LOG: Take Me Away From It All
Date: Day 27, Month 12, Turn 19
Location: A warm, empty valley somewhere southern
Synopsis: Kas takes Millie down south for her turnday (not to mention Cadejoth's). Politics are discussed, as well as more personal things.
Sexual references, but ultimately, really very tame.
Milani and Cadejoth's birthdays fall on one of the more miserable days of winter, thus far: bitterly cold, cloudy, and with more snow on the way. The day might have been cleared for the events, but things came up anyway, at least for K'del, so it's about mid-morning before he's ready, and seeks Milani out. He opens the door without knocking, leaning up against the doorway with his arms crossed and his brows raised lazily: "I've reason to believe the sun still knows how to shine, other parts of Pern. Wanna go find out for sure?" He's teasing, grinning.
Curled up, is the headwoman, reading a book. Apparently she's taking this birthday day off thing very seriously. The door swings open and she looks up, brows lifted. There's only a few people who dare to open without knocking and K'del would be one of them. "That, my dear Weyrleader, sounds like a great idea," the headwoman says with a bright smile in return and swings her legs off the couch, flips the book closed. "What should I bring with me?"
K'del only looks approving, for how seriously she's taking this. What's a birthday for, if not to ignore everything completely? Still leaning against the door, "Something light on the skin-covering and easy on the eye?" Beat. "Though I suppose it's not /my/ birthday, so if you wanted to wear something ankle-length and sack-like, guess I'd have to work with it. Don't need anything else, though, unless you've something in particular you want to bring." It's all organised, apparently.
Milani bursts out laughing and puts the book down, crosses over to the Weyrleader and winds her arms around his neck. "I'll bring a sarong. But will there be swimming?" she asks a little archly before she leans up on her toes to kiss him. "You take such good care of me," she teases a little in the wake of that, fingers trailing down his cheek, smile fond. "All right then. Just let me grab that for wearing in the warm and my jacket for Between."
K'del's arms automatically reach out to wrap about her waist as hers go for his neck. The kiss keeps him from responding immediately, but once they draw lips apart again, he tells her, with mock seriousness, "There /will/. I suppose that would have been more useful information, wouldn't it?" His grip around her squeezes for her tease, gaze meeting hers, then releases: "Go, then. And quick, before I go insane from lack of sunshine and warmth or something. Course, may decide I don't want to come back, too, for that matter... You mind, if we build a little camp for ourselves, stay there forever, away from the cold?"
Milani smiles up at him and gives his cheek a little pat, his chin a little tug. "Yes. So. Swim something too unless it's the kind of beach where it won't matter," the headwoman says laughingly and steps away to put a few things into a bag for the trip. It doesn't take long and she pulls on a pair of slide on calf boots for the trip over, her father's old jacket claimed from a hook beside the door. "All ready. And if we're running away ... hmm, better make it more than just a camp." Millie tugs her collar straight, slings her bag over her shoulder and slides her arm into his. "Maybe even a whole small cothold. Then we can laze around all day for the rest of our lives, eating fruit off trees, sleeping and having lots of good sex. Get the door?"
"Not saying a word," says K'del, of whether it might be that kind of beach, or not, looking almost insufferably pleased with this short-lived secret. While she gets herself ready, he crosses his arms and waits, utterly patient, until, "Mm, you're right. Would have to build a proper cothold. A home. And I'd have to hunt for fo-- no, Cadejoth could do that. Might get to us a bit torn up, but it'd be fine. That, with fruit, and sleep, and sex..." He draws her arm more closely through his, clearly considering this to be a Very Good Idea Indeed, then leads them off, shutting the door behind him. At least they can stay indoors all the way to his weyr, until it's time to brave the winds of his ledge, where Cadejoth - already packed up and ready to go - awaits. From there, it doesn't take too much more time to be aloft. K'del's arms wrapped tightly about Milani.
"There you go, a perfect happily ever after," Milani teases a little. "Great birthday present. One fine young stud, never tired out, all to myself," she continues and bumps her shoulder lightly against his. "More seriously, look at you all ready to go. Are you sure we're not moving to the beach?" On Cadejoth's back, Millie settles in comfortably against him, tucks her head in under his chin. "Oh, take me away from it all, my hero." Still joking around.
"Except for when I'd be fixing the roof, and working out how to make fire without firestone, and bathing and oiling Cadejoth, and--" K'del could go on and on and on, but doesn't, instead simply grinning at his companion. "/Pretty/ sure," he continues, in response to her question, laughing. "But don't quote me on that. Nothing would surprise me, honestly." For her last comment, atop Cadejoth, he only laughs - and then they're gone, popping out of the chills of Between a few moments later, above a brilliantly green meadow trapped between some taller mountains, a sapphire river wending its way towards a deeper blue lake. Cadejoth's enthusiasm is pretty audible, probably enough to be felt by those sitting atop him; he circles and darts, taking his time, before finally angling down towards a landing upon the green, green grass. It's not unreasonably hot here, but /warm/.
"Mm, still would make for good scenery for me. Just don't ask me to churn butter or 'get your dinner on the table now, woman,'" Milani affects a drawling accent and giggles. Settling in for the ride over, the prettiness of the view earns a leaning Millie to take it all in. "Oooooh. You sure do know how to find a good spot, Kas," she says with disarmingly innocent charm.
"Well I sure as anything doing know how to cook!" teases K'del, laughing merrily. Milani's reaction to the view makes him look distinctly pleased with himself; not, though, that he's not taking it in with as much pleasure as she is. "Beautiful, isn't it? If I /were/ going to build myself a cothold somewhere, it'd have to be here." He swings down from Cadejoth first, then reaches up to offer a hand to help her down: "Pretty sure you could grow anything in this soil; surprises me that no one has, but I guess there's too much land for all of it to get used, down here."
Milani slips down from Cadejoth's back, hand settled comfortably in his and drops her bag down to the ground, reaches up to start freeing her jacket. "Shells, it'd be a nice spot, it would. You know, little vacation spot," Millie says with a fond grin for the bronzerider. "Oh and we'd starve unless we just eat things straight off the tree. I can't cook either."
K'del's jacket, followed by his boots, get shucked onto the ground before he begins unfastening the buckles on Cadejoth's straps, including those holding the supplies. Once the bronze is free, he ducks immediately towards the lake. "Would, wouldn't it? Place to escape to." His nose wrinkles, as he adds, teasingly, "I don't know, that's pretty useless. Twenty-one turns old, and you don't know how to cook! Good thing you have other talents, I suppose."
Boots likewise shed, Milani doesn't waste any time stripping down to her skin for that matter and changing into the little wispy piece of blue-green, semi-sheer fabric she brought. Clearly this is meant as a beach cover-up. But worn on its own .... Millie shakes her hair out, folds her heavier things into the bag and picks it back up again, wandering along through the green grass towards the lake, pausing to pick a flower here and there. "I'm too busy to cook anyway. "
Worn on its own, that piece of fabric is doing a very good job of making sure K'del never actually goes those straps tidied into a neat pile: he watches, appreciative. Abandoning them, he shucks off the rest of his outdoors clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts on, though his things are left dumped on the ground rather than tidied away. "And I'm too busy to farm, or hunt, or-- well, most of that," agrees K'del, hastening his footsteps to catch up, then easing into a much gentler stride. "Guess we'll just have to do without all of that." Then, with a warm sigh: "It's nice to get out of the weyr. Even ignoring the weather."
A little sidelong look is sent K'del's way, Milani smiling in a way that's far from innocent. "There you go, live rough," the headwoman says with a chuckle. Deep breath and her head tilts up to the clear blue sky. "Very nice. I'm really glad I'm not being tailed by hulking but cute guards all the time."
"Reckon I could cope without, for a while," decides K'del, reaching out to trace a finger down Milani's arm before his hand reaches for hers again. Nonetheless, he looks mildly awkward for mention of those guards, and, despite his initial tease of, "Tell me about it," he puts in, more seriously, "Sorry about that."
That finger draws a wider smile and a little caught breath, then Milani's hand curls comfortably into his. "I know you were just trying to keep me safe. But talk about annoying. I don't much like being followed around all the time."
K'del's fingers squeeze about hers as he says, "No, bet you don't. And okay, nothing's happened or anything, so I guess you could say it was for nothing, but... I wouldn't. Just because... Yeah." Beat. "You sleeping at your parents'? Also pretty annoying."
A roll of Milani's eyes follows. "Well, it's a nice weyr, but these days I like your bed better," she answers archly, that look on her face just a little coy. "Still, I'm glad nothing happened and that it's all getting sorted out. Because ... it is, isn't it?"
"Can't think of why that would be," teases K'del, attempting to keep his expression free of mirth, but predictably, not doing it too well. His fingers are tracing circles on her hand. "It is." Of this, he's almost forceful in his response, determined. "Got a bunch of them in custody; /think/ that'll be about it. Send them back to the Hold on trial, and..." He breathes. "Hope. Soon, I promise."
"Oh you know, me neither," Milani says all wide-eyed and faux-innocent. "Good that you caught some ... " the headwoman trails off and tilts her head to the side. "Trial... shells. What do you think will happen to them?" she asks quietly. "I mean, there was that one b oy before ... Cheddar. Chedayi." And the headwoman's voice dies, looking away towards the horizon. "At least we know we have the right people this time, for sure, right?"
K'del is distracted from the flirtation by the more serious conversation, and keeps his gaze trained on Milani, even as she looks away. "Don't know," he admits, in answer to her question. "About what will happen, I mean. Intend to leave it up to the holds involved. Sure Tiriana would have other ideas, but I think it's the... best idea. I," beat, "Yes. We do. Linked it all, tracked them down, caught them. It's the... we're getting it right, this time. For good."
"It sounds like you're really doing everything ... you know, by the book. Which is probably a good thing," Milani says slowly, thoughtfully and tightens her fingers on his. "Just can't help but wonder what will happen to them after a trial."
K'del reaches around, so that he can place his other hand atop the two hands already joined. "Trying to," he says, honestly, with a note of pure earnestness in it. "Figure I've got to. It's important." He sucks out a long breath at her last comment, finally nodding. "Don't know. Wouldn't want to be involved in that, honestly; having that control over what happens, no matter what they've done... it's an awful thought."
"It is important," Milani agrees and reaches up to tuck one of her plucked flowers in over his ear with her free hand. "Me neither," she agrees and hesitates for a moment. "That guy I just mentioned. It's my fault he got sent off. When the Vijsys were around before. They pinned everything on him, though he probably didn't really do anything."
Coming up alongside the lake, K'del comes to a halt, taking a few moments before he responds to what Milani has just said. "They're not very nice people," is what he murmurs, eventually. "We'll make sure that can't happen again. You-- do you feel guilty about that? Still? Because," and he takes a deep breath before finishing, squeezing her hand within his, "You shouldn't."
"Some of them were perfectly nice," Milani says candidly. "I don't think they all ... knew what was going on," she continues quietly, blows out a breath. "One of them was very good in the sack even," the headwoman notes with a little wry grin. "I -- hm." She frowns, looks across the water. "Sometimes? I wonder if he's okay. I have to live with it you know. That if I'd just done what N'thei said in the first place, it wouldn't have turned out thaht way. It's just that it was hard to see what was right and what wasn't then. It seemed like N'thei was doing something that wasn't right. As it turns out, he's more honorable than it seemed then."
'Good in the sack' makes K'del laugh, though it doesn't entirely remove the seriousness from his expression. "Imagine most of the nice ones will have gone elsewhere, by now. Will've been a pretty bad couple of turns - and you'd have to hope they wouldn't stand up for the raiding. Kidnapping. All of that." He lets out a long, low breath before he concludes, "Reckon it's often pretty hard to tell. Shades of gray, and whatever. N'thei-- right. At least you know that now. And me. If not everyone."
"Hope they wouldn't, no," Milani says with a little quirk of her mouth. "I can't quite see him going in for kidnapping. A little light-fingered whatever, but not this, no. Though that boy you all brought it, could you have seen him doing it either?" Brows lifted. "Sometimes people will follow along with things if they think they have to." Breath blown out and her head bobs. "I learned something at least," she murmurs thoughtfully then turns her head into his shoulder. "Kas ... it's my birthday. Let's talk about something nicer? Or at least ... let's not talk at all?"
K'del's teeth dig into his lip at mention of the boy, his eyes half closing in unhappy consideration, though whatever it is he's thinking about gets put aside as Milani turns her head into his shoulder, and changes the subject. "Of course," he tells her, drawing his hand away from hers so that he can wrap both arms about her, head tilting downwards so that he can attempt to claim a kiss. "There's far too much beautiful here to think about awful things, anyway."
His arms close around her and Milani's lift up to K'del's neck, that kiss bestowed eagerly enough. "You're right about that. It's a lovely spot, Kas. Really." Another kiss and more softly: "Come on, let's get a blanket spread and have a little fun, hm?"
K'del has to steal in another kiss, before those arms begin to draw back again - and then still one more, before they actually return to his sides. Has to. Really. "Was talking as much about you as the spot," he teases, fondly, as he reaches for her hand again, all the better to drag her alongside as he begins - with relatively fast steps - back towards his packs, and the blanket. "Not sure I could've kept my hands off of you for much longer, anyway. That little... thing you're wearing!"
Milani giggling, Milani follows after happily. "It's just some fabric, Kas ... not like it's even you know, anything really /naughty/" the headwoman insists. Once the blanket is all set up though, she's glad enough to let him do as he pleases with it and with her until they're a sweaty tangle of limbs. "Mmm. Now that's what I'm talking about."
"'Just some fabric'," repeats K'del, sounding most disgruntled. "If that's 'just some fabric', then--" Then something he doesn't finish; doesn't need to, probably. By the time they're catching their breath on the blanket, later, it's fabric that's no longer covering anything at all, discarded along with his shorts. "/Think/ I understand what you were talking about, now," he teases. "Point made, or something."
"Very /fun/ fabric," Milani says as she cuddles into K'del's chest and nudges her foot between his ankles, one arm drapin gover his side. "So. What other fun things do you have planned for today?"
K'del's ankles rub lazily against Milani's foot, whilst his arm shifts around her to allow his hand to rest lightly upon her back. "Mm, I'll say. Reckon I like what's beneath it better, though. Well." He takes his time to answer the last, sounding both lazy and utterly content, "There's food, and some wine - felt more appropriate than whisky or beer, somehow - and we can swim... Really, anything you like." Beat. "Didn't buy you anything, this time. No ideas. But if there's something you want... Not like I'm short of marks these days."
Milani slides her arm up along K'del's back a little further. "What, no little skimpy nothing for me to wear for you on /your/ turnday?" she teases him gently and aims a kiss for his chin. "Nothing in particular, no. Always like something new to read. But books are expensive. Mostly, I just like having your time."
"That'd be a present for /me/, though, wouldn't it? Terribly self-serving of me, to give you that," he teases back, leaning in to give her a kiss in return, hers on her nose. "Anyway. It'd be tragic, buying you something like that now, and not getting to see it for months." He tilts his head back, glancing across the valley, then adds, "Got my time, no question there. Will see about a book, though; wasn't sure if it would be too much of a repetition of last year. Like being able to buy you things."
"No, it'd be for /both/ of us!" Milani counters, big-eyed. "What, you don't think I /like/ it when you peel me out of those? Or the look on your face when I show up in one?" And then she laughs. "Oh but blissful torture you know. All that anticipation ... building up ... /knowing/ but not knowing at the same time and then to have the real thing ..." Wicked wench. Millie's arm tightens around him though she tilts her head back to get a good look at his face. "I won't complain about being spoiled a little."
K'del doesn't /really/ have to think about that; he laughs, expression immediate warm, and utterly fond. "Point taken. I'll give it some thought, for next time." The wicked makes him shake his head, biting back any response except via his expression: /definitely/ point taken. "Know you won't. Which is convenient. There's something fun about spoiling people."
Giggling, Milani nods and lifts her hand to beep his nose gently. "Isn't there though? It's the smile I think. How happy they can get," the headwoman says sincerely. "I like ... surprising people in a good way. You know. So they're happy. Not ... outraged. Or angry. Or ..." she laughs. "Anything other than happily surprised.'
K'del wrinkles his nose in a gesture of mock distaste for the beeping, but he can't seem to keep the smile off of his face for long, now. "Mm, yes," he agrees, wholeheartedly. "Surprises are just /fun/. And seeing people happy... Like that a lot. Awful when it doesn't work, though. Some people just don't like surprises, I suppose."
Rue on Millie's face at the tail end of that. "I -- have a little bit of experience with that, yes," a little sigh and she snuggles back into him. "Anyway. I like your surprises. Like /today/."
K'del makes a face, and admits, "Didn't intend to make you think of unpleasant memories; Sorry, Millie. I can kiss it better?" Which doesn't stop his hand from stroking lightly against bare skin, and him looking altogether more contented again as he adds, "Good. Today, I mean. Glad I could help you celebrate. Or /can/, really, I guess. Plenty of day left."
"Oh you haven't, not really, just ... you know, I've made my share of mistakes while trying to put together a nice surprise, that's all," Milani says and smiles. "You go right ahead with that plan. Kissing. Making it better. More celebrating."
K'del's nose wrinkles as he nods, but it doesn't linger: instead, he leans in to kiss her soundly, and preferably for quite so time. Breaking away, "Feeling better?"
"I'm feeling like a birthday girl," Milani says archly and traces her fingers lightly along K'del's jaw. "Kas ... I've been meaning to ask you, though --" her fingertips still, resting gently against his cheek and her eyes lift to his, search blue depths. "Do you still feel the same way as the last time we talked about anything with us?"
K'del's mouth opens, and he begins, "As you sh--" but he breaks off, under the weight of her question, his expression shifting towards surprise, and thoughtfulness. "You mean... in terms of how I feel about you, and what I want out of this?" His hand has stilled, resting lightly upon her skin, now, rather than the idle stroking he was doing before. "What's up?"
A press of her palm to his cheek follows and Milani nods. "Yes. Both of those," she says with a little nod. A smile follows and a stroke of her thumb against his jawline. "Nothing. Just ... checking in, I guess. Making sure we're still on the same page. I mean it /seems/ like we are."
K'del's relief, that this is just 'checking in' and not something drastic, is pretty visible in his expression. "I absolutely," he promises, low voiced but warm, "feel the same way. I /like/ where we are; I'm happy, you know?" Pausing, if only for a moment, he adds, "But I'd tell you, if something changed. Imagine you would, too. For now, though... We're good."
That look on K'del's face brings a brief flash of guilt to Milani's. "Did you think I was breaking up with you?" she says with a little shake of her head and hugs him tightly. "No, I'm happy too. I care about you. Very much. I guess the only thing worth really sharing is ... you're my only, right now, Kas. I expect that'll change in a little while. But for now ... just you."
"Nooo," says K'del, extending the word a little. "Not really. Because it would be weird timing. It was just... I wasn't sure." He leans into the hug, squeezing gently, and takes his time, as a result, before responding to her last, though he draws back enough to be able to meet her gaze when he actually does so. "Same's not true, but - not far off. And you're the only sleepover kind." Then, he leans in again, planting a kiss upon her forehead: "Don't care how many there are or aren't for you, so long as I'm one of them."
Milani works her other hand out from under him and cradles his face in both palms. "Okay. Tell me if you want me to stop just showing up every night?" she says with a little lift of her brows. "I mean there'll always be nights where I might get busy and it's late and what-all. But I don't really intend to change that habit unless I really just need to get some sleep. Or you've got other things going on."
"I don't," he promises, without even needing to think about it, as he strokes a hand down her cheek in return. "But if I do, I'll let you know. There's... no one who warrants anything like that, believe me, and I /like/ having you. It's... nice, having you." Pause. "Well. More than nice, but you know what I mean? The consistency. Promise: consider yourself always welcome, unless we've specifically noted otherwise."
"Okay," Milani says and leans in to kiss him again gently. "I know what you mean. And I don't want to change it either. I like being with you like this. No pressure, but steady, you know?" She smiles then brightly and curls into him again, head tucked under his chin. "See, that's a good birthday present."
K'del matches the kiss, then leans in to provide another to the top of her head as she curls into him. "Mm, yes," he agrees, smiling into her hair. "Just perfect, the way it is. Though I'd call it a good /all turn around/ present, which is, I'm convinced, even better."
"Just goes to show ... not all good presents cost marks," Milani tells K'del's shoulder. She's quiet for a little while, just breathing then peeks back up at him. "Lunch?"
"Convenient, for people on a budget," K'del teases, though other than that, he's more than content to recline in silence. When Milani peeks back up, he laughs, brows raised: "You want /lunch/, too? What do you take this for?" Beat. Then, grinning, "Though I think I already said there was food, didn't I? Only... lunch means moooooving, and I really don't want to."
"I do my best to be not only entertaining, but convenient," Milani answers, deadpan. "And well, I don't mind /not/ moving for a little while longer, but my stomach his going to start growing here any moment," she says quite seriously and makes the big eyes at him. "You said food and wine. All good things."
K'del does not manage the deadpan, not in response to Milani's, and not as she continues on about food and wine. "I give, I give; don't think I could stand to listen to your stomach grumble, ruining my peace and quiet." Grinning, he adds, then, "You're terribly convenient, as it happens. And entertaining. Works out quite well." Unfortunately, this whole getting food thing requires disentangling; he pokes at her sides, noting, "Roll away, else I'll never be able to get that food, and you'll /have/ to starve."
"Such a low threshold," Milani teases and pokes playfully at him then rolls away admittedly not too speedily and reaches for the dubious covering of that sarong again, wrapping it around a couple of times, likely in a bid to avoid distraction during the meal. "No starving allowed on my birthday."
"Guilty as charged," agrees K'del, without hesitation, as he shuffles back into his shorts, and begins to unpack the food from the basket. It's a pretty decent spread: cold meats, cheeses, bread, plus the wine, and some fruit - and a little cake to end with. "If you ever wanted to torture information out of me, all you'd have to do is threaten me with pretty girls with rumbling stomachs." Pause. "Well. Pretty girls in general, maybe."
"Threaten you with them? Or threaten to withdraw them from you?" Milani says teasingly as she starts to nibble on this and that. "I mean, I'd think that bringing a few more into your life would be more reward than punishment, wouldn't it?"
"/Taunt/ me with them," insists K'del, mock-seriously, as he puts together a sandwich made of meat and cheese. "Wave them in front of my face, and then take them away again. Though... having half the weyr making eyes at me, because they've decided sleeping with the weyrleader is the best idea ever? That is kind of torture anyway."
Milani pops another bit of cheese into her mouth and regards K'del thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind. About the taunting." A breath taken, let out slowly. "It's because you're young, nice and hot, instead of you know ..." she waves a hand vaguely. "Grr, argh, I'm going to strangle you, like N'tbei."
"Cruel. Wicked. /Wench/." K'del says all of this whilst making a face about the last, even if he does nod slowly. "Yeah, I get it. But. Figured people might've stopped, by now. Least I've stopped finding them naked in my bed, I guess, waiting for me. Can't imagine many girls being interested in /N'thei/."
"Might want to watch it with the names, otherwise you know, I might start dangling the goods and not making good," Milani notes breezily with a sunny, innocent smile. "Well you know, call it a benefit of me coming over too. I kick some out sometimes," Millie says with a little hand gesture.
"Might want to watch it with the threats, or I might decide that this really is the perfect place to leave you," K'del returns, as usual, not quite managing to pull off the kind of innocence Milani can. "Hah. Like to see that. Protecting me from the ravaging hordes of lower caverns women... my hero!"
Milani sticks her tongue out at K'del. "Puddle is useful for some things. Even if it might mean cooling my heels for a while until he /wakes up/," the headwoman tosses back, grinning. "You just tell me if you want me to stop setting them straight," she says candidly. "I can let them pile up in your bed. Believe me though, it's much tidier once I'm done."
"Forgot about him," admits K'del, not quite ruefully, but close; he's grinning too much, and sticking out his own tongue. "There are worse places to cool one's heels, I suppose." He pours out some wine, offers it to Milani, though he gives his own a fairly dubious glance. "I will. Though I doubt it'll happen. /Prefer/ it tidy. Prefer to /choose/ my women, thanks all the same."
Milani takes the offered glass and draws it close. "Well. The lump on my hearth, bed or chair is pretty easy to forget," she has to admit. "He still sleeps a lot. Loves to sleep. THough he's easier to wake than he was when he was little." She smiles at him over the rim of her glass. "Mm. Picky, picky, picky. And full of ourselves, aren't we?"
K'del takes a tentative sip from the glass he's poured for himself, and makes a face. "Still hate wine. Grow up in a vineyard, and-- never mind. It's appropriate. Happy birthday, Millie!" A toast, then. "Least that's something. The waking up, I mean." He sticks out his tongue again for the last, noting, "No! Not my fault: just stating facts."
Milani tilts her glass over to ding against his. "Thank you," she says with a little mock coy tilt of her head. "Mm. It's an improvement, though you know, Leova meant him to be like a security alarm system and that's ... not so much." Laughing at his last, Milani takes a few good sips from her glass then reaches forward to pat his knee. "Mmmhm. Well, there's nothing wrong with bein discerning."
K'del's head shakes, ruefully. "These things never work out the way they're supposed to. But. Hopefully, in an emergency, he'd still be a little useful." Glasses clinked, he takes another sip of the wine, swallowing it warily before he adds, "Quite right. Discerning is important. There's just... levels. Some people are more picky than others. And... stuff." Lame finish.
Milani just laughs and shakes her head a few times. "I'm yanking your chain," she tells him gently and settles in to finish up both food and wine, then cuts a little piece of cake and breaks it in two. Her empty glass is set well to the side, because Millie is crawling across the blanket towards the weyrleader, eyes alight. "I think that now, I need to feed this to you. And then you should feed me mine and we should spend the rest of the day, being completely wanton and lazy by turns."
"I know," K'del promises, grinning, though whether that's true or not - it's hard to tell, ultimately. "/Do/ you now?" he asks, as she crawls over, his gaze sliding between her face and the cake (and, all right, at least briefly on the body in between). "/Really/. All right, then. May the cake feeding commence." But not until he's dragged her the last little bit, towards his lap. "And then, the wantonness."
Milani laughs all the more as he draws her into his lap. "Mmm ... I'm the birthday girl. I should get /whatever/ I want." So saying she pops a bite of cake into his mouth and starts of the wanton portion of the day all over again. Thereafter follows ... a lot more of the same! Broken up by lounging around, lighter chatter, some swimming and a walk up the valley a little ways. At the end of it all, when the sun is going down and everything is packed up, Millie winds her arms around K'del and leans into him, hugging fiercely. "Thanks for another wonderful birthday, Kas."
"Your wish is my command," promises K'del, in words as well as, in the hours that follow, in action. Later, he squeezes tight as she hugs him, telling her, "You're more than welcome, Millie. Any time. It was fun, wasn't it?" And then, it's back to icy, windy High Reaches - bit of a let down, really, but at least the day was wonderful.
Location: A warm, empty valley somewhere southern
Synopsis: Kas takes Millie down south for her turnday (not to mention Cadejoth's). Politics are discussed, as well as more personal things.
Sexual references, but ultimately, really very tame.
Milani and Cadejoth's birthdays fall on one of the more miserable days of winter, thus far: bitterly cold, cloudy, and with more snow on the way. The day might have been cleared for the events, but things came up anyway, at least for K'del, so it's about mid-morning before he's ready, and seeks Milani out. He opens the door without knocking, leaning up against the doorway with his arms crossed and his brows raised lazily: "I've reason to believe the sun still knows how to shine, other parts of Pern. Wanna go find out for sure?" He's teasing, grinning.
Curled up, is the headwoman, reading a book. Apparently she's taking this birthday day off thing very seriously. The door swings open and she looks up, brows lifted. There's only a few people who dare to open without knocking and K'del would be one of them. "That, my dear Weyrleader, sounds like a great idea," the headwoman says with a bright smile in return and swings her legs off the couch, flips the book closed. "What should I bring with me?"
K'del only looks approving, for how seriously she's taking this. What's a birthday for, if not to ignore everything completely? Still leaning against the door, "Something light on the skin-covering and easy on the eye?" Beat. "Though I suppose it's not /my/ birthday, so if you wanted to wear something ankle-length and sack-like, guess I'd have to work with it. Don't need anything else, though, unless you've something in particular you want to bring." It's all organised, apparently.
Milani bursts out laughing and puts the book down, crosses over to the Weyrleader and winds her arms around his neck. "I'll bring a sarong. But will there be swimming?" she asks a little archly before she leans up on her toes to kiss him. "You take such good care of me," she teases a little in the wake of that, fingers trailing down his cheek, smile fond. "All right then. Just let me grab that for wearing in the warm and my jacket for Between."
K'del's arms automatically reach out to wrap about her waist as hers go for his neck. The kiss keeps him from responding immediately, but once they draw lips apart again, he tells her, with mock seriousness, "There /will/. I suppose that would have been more useful information, wouldn't it?" His grip around her squeezes for her tease, gaze meeting hers, then releases: "Go, then. And quick, before I go insane from lack of sunshine and warmth or something. Course, may decide I don't want to come back, too, for that matter... You mind, if we build a little camp for ourselves, stay there forever, away from the cold?"
Milani smiles up at him and gives his cheek a little pat, his chin a little tug. "Yes. So. Swim something too unless it's the kind of beach where it won't matter," the headwoman says laughingly and steps away to put a few things into a bag for the trip. It doesn't take long and she pulls on a pair of slide on calf boots for the trip over, her father's old jacket claimed from a hook beside the door. "All ready. And if we're running away ... hmm, better make it more than just a camp." Millie tugs her collar straight, slings her bag over her shoulder and slides her arm into his. "Maybe even a whole small cothold. Then we can laze around all day for the rest of our lives, eating fruit off trees, sleeping and having lots of good sex. Get the door?"
"Not saying a word," says K'del, of whether it might be that kind of beach, or not, looking almost insufferably pleased with this short-lived secret. While she gets herself ready, he crosses his arms and waits, utterly patient, until, "Mm, you're right. Would have to build a proper cothold. A home. And I'd have to hunt for fo-- no, Cadejoth could do that. Might get to us a bit torn up, but it'd be fine. That, with fruit, and sleep, and sex..." He draws her arm more closely through his, clearly considering this to be a Very Good Idea Indeed, then leads them off, shutting the door behind him. At least they can stay indoors all the way to his weyr, until it's time to brave the winds of his ledge, where Cadejoth - already packed up and ready to go - awaits. From there, it doesn't take too much more time to be aloft. K'del's arms wrapped tightly about Milani.
"There you go, a perfect happily ever after," Milani teases a little. "Great birthday present. One fine young stud, never tired out, all to myself," she continues and bumps her shoulder lightly against his. "More seriously, look at you all ready to go. Are you sure we're not moving to the beach?" On Cadejoth's back, Millie settles in comfortably against him, tucks her head in under his chin. "Oh, take me away from it all, my hero." Still joking around.
"Except for when I'd be fixing the roof, and working out how to make fire without firestone, and bathing and oiling Cadejoth, and--" K'del could go on and on and on, but doesn't, instead simply grinning at his companion. "/Pretty/ sure," he continues, in response to her question, laughing. "But don't quote me on that. Nothing would surprise me, honestly." For her last comment, atop Cadejoth, he only laughs - and then they're gone, popping out of the chills of Between a few moments later, above a brilliantly green meadow trapped between some taller mountains, a sapphire river wending its way towards a deeper blue lake. Cadejoth's enthusiasm is pretty audible, probably enough to be felt by those sitting atop him; he circles and darts, taking his time, before finally angling down towards a landing upon the green, green grass. It's not unreasonably hot here, but /warm/.
"Mm, still would make for good scenery for me. Just don't ask me to churn butter or 'get your dinner on the table now, woman,'" Milani affects a drawling accent and giggles. Settling in for the ride over, the prettiness of the view earns a leaning Millie to take it all in. "Oooooh. You sure do know how to find a good spot, Kas," she says with disarmingly innocent charm.
"Well I sure as anything doing know how to cook!" teases K'del, laughing merrily. Milani's reaction to the view makes him look distinctly pleased with himself; not, though, that he's not taking it in with as much pleasure as she is. "Beautiful, isn't it? If I /were/ going to build myself a cothold somewhere, it'd have to be here." He swings down from Cadejoth first, then reaches up to offer a hand to help her down: "Pretty sure you could grow anything in this soil; surprises me that no one has, but I guess there's too much land for all of it to get used, down here."
Milani slips down from Cadejoth's back, hand settled comfortably in his and drops her bag down to the ground, reaches up to start freeing her jacket. "Shells, it'd be a nice spot, it would. You know, little vacation spot," Millie says with a fond grin for the bronzerider. "Oh and we'd starve unless we just eat things straight off the tree. I can't cook either."
K'del's jacket, followed by his boots, get shucked onto the ground before he begins unfastening the buckles on Cadejoth's straps, including those holding the supplies. Once the bronze is free, he ducks immediately towards the lake. "Would, wouldn't it? Place to escape to." His nose wrinkles, as he adds, teasingly, "I don't know, that's pretty useless. Twenty-one turns old, and you don't know how to cook! Good thing you have other talents, I suppose."
Boots likewise shed, Milani doesn't waste any time stripping down to her skin for that matter and changing into the little wispy piece of blue-green, semi-sheer fabric she brought. Clearly this is meant as a beach cover-up. But worn on its own .... Millie shakes her hair out, folds her heavier things into the bag and picks it back up again, wandering along through the green grass towards the lake, pausing to pick a flower here and there. "I'm too busy to cook anyway. "
Worn on its own, that piece of fabric is doing a very good job of making sure K'del never actually goes those straps tidied into a neat pile: he watches, appreciative. Abandoning them, he shucks off the rest of his outdoors clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts on, though his things are left dumped on the ground rather than tidied away. "And I'm too busy to farm, or hunt, or-- well, most of that," agrees K'del, hastening his footsteps to catch up, then easing into a much gentler stride. "Guess we'll just have to do without all of that." Then, with a warm sigh: "It's nice to get out of the weyr. Even ignoring the weather."
A little sidelong look is sent K'del's way, Milani smiling in a way that's far from innocent. "There you go, live rough," the headwoman says with a chuckle. Deep breath and her head tilts up to the clear blue sky. "Very nice. I'm really glad I'm not being tailed by hulking but cute guards all the time."
"Reckon I could cope without, for a while," decides K'del, reaching out to trace a finger down Milani's arm before his hand reaches for hers again. Nonetheless, he looks mildly awkward for mention of those guards, and, despite his initial tease of, "Tell me about it," he puts in, more seriously, "Sorry about that."
That finger draws a wider smile and a little caught breath, then Milani's hand curls comfortably into his. "I know you were just trying to keep me safe. But talk about annoying. I don't much like being followed around all the time."
K'del's fingers squeeze about hers as he says, "No, bet you don't. And okay, nothing's happened or anything, so I guess you could say it was for nothing, but... I wouldn't. Just because... Yeah." Beat. "You sleeping at your parents'? Also pretty annoying."
A roll of Milani's eyes follows. "Well, it's a nice weyr, but these days I like your bed better," she answers archly, that look on her face just a little coy. "Still, I'm glad nothing happened and that it's all getting sorted out. Because ... it is, isn't it?"
"Can't think of why that would be," teases K'del, attempting to keep his expression free of mirth, but predictably, not doing it too well. His fingers are tracing circles on her hand. "It is." Of this, he's almost forceful in his response, determined. "Got a bunch of them in custody; /think/ that'll be about it. Send them back to the Hold on trial, and..." He breathes. "Hope. Soon, I promise."
"Oh you know, me neither," Milani says all wide-eyed and faux-innocent. "Good that you caught some ... " the headwoman trails off and tilts her head to the side. "Trial... shells. What do you think will happen to them?" she asks quietly. "I mean, there was that one b oy before ... Cheddar. Chedayi." And the headwoman's voice dies, looking away towards the horizon. "At least we know we have the right people this time, for sure, right?"
K'del is distracted from the flirtation by the more serious conversation, and keeps his gaze trained on Milani, even as she looks away. "Don't know," he admits, in answer to her question. "About what will happen, I mean. Intend to leave it up to the holds involved. Sure Tiriana would have other ideas, but I think it's the... best idea. I," beat, "Yes. We do. Linked it all, tracked them down, caught them. It's the... we're getting it right, this time. For good."
"It sounds like you're really doing everything ... you know, by the book. Which is probably a good thing," Milani says slowly, thoughtfully and tightens her fingers on his. "Just can't help but wonder what will happen to them after a trial."
K'del reaches around, so that he can place his other hand atop the two hands already joined. "Trying to," he says, honestly, with a note of pure earnestness in it. "Figure I've got to. It's important." He sucks out a long breath at her last comment, finally nodding. "Don't know. Wouldn't want to be involved in that, honestly; having that control over what happens, no matter what they've done... it's an awful thought."
"It is important," Milani agrees and reaches up to tuck one of her plucked flowers in over his ear with her free hand. "Me neither," she agrees and hesitates for a moment. "That guy I just mentioned. It's my fault he got sent off. When the Vijsys were around before. They pinned everything on him, though he probably didn't really do anything."
Coming up alongside the lake, K'del comes to a halt, taking a few moments before he responds to what Milani has just said. "They're not very nice people," is what he murmurs, eventually. "We'll make sure that can't happen again. You-- do you feel guilty about that? Still? Because," and he takes a deep breath before finishing, squeezing her hand within his, "You shouldn't."
"Some of them were perfectly nice," Milani says candidly. "I don't think they all ... knew what was going on," she continues quietly, blows out a breath. "One of them was very good in the sack even," the headwoman notes with a little wry grin. "I -- hm." She frowns, looks across the water. "Sometimes? I wonder if he's okay. I have to live with it you know. That if I'd just done what N'thei said in the first place, it wouldn't have turned out thaht way. It's just that it was hard to see what was right and what wasn't then. It seemed like N'thei was doing something that wasn't right. As it turns out, he's more honorable than it seemed then."
'Good in the sack' makes K'del laugh, though it doesn't entirely remove the seriousness from his expression. "Imagine most of the nice ones will have gone elsewhere, by now. Will've been a pretty bad couple of turns - and you'd have to hope they wouldn't stand up for the raiding. Kidnapping. All of that." He lets out a long, low breath before he concludes, "Reckon it's often pretty hard to tell. Shades of gray, and whatever. N'thei-- right. At least you know that now. And me. If not everyone."
"Hope they wouldn't, no," Milani says with a little quirk of her mouth. "I can't quite see him going in for kidnapping. A little light-fingered whatever, but not this, no. Though that boy you all brought it, could you have seen him doing it either?" Brows lifted. "Sometimes people will follow along with things if they think they have to." Breath blown out and her head bobs. "I learned something at least," she murmurs thoughtfully then turns her head into his shoulder. "Kas ... it's my birthday. Let's talk about something nicer? Or at least ... let's not talk at all?"
K'del's teeth dig into his lip at mention of the boy, his eyes half closing in unhappy consideration, though whatever it is he's thinking about gets put aside as Milani turns her head into his shoulder, and changes the subject. "Of course," he tells her, drawing his hand away from hers so that he can wrap both arms about her, head tilting downwards so that he can attempt to claim a kiss. "There's far too much beautiful here to think about awful things, anyway."
His arms close around her and Milani's lift up to K'del's neck, that kiss bestowed eagerly enough. "You're right about that. It's a lovely spot, Kas. Really." Another kiss and more softly: "Come on, let's get a blanket spread and have a little fun, hm?"
K'del has to steal in another kiss, before those arms begin to draw back again - and then still one more, before they actually return to his sides. Has to. Really. "Was talking as much about you as the spot," he teases, fondly, as he reaches for her hand again, all the better to drag her alongside as he begins - with relatively fast steps - back towards his packs, and the blanket. "Not sure I could've kept my hands off of you for much longer, anyway. That little... thing you're wearing!"
Milani giggling, Milani follows after happily. "It's just some fabric, Kas ... not like it's even you know, anything really /naughty/" the headwoman insists. Once the blanket is all set up though, she's glad enough to let him do as he pleases with it and with her until they're a sweaty tangle of limbs. "Mmm. Now that's what I'm talking about."
"'Just some fabric'," repeats K'del, sounding most disgruntled. "If that's 'just some fabric', then--" Then something he doesn't finish; doesn't need to, probably. By the time they're catching their breath on the blanket, later, it's fabric that's no longer covering anything at all, discarded along with his shorts. "/Think/ I understand what you were talking about, now," he teases. "Point made, or something."
"Very /fun/ fabric," Milani says as she cuddles into K'del's chest and nudges her foot between his ankles, one arm drapin gover his side. "So. What other fun things do you have planned for today?"
K'del's ankles rub lazily against Milani's foot, whilst his arm shifts around her to allow his hand to rest lightly upon her back. "Mm, I'll say. Reckon I like what's beneath it better, though. Well." He takes his time to answer the last, sounding both lazy and utterly content, "There's food, and some wine - felt more appropriate than whisky or beer, somehow - and we can swim... Really, anything you like." Beat. "Didn't buy you anything, this time. No ideas. But if there's something you want... Not like I'm short of marks these days."
Milani slides her arm up along K'del's back a little further. "What, no little skimpy nothing for me to wear for you on /your/ turnday?" she teases him gently and aims a kiss for his chin. "Nothing in particular, no. Always like something new to read. But books are expensive. Mostly, I just like having your time."
"That'd be a present for /me/, though, wouldn't it? Terribly self-serving of me, to give you that," he teases back, leaning in to give her a kiss in return, hers on her nose. "Anyway. It'd be tragic, buying you something like that now, and not getting to see it for months." He tilts his head back, glancing across the valley, then adds, "Got my time, no question there. Will see about a book, though; wasn't sure if it would be too much of a repetition of last year. Like being able to buy you things."
"No, it'd be for /both/ of us!" Milani counters, big-eyed. "What, you don't think I /like/ it when you peel me out of those? Or the look on your face when I show up in one?" And then she laughs. "Oh but blissful torture you know. All that anticipation ... building up ... /knowing/ but not knowing at the same time and then to have the real thing ..." Wicked wench. Millie's arm tightens around him though she tilts her head back to get a good look at his face. "I won't complain about being spoiled a little."
K'del doesn't /really/ have to think about that; he laughs, expression immediate warm, and utterly fond. "Point taken. I'll give it some thought, for next time." The wicked makes him shake his head, biting back any response except via his expression: /definitely/ point taken. "Know you won't. Which is convenient. There's something fun about spoiling people."
Giggling, Milani nods and lifts her hand to beep his nose gently. "Isn't there though? It's the smile I think. How happy they can get," the headwoman says sincerely. "I like ... surprising people in a good way. You know. So they're happy. Not ... outraged. Or angry. Or ..." she laughs. "Anything other than happily surprised.'
K'del wrinkles his nose in a gesture of mock distaste for the beeping, but he can't seem to keep the smile off of his face for long, now. "Mm, yes," he agrees, wholeheartedly. "Surprises are just /fun/. And seeing people happy... Like that a lot. Awful when it doesn't work, though. Some people just don't like surprises, I suppose."
Rue on Millie's face at the tail end of that. "I -- have a little bit of experience with that, yes," a little sigh and she snuggles back into him. "Anyway. I like your surprises. Like /today/."
K'del makes a face, and admits, "Didn't intend to make you think of unpleasant memories; Sorry, Millie. I can kiss it better?" Which doesn't stop his hand from stroking lightly against bare skin, and him looking altogether more contented again as he adds, "Good. Today, I mean. Glad I could help you celebrate. Or /can/, really, I guess. Plenty of day left."
"Oh you haven't, not really, just ... you know, I've made my share of mistakes while trying to put together a nice surprise, that's all," Milani says and smiles. "You go right ahead with that plan. Kissing. Making it better. More celebrating."
K'del's nose wrinkles as he nods, but it doesn't linger: instead, he leans in to kiss her soundly, and preferably for quite so time. Breaking away, "Feeling better?"
"I'm feeling like a birthday girl," Milani says archly and traces her fingers lightly along K'del's jaw. "Kas ... I've been meaning to ask you, though --" her fingertips still, resting gently against his cheek and her eyes lift to his, search blue depths. "Do you still feel the same way as the last time we talked about anything with us?"
K'del's mouth opens, and he begins, "As you sh--" but he breaks off, under the weight of her question, his expression shifting towards surprise, and thoughtfulness. "You mean... in terms of how I feel about you, and what I want out of this?" His hand has stilled, resting lightly upon her skin, now, rather than the idle stroking he was doing before. "What's up?"
A press of her palm to his cheek follows and Milani nods. "Yes. Both of those," she says with a little nod. A smile follows and a stroke of her thumb against his jawline. "Nothing. Just ... checking in, I guess. Making sure we're still on the same page. I mean it /seems/ like we are."
K'del's relief, that this is just 'checking in' and not something drastic, is pretty visible in his expression. "I absolutely," he promises, low voiced but warm, "feel the same way. I /like/ where we are; I'm happy, you know?" Pausing, if only for a moment, he adds, "But I'd tell you, if something changed. Imagine you would, too. For now, though... We're good."
That look on K'del's face brings a brief flash of guilt to Milani's. "Did you think I was breaking up with you?" she says with a little shake of her head and hugs him tightly. "No, I'm happy too. I care about you. Very much. I guess the only thing worth really sharing is ... you're my only, right now, Kas. I expect that'll change in a little while. But for now ... just you."
"Nooo," says K'del, extending the word a little. "Not really. Because it would be weird timing. It was just... I wasn't sure." He leans into the hug, squeezing gently, and takes his time, as a result, before responding to her last, though he draws back enough to be able to meet her gaze when he actually does so. "Same's not true, but - not far off. And you're the only sleepover kind." Then, he leans in again, planting a kiss upon her forehead: "Don't care how many there are or aren't for you, so long as I'm one of them."
Milani works her other hand out from under him and cradles his face in both palms. "Okay. Tell me if you want me to stop just showing up every night?" she says with a little lift of her brows. "I mean there'll always be nights where I might get busy and it's late and what-all. But I don't really intend to change that habit unless I really just need to get some sleep. Or you've got other things going on."
"I don't," he promises, without even needing to think about it, as he strokes a hand down her cheek in return. "But if I do, I'll let you know. There's... no one who warrants anything like that, believe me, and I /like/ having you. It's... nice, having you." Pause. "Well. More than nice, but you know what I mean? The consistency. Promise: consider yourself always welcome, unless we've specifically noted otherwise."
"Okay," Milani says and leans in to kiss him again gently. "I know what you mean. And I don't want to change it either. I like being with you like this. No pressure, but steady, you know?" She smiles then brightly and curls into him again, head tucked under his chin. "See, that's a good birthday present."
K'del matches the kiss, then leans in to provide another to the top of her head as she curls into him. "Mm, yes," he agrees, smiling into her hair. "Just perfect, the way it is. Though I'd call it a good /all turn around/ present, which is, I'm convinced, even better."
"Just goes to show ... not all good presents cost marks," Milani tells K'del's shoulder. She's quiet for a little while, just breathing then peeks back up at him. "Lunch?"
"Convenient, for people on a budget," K'del teases, though other than that, he's more than content to recline in silence. When Milani peeks back up, he laughs, brows raised: "You want /lunch/, too? What do you take this for?" Beat. Then, grinning, "Though I think I already said there was food, didn't I? Only... lunch means moooooving, and I really don't want to."
"I do my best to be not only entertaining, but convenient," Milani answers, deadpan. "And well, I don't mind /not/ moving for a little while longer, but my stomach his going to start growing here any moment," she says quite seriously and makes the big eyes at him. "You said food and wine. All good things."
K'del does not manage the deadpan, not in response to Milani's, and not as she continues on about food and wine. "I give, I give; don't think I could stand to listen to your stomach grumble, ruining my peace and quiet." Grinning, he adds, then, "You're terribly convenient, as it happens. And entertaining. Works out quite well." Unfortunately, this whole getting food thing requires disentangling; he pokes at her sides, noting, "Roll away, else I'll never be able to get that food, and you'll /have/ to starve."
"Such a low threshold," Milani teases and pokes playfully at him then rolls away admittedly not too speedily and reaches for the dubious covering of that sarong again, wrapping it around a couple of times, likely in a bid to avoid distraction during the meal. "No starving allowed on my birthday."
"Guilty as charged," agrees K'del, without hesitation, as he shuffles back into his shorts, and begins to unpack the food from the basket. It's a pretty decent spread: cold meats, cheeses, bread, plus the wine, and some fruit - and a little cake to end with. "If you ever wanted to torture information out of me, all you'd have to do is threaten me with pretty girls with rumbling stomachs." Pause. "Well. Pretty girls in general, maybe."
"Threaten you with them? Or threaten to withdraw them from you?" Milani says teasingly as she starts to nibble on this and that. "I mean, I'd think that bringing a few more into your life would be more reward than punishment, wouldn't it?"
"/Taunt/ me with them," insists K'del, mock-seriously, as he puts together a sandwich made of meat and cheese. "Wave them in front of my face, and then take them away again. Though... having half the weyr making eyes at me, because they've decided sleeping with the weyrleader is the best idea ever? That is kind of torture anyway."
Milani pops another bit of cheese into her mouth and regards K'del thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind. About the taunting." A breath taken, let out slowly. "It's because you're young, nice and hot, instead of you know ..." she waves a hand vaguely. "Grr, argh, I'm going to strangle you, like N'tbei."
"Cruel. Wicked. /Wench/." K'del says all of this whilst making a face about the last, even if he does nod slowly. "Yeah, I get it. But. Figured people might've stopped, by now. Least I've stopped finding them naked in my bed, I guess, waiting for me. Can't imagine many girls being interested in /N'thei/."
"Might want to watch it with the names, otherwise you know, I might start dangling the goods and not making good," Milani notes breezily with a sunny, innocent smile. "Well you know, call it a benefit of me coming over too. I kick some out sometimes," Millie says with a little hand gesture.
"Might want to watch it with the threats, or I might decide that this really is the perfect place to leave you," K'del returns, as usual, not quite managing to pull off the kind of innocence Milani can. "Hah. Like to see that. Protecting me from the ravaging hordes of lower caverns women... my hero!"
Milani sticks her tongue out at K'del. "Puddle is useful for some things. Even if it might mean cooling my heels for a while until he /wakes up/," the headwoman tosses back, grinning. "You just tell me if you want me to stop setting them straight," she says candidly. "I can let them pile up in your bed. Believe me though, it's much tidier once I'm done."
"Forgot about him," admits K'del, not quite ruefully, but close; he's grinning too much, and sticking out his own tongue. "There are worse places to cool one's heels, I suppose." He pours out some wine, offers it to Milani, though he gives his own a fairly dubious glance. "I will. Though I doubt it'll happen. /Prefer/ it tidy. Prefer to /choose/ my women, thanks all the same."
Milani takes the offered glass and draws it close. "Well. The lump on my hearth, bed or chair is pretty easy to forget," she has to admit. "He still sleeps a lot. Loves to sleep. THough he's easier to wake than he was when he was little." She smiles at him over the rim of her glass. "Mm. Picky, picky, picky. And full of ourselves, aren't we?"
K'del takes a tentative sip from the glass he's poured for himself, and makes a face. "Still hate wine. Grow up in a vineyard, and-- never mind. It's appropriate. Happy birthday, Millie!" A toast, then. "Least that's something. The waking up, I mean." He sticks out his tongue again for the last, noting, "No! Not my fault: just stating facts."
Milani tilts her glass over to ding against his. "Thank you," she says with a little mock coy tilt of her head. "Mm. It's an improvement, though you know, Leova meant him to be like a security alarm system and that's ... not so much." Laughing at his last, Milani takes a few good sips from her glass then reaches forward to pat his knee. "Mmmhm. Well, there's nothing wrong with bein discerning."
K'del's head shakes, ruefully. "These things never work out the way they're supposed to. But. Hopefully, in an emergency, he'd still be a little useful." Glasses clinked, he takes another sip of the wine, swallowing it warily before he adds, "Quite right. Discerning is important. There's just... levels. Some people are more picky than others. And... stuff." Lame finish.
Milani just laughs and shakes her head a few times. "I'm yanking your chain," she tells him gently and settles in to finish up both food and wine, then cuts a little piece of cake and breaks it in two. Her empty glass is set well to the side, because Millie is crawling across the blanket towards the weyrleader, eyes alight. "I think that now, I need to feed this to you. And then you should feed me mine and we should spend the rest of the day, being completely wanton and lazy by turns."
"I know," K'del promises, grinning, though whether that's true or not - it's hard to tell, ultimately. "/Do/ you now?" he asks, as she crawls over, his gaze sliding between her face and the cake (and, all right, at least briefly on the body in between). "/Really/. All right, then. May the cake feeding commence." But not until he's dragged her the last little bit, towards his lap. "And then, the wantonness."
Milani laughs all the more as he draws her into his lap. "Mmm ... I'm the birthday girl. I should get /whatever/ I want." So saying she pops a bite of cake into his mouth and starts of the wanton portion of the day all over again. Thereafter follows ... a lot more of the same! Broken up by lounging around, lighter chatter, some swimming and a walk up the valley a little ways. At the end of it all, when the sun is going down and everything is packed up, Millie winds her arms around K'del and leans into him, hugging fiercely. "Thanks for another wonderful birthday, Kas."
"Your wish is my command," promises K'del, in words as well as, in the hours that follow, in action. Later, he squeezes tight as she hugs him, telling her, "You're more than welcome, Millie. Any time. It was fun, wasn't it?" And then, it's back to icy, windy High Reaches - bit of a let down, really, but at least the day was wonderful.