By the pool there are gifts
Who: Aeyne, Javeri, P'draig, Suizen
Where: Waterfall Pool
When: Late afternoon/early evening day 15, month 9
What: Javeri's at the waterfall pool when Suizen finds her with a gift. Paddy and Aeyne are on a weyr tour and join them. After Aeyne leaves Paddy sticks around and obliges the potters with beer and shirtlessness. After Suizen leaves Javeri has a much nicer talk with the assistant weyrlingmaster then she had with the one earlier in the day. An understanding between them is reached.
The evening has come and with it release from lessons and anything else that sucks the life out of a weyrling. Chadamalith lies still on his ledge staring at the coming night and that means Javeri is free to do as she will. Rather than the beach tonight she's come to the pool to relax. Floating in the water in a pair of shorts and rather modest bikini top her hair is hidden in the water weighted down by the beads.
Suizen makes her way down the cliffside stairs, rather muddy and worn from the day's work. A bag is filled with towels and other odds and ends, as she makes her way towards the pool. "Javeri! I wasn't thinkin' to be seein' you down here. Paddy an' the others wear you out? Or are y'hidin'?" she asks, with a bit of a grin.
Head goes up and body goes down and there's no choking or splashing in the whole process. Javeri grins when she sees Suizen and waves. "Hey! Suizen! It's been forever!" A laugh comes out as she shakes her head. "Not worn out. Not yet. Just wanted to think and there's too many distractions at the beach. Always someone to look at you know? Figured there'd be fewer up here. How have you been?"
"That pesky little rule givin' you problem?" she teases the ex-potter, before lifting a shoulder. "I'm doin' well enough. Actually, I'm rather glad to be seein' you. Got somethin' for you, well, once you're done with the washin' an' the like," she admits, putting down the bag and doffing off most of the clothing, leaving a bare minimiun for daytime soaking.
A slightly damp Paddy appears from behind the waterfall with an unfamiliar and very pretty blonde. "So that's how you get down from the Weyr to the pool below the Falls, have a look up," he notes and looks that way himself.
"Only rule is not to get drunk," Javeri says with a quiet laugh as she moves closer to the edge of the pool. "Already washed up in the baths. This is just for relaxing. Something for me? Really? That's so great! Paddy got me a great weyr warming gift. A truly good bottle of rum. You should come up and visit sometime and have a drink." Suizen's just arrived for an early evening/late afternoon soak and has set her things down. Javeri's got wet hair and a pair of shorts with a bikini top on as she floats in the water near the edge. "Although sometimes the not being drunk rule is a pain. Especially since I don't think Chadamalith would care." And she's not noticed new arrivals yet so just waits for Suizen to give her something.
Aeyne releases her hold on her ear as they come away from the deafening roar of the waterfall and turns her head to look up the way he does. "Impressive," she comments.
"Not sure I should be givin' you this quite yet; especially given all the water an' such. You'll just have to be waitin'..." Sooz teases, in shorts and a loose shirt herself, feet going into the pool as she sits on the rim. The sound of voices has her looking up and over, a grin appearing. "Speak of the trouble, an' who shall be appearin'..." she mutters to Javeri.
"There's another pool up top," Paddy explains further, "with a really pretty garden. They're both nice spots to swim in if you're sick of salt water," he smiles down at the blonde and starts to walk around the pool's edge. It's Javeri he spots first and it might be /entirely/ possible that his gaze lingers just a /little/ more than it ought on the weyrling's floating shape. Throat cleared and he beams a smile over towards the two potters. "Veri! Sooz! Hey, this Aeyne, she's new around here. Aeyne, come meet Javeri, blue Chadamalith's and Suizen, one of the Weyr's potters. Javeri was a potter too before she Impressed and she still makes nice beads."
"That's awful mean," Javeri says as she climbs out of the water to sit on the pool's edge herself. This allows her to kick her feet into the water like a child might despite her age. At Sooz's words she looks around until she spies Paddy and someone unknown. Her look to the assistant weyrlingmaster is quite proper thank you very much. She does lift her legs out of the water and stretch them out all the way before letting them drop back into the water and resume their quiet splashing. "And hello, Aeyne," she gets out before the blonde makes her farewell. "Trust Paddy to be showing someone pretty around," she remarks to Suizen with a wink and a quiet laugh.
As Aeyne heads off down towards the beach, P'draig waves. "Another time then," he says agreeably and cuts a path over towards Javeri and Sooz and drops down to sit nearby. "Nice kid," he notes of the vanishing blonde. "A little giggly. Reminds me of Neraset a bit, except you know, nicer," he notes with a little chuckle and aims to bump his knee lightly against Javeri's. "What're you two up to?"
Suizen lifts a hand to Aeyne, and grins at Paddy, "What.. no ale?" she teases the brownrider, before shaking her head. "Thought it was as gooda time as any to be startin' to hand out those.. things... from a while ago. Still haven't handed any out; still can't, what with all the water an' all.." she explains... sort of... to the man.
"Wait, he knows too?" Javeri looks from Suizen to Paddy and pouts. "That's so not fair. If you got something for me I want to know." The pout doesn't last because she grins at the brownrider when he bumps his knee against hers. "Giggling, eww," she then says to them both. "I don't much like giggling people. But nicer than Neraset is a bonus. I was just out here relaxing. Beach is too distracting to really relax."
"Not right this second," the brownrider quips with a wink over at Sooz. "I was in Stores looking for extra strap needles to replenish supplies in the Barracks and happaned upon Aeyne. She was lost and had spinnerwebs in her hair, poor kid." He listens closely to the next bit from the potter and then shakes his head. "Sorry, I don't follow ... and wait, know what?" Poor lost, confused brownrider. "Too distracting?"
"It is all part of an evil plan, I'm thinkin'; confusion an' secrets all about..." Sooz adds, before shaking her head, with a bit of a nose-wrinkle. "I hate it when 'webs get in my hair. Imagine the spinners crawlin' about until I can have a good washin'.."
"Braids," Javeri says with a bright grin. "Makes things easier when it comes to hair." Giving her head a shake with a laugh she lifts a hand to tug one of her braids. "Nothing to worry about crawly things in here." Looking at Paddy she winks as she says, "Well, you're not a potter. You have to expect some confusion when around us. But speaking of pottery and the like I am nearly done with what you wanted. Should have it all set next seven. Provided our next round of lessons doesn't go horribly wrong." There's a slight shudder before she moves on. "Distracting. I wanted to get some quiet time and at the beach there's always someone without a shirt on."
"And they look cute on you," P'draig compliments the weyrling, reaching over to tweak one of said braids. "Okay, so it's potter stuff. I won't ask more, there's no way I could possibly undertand," the brownrider says with a laugh. A teasing tug is given to his shirt front. "And I am not to blame for that today." His expression sobers a little though. "Are you worried about the next round of lessons?"
Suizen scoots a bit out of the pool, just enough to snag her bag with towel and such in it, rustling about while she listens to the conversation between to the riders.
When there's movement towards the bag that might have something in it for her there's some watching by Javeri. But since it's all rustling she lets it go and returns her attention to her feet in the pool. A laugh escapes when her braid is tweaked and she aims a splash towards P'draig with one bare foot. "Well, yea," she admits with a shrug. "A little. Not much. It's nothing. How was your day other than rescuing blondes from fearful spinners?"
P'draig's head turns, tracking Sooz to the bag and he shoots another quizzical look Javeri's way. "Not too bad. Have to go on duty in not too long. That one class to end the day with," Paddy notes with a grin for the weyrling and splashes back lightly.
Suizen eventually pulls out a small wrapped package, cloth of course, and places that in her lap. "Hey, Javi; heads' up.." she calls out, before tossing her towel the weyrling way. "Not about to be lettin' you do open your prezzie with wet hands..."
Javeri's nose wrinkles up at the mention of class and duty. Clearly she's just as happy to not think of any of it. Thankfully there's a distraction in the form of something being tossed at her. Grabbing the towel she uses it to carefully dry her hands all over. "All dry, mom," she says with a laugh and a wink. "Now can I have it?" Both hands get held up. "See? Dry?" They get shoved towards P'draig as well so he can verify what she's said.
Towel incoming and P'draig laughs again at the byplay between the two potter. "Present huh? Is it your turnday?" he asks Javeri, but then he's taking her hands to 'inspect' them, eyes dancing with good humor. "Very dry and all set for whatever our good friend Sooz has for you," the brownrider says laughingly, looks back over Sooz' way. "Almost wish I had brought beer down with me."
"Flattery will get you, dear brownrider..." Sooz teases back with a grin, before regarding the offered hands carefully. Finally, a nod is given to the weyrling, and the package is handed over.
"Not my turnday," Javeri says with a shake of her head. "That's not til next month. I will be ancient and 23 then. I have to wring the last of my life out in a little over a month." Just to prove she's doing that she kicks her heels against the water and watches it splash around. "Never too late to run fetch beer for the pretty ladies," she points out before she gets her present and is all about unwrapping it. "Oh! That's lovely!" she says as she unwraps the package and examines what is inside to the slightest detail. "Thank you, Sooz! It's great. Really."
"It will? What?" P'draig asks of Suizen, smile wide. "Next month? I'll remember," Paddy promises, "you'll be the mirror image of my age then." His grin slides wry about that beer. "Is that a request?" he teases Javeri and starts to push to his feet, but pauses long enough to peer at the gift in the weyrling's hands. "Hey, nice work, Sooz."
"Got permission from Fayre to use a corner of the Sands durin' our Candidacy; was just waitin' for a good time to hand some of 'em out. A little firelizard chirped that you all are gettin' close to the end of things; figured it is as good as any of a time to be handin' 'em out." The package seems to be ten or so big-holed beads, suitable for cordage or braids, covered in the sand from the Hatching Ground, then lightly glazed and kiln-baked. The fact it took her well over a turn to give them out just... says something about her urgency on the matter. At the revelation of Javi's age, the potter grins. "You are too kind, oh ancient one...ones, that is..." Paddy just gets a grin.
"Ooooold age is hitting me," Javeri says with a chuckle as she continues to examine her present. "This is really great. I mean it. One of the most thoughtful gifts of all time." Carefully she refolds the cloth so she can set the package behind her and out of the way of any water that gets splashed. Up comes her legs out of the water to stretch them again before they settle back down. "Its a tough call," she tells Paddy as he stands. "Your company or your beer. But since if we can be patient we'll get both then patience can be rewarded and so sure. Why not request?"
"Nice going," P'draig compliments Suizen on getting that corner of Sands. "I remember you talking about it, didn't know you'd actually gotten it done." He snorts at 'ancient ones' though. "Uh huh. Next thing you know, she'll have a cane and I'll have false teeth," he quips with a wink for Javeri. And he's up, laughing again and nods. "Me and beer, coming right up." He tosses off a little salute to the ladies and pads on down to the beach and the Sandbar beyond. He's not gone long, less than a quarter of an hour and returns with three bottles of beer.
By the time the ancient one has returned, Sooz is actually *in* the water, towel refolded and in easy reach. "Hail the returnin' rider - hey, do we adore him only for his beer?" Sooz stage-whisper asks of Javi.
"I always wanted a cane," Javeri teases and even offers a wave as the brave brownrider goes off to fetch beer! While he's gone she remains where she's at and occasionally kicks at the water or flicks water from one of her braids. For her question Suizen gets a wink. "I don't know. When his shirt is on or off?" she asks back with a quiet laugh.
"Thank you," P'draig answers Suizen and smirks at the tease. "You tell me," banters back and hunkers down to set the bottles down next to each other in a row. "Yeah? A cane? Gives me ideas for that turnday you have coming up," he tells Javeri and grins lopsidedly, pops the tops off the bottles and passes one to the weyrling, sets the other near the pool's edge, topless, then hovers fingers over buttons and waggles his brows a little. "That a request too?"
Suizen reaches for the other topless bottle, and grins. "I'm leavin' that one up to the lass neck-deep in lessons at the moment."
"Well, gosh, if you're accepting requests," Javeri drawls before picking up her beer to take a slow drink. Tilting her head to look at P'draig she waggles her bottle. "I see the sailors to do this all the time to women. Come on, baby. Show us what you go." It's all she can do not to laugh as she speaks and when she tries to take a drink she nearly spits it out so sets the bottle back down so as not to waste it. "Nothing wrong with looking," she tells Suizen with a wide grin. "Can't get in trouble for that."
"I live to please," P'draig quips back, eyes dancing with merriment as he makes a little show out of unbuttoning his shirt, even flaps the tails teasingly, then dramatically drops just the sleeves off over his shoulders, winks at Javeri and next thing you know, he's twirling the garment around on his fingers like he might toss it her way. "Good enough?" he questions next, deadpan and grins Sooz' way too.
Suizen has a brief coughing fit, before she sputters, and asks Javeri, "Aren't you supposed to be whistlin' an' the like at him too?" she asks, trying to not laugh too much.
If he's going to make a show of it then Javeri will enjoy it all with a bright smile. "Oops. Sorry." She whistles appreciatively and then says, "Oh, baby, yes. That's the way." Then she applauds and whistles once more. "Good enough though, yes. Wouldn't want to damage your dignity or station by asking more than what you've given already." Now she picks up her beer and takes a long pull.
The shirt-twirling stops and Paddy sets the light blue cotton down in the grass, sits on the pool's edge again, and flips off his sandals to drop his feet into the water, mock-bows from the waist. "Thank you, thank you very much, I'll be here all seven." One hand curls around his beer, lifts it to his mouth, the other drops back behind the brownrider to hold up his weight. "No whistling from you though, Sooz?" he teases the potter.
Suizen does laugh at that point, "Only if you're wantin' a wet bit of air, or burst ears - never a happy medium between the two."
"It was sort of lacking in noise with just one person. But so long as his ego was fine, I suppose it can be forgiven this time, Sooz," Javeri teases the potter with a grin. She takes another drink of her beer before setting it aside and stretching out on her back with her knees bent so her feet can continue to rest in the water. "Your ego was fine, yes?"
"Nothing in between, huh?" P'draig asks Suizen curiously. "How come? Just no practice?" And he tilts his head Javeri's way, dropping his shoulder a little the better to see her as she stretches out. "Just peachy. Thankfully my self-esteem doesn't rely on whether or not lovely young ladies whistle at me shirtless."
"Probably; not really all that many occasions when a good whistle has been needed. Probably a personal lack, or at least a disappointment. Clearly, I need to hang out among more sailors.
Sooz says that. Honest.
"Sailors are good for learning to whistle," Javeri agrees as she folds her arms behind her head to use as a pillow. "Now see? I feel like my whistle was not necessary and that hurts," she teases before saying, "There's nothing worse than a man whose ego relies on someone else. Or a woman too I suppose. I clearly need to introduce you to my friends, Sooz. They're good for free drinks /and/ teaching important life skills like whistling properly at a shirtless man."
"Oh I dunno, a good whistle, very useful for getting weyrlings' attention when they're all caught up in dragon chatter or the like," P'draig tells the potter in the water and curls his beer up to his lips, takes a long pull. "My ego relies on neither of those options," Paddy says simply. "Though it's always nice to know that I'm appreciated. And I know it's sincere coming from you, so there you go. Thank you," the brownrider says sincerely himself, smiles warmly over at the weyrling.
Suizen grins at the weyrlingmaster. "Well, I'm not one for havin' to do that - nanny duty was bein' bad enough. But you did that very nice, an' Veri.. we'll see. Until I met Paddy here, I wasn't all that for the drinks, free or other."
"Well, I'm not a drunk or anything," Javeri says to Suizen with a little kick of water towards her. "But it's nice when you go out and everyone else is drinking to have a drink or two as well. And it can help you stand odious company better too. There's plenty of people I feel the need to drink around just to be around them. Anyway sailors are fun. They have great stories. But more for me if you don't want to!" Those poor sailors! Turning her head she winks at P'draig before going back to looking at the sky. "Well, I am always sincere. Especially to a person that might find all sorts of horrid ways to get me doing horrid things. Abuse of power!" She clearly doesn't mean it and can't even keep a quiet chuckle from escaping as she finishes up.
"Won't ask, don't worry," P'draig tells Suizen and smirks. "Yeah, I got her hooked on good beer." Paddy listens to Javeri, smile still intact and has another pull from his bottle. "Uh huh. Horrid things, that's it." Teasing back.
Suizen snorts ahead, before taking a pull off the bottle. "You're just askin' for trouble, aren't you, Ver? An' that's sometime I usually try to be avoidin'. Worry makes me grumpy."
"I'm not a huge beer fan," Javeri admits although she's quick to add, "But this is good. And, well, since I'm supposed to not drink much anyway it works fine. But I like fruity drinks. Girly drinks." She grins at the admission and then sits up so she can take a drink from her beer again. See? She likes it. Can't have it. "I don't ask for trouble though," she tells Suizen seriously. "I don't like trouble. Which is why I only tease people it's safe to tease."
"Yeah, Sooz wasn't much for beer either, but this stuff is like ... an exception for lots of non-beer drinkers it seems," Paddy says with a little rolling shrug of bare shoulders. "I'll try almost anything once," he notes about drinks, looks between the two young women. "Is she really Sooz? Mostly sounds like just a little bit of harmless --" Javeri's claim makes him laugh outright, head cast back. "Well see, and what if you only /think/ someone's safe to tease?" The good humor persists on his face, but there's something serious in mild gray-blue eyes.
"Fruity drinks are always bein' a plus," Suizen agrees, before lifting her shoulders in a shrug at Paddy, "I'm thinkin' that'sone of those things you're havin' to find out for yourself - an' speakin' of that, I think I'm goin' to be findin' out for myself what's for dinner. Been a long time since lunch, an' this.." She waggles the bottle a little bit, "..would probably sit better on some food."
"Well, I am only making an exception for beer until I can return to former ways. I like sweet drinks." Javeri still finishes her beer because it's free booze and who turns that down? "Oh, well, thanks so much for the gift, Suizen. It's really great. I'm going to save them for something special. Maybe do something for my walls." Tapping a finger against her lower lip she gives a somewhat distracted wave to Sooz and doesn't even answer Paddy's question. Maybe she didn't hear? Maybe she's just ignoring it.
"Shoot, is that late already?" P'draig eyes the sky and takes another swig from his beer and cocks his head as if listening. "Oh. Huh. B'ryce's green is saying they want to handle the session this evening," the brownrider shrugs once. "Fine by me," he murmurs and relaxes agai, looks between the pair of potters again. "Will Chadamalith ... deal with that all right?" Paddy asks Javeri softly as she mentions her walls. His bottle is lifted in salute to Suizen though. "Enjoy dinner, and finding out what's /for/ dinner. Nice talking to you, Sooz." He doesn't press on that earlier question, just drinks again, foot swirling through the water.
"See ya later, you two; don't do anyth...hm. Have fun!" Up and out of the pool, bag is grabbed, and off she goes, leaving a trail of wet behind her.
"Ohh. You get the night off. Lucky." Javeri finishes her beer and sets the bottle aside so she can leans back on her hands and tip her head up to the sky once more. As for Chadamalith and the walls there's a shrug. "I don't know. It's on the wall not on the floor. And he can just deal with it anyway. I mean if I don't have a table then I don't see why I cannot decorate the walls. Not, like, a mural, but something else. I don't know yet." Tilting her head over so she can look at P'draig she grins. "You don't have to sit here with me, you know. I mean surprise night off. I know there's people who'd love to see you when they thought they might not get to."
"I think B'ryce might retire after this cycle, seems like he's kind of trying to get a last hurrah in," P'draig murmurs thoughtfully. "He's almost eighty you know. I'd argue with him but he seems to have so much fun doing the lessons. I'll probably swing by and check on him in a few minutes when I go back up." He nods about Chadamalith. "Good, yeah, draw that line for him if he gives you any guff," Paddy encourages, dropping back into weyrlingmaster from 'teasing-shirtless-flirt' mode. Her remark draws his gaze her way though, beer bottle half raised to his mouth. "Maybe you're on my list of people I'd like to spend a little bit of my free time with, eh?" He smiles at her widely, takes that sip of beer. "But yeah, I'll head up in a little, head over to Telgar and have dinner with my brother, Vrys and Jaivery."
"Oh, wow. Well, sure. I imagine retirement might not be a bad thing. I cannot imagine dealing with so many weyrlings. It's a wonder he's not insane." Like some, but Javeri's not the sort to mention names or anything at all like that. "But, sure if he's having a good time then let him, right?" Chewing on her lip she nods tentatively. "Well, I'm going to try. I think we can make it work out. Besides the walls are kind of boring and if I'm going to make other places look nice there's no reason my place can't." Now her head twists so she can grin at him. "Well, sure. But I meant people you don't have to fall into assistant weyrlingmaster mode." And because it might seem like she's trying to get rid of him there's a rather sincere, if hurried, "But I am not trying to get rid of you because I like spending time with you. I do. I mean I'm not, well. There you go."
"Yeah, if anyone deserves the peace and serenity of retirement, it's B'ryce," P'draig says with a little grin, shakes his head and his next mouth of beer gets choked down sideways as she mentions those walls being boring. Thankfully, he doesn't /say/ anything, just looks up at the sky and smiles. "I know," he says mildly. "Happens a lot though, me falling into weyrlingmaster mode, even with people who aren't weyrlings. Mic teases me about it a lot. I was Weyrlingmaster at Fort for so long, it's just ..." he gestures one-handed, "automatic I guess." His head bobs though for all those claims about not wanting to get rid of him. "Good. Because see that might bruise my ego a little, or at least my feelings," Paddy teases her, eyes dancing again.
Thank goodness there is no reply because otherwise her weyr would smell like redwort for the next month as Javeri tried to scrub what happened clean off them. Luckily she doesn't have to worry about it. "Oh, well, I just don't want to ruin your time away from work by making you have to work is all," she explains with a smile. The last thing she wants to do is make life difficult. Intentionally at least. "Oh, well, nothing to worry about," is what the former potter says next as her eyes sparkle just a little. "I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings. Especially when you've been so obliging and given me something nice to look at this evening. Oh, and beer." Dark eyes dip down just a moment to admire the lack of a shirt.
"Nah, I'm good. Good beer. Good company. Nice day." P'draig tips his head back to look up at the sky as the sunlight starts to dwindle a little, heading on down towards dusk. His gaze drops though to find hers again, smile still in place. "Look all you want," he says lightly. "I'll pay you back though, by taking in the very nice view of your legs." He winks then, slides what's likely the before-last mouthful of beer down his throat.
"Well, it does seem fair," Javeri tells him with a laugh and a wink. "Free rein to look at my legs and when you don't have a shirt on I can admire the best view of the day." Her smile widens as she lifts her legs from the water and wiggles her toes. Fair's fair and possibly they've been in the water long enough. Scooting back away from the pool her ankles rest on the edge of it now. "And I won't even drool or trip in a patently accidental way to try to grab you." Not that she's likely seen Neraset and others of her ilk do that around other men. "Spent too much time around sailors," she teases in a lowered voice. "Always best to just grab with no prevarication I say." Not that she looks likely to do any such thing.
P'draig's mouth quirks up at the side and as Javeri moves, his gaze does slide down the length of one leg and back up again to her face. "And would you, given the chance?" he asks next, maybe still teasing, maybe halfway to serious. "Grab, I mean. Or at least ... reach." The bottle goes up, the last of that beer goes down and with more care than is necessary for putting it down, he places the bottle very precisely on one of the flat stones, then looks back up at her, both hands coming to rest a little ways behind him in a comfortable lean.
That might be a slight blush underneath the tan that's darkened Javeri's skin since she was a child. If it is she doesn't let it stop her from trying to pretend like she's not doing anything of the sort. Instead she smiles slowly and lets her gaze drift away by way of checking him out once more. A good excuse to not be looking at him. "Reaching is sort of a more polite form of grabbing I always thought. It's sort of the same thing." It's not an answer to his question that's for darn sure. "I'm not really a grabber or a reacher though. I always worry it'll offend and I'd rather not offend. Best to keep one hands to oneself I was always told."
"Mm. Much more polite than just copping a feel," P'draig agrees, hand shifting to trace a circle on the stones with one beer-bottle-damp fingertip. "What about if you were invited to, though?" he asks all too casually. "Which would kind of you know, let you know there'd be no offense taken, and hopefully none given if, you know, there was some reaching your way too." Paddy's hand stills, lifts slowly towards her foot, meaning to give it a chaste, little shaking squeeze.
"Well, then that's different I think," Javeri says as she stares out over the pool. "I mean if there's permission it's not really grabbing I think. I mean it can be and all, but it's really not. Because it's polite, yes?" Politeness might not quite fit into things with some people, but being polite is important because otherwise you might offend someone. "I am not against reaching or touching and so on. I just dislike not knowing how it will be received. It's just not... I just prefer knowing how it will be received. That's all." Her foot is right there for a little squeeze and for it her toes wiggle.
"Exactly," P'draig agrees and grins again, reaching with thumb and forefinger for one of those wiggling toes. After though, his hand drops back to the ground between them and he looks back up at the sky. "Well then, if there's no objection and at least some certainty that there won't be any offense on either side ... I think we could be reasonably certain of things being /well-received/," he pauses, takes a breath, closes his eyes. "At some point." His feet pull up out of the water and Paddy reaches for his shirt, eyes opening again as he slings it back on, shakes the collar out straight. "If I'm going up to Telgar though, I'd better head that way, before it gets much later," the brownrider says quietly.
There's a laugh that's not quite a giggle when he grabs her toe and Javeri's grinning when she looks at him once more. "Well, then. That's good to know. For some time." Sitting up and stretching her arms over her head she watches the shirt be put back on. Never pass up a show. "Have a good time at Telgar. I'll see you in the morning. Thanks for the beer." She's not going anywhere just yet though and is quite content to stare at the pool for a bit longer on her own.
Paddy's laughter joins her giggle and the brownrider pushes up to his feet, collects his empty beer bottle, bends to hold a hand out for hers. "Thanks. I will, I'm sure and you're welcome." He hesitates a moment before reaching out to gently tuck back a single errant braid behind her ear. In so doing, the back of his hand brushes every so lightly against her cheek, but that's all there is to it. P'draig's feet find his abandoned sandals and he walks away whistling a little, to head off towards the beach to meet Jekzith who is winging down from above.
Where: Waterfall Pool
When: Late afternoon/early evening day 15, month 9
What: Javeri's at the waterfall pool when Suizen finds her with a gift. Paddy and Aeyne are on a weyr tour and join them. After Aeyne leaves Paddy sticks around and obliges the potters with beer and shirtlessness. After Suizen leaves Javeri has a much nicer talk with the assistant weyrlingmaster then she had with the one earlier in the day. An understanding between them is reached.
The evening has come and with it release from lessons and anything else that sucks the life out of a weyrling. Chadamalith lies still on his ledge staring at the coming night and that means Javeri is free to do as she will. Rather than the beach tonight she's come to the pool to relax. Floating in the water in a pair of shorts and rather modest bikini top her hair is hidden in the water weighted down by the beads.
Suizen makes her way down the cliffside stairs, rather muddy and worn from the day's work. A bag is filled with towels and other odds and ends, as she makes her way towards the pool. "Javeri! I wasn't thinkin' to be seein' you down here. Paddy an' the others wear you out? Or are y'hidin'?" she asks, with a bit of a grin.
Head goes up and body goes down and there's no choking or splashing in the whole process. Javeri grins when she sees Suizen and waves. "Hey! Suizen! It's been forever!" A laugh comes out as she shakes her head. "Not worn out. Not yet. Just wanted to think and there's too many distractions at the beach. Always someone to look at you know? Figured there'd be fewer up here. How have you been?"
"That pesky little rule givin' you problem?" she teases the ex-potter, before lifting a shoulder. "I'm doin' well enough. Actually, I'm rather glad to be seein' you. Got somethin' for you, well, once you're done with the washin' an' the like," she admits, putting down the bag and doffing off most of the clothing, leaving a bare minimiun for daytime soaking.
A slightly damp Paddy appears from behind the waterfall with an unfamiliar and very pretty blonde. "So that's how you get down from the Weyr to the pool below the Falls, have a look up," he notes and looks that way himself.
"Only rule is not to get drunk," Javeri says with a quiet laugh as she moves closer to the edge of the pool. "Already washed up in the baths. This is just for relaxing. Something for me? Really? That's so great! Paddy got me a great weyr warming gift. A truly good bottle of rum. You should come up and visit sometime and have a drink." Suizen's just arrived for an early evening/late afternoon soak and has set her things down. Javeri's got wet hair and a pair of shorts with a bikini top on as she floats in the water near the edge. "Although sometimes the not being drunk rule is a pain. Especially since I don't think Chadamalith would care." And she's not noticed new arrivals yet so just waits for Suizen to give her something.
Aeyne releases her hold on her ear as they come away from the deafening roar of the waterfall and turns her head to look up the way he does. "Impressive," she comments.
"Not sure I should be givin' you this quite yet; especially given all the water an' such. You'll just have to be waitin'..." Sooz teases, in shorts and a loose shirt herself, feet going into the pool as she sits on the rim. The sound of voices has her looking up and over, a grin appearing. "Speak of the trouble, an' who shall be appearin'..." she mutters to Javeri.
"There's another pool up top," Paddy explains further, "with a really pretty garden. They're both nice spots to swim in if you're sick of salt water," he smiles down at the blonde and starts to walk around the pool's edge. It's Javeri he spots first and it might be /entirely/ possible that his gaze lingers just a /little/ more than it ought on the weyrling's floating shape. Throat cleared and he beams a smile over towards the two potters. "Veri! Sooz! Hey, this Aeyne, she's new around here. Aeyne, come meet Javeri, blue Chadamalith's and Suizen, one of the Weyr's potters. Javeri was a potter too before she Impressed and she still makes nice beads."
"That's awful mean," Javeri says as she climbs out of the water to sit on the pool's edge herself. This allows her to kick her feet into the water like a child might despite her age. At Sooz's words she looks around until she spies Paddy and someone unknown. Her look to the assistant weyrlingmaster is quite proper thank you very much. She does lift her legs out of the water and stretch them out all the way before letting them drop back into the water and resume their quiet splashing. "And hello, Aeyne," she gets out before the blonde makes her farewell. "Trust Paddy to be showing someone pretty around," she remarks to Suizen with a wink and a quiet laugh.
As Aeyne heads off down towards the beach, P'draig waves. "Another time then," he says agreeably and cuts a path over towards Javeri and Sooz and drops down to sit nearby. "Nice kid," he notes of the vanishing blonde. "A little giggly. Reminds me of Neraset a bit, except you know, nicer," he notes with a little chuckle and aims to bump his knee lightly against Javeri's. "What're you two up to?"
Suizen lifts a hand to Aeyne, and grins at Paddy, "What.. no ale?" she teases the brownrider, before shaking her head. "Thought it was as gooda time as any to be startin' to hand out those.. things... from a while ago. Still haven't handed any out; still can't, what with all the water an' all.." she explains... sort of... to the man.
"Wait, he knows too?" Javeri looks from Suizen to Paddy and pouts. "That's so not fair. If you got something for me I want to know." The pout doesn't last because she grins at the brownrider when he bumps his knee against hers. "Giggling, eww," she then says to them both. "I don't much like giggling people. But nicer than Neraset is a bonus. I was just out here relaxing. Beach is too distracting to really relax."
"Not right this second," the brownrider quips with a wink over at Sooz. "I was in Stores looking for extra strap needles to replenish supplies in the Barracks and happaned upon Aeyne. She was lost and had spinnerwebs in her hair, poor kid." He listens closely to the next bit from the potter and then shakes his head. "Sorry, I don't follow ... and wait, know what?" Poor lost, confused brownrider. "Too distracting?"
"It is all part of an evil plan, I'm thinkin'; confusion an' secrets all about..." Sooz adds, before shaking her head, with a bit of a nose-wrinkle. "I hate it when 'webs get in my hair. Imagine the spinners crawlin' about until I can have a good washin'.."
"Braids," Javeri says with a bright grin. "Makes things easier when it comes to hair." Giving her head a shake with a laugh she lifts a hand to tug one of her braids. "Nothing to worry about crawly things in here." Looking at Paddy she winks as she says, "Well, you're not a potter. You have to expect some confusion when around us. But speaking of pottery and the like I am nearly done with what you wanted. Should have it all set next seven. Provided our next round of lessons doesn't go horribly wrong." There's a slight shudder before she moves on. "Distracting. I wanted to get some quiet time and at the beach there's always someone without a shirt on."
"And they look cute on you," P'draig compliments the weyrling, reaching over to tweak one of said braids. "Okay, so it's potter stuff. I won't ask more, there's no way I could possibly undertand," the brownrider says with a laugh. A teasing tug is given to his shirt front. "And I am not to blame for that today." His expression sobers a little though. "Are you worried about the next round of lessons?"
Suizen scoots a bit out of the pool, just enough to snag her bag with towel and such in it, rustling about while she listens to the conversation between to the riders.
When there's movement towards the bag that might have something in it for her there's some watching by Javeri. But since it's all rustling she lets it go and returns her attention to her feet in the pool. A laugh escapes when her braid is tweaked and she aims a splash towards P'draig with one bare foot. "Well, yea," she admits with a shrug. "A little. Not much. It's nothing. How was your day other than rescuing blondes from fearful spinners?"
P'draig's head turns, tracking Sooz to the bag and he shoots another quizzical look Javeri's way. "Not too bad. Have to go on duty in not too long. That one class to end the day with," Paddy notes with a grin for the weyrling and splashes back lightly.
Suizen eventually pulls out a small wrapped package, cloth of course, and places that in her lap. "Hey, Javi; heads' up.." she calls out, before tossing her towel the weyrling way. "Not about to be lettin' you do open your prezzie with wet hands..."
Javeri's nose wrinkles up at the mention of class and duty. Clearly she's just as happy to not think of any of it. Thankfully there's a distraction in the form of something being tossed at her. Grabbing the towel she uses it to carefully dry her hands all over. "All dry, mom," she says with a laugh and a wink. "Now can I have it?" Both hands get held up. "See? Dry?" They get shoved towards P'draig as well so he can verify what she's said.
Towel incoming and P'draig laughs again at the byplay between the two potter. "Present huh? Is it your turnday?" he asks Javeri, but then he's taking her hands to 'inspect' them, eyes dancing with good humor. "Very dry and all set for whatever our good friend Sooz has for you," the brownrider says laughingly, looks back over Sooz' way. "Almost wish I had brought beer down with me."
"Flattery will get you, dear brownrider..." Sooz teases back with a grin, before regarding the offered hands carefully. Finally, a nod is given to the weyrling, and the package is handed over.
"Not my turnday," Javeri says with a shake of her head. "That's not til next month. I will be ancient and 23 then. I have to wring the last of my life out in a little over a month." Just to prove she's doing that she kicks her heels against the water and watches it splash around. "Never too late to run fetch beer for the pretty ladies," she points out before she gets her present and is all about unwrapping it. "Oh! That's lovely!" she says as she unwraps the package and examines what is inside to the slightest detail. "Thank you, Sooz! It's great. Really."
"It will? What?" P'draig asks of Suizen, smile wide. "Next month? I'll remember," Paddy promises, "you'll be the mirror image of my age then." His grin slides wry about that beer. "Is that a request?" he teases Javeri and starts to push to his feet, but pauses long enough to peer at the gift in the weyrling's hands. "Hey, nice work, Sooz."
"Got permission from Fayre to use a corner of the Sands durin' our Candidacy; was just waitin' for a good time to hand some of 'em out. A little firelizard chirped that you all are gettin' close to the end of things; figured it is as good as any of a time to be handin' 'em out." The package seems to be ten or so big-holed beads, suitable for cordage or braids, covered in the sand from the Hatching Ground, then lightly glazed and kiln-baked. The fact it took her well over a turn to give them out just... says something about her urgency on the matter. At the revelation of Javi's age, the potter grins. "You are too kind, oh ancient one...ones, that is..." Paddy just gets a grin.
"Ooooold age is hitting me," Javeri says with a chuckle as she continues to examine her present. "This is really great. I mean it. One of the most thoughtful gifts of all time." Carefully she refolds the cloth so she can set the package behind her and out of the way of any water that gets splashed. Up comes her legs out of the water to stretch them again before they settle back down. "Its a tough call," she tells Paddy as he stands. "Your company or your beer. But since if we can be patient we'll get both then patience can be rewarded and so sure. Why not request?"
"Nice going," P'draig compliments Suizen on getting that corner of Sands. "I remember you talking about it, didn't know you'd actually gotten it done." He snorts at 'ancient ones' though. "Uh huh. Next thing you know, she'll have a cane and I'll have false teeth," he quips with a wink for Javeri. And he's up, laughing again and nods. "Me and beer, coming right up." He tosses off a little salute to the ladies and pads on down to the beach and the Sandbar beyond. He's not gone long, less than a quarter of an hour and returns with three bottles of beer.
By the time the ancient one has returned, Sooz is actually *in* the water, towel refolded and in easy reach. "Hail the returnin' rider - hey, do we adore him only for his beer?" Sooz stage-whisper asks of Javi.
"I always wanted a cane," Javeri teases and even offers a wave as the brave brownrider goes off to fetch beer! While he's gone she remains where she's at and occasionally kicks at the water or flicks water from one of her braids. For her question Suizen gets a wink. "I don't know. When his shirt is on or off?" she asks back with a quiet laugh.
"Thank you," P'draig answers Suizen and smirks at the tease. "You tell me," banters back and hunkers down to set the bottles down next to each other in a row. "Yeah? A cane? Gives me ideas for that turnday you have coming up," he tells Javeri and grins lopsidedly, pops the tops off the bottles and passes one to the weyrling, sets the other near the pool's edge, topless, then hovers fingers over buttons and waggles his brows a little. "That a request too?"
Suizen reaches for the other topless bottle, and grins. "I'm leavin' that one up to the lass neck-deep in lessons at the moment."
"Well, gosh, if you're accepting requests," Javeri drawls before picking up her beer to take a slow drink. Tilting her head to look at P'draig she waggles her bottle. "I see the sailors to do this all the time to women. Come on, baby. Show us what you go." It's all she can do not to laugh as she speaks and when she tries to take a drink she nearly spits it out so sets the bottle back down so as not to waste it. "Nothing wrong with looking," she tells Suizen with a wide grin. "Can't get in trouble for that."
"I live to please," P'draig quips back, eyes dancing with merriment as he makes a little show out of unbuttoning his shirt, even flaps the tails teasingly, then dramatically drops just the sleeves off over his shoulders, winks at Javeri and next thing you know, he's twirling the garment around on his fingers like he might toss it her way. "Good enough?" he questions next, deadpan and grins Sooz' way too.
Suizen has a brief coughing fit, before she sputters, and asks Javeri, "Aren't you supposed to be whistlin' an' the like at him too?" she asks, trying to not laugh too much.
If he's going to make a show of it then Javeri will enjoy it all with a bright smile. "Oops. Sorry." She whistles appreciatively and then says, "Oh, baby, yes. That's the way." Then she applauds and whistles once more. "Good enough though, yes. Wouldn't want to damage your dignity or station by asking more than what you've given already." Now she picks up her beer and takes a long pull.
The shirt-twirling stops and Paddy sets the light blue cotton down in the grass, sits on the pool's edge again, and flips off his sandals to drop his feet into the water, mock-bows from the waist. "Thank you, thank you very much, I'll be here all seven." One hand curls around his beer, lifts it to his mouth, the other drops back behind the brownrider to hold up his weight. "No whistling from you though, Sooz?" he teases the potter.
Suizen does laugh at that point, "Only if you're wantin' a wet bit of air, or burst ears - never a happy medium between the two."
"It was sort of lacking in noise with just one person. But so long as his ego was fine, I suppose it can be forgiven this time, Sooz," Javeri teases the potter with a grin. She takes another drink of her beer before setting it aside and stretching out on her back with her knees bent so her feet can continue to rest in the water. "Your ego was fine, yes?"
"Nothing in between, huh?" P'draig asks Suizen curiously. "How come? Just no practice?" And he tilts his head Javeri's way, dropping his shoulder a little the better to see her as she stretches out. "Just peachy. Thankfully my self-esteem doesn't rely on whether or not lovely young ladies whistle at me shirtless."
"Probably; not really all that many occasions when a good whistle has been needed. Probably a personal lack, or at least a disappointment. Clearly, I need to hang out among more sailors.
Sooz says that. Honest.
"Sailors are good for learning to whistle," Javeri agrees as she folds her arms behind her head to use as a pillow. "Now see? I feel like my whistle was not necessary and that hurts," she teases before saying, "There's nothing worse than a man whose ego relies on someone else. Or a woman too I suppose. I clearly need to introduce you to my friends, Sooz. They're good for free drinks /and/ teaching important life skills like whistling properly at a shirtless man."
"Oh I dunno, a good whistle, very useful for getting weyrlings' attention when they're all caught up in dragon chatter or the like," P'draig tells the potter in the water and curls his beer up to his lips, takes a long pull. "My ego relies on neither of those options," Paddy says simply. "Though it's always nice to know that I'm appreciated. And I know it's sincere coming from you, so there you go. Thank you," the brownrider says sincerely himself, smiles warmly over at the weyrling.
Suizen grins at the weyrlingmaster. "Well, I'm not one for havin' to do that - nanny duty was bein' bad enough. But you did that very nice, an' Veri.. we'll see. Until I met Paddy here, I wasn't all that for the drinks, free or other."
"Well, I'm not a drunk or anything," Javeri says to Suizen with a little kick of water towards her. "But it's nice when you go out and everyone else is drinking to have a drink or two as well. And it can help you stand odious company better too. There's plenty of people I feel the need to drink around just to be around them. Anyway sailors are fun. They have great stories. But more for me if you don't want to!" Those poor sailors! Turning her head she winks at P'draig before going back to looking at the sky. "Well, I am always sincere. Especially to a person that might find all sorts of horrid ways to get me doing horrid things. Abuse of power!" She clearly doesn't mean it and can't even keep a quiet chuckle from escaping as she finishes up.
"Won't ask, don't worry," P'draig tells Suizen and smirks. "Yeah, I got her hooked on good beer." Paddy listens to Javeri, smile still intact and has another pull from his bottle. "Uh huh. Horrid things, that's it." Teasing back.
Suizen snorts ahead, before taking a pull off the bottle. "You're just askin' for trouble, aren't you, Ver? An' that's sometime I usually try to be avoidin'. Worry makes me grumpy."
"I'm not a huge beer fan," Javeri admits although she's quick to add, "But this is good. And, well, since I'm supposed to not drink much anyway it works fine. But I like fruity drinks. Girly drinks." She grins at the admission and then sits up so she can take a drink from her beer again. See? She likes it. Can't have it. "I don't ask for trouble though," she tells Suizen seriously. "I don't like trouble. Which is why I only tease people it's safe to tease."
"Yeah, Sooz wasn't much for beer either, but this stuff is like ... an exception for lots of non-beer drinkers it seems," Paddy says with a little rolling shrug of bare shoulders. "I'll try almost anything once," he notes about drinks, looks between the two young women. "Is she really Sooz? Mostly sounds like just a little bit of harmless --" Javeri's claim makes him laugh outright, head cast back. "Well see, and what if you only /think/ someone's safe to tease?" The good humor persists on his face, but there's something serious in mild gray-blue eyes.
"Fruity drinks are always bein' a plus," Suizen agrees, before lifting her shoulders in a shrug at Paddy, "I'm thinkin' that'sone of those things you're havin' to find out for yourself - an' speakin' of that, I think I'm goin' to be findin' out for myself what's for dinner. Been a long time since lunch, an' this.." She waggles the bottle a little bit, "..would probably sit better on some food."
"Well, I am only making an exception for beer until I can return to former ways. I like sweet drinks." Javeri still finishes her beer because it's free booze and who turns that down? "Oh, well, thanks so much for the gift, Suizen. It's really great. I'm going to save them for something special. Maybe do something for my walls." Tapping a finger against her lower lip she gives a somewhat distracted wave to Sooz and doesn't even answer Paddy's question. Maybe she didn't hear? Maybe she's just ignoring it.
"Shoot, is that late already?" P'draig eyes the sky and takes another swig from his beer and cocks his head as if listening. "Oh. Huh. B'ryce's green is saying they want to handle the session this evening," the brownrider shrugs once. "Fine by me," he murmurs and relaxes agai, looks between the pair of potters again. "Will Chadamalith ... deal with that all right?" Paddy asks Javeri softly as she mentions her walls. His bottle is lifted in salute to Suizen though. "Enjoy dinner, and finding out what's /for/ dinner. Nice talking to you, Sooz." He doesn't press on that earlier question, just drinks again, foot swirling through the water.
"See ya later, you two; don't do anyth...hm. Have fun!" Up and out of the pool, bag is grabbed, and off she goes, leaving a trail of wet behind her.
"Ohh. You get the night off. Lucky." Javeri finishes her beer and sets the bottle aside so she can leans back on her hands and tip her head up to the sky once more. As for Chadamalith and the walls there's a shrug. "I don't know. It's on the wall not on the floor. And he can just deal with it anyway. I mean if I don't have a table then I don't see why I cannot decorate the walls. Not, like, a mural, but something else. I don't know yet." Tilting her head over so she can look at P'draig she grins. "You don't have to sit here with me, you know. I mean surprise night off. I know there's people who'd love to see you when they thought they might not get to."
"I think B'ryce might retire after this cycle, seems like he's kind of trying to get a last hurrah in," P'draig murmurs thoughtfully. "He's almost eighty you know. I'd argue with him but he seems to have so much fun doing the lessons. I'll probably swing by and check on him in a few minutes when I go back up." He nods about Chadamalith. "Good, yeah, draw that line for him if he gives you any guff," Paddy encourages, dropping back into weyrlingmaster from 'teasing-shirtless-flirt' mode. Her remark draws his gaze her way though, beer bottle half raised to his mouth. "Maybe you're on my list of people I'd like to spend a little bit of my free time with, eh?" He smiles at her widely, takes that sip of beer. "But yeah, I'll head up in a little, head over to Telgar and have dinner with my brother, Vrys and Jaivery."
"Oh, wow. Well, sure. I imagine retirement might not be a bad thing. I cannot imagine dealing with so many weyrlings. It's a wonder he's not insane." Like some, but Javeri's not the sort to mention names or anything at all like that. "But, sure if he's having a good time then let him, right?" Chewing on her lip she nods tentatively. "Well, I'm going to try. I think we can make it work out. Besides the walls are kind of boring and if I'm going to make other places look nice there's no reason my place can't." Now her head twists so she can grin at him. "Well, sure. But I meant people you don't have to fall into assistant weyrlingmaster mode." And because it might seem like she's trying to get rid of him there's a rather sincere, if hurried, "But I am not trying to get rid of you because I like spending time with you. I do. I mean I'm not, well. There you go."
"Yeah, if anyone deserves the peace and serenity of retirement, it's B'ryce," P'draig says with a little grin, shakes his head and his next mouth of beer gets choked down sideways as she mentions those walls being boring. Thankfully, he doesn't /say/ anything, just looks up at the sky and smiles. "I know," he says mildly. "Happens a lot though, me falling into weyrlingmaster mode, even with people who aren't weyrlings. Mic teases me about it a lot. I was Weyrlingmaster at Fort for so long, it's just ..." he gestures one-handed, "automatic I guess." His head bobs though for all those claims about not wanting to get rid of him. "Good. Because see that might bruise my ego a little, or at least my feelings," Paddy teases her, eyes dancing again.
Thank goodness there is no reply because otherwise her weyr would smell like redwort for the next month as Javeri tried to scrub what happened clean off them. Luckily she doesn't have to worry about it. "Oh, well, I just don't want to ruin your time away from work by making you have to work is all," she explains with a smile. The last thing she wants to do is make life difficult. Intentionally at least. "Oh, well, nothing to worry about," is what the former potter says next as her eyes sparkle just a little. "I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings. Especially when you've been so obliging and given me something nice to look at this evening. Oh, and beer." Dark eyes dip down just a moment to admire the lack of a shirt.
"Nah, I'm good. Good beer. Good company. Nice day." P'draig tips his head back to look up at the sky as the sunlight starts to dwindle a little, heading on down towards dusk. His gaze drops though to find hers again, smile still in place. "Look all you want," he says lightly. "I'll pay you back though, by taking in the very nice view of your legs." He winks then, slides what's likely the before-last mouthful of beer down his throat.
"Well, it does seem fair," Javeri tells him with a laugh and a wink. "Free rein to look at my legs and when you don't have a shirt on I can admire the best view of the day." Her smile widens as she lifts her legs from the water and wiggles her toes. Fair's fair and possibly they've been in the water long enough. Scooting back away from the pool her ankles rest on the edge of it now. "And I won't even drool or trip in a patently accidental way to try to grab you." Not that she's likely seen Neraset and others of her ilk do that around other men. "Spent too much time around sailors," she teases in a lowered voice. "Always best to just grab with no prevarication I say." Not that she looks likely to do any such thing.
P'draig's mouth quirks up at the side and as Javeri moves, his gaze does slide down the length of one leg and back up again to her face. "And would you, given the chance?" he asks next, maybe still teasing, maybe halfway to serious. "Grab, I mean. Or at least ... reach." The bottle goes up, the last of that beer goes down and with more care than is necessary for putting it down, he places the bottle very precisely on one of the flat stones, then looks back up at her, both hands coming to rest a little ways behind him in a comfortable lean.
That might be a slight blush underneath the tan that's darkened Javeri's skin since she was a child. If it is she doesn't let it stop her from trying to pretend like she's not doing anything of the sort. Instead she smiles slowly and lets her gaze drift away by way of checking him out once more. A good excuse to not be looking at him. "Reaching is sort of a more polite form of grabbing I always thought. It's sort of the same thing." It's not an answer to his question that's for darn sure. "I'm not really a grabber or a reacher though. I always worry it'll offend and I'd rather not offend. Best to keep one hands to oneself I was always told."
"Mm. Much more polite than just copping a feel," P'draig agrees, hand shifting to trace a circle on the stones with one beer-bottle-damp fingertip. "What about if you were invited to, though?" he asks all too casually. "Which would kind of you know, let you know there'd be no offense taken, and hopefully none given if, you know, there was some reaching your way too." Paddy's hand stills, lifts slowly towards her foot, meaning to give it a chaste, little shaking squeeze.
"Well, then that's different I think," Javeri says as she stares out over the pool. "I mean if there's permission it's not really grabbing I think. I mean it can be and all, but it's really not. Because it's polite, yes?" Politeness might not quite fit into things with some people, but being polite is important because otherwise you might offend someone. "I am not against reaching or touching and so on. I just dislike not knowing how it will be received. It's just not... I just prefer knowing how it will be received. That's all." Her foot is right there for a little squeeze and for it her toes wiggle.
"Exactly," P'draig agrees and grins again, reaching with thumb and forefinger for one of those wiggling toes. After though, his hand drops back to the ground between them and he looks back up at the sky. "Well then, if there's no objection and at least some certainty that there won't be any offense on either side ... I think we could be reasonably certain of things being /well-received/," he pauses, takes a breath, closes his eyes. "At some point." His feet pull up out of the water and Paddy reaches for his shirt, eyes opening again as he slings it back on, shakes the collar out straight. "If I'm going up to Telgar though, I'd better head that way, before it gets much later," the brownrider says quietly.
There's a laugh that's not quite a giggle when he grabs her toe and Javeri's grinning when she looks at him once more. "Well, then. That's good to know. For some time." Sitting up and stretching her arms over her head she watches the shirt be put back on. Never pass up a show. "Have a good time at Telgar. I'll see you in the morning. Thanks for the beer." She's not going anywhere just yet though and is quite content to stare at the pool for a bit longer on her own.
Paddy's laughter joins her giggle and the brownrider pushes up to his feet, collects his empty beer bottle, bends to hold a hand out for hers. "Thanks. I will, I'm sure and you're welcome." He hesitates a moment before reaching out to gently tuck back a single errant braid behind her ear. In so doing, the back of his hand brushes every so lightly against her cheek, but that's all there is to it. P'draig's feet find his abandoned sandals and he walks away whistling a little, to head off towards the beach to meet Jekzith who is winging down from above.