Difference between revisions of "Logs:Not Long Enough"

Garden Patio Ledge, High Reaches Weyr

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Partly sheltered by the curving stone overhang, partly exposed to the weather, the wide stone patio serves as a balcony for socializing or just plain drinking on a sizable scale. The repurposed ledge might once have let two large dragons land, but now there's too much furniture for that: two rustic tables with attendant chairs, plus a couple more in particularly good weather, and a wrought iron bench situated to make the most of the view of the western bowl and the lake beyond. Other changes include rough little niches carved out of the stone walls to hold glows in colored bottles at night, the climbing plant that's being trained to grow up along the overhang, and the blue ceramic pots of flowers that dot the edge of the ledge as a colorful reminder not to fall off.

An archway leads to the Snowasis itself, housed in the ledge's former weyr, while a few wide steps descend along the wall to the bowl.

Given the darkness, there really isn't much of a view to be had, unless one likes staring at shadows or a whole lot of nothing. Still, there is apparently something at least vaguely interesting out in the distance in the bowl, for Evayne has settled herself on the bench with a mug of something in her hands and is staring out in that direction. It isn't quite the vague blankness of someone spending mental time on one of the moons, either -- she's squinting a little bit, like maybe she's trying to spot something. A fruitless endeavor, of course. The light of Snowasis and the glows out here...probably don't help, either. Still, there is watching, and the occasional drinking, and also enjoyment of the relative quiet. The bar's noise and life is...not absent, but is at least muted, out here. Chilly or not. On occasion, Eva's attention shifts away from the bowl long enough to sweep over her surroundings, but each time it ends up swinging back out. Squint.

Through the darkness, though not from precisely the same direction as Evayne's attention is focused upon, comes K'del, bare foot and knotless, dressed down even to the point of hole-kneed trousers, a ratty shirt. His passage takes him up the steps, towards the glow of the Snowasis, but his step falters as, eyes adjusting to the light, his gaze drops towards Evayne. One step, two steps, and then he comes to a halt once more, peering at the woman. "Looking at something in particular?" he asks, conversationally, as he takes that final step onto the ledge, brows raised in a face that shows interest, albeit lazily.

Footsteps nearby causes Eva's eyes to jump, though only briefly. She flicks a glance over in the direction K'del comes from, then looks back to her nothingness. It isn't until K'del actually speaks to her that she really tears her attention away, lifting her chin to look up at him sans squint but with full focus. "Sort of," she explains, offering up a smile touched with something sheepish. "More...at nothing, in particular. It's all dark, but you can see things as darker spots, sometimes." One shoulder comes up and then drops again in a loose shrug. The young woman does flick a gaze to his shoulder, but the lack of knot there doesn't illicit a visible reaction. "It's something to do - see what I can spot, out there."

"That bored, huh?" K'del gives the lights of the Snowasis another glance, then slumps down into a nearby seat instead, stretching out long legs so that his feet can pull another chair closer, and provide him a foot rest. He turns his attention back out into the dark as he makes himself comfortable, fingers curling about the arms of his chair; he adds, a few moments later, "Can get pretty creepy, out in the middle of the bowl, when the moons aren't big. Dark everywhere. Annnd now I'm interrupting your quiet, aren't I?"

"I'm not exactly /bored/," Evayne replies with a light shake of her head, shifting around on the bench to face him instead of out, legs being tugged up beneath her on the seat as she nestles in against the arm of it. There's a brief pause after that, and then that smile is taking on an impish touch. "And yes, you are. But it's a welcome interruption, honestly. I'm not really feeling like...that," with a vague gesture towards the Snowasis proper, "But a *little* less quiet isn't a bad thing. As far as the creepy...I suppose I can see that, but I've never really found it so. Creepy in the dark for me is somewhere you don't know is safe, with noises that you can't quite identify stirred into the pot."

K'del slumps back, now that he's settled himself, sliding down the chair so that the back of it cushions his head, despite his height. "Ah," he comments, first, and then, after that pause, during which time he keeps a considering glance focused upon her, "Ah," again. "Mm. Yes. Not sure I can face going in there, myself. Was considering a drink, but... Think it mattered more to get out, be outside, doing something else. Not sure I've ever been anywhere I felt less than safe like that, not since I was a kid, anyway. At home - well, it was different. Open. Here, I know there's walls everywhere, I just can't see them, and somehow, that's more creepy." His expression turns rueful for the conclusion; he's well aware of his own rambling.

She shifts, leans, turns her mug just so, and offers it out his way without comment. There may not be willingness to go play fetch, right at the moment, but she will at least share. The liquid in the mug is lightly alcoholic, sweet. Nothing too heavy at all. "Here, we can share," she says easily. "I'll go get two, once this is gone." His rueful look has Eva's expression shifting to reassuring, smile warming up a little further. "I can understand that. It...I'd never really thought of it, that way. It does certainly have the potential for being creepy, and would likely turn that way if I dwelled on it too much. Surprisingly, the walls really haven't bothered me much, here."

Momentary hesitation follows the offering of the mug, and then, K'del draws himself forward so that he can reach out his hand to take it, with a silent head-bob of thanks. He sips, his expression thoughtful as he tastes and swallows, and then sips a second time, then offers it back. "Thank you," he tells her. "Makes it easier." The smile on his lips curves further, more comfortably, and, again, he gives a nod. "You're not from a weyr, then. This, or another." The surmise is made easily, without a question in either voice or expression. "I'm holdbred. Used to vines and vines and vines, but not stone walls, not like this."

The mug is taken back, and Evayne settles against the bench arm once more, bringing her drink up to take her own sip from it as she does. The statement regarding her origins receives a dip of her head in agreement. "No, the walls of the holds are...different. Not so heavy, even in the larger ones. These aren't walls so much as..." She trails off there, wrinkling up her nose in thought. Eventually, her free hand is lifted to be vaguely waved in the direction of one of Snowasis's walls. "Big." With that said, she rolls her eyes at herself before explaining, "I've spent what /I/ would consider a good amount of time in the Weyrs, but I'm from a trader family."

"Mountains," K'del concludes. "These walls, I mean. Hadn't ever really seen mountains, until I got here. So - trader family? Interesting. Different to what I'm used to, and different to here. Been here nearly two turns, but that's still not long enough." Here, his gaze slides away from Evayne, and back out through the darkness, staring intently at what must be nothing in particular. He speaks again, however, after another moment more, "But we do what we do. Cope. Get used to. Something in particular bring you to the Reaches?"

When he looks away from her, Evayne takes the opportunity to study him, curiosity touching her expression. She doesn't let it linger too long though, dragging her own attention towards the bowl. Or at least turning her head and only studying him sidelong. "Not long enough for what?" Mild and conversational, that -- nothing intent, there. "And yes, we do. Or at least our best to do so." That's followed by a quiet chuckle, a soft shake of her head. "My father had some things he needed brought here, so I came. I've been...lingering. Trying to be certain about whether or not I want to actually stay, or if the thought is merely a flight of fancy." Another quick sip of her drink, and she's sitting up, turning back, and offering it out towards him again wordlessly.

K'del is still staring off into the distance when she asks that question, and his cheeks pinken; he shakes his head. "Long enough to be--" No. He doesn't finish the sentence, instead turns back, focusing instead upon listening to what she has to say. "Lingering. Yes. At least it's enough to have to stay for a time, and then move on again, if that's how it works out, right? So long as you pull your weight in the meantime." He doesn't appear to mean that as a searching comment, or anything at all: just conversation. He takes the drink, with another bob of the head, and sips, releasing a long breath as he swallows. Then: a sigh, a slump of the shoulders. "Feels like the need to sleep just caught up with me. Should go in." He offers back the drink. "I'll owe you one, some other night. Thank you."

The unfinished statement draws out a hint of curiosity, but Eva...actually doesn't ask, just letting it go. For now, at least. There's a soft laugh released at the notation about her pulling her weight, amusement touching her smile again. And then he's sighing and offering the drink back, and she's taking it from him and nodding agreeably. "You're welcome," she says. "I'm Evayne, by the way. I'll at least be around for a while yet, and I'll certainly hold you to that, just so you're aware. Good luck, with sleeping."

K'del unfolds his limbs and struggles back to his feet, smiling as he turns to face Evayne properly, his head inclining into - yet one more - a nod. "K'del," he tells her, not without a rueful twitch to his expression. "A pleasure to meet you, Evayne. Good. Don't like to make offers that don't get held; I'll look forward to it." He turns then, to wander back down those stairs, calling back, just before he disappears into the darkness, "You, too. When you get there."

You head down a short flight of stairs to the bowl.