Difference between revisions of "Logs:I Could Say The Same"

Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr

Polished marble and granite surfaces, gleaming metalwork and pale woods characterize the vaulted fastness of the kitchen. Several large hearths gape red-mouthed against the outer wall of the cavern, their fires almost always stoked for the constant cooking the Weyr requires to feed its denizens. Sinks line the wall to one side of the hearths, providing ample space to wash large quantities of dishes, while to the other, cabinetry and a deep pantry provide storage space for items commonly needed on a day-to-day basis.

The remaining wall space is taken up by passageways and extra seating: swinging doors that lead variously to the main living cavern, the inner caverns and the storage rooms, a counter-height pass-through for food service to the Snowasis, and a series of nooks equipped with tables and benches for quick, out-of-the-way meals any time of day.

Dinner was... well, hours ago, for most people. The long, summer day has come to a close, and the weyr is quieting - even the kitchens are now mostly deserted, though there's food still for those who need it. K'del is mostly finished with his meal, now, the plate and bowl abandoned to one side of the table he's sitting at; he's staring lazily into the distance, now, apparently not really concentrating on anything in particular.

It's rare for Teris to make it to dinner at what one might consider a normal time. This is probably more usual for her, honestly, coming into the kitchen when it's mostly closed up for the evening. That things are mostly deserted, however, makes K'del that much more obvious. She pauses when she notices him, then continues on toward the hearth to get herself a bowl of stew.

K'del's so lost in his own thoughts, tapping his foot lazily upon the ground (extending well beyond the table - right into the space where people might want to walk, if there were, indeed, people around to want to do so), that he doesn't notice Teris at first. Something must alert him, though - it probably only takes a small sound, really, something, anything, to break him from his reverie. After that, he lifts his head to watch her, silently.

Teris moves toward a nearby counter to lean her hip against it, stirring several times before taking an experimental bite. Stew is not particularly exciting, though, and she glances back toward K'del. Now that he's watching her, it's a bit harder to look at him and then, you know, not really give him much more thought than that. "Waiting for someone?" she wonders in his general direction.

Does K'del find that stew-stirring particularly fascinating? Or is it the hip-leaning? Or maybe it's neither: it's not as though his expression is particularly intent, despite the continuous look. "No," he tells her, flicking his gaze towards her face more specifically, this time. "Just me, myself and I. We're having a grand old time; did you want to join us?"

Her own interest in the stew seems passing at best. Just enough to get the spoon from the bowl to her mouth without getting it all over her face or dropping it on her clothes. Fortunately she does neither while he's watching her. "I suppose I could. A few minutes, at least. It's hard to find a place to sit this time of day, after all," she says with a glance around the mostly empty kitchen before she's heading toward his table.

"You really do have to fight for one, don't you?" agrees K'del, without cracking a smile, though his eyes gleam in unsuppressed amusement. He even, helpfully, clears his discarded plates off to one side to give Teris plenty of room for her bowl. Once that's done, though, he leans backwards in his seat, lazy and apparently content. "Busy day?"

The bowl is settled down as Teris does the same, stirring again though it likely doesn't need it. "Not really more than usual, I suppose." She takes a bite and considers for a moment, then, "You? You don't look nearly stressed out enough to have had a busy day."

K'del doesn't have a bowl or spoon or anything else, really, to occupy his hands. Not unless he intends to play with his discarded ones. He spreads his hands flat on the table, instead, examining them for a moment before he turns his gaze back on the goldrider. "Mm, no, not so bad. Guess it'll start getting busy before too much longer, when we start talking to the holds about tithes. But not yet." Idly, "Suppose things must be a little /less/ busy, with three of you now. Or does that just mean you do things you didn't have time to worry about so much, before?"

Eating her stew is something of a priority for Teris, slow as she tends to be at these sorts of things, but the last question makes her glance up at K'del with a faint furrow in her brow. Whatever initially crosses her mind isn't offered and instead she lowers her gaze toward her bowl again. "I always find ways to keep myself busy, one way or another.

"I can believe that," is K'del's prompt answer, not unkindly said. "It's rather hard to imagine you idle, however many hands there might be to share the work over." He lifts a hand from the table so that he can scratch behind his ear; then, the hand returns, spread flat. "Just the way you are, right?"

Teris finishes the last of her late meal and settles her spoon carefully inside of the bowl. "I suppose," she agrees, sitting up and rolling her shoulders back slowly as though trying to relax and get comfortable. "Is there something that you're trying to get at here or is this just... conversation?" Despite perhaps some lingering defensiveness about whatever possible slights she's imagined, the question is sincere.

This time, K'del hesitates before responding, though there's definite firmness to his answer. "Just conversation. Musing, right?" He shakes his head. "If I were trying to say something, I'd say it, Teris. Does it really sound like me, hedging around something?" Even if it does, there's something terribly earnest in his expression: he doesn't believe she could possibly think that. "But if there's something you'd rather talk about..."

"Sure. Musing." Teris taps a finger against the table once or twice, then offers her own shake of her head. "Not particularly, no. I can't say this," she gestures vaguely between them with the hand that had been tapping, "is really one of my greatest strengths. Or pleasures." If she's going to be perfectly honest.

"You take more pleasure from your work than from talking to me." K'del's conclusion holds no censure, nor surprise; he shakes his head, though, and looks thoughtful. "Won't detain you long, then. Not as though we've anything particular to talk about." He isn't excusing himself - or her - just yet, though. Not unless she pushes the issue. "I found out where my sister is, recently." His tone is conversational.

"I'm done working for the day, K'del. But you can't tell me this ever turns out very well." She's being honest still, though it's usually not that much of a problem for her, this being honest thing. Once K'del brings up his sister, Teris seems a bit more interested. "Oh? Where has she been?"

K'del is breezy with his, "Anything's possible." Things could change. If he and Tiriana and can have a civil conversation... But he's more interested in his sister, too, though it's obvious only in subtle ways: he way he straightens, just slightly, the way he holds his head. "She Impressed at Benden. I-- don't know the details. /She/ won't speak to me, but... her weyrmate is a greenrider." Are his cheeks just faintly pink? /Seirously/?

"/Impressed./ That's lovely, K'del." Teris seems genuinely pleased about that news. Or maybe it's just knowing that the girl is safe and sound. She eyes the man for a moment, one brow arching slightly over the other. "A weyrmate, hmm?" Well that's vaguely disappointing. She doesn't seem to think there's anything unusual about them being a greenrider, though.

K'del seems distinctly pleased for the Impression - "A blue. Kastaveth." - but it's the latter remark he attends to with more energy. "No - I meant. Uh. Her green, is how I found out. We were visiting B'doran, and Cadejoth-- Well." Which again, shouldn't really be embarrassing, though that flush seems to have faded distinctly. "Eire seems like a nice girl. But Kash... doesn't want to come back. At all. Which is..." Sad? Frustrating? Hurtful? He shakes his head. /Something/.

"Oh." It clicks, this green thing. It takes a moment to process and then she nods her head. "Well, I suppose if she's happy at Benden. With her weyrmate. She doesn't have any reason to come back. She's safe. And happy." Teris gives K'del a meaningful look, perhaps hoping he'll come to the conclusion before she says it, "Perhaps you should just let her be, hmm?"

"I--" begins K'del, opening his mouth to protest, though he doesn't get much further than that. "Not going to bother her," he promises the goldrider, finally. "Got to be up to her. It's just-- sad. We were so close once, you know? Guess you'd feel the same if it were B'tal. Anyway. You're right: she's safe and happy. That's what's important."

"We used to be closer. It is sad," says Teris, thoughtful. She nods her head once, moves on. "That's what's important. And maybe she'll come around, come to you instead." She even, briefly, offers a small smile. "Anyway," she continues, reaching for her bowl and shifting to move out of her seat. "I think it's time for me to start getting ready for bed."

Quietly; "I could say the same for a few relationships." K'del's tone is not especially laden with meaning, but his gaze does linger thoughtfully on the goldrider as she begins to excuse herself. "Of course. Sure I'll see you around soon. Sleep well, Teris."

"Have a good evening, K'del," she says before turning to get rid of her bowl, ignoring the rest of what he says in favor of just, well, being on her way.