Logs:An Afternoon Escape
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| RL Date: 29 July, 2013 |
| Who: Ali, K'del |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Ali has an afternoon off, hurray! She... cooks and cleans for K'del. |
| Where: K'del's Island |
| When: Day 17, Month 5, Turn 32 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Azaylia/Mentions, Hattie/Mentions, N'muir/Mentions |
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| Spring is fully in bloom, with marginally less rain and slightly more warmer days hinting at the coming summer. Earlier in the day, Isyath reached out with sparkling delight shining through her thoughts, just a flicker. Then again, a short time later, with an image of familiar-yet-distant skies of K'del's island. Then sometime later with a quiet glee- unable to keep secret what was possibly meant to be a surprise. It's just after lunch (when the beans have probably been well-and-truly spilled) that the Fortian queen finally says, « Ali and I are spending the afternoon at your island. It has been a long time. » But then, /every/ time is a long time, with a dragon's memory. She paints it in bright colors: the new-green growth of the vineyard below, clear blue skies, and golden-sandy beach- it's probably marginally less brilliant than that in person. It's likely true that Cadejoth linked a few chains together himself, making connections, well before Isyath's actual explanation, but he's polite enough to restrain himself to only encouragement and enthusiasm before then; it wouldn't do to pre-empt anything. « Do you still remember your way around the skies? Perhaps I'd better show you. » Perhaps that's a thinly veiled excuse, and anyway, he's eager to get out and enjoy the spring afternoon himself-- there is, after all, a suggestion to his tone that he may need to stick close to home (so boring!) soon enough. In any case, the fact that he appears in the sky above said island so quickly implies that preparations to do so were well underway before then. « Of course I remember! » Isyath clearly does not realize the need for an excuse, and neither would she ever admit to knowing less about flying than any other. Instead, with a sprinkle of brightly-hued stars and that ever-present invitation for the High Reaches bronze, she replies, « Shall we see who remembers better? » Perhaps she'd be curious about his reasons for sticking close to home, if she didn't have her own: /she'd/ rather not talk about that right now, so she merely shares the hot sensation of sunlight on her hide as she cuts through the thermals, her greeting for the arrival of Cadejoth a delighted rush of warmth and enthusiasm. Below- almost to be expected- Ali's been busy. There's the scent of spices and fresh bread in the air, and it's a good bet she's done some sweeping and dusting while she's been at it. Underneath her apron though, she's got a summer dress more suited to the climes, though it's cool within the building itself. Whatever the dark-haired woman's cooking is bubbling away on the hearthside, while fresh bread cools on the counter. « I bet I do, » insists Cadejoth, with a hearty clap of metal-against-metal that almost speaks of 'so there'. « But we can explore them together. » He doesn't mind. He's too impatient to do just that to really enjoy the thermals on his way down to the ground - though there's nothing impatient or hurried about the way he shows his glee, both a physical trumpet and the rattling clatter that seeks Isyath out. He's on the ground long enough for K'del to dismount and remove those straps, and then he shoots off skywards again. Hurray! K'del's pulling off his jacket as he steps through the door, inhaling deeply, though that gets quickly followed up by a contented smile. "Smells amazing. Please tell me your first trip away from Fort in ages hasn't been to play housekeeper." Isyath twists in the air- not nearly so tightly as a green might- seeking to accompany Cadejoth for the brief glide to the ground, though she doesn't have to land- and at the last minute she pulls up, soaring higher and higher. Slow enough that he might catch up, /if/ his rider is fast enough to depart. A chase is no fun if it's already won before it's started, after all, and it's only when Cadejoth joins her in the air that increases her effortless rise. There's something both embarrassed and defensive in Ali's reply, "I /like/ to cook. Besides," she adds with a sweep of hand around, and a sudden smile, "If I'm going to stay the night, I wanted to be sure that there weren't vtols nesting in the corner." Quick to pull the apron up over her head, she walks across to greet K'del- a little hesitantly, even if the brightness of her gaze suggests her delight to see him. With Cadejoth urging him to be fast, faster and faster, it's no wonder that K'del's quick to get out of the way, pausing for a moment to watch his pale bronze hurtle off into the afternoon sun. Cadejoth's wings beat double-time in an effort to catch up - but really, it's all about the pleasure of flight, much more than it is about winning. Inside, K'del's smile is abruptly bright, obviously amused by Ali's embarrassed defensiveness, and clearly pleased by her apparent intentions. He doesn't hesitate, but wraps his arms firmly about her waist to draw her in. "Good thing you invited me. Sort of. I'd hate to show up tomorrow and realise that someone'd been sleeping in my bed without me." For Isyath, anyway, it's somewhere between the two- it definitely starts as a competition, but soon it's less so that than merely the shared delight of circling endlessly- effortlessly- twisting a pattern in opposition to Cadejoth like a leaf blown around by the wind. Ali's smiling, now, her arms slipping about K'del's neck, tipping her head back to press her mouth to his in a more enthusiastic greeting that precludes any answer. For a time, anyway. And when she can catch her breath: "And waste an afternoon off? Faranth forbid." There's color to her cheeks as she says it, and she follows it up with, "I'm glad you did come. Hattie insisted I needed the time off, even if she-" she trails off, abruptly, head dropping down for a moment. There would no doubt he something beautiful in that endless circling and weaving, sweeping and diving; bronze and gold, shifting and changing against the blue sky. If a person were watching, anyway - though that certainly wouldn't change Cadejoth's actions in any way. He's content to just enjoy, onwards and upwards forever and ever. K'del's pleased by that kiss, returning it wholeheartedly; afterwards, he's got all eyes on Ali, exhaling in a pleased and content kind of way. "Complete waste," he agrees. And, "Even if she?" His brows knot. "Wouldn't approve of who you're spending the afternoon with? Well. I'm glad you decided to spend it with me, and honestly, I don't care if she'd disapprove." It's a view /worth/ watching, certainly- Isyath seems to think so- a sense of brief distance that draws her rider's gaze sightlessly upwards for a moment, delight visible in the goldrider's distracted gaze before she exhales a breath and her eyes fix on K'del's. "Hattie knows. And she doesn't-" approve, presumably, but Ali hesitates at speaking ill of her Weyrwoman. "-she isn't happy. As long as Cadejoth announces himself to Elaruth and Bijedth, though, she- she can't stop you coming." Except she /can/, technically, but that's a whole other matter. Abruptly, in a deliberate attempt to change the topic: "I was thinking, maybe we could go for a walk through your fields- the food'll need some time to cook, and I'm curious to see what you've done since I was last here." K'del's silence lingers for several seconds, his gaze focused on Ali with enough intensity that it's obvious he's not thinking about the suggestion she's attempted to change the topic with. "Not going to do anything to make her - either of them - ban me from Fort, Ali," he tells her, quietly, even as he's releasing one of his arms, using the remaining one to escort her towards the door and out into the sunshine. "I'm sorry, if it makes things awkward for you. Wish she liked me better. Guess I'd better hope I don't run into her." Without pause, he continues, "Think I might actually get a crop, this turn. Maybe not good grapes, but some. It'd be nice. There'll definitely be vegetables, though - they seem to be coming up nicely." That silence probably feels like it stretches longer than it actually is, given the momentary discomfort in Ali's gaze. "Maybe if you talked-" the Fortian woman begins, but even /she/ isn't certain on that score. Leaning into K'del as they walk, she squints against the sunlight for a moment, her other hand lifting to shade her eyes to sight the distant specks of their dragons with a growing smile that lightens her mood immediately. She seems happy for the change in subject, glancing sidelong at K'del with a brimming smile. "I could use them in cooking, if they're not quite good enough to drink this Turn. Plenty of recipes for that. Mother- used to have a cookbook, somewhere, that I could dig up. Have you thought about a name?" A beat, as she looks towards the vineyard, then back, "For the wine?" Given his expression, K'del doubts the usefulness of talking, but he's quick, perhaps too quick, to push such thoughts away and focus instead on the more pleasant topic of his farming exploits. His own hand lifts to shade his eyes; his own eyes lift to glance after their dragons; his smile, too, gets directed towards the goldrider. "Hadn't thought of that," he admits, as he sets out a meandering path through the rows of vines. "Using them to cook, I mean. Or a name for that matter. Got any ideas for me? Names've never been my strong suit, and I suspect 'K'del's wine' is not going to be an especially strong selling point." "Normally they're named over the region, or the family. But Kasadel's wines might have a better ring to it- I mean, what rider can make /wine/?" Ali puts on her best disbelieving-Holder voice, which... all things considered is fairly passable, even if it ends in a laugh. "Or- Eastern Island Wines, but then- you'd give away where you're farming, and you might get invaded. You could throw them off by calling it North Island Wines, instead?" Despite the lightness in her tone there's something heavy in her expression- but she's never been that good at hiding that sort of thing, even though she's trying. K'del laughs, too, and seems to be mouthing the names she offers a few beats after she says them-- but his sidelong glances have made sure he hasn't missed her expression, and that seems to have stilted some of his enjoyment. "Hey," he says, squeezing the arm that's still slung around her waist. "Is it the Hattie stuff? Because... if you want me to talk to her, I'll do it. If it'll make you feel better. Don't want to be her enemy. I'm not... I mean, it's not like I'm her adversary. Not so long as Cadejoth doesn't--" He breaks of from that thought, and lets his words hang, instead. "No, it's not that-" and the denial is hasty enough to likely be true. Ali comes to a stop, abruptly, looking distinctly awkward. Which, really, isn't that out of character for her, for all that. "I have to ask you something." It's his final words that have her on edge, gaze flickering up to his expression for a moment. But, with a squaring of shoulders as if bracing herself, she asks hesitantly, "Are you- is High Reaches looking to take in Boll again?" Evidently, K'del believes she's telling the truth with that denial, because he just looks bewildered, his brows knitting together in consternation-- and that only grows more pronounced when she finally gets to the point. "What?" He'd have to be a very good actor - which is not something he's traditionally known for - for that to be anything but what it seems: utterly confused. "No. No. We haven't spoken to Boll in turns, not unless there's something going on that I don't know about," and he seems to doubt that very much. "Why? What's going on?" Utterly still, it's only with K'del's strong denial that Ali releases a slow breath of relief. "I had to ask." And the fact that she had to is clearly what's making her miserable, given her downcast gaze. "I know you love High Reaches. That you'd do anything for it. I'd- I do the same for Fort. There's-" she glances back up at him, relaxing by measures as her certainty over his denial increases, "-been some dragons spotted there, that haven't answered when asked to identify themselves. I don't know what it means- /if/- it means anything." K'del exhales, though it's rather more like a sigh than a simple release of breath; his expression is abruptly troubled, even if it doesn't seem like he's taking her questioning personally. He even nods, just once, his brows still furrowed in intense consideration. "Haven't answered when asked to identify themselves? That's-- odd. I mean, why would any dragon hide who they were? It's-- I promise, Ali. While I would, genuinely, do almost anything for High Reaches, there's no way I'd countenance doing-- we wouldn't. Won't. Not ever. I'll keep an ear out, though, if I get the chance to get out of High Reaches. Maybe someone else knows something." "I don't know why they wouldn't answer," and Ali's frown is equally troubled. Her gaze is even on his as she says, "I believe you. And- thank you." For answering? For keeping an ear out? Perhaps both. She reaches for his other hand, and her gaze focuses on his palm, giving her distraction enough to ask with an attempt at neutrality, "Cadejoth- he'll chase Hraedhyth, won't he? I've heard rumors already." Let's face it, she's totally jealous, though trying hard to hide it. "It doesn't make sense," begins K'del, in a way that suggests he's still stuck on that, though he's certainly not missed the rest of what she's said, not given the pause that follows those words, or the studying glance that accompanies it. His fingers twine around hers, squeezing gently as he confirms, "He will." And then, blurted out in a way that speaks to some amount of agitation: "Don't even know if I want him to win, anymore, you know? Maybe it's easier if I go back to being Wingsecond and-- and then I'm just another rider, and people can stop looking to me for trouble or inspiration or to fix gold-damned everything, or be perfect or-- or want anything that doesn't fit with what they expect of me. From me." There's a slight tension from Ali at his confirmation of her guess. It's surprise at his words that pulls the Fortian woman's gaze upwards to study his expression, mouth parted, though she doesn't interrupt him. When he's done, she's silent for a few beats. "He'll chase because it's the right thing to do. If you won, you'd be good for the Weyr. You'd give it- stability. I believe- if you win, you were /meant/ to win." Her fingers squeeze his in turn, something both sheepish and wry as she admits with a smile: "Even if I selfishly hope you /don't/." Ali's surety wipes away some of K'del's frustration and uncertainty: he smiles, abruptly warm and somehow pleased. "See how it is. You don't want to share me with High Reaches." His grin is teasing, for all that it fades into thoughtfulness as he continues. "If he wins, I'll be the best Weyrleader I can be for the Weyr I love," he agrees, returning her squeeze once more. "And if he doesn't... then clearly it's meant to be that he and I keep showing up for your flights, instead, and maybe one of these days he'll get lucky. And I'll still do my best for High Reaches, in whatever way that means. At least I'll know, soon. One way or another." "I really don't," Ali agrees, with a helpless little smile at his teasing grin, "But High Reaches was in your life before me, just as Fort was in mine." Her smile doesn't falter, even at his more serious words, perhaps because of the thought that's in her head: "Issy is a /tease/. I really do wish she'd let him win." And the heat that sentiment is clearly one she's expressed many times before, even if it's only been in her head until now. Perhaps that's why she gives him sidelong glance, before murmuring, "We should- check on the chicken. And-" with a slight flush, "-you need to critique the bedroom. Make sure I did a good job cleaning in there." "And we are both slaves to our greater mistresses." K'del could be more dramatic about it, but it would be pushing things - and anyway, there's far too much to be pleased about, in what she says. "Clearly, the problem is that he hasn't been seeing enough of her. And equally clearly you'd better accompany me to the bedroom so I can point out all the bits you missed, because I am, after all, much more practiced at such thi--" No, he can't finish that, it's just too silly. But the appreciative glance, and the way he turns their path around so that he can head for the indoors? That's less silly. Bedroom 'cleanliness' is important. "More practiced at cleaning than /me/?" Even Ali doesn't buy that, judging by her incredulous tone, although she's laughing as she says it. She's more than happy to be lead indoors, and if the food burns a little during their inspection of the bedroom, well- there's always bread, cheese and wine as backup. |
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