The Turnday Present
Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness. ~Richard Bach
OOC Date: December 27, 2009
IC Date: Day 7, month 8, turn 21 of Interval 10
Who: P'ax, Gabrion
Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
Gabe has a birthday present for P'ax, but he doesn't like it - or anyway, isn't confident that it will survive being in the same weyr with Yyth. Gabe is disappointed.
Earlier in the day, Gabe sent a note up to P'ax's weyr asking to meet at the lakeshore after dinner. So, here he is, jiggling his leg a little, nervously, and holding a small package in his hand, tied up in cloth with string.
Maybe his idea of dinner time was different than Gabe's, but P'ax leaves him waiting awhile out there before he makes his sauntering appearance across the bowl, hands in his pockets, hair its usual mess though at least looking freshly washed. It isn't hard to spot the young healer and even less work to head that way. "Hey."
Gabrion is relieved. He greets P'ax with a smile. "Hey," he says, and doesn't bother complaining about being kept waiting, only holds out the vaguely round, fist-sized package, smiling nervously.
P'ax lifts an eyebrow at the package but accepts it with an uncomfortable, "Um. Thanks." He shifts his weight and plucks at the string to untie it.
It's kind of rattly, if shaken. And when the wrapping is off, what's revealed is a lovely little piece of art: a clear glass egg-shaped globe with a tiny, curled up carving of a green dragon inside, asleep, awaiting hatching. It looks like it would have cost Gabe a couple of months of pocket money, at least. He's biting his lip, waiting to see if P'ax likes it.
P'ax's initial reaction is not a grin, or even his general lack of expression. His face screws up just a little as the wrapping falls away. The egg is inspected between his fingers, turned this way and that. Then he sighs. "Some yarn would have done. Yyth can't break yarn...well...she could chew on it, but she hasn't done that since she was a baby." He reaches out his other hand to ruffle Gabe's hair if he's allowed. "Thanks. I'll try to find a safe place for it."
Gabrion's face falls. He didn't like it. He lowers his head and his shoulders slump, and he doesn't resist having his hair ruffled. "You're welcome," he mumbles, subdued.
P'ax exhales, a slightly frustrated sound. The globe is rewrapped and put in his pocket. Rather than attempt to gush falsely over the gift, he simply slides his hand down to tickle the shell of Gabe's ear playfully. "Don't be like that."
"I just - I hoped you'd like it," Gabe says quietly, hunching his head into his neck at the tickling.
"It's not that I don't," begins P'ax, dropping his hand back to his side again with a sigh. "It's just that fragile things and I don't exactly get along."
"Oh," Gabe says sadly. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have known that." He offers a faint, apologetic smile that fades quickly.
P'ax grunts and just waves the apology away. "Don't sweat it kid, really." His lips pucker sourly. "So, um. Heard I turned you straight." Subject change! Yay!
Gabrion's mouth drops open and then he shuts it again, blushing furiously. "I, uh. Er. Well. No, I mean... not exactly? I still like guys, I just, uh..." He's just banging a girl, is all.
"Right." Sigh. "You know? Um, I'm just going to go, and we can pretend we didn't have this whole...awkward conversation." P'ax shakes his head, running a hand through his hair and turning to head back towards the bowl. "Have a good night, Gabe. Thanks for the gift."
Gabrion looks upset, but he doesn't argue. "Okay," is all he says. "Um, happy turnday...?" He scuffs a foot along the ground, and looks down.
P'ax looks up at the sky. "It really wasn't happy. But the sentiment is appreciated." Scowling, the greenrider demands mostly to himself, "Remind me why I quit drinking again?"
"Wasn't it because the weyrleader said you had to?" Gabe ventures, as if the question weren't rhetorical at all.
P'ax gives Gabe a Look. "Right. Thanks for reminding me." As in no thanks at all.
"What happened anyway?" Gabe asks. "I mean, you said it wasn't a good turnday. You looked like you were having fun, though. You had a girl and all."
"W'chek happened. Or did you miss that part?" grumbles P'ax. "The girl was for E'dre. He...didn't appreciate it. Go figure."
Gabrion aws. "Too bad. Maybe he likes to pick out his own?" He grins at his own joke. "Why would W'chek make it a bad turnday though? I mean, he's pretty predictably an asshole every day. It's not like it was new."
OOC Date: December 27, 2009
IC Date: Day 7, month 8, turn 21 of Interval 10
Who: P'ax, Gabrion
Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
Gabe has a birthday present for P'ax, but he doesn't like it - or anyway, isn't confident that it will survive being in the same weyr with Yyth. Gabe is disappointed.
Earlier in the day, Gabe sent a note up to P'ax's weyr asking to meet at the lakeshore after dinner. So, here he is, jiggling his leg a little, nervously, and holding a small package in his hand, tied up in cloth with string.
Maybe his idea of dinner time was different than Gabe's, but P'ax leaves him waiting awhile out there before he makes his sauntering appearance across the bowl, hands in his pockets, hair its usual mess though at least looking freshly washed. It isn't hard to spot the young healer and even less work to head that way. "Hey."
Gabrion is relieved. He greets P'ax with a smile. "Hey," he says, and doesn't bother complaining about being kept waiting, only holds out the vaguely round, fist-sized package, smiling nervously.
P'ax lifts an eyebrow at the package but accepts it with an uncomfortable, "Um. Thanks." He shifts his weight and plucks at the string to untie it.
It's kind of rattly, if shaken. And when the wrapping is off, what's revealed is a lovely little piece of art: a clear glass egg-shaped globe with a tiny, curled up carving of a green dragon inside, asleep, awaiting hatching. It looks like it would have cost Gabe a couple of months of pocket money, at least. He's biting his lip, waiting to see if P'ax likes it.
P'ax's initial reaction is not a grin, or even his general lack of expression. His face screws up just a little as the wrapping falls away. The egg is inspected between his fingers, turned this way and that. Then he sighs. "Some yarn would have done. Yyth can't break yarn...well...she could chew on it, but she hasn't done that since she was a baby." He reaches out his other hand to ruffle Gabe's hair if he's allowed. "Thanks. I'll try to find a safe place for it."
Gabrion's face falls. He didn't like it. He lowers his head and his shoulders slump, and he doesn't resist having his hair ruffled. "You're welcome," he mumbles, subdued.
P'ax exhales, a slightly frustrated sound. The globe is rewrapped and put in his pocket. Rather than attempt to gush falsely over the gift, he simply slides his hand down to tickle the shell of Gabe's ear playfully. "Don't be like that."
"I just - I hoped you'd like it," Gabe says quietly, hunching his head into his neck at the tickling.
"It's not that I don't," begins P'ax, dropping his hand back to his side again with a sigh. "It's just that fragile things and I don't exactly get along."
"Oh," Gabe says sadly. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have known that." He offers a faint, apologetic smile that fades quickly.
P'ax grunts and just waves the apology away. "Don't sweat it kid, really." His lips pucker sourly. "So, um. Heard I turned you straight." Subject change! Yay!
Gabrion's mouth drops open and then he shuts it again, blushing furiously. "I, uh. Er. Well. No, I mean... not exactly? I still like guys, I just, uh..." He's just banging a girl, is all.
"Right." Sigh. "You know? Um, I'm just going to go, and we can pretend we didn't have this whole...awkward conversation." P'ax shakes his head, running a hand through his hair and turning to head back towards the bowl. "Have a good night, Gabe. Thanks for the gift."
Gabrion looks upset, but he doesn't argue. "Okay," is all he says. "Um, happy turnday...?" He scuffs a foot along the ground, and looks down.
P'ax looks up at the sky. "It really wasn't happy. But the sentiment is appreciated." Scowling, the greenrider demands mostly to himself, "Remind me why I quit drinking again?"
"Wasn't it because the weyrleader said you had to?" Gabe ventures, as if the question weren't rhetorical at all.
P'ax gives Gabe a Look. "Right. Thanks for reminding me." As in no thanks at all.
"What happened anyway?" Gabe asks. "I mean, you said it wasn't a good turnday. You looked like you were having fun, though. You had a girl and all."
"W'chek happened. Or did you miss that part?" grumbles P'ax. "The girl was for E'dre. He...didn't appreciate it. Go figure."
Gabrion aws. "Too bad. Maybe he likes to pick out his own?" He grins at his own joke. "Why would W'chek make it a bad turnday though? I mean, he's pretty predictably an asshole every day. It's not like it was new."