Difference between revisions of "Logs:Moonlight Liaison"

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.

« Alida's waiting for yours. » Ilicaeth's message is brief and to the point, for once, his indulgence of self-chattering reined in this round. Instead, the gritty blue gives his green sister a good image - portrayed through his lifemate's eyes - of the ledge near the lakeside.

Cailluneth's response confirms that N'ky will come; and, indeed, the teen appears shortly after with the growing green by his side. His boots squelch through the muddy ground as he approaches where Alida's waiting for him, Cailluneth's whirling eyes locating the bluerider before he can. "Alida?" Softly questioning as he reaches her side, running fingers through his chopped-off curls. "What's up?"

Waiting out beyond the concealed ledge, Ilicaeth rumble-chuffs an amicable greeting to Cailluneth, the likewise growing blue turning his eyes upon N'ky for a moment before returning his attention to the green. Perhaps he's guarding his lifemate, for he refuses to move out to greet Cai, instead awaiting her. And Alida? Well, when N'ky's eyes make her out... How odd it is, indeed. Instead of her typical weyrling gear, the ex-guard wears a simple, cotton dress that reaches to just above the rocky ground, the dark-green thing armless and modest. Green, cautiously-observing eyes turn upon the taller, younger green weyrling for some long moments - observing him in silence - until the young woman's clipped alto notes low, "I ain't got all day."

N'ky takes in the dress with a curious, but not displeased look, then approaches Alida with a warm, crooked smile. "You look l-lovely, 'Lida." The mark's dropped; he knows what he's here for, and he holds up his hand for her to take, before shyly reaching for her waist - but pausing part-way to touching, in order to let her step towards him and into the dancer's hold. "O-or, um, you can lead? If you'd like? I'm still not v-very good..."

"Thanks..." is murmured in clipped fashion, the blonde trying not to blush at the compliment, and stepping towards N'ky. For a moment she hesitates - hardly anybody ever having been allowed to enter her personal bubble for reasons akin to this - and then pushes herself internally, one somewhat callused and yet soft-in-places hand firmly if lightly joining to the youth's. To his hesitation about leading her, the guard mutters quietly, "I don' care. You first is fine." A soft snort greets her fellow weyrling's words of himself not being good at dancing, and as she awaits his motion, 'lida quips, "I'm barely capable, m'self."

With a gentle, hesitant hold, N'ky takes the first few whirling steps of the only dance he properly picked up from D'kan's teaching. It's slow and he fumbles, blushing awfully deep when he does so and biting down on his lip. The look of concentration only fleetingly leaves his expression when he gives Alida a little, shy smile - but then once he's settled into leading them and is comfortable with the steps, he relaxes a little. "You p-picked a beautiful spot to dance," he murmurs, turning his gaze skywards to look at the cloud-covered moons.

"Nice view...*and* private... *and* defensible," Alida adds in to the greenie's comment, her low voice carrying quite well as she too looks occasionally at her booted feet to try and pick out the steps of this dance. She's not bad, but certainly not good, either: just basically competent, as she said. "Quit that crap...yer' gonna make me do it, too..." is murmured out of her partner's blushing, those intense green eyes only occasionally meeting n'ky's own gaze. Only the sounds of water, wind, and occasionally dragon wings out beyond them intrude on the more imminent ones of breathing, boots striking stone, and the faint swish of the bluie's dress.

"Sorry." But N'ky's cheeky grin and little giggle suggest he's not that sorry for blushing. And besides, his cheek turn a shade darker as a result of it, too. He gently tightens his hold, pulling Alida a little closer so there's more touching of his coltish body to hers. "Def-fensible, huh? A-are we expecting to get attacked?" He grins, lowering his head to press his cheek gently to the top of her head.

Only a grunt of acknowledgement meets the greenie's apology, Alida then rolling her eyes at his giggle and following blush. There's a moment of some stiffness as he slowly and gently pulls her in, but the guard calms herself internally, and moves with it as they both pivot and occasionally spin around on that quiet ledge. "Yes. You think I'd do somethin' without considering the setting I'm in?" Her loud, ribald snort speaks amply of that kind of thing *not* happening. And then N'ky's cheek is touching the top of her palest head, and the weyrling stiffens noticably before pulling her noggin' out from under him. She's keeping her mouth shut, but the sudden and intense little downturn of it and the small glare given to the young man perhaps amply warn him.

"S-sorry." Again. N'ky looks far more concerned this time though, biting harder down on his lip. His hold loosens just a little, enough to give Alida her freedom, should she want it, and he goes back to concentrating on the steps. "You're, um, v-very much a guard, Alida, aren't you?" It's spoken as a compliment, his head canted slightly to one side as he leans back just enough to look down at her. "I th-think you care very much about what you do - did."

With N'ky's apology - and more importantly, his loosening of grip - comes the blonde's own return to some relaxation - her frown lessening into a neutral expression, her form no longer readied for something. She's still a hint stiff, but at least she's still dancing with him. "Yeah..." is murmured quietly to the greenie's inquiry, her green gaze forcing itself to meet his browns as he comments on her 'attitude.' A soft grunt and then a thoughtful moue of lips presage her murmured, "I do. Still do." More swirling around and smooth steps trail into, "Once a guard, *always* a guard, we say." Pebbles scrape and grind beneath boots. "It's not just a 'job;' it's a way uv' life...*for* life." If she was born on Earth, the weyrling likely would've been a Marine.

"I like that about you," N'ky admits quietly, with a gentle flex of his fingers against the small of her back. "Y-you're very strong, Alida. You... you h-have things sorted." There's a flicker of jealousy for such things in his dark eyes, but then he smiles and gives the once-guard a playful squeeze. "Did I tell you that Cailluneth s-sees you as this steely sort of blue colour? It's very... r-resilient, but b-beautiful."

Listening to her dance partner as they trip the light fantastic, Alida simply shrugs lightly to N'ky's admission of her, the former guard murmuring, "Uncommitted folks don't tend t'do well in the Guard." Once more, her eyes are intent on the other weyrling's gaze, trying to suss him out. That playful squeeze triggers off both her self-protective and usually-unaddressed playful streak, the young woman first stiffening then smirking up at N'ky. A faint quirk of head for how Cailluneth envisions her trails into a murmured, "'caeth tried showing me how she 'sees' things, once." A small wrinkle of nose presages, "He's not great at it." Cue a small bit of a grin for her blue's 'shortcoming,' and suddenly the ex-guard is applying her shorter-than-Nicky form upon his, and switching up their dance by now trying to lead.

N'ky looks to Ilicaeth, squinting thoughtfully. "Did he?" This seems to surprise him as he allows Alida to take the lead - he's far more comfortable with someone directing him, even if it implies... well. Whatever it implies, he's clearly comfortable enough with Alida to just let it be. "Life's a rainbow, to Cailluneth. R-right now? Us dancing? I see it as a warm, f-fuzzy sort of pink. That's happiness, comfort, all together. Ilicaeth is sometimes blue, sometimes s-sandy, depending on her mood towards him. Even scents have colours... everything's a colour. It's beautiful."

"Mhm..." Alida comment near-monosyllabically, then concentrating on transitioning them over into her leading. She's apparently equally as good on both ends of a dance, for - unless N'ky has a problem with his feet - it all goes well. Once she settles in, the blonde also more obviously attends to her companion's words, waiting until he's done to voice her own, "So *both* uv' you see things as colors? Well, I mean you see stuff in other ways, too, apparently." Is that a small, intrigued smile for not only the way she and Ilicaeth appear to Cailluneth, but also of the way the green's lifemate views her communication? "Sounds lovely, yeah..." is noted in a slightly husky voice.

N'ky gives a little shake of his head. "Only when I see what she's seeing, but I guess I see through her eyes p-pretty often." His brow creases in a frown, and he shrugs his shoulders gently. "I don't know if I could see it that way all the time. It's... well, it's not as confusing now as it was, but, um, it's h-hard to see through things, sometimes. And sh-she sees things that I don't, l-like, um..." He bites down on his lip, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Um... like feelings. Th-that m-maybe shouldn't be, um, s-seen."

The only expressions noted upon Alida's features as N'ky talks, dances, are those of some quiet humor and concentration. After some time for thought is taken, the palest-blonde responds rather matter-of-factly, "They're gettin' used t'rummaging around *our* heads, too. Apparently most dragons have no shame, either." A flash of mixed consternation and black humor mix within the guard's eyes, her own personal thoughts leading her to shake her head once, her mouth ticking down into a frown again. "Fuckin' babies dredge up some shit best left alone."

Concern colours N'ky's expression as he looks down at Alida. "I d-didn't realise you were having trouble with Ilicaeth like that, 'Lida." He chews thoughtfully on his lip, giving her hand a little reassuring squeeze. "I've been lucky... th-the only things that Cailluneth's brought up are, um... well, n-not baby dragon appropriate, but nothing too bad." His cheeks flush even darker, and he closes his eyes in embarrassment. "Um... she's curious about h-how I feel for... f-for Mave. I think she understands it, but I don't think it's s-something she needs to know yet... y'know?" A beat, during which he huffs softly. "Do you want to talk about what Ilicaeth brings up for you?"

As per usual, the blonde clams up when her fellow weyrling touches on potentially sensitive information, Alida devoting more of her concentration to dancing, and occasionally glancing out beyond them, down to their dragons. At this point, Ilicaeth has curled up a little upon the stony ground, his talons and tail nearly-always in motion, his large eyes whirling a mostly peaceful blue...punctuated by dots of red on occasion. After some quiet moments, the rider half of the pairing suddenly blurts out a clipped, "They'll figure it out on their own soon enough."

N'ky isn't one to push, and so he allows Alida the silence she needs. When she speaks up he nods, giving her another reassuring little squeeze. The silence continues several moments more, though it's not uncomfortable - not for him, at least. Finally, he breaks it: "I-if you ever want to talk to anyone, y-you can talk to me, 'Lida. About anything. That's what b-being a friend means, right?"

Apparently Alida is fine with silence, too, since she simply continues to dance to the melody only heard within her head, and look over N'ky's shoulder, or down at the dragons. But when her dance partner speaks again, the once-holder shifts her often-times unnerving gaze to the male's browns for a long moment, then noting dryly to him, "Confiding in people's risky."

"It is, but you have to trust someone, sometime... r-right?" Not that he's suggesting it has to be him. N'ky allows Alida to lead him, the carefully measured steps he takes a sign of how hard he's concentrating on not stepping on her toes and co-ordinating his over-large feet and too-long limbs. "You do have s-someone you can trust, don't you?"

"Most people..." Alida notes casually, though something deep within her eyes grows darker for a few moments. "Yer smoother than I expected..." is noted factually as N'ky concentrates on his feet, the blonde falling silent again until the greenie's next words reach her ears. A firm and unflinching look deep into the young man's eyes presages the guard's flat and unhesitating, "Ilicaeth."

That's about what N'ky expected, and he nods. "I'm glad you h-have him, then." The teen smiles warmly, looking fondly over to Cailluneth, where she's lying close to the blue and looking up at the silvery patch of cloud that hides one of Pern's moons. "Everyone needs someone, but... b-but dragons can be everyone we need... right? Or - well, almost everyone."

"Me too..." is murmured in answer, Alida also unable to keep from looking down at the pair of dragons - Ilicaeth with his nose turned to his sister, the blue perhaps conversing silently with her - then up at the moon when N'ky does so. "Maybe t'some..." is then responded once again...'lida suddenly halting in place and frowning a little for just a moment, and looking dissatisfied.

Halting unexpectedly causes N'ky to stand on the blonde's foot, and he quickly corrects himself with a mortified sort of look. "O-oh, Faranth, s-sorry, 'Lida!" He doesn't let go of his hold on her, but he does ease it up, in case she wants to break away from him. "I-is there something wrong? I mean, other than me s-standing on your foot?" His teeth sink down into his lip, and he tries to catch her gaze. "Did I say something?"

"Hey..." is clipped off just as suddenly as the distracted blonde feels N'ky's foot settle firmly atop her own, the young woman jerking her booted tootsie out from under his even as he's removing it. "S'alright; my fault..." is clipped off, Alida slowly removing herself from the greenie's hands, though she shakes her head a couple of times. For a long moment, an only partially-focused look is beamed down to Ilicaeth, who's blue head remains pointed towards Cailluneth, though his eyes whirl speedily enough. And once she's done silently communicating with her growing dragon, the guard gives a stoic shrug, the returning her gaze to more imminent company. Apparently the dance is over.

"I did say s-something, didn't I?" N'ky's nose wrinkles in discomfort, and he bites down on his lip. His hands, now Alida-free, are tucked into the pockets of his trousers and he turns to look at Cailluneth with a thoughtful frown gently furrowing his brow. The green gets to her feet, padding over to N'ky's side to press her head against his chest, comfortingly, while he instinctively reaches for her to stroke the sweet spot at the base of her headknobs.

"*No*..." Alida only slightly-testily reassures her fellow weyrling, the young woman then giving a harsh sigh as she looks back down to Ilicaeth, who simply turns his gaze onto his departing sister. "*Him*..." is noted brusquely in aside to N'ky, Ilicaeth merely chuffing once, and then peering over at the pair of humans. Perhaps oddly, the bluie is stepping over, and seeking to offer scritches along Cailluneth's spine, if she allows.

Cailluneth does allow it; she's putty to anyone - or anydragon - who can tickle those spots. With a final loving caress of her 'knobs, N'ky then leaves his green and steps closer to Alida, standing silently beside her with his hands dug deep in his pockets. Eventually, while still looking out over the night-dark lake, he comes out with "What'd he say?"

Her scritches are firm yet considerate, Alida attending to Cailluneth with a strange bit of intensity, even after N'ky ceases attending to the green's headknobs...the blonde simply looking at the chubby dragon beneath her hands. Apparently Ilicaeth isn't bothered by any of this, as he remains as cool as a cucumber...watching the whole exchange with slowly whirling blue eyes. And then N'ky's breaking the silence, causing Alida to falter in her scritching for a moment, though she doesn't look over at her companion. "That's private..." is groused out softly.

"Oh." N'ky shifts his weight uncomfortably, kicking at a loose pebble that skitters away, until it becomes lodged in mud. "S-sorry. I thought... um, the w-way you said that, I thought maybe you wanted to share." Cailluneth turns to bump her muzzle against her weyrling's back, crooning softly to him. He reaches for her again, curling his arm under her jaw and leaning down to kiss her grey-green nose.

A quick shake of head makes it clear to N'ky that Alida did *not*. And when the exchange shared between green and her lifemate amply express to the blonde that not only is she making the other human feel 'bad,' but also - by dint of association - his dragon, she withdraws her hand, and then her presence...'lida stepping away from the ledge, and finally off towards Ilicaeth. Over her shoulder, the bluie calls, "Thanks fer the dance, Nicky," even as the growing blue rises, and walks beside his own lifemate. Suddenly, and over her shoulder once again: "You'll be circumspect enough ta' keep all uv' tonight to yerself, I know." And off they continue.

« To break our trust even once is to never gain it...or to lose it forever. » (Ilicaeth to Cailluneth)

N'ky's left looking a little confused, but he remembers himself in time to wave her off, once she's leaving. "O-of course, Alida - between you and me." He nods as he holds up his hand to wave her off, then looks even more confused when Cailluneth shares a thought with him. Confused enough to call out to her. "What does Ilicaeth mean? D-did I... h-how did I...? I don't understand?"

To Ilicaeth, Cailluneth curls questioning dove-grey around her brother's thoughts, just as curious as N'ky. «What was broken?»

To Cailluneth, Ilicaeth projects, «