Logs:Gnat's Ability
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| RL Date: 9 May, 2011 |
| Who: V'teri, E'dre |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: V'teri fries up some bacon and gets to know E'dre. |
| Where: Kitchens, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 17, Month 9, Turn 25 (Interval 10) |
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| It is an autumn morning, 9:45 of day 17, month 9, turn 25 of Interval 10. In an Interval, sometimes, some wings get more days off than they should. Like Equinox. Typically a mid-flight wing comprised of a good balance of the heavy dragons and the speedy ones, today is just one of those days when there is no need for such balance in any of the tasks required of the Weyr and its wings. So it leaves people like a still-recuperating V'teri with a lot of free time on his hands. So what's a former pig farmer's heir to do? He goes home and picks up pig parts and brings it to High Reaches. He goes into the kitchen and harasses the kitchen staff into letting him have a small corner to work in. He starts chopping and sauteeing things and creating an all too delectable bacon smell in the kitchens. Yes, that's what bored bronzeriders who can't do -much- else do at 10 in the morning. "What's that smell?" E'dre's voice proceeds him as he manuevers through the kitchen and heads right towards that smell. Sniff. "/Bacon/," the brownrider answers his own question, having settled at V'teri's elbow to peer at his work. A finger inches towards a pan to snag a bite. "Shouldn't you be out doing something other than cooking?" E'dre asks, though as he is dressed plainly and not equally doing 'work' it's rather funny thing to ask. "Right back atcha," replies V'teri, without even glancing up, though when he does, a grin splits his face as he catches sight of a knot. "Day off. Been getting a lot of those lately after the whole-" Well, he won't explain it all, but he does point to his abdomen with a few choice words tagged along, "Injury. Want some? Fresh from the farm." From the pan he's working on, he uses abestos fingers to pluck a few strips off and dangle them towards E'dre. "My uncle cured it and I snuck home and pilfered some." E'dre doesn't even hesitate, he just reaches up and plucks the dangled strip to plop into his mouth. He makes the appropriate 'mmm'syum's' sounds before he searches out a towel to wipe his fingers on. He doesn't mess his clothes with grease! He eyes the motioned injury and furrows his brows, "Huh. How'd that happen again?" He asks as he wanders towards a klah pot to pour himself a cup. "Want any?" he calls over to the bronzer, lifting a cup in question. "And I like your connections, man. Food is always a good thing to have around. All I could pilfer if I went home is moldy bread and withered turnips." "Oh. I ticked off a pretty girl, and she let me know it too," says the bronzerider with a carelessness that belies the injuries he's about to explain, "Sprained something in my back and was in the infirmary for a little while." Over bacon is as good a time as any to introduce himself with a, "V'teri, by the way. From down Monaco-way, but my family's from the Reaches area. And no thanks. Got my own here," by the little corner of kitchen stoves he's taken over, there's a mug already sitting, though significantly cooled if the lack of steam is any indication. "Yea? Withered turnips aren't so bad in pig stews." E'dre lifts a brow at the story, but that's the only comment that is given on the subject. He adds some cream and sugar to his klah before he meanders back. He snatches up a chair from a corner, turns it around, and straddles it. He adds a few puffs of air over the klah before he sips. "I'm E'dre, formerly of Igen, formely of Boll - been here for too many turns to notice the weather. Well," he adds, grinning, "/almost/." He shakes his head, "No, my sister probably curses her crops. And pig stew? Most pig I've ever eaten is bacon. I'll leave it at that, I think." And to stay polite, he continues, "Not that I'm oppossed to trying." "Really? No chops in a really nice mustard sauce? No roast where it's been all slathered up in sweetener and put on a spit for ages?" V'teri seems appalled. "We'll have to fix that up some time. But for today, bacon's a good start." Finishing up his frying and plating, the bronzerider makes his way from the stove to the island where E'dre's claimed a seat. The plate is placed between the two and the man starts in on his breakfast-lunch type deal of bacon and more bacon. "You're from almost as many places as I am. Started at a pig farm in the Reaches. Got Searched at Telgar. Got Searched to Monaco. And now back here. What'd you do before?" The lukewarm klah mug gestures to the knot on E'dre's shoulder. "That happened, y'know?" "Yeah, though most of my moves were self-imposed and not Search related. I landed a post here as a tailor, then was Searched. Unfortunately," E'dre adds, sipping his klah and looking down at his knot with a lopsided grin. "I was just born to a cotholder, hopped a trader caravan to Igen - learned the craft, though informaly - got tired of Holder life and came here on a whim. And I've stayed." He sips his klah, reaches for a piece of bacon to nibble. "Why come back to the cold? Family here or something?" "Sounds exciting," remarks the man in fascination. "I can't imagine moving much at all because you want to. Da always said I had a lazy no-good streak in me." V'teri shares this insight of his father with just a little bit of chagrin. "Guess, compared to my siblings, I was kind of a disappointment. But someone had to stay home to take care of the pigs, right?" The young man looks briefly for confirmation but then plows on ahead with, "Da. He died. Decided to come back to be closer even though with a dragon, you can be close from just about anywhere on Pern. Makes my ma feel better anyway and I was the only one of us kids that could come closer." Forever underachieving. E'dre nods his head in understanding, "Of course - the pigs need taking care of -," though from the expression on his face he's a little uncertain about what that means. "I don't understand the disappointment, I mean, what parent doesn't just gush with pride when their son is a bronzerider? You come home for a visit with a brown, especially one as ugly and nasty as Wroth, and your family treats you like you're poison. Well," he adds, smirking around the cup of klah, "that and a greenrider for a lover, and you're pretty much not wanted back." He shrugs, reaches for more bacon, adding, "Never can please them, honestly, don't you think? I hear it gets easier if you start your own little family. Kids really idolize you, and all." V'teri can't quite help the bug-eye at what E'dre shares. "Seriously? Well, da was proud after I Impressed saying I finally made something of myself, but to be honest," he ducks his head and has the grace to look a little embarrassed, "I think Riuscyth only saw me cause It ripped over another candidate and he had to stop for me or trample me over. I guess he could've trampled me over," the bronzerider adds, musing and then shrugs. "Oh well, guess I'll neverk now. I can't imagine a family that would treat a dragonrider like poison. Especially after-," well, y'know, says that circularly moving mug of his. "The comet and the random Fall and all. Taught my family a thing or two about certainty in this world, that's for sure." "Gotta admit, you're probably pretty damn happy he didn't trample you," E'dre answers, setting his klah down. He crosses his arms on the back of the chair and props his chin on them. "'course plenty of people don't get it, though. It's been too many Turns for me to really understand it, but, at the same time we're different after. No matter for what reason." A one-shoulder shrug is offered. "And yeah, that'll do that. Remind them of our purpose, anyway." He straightens, tosses his fingers through his hair, eyes V'teri. "So. Family drama aside, you quite glad in being at Reaches?" V'teri reaches for another slice, using it as a pointer as he speaks, "It's not bad. Nothing like Monaco," he concedes, "But not bad. I miss the warmth a little, but the summers here have always been nice." The waved bacon finds a home in his mouth, one bite leading to two, and then the rest being popped in. Chewing, he notes, "Been trying to convince my wingleader that my treasure hunting expedition isn't all malarkey and there might be something worthwhile in the end." While E'dre eyes V'teri, the bronzerider isn't staring off idly into space as a sidelong appraisal while he sips from his mug looks the brownrider up and down. E'dre can't help but grin, "Treasure, huh? How come you aren't out there right now looking for something?" The appraisal doesn't go unnoticed, and if the brownrider's shoulders straighten a little he might just be trying to impress V'teri. "We could pack a lunch and have the dragons take us out there. Y'know. Always need extra hands and eyes when hunting treasure." Grin. "And maybe we can title it under 'voluntary sweeps' to please your wingleader. I come up with all sorts of excuses and for the most part, never get questioned." "The ride's too far for me still. It's way out west and we gotta dodge islands where known criminals have been stranded." The latter of his statements fishes out a wry smile on V'teri's face. "Healers and wingleader alike have told me no, so looking for a few people who might be willing to look out in the beyond and tell me if my maps show anything or if I need to replot it from all the little pieces I know." A bacon-oiled finger taps against his forehead. "It's all in here now mostly. All sorts of little clues that might mean nothing to a person." He could sound like a crazy person if he weren't so earnest. E'dre reaches into his pocket and produces a hanky, which he passes over to V'teri with a mimed motion of the grease on his forehead with his other hand. "Um, yeah, okay! Hopefully the criminals don't get it." He doesn't sound all that sure. "Well, then, if we can't do that... we, could, uh... sit here and munch bacon and continue our discussion of our life." He nods, reaching for his klah to finish off. "Unless you have another suggestion?" "You could help me out? Gather up some people you might trust? Read the maps? Look?" V'teri ventures. There's a blink and then a paused tilt of his head at E'dre's mime and baffled, he reaches up to do the same but with the palm of his hand. He doesn't quite get it, the oil not being enough of a problem for him to bother, but he does flash a very confused smile? "Must've had some dirt there or something when I was digging around in the curin' house." E'dre forces a smile, "Uh, yeah." When he takes his hanky back he leaves it on the table. "I don't have many people here at the Weyr that fall into that 'trust' category and my good friend at Fort is pregnant, so. You're kind of talking to the wrong person for something like that." He shrugs, brushing at his hair again. "I'm not the friendly sort, you see." Arms once more fold on the chair and he looks around the kitchen, before leaning in to drop his voice so that they aren't overheard. "However, I /do/ know how to work on my own." It's only a split-second where V'teri looks crestfallen, but it's coupled with the tiniest little sigh. Only faintly disappointed, the young man eases back onto his heel and then forward again so his boot tips clop on the stone ground. "You seem pretty friendly to me, but if you have a lady friend who is pregnant and you feel this isn't for you..." The tenor trails off, hopeful, but not really so as he quickly shakes his head. "Still, I like you 'nough, but da did say I had about a gnat's ability to size up people on top of everything else." Really, what an emotionally abusive dad! "How do you like High Reaches?" Time to change topics! "Kid's not mine," E'dre replies, to clear up any possible confusion. "Though, guess it could've been. Wroth likes her green, but she's weyrmated." The joys of complicated rider relationships. He stands up, heading over to collect the pot of klah. He returns, fills up his mug, and doesn't bother to ask V'teri before he's topping off the bronzerider's mug as well. He resettles himself with a laugh, "Right, right. Total ass here, you see? I already have you questioning my friendliness." He's still chuckling as he takes a tentative sip of the klah. "I'm thinking of moving to Fort, actually." Bronzerider though he might be, he's still a relative baby when it comes to being a rider and more importantly, a Weyr resident and the holdbred signs still surface every now and again as V'teri attempts to parse through E'dre's quite complicated situation. It's almost cute how visibly he thinks, with those narrowed eyes and wrinkled brow. "Ok, so to get it straight. Your friend's pregnant with her weyrmate's baby, but it could be yours, but most likely isn't and... hooooo," a deep exhale sounds. He muddles through all this while E'dre refills his klah which breaks his reverie with mapping out all these relationships, startled. "Oh! Thanks! Oh. I see. To be closer to...? Friends? Your da didn't pass away too, did he?" The last, a very poor attempt at a joke, complete with the weak jocular vocal timbre attached. "No, I didn't mean literally that the kid could be mine. More, figuratively. We haven't slept together since Wroth caught her green, so yeah - I think that was like, a turn ago?" E'dre isn't really doing much to clear up any confusion, here. "And to be closer to her, I guess. Most of my relationships around here have fallen flat. Time for a change, you know. Maybe get out of the constant cold. Stop drinking as much." He might be rambling here, but when the last question is fielded his way he's choking on his klah as he laughs. "No! Only family I've got is a sister in Boll and we aren't on good terms." Oh, poor confused pig farmer holder boy. E'dre's further explanation only serves to confuse V'teri all the bit more. Pretty in the face doesn't equate to smart in the head, especially in this case apparently. So he doesn't even try anymore, latching onto other topics and nodding sagely. The plate of bacon dwindles, though not by just V'teri's hand anymore as kitchen girls and boys sneak over and filch from under the rider's noses. He's just about to sip from his own refilled mug when E'dre chokes and alarm lifts those lashes up to spy out the brownrider. "That wasn't a very good joke, was it?" He manages a grin though. "I agree though, sometimes, it's just about time to move on and maybe at Fort, people won't think you're an ass. New reputation to make and all." "Maybe they'll like my ass more there," E'dre adds slyly, snickering some more over his own wit as he finishes off his second cup of klah between fighting for bacon as the supply dwindles. "You going to make more?" he queries, eying the now empty plate. "Maybe we should move out of the kitchens and go find something else to do." He glances towards the door, adding, "You could show me those maps." "I think," V'teri purses his lips, "I should finish off this batch and head to the infirmary." He looks apologetic for his decision, "Still have to get shots for the pain now and again if I'm standing or active for too long. Maybe we can talk again sometime? You can look over my map work and see if any of it makes sense?" "Sure, sure," E'dre replies as he rises, leaving his mess on the table. "Just have your bronze flag Wroth and we'll go from there." He tips his head at V'teri and gives him a flippant salute with a grin. "See you around then." And he's out the door. |
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