Xanadu Weyr - Wanderin' Wherry Tavern
It is often whispered in the crowds that converge here, that a certain Weyrleader was asked what he wanted in the remodeling of the pub that was not so long ago given a refreshing. He muttered back over the rim of his ever-present mug, "I don't care what you do with the place, just so long as there is plenty of ale." With that in mind, cask after cask of ale lines the walls of the tavern, the remodeler's idea of a jest. As they age, the casks bring a real rustic atmosphere to the pub, along with the deeply wooden flavor that seems to be the theme throughout.
The lighting is dim, as it should be in all good pubs, and the tables and chairs are plentiful. A long mahogany bar, intricately carved with runner beasts, stands vigilant duty at the head of the bar, lined with stools for those patrons that seek the bartender's company.
Warning: Parents Being Icky. (Some Mature Content)
Evening has come to Xanadu. Some evenings are works of art - Rukbat lighting the clouds as it sinks beneath the horizon, pleasant breezes wafting the scents of delicate blooms through the air. This is no such evening. There's slush on the ground. There's rain turning it even slushier. It's cold and wet, but shardit, Soriana arranged for babysitting tonight (she has to do it sometimes, or she'll go crazy) so she's out. Except… given the weather… she doesn't want to go far, so she's in the Wherry with a mug of ale and a small table in the back where hopefully paperwork won't find her. Here she sits, with an adult beverage and the goal of achieving her requisite adult time. And enjoying it. Yeah. Look at this enjoyment. …it's somewhere, surely. Maybe the bottom of her ale?
Ka'el, luckily, is not the babysitter that Soriana has arranged! (right?) And the great thing about her getting a babysitter for her is … that means, he gets a free night too! A free night to … heh, possibly tackle something that needs to be tackled in the office, right? That'd be the mature thingto do, maybe. But Ka'el is twenty-two. Mature? Ha, he has to be! But not all the time. Like now, he doesn't have to be mature as he saunters from the bar with a tall, dark, and frothy drink in hish and. How long has he been here? Who knows. Maybe he just got here. Maybe he was lurking in the back sampling the Good Stuff. It's a mystery! But he's not exactly trying to be mysterious as he meanders his way towards the back of the tavern, wearing a crooked grin, brows faintly elevated. "Should be a crime for a woman as good lookin' as you to be sittin' alone, Miss. Fancy some company?" he asks with a faint waggle of his brows.
Ka'el's not a babysitter. He's more of a … babyfather. Which means even more taking care of the kid and even less getting paid for it! Tonight, though, there's someone else in charge of Skyler. A nanny-approved caretaker who's also been found suitable by Soriana. See, if she were just spending the evening working late, she'd have gone to the nursery and gotten Skyler and let him play around the office. The place is gradually collecting toys and blankets because of those nights. But no! Tonight she has to go out to baby-unsuitable places, because she doesn't have a baby in tow. So… she has another sip of ale! Her gaze wanders over the crowd, then settles on a muscled fellow with dark hair and a charming smile who - oh look, it's Ka'el. "Better call Galaxy, then." She smirks. "Make sure nothing… untoward… is going on." Her brows arch, and then she makes a gesture to the chair beside her. "Or you could always investigate for yourself."
"A hands-on investigation, you mean?" Ka'el assumes with vaguely inclined brows. "That'd be the only proper sort of investigation if one truly wishes to get to the bottom of things. And, between you and me?" He leans in closer to her, glancing right, then left, before settling his eyes on her. "The bottom," he whispers, "is my favorite spot to be." A smirk and he leans in to steal a brief kiss to her lips before sliding into that offered chair. He exhales a breath, leans back in his chair, and takes a slow swallow of his cold drink. Lazy eyes partially lid, and he smirks as the mug is placed upon the table top. "So, this is what it feels like to not have work, and not have a child wanting your attention.." He looks over at her. "I've forgotten. We're not dreaming, are we? Usually, I'd ask oyu to pinch me to make sure, but … I'm afraid pinching would wake me up and show that it all was just a dream after all!"
Soriana smirks. "Well then, you'd better get to it. Or get in line… behind." The smirk drifts toward grin but - ha! - there's a kiss to be had before she quite admits that she's amused rather than teasing (because it's obviously so very secret) and then she watches Ka'el settle in with the smile turning crooked. "…or at least not being able to hear him wanting attention." Which is close enough, right? She laughs, shaking her head. "Pretty sure it's real. If it were a dream my socks wouldn't still be wet." …but pinching might still be too much of a risk, so she doesn't attempt it. "I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. I mean, we're free-" as they ever get these days "-but it's not like I can go anywhere, because Luraoth's busy." Busy, on the sands, same difference. "And so…" She looks out over the tavern, then back to Ka'el. "Here we are."
"I wonder if she tires of it. .. Luraoth, I mean," clarifies Ka'el whose eyes track a fellow who stumbles his way towards the door and out into the slushy cold. "She's been on the sands more often than any other gold I remember. Because she's young, maybe?" he guesses. "I wonder if she even remembers her other clutches. If she ever thinks of them. Or if they sort've fade from her memory like things do with Kanekith most times. He remembers important things. Things and faces he sees every day or that matter to him. But not everything unless I give him the memory." He looks to his drink before reaching for it again. "Heh, you know the crazy thing about that freedom thing you said? I don't even want to go anywhere. It's .. like putting out more energy that I want to." He snickers, giving hera smirkish look. "But, if you really want to travel …I could take you on a journey. You wouldn't have to step a foot out of the Weyr, even."
"Maybe you just notice it more because you have to visit me." Soriana grins, but there's a thoughtful glimmer. Maybe she'll go and check the records… if she finds the time. If she even remembers. It's not that important, is it? Not really. It's not like knowing will make any difference to whether Luraoth takes to the skies and sands. Does it make a difference to that gold which clutches are hers? "She… sort of, I think." Soriana frowns, thoughtful. "When she's watching them, playing with them… she…" Soriana trails off, brow furrowing, then laughs. "I guess she sort of acts like that with ones that aren't hers, too. At least, not… from her eggs." They're all hers somehow if they're part of her Weyr. That's because (or maybe why?) she's the senior gold here. "She doesn't seem to care. Whether they are or not, she just… cares." Soriana shrugs - really, so many questions about what dragons think and remember come down to a shrug in the end - and has some more of her ale. Her ale, in the tavern that she… "It's not like I got any farther than this." Energy, what's that? Oh right, it's what goes into the office and the sands and Skyler. Soriana looks to Ka'el, and her eyebrows rise as she takes on a smirkish look to match his. "Can you, now?"
The resident gold is like the ultimate mother figure. All the hatchlings are hers to care for! Hers to play with! Ka'el considers this as things happen around him. People leave. People enter. Drinks are ordered and made by shaking or stirring or reaching for a keg. Some people are here to talk and laugh. Some are on the prowl for a mate, others on the prowl for a good night with pleasant company. These are his people! So is he like Luraoth, destined to care about all the living souls here, even if they are not of his own flesh and blood? It's something to think about … when one isn't drinking ale in a loud environment. That's one of those thought-provoking questions that'd make a good discussion on a couch someday. Someday. Not today. Today, or tonight rather, Ka'el is in a teasing mood! Ahd thus, tease he continues as he converses with Soriana. "Wonder if people can be like that too," he sys (this is not the tease). "Not carin' if a young thing is theirs or not. Caring about them anyway." His face takes on a vaguely distant apearance for a moment that can only be called as brief before, eyes back on her, his grin banishes the expression away. "Uh huh, I can," he says, answering her skeptical questioning. "And even better for you, you won't have to worry about the headache of traveling and packing. Shell, all you'll have to do is find someplace comfortable. Quiet. A sort've serene setting. Can be as simple as…I dunno…say, a bedroom. And the last thing you'll need to do is lay back and .. enjoy as your mind is taken dragonlengths from here. Far, far away from anything that's troubling or worrying to you." He smirks, jutting his chin up just slightly. "The ability rests in me." Ooh, so mystical.
Some people are easier to care for than others. The same's probably true for dragons. Still… they're all part of the Weyr, aren't they? So whether or not it's destiny, exactly, Luraoth's example is probably a good one to follow. …but, later. Tonight is not about caring for the entire Weyr, not unless it explodes or otherwise suddenly needs care. It hasn't starting crying like Skyler does, so they're probably safe to focus their care more narrowly. At least for tonight. They could care about other things. "Sure. People do that all the time." Soriana grins crookedly. "Why else do you think they adopt kittens?" Or… tunnelcats, for that matter. "Pretty sure it's not because everyone's secretly got a problem with tunnelsnakes and crawlies." Or maybe they do! An infestation across all of Pern, only barely held in check by furry friends. She has another sip of her ale, and then her grin answers Ka'el as he answers her. A wondrous journey! One without dragons or runners, packing or… actually going anywhere. "Serene, huh?" Soriana grins. "Probably also padded, I'd say. I mean… it wouldn't have to be." Forests are serene, right? "But journeys can be bumpy." Whether they're done by riding a runner, in a wagon, or… through mystical powers.
Ka'el smirks. "I was thinking more along the lines of people and other people. Small ones. Skyler sized, or smaller. Or larger. … Besides, who doesn't like kittens?" Another smirk. "Besides me. M'far too manly for them. Being around me is potentially dangerous for them, what with my masculinity being as masculine as it is." And oh, he flexes a muscle. He hasn't done that in a long time! And by 'long time' we really mean 'today' because being show-offy, even if in play, is just the sort of thing that Ka'el does. So he flexes his arm to show just how muscularly manly he truly is. *flex!* And as for his alleged setting of mystical fantasy being padded, he gives his head a little shake. "Doesn't have to be. My skills are so magnificent that I can make even the most stiff of places, the hardest, roughest of surfaces, feel like a pillow made from the feathers of the finest down." His brows raise with utter confidence. "You'd hardly feel a bump." He glances to his drink, taking another swallow. "Whatcha drinkin'?"
"…what if they're manly kittens?" Soriana just has to ask. "Like wild and… stripey." Because stripes are definitely manly, just ask… uh… anyone who agrees with her. "But I think people do. I mean… that's why people foster, right?" Because they want to love more babies than they can possibly have. Or, from the other side, because they don't think they can love their babies as much as someone else can. Either way. She grins for Ka'el's manly flexing, and reaches out to give it a playful shove. Or maybe it's a test of just how manly it is. Because that's the same as muscle, right? …it is when Ka'el is being show-offy. He's manly and mystical, and Soriana's smirk for that is dubious. "That's some pretty impressive magnificence. Are you sure you haven't drugged my drink?" Because that would be one way to pull something like that off! "…shells, you'd think you'd figure out what I'm drinking before adding stuff to it." She grins. "Redtail porter. It's kinda…" What did the bartender say again? "…gingerbread… ish." Only not really, which is why she nudges the mug toward him. It's got a medium body, with clove, caramel and a mellow bittering, and might pass for gingerbread except for the part where there's no actual ginger. So maybe just… bread. But in a sweet and spiced sort of way!
Wild and stripey kittens for men! Oooh, yeah. And he can put a spiked collar on it. And stain his claws blood red. Rough up his fur a bit. There, the perfect man cat! Ka'el snickers at the thought but only rolls his eyes before extending that flexed arm of his out totake the nudged drink. "Redtail?" he asks, sounding doubtful before he takes a sniff. Hmmmmm. Interesting. And now … time for the tasting! He takes a small swallow (small for courteousy, not for fear) and swallows it down. "Mmph," he says…er, rather, grunts, eyeing the drink again. "Gingerbread? …. Yeah, it does have that sort've flavor to it. Not outright, but more of a subtle .. hint. .. Still," he passes it back to her, "girlish." He grins then, a brow arching at her. "Ha, you offend me. You don't believe in what I can do? That the skill … nay, miracle within me exists? Pft," he makes a face at her, briefly. "S'alright. Actions speak louder, I get it. I'll prove it to you when I'm good and ready. And then, then you'll be beggin' for my forgiveness for ever doubting me. And I … might consider forgiving you. Maybe," he says with sudden haughtiness. "That or I'll throw you in the cells." Because clearly he has the power to throw the Senior in jail just because he wants to. Clearly.
…right, because red nail polish is suddenly manly when you put it on a cat. And so are necklaces (as long as they have spikes on them). It's good to have these things established! Soriana nods to Ka'el. Yes, he heard it right. No, she doesn't know why they named it that. Ales don't make sense when it comes to naming, that's not what ale names are there for. They're to… "Girly? Really?" She smirks at him. "And what manly concoction of cat hair are you drinking?" With the froth and the delicate foam. And the being stolen by her in order to try it. Without even asking! Because she's just offensive like that, as well as by not believing in his epic skills. "Miracle. Hah!" That was her. Scoffing. At him. "You'll never be able to match the glory I can have just by walking out that door." She waves a hand to the one leading out of the tavern… y'know, into the cold rain, assuming it hasn't turned to sleet by now, and the darkness falling over Xanadu. That glory. "Not even if you throw me in prison, to rot in the darkest hole at the very bottom of the catacombs-" the ones that don't exist, because all they have is that holding cell out by the stable "-you'll never be able to take my away the greatest treasure of all!"
Hey! His drink has been stolen! What a crafty woman that Soriana is, snatching away his drink like that. The sneak. The snake! The…oh, what is he drinking? Ka'el smirks, not answering as she takes a sip, for the sip will answer for him. His magnificently manly drink is … ale! Regular ol' ale that's a rich dark brown color and slightly sweet, as some ales tend to be. "The classic," he finally says, brows raising a marginal amount. "Can't go wrong with that, even though I do like a flavored ale every once in a while." Which probably is common knowledge to her, considering they've been friends for like .. forever turns. He lets her taste as much as she wants, but she runs the risk of him stealing hers if she keeps a hold of it for too long. But not yet. For now he's too busy being amused by her claims, distracted by her closeness, which has the side of his leg brushing against hers. His eyes glance to the door, then back to her, the amusement the dominant expression on his face. "Glory, eh? So you say. I don't believe it," he says arily. "What'll happen? The tavern will collapse? The people will stop and mourn you leaving? Hearts'll break?" He scoffs mightly, waving a dismissive hand. "Treasure my arse."
That's right. Soriana intends to taste for herself. It's like she doesn't trust Ka'el or something! For no reason whatsoever, given what a trustworthy and reliable sort of guy he is. Who drinks ale. Sometimes flavory. Sometimes lighter. Sometimes darker. Ale's ale but there's all kinds of ale, and this particular ale is… "Not bad." So Soriana decrees, and really, who else's opinion is needed? Really, she's still just enjoying the fact that she can drink these things without a healer tsking at her. Time away from the baby is possible! So she can have ale (she's back to hers now, because while she had to steal some of his, she picked hers for a reason), and she can… "It might. See those timbers?" She indicates one at random. "Fragile. Flawed design! Full of sentiment." Which is a real thing that can happen to wood and nails. "But that's not the real risk. Oh no. It's not just the tavern that'll fall beneath the ground. Far worse. Because even after all that… I'll still be able to convince Nugget that your toes might be sausages."
Oh that random timber over there? Ka'el peeeeeers toward it, brows lowering. "It does look frail, doesn't it? Ready to snap at any minute! You should do something about that, Weyrwoman," he says as he reclaims his drink, eyes drifting back to her. "Businesses are the backbone of our Weyr. The upkeep of shops and storefronts … is your business, isn't it?" he asks, giving her an expectant look. "Well, the Headwoman's business, but eventually it'll come down to you to call the shots about what gets done. If this place is just hangin' on by a thread, the thread of your arriving and leaving, then .. seems to me like youhave your work cut out for you." He tks, giving her a look that clearly reads 'For shame!' and takes a gulp of his ale. Yum! He nearly laughs in the middle of his swallow though, which would've made for a rather messy predicament indeed! Luckily, he's able to force it all down before his guffaw makes its debut. "Ha! Nugget, as … uh…eager as he is about foodstuff, would never eat my toes! Even crushed and buried under rubble, he'd know that those toes were magnificent things that are to be treasured, not eaten. And he'd treasure them and guard them from anyone that'd try to steal them." Because toe-stealing is a very real thing! .. Really. >.>
"Steward's, actually," Soriana says. "…I think. Well…" It's complicated, and really, she's already given it more thought than it deserves in these particular circumstances. The point is not whose job it is to shore up timbers in privately rented structures! (They all report to her anyway, so she can't wriggle out of Ka'el's pincers that easily.) The point is that… "And besides, it's just making use of vital force!" Which is a real thing that certainly wasn't discredited centuries ago. "Which is an efficient use of resources!" As well as being fictional. "Besides, if it's the backbone of the Weyr, it should grow some." In addition to those support struts, or maybe as one. Soriana takes a victory lap (er, drink) of her own ale, then grins. "You claim that now." He does! She heard him. "But you just wait until someone's dribbled cocktail sauce on them and added a light sprinkling of freshly-cracked pepper. You'll see just how loyal that firelizard of yours is… and just how hungry!"
Oh, it's the Steward's job? Ka'el knew that! Really. He was just testing her. And she …. has passed! Hooray! Someone get this woman a cap and gown. And cocktail sauce and pepper for his toes, which will serve as appetizers to her graduation dinner. He makes a face at the alleged delicacy that are his toes dipped in sauce, making a shuddering motion with his body. "If he isn't loyal, here's hoping that he's at least sanitary. That all sounds like a sure way to make anyone vomit, firelizard or not. Severed toes with pepper and sauce. Does it come with a side of fingernails? Polished or unpolished? I heard the unpolished is healthier…Better for muscle tone." He crookedly smirks at her, just one edge of his lips quirking up in a boyishly charming look that's sure to make hearts melt and…oh, wait. That only happens in his own mind! His eyes turn to the bar, even though the mug in front of him is still halfway full with dark, amber liquid. "This place reminds me of Weyrlinghood," hemuses.
Wait, no, Soriana isn't the one eating those toes! She's not a … toeivore. Or a cannibal. "…eww." Because, hey, she's just the one who brought the subject up, that doesn't mean she was actually thinking about it. Really, she'd rather not. Though… "Is that the secret to your thews?" Lots of fresh (clean) fingernails. …nope, even clean, still not part of this balanced breakfast. At least not her balanced breakfast. Soriana smirks back to Ka'el, and gives her head a slow shake that settles into an even slower stop. "Yeah?" she asks, looking to him, then out over the barn. "Seems like it's forever ago. I mean…" She exhales, half-lifts her glass. "Things were different then." And Soriana has a drink.
"Night and day sort've different," agrees Ka'el, who's haveing a moment of nostalgia. It was a good time! For the most part. Lots of things learned about himself and others. Lots of things learned about Kanekith. Those life sort of lessons that stick with you for a while, if not forever. He peers at his drink. He should get another. It's looking a little low. Or maybe a kind barmaid will pick it up and replace it for him without having to say a word! He is the Weyrleader, afterall. … He snerks at that thought. He hasn't really become so vain, has he? Living the life of the privileged for too long, perhaps! "I say we drink to the past and put some of the skills we learned to use. Wanna dance?" he asks with a smirkish grin on his face. Wouldn't V'dim be so proud! Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, possibly brushing up on their proper dance skills! Though, given the setting, 'proper' is likely far from anyone's mind. "I haven't had a chance to let you stomp on my toes in a while."
Really, they're the sort of life lessons that shape an entire life. Where things turned from Kale to Ka'el, or… "I don't even know what happened," Soriana muses. "I mean… Luraoth changed things, but then… they just… kept changing." Weyrlinghood, now, seems as distant as candidacy did then. She considers on it, back through the mists of time, but… maybe human memory is as elusive as the dragon sort, because Soriana can't exactly remember what it was that happened. Oh, she can remember things - moments - but who she was? Heh, that's harder. And not just because of her ale, which she lifts to… the past. "It had parts that sucked," she says, because maybe she's not so great at toasting things (except for cheese sandwiches). "Parts that were awesome… and parts that really didn't make much sense at all, but hey, if it weren't for that we wouldn't be here now, so… yeah. I'd drink to that." So she does, or at least, she gets the glass most of the way to her lips. "And maybe the future, too." While she's at it and all. Now, how about that dance? Soriana grins. "What is it with you and toes tonight?" Never mind that she's the one who brought them up the first time.
A toast to the past and future! The past … yeah, she's right. It had its ups and down. Highs and lows. And where he is now is a good place, so he'll take that and be thankful for it, because where else could he be now? Perhaps… he'd be a Journeyman smith. Still here in Xanadu, or moved on somewhere else. A bachelor? Married? Would he still have Kanekith, for if Kanekith was destined to be his, wouldn't he have hatched wherever Ka'el happened to be? Maybe. That's a theory that's impossible to prove. There would be no Skyler if there was no Soriana. No Weyrleadership. No weyr full of wildlife. No nights like there, where hours of time together are treasured things… So he toasts his present, for he is presently happy where he is. And to the future, which may have its moments of darkness and woe and happiness and light. A toast to the unknown! He drinks. Then he stands, his grin growing mischievous. "Toes are obviously your thing as you're the one who brought about talk of eatin' them," he says with a quirked brow. "I feel like I should sleep with my boots on tonight if I value them. Which I do." Insert suspicious look…here! He extends his hand to her. "M'lady, let me sweep you off your feet." Even though tavern music is almost always energetic.
Ka'el would surely have succeeded at something. A smith. A dragonrider. He was aimed for Wingsecond of Galaxy, wasn't he? And before that… journeyman smith! Before that… apprentice! And way back before that dream was even a glimmer… heh, that's too far back to even imagine. Life hasn't exactly gone where it's expected. Maybe Kanekith would have been a Telgar bronze if Ka'el'd been at the smithcraft hall there… but would he have been the same dragon, born to different parents, his hatching shaped by different surroundings and trained by a different weyrlingmaster? Likely not. Or things might have been even more different, Kale married to… someone, a son whose grandmother begs them to come visit and… that's not a thought to travel down tonight. Not when the music's playing and there's a lighter mood to be had. There are enough serious thoughts. More than enough. So Soriana… puts her hand in Ka'el's, shakes her head with a laugh and shakes those sorts of thoughts away. "Your toes are safe with me." You can trust her. She's the Weyrwoman! Those are trustworthy pretty much by definition. "But I'll let you borrow mine."
Ka'el could have been Weyrleader at … some other place. But he's glad he's not. Xanadu is his home, even more so now than turns before! And life is good, especially when there's dancing in it. Sure, it could be … better. Better with two sets of grandparents instead of just one. Better with visits to plenty of uncles and cousins to grow close to instead of the one blue-riding uncle who is as unpredictable as the wind with his flythroughs. Another sort of rural life to get to know. But..well. Life is still good as it is! And Ka'el is in a good mood as he pulls his weyrmate away from the table and closer towards dancing folk. The spotlight shines. Not literally, but oh they're noticed! How could they not be, they're the leaders of this joint. So, by those not too drunk (and those too drunk to care about formal pleasantries) they're greeted as they make their way through. Familiar faces of the Weyr. Ka'el grins, hand still in Soriana's. Time to dance! "You mean I have to give them back?" he says, peering down at her shoes. "I suppose that'll do!" he laughs as he begins to dance to the upped tempo of a popular jig. Clap, clap, dip and turn!
Once, surely, their dragons offered freedom. The ability to between anywhere on the planet! A world of opportunities with just a hop, skip and jump… and yet somehow, freedom has turned to things that keep them here. Xanadu holds them down with chains. Weyrwoman. Weyrleader. Their son. The sands. All these things that keep them back, that trap them here… at home. And that's the thing. Soriana doesn't mind being trapped here, because it's more. Oh, she's restless sometimes. Feet that want to walk, but tonight they can dance. Arms that want to stretch out in the wind as Luraoth flies… and they will, but not tonight. Tonight Luraoth's on the sands, tonight Soriana and Ka'el pass through the crowd and she smiles to those with greetings and felicitations. She pretends she doesn't hear the ones that want something - it's loud in the tavern, you know - and she laughs to Ka'el. "You do. I have plans for those feet!" They're made for walking… or dancing. Her hands know where to go. So do her feet. There's still eyes on them, but she's used to that. It's how things are, these days. It's part of life… and life is good.
Ka'el is not going to go tromping on her feet. Nope! That only happens … when he's drunk. And Ka'el hasn't been drunk in a while! So Soriana's toe are absolutely safe (we hope) from clumsy boots stomping on them. Plus! They know this dance, the both of them. See how they move in sync with one another and those around them? It's a jubilant atmosphere as people enter and leave the dancefloor, taking a rest for a drink or coming back rejuvinated by ale or some other concoction. The music continues, one song shifting to another with little break inbetween. No time to stop! Dance on! Ka'el does just that, keeping up with Soriana, bodies apart most of the time but coming in close for spins or twirls or gallops around the table-free dance area together. Is it hot in here? Maybe. It definitely isn't hot outside, what with the vague amount of sleet that's beginning to fall. Landing conditions will be poor, and Ka'el will probably think about that once he realizes the weather outside. There's always something work-related to think about. But he's not dwelling on that now. All thoughts are on fun and dancing and watching Sori and teasing Sori with impromptu finger jabs to her ribcage when they're close.
Soriana needs those toes! …okay, admittedly, Senior Weyrwoman for a sandsbound queen is probably one of the less toe-requiring jobs. She just needs to be wheeled back and forth from sands to office and back again! But being Skyler's mom… yeah, that one's gonna require some toes. The boy's getting good at running (well, crawling) off and needing to be chased! His babysitter's probably getting a workout, but for tonight, that's not Soriana's problem. Neither is her toes getting stepped on, because Ka'el hasn't tromped on them and everyone else (so far) has given her enough of a berth. See, Weyrwoman's good for something! Nobody dares disturb her… except Ka'el. He dares, and she smirks to him as she spins past, bumps hips to his when she happens to be close enough, and makes things hot… because they're in a warm tavern and exerting themselves! Soon she won't want to put on a coat again… until she sees what it's like outside, but it's not like Skyler's babysitter is going to want to spend the night. Still, that's not a concern for now. The concern for now is dancing! …and so she spins, arms above her and then sweeping down. It may not be what V'dim had in his class, but hey. They know more than their weyrling lessons.
Hip bump! Ka'el grins at the action. Spins her once. Lets her go. Is Skyler having this much fun? Perhaps. Soriana wouldn't leave him with just any babysitter. Ka'el neither, for that matter. This person has likely been combed through with a fine-toothed comb for any major faults in childcare! And she has passed the examination, which must mean she is one of those Very Good and Experienced ones that knows how to keep a baby entertained, clean, fed, happy, and in bed on time as to not throw a wrench in his routine. So it's easy for Ka'el to relax and not have Skyler on the forefront of his brain as he dances among the crowd, eyes on Sori who is, in fact, the one on the forefront of his brain. Because those moves of hers? Some of them are very eye-catching, even if she perhaps may not intend for them to be. But where there are curves and motion, Ka'el's attention is stolen! V'dim should have more modern dances in his lessons, for he'd arm men against the hypnotic tendencies of grooving hips! Or maybe that's one of those lessons they're supposed to learn on their own. He moves nearer to her, all grins as an arm loops around her waist and he dances with her in a closer proximity. "Where were these moves at the Weyrling dance?" he teases.
If Skyler is having this much fun - and he might be, he's got a high quality sitter - he probably isn't having it in this way. He might be dancing! …for some values of dancing. At his age, that means wiggling side to side on his back… or maybe pulling himself up against a piece of furniture and shaking his diapered booty. Neither of these are quite like the thing Soriana's doing where she puts her hand in Ka'el's and spins, then steps away again. Now he has her, now he doesn't, all in the sort of way that inclines him to give chase and with the sort of grin that suggests it'd be a fine thing if he caught her… but not yet. First they have to dance, and while it's easy to let Skyler be a distant thought (he's a distant baby! and well cared for!) it's not so easy to forget that they have an audience, which means that what they're doing is kept to dancing… even if it does end up as a rather provocative sort of dancing. "I think they were under 'failing marks'," she replies to Ka'el, draping arms around his shoulders and swaying in against him. "That, or 'partners will be assigned at random'."
Ka'el laughs. "It'd be awful to fail at dancing, wouldn't it? But I'd call it unfair if you did," he claims. "These are winning moves." Highest marks in the class is what he'd give her! Exceptional! Outstanding! But his opinion is just slightly biased, is it not? Or maybe not, considering a pair of appreciatively wandering brown eyes that have shifted her way. Provocative indeed. Ka'el doesn't miss a beat, but neither is he totally ignorant of the facts here: The Weyrleader fact. The Senior Weyrwoman fact. The facts of their surroundings that dictate actions. Ones, in this case, that must be kept appropriate. Not that Ka'el would ever have any inappropriate thoughts! Nooooo. Not him! >.> So he meets her moves with moves of his own, grasping her and letting her go in time with the music. Laughing when they spin and twirl, grinning when bodies touch and move against one another, albeit only for brief moments. And it's in one of those moments in which his grin edges slightly towards mischievous and the hand of the arm that's looped around her slips marginally lower, toeing the line of inappropriateness just slightly before it's pulled away from her. "I need a break. Do you need a break? I could stand for a drink."
"But what do I win?" Soriana's teasing, and what's worse, while her question is on the appropriate side of the line, she knows full well that the answers are… likely inappropriate. At least, for these circumstances! If she'd just agreed to go on a mystical journey with him… she could be serene instead of sweating and breathing more quickly (which also has its own effects on things like her chest and how it moves. Pluses for her As! Or, well… right! Appropriate!) This is appropriate dancing with Ka'el, with twirling and swaying and arms that stay where they should for respectable people instead of where they might want to be if there were inappropriateness involved. Which there isn't, because this is a reputable Weyr (and never mind the fact that not only did Ka'el have to become Weyrleader for his Senior, they've also got a kid at home) and so things are purely appropriate. Like… drinks! "Yes." Those are very much appropriate. "I could even sit down for a drink."
Ka'el should probably get his mind away from raunch and back towards … um … non-raunch. Yup! That's probably a very good idea, hence the drink break! Because there's nothing at all suggestive about drinking. All that suggestiveness is just a side-effect from drinking! … Maybe they'll just get some water. (Unlikely) He smirks at her quip about sitting and gives his eyes an exaggerated roll. "What about kneeling? Would you get on your knees for a drink?" …Sigh. Mind. Away. From. Raunch. Ka'el! He grasps for her hand and flashes her a grin before weaving his way through the crowd with her, to the bar to shout out their order of drinks. An ale! And a red tail! Or was it blue? .. Whichever. If there's a drink with either or both names, it's bound to be good! The bar's but a pitstop though. They'll bring their drinks (they're the Weyrleadership, duh!) and Ka'el drags her back to their tucked away table that she picked out earlier. Safe! Kinda. He just needs to stop looking at her and thinking things and he'll be just fine!
…yeah Ka'el would like to get some tail, wouldn't he? Whether it's red, blue, or… uh… gold? Metaphorically speaking, aaaand here's the gutter again, nice and drenched with… uh. Sleet! Coldest shower ever. Maybe it'll help, where by help we mean… uh… drinking! Right. Soriana's wet … in that way where there's sweat on her forehead and making her shirt stick to her somewhat, her breathing still heavy enough to make her chest move, and for her drink she'll… smirk. "And you can stand on your head." Oh look! It worked. She has the drink now, and she takes it with her as they go back to the table. The nice respectable table (in an only somewhat dark and shadowy not-quite-corner) and taking a nice long quaff of her ale and… well, while she's at it, there's also a hand that reaches out and brushes against his hip. Because… reasons. Appropriate reasons. And also dancing.
Ka'el should sit down because sitting down seems like a nice idea! It's better than standing up, because standing up calls attention to yourself. Sitting down makes you blend in! .. Sort of. Not that Ka'el expects himself to suddenly become invisible. People saw both of them out there dancing and know that they're here! But at least they're out of view enough that people could possibly disregard the fact that their here long enough for Ka'el to get his mind right. Not that Soriana is helping with that in any way. Ale is in hand. The dancing still has the pace of his heart elevated, and he swallows down a few mouthfulls of liquid while his eyes watch the movements of Soriana's ches-.. Wait. No. They watch the window! Yeah. Cuz it looks really cold outside, and…cold! It's just what he needs. He should probably take a step outside and…whose hand is touching him? Oh, right. It's Soriana's, duh! Whose other touch would make him want to squirm his hips a little, as they nearly do now? … What was that about a head and standing? And wasn't he going to sit down or something? Yeah. He was. But he doesn't because instead he's moving closer to Soriana, free arm slipping around her and body grazing her front as he leans into murmur against her ear. "We've got a babysitter tonight.." A fact which they both are very much aware of already. "He might be sleepin' when we get home.."
It's hard to be inconspicuous when you're a Weyrleader. Or a Weyrwoman. Or both! Really hard. Really really hard. Hard and… uh. Wait. No. Not like that. Cold like the sleet outside, not hot like… Soriana, whose hand is slipping further along Ka'el's hip, down to a… nearly… respectable position. It's maybe just on the non-respectable side of things, but only barely. And it's dark in here! Ish. So surely it's safe enough to… "Mmh." A babysitter is had! Which is why they're both here. And now that they're here, in the heat of the tavern (or maybe just the moment), they can… do… not nearly so much as they might want. But! Once they get home… "He is sleeping better…" Except when he's doing some late-night teething. Or he didn't eat enough mashed carrots, or had too many smushed peas. "So…" she turns her head, nuzzles her lips along Ka'el's cheek. "He might."
Ka'el could just be whispering a secret to her. It's what it sort of looks like he's doing, if anyone were to glance their way. And perhaps it's not too brow-arching of a thing to see. They are weyrmates, after all! And he's likely whispering some super important detail about Xanadu that can't wait to the morning to be shared. Because their Weyrleadership is efficient! Look at them, working on their rest time. Soriana, working her hand on that hip. Ka'el, working his body against hers. Both light touches. Both borderline inappropriate. But..well. Who's really paying them any attention with so many great drinks to be ordered and music to be danced to? In comparison, they're downright boring! Except Ka'el is finding Soriana to be quite interesting. The most interesting thing in the world at the moment, and an edge of his lips faintly curves up as he listens to her. Feels her lips to his cheek. Feels his neck growing warm due to something other than the alcohol he's consumed. "So…" he echoes as his arm drops lower behind her, entering the curvy zone in which eyebrows might arch, "maybe we should go home, send the babysitter on her way, and … go to bed." Cuz he's tired, you see. Yup. That's why.
The secret is, they're always working. So eager. So enthusiastic. So much hard … work. Soriana tilts her head, listening to Ka'el. To his important message that… is probably being at least somewhat telegraphed by their bodies, but… there aren't likely to be any small children in the tavern, right? Soriana and Ka'el certainly didn't bring theirs here. Just the two of them, out for a night together that's… inclining itself toward being a night in together. The evening part was out, but now… it's a good thing those small children aren't there. The various adults who are here, well… they've probably figured it out, if they're paying attention, but it's not like they couldn't guess that this is one of the ways that this particular Weyrleader and Weyrwoman work together. There's a small child as evidence! A Skyler baby that had to come from somewhere and… is hopefully asleep. "Maybe we should," she agrees, as her lips trace down and nibble ever so lightly at his jaw. Which would be inappropriate except his face is in the way from anyone seeing. It's still suggestive. Actually, it might be a step beyond suggestive. Demonstrative? Implicative? (Of bed.) "It's probably nice and serene."
Ka'el fails to stop the whispered expletive that slips from his lips at the subtle touch of teeth to his jawline. His brain reacts too slow, having somewhat melted to a glob of mush beneath Soriana's attentions. His body reacts appropriately. He wants to be nearer to her, and so he does just that, shifting his body closer so that the gentle graze strengthens to a press of his hips to hers. Stomach. The lower portion of his chest. Thighs. And all that can be felt between, which perhaps speaks his need more resoundingly than that slipped word. He's still holding that ale in one hand. It's a miracle his fingers haven't given up on that and allowed it to slip from his grasp. But, the table is near. Near enough that he can lower it and set it down, which frees that hand to join the other and wrap around her. He kisses her earlobe. The side of her neck receives a trail of them, each one just as slowly pressed as the one before. His hips roll forward gently, pressing himself a little more firmly against her before he forces himself to take a slight step back. Appearances, Ka'el! There are still roles to play here. … Which are quite different than the roles that he hopes to play at home. If Skyler is asleep. If they get this night together. "We'll go home then. Enjoy our nice and serene bed. And we're gonna stay up and enjoy it for a long while.. Cuz I've been waiting to enjoy it with you for… long time." A smirk, and he turns his eyes to the door briefly in gesture.
Pay no mind, Xanadu citizens. There's nothing be be seen here. Okay, so that's a lie. There's a Ka'el and a Soriana to be seen, though they're more interested in the part where they feel. And the parts of each other where they feel. There's hands, shifting toward ever roaming-er places. There's bodies, pressed in against each other. There's drinks… there are? Oh yeah, so there are. Those can probably be seen, but they're not the most interesting part, which is why when Soriana notices Ka'el has set his down (because of the thunk), she does the same to hers. They can just… stay there. The drinks, that is. They're a free gift to whoever comes here next! Table, complete with drinks. That, or it can stay as a shrine. A little monument to their having been here once they're gone. Soriana murmurs a soft something or other that doesn't really involve words as Ka'el's lips trace down along her neck, then… looks up at him, as he steps back. He stopped? …oh yeah. Of course he stopped. This isn't the place. It might be the time, but it's not the place. "Yeah. It's waiting for us." The bed. Hopefully not Skyler, because he's supposed to be - should be - please let him be - asleep. Snoozing away and unaware of whatever inappropriate things his parents are doing… but then… if they're in their bed together… it's pretty appropriate, isn't it? Just the sort of thing weyrmates should be doing. "Let's go." Soriana gives his hand a tug, not that he's the one holding them back. Nothing's holding them back. Not even the sleet and slush they'll have to go through on the way home, and once they get there… they won't have to hold back, either.