Log: Small World
Summary: June runs into a shadow from her past and chases him away. (Hint: You may have first seen Kozec here...)
Location: The Lucky Seven, Ista Weyr
Date: 8-26-09
Valenia winds her way through the throng-thickened main room, moving between the various groups and singletons of late-night partiers to the far right, to the table where she's been for the better part of the last hour. She returns to the table and the tall, handsome man she left there with a second round in her hands, a bottle for her and a bottle for him. "I made it," she huffs into her seat again, flashing an enamored little smile at him while she slides the bottle over to him. "So this," and her hand lingers at the bottle's base, a finger tapping gently against it as she angles a flirting shoulder at him, "is the other beer I was talking about. I don't really think so, but my sisters say it's the best yet. Tell me what you think."
It's like laughing at fate, coming back here to Ista. The man who assaulted him is bed-ridden, the sailors who defended him have left port, and Kozec is here to revel in anonymous triumph. He flashes Valenia a dimpled smile when she comes back, taking the beer from her. "Thank goodness you did. I was just about to launch a rescue mission." He winks over the bottle as he drinks from it. That done, he turns towards the girl and puts his arm on the table, creating an intimate circle around their conversation. "It's a good beer. But I think the one you brought first was the best."
Valenia rewards his similarity of opinion with a tiny giggle and leans into their conversational circle a bit more, lifting her lashes after a quick bat to look him in the eye. "Me too." She drags her beer into the circle, then, for a dainty sip before she continues. "So tell me more, where else have you been. I want to know about it all." Meanwhile, there's a changing of the guard taking place in the background; from the crowd, Livi emerges at the bar and takes the apron from Chidiree, who then cuts a path for the game room, presumably to relieve another of the sisters. June is the completion of the chain, leaving her duty as dealer for some other task that's bound to be delayed. For on a quick survey of the room, she spots Valenia and who she's with, and freezes.
For her agreement, as though she were the one flattering him with her choices rather than the other way around, Valenia gets another smile and a pair of cutely squinted eyes thrown in for free. "I should take you with me next time I decide to travel. You need to see these things for yourself. Picture this." Taking his arm off the table, he holds out his hand with forefinger and thumb straightened to form a frame. The other arm stretches around Valenia's shoulders and pulls her in next to him, so she can 'see' the whole thing from his perspective. "Jagged black mountains as far as the eye can see, blankets of white snow criss-crossed by tiny animal prints. Some places out there, you've got to speak in whispers so you don't trigger an avalanche. We'll call that place Lemos, because that's whose territory it is, but really it's so far north that nobody's ever claimed it or named it anything. I used to go fur-trapping up there."
Valenia slides easily under his arm, though her gaze will remain on his face while she grins up at him, before it will turn obediently to his frame. "Wow," she utters, allowing herself the luxury of low tones since they're close enough for them to be audible. "That sounds so beautiful," she gushes, turning to look at the charming man once again, "I would love to see it. But it has to be /so/ cold up there. Like, enough to make your eyelids stick together." She continues to giggle and flirt, ignorant of her sister bearing down on them until June calmly places both hands on the other side of the table and leans in to interrupt. The tavern owner's eyes are intent on the sweet talker as she firmly and irrationally requests that he get, "Out."
Kozec laughs at her description of the cold, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "That did happen to me one time," he admits. "In a cabin. The window above my bed wouldn't quite close, and during the night my eyes must have teared up. But there's still nothing -" Out? He scans June. "You're the boss," he tells her. His arm stays around Valenia's shoulder, though. "Didn't realize we weren't allowed to tell the girls what a big world there is out there, if they want it." Now he starts edging out of his seat, trailing his fingers up Valenia's chin in a way that will, if she goes along with it, turn her face towards him. So he can leave her with one more dimpled, charming, handsome smile. "But it is," he confides in her, whispering.
Color Valenia confused. She blinks blankly at her sister for the intervention, comprehension evading her even as the stranger provides an explanation of sorts. Her chin turns so easily under his guidance and she's hooked by his smile, tricked into giving him one of her own despite her sister's obvious protest to his presence. June was already moving around the table, though, circling protectively behind her sister, so their little moment is a short one. The redhead snatches his wrist and tosses it away from Valenia altogether, throwing out a few steely words to go with it, "Touch my sister again and I will gut you." Valenia, in an agitated grumble, complains, "I don't get it," but garners only a hard look from her sister. June redirects to the man quickly enough. "Get out," she reiterates before adding, "and don't come back." Still with no explanation.
Kozec's fingers clench when June chucks his hand away from Valenia, his eyes flashing hard for just a moment. He's got an act to keep up, though. "Okay, okay," he assures June smoothly, backing away from her sister. Just to emphasize how much he gets it, he lifts his hands to show how harmlessly empty (and not touching anything) they are the moment, giving the fingers a wiggle. "Thanks for bringing the beer, Val." He doesn't look at the younger redhead when he thanks her, once again obeying June's wish that he keep far away from her. Except, you know, for the talking-to-her part. Then he turns and weaves his way out of the bar, all reasonable.
And June weaves after him. There are a couple of souls on the porch, braving the muggy night of island, and June breezes right past them, shadowing the man from her past as far as a step off of the wooden floor. It's there she takes her post, crossing her arms to watch him leave completely. "You should go back to Lemos," she tells him in parting, voice unrelenting in its stiffness, even though there's no way she could have overheard his story from earlier. "It suits you better."
Kozec jogs down the steps easily, his movements still loose and easy. At the bottom, he spins around, holding his arms out, amiable still. Or, faking it. He keeps stepping away, walking backwards as he talks. "Trees and snow and nothing else - it didn't really suit me anymore. But isn't it funny what a small world it is." The flash of his smile has something feral in it, something he allows her to see before the mask goes back on for the sake of the loungers nearby.
That feral hint, it cuts through June's own composed mask. Nostrils flare over a snarl that's cut down early, before it fully develops. "Fuck off, you miserable sack of shit," she lofts at him, a bite searing through her low tones, her brows convulsing into a deeper frown to evidence the conflict beneath the barely held together poise. "I see you near me or one of my sisters again, I will slice off all of the littlest parts," and her eyes drop pointedly to his crotch, "that you hold dear."
"Not my pinky toes!" he wails, his feet scrunching up in the sandals he wears. Her fury seems to feed him, and he clasps his hands together before his chest to act out his plea for mercy. "Good luck with that little girl of yours. Sister, is she? Good to know." Kozec turns his back on her and heads out to the jungle.
Location: The Lucky Seven, Ista Weyr
Date: 8-26-09
Valenia winds her way through the throng-thickened main room, moving between the various groups and singletons of late-night partiers to the far right, to the table where she's been for the better part of the last hour. She returns to the table and the tall, handsome man she left there with a second round in her hands, a bottle for her and a bottle for him. "I made it," she huffs into her seat again, flashing an enamored little smile at him while she slides the bottle over to him. "So this," and her hand lingers at the bottle's base, a finger tapping gently against it as she angles a flirting shoulder at him, "is the other beer I was talking about. I don't really think so, but my sisters say it's the best yet. Tell me what you think."
It's like laughing at fate, coming back here to Ista. The man who assaulted him is bed-ridden, the sailors who defended him have left port, and Kozec is here to revel in anonymous triumph. He flashes Valenia a dimpled smile when she comes back, taking the beer from her. "Thank goodness you did. I was just about to launch a rescue mission." He winks over the bottle as he drinks from it. That done, he turns towards the girl and puts his arm on the table, creating an intimate circle around their conversation. "It's a good beer. But I think the one you brought first was the best."
Valenia rewards his similarity of opinion with a tiny giggle and leans into their conversational circle a bit more, lifting her lashes after a quick bat to look him in the eye. "Me too." She drags her beer into the circle, then, for a dainty sip before she continues. "So tell me more, where else have you been. I want to know about it all." Meanwhile, there's a changing of the guard taking place in the background; from the crowd, Livi emerges at the bar and takes the apron from Chidiree, who then cuts a path for the game room, presumably to relieve another of the sisters. June is the completion of the chain, leaving her duty as dealer for some other task that's bound to be delayed. For on a quick survey of the room, she spots Valenia and who she's with, and freezes.
For her agreement, as though she were the one flattering him with her choices rather than the other way around, Valenia gets another smile and a pair of cutely squinted eyes thrown in for free. "I should take you with me next time I decide to travel. You need to see these things for yourself. Picture this." Taking his arm off the table, he holds out his hand with forefinger and thumb straightened to form a frame. The other arm stretches around Valenia's shoulders and pulls her in next to him, so she can 'see' the whole thing from his perspective. "Jagged black mountains as far as the eye can see, blankets of white snow criss-crossed by tiny animal prints. Some places out there, you've got to speak in whispers so you don't trigger an avalanche. We'll call that place Lemos, because that's whose territory it is, but really it's so far north that nobody's ever claimed it or named it anything. I used to go fur-trapping up there."
Valenia slides easily under his arm, though her gaze will remain on his face while she grins up at him, before it will turn obediently to his frame. "Wow," she utters, allowing herself the luxury of low tones since they're close enough for them to be audible. "That sounds so beautiful," she gushes, turning to look at the charming man once again, "I would love to see it. But it has to be /so/ cold up there. Like, enough to make your eyelids stick together." She continues to giggle and flirt, ignorant of her sister bearing down on them until June calmly places both hands on the other side of the table and leans in to interrupt. The tavern owner's eyes are intent on the sweet talker as she firmly and irrationally requests that he get, "Out."
Kozec laughs at her description of the cold, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "That did happen to me one time," he admits. "In a cabin. The window above my bed wouldn't quite close, and during the night my eyes must have teared up. But there's still nothing -" Out? He scans June. "You're the boss," he tells her. His arm stays around Valenia's shoulder, though. "Didn't realize we weren't allowed to tell the girls what a big world there is out there, if they want it." Now he starts edging out of his seat, trailing his fingers up Valenia's chin in a way that will, if she goes along with it, turn her face towards him. So he can leave her with one more dimpled, charming, handsome smile. "But it is," he confides in her, whispering.
Color Valenia confused. She blinks blankly at her sister for the intervention, comprehension evading her even as the stranger provides an explanation of sorts. Her chin turns so easily under his guidance and she's hooked by his smile, tricked into giving him one of her own despite her sister's obvious protest to his presence. June was already moving around the table, though, circling protectively behind her sister, so their little moment is a short one. The redhead snatches his wrist and tosses it away from Valenia altogether, throwing out a few steely words to go with it, "Touch my sister again and I will gut you." Valenia, in an agitated grumble, complains, "I don't get it," but garners only a hard look from her sister. June redirects to the man quickly enough. "Get out," she reiterates before adding, "and don't come back." Still with no explanation.
Kozec's fingers clench when June chucks his hand away from Valenia, his eyes flashing hard for just a moment. He's got an act to keep up, though. "Okay, okay," he assures June smoothly, backing away from her sister. Just to emphasize how much he gets it, he lifts his hands to show how harmlessly empty (and not touching anything) they are the moment, giving the fingers a wiggle. "Thanks for bringing the beer, Val." He doesn't look at the younger redhead when he thanks her, once again obeying June's wish that he keep far away from her. Except, you know, for the talking-to-her part. Then he turns and weaves his way out of the bar, all reasonable.
And June weaves after him. There are a couple of souls on the porch, braving the muggy night of island, and June breezes right past them, shadowing the man from her past as far as a step off of the wooden floor. It's there she takes her post, crossing her arms to watch him leave completely. "You should go back to Lemos," she tells him in parting, voice unrelenting in its stiffness, even though there's no way she could have overheard his story from earlier. "It suits you better."
Kozec jogs down the steps easily, his movements still loose and easy. At the bottom, he spins around, holding his arms out, amiable still. Or, faking it. He keeps stepping away, walking backwards as he talks. "Trees and snow and nothing else - it didn't really suit me anymore. But isn't it funny what a small world it is." The flash of his smile has something feral in it, something he allows her to see before the mask goes back on for the sake of the loungers nearby.
That feral hint, it cuts through June's own composed mask. Nostrils flare over a snarl that's cut down early, before it fully develops. "Fuck off, you miserable sack of shit," she lofts at him, a bite searing through her low tones, her brows convulsing into a deeper frown to evidence the conflict beneath the barely held together poise. "I see you near me or one of my sisters again, I will slice off all of the littlest parts," and her eyes drop pointedly to his crotch, "that you hold dear."
"Not my pinky toes!" he wails, his feet scrunching up in the sandals he wears. Her fury seems to feed him, and he clasps his hands together before his chest to act out his plea for mercy. "Good luck with that little girl of yours. Sister, is she? Good to know." Kozec turns his back on her and heads out to the jungle.