Her Verdict
Location: D'ven and Teraneth's Weyr
Time: Evening on Day 8, Month 11, Turn 2
Players: D'ven and Roa
Scene: Roa vists D'ven to tell him what she's learned.
It's the middle of the evening, and D'ven is relaxing in his weyr. Feet are up on his desk, and he's playing his guitar while singing along. It's quite a cheerful, bouncy, tune. "All around my hat, I will wear the green willow. And all around my hat, for a twelve month and a day. And if anyone should ask me, the reason why I'm wearing it. It's my shardin' willow, and it's my shardin' hat." It's easy to surmise, partly from the grin on his face, that the chorus isn't supposed to go quite like that.
Neither a willow nor a hat nor a guitar is Tialith. She is, however, something that is now in, or just outside, D'ven's weyr. Her diminutive rider scrambles down, satchel over her shoulder, smiling faintly at the bits of the song that float her way as she steps inside. It's cold and she wears her riding leathers. "Hello," Roa greets, eyes moving to take in the reclining bronzerider. "I'm back."
About to launch into the next verse, D'ven very slowly stops and puts the guitar down. Standing, he turns to face Roa. "Welcome back. You've been missed." He comments dryly, mouth twitching at the corners before he turns more serious. "So. How are you? Can I get you anything?" His eyes roam her face, looking for some sort of clue.
"Sure," Roa moves to take a seat. "Whatever Susannah's recently offered up would be fine." The satchel is removed and set on the floor as Roa makes herself comfortable. "Had a good seven? I didn't know you could play the gitar."
Pouring two drinks, D'ven does his best to hide the shaking hand. "Yes, I've had a reasonable time of things. Yourself? And I picked it up at Caucus, so I could accompany myself while singing." Drinks are placed down, and he slides back into a chair.
"I feel better then," Roa notes as she accepts the glass. "You didn't send me to meet anybody at Caucus." She exhales slowly. "So, how do we do this? I have questions, and I have my answer as well. Do I just...say? Do you want to add or note anything? I...this is all a bit unusual. I'm not really sure how to start." If she notices that shaking hand, Roa is kind enough not to say so.
D'ven looks thoughtful for a moment. "Neither am I. I think this is new to both of us." There's a pause. "Why don't you ask your questions? They might inform or alter your answer slightly, after all." And it allows him to put off hearing said answer.
"Well," begins Roa, pausing to take a small sip "the first is in regards to something that wasn't mentioned at all. So either I asked the wrong questions, or I'm still not meant to know. But the question is, why did you omit my learning about whatever happened in your past? That thing you thought I knew, but that I don't?"
"Because I can't send you anywhere to learn that." D'ven replies, before adding with a wry and slightly strained smile "Also, I'm not sure if I'm quite that brave yet. I know I should tell you, but...well, we'll come back to that later."
Roa tips her glass up in a little toast to that. "Later then," she says easily. "Or not at all." A small shrug, as if it truly doesn't matter. She takes another small sip. "My other question." Her head cants to the side a little bit. "Why do all your heroines have blue eyes?"
D'ven manages to control his expression, merely nodding his head slightly. "You're every bit as good as I thought you were." He murmurs, even managing a slight smile. "Which is precisely why I'm not going to tell you. You have all the information you need to answer that question yourself."
A small nod. "All right. I'd guess," she muses, turning her glass slowly, "Well, I'm sorry about your mother. I'd bet she had blue eyes." she winces faintly. "I really hate that phrase, by the way. Sorry. It's so empty."
"It is, isn't it." D'ven agrees with a slow nod. "But, it's better than nothing." There's a half shrug. "From what I understand, she did not suffer. That's something, at least."
"That is," Roa agrees softly. She turns the glass again, watching the liquid within. "So, then." She draws in a slow breath.
D'ven smiles, though there's no humor in it. "So, then. You're here, and we're talking civilly. I'm guessing that's a good sign."
"I like to think I'm civil to everyone," Roa laughs, "but, yes. I think I have a better sense of who you are, although I cannot say it was so very different from who I thought you were. Just more detailed now. You're more stubborn than I thought. More unforgiving of yourself and others. More arrogant." A tiny smile, "or you were."
"You do seem to have got a fairly good sense of things." D'ven agrees with a nod, taking a deep breath. There, this isn't so difficult after all. "I'm glad you feel you know me better, now."
Roa reaches down, pulling up her satchel and setting it on her lap. "I'd like you to do something for me. Something I know you don't want to do. I'd like you to do it, anyhow."
D'ven gives a quirky half-smile. "Well, you sure know how to make a request sound interesting. Should have known if I let you into my life you'd start thinking you could tinker with it and make me do things I didn't want to." There's no actual ill-humor in his tone, and he seems mostly amused.
Roa smirks faintly. "You really should have," she agrees with a laugh. "-You- know -me- well enough by now to have figured it out." She flips the satchel open, drawing out a hand-held mirror. "First off. For you. Thought you should have it." The small item is held out towards D'ven.
"Oh." D'ven says rather quietly, taking the mirror very carefully and reverently placing it in his lap for the moment. It's clear, despite his poker face, that he recognises it. "Thanks, I think."
"Second," Roa draws in a careful breath. "Also for you. You are not the only person in your family who has made a past mistake that they have regretted since." That carefully folded hide is drawn out and also extended towards D'ven. Her eyes lift to meet his. "Read it," she says, soft and solemn. "Promise me."
D'ven draws back, away from the hide. "Roa..." He begins, trying to watch it and her at the same time. Eventually, he sighs. "Very well. I'll read it." The folded hide is taken, and placed on the table. The bronzerider then very carefully looks doesn't look at the table.
"Thank you. I haven't the right to ask. I know it. I'm asking anyhow." Her eyes again dart to the hide. Or maybe the table so she can lean forward and set her glass down. "And now, I suppose, I'd better leave you with the hat and the willow. Homework and all. You remember." Roa rolls her eyes with a soft sigh.
"Yes, I remember." D'ven replies with a nod, and a small smile. "You should come back, sometime soon. You will, won't you? Come back, I mean. And soon. It's important."
"Yeh, I'll come back," Roa confirms with a small smile. She picks up her satchel, settling it over her shoulder. "No reason why I shouldn't. Tomorrow if you like, or whenever. Have Teraneth ask Tialith, when you're free."
D'ven smiles. "I will do. Tomorrow sounds good. We have...things to talk about. Enjoy your evening, and good luck with that homework." Unusually, he doesn't rise to see his guest out.
"Luck, time, extra hours in the day. Any of them will do, really." Then Roa makes her way onto the ledge, onto Tialith, and over the short way between her weyr and D'ven's.
Time: Evening on Day 8, Month 11, Turn 2
Players: D'ven and Roa
Scene: Roa vists D'ven to tell him what she's learned.
It's the middle of the evening, and D'ven is relaxing in his weyr. Feet are up on his desk, and he's playing his guitar while singing along. It's quite a cheerful, bouncy, tune. "All around my hat, I will wear the green willow. And all around my hat, for a twelve month and a day. And if anyone should ask me, the reason why I'm wearing it. It's my shardin' willow, and it's my shardin' hat." It's easy to surmise, partly from the grin on his face, that the chorus isn't supposed to go quite like that.
Neither a willow nor a hat nor a guitar is Tialith. She is, however, something that is now in, or just outside, D'ven's weyr. Her diminutive rider scrambles down, satchel over her shoulder, smiling faintly at the bits of the song that float her way as she steps inside. It's cold and she wears her riding leathers. "Hello," Roa greets, eyes moving to take in the reclining bronzerider. "I'm back."
About to launch into the next verse, D'ven very slowly stops and puts the guitar down. Standing, he turns to face Roa. "Welcome back. You've been missed." He comments dryly, mouth twitching at the corners before he turns more serious. "So. How are you? Can I get you anything?" His eyes roam her face, looking for some sort of clue.
"Sure," Roa moves to take a seat. "Whatever Susannah's recently offered up would be fine." The satchel is removed and set on the floor as Roa makes herself comfortable. "Had a good seven? I didn't know you could play the gitar."
Pouring two drinks, D'ven does his best to hide the shaking hand. "Yes, I've had a reasonable time of things. Yourself? And I picked it up at Caucus, so I could accompany myself while singing." Drinks are placed down, and he slides back into a chair.
"I feel better then," Roa notes as she accepts the glass. "You didn't send me to meet anybody at Caucus." She exhales slowly. "So, how do we do this? I have questions, and I have my answer as well. Do I just...say? Do you want to add or note anything? I...this is all a bit unusual. I'm not really sure how to start." If she notices that shaking hand, Roa is kind enough not to say so.
D'ven looks thoughtful for a moment. "Neither am I. I think this is new to both of us." There's a pause. "Why don't you ask your questions? They might inform or alter your answer slightly, after all." And it allows him to put off hearing said answer.
"Well," begins Roa, pausing to take a small sip "the first is in regards to something that wasn't mentioned at all. So either I asked the wrong questions, or I'm still not meant to know. But the question is, why did you omit my learning about whatever happened in your past? That thing you thought I knew, but that I don't?"
"Because I can't send you anywhere to learn that." D'ven replies, before adding with a wry and slightly strained smile "Also, I'm not sure if I'm quite that brave yet. I know I should tell you, but...well, we'll come back to that later."
Roa tips her glass up in a little toast to that. "Later then," she says easily. "Or not at all." A small shrug, as if it truly doesn't matter. She takes another small sip. "My other question." Her head cants to the side a little bit. "Why do all your heroines have blue eyes?"
D'ven manages to control his expression, merely nodding his head slightly. "You're every bit as good as I thought you were." He murmurs, even managing a slight smile. "Which is precisely why I'm not going to tell you. You have all the information you need to answer that question yourself."
A small nod. "All right. I'd guess," she muses, turning her glass slowly, "Well, I'm sorry about your mother. I'd bet she had blue eyes." she winces faintly. "I really hate that phrase, by the way. Sorry. It's so empty."
"It is, isn't it." D'ven agrees with a slow nod. "But, it's better than nothing." There's a half shrug. "From what I understand, she did not suffer. That's something, at least."
"That is," Roa agrees softly. She turns the glass again, watching the liquid within. "So, then." She draws in a slow breath.
D'ven smiles, though there's no humor in it. "So, then. You're here, and we're talking civilly. I'm guessing that's a good sign."
"I like to think I'm civil to everyone," Roa laughs, "but, yes. I think I have a better sense of who you are, although I cannot say it was so very different from who I thought you were. Just more detailed now. You're more stubborn than I thought. More unforgiving of yourself and others. More arrogant." A tiny smile, "or you were."
"You do seem to have got a fairly good sense of things." D'ven agrees with a nod, taking a deep breath. There, this isn't so difficult after all. "I'm glad you feel you know me better, now."
Roa reaches down, pulling up her satchel and setting it on her lap. "I'd like you to do something for me. Something I know you don't want to do. I'd like you to do it, anyhow."
D'ven gives a quirky half-smile. "Well, you sure know how to make a request sound interesting. Should have known if I let you into my life you'd start thinking you could tinker with it and make me do things I didn't want to." There's no actual ill-humor in his tone, and he seems mostly amused.
Roa smirks faintly. "You really should have," she agrees with a laugh. "-You- know -me- well enough by now to have figured it out." She flips the satchel open, drawing out a hand-held mirror. "First off. For you. Thought you should have it." The small item is held out towards D'ven.
"Oh." D'ven says rather quietly, taking the mirror very carefully and reverently placing it in his lap for the moment. It's clear, despite his poker face, that he recognises it. "Thanks, I think."
"Second," Roa draws in a careful breath. "Also for you. You are not the only person in your family who has made a past mistake that they have regretted since." That carefully folded hide is drawn out and also extended towards D'ven. Her eyes lift to meet his. "Read it," she says, soft and solemn. "Promise me."
D'ven draws back, away from the hide. "Roa..." He begins, trying to watch it and her at the same time. Eventually, he sighs. "Very well. I'll read it." The folded hide is taken, and placed on the table. The bronzerider then very carefully looks doesn't look at the table.
"Thank you. I haven't the right to ask. I know it. I'm asking anyhow." Her eyes again dart to the hide. Or maybe the table so she can lean forward and set her glass down. "And now, I suppose, I'd better leave you with the hat and the willow. Homework and all. You remember." Roa rolls her eyes with a soft sigh.
"Yes, I remember." D'ven replies with a nod, and a small smile. "You should come back, sometime soon. You will, won't you? Come back, I mean. And soon. It's important."
"Yeh, I'll come back," Roa confirms with a small smile. She picks up her satchel, settling it over her shoulder. "No reason why I shouldn't. Tomorrow if you like, or whenever. Have Teraneth ask Tialith, when you're free."
D'ven smiles. "I will do. Tomorrow sounds good. We have...things to talk about. Enjoy your evening, and good luck with that homework." Unusually, he doesn't rise to see his guest out.
"Luck, time, extra hours in the day. Any of them will do, really." Then Roa makes her way onto the ledge, onto Tialith, and over the short way between her weyr and D'ven's.