Log: Not Guilty
Who: K'del, Milani
When: It is a summer afternoon, 14:58 of day 8, month 6, turn 19 of Interval 10.
Where: Diving Cliff, High Reaches Weyr
What: Milani and K'del meet up on the cliff and wind up in his cave.
Innuendo
Diving Cliff, High Reaches Weyr
Thrusting out from the shadow of the mountain, this long and narrow clifftop might once have been a ledge, but a pile of bramble-strewn, graffiti-chiseled boulders where a weyr's mouth would have been suggests a reason for its abandonment long ago. Though its views of the eastern bowl are grand, particularly the lake itself and the yawning air entrance to the hatching sands, its location makes the diving cliff unique: jutting some ten or twelve feet above the deepest part of the cool, clear lake.
Especially in summertime, many climb up the narrow stairs to seek the thrill of a swift fall into the water, but those who just want to enjoy the view can take those same stairs back down: carved directly into the bowl wall, worn and crumbling and slick from use, but enough for the careful to get the job done.
The sun is high in the sky and there is not a cloud in sight. There's a breeze that tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air.
Summer's in full swing now and that means swimming often in the lake. Towards the latter end of the afternoon, Milani turns up at the diving cliff, either taking a break from work, or with a lighter day than usual on hand. Bikini-clad, she sits on the edge of the cliff, legs swinging back and forth, watching others in the lake below, hands behind her, hair damp, but no longer dripping wet, which speaks of her having swum earlier.
Below, Cadejoth's arrival is one marked by a moderate wave, the bronze having been particularly careful not to drown any unsuspecting small children in his wake. He's alone, and strapless, but K'del is probably not far behind, a promise that is realised when, a few minutes later, he appears at the top of the Diving Cliff, clad only in his shorts. Then, "Millie! Enjoying the sun?"
The wave, draws a smile onto Milani's face and she tilts a look over her shoulder when K'del disappears around the corner, expecting him up those steps any minute. "Hey Kas. I /am/. And I have a new outfit for the summer gathers. Won't be as many this summer, but I'm free and clear for the one at Pars next seven. Want to go?" she reaches a hand up towards his, to draw him down next to her.
K'del looks brown enough that it's plenty clear that he, too, has been enjoying the sun. He looks genuinely pleased at Milani has to say, too, grinning at her as he lets himself be drawn, squeezing her hand once while he settles in upon the ledge, bare feet dangling towards the ground. "Would /love/ to," he tells her, earnestly. "Went with my sister, the other seven, had a really good time, but I suspect that might pale in comparison to this new outfit of yours." His expression, as he says this last, is lazily cheeky, warm.
Milani laughs lightly and draws that arm around her shoulders, snuggles into K'del's side. "I promise you, you won't regret it," she answers with equal cheek and turns her head to press a kiss into his collarbone. "How's Nakasha? Your family? And I have something for your turnday, only not on me. It's in my room."
K'del squeezes his arm around her shoulders, fingers splaying lightly on her skin, and positively beams. "Can hardly wait, then. Nakasha's - good. Bugging me about coming home for my turnday, but I'm not going to. The rest're good, too, last I saw them." Despite himself, excitement tinges his expression for her mention of something for his turnday, though all he says is, "Planning to have some drinks at the Snowasis, on my turnday. Just friends and the like."
"No? How come not? I mean, I don't always, obviously, but time with family, usually good, isn't it?" Milani tilts her head to the side curiously, taking in Kas' face. "That all?" she teases about the drinks and reaches over with one hand to trail a teasing line down his chest.
"Day after, I'll go," amends K'del, head shaking quickly. "Just... Like the idea of spending the day with people I choose, I guess. Family always makes me feel like I'm still twelve." Her teasing hand results in a little exhalation from the bronzerider, and he laughs. "'less you've got a better plan, hmm?"
"Oh do they? Well, I can guarantee that we won't make you feel twelve," Milani says with a laugh, hand turning around and brushing light back up the way it came. "I have some ideas. And that gift for you." She flips her hair over her shoulder, then nestles back against him looking out over the water. "Seems like things are settling down a little, don't they, Kas?"
K'del's eyes half close under Milani's touch, his own fingers tracing a few light circles on her upper arm, and he laughs. "Totally open to all of your ideas. And gifts." He tilts his head to the side, so as to press a kiss to her hair, and nods, though from this angle, that'll be hard for her to see. "Think so. Like we get a bit of a breather. Summer - that's helping, too, you know? Relaxing people a bit. It's... better."
"It is, the grief's still there but not as pressing. Tiriana's settling in a bit. Everyone's getting used to the new world order. It's good, I think," Milani says thoughtfully, smiling for that kiss, then laughingly and daringly, moves to flip a leg over his lap and winds her arms around his neck. "I feel more relaxed definitely. And in the mood for some fun."
"Like maybe there'll be a new kind of normal," agrees K'del, before that leg completely and utterly distracts him. His hand roams down to slide up the length of it; his gaze lowers to meet hers, smile curving distinctly around his lips. "I'm glad," he says, which must be an understatement, if his expression is anything to go by, not to mention the fact that his face hovers closer, this time angling for a kiss to her lips.
"A new kind of normal. That doesn't sound bad at all. And it hopefully won't include any falling furniture," Milani says with a touch of vehemence to her voice. She smiles though as he does and hitches in that much closer, one hand wandering up into his hair, meets him halfway for that kiss. "Well, it was a little dramatic, but that bed getting pitched overboard ... pretty clear message," Millie says seriously, gives him a wry little half-smile, a touch of sadness in her eyes. "Anyway, what I really want right now, is to jump off this cliff with you in a little bit, then maybe we can run back to your weyr. Where I know that at least /one/ bed I've given out was and is welcome."
Despite his distraction, what with the leg and the kissing and the rest of it, K'del can spare the time to make a grimacing face for A'son's antics. "I guess," he says, after the kiss, as he reaches up to twist his fingers through a strand of her hair. "And I'm sorry, for what it's worth. That he's such a--" Words fail, but if he could think of something, it probably wouldn't be very nice. Then: "Well. You know. Which is not to say that your plan does not sound like an awful lot of fun indeed - and believe me, my bed? Very welcome. As is you, in it."
"Don't," Milani says quietly, shaking her head. "Don't," she repeats, fingers light to his chin, tracing the curve of his lower lip. "I'm not angry, more worried. So ... shh, don't think about it and let's not talk about. Just steal me away, because I don't feel guilty about this at all." Because she did before? Millie just smiles and kisses him again. "Then you will /have/ me. In your bed. On your bed. Maybe in your chair ... against your walls ..." all between kisses.
An apology blooms on K'del's lips, that much is clear from his expression, though he bites it back, eventually simply nodding. "No guilt, no thoughts - just--" Kisses, presumably, increasingly enthusiastic. And then, "In my secret cave?" he teases, adding this option into her litany of suggestions. But the kisses-- those are distinctly distracting, even from the talking.
Milani makes a big 'oooo' face. "Secret /cave/. Oh, definitely. Come my dashing young man, let's jump this cliff and get on with the secret cave spelunking," she says with an exaggerated waggle of her eyebrows, eyes big and blue-green on his face.
"How did I know /that/ would capture your imagination?" teases K'del, grinning, his eyelashes fluttering to match her eyebrows. He tilts his head, adding, "Though you'll have to hop off unless you want to tumble our way down, which might be less... fun."
"Because I am a total whore as some people would say," Milani teases laughingly, scooches closer again to press against him invitingly. "I know. I'm just putting it off as long as I can," she says with a little quirk of her mouth, before she climbs off, stretches out. "My towel is down there somewhere anyway, so, ready when you are, my friend."
"Wrongly, I might add," responds K'del, not so much /seriously/ as just not entirely teasing. Though the way she's sitting isn't exactly helping the matter; he lets out a breath, sighing contentedly, but doesn't seem too put out when she does draw away. He follows, standing, reaching for her hand again. "Easier to take the short cut, after all," he grins, inching back towards the edge and peering down. "On three, then?" One, two--
"I'll own it. Or slut at least," Milani says with a little shake of her hair over her shoulders and giggles, hand curling around his. "On three ..." and she lets him count it out, then launches herself out into the void with a whoop.
"Called /myself/ a man-whore once, I suppose," reflects K'del, in the space before the jump. On "three", he's jumping with her, letting out a whoop of pure delight before the rush of water, of depth, as their hands break apart again. He rises to the surface, spluttering despite the relatively controlled descent, and utterly beaming.
Milani swims back up to the top, laughing when she breaks the surface and paddles over to him, arms going for K'del's neck again. "Oops," she whispers in his ear and what's missing after that plunge might be very obvious to him as she presses against him again. "Well. We can be complete addicts together and go without any name-calling, I guess. So where's this /cave/ ?"
/Very/ obvious. There's a tell-tale gleam in K'del's eyes, and mirth on his twitching lips, at Milani's current situation. He wraps his arms about her waist, murmuring, "Need me to go diving for it? Fetch your towel?" But, more importantly, "Name-calling free. Good with that. As for the cave... beneath my floor, of course. Suppose there's plenty more about, bigger ones, for /real/ explorations... but it'll do, right?"
"I think it's actually wrapped around my neck," Milani answers, giggling again and dips her head in to kiss his chin. "So if you could reach around ... sort of ... tuck everything back in, that'll probably work just fine," she answers, eyes twinkling up at his. "Ohhhh /that/ cave. Well, if there's enough room, absolutely. I can read to you from your collection and keep your interest piqued."
So it is. Trust K'del, not to notice that, when there are other things to concentrate on. But, with a nod, he does as asked (and if he sneaks a good grope in there, well, can you blame him?), and, within short order, everything is ship-shape again. "/That/ cave. Sorry to disappoint. Though--" The collection. Oh yes. That's him, looking distinctly pleased with himself. After that, it doesn't take /too/ long to convince Cadejoth to leave the poor children alone, and then it's back to the weyr, and the cave - which is just barely big enough, as long as one doesn't mind close quarters. Which, after all, would be most of the point anyway. A nice afternoon, all told.
"Thank you," Milani whispers to K'del as he gets her all sorted out, beams for the groping and then splashes out of the water with him. Up to the weyr and into close quarters which she doesn't mind at all. For a very good long while, pleasant reading included.
K'del's comment, for his assistance? "My pleasure, Millie." But of course.
When: It is a summer afternoon, 14:58 of day 8, month 6, turn 19 of Interval 10.
Where: Diving Cliff, High Reaches Weyr
What: Milani and K'del meet up on the cliff and wind up in his cave.
Innuendo
Diving Cliff, High Reaches Weyr
Thrusting out from the shadow of the mountain, this long and narrow clifftop might once have been a ledge, but a pile of bramble-strewn, graffiti-chiseled boulders where a weyr's mouth would have been suggests a reason for its abandonment long ago. Though its views of the eastern bowl are grand, particularly the lake itself and the yawning air entrance to the hatching sands, its location makes the diving cliff unique: jutting some ten or twelve feet above the deepest part of the cool, clear lake.
Especially in summertime, many climb up the narrow stairs to seek the thrill of a swift fall into the water, but those who just want to enjoy the view can take those same stairs back down: carved directly into the bowl wall, worn and crumbling and slick from use, but enough for the careful to get the job done.
The sun is high in the sky and there is not a cloud in sight. There's a breeze that tempers the heat with no humidity lingering in the air.
Summer's in full swing now and that means swimming often in the lake. Towards the latter end of the afternoon, Milani turns up at the diving cliff, either taking a break from work, or with a lighter day than usual on hand. Bikini-clad, she sits on the edge of the cliff, legs swinging back and forth, watching others in the lake below, hands behind her, hair damp, but no longer dripping wet, which speaks of her having swum earlier.
Below, Cadejoth's arrival is one marked by a moderate wave, the bronze having been particularly careful not to drown any unsuspecting small children in his wake. He's alone, and strapless, but K'del is probably not far behind, a promise that is realised when, a few minutes later, he appears at the top of the Diving Cliff, clad only in his shorts. Then, "Millie! Enjoying the sun?"
The wave, draws a smile onto Milani's face and she tilts a look over her shoulder when K'del disappears around the corner, expecting him up those steps any minute. "Hey Kas. I /am/. And I have a new outfit for the summer gathers. Won't be as many this summer, but I'm free and clear for the one at Pars next seven. Want to go?" she reaches a hand up towards his, to draw him down next to her.
K'del looks brown enough that it's plenty clear that he, too, has been enjoying the sun. He looks genuinely pleased at Milani has to say, too, grinning at her as he lets himself be drawn, squeezing her hand once while he settles in upon the ledge, bare feet dangling towards the ground. "Would /love/ to," he tells her, earnestly. "Went with my sister, the other seven, had a really good time, but I suspect that might pale in comparison to this new outfit of yours." His expression, as he says this last, is lazily cheeky, warm.
Milani laughs lightly and draws that arm around her shoulders, snuggles into K'del's side. "I promise you, you won't regret it," she answers with equal cheek and turns her head to press a kiss into his collarbone. "How's Nakasha? Your family? And I have something for your turnday, only not on me. It's in my room."
K'del squeezes his arm around her shoulders, fingers splaying lightly on her skin, and positively beams. "Can hardly wait, then. Nakasha's - good. Bugging me about coming home for my turnday, but I'm not going to. The rest're good, too, last I saw them." Despite himself, excitement tinges his expression for her mention of something for his turnday, though all he says is, "Planning to have some drinks at the Snowasis, on my turnday. Just friends and the like."
"No? How come not? I mean, I don't always, obviously, but time with family, usually good, isn't it?" Milani tilts her head to the side curiously, taking in Kas' face. "That all?" she teases about the drinks and reaches over with one hand to trail a teasing line down his chest.
"Day after, I'll go," amends K'del, head shaking quickly. "Just... Like the idea of spending the day with people I choose, I guess. Family always makes me feel like I'm still twelve." Her teasing hand results in a little exhalation from the bronzerider, and he laughs. "'less you've got a better plan, hmm?"
"Oh do they? Well, I can guarantee that we won't make you feel twelve," Milani says with a laugh, hand turning around and brushing light back up the way it came. "I have some ideas. And that gift for you." She flips her hair over her shoulder, then nestles back against him looking out over the water. "Seems like things are settling down a little, don't they, Kas?"
K'del's eyes half close under Milani's touch, his own fingers tracing a few light circles on her upper arm, and he laughs. "Totally open to all of your ideas. And gifts." He tilts his head to the side, so as to press a kiss to her hair, and nods, though from this angle, that'll be hard for her to see. "Think so. Like we get a bit of a breather. Summer - that's helping, too, you know? Relaxing people a bit. It's... better."
"It is, the grief's still there but not as pressing. Tiriana's settling in a bit. Everyone's getting used to the new world order. It's good, I think," Milani says thoughtfully, smiling for that kiss, then laughingly and daringly, moves to flip a leg over his lap and winds her arms around his neck. "I feel more relaxed definitely. And in the mood for some fun."
"Like maybe there'll be a new kind of normal," agrees K'del, before that leg completely and utterly distracts him. His hand roams down to slide up the length of it; his gaze lowers to meet hers, smile curving distinctly around his lips. "I'm glad," he says, which must be an understatement, if his expression is anything to go by, not to mention the fact that his face hovers closer, this time angling for a kiss to her lips.
"A new kind of normal. That doesn't sound bad at all. And it hopefully won't include any falling furniture," Milani says with a touch of vehemence to her voice. She smiles though as he does and hitches in that much closer, one hand wandering up into his hair, meets him halfway for that kiss. "Well, it was a little dramatic, but that bed getting pitched overboard ... pretty clear message," Millie says seriously, gives him a wry little half-smile, a touch of sadness in her eyes. "Anyway, what I really want right now, is to jump off this cliff with you in a little bit, then maybe we can run back to your weyr. Where I know that at least /one/ bed I've given out was and is welcome."
Despite his distraction, what with the leg and the kissing and the rest of it, K'del can spare the time to make a grimacing face for A'son's antics. "I guess," he says, after the kiss, as he reaches up to twist his fingers through a strand of her hair. "And I'm sorry, for what it's worth. That he's such a--" Words fail, but if he could think of something, it probably wouldn't be very nice. Then: "Well. You know. Which is not to say that your plan does not sound like an awful lot of fun indeed - and believe me, my bed? Very welcome. As is you, in it."
"Don't," Milani says quietly, shaking her head. "Don't," she repeats, fingers light to his chin, tracing the curve of his lower lip. "I'm not angry, more worried. So ... shh, don't think about it and let's not talk about. Just steal me away, because I don't feel guilty about this at all." Because she did before? Millie just smiles and kisses him again. "Then you will /have/ me. In your bed. On your bed. Maybe in your chair ... against your walls ..." all between kisses.
An apology blooms on K'del's lips, that much is clear from his expression, though he bites it back, eventually simply nodding. "No guilt, no thoughts - just--" Kisses, presumably, increasingly enthusiastic. And then, "In my secret cave?" he teases, adding this option into her litany of suggestions. But the kisses-- those are distinctly distracting, even from the talking.
Milani makes a big 'oooo' face. "Secret /cave/. Oh, definitely. Come my dashing young man, let's jump this cliff and get on with the secret cave spelunking," she says with an exaggerated waggle of her eyebrows, eyes big and blue-green on his face.
"How did I know /that/ would capture your imagination?" teases K'del, grinning, his eyelashes fluttering to match her eyebrows. He tilts his head, adding, "Though you'll have to hop off unless you want to tumble our way down, which might be less... fun."
"Because I am a total whore as some people would say," Milani teases laughingly, scooches closer again to press against him invitingly. "I know. I'm just putting it off as long as I can," she says with a little quirk of her mouth, before she climbs off, stretches out. "My towel is down there somewhere anyway, so, ready when you are, my friend."
"Wrongly, I might add," responds K'del, not so much /seriously/ as just not entirely teasing. Though the way she's sitting isn't exactly helping the matter; he lets out a breath, sighing contentedly, but doesn't seem too put out when she does draw away. He follows, standing, reaching for her hand again. "Easier to take the short cut, after all," he grins, inching back towards the edge and peering down. "On three, then?" One, two--
"I'll own it. Or slut at least," Milani says with a little shake of her hair over her shoulders and giggles, hand curling around his. "On three ..." and she lets him count it out, then launches herself out into the void with a whoop.
"Called /myself/ a man-whore once, I suppose," reflects K'del, in the space before the jump. On "three", he's jumping with her, letting out a whoop of pure delight before the rush of water, of depth, as their hands break apart again. He rises to the surface, spluttering despite the relatively controlled descent, and utterly beaming.
Milani swims back up to the top, laughing when she breaks the surface and paddles over to him, arms going for K'del's neck again. "Oops," she whispers in his ear and what's missing after that plunge might be very obvious to him as she presses against him again. "Well. We can be complete addicts together and go without any name-calling, I guess. So where's this /cave/ ?"
/Very/ obvious. There's a tell-tale gleam in K'del's eyes, and mirth on his twitching lips, at Milani's current situation. He wraps his arms about her waist, murmuring, "Need me to go diving for it? Fetch your towel?" But, more importantly, "Name-calling free. Good with that. As for the cave... beneath my floor, of course. Suppose there's plenty more about, bigger ones, for /real/ explorations... but it'll do, right?"
"I think it's actually wrapped around my neck," Milani answers, giggling again and dips her head in to kiss his chin. "So if you could reach around ... sort of ... tuck everything back in, that'll probably work just fine," she answers, eyes twinkling up at his. "Ohhhh /that/ cave. Well, if there's enough room, absolutely. I can read to you from your collection and keep your interest piqued."
So it is. Trust K'del, not to notice that, when there are other things to concentrate on. But, with a nod, he does as asked (and if he sneaks a good grope in there, well, can you blame him?), and, within short order, everything is ship-shape again. "/That/ cave. Sorry to disappoint. Though--" The collection. Oh yes. That's him, looking distinctly pleased with himself. After that, it doesn't take /too/ long to convince Cadejoth to leave the poor children alone, and then it's back to the weyr, and the cave - which is just barely big enough, as long as one doesn't mind close quarters. Which, after all, would be most of the point anyway. A nice afternoon, all told.
"Thank you," Milani whispers to K'del as he gets her all sorted out, beams for the groping and then splashes out of the water with him. Up to the weyr and into close quarters which she doesn't mind at all. For a very good long while, pleasant reading included.
K'del's comment, for his assistance? "My pleasure, Millie." But of course.