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Post by glamourie on Mar 16, 2009 1:00:27 GMT -5
It was the middle of the night and he was extremely hungry. That was Ka’rys’s mental justification for it; he was half-starved. Even still, he knew that he was being childish. Logically, he could rouse Ciceroth and the bronze would contact Hepaticath. No doubt Savitri would be willing to bring him food if he asked her… especially considering the alternative was him stumbling around on his injured ankle. The problem was, Ka’rys didn’t want to wake the gold rider or, indeed, face her at all. He was worried that she was angry with him; worried that she would somehow see him as at fault for -- well, anything really. His experience with gold riders and logic wasn’t exactly good and while Savitri was consistently better than her ilk, that didn’t mean she was logical where certain things was concerned. Most likely she’d be even less so in the middle of the night, roused fresh from her dreams… and for him to eat, of all things. No, no. Best not to bother her. Best to face her some other time when - when he was on better footing (no pun intended).
So it was that when he’d woke from a fitful slumber, Ka’rys climbed to his feet. He was able to walk - a feat which amazed him. He’d expected to be sore after -- after Ophelie’s flight, which he was carefully blocking out of his mind for the sake of his own sanity. He was determined not to be angry or upset, though there were some undertones of both that even he couldn’t completely blot out (he attributed those feelings primarily to the worry over how Savitri would react when he spoke to her). The best way to deal with that… awkward… situation was to not deal with it, or so he felt. It was working well enough. Being able to walk (albeit with some extreme discomfort) helped considerably. He was fairly sure if he’d been stuck in bed he would have throttled someone immediately. Preferably a certain redheaded bronze rider who he’d always hoped would fall off of a cliff; a hope which was heightened, though not yet to murderous levels (to his own astonishment).
The green fire lizard in question was posed with a duty that she took very seriously. Ka’rys insisted that she and Liette watch over Kalerary while she slept, curled up in her father’s furs as if she owned them. Reggie was hardly a sufficient guard feline, though he certainly had no problem sprawling out at the far end and eyeing the fire lizards’ tails with a quiet hunger that was inherent to his species. Squirms was even less suited to guard duty, being more focused on chasing a particularly crunchy looking vtol bug that was putting on an impressive performance of escapism. Ophelie was by far the better caretaker of the two greens, however, for Liette was as distracted by the bug as Squirms, and was flying behind him to try and get a better look. The older green perched delicately and fluttered her wings as her humanpet whispered his request to her.
Ka’rys found it was very hard to stay mad at Ophelie. She was dutifully dedicated to him, and loved him unconditionally; not unlike the bronze behemoth sprawled out on the weyrledge. When he’d first awoke, he positively raged at the green… and if fire lizards could have cried, she likely would have. The utter sorrow and hurt she felt was enough to turn his anger off. He was still displeased, but not actively… and it wouldn’t be long until he and Ophelie were back on normal terms again. The green was very good at placating her bonded.
From the ledge, Ciceroth snorted. Ka’rys glanced at the dragon as he hopped toward the entrance of the weyr. The dragon folded one wing down over his face and made another low snuffing noise - quite possibly the dragon version of snoring. The bronze rider rolled his eyes and tightened his blanket around himself. The blanket functioned like a shield for him - sort of. It wasn’t a real shield or anything that provided that great of protection, but it comforted him. Blue-gray, it was, like storm clouds; it was a gift from Savitri, and he felt safer wearing it. For that reason, he kept it wound around his body as he hobbled his way from the weyr into the hallway. No doubt anyone who saw him would find the bronze rider a comical sight, stumbling as he was, with one hand on the wall for balance. His blanket looked like a cape and complimented the black pants he wore to sleep - and little else. All he needed was something to fasten it around his neck and he could be Super Ka’rys. Riiight.
The trip to the main hall was a very, very long one. It had to have taken at least an hour to make his way there, and by the time he reached the kitchens, he was shameless. To keep off of his ankle (better late than never?) he climbed onto one of the counters and sat perched there… and then proceeded to rifle through the cabinets for something that he could eat. He didn’t touch red meat, so the meatrolls were out. He wasn’t really in the mood for anything of that nature. What he wanted was a nice, juicy red fruit… but unfortunately, he strongly suspected it was in one of the other cabinets. He wished he’d taken the time to get one of the glow baskets to check, but unfortunately, he hadn’t. Ka’rys was used to rummaging around in the dark. It was no stranger to him, darkness. He’d just have to make due with what he found. His hand smacked around and he squinted slightly before it came in contact with what was probably a loaf of bread. Preening, he pulled it down in the darkness and lounged back.
Yum.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 16, 2009 18:45:57 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know, shhh," he murmured to the squirming bundle in his arms, fumbling around for the babe's blanket. It was awfully dark in here and he was operating about as well as he usually did after just waking up, which was to say there would be several new bruises on his toes and shins come morning. Or was it morning now? Couldn't really tell past the great bulk of Salenth sprawled peacefully across his couch. Salenth was the reason for the lack of light; S'rei didn't care to wake the bronze every time Shei threw up a fuss in the middle of the night.
Which was, admittedly, less and less often as of late.
Another mewling whimper was the child's only protest to his wrapping the blanket around her. He'd rather hoped it wasn't hunger, but there was no other option now, so they'd have to make the small trip to the main hall. The last of the food in the weyr had been eaten this morning and with with the...rather unusual...course of events this afternoon, S'rei had managed to forget that he needed to get more. Shei wriggled closer against the warmth of his chest, gnawing on the edge of the blanket in a show of temporary contentment. Once she found that simply biting at the fabric wasn't doing anything for the pangs in her stomach, though, she'd be back to fussing.
Catching up a discarded shirt, he worked his arms into the sleeves, but didn't really want to put Shei down long enough to actually button it. She wasn't normally a screamer, but losing her dad's touch and feeling uncomfortable all at once tended to bring that out. S'rei slipped out into the passages and up the stairs, having to duck his head here and there in places that weren't meant for men his size. Something wriggled along his back. Startled, he jumped slightly and cracked his head into the stone, causing Shei to jolt and start in with a cry of protest.
lauriebadmanymanybadleavewormbadbadlaurie
He glared at the darker splotch that must have been his troublemaking salamandyr as she eased out from beneath his collar and latched onto his shoulder. Still walking, he quieted Shei as best he could, though he suspected it was Worm more than him; the salamandyr slithered down his chest and nestled up against the babe's cheek, patiently allowing her tail to be tugged. Rubbing at his smarting head with his free hand, he wandered into the kitchens and promptly stubbed a toe in the darkness. He wasn't really made for night time wanderings, he thought to himself ruefully.
Any further musings were cut off by a wail of protest from Shei, who suddenly became quite animated. "Hush, hun. Just give me a few seconds..." But it wasn't hunger, he realized, as he noted that Worm had gone missing.
ofleeofleeloveofleecome...nowhereofleewhereofleeeee!
S'rei grimaced. Great. He'd hoped Worm would get over this Ophelie fix like a normal salamandyr. "Yeah, just keep going, pest," he hissed to the green, wondering if he could convince her to stay away for awhile - preferably a few sevendays. One of Shei's hands caught on his ear then, practically yanking it right off the side of his head. He couldn't hold back the yelp, finally locating a glowbasket and uncovering it. This was turning into a zoo. He caught Shei's fingers and delicately began prying them away from his ear, glancing over the cabinets in the vain hope that he'd be able to tell which he needed just by looking...
Perfect. He'd found Worm. S'rei suppressed a groan at the sight of the salamandyr currently hopping in the lap of the last man he wanted to see right now. What was Ka'rys doing perched up on the counter and wrapped in a blanket like that? The older bronzerider squinted rather suspiciously at him for a long moment. "Stop bothering him, Worm," he commanded finally. The green's chatter abruptly cut off, but all she did was plop herself down on Ka'rys's thigh expectantly, waiting for Ophelie to emerge. S'rei had a nearly overwhelming urge to roll his eyes.
Deciding to ignore the gold dragon in the room, he stepped to one of the cabinets and peered inside, frowning before moving on to the next one. "That junior goldrider you lay claim to isn't going to be happy," he commented dryly. S'rei removed a pan and moved on to find something to boil down for Shei. The little one had stopped her crying and was staring at Ka'rys with her wide, moistened blues, as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Then she smiled tentatively.
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Post by glamourie on Mar 16, 2009 22:56:23 GMT -5
Nonononononnonononononono.
Ka'rys twitched (though it was hidden by the shadow of the kitchens) at the sound of 'speaking' which he knew to be that of a salamandyr. The anger that painted over his face was nothing short of very dangerous. However, it was quickly wiped away by his sector of the kitchens lighting up and Ka'rys instinctively cringed away from the light source, his free hand coming up to shield his eyes. It took him a few moments to adjust, a split second of awkward blinking, and then he dropped his hand to look down at... a small weight on his leg. A very small weight, almost imperceptible, but she was very prominent against the dark fabric. His eyes narrowed slightly and he pulled a piece of his bread apart before poking the hunk of it into his mouth. What exactly was the little maggot trying to say...? His nose crinkled in obvious disapproval, but before he could deduce exactly what she wanted, a voice reached him.
S'rei. Possibly the person he least wanted to see in the Weyr. Ka'rys cringed noticeably and reached down to pry Worm off of his leg - albeit gently; harming her was not his goal even if he was unbelievably angry with her and Ophelie both. Still. "If you're looking for Ophelie, she's babysitting Kalerary and you'd do well not to go near my weyr; the feline will eat you." Holding the salamandyr by the middle of her tail (so as to avoid hurting her), he reached out and offered her to S'rei. Even though his tone was sharp, there was no denying that the contact was not; he was being careful to avoid harm coming to the little green. "Go back to yours, would you? Liette won't like you perching on me, even if Ophelie wouldn't mind."
Did the entire Weyr know that he and Savitri were seeing one another? Awkward. How did S'rei know her anyway? A hint of possessiveness crept into his mind and Ka'rys forced back the first thought to occur to him. It was very, very unlikely that S'rei would ever seek to claim another goldrider. The first one was -- shall we say -- bad enough. Savitri wasn't like Shmee, but maybe - maybe the former Weyrwoman burnt him enough? So why was it then that Ka'rys did not feel relieved in the least by that thought and was, instead, tempted to hiss and inquire just how S'rei knew her at all? What contact they had? He didn't want to share Savitri with anyone. Least of all S'rei. The thought made him twitch, but his angry responses were quickly cut off before they could begin by the small bundle in S'rei's arms. Only, to Ka'rys, Shei didn't look small at all. How she'd grown since he saw her last!
"Savitri is rarely pleased with me," he replied with a sarcastic drawl that made it clear he didn't expect anything less. He didn't really want to discuss her, though. Talking about her too much might summon up her little white monster and in turn the goldrider herself. Facing Savitri and S'rei at the same time was not high on his list of things to do. Instead, he rifled through his mind to find a new topic - probably less likely to be uncomfortable, at least from his angle. Selfish though it was, he couldn't care less how comfortable S'rei happened to be. He was lucky he didn't get stabbed, period. Plenty of others would have acted without hesitation, as he probably should have. Though, the primary reason he didn't was looking right at him. Ka'rys squinted at Shei before lifting his free hand and closing his fingers, then opening them again, in a minute, tiny wave. She'd gotten so big, she had... and looked a touch more like her mother with those eyes. He didn't tell S'rei that, as it would probably just dig into still open wounds. Ka'rys wasn't that much of a monster. "What are you looking for...?"
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 17, 2009 16:03:36 GMT -5
Worm dangled placidly from his fingers, perhaps hoping that if she was good Ophelie would appear. The little salamandyr actually maintained her silence long enough to hear the bronzerider out, which was a small miracle. That silence didn't last long, though. noofleenoweyrofleenocomecomeno? she asked, quite subdued. S'rei's eyes flicked to Ka'rys's face as he reached out for Worm and he tsked softly. "I'm sure she'll come out eventually," he told the salamandyr, despite his annoyance with her. Hard to be upset with Worm when she was this...disappointed. The bronzerider couldn't help but feel the same disappointment. Irritating but true nonetheless.
Salamandyrs were nothing but trouble.
Couldn't get past the fact that she was one of the only things keeping him sane, though. Relatively speaking. Worm. Salenth. Shei. Without them...he probably would have wandered off somewhere and let things take their natural course. The small creature scampered up his arm and snuggled up with Shei, the two finding comfort in each other. Returning to the cabinets, he glanced back at Ka'rys, tossing his head slightly to clear the hair from his eyes. Far too long...long enough to touch his shoulders. He kept meaning to cut it, but there was always something more important to do. S'rei found something strangely...softening...about Ka'rys in this lighting. He looked away, an unvoiced curse on his lips. Savitri. The bronzerider could honestly say he hoped that Ka'rys had better luck with goldriders than he did.
"Most women are like that, from what I've seen," he said, more for something to say than ought else. "Nothing's ever good enough." He sniffed. "Even Sage complained a lot, come to think." Not the best way to turn the conversation. He was relieved at Ka'rys's question. Meant they could talk about something else. His hand closed around a fruit. "Found it." Taking three in one large hand, he placed two on the counter and, unaware of the little finger wiggle his daughter was returning to Ka'rys at just this moment, he tossed the last fruit to the other man. "Here. Take one."
The man was clearly used to doing things one-handed; he even managed to get a fire started with little effort. He'd chosen these fruits because they didn't require peeling. The skin actually tasted fairly good boiled down. Shei loved it. If you're going to make a trip to the kitchens in the middle of the night, might as well do the food thing right, eh? Sliding onto a table opposite both Ka'rys and the boiling water, he rested Shei on his knee, bouncing her gently. The babe had Worm cuddled up against her and giggled a little, though she kept throwing glances at Ka'rys.
Shei reached a hand toward the other. "Flee?" S'rei wrinkled his nose. Worm must be talking to her. "No hun. Rys. Can you say Rys?" Shei looked up at her dad, then back at Ka'rys. "Rissss." The man nodded. "Yes. Rys." He glanced up at the man wrapped in his blankets. "Seems to like you."
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Post by glamourie on Mar 17, 2009 23:18:00 GMT -5
"Not until I go back," Ka'rys replied honestly; it struck him as very odd to be talking to a salamandyr, but he didn't want to be rude and offend S'rei. People got so weird about salamandyrs and he really did not understand why. From what he gathered they affected their bonded the same way dragons did, in terms of emotions; at least, S'rei was a good example of that. But they were so small it seemed bizarre to him. Ophelie and Liette's moods never did anything for him. Eying Worm, Ka'rys was very glad no salamandyrs had ever taken to him. He would not have been able to handle them. Whenever Ciceroth Chased, he lost himself completely anyway. Another idea was annoying. Did salamandyr owners take it personally when their pets were insulted, or was that just Savitri? He didn't know anyone else with one. Well, Kalierre had that obnoxious one he wanted to shove in a meat grinder. Uu'n had one but he ignored it because gold things were evil usually... Blinking, Ka'rys pushed his rampaging thoughts out of his mind. Focusing wasn't an easy task, evidently, but oh his bread was delicious. Oh. Right. Talking to the 'mandyr. "She's keeping an eye on Kale while I scrounge.. er... is it normal to talk to them?" The question was posed to S'rei, more than the salamandyr herself. He really didn't know.
He also really did not want to think about any of the grown women in his life. For that reason, Ka'rys didn't speak. The phrase Nothing's ever good enough struck a chord that prompted Ka'rys to very maturely stuff a huge hunk of bread into his mouth, as though that could keep his thoughts from spilling out into the open air. Nothing was good enough indeed. He had little desire to even think about Savitri, though. For better or worse, he suspected the goldrider disliked him intensely. He missed her... a lot. But not enough to try and initiate extra contact with her or ask her for help on anything. He hadn't even spoken to her since their last fight, though that came more from self-preservation than anything else. Hmm.
Shei had his attention, and as such, Ka'rys was hit square in the nose by the piece of fruit tossed to him. He managed to scramble, knocking the fruit around in his hands like a bizarre form of juggling, before finally catching it again. His free hand most effectively grasped the fruit, mainly to make sure he had a hold on it, and then he set it down on the counter next to him before pulling another piece of his bread off. Bread and fruit. All he needed was some klah and he'd have a perfect meal. But how to convince S'rei that he really wanted to give him that? That was the question, hmm. He was busy cooking, though, and Ka'rys did not wish to distract him. Instead, he crinkled his nose playfully and - when he was sure that S'rei wasn't looking - made the silliest face that he possibly could at Shei. As soon as he sensed S'rei turning though, the expression faded back to his normal look... and he waited a beat before putting one finger to his lips secretively, as if to say the look was just between them.
S'rei speaking however made him blink. The bronzerider turned to look at the other with a curious expression before nodding. "She's gotten much bigger since I saw her last. And much more eloquent. Does she still smack when she wants attention?" It didn't occur to him that Shmee might not have told S'rei that he'd met Shei before, but whether or not he knew was irrelevant. "She gets more beautiful every day. You're lucky she doesn't know many words yet. Wait 'til she talks more... you'll wish she didn't. Kale used to like chanting 'Cissy' all through the night... kept me and Ciceroth both up, and Leradi and Pyreath just slept through it like the dead." Probably the most he'd said to S'rei that wasn't business-related, that, though Ka'rys did not appear to notice. He picked up his fruit and nodded. "Thanks for this. I was wondering which of the cabinets had the fruit, but I was too lazy to climb around to find out." The layout of the kitchen made it very inconvenient for him to find food, period. He just wasn't tall enough to reach the top shelves... which was always embarrassing, and injured as he was, he couldn't quite be enterprising enough to climb.
Ka'rys turned back to Shei and leaned forward slightly to talk to her with obvious familiarity; he'd liked her from the moment they met, but it was rare that Ka'rys didn't like children. "You are getting so big, Shei. Gigaaantic. Keep growing and you'll have all the male weyrbrats toddling around after you wanting to know which weyr is yours, and your papa will be beating them off with sticks~" He was quite certain she couldn't understand what he was saying but to Ka'rys, that wasn't what was important. No, important was that the little girl knew he was talking to her, and his tone was happy enough that it didn't matter what he was saying really. Children picked up more on tone than anything else.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 18, 2009 13:33:00 GMT -5
S'rei chuckled at Ka'rys's odd question. Well, of course the bronzerider probably didn't know; he had no little salamandyrs to rearrange his life. Directly, anyway. "Sure. They talk to us. Makes sense to talk back to them...you can't communicate like you can with a dragon. I mean, I know what she's feeling, and that goes both ways, but I can't just think at her and have her understand. Can't promise she understands every word you're saying, anyway," he concluded dryly. "Smart for something the size of a finger, but...yeah."
Indeed, Worm did pick up a little of what Ka'rys was trying to say. Namely, she understood that as long as he was here, Ophelie would not be. Worm peeked her head out past Shei's arm to regard him. OfleecomecomeOfleeyougoyougonowgoyouOfleecome. She paused, then dipped her head slightly until just the top of her head was visible. goyounowgoplease? So polite, the little salamandyr. Saying please.
Shei was quite captivated with the man and his funny faces. Of course she didn't recognize him, but that didn't matter. Her solemn eyes didn't leave his face, wide with curiosity. The little girl gurgled at him in what might have been a laugh. Oh! A game! She ducked her head against S'rei.
The older bronzerider's brow rose at Ka'rys's words. What? "She doesn't smack me," S'rei responded carefully. The first thought that had flashed through his mind was utterly ridiculous. No way on Pern that Ka'rys would have...of course not. He detested Shmee. And a large number of people had probably come in contact with Shei. The Weyrwoman - particularly one bent on controlling everything - would hardly keep her distance. He supposed it was the thought that Ka'rys had actually held Shei at one point (how else could the child have smacked him?) that had S'rei reeling. It shouldn't, but it did. Just because it had never crossed his mind that Ka'rys might have held his daughter. S'rei was fiercely protective of Shei. Fiercely.
That brief thought, though, returned him to a line of considerations he'd avoided for the sake of his own sanity, and there was a darkness behind his gaze as Shei bounced on his knee, reaching for Ka'rys. "Risss!" she called again, breaking into a smile. They'd been separated for nearly a turn, S'rei and Shmee. How many? How many of the people that he walked past on a daily basis...It felt wrong to suspect such things with Shmee dead. Felt wrong to think ill of her. But was it so unreasonable? He knew it wasn't. And he really, really didn't want to find out if the paranoia was in any way justified.
Nodding slowly, S'rei muttered something that probably was an acknowledgement of Ka'rys's thanks. "They like to keep everything up high...probably to prevent pilfering by weyrbrats." Standing again, he regarded Ka'rys rather closely, then extended Shei to the man. The other had been a father, and clearly had held her before. It was relatively safe. "Do you mind?" Shei beamed at Ka'rys, not protesting very much at the hand-off, though she did pause to watch her father's retreat.
He rummaged for a long-handled spoon, his back still to Ka'rys as he spoke again. "For someone nearly thirty, you look a bit like a weyrbrat yourself, all huddled up in those blankets. How many turns were you out of weyrlinghood, when you were transferred?" Nothing but a trace of almost lazy curiosity in his words. His eyes, however, had narrowed, shielded from Ka'rys's gaze. He'd never said anything so obvious in reference to the - circumstances - of the other bronzerider's arrival before. S'rei had seen them. He knew. No, not exactly why they were here, but he could guess, knowing how Fort used to operate. The story they'd fed Sera though? Definitely not true.
Yes, he was testing to see what Ka'rys would do, but it was mostly to get his mind off of Shmee. He couldn't think of her, even now. Too many mixed emotions. Too painful.
Then, as if he hadn't just made it clear that he knew the bronzerider had lied - or as if he had no idea as to the significance of Ka'rys being older than he claimed - S'rei turned back to the two and waved at his daughter, who returned the wave. Cocking a brow at Ka'rys, the man asked, "Any requests? Unless you're only interested in bread and fruit..."
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Post by glamourie on Mar 19, 2009 1:27:49 GMT -5
Ka'rys squinted at Worm, curled up on Shei as she was. When the salamandyr spoke to him again, he twitched visibly. However, that one phrase was enough to stir something behind his eyes and he felt Ciceroth wake - no doubt puzzled by Ka'rys's growing curiosity. For a brief moment, the bronzerider ignored his beast, instead quirking an eyebrow to look from S'rei to Worm and then back again -- clearly to ask whether or not the green was serious. However, apparently she was. He squinted slightly, then crinkled his nose to make a silly face at both the salamandyr and the baby, though only when he was sure that S'rei wasn't looking. The other bronzerider was one of the few people he did not want to know that he was so fond of children. He'd no doubt find it to his great amusement, like his sister had. Awkward. It was one thing to be picked on by a beautiful woman and quite another to be made fun of by ... S'rei. Who was most definitely not a beautiful woman. "I will send her to you as soon as I am finished eating, little salamandyr -- until then, you will just have to content yourself with Shei."
On the subject of the babe, he was amused by S'rei's words; perhaps it was just him? Not that he minded at all. In his opinion, the child was one of the most adorable he'd ever seen, and he was sure he'd simply caught Shei at a bad day. Shmee had seemed... distressed when he spoke to her, too, though it was understandable; he'd talked to her right after she returned from the Hold, and she was closed off for once. In retrospect, he probably did not make it easier. Not that he would change anything about his actions. Shmee made it hard to get along with her. She just did.
The little girl effectively distracted him and, unabashed, Ka'rys set aside his bread and fruit to lean forward. One finger lifted to push at the tip of his nose, pulling it back to make a piggy face and he stuck his tongue out playfully. He was just hoping that S'rei was too distracted with cooking to notice his antics, because when it came to little kids, his self-control was minimal at best... and Shei was at the age he was most vulnerable to when it came to being, well, silly. Her and Miguel both were. They were the ages he'd missed of Kalerary's life, and some part of him would always mourn that. Dare he tell S'rei how lucky he was to be there with her? Somehow he doubted the other bronzerider felt very lucky - but Shei was healthy and, from her behavior, quite content with life. That in itself was a miracle and a sign of good fortune, in his opinion. He kept it to himself.
"They keep everything up high to inconvenience short people. Everyone here is too tall. I vote we cut your feet off so that everything gets moved to a manageable height," Ka'rys replied without moving his finger from his nose. End result? His voice sounded highly nasal and thus quite silly. The show was for Shei - he doubted S'rei would be impressed by it, anyway. However, his hand immediately dropped from his face and he quirked an eyebrow before taking the offered child without a single complaint. He immediately focused entirely on her, turning to look down at the little girl. That caused his blanket to fall onto the counter behind him but he hardly noticed the cold (his primary source of bringing it in the first place). "Hello, Shei. What do you think of the smell of what your daddy's cooking? Doesn't it smell yummy?" He cocked his head to the side; those words were answer enough, hopefully, since Ka'rys had completely forgotten that S'rei asked if he minded holding her. "You should convince him to make you Squash and Apple soup. It's my personal favorite and soft enough that you could slurp it down, I bet."
Wait, what? S'rei was talking again, and Ka'rys half-glanced toward the other bronzerider. A slight sense of alarm settled in the pit of his stomach, mainly because the question was so - so - out of the blue. What had he done to offend fate lately that he was being forced to discuss his past - again? He'd brought it on himself before, though. His gaze remained snared on S'rei over the top of Shei's head and he watched him intensely for a moment, weighing his options. Be vague, or honest? He settled for vague; honesty hadn't gotten him anywhere lately. "I have a seven turn old daughter. She's about to turn eight. I've been here over six turns. You be the judge." It wasn't exactly a helpful answer, but at the same time, it was also more telling than he'd been the last time he spoke to S'rei on the subject. Since Kale was almost eight, that meant he'd been out of weyrling training at least two turns before he'd transferred. Nice enough answer.
I don't know why you don't just tell him. It is not as though anyone cares anymore, Ciceroth commented sleepily, at the same time reminding Ka'rys that he was awake.
Ka'rys flinched at Ciceroth's words and then shot a glare in the bronze's general direction. He didn't answer him, though, instead cooing quietly to Shei before replying to S'rei with the same sweet baby-babble voice he used to talk to the older man's daughter, "I really only eat bread and fruit most of the time -- but if you're willing, a mug of klah would be very nice. Otherwise I'll make it after you two go back up and get some sleep. You must be tired." The last bit was quite clearly to Shei, as Ka'rys turned back to her to squint and make another silly face. "Hungry too. 'Feed me or no one sleeps', right? All the power, babies have. Just as a warning: it goes away when you get older, sadly."
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 20, 2009 1:50:07 GMT -5
Strange. Ka'rys was...well, not exactly someone you went out of your way to interact with. Cold came to mind. Withdrawn. Not what S'rei would consider a bad sort, really, but then...he'd spent a good deal of time around people you didn't dare turn your back on. Surpassingly strange. The younger bronzerider seemed almost gracious with Worm, who, despite being distinctly disappointed, seemed satisfied with Ka'rys's answer as she curled tighter within Shei's grasp.
He might have missed a good portion of what was going on, but it was kind of hard not to notice a man tugging at his nose right in front of them. S'rei blinked. What, had he gone to the infirmary - he could hardly imagine Ka'rys going to the infirmary for that - and the healers had doped him up on fellis? He frowned slightly. Surpassingly strange? Make that bizarre. He'd never seen Ka'rys act this way. Hadn't he come down with a broken ankle, wrapped up in a blanket, and set to nibbling on bread in the dark?
The man must be out of his head.
Anyway, his daughter seemed quite taken with this new, queer Ka'rys. Even if S'rei was becoming increasingly more convinced that the other man desperately needed a visit - or twenty - with a mindhealer, he had to admit he felt more comfortable with this man around his Shei than the other he'd observed. The little girl squealed in delight at the sound of Ka'rys's voice, forcing her father to draw her back against him before she bounced right off his knee in her excitement. An odd little quirky smile took his lips, as if he found it amusing but really, really didn't know what to make of the situation. At all. Which, considering S'rei was notoriously bad at hiding his thoughts, was precisely the truth.
He had the odd desire to talk to Ka'rys as he might Miguel but, fortunately, the man arrested that impulse. There was a new sort of gentle patience behind his words though. "I don't know...I kind of like my feet. Would be awfully hard to move without them. Plus there's all these other tall men wandering around, and you'd have to cut off their feet, too. We should stretch you instead, I think." He actually winked, then. S'rei mentally winced. So much for not treating Ka'rys like a weyrbrat, eh? Too late now.
"Nummy!" Shei agreed cheerfully, liking this new person very much. The one who made the funny faces and voices. Smelled nice, too. Reaching out, she caught a dangling strand of hair in her little fingers and tugged slightly, giggling. "Nummy Rissss." She noticed that her playtoy wasn't paying attention anymore, though, and that didn't please her very much. She tugged at his hair again.
Rifling through the drawers again, S'rei found Ka'rys's answer rather...amusing. His back still managed to hide much of his expression, though, which was probably fortunate. That didn't really answer his question at all. It told him what wasn't true, but he already knew most of that. This, at least, was a little more like the Ka'rys he was used to. Sort of. Perhaps more open than the former Weyrleader usually was. And...wow. Was Ka'rys really speaking to him in that manner?
Klah. A pretty simple desire, that. He could probably use some himself. S'rei grunted in response, listening to Shei's giggles as they revitalized. Like her mother, in some ways. She just loved to be the center of attention. Casting an affectionate glance toward the little girl, he finished up with the squash. Cooking...was not really a well-developed skill of his. He'd done his share over the turns, of course, but there wasn't a lot of motivation when you could just go to the dining hall for your meals. His knowledge was utilitarian at best, but it would suffice for a child just out of infancy and a bronzerider who'd come down in a blanket to eat alone in the dark.
S'rei found himself suprisingly not hungry.
"Don't pop her bubble just yet, Rys," the bronzerider commented, a trace of laughter behind his words. "She still thinks she's the center of the universe." Shei had reached a hand up to Ka'rys's cheek, tugging to see if the face would turn into something even funnier if she pulled.
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Post by glamourie on Mar 21, 2009 3:15:15 GMT -5
Outwardly, Ka’rys did not register S’rei’s surprise. Oh, he was aware. He wasn’t entirely unobservant and, when Savitri was not in the equation, he was okay at reading people. Better when he himself wasn’t involved, but he wasn’t bad. S’rei was particularly easy to read and it didn’t take someone of excessive skill to recognize the reason for the other man’s confusion. It amused Ka’rys endlessly, though he kept all of that to himself. He could just imagine the other bronze rider’s surprise. Had Shmee and Lauranna not told him about his fondness for babies? Evidently not, if the look on his face was anything to judge by. That was quite curious, but he kept his opinion to himself. Whatever motives they had for not telling were likely better than anything he could come up with and anyway, the longer he made it seem as though he was unaware of his own behavior, the more amusing S’rei would likely become. He could use something positive to happen for once. He was having a very bad week.
To Shei, the bronze rider continued making faces. He was actually quite good at it, for someone who usually kept his expression twisted either in a scowl (distinctly unpleasant so as to ward off anyone who got too daring and decided to approach him) or a blank look. The reason he was gifted with such comical looks was that he got quite a bit of practice in making them at Ciceroth or Kalerary. He’d have liked to claim that since Kalerary and Ciceroth were more grown up (the bronze was at full growth, at least), that it had been turns since he pulled such odd expressions with them, but the truth was that just that evening he’d clucked his tongue and pulled on the edges of his eyelids to make himself look bizarre at Ciceroth as direct retaliation for the bronze picking on him. Maturity was for people who Impressed sane dragons. Ciceroth did not fall under that category.
“Your papa thinks that I should be stretched,” he confessed to Shei, as if she was a person who he could trust. The words were said with an undeniably secretive edge -- but it was loud enough for S’rei to very clearly hear him. “I think we should just make him walk on his knees because then he’ll be at height level for us, instead of so biiiiig. But then, you’ll probably be big too, won’t you? Your mama was big, your papa’s big -- you’ll be big. When you’re all grown up, I hope you remember me and will get things off of high shelves for me, because the drudges are mean and put them where I can’t reach. Isn’t that unfair? They don’t even seem to care how hard they make it on us short people. I think we should talk to them about it, or at least I should. Tell ‘em how I feel. I’ll write them a strongly worded note. You think I should?”
Of course, Ka’rys would do no such thing. Simply put he had a problem with expressing his actual feelings and was much better, instead, at sulking and scowling until he got his way. Coming right out and saying what he meant was one of the most difficult things for him to do and he avoided it at all costs. Still, no need to be so ridiculous as to tell the child that. He doubted that she much cared what he was saying as much as that he was talking to her and she had his full attention - at least, close enough to it that the little girl could quite clearly tell he was acknowledging her. He lifted one hand to pull her little fingers from his hair, worried that she’d get some of it in her mouth (never good!) and curled his own fingers in her little hand. He hoped she’d be satisfied with grabbing that, as his hair was simply off-limits; while she couldn’t actually hurt him (he had a thick skull, heh), it was unlikely to be good for her to develop such habits and Ka’rys did try to not encourage bad behavior… even if it was funny when others were on the receiving end.
He squinted. Dark brown eyes cast casually to S’rei before he looked back at Shei. “You hear him talk? He talks about bubble popping, I don’t think he realizes you are the center of his world, so it doesn’t matter ‘bout anyone else. Right? Right? Your daddy’s silly. Are you not letting him sleep? You should - because clearly without sleep he’s more silly than usual.” He scrunched his nose, then quirked an eyebrow playfully. “Then again, I think I like him better this way.” He leaned down to whisper conspiratorially - but the entire show was as much for S’rei as Shei, and it was obvious. “This way - he’s at least funny. See, see, he’s so distracted with food we can make faces at him. Want to make faces at him? Like this?”
Ka’rys glanced back at S’rei and stuck out his tongue. Then he curled it. Take that, tall being.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 22, 2009 0:14:52 GMT -5
One ear listening to Ka'rys, S'rei was once again working through the different cupboards, setting up the klah and sniffing at various things. Most he returned to the shelves. The few that met his approval ended up in the pot. That was pretty much how he cooked; just threw whatever smelled good in. It worked well enough that he didn't bother to change the method.
Shaking his head slightly, he allowed a small smile to come to his lips as the other bronzerider continued to talk so conspiratorally with his little girl. The smile faded at mention of Shei growing big like her mom and dad, though. He didn't want his daughter to grow. She should stay this age, depending on him for everything, forever. Then she'd never end up turning her back on him. Always just cute and small and his. Too young to know that she didn't have a mother because he hadn't...been there. Too young to become willful and capricious. Yes, if only she could stay this age. How do you explain to your daughter why she doesn't have a mom like all the other kids?
He raised the pot higher over the flames so it wouldn't boil over, exhaling the mood and the thoughts. For now, Shei was his and only his, and later he'd deal with the rest. As it came.
Shei agreed with Ka'rys, nodding solemnly as if she'd understood everything he'd just said. Worm skittered out from her arms and settled upon the child's shoulder, watching Ophelie's creature expectantly. The salamandyr was still hopeful he'd leave soon. She also watched in relative silence. Whimpering softly as Ka'rys worked her fingers free of his hair, the wide blue eyes filled with unshed tears. She liked it though. Why? The babe blinked and squeezed his fingers as tight as her little baby hand could manage, not wanting him to take that away, too. No no no. Her toy.
The voice and the funny face helped brighten her mood, the child's little sniffles growing more infrequent. "Ubbluh?" Shmee's blues still swam in little Shei's face. Another sniffle, the hand not clinging to Ka'rys's fingers moving up to rub a fist in her eye. She watched her toy's expression closely, her little nose scrunching, as if she wasn't sure how to react. But...then she giggled and, looking in the same direction as Ka'rys, tried to imitate his tongue.
S'rei had turned to regard the both of them with a raised brow, the spoon dangling from his hand and a small half-smile twitching on his lips. It really was...rather adorable. And a bit creepy. After all, it was Ka'rys. Definitely needed a mindhealer. Although...for being so unstable, his remarks about Shei being the center of S'rei's world were pretty much dead on. "Silly," he echoed, nodding to the Ka'rys/Shei tongue combo. "Right. Are you two quite done? I think the soup's almost ready." He cast a glance at the pot. "Possibly."
Shaking his head, he poked at the brew. "Since you seem to know this place so well in the dark, Ka'rys...mind telling me where they keep all the bowls and things?"
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Post by glamourie on Mar 23, 2009 0:20:51 GMT -5
Looking from Shei to S’rei again, Ka’rys squinted. He let the little girl hold his fingers with that one hand, and made absolutely no effort to stop her. His expression twisted from playful to bemused in a matter of seconds, as though the other bronze rider’s actions puzzled him. Considering that S’rei seemed so uncomfortable, that was likely the truth. He did not really understand what was so outlandish about his behavior. Plenty of people acted different around children and really, why should he have been any exception? The way S’rei acted, it was as if he’d never seen anyone like that. Well, Ka’rys deduced that S’rei was a lot more dumb than he’d ever realized, and he was hell-bent on making it worse. Especially since his behavior seemed to amuse Shei as much as it unnerved her father. The satisfaction was two-fold. Such a shame Kale wasn’t there, though.
“Bowls in the cabinet to your right, above your shoulder. Serving spoons in the middle drawer to your left, third one down. First one, at the top, is soup spoons,” he replied, before looking back at Shei. “Yes, soup spoons, but I’m really not sure where they keep Shei-sized spoons. What do you think? Do you think they have Shei spoons? Little spoons studded with sparkly gemstones that glitter and glisten? I bet you’d like that, something that shines so brightly. You should convince your papa to get you a Shei-spoon at the next gather. The metal smiths make ‘em, I know they do, and I think you deserve a proper spoon. If he asks nicely, I bet they’d even write your name in it. I’ve seen spoons with names engraved into them. Kale’s got a bracelet with her name engraved into it, but I think you’re a teensie bit too young for that just yet. Spoon’ll have to do.”
Actually, he decided, he’d pick her up one. It wasn’t likely to be expensive, and S’rei probably had enough to think about at the next gather without Shmee there to buy the little girl’s clothes. He’d get Kale to pick out the design for the handle, that way she felt like she was part of it and wouldn’t get jealous. He’d probably end up buying one for her too, but that wasn’t a problem, since Kalerary usually had modest tastes - something even he found stunning. His daughter’s preferences ran to boy’s clothes and she disliked dresses as a rule. The only jewelry she owned other than the bracelet was a pair of earrings he’d given her once before… though for a girl in the north that was quite a lot, it was almost nothing in comparison to the south.
He squinted. Then looked back at S’rei.
Silly, were they? The bronze rider crinkled his nose and then proceeded to stick out his tongue and blow a raspberry in S’rei’s general direction. It was a very immature thing to do, but no one had ever claimed Ka’rys was mature around children. They made him regress to his own childhood in some ways. All the walls went down and the person he was beneath all the emotional ice and turmoil came out - for better or worse. It showed most prominently with Kalerary, his own child, because she was the queen of his world, but that didn’t mean others didn’t see fragments of it. That and Shei was much easier to satisfy than Kale. Kale was downright devious.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 23, 2009 23:34:08 GMT -5
S'rei wasn't exactly ignoring Ka'rys, either, and the change in expression didn't go entirely unnoticed. He didn't end up where he was today by being completely unobservant. A rare flare of genuine paranoia wormed through his gut, the bronzerider almost - almost - laughing it off. What if...this was just a show? A game the other was playing. Ka'rys was intelligent enough to pull it off, and arrogant enough to think he could. And if that was true, what was the purpose of the game? Amusement? Something more sinister? S'rei didn't know what Ka'rys possibly thought he could get out of toying with him. Could just be paranoia. He was greatly overprotective when it came to Shei, though he probably shouldn't have been. With Shmee's death, his family would likely go unnoticed. He held no particular rank, no real pull. Any further strikes at his family would merely be spite rather than pragmatism. Still...he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a purpose behind Ka'rys's quite sudden temprament change, and he didn't trust it.
At all.
Good memory Ka'rys had, if nothing else. "Thanks." He found most of what he was looking for in short order and set about getting everything plated, though his glances flicked to Ka'rys more often than they had before. Shei cooed at the gentle voice, recognizing her name and saying his in response. The little girl was getting really hungry now, though. Enough that even the funny man wasn't fully distracting her, and she began to grow more fidgety. Worm decided then that it was a good time to relocate, pattering down the counter and sliding up under S'rei's pantleg to nestle in her usual spot. And, as usual, the older bronzerider rolled his eyes at her. A ritual of sorts it had become.
Walking over, he set bowl and mug of klah by Ka'rys, drawing the now whimpering babe back up into his arms. She immediately turned to gnawing at his chest, her sharp teeth little more than a nuisance. He slid back into his earlier spot and set to feeding the child carefully, having added extra cool water to the bowl so it wouldn't be so hot. Blowing aside a curl dangling in his eyes, he glanced up at Ka'rys. "Got everything you need?"
Silly, for him to be thinking that the man really had some sort of evil scheme hatching in that brain of his. Just paranoia. Although...there was definitely something going on. It just probably wasn't anything to be worried about. He would hope. Ka'rys was right. He really did need to get more sleep. Using the end of his shirt to wipe some escaped soup from Shei's chin, he found himself watching the other bronzerider with only half of his mind engaged. S'rei forced himself to be...social. Unfortunately, small talk really wasn't his forte. "I don't suppose any of your...contacts (if Ka'rys even had any left; S'rei had little left but burnt bridges)...might have heard whispers about what we should expect to see once the poisonings run their course?"
Trust S'rei to cut to the point.
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Post by glamourie on Mar 24, 2009 22:07:45 GMT -5
Bye-bye baby. Ka'rys squinted at Shei before turning his attention to the food next to him. Well, it smelled good, and Ka'rys subscribed to the philosophy that food was the best when prepared by someone other than him. In other words, as long as it was made by a different person, it was wonderful, even if it tasted like garbage. (Not that Ka'rys was that finicky on taste, as long as it was something he normally ate; when he was up in the middle of the night he really did make himself content with eating bread and nothing more.) Hmm. He leaned over and picked up the bowl, gingerly, then turned his attention back to S'rei. His question earned a raised eyebrow. That sounded awful like a dismissal, and he was tempted to call the other bronzerider on it, but refrained. It would just be unnecessarily trying to pick a fight and he wouldn't do that with Shei there. He just wouldn't. There was a line Ka'rys refused to cross: arguing in front of children was over that line. He and Leradi had made a point not to do so in front of Kalerary when she was little, and Ka'rys intended to respect that with everyone else, too.
"Thank you," he said, and he meant it: he appreciated that S'rei had made him some of the soup, too, though he hadn't expected it. His hands curled around the mug of klah and he scooted back on the counter to make himself more effectively comfortable. A glance at Shei was spared before he took a sip of the warm, soothing liquid and was satisfied - not that it was hard to placate Ka'rys where klah was concerned. He could live on the stuff.
The next question made him flinch visibly. Dark brown eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, and Ka'rys brought his mug to his lips to avoid answering what was already a very touchy subject. Only a few days previous he'd gotten into such a magnificent blow out with Savitri because of that. He did not want to discuss .. anything... of that nature. Not with her, not with S'rei, not with anyone. The mere mention made his mood sour to a near venomous level, and it took conscious effort to avoid saying something unpleasant. Self-control was key in avoiding blowing up. That and Ciceroth's groggy mental state; evidently the bronze was attempting to go back to sleep and some of that exhaustion was filtering over onto him. For once, he was very grateful that his dragon was paying a minimal amount of attention to him. He was sure that Ciss would not be pleased with his immediate response.
Setting the mug down again, Ka'rys curled his fingers around the edge of the counter top. His eyebrow raised curiously, and he cocked his head to the side. The expression he wore was somewhere between pleasant and testy, as though he couldn't decide if he was annoyed or not. Half of him was. Half was not.
"S'rei," Ka'rys began, his voice highly serious, "if I had any idea that the poisons were coming, or any reason to believe something of that nature was happening, do you really believe that I would let Savitri's brother be caught in the fray? Ignoring all the other deaths, do you really think I'd sacrifice someone so important to her?" There was a definite note of accusation in those words. S'rei had unintentionally touched on a nerve. "I haven't had any contacts since Kamerai and D'loro died. If I did, I would have warned someone. Despite disliking her immensely, I would never have let anything happen to your weyrmate if I could have prevented it, no more than I would have Savitri's brother or anyone else. Just because they weren't important to me doesn't mean they're not the world to someone else." Twitching visibly (perhaps the biggest outward sign of his annoyance), he glanced up at the ceiling. "Most of the tithes where poison has been found is from Benden or with ties to Benden. You know their methods better than I do. You tell me what happens next."
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Mar 25, 2009 19:38:02 GMT -5
Now that was closer to an expression he would normally associate with Ka'rys. S'rei let his gaze drop, keeping the bronzerider in his peripheral vision as he continued feeding Shei. His brow knotted for a moment, and he caught Worm before she could wriggle into the soup bowl, tsking softly. The girl let out a short cry of protest at the pause in her feeding. "Demanding minx," he muttered affectionately. S'rei pinched Worm's tail in silent warning. The salamandyr let out a soft hiss and curled up sullenly on his leg.
Whatever the older man might have expected from Ka'rys, however, it wasn't the words coming out of the bronzerider's mouth. Offering another spoonful to his daughter, who wrapped her two little hands around his wrist and sucked at it eagerly, S'rei's face remained mostly expressionless, unless you counted a touch of laughter lingering behind his eyes. Why he found it amusing was anyone's guess. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he genuinely hadn't meant the question in that light and by no means had said the words to give Ka'rys offense. Or maybe it was that, if he wanted to be defensive, the younger man's words had enough insult for him to latch onto and throw back at the former Fort rider, as well.
He waited for the other man to get everything off his chest before replying. "If I thought you'd hurt anyone here, or that your loyalty was in question, you'd know, Rys," S'rei told him quietly. After all, he still wasn't very good at hiding his emotions...didn't try most of the time. It was hardly any use. "I just figured you'd do the same thing I would after the poisonings began: try to find the source and see if anyone whose word you could trust up north might even have just a couple hints for you. Observations. Guesses. Anything."
Sadly, all S'rei's sources were ones he'd have to actually make the trip north to speak to, something he would only attempt if he was beyond desperate. None of the dragonriders could be trusted. Or maybe he couldn't be trusted by any of them? Either way, it was suicide for him to go north...something he might have still attempted if he didn't have Shei to think about. If he wasn't recognized on sight, Salenth definitely would be. That mildly amused him, in a morbid sort of way. How loved they were.
Shei was beginning to fill up already. Working the words over in his mind before he said anything, S'rei shifted her position a little and urged her into accepting a few more bites. "As hard as it may be to believe," he began, his tone a bit wry, "I'm about as well-liked at Benden as at Fort." His head came up and he shot Ka'rys a mirthless smile. Then he shrugged. "Benden isn't much for subtlety. If the threat originated with either Weyr, I'd expect an attack while we're still in transition, sooner rather than later, from the inside if at all possible. Probably at night. If it's Benden, as you say, the likelihood is still greater that they'll simply try a lightning strike with one of the combat wings made up of young riders firmly under C'leon's thumb. Fanatics. Fort has more infiltration resources, and their riders are more loyal to Fort outside the Weyr. Benden would struggle to pull it off unless the dynamics have changed greatly.
"C'leon likely won't risk coming here again. He'll wait until the Weyr is under control before demonstrating his rulership. Other than that, I couldn't really say. Last time I tried to get information from Benden, it didn't work out so well. At all." Which was probably nothing more than Ka'rys already knew, but he figured he'd answer the question.
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Post by glamourie on Mar 28, 2009 14:13:08 GMT -5
Why was he calling him Rys as if they were friends? Only two beings called him that with any regularity: Savitri and Ciceroth. Arguably the two living entities closest to him after Kalerary (who cycled between ‘papa’ and ‘Ka’rys’ depending on her mood). Then suddenly S’rei was using the nickname. Not that he minded it much. Growing up, most everyone called him Rys. It just made more sense than trying to say ‘Kamerarys’ all the time. But -- but S’rei hadn’t grown up with him. He wasn’t there. It was different in adulthood, and it bothered him. Only a little, not enough to complain, but hearing Rys added to such a topic was… his mind flashed on the awkward conversation he’d had with Savitri, the last time he spoke to her, and a cold sense of dread filled his stomach. Ka’rys did not want to think about her, especially not when thinking about his past. He crinkled his nose up and bowed his head, more to keep his face blank than anything else. He took a long, slow deep breath to soothe his nerves. S’rei had no idea just how sensitive a subject that was. S’rei wasn’t accusing him. S’rei didn’t know him better, arguably, than any other human. He didn’t come right out and tell S’rei in an attempt to be more open. So it didn’t really matter what the other bronze rider thought. The sting inside had nothing to do with S’rei and everything to do with Savitri. She’d let it go, she’d apologized… but he was hurt. “I’m sorry” didn’t take away the empty feeling that he wasn’t good enough and never would be. The only thing that could fix that was time… time, and a whole lot of effort on his part. He wasn’t sure he was ready to try and fix that open sore yet, though.
Bringing one hand up to rub the bridge of his nose, Ka’rys stared pointedly at the floor… but he didn’t apologize. He wasn’t sorry. Truth was, he didn’t really believe it was Benden responsible for the poisonings. That was part of what had him so flustered. With R’anatar as Weyrleader, so much had changed and not for the better, at Fort. He was very glad to be gone, certain that had he stayed he’d have been killed in a freak ‘accident’ just to be on the safe side. Did S’rei realize that? If he’d had any contacts left, they’d have burned their bridges with him to be safe… or fled. He couldn’t try talking to anyone he knew still at Fort, for it would put them in danger. He was a danger to them. Maybe if Ciceroth had never caught Aslath he could have pulled it off, but he was known now. No more just a shadow slinking around, and T’rid didn’t even have sense enough to make someone else a wingleader instead of him. All in all, it was a frustrating position to be in. He wished he knew more. Being powerless wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
“Do you really think anyone at Fort still keeps in touch with me, S’rei…? Really?” It was sad how unhappy he sounded about that. He didn’t mean to, but there were certain parts of Fort he did miss. Organization for example. “R’anatar is trying very hard to be C’leon, but Fort isn’t Benden; they don’t make the same trivial mistakes. Anyone who stayed there and hasn’t evacuated to High Reaches or come here has burnt their bridges with me to stay alive. Even the slightest hint of being in touch with someone at Selenitas who might be in a position of authority would probably get them killed.” His gaze turned up toward the ceiling. “It’s what I’d do if I was still there… that, or plot to have R’anatar killed in secret, which I don’t doubt is being done at this moment. No one there’s talking to anyone outside, though. That much I guarantee you… and just because I was born there doesn’t mean I’m still one of them. I’m positive that they don’t think highly of me, either.” Actually, he was surprised that Fort hadn’t tried to have him killed yet. He knew too much. Not that he’d ever sell them out. They weren’t attacking Selenitas, after all.
At least, he hoped not.
Truthfully, he couldn’t say. The wine that killed Shmee was Benden white. For it to be Benden would be screamingly obvious. While they were never very good at subtlety, he didn’t think they’d be that blatant. At least, he hoped not. However, thinking about it, there was a distinct possibility, which was not a feeling he liked at all. The idea of fighting his home Weyr was unpleasant. R’anatar was a terrible leader, but the Fort riders were dangerous, far more so than the Benden ones. So many of the former Benden riders at Selenitas thought themselves terribly skilled, but he was sure no one there would be able to handle it if Fort launched an all-out attack. Illogical though it would be, he couldn’t shake the bad feeling.
His head turned away. “I don’t think it’s Benden.” That’s all he replied with, but the note in his voice was enough to make it clear he wished it was. Benden they could deal with. The Fort riders were better trained (in his not-so-humble opinion). “At the same time, I -- it seems illogical to attack this way. If Fort wanted to poison Selenitas, fellis in the drinking water would be more likely. It’d wipe out the potential threats, and they’re efficient. Or… they were. R’anatar is more like C’leon than I’ve ever been comfortable with, and I don’t know what to expect.” He paused, then turned to squint at S’rei. “It’s also entirely possible it’s one of the Southern holds, though. Lighttower hates Selenitas.” But he didn’t believe it was a hold. No, unfortunately, Ka’rys was almost positive it was one of the northern Weyrs. He just hoped it was Benden over Fort for selfish reasons. He didn’t want to fight people he liked if it came to that.
“… T’rid’s not doing anything to find out who it is, is he?” Almost an after thought, that was. “Ridiculous; he didn’t even think to stop using the tithes until he was told. Something needs to be done about him, you know…”
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