Weyr

A passageway hewn into the rock and heavily patched with cement leads a short distance in to the bowl wall, with a door on either side. Lit by regularly spaced glows, the white-washed walls have been covered over by colorful tapestries, wall hangings and pieces of art made from metal and wood. To the left of the entranceway, just a single step inside, a spiral staircase opens out of the wall, leading upwards through the stone. Further down, a doorway opens to either side of the corridor, while at the far end, there is a hewn-stone staircase leading up to the residential quarters, wreathed by two final doors to private quarters and the bathing room.

The door leading to the east opens into an expansive room that seems to provide both general working space - with long, bare benches and chairs - and a cozy lounge complete with over-stuffed sofas and a few fuzzy armchairs. Three tall windows are carved into the stone, and offer air and light when the heavy wooden shutters are left open, though the lounge area has to make do mostly with glows. A hearth at the back of the room provides both heat and basic cooking facilities. The white-washed walls are bedecked with decoration - from quilts, to tapestries, to wooden carvings and metal sculptures.

The western door leads into another passage, off of which the main workrooms have been built. The loading dock is at the northern end, leading back out into the bowl, with the rest of the rooms leading deeper and deeper into the wall.

Most craftwork is done by dinner, so after dinner has the Complex fairly empty of serious faces. There are apprentices mingling in the lounge, some studying, some chatting, some doing things that are bound to get them in trouble with the first journeyman that walks by. K'zin isn't dressed in his fancy custom leathers, but rather in work clothes, complete with sleeveless shirt and evidence of his day's labors in the form of stains. In one hand is a polishing rag while the other is curved into a loose fist. His destination as he walks from one of the tunnels leading to the work rooms seems to be the lounge where there's klah and comfortable seats, if the apprentices can be rousted from their perches.

Tell-tale smudges mark the young girl's features, the leather wrapped sketchbook tucked under arm as she's wiping hands on her apron. "I know someone said the greenhouse was this way?" She mutters to herself. Of course where she ends up is the crafting complex. A mental note is made to explore the place more fully between duties. Adding marks to her mental maps.

Some shout from a pair of younger apprentices as one starts running with the other's book distracts K'zin's brown gaze from the path at hand, though his feet don't stop. By the time he looks up again, he's stopping short, mere strides from bowling into Edyis, and in the sudden stop, his curled hand comes up as though to ward off the collision and from his loose fist slips something small, only as long and wide as a man's finger, that makes a cracking sound when it hits the rock and then clink-clatter-rolls some feet away. "..." That's where K'zin would say her name if he weren't trying to remember what it was from their one run in months before. Apparently, he has no luck because he ends up with: "Hi," and, "Sorry. Wasn't watching-" And then an awkward cut off, his dusky cheeks coloring a slight rose.

Edyis is quite happy to avoid the collision, and strides over to pick up the item. "Hi K'zin!" She states reclaiming the object and studying it as she is ready to hand it over. Unfortunately, she's one of those bizarre people with absurdly good memories for obscure details. Probably accounts for how she deals with the head records keeper. She studies him a moment and with a scrunch of her nose smiles the most innocently mischievous smile imaginable. "You don't remember my name - do you."

If they knew one another better, it might be found curious that K'zin doesn't remember. For those keeping score, it's likely chalked up to Rasavyth's state of mind after the lost flight; just some memories that don't become immortalized forever in the bronze's invisible filing system in the drawers that are K'zin's unused grey matter. "Uh." The rider's eyes flick to the dragonchess piece, with its arching draconic neck and delicate detail of face still riddled with packed powder from the recent filing that begot its texture, and then back to the young woman's face. "No." And he seems at a loss, though he doesn't explain his confusion. "What was it again?"

She doesn't seem to be bothered by it at least not outwardly. She studies the piece in hand fingers mostly clean so there are no char smudges on it. "You play?" finally relinquishing the object over. "Edyis, assistant records keeper." She points out, and probably makes a note in her own mental file, the one that doesn't have a dragon using it as a giant filing cabinet. Hey there were some definite perks to not impressing. The smile is warm enough.

"My dragon does." K'zin answers as he takes the piece and idly takes the polishing cloth to it as he speaks again. "I do, too. But mostly under duress. He likes it." Which is to say that it's not necessarily K'zin's cup of tea. But since when to muscles as impressive as his get paired with a personality suited to the elegant study and execution of dragonchess tactics? "Do I get points for your name at least sounding familiar? Though, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you were an assistant records keeper then?"

"Too bad, I have wanted to learn but my father never really had time to sit down and teach me." There's a laugh, "Yes I will give you points for that, and no I wasn't Master Jeroman's assistant at that time, just a hold girl fresh off the sands." Not that it's been an extraordinary span of time just lots of things that happened between then and now. "Besides I think you were sulking because of a flight?" The word is selected carefully out of difference to his life mate no doubt.

"My dragon would tell you that it's a matter of patience and practice. You can get most of the rules from books, if you like to read. Then it's just a matter of playing enough times that you make enough mistakes to become skilled. Unless you're my dragon, in which case you start out playing multi-level chess with yourself because no one else is smart enough to play with you." K'zin rolls his eyes. Dragons. "Mm, yeah. Solith's flight was that night." He confirms. "Though I don't recall exactly sulking, myself. Ras was." K'zin was just brooding in a manly fashion. Or so he probably prefers to recall.

Blinks at him with a smirk, as though the fact that she chose a job in the records room is a pretty good indication that she likes to read. "Yes, but to practice you usually need a partner. How do you play multi-level chess?" Because her mental images here lend no assistance. She lets him keep his manly vision of sulking, it's only polite. "You do seem in far better spirits today." Her eyes go back to the chess piece. "You were a crafter before coming to the weyr?"

"True enough." K'zin concedes of the necessity of a partner. "Multi-level-" He starts and then wrinkles his nose. "To be honest, I don't really understand it. I've still never beaten him in single level." Clearly, K'zin is not the mental equal of his lifemate, not that it seems to bother him. "No greenflight to have lost." The bronzerider comments with an amused smile. "Losing a greenflight is like getting turned down by a girl you like. Or in your case, a guy, probably." He assesses, probably taking into account her holdbred background. "Just makes things suck for a little while. 'Til you get over it. Which is usually once the unfulfilled desire either gets fulfilled or you get enough alcohol or a cold dip in the lake to shake it off." Just some helpful remedies, no doubt used by riders of male dragons Pern over. His fingers don't stop their deft movements of the polishing cloth. "Not quite. I came to the Weyr and then became a crafter." Which isn't the usual order, but hey. Life sometimes doesn't go in order.

Edyis tilts her head at that, intrigued. She laughs for being turned down. "I wouldn't know I've never had that issue." Probably because she's never shown interest in either gender or has never really had occasion to. "Sound's familiar. So where did you come from originally?" She asks shifting her sketchbook. "That is a lovely piece by the way. Our set back home was wooden."

"Oh? Edyis always gets her man?" Clearly, K'zin's interpretation of the words don't follow how she meant them, but it doesn't seem intentional, simply honest misinterpretation. "Born in Tillek. MineCraft in Crom before I was three, then here when I was eight. Here ever since. With trips to the Hall for certain classes every now and again. This is home." He adds the last as though to clarify. "Ras insists I keep a set. Managed to lose one of the pieces though so... replacement." He indicates the piece with a slight lift of both piece and rag. "I'm sure wood sets are just as good. Only I've not the skill with wood." So metal it is.

Scarlet colors her cheeks, and eyes widen. "Not exactly." She leaves it alone. It's better that way. "Not as durable as a metal one though I'd wager. I don't suppose you would be willing to teach me sometime?" Between dragon healing lessons, scribe work and impersonating a kitchen worker at gathers of course. "It would give me something else to help keep busy with, and I'm sure there's something we can work out as payment if need be." Like paperwork.

K'zin looks confused by the response, but his eyes drift down to her cheeks, and he has the sense to let it drop. "I don't know. Guess it depends on how they treat the word or what kind of metal it's made from." More confusion, as he asks, "Teach you Smithing?" His eyes go to the metal piece, brows furrowed and staying so as he looks back to the record keeper. The matter of payment is left alone. One part of the deal at a time.

Eyebrows furrow, "Do I look like I could possibly be a smith?" She'd probably fall over trying to lift the hammer. "I meant dragon chess." It probably sounds a little more flustered than intended since her cheeks are still red. Let us hear it for awkward. "I mean since Ras is so good at it, and you know how to play." She manages to regain her composure.

It's possible that before that moment K'zin hadn't really contemplated the physics of it. Now with deliberate calm he lets his eyes move down Edyis' body slowly, and then back up to her face. In time, of course, for her to correct him. Then there's that blush just barely tinging his cheeks. At least blushing together puts them on an even playing board. "Oh." Dumb. "Yeah. Sure. If you like. I'm not very good. Comparatively anyway." Although he does have the benefit of a 24/7 coach in his head. "I'm in Nabol a lot, on my free time, helping out. But I can find some time. Are evenings better for you or-?"

Of course his study only further serves to redden her cheeks. She scolds herself, she can keep her calm around cads, but a little misunderstanding shouldn't fluster her so. She smiles finally. "You don't have to be at first anyway." When he speaks of Nabol though her eyes widen. "Were you near Esvay? How are the repairs going? Have you seen the fields? Do the herds look ok? -" The onslaught of questions may well seem endless. So much so that she seems to entirely gloss over the time frames.

"Not in the past two sevens, but before that. Why?" K'zin looks perplexed by the questions that come and come, unhelpfully not answering beyond the first. "K'del's got us helping replant and all that." Farmer K'zin.

The anxious curiosity and sense of loss are evident in her expression. "Esvay, is my family hold. I haven't received any reply to my letters since I refused my brother's orders to return home." She bites at her lower lip. "Did they seem well?" At mention of the Weyrleader there is a smile. "He seems to be a very good person, and wise."

"Oh." That 'oh' has understanding with it. K'zin's smile holds compassion for what she says, and maybe even empathy. "They seemed as well as anyone. There were littles getting underfoot when we were helping plant there. So they should have food for harvest if the crops survive." He watches her a moment and then with a tilt of his head, "You know, if you wanted to visit, I could find time to take you. One of the perks of being in a Weyr is anywhere on Pern is only some wingbeats and a held breath away." Amusement then plays across K'zin's face. "I'll tell him you said so, shall I? Wise. He'll like that." Will he? Maybe, K'zin, at least, seems amused by it.

"I would love to! I haven't seen any of them since the hatching. I mean the weyr is wonderful and all but - they are family and I do miss them." That is if the letters weren't being intentionally withheld. She shoves that thought back. "Maybe in a few sevens when it gets closer to Gather time. She actually starts to hug him. That is if he doesn't avoid it and she doesn't catch herself first.

The hug is surprising enough that all K'zin can do is automatically wrap his arms around her in return. If rumors are to be believed, he's often enough had women in his arms that it's probably second nature to return the gesture. Still, it leaves him with a touch of blush when he lets go, which isn't more than a breath or two later. "Sure. Just let me know when you'd like to go and I'll check my drill schedule." It's not said as awkwardly as it might have been, but something to carry it forward. "It's not like other riders wouldn't do the same. In a Weyr, with most riders, you just have to ask if you need a lift somewhere. Just remember to make sure they'll come back for you." Otherwise that could be complicated.

Blinks, and doesn't linger in the hug. "Uh, Sorry - that was uncharacteristic." Probably more an indicator of how much home has been on her mind lately than personal feelings. "I'm sure. Just - still getting to know the people and the place I guess. It's different here, and bigger than what I am used to. You've seen Esvay, I never really got out much before." Blushing, "Um the lessons evenings is good, the ones where I'm not studying with Leova."

"Dragonhealing?" K'zin asks, apparently all too glad to move on from things that could lead to talk of feelings and maybe even crying. The polish cloth resumes its work, using it as a grounding point to regain the rest of his composure. He's not so much older than her or had such very different life experiences that he can't understand the feelings that might have been encroaching on conversation, but feelings. Better to just stay away from those.

It is probably fortunate for K'zin that Edyis doesn't like discussing feelings either. Rather they usually stay bundled tight except for those moments when there is something to be happy about. "Yes, Leova offered when I was having her help me correct some of my sketch work for the records room. I've been copying the dragon healing records for practice."

Now K'zin seems to notice, for the first time, the leatherbound sketchbook Edyis holds. "And you sketch." He states the obvious. Is it any wonder Rasavyth is better than him at dragonchess? "Leova's good like that. She's kind of like a mom. But, like... Professional at the same time." The bronzerider seems to realize that didn't sound quite right, "What I mean is she was always kind to me. Listened to me chatter about my classes at SmithCraft and helped me get over my fear of going between. She used to be the one to ferry me back and forth when I needed to go. Her and Vrianth." He clears his throat, abruptly switching to, "The dragon anatomy stuff is pretty complex, as far as drawing goes. The human ones are good for practice, too. Depending on what you're practicing." The commentary is as one who seems to know. Apparently, they've more in common than they know.

"Record keeping, of course I sketch!" She laughs. "It's about the one thing I can do to Master Jeroman's satisfaction. Human anatomy is far easier in comparison, but I figure if I work on the difficult areas everything else will fall in line." She smiles, "That's good to know, I know she can be bribed with food and Klah, but I think that is probably universal. " She smiles "I take it you draw?"

"Not all record keepers sketch," K'zin points out, "Not all have the hand or the eye for it." A nod to confirm that he draws. "Food and klah are good. Everyone has to eat. Although, that kind of bribe used to go a lot further, back when we were on stew rations. For all of last turn." Which might be an exaggeration, but he looks mournful enough at the memory.

Edyis finds this note surprising, and adds it to the list of things she's got to take up with Master Jeroman. "Is that so ?" She frowns, "If the crops don't do well you might well see those days again. Here's hoping though, with the riders helping with the planting it should go smoothly." Biting on her lower lip, "Last turn there was rationing ?"

"Might." K'zin concedes with a sigh. "Wouldn't be surprised." Resigned? Yes. Surprised? No. Clearly, K'zin's stomach is not optimistic. "There was. We were shorted tithes by Tillek and High Reaches Hold as I recall. They made ends meet, but it wasn't tasty." Which is a travesty in the bronzerider's world, but with his muscular build, is it any wonder that food takes a place of prominence in his concerns for the world?

"Why would High Reaches and Tillek both short the Weyr? I don't remember the growing season to be badly." Her mind seems to be piecing things together again. She laughs, "Stews can be tasty, you just have to know how to supplement them."

"Politics." K'zin answers with a wrinkle of his nose. "It always comes down to politics." He starts to open his mouth to say more, only- instead it closes and then opens again. "I'm sure it's in the records, if you cared to look. Rasavyth says there's a visitor on my ledge, so I have to head out." He looks apologetic at least. "Let me know when you want to visit home and we'll work something out, alright?" Already he's taking a step back, starting to withdraw. Whoever it is on his ledge must warrant a speedy response.

Edyis nods. "Same with the chess lessons?" Sneaky like. If she slips it in like that, maybe he'll say yes without thinking.

Maybe he doesn't have to think. Not every person in High Reaches Weyr is a tit-for-tat person. Some people, shocking though it is to come across them, are just nice people. K'zin may sometimes qualify as one of them. So when he says, "Yeah, no problem." It sounds genuine, like it really isn't a big deal. To be fair, to him, it's probably not. And then he's off, tucking the polish cloth and chess piece into his pocket as he goes.