Log: Why We Need A Mindhealer
Who: A'son, Carobet, K'del, Milani, P'ax
When: Evening, day 3, month 5, turn 19 of the 10th Interval
Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr
What: Tension in the living cavern
Please note, anyone who copied off me, I've made a couple of edits to correct some typoes and fatigue-induced swapping of duo and trio and trio and quartet.
"Bet, then," says K'del, with a grin. He and the mindhealer are sitting at a table off to one side; she's finished eating, for the most part, and he's getting there, but their conversation seems to have distracted them. It's still early for dinner, and the caverns aren't too crowded, yet. "Flirting and dancing! Well. Can you blame us? Both are an awful lot of fun."
From the kitchens, Milani comes backing out, door held open. "...right, so keep that on hand for the next seven," she's telling someone within. The headwoman appears in full, door swinging shut behind her as she turns about to face the cavern and takes a deep breath, gives her shoulders a roll and reaches up to pull the long pin from her hair, shaking it all down around her shoulders and tucks the hair-accoutrement into her pocket. No clipboard under her arm, but still in uniform, so she's either freshly off-duty, or just taking a break. Either way, it's the klah pot that draws her first and the sideboard, though her gaze roams the room and settles on K'del and his companion a little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Carobet gives a toss of her hair. She's not showing off, it's just more convenient to have it on this side of her shoulder. Really. "Now, that's true. Who doesn't like flirting and dancing? They're nearly the official activities of the Weyr." There's really no food on her plate, so that jig is up. She pushes it off to one side, then props her elbows on the table. Manners are silly. Milani's entrance isn't noticed for the moment-- the cavern's busy enough. And she's in the middle of a conversation.
A'son slips in quietly from the inner caverns, keeping a low profile as usually while he moves through. He passes by the drinks, hands lingering briefly over some more tempting choices before he decides on tea. This leaves him with an open view of Milani who's watching other people and not him. He looks past her to Carobet and K'del, an arching of his eyebrows as he takes the two teenagers in. Then he's pouring his tea quickly, nearly spilling the hot contents onto his handsd and sidling up next to her. "So, just getting off work?" He asks, passing by the hello part of the conversation.
K'del is so intent upon Carobet - and the remains of his dinner - that he, too, misses Milani's arrival, and, indeed, A'son's. Good thing, too. "Strange people, that's who," he declares, with a firm nod. "People who don't know how to have fun. Probably a whole study on that, in your area. The psychology of people unable to enjoy life, or something like that, right? Couldn't imagine it. Me, I'm /definitely/ looking forward to gather season." The light flutter of his eyebrows there? Yeah, that's probably to imply something along the lines of '/especially/ now'.
Milani's attention breaks from that momentary observation of the conversation over there, klah mug held in one hand, the pot in the other as she pours. There's a brief startle and her hand jiggles the pot a little, but she smiles at A'son, nods. "Mmm, done for the day today, so long as nothing breaks, nothing goes missing and the Weyr doesn't fall down around our ears," she musters a bright quip. "Just about to have some dinner ..." she hesitates fractionally before inviting: "join me?" Her head tilts vaguely towards the tables, not a particular one. She and A'son are standing near where the hot drinks are usually kept and Carobet and K'del are sitting out in the room at a table.
P'ax is apparently in to catch a late dinner, rubbing his hands on his fresh trous. He's had a bath in the very recent past, his hair still damp and showing the signs of rough toweling. Late sweeps, then. His eyes scan for a moment, but only so that he can gauge the best route between him and any food left over - not promising, mind you, after the early birds have picked through it. But he's young and food is food. With this spirit, he gets a plate and starts delving through the left overs, taking the best parts of what's left over like any youth worth his salt is wont to do. Company can come once his stomach is pleased.
It's close enough to dinner now that people begin arriving, and if the noise level rises at all-- due to P'ax? A'son?-- Carobet doesn't notice. "Now there's an interesting idea," she says. "I'm not aware of any such study. But maybe that'd be a good way to get my journeyman's knot. People who don't dance at gathers. Might get in the way of us dancing, however." She seems thoroughly amused by K'del's obvious enjoyment of her company. But that smile on her face? It's warmed quite a bit.
A'son reaches his hand out quickly to steady the pot, looking alarmed that he startled her. He smiles warmly at her and looks sheepish, "Sorry about that." There's a small laugh, "I'm sure that the weyr can carry on without you if something breaks or goes missing. At least for a few hours. But if it falls down, well..." There seems to be another bad joke he's going to make but he stops when he catches the slight pause. "Did you have dinner plans already? I mean, I ate. I was just getting a drink." He sips his tea and then rubs the back of his head uncomfortably. His eyes quickly flash over to Carobet and K'del before he coughs and drops his hand again.
N'thei pages: ...
"I'm /quite/ sure you could still fit a few dances in, even with that to worry about," insists K'del. If he's aware of her amusement with him, it doesn't show in his expression, which remains, ultimately, very genuine. Picking through the remains of his food, he adds, tone edging towards curious, "You're getting close to Journeyman, then? Something in your near future?" He continues to be unaware of any and all observation; well, really: this is serious business!
"Oh, it's okay," Milani says about the klah pot and her smile widens, answers the warmth in his with her own. "Well then we'll all be in a fix, won't we?" she finishes off that thought with a laugh that fades off as she shakes her head. "No, I don't, just came out to grab a bite after dealing with a mountain of hides and papers," she tells the bronzerider, absent-mindedly still pouring into her mug though it's nearing full. Her gaze flickers over to the pair and back to A'son. "Have you met Carobet? She's one of our healers, mindhealer. And -- that's K'del," she says of Cadejoth's rider, eyes right on A'son's face as she explains identities. P'ax isn't noticed just yet.
P'ax finishes finding dinner and turns the glance around finally, thin lips set in a weighty frown. Now he's got time to notice everyone, picking through faces. There's his friend with that dreadful healer. And Milani with someone. He looks between his options. Good looking bronzerider A. Good looking bronzerider B. Oooh, choices.
Maybe it's the feel of eyes on her, but Carobet twists her head, looking around the cavern for a moment. And then it's back to K'del, and his question. "Close enough to be thinking about it," she says. "But I'm not sure if I'm interested enough in people who /don't/ dance to write enough about them!" A straight answer, for once. "Looking forward to it, though. There are... disadvantages to being an apprentice."
His catastrophe staying hand shoots out again to do a warning touch: the mug is full, ahhh! "Watch out." A'son adds on in a quiet, non-panic inducing voice. He doesn't look over at the group this time, instead keeping his attention onto Milani. "Ah, no. I don't often visit the office of the mindhealer. Or the healers in general, I guess. I don't know a lot of them." Mention of K'del's name brings a small frown but he doesn't comment except for, "Oh." He feels the feel of eyes on him and glances towards P'ax, arching an eyebrow questioningly.
And so, as Carobet turns to glance around, K'del does likewise, and the smile on his face shifts slightly. "Who is that," he asks the Mindhealer, "standing with Milani? Do you know?" His gaze hesitates briefly, considering the pair, and then noting P'ax, but it returns to the Mindhealer. Though he looks less pleased, it doesn't stop him from continuing the conversation, adding in, "Suppose not. Might be kind of... dull. They must be dull people. Have you ideas of your own, something more interesting? Can't blame you for not wanting to be an apprentice. Bit like being a weyrling, I suspect: so many restrictions. And getting a weyr of my own? Great day, truly great."
"Oh!" Milani blinks, looks down and flushes pinkly, sets the pot down at that warning touch and looks sheepish. "I guess I'm a little distracted tonight," she admits with a laugh and hastily reaches for a couple of rolls out of the basket. "Carobet's very kind, very understanding. She's been helping out enormously since --" she breaks off, it's probably an unneeded explanation. Since Satiet died. "And Kas you know about," a little forced the cheer there. His headtilt towards P'ax earns a little grin. "P'ax. Green Yyth's. He's ... a little complicated. He's clutchmates with Kas ..." and she leans in a little closer, adding sotto voce for A'son's ears only: "He has a crush on K'del." She draws back then reaches for both food and drink, smiles again, this time, just for him. "So -- want introductions, or should we um -- find a table for ourselves?"
K'del's flirting with girls. Which means P'ax is bound to get the stink eye if he gets anywhere near his clutchmate. Besides, Milani's cute. That's double win for him. The greenrider plasters a grin all over his face - he's getting better at them, this one doesn't look nearly as pinched as some he's worn in the past - and strolls to intercept the Headwoman and her friend. Watch this: see foot, see mouth. "Who's your handsome friend, Millie?" A'son gets a cheerful leer. "And can I borrow him some time?"
Carobet glances over to Millie and A'son, and shakes her head 'no'. "Not sure," she says, although a lack of believability in her voice reveals she has her hunches. Anyways, "I'd thought about writing about dragonless men. That's what got me into this mess. But... that's depressing. We can talk about it some other time," she says. "I think being an apprentice is a bit like being a Weyrling. You're not supposed to drink. You can date, but you're not supposed to..." She raises her eyebrows. "You know."
"It's alright, happens to all of us. Right?" A'son grins and looks to the pair as they talk about them. "She looks nice?" Then Carobet is glancing over at them. So he waves. Her unneeded explanation that isn't said brings a sombering expression to his face. "He's fine, just so you know." Perhaps a sentence that means little to anyone else. Then the leering younger greenrider appears by them, he frowns. "No, you can't. But thanks for asking /me/." So the bristling begins and he sidles closer to Milani. Hiding by her, insinuating he's not gay, who knows!
K'del seems to have his own, too, given the way his expression is sitting, slightly unhappy despite his obvious enjoyment of the conversation. "Into this mess?" he asks, despite her words. "No, you're right. Let's avoid the depressing." His nods tally up the apprentice and weyrling conclusions, and he makes a face; he knows. "Lame," is his conclusion. "And do people - get around those rules?" He says it lightly, curious but not pushing for an answer. Not implying... well, maybe implying. But not hard. If he risks another quick glance back, at the others, it's definitely only /quick/. Purposefully so. Like he's become doubly intent.
The headwoman catches that wave, adds her own. Everything's fine here, situation normal. (Yeah right). But she's nodding a few times about Carobet. "Oh, very nice. Good to talk to." That 'meaningless' reference though brings Milani's eyes up to A'son's again briefly and she nods once. "Good, good. /Thank you/," she emphasizes, "for letting me know." P'ax leer and the overly exuberant question earn a momentary closure of Milani's eyes and when she opens them again she makes big eyes at the greenrider. "Hi P'ax. This is A'son, bronze Nikoth's, A'son, meet P'ax, green Yyth's." She tries to smooth things out a little by being pleasant, but picks up her mug hastily and has a heavy swig of the klah within.
If bronzeriders were gay, there'd be no challenge. Or angst and misery, and P'ax is all about that. "It's always polite to ask a lady's permission before you try to sweep her companion away. And I can see you are not sweepable." But he'll come around, of course. They always do. A look is given K'del as if to confirm his own unspoken words. And then Milani's introduction. You can just see the dots connecting as the smile slides off his face. "Oh." Flat, unfriendly. /Oh./ "You know, if he's bothering you, Milani, Yyth's offer is still good."
A'son waves just a second after Carobet had turned back to K'del, but she catches his wave-- and Milani's-- out of the corner of her eye, so she turns back and returns the gesture, adding a smile. Any looks between P'ax and K'del go right over her head. And, back to K'del: "Mess. Mindhealing." On a more interesting note, she says wryly, "Well, it sure doesn't keep me from drinking." She'll let him read into /that/ what he will.
"Yyth's offer? What is that supposed to mean?" A'son stares hard at the younger rider, lifting his eyebrows and then looking at Milani. Smoothing out does not seem like it's becoming readily possible the more P'ax talks to him, or about him in front of him. He takes a gulp of his tea and glances in the direction of more interesting drink options. Then he sighs. "Wagons. Damn wagons." He mutters under his breath.
"You think Mindhealing is a mess? Not what you intended to get into?" K'del can't seem to help himself: all flirting aside, he's genuinely interesting in her answers, curiosity winning out over other concerns. And probably distracting him from other, potentially unhappy-making, considerations. Like A'son. Her answer on drinking draws a genuine quirk of amusement, and is that a gleam? Might well be. "Can't see the reason to stop you, anyway - especially not as a /senior/ apprentice. Only reason they stop weyrlings is for the dragons, and you don't have that control. Rules - " he grins. "Made to be bent, right?"
That remark from P'ax actually tightens Milani's jaw and her nostrils pinch faintly. "/P'ax/," she says with a little shake of her head and shoots A'son a mortified and apologetic look. "We're about to sit down to have dinner," she tells the greenrider. "He ah -- well let's just say that Yyth is a very um --" she blanks and closes her eyes again. "Let's go sit, why don't we?"
P'ax gives A'son another flat look. "My dragon offered to eat anyone who bothers Milani. And I'd bet she'd love to eat you if you break Milani's heart again." Is he joking? The pinching at the corners of his mouth says no. "Sorry, Millie," he adds, for embarrassing her, and then stuffs his free hand in his pocket. "Enjoy your dinner, sure." Well. At least he didn't punch A'son. Small victories. So very small. Turning away, he wanders in the opposite direction towards K'del and Carobet. Even bandage witch is an improvement on the bronzerider, yep.
"And my dragon, who's roughly a gazillion times bigger than yours? Says otherwise on the matter. So keep that in mind if you decide to send her after someone for a midnight revenge snack, hmm?" A'son remarks, far too casually. He doesn't seem all that intimidated by a sixteen year old. Go figure. He looks down into his mug and then up at Milani again. "I don't know, I think maybe I'll just head on home. Seems I'm making things a little tense for you, and you just got off work. You deserve to relax, with your friends." He tilts his head in the direction of the other young people. "I'll see you around though?"
Carobet laughs. "Of course! Meant to be broken. Only reason I bother to know what they are." As fun as flirting is, she doesn't mind a little serious chatting, either. "I call it a mess affectionately. It sure isn't the most usual choice of career, though. Or subcraft. But it's certainly what I feel called to," she explains to K'del. And then P'ax approaches. And she glares. "Oh. /You/. Please, I was enjoying my dinner until just a moment ago."
K'del might be nicer to P'ax, right now, if he'd been listening in one what the greenrider just said to A'son. But he wasn't, and so, just after Carobet speaks, he adds in his own, "What do you want, P'ax?" Glower. To the Mindhealer, as if nothing else had interrupted, he merely grins for the rule breaking, his nod approving, then considers her answer. "Makes some sense. /Unusual/, definitely. But interesting, I bet. People. We're interesting."
Milani fishmouths at P'ax next, eyes sparking with sudden and unusual anger. "She'll do nothing of the kind," the headwoman says angrily, cheeks flushed as she turns away from the duo-soon-to-be-trio and back to the bronzerider at her side. "No, please, stay? Or, we could step out to the nighthearth?" Milani suggests to A'son, though her knuckles are a little white around the handle of her mug.
P'ax doesn't care about Carobet, her rejection is like little gnats niggling at the edges of his confidence. K'del. K'del's a different story. His eyebrows furrow for a moment. "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm only friend material when nobody can see you talking to me. My mistake." Such a misunderstood knight! Angering the damnsel in distress, spurned by his only friend! Woe! Sadness and woe! "Yeah..." he trails off and sighs, turning to take his plate outside.
Carobet shrugs at the disappearance of the greenrider, never having considered that her disapproval of his presence would have any affect other than him leaving. A grin back to K'del. "Oh yes. Some more than others. There's never an unexciting day as a Mindhealer, I can say that much."
"He's an unpleasent person." A'son says, sounding completely certain of that. It's fact. He leans over to kiss Milani on the cheek, a hand lingering by her own. "No, I'll go. It'll be an easier night off for you that way." He watches as the greenrider from earlier departs and he rolls his eyes, pulling away from her. "I'll come visit you tomorrow. Try to break up your day." Jokingly, "I'll make some messes for you."
K'del briefly fish-faces after P'ax's departure, and grimaces, but doesn't dwell, turning his attention directly back to the healer. She's prettier, after all. "Not like being a rider." Pause. "Well, sometimes. Sweeps can be endlessly dull, though, and even messages. Not that I'd give it up, it's just - monotonous, I suppose, sometimes. And not that I'd've become a healer, anyway. Definitely not my thing."
There's a look on Milani's face that would definitely dispute the idea that he's making her night more difficult, but she musters a nod and leans into that kiss a little. "You know where to find me," she tries to add jauntily and touches that hand briefly, just a brush of fingertips. "For clean up," she adds, trying out the joke with a quirkier expression. "Good night then, Ays." she adds softly and picks up her mug and her rolls to go find a seat.
With a final look towards where she'll finally go, he sighs a little. There's a sip from the mug and he brushes her hand in return. "Good night, Millie." Then he's disappearing out to the bowl.
Carobet, oblivious to that exchange in the other part of the room. "Oh, but- having experienced Impression! That's got to be worth the monotony." There's a wistfulness in her voice that seems more genuine than anything else she's said this evening. "I know I'll never be a rider. But hearing some people describe their relationship with their dragon makes me wish, sometimes, I'd experienced it." There, a little glimpse into Carobet's soul.
K'del, sadly, has failed to notice A'son's departure, and Milani's resultant loose end; even if he might have, Carobet's admission has drawn most of his attention, and resulted in silence for some moments. "It's-- yeah." A lame response. He tries again, a moment later, his smile entirely gone. "Wasn't at the weyr long enough, before I got searched, to really ever think of it in that way, you know? Never dreamed of it, as a kid. But... Yeah. Can get feeling that way. It's worth /anything/." He reaches out, as if intending to take her hand, squeeze it, though he doesn't (yet) get that far.
It's a bad night all around by now and Milani, catching that movement of K'del's hand does a u-turn, taking mug and rolls along with her. Quiet supper at home, seems to be the new plan. Out through the kitchens she goes, door swinging open to let in some of the busy cleaning up sounds within and then it shuts again muffling those sounds and leaving normal caverny ones behind.
When: Evening, day 3, month 5, turn 19 of the 10th Interval
Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr
What: Tension in the living cavern
Please note, anyone who copied off me, I've made a couple of edits to correct some typoes and fatigue-induced swapping of duo and trio and trio and quartet.
"Bet, then," says K'del, with a grin. He and the mindhealer are sitting at a table off to one side; she's finished eating, for the most part, and he's getting there, but their conversation seems to have distracted them. It's still early for dinner, and the caverns aren't too crowded, yet. "Flirting and dancing! Well. Can you blame us? Both are an awful lot of fun."
From the kitchens, Milani comes backing out, door held open. "...right, so keep that on hand for the next seven," she's telling someone within. The headwoman appears in full, door swinging shut behind her as she turns about to face the cavern and takes a deep breath, gives her shoulders a roll and reaches up to pull the long pin from her hair, shaking it all down around her shoulders and tucks the hair-accoutrement into her pocket. No clipboard under her arm, but still in uniform, so she's either freshly off-duty, or just taking a break. Either way, it's the klah pot that draws her first and the sideboard, though her gaze roams the room and settles on K'del and his companion a little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Carobet gives a toss of her hair. She's not showing off, it's just more convenient to have it on this side of her shoulder. Really. "Now, that's true. Who doesn't like flirting and dancing? They're nearly the official activities of the Weyr." There's really no food on her plate, so that jig is up. She pushes it off to one side, then props her elbows on the table. Manners are silly. Milani's entrance isn't noticed for the moment-- the cavern's busy enough. And she's in the middle of a conversation.
A'son slips in quietly from the inner caverns, keeping a low profile as usually while he moves through. He passes by the drinks, hands lingering briefly over some more tempting choices before he decides on tea. This leaves him with an open view of Milani who's watching other people and not him. He looks past her to Carobet and K'del, an arching of his eyebrows as he takes the two teenagers in. Then he's pouring his tea quickly, nearly spilling the hot contents onto his handsd and sidling up next to her. "So, just getting off work?" He asks, passing by the hello part of the conversation.
K'del is so intent upon Carobet - and the remains of his dinner - that he, too, misses Milani's arrival, and, indeed, A'son's. Good thing, too. "Strange people, that's who," he declares, with a firm nod. "People who don't know how to have fun. Probably a whole study on that, in your area. The psychology of people unable to enjoy life, or something like that, right? Couldn't imagine it. Me, I'm /definitely/ looking forward to gather season." The light flutter of his eyebrows there? Yeah, that's probably to imply something along the lines of '/especially/ now'.
Milani's attention breaks from that momentary observation of the conversation over there, klah mug held in one hand, the pot in the other as she pours. There's a brief startle and her hand jiggles the pot a little, but she smiles at A'son, nods. "Mmm, done for the day today, so long as nothing breaks, nothing goes missing and the Weyr doesn't fall down around our ears," she musters a bright quip. "Just about to have some dinner ..." she hesitates fractionally before inviting: "join me?" Her head tilts vaguely towards the tables, not a particular one. She and A'son are standing near where the hot drinks are usually kept and Carobet and K'del are sitting out in the room at a table.
P'ax is apparently in to catch a late dinner, rubbing his hands on his fresh trous. He's had a bath in the very recent past, his hair still damp and showing the signs of rough toweling. Late sweeps, then. His eyes scan for a moment, but only so that he can gauge the best route between him and any food left over - not promising, mind you, after the early birds have picked through it. But he's young and food is food. With this spirit, he gets a plate and starts delving through the left overs, taking the best parts of what's left over like any youth worth his salt is wont to do. Company can come once his stomach is pleased.
It's close enough to dinner now that people begin arriving, and if the noise level rises at all-- due to P'ax? A'son?-- Carobet doesn't notice. "Now there's an interesting idea," she says. "I'm not aware of any such study. But maybe that'd be a good way to get my journeyman's knot. People who don't dance at gathers. Might get in the way of us dancing, however." She seems thoroughly amused by K'del's obvious enjoyment of her company. But that smile on her face? It's warmed quite a bit.
A'son reaches his hand out quickly to steady the pot, looking alarmed that he startled her. He smiles warmly at her and looks sheepish, "Sorry about that." There's a small laugh, "I'm sure that the weyr can carry on without you if something breaks or goes missing. At least for a few hours. But if it falls down, well..." There seems to be another bad joke he's going to make but he stops when he catches the slight pause. "Did you have dinner plans already? I mean, I ate. I was just getting a drink." He sips his tea and then rubs the back of his head uncomfortably. His eyes quickly flash over to Carobet and K'del before he coughs and drops his hand again.
N'thei pages: ...
"I'm /quite/ sure you could still fit a few dances in, even with that to worry about," insists K'del. If he's aware of her amusement with him, it doesn't show in his expression, which remains, ultimately, very genuine. Picking through the remains of his food, he adds, tone edging towards curious, "You're getting close to Journeyman, then? Something in your near future?" He continues to be unaware of any and all observation; well, really: this is serious business!
"Oh, it's okay," Milani says about the klah pot and her smile widens, answers the warmth in his with her own. "Well then we'll all be in a fix, won't we?" she finishes off that thought with a laugh that fades off as she shakes her head. "No, I don't, just came out to grab a bite after dealing with a mountain of hides and papers," she tells the bronzerider, absent-mindedly still pouring into her mug though it's nearing full. Her gaze flickers over to the pair and back to A'son. "Have you met Carobet? She's one of our healers, mindhealer. And -- that's K'del," she says of Cadejoth's rider, eyes right on A'son's face as she explains identities. P'ax isn't noticed just yet.
P'ax finishes finding dinner and turns the glance around finally, thin lips set in a weighty frown. Now he's got time to notice everyone, picking through faces. There's his friend with that dreadful healer. And Milani with someone. He looks between his options. Good looking bronzerider A. Good looking bronzerider B. Oooh, choices.
Maybe it's the feel of eyes on her, but Carobet twists her head, looking around the cavern for a moment. And then it's back to K'del, and his question. "Close enough to be thinking about it," she says. "But I'm not sure if I'm interested enough in people who /don't/ dance to write enough about them!" A straight answer, for once. "Looking forward to it, though. There are... disadvantages to being an apprentice."
His catastrophe staying hand shoots out again to do a warning touch: the mug is full, ahhh! "Watch out." A'son adds on in a quiet, non-panic inducing voice. He doesn't look over at the group this time, instead keeping his attention onto Milani. "Ah, no. I don't often visit the office of the mindhealer. Or the healers in general, I guess. I don't know a lot of them." Mention of K'del's name brings a small frown but he doesn't comment except for, "Oh." He feels the feel of eyes on him and glances towards P'ax, arching an eyebrow questioningly.
And so, as Carobet turns to glance around, K'del does likewise, and the smile on his face shifts slightly. "Who is that," he asks the Mindhealer, "standing with Milani? Do you know?" His gaze hesitates briefly, considering the pair, and then noting P'ax, but it returns to the Mindhealer. Though he looks less pleased, it doesn't stop him from continuing the conversation, adding in, "Suppose not. Might be kind of... dull. They must be dull people. Have you ideas of your own, something more interesting? Can't blame you for not wanting to be an apprentice. Bit like being a weyrling, I suspect: so many restrictions. And getting a weyr of my own? Great day, truly great."
"Oh!" Milani blinks, looks down and flushes pinkly, sets the pot down at that warning touch and looks sheepish. "I guess I'm a little distracted tonight," she admits with a laugh and hastily reaches for a couple of rolls out of the basket. "Carobet's very kind, very understanding. She's been helping out enormously since --" she breaks off, it's probably an unneeded explanation. Since Satiet died. "And Kas you know about," a little forced the cheer there. His headtilt towards P'ax earns a little grin. "P'ax. Green Yyth's. He's ... a little complicated. He's clutchmates with Kas ..." and she leans in a little closer, adding sotto voce for A'son's ears only: "He has a crush on K'del." She draws back then reaches for both food and drink, smiles again, this time, just for him. "So -- want introductions, or should we um -- find a table for ourselves?"
K'del's flirting with girls. Which means P'ax is bound to get the stink eye if he gets anywhere near his clutchmate. Besides, Milani's cute. That's double win for him. The greenrider plasters a grin all over his face - he's getting better at them, this one doesn't look nearly as pinched as some he's worn in the past - and strolls to intercept the Headwoman and her friend. Watch this: see foot, see mouth. "Who's your handsome friend, Millie?" A'son gets a cheerful leer. "And can I borrow him some time?"
Carobet glances over to Millie and A'son, and shakes her head 'no'. "Not sure," she says, although a lack of believability in her voice reveals she has her hunches. Anyways, "I'd thought about writing about dragonless men. That's what got me into this mess. But... that's depressing. We can talk about it some other time," she says. "I think being an apprentice is a bit like being a Weyrling. You're not supposed to drink. You can date, but you're not supposed to..." She raises her eyebrows. "You know."
"It's alright, happens to all of us. Right?" A'son grins and looks to the pair as they talk about them. "She looks nice?" Then Carobet is glancing over at them. So he waves. Her unneeded explanation that isn't said brings a sombering expression to his face. "He's fine, just so you know." Perhaps a sentence that means little to anyone else. Then the leering younger greenrider appears by them, he frowns. "No, you can't. But thanks for asking /me/." So the bristling begins and he sidles closer to Milani. Hiding by her, insinuating he's not gay, who knows!
K'del seems to have his own, too, given the way his expression is sitting, slightly unhappy despite his obvious enjoyment of the conversation. "Into this mess?" he asks, despite her words. "No, you're right. Let's avoid the depressing." His nods tally up the apprentice and weyrling conclusions, and he makes a face; he knows. "Lame," is his conclusion. "And do people - get around those rules?" He says it lightly, curious but not pushing for an answer. Not implying... well, maybe implying. But not hard. If he risks another quick glance back, at the others, it's definitely only /quick/. Purposefully so. Like he's become doubly intent.
The headwoman catches that wave, adds her own. Everything's fine here, situation normal. (Yeah right). But she's nodding a few times about Carobet. "Oh, very nice. Good to talk to." That 'meaningless' reference though brings Milani's eyes up to A'son's again briefly and she nods once. "Good, good. /Thank you/," she emphasizes, "for letting me know." P'ax leer and the overly exuberant question earn a momentary closure of Milani's eyes and when she opens them again she makes big eyes at the greenrider. "Hi P'ax. This is A'son, bronze Nikoth's, A'son, meet P'ax, green Yyth's." She tries to smooth things out a little by being pleasant, but picks up her mug hastily and has a heavy swig of the klah within.
If bronzeriders were gay, there'd be no challenge. Or angst and misery, and P'ax is all about that. "It's always polite to ask a lady's permission before you try to sweep her companion away. And I can see you are not sweepable." But he'll come around, of course. They always do. A look is given K'del as if to confirm his own unspoken words. And then Milani's introduction. You can just see the dots connecting as the smile slides off his face. "Oh." Flat, unfriendly. /Oh./ "You know, if he's bothering you, Milani, Yyth's offer is still good."
A'son waves just a second after Carobet had turned back to K'del, but she catches his wave-- and Milani's-- out of the corner of her eye, so she turns back and returns the gesture, adding a smile. Any looks between P'ax and K'del go right over her head. And, back to K'del: "Mess. Mindhealing." On a more interesting note, she says wryly, "Well, it sure doesn't keep me from drinking." She'll let him read into /that/ what he will.
"Yyth's offer? What is that supposed to mean?" A'son stares hard at the younger rider, lifting his eyebrows and then looking at Milani. Smoothing out does not seem like it's becoming readily possible the more P'ax talks to him, or about him in front of him. He takes a gulp of his tea and glances in the direction of more interesting drink options. Then he sighs. "Wagons. Damn wagons." He mutters under his breath.
"You think Mindhealing is a mess? Not what you intended to get into?" K'del can't seem to help himself: all flirting aside, he's genuinely interesting in her answers, curiosity winning out over other concerns. And probably distracting him from other, potentially unhappy-making, considerations. Like A'son. Her answer on drinking draws a genuine quirk of amusement, and is that a gleam? Might well be. "Can't see the reason to stop you, anyway - especially not as a /senior/ apprentice. Only reason they stop weyrlings is for the dragons, and you don't have that control. Rules - " he grins. "Made to be bent, right?"
That remark from P'ax actually tightens Milani's jaw and her nostrils pinch faintly. "/P'ax/," she says with a little shake of her head and shoots A'son a mortified and apologetic look. "We're about to sit down to have dinner," she tells the greenrider. "He ah -- well let's just say that Yyth is a very um --" she blanks and closes her eyes again. "Let's go sit, why don't we?"
P'ax gives A'son another flat look. "My dragon offered to eat anyone who bothers Milani. And I'd bet she'd love to eat you if you break Milani's heart again." Is he joking? The pinching at the corners of his mouth says no. "Sorry, Millie," he adds, for embarrassing her, and then stuffs his free hand in his pocket. "Enjoy your dinner, sure." Well. At least he didn't punch A'son. Small victories. So very small. Turning away, he wanders in the opposite direction towards K'del and Carobet. Even bandage witch is an improvement on the bronzerider, yep.
"And my dragon, who's roughly a gazillion times bigger than yours? Says otherwise on the matter. So keep that in mind if you decide to send her after someone for a midnight revenge snack, hmm?" A'son remarks, far too casually. He doesn't seem all that intimidated by a sixteen year old. Go figure. He looks down into his mug and then up at Milani again. "I don't know, I think maybe I'll just head on home. Seems I'm making things a little tense for you, and you just got off work. You deserve to relax, with your friends." He tilts his head in the direction of the other young people. "I'll see you around though?"
Carobet laughs. "Of course! Meant to be broken. Only reason I bother to know what they are." As fun as flirting is, she doesn't mind a little serious chatting, either. "I call it a mess affectionately. It sure isn't the most usual choice of career, though. Or subcraft. But it's certainly what I feel called to," she explains to K'del. And then P'ax approaches. And she glares. "Oh. /You/. Please, I was enjoying my dinner until just a moment ago."
K'del might be nicer to P'ax, right now, if he'd been listening in one what the greenrider just said to A'son. But he wasn't, and so, just after Carobet speaks, he adds in his own, "What do you want, P'ax?" Glower. To the Mindhealer, as if nothing else had interrupted, he merely grins for the rule breaking, his nod approving, then considers her answer. "Makes some sense. /Unusual/, definitely. But interesting, I bet. People. We're interesting."
Milani fishmouths at P'ax next, eyes sparking with sudden and unusual anger. "She'll do nothing of the kind," the headwoman says angrily, cheeks flushed as she turns away from the duo-soon-to-be-trio and back to the bronzerider at her side. "No, please, stay? Or, we could step out to the nighthearth?" Milani suggests to A'son, though her knuckles are a little white around the handle of her mug.
P'ax doesn't care about Carobet, her rejection is like little gnats niggling at the edges of his confidence. K'del. K'del's a different story. His eyebrows furrow for a moment. "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm only friend material when nobody can see you talking to me. My mistake." Such a misunderstood knight! Angering the damnsel in distress, spurned by his only friend! Woe! Sadness and woe! "Yeah..." he trails off and sighs, turning to take his plate outside.
Carobet shrugs at the disappearance of the greenrider, never having considered that her disapproval of his presence would have any affect other than him leaving. A grin back to K'del. "Oh yes. Some more than others. There's never an unexciting day as a Mindhealer, I can say that much."
"He's an unpleasent person." A'son says, sounding completely certain of that. It's fact. He leans over to kiss Milani on the cheek, a hand lingering by her own. "No, I'll go. It'll be an easier night off for you that way." He watches as the greenrider from earlier departs and he rolls his eyes, pulling away from her. "I'll come visit you tomorrow. Try to break up your day." Jokingly, "I'll make some messes for you."
K'del briefly fish-faces after P'ax's departure, and grimaces, but doesn't dwell, turning his attention directly back to the healer. She's prettier, after all. "Not like being a rider." Pause. "Well, sometimes. Sweeps can be endlessly dull, though, and even messages. Not that I'd give it up, it's just - monotonous, I suppose, sometimes. And not that I'd've become a healer, anyway. Definitely not my thing."
There's a look on Milani's face that would definitely dispute the idea that he's making her night more difficult, but she musters a nod and leans into that kiss a little. "You know where to find me," she tries to add jauntily and touches that hand briefly, just a brush of fingertips. "For clean up," she adds, trying out the joke with a quirkier expression. "Good night then, Ays." she adds softly and picks up her mug and her rolls to go find a seat.
With a final look towards where she'll finally go, he sighs a little. There's a sip from the mug and he brushes her hand in return. "Good night, Millie." Then he's disappearing out to the bowl.
Carobet, oblivious to that exchange in the other part of the room. "Oh, but- having experienced Impression! That's got to be worth the monotony." There's a wistfulness in her voice that seems more genuine than anything else she's said this evening. "I know I'll never be a rider. But hearing some people describe their relationship with their dragon makes me wish, sometimes, I'd experienced it." There, a little glimpse into Carobet's soul.
K'del, sadly, has failed to notice A'son's departure, and Milani's resultant loose end; even if he might have, Carobet's admission has drawn most of his attention, and resulted in silence for some moments. "It's-- yeah." A lame response. He tries again, a moment later, his smile entirely gone. "Wasn't at the weyr long enough, before I got searched, to really ever think of it in that way, you know? Never dreamed of it, as a kid. But... Yeah. Can get feeling that way. It's worth /anything/." He reaches out, as if intending to take her hand, squeeze it, though he doesn't (yet) get that far.
It's a bad night all around by now and Milani, catching that movement of K'del's hand does a u-turn, taking mug and rolls along with her. Quiet supper at home, seems to be the new plan. Out through the kitchens she goes, door swinging open to let in some of the busy cleaning up sounds within and then it shuts again muffling those sounds and leaving normal caverny ones behind.