Logs:K'del's Reputation
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| RL Date: 30 August, 2014 |
| Who: K'del, Lilah |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: K'del and Lilah run in to each other at the Harper gather. K'del answers questions. |
| Where: Harper Hall, Fort Area |
| When: Day 4, Month 9, Turn 35 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Ali/Mentions, Avey/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, Hattie/Mentions, Iolene/Mentions, Milani/Mentions, R'hin/Mentions, Teris/Mentions, Tiriana/Mentions |
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| Harper Hall, Fort Area The venerable quadrangle of the Harper Hall extends from the southeastern angle of the Fort palisade lounging alongside its Healer twin. The three wings that enclose the main courtyard are solidly roofed with orange tile and constructed of sturdy gray stone, the walls kept in good repair by local stonemasons. A wide archway provides entrance into the hall itself, foot traffic relatively busy throughout the day, but tapering off at night. Inside, the courtyard is paved with smooth, flat stones and the walls lined with stone benches where harpers come to sit and rest between classes and duties. The sound of music drifting out of open windows is almost constant, be it played or sung, regardless of the season, though things do quiet down after sunset. Just outside Harper Hall, sandwiched between its northern wing and the southern wing of the Healer Hall, a series of gardens serving culinary, medicinal and decorative puposes are bordered by the cliff wall to the east and open meadow to the west. The hold road travels northward to the hold itself and eventually to Ruatha and the Reaches and in the opposite direction far south to Southern Boll and the Weaver craft. It's a beautiful autumn's afternoon, and harper hall is bustling with activity, its harvest gather drawing guests from all over. The music is, of course, a prime attraction, but in addition to the dancing, the instruments, and the storytelling, there's also food and good cheer, and the usual array of stands from crafts and independent craftsmen alike. K'del's presently escorting two pre-teens through the crowds, boys of roughly the same age, one red-blond, and the other, significantly shorter, pure red. "You sure we can't just sign you up to apprenticeship here and now, Kase? Nik?" And, in answer: "Daaaaaaaaad." Why not add another redhead to this mix? Lilah's own red-gold curls have been twined with embroidered gold ribbon, matching the flowing gold dress that skims the goldrider's curves. The color isn't the best for her, clashing too much with her hair and pale skin, giving her the overall effect of appearing almost shallow and silly for wearing her dragon's colors even without speaking to her. Of course, it does not match the way she watches a journeyman Harper like a hawk, dark eyes narrowed on the man thoughtfully as she waits, standing at a table with a glass of wine, for him to be alone for all that he seems to be tied at the hip to another Harper at the moment. A low-voiced continuation of the conversation between K'del and his two sons eventually begins to lead them away from the stalls they've been perusing, and off in a direction that leads not far from Lilah. The two boys race on ahead; K'del, his attention caught by Lilah - by her hair? by her dress? - comes to an abrupt halt. "I'll catch up!" he calls after the pre-teens. Then, turning sharply upon his heel: "Lilah. High Reaches' duties to Fort and her queens." It does not take until K'del's greeting for the Fortian goldrider to notice the 'Reachian Weyrleader; the sound of his voice over the crowd to his children draws her attention away from the Harper, shifting through the crowd to find the man. She catches sight of his boys, too, briefly in the glimpse of the disappearing heads, but she doesn't remark on it as she instead greets neutrally, "Fort's duties to High Reaches and its Weyrleader." A pause, before she relents with a "K'del" in turn. K'del's brows raise during that pause, as if to question the formality - his greeting at least commenced with her name! But she relents, and it gives him leave to draw his hands behind his back, somewhat boyish, and grin at her. "Nice day for a gather. Might not've been the best one to take my boys to - too much music for their tastes - but I reckon they're still having fun. How are you, Lilah?" "Not old enough yet to care about dancing with pretty girls?" Lilah questions, her wine lifted to her lips in a way that doesn't quite cover the hint of a smile there that is drawn almost subconsciously to meet K'del's boyish grin. "I am fine, thank you. The Gather is, after all, lovely and they say that the Harpers have the best. And, High Reaches and its Weyrleader?" "Not quite," confirms K'del, his tone and expression suggesting he's a little relieved by this. "They're interested in the possibility of girls, but... girls are still scary and foreign and kind of gross, too. May this stage last forever." His head tips forward into another kind of confirmation as he adds, "Well enough, equally. Nothing to complain about, in any case. Has anyone managed to lure you out onto the dance square, yet?" The question gets a serious answer, a drawled response from Lilah as she promises, "Never." But, it serves to melt away some of the reserve there, warming the goldrider. "Don't say that. You are going to want grandchildren one day. Even if that day isn't today." Her gaze slides thoughtfully over K'del, meeting his again through the fan of auburn lashes as she considers something before finally just saying, "I heard something interesting about you. It was suggested I ask you about it." K'del's nose wrinkles at the very possibility of grandchildren, for all that he manages, after a moment, to nod - just once. It's true: he really will want grandchildren, one day. More interesting, perhaps, is that latter comment the goldrider makes, his own fair brows raising in silent questioning long before he manages, neutrally: "Oh yes?" "You ousted a Weyrwoman from her Weyr," Lilah repeats simply, taking a slow sip of her wine as she studies K'del for his reaction to that. K'del doesn't even blink; on appearance alone, he seems utterly unbothered by the accusation. "Yes," he confirms, after a moment. "Yes, that's true." "That's all?" questions Lilah, a small frown forming at the corners of her mouth. Sighing, K'del releases one of his hands from the clasp behind his back, and uses it to run through his curls. His voice is quietly even when he begins: "Tiriana was, and is, emotionally unstable. She had become increasingly so. She broke my arm - deliberately. She yelled at Holders, she was vindictive, and she was beginning to concern a lot of people. Her behaviour was unpredictable to the point of being dangerous. One of our juniors came to me in concern; finally, we went to the weyr council. Lujayn would take over, with my assistance, until Rielsath rose. As Cadejoth would not chase Rielsath, I'd step down." Clearly, it didn't work out quite as planned. "We didn't bully the other weyrs into voting our way. They were concerned, too. Many of them." "But not Fort," Lilah assumes in a murmur, as if not to interrupt K'del's story. "The Weyrwoman said that you humiliated her in front of the Council, caused her to breakdown into tears." It isn't quite a question, but dark eyes reflect curiosity as she watches the Weyrleader. "Fort--" K'del pauses after a moment. "No. Not Fort." There's a deep breath, before he says, "She cried. Yes. And then she came back to High Reaches and torched my weyr. What was I supposed to do, Lilah? It wasn't for my own ambition - it was never about that. Hattie doesn't like me; never has. She tends to assume the worst about all of my motives. I don't like that I had to do it," he concludes, quietly. "But I stand by the decision. Tiriana should never've been senior, and I was willing to lose my knot for it." Lilah can't quite keep the frown from her lips, her dark eyes reflecting a buried concern of her own even as she adds quietly, "But you didn't; she lost her knot, her Weyr and her home." A soft sigh catches in her through, swallowed back with a quick sip of wine. "I'm not sure what you were supposed to do, K'del. But, if a Weyrleader decided to do the same to me--." K'del's chin lifts, though if he's being defensive, that's the only indication of it. "But would you do it to a Weyrleader?" he wants to know, though instead of waiting for an answer he continues. "If a whole Weyr is afraid of what their leader will do next; if they're holding their breath every time she interacts with a Lord or Lady holder, for fear that she'll flip a table at someone, or punch them; if... it's a very last resort. It's not something I'd want to ever do again, no matter how poor my relationship was with a weyrwoman. It's certainly not something I did lightly. But I don't, not for a minute, regret being the bad guy in this instance. Nor do I believe that the other Weyrleaders of this planet took their votes lightly, conscious as they must have been of the precedence it set. That is how seriously the situation was seen." "I do not know," Lilah replies honestly, her fingers twisting in a gesture of unrest at the wine glass in her hands. But she listens, and seems to absorb what the Weyrleader says with only a soft nod. "I wanted to know your side of it. That is all." K'del sucks in a breath through his teeth, holding it for some seconds before, finally, he lets it go. His nod is as soft as Lilah's is; reluctant, somehow, but still present. "Glad you asked," he says, simply. "Rather have the opportunity to explain my side of things; whether or not you accept my actions, at least you've an understanding of where I was coming from." Still, he sounds troubled. "It'll be an action I have to carry around with me forever; judged on the front of it. But I find I am judged by any number of things, many of which have far less basis in reality." "I've certainly heard quite a bit from any number of people about your-- predilection for goldriders. Even from you," points out Lilah, the smooth transition into a lighter subject coming with a quick smile for the Weyrleader. "It makes me wonder how many goldriders, exactly, that you have this reputation of seducing them." K'del's eyes roll, though he, too, can be less serious about this topic. "Can answer that one straight, too. I've slept with five goldriders. Two - Tiriana and Azaylia - have been flight-only. Two - Ali and Iolene - I was in serious, long-term relationships with, the latter ending only when she died, and she seduced me." That is a serious topic, but he manages, this time, to acknowledge that without losing too much of his general ease. "And Teris asked me to be her first. I've also had relationships with non-goldriders, mind; spent ten turns with Milani. My eldest son is with a greenrider, Avey. You look like her, actually. It's mildly disconcerting, sometimes." Lilah replies with a quirk of her brow, curious as her dark eyes slide over the Weyrleader, "You said five; that was four." The latter bit of information draws her attention away, briefly, to scan the crowd as if to search out one of those disappeared pre-teens before returning to K'del. "Do I? --I suppose it would be inappropriate to point out that if you were going to seduce anyone, then, that I fit two obvious categories. Goldrider, and your type." "Five. Tiriana, Teris, Iolene, Ali and Azaylia." It's probably a good thing that those boys are no where to be seen; it would surely embarrass them to hear about their father's conquests, flight-related or otherwise. "If it helps," K'del offers, then, mouth twisting with amusement, "I've been in long-term relationships with a red-head, a blonde, and a brunette. You're attractive, Lilah, and I like you as a person, but I've no interest in seducing anyone; I'm very happy with Ali. So you can consider yourself safe. So can everyone else. If 'safe' is, in fact, the correct word to use." "Don't worry; I have suggested the same of you before," Lilah replies lightly, clarifying with a quick, "That you are happy with Ali. I am not falling madly in love with you only to pine silently, because you're not available. Or however R'hin would put it." Though the way she says R'hin's name, with a hint of a frown and subtle, warring emotions in dark eyes might point to him being correct on one point or another, at least, if K'del can catch that subtle reaction before she is quickly lifting her glass to finish off the wine there. There's a momentary pause, and then K'del grins. "Glad to hear it," he says. But has he noticed that expression? He must have, because a moment later he wonders, "What's that about R'hin? He's a... complicated man, that one. But a good one." "Mmm," is a wordless noise of mild disagreement, perhaps, to K'del's last statement as Lilah's gaze challenges K'del on that. "He once accused me of being the type to pine after the unattainable," she adds in explanation to the question. "I am not." In case that needed to be said, she makes sure to tell the Weyrleader. Fair brows raise in immediate question, in answer to Lilah's disagreement. K'del waits until she's spoken, the corners of his mouth twisting out again - amused - before he comes up with a verbal reply of his own. "Glad to hear it. You're not chasing him, I hope. He's not..." He breaks off, shrugging. "Well," he corrects, then. "Not chasing. Because, as you said, you don't pine. But." "He's not what?" Lilah presses at that broken sentence, though she shamelessly tips her chin in a nod of agreement for the correction. Nope, no pining. K'del holds both hands out, palm flat, a clear gesture of not quite having the words for what he means. "Far as I can see," he says, "He doesn't want to be chased. He's..." Another shrug. "He'll sleep with a person if it suits him, for reasons of his own. And he definitely doesn't do relationships, far as I know." "I see. Well--." Lilah doesn't repeat that she doesn't pine, but a smile flirts briefly over her lips instead as if to assure the Weyrleader. She doesn't pursue that conversation again, instead lifting her empty wine glass in a gesture as she adds, "I should find another glass. If you want to join me--? As long as you promise not to ask me to dance." A smile playing across his lips, K'del lifts his arm to offer it to Lilah. "Seems as though I've a reputation to uphold, right? One more goldrider for me-- what's the word, harem? Collection? Anything to gain some power and influence at Fort." Which hopefully means no dancing. "The other option is always proving them wrong," counters Lilah, her gaze sliding to that offered arm before meeting K'del's again. It does not stop her from accepting it, her fingers catching lightly against his forearm as she turns to find the bar. "That," K'del answers, blithely, "would be boring." No doubt his boys will find them eventually; for now, he's content enough to chat more generally with the Fortian goldrider. He'll even pay for the wine. |
Comments
Edyis (18:39, 30 August 2014 (EDT)) said...
What a reputation to have. This was a fun read!
R'hin (00:08, 31 August 2014 (EDT)) said...
Maligned, I tell you. Maligned.
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