[Log] Go
Who: Aivey, E'sere
When: Day 6, Month 3, Turn 3, 7th Pass
Where: E'sere and Aivey's Weyr, Western Islands
What: E'sere and Aivey go their separate ways. Again.
It's been a long day for E'sere, and at the end of it, creeping home without even having dinner, he has curled up in the chair with a book. Currently, it lies open on his lap, while he lets his head loll to one side, sound asleep.
Arriving home just shortly after her normal time. What she expects to see is not what she finds upon stepping into the weyr. A look back over her shoulder toward Morelenth is almost accusatorial, but there's too much humor in Aivey's eyes as she looks back at the bronzerider. Stealing quietly toward him, Aivey seeks to first relieve him of the book in his lap before doing anything else.
E'sere is not a very light sleeper. Morelenth's return, and Aivey's, don't disturb him; the bronze just looks back at Aivey, innocent, while E'sere sleeps on. Even when she steals the book, E'sere only lets his hands slide off it and wiggles slightly, getting more comfortable without ever really becoming conscious of his surroundings.
Aivey drops the book without much concern toward it's welfare - the hollow *thunk* it lands with probably isn't a good thing, though Aivey is more concerned with the bronzerider than the book. Occupying its space by curling into E'sere's lap and nestling her head against his neck, she reaches for his hand and lifts it to her lips for a quick kiss against his knuckles. Patiently, she watches his face. Waiting.
The thunk makes E'sere start, but it's Aivey settling her weight in his lap that really stirs him, the bronzerider rousing slowly to blink bleary eyes at Aivey, then offer a still-half-asleep smile. "Hi," he offers. "I wasn't /really/ asleep."
"Mmm," Aivey, non-committal, smiles and plants a kiss on his lips. All the more encouragement for him to awake, no? "You've got faking being asleep down to a T, then. Work hard?" Dropping her head back against his shoulder, Aivey gives his hand a gentle tug, lifting it enough to tuck his knuckles under her chin.
"I am a very good fake," E'sere notes proudly, and more lively as he comes out of that groggy, just-woke-up stage. "I did. It was horrible. They made me haul in fish /all/ /day/," he complains. "I had fish scales in my hair."
"How horrible," Aivey promptly consoles with just the tiniest glance upward at E'sere's hair, "Big, strong man that you are, I bet you managed to hold your own?" Her lips pull into a tease of a smile, though somber long before it becomes anything more.
"Of course," replies E'sere, one hand automatically reaching up to rake through his hair. "I did good. I was quite proud of myself, actually--there's nothing like an honest day's work, no? How was /your/ day?"
"Honest," This time, Aivey does smile. A small flash of teeth and a puckering of the corners of her eyes indicate it's genuine, as does a soft laugh, "My day was interesting. There's nothing like an interesting day."
E'sere eyes that smile, a brow arching. "It's not funny," he tells her without much real ire. "It's a very big accomplishment. What kind of interesting?"
"You hauled /fish/." Aivey informs him, still openly amused, "I suppose you can consider that an accomplishment." Rubbing her chin against his knuckles, Aivey replies to his later question, "Just interesting. You're not the only one who held his own today."
"Mm. Not funny," E'sere reminds. "You act like I've never done any kind of hard, manual, back-breaking labor before." Pause. He considers those words, adds, "I'm going to be sore tomorrow. What did /you/ do?"
"Have you?" Aivey counters, drawing her head from his neck to look quizzically at him, "I seem to recall you doing a whole lot of pointing, kissing-up and not much else. Meanwhile, I was up every day before you." A bluff, maybe, though Aivey gives it convincingly enough. Along with an equally convincing, "I got an answer to something that's been bugging me for days now."
"We had drills early mornings," E'sere protests those words, but not very convincingly. "But, ah. Well." Reluctantly, he concedes the point, "All right, fine. I don't really work. But I did today. Now are you going to spit that out or not?"
Challengingly, Aivey replies, "What's in it for me if I do?" The rest? Well, it's conveniently forgotten for the moment.
"Whatever you want," is E'sere's grand promise. Though he's equally quick to add, "Within reason, of course."
"Within reason? That's not terribly nice." Aivey wastes all of a few seconds on pouting before nestling her head back against his shoulder, "My father. What I've been doing wrong all this time, and how I can fix it." Take ten.
Warily, E'sere looks down at Aivey, quirking a brow. "And what's that?" he asks after a moment.
"That," Aivey declares with a heavy air of importance, "Is a secret. I think, though, you should explain something to me." Cue The Look. "What took you so long to come home yesterday?"
"I'll tell you if you tell me," E'sere says, sing-song. "And that will fulfill our deal, too."
"E'sere..." Chiding, Aivey shakes her head at the bronzerider and drops her hold on his wrist, thereby letting his hand fall from where she'd cushioned it against her chin, "I could always just find out for myself what it was you were up to. It's not that hard."
"Oh, really?" challenges E'sere. "With your shining investigative powers?" He smirks, but still concedes, "Fine. I'll add one /small/ favor to my end."
"Taunt me," Aivey warns without any true malice, "And you might not like what happens." As he concedes, she smiles and reaches for his hand once more, "Small as in small as a grain of sand small?"
E'sere's smirk broadens. "You don't scare me," he tells her easily. "And, I haven't decided yet. Tell me what you figured out, and I'll get back with you on my price."
"That's just it." Aivey replies, "I don't scare you. I don't scare people. I've... gone soft, I think. I can't imagine how it happened either." Droll in the last, Aivey delivers one last kiss to E'sere's knuckles and moves to slide from his lap, "That's what I found out."
Sitting up straighter when Aivey stands, E'sere watches Aivey with a slight frown. "You're out of practice," he observes, nodding slowly. "We'll fix that when we get home. But I hope you know--you're not ever going to scare /me/ again." He smirks. Then, after a brief pause: "I was with J'lor."
"Before I get home. I'll fix it." Aivey replies slowly, watching E'sere rather carefully now. "And?" She prompts, segueing quickly into his excuse.
"And what do you plan on doing /here/ to fix that?" E'sere asks, not answering the question posed to him.
"Fixing the problem." Aivey replies, meeting E'sere's gaze and not withdrawing, "Now answer my question. What did you and J'lor do?"
"We talked," answers E'sere. "Or he talked, and I listened. It was quite--enlightening. Your plan, Aivey?" he prompts again.
"About what?" Drawing her arms stubbornly over her chest, Aivey continues looking at E'sere. Waiting, quite expectantly.
"Politics. The world," E'sere says, shrugging. "His world. We spoke a few days ago, and I told him about mine then. I think we made quite a lot of progress this time. He thinks he's got one willing student, and I've got an in." Smirk.
"An in-" Aivey clamps her mouth shut and then forces a smile, "J'lor... use your head, E'sere. Watch yourself." Rubbing her chin against her jaw, Aivey waits a moment before adding, "I'm calling in on my favor now. I need to know you mean it. That you won't break your word."
"I'm not stupid," says E'sere, sounding mildly affronted. "And my word on what?"
"That you won't do anything that you'll regret. I need.... I need to spend some time. Away." Given vaguely, though still with Aivey's arms tucked tightly around her chest, "I'm not... we're not through or anything, but I can't... I can't do what I need to do if I'm here. With you."
E'sere's expression slowly fades into blankness, that nothing face that's so good for hiding. He doesn't say anything, though, just waits, very still, for some kind of real explanation.
Aivey's expression is a contrast. She doesn't bother hiding the fact that she's not happy with having to say what she's said, and will continue to say. "I'm growing soft, E'sere. I'm no use to anyone that way. Instead of thinking about what needs to be done, I'm... well, I'm not thinking about it."
"I think," E'sere says delicately at length, "I deserve a better explanation than that."
"If we all got what we deserved, we wouldn't be in this position, E'sere." Aivey replies quietly, at last looking away, "You're making me soft. Distracting me. I didn't have distractions back at the weyr. I have them here, now and I need to minimize them. Until it's safe."
"Fine. Go." E'sere studies Aivey, then lets an unpleasant smile curve the corners of his mouth. "In fact, don't come back. I'd hate to be in the way of your /father's/ business."
"I can't protect you if I'm... I can't, E'sere. Please understand." Aivey remains standing, not yet conceding to his demand, "It's important. Please." Her eyes switch over his, "This isn't just about him."
"I understand," E'sere notes with a shake of his head. "I understand quite well. It's always about him, Aivey. Everything you do, Aivey, is about him. For him, for his approval--but you're not going to get it. Enjoy your quest, though."
"E'sere..." Toned differently now, quite hurt, Aivey shakes her head, "I need you to understand, E'sere. For once, just understand. I can't protect you... Either of you... if I'm not up to the challenge." She hesitates before taking a step closer to him, "Something is happening, E'sere. Something big. If I'm too focused on you and getting home as soon as I'm done chores for the day, I can't find a way to stop it or understand it."
E'sere replies coldly, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. You have to do what you have to do, I get it. Far be it from /me/ to interfere with your greater purposes. I think I said you could go? Morelenth is waiting."
Aivey hesitates once more. A final time. E'sere is watched in that span of seconds; no more than it takes her to deeply inhale and slowly exhale. Then, slowly, she moves past him toward the corner of the weyr where a small satchel is pulled onto her shoulder. Crossing back behind him, Aivey stills just long enough to retrieve the book from the ground and to wordlessly hold it out to E'sere.
E'sere watches Aivey while she gathers her bag; when she hands him the book, he takes it equally wordlessly and settles back in the chair again, flipping it open to a random page and studying it rather than Aivey.
Continuing the whole wordless trend, Aivey steals away once the book is taken from her. Morelenth is approached warily and from an angle that clearly indicates she holds no intent on making the dragon act as her transportation. Stretching out her hand with two fingers reaching for the very tip of his maw, Aivey touches him briefly then breaks contact and moves toward the ledge. In short order, she's over the side and slowly making her way down.