Difference between revisions of "Logs:Ever"

Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr

Stalactites hang high above this enormous cavern like a jagged chandelier or an inversion of the Spires themselves, but shadows cling to them instead of light. Below lie great tables arranged in rows, each large enough to serve a fighting wing, while in the nooks and alcoves around the cavern's edge sit more sensibly-sized tables, from six- and eight-seaters down to intimate spots for just a couple of diners. The only really open space is around the kitchen entrance, smelling of food and rarely quiet, and by the nearby serving tables with their long buffet of the day's offerings.

Tapestries on the smooth walls -- some faded and others newly woven -- only slightly mute the sea of sound when a meal is in full swing, but they add cheerfulness augmented by the glowlight from wall sconces and the centerpieces of each table. Still, shadows always creep along the ceiling and into the mouths of the exits -- the myriad small hallways at one end of the cavern and, at the other, the twisting tunnel to the bowl near an array of coathooks and and hatracks -- and late at night, when the glows are allowed to dim, the chamber can seem very dark indeed.

Some might say that the rationing has made dinnertime even more popular, mostly because there's less likely to be any of the good stuff left after mealtime. As such, it's a pretty good bet to find familiar faces in abundance at about this time of the evening occupying the many tables. K'zin isn't seated with Taiga tonight, but instead is at one of the smaller tables off to the side, but that might be because the Taiga table is currently quite full and it looks like trying to squeeze in one more chair might just cause the tight-made circle of eaters to burst apart. The young bronzerider looks as though he's half through his portioned bowl of stew and bread. His mug holds an amber-brown liquid - so most likely ale or something similar.

N'ky skips the dinner spread - if it can be called a spread - when he comes in from the kitchen, cheeks glowing as if either touched by cold, or kissed by the sun - with the sort of cold that could cause the former pretty much gone for the year, the latter seems more likely. He's got eyes out looking for someone as he pauses roughly in the middle of cavern, and after a moment or two of not finding whoever it is, he frowns gently and takes a step as if to leave - then decides otherwise, pivoting instead to trot towards K'zin. "Hey," he greets warmly, giving the bronzerider one of his crooked smiles. "Want company?"

K'zin's head bobs up at the sound of a familiar voice extending a greeting. There's a smile for N'ky, and a "N'ky, hey." His usual way of delivering a hello; name first, greeting second. "Yeah, join me." There's warmth in his welcome, "Actually, it's extra good, I'd been meaning to catch you but I guess our wing schedules have been opposite 'til now. How're things? Are you okay and all after that?" That must mean Cailluneth's flight, though it was over a seven ago now, nearly two.

"Oh?" It's an 'oh' of 'you wanted to see me?' as N'ky slips into a chair, leaning back with his long legs stretched out beneath the table, carefully avoiding bumping into K'zin's, where a turn earlier he'd be purposely trying to get a playful kick or two in. His hands rest on the table, fingers steepled, and overall? He looks completely relaxed. "I've been out in Tillek mostly this past seven, then filling in my spare time with... stuff, and... I had an unexpected message from Far Reach," he explains with a gentle shrug. "Am I okay after what?"

Well, they're Grown Ups now. Big Kid knots and everything. So neither does K'zin act in any way unbecoming one wearing a rider knot. "After the flight. I know you'd been concerned about it. Was it-- was everything okay?" He answers the last question first, and then taps his spoon on the edge of his bowl while he inquires about the rest. "A good message from Far Reach? Or are they still being jerks?" Ceasing the tapping and dipping the spoon into the stew, he comments, "Tillek's great. Didn't run into my brother while you were there, did you? I didn't when I was down that way, but I was sort of trying not to."

"Oh." This 'oh' isn't as light as the one before, as N'ky's brow creases into a frown, and he sinks a little lower in his chair. "I guess it's okay now. It's over, until she does it again." He doesn't sound too enthusiastic; that frown lingers for a few more moments before he looks up, tossing his head gently to clear curls from out of his eyes. "Nothing I can do about it, anyway. I didn't see your brother, but... I'm not sure I'd know him to see him? Which brother?" Even if he doesn't know their faces so well, he might remember their names, at least. He leaves the news of home to last, though from the way the corner of his mouth quirks up into a part-smile, it's clearly not bad. "It wasn't from my family, but from someone else. Norrick. We grew up together, and... now he's here." The grin grows a little bigger, and N'ky idly picks at the grain of the table's wood with his finger. "I brought him. He'd had enough of it there."

"Well, I hope it wasn't as awful as you'd thought it was going to be." K'zin offers. His expression doesn't seem sure if it should be sympathetic, so it looks uncertain instead. "The oldest one. Zakari. The stick in the mud. He's got long hair like I used to. We look a little alike, but not a lot alike. Actually, he looks like Jo more than he looks like me. Sort of the wide planes on the face," Obviously, it's the artist in K'zin talking, his spoon losing its load in favor of tracing the kind of thing he's talking about (not that it's clear) in the air above the bowl. "I have a nephew there too. In his teens now, I think. But I've not seen him since he was knee high." It flows from this talk to the talk of N'ky's family. "Oh yeah? That's awesome. So he wrote you and asked you to come get him? Is he our age?" The way K'zin's brown eyes cast toward the ceiling, it'd be a safe bet he's trying to recall if he's heard any stories involving this 'Norrick.'

"It was and it wasn't, Waki," N'ky says of the flight. "Put it this way: I would've done well to get with Bones before, but it still wouldn't've made a difference in the there and then. If it hadn't been for Alida..." His finger curl into a fist, which he thumps softly off the table before flattening his palm against the wood. A sign of frustration, perhaps, and while he hops onto something more pleasant to talk about, he's distracted in doing so. "Zakari. Didn't see him nor hear of him, but honestly, I wasn't listening out for it, y'know?" The greenrider shrugs, wrinkling his nose. "Norrick's... about my age, I guess? I think there's a month or so between us - we always had turndays around the same time, anyway. We used to work the stables together, did a round-up or two... I'll introduce you. I'd been hoping to see him at dinner, but..." Another shrug, as N'ky looks around once more to confirm that his friend isn't there. He's broodily silent for a moment then, and he settles his hands across his tummy, fingers knotted. "C-can I tell you something about the flight, Waki?" Something probably intimate, from his tone, and he's not sure whether he should share it or not.

"Yeah, I met H'vier." K'zin's twitches as though it's its turn to be uncertain whether it should wrinkle or not. "He didn't seem full of warm fuzzies," is how he chooses to put it." He reaches up to push a hand through his hair. "Sorry it wasn't the best experience." But there's nothing to be done about it now. "What'd Alida do?" There's nods for the information about Zakari and about Norrick, "Yeah, introduce us sometime. Any friend of yours..." The phrase is an old adage so it apparently doesn't need finishing. The spoon taps the edge of the bowl and then dips to fill. "Sure, you can tell me whatever you like." If he's uncomfortable, it's well hidden as he fills his mouth with the stew.

Of H'vier, N'ky says, "He... wasn't... bad. I think it was just... the flight." He rubs nervously at the back of his neck, looking away into the living cavern as his cheeks flare up red. "Alida came after. Helped me out of the guest weyr... I c-couldn't have got out of bed if it wasn't for her." That blush grows even deeper, and after he nods to confirm he'll introduce the bronzerider to his friend from home, N'ky leans forward so as to be able to drop his voice lower, elbows resting on the table and eyes fixed firmly downwards; he's clearly uncomfortable with what he's going to say. "I... i-it... the flight, I mean, i-it was... I've never..." His struggled attempts to get it out clearly aren't cutting it, and he drums fingers off the table in frustration. "I've never... f-finished that... I mean... y'know... it was... the best. Ever." That blush has turned his ears crimson now too, and it's creeping down his neck.

"No, I didn't mean to say that H'vier was bad," They're obviously mixing specific contexts here. "Just not warm and fuzzy. But I'm glad he wasn't bad." That last phrase comes out sounding a little awkward. "Alida's pretty dependable, I think, that way. With her friends." Or at least, so he imagines. "I noticed Ilicaeth didn't chase Cailluneth." So he was in the Weyr for the flight. "Guess he still hasn't gotten the itch." His brows furrow at the quiet confession, though he hasn't leaned in to hear it. "Ever?" It has to be asked, though from the deeply thoughtful expression, there's more going through K'zin's brain than just that.

N'ky winces in disappointment as he nods to confirm that Ilicaeth didn't chase. "I thought he might. Of all the dragons... he's Cailluneth's favourite." Possibly his own favourite - after his lifemate, of course. "They were play-fighting before and I thought it might be enough, but..." He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. "No itch. Maybe next time. I... I'm h-hoping I m-might be... if his first catch was Cailluneth, I-I think it might be better. For Alida. Maybe." N'ky doesn't seem sure. He runs his fingers through his curls, and they drop back in front of his eyes when he looks up to K'zin to nod. "Ever." He's embarrassed by it.

The ever confirmation has K'zin's spoon tapping again and the bronzerider frowning. But only for a moment. Shortly after, his expression is clearing to something thoughtful. "Mmm, I'm not sure about that. But I am sure that if I talk about Alida's sex life and she hears about it, I'm going to be black and blue for at least two sevens." K'zin's answer carries an edge of humor.

"... yeah," N'ky concedes, wincing. "I just... I know I'd... I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. I want her to be safe, a-and even Alida may not be Alida during a flight - I don't think I was me, not fully. Not with wha--" He cuts himself off, shaking his head. "I was more Cailluneth, and you, um... you saw what she was like before she... she was worse when she went up." His fingers knot into his hair, and he sighs. "Did you hear about Darcielth? And there was a Fortian bronze, too, and she nearly tagged some brown... I didn't see. She doesn't recall, and I don't, either. April's still not speaking to me."

"Yeah. Never know how a flight's going to take a person. I'm an ass at flights. Apparently. Well, an ass might even be putting it kindly." K'zin's cheeks touch with color at the admission, but his tone is candid. "So got -- what? Aggressive? Or violent?" There might be other words he could use to describe Cailluneth's proddy behavior as per Rasavyth, but he doesn't use them. "Yeah. I heard things got dicey up there and that the dragon infirmary was busy afterward."

N'ky shrugs. "Just not me." He frowns, picking at the table again; there's an interesting knot in the wood. "I know you, um, p-probably won't want to after... everything, but, um, i-if Rasavyth wants to chase her any other time, he's welcome to. I just... I didn't want to risk it, K'zin. Not the first time. Maybe he can use her as practice..." Shrugging, the greenrider pushes up from his loll over the table, drumming fingers over the knot he's been fiddling with. "If you wanted to. It'd be ok with me, if you did... it's just a flight." Another nonchalant shrug, before his attention's caught by someone calling to him from Avalanche's table. N'ky looks up, smiles and nods, pushing his chair back a little as he makes to get up. "I'm being summoned," he says with airy amusement. "Speak to you later?"

K'zin's shoulders mirror the movement. "I don't really have anything to do with it. He chases or he doesn't chase. It's up to him." So even this time, despite N'ky's request, apparently it wasn't K'zin asserting his will that kept the bronze on the ground. His eyes follow the shout and he nods. "Sure, sure." He's waving him off with his spoon before he returns to finishing up his meal.

N'ky gets to his feet, nodding. "Sure," he echoes, with a shrug. "Later, then?" And off he goes to join his wingmates, bumping shoulders boyishly with one of wing's blueriders before joining in with whatever it is they're doing that's making the whole table laugh.