Opposites Attract (Kalina)

[Ruby]

Early morning - er, correction. It was evening for most people, Piden supposed, dinner time. He'd been nocturnal so long he'd nearly forgotten. That had been happening more and more lately; before now he nearly always had ties to the day-world, but these days he found himself more and more in the night-world. Part of that was Ceryl, who he'd been spending a large (probably unnecessarily large) amount of time with, but whatever it was, it was time to branch out. Generally Piden didn't linger over meals; rather he snacked and ate as he went, given that three salamandyrs and a watch cadre title made him a fairly busy man. Today, though, was different.

He was tired of his people, so he took to the kitchens, launching into a whole cooking project while drudges scurried around, cleaning up after dinner. Oatcakes, he decided, were the way to go, except he didn't really know how to make oatcakes, and that had turned out to be a challenge. Piles of bowls and skillets covered a counter back in the kitchens, but he'd finally perfected something, and took to the dining hall with a big pile of oatcakes - more than enough for two - a crock of butter, and some sweet syrup. Now all he needed was someone pretty to share it with. Shells and Three were off hunting, but Red was with him, and, sensing his mood, she peeked her head out of his shirt, shivering and retching for a moment before she found what she wanted. Pretty, she said, directing his attention to a woman with black hair that had just entered the dining hall.

"You think?" Piden asked, but he was already moving, setting a course to intercept the woman... until he realized who she was, and why Red had recognized her. "Kalina?" He hadn't seen the Greenrider in, oh, it had to be turns - nocturnal schedules and other greenriders had kept them apart, he supposed, in addition to them not having been the closest of friends in the first place. Except there was, of course, the time Pidesk had tried to chase her dragon. They would always have that. "Care to join me for some oatcakes?" Might as well start simple.

[archenstone]

Kalina walked into the hall after a long day of patrol. Today was slow and uneventful. There had been no sight of the Riders from Burimyu or anything else interesting in a while. In fact part of her route had been over a lake where she had an impromptu picnic. Certainly not to be derelict with her duties. After all, who wouldn't take a lunch break? That was hours ago though and her stomach reminded her once more that it wanted something. So she started to make her way into the crowd.

She didn't get very far before some one approached her. She turned to look at him, taking in the red hair and green eyes she recognized but couldn't....

"Piden." The name came to her. Of course. She felt silly for not recognizing him sooner. Then again it had been awhile. Sensing Kalina's lightening mood Arcturius deigned to greet Piden and Red with a chirrup from her shoulder. She smiled, glancing at the plate of oatcakes with butter and syrup. He looked a little burdened to her. "Sure. Let me help you with that." She stepped closer so she could help carry the food.

[Ruby]

Piden practically beamed at Kalina as he handed over syrup and butter so he could get a better grip on the unnecessarily large stack of oatcakes. This was exactly what he had been looking for: an old friend, someone he hadn't spoken to in a long time, someone who didn't have anything against him like so many people seemed to these days (all the new Wherlings seemed hopelessly shy of him). Honestly, he had to figure out who was spreading rumors about him and set it right. He'd suspect Dmitri and Eikane if he thought they'd ever be able to talk about him that way... whatever. He was going to forget about those sorts of things tonight.

Snagging a skin of wine off a passing drudge - because wine OBVIOUSLY went perfectly with pancakes, duh - Piden led the way to a quiet table in the corner, even going so far as to pull Kalina's chair out for her when they reached it. Once both of them were seated, he poured a glass of wine for both of them, then served himself a big stack of oatcakes, adding butter and a touch of syrup too.

All of a sudden, he realized that there was a bit of silence, and it was drifting towards awkward. It certainly wasn't there yet, but if he let it go much longer... well he wasn't about to let it do that, now was he? "It is so good to see you, Kalina, you have no idea. How've you been? I feel like I've been trapped in the dark for ages, our new... 'leadership' doesn't let us leave the Apartments unless you sign in and out, and I don't particularly like all of them knowing where I am at all times. How's Uminth?" There, awkwardness averted by endless chatter.

[archenstone]

She happily took hold of the butter and syrup, one for each hand. As she followed him she wondered why she hadn't bumped into him before with how erratic she was in terms of dinner these days. Then again, it wasn't much of a surprise. By nature they dwelt on two different schedules. She almost chuckled as he swiped a wine skin. It might have been dinner for her but this was his breakfast! They walked all the way across the hall to a more secluded table. As Piden pulled the chair out she gave him a smile, "Thanks," sat down. Setting the butter and syrup on the table.

She set a couple of oatcakes on her plate and drizzled butter and syrup across them till satisfied they were properly flavored. Then enjoying a sip of wine before digging in, she glanced across the table at him. He seemed to notice her gaze after a minute and started talking. She tilted her head and she listened, taking a small bite of the oakcakes while he spoke.

"It's good to see you too Piden. Things just haven't been the same have they? I don't like how they're always checking on us like we're about to grow wherry feathers and fly off on our own wings!" She chuckled lightly at the thought. "Uminth is good, she's starting to get restless though, always moving around. The Weyr space bothers her and she used to go out at night. Now every time she tries I hear about it.

"So how about you and Pidesk? Ever sneak out for the shells of it?" She grinned conspiratorially.

[Ruby]

Piden took a small sip of wine, setting the glass back down again somewhat out of reach. It was breakfast, after all, and he didn't plan to overdo it. "Things have been different indeed. I wonder what their strategy is, honestly, keeping us all caged in; where, exactly, would we go? I mean Wherhandlers can find work at holds, usually, but Dragonriders don't exactly have much of a choice. Selenitas still has to be better than Fort and Benden, no?"

And now: oatcakes. Taking another bite, Piden made a generally appreciative noise, approving. He was a fairly decent cook when he set his mind to it. "Me and Pidesk are good... he's happy enough with his children and almost-siblings. Oh, and Ceryl and Cerysk came back, did you ever know the two of them? Pidesk and Cerysk came from the same clutch, so he absolutely adores her. He hardly feels trapped, I think he got enough of wandering during the two years we spent up North. Me on the other hand..."

Piden trailed off, glancing sideways to make sure there wasn't a Weyrleader or other Wasteland minion lurking over his shoulder. As soon as he was sure there wasn't, he matched her grin for grin. "I don't know, I've never been much of one for rules, and I do like seeing the sun occasionally. It's not even that I feel the need to go anywhere in particular, I just like avoiding the guard occasionally. And you? Ever let Uminth off her leash, and come visit us night folk?" With a mock-offended tone, he added, "I'll be heartbroken if you've been to visit and haven't stopped by my apartment."

[archenstone]

Kalina munched on the oatcakes while Piden talked. Shaking her head 'no' in answer his question about Cerl and Cerysk before taking a sip of wine. Something about the fact that he wasn't drinking himself into a buzz made her happy. Though why it should matter, well, she wasn't sure. She leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her grin widened. "Me? Uminth and I go out occasionally but we never stick around. "

She blinked and switched to more playful tone. "As for visiting the 'Night Folk'...I don't do much of that. But perhaps next time I'm out I'll stop by. I wouldn't dream of going to the apartments and not saying hi to you." She was comfortable around Piden. She knew she could be herself, be quirky, be silly, flirtations or however she wanted.
Letting the teasing tone drop back to her usual playful one she confided about her hidey hole.

"Actually there's a patch of forest I used to go to before I was Searched. Its....secluded and far enough away that Uminth and I can do as we please." She paused for a moment, thinking. "You know....its pretty much halfway between here and Blossom Hold. Maybe if we have an evening I'll show you and Pidesk. There's a sink hole or.....something there. Maybe Pidesk would like exploring it."

[Ruby]

"An evening?" Piden asked, glancing significantly out a window. "Well, technically it's morning for me, but it certainly looks like evening for the rest of the weyr." That certainly sounded like a good idea - for an interesting sink/hidey hole far away from the Weyr, Piden would give up a lot. Not that he had a lot to give, but whatever. Yeah, the forest was technically his, but most of it was really boring and not anywhere near as secluded as Piden wanted. Moonflower Meadow was nice (and a great place to bring girls if you wanted to get into their pants, girls had a weird thing about flowers) but Nautic had found that, and all the Handlers used it. You could never tell when some sexy liaison was about to get a little too public.

Yes, an excellent idea. Spearing another bite of pancakes to hurry the meal along, Piden gestured with it, towards the Weyr in general. "Unless you have something to do tonight... no idea what you Dragonrider's schedules are like. Me and Pidesk have watch, but that doesn't start till 1 am, so we have plenty of time until then, and I could call out if I needed to. Roi owes me a favor, and come to think of it, so does Nautic. Pidesk's not as fast as Uminth, I'm sure, but if you and I Between out there with Uminth, Pidesk can follow us on foot, and we can Between back together. I'd say he could get coordinates from her, but he's never Betweened from a dragon's instructions before. I'd be worried about an old dog/new tricks scenario, but otherwise I would love to go once dinner's done. I can make sure no one worries about where we are."

[archenstone]

Kalina took another sip of wine and smiled. "I suppose we can go tonight." Her face grew blank for a moment. "Uminth is ready to go. She's stretched out by the river but will meet up with us so we can head out." She grew quiet for a moment before adding, "We might want to bring a glow too. You have Pidesk's eyes to help you but Uminth and I aren't so well equipped." She smiled at him. This could be fun. She felt full so she didn't bother to eat any more, simply sipping the wine while she waited. She didn't want it to get to her head, but she was also quite thirsty.

"I wouldn't know how coordinates would differ from dragons to whers but I suppose safer than sorry. I wouldn't want to see Pidesk hurt." A tendril of excitement began to make its way through her. An adventure! And an adventure could mean well, fun certainly, but who knows what else?

[Ruby]

Leaning back in his chair, Piden surveyed the damage. It had seemed like a short conversation, but the oatcakes had apparently been good enough that he kept eating them when he wasn't talking, and they were almost gone. Taking one last bite, he nodded at the meal in general, obviously pleased. "A glowbasket indeed... I see pretty well in the dark, but not on ground I don't know. You grab that and a jacket, I'll get a blanket and some dessert? We can make a picnic of it, or something," Matching her smile with a somewhat wicked smile of his own, he pushed back from the table, standing up with a very decided air about him. "I'll meet you by the drumheights in ten minutes? Have Uminth tell Pidesk if you need help sneaking past the guards."

And that was that. Piden snagged the half-empty skin of wine, then dissapeared into the kitchen to procure a variety of tasty things. Packing them into a little hamper was the work of moments, and Piden took it with him back down to his apartment. Somewhere he had an old blanket that they could sit on... ah, there it was. Three had turned it in to a nest, of course, but she was out hunting so Piden snagged it, tossing it over a shoulder as he headed back for the surface, sending a mental call out for Pidesk. Come on, Desky, we're going on an adventure! Oh? The Wher asked, trotting out of the forest to stop at Piden's side. It had been some time since they had an adventure.