Log: That's What Friends Are For
Who: L'vae, Milani
When: Very very early, 12/26/17
Where: Kitchen/L'vae's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr
What: After all the excitement of the Hatching, L'vae bumps into a pensive and sleepy Milani in the kitchen. A low-key chat turns into a retreat to the brownrider's weyr for a little quiet time between friends.
Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr(#267RJs)
Polished marble and granite surfaces, gleaming metalwork and pale woods characterize the vaulted fastness of the kitchen. Several large hearths gape red-mouthed against the outer wall of the cavern, their fires almost always stoked for the constant cooking the Weyr requires to feed its denizens. Sinks line the wall to one side of the hearths, providing ample space to wash large quantities of dishes, while to the other, cabinetry and a deep pantry provide storage space for items commonly needed on a day-to-day basis.
The remaining wall space is taken up by passageways and extra seating: swinging doors that lead variously to the main living cavern, the inner caverns and the storage rooms, a counter-height pass-through for food service to the Snowasis, and a series of nooks equipped with tables and benches for quick, out-of-the-way meals any time of day.
It's very late. The lateness of the hour has ensured that the party after the Hatching has broken up a bit sooner than most, with yawning guests from outWeyr heading back home and the kitchen staff picking up with alacrity. It's quiet now a couple of hours later with the bread crew already at it to make the next morning's batch. Milani's curled up in one of the nooks, hand wrapped around a steaming mug, chin resting on arm and arm on table. She's dressed. Sort of. Just a big shirt tossed on over a skirt though, to replace the nightgown she was flying around in earlier. The overall tone of her posture though, says 'tired' loud and clear.
L'vae comes in from the living caverns, cheer fighting exhaustion at every line of his features. There's a mug dangling from hooked fingers, surely empty by the way he's idly swinging it. He catches Milani in a scanning glance when he enters, flashing a smile towards her. Not really worrying if she's noticed him, as he's not about to deviate from his path. Klah first, poured into his mug with a little added sugar. Once it's steaming between two cupped hands, then he heads towards the assistant headwoman's nook. "Long night," he notes with a grin upon nearing.
Milani smiles back, though she doesn't lift her head as L'vae passes. She waits until he's come back her way and then her head bobs an answer to the statement. "Mmm." still not coming up off her arm. "Lou? D'you think I should've Stood?" she asks completely out of the blue, fingers wandering the sides of her mug.
The unexpected question halts L'vae at the side of the table before he sits down. A furrow flickers briefly upon his brow. "I don't know, Millie," he says honestly. Flowing back into motion, he slides to the seat across from her while drawing a careful sip of steam off of the top of his klah. "Are you feeling like you should have?" That question comes with more concerned curiosity, brows tipping up. The mug gets set down, the brownrider's wrists propping lightly at the edge of the table while his fingers stayed wrapped around the ceramic.
Milani frowns at the curl of steam rising up off her mug and then shrugs. "Some people have asked me lately is all," she says and blows out a breath. "And the Candidates, they're all ... well they're all Weyrlings or going or gone now," Millie says and covers a yawn, smiles across at the brownrider. "A lot of them went home tonight already, the ones that didn't Impress." There's a pause then. "Lots of cleaning up to do after them. Sometimes I just wonder what it would feel like to be one of them instead of the one in /charge/ of them."
L'vae hums softly, eyes scanning his friend's features. There's a quirk of a smile for the fate of the candidates, ebbing away into a nod for the words that follow. "It's a big job you have shouldered, being in charge. Must be hard, especially with so many being your age-mates or older." His hands fall away from the mug as he leans back in his seat, hazel eyes still fixed on Milani. "Feel like as a candidate?" His brows lift. "Would you want to be a rider, Millie? You'd know more than most about what you'd potentially be getting into, what with your family. You've seemed to be happy, working for Hayda."
Blue-green eyes come up and fix on hazel and Millie smiles tiredly. "No Lou, I don't want to be a rider. Not at all. Which is why I've never asked to Stand, but more than one other person seems to either think I should, or wants to know if I have or haven't, so I guess maybe it made me think about it tonight." She sits up, leans back against the rocky wall of the alcove. "And it is a big job, but I'm good at it." Matter-of-fact. And then a sigh. "I'm going to /miss/ them." Wry almost. But there's a hint of not-quite-nineteen-yet pout in her voice.
"I can see, how you'd think about it." L'vae's fingers come to fold over his stomach, thumbs splaying open towards her. "But if you don't want to, if you're happy... And you are very good at what you do. If you have all that, there doesn't seem to be much cause to look for something else." His smile lifts, even successfully battling the tired droop of his eyelids. "I can imagine, after looking after them for so long. Especially those ones that were so homesick. What was that one boy, the one from the Apple Festival? He didn't Impress, did he?"
Milani grins. "Nope. Don't usually think about it at all. It's just kind of funny. People asking. And maybe it's because this one was so funky. The eggs getting us up in the middle of the night." Milani shakes her head a little sadly. "He didn't. His mother took him home tonight, one of the Glacier riders popped off with them about an hour ago." She reaches for her mug now and takes a sip. "It's funny you know, all this anticipation building up to the moment and then at the end, it's ... life back to normal for most of us, though it's a whole new adventure for the weyrlings." Philosophical Millie tonight.
"I seem to recall a certain redhead getting me up at a rather wee hour to go see some eggs," L'vae notes with a wink. "But this did seem different - particularly with some of those hatchlings." His smile takes on a bemused twist and his hands unfold so one can reach for his mug. "I wouldn't be too surprised if they keep things from getting too normal for us all." Said musingly as he lifts the klah up for a careful sip.
"That was the morning though. Right around sunrise," Milani says laughingly and then she's pondering what L'vae says with a little nod. "Some of them seemed pretty active out there, if that's what you mean?" She takes another sip from her mug and curls both hands around it, seemingly to absorb the heat.
"But it felt like the middle of the night," L'vae says with a gesture of his mug. "Although," granted, "I don't suppose I was as used to early mornings, back then. Even with candidate chores." His exhaustion-dimmed eyes manage to sparkle with humor over the rim as he takes another sip. Nodding afterwards, "it is. That one blue was particularly all over the place. It looks like I'daur and the others are going to have their hands full."
"Mmm. Used to them now though right? I mean, you're ... a good leader, really responsible," Milani says slowly, head tilting to the side a little. That humor earns a wide grin and she nods. "Yeah. Leova and Cam and Persie too." Joking: "Wonder if we'll see /any/ of them ever again, eh?" She laughs outright then yawns and blinks her eyes a few times. "Lou ... is um ... well could you have company tonight?"
L'vae lifts his cup for: "here's to dawn shift." There's a rueful grin that melds into something more bashfully sincere as he watches the cup on its way back to the table. A low chuckle follows, fitting along with her laugh for the three assistant weyrlingmasters. "Maybe never," he comments with playful wistfulness. His chin doesn't lift much, hazel eyes edging across the table to his friend. "Sh'dor went to get some sleep before his morning watch - I was thinking I might as well wait up until my riders came back from their dawn sweeps... Are you okay, Millie?" A hand stretches out along the table top towards her. "I'd be happy to have you come up, if you wanted."
"Never would kind of suck," Milani replies with a glimmer of answering humor and her hand slips across to meet his. "I'm fine, just ... don't feel like being on my own. You know? It's been kind of a weird night. And it's my birthday tomorrow." She looks down at her mug with a silly little grin on her face. "Last teen birthday."
L'vae's eyes widen. "Your birthday!" His hand squeezes. "How did I not know this? Well, you must come up." His smile broadens. "I even think I might have something for you. Come on." A tip of his head as the brownrider gives a little tug at her hand. "You want to go now? We can have our cups sent up in the dumbwaiter."
"Yeah," Milani replies just a little sheepishly. "It's because it's so close to Turnover. Everything kind of gets ... wrapped up in that, you know?" She blinks in surprise at the idea that he might have something for her then smiles bright and wide. "Really? Aw, Lou!" she nods about the cups though and going up. "Thank you. I'd like that a lot," she says sincerely and gets up, coming round the table, cup held carefully.
"Mmm," L'vae agrees about Turnover with a peak of his brows. But then she's nodding, and moving, and he does likewise. With his own cup in hand, he walks with his friend first to find Nerallia and pass off the mugs to the kitchen girl. Next, with an offered elbow and talk of Turn's End plans, they're off to make their way out to the bowl where Bremuth waits to fly them the short hop up to the statue-watched ledge. "Please make yourself comfortable," the brownrider says as he walks across to the shelves by the table and service shaft. "I'll get our mugs."
Milani does what Milani always does when making herself comfortable: she kicks off her shoes. Then she flops across the foot of the bed on her stomach and kicks bare feet up behind her, chin propped in hands. "It's kind of weird to think I won't be a teenager anymore this time next turn. Did you even notice it when it was your birthday and you were turning twenty, Lou?" She watches him go for the mugs, expression pondering.
L'vae isn't just going for the mugs. "Oh, I noticed." He's shuffling about in the shelves, first. "I had a lot on my mind that Turn. Those turns." A small neatly-bound book and a pretty blue tin tied with a white ribbon are pulled out. They're stacked and tucked carefully under one elbow before the brownrider picks the mugs up from the dumbwaiter. "Nothing like a multiple of ten to get you thinking, I guess?" His steps are careful as he crosses to the bed with a smile. "Careful," he notes to Milani as well. A little bit teasing, but it is an ivory bedspread. His own cup gets reached over to the coaster on the nightstand. Hands free, he sets the book and tin beside Millie and sits down on the bed's edge to remove his boots.
Milani pushes upright a little to curl both hands around the mug and she nods about careful. "I know who does your laundry, so yeah," she saya jokingly and takes a long, deep drink. The book and the tin are eyed curiously, but it's what he said before she goes back to. "Yeah. Like you can't hide from being a grown-up anymore for one, or just ... yeah. Twenty. It's not a kid age. Eighteen or nineteen isn't really /either/ but ..." she trails off and shrugs. Maybe he knows what she's getting at. After he's sat and gotten comfortable, Millie scoots over a little, against him lightly and tilts her head down to a resting place on his shoulder. "I always feel safe up here, Lou. Thanks for letting me come up."
An empty boot drops to the floor as he chuckles at the joke. But it's what it comes after that draws his soft gaze back to Millie. The second shoe is lowered more softly by its laces. He gives a little shake of his head by way of agreeing with her thoughts. "For me, it was a time to stop dreaming of who I might be, and start figuring out who I really was," the brownrider notes quietly as he snakes his belt free of its loops and tugs free his shirttails. One of his socked feet tucks up under the opposite knee. When she edges over, he reaches out an arm to wrap about her waist. "I'm glad," said softly. He brushes a light kiss to her hair. "Of course. That's what friends are for." And he gives a gentle squeeze.
Listening, Milani's eyes close and she snuggles a little closer when his arm slides around her. "Do you have it all figured out, Lou?" she asks softly, "or do you still dream sometimes? Most days I think I've pretty much got it, other days there's still question marks," she muses thoughtfully then lifts her head enough to take a drink, emptying her mug. Her eyes open again and she beams over at him, leans in to drop a light peck on his cheek. "And you're one of my very best friends. You and Leova. I think I'll bring her a 'new assistant weyrlingmaster' care package tomorrow."
"No," L'vae answers with another quiet chuckle. His eyes rove, distant. "But these days I don't know that I dream, so much. More, I try to see." Smiling, leaning into the kiss a little, he reaches a hand in offer to take her empty cup. "And you one of mine, Millie." His arm tightens about her again, with the intent of puling her with him as he scoots back to rest against the big pillows at the headboard. "That's a good idea, I'm sure Leova would appreciate it."
"You know, that kind of makes me feel a little better about those question marks," Milani says thoughtfully and passes over her mug. Amenable to being drawn, she scoots along with him and re-arranges long limbs to curl up against his side. Another yawn follows and she reaches for his hand, to thread fingers through, comfortable. "Definitely think of some thing to put together then. Especially cookies," she says a little sleepily. Her gaze finds that book again and Millie's chin tips up a little. "Will you read me a story, Lou?"
The curve of his smile deepens as he takes the cup, sets it aside on the end table. His palm rests warm against hers, even as he leans to reach for the book and tin. "I will - I think I have just the one." L'vae sets the tin on the far side of her knees and balances the book against his. Flipping, one handed, through the pages until he comes to a big illustrated "A" that starts off one the stories. Bridging the book between thumb and forefinger, the brownrider settles into a more comfortable snuggle against his friend and begins reading. "Across the still blue water came the slow steady beat of drums..."
When: Very very early, 12/26/17
Where: Kitchen/L'vae's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr
What: After all the excitement of the Hatching, L'vae bumps into a pensive and sleepy Milani in the kitchen. A low-key chat turns into a retreat to the brownrider's weyr for a little quiet time between friends.
Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr(#267RJs)
Polished marble and granite surfaces, gleaming metalwork and pale woods characterize the vaulted fastness of the kitchen. Several large hearths gape red-mouthed against the outer wall of the cavern, their fires almost always stoked for the constant cooking the Weyr requires to feed its denizens. Sinks line the wall to one side of the hearths, providing ample space to wash large quantities of dishes, while to the other, cabinetry and a deep pantry provide storage space for items commonly needed on a day-to-day basis.
The remaining wall space is taken up by passageways and extra seating: swinging doors that lead variously to the main living cavern, the inner caverns and the storage rooms, a counter-height pass-through for food service to the Snowasis, and a series of nooks equipped with tables and benches for quick, out-of-the-way meals any time of day.
It's very late. The lateness of the hour has ensured that the party after the Hatching has broken up a bit sooner than most, with yawning guests from outWeyr heading back home and the kitchen staff picking up with alacrity. It's quiet now a couple of hours later with the bread crew already at it to make the next morning's batch. Milani's curled up in one of the nooks, hand wrapped around a steaming mug, chin resting on arm and arm on table. She's dressed. Sort of. Just a big shirt tossed on over a skirt though, to replace the nightgown she was flying around in earlier. The overall tone of her posture though, says 'tired' loud and clear.
L'vae comes in from the living caverns, cheer fighting exhaustion at every line of his features. There's a mug dangling from hooked fingers, surely empty by the way he's idly swinging it. He catches Milani in a scanning glance when he enters, flashing a smile towards her. Not really worrying if she's noticed him, as he's not about to deviate from his path. Klah first, poured into his mug with a little added sugar. Once it's steaming between two cupped hands, then he heads towards the assistant headwoman's nook. "Long night," he notes with a grin upon nearing.
Milani smiles back, though she doesn't lift her head as L'vae passes. She waits until he's come back her way and then her head bobs an answer to the statement. "Mmm." still not coming up off her arm. "Lou? D'you think I should've Stood?" she asks completely out of the blue, fingers wandering the sides of her mug.
The unexpected question halts L'vae at the side of the table before he sits down. A furrow flickers briefly upon his brow. "I don't know, Millie," he says honestly. Flowing back into motion, he slides to the seat across from her while drawing a careful sip of steam off of the top of his klah. "Are you feeling like you should have?" That question comes with more concerned curiosity, brows tipping up. The mug gets set down, the brownrider's wrists propping lightly at the edge of the table while his fingers stayed wrapped around the ceramic.
Milani frowns at the curl of steam rising up off her mug and then shrugs. "Some people have asked me lately is all," she says and blows out a breath. "And the Candidates, they're all ... well they're all Weyrlings or going or gone now," Millie says and covers a yawn, smiles across at the brownrider. "A lot of them went home tonight already, the ones that didn't Impress." There's a pause then. "Lots of cleaning up to do after them. Sometimes I just wonder what it would feel like to be one of them instead of the one in /charge/ of them."
L'vae hums softly, eyes scanning his friend's features. There's a quirk of a smile for the fate of the candidates, ebbing away into a nod for the words that follow. "It's a big job you have shouldered, being in charge. Must be hard, especially with so many being your age-mates or older." His hands fall away from the mug as he leans back in his seat, hazel eyes still fixed on Milani. "Feel like as a candidate?" His brows lift. "Would you want to be a rider, Millie? You'd know more than most about what you'd potentially be getting into, what with your family. You've seemed to be happy, working for Hayda."
Blue-green eyes come up and fix on hazel and Millie smiles tiredly. "No Lou, I don't want to be a rider. Not at all. Which is why I've never asked to Stand, but more than one other person seems to either think I should, or wants to know if I have or haven't, so I guess maybe it made me think about it tonight." She sits up, leans back against the rocky wall of the alcove. "And it is a big job, but I'm good at it." Matter-of-fact. And then a sigh. "I'm going to /miss/ them." Wry almost. But there's a hint of not-quite-nineteen-yet pout in her voice.
"I can see, how you'd think about it." L'vae's fingers come to fold over his stomach, thumbs splaying open towards her. "But if you don't want to, if you're happy... And you are very good at what you do. If you have all that, there doesn't seem to be much cause to look for something else." His smile lifts, even successfully battling the tired droop of his eyelids. "I can imagine, after looking after them for so long. Especially those ones that were so homesick. What was that one boy, the one from the Apple Festival? He didn't Impress, did he?"
Milani grins. "Nope. Don't usually think about it at all. It's just kind of funny. People asking. And maybe it's because this one was so funky. The eggs getting us up in the middle of the night." Milani shakes her head a little sadly. "He didn't. His mother took him home tonight, one of the Glacier riders popped off with them about an hour ago." She reaches for her mug now and takes a sip. "It's funny you know, all this anticipation building up to the moment and then at the end, it's ... life back to normal for most of us, though it's a whole new adventure for the weyrlings." Philosophical Millie tonight.
"I seem to recall a certain redhead getting me up at a rather wee hour to go see some eggs," L'vae notes with a wink. "But this did seem different - particularly with some of those hatchlings." His smile takes on a bemused twist and his hands unfold so one can reach for his mug. "I wouldn't be too surprised if they keep things from getting too normal for us all." Said musingly as he lifts the klah up for a careful sip.
"That was the morning though. Right around sunrise," Milani says laughingly and then she's pondering what L'vae says with a little nod. "Some of them seemed pretty active out there, if that's what you mean?" She takes another sip from her mug and curls both hands around it, seemingly to absorb the heat.
"But it felt like the middle of the night," L'vae says with a gesture of his mug. "Although," granted, "I don't suppose I was as used to early mornings, back then. Even with candidate chores." His exhaustion-dimmed eyes manage to sparkle with humor over the rim as he takes another sip. Nodding afterwards, "it is. That one blue was particularly all over the place. It looks like I'daur and the others are going to have their hands full."
"Mmm. Used to them now though right? I mean, you're ... a good leader, really responsible," Milani says slowly, head tilting to the side a little. That humor earns a wide grin and she nods. "Yeah. Leova and Cam and Persie too." Joking: "Wonder if we'll see /any/ of them ever again, eh?" She laughs outright then yawns and blinks her eyes a few times. "Lou ... is um ... well could you have company tonight?"
L'vae lifts his cup for: "here's to dawn shift." There's a rueful grin that melds into something more bashfully sincere as he watches the cup on its way back to the table. A low chuckle follows, fitting along with her laugh for the three assistant weyrlingmasters. "Maybe never," he comments with playful wistfulness. His chin doesn't lift much, hazel eyes edging across the table to his friend. "Sh'dor went to get some sleep before his morning watch - I was thinking I might as well wait up until my riders came back from their dawn sweeps... Are you okay, Millie?" A hand stretches out along the table top towards her. "I'd be happy to have you come up, if you wanted."
"Never would kind of suck," Milani replies with a glimmer of answering humor and her hand slips across to meet his. "I'm fine, just ... don't feel like being on my own. You know? It's been kind of a weird night. And it's my birthday tomorrow." She looks down at her mug with a silly little grin on her face. "Last teen birthday."
L'vae's eyes widen. "Your birthday!" His hand squeezes. "How did I not know this? Well, you must come up." His smile broadens. "I even think I might have something for you. Come on." A tip of his head as the brownrider gives a little tug at her hand. "You want to go now? We can have our cups sent up in the dumbwaiter."
"Yeah," Milani replies just a little sheepishly. "It's because it's so close to Turnover. Everything kind of gets ... wrapped up in that, you know?" She blinks in surprise at the idea that he might have something for her then smiles bright and wide. "Really? Aw, Lou!" she nods about the cups though and going up. "Thank you. I'd like that a lot," she says sincerely and gets up, coming round the table, cup held carefully.
"Mmm," L'vae agrees about Turnover with a peak of his brows. But then she's nodding, and moving, and he does likewise. With his own cup in hand, he walks with his friend first to find Nerallia and pass off the mugs to the kitchen girl. Next, with an offered elbow and talk of Turn's End plans, they're off to make their way out to the bowl where Bremuth waits to fly them the short hop up to the statue-watched ledge. "Please make yourself comfortable," the brownrider says as he walks across to the shelves by the table and service shaft. "I'll get our mugs."
Milani does what Milani always does when making herself comfortable: she kicks off her shoes. Then she flops across the foot of the bed on her stomach and kicks bare feet up behind her, chin propped in hands. "It's kind of weird to think I won't be a teenager anymore this time next turn. Did you even notice it when it was your birthday and you were turning twenty, Lou?" She watches him go for the mugs, expression pondering.
L'vae isn't just going for the mugs. "Oh, I noticed." He's shuffling about in the shelves, first. "I had a lot on my mind that Turn. Those turns." A small neatly-bound book and a pretty blue tin tied with a white ribbon are pulled out. They're stacked and tucked carefully under one elbow before the brownrider picks the mugs up from the dumbwaiter. "Nothing like a multiple of ten to get you thinking, I guess?" His steps are careful as he crosses to the bed with a smile. "Careful," he notes to Milani as well. A little bit teasing, but it is an ivory bedspread. His own cup gets reached over to the coaster on the nightstand. Hands free, he sets the book and tin beside Millie and sits down on the bed's edge to remove his boots.
Milani pushes upright a little to curl both hands around the mug and she nods about careful. "I know who does your laundry, so yeah," she saya jokingly and takes a long, deep drink. The book and the tin are eyed curiously, but it's what he said before she goes back to. "Yeah. Like you can't hide from being a grown-up anymore for one, or just ... yeah. Twenty. It's not a kid age. Eighteen or nineteen isn't really /either/ but ..." she trails off and shrugs. Maybe he knows what she's getting at. After he's sat and gotten comfortable, Millie scoots over a little, against him lightly and tilts her head down to a resting place on his shoulder. "I always feel safe up here, Lou. Thanks for letting me come up."
An empty boot drops to the floor as he chuckles at the joke. But it's what it comes after that draws his soft gaze back to Millie. The second shoe is lowered more softly by its laces. He gives a little shake of his head by way of agreeing with her thoughts. "For me, it was a time to stop dreaming of who I might be, and start figuring out who I really was," the brownrider notes quietly as he snakes his belt free of its loops and tugs free his shirttails. One of his socked feet tucks up under the opposite knee. When she edges over, he reaches out an arm to wrap about her waist. "I'm glad," said softly. He brushes a light kiss to her hair. "Of course. That's what friends are for." And he gives a gentle squeeze.
Listening, Milani's eyes close and she snuggles a little closer when his arm slides around her. "Do you have it all figured out, Lou?" she asks softly, "or do you still dream sometimes? Most days I think I've pretty much got it, other days there's still question marks," she muses thoughtfully then lifts her head enough to take a drink, emptying her mug. Her eyes open again and she beams over at him, leans in to drop a light peck on his cheek. "And you're one of my very best friends. You and Leova. I think I'll bring her a 'new assistant weyrlingmaster' care package tomorrow."
"No," L'vae answers with another quiet chuckle. His eyes rove, distant. "But these days I don't know that I dream, so much. More, I try to see." Smiling, leaning into the kiss a little, he reaches a hand in offer to take her empty cup. "And you one of mine, Millie." His arm tightens about her again, with the intent of puling her with him as he scoots back to rest against the big pillows at the headboard. "That's a good idea, I'm sure Leova would appreciate it."
"You know, that kind of makes me feel a little better about those question marks," Milani says thoughtfully and passes over her mug. Amenable to being drawn, she scoots along with him and re-arranges long limbs to curl up against his side. Another yawn follows and she reaches for his hand, to thread fingers through, comfortable. "Definitely think of some thing to put together then. Especially cookies," she says a little sleepily. Her gaze finds that book again and Millie's chin tips up a little. "Will you read me a story, Lou?"
The curve of his smile deepens as he takes the cup, sets it aside on the end table. His palm rests warm against hers, even as he leans to reach for the book and tin. "I will - I think I have just the one." L'vae sets the tin on the far side of her knees and balances the book against his. Flipping, one handed, through the pages until he comes to a big illustrated "A" that starts off one the stories. Bridging the book between thumb and forefinger, the brownrider settles into a more comfortable snuggle against his friend and begins reading. "Across the still blue water came the slow steady beat of drums..."