(no subject)
7-10-2006 (Aida, N'raj [cameo], Aelan, Reyce):
Caucus Common Area
The common area between the two barracks has been made over into a sort of lounge area. Several sitting areas have been marked out by the use of cheerful rugs and circles of chairs and couches. Low tables are set in the center of each of these areas, and provide a place to set mugs of klah or reading material. A small hearth has been built at the east end of the room. There are never less than two pots of fresh klah simmering over the fire built within.
Contents:
Aelan
Aida
N'raj
Obvious Exits:
Caucus Barracks (CB) Dragon Barracks (DB) Out (O)
Stifling a yawn, Aida turns her head enough to let her scan the area briefly again -- nope, still not seeing whatever. Another friendly smile is offered up towards Aelan when the woman introduces herself, and she lifts a hand in something of a wave. "Aida," she notes simply, and then she's looking to N'raj again. "As long as you're at least vaguely comfortable. You have plenty of scarves and things?"
"N'raj, bronze Yimarth's rider. From Igen." This would be N'raj's introduction, evidently, as deceptively simple as such things are. He occupies a chair very, very near the hearth, having set up camp there with some hide to write on and a cup of klah, but both apparently are forgotten, just now. "A pleasure to meet you," he murmurs further before nodding. "Sweaters, scarves, boots, gloves; everything anyone could think of to give me before sending me up here."
"Aida, N'raj," Aelan points to each before nodding, looking back to fill her mug. "From Igen?" she asks, a hint of genuine cheer showing in the broad flash of her smile as she sets the pitcher down and moves towards the chair with her hides on it. "I've been to Igen. Much more pleasant place than this, too," she adds ruefully, tugging her chair closer to the hearth and the conversation. "Did they send you here to train for a Wingleader or something?"
Reyce enters bundled high in winter clothes, stamping snow off his boots and giving himself a doglike shake. By the time he's reached the hearth - evidently of the same mind as N'raj, he heads straight for it - the heaviest layers have been shed and he throws them carelessly on an empty chair. The three assembled by the hearth get only the briefest glance as he winds past them, heading for the klah.
"Oh, good," Aida says in response to N'raj, smiling. It's the last thing she says for the moment, instead settling into quiet to glance back and forth between the other two. She's got herself curled up into a chair that's not quite as close to the fire as N'raj's, but close enough. There's clear attentiveness to the conversation on her part, a hint of curiosity to her expression. Reyce is glanced at as well, and though she smiles up his way she doesn't offer a greeting.
Aelan glances up as Reyce barges into the area, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Afternoon," she offers with a scrape of politeness, raising her own mug to take a sip of the klah and try to hide her expression at the same time.
Reyce walked right by Aelan on his first pass, but something seems to register with him on the way back towards his chair. He pauses in front of her, drawing himself higher for a moment's consideration of the girl, then makes a low, grunting sound in his throat. "Huh," would describe it best. And then he sits, his gaze passing briefly over Aida while he sips from his klah.
An eyebrow lifting briefly at Aelan's nosewrinkle, Aida glances again over towards Reyce. Her look doesn't linger long; there's a polite nod given before she looks back to Aelan. "How long have you been attending the Caucus?" She asks, tone a conversational one. At least it's better than a comment about the weather. "Have you been enjoying it so far?"
"I got here a couple weeks ago," Aelan answers Aida with a quick smile, dismissing the wrinkle of her nose in favor of the more amiable expression. "And it's all right. A little snotty," she adds, stretching one long leg out to try to trip Reyce when he moves off. "But all in all, a good sort of place. Wish I could take some more interesting classes."
Reyce is almost fouled up by that leg - almost. His toe knocks into it, causing him to take a little stumble that sloshes klah onto his hand, but doesn't bring him down. The man has good reflexes. His breath hissing in at the sudden pain caused by hot klah on his fingers, Reyce carefully switches his mug to the other hand and glares at Aelan. "Don't try that again," he warns her matter-of-factly. Sucking at his wounded fingers would kind of ruin the moment, so he just gives them a shake, sending klah droplets flying.
Laughing outright at the designation of the Caucus as snotty, Aida rolls her eyes and puts on a grin. "Is it really all that snotty within it?" She asks, tone touching curious. The girl sits up a bit more, shifting on her chair to more properly face Aelan, and there's a twitch of her lips at the stretching out of the leg. Of course, that fades when there is stumbling and sloshing, and she gives the other woman a reproving look before asking of Reyce, "You alright?"
"Try what?" Aelan replies with a flawlessly innocent look, tilting her head to see where her leg is. "Oh, sorry about that. Still haven't quite grown into them," she says with a rueful smile, giving her thigh a pat and folding the leg back under herself. Another sip of klah follows as she watches Reyce's reaction, letting the mug hide most of her expression.
Reyce scowls at Aelan, not in the least bit convinced by her innocent look. "Bullshit," he growls, wiping his fingers dry on the opposite arm. Aida gets a wary, suspicious look before he shrugs, indicating he's fine.
There is a wince, yes there is. Aida glances between the two of them, suddenly terribly attentive to both individuals. At this point, the young woman elects to say nothing, instead scooting down in her chair just a bit and curling up some, doing her best to make herself just a little bit smaller. There's no worry there, no fear -- just a careful attempt at making certain she's out of the line of fire.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder at Reyce's call, sipping once more before setting her mug down on the hearth and stretching out in her chair. "Lady Sian says it's always polite to return a lady's greeting," she informs him with a dry smirk, folding her hands over her stomach. "Afternoon, Reyce," she says cheerfully again.
Reyce moves to his own chair, pushing aside the bundle of winter clothes that he tossed there earlier. "Does she? I wouldn't care," he replies, in a voice that would be genial and polite were it not for the words it contained. Having cleared a space for himself, he drops into his seat with a most unmannerly puff of breath, ignoring her greeting in favor of a sip from his klah.
More silence from the bump on the chair that is Aida. Oh, she's still most certainly watching, though she's dropped her head back and turned it enough that on first glance it would appear she's looking elsewhere. Every bit of her posture is dedicated to making her less than noteworthy. Please ignore the girl in the chair.
And then, rather than getting angry, Aelan grins. "Good," she approves, reaching out to reclaim her mug and take another swallow of klah before moving along as though nothing happened. "Aida, what're you here for?" she asks, looking over towards the lump on the chair. "I can guess what Benden's here for, and I know what got me shipped off to the ice and snow. How about you?"
Reyce is not quite so easily mollified, though he doesn't interrupt her efforts at redirecting the conversation. Still frowning at the Keroonian for a few moments, he eventually allows himself to be diverted towards that bump on the chair. His brow quirks, but it's now his turn to keep silent.
There is a nosewrinkle when she's remembered. Bah. Aida smiles sunnily a beat later and sits up, shaking her head quickly. "I'm not a student," she points out. "Resident. I'm *here*," and there is emphasis upon the word, explained with a gesture of one hand around the room itself, "Because I'm waiting to hopefully catch one of the other students. Somebody I need to talk to. Plus, the casual conversations tend to be more interesting on this side of things."
Aelan ahs, smile flashing easily as she nods. "So long as it's not some group of people talking about the details of which fork to use, it usually is, so far," she chuckles, setting her elbow on one knee and propping her chin up in her hand. "Who're you waiting for? Not that- Not that you'd have to tell me, of course. Just curious."
Reyce gives a derisive little snort about interesting conversations, but so thoroughly have he and Aida switched places that this all he offers. Pressing his knuckles against the klah mug for warmth, he lets his gaze wander inattentively over the room.
There's a sidelong glance over towards Reyce at his snort, and Aida lifts an eyebrow at him. Though the question is left unspoken, the 'what?' is clear all the same. Still, there's a smile offered his way, and then she's laughing and shaking her head at Aelan. "Nothing of general import," she promises. "And nothing interesting. Also known as 'I'd rather not say if you don't mind'." Beat. "And even the discussion of the details of which fork to use /can/ be interesting, particularly when compared to a discussion of laundry washing techniques. Believe me."
"I dunno, it sounds like a toss up to me," Aelan says with a faint smirk. "Hey, Benden," she calls over to Reyce, lifting her chin in his direction. "What're you studying here?" No, there's no escape.
Reyce glances back, making sure that his boredom can be easily read in his expression. "Math and shit. What do you care?" He sniffs dismissively, eyes tracking back over to Aida. Her unspoken question receives no more than a shrug from him, but considering how disinterested he is in /this/ conversation, it might be assumed that he disagrees with her assessment of Caucus chatter.
More of her attention shifting over towards Reyce, Aida studies him; there's no attempt made to hide that this is what she is doing, though any reaction she might have to said study is kept well away from her expression. She doesn't say anything to him though, instead looking back to Aelan and offering a grin. "It's really just a case of 'what you hear more often'; variety is good. There are often discussions about classes and the course material, though, which *is* interesting to me."
"Just wanna find out if I'm in any of your classes so I can screw with you there," Aelan tosses back with a swift grin in Reyce's direction. "Don't think I'm signed up for math, and I'm pretty sure I've got shitting down, so I guess we're not in anything together." Raising her mug for another sip, she turns back to Aida. "So what is it you do around here?" she asks curiously. "Laundry, did you say?"
Reyce bears Aida's scrutiny without flinching, though he does attempt to make it more uncomfortable by keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. Because of this, Aelan's comments register only peripherally with him, but he does let out a small snort. "Guess not." The dark amusement barely makes it into his tone, but it's there. His glance flicks away from Aida as some other Caucus-ite wanders close by, but it returns to her swiftly.
She's like a little bird that's been threatened, puffing her feathers out and generally trying to look bigger. Aida sits up in her chair more, her attention swinging back to Reyce. Though her smile holds steady, she does quirk an eyebrow inquisitively. Eventually, she just shakes her head at him and looks back to Aelan -- and the word 'laundry' has her making a face. "No," she states, firmly. "It's only that the laundresses are second only to the kitchen workers in the amount of...chatter, and so I hear a lot of it. I work in the infirmary, actually."
"Oh, infirmary?" Aelan asks, perking up a bit. "So you'd know that healer Benden here was talking to the other day. What was his name?" She looks over at Reyce, as though waiting for it to be supplied before answering herself. "Neiran, that's it. Oh, and you'd've seen K'sar and Roa. How're they doing? Everything knitting up okay?"
Reyce didn't seem about to supply it, anyway. He just stretches out in his chair, suddenly luxuriant, and flashes a thin, dark smile at Aida. The conversation-in-gestures entertains him, it would seem, far too much to offer any kind of explanation for his actions. And the question of K'sar and Roa distracts him from it anyway, because he asks suddenly, "What /did/ happen to them?"
That smile from Reyce has Aida promptly giving him an 'oh, really?' sort of look, eyebrows lifted and her head tilted briefly. Then she's rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head, settling back down in her chair and nodding agreeably to Aelan. "I do know him," she says. "And I have -- they're both doing well enough; I'm sure it won't be long until both are fine. They're in good hands. As far as what happened..." She looks back over towards Reyce to note, "Details haven't been shared in general. There was an incident during the gather, beyond that I can't say."
Aelan mouths 'shelves' towards Reyce while Aida's talking about not sharing, though at least she doesn't say anything more, swiftly hiding her face with a sip of klah before she clears her throat. "Glad to hear they're okay. Hey, did you notice Dara in there sometime the other day by any chance, getting something from a healer? She said she got something from someone, I was just curious about what it might've been..."
Reyce catches the mouthed word but has trouble deciphering it, because he blinks and directs a frown down at his klah mug. His lips echo the motion quickly, but if that brings him any more enlightenment it doesn't show on his features. Answering Aida's information (or lack thereof), he says simply, "Okay."
Aida does offer an apologetic smile towards Reyce, but Aelan's question about Dara has her attention jerking there, full focus snapping to. Concern is clear for a moment before she covers it back up, amiable smile settling back into place as she shakes her head. "I didn't see her coming in and getting anything, no," she replies conversationally. "'Something from someone'?"
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, looking into her mug. "She didn't really say much about it. Just that it helped her feel better. I was just...curious." She catches her lower lip between her teeth, thinking for a moment, then looks back to Aida with a swift smile. "So are you a healer apprentice, or you just help out there, or...?"
Reyce shrugs off the apologetic smile, letting his attention wander off into a corner of the room again. Not big on small talk, this one. At the very least, he seems to be listening in.
Lashes lowering briefly, Aida seems to consider something herself at Aelan's response. Eventually, she looks up again, her eyes seeking Aelan's. "It's being looked into," she states without explanation, one shoulder raised and dropped in a vague shrug. "And I'm no apprentice, no -- just...help out there. I know enough to be fairly useful." She does send a glance over towards the clean mugs and the pots of klah, but the look around ends with a look to her ankle, and her attention settles back in on Aelan.
"Sounds interesting," Aelan says with a flicker of a smile, though her gaze narrows slightly at the talk of things being looked into. For the moment, she falls quiet, lifting her mug to drain the last of her klah before idly tossing the empty mug between her hands. "So...How about that interesting caucus room conversation, eh?"
Reyce gives another quiet snort. "How about it," he remarks drily, not bothering to add an inflection to his words. The klah mug goes up to his lips, pausing there for a long drink. When it comes down, he clears his lips with a smacking sound. "You thrilled by this chat yet, healer?" Apprentice or not, he sticks the title on her.
"Things generally are," Aida replies lightly to Aelan's words, offering a reassuring smile that way. She starts to laugh at that last question, but is derailed by Reyce actually speaking up again. Her attention swings to him again, and she gives her own snort. "Do I sound particularly thrilled?" She asks of him, threading her tone heavily with skepticism. "Oh no, it's not a discussion of a class -- however am I going to survive? The conversation has been acceptable. I'm not bored, and given I don't actually know either of you, I wasn't expecting anything impressively thought provoking."
"Ouch," Aelan murmurs with a faint smirk, laughing down into her empty mug. "Hear that, Benden? We're not impressively thought provoking. You have any deep thoughts waiting at the bottom of the well?" she asks, looking over towards him with a wry smirk.
Reyce raises a brow, his own smirk half-hidden behind the mug of klah. "Ouch indeed. Although she did say we were 'acceptable.'" He leans his head back on the chair, eyes drifting closed while his face points up to the ceiling. "Better talk about your classes, Keroon. Met your ten people yet?"
Blinking a few times, Aida gives first Aelan a puzzled look, then Reyce. "I...think I misspoke," she notes. "And so I apologize. It was small-talk; good for that, but it was what it was." She lifts her shoulders in a shrug, uncurling fully and moving to slide to her feet, giving both of them a respectful dip of her head. "I apologize a second time, this for intruding upon you both."
"Don't think so," Aelan admits, shaking her head. "You, Neiran, Aida here, Essdara, Tavaly, Roa, K'sar...That's seven. Think I can count Lord Samien from the gather?" she muses before looking over to Aida, smile slipping wry. "I'm just jerking your chain, Aida. Don't know about Benden, here, but I'm not /really/ offended."
Reyce makes a mocking sound in his throat when Aelan answers the question seriously, and gives her a withering look. "Whatever," he mutters. "I wasn't actually interested." Sipping from his klah at this point, he fixes his gaze on Aida with a shrug. "Just being assholes, she means. I don't care."
"That's good to know," Aida tells them both quite seriously, giving another dip of her head. "But I don't think that I'm going to end up catching the person I've been hoping to catch before I need to be in the infirmary, so I'm going to excuse myself regardless. Good day, both of you." Her tone is polite, words carefully spoken, and with her farewell said she's turning to start limping back towards the tunnel that leads back out to the bowl.
"Good day," Aelan calls after the healer before turning a smirk back towards Reyce. "Boy, you're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? Surprised you /aren't/ in more of the damned etiquette classes I got thrown in." She pauses then, wrinkling her nose. "Of course, you're a boy, so that's probably the difference."
Reyce watches Aida retreat from the room, openly intrigued by her limp. Aelan draws an annoyed look for distracting him. "Actually, I just have a busy schedule, since I am /doing/ things here." The arched eyebrow is clearly meant to imply that she's not. He raises his klah for a sip, only to find that he's already emptied it. He gags on the dregs, spitting them back into his mug with a grimace.
There's a wave over her shoulder, and Aida limps on out. Zoom. Escape!
Aida heads up the short tunnel that leads to the bowl.
Aida has left.
Well, if Reyce isn't going to be polite enough to pretend to have a conversation, Aelan isn't going to be polite enough not to laugh at the gagging! She snorts a brief laugh at the expression, smirking over in turn. "So what're you /doing/ here that's so important, Benden?" she asks, arching a brow.
Reyce pays no mind to her laughter, getting up to dump the contents of his mug into a can left there for that purpose. Then he sets it down next to some other dirty mugs and returns to his seat, only then deigning to answer. "Training for stewardship," he says without enthusiasm, pushing away a scarf that fell down when he moved.
"Sounds charming," Aelan says, watching him with a more serious expression, gaze slightly narrowed. "So you're here to train to do all the work for your half-brother, while he...What? Stays home and relaxes and dices and wenches? Sounds like a bit of a raw deal to me."
"And yet, I am delighted beyond words." Reyce's tone is so dry you could choke on it, but he returns the narrowed gaze with his own, clearly suspicious glare. "Technically, I'm training on my father's behalf. My half-brother, who is more given to sniffing and scorning than dicing and wenching, will no doubt fire me." Having accomplished his goal with that suspicious glare, he looks away with a dark little smile on his face.
"Nothing like a little job security," Aelan snorts softly, setting her empty mug aside and worrying at the side of one thumb with her teeth before drawing it away. "Probably get screwed over in the end. My uncle did," she offers helpfully. She, of course, is also a little ray of sunlight.
Reyce just shrugs, watching her worry at her thumb until (as it quickly does) it grows boring for him. He looks away with a soft, short laugh. "Good for your uncle," is all he says.
Aelan looks over to watch him for a long moment, thoughtful. "You like this with everyone?" she finally asks, folding her legs up under her in the chair as she sets her chin lazily on the heel of one hand.
Reyce endures her thoughtful look without bothering to return it, this time. In answer, he shrugs again. "Sure."
Aelan squints a bit. "So, not to keep going with the whole typical girl route and all that, but why? You just don't like people? Or is it something particular that's offending you?"
Reyce looks at her now, of course, with a frown. "You don't want to go the typical girl route, then don't do it." Which is another way of saying 'No comment.' He scratches at the stubble on his cheek. "Move on, Keroon. I'm not in the mood."
Aelan laughs, smile flashing again as she makes herself comfortable. "In the mood for what? Trust me, Benden, nothing I'm doing requires any sort of mood." She reaches for her empty mug again, starting to inspect it for details.
Reyce frowns at her again, sharply. "In the mood for putting up with this shit. What are you now, one of my teachers? Piss off."
"Nope, I'm an /independent/ pain in the ass. Affiliated with no official organization," Aelan announces nonchalantly, buffing her nails on her shoulder before looking back up with a flash of a dry grin. "Faranth, you're a pissy one."
Reyce seems to be on more familiar territory with this one, pulling himself up in the chair so he can offer his mocking half-bow. "Bastard of Benden, at your service." He subsides with a smirk.
"Has a certain ring to it," Aelan approves with a faint nod before tipping her head back, thoughful. "Embarassment of Keroon doesn't have the same touch. Terror of Keroon? No, never did quite attain terror status," she muses before giving it up with a shrug, still looking up towards the ceiling.
Reyce leans forward suddenly, snagging a small table - meant for homework, no one's using it now - and dragging it towards him. All so he can put his feet up, a small bit of dirt shedding off the bottoms of his boots. "Don't look at me," he grunts, easing back. With his feet up, this chair has become quite comfortable. "Mine was made for me."
"Don't look at you?" Aelan snorts through a laugh, tilting her head up just enough to do so down the bridge of her nose before she drops her head back again. "You know the first thing someone does when you say 'don't' is do it. Try not thinking about anything that gets mentioned." She folds her hands lightly over her stomach, stretching her legs out in front of herself and crossing them at the ankles. "And weren't you kind of made for the name as much as the other way around?"
Reyce closes his eyes. "Your fault if you do, then," he retorts simply, letting out an easy sigh. Upon reflection, he starts gathering the winter clothes from where they're lying on the top of the chair, and balls them up. This ball he tucks safely against his side, scooting to make room. As for her second comment, he says, "Sure. Matter of perspective."
"I think I'll survive the view," Aelan smirks, though she lets her eyes close as she crosses her arms behind her head and leans back. "What's the story behind that, again?" she asks curiously.
Reyce shifts in the chair, with a loud rustle of winter clothing. Putting it next to him was more convenient, but less comfortable. "Behind what?" The usual sharpness is pretty much gone from his tone now, replaced by languid indifference.
Aelan actually hesitates for half a second, as though reluctant to risk losing that moment of less than disdain, before speaking up again. "The whole bastard bit," she finally says, trying to keep the nonchalant tone.
Reyce cracks an eye open, though it's difficult to see her face without raising his head, and he's by no means going to put that much effort into it. The disdain doesn't reappear, but a certain wariness does: "I'm a bastard. Be more specific."
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, keeping her own eyes closed. "There's usually a backstory. A reason. Something all the polite and well-behaved folks whisper about and embellish into a ridiculous tale of orgies and blood-drinking. What's yours?"
Reyce is silent for a bit, then shrugs. "Don't know about reason, other than my father can't keep his dick in his pants. And the backstory's just that he and the groom's sister disappeared from the wedding party for a bit, made me, and came back. That what you meant?"
"Pretty much," Aelan nods slightly, smile quirking after a brief pause. "Must've been more charming than you, though." Absently, she ruffles a hand through her hair, leaving it in a general state of disarray.
Reyce gives a heavy sniff - not prim, just clearing his nose. "Most things are," he concedes, untroubled by the observation. Although, "Don't know what you mean, exactly, but whatever."
There's a soft laugh from Aelan's direction, a wry smile curving as she shakes her head without looking up. "Whatever," she agrees bemusedly. One eye slits open, watching as well as she can without expending any effort. "How long've you been here?"
Reyce flicks his fingers, no more than that. "Little more than a turn. Why?" With Reyce, every question must have a motive behind it.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder. "Just curious. Gauging how long this place'll take to reform my black little heart," she says with a flicker of a smile. "Looks like I've got plenty of time."
Reyce snorts. "Well, we'll see. Been told I'm an especially difficult case." A quiet little smirk crosses his features. A few moments later, he asks, "That what you're here for? Reform?"
"Yuuuup," Aelan drawls with an overly affected Keroon drawl. "Mostly just enough to keep me from being an embarassment, I think. Dad's got nephews coming out his ass, so he doesn't really /need/ me that much. He just needs me not to fuck things up."
"Is that what you've been doing," Reyce replies drily. "For shame, disgracing your father." There's no missing the conscious irony that laces his words.
"The man doesn't have the confidence of half his holders," Aelan notes dryly. "I think I'm probably the least of his problems. Besides, it's his own fault." She sits up a bit, looking towards the entrance of the cavern for a moment. "You know, they've got next to nothing in the way of runners here," she observes.
Reyce listens quietly to her observations on her father's problems, absorbing the information with a slow nod. He snorts at the next comment, though. "I know, and don't care. It's not like you could ride them anywhere, around here." He adds in a grumble, shifting in the chair, "What the fuck's with women and runners, I don't know."
"Don't have to con or pay a runner to get you out," Aelan smirks, standing suddenly and brushing herself off as she moves the chair back where it was. "Not that you'd get far in this weather, but it's the whole feeling like you could if you wanted bit."
Reyce actually raises his head at this, watching her put the chair back through narrowed eyes. "What are you, planning an escape?" /There's/ the derision in his tone, back again it would seem.
"Nope," Aelan says, shaking her head. "Like I said, it's not so much the leaving as the knowing you could." She shrugs one shoulder, dropping the subject. "See ya 'round, Benden," she says with a brief wave before turning back towards the barracks with no more ado.
Caucus Common Area
The common area between the two barracks has been made over into a sort of lounge area. Several sitting areas have been marked out by the use of cheerful rugs and circles of chairs and couches. Low tables are set in the center of each of these areas, and provide a place to set mugs of klah or reading material. A small hearth has been built at the east end of the room. There are never less than two pots of fresh klah simmering over the fire built within.
Contents:
Aelan
Aida
N'raj
Obvious Exits:
Caucus Barracks (CB) Dragon Barracks (DB) Out (O)
Stifling a yawn, Aida turns her head enough to let her scan the area briefly again -- nope, still not seeing whatever. Another friendly smile is offered up towards Aelan when the woman introduces herself, and she lifts a hand in something of a wave. "Aida," she notes simply, and then she's looking to N'raj again. "As long as you're at least vaguely comfortable. You have plenty of scarves and things?"
"N'raj, bronze Yimarth's rider. From Igen." This would be N'raj's introduction, evidently, as deceptively simple as such things are. He occupies a chair very, very near the hearth, having set up camp there with some hide to write on and a cup of klah, but both apparently are forgotten, just now. "A pleasure to meet you," he murmurs further before nodding. "Sweaters, scarves, boots, gloves; everything anyone could think of to give me before sending me up here."
"Aida, N'raj," Aelan points to each before nodding, looking back to fill her mug. "From Igen?" she asks, a hint of genuine cheer showing in the broad flash of her smile as she sets the pitcher down and moves towards the chair with her hides on it. "I've been to Igen. Much more pleasant place than this, too," she adds ruefully, tugging her chair closer to the hearth and the conversation. "Did they send you here to train for a Wingleader or something?"
Reyce enters bundled high in winter clothes, stamping snow off his boots and giving himself a doglike shake. By the time he's reached the hearth - evidently of the same mind as N'raj, he heads straight for it - the heaviest layers have been shed and he throws them carelessly on an empty chair. The three assembled by the hearth get only the briefest glance as he winds past them, heading for the klah.
"Oh, good," Aida says in response to N'raj, smiling. It's the last thing she says for the moment, instead settling into quiet to glance back and forth between the other two. She's got herself curled up into a chair that's not quite as close to the fire as N'raj's, but close enough. There's clear attentiveness to the conversation on her part, a hint of curiosity to her expression. Reyce is glanced at as well, and though she smiles up his way she doesn't offer a greeting.
Aelan glances up as Reyce barges into the area, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Afternoon," she offers with a scrape of politeness, raising her own mug to take a sip of the klah and try to hide her expression at the same time.
Reyce walked right by Aelan on his first pass, but something seems to register with him on the way back towards his chair. He pauses in front of her, drawing himself higher for a moment's consideration of the girl, then makes a low, grunting sound in his throat. "Huh," would describe it best. And then he sits, his gaze passing briefly over Aida while he sips from his klah.
An eyebrow lifting briefly at Aelan's nosewrinkle, Aida glances again over towards Reyce. Her look doesn't linger long; there's a polite nod given before she looks back to Aelan. "How long have you been attending the Caucus?" She asks, tone a conversational one. At least it's better than a comment about the weather. "Have you been enjoying it so far?"
"I got here a couple weeks ago," Aelan answers Aida with a quick smile, dismissing the wrinkle of her nose in favor of the more amiable expression. "And it's all right. A little snotty," she adds, stretching one long leg out to try to trip Reyce when he moves off. "But all in all, a good sort of place. Wish I could take some more interesting classes."
Reyce is almost fouled up by that leg - almost. His toe knocks into it, causing him to take a little stumble that sloshes klah onto his hand, but doesn't bring him down. The man has good reflexes. His breath hissing in at the sudden pain caused by hot klah on his fingers, Reyce carefully switches his mug to the other hand and glares at Aelan. "Don't try that again," he warns her matter-of-factly. Sucking at his wounded fingers would kind of ruin the moment, so he just gives them a shake, sending klah droplets flying.
Laughing outright at the designation of the Caucus as snotty, Aida rolls her eyes and puts on a grin. "Is it really all that snotty within it?" She asks, tone touching curious. The girl sits up a bit more, shifting on her chair to more properly face Aelan, and there's a twitch of her lips at the stretching out of the leg. Of course, that fades when there is stumbling and sloshing, and she gives the other woman a reproving look before asking of Reyce, "You alright?"
"Try what?" Aelan replies with a flawlessly innocent look, tilting her head to see where her leg is. "Oh, sorry about that. Still haven't quite grown into them," she says with a rueful smile, giving her thigh a pat and folding the leg back under herself. Another sip of klah follows as she watches Reyce's reaction, letting the mug hide most of her expression.
Reyce scowls at Aelan, not in the least bit convinced by her innocent look. "Bullshit," he growls, wiping his fingers dry on the opposite arm. Aida gets a wary, suspicious look before he shrugs, indicating he's fine.
There is a wince, yes there is. Aida glances between the two of them, suddenly terribly attentive to both individuals. At this point, the young woman elects to say nothing, instead scooting down in her chair just a bit and curling up some, doing her best to make herself just a little bit smaller. There's no worry there, no fear -- just a careful attempt at making certain she's out of the line of fire.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder at Reyce's call, sipping once more before setting her mug down on the hearth and stretching out in her chair. "Lady Sian says it's always polite to return a lady's greeting," she informs him with a dry smirk, folding her hands over her stomach. "Afternoon, Reyce," she says cheerfully again.
Reyce moves to his own chair, pushing aside the bundle of winter clothes that he tossed there earlier. "Does she? I wouldn't care," he replies, in a voice that would be genial and polite were it not for the words it contained. Having cleared a space for himself, he drops into his seat with a most unmannerly puff of breath, ignoring her greeting in favor of a sip from his klah.
More silence from the bump on the chair that is Aida. Oh, she's still most certainly watching, though she's dropped her head back and turned it enough that on first glance it would appear she's looking elsewhere. Every bit of her posture is dedicated to making her less than noteworthy. Please ignore the girl in the chair.
And then, rather than getting angry, Aelan grins. "Good," she approves, reaching out to reclaim her mug and take another swallow of klah before moving along as though nothing happened. "Aida, what're you here for?" she asks, looking over towards the lump on the chair. "I can guess what Benden's here for, and I know what got me shipped off to the ice and snow. How about you?"
Reyce is not quite so easily mollified, though he doesn't interrupt her efforts at redirecting the conversation. Still frowning at the Keroonian for a few moments, he eventually allows himself to be diverted towards that bump on the chair. His brow quirks, but it's now his turn to keep silent.
There is a nosewrinkle when she's remembered. Bah. Aida smiles sunnily a beat later and sits up, shaking her head quickly. "I'm not a student," she points out. "Resident. I'm *here*," and there is emphasis upon the word, explained with a gesture of one hand around the room itself, "Because I'm waiting to hopefully catch one of the other students. Somebody I need to talk to. Plus, the casual conversations tend to be more interesting on this side of things."
Aelan ahs, smile flashing easily as she nods. "So long as it's not some group of people talking about the details of which fork to use, it usually is, so far," she chuckles, setting her elbow on one knee and propping her chin up in her hand. "Who're you waiting for? Not that- Not that you'd have to tell me, of course. Just curious."
Reyce gives a derisive little snort about interesting conversations, but so thoroughly have he and Aida switched places that this all he offers. Pressing his knuckles against the klah mug for warmth, he lets his gaze wander inattentively over the room.
There's a sidelong glance over towards Reyce at his snort, and Aida lifts an eyebrow at him. Though the question is left unspoken, the 'what?' is clear all the same. Still, there's a smile offered his way, and then she's laughing and shaking her head at Aelan. "Nothing of general import," she promises. "And nothing interesting. Also known as 'I'd rather not say if you don't mind'." Beat. "And even the discussion of the details of which fork to use /can/ be interesting, particularly when compared to a discussion of laundry washing techniques. Believe me."
"I dunno, it sounds like a toss up to me," Aelan says with a faint smirk. "Hey, Benden," she calls over to Reyce, lifting her chin in his direction. "What're you studying here?" No, there's no escape.
Reyce glances back, making sure that his boredom can be easily read in his expression. "Math and shit. What do you care?" He sniffs dismissively, eyes tracking back over to Aida. Her unspoken question receives no more than a shrug from him, but considering how disinterested he is in /this/ conversation, it might be assumed that he disagrees with her assessment of Caucus chatter.
More of her attention shifting over towards Reyce, Aida studies him; there's no attempt made to hide that this is what she is doing, though any reaction she might have to said study is kept well away from her expression. She doesn't say anything to him though, instead looking back to Aelan and offering a grin. "It's really just a case of 'what you hear more often'; variety is good. There are often discussions about classes and the course material, though, which *is* interesting to me."
"Just wanna find out if I'm in any of your classes so I can screw with you there," Aelan tosses back with a swift grin in Reyce's direction. "Don't think I'm signed up for math, and I'm pretty sure I've got shitting down, so I guess we're not in anything together." Raising her mug for another sip, she turns back to Aida. "So what is it you do around here?" she asks curiously. "Laundry, did you say?"
Reyce bears Aida's scrutiny without flinching, though he does attempt to make it more uncomfortable by keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. Because of this, Aelan's comments register only peripherally with him, but he does let out a small snort. "Guess not." The dark amusement barely makes it into his tone, but it's there. His glance flicks away from Aida as some other Caucus-ite wanders close by, but it returns to her swiftly.
She's like a little bird that's been threatened, puffing her feathers out and generally trying to look bigger. Aida sits up in her chair more, her attention swinging back to Reyce. Though her smile holds steady, she does quirk an eyebrow inquisitively. Eventually, she just shakes her head at him and looks back to Aelan -- and the word 'laundry' has her making a face. "No," she states, firmly. "It's only that the laundresses are second only to the kitchen workers in the amount of...chatter, and so I hear a lot of it. I work in the infirmary, actually."
"Oh, infirmary?" Aelan asks, perking up a bit. "So you'd know that healer Benden here was talking to the other day. What was his name?" She looks over at Reyce, as though waiting for it to be supplied before answering herself. "Neiran, that's it. Oh, and you'd've seen K'sar and Roa. How're they doing? Everything knitting up okay?"
Reyce didn't seem about to supply it, anyway. He just stretches out in his chair, suddenly luxuriant, and flashes a thin, dark smile at Aida. The conversation-in-gestures entertains him, it would seem, far too much to offer any kind of explanation for his actions. And the question of K'sar and Roa distracts him from it anyway, because he asks suddenly, "What /did/ happen to them?"
That smile from Reyce has Aida promptly giving him an 'oh, really?' sort of look, eyebrows lifted and her head tilted briefly. Then she's rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head, settling back down in her chair and nodding agreeably to Aelan. "I do know him," she says. "And I have -- they're both doing well enough; I'm sure it won't be long until both are fine. They're in good hands. As far as what happened..." She looks back over towards Reyce to note, "Details haven't been shared in general. There was an incident during the gather, beyond that I can't say."
Aelan mouths 'shelves' towards Reyce while Aida's talking about not sharing, though at least she doesn't say anything more, swiftly hiding her face with a sip of klah before she clears her throat. "Glad to hear they're okay. Hey, did you notice Dara in there sometime the other day by any chance, getting something from a healer? She said she got something from someone, I was just curious about what it might've been..."
Reyce catches the mouthed word but has trouble deciphering it, because he blinks and directs a frown down at his klah mug. His lips echo the motion quickly, but if that brings him any more enlightenment it doesn't show on his features. Answering Aida's information (or lack thereof), he says simply, "Okay."
Aida does offer an apologetic smile towards Reyce, but Aelan's question about Dara has her attention jerking there, full focus snapping to. Concern is clear for a moment before she covers it back up, amiable smile settling back into place as she shakes her head. "I didn't see her coming in and getting anything, no," she replies conversationally. "'Something from someone'?"
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, looking into her mug. "She didn't really say much about it. Just that it helped her feel better. I was just...curious." She catches her lower lip between her teeth, thinking for a moment, then looks back to Aida with a swift smile. "So are you a healer apprentice, or you just help out there, or...?"
Reyce shrugs off the apologetic smile, letting his attention wander off into a corner of the room again. Not big on small talk, this one. At the very least, he seems to be listening in.
Lashes lowering briefly, Aida seems to consider something herself at Aelan's response. Eventually, she looks up again, her eyes seeking Aelan's. "It's being looked into," she states without explanation, one shoulder raised and dropped in a vague shrug. "And I'm no apprentice, no -- just...help out there. I know enough to be fairly useful." She does send a glance over towards the clean mugs and the pots of klah, but the look around ends with a look to her ankle, and her attention settles back in on Aelan.
"Sounds interesting," Aelan says with a flicker of a smile, though her gaze narrows slightly at the talk of things being looked into. For the moment, she falls quiet, lifting her mug to drain the last of her klah before idly tossing the empty mug between her hands. "So...How about that interesting caucus room conversation, eh?"
Reyce gives another quiet snort. "How about it," he remarks drily, not bothering to add an inflection to his words. The klah mug goes up to his lips, pausing there for a long drink. When it comes down, he clears his lips with a smacking sound. "You thrilled by this chat yet, healer?" Apprentice or not, he sticks the title on her.
"Things generally are," Aida replies lightly to Aelan's words, offering a reassuring smile that way. She starts to laugh at that last question, but is derailed by Reyce actually speaking up again. Her attention swings to him again, and she gives her own snort. "Do I sound particularly thrilled?" She asks of him, threading her tone heavily with skepticism. "Oh no, it's not a discussion of a class -- however am I going to survive? The conversation has been acceptable. I'm not bored, and given I don't actually know either of you, I wasn't expecting anything impressively thought provoking."
"Ouch," Aelan murmurs with a faint smirk, laughing down into her empty mug. "Hear that, Benden? We're not impressively thought provoking. You have any deep thoughts waiting at the bottom of the well?" she asks, looking over towards him with a wry smirk.
Reyce raises a brow, his own smirk half-hidden behind the mug of klah. "Ouch indeed. Although she did say we were 'acceptable.'" He leans his head back on the chair, eyes drifting closed while his face points up to the ceiling. "Better talk about your classes, Keroon. Met your ten people yet?"
Blinking a few times, Aida gives first Aelan a puzzled look, then Reyce. "I...think I misspoke," she notes. "And so I apologize. It was small-talk; good for that, but it was what it was." She lifts her shoulders in a shrug, uncurling fully and moving to slide to her feet, giving both of them a respectful dip of her head. "I apologize a second time, this for intruding upon you both."
"Don't think so," Aelan admits, shaking her head. "You, Neiran, Aida here, Essdara, Tavaly, Roa, K'sar...That's seven. Think I can count Lord Samien from the gather?" she muses before looking over to Aida, smile slipping wry. "I'm just jerking your chain, Aida. Don't know about Benden, here, but I'm not /really/ offended."
Reyce makes a mocking sound in his throat when Aelan answers the question seriously, and gives her a withering look. "Whatever," he mutters. "I wasn't actually interested." Sipping from his klah at this point, he fixes his gaze on Aida with a shrug. "Just being assholes, she means. I don't care."
"That's good to know," Aida tells them both quite seriously, giving another dip of her head. "But I don't think that I'm going to end up catching the person I've been hoping to catch before I need to be in the infirmary, so I'm going to excuse myself regardless. Good day, both of you." Her tone is polite, words carefully spoken, and with her farewell said she's turning to start limping back towards the tunnel that leads back out to the bowl.
"Good day," Aelan calls after the healer before turning a smirk back towards Reyce. "Boy, you're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? Surprised you /aren't/ in more of the damned etiquette classes I got thrown in." She pauses then, wrinkling her nose. "Of course, you're a boy, so that's probably the difference."
Reyce watches Aida retreat from the room, openly intrigued by her limp. Aelan draws an annoyed look for distracting him. "Actually, I just have a busy schedule, since I am /doing/ things here." The arched eyebrow is clearly meant to imply that she's not. He raises his klah for a sip, only to find that he's already emptied it. He gags on the dregs, spitting them back into his mug with a grimace.
There's a wave over her shoulder, and Aida limps on out. Zoom. Escape!
Aida heads up the short tunnel that leads to the bowl.
Aida has left.
Well, if Reyce isn't going to be polite enough to pretend to have a conversation, Aelan isn't going to be polite enough not to laugh at the gagging! She snorts a brief laugh at the expression, smirking over in turn. "So what're you /doing/ here that's so important, Benden?" she asks, arching a brow.
Reyce pays no mind to her laughter, getting up to dump the contents of his mug into a can left there for that purpose. Then he sets it down next to some other dirty mugs and returns to his seat, only then deigning to answer. "Training for stewardship," he says without enthusiasm, pushing away a scarf that fell down when he moved.
"Sounds charming," Aelan says, watching him with a more serious expression, gaze slightly narrowed. "So you're here to train to do all the work for your half-brother, while he...What? Stays home and relaxes and dices and wenches? Sounds like a bit of a raw deal to me."
"And yet, I am delighted beyond words." Reyce's tone is so dry you could choke on it, but he returns the narrowed gaze with his own, clearly suspicious glare. "Technically, I'm training on my father's behalf. My half-brother, who is more given to sniffing and scorning than dicing and wenching, will no doubt fire me." Having accomplished his goal with that suspicious glare, he looks away with a dark little smile on his face.
"Nothing like a little job security," Aelan snorts softly, setting her empty mug aside and worrying at the side of one thumb with her teeth before drawing it away. "Probably get screwed over in the end. My uncle did," she offers helpfully. She, of course, is also a little ray of sunlight.
Reyce just shrugs, watching her worry at her thumb until (as it quickly does) it grows boring for him. He looks away with a soft, short laugh. "Good for your uncle," is all he says.
Aelan looks over to watch him for a long moment, thoughtful. "You like this with everyone?" she finally asks, folding her legs up under her in the chair as she sets her chin lazily on the heel of one hand.
Reyce endures her thoughtful look without bothering to return it, this time. In answer, he shrugs again. "Sure."
Aelan squints a bit. "So, not to keep going with the whole typical girl route and all that, but why? You just don't like people? Or is it something particular that's offending you?"
Reyce looks at her now, of course, with a frown. "You don't want to go the typical girl route, then don't do it." Which is another way of saying 'No comment.' He scratches at the stubble on his cheek. "Move on, Keroon. I'm not in the mood."
Aelan laughs, smile flashing again as she makes herself comfortable. "In the mood for what? Trust me, Benden, nothing I'm doing requires any sort of mood." She reaches for her empty mug again, starting to inspect it for details.
Reyce frowns at her again, sharply. "In the mood for putting up with this shit. What are you now, one of my teachers? Piss off."
"Nope, I'm an /independent/ pain in the ass. Affiliated with no official organization," Aelan announces nonchalantly, buffing her nails on her shoulder before looking back up with a flash of a dry grin. "Faranth, you're a pissy one."
Reyce seems to be on more familiar territory with this one, pulling himself up in the chair so he can offer his mocking half-bow. "Bastard of Benden, at your service." He subsides with a smirk.
"Has a certain ring to it," Aelan approves with a faint nod before tipping her head back, thoughful. "Embarassment of Keroon doesn't have the same touch. Terror of Keroon? No, never did quite attain terror status," she muses before giving it up with a shrug, still looking up towards the ceiling.
Reyce leans forward suddenly, snagging a small table - meant for homework, no one's using it now - and dragging it towards him. All so he can put his feet up, a small bit of dirt shedding off the bottoms of his boots. "Don't look at me," he grunts, easing back. With his feet up, this chair has become quite comfortable. "Mine was made for me."
"Don't look at you?" Aelan snorts through a laugh, tilting her head up just enough to do so down the bridge of her nose before she drops her head back again. "You know the first thing someone does when you say 'don't' is do it. Try not thinking about anything that gets mentioned." She folds her hands lightly over her stomach, stretching her legs out in front of herself and crossing them at the ankles. "And weren't you kind of made for the name as much as the other way around?"
Reyce closes his eyes. "Your fault if you do, then," he retorts simply, letting out an easy sigh. Upon reflection, he starts gathering the winter clothes from where they're lying on the top of the chair, and balls them up. This ball he tucks safely against his side, scooting to make room. As for her second comment, he says, "Sure. Matter of perspective."
"I think I'll survive the view," Aelan smirks, though she lets her eyes close as she crosses her arms behind her head and leans back. "What's the story behind that, again?" she asks curiously.
Reyce shifts in the chair, with a loud rustle of winter clothing. Putting it next to him was more convenient, but less comfortable. "Behind what?" The usual sharpness is pretty much gone from his tone now, replaced by languid indifference.
Aelan actually hesitates for half a second, as though reluctant to risk losing that moment of less than disdain, before speaking up again. "The whole bastard bit," she finally says, trying to keep the nonchalant tone.
Reyce cracks an eye open, though it's difficult to see her face without raising his head, and he's by no means going to put that much effort into it. The disdain doesn't reappear, but a certain wariness does: "I'm a bastard. Be more specific."
Aelan shrugs one shoulder, keeping her own eyes closed. "There's usually a backstory. A reason. Something all the polite and well-behaved folks whisper about and embellish into a ridiculous tale of orgies and blood-drinking. What's yours?"
Reyce is silent for a bit, then shrugs. "Don't know about reason, other than my father can't keep his dick in his pants. And the backstory's just that he and the groom's sister disappeared from the wedding party for a bit, made me, and came back. That what you meant?"
"Pretty much," Aelan nods slightly, smile quirking after a brief pause. "Must've been more charming than you, though." Absently, she ruffles a hand through her hair, leaving it in a general state of disarray.
Reyce gives a heavy sniff - not prim, just clearing his nose. "Most things are," he concedes, untroubled by the observation. Although, "Don't know what you mean, exactly, but whatever."
There's a soft laugh from Aelan's direction, a wry smile curving as she shakes her head without looking up. "Whatever," she agrees bemusedly. One eye slits open, watching as well as she can without expending any effort. "How long've you been here?"
Reyce flicks his fingers, no more than that. "Little more than a turn. Why?" With Reyce, every question must have a motive behind it.
Aelan shrugs one shoulder. "Just curious. Gauging how long this place'll take to reform my black little heart," she says with a flicker of a smile. "Looks like I've got plenty of time."
Reyce snorts. "Well, we'll see. Been told I'm an especially difficult case." A quiet little smirk crosses his features. A few moments later, he asks, "That what you're here for? Reform?"
"Yuuuup," Aelan drawls with an overly affected Keroon drawl. "Mostly just enough to keep me from being an embarassment, I think. Dad's got nephews coming out his ass, so he doesn't really /need/ me that much. He just needs me not to fuck things up."
"Is that what you've been doing," Reyce replies drily. "For shame, disgracing your father." There's no missing the conscious irony that laces his words.
"The man doesn't have the confidence of half his holders," Aelan notes dryly. "I think I'm probably the least of his problems. Besides, it's his own fault." She sits up a bit, looking towards the entrance of the cavern for a moment. "You know, they've got next to nothing in the way of runners here," she observes.
Reyce listens quietly to her observations on her father's problems, absorbing the information with a slow nod. He snorts at the next comment, though. "I know, and don't care. It's not like you could ride them anywhere, around here." He adds in a grumble, shifting in the chair, "What the fuck's with women and runners, I don't know."
"Don't have to con or pay a runner to get you out," Aelan smirks, standing suddenly and brushing herself off as she moves the chair back where it was. "Not that you'd get far in this weather, but it's the whole feeling like you could if you wanted bit."
Reyce actually raises his head at this, watching her put the chair back through narrowed eyes. "What are you, planning an escape?" /There's/ the derision in his tone, back again it would seem.
"Nope," Aelan says, shaking her head. "Like I said, it's not so much the leaving as the knowing you could." She shrugs one shoulder, dropping the subject. "See ya 'round, Benden," she says with a brief wave before turning back towards the barracks with no more ado.