Friends
Who: B'kaiv, G'dri
When: It is an autumn evening of day 14, month 11, turn 20 of Interval 10.
Where: Commons Cavern, FTW // Tavern on Tillek coast
What: B'kaiv and G'dri meet up after the greenrider returns home, settling back into and further defining their friendship.
Commons Cavern, Fort Weyr
While not nearly as large as the living cavern, the commons do serve something of a similar purpose as a gathering point for residents. There are a few scattered tables and chairs, with a section of counter carved from the native granite for general use. The typically cool floors are covered with a handful of rugs, while tapestries serve to blunt the chill emanating from the walls. Lighting is provided through glow baskets for the most part, although some individuals might bring in a lantern if they think to.
It's a fair bit quieter than the living cavern and is designed more as a location for residents to meet and work on whatever work needs to be done -- mending, cleaning, and tending to children are only a small sampling of the things that can be seen going on here. It's most active later in the day, after the bulk of the work is done and people start to settle in for the night, but it's never empty of people.
It also serves as a hub for a variety of useful caverns -- the nursery is located across from the residents' dorms, with the bathing cavern situated between the two. The candidates' barracks are somewhat off to the side, closest to the tunnel that leads back out to the inner caverns.
The commons have cleared of working folk by late afternoon, and evening now sees it filling again with those who're after some quiet relaxation in less bustling setting than the living cavern and more comfortable than the Glass Fountain. When they are to be found together, it seems that G'dri's daughter is always exiting, though at least tonight there's no pout or sulk or temper in evidence from the teenager. At a small group of chairs near one of the hearths is where they were sat, and the girl rises with a smile, leans down to hug her father and kiss his cheek before skipping off again. The bluerider looks quite settled, as he leans back again after she's gone, fingers steepling below his chin. It's possible he's waiting for someone, or at least hoping that somewhere in excited chattering a certain little green actually passed along Khameth's message, that if B'kaiv were able to come out so soon, it would be a pleasure to see him.
B'kaiv walks the tunnels of Fort slowly, looking a little bemused, like maybe this is a dream and he's expecting monsters to leap at him or the path to twist and turn. Whispers both follow and proceed him - not everyone, but enough to signal the young man's approach. Hardly anyone talks -to- him - mostly they just stare, and mutter or shake their heads disapprovingly. Kai gives the skipping girl a distracted nod and stops to look over the crowd, his eyes searching for one particular face. His hair's gotten shaggy, in need of a trim, and perhaps he looks a little tired, but his color's good - maybe too good for a man supposedly stuck in a cave for the past month and more. It's obvious when he does spy the bluerider: a corner of his mouth twitches, he runs a hand through his hair, and then it's straight as an arrow to stand in front of G'dri's chair, hands planted on his hips. "Ain't you somethin'."
Whispers and mutters, and it might be those strange little silences that come in the middle of a normal flow of conversation when someone recognises a face, nudges the person next to them and suddenly the whole group turns to look, that eventually make G'dri turn his eyes away from the hearth. Not much has changed about the bluerider, at least, though worry has left its mark here and there. The hint of shadow beneath his bright eyes, a certain cragginess to features that have been held in serious lines for too long. Shadows linger but the rest gets chased away when he smiles, wide and warm. The greenrider's manner however makes his brows lift, a brief chuckle as he tilts his head. Quietly, so that it doesn't carry, "Something good?" He looks the young man over, takes a breath, "It is good to see you out again, Kai. Please, join me?"
"Somethin' I ain't seen in a while." Kai clarifies, not explains, his smile twitching again. Only then does he consider seating and flop into it, stretching his legs out gratefully and throwing his arms across the back. "Thanks for, uh, lettin' Khameth go flyin' with Chielyth. Dunno what I woulda done if she wasn't able t' go out or nothin'." Another thing that's changed - his Gs have gone missing, too. "How you been? I ain't seen you th' last few days. Guess you been busy with drills an' all?"
Hooking one ankle over the opposite knee, G'dri rests his hands across his calf as he watches Kai go flop. "Of course. The exercise has done him good, and he enjoys her company. Though I'm sure you would have figured something else out." The lost G's are noticed, but don't bring any comment. In public surrounds it's not really a good idea to bring too much attention to how much a month in a cave has changed a person, even if the conversation is ostensibly private. "I have been well, thank you. Our duties have not been too taxing, on the whole, but I have been trying to remain active outside of them as well." Double-speak for trying not to pace a groove in his weyr. "Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, yourself?"
"Hated not bein' able t' go nowhere with her," says the greenrider. "Think that was th' worst. Glad she didn't decide t' go proddy or nothin', neither." He watches the foot go on the knee before stretching his own and quirking another crooked smile at G'dri. "Yeah. Yeah. Th' Weyrleader's still a bastard, but I weren't provin' no point or nothin'. S'just... 'M glad t' be back." A pause. "Out." Definitely 'back out'. Certainly not just 'back'. "Look, I, uh - I been thinkin' 'bout what you said th' last time I seen you. An' I was wonderin' - you wanna... uh. Go somewhere an' talk about it?"
"I can only imagine how hard that must have been," G'dri notes quietly, a reflexive glance being lifted as if he could see through stone to wherever Khameth has fetched up outside. Entirely for pub@emit "I can only imagine how hard that must have been," G'dri notes quietly, a reflexive glance being lifted as if he could see through stone to wherever Khameth has fetched up outside. Entirely for public consumption, "And still the Weyrleader. I am certain the two of you will manage to sort out your differences now that... tempers have been allowed to cool." His gaze sharpens a little but otherwise he doesn't seem to place any extra note on that pause, just replies smoothly after the addition, "Indeed. Being cooped up for so long is not for the likes of us. Dragonriders are meant to be out in the sky, not hidden under stone." Another lift of surprised eyebrows then, before the bluerider nods slowly. "Yes B'kaiv, I think that might be a good idea. If you wish."
B'kaiv looks through the walls too to where Chielyth's hunkered up close to the tunnel entrance, staring and staring at openings she's too big to fit through as though only her attention will keep Kai from running off again. Distracted, "Yeah." After which a blink and he returns his attention to that fractionally cool smile, grimaces an apology. "S'gonna be easier when everybody ain't talkin' about it," he mutters, shoves to his feet and hooks his thumbs into his belt. "Where... where d'you wanna go? Could go for a drink, somewhere. Or flyin' - she'd like that."
Sympathy settles into the lines of G'dri's face as B'kaiv looks away. The coolness of his smile is merely on the surface; his eyes remain warm in their regard. Some people might wonder at why he's not consigning the greenrider to the watchwher's den like so many have, but his compatriots and still-surviving clutchmates could tell anyone curious that he's always 'had a soft spot for hard cases.' "There will be new gossip aplenty soon enough," he notes. "With all the opportunity for scandal the enforced idleness of winter brings." He's a bit slower to rise, pushing himself up out of the chair and absently smoothing down his shirt. "We could combine the two," he suggests. "Fly a little and then find somewhere to settle."
"We ain't been doin' nothin' but flyin' t'day," Kai admits, still distracted, offering a hand and immediately returning it to his belt when G'dri proves capable of standing on his own. "Guess this means maybe she'll tired enough t' let you two old men keep up." With a crooked - shy? - half of a smile to soften the blow. "How 'bout Tillek? Or there's this place t' Igen I bet I could find again. I seen all I want of Fort f'r a while."
G'dri might regret being capable of rising on his own, though a smile is an odd way to show it. A smile that eases readily into laughter, his own hand aiming to clap B'akiv on the shoulder. Briefly. "I'm surprised you haven't got a head that's still spinning, if the two of you have been flying all day. And even if she isn't, I believe we 'old men' can still give a good showing." He even winks, in responce to that possibly-shy smile, as he continues to step around and out of the little alcove created by chairbacks. "It's quite late at Igen, but there should still be some light left at Tillek. Unless being so near the sea would not be to your liking."
B'kaiv doesn't bother to flinch from the blow, but welcomes it with another quick smile and a so-dizzy sway. "Think I can manage t' find her again, I guess." Recovering miraculously quickly, he jerks his head at the egress and falls into step beside the bluerider. "Either one. Tillek. Maybe we can convince her t' do some fishin' in th' ocean, hey?" The whispers start up again when the two men leave, but fewer now, and sprinkled liberally with some pointed turnings-away. Here and there they're flashed some surreptitious thumbs up, but no one moves to intercept the pair on their journey to the bowl. There Chielyth is overjoyed to see them, and Kai has to grab her head or be knocked over by an enthusiastic greeting. "You got t' give th' visualization," he reminds, rubbing her muzzle firmly. "Hers ain't no good."
Another spark of humour, this one confined to eyes as G'dri grins widely at B'kaiv's easy antics. If there's any puzzlement for this change from the slightly jittery and tense man that left, it's kept well below the surface for now. "Khameth finds the occupation quite delightful; perhaps it will be him, more than us, who convinces her." The bluerider treats the reactions, from whisperings to thumbs-up gestures, all in the same way. As if they aren't really happening. Though of course he notices, and there might even be a hint or two of disapproval at some of the backs that suddenly face them. At some quiet point on the trip he'll sigh, regretfully, "I hope a day comes when your reputation may be repaired." Once outside, Khameth wings down to land nearby while Kai goes to Chielyth, the older dragon crooning a low greeting to her and humans both. "Of course. I was going to offer, anyway. There is a place up the coast, some distance from the main Hold, that's rather pleasant to visit." Replied as he walks towards his own lifemate, to unhook his jacket and other gear from where they're hooked into a bundle hanging off flight straps. He doesn't seem inclined to linger overlong in the bowl, glancing over to Kai briefly before climbing up into place. "When you're ready." Waiting patiently until they can take off, for another indication of readiness before sharing the visual of a small location that's battered but well-maintained upon the Tillek coast.
They're ready soon enough, though it takes several pointed and loud reminders that they're going /flying/ doesn't she want to go /flying/ before she lets him out of her sight even for the short journey to her straps. "Don't matter," is what Kai says for the muttering and his reputation, and it's all he can say before Chielyth leaps aloft for the three joyous loops it takes before she settles enough to take the visualization. Blackness *between* gives way to a pleasantly cool Tillekian afternoon turning to evening, where a light drizzle does little beside make the air damp. Once they're both on the ground again the greenrider continues with a shrug, "I'm used t' people as don't like me."
There's a slight grimace for even such a very light drizzle, but the weather can't be perfect everywhere. With the possibility earlier discussed of the dragons potentially fishing, after dismounting G'dri unhooks Khameth's straps and coils them up neatly. "Be that as it may. This situation has only made your reputation around the Weyr worse, and undeservedly so." As ever his words are calm, measured. Shoulders lifting in a shrug, he shakes his head. "Anyway, come. Let's go inside. I hope you find this place to your liking." It's a place that will prove to be a haunt of fisherfolk, though it's not overly dark or dismal. Cozy without being homey, one might say, a comfortable, casual atmosphere where the patrons are for the most part highly incurious. They come here for a drink and a game, maybe a spot of stew and hard bread if they're willing to spare the bits that'd buy them another tankard, and the girls. Though the latter seem more eye-candy than anything truly on offer, a protective air given towards them from those who might be marked out as regulars. What might be surprising is that a couple of them recognise G'dri with welcome, "Hey Grin, been an age, good t'see ya agin." But beyond that, leave him and his companion to themselves. "What would you care to drink?" the bluerider asks over his shoulder, indicatig with a tip of his head that he'll be heading towards the bar even as he also gestures for B'kaiv to lay claim to one of the several empty tables available.
Kai's only got another shrug as Chielyth's straps likewise come off and get stowed out of the mist. "Can't everybody be perfect, yeah? Anyway, all th' people as matter know what really happened." It's more than good odds that he doesn't know about T'rev's loose lips where Jaeyi is concerned. Hands go back to his waist, though this time in pockets, for the trip to the bar, and he spends a few seconds giving the place a thorough (and approving) once over. G'dri's question catches him off-guard, and it's a few more seconds of processing - drink, table, retreating bluerider - before his answer. "Uh - beer, whiskey, whatever." Then a slightly more decisive, "Whatever you're havin'," before he picks out one of the tables farthest from the fire and thus, in the quietest part of the room. He likewise offers greetings around, gaze lingering on some of those laced bodices, but doesn't encourage company.
Young lovers and their well-meaning pillow talk, oy vey! Though for 'perfect' G'dri makes a little face. "Not really what I mean, Kai. But you're right, nevermind." The fussing hen can stop fussing, really. For all that the place is geared towards fisherfolk, there's actually a very convenient setup outside where dragonriders can stow their straps, on the wall behind the post where it's probably rare for a runner to ever get hitched. There certainly aren't any there now. One or two of those bodices come with faces attached that have smiles for the greenrider, but they none of them missed that he entered with somebody who's taking care of the drinks situation. So when he doesn't encourage company, they don't invite themselves over. 'Whatever' will turn out to be beer, common fare for a place like this but certainly not awful stuff either. Rich and hearty, an honest working man's drink. After locating the distant spot Kai's parked himself, G'dri carries the two mugs over, setting one down in front of the younger man before continuing around to take a chair opposite. "Two turns, and this place hasn't changed a bit. Well, Jolinda looks a bit thicker around the middle," with a tilted eye for the eldest bodice in the room, a woman who appears somewhere in her thirties, "but five children will do that to a woman."
B'kaiv takes the beer, takes a swig - and then another, appreciative swallow. "Good. Nice an' chewy, ain't it?" He's not subtle enough to only glance at Jolinda: she gets a full once-over, likewise appreciative, but it's G'dri he returns to. "Guess. So... you used t' come here a lot? What was that they was callin' you? Grin? Grin...dri?" The syllables fall awkwardly from his lips, accompanied by a grimace which he promptly tries to drown in more beer.
Chewy. The descriptive makes G'dri, well, grin, as he nods in agreement after his own first swallow has been taken. "Yes. They've always had good fare here." The bluerider looks even more amused for the once-over Jolinda receives, chuckling quietly. "I did, yes. My weyrmate and I would come here together." He leans back in his chair, another glance going around the tavern before blue eyes return likewise to B'kaiv. "Gedrin, was my name before I Impressed." His brows lift, allowing a moment for the other possible contraction of his name to possibly come clear. "Y'ren found it hilarious, and in certain places it has become what I am known as, thanks to him."
"/Like/ chewy beer," Kai explains a touch awkwardly. "S'the ones as look an' drink like piss I can't stand." 'Weyrmate' causes him to squinch up one eye and settle back into his chair, shoulders hunching just a tad and turning eagerly to this other topic. "Ged... rin. Huh." The bluerider can watch the comprehension land, grow, and blossom in the progression of the greenrider's slow smile. "That ain't that bad. Grin. G'rin. There ain't much as you can do with Balkaiv, 'least not without messing everything up. --K'lai, maybe. But that just don't feel like me."
G'dri tilts his head slightly for that awkwardness, then shakes it. "Agreed. While 'wholesome' may not be a term best applied to an alcoholic beverage, there is a certain quality in the fullness of flavour that is to be appreciated." He'd have been better off not sounding so cultured about it, but at least he's genuine? Though the squinchy-eyed look has him looking puzzled again, brows furrowing together for a few moments. Though they smooth soon enough, and he seems to rather enjoy the progression, and it's likely expected when he smiles in return. "I can appreciate the humour, but I still count myself fortunate that it was not a name I became stuck with permanently. Hmm, no. That doesn't suit you. I think B'kaiv... Kai... is perfectly adequate and fitting." He turns his mug slightly between his fingers, and finally says what he couldn't say at the Weyr: "I am glad no ill befell you, Kai."
And here Kai just said 'chewy'. The erudition causes his face to squinch up again, and not necessarily in a good way. But more beer settles lots of things, including greenriders made jumpy by a walking thesaurus. A swish of hips and skirts distracts him for a few seconds, and when he returns, it's straight into the confession. "Yeah, well, I'm glad ain't nothin' happened t' me neither. There was a couple tight bits, but nothin' too bad." Hazel eyes watch as his mug turns as well, unconsciously mimicing, and glance up once, twice before landing on the older man's face. "The, uh, um." Silence stretches out for a heartbear or three before he launches at a new topic. "So Elaruth got some eggs now." Awkward, hi.
The walking thesaurus really doesn't want to make any greenrider jumpy, least of all this one. Though for the most part, again G'dri is left looking a little puzzled. Beer helps settle that, too, though, so they're in luck. "A couple tight bits," he repeats slowly. Blue eyes flicker, as if maybe he could magically develop x-ray vision and check for any bruising or other damage that could be hidden by clothing. "But clearly, nothing you couldn't handle." Or they wouldn't be sat where they are right now. "A fair amount, I would say, for her first clutch and being Interval. Some of the pools were laying odds on only ten. B'kaiv." Uh oh. "While I can vouch for the security of this place, the fact that these people are not craning their necks trying to listen in... if you are not comfortable talking here, we can go elsewhere."
B'kaiv's got another shrug, entirely easy and unlike a man covered in bruises, as elaboration for what he could or couldn't handle. Of course he could. Everything's copacetic. "Chielyth was tellin' me all about 'em. She wanted t' get a real close look, but Elaruth...." The sound of his name yanks him up hard, and the young queen's wishes will remain unspoken while Kai stares uncertain at the greenrider. "I, uh. It ain't, um." Can he even look away? "It ain't that." But he doesn't say what it is.
G'dri seems to take some satisfaction in the ease of that shrug. "Is a new mother. Perhaps in later weeks, Chielyth will get to see them more closely." Or perhaps not, who knows how (over)protective a gold will be? The observation is as calm and mild as they ever are. He lifts his mug again but doesn't drink this time, hiding his mouth behind the rim as blue eyes regard Kai steadily across the table. Those eyes close after a moment, and he leans forward, mug thunking quietly back down on the table. "I have no wish to cause you discomfort Kai. If you truly aren't ready to discuss... anything, yet, I will respect that. But I think we do indeed need to talk, soon."
"It ain't that," Kai protests again, and manages to yank his eyes down to consider his beer. There it is, all brown and sloshy. "We can talk, sure. I just... shells." All in a rush he tosses back a slug, wipes his mouth, plants his elbows on the table and leans in, all without letting go his mug. "You kissed me." Is it an accusation? Not quite. But neither is it - quite - a question, though there's a faint undertone of that, too.
Patience meets the awkward start, the bluerider waiting to see if Kai's going to break and run -- figuratively or literally -- or not. G'dri nods a little, fingers sliding back through his hair as his lips quirk. "Yes." He tips his head back, considers the air above the greenrider's head or possibly the ceiling. "I perhaps should not have done so. But... I cannot apologise for doing so, as I do not regret it. It troubles you." Not a question, but it is an invitation.
B'kaiv hasn't yet run, though sometimes it takes a little push to get him going. Or a big push. 'Yes' gets an intent nod, and if G'dri's head-tipping means that Kai's now staring at his chin or up his nose, so be it. "I - shells, no! I dunno. Maybe. I just... how come?" Because there certainly was no quick 'up against a tree' that night, or even the suggestion of same. With faint amusement, "Gave me somethin' t' think on, last month an' all." Because he didn't have enough to think about.
G'dri lets out a sigh, his head tipping forward again as he seeks to meet hazel eyes. "If you -weren't- confused, I would be surprised," he begins. Which might not be the greatest start for 'how come' but it seems he feels the need to go back to the beginning. "The young man who came to my weyr that night was frightened, determined to do the right thing for his dragon. I... did not really expect to see you again after, save from at a distance. That we did continue to speak, however infrequently, was welcome." His smile when it comes is wry, as he shrugs his shoulders. "You are an attractive man. And then I discovered, a lonely one, though you seem determined to not care. I have come to think of you as a friend, Kai. And then you were going into a potentially dangerous situation. I don't need to repeat, I think, how worried I was. It was impulse, driven by fondness. If I had said any more with words, I think you may have been well with your rights to cuff me one." Amusement of his own for that; he was annoying and he knows it.
The greenrider pays close attention to what G'dri says, scarcely even moving, save that his eyes flicker to anyone who crosses his line of sight. Thinking isn't the only thing he's been doing over the past months, then. He starts, "I weren't," in faint protest but doesn't finish, hushes instead to let the bluerider continue and studies his beer and the table instead. When G'dri does he snorts and looks back up, half of a smile hanging crookedly. "Ain't wanted t' pop you one yet. But yeah, you was startin' t' fuss. I just - I ain't mad about th' kiss, or nothin'." Apropos of nothing, and right before more beer, "Weyrleader - T'rev - offered t'... you know. Show me. Before I come t' you. Told him no. Shells, c'n you imagine how shardin' weird /that'd/ be?!"
He wasn't? G'dri's eyebrows lift slightly, not really believing that aborted protest. He needs to take a drink after he's finished talking, though he doesn't yet seem ready to relax back in his chair again. "For that I am grateful," he notes with a quiet chuckle after licking his lips. For not tempting Kai towards punching, or for him not being mad, it could be either. "I do want you to know, that I have no expectations." But anything further than that is sidetracked quite neatly into a look of incredulity. "Now -that- is something I never expected to hear. Though he is certainly not unattractive, if a touch on the pretty side. Something like that can cause quite a bit of strain on a friendship that had no previous such... interest."
Rolling his eyes only helps Kai's look of pained incredulity. "I -ain't- interested in him. An' I weren't then, neither. Shells." A titch more beer keeps his whistle wet before he leans forward to explain further, "He asked as I wanted him t' take Mecaith out th' Weyr when Chielyth goes up, an' I tol' him yeah. Now he says as Mecaith ain't interested any road, but... shells." Ticking off on fingers, "He's the shardin' /Weyrleader/, /an'/ my wingleader, /an'/... shells. Lots of things. Just be too shardin' strange. Not that I ain't gonna have no choice as t' who flies her, but still. Not -him-."
"I wasn't suggesting you are," G'dri points out mildly, eyebrows lifting again. His lips barely twitch, but the creases at the corners of his eyes deepen slightly. Amused again. "Simply pointing out what -I- have noticed." Eye candy is eye candy, after all. "Strange pairings often happen when dragons become involved. At best, we can only hope to minimize the awkwardness without too many repercussions. But... it doesn't seem like you really have anything to worry about on that regard. To be honest, I will be surprised if there is -ever- a bronze that manages to win Chielyth. She'll tie them in knots before they're even out of sight." He tilts his head, frowning slightly. "B'kaiv... I'm confused."
There's a grunt from Kai that's not quite an 'ah', but is a close cousin. Two fingers through the handle of his mug, he twists and turns it absently, the liquid within in no danger of slopping out. Unsurprising that the compliment to Chielyth brings an actual smile, visible in his eyes even when his mouth is hidden by beer, but G'dri's confession brings all back to the table and one eye squinting again. "Yeah? What're /you/ confused about? I said as I don't mind if you an' Khameth stay, yeah? An' lucky f'r them bronzes - there's some as'd wake up t' a fist in the nose." But that's only an aside, and not menat to distract from the main topic at hand.
His posture remains upright, but G'dri pushes his feet against the floor to tilt his chair up off its front legs, leaning as he balances there, hands folding together on the table. Answering the last first, with a laugh, "Wouldn't be the first time a flight resulted in a broken nose." The chair comes back down with a thunk, as he nods then. "After a fashion. Yes, you did. The change in topic, unless I'm missing a connection." Finally reaching the point, as his eyes narrow slightly. "I am uncertain where exactly I stand with you, Kai. And I wish to avoid any misunderstandings."
A couple of people do look over at the thunk, and one of the bodice-wearing girls takes a few hesitant steps toward their table, but Kai catches sight of her over G'dri's shoulder and waves her off. "Give me somethin' t' look forward to," he says of broken noses, with a twist of amusement that slips away when the bluerider continues. Maybe wishing that he'd called the waitress over after all, Kai returns his attention to what's left of his beer, which continues to be brown and sloshy. "Shells, I dunno. You said it before, ain't you? Friends?"
G'dri cocks his head to the side, then glances curiously over his shoulder to see who it is the greenrider is waving off. A quick, reassuring smile is flashed to the girl, before he turns back again. A vague tsk, a muttered, "Brawlers." But oddly, not as disapproving as one might expect from him. "Friends yes. But there are friends and then there are... friends. I repeat, I have no expectations. But I do enjoy your company, as well as your conversation."
"You an' Chielyth," B'kaiv returns wryly, almost fondly. "Like there's somethin' wrong in it." There's not enough beer left for a proper swig, only a swallow, and then he's left with the pleasant conundrum of holding the mug or setting it aside. "So what's th' trouble?" he asks then, gladly diverted to this easier subject. "We're friends. Don't got t' worry about ta- well, don't got t' worry about nothin'. An' if anyone starts goin' on about it, I'll just pop 'em one." G'dri'll have to forgive him for his teasing smirk. Naughty greenrider.
"Not something wrong exactly. I just don't see the... enjoyment factor," G'dri admits with a shrug. And predictably, a smile. A smile that turns a little crooked, before he shakes his head. "The trouble is, I find you hard to read at times. And I dislike the idea of asking Khameth to probe Chielyth as to your state of mind." He does chuckle a little, shaking his head in an amusedly hopeless gesture. "Or me? If I were to, say--" It's not words, but action, here in this quiet corner of the tavern, with those incurious fisherfolk and the pretty -- or at least, not completely homely -- barmaids. Just a simple reach, as the bluerider seeks to cover the younger man's hand with his own.
"I could show you," B'kaiv's quick to offer, releasing his mug to lift loose fists up to his face. Smile is met with smile, and a relaxing of his guard, hands back down to either side of the mug and not on it this time. "-I- ain't hard t' read. Ain't real complicated, or nothin'." He squints again for bringing the dragons in on it, and glances out to where she's leading him in a merry chase over the waves, looking back just in time for hands to meet. That brings a quick double blink but he doesn't pull away, only tilts a questioning look across the table. "I ain't - I mean, I done it with girls while I was down there, if that's what you're askin'."
G'dri laughs, shaking his head quickly. "Shards no. I haven't sparred properly in turns and I'm too old for such anyway." Yeah, right. Says the man who can still heft a full sack of firestone without needing to prop it on something halfway to his shoulder. "Of course, but you know yourself, don't you? What is simple to you, may not be for another." When Kai doesn't pull his hand away, the bluerider tightens his fingers fractionally. "No, that's not what I'm asking. I am... rather badly out of practice, at anything like this. So please forgive my fumbling, if you think things are plain. I wish merely to know if my continued attention, would be unwelcome." A deliberate slide of one finger across the back of Kai's should hopefully be a good enough clue as to what kind of attention he means.
B'kaiv snorts loudly for 'too old'. "An' I'm Lord Holder of Benden." Which he isn't, and doesn't even have to check his shoulder knot just-in-case. He leaves lie the question of who is or isn't hard to read, because there are fingers tightening, and -a- finger's deliberate slide, that are suddenly taking up rather a lot of his attention. His, "Shells, no," is barely louder than a whisper, but all the air's been removed from the room and G'dri won't be able to hear him anyway. "No, I, I, uh." The briefest flick of eyes toward Jolinda behind the bar and it's back to G'dri and an experimental flex of his own; after that, in case it wasn't clear enough, his hand half-turns beneath the bluerider's and his thumb traces an abbreviated circle on the older man's palm.
"You can cut me a good deal on some red, then," G'dri quips back with merriment in his voice. But, serious things. His head tilts slightly and his eyes are intent on the greenrider's face, watching his reactions. Behind the bar, Jolinda might have an eye on their table from the periphery of her vision, but she's leant on an elbow cheerfully scolding a fisherman who just tromped an extra heavy load of mud onto her floor. G'dri's reaction is bright, the blue of his eyes almost disappearing as he grins suddenly, the return touch at his palm making his whole hand twitch. Guess that answers that question. "Should we call them back? Or would you like another drink and you can tell me what you can of Fort Sea? Surely you have some stories that haven't to do merely with the reason you were there."
B'kaiv's reactions are easy enough to read, at least the unconscious ones - the dilation of pupils, the flush of color it takes a master to hide, and Kai is barely an apprentice. "Let's, uh." Decisions are hard. "Uh - 'nother drink. She's havin' too much fun t' go back." This time his tilted smile is very nearly apologetic. If it weren't for Chielyth... It's an easy enough matter to catch Jolinda's attention, and order another round of beer, and though she tilts her head questioningly at their joined hands she says nothing about it. It's not until well into a story about how the collars of the guards' tunics were so scratchy they'd raise welts and the ridiculous lengths some of the other men went to to try and ease the itch that he remembers to reclaim his hand. Later still, after a third beer and more stories, after the dragons have returned and the two men left the bar behind, Kai daringly goes for a kiss of his own, there in the gloaming. After that it's only a matter of picking someone's weyr for a proper welcome home.
When: It is an autumn evening of day 14, month 11, turn 20 of Interval 10.
Where: Commons Cavern, FTW // Tavern on Tillek coast
What: B'kaiv and G'dri meet up after the greenrider returns home, settling back into and further defining their friendship.
Commons Cavern, Fort Weyr
While not nearly as large as the living cavern, the commons do serve something of a similar purpose as a gathering point for residents. There are a few scattered tables and chairs, with a section of counter carved from the native granite for general use. The typically cool floors are covered with a handful of rugs, while tapestries serve to blunt the chill emanating from the walls. Lighting is provided through glow baskets for the most part, although some individuals might bring in a lantern if they think to.
It's a fair bit quieter than the living cavern and is designed more as a location for residents to meet and work on whatever work needs to be done -- mending, cleaning, and tending to children are only a small sampling of the things that can be seen going on here. It's most active later in the day, after the bulk of the work is done and people start to settle in for the night, but it's never empty of people.
It also serves as a hub for a variety of useful caverns -- the nursery is located across from the residents' dorms, with the bathing cavern situated between the two. The candidates' barracks are somewhat off to the side, closest to the tunnel that leads back out to the inner caverns.
The commons have cleared of working folk by late afternoon, and evening now sees it filling again with those who're after some quiet relaxation in less bustling setting than the living cavern and more comfortable than the Glass Fountain. When they are to be found together, it seems that G'dri's daughter is always exiting, though at least tonight there's no pout or sulk or temper in evidence from the teenager. At a small group of chairs near one of the hearths is where they were sat, and the girl rises with a smile, leans down to hug her father and kiss his cheek before skipping off again. The bluerider looks quite settled, as he leans back again after she's gone, fingers steepling below his chin. It's possible he's waiting for someone, or at least hoping that somewhere in excited chattering a certain little green actually passed along Khameth's message, that if B'kaiv were able to come out so soon, it would be a pleasure to see him.
B'kaiv walks the tunnels of Fort slowly, looking a little bemused, like maybe this is a dream and he's expecting monsters to leap at him or the path to twist and turn. Whispers both follow and proceed him - not everyone, but enough to signal the young man's approach. Hardly anyone talks -to- him - mostly they just stare, and mutter or shake their heads disapprovingly. Kai gives the skipping girl a distracted nod and stops to look over the crowd, his eyes searching for one particular face. His hair's gotten shaggy, in need of a trim, and perhaps he looks a little tired, but his color's good - maybe too good for a man supposedly stuck in a cave for the past month and more. It's obvious when he does spy the bluerider: a corner of his mouth twitches, he runs a hand through his hair, and then it's straight as an arrow to stand in front of G'dri's chair, hands planted on his hips. "Ain't you somethin'."
Whispers and mutters, and it might be those strange little silences that come in the middle of a normal flow of conversation when someone recognises a face, nudges the person next to them and suddenly the whole group turns to look, that eventually make G'dri turn his eyes away from the hearth. Not much has changed about the bluerider, at least, though worry has left its mark here and there. The hint of shadow beneath his bright eyes, a certain cragginess to features that have been held in serious lines for too long. Shadows linger but the rest gets chased away when he smiles, wide and warm. The greenrider's manner however makes his brows lift, a brief chuckle as he tilts his head. Quietly, so that it doesn't carry, "Something good?" He looks the young man over, takes a breath, "It is good to see you out again, Kai. Please, join me?"
"Somethin' I ain't seen in a while." Kai clarifies, not explains, his smile twitching again. Only then does he consider seating and flop into it, stretching his legs out gratefully and throwing his arms across the back. "Thanks for, uh, lettin' Khameth go flyin' with Chielyth. Dunno what I woulda done if she wasn't able t' go out or nothin'." Another thing that's changed - his Gs have gone missing, too. "How you been? I ain't seen you th' last few days. Guess you been busy with drills an' all?"
Hooking one ankle over the opposite knee, G'dri rests his hands across his calf as he watches Kai go flop. "Of course. The exercise has done him good, and he enjoys her company. Though I'm sure you would have figured something else out." The lost G's are noticed, but don't bring any comment. In public surrounds it's not really a good idea to bring too much attention to how much a month in a cave has changed a person, even if the conversation is ostensibly private. "I have been well, thank you. Our duties have not been too taxing, on the whole, but I have been trying to remain active outside of them as well." Double-speak for trying not to pace a groove in his weyr. "Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, yourself?"
"Hated not bein' able t' go nowhere with her," says the greenrider. "Think that was th' worst. Glad she didn't decide t' go proddy or nothin', neither." He watches the foot go on the knee before stretching his own and quirking another crooked smile at G'dri. "Yeah. Yeah. Th' Weyrleader's still a bastard, but I weren't provin' no point or nothin'. S'just... 'M glad t' be back." A pause. "Out." Definitely 'back out'. Certainly not just 'back'. "Look, I, uh - I been thinkin' 'bout what you said th' last time I seen you. An' I was wonderin' - you wanna... uh. Go somewhere an' talk about it?"
"I can only imagine how hard that must have been," G'dri notes quietly, a reflexive glance being lifted as if he could see through stone to wherever Khameth has fetched up outside. Entirely for pub@emit "I can only imagine how hard that must have been," G'dri notes quietly, a reflexive glance being lifted as if he could see through stone to wherever Khameth has fetched up outside. Entirely for public consumption, "And still the Weyrleader. I am certain the two of you will manage to sort out your differences now that... tempers have been allowed to cool." His gaze sharpens a little but otherwise he doesn't seem to place any extra note on that pause, just replies smoothly after the addition, "Indeed. Being cooped up for so long is not for the likes of us. Dragonriders are meant to be out in the sky, not hidden under stone." Another lift of surprised eyebrows then, before the bluerider nods slowly. "Yes B'kaiv, I think that might be a good idea. If you wish."
B'kaiv looks through the walls too to where Chielyth's hunkered up close to the tunnel entrance, staring and staring at openings she's too big to fit through as though only her attention will keep Kai from running off again. Distracted, "Yeah." After which a blink and he returns his attention to that fractionally cool smile, grimaces an apology. "S'gonna be easier when everybody ain't talkin' about it," he mutters, shoves to his feet and hooks his thumbs into his belt. "Where... where d'you wanna go? Could go for a drink, somewhere. Or flyin' - she'd like that."
Sympathy settles into the lines of G'dri's face as B'kaiv looks away. The coolness of his smile is merely on the surface; his eyes remain warm in their regard. Some people might wonder at why he's not consigning the greenrider to the watchwher's den like so many have, but his compatriots and still-surviving clutchmates could tell anyone curious that he's always 'had a soft spot for hard cases.' "There will be new gossip aplenty soon enough," he notes. "With all the opportunity for scandal the enforced idleness of winter brings." He's a bit slower to rise, pushing himself up out of the chair and absently smoothing down his shirt. "We could combine the two," he suggests. "Fly a little and then find somewhere to settle."
"We ain't been doin' nothin' but flyin' t'day," Kai admits, still distracted, offering a hand and immediately returning it to his belt when G'dri proves capable of standing on his own. "Guess this means maybe she'll tired enough t' let you two old men keep up." With a crooked - shy? - half of a smile to soften the blow. "How 'bout Tillek? Or there's this place t' Igen I bet I could find again. I seen all I want of Fort f'r a while."
G'dri might regret being capable of rising on his own, though a smile is an odd way to show it. A smile that eases readily into laughter, his own hand aiming to clap B'akiv on the shoulder. Briefly. "I'm surprised you haven't got a head that's still spinning, if the two of you have been flying all day. And even if she isn't, I believe we 'old men' can still give a good showing." He even winks, in responce to that possibly-shy smile, as he continues to step around and out of the little alcove created by chairbacks. "It's quite late at Igen, but there should still be some light left at Tillek. Unless being so near the sea would not be to your liking."
B'kaiv doesn't bother to flinch from the blow, but welcomes it with another quick smile and a so-dizzy sway. "Think I can manage t' find her again, I guess." Recovering miraculously quickly, he jerks his head at the egress and falls into step beside the bluerider. "Either one. Tillek. Maybe we can convince her t' do some fishin' in th' ocean, hey?" The whispers start up again when the two men leave, but fewer now, and sprinkled liberally with some pointed turnings-away. Here and there they're flashed some surreptitious thumbs up, but no one moves to intercept the pair on their journey to the bowl. There Chielyth is overjoyed to see them, and Kai has to grab her head or be knocked over by an enthusiastic greeting. "You got t' give th' visualization," he reminds, rubbing her muzzle firmly. "Hers ain't no good."
Another spark of humour, this one confined to eyes as G'dri grins widely at B'kaiv's easy antics. If there's any puzzlement for this change from the slightly jittery and tense man that left, it's kept well below the surface for now. "Khameth finds the occupation quite delightful; perhaps it will be him, more than us, who convinces her." The bluerider treats the reactions, from whisperings to thumbs-up gestures, all in the same way. As if they aren't really happening. Though of course he notices, and there might even be a hint or two of disapproval at some of the backs that suddenly face them. At some quiet point on the trip he'll sigh, regretfully, "I hope a day comes when your reputation may be repaired." Once outside, Khameth wings down to land nearby while Kai goes to Chielyth, the older dragon crooning a low greeting to her and humans both. "Of course. I was going to offer, anyway. There is a place up the coast, some distance from the main Hold, that's rather pleasant to visit." Replied as he walks towards his own lifemate, to unhook his jacket and other gear from where they're hooked into a bundle hanging off flight straps. He doesn't seem inclined to linger overlong in the bowl, glancing over to Kai briefly before climbing up into place. "When you're ready." Waiting patiently until they can take off, for another indication of readiness before sharing the visual of a small location that's battered but well-maintained upon the Tillek coast.
They're ready soon enough, though it takes several pointed and loud reminders that they're going /flying/ doesn't she want to go /flying/ before she lets him out of her sight even for the short journey to her straps. "Don't matter," is what Kai says for the muttering and his reputation, and it's all he can say before Chielyth leaps aloft for the three joyous loops it takes before she settles enough to take the visualization. Blackness *between* gives way to a pleasantly cool Tillekian afternoon turning to evening, where a light drizzle does little beside make the air damp. Once they're both on the ground again the greenrider continues with a shrug, "I'm used t' people as don't like me."
There's a slight grimace for even such a very light drizzle, but the weather can't be perfect everywhere. With the possibility earlier discussed of the dragons potentially fishing, after dismounting G'dri unhooks Khameth's straps and coils them up neatly. "Be that as it may. This situation has only made your reputation around the Weyr worse, and undeservedly so." As ever his words are calm, measured. Shoulders lifting in a shrug, he shakes his head. "Anyway, come. Let's go inside. I hope you find this place to your liking." It's a place that will prove to be a haunt of fisherfolk, though it's not overly dark or dismal. Cozy without being homey, one might say, a comfortable, casual atmosphere where the patrons are for the most part highly incurious. They come here for a drink and a game, maybe a spot of stew and hard bread if they're willing to spare the bits that'd buy them another tankard, and the girls. Though the latter seem more eye-candy than anything truly on offer, a protective air given towards them from those who might be marked out as regulars. What might be surprising is that a couple of them recognise G'dri with welcome, "Hey Grin, been an age, good t'see ya agin." But beyond that, leave him and his companion to themselves. "What would you care to drink?" the bluerider asks over his shoulder, indicatig with a tip of his head that he'll be heading towards the bar even as he also gestures for B'kaiv to lay claim to one of the several empty tables available.
Kai's only got another shrug as Chielyth's straps likewise come off and get stowed out of the mist. "Can't everybody be perfect, yeah? Anyway, all th' people as matter know what really happened." It's more than good odds that he doesn't know about T'rev's loose lips where Jaeyi is concerned. Hands go back to his waist, though this time in pockets, for the trip to the bar, and he spends a few seconds giving the place a thorough (and approving) once over. G'dri's question catches him off-guard, and it's a few more seconds of processing - drink, table, retreating bluerider - before his answer. "Uh - beer, whiskey, whatever." Then a slightly more decisive, "Whatever you're havin'," before he picks out one of the tables farthest from the fire and thus, in the quietest part of the room. He likewise offers greetings around, gaze lingering on some of those laced bodices, but doesn't encourage company.
Young lovers and their well-meaning pillow talk, oy vey! Though for 'perfect' G'dri makes a little face. "Not really what I mean, Kai. But you're right, nevermind." The fussing hen can stop fussing, really. For all that the place is geared towards fisherfolk, there's actually a very convenient setup outside where dragonriders can stow their straps, on the wall behind the post where it's probably rare for a runner to ever get hitched. There certainly aren't any there now. One or two of those bodices come with faces attached that have smiles for the greenrider, but they none of them missed that he entered with somebody who's taking care of the drinks situation. So when he doesn't encourage company, they don't invite themselves over. 'Whatever' will turn out to be beer, common fare for a place like this but certainly not awful stuff either. Rich and hearty, an honest working man's drink. After locating the distant spot Kai's parked himself, G'dri carries the two mugs over, setting one down in front of the younger man before continuing around to take a chair opposite. "Two turns, and this place hasn't changed a bit. Well, Jolinda looks a bit thicker around the middle," with a tilted eye for the eldest bodice in the room, a woman who appears somewhere in her thirties, "but five children will do that to a woman."
B'kaiv takes the beer, takes a swig - and then another, appreciative swallow. "Good. Nice an' chewy, ain't it?" He's not subtle enough to only glance at Jolinda: she gets a full once-over, likewise appreciative, but it's G'dri he returns to. "Guess. So... you used t' come here a lot? What was that they was callin' you? Grin? Grin...dri?" The syllables fall awkwardly from his lips, accompanied by a grimace which he promptly tries to drown in more beer.
Chewy. The descriptive makes G'dri, well, grin, as he nods in agreement after his own first swallow has been taken. "Yes. They've always had good fare here." The bluerider looks even more amused for the once-over Jolinda receives, chuckling quietly. "I did, yes. My weyrmate and I would come here together." He leans back in his chair, another glance going around the tavern before blue eyes return likewise to B'kaiv. "Gedrin, was my name before I Impressed." His brows lift, allowing a moment for the other possible contraction of his name to possibly come clear. "Y'ren found it hilarious, and in certain places it has become what I am known as, thanks to him."
"/Like/ chewy beer," Kai explains a touch awkwardly. "S'the ones as look an' drink like piss I can't stand." 'Weyrmate' causes him to squinch up one eye and settle back into his chair, shoulders hunching just a tad and turning eagerly to this other topic. "Ged... rin. Huh." The bluerider can watch the comprehension land, grow, and blossom in the progression of the greenrider's slow smile. "That ain't that bad. Grin. G'rin. There ain't much as you can do with Balkaiv, 'least not without messing everything up. --K'lai, maybe. But that just don't feel like me."
G'dri tilts his head slightly for that awkwardness, then shakes it. "Agreed. While 'wholesome' may not be a term best applied to an alcoholic beverage, there is a certain quality in the fullness of flavour that is to be appreciated." He'd have been better off not sounding so cultured about it, but at least he's genuine? Though the squinchy-eyed look has him looking puzzled again, brows furrowing together for a few moments. Though they smooth soon enough, and he seems to rather enjoy the progression, and it's likely expected when he smiles in return. "I can appreciate the humour, but I still count myself fortunate that it was not a name I became stuck with permanently. Hmm, no. That doesn't suit you. I think B'kaiv... Kai... is perfectly adequate and fitting." He turns his mug slightly between his fingers, and finally says what he couldn't say at the Weyr: "I am glad no ill befell you, Kai."
And here Kai just said 'chewy'. The erudition causes his face to squinch up again, and not necessarily in a good way. But more beer settles lots of things, including greenriders made jumpy by a walking thesaurus. A swish of hips and skirts distracts him for a few seconds, and when he returns, it's straight into the confession. "Yeah, well, I'm glad ain't nothin' happened t' me neither. There was a couple tight bits, but nothin' too bad." Hazel eyes watch as his mug turns as well, unconsciously mimicing, and glance up once, twice before landing on the older man's face. "The, uh, um." Silence stretches out for a heartbear or three before he launches at a new topic. "So Elaruth got some eggs now." Awkward, hi.
The walking thesaurus really doesn't want to make any greenrider jumpy, least of all this one. Though for the most part, again G'dri is left looking a little puzzled. Beer helps settle that, too, though, so they're in luck. "A couple tight bits," he repeats slowly. Blue eyes flicker, as if maybe he could magically develop x-ray vision and check for any bruising or other damage that could be hidden by clothing. "But clearly, nothing you couldn't handle." Or they wouldn't be sat where they are right now. "A fair amount, I would say, for her first clutch and being Interval. Some of the pools were laying odds on only ten. B'kaiv." Uh oh. "While I can vouch for the security of this place, the fact that these people are not craning their necks trying to listen in... if you are not comfortable talking here, we can go elsewhere."
B'kaiv's got another shrug, entirely easy and unlike a man covered in bruises, as elaboration for what he could or couldn't handle. Of course he could. Everything's copacetic. "Chielyth was tellin' me all about 'em. She wanted t' get a real close look, but Elaruth...." The sound of his name yanks him up hard, and the young queen's wishes will remain unspoken while Kai stares uncertain at the greenrider. "I, uh. It ain't, um." Can he even look away? "It ain't that." But he doesn't say what it is.
G'dri seems to take some satisfaction in the ease of that shrug. "Is a new mother. Perhaps in later weeks, Chielyth will get to see them more closely." Or perhaps not, who knows how (over)protective a gold will be? The observation is as calm and mild as they ever are. He lifts his mug again but doesn't drink this time, hiding his mouth behind the rim as blue eyes regard Kai steadily across the table. Those eyes close after a moment, and he leans forward, mug thunking quietly back down on the table. "I have no wish to cause you discomfort Kai. If you truly aren't ready to discuss... anything, yet, I will respect that. But I think we do indeed need to talk, soon."
"It ain't that," Kai protests again, and manages to yank his eyes down to consider his beer. There it is, all brown and sloshy. "We can talk, sure. I just... shells." All in a rush he tosses back a slug, wipes his mouth, plants his elbows on the table and leans in, all without letting go his mug. "You kissed me." Is it an accusation? Not quite. But neither is it - quite - a question, though there's a faint undertone of that, too.
Patience meets the awkward start, the bluerider waiting to see if Kai's going to break and run -- figuratively or literally -- or not. G'dri nods a little, fingers sliding back through his hair as his lips quirk. "Yes." He tips his head back, considers the air above the greenrider's head or possibly the ceiling. "I perhaps should not have done so. But... I cannot apologise for doing so, as I do not regret it. It troubles you." Not a question, but it is an invitation.
B'kaiv hasn't yet run, though sometimes it takes a little push to get him going. Or a big push. 'Yes' gets an intent nod, and if G'dri's head-tipping means that Kai's now staring at his chin or up his nose, so be it. "I - shells, no! I dunno. Maybe. I just... how come?" Because there certainly was no quick 'up against a tree' that night, or even the suggestion of same. With faint amusement, "Gave me somethin' t' think on, last month an' all." Because he didn't have enough to think about.
G'dri lets out a sigh, his head tipping forward again as he seeks to meet hazel eyes. "If you -weren't- confused, I would be surprised," he begins. Which might not be the greatest start for 'how come' but it seems he feels the need to go back to the beginning. "The young man who came to my weyr that night was frightened, determined to do the right thing for his dragon. I... did not really expect to see you again after, save from at a distance. That we did continue to speak, however infrequently, was welcome." His smile when it comes is wry, as he shrugs his shoulders. "You are an attractive man. And then I discovered, a lonely one, though you seem determined to not care. I have come to think of you as a friend, Kai. And then you were going into a potentially dangerous situation. I don't need to repeat, I think, how worried I was. It was impulse, driven by fondness. If I had said any more with words, I think you may have been well with your rights to cuff me one." Amusement of his own for that; he was annoying and he knows it.
The greenrider pays close attention to what G'dri says, scarcely even moving, save that his eyes flicker to anyone who crosses his line of sight. Thinking isn't the only thing he's been doing over the past months, then. He starts, "I weren't," in faint protest but doesn't finish, hushes instead to let the bluerider continue and studies his beer and the table instead. When G'dri does he snorts and looks back up, half of a smile hanging crookedly. "Ain't wanted t' pop you one yet. But yeah, you was startin' t' fuss. I just - I ain't mad about th' kiss, or nothin'." Apropos of nothing, and right before more beer, "Weyrleader - T'rev - offered t'... you know. Show me. Before I come t' you. Told him no. Shells, c'n you imagine how shardin' weird /that'd/ be?!"
He wasn't? G'dri's eyebrows lift slightly, not really believing that aborted protest. He needs to take a drink after he's finished talking, though he doesn't yet seem ready to relax back in his chair again. "For that I am grateful," he notes with a quiet chuckle after licking his lips. For not tempting Kai towards punching, or for him not being mad, it could be either. "I do want you to know, that I have no expectations." But anything further than that is sidetracked quite neatly into a look of incredulity. "Now -that- is something I never expected to hear. Though he is certainly not unattractive, if a touch on the pretty side. Something like that can cause quite a bit of strain on a friendship that had no previous such... interest."
Rolling his eyes only helps Kai's look of pained incredulity. "I -ain't- interested in him. An' I weren't then, neither. Shells." A titch more beer keeps his whistle wet before he leans forward to explain further, "He asked as I wanted him t' take Mecaith out th' Weyr when Chielyth goes up, an' I tol' him yeah. Now he says as Mecaith ain't interested any road, but... shells." Ticking off on fingers, "He's the shardin' /Weyrleader/, /an'/ my wingleader, /an'/... shells. Lots of things. Just be too shardin' strange. Not that I ain't gonna have no choice as t' who flies her, but still. Not -him-."
"I wasn't suggesting you are," G'dri points out mildly, eyebrows lifting again. His lips barely twitch, but the creases at the corners of his eyes deepen slightly. Amused again. "Simply pointing out what -I- have noticed." Eye candy is eye candy, after all. "Strange pairings often happen when dragons become involved. At best, we can only hope to minimize the awkwardness without too many repercussions. But... it doesn't seem like you really have anything to worry about on that regard. To be honest, I will be surprised if there is -ever- a bronze that manages to win Chielyth. She'll tie them in knots before they're even out of sight." He tilts his head, frowning slightly. "B'kaiv... I'm confused."
There's a grunt from Kai that's not quite an 'ah', but is a close cousin. Two fingers through the handle of his mug, he twists and turns it absently, the liquid within in no danger of slopping out. Unsurprising that the compliment to Chielyth brings an actual smile, visible in his eyes even when his mouth is hidden by beer, but G'dri's confession brings all back to the table and one eye squinting again. "Yeah? What're /you/ confused about? I said as I don't mind if you an' Khameth stay, yeah? An' lucky f'r them bronzes - there's some as'd wake up t' a fist in the nose." But that's only an aside, and not menat to distract from the main topic at hand.
His posture remains upright, but G'dri pushes his feet against the floor to tilt his chair up off its front legs, leaning as he balances there, hands folding together on the table. Answering the last first, with a laugh, "Wouldn't be the first time a flight resulted in a broken nose." The chair comes back down with a thunk, as he nods then. "After a fashion. Yes, you did. The change in topic, unless I'm missing a connection." Finally reaching the point, as his eyes narrow slightly. "I am uncertain where exactly I stand with you, Kai. And I wish to avoid any misunderstandings."
A couple of people do look over at the thunk, and one of the bodice-wearing girls takes a few hesitant steps toward their table, but Kai catches sight of her over G'dri's shoulder and waves her off. "Give me somethin' t' look forward to," he says of broken noses, with a twist of amusement that slips away when the bluerider continues. Maybe wishing that he'd called the waitress over after all, Kai returns his attention to what's left of his beer, which continues to be brown and sloshy. "Shells, I dunno. You said it before, ain't you? Friends?"
G'dri cocks his head to the side, then glances curiously over his shoulder to see who it is the greenrider is waving off. A quick, reassuring smile is flashed to the girl, before he turns back again. A vague tsk, a muttered, "Brawlers." But oddly, not as disapproving as one might expect from him. "Friends yes. But there are friends and then there are... friends. I repeat, I have no expectations. But I do enjoy your company, as well as your conversation."
"You an' Chielyth," B'kaiv returns wryly, almost fondly. "Like there's somethin' wrong in it." There's not enough beer left for a proper swig, only a swallow, and then he's left with the pleasant conundrum of holding the mug or setting it aside. "So what's th' trouble?" he asks then, gladly diverted to this easier subject. "We're friends. Don't got t' worry about ta- well, don't got t' worry about nothin'. An' if anyone starts goin' on about it, I'll just pop 'em one." G'dri'll have to forgive him for his teasing smirk. Naughty greenrider.
"Not something wrong exactly. I just don't see the... enjoyment factor," G'dri admits with a shrug. And predictably, a smile. A smile that turns a little crooked, before he shakes his head. "The trouble is, I find you hard to read at times. And I dislike the idea of asking Khameth to probe Chielyth as to your state of mind." He does chuckle a little, shaking his head in an amusedly hopeless gesture. "Or me? If I were to, say--" It's not words, but action, here in this quiet corner of the tavern, with those incurious fisherfolk and the pretty -- or at least, not completely homely -- barmaids. Just a simple reach, as the bluerider seeks to cover the younger man's hand with his own.
"I could show you," B'kaiv's quick to offer, releasing his mug to lift loose fists up to his face. Smile is met with smile, and a relaxing of his guard, hands back down to either side of the mug and not on it this time. "-I- ain't hard t' read. Ain't real complicated, or nothin'." He squints again for bringing the dragons in on it, and glances out to where she's leading him in a merry chase over the waves, looking back just in time for hands to meet. That brings a quick double blink but he doesn't pull away, only tilts a questioning look across the table. "I ain't - I mean, I done it with girls while I was down there, if that's what you're askin'."
G'dri laughs, shaking his head quickly. "Shards no. I haven't sparred properly in turns and I'm too old for such anyway." Yeah, right. Says the man who can still heft a full sack of firestone without needing to prop it on something halfway to his shoulder. "Of course, but you know yourself, don't you? What is simple to you, may not be for another." When Kai doesn't pull his hand away, the bluerider tightens his fingers fractionally. "No, that's not what I'm asking. I am... rather badly out of practice, at anything like this. So please forgive my fumbling, if you think things are plain. I wish merely to know if my continued attention, would be unwelcome." A deliberate slide of one finger across the back of Kai's should hopefully be a good enough clue as to what kind of attention he means.
B'kaiv snorts loudly for 'too old'. "An' I'm Lord Holder of Benden." Which he isn't, and doesn't even have to check his shoulder knot just-in-case. He leaves lie the question of who is or isn't hard to read, because there are fingers tightening, and -a- finger's deliberate slide, that are suddenly taking up rather a lot of his attention. His, "Shells, no," is barely louder than a whisper, but all the air's been removed from the room and G'dri won't be able to hear him anyway. "No, I, I, uh." The briefest flick of eyes toward Jolinda behind the bar and it's back to G'dri and an experimental flex of his own; after that, in case it wasn't clear enough, his hand half-turns beneath the bluerider's and his thumb traces an abbreviated circle on the older man's palm.
"You can cut me a good deal on some red, then," G'dri quips back with merriment in his voice. But, serious things. His head tilts slightly and his eyes are intent on the greenrider's face, watching his reactions. Behind the bar, Jolinda might have an eye on their table from the periphery of her vision, but she's leant on an elbow cheerfully scolding a fisherman who just tromped an extra heavy load of mud onto her floor. G'dri's reaction is bright, the blue of his eyes almost disappearing as he grins suddenly, the return touch at his palm making his whole hand twitch. Guess that answers that question. "Should we call them back? Or would you like another drink and you can tell me what you can of Fort Sea? Surely you have some stories that haven't to do merely with the reason you were there."
B'kaiv's reactions are easy enough to read, at least the unconscious ones - the dilation of pupils, the flush of color it takes a master to hide, and Kai is barely an apprentice. "Let's, uh." Decisions are hard. "Uh - 'nother drink. She's havin' too much fun t' go back." This time his tilted smile is very nearly apologetic. If it weren't for Chielyth... It's an easy enough matter to catch Jolinda's attention, and order another round of beer, and though she tilts her head questioningly at their joined hands she says nothing about it. It's not until well into a story about how the collars of the guards' tunics were so scratchy they'd raise welts and the ridiculous lengths some of the other men went to to try and ease the itch that he remembers to reclaim his hand. Later still, after a third beer and more stories, after the dragons have returned and the two men left the bar behind, Kai daringly goes for a kiss of his own, there in the gloaming. After that it's only a matter of picking someone's weyr for a proper welcome home.