Logs:Unnerving K'del
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| RL Date: 26 April, 2012 |
| Who: Damaris, K'del, Riorde |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Riorde is unnerving. Damaris is friendly. K'del is... K'del-ish. |
| Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 12, Month 8, Turn 28 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Taikrin/Mentions |
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| Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr The rest of the bowl may be barren, grass barely surviving at best, but here by the lake, it's brilliantly green in the warmer months: thickening and thriving in the silty, boulder-dotted soil just before it transitions to soft sand and thence to the cool, clear water itself. A large freshwater lake fed by a low waterfall, it not only provides warm-weather bathing space for humans and dragons, but has one end fenced off as a watering hole for the livestock in the feeding grounds. The water there is often muddier than the rest of the clear lake, whose shallows drop off abruptly several yards out into deep water, and whose edge undulates against the coarse-hewn bowl wall: here close enough to just be bramble-covered rocks, there far enough away that a narrow land bridge divides the main lake from a smallish pond. Between are several rocky outcroppings that form excellent makeshift diving points, though only one -- across the bridge -- has a set of narrow, slippery, quite possibly tempting stairs. Warm sunshine and cloudless skies make for a beautiful day and pleasantly warm evening. A breeze tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air.
There was a Glacier thing -- there's /always/ a Glacier thing. It spills out now from the Snowasis, with a triumvirate of riders laughingly (and most likely drunkenly) heading for the lake on some whim, Riorde among them. Yes, she knows how to laugh. For all that she had a long day that might have actually involved a little bit of work, Damaris does not seem terribly tired even though it's dark out. The young woman is lost in her own little happy world, singing quietly and half-dancing her way down to the water's edge, steps light and bouncy. She manages graceful until the not-watching-where-she's-going catches up to her, and she trips over a rock and stumbles a few paces before catching herself. She's like a cat. Frozen. Quiet. Peering around. Did anyone see that? The singing stopped abruptly (with a little squeak) of course. K'del saw that. Saw it, but probably wouldn't have brought attention to it - or Damaris at all - except for the approaching Glacierites, whom he has caught out of the corner of his eye. "Careful there," he says, voice pitched not to carry too far despite the relative quiet of the evening. "You don't want to get caught up with that group that's coming." His smile is a genuine one, as is his warning - rather as though he doesn't expect Damaris to know the group even by reputation. "Yo, K'del!" Riorde veers off from her wingmates, who continue on, starting to pull off clothes and drop them without care on their way to the water's edge. Riorde sounds cheerful with her informality, pleasant even. Perky. Her attention swings at the quiet words, and either Damaris is recognizing the group or she's taking K'del's advice immediately and promptly to heart. She gets herself straightened out, then turns to start moving out of possible trajectory...except there's Riorde's voice, and she's glancing to squint and make sure - yep. Eyes go up to K'del and his boulder, and she's promptly moving to climb up (provided there's room). "Y'mind?" After she's started up. There's room, and K'del even shuffles along to make more room, while waving his arms expansively: by all means. It means there's a definite delay before he responds to Riorde's call, and even to the mass skinny dipping about to take place. He gives Damaris a twisted, lazy smile, and then, in a clear voice: "Riorde." his bare feet are drawn closer to his body as his knees slide up towards his chest, arms now reaching to wrap around them. "This should be good." Was that to Damaris? To Riorde? To both? It's hard to tell. But Riorde is so /friendly./ She even has a big, big smile. And an invitation to go with it. "You should come swimming with us." Riorde's clothes are all still on, and her smile isn't the least bit predatory -- at least as much of it as can be seen clearly in the light of the moons. How could this be bad? If she sits very still and very quiet, maybe Riorde won't see her, see. So Damaris sits quietly once she's made it up to the top of the rock, staying still. She _does_ offer up a smile that's friendly enough, just in case the other woman's attention does catch on her. There is a glance towards K'del, when the invitation is extended. Curiosity and caution battle it out. "Or," says K'del, keeping his own tone light, though there's no doubt that however Riorde is currently portraying herself, he doesn't entirely trust her. "I could sit here and watch. Wouldn't want to gatecrash a Glacier event, now, would I?" His glance back towards Damaris is, somehow, apologetic, and comes complete with a roll of the eyes. Riorde's glance shifts to Damaris briefly, but the girl's spared the majority of her attention. Riorde's intent upon the Weyrleader for some unfathomable reason. "Pfffft," she answers K'del, blowing air out with clear derision. "What's the fun in that? We're always inclusive. Besides, I'm inviting you. You too," she adds for Damaris. Headshake, to that apologetic look. Damaris sends a very brief smile K'del's way, and then she's turning her eyes back to Riorde. "Oh, thanks," she says, casual tone not at all matching up with the tension in her shoulders. "I appreciate it? But it's more a 'sit and watch people swim' night than it is a 'I'm going to swim' night. I just got all dried out, so I'm not particularly eager to go into the water again. It's nice to see you, though. Been a while." Sweet smile that...well, it could be the shadows, or that could be a sharp edge there. K'del's reply would probably work better if he knew Damaris' name; as he does not, he has to settle for rearranging words to suit. "If I were on my own, maybe I'd take you up on that, Riorde, but I've company - wouldn't do to abandon her to this boulder alone." He's aiming, it seems likely, for casual, but there's determined firmness that refuses to completely absent itself from voice and expression. "Last one in's a rotten egg, in my experience. They'll mock you." Riorde, head tilted up at the others, stands still and considering for a long moment with a diminished grin, now more of a half-smile. It suits her better. "Been busy," she answers Damaris first, attention keen outside of a short glance at K'del as she says, "It's been our turn at Boll." She stands still a moment longer, pause openly deliberate as she goes back to studying K'del before pulling her top over her head in one swift gesture. "Nah," Riorde answers, all casual like. "They'll mock you, for being too embarrassed to show what you've got." "Ah," Damaris replies, and she's giving an easy enough nod to go along with it. "Well, it's nice to see that you're getting a little down time in now." There's a lazy glance sent over in the direction of the people Riorde came down with, and when she's looking back oh hey there is a top being pulled off. Her head tilts, and she watches quite openly. Thank the stars it's too dark to see the blush that creeps up her cheeks. "Pushy," she says. "I know I'm not your favorite person and all, but I thought we were getting along better. You don't have to chase away my company." There is a pout put on. Riorde may be far from K'del's favourite person, but the removal of her shirt doesn't bother him. It also doesn't seem to titillate him, either, however: his expression remains quite placid. "You should let me know if you have any ideas for the kind of improvements we could make with the Boll proceeds," he says, instead, apparently genuinely; this, instead of defending his honour. Again, he glances sidelong at Damaris, and it's then that he adds his belated, "She and I were just getting to know each other, too. Go on, Riorde. You won't get a rise tonight." "You?" Riorde says to Damaris. Her surprise sounds genuine. "Why d'you think that? I don't know you well enough to dislike you." A trace of bitterness steals into her tone when she glances at K'del again, the play in her expression shutting down. "I'm not suited to that, remember?" Her shrug's an effort at the recovery of her self-possession and tone one of unbothered dismissal. "Suit yourselves." Riorde lingers no longer, heading off to rejoin her companions. Mouth opens, mouth shuts. Damaris does not answer the question put towards her, instead just giving a light shrug of her shoulders. The shift in the other woman's demeanor has her narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, studying her briefly and then K'del. And then Riorde is heading off, and her attention follows - a hand comes up, to sort of wave after. "See you," she says, her tone now a thoughtful one. So, so thoughtful. "Thanks for the invitation." And she's sidelong glancing to K'del again. Still thoughtful, starting on towards curious. K'del's mouth forms a thin, tight line that lasts until well after Riorde is out of earshot, though he must surely be conscious of Damaris' sidelong glance. Finally, he straightens, twisting his expression into something closer to a smile as he glances properly in the blonde's direction; "Sorry about that," he says. "She and I - we've something of a history, kind of, and it never goes well. Seems like you might've had a run in with her yourself?" Shoulders lift and drop, at the apology. "Don't need to apologize," she says quietly, drawing her own legs up so she can wrap her arms around them and set her chin on her knees. Damaris's eyes follow Riorde until she can't really be made out any more, and then chin on knees turns to cheek on knees, so she can set her head just so and still peer over towards K'del. "She's prickly. We...a little, yeah. Nothing big, though. We get on alright. She was just a little unnerving tonight, though, huh? Or was that normal, because of your history?" "'Prickly'," repeats K'del, and he's got a low, rueful chuckle for that. "That's one way to put it. Guess I just got on her bad side at the very start - the trouble with being in charge - and there's no way I'll ever make it back from it. Never mind." His attention slides from Damaris towards the group of Glacier riders, most of whom are now white-pale in the moonlight, naked and splashing. "No, that was unnerving. She's usually-- scowlier. With me. Wonder what she was aiming for." "Trouble of being a lot of things," Damaris replies mildly, her own attention staying on him even when his wanders. "I don't have any idea what she was going for," she says. There's a moment of consideration before she suggests, "Given it's Glacier...maybe there was a bet? That she could get you to come swim with them?" Beat. "That's...really, all I've got. Or maybe she knew you'd say no, and just wanted to needle. Do you know what upset her at the end there?" "What upset her," and K'del is pretty confident of this, "is that my asking her thoughts on anything implies I'd be willing to hear the answer, and that doesn't fit with his worldview." Now, he turns back to Damaris, this time with a more real, more solid, smile in place. "Either of those fits, probably. Could just be she was trying to unnerve me. Never mind. She can't be anything but the person she is, probably. You been at the Weyr long?" "Hmm." It's a thoughtful noise, regarding what upset the other woman. Damaris doesn't press it though, worrying at her lower lip absently with her teeth while she considers. Oh, and he's smiling and so she offers one in return, even if it's brief. "Trying to unnerve you, also a possibility - and that's all any of us can be. Doesn't really excuse anything. Explains, maybe." Beat. "Couple of years. My father was stationed here a while back. Journeyman Harper. Daryn." Not that it's said like she expects him to know who the guy was. "He left, I stayed. Mostly work in the kitchen." Except when she's breaking or burning or dropping things, at which point she gets chased out and told to go find other work to do. If K'del's aware that Damaris may not be entirely convinced by his explanation, it's not something he tries to explain further: he, too, seems happy enough to leave that topic behind. "No," he agrees, "no excuses. Just explanations. In any case, I try not to mind her. Easier said than done, sometimes. Riorde, and that girlfriend of hers." One of his hands unclasps from his knees in order to push slightly-too-long hair away from his eyes, and then to run through those curls in a reflective way. "Ah. Excellent. No wonder your face is familiar - I've probably seen you in the kitchens at one time or another." "I like Taikrin," Damaris clarifies, all casually. She's laughing quietly a moment later and shrugging her shoulders, rolling her eyes. Oh, he's playing with his hair. Her eyes shift from his face to his fingers, watching. "Probably, yes. Or in the stables, or - well, any number of places. I was in the stables today, it was...really nice. Not that I'd want to do that all the time, because /gross/." She makes a face to go with the words, all played up and overdramatic. Time to try and make him laugh, apparently. "Somebody suggested that if I liked it, I should go work there instead of the kitchens. I cannot _imagine_ doing it all the time." It does make him laugh, and makes up for the fact that he seems faintly uncomfortable when she clarifies her thoughts on Taikrin. His hand drops back towards his knee, fingers fiddling with the hemline of his shorts; his expression, even after that peal of laughter has subsided, is amused. "Me, either. Used to enjoy runners quite a bit, back before-- but seems like there'd be far too much mucking involved, and the smell'd get to me. 'least dragons learn how to make their messes Between eventually. Me, I used to be a handyman, sort of. Fixing things. Wasn't very good at it, but I was learning." There's a shifty-eyed sort of look. Eyes go one way. Eyes go the other. She focuses back on him, eyes going wide. It's not quite a face made, but it's close. "It's the mucking," Damaris admits, softly. "If I only go work there every once in a while, they don't ever make me muck. If I was there regularly, my novelty would wear off." She sits up, so that she can put the back of one wrist against her forehead. It's dropped with a laugh, and she flashes another smile towards him. "A handyman? That seems - well, I don't buy that you weren't good at it, if you were learning. You were just unpracticed. Totally a difference. I've - I grew up in a cothold. So pretty much, did everything. Parents are both harpers. I am not." Shrug. "I'm Damaris, by the way." And again, she makes him laugh, though this time it's a softer sound - a light chuckle. "That's the key to most things, I think. Familiarity breeds... whatever." He probably did intend to complete that thought in a more focused manner, but halfway through, his words just trail off, and the 'whatever' comes notably later. "Unpracticed, then. It was Vinehold for me, but the end result's the same: lots of chores, lots of different skills, nothing that made me especially good at anything. I've a brother who's particularly good with the handyman stuff, and building stuff in general. Me - it just seemed like a manly thing to do at fifteen, when I wanted to prove myself." Beat. "You're allowed to laugh at me for that. It's nice to meet you, Damaris," he'll even offer a hand for shaking. "I'm K'del." Offered hand is taken and shaken, her grip a light one. "It's nice to meet you too, K'del," she echoes back at him. Damaris smiles triumphantly twice: once when he laughs, and once when he agrees with the 'unpracticed'. She nods quicklike, to his initial words. "Whatever," she agrees. Impish smile. "I had lots of different skills too, but unfortunately a few of the things I was /really/ good at, due to plenty of practice? I got plenty of practice at them while very young," because she isn't, now? "And the thought of spending the rest of my life like that...it's not a happy thought." Beat. "Why would I laugh at you? It _does_ seem like a manly thing to do, at fifteen." K'del's answer to her last is prompt, made as he returns his hand to his knee - his own handshake stronger than hers, and calloused - to scratch idly at the hairs there. "Because most things we believe at fifteen are laughable, maybe. It can be embarrassing to think back to." None of which stops the cheerfulness of his smile as she continues glancing idly in her direction. "Anyway, I can see the point of not wanting to do things you enjoy as a job. Tends to ruin them, in my experience. Better, then, to do the bare minimum, work-wise, and enjoy the rest of your time." He can't possibly agree with that, not given his own position in life, but he sounds cheerful in the recitation. "If only I'd listened to my own advice." "Oh, oh, don't get me wrong," Damaris says with a quick shake of her head to underscore the words. "I am _very good_ at laundry, because I did a great deal of it when I was younger. In no way do I love it." He's given an impish smile and she shrugs her shoulders again, arms wrapping back around her legs. She doesn't lean down to put her cheek down again, though. "I'm sure in five years, you'll look back on this, right now, and say - hey, what I believed then, it was pretty laughable. That's part of living, I think. Doesn't mean I'm going to laugh at you." Of course, that's followed by a laugh, so maybe it _does_ mean she's going to laugh at him. "It really depends on what it is. It's why I like getting kicked out of the kitchen every once in a while. That means I get to go do something new and interesting before going back to what I know. Because..." Shrug. "Mostly, I just get bored. It's so...I don't know. Easy. Not like physically, but for thinking." "Oh!" Comprehension blossoms in K'del's expression and has him nodding quickly. "Right. Take the point there, absolutely. No; can't imagine why people'd want to do laundry the rest of their lives. Guess you're right, though, anyway. We always look back at things and shake our heads. But," he grins at her. "Doesn't mean we don't need to laugh at it sometimes." Since she has laughed, whether or not it really is directly related to his words. "Thinking time's important. So's change. Variety. Otherwise, even things we really do care about end up boring and unpleasant." His legs drop back down the boulder's side, now, stretching out towards the water, his bare toes stopping just shy of the cool ripples made by frolicking riders further out. "How come they kick you out of the kitchen?" "I can imagine," Damaris tells him, in a mock-displeased poor-them faintly horrified sort of tone. "It gives me nightmares sometimes." Total deadpan. The flash of an impish grin that follows breaks that, though. Her gaze shifts, following his toes, the water. "I'm always right," she notes. "That's just how the world works out." It's said with so much certainty, too. "Variety, change. Interesting. Different things are interesting. Almost as much as different people." At his final question, he gets a sidelong glance, her smile turning impish again. "I drop things, or burn things, or spill things, or run into people," she says. "I have these horribly clumsy episodes. But Misara -- she's the one who's usually supervising when I'm working -- has started to recognize my clumsy days and kicks me out before I do too much damage. She might be on to me." Oh look, that is the most angelic, innocent face /ever/. K'del has young children, and is savvy enough, it seems, that angelic, innocent faces only make him raise his eyebrows - and laugh. "Uh-huh," he says. "Well, that'd be the sensible thing to do, anyway. Clumsy days're less likely to be a problem if you're doing something different." He seems mostly amused by what she has to say, otherwise, most especially her 'I'm always right', but rather than draw any threads out he says, reluctantly, "Ought to go back in, probably. Seems a pity, though: too nice a night to be indoors." And yet, he still slides down the boulder and into the water, feet hitting the bottom as the water splashes up towards his calves. "It was nice to meet you, Damaris. Mind you don't burn my breakfast in the morning, mm?" Disappointment flutters across her face, clear with no attempt made to disguise it. Still, Damaris smiles a few moments later, and she gives a little dip of her head. "It was nice to meet you as well, K'del," she says. "Good luck with doing whatever unpleasant monotony that you once loved, tonight. If you ever feel like running away and doing something entirely random, do let me know and I'll come up with something." Beat. "And I won't burn your breakfast. I had my day in the stables today, so I'm certain that my cooking skills will be back up to normal by the morning." A kiss is pressed to her fingertips, it's blown his way, and then she's shifting to sit near the center of the boulder, getting comfortable. Because it _is_ too nice of a night to be indoors. K'del, turning his head just in time, catches that disappointment, and seems genuinely apologetic in his expression as a result. Her blown kiss, and the words that come before it, seem to help with returning a smile to his face; when he speaks again, it's as he conducts a grandiose, slightly quirky bow in her direction. "I'll remember that," he promises. "Pretty sure we all need some random in our lives, sometimes. Enjoy the evening." After that, there's only the splashing of his feet as he walks around the boulder and back to the shore, and from there, the steady walk back towards the caverns. |
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