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10/25/2001
Logfile from Elehu
Quiet Corners (#18973)
Thick woolen tapestries dull the noise from the rest of the caverns, turning
this well-lit little room into a welcome escape. The stairs up place it against
the bowl wall somewhere above the living caverns, carpeted against the winters
chill or left as cool stone floor in summer. Some high and narrow windows can
be opened to the world outside, or secured with their heavy metal-sided shutters
and blue-threaded curtains.
Glowlight gleams, brightening the well-cushioned stone couches and lighting
the weyr residents half-finished projects: knitting undone, sewing only started,
leathers being worked soft, and even a hide of sketches or half-finished Thread-chart
spread out across one of the tables.
Curled up amongst the baskets of wool are Sahara, Eclipse, Dystopia, Zauberer,
and Samedi.
Obvious exits:
Inner Stairs
Reiko slips in from the little door.
Reiko (#21442)
Jet black hair falls shiny and straight just to her chin, a fringe of shorter
hair in front just brushing delicate brows. Her skin is creamy-pale, with just
a faint blush on high cheekbones and full lips. Wide-set emerald eyes are tipped
up slightly at the outside corners and framed with thick black lashes, giving
her a vaguely feline appearance. Neither overly tall nor overly short, Reiko
stands straight-shouldered with quiet confidence and moves with an easy, quiet
grace.
Supple leather clings to Reiko's slim form, so dark it seems true black until
just the right light hits it, when it gives off a rich, plum glow. The jacket
is a bit roomy but still tailored, more casual than truly elegant, given the
collar up-turned in back in a flirtatiously naive way. Smudge-dark bronze fastenings
allow for quite a bit of modification in how it is worn, even allowing a bit
of cleavage to show when the jacket is not tightly closed for flight. The lapels
are dyed a pleasant, contrasting cream, the color echoing in trim along the
cuff and edges, as well as along reinforced seams. Emphasizing her slim hips
and thighs, the trousers have just enough give to be comfortable, are snug enough
to attract admiration. The cut widens a bit further down, parting in a slit
below the knee along the outside of the calf to accommodate softly-buffed black
boots.
She is awake, but has been staring off into space for a minute.
Reiko is 21 Turns, 2 months, and 2 days old.
Elehu (#19619)
Elehu has grown into womanhood with quite a bit of success. She has curves in
most of the right places, though her body is still a bit on the thin side and
heartily built, a stubbornness of physicality to match the resolute bedrock
of her character. Her skin glows faintly of golden bronze, the visage of a wanderer.
Her rich brown, shoulder-length hair contains streaks of reddish gold, bleached
by the sun, that seem to make her hazel-brown eyes shine with an inner fire.
Her hands are small, but her fingers are slender and nimble, well built for
her walk of life.
Snug leather pants cover Elehu's legs, neatly tucked into sturdy black boots,
but the doe-brown material isn't quite so tight that it can't be rolled up from
time to time. A belt of silver-touched onyx encircles her waist, and a slender
dagger, about six inches in length, hangs at her right hip, with an odd sort
of wherhide pouch at the left. Her loose blouse of rich emerald has been carefully
and precisely tucked in, the roomy sleeves falling only a few inches past her
shoulders. This combined with the small jewel like buttons down the front affords
the Healer with quite a bit of freedom in movement.
A soft cord of the deepest purple winds itself around a similar cord of bright
white in a single loop. Small strands of icy blue and shadowy black are intertwined
intricately, a long tail of all four colors hanging from the knot, signifying
that Elehu is a Healer Journeyman posted at High Reaches Weyr.
She is awake and looks alert.
Elehu is 21 Turns, 2 months, and 20 days old.
Sprawled out on a couch in the very back, Elehu may have been sewing at some point. At least, the basket is still there, filled with all sorts of linens from the infirmary. The bundle in her arms is nicely scrunched up, however, and tucked behind her head. The better to nap.
Reiko makes her way rather less than quietly up the stairs with the usual pitcher of klah. In her other hand is a small tray with an empty mug and a few sweetrolls arranged on it. Without bothering to look around much, she settles herself on an empty couch and arranges her breakfast-of-sorts on the low table in front of her, finally filling that mug and curling back with a satisfied sigh.
MOO Time: 2001-10-25 13:56:08
Elehu opens her eyes a bit at the quiet intrusion, then stretches out slowly with a soft yawn. She glances up at the narrow windows high above and grimaces before sitting up all the way. "Good morning," she offers casually enough, fingers working to make a more orderly mess of her hair. Then she goes about the task of trying to smooth out her makeshift 'pillow'.
Reiko blinks once, her gaze shifting to seek out the source of the familiar voice as a twisted smile curves the corners of her lips. "Morning," she returns pleasantly enough, although there might be a bit of a tease in her eyes. "Leaving the apprentices to their own devices today? Or is Kariel actually working?" The smile spreads a bit as she's reminded just how much she doesn't miss working in the infirmary... although she might have other reasons to smile, considering the casually appreciative glance she lets sweep over the Healer's face and figure.
"Something like that," Elehu replies vaguely, setting what happens to be a robe back in the sewing basket. "I didn't quite plan on sleeping here." With a soft laugh, she leans back into the couch and just rests for a moment. stifling another short yawn. "Getting away for a bit?" she asks with a quick glance towards Reiko as she leans over to pull her boots over then begins to put them back on.
Reiko arches a brow, but doesn't comment, as Elehu pulls her boots on... then shrugs a little as she processes a rather large bite of sweetroll, finally washing it down with a long sip of klah. "Just breakfast," she says offhandedly. So it's a little late. "The caverns get so crowded." She frowns lightly and curls back into a corner of the sofa. "I keep meaning to figure out how to brew drinkable klah." And Reiko generally has a looser definition of the term 'drinkable' than most. She's also aware, peripherally, that it's not terribly difficult to master; she just forgets.
Elehu laughs softly. "I think that was one of the very first constructive things I ever learned as a child. My mother hated klah and my father was just horrid at making it. So I did it instead." In case anyone cared for a glimpse into the Healer's childhood. "The silly thing is, I never drank the stuff until I'd been an apprentice for a few Turns." She finally trails off and sits back again, glancing around the room at a bit of a loss. "Crowds... yeah, at least they're not quite as bad in the summer though. At least not during the day." Full of obvious information as always. "So did you have a nice night? Sorry I had to dash off like that."
Reiko shrugs a little, gazing evenly at Elehu over the rim of her mug. "I spent a good bit of it trying to figure out why it would be your fault that Khena's upset with me," she teases lightly, emerald eyes glittering. It's unusual enough for her to think a moment past whatever situation she's in... but maybe not so much anymore. "And then I decided I didn't care." Her lips curve into a twisted smirk -- she can't remember the last time she even /saw/ the brownrider, after all. "So what was it that was so pressing, that you had to run off so suddenly?" Her tone is casual now... she might or might not be really interested in the answer.
Elehu smiles, giving Reiko a quick shrug. "Just Healer business, really. I've been keeping myself busy with it. Restocking. Making fresh 'messes' as Gid calls them." She falls silent for a long moment and pulls one foot up to rest on the couch idly. "Khena just isn't too happy right now," she finally offers in a vague tone to match the statement. But after a second or two she gives a soft sigh and glances at Reiko. "She wanted more out of our friendship than I could give, basically. And for some reason," uh huh, "she might think it's your fault." Lovely.
Reiko frowns deeply, processing this. Now, she remembers well enough what it's like to be in a relationship with Khena. And to end one. And she's more than familiar with the brownrider's vagaries of temper, which means she's none too pleased at the thought of it directed at /her/. After a moment, she lifts her eyes to fix a searching gaze on Elehu's face. "/My/ fault?" She sits a little straighter. "I've not had a thing to do with her in ages." Well, other than leadership business, but that had been unavoidable--and certainly had ended the day the weyrlings received their new knots. The bit about Healer business might as well have been unsaid, for how quickly she forgets she even asked.
"/I/ know it's not your fault, Reiko," Elehu quickly replies, turning to curl up on the couch again, facing Reiko. "It's my fault if anyone's." She wraps her arms around her knees with a sigh, glancing off to the side for a moment. With a tiny shrug she gives Reiko a long and almost sad look. "I had to tell Hiza and Khena the other day that I can be nothing more than friends with them. And granted, I could have found a better way to say it, but it had to be said." Yet another pause as the healer seems to struggle with some thought or another. "I haven't seen Hiza yet... but Khena isn't taking it too well." To put it lightly.
Reiko snorts lightly. "I'm not surprised," she says dryly, easily able to picture the former guard's reaction. Then the rest of the statement sinks in. "Hiza, too?" The twisted little halfsmile returns as she refills her mug, eyeing Elehu sidelong with something like amusement. "Not enough of you to go around?" she teases lightly, stubbornly refusing to put the pieces together in any kind of coherent way. Assumptions can be dangerous, after all.
Elehu smiles lightly, a gesture that doesn't quite reach her eyes, feet sliding to the ground again. "No. I don't exactly work that way," she comments in something close to a dull voice. "Look... don't worry about it. I'll talk to Khena, make sure there aren't any bad feelings." Any extra ones that is. "The least I can do is try. I mean, what's she going to do?"
Reiko gets her mug about halfway to her lips when she pauses, and returns it to her lap, regarding Elehu with a thoughtful expression. "Forget it," she suggests gently. "I doubt anything could make her /more/ nasty where I'm concerned." She shrugs a little, her fingers tapping distractedly on the sides of her mug. "And even she wouldn't risk endangering a fighting dragon during a Pass... much less two." At least she hopes not. And then, in a softer tone, she adds, "Does it upset you that much?" The question is well-meant, but unfortunately rather unclear--and she doesn't seem willing, or perhaps able, to amend it.
Elehu shifts a little, glancing down at her palms for a moment before just leaning into the couch again. "Does it upset me that... what? That Khena would rather spit at me than look at me, or..." But instead of finishing she gives a quick roll of the shoulders and glances away. "Well, yes. It bothers me. But..." And again she trails off, jaw setting stubbornly. "Look, just forget it. I just need to learn how to deal with these things."
Reiko sighs, finding the explanation rather unexplanatory, and when she speaks her voice is very subdued. "If you want me to know something, Elehu, you have to tell me." She sets her mug down on the the table and gets to her feet. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine... just don't expect me to read your mind. I'm lousy at it." She brushes at her clothing a little unnecessarily, tucking a chunk of hair behind her ear... more or less distracting herself from actually looking at the Healer.
Elehu grimaces softly and sighs, slowly getting to her feet as well though she doesn't look back at the rider just yet. Hands clench at her sides for a moment, but finally she seems to relax a little and gives Reiko an almost careful look. "I discovered one day that I'm not able to... to care for anyone else, namely Khena and Hiza, because there simply isn't room for them in my life. Not like that at least." A weary little smile curves her lips then, slender shoulders giving a small, rolling shrug. "Because you're already there, Reiko. And... well, I can't seem to get past that. Nor do I really want to at this point." She pauses a moment and takes a slow, quiet breath. "I don't expect this in return, but you're right. It needs to be said."
Reiko does look at Elehu then, emerald gaze lifting slowly to fix the Healer with a similarly careful expression. "Am I that much to you?" she asks softly, not quite sure what to do with this notion. She's quiet for a long moment then, thinking back on a multitude of conversations and encounters in a slightly different light, and wishing she could remember a little better. Then she lets it go with a half-shrug, stepping closer to brush Ele's hair back from her face with a gentle hand. "I don't know what to say about that, really... so many things are different than before."
Elehu's smile becomes a little more relaxed as she nods once, her eyes just a little brighter as she finds Reiko's. "Yes, much has changed," she replies lightly, lacking the hints of tension from before. "Reiko, I really did mean it. That I don't expect you to return these feelings at all. I know better than that. But I can't seem to give up hoping either." She suddenly gives a short, quiet laugh as if some mountainous burden had just disappeared. "When it comes right down to it, maybe I'm just a silly little girl who can't let go."
Reiko closes the last of the distance between them with one more step, moving to draw Elehu into her arms. "You can hold on as long as you want to," she whispers into the goldstreaked hair. "I'll always have something for you." It might be enough... or it might not... but it's something she can offer honestly.
Elehu closes her eyes tightly as she wraps her own arms around Reiko. After a long minute or so, she loosens her grip just a little and smiles softly. "Thank you," she whispers into the rider's hair lightly before leaning back a little, eyes a little watery as she simply smiles, fingers brushing against Reiko's cheek gently. "Thank you," she repeats a little more firmly, nodding once as if to say that it was enough.
Reiko leans in to brush her lips gently against Elehu's, the softest kiss imaginable, her long fingers winding into the Healer's goldstreaked hair. "Thank /you/," she says softly, her smile soft and hardly twisted at all. After a long moment, she releases Ele and takes a reluctant step back. "I've got to go. Drills. I'll see you soon, though." And without waiting for a response, she slips out the side entrance to her waiting dragon.
[End of log]