Log: X'lar's Visit
Who: Ananta, Milani, X'lar
When: It is a winter night, 20:06 of day 5, month 1, turn 18 of Interval 10.
Where: Common Room, High Reaches Weyr
What: Milani's having a quiet evening with a book after a somewhat distressing few days when X'lar turns up to catch up. Ananta makes a brief appearance by the fire.
Resident Common Room, High Reaches Weyr(#378RJs)
Just off of the main passageway lies the small cavern that forms the hub of the residents' quarters, kept immaculately clean by the headwoman's staff and warmed in cold weather by a stone hearth to the left and well back from the entrance. Comfortable chairs and a plush fur arrayed before the hearth make an inviting spot to curl up with a book or handicraft, or just to sit and chat. Beyond, additional chairs stand in clusters throughout the room, some upholstered with age-softened hide, some plain wood. At the widest point of the cavern, a round table gleams with polish, though its surface is nicked and scarred from Turns of use. Beyond the table, the very back of the cavern often lies in shadow unless the glowbaskets there are unlidded to cast cozy pools of light. The commingled scents of klah, smoke and polish permeate the air along with the sweetness of rosemary and lavender.
Tapestries hang across the entrances to dormitories and more private quarters as well as the exit to the outer hall, colorful protections from drafts.
Evening at the Reaches on a chilly winter's night means the living cavern and Snowasis are both hopping. There's aunties knitting by the fire in the common room, but it's fairly quiet in here yet. Buried away at the back of the room: one distinctively tall red-head, sitting curled up in one of the big comfy chairs with a book, skirts draping down towards the floor.
X'lar appears to have kept his winter clothes even if he had moved back home. He's got his jacket on top of a familiar dusty orange sweater. He looks to be on a mission to find someone tonight, seemingly walking straight into the common room, eyes darting back and forth. Until... "Millie!" X'lar calls out, grinning wide as he finally spots her, or at least spots her hair. He bounds a few steps forward and reaches that chair of hers. "I thought I might find you here."
Blue-green eyes appear over the edge of that book and focus on X'lar. He's bounding, she just smiles a little, tips her head to the side so he can see her better. "And here I am," she says fondly to the bronzerider. "Did Malsaeth miss the cold?" One of her bookmarks slips into the book and she closes it, rests it against her knees and curls up a little more tightly in the chair. She seems rather ... subdued for Millie.
X'lar frowns suddenly. Xie's not one to not notice these things about his friends, especially one as close as Milani. "What's wrong?" X'lar quickly asks, moving to find a foot-rest nearby to sit on across from Hayda's assistant. "No.. well," X'lar offers. "Mal /did/ miss the cold, but we're here because I wanted to see you. Missed you."
"Nothing's ... wrong," Milani says slowly and presses her lips together briefly then musters a smile for X'lar. "Pull up a chair then? And -- missed you too. We should go skating before the ice melts," she says with something more like her customary brightness. There's another little pause while she leans her head back against the chair. "Ays and I are ... cooling it."
"I'd say that's something wrong," Xie offers quietly. "Even if you don't." He gets up from the foot rest and grabs a proper place to sit, a chair, and sits across from the assistant headwoman. "What brought the cooling?" the bronzerider asks her, concern clearly etched on the teen's face. At the concept of skating, Xie grins and offers lightly: "In order for us to skate, I'd have to learn how to first."
There's a little frown on Millie's face and she shakes her head. "No, not -- not wrong," she says quietly and smiles again. "Just changed. And not what I really wanted, or what he really wanted, but it's the way it's going to be as long as I'm here and he's there." Another breath out and she props her chin down atop her knees. "And you can't learn unless you get out there, so. Did you want to learn tonight, even if it's a little dark out there?"
"It's pretty difficult," Xie tells her. "When someone's at one Weyr and the other person is at another Weyr." It seems as though he's speaking from experience in that comment, his eyes watching Millie, studying her. "I'm sorry you can't get what you want, Millie," he finally tells her. "If there is anyone who deserves to be truly happy, it is you, Milani." He smiles warmly at her before moving on toward the other topic of discussion: "It's pretty dark. And I can come by another time when Balinne can manage without me." The Istan teen pauses briefly before explaining further: "I'm helping with the candidates, with a greenrider named Balinne. A friend. It's been pretty fun. Mal's even Searched a few."
"It's ... not even just that, Xie. We were managing fine," Milani says lightly. "It's -- well I guess we're both being stubborn. But Ista just ... it's not where I belong," she says with a quiet sigh then smiles. "Thanks Xie. Who knows it might still work out. Maybe. For now though it's just better to take a little step back for both of us." Oh do we sound mature or what? Of course, she doesn't really look entirely convinced and her chin digs into her knees a little. "Mmhm. I know," the assistant headwoman says to X'lar with a half a grin. "I pay attention. Other than fun, how's it going? Losing your mind yet trying to keep track of them all?"
Giving up on sleeping, Ananta wanders into the room and finds a spot by the fire. She nods at the pair and gives a feeble wave. "Don't mind me."
"Oh, I'm sure you do pay attention," Xie replies, grinning. "I just wanted to tell you because you were part of my inspiration to do it." He nods once in return, responding back to her former comments on the locations in play, "So I take it you and he aren't exclusive any more then? Maybe that means you can find that trader of yours, hm?" He nudges her knee with his own, grinning briefly. Perhaps it's an attempt to add levity to the situation. "It's going well though. I'm having a lot fun, meeting the newly Searched, showing them the Weyr, talking to them about my own experience... It's been pretty rewarding, actually. Sunniva's there, as a Candidate. Mal Searched her, even." He glances to Ananta and nods politely to her, smiling, before returning his attention back to Millie. "It's kind of nice to have Balinne around to do the same thing. When I start going crazy, she can pick up the slack and vice versa."
"Inspiration huh?" That brings an amused smile to Milani's lips that nudge though, fades the smile back out of existence and she shrugs. "We're not together," is all she says and her eyes skip away from the Istan bronzerider though she nods at what he's saying, gaze coming to rest on Ananta as she comes into the room. "Sounds like you're doing a good job as well as having a good time with it," she tells X'lar sincerely.
"I'd like to think so," X'lar replies to Milani's last remark easily. He smiles back at her before going on to say, "I don't want the whole Ista-High Reaches thing to become too big of a deal that you stop coming to Ista altogether, Millie." He grins fiercely at the assistant headwoman, explaining: "After all, you're pretty shardin' important to me, Milani."
"Oh pish tosh," Milani says laughing finally. "My /brother/ lives at Ista, X'lar and it's a big Weyr. I'm not going to avoid Ista because of that. I'll even go visit Ays, it's just been kind of a tough seven." She re-arranges the book on her lap and looks around X'lar again towards where Ananta is and waves a little. "It's just like how you keep coming back here even if things didn't go quite the way you wanted with the clutch." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Everything will work itself out." She clears her throat then, calls out lightly so her voice reaches the scribe. "How's your evening going Ananta?"
"Huh?" Ananta's head flies up to the sound of her voice. "What...my evening? Just doing some reading. Well, trying to." Not wanting to intrude, but also wanting company, she hesitates before asking, "Are you guys warm enough over there. There's room over here if you want to join me." The blanket she drug out with heris no longer nessasary. She leans over to adjust it and drops her book.
X'lar grins at Milani, saying, "Speaking of which! He made the best fish dish the other night. I think I'm going to steal him away from T'mic." He grins wider, his inflection teasing. But at the comments with regard to her analogy of himself and High Reaches, Xie nods, saying, "See, you get me. I get you, too. Most of the time. I can't say I /completely/ understand women." Once again, he grins, even laughing somewhat at his comments. "But you're right," he finally amends, agreeing with Hayda's assistant. "Everything will work itself out." He glances toward Ananta again and smiles once more to her. Introducing himself, Xie lifts a hand to greet Ananta, telling her: "Sorry, guess I've forgotten my manners. I'm X'lar. Ista's duties."
"For your personal chef?" Milani teases X'lar back and reaches over to pat his arm gently. "That's why we're such good friends," she tells him reassuringly and then looks past him towards Ananta again. "It's cozy enough back here," she says laughingly, "unless you're chilly Xie? Though I can't imagine you are with that sweater and jacket. This is Ananta, X'lar, I don't think you met when you were here for the eggs. She's a scribe and we sort of grew up in the same pack of kids here," she completes the introductions and slides her feet out and down to the floor, pushing them into her shoes and rises to walk nearer so they're not calling across the room.
X'lar grins back at Milani, nodding in response to her teasing. "Exactly," Xie replies back in agreement, laughing again. "I'd find a way of chaining him to the kitchen if I could." He shakes his head quickly before saying to Ananta, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty much as warm and toasty as I can get." He grins mischeviously to Milani as he tells Ananta, "Besides, if I get cold, I can always hug Millie for warmth." He nods once as Milani introduces Ananta, telling the other woman, "It's nice to meet you Ananta."
Leaning over for her book, Ananta hears X'lar's introduction. She smiles back and lifts a hand in response. "Don't worry, you don't need to come over here. Just wondered if I was hogging the fire." She turns back to her reading.
There's a titter from one of the aunties knitting near that fire. "Oh dearie, if you want to talk to anyone about hogging the fire, it's us," the old woman notes, gesturing to some of her companions. Milani shoots them a little grin. "You've earned it, aunties," she tells them and shrugs loosely. "It's more about not having to shout all the way over here," she replies and then breaks out laughing at X'lar's quips. "First of all, I don't think you'll ever have a problem getting Paddy to stay in a kitchen, and hugs are always welcome, though not always effective long term."
X'lar grins back easily at the assistant headwoman, nodding back to her before saying, "Well, I suppose not. Besides, the man /likes/ to cook. I can't argue with that. Even more, he's getting full use out of the Sandbar's kitchen, which is awesome, because I want to see it being used as much as possible." He grins once before saying, "Maybe not long-term, but certainly good for a night." Teasing or flirting, it's unsure what his motives are there. Maybe it's a combination of both. He glances back to Ananta and tells her: "That's one of things I loved about living here when I did, actually, was coming to the weyr they had set aside for me and sit by the hearth in it. Always nice to warm yourself by the fire in this kind of weather."
Ananta feels a little embarassed from hearing their conversation. Especially the inuendo. These aunties aren't stupid. "Mmmhm, fires are something to look forward to. Especially when you're cold to the bone, so cold you can't feel your nose. Oh, also a dip in the hot bathing pool. You know when it's so hot that you get out and can't breathe very well. But, you fall straight asleep. Cold weathers not so bad when you have those things."
There's a little lift of Milani's brows at some of what X'lar is saying, she sticks to the cooking part when she answers. "Oh yeah, he told me about that. That must be fun, to be able to eat a full meal down there right over the ocean." Her hands clasp loosely behind her back, book in between. "We do have very nice baths," she agrees, "but the cold doesn't bother me much."
"It don't bother Mal either," Xie very nearly grunts out. "The stupid beast can't stop talking about how great it is right now." He rolls his eyes before going on to say, "That's what I had hoped when I gave my marks to the leadership. I just want Ista to be as great as it can be. Having dinner with the sunset right there is pretty nifty. I mean, who wouldn't like that?" He pauses, catching himself as he begins to talk more. "But yeah," he tells Ananta and Millie. "The baths are nice too, I agree."
Feeling confused by their conversation, Ananta parses through their back and forth. Understanding it has something to do with /cooking/. She's not sure if this is the kind she can stomach. "I suppose if he make a good meatroll, he'd be worth having around."
"I'll bet he's happy as a clam," Milani says, grinning about X'lar's bronze. "And Paddy sounds pretty happy about being able to cook a lot somewhere he doesn't have to convince the cooks all the time, like he does in the main kitchen. And the Sandbar really is a great place," she agrees. Her expression shades thoughtful for a moment then slides a look over at Ananta. "P'draig makes all sorts of things, I'll bet he could make a good meatroll. You should ask him, Xie. X'lar here is a big meatroll fan."
X'lar grins wide at Ananta, telling her: "Oh, I couldn't agree with you more, Ananta! I /love/ meatrolls." He nods once to Milani, saying, "He is. He and my grandfather's blue are having a blast." He nods once and then a second time, then finally his eyes open wider. "Oh. /SHELLS/. I can't believe I hadn't even thought of asking him to make a meatroll!" He grins wickedly before telling Milani, "Thank you, Millie. I'll have to ask him the next time I see him."
After rereading the same sentence 3 times, Ananta sets her book in her lap. "Maybe you should see if he can make you a seafood meatroll?" A little grin lighting up her mouth. "Well, I'll let you two be. My cot is calling for me." Picking upher things, Anata rises. She gives a nod "Evening." And she's slides past the couple.
"With all the fish down there, probably not a bad idea," Milani says laughingly and nods as Ananta excuses herself. "Have a good night Ananta, good luck with with inks and so on tomorrow."
"Seafood meatrolls are good too," Xie tells Ananta agreeably. "But I'm more of a traditional man when it comes to meatrolls." The rider pauses before nodding to the departing resident. "Of course, do have a good night. And it was nice to have met you, Ananta."
"A traditional man, huh?" Milani teases X'lar a little bit as Ananta steps away into the resident dorms. "Words I never thought I'd hear coming from your mouth X'lar," she continues then steps over by the fire a little. "I should turn in myself in a little bit. Morning comes all too soon. It's been good to see you though."
X'lar laughs again as he hears Milani's teasing, protesting back to her: "Oh come on! You know what I mean. About food. Traditional about food!" He nods once to Milani, smiling as he replies: "Glad we got to talk a bit then, Millie."
"Mmmmmhmmm," Milani says skeptically and winks X'lar's way, then she leans over to drop a light kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for coming by to catch up with me. I'll see you soon, okay? Back safe to Ista." She gives his arm a little pat and slips away down the corridor to her room.
X'lar grins back at the assistant headwoman, replying back, "Have a good night, Millie." After a moment of thought, and after that kiss to his cheek, he adds, more quietly, "Don't let the whole business with A'son get you down, you hear?" He gets up from his chair and begins heading out as well.
When: It is a winter night, 20:06 of day 5, month 1, turn 18 of Interval 10.
Where: Common Room, High Reaches Weyr
What: Milani's having a quiet evening with a book after a somewhat distressing few days when X'lar turns up to catch up. Ananta makes a brief appearance by the fire.
Resident Common Room, High Reaches Weyr(#378RJs)
Just off of the main passageway lies the small cavern that forms the hub of the residents' quarters, kept immaculately clean by the headwoman's staff and warmed in cold weather by a stone hearth to the left and well back from the entrance. Comfortable chairs and a plush fur arrayed before the hearth make an inviting spot to curl up with a book or handicraft, or just to sit and chat. Beyond, additional chairs stand in clusters throughout the room, some upholstered with age-softened hide, some plain wood. At the widest point of the cavern, a round table gleams with polish, though its surface is nicked and scarred from Turns of use. Beyond the table, the very back of the cavern often lies in shadow unless the glowbaskets there are unlidded to cast cozy pools of light. The commingled scents of klah, smoke and polish permeate the air along with the sweetness of rosemary and lavender.
Tapestries hang across the entrances to dormitories and more private quarters as well as the exit to the outer hall, colorful protections from drafts.
Evening at the Reaches on a chilly winter's night means the living cavern and Snowasis are both hopping. There's aunties knitting by the fire in the common room, but it's fairly quiet in here yet. Buried away at the back of the room: one distinctively tall red-head, sitting curled up in one of the big comfy chairs with a book, skirts draping down towards the floor.
X'lar appears to have kept his winter clothes even if he had moved back home. He's got his jacket on top of a familiar dusty orange sweater. He looks to be on a mission to find someone tonight, seemingly walking straight into the common room, eyes darting back and forth. Until... "Millie!" X'lar calls out, grinning wide as he finally spots her, or at least spots her hair. He bounds a few steps forward and reaches that chair of hers. "I thought I might find you here."
Blue-green eyes appear over the edge of that book and focus on X'lar. He's bounding, she just smiles a little, tips her head to the side so he can see her better. "And here I am," she says fondly to the bronzerider. "Did Malsaeth miss the cold?" One of her bookmarks slips into the book and she closes it, rests it against her knees and curls up a little more tightly in the chair. She seems rather ... subdued for Millie.
X'lar frowns suddenly. Xie's not one to not notice these things about his friends, especially one as close as Milani. "What's wrong?" X'lar quickly asks, moving to find a foot-rest nearby to sit on across from Hayda's assistant. "No.. well," X'lar offers. "Mal /did/ miss the cold, but we're here because I wanted to see you. Missed you."
"Nothing's ... wrong," Milani says slowly and presses her lips together briefly then musters a smile for X'lar. "Pull up a chair then? And -- missed you too. We should go skating before the ice melts," she says with something more like her customary brightness. There's another little pause while she leans her head back against the chair. "Ays and I are ... cooling it."
"I'd say that's something wrong," Xie offers quietly. "Even if you don't." He gets up from the foot rest and grabs a proper place to sit, a chair, and sits across from the assistant headwoman. "What brought the cooling?" the bronzerider asks her, concern clearly etched on the teen's face. At the concept of skating, Xie grins and offers lightly: "In order for us to skate, I'd have to learn how to first."
There's a little frown on Millie's face and she shakes her head. "No, not -- not wrong," she says quietly and smiles again. "Just changed. And not what I really wanted, or what he really wanted, but it's the way it's going to be as long as I'm here and he's there." Another breath out and she props her chin down atop her knees. "And you can't learn unless you get out there, so. Did you want to learn tonight, even if it's a little dark out there?"
"It's pretty difficult," Xie tells her. "When someone's at one Weyr and the other person is at another Weyr." It seems as though he's speaking from experience in that comment, his eyes watching Millie, studying her. "I'm sorry you can't get what you want, Millie," he finally tells her. "If there is anyone who deserves to be truly happy, it is you, Milani." He smiles warmly at her before moving on toward the other topic of discussion: "It's pretty dark. And I can come by another time when Balinne can manage without me." The Istan teen pauses briefly before explaining further: "I'm helping with the candidates, with a greenrider named Balinne. A friend. It's been pretty fun. Mal's even Searched a few."
"It's ... not even just that, Xie. We were managing fine," Milani says lightly. "It's -- well I guess we're both being stubborn. But Ista just ... it's not where I belong," she says with a quiet sigh then smiles. "Thanks Xie. Who knows it might still work out. Maybe. For now though it's just better to take a little step back for both of us." Oh do we sound mature or what? Of course, she doesn't really look entirely convinced and her chin digs into her knees a little. "Mmhm. I know," the assistant headwoman says to X'lar with a half a grin. "I pay attention. Other than fun, how's it going? Losing your mind yet trying to keep track of them all?"
Giving up on sleeping, Ananta wanders into the room and finds a spot by the fire. She nods at the pair and gives a feeble wave. "Don't mind me."
"Oh, I'm sure you do pay attention," Xie replies, grinning. "I just wanted to tell you because you were part of my inspiration to do it." He nods once in return, responding back to her former comments on the locations in play, "So I take it you and he aren't exclusive any more then? Maybe that means you can find that trader of yours, hm?" He nudges her knee with his own, grinning briefly. Perhaps it's an attempt to add levity to the situation. "It's going well though. I'm having a lot fun, meeting the newly Searched, showing them the Weyr, talking to them about my own experience... It's been pretty rewarding, actually. Sunniva's there, as a Candidate. Mal Searched her, even." He glances to Ananta and nods politely to her, smiling, before returning his attention back to Millie. "It's kind of nice to have Balinne around to do the same thing. When I start going crazy, she can pick up the slack and vice versa."
"Inspiration huh?" That brings an amused smile to Milani's lips that nudge though, fades the smile back out of existence and she shrugs. "We're not together," is all she says and her eyes skip away from the Istan bronzerider though she nods at what he's saying, gaze coming to rest on Ananta as she comes into the room. "Sounds like you're doing a good job as well as having a good time with it," she tells X'lar sincerely.
"I'd like to think so," X'lar replies to Milani's last remark easily. He smiles back at her before going on to say, "I don't want the whole Ista-High Reaches thing to become too big of a deal that you stop coming to Ista altogether, Millie." He grins fiercely at the assistant headwoman, explaining: "After all, you're pretty shardin' important to me, Milani."
"Oh pish tosh," Milani says laughing finally. "My /brother/ lives at Ista, X'lar and it's a big Weyr. I'm not going to avoid Ista because of that. I'll even go visit Ays, it's just been kind of a tough seven." She re-arranges the book on her lap and looks around X'lar again towards where Ananta is and waves a little. "It's just like how you keep coming back here even if things didn't go quite the way you wanted with the clutch." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Everything will work itself out." She clears her throat then, calls out lightly so her voice reaches the scribe. "How's your evening going Ananta?"
"Huh?" Ananta's head flies up to the sound of her voice. "What...my evening? Just doing some reading. Well, trying to." Not wanting to intrude, but also wanting company, she hesitates before asking, "Are you guys warm enough over there. There's room over here if you want to join me." The blanket she drug out with heris no longer nessasary. She leans over to adjust it and drops her book.
X'lar grins at Milani, saying, "Speaking of which! He made the best fish dish the other night. I think I'm going to steal him away from T'mic." He grins wider, his inflection teasing. But at the comments with regard to her analogy of himself and High Reaches, Xie nods, saying, "See, you get me. I get you, too. Most of the time. I can't say I /completely/ understand women." Once again, he grins, even laughing somewhat at his comments. "But you're right," he finally amends, agreeing with Hayda's assistant. "Everything will work itself out." He glances toward Ananta again and smiles once more to her. Introducing himself, Xie lifts a hand to greet Ananta, telling her: "Sorry, guess I've forgotten my manners. I'm X'lar. Ista's duties."
"For your personal chef?" Milani teases X'lar back and reaches over to pat his arm gently. "That's why we're such good friends," she tells him reassuringly and then looks past him towards Ananta again. "It's cozy enough back here," she says laughingly, "unless you're chilly Xie? Though I can't imagine you are with that sweater and jacket. This is Ananta, X'lar, I don't think you met when you were here for the eggs. She's a scribe and we sort of grew up in the same pack of kids here," she completes the introductions and slides her feet out and down to the floor, pushing them into her shoes and rises to walk nearer so they're not calling across the room.
X'lar grins back at Milani, nodding in response to her teasing. "Exactly," Xie replies back in agreement, laughing again. "I'd find a way of chaining him to the kitchen if I could." He shakes his head quickly before saying to Ananta, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty much as warm and toasty as I can get." He grins mischeviously to Milani as he tells Ananta, "Besides, if I get cold, I can always hug Millie for warmth." He nods once as Milani introduces Ananta, telling the other woman, "It's nice to meet you Ananta."
Leaning over for her book, Ananta hears X'lar's introduction. She smiles back and lifts a hand in response. "Don't worry, you don't need to come over here. Just wondered if I was hogging the fire." She turns back to her reading.
There's a titter from one of the aunties knitting near that fire. "Oh dearie, if you want to talk to anyone about hogging the fire, it's us," the old woman notes, gesturing to some of her companions. Milani shoots them a little grin. "You've earned it, aunties," she tells them and shrugs loosely. "It's more about not having to shout all the way over here," she replies and then breaks out laughing at X'lar's quips. "First of all, I don't think you'll ever have a problem getting Paddy to stay in a kitchen, and hugs are always welcome, though not always effective long term."
X'lar grins back easily at the assistant headwoman, nodding back to her before saying, "Well, I suppose not. Besides, the man /likes/ to cook. I can't argue with that. Even more, he's getting full use out of the Sandbar's kitchen, which is awesome, because I want to see it being used as much as possible." He grins once before saying, "Maybe not long-term, but certainly good for a night." Teasing or flirting, it's unsure what his motives are there. Maybe it's a combination of both. He glances back to Ananta and tells her: "That's one of things I loved about living here when I did, actually, was coming to the weyr they had set aside for me and sit by the hearth in it. Always nice to warm yourself by the fire in this kind of weather."
Ananta feels a little embarassed from hearing their conversation. Especially the inuendo. These aunties aren't stupid. "Mmmhm, fires are something to look forward to. Especially when you're cold to the bone, so cold you can't feel your nose. Oh, also a dip in the hot bathing pool. You know when it's so hot that you get out and can't breathe very well. But, you fall straight asleep. Cold weathers not so bad when you have those things."
There's a little lift of Milani's brows at some of what X'lar is saying, she sticks to the cooking part when she answers. "Oh yeah, he told me about that. That must be fun, to be able to eat a full meal down there right over the ocean." Her hands clasp loosely behind her back, book in between. "We do have very nice baths," she agrees, "but the cold doesn't bother me much."
"It don't bother Mal either," Xie very nearly grunts out. "The stupid beast can't stop talking about how great it is right now." He rolls his eyes before going on to say, "That's what I had hoped when I gave my marks to the leadership. I just want Ista to be as great as it can be. Having dinner with the sunset right there is pretty nifty. I mean, who wouldn't like that?" He pauses, catching himself as he begins to talk more. "But yeah," he tells Ananta and Millie. "The baths are nice too, I agree."
Feeling confused by their conversation, Ananta parses through their back and forth. Understanding it has something to do with /cooking/. She's not sure if this is the kind she can stomach. "I suppose if he make a good meatroll, he'd be worth having around."
"I'll bet he's happy as a clam," Milani says, grinning about X'lar's bronze. "And Paddy sounds pretty happy about being able to cook a lot somewhere he doesn't have to convince the cooks all the time, like he does in the main kitchen. And the Sandbar really is a great place," she agrees. Her expression shades thoughtful for a moment then slides a look over at Ananta. "P'draig makes all sorts of things, I'll bet he could make a good meatroll. You should ask him, Xie. X'lar here is a big meatroll fan."
X'lar grins wide at Ananta, telling her: "Oh, I couldn't agree with you more, Ananta! I /love/ meatrolls." He nods once to Milani, saying, "He is. He and my grandfather's blue are having a blast." He nods once and then a second time, then finally his eyes open wider. "Oh. /SHELLS/. I can't believe I hadn't even thought of asking him to make a meatroll!" He grins wickedly before telling Milani, "Thank you, Millie. I'll have to ask him the next time I see him."
After rereading the same sentence 3 times, Ananta sets her book in her lap. "Maybe you should see if he can make you a seafood meatroll?" A little grin lighting up her mouth. "Well, I'll let you two be. My cot is calling for me." Picking upher things, Anata rises. She gives a nod "Evening." And she's slides past the couple.
"With all the fish down there, probably not a bad idea," Milani says laughingly and nods as Ananta excuses herself. "Have a good night Ananta, good luck with with inks and so on tomorrow."
"Seafood meatrolls are good too," Xie tells Ananta agreeably. "But I'm more of a traditional man when it comes to meatrolls." The rider pauses before nodding to the departing resident. "Of course, do have a good night. And it was nice to have met you, Ananta."
"A traditional man, huh?" Milani teases X'lar a little bit as Ananta steps away into the resident dorms. "Words I never thought I'd hear coming from your mouth X'lar," she continues then steps over by the fire a little. "I should turn in myself in a little bit. Morning comes all too soon. It's been good to see you though."
X'lar laughs again as he hears Milani's teasing, protesting back to her: "Oh come on! You know what I mean. About food. Traditional about food!" He nods once to Milani, smiling as he replies: "Glad we got to talk a bit then, Millie."
"Mmmmmhmmm," Milani says skeptically and winks X'lar's way, then she leans over to drop a light kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for coming by to catch up with me. I'll see you soon, okay? Back safe to Ista." She gives his arm a little pat and slips away down the corridor to her room.
X'lar grins back at the assistant headwoman, replying back, "Have a good night, Millie." After a moment of thought, and after that kiss to his cheek, he adds, more quietly, "Don't let the whole business with A'son get you down, you hear?" He gets up from his chair and begins heading out as well.