VIGNETTE: Airs and Graces.
Date: Day 1, Month 1, Turn 20
Location: Family Vinehold, Tillek
Synopsis: K'del has to deal with his entire family, en masse, for a traditional celebration on Turnover Day.
That first day of turn 20 was the first time K'del had seen his entire family together since, probably, the previous turn. It was Caderin's turnday, and Elasin's was only a few weeks later, and so, they all came: Ander from Harper Hall, Caderin and Perris from Tillek (not to mention Perris' new girlfriend, a sweet seamstress named Esnara), Elasin and her husband and daughter, Elnard and his wife and son.
There was some awkwardness, there, between K'del and those brothers who'd also left the hold, pursuing careers in the crafts and in Major Hold management, as Perris the Assistant Steward had done. He, the youngest of them, the one who'd spent so little time working when compared to their turns and turns of it, had somewhat overshadowed their achievements. Ander was teaching some senior classes, an achievement given his age, and that was new since last turn - but K'del was Weyrleader, successful in catching and putting to trial those awful raiders, and who could compete with that?
They found it hard to exclude him from the adult table at dinner, now, which was a little awkward since there wasn't really room - and Nakasha protested audibly that it was completely unfair if she was the only one still considered a child; in the end, they'd had to simply divide them all in half, and eat at two tables - "Separate, but equal", but that was awkward, too. The real kids were all in bed: even the eldest of them was still not quite two.
And all the while, K'del couldn't help but think back to last turn, when Satiet had been alive, and he'd been just barely graduated, before A'son came back, before the flight, before... everything.
It felt like a frightfully long time ago.
He'd hoped he'd have some time to just chat with Nakasha, but after they'd eaten some of the local kids had come around inviting her to come sledding. They'd invited him, too, but that had been awkward, too, and he'd declined so as to avoid further awkwardness. They didn't need their fun interrupted by... by him. Straddling two worlds. It'd been bad enough before, when he was just a bronzerider, and now?
But the after-dinner talk wasn't much better. His brothers still talked down to him, for the most part, except Brennan who'd always encouraged him, and Marrin who didn't really pay attention anyway. When Elasin had gotten up to check on the babies, he'd offered his assistance, just as a way to get escape. She'd laughed, but beckoned him along anyway.
There were four kids, now, ranging from Lynsea at not-quite-two to Miravea, not-quite-one. And, Elasin confided in him, as they stood in the doorway of the room he'd slept in once, she'd been adding another to the mix come summer - but shh, she hadn't told many people, yet.
"A son this time?" he asked her, teasing.
She flushed, but grinned at him, keeping her voice low. "That's what Savvin would like. But. We'll see. I'm just glad... It took long enough to get pregnant the first time."
"This place'll be covered in kids before much longer, I guess."
Elasin nodded, smiling, but turned her head to look at him. "Yours, too, one day?"
He thought, for a moment, about the baby that might have been his. But only for a moment. It had never been a baby, really, in his head. Never a possibility; just a never-was. "One day."
"You're too young, anyway. Enjoy yourself, first."
She stepped past him, into the bedroom, crouching down beside her sleeping daughter. Kedriel was a little over a turn and a half now, a pretty baby, K'del supposed, though he'd never especially noticed. They were all pretty children, as far as he could tell. He watched them, and his sister with them, and found himself smiling.
"What is it?" Elasin wanted to know.
"Just kind of nice to be home, I guess. Family. All that."
"Taken you all day to work this out?"
"Guess I just remembered that I always felt this way: too young, out of place. The kid, trying to be an adult. Just maybe a little more obvious, now."
She held back a laugh, as she stroked her daughter's blonde curls. "You'll always be my baby brother, Kas. Whatever you do. And Ander will always compare himself to you, and Perris will always feel superior. Nakasha will always adore you, and Brennan and Marrin will never care, but they're proud of you anyway. Caderin will feel like a stranger, because he's never really known you, and Elnard... he's just Elnard, Kas."
"Yeah. I know."
"So I wouldn't worry, Kas. They love you. They just don't see you often enough to get used to you, as you are. To K'del, instead of Kasadel. Has to sting a little, that all your airs and graces about being destined for something important turned out to be more or less true."
"Guess so."
"And I know so. Come on, we'd better head back down, before the farmers and vintners drive everyone else mad."
Location: Family Vinehold, Tillek
Synopsis: K'del has to deal with his entire family, en masse, for a traditional celebration on Turnover Day.
That first day of turn 20 was the first time K'del had seen his entire family together since, probably, the previous turn. It was Caderin's turnday, and Elasin's was only a few weeks later, and so, they all came: Ander from Harper Hall, Caderin and Perris from Tillek (not to mention Perris' new girlfriend, a sweet seamstress named Esnara), Elasin and her husband and daughter, Elnard and his wife and son.
There was some awkwardness, there, between K'del and those brothers who'd also left the hold, pursuing careers in the crafts and in Major Hold management, as Perris the Assistant Steward had done. He, the youngest of them, the one who'd spent so little time working when compared to their turns and turns of it, had somewhat overshadowed their achievements. Ander was teaching some senior classes, an achievement given his age, and that was new since last turn - but K'del was Weyrleader, successful in catching and putting to trial those awful raiders, and who could compete with that?
They found it hard to exclude him from the adult table at dinner, now, which was a little awkward since there wasn't really room - and Nakasha protested audibly that it was completely unfair if she was the only one still considered a child; in the end, they'd had to simply divide them all in half, and eat at two tables - "Separate, but equal", but that was awkward, too. The real kids were all in bed: even the eldest of them was still not quite two.
And all the while, K'del couldn't help but think back to last turn, when Satiet had been alive, and he'd been just barely graduated, before A'son came back, before the flight, before... everything.
It felt like a frightfully long time ago.
He'd hoped he'd have some time to just chat with Nakasha, but after they'd eaten some of the local kids had come around inviting her to come sledding. They'd invited him, too, but that had been awkward, too, and he'd declined so as to avoid further awkwardness. They didn't need their fun interrupted by... by him. Straddling two worlds. It'd been bad enough before, when he was just a bronzerider, and now?
But the after-dinner talk wasn't much better. His brothers still talked down to him, for the most part, except Brennan who'd always encouraged him, and Marrin who didn't really pay attention anyway. When Elasin had gotten up to check on the babies, he'd offered his assistance, just as a way to get escape. She'd laughed, but beckoned him along anyway.
There were four kids, now, ranging from Lynsea at not-quite-two to Miravea, not-quite-one. And, Elasin confided in him, as they stood in the doorway of the room he'd slept in once, she'd been adding another to the mix come summer - but shh, she hadn't told many people, yet.
"A son this time?" he asked her, teasing.
She flushed, but grinned at him, keeping her voice low. "That's what Savvin would like. But. We'll see. I'm just glad... It took long enough to get pregnant the first time."
"This place'll be covered in kids before much longer, I guess."
Elasin nodded, smiling, but turned her head to look at him. "Yours, too, one day?"
He thought, for a moment, about the baby that might have been his. But only for a moment. It had never been a baby, really, in his head. Never a possibility; just a never-was. "One day."
"You're too young, anyway. Enjoy yourself, first."
She stepped past him, into the bedroom, crouching down beside her sleeping daughter. Kedriel was a little over a turn and a half now, a pretty baby, K'del supposed, though he'd never especially noticed. They were all pretty children, as far as he could tell. He watched them, and his sister with them, and found himself smiling.
"What is it?" Elasin wanted to know.
"Just kind of nice to be home, I guess. Family. All that."
"Taken you all day to work this out?"
"Guess I just remembered that I always felt this way: too young, out of place. The kid, trying to be an adult. Just maybe a little more obvious, now."
She held back a laugh, as she stroked her daughter's blonde curls. "You'll always be my baby brother, Kas. Whatever you do. And Ander will always compare himself to you, and Perris will always feel superior. Nakasha will always adore you, and Brennan and Marrin will never care, but they're proud of you anyway. Caderin will feel like a stranger, because he's never really known you, and Elnard... he's just Elnard, Kas."
"Yeah. I know."
"So I wouldn't worry, Kas. They love you. They just don't see you often enough to get used to you, as you are. To K'del, instead of Kasadel. Has to sting a little, that all your airs and graces about being destined for something important turned out to be more or less true."
"Guess so."
"And I know so. Come on, we'd better head back down, before the farmers and vintners drive everyone else mad."