Gift Baskets
meadow.jpg


Xanadu Weyr - Meadow
A large, slightly rolling meadow is set high enough above the riverbank on both sides to avoid suffering from flooding, healthy ground cover and grass spreading out from either side of the dividing river. Scattered amongst the meadow are a variety of weyrs, each with a narrow path leading up to it from a main, winding road. Some are set under a few trees, while others sit by themselves. The meadow continues with gentle rolls and dips, grass tall and short waving in the slightest of breezes, and eventually those hills grow higher and steeper, ending in a large ridge that provides a fine view of that meadow and the rest of the Weyr, gazing out over the multicolored roofs of the houses and the cliff that holds the caverns.
Runner stables with the paddock beyond are to the south beyond the meadow weyrs, and a smithy and a woodcraft shop are settled closer in towards the path to the clearing. Trees border the northern side of the meadow, and more of those low, rolling hills can be seen to the northwest. A road passes through the meadow, coming from the east and used by traders and crafters alike. Wagons laden with felled trees from the forests or ore from the mountains are hauled by burden beast up the road through the meadow, over the bridge spanning the river to be processed in the appropriate workshops.


Just away from the worst of the noise from the woodcraft and smithy shops, Rinian is settled comfortably in the cooling shade of one of the trees that dot the meadow. Sitting cross-legged, she is working on a piece of wood in one hand, with the sharp knife in the other. Now and then she glances up to watch the firelizards that are either playing about, or settled in places to snooze in the mid-morning sun.

Sylvarin does not look to be happy about being in the GREAT OUTDOORS right now, but he honestly never is. The baker has a frown on his features as she treks along the path, green-blue eyes scanning his surroundings for one Nessalyn. His attire is the usual, rolled up button down and a pair of simple pants. But what he's carrying? Definitely not quite usual. The man has two baskets that are filled to the brim with (experimental) desserts. Even the baskets are kind of decorated. /Why/ is he carrying those around? Because SOMEONE isn't in the infirmary so now he has to figure out where she is. From a distance he spots the figure under the tree and starts moving in that direction and grimacing as he pushes through some calf-high grass. Only…this is not who he was looking for. "Ah…hey, you seen Ness by any chance?"

Rinian glances up, wisely stopping her work so as to not lop off a thumb when not watching what she is doing. Oh yay..the man she managed to really annoy the other day. "Nessayln? I haven't, but I haven't really been paying attention to the people coming and going. Shouldn't she be resting somewhere?" She doesn't know what happened, just the usual bit of rumor.

"I'm assuming she should be but….I didn't see her in the infirmary." Sylvarin's lips pull even further downwards and he sighs deeply. One basket is temporarily placed down so he can run a hand through thick dark locks in /more/ frustration. "Maybe it wasn't as bad as it sounded then." At least he can hope. But by the amount of dessert he's made he probably be assumed she'd be bed-ridden for a sevenday. Of course all he's heard was that she was /covered/ in /blood/.

Nessalyn is definitely not in the infirmary. Whether or not she has actually been cleared to leave said infirmary is a fair question to ask, but most of her injuries were the sort which don't require more than time to heal, save for the stitches in her leg. She's navigating the meadow on crutches, scowling at the earth for daring to be uneven as she slowly makes her way along. It's not the least bit comfortable, and she still looks a wreck even if she's up on her feet. She has a massive bruise on her cheek, a split lip, and the thin line of a healing cut across her neck, but any other injuries are safely hidden beneath clothing. She's not so quick (or silent) on her feet that she can slip up without behind heard, so by the time she spots Rinian and Sylvarin and makes her way over to them, she misses the entirety of their conversation. "Whoever invented these things deserves to be drowned," she complains, moving to lean carefully up against the tree that Rinian has claimed.

Rinian wonders what happened, but she was taught to not be nosey, so really tries to curb her desire to ask if he knows more than the rumors she'd heard. She brushes some of the shavings from her lap, though there are still plenty there, and more to be added once she continues. "Do you want me to help you look for her?" But she's saved the trouble by the very one they'd been talking about. She looks the woman over head to toe but..doesn't pry. "I've heard they take some getting used to. Do you have padding under the arms?"

"Whoever let you /out/ of the infirmary needs to be drowned actually, not whoever invented those." Sylvarin's lips form a thin line as she turns to take in the sight that is Nessalyn. There's a brief shake of his head and eventually a sigh escapes his lips, "Honestly, you look like shit." Because this is /exactly/ what someone should tell people that are trying to heal. "I've been looking for you everywhere." Even OUTSIDE. He's just a /tad/ annoyed but it's fiiiiiine. Still, he's just going to /rudely/ stare at all her injuries. Forever staring. "What in the world happened to you anyways? Because I doubt you fought off 3 wild felines with your bare hands." Rumors rumors. Yeah, he's /totally/ prying cause he doesn't have the same manners as Rinian!

"Yeah, but there's not enough padding in the world to make them comfortable." Especially when you go on long, unadvised excursions on your brand new crutches! Nessalyn rests on her good leg, holding the other out straight, careful not to disturb her stitches with excess movement. "I was released from the infirmary," she informs Sylvarin confidently. It's spoken with the sort of conviction that makes her words sound like the truth, whether or not they are. His comments on her appearance are met with a shrug - she knows she's not winning any beauty contests. "Why are you looking for me?" A glance goes to Rinian, as though the woodcrafter might somehow have the answer to that question. She hasn't yet put two and two together with the baskets, but given the fact that she definitely has some sort of concussion, surely her lack of observational skills can be forgiven. "I got into a fight to the death with Risali. Obviously, we both lost, since we're still alive."

Perhaps the reason Rinian doesn't pry is because some answers just don't make any sense? Like that one? She lifts one brow in Ness' direction, but that is her only 'comment' to the answer. She nods her head slightly to Sylvarin and says, "The good Baker was looking for you." She suggests, "Perhaps you should rest if those are so troublesome?"

"You were released from the infirmary…" Sylvarin repeats the words slowly, skepticism plain in his voice, but after a moment he eventually shrugs. If she says so…it's probably true? Putting that aside he ends up lifting up a basket and shaking it about gently (not enough that any of the desserts in various boxes will move). "Brought you something to help ease your time in the infirmary but since you're already out and about…" Well, he's still going to give her the baskets anyways. It'd at least save a trip for dessert if she decides to eat in the caverns! But apparently he's just going to keep being nosy, "You and Risali?" The man's eyebrows are shooting up and he tilts his head to the side, "Did she steal a blowtorch from you or something?" He's betting on the something part, but he wouldn't put it past the first part…."And Rinian's right, maybe you should sit?" See? He remembers names!

Nessalyn shakes her head briefly, adjusting her position against the tree. "It's too much trouble to get up again. This is enough resting." At least the crutches are out from beneath her arms, and no longer irritating her quite so badly. She leans them up against the tree as well, focused carefully on their balance until she deems them safe. Her assurance of her release already given, Nessalyn doesn't expand upon that fact, actually intending to ignore Sylvarin's inquisitiveness until that basket of treats is offered. "Really?" It's equal parts confused and excited, because TREATS! But there's a lingering skepticism regarding his intentions in offering such a gift, even if she's more than willing to take it. "I was planning to set the entire forest on fire and she wanted to stop me. It didn't go well for either of us." There's a forced humor to her words, but she maintains that facade of calm in spite of how unsettled she remains about the entire ordeal.

Rinian might believe the fire and stopping part but… this is Ness. "What about a return to the caverns?" He who does not like the outdoors would be happy. "You could easily sit then, and enjoy what he has made for you." You know…logic..reason.

"Really, I'm not /entirely/ callous you know. Besides, I figured that if you had nothing better to do than sit in the infirmary your taste buds could be put to work." Sylvarin grins a bit with these words and eventually puts down the basket again. "And since Taeli is a monster and Rinian just /refuses/ to eat anything, you're all I have left." Woe! Cue a sideways glance towards the woodcrafter, but the baker doesn't sound annoyed or anything at this point in time. And as for the whole forest burning thing? "As much as I hate the whole fresh air and live plants thing…we /do/ kind of need that stuff." But apparently this is the point at which he stops prying into things.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Nessalyn attempts to wave off Rinian's concerns, if only because she doesn't want to move again just now. The caverns seem insurmountably far away, and while she knows that's not really the case, she's not eager to test that hypothesis. "Although I do want to enjoy some of this. You could, too." That's to the woodcrafter again, because much like Sylvarin, she can't resist pointing out the girl's mysterious determination to avoid sweets. "Thanks," is said to Sylvarin, albeit in a low, reluctant tone. She may hate to admit to it, but he does deserve her gratitude. "You might have to help me carry those back to my room."

Rinian tried. But if Ness doesn't want to get to a comfortable place to rest, she's not going to make her. She gives Sylv a glance but only replies to the latter part of what he said. "Yes, we do. I'd be out of a job if you burned down all the forests." Might have been a joke, but its hard to say. She ignores the basket of goodies and gets back to the carving she's working on. At the moment, it doesn't look like much, however.

"There's plenty to share…." Sylvarin says, though it sounds more out of courtesy at this point. The baker's hammered this point far too many times already in his opinion to spend too much more time on trying to find out the reason. Perhaps one day she'll tell them, perhaps! Sylvarin does accept Nessalyn's thanks with a brief nod however, but he's certainly not about to go and make a big deal out of it. "Can't have you taking too many days off on your fast-testing job after all. Think of all the weyrfolk that would be without my desserts if there was a hold up in manufacturing part." Again, that hint of a smile is on his lips and soon he's reaching over to take a box from one of the baskets. Inside are four slender pastries, each about one finger-length. Thin wafers are separated by layers of cream and some fresh-glazed strawberries placed on top. Definitely one of his more simplistic designs!

Nessalyn will just stubborn her way through this healing process, whether or not that's good for her. (It's probably not.) "Or your work would be way more valuable, because everyone would have to pay ridiculous amounts to import wood, so it could make your work more profitable." This suggestion would probably be followed by the arch of a brow, if her face weren't so sore. "You should think about burning down the forest, too." Even injured, she can still stir up trouble. "Frankly, I'm not so concerned if other weyrfolk get to eat these, as long as I do," Nessalyn admits as she reaches out for one of those layered wafers. "If it were up to me, I'd just keep them all."

Rinian casts a sidelong glance at the very yummy looking deserts, and with an inward sigh looks back to her workpiece, gently removing another sliver of wood. "It would get much too hot here without the trees too, and it wouldn't be nearly as pretty." Just imagine what their ancestors would have said about living in all this greenery! "It's a wonder the weyrfolk aren't all fat with those very beautiful baked goods of yours."

"I'm pretty sure if it were up to you our entire economy would be in ruins…though if you've got a way of inflating prices for my pastries once I'm a full Master? All ears." Because why not? He doesn't have any specific ambitions except for making enough marks to enjoy the nice things in life! Anything I can throw at them." A pause. "But if they want to overindulge? Fine by me!" It does wonders for his ego when they do and Sylv? Oh he has quite the ego when it comes to desserts.

"That's why you stay inside and out of the sun." Nessalyn has a justification for everything! It's a good thing for everyone involved that most people don't seem to be buying what she's selling, though. "If it were up to me, there wouldn't be an economy," the techcrafter corrects, grinning as she bites into that delicious treat. She makes a sound of appreciation as she consumes it, already reaching for another. "So good." That entire box is going to be gone within minutes. "If someday all I can do is roll my way to the caverns for his treats, I'll do it. I'm willing to make that sacrifice."

Rinian keeps turning the wood, shaping it first in one spot, then another. More curls of wood end up in her lap. She doesn't bother pointing out the other flaws in Ness' plan. She does cast a glance up at her with a smile, "You really do love his baking." For some reason, that seems to please her.

Sylvarin can't help but faintly smirk at Nessalyn's words before shaking his head. But for the rolling to the caverns comment? The baker lets out an actual laugh for that one. "Now /that/ would be a sight!" Why is it so entertaining? No idea. But he might also be imagining her trying to set fire to things while rolling around (ayyy Violet Beauregarde)! "It's pretty damn good baking if I do say so myself…" Again, there's that ego flaring up. And apparently the baker is a bit pecks too because he's pulling out another box that's filled with ginger snap cookies, each one delicately iced with intricate lace like designs. But the icing? Certainly no plain vanilla. There's a hint of citrus follow by undertones of berry and…pepper? Weird. But it /works/, ok? He's going to snag a single one and just leave it out. Is it rude to eat gifts one's given away? Perhaps! But he's doing it anyways!

Nessalyn's lips pull faintly downward in an approximation of a frown, though there's a tension to her features which speaks to the effort it takes to do so without causing further pain. "Of course I love his baking." It's one of the few instances in which she can use that word without flinching. She reaches down with one hand to lightly pat her midsection, which doesn't show any evidence of the amount of sweets she manages to consume. "I'm working on it as quickly as I can." And it's clear that she's putting in quite the effort, since she's polishing off that first box and already eyeing the next one he pulls out. Although one eye narrows (and the other just vaguely squints) when he takes one of his own creations, she doesn't voice a protest. Instead, she just reaches for one of those. "Love the pepper," she declares after taking a bite. "People should use it more often."

Torture. Seriously you two. Just torturing poor Rinian with continued talk of the delicious treats. She starts to work a bit more quickly on the carving, but at least not carelessly. However it does take more of her attention to be sure to not have a slip of the knife either injure her or mar the carving. It is at least starting to take shape, though what that shape is might not be entirely clear just yet. She does ask, however, "Nessalyn? What do you enjoy making?"

"Yeah? Good, I was thinking about adding it to a few more things…but apparently I'm not allowed to put it in the nursery treats." But that would be /great/ because those little monsters need to learn several lessons. Sylvarin takes a bite out of the cookie, calm under that hint of a squint-eye from Nessalyn. He's kind of a fan of icing so he may just be unceremoniously ruining the design on top to swipe of some of the icing and lick it off a finger. IT'S SO GOOD RINIAN. "I'm going to hazard that she likes making anything with explosives." But this is just a guess based on random mentions of fire. He doesn't have any actual clue!

Maybe this torture is deliberate, designed to make Rinian cave and at least admit to whatever is keeping her from eating those desserts, even if she still refuses to eat them. "Circuits. I like designing systems." She offers a one-shouldered shrug. Sylvarin isn't the only one who enjoys the frosting, although Ness seems content to lick it directly off the cookie. "You should put it in just one cookie when you make them for the kids." SURPRISE PEPPER. She may be sloooowly inching her way down the tree, tired legs apparently getting the better of her in spite of her commitment to standing. "Explosives are good, too. And clocks."

Rinian rubs at one part of the carving with her thumb, giving it a critical inspection, then takes off just a tiny bit more in that spot. "I have to admit, I don't reall understand the tech things. But, I've always wanted to make a wooden clock." She wonders, "What do you use the explosives for?" That might not be the wisest question.

"In that case I'll have to increase the amount of pepper, that way it's a /real/ surprise. Not just a hint of complexity to flavors they don't appreciate." Sylvarin smirks before taking another bite of his cookie. There's a satisfied look when he guesses right on the explosives part, though the rest of it is kind of flying right over his head. He's got a vague idea that circuits exist, but how anyone does anything with them? Not a clue. His gaze does eventually fall back to Rinian and an eyebrow raises at the thing she's carving, "What're you making now?" Just speaking his mind and his questions as usual!

Nessalyn turns her head to stare hard at Rinian, her features giving away no emotion. Then: "To make things explode." It's utterly deadpan and stated in a flat voice, that stare holding a moment longer. When satisfied her words have had their desired effect, she turns her gaze toward the baker. "That was the idea, Sylv. Maybe just put a hot pepper in there instead." That'll be one small child who never touches desserts again. Giving up on standing entirely, Nessalyn awkwardly sinks to the ground against the tree, lowering herself on one leg while the other stays carefully straight.
Rinian assumes they are kidding about the kids. At least she hopes they are. "I know that… I was just wondering what sorts of things people want to explode." Maybe this is a better question, "What do your circuits do?" And in answer to Sylvarin, "A firelizard toy for a Holder's child back home."

"Might have to find someone else to frame for it though…maybe Taeli. Could make the desserts particularly ugly that day." Sylvarin looks positively evil at this point, those lips pulled back to show a toothy grain. His eyes are even alight with some kind of terrible glee. (This is why he should not have children). Attention moves back over to the firelizard toy and he'll nod at Rinian, "Well it's definitely cute. Is it going to move after you're done? Or is it more like a figurine thing?"

They're definitely not kidding about the kids. "All kinds of things. Things, places, people…" Nessalyn trails off with a shrug, as though she hasn't just suggested blowing up other people. "They do whatever they need to do to make something work. Whatever is going to make the machine run as intended." A thoughtful moment is given to the idea of framing Taeli, but there's hesitation there as well. "You might have more luck with framing a random teenager. Taeli is probably too nice feed hot peppers to a kid." The inflection upon 'nice' almost feels repulsed, as though the very concept somehow insults her.

Rinian pauses in her carving to look from one to the other of them. "You two wouldn't really do something mean and then blame it on someone else, would you?" Speaking of Taeli..it seems awhile since she's seen her.

"Nice? /Taeli/? Maybe to kids. She's a menace to society." He's /totally/ going to hold this grudge about ruined cakes forever. "I'll have to find something else to frame her for, something terrible but accidental." Sylvarin finishes off his cookie before glancing over to Rinian. "Of course I would." It's said with quite the deadpan. There's certainly no indication that he's joking or teasing…because he's not. "If I think someone deserves it I'd probably do much worse." Not that he could really do anything physically to anyone. Sure he's got some muscle but he's not at all practiced in fighting and doesn't want to be!

"Well I'm not going to do something mean and then blame it on myself, am I?" This, too, is deadpan. Nessalyn smirks over at Sylvarin - although it's almost indistinguishable from her usual expression, since her lips don't want to stretch against that split. "You could hack something important up with a knife and blame it on her, since she's always waving hers around."

Rinian frowns a little, looking again from one to the other. After a moment she sheathes her knife and stands, brushing the wood shavings off her lap absently, and as usual missing some of them. "I think perhaps I should go. Nessalyn, I do hope you feel better soon." Sylvarin gets a polite nod as well.

"Now that's a good idea…could be all sorts of things too. Important but not /too/ important. Maybe some old furniture." Or who knows what, the baker's going to have to give this some thought. Sylvarin glances sideways at Rinian's sudden departure but doesn't seem to think about why it may be. There's a slight shrug from the baker before he raises a hand to wave, "See you around."

"You could break into Risali's office and attack her desk," Nessalyn suggests, wincing when this proves too amusing for her lips to hold back from a real attempt at a smile, and the effort tugs at her healing skin. She, too, seems oblivious to what is suddenly driving Rinian away, shrugging as the girl announces her departure. "Make sure you always do as you should, right?" Those well-wishes are met with a brief nod of acknowledgment and a mumble of something that could be 'thanks' but could also be absolutely nothing at all.

"Good idea, leave the paperwork be but the desk? That can always get a few scratches. And probably easily replaceable." It's /probably/ not some heirloom desk that's been passed down for generations in Risali's family…right? The baker watches after Rinian departing for a moment before shaking his head, "She's a weird one…way too uptight." This coming from him. But hey, he's not really /that/ uptight…he's just more casual about certain things than he is about others. "I feel like she'll tell immediately if I blame anything on Taeli at this point." Not that it will stop him!

"I'm sure it's easily replaceable. We can get Riri to do it, so that way she gets something out of the bargain." Good thing Rinian isn't here to see Ness suggesting they bribe her. There's the sound of footsteps somewhere nearby, and her head abruptly whips around to stare at the source for a moment before returning to her companion. "I think she's one of those people who believes in 'doing the right thing'." She puts air quotes around the words, mocking. "Good thing she won't have any proof. Besides, you can blame everything on me if you want. I'm pretty sure I could get away with anything right now." Because what's a trauma in the woods for if not to be used to explain away bad behavior?

"It might be a more interesting project and than the toy fire lizard, though that did seem pretty well made." But hey, the Weyrwoman's desk? That's a project on a whole different level. There's a faint smirk on his lips upon seeing her air quotes and it's soon followed by a quiet chuckle, "She's not entirely wrong, but there are /far/ too many moments when doing the right thing is neither fun, rewarding, or deserved." His hands shift to his pant pockets, thumbs hooked into them lazily. There's a moment during which he considers sitting down but…/grass/ and bugs and stuff. "You'll have many more baskets waiting for you if you become the scape goat." Clearly he is not above this sort of thing!

"She already made the Weyrleader's cane, she might as well make the Weyrwoman's desk." That's probably a promotion waiting to happen. They're such great benefactors! How could anyone not approve? Nessalyn leans her head back against the tree, evidently not sharing Sylvarin's fears about what dangers might be found by coming into contact with nature. "I would argue that's what most moments are. People don't often deserve the right thing." Such a bleak outlook she has for someone who prefers the sweet things in life. "Like I said, feel free to use my name."

"She'll be a Journeyman before she knows it." Sylvarin chuckles faintly before glancing over at Nessa. "Should have her rig you a wooden casing for your leg, make people thing it's a prosthetic." For what reasons? Absolutely none. But it would be kind of entertaining. "Could tell them Risali bit it off." Because there's nothing quite like a Weyr's gossip mill! And that /always/ needs more rumors, right? "So pessimistic…but probably not wrong." Then again, Sylvarin's interest in other people's lives doesn't usually go very deep. He's a bit too self-absorbed sometimes. "Deal." Yup, he'll totally blame her!

"Maybe I'll demand that as repayment for helping her career so much," Nessalyn muses, clearly tickled by the idea of a faux wooden leg. "A real wooden leg would be pretty useful. You could hollow it out and put things inside." Some of that good humor fades from her expression when he talks of Risali and biting, but it's a shadow of upset which is there and then gone again. "I'd rather just claim I couldn't tell them because it's sensitive information." She likes to leave as much mystery as possible. She snorts a little. "Definitely not wrong."

"She'll be grateful, I can already tell." Sylvarin shifts his weight from one foot to the other and it seems that he's finally going to give up and sit on the grass. He'll certain grimace while he does so. And the first bug he sees? It's going to have him standing right back up. But for now he'll take a bit of a break. "So is all of this," the baker motions to her various injuries, "going to keep you away from work? Though circuits are small-ish, right? Maybe could just do with a stool and the use of your hands."

Nessalyn breathes out a laugh, one which strengthens when he braves the grass oh-so-reluctantly. "Of course she will." Hopefully Rinian doesn't mind this life-trajectory they've already planned out for her. "I promise, it's not going to bite," she says of the ground, words which might or might not actually be true. "My hands are a little scraped up," she holds her hands up to show off scratched palms, though such minor scratches will only be enough to irritate someone working with their hands. "But it won't be a problem. The stitches on my leg are the only real injury, the rest is just for show."

"There are a million and a half things that live in the grass and /could/ actually bite or touch me." Or touch his clothes rather, because once he's settled on the grass he's sitting somewhat awkwardly to make sure that no bare skin is actually touching the offending plants. "That's good at least…honestly, I thought you were going to be half mauled with all the rumors going around." Which might explain the super extra overkill on the amount of desserts. "Are you /actually/ working on explosive devices right now?" Clearly he needs super mini ones to incorporate into random desserts for birthday parties. CLEARLY.

"I'm sitting in the grass, and I could touch you. That should be far more frightening." Her teeth are WAY bigger. Nessalyn seems content to watch him shift around on the ground, deep amusement in her eyes at his nature phobia. "Risali is worse off than me." At least she assumes, since the Weyrwoman took a large percentage of the blows. "But it looked worse than it was." She plays it off as though it's nothing, even though no one else would trivialize it as she does. "I'm not actually working on any at the moment, but I do know a thing or two." Because it's always important to know how to make things explode.

"True, you could probably reach out and poke me with one of your crutches…the /horror/." Making fun of people's injuries? Rude, Sylv. /Rude/. But the words are meant to be more entertaining than mean. He smirks a little and twitches lightly when a blade of grass is mistaken as a bug. False call, don't worry, just continue being amused over there! "None at all?" He's certainly surprised. But this does remind him of something, "Are you still working on that water floating thing with…." Was it D'lei? He can't remember anymore. To be fair, he kind of forgot about that project for a bit.

Nessalyn does move to immediately tap him with one of her crutches, because once the idea is proposed to her, she can't resist. "Or I could shock you and use my hands." She wiggles her fingers in a mock-threatening way, but makes no other move to follow through on that suggestion. It's probably not something he needs to worry about, knowing Nessalyn. There's a snicker from the techcrafter when Sylvarin twitches, but she holds it together remarkably well. "It's not really part of my job, so…" She's a busy woman, between trying to destroy Xanadu and keeping up with her Journeyman duties. "I… forgot about it."

Sylv is eyeing that crutch /warily/ when it comes in direction, but he eases a bit when she doesn't just jam it into his leg or anything. "Your /hands/? Don't even say such horrible things." The baker smirks lightly, though he's definitely still twitching a bit, and kind of spastically looking at the grass /way/ too often. "No worries, I did too." Perhaps this might be the dessert invention of the century! But…it might take a good half a century to even be worked on, by anyone, him included!

Don't worry, she'll save crutch abuse for the people who piss her off. This is just a friendly nudge. "Yeah, you have no idea where these things have been. Seriously." They're probably pretty clean, at this point, but on any other day he might be in real danger. The continued display of paranoia doesn't fail to draw a smile from her, but finally it seems she might take pity - or perhaps she's just tired of the outdoors herself - and uses the tree to leverage herself up on one leg. "Bring those baskets back to my room with me and we'll talk about it."

"Leave this forsaken piece of dirt and decaying plant life? Best idea you've ever had." And he is on his feet in a matter of milliseconds. Those baskets? Already in hand before she's fully situated herself on her crutches because he is /more/ than happy to carry her things /inside/. He's already be hoofing it back but…/manners/ will make sure that he doesn't get too far ahead of her. Or if he does, he'll go back…only for the process to repeat!


Add a New Comment
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License