Vignette: And It Sucked.
Date: Day 17, Month 5, Turn 19
Location: Family Vinehold, Tillek Area
Synopsis: An afternoon with his sister leads K'del to grumbling over change.
By mid month five, it was warm enough out Tillek way that, were an afternoon to be sunny, and the chores not too onerous, laying outside in the sun was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, sharing news and bad jokes, and just being.
K'del helped Nakasha race through her chores, in the hopes of stealing some time; she batted him merrily away from most things, though, chiding him for pulling out herbs instead of weeds in the garden, of missing the roots when he did get the right plant. So he sat and enjoyed the sun while she worked, and though it took longer, at least it was outdoors, out in the open - and just, somehow, relaxing.
"Can't believe you know the new Weyrwoman well enough to argue with her," Nakasha laughed, as she chucked away a handful of weeds by the roots. "My brother, hob-nobbing with the Weyrwoman!"
K'del dug his toes into the sun-warmed earth, and joined her laugh. "Not sure hob-nobbing is quite the word, but sure. Yelled at her pretty hard a couple of times. She's - eh. Spoilt, and vindictive, and just not very nice. But," he added, hastily, "not since Satiet died. Wouldn't do it now. She may be awful, but she's my Weyrwoman."
Nakasha grinned, and threw a plant at him; he ducked it, but only barely. "Wouldn't really stop you. You never know when to shut your mouth. Hey - you going to chase? That's how the next Weyrleader'll get decided, right? And Cadejoth's bronze."
"And I'm sixteen. No. Going to keep him away. Not that I reckon he'd have much of a chance. Too young. And Iovniath wouldn't want him, anyway, and apparently that makes a difference. But - not something I'd want to risk, anyway."
"Seventeen, soon. Not that it makes a difference for this, but still. Less than a month. Going to come home for the day? Please?"
But K'del shook his head, shaking a handful of dirt through his hand. "Not sure, yet, what I'll be doing. Weeks away! Work it out closer to the time. Maybe I'll come pick you up, take you somewhere interesting. Gather, maybe."
"I'd rather come and stay at the weyr. I want to know where you liiiiiive, Kas. It's not fair. You've been there for turns, and I still haven't seen it at all." She was giving him the puppy-dog eyes face. He hated that face.
"I tried, Kash, you know that. Mother doesn't think it's appropriate. At least not until you're sixteen."
"Which is months away. Months and months."
"Kaaash."
She threw another plant at him, dirt attached; this one, he didn't manage to duck. The soil slid down his face, and hit the ground. And then, they both began to laugh.
Later, after they'd both laughed themself out, Nakasha turned her face towards him, questioning him carefully, "How are things going, Kas? It's just... you've been spending a bit of time here. And it's not like I'm complaining, but..."
K'del hesitated. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. Finally, he shrugged. "Eh. Suppose it's okay. Just... different. Complicated. Fighting with P'ax, who can't seem to cope with me having, you know, people I want to spend time with other than him. And Millie's going through - oh, that's too complicated to explain. My Wingleader quit. Really not thrilled about Tiriana. And..."
He broke off, frowning. "Guess I just liked how things were. And then they all went and changed."
Nakasha shook the dirt from her hand, and, heedless of her skirt, crawled over to her brother, resting one hand on his knee. "You'll get used to it, though, right? Like I got used to not being around. And the others, before you."
"Suppose. Just... One thing after another, you know? Like that domino game we had as kids."
"Give it a few months," she promised him, fondly. "Bet you'll be just fine with all of it."
"And what about you? What'll you feel like, in a few months?"
She raised her eyebrows at him, then shrugged, leaning down to brush dirt away from the head of a carrot; it was too small, and she brushed the dirt back over it again, then leaned back, tilting her face up towards the sun. "Still be here. Same old, same old. Evelin'll probably be pregnant again, and I hope Elasin will be, because that's what she wants. And Mother may be talking about husbands for me, I suppose, but it'll be turns before I actually get married, probably."
"And that doesn't... Bother you?"
She poked him with one finger. "First you say you hate that everything keeps changing, and now you're concerned that I'll be bothered by things staying the same? Are you a moron?"
"Maybe. Probably. Dunno. This place kind of drove me insane sometimes, you know? Nothing changing, knowing nothing was going to happen for me. And I have control - well, a bit more, anyway - now. But not all the externals."
"Can't control everything. And to answer your question... I'm as bored as you were, Kas. You know that. Still wish you hadn't gone. Miss having you around. Today? This is fun."
"I'd take you back with me if I could."
"Yeah."
"Do miss you, Kash. Just... I couldn't stay. There's no place for me, here, and - well, not much with the plants, you know that."
Kash grinned at him. "I know all that, Kas. It's fine. Doesn't mean I can't miss you. And enjoy it, when you are here. Say... Can you stay after dinner? Bet the others'd love to see you. Calana got married, but the rest, we're still here, still hanging out. What do you say?"
K'del hesitated. On one hand, it'd be nice to see the group of playmates he hadn't seen now, despite all his visits, since departing the family Hold nearly two turns earlier. On the other... "Won't it be weird? Me dropping in again. Not Kasadel from next door anymore."
"Weird? You're still Kasadel, you know. Just all grown up. They'd love to see you."
But it was awkward, and K'del didn't stay long. Nothing, he mourned, quietly, as he and Cadejoth flew through the cool, night skies towards home, stayed the same. Not if you left, and not if you did nothing at all.
And it sucked.
Location: Family Vinehold, Tillek Area
Synopsis: An afternoon with his sister leads K'del to grumbling over change.
By mid month five, it was warm enough out Tillek way that, were an afternoon to be sunny, and the chores not too onerous, laying outside in the sun was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, sharing news and bad jokes, and just being.
K'del helped Nakasha race through her chores, in the hopes of stealing some time; she batted him merrily away from most things, though, chiding him for pulling out herbs instead of weeds in the garden, of missing the roots when he did get the right plant. So he sat and enjoyed the sun while she worked, and though it took longer, at least it was outdoors, out in the open - and just, somehow, relaxing.
"Can't believe you know the new Weyrwoman well enough to argue with her," Nakasha laughed, as she chucked away a handful of weeds by the roots. "My brother, hob-nobbing with the Weyrwoman!"
K'del dug his toes into the sun-warmed earth, and joined her laugh. "Not sure hob-nobbing is quite the word, but sure. Yelled at her pretty hard a couple of times. She's - eh. Spoilt, and vindictive, and just not very nice. But," he added, hastily, "not since Satiet died. Wouldn't do it now. She may be awful, but she's my Weyrwoman."
Nakasha grinned, and threw a plant at him; he ducked it, but only barely. "Wouldn't really stop you. You never know when to shut your mouth. Hey - you going to chase? That's how the next Weyrleader'll get decided, right? And Cadejoth's bronze."
"And I'm sixteen. No. Going to keep him away. Not that I reckon he'd have much of a chance. Too young. And Iovniath wouldn't want him, anyway, and apparently that makes a difference. But - not something I'd want to risk, anyway."
"Seventeen, soon. Not that it makes a difference for this, but still. Less than a month. Going to come home for the day? Please?"
But K'del shook his head, shaking a handful of dirt through his hand. "Not sure, yet, what I'll be doing. Weeks away! Work it out closer to the time. Maybe I'll come pick you up, take you somewhere interesting. Gather, maybe."
"I'd rather come and stay at the weyr. I want to know where you liiiiiive, Kas. It's not fair. You've been there for turns, and I still haven't seen it at all." She was giving him the puppy-dog eyes face. He hated that face.
"I tried, Kash, you know that. Mother doesn't think it's appropriate. At least not until you're sixteen."
"Which is months away. Months and months."
"Kaaash."
She threw another plant at him, dirt attached; this one, he didn't manage to duck. The soil slid down his face, and hit the ground. And then, they both began to laugh.
Later, after they'd both laughed themself out, Nakasha turned her face towards him, questioning him carefully, "How are things going, Kas? It's just... you've been spending a bit of time here. And it's not like I'm complaining, but..."
K'del hesitated. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. Finally, he shrugged. "Eh. Suppose it's okay. Just... different. Complicated. Fighting with P'ax, who can't seem to cope with me having, you know, people I want to spend time with other than him. And Millie's going through - oh, that's too complicated to explain. My Wingleader quit. Really not thrilled about Tiriana. And..."
He broke off, frowning. "Guess I just liked how things were. And then they all went and changed."
Nakasha shook the dirt from her hand, and, heedless of her skirt, crawled over to her brother, resting one hand on his knee. "You'll get used to it, though, right? Like I got used to not being around. And the others, before you."
"Suppose. Just... One thing after another, you know? Like that domino game we had as kids."
"Give it a few months," she promised him, fondly. "Bet you'll be just fine with all of it."
"And what about you? What'll you feel like, in a few months?"
She raised her eyebrows at him, then shrugged, leaning down to brush dirt away from the head of a carrot; it was too small, and she brushed the dirt back over it again, then leaned back, tilting her face up towards the sun. "Still be here. Same old, same old. Evelin'll probably be pregnant again, and I hope Elasin will be, because that's what she wants. And Mother may be talking about husbands for me, I suppose, but it'll be turns before I actually get married, probably."
"And that doesn't... Bother you?"
She poked him with one finger. "First you say you hate that everything keeps changing, and now you're concerned that I'll be bothered by things staying the same? Are you a moron?"
"Maybe. Probably. Dunno. This place kind of drove me insane sometimes, you know? Nothing changing, knowing nothing was going to happen for me. And I have control - well, a bit more, anyway - now. But not all the externals."
"Can't control everything. And to answer your question... I'm as bored as you were, Kas. You know that. Still wish you hadn't gone. Miss having you around. Today? This is fun."
"I'd take you back with me if I could."
"Yeah."
"Do miss you, Kash. Just... I couldn't stay. There's no place for me, here, and - well, not much with the plants, you know that."
Kash grinned at him. "I know all that, Kas. It's fine. Doesn't mean I can't miss you. And enjoy it, when you are here. Say... Can you stay after dinner? Bet the others'd love to see you. Calana got married, but the rest, we're still here, still hanging out. What do you say?"
K'del hesitated. On one hand, it'd be nice to see the group of playmates he hadn't seen now, despite all his visits, since departing the family Hold nearly two turns earlier. On the other... "Won't it be weird? Me dropping in again. Not Kasadel from next door anymore."
"Weird? You're still Kasadel, you know. Just all grown up. They'd love to see you."
But it was awkward, and K'del didn't stay long. Nothing, he mourned, quietly, as he and Cadejoth flew through the cool, night skies towards home, stayed the same. Not if you left, and not if you did nothing at all.
And it sucked.