Bubbly Pie Peace Offering [Tag Taxx]

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

She laid out the blanket she had packed first, then huffed as she sat down and began unpacking some of the dried meats, fruits, as well as two semi-squished bubbly pies. It was a bright sunny afternoon-you could almost forget that summer had passed away, and autumn was upon them, but the colorful trees gain-said the weather, a constant reminder. She had missed spending more time with her nieces and nephews, and one thing she loved to do with them was eat bubbly pies. The tall woman had to spoil them, or else who would? But Lounessa wasn't a child anymore. Is that why she felt semi-nervous? Did it irk the girl that she had left with Lo'qui, and they had been left behind? 

It hadn't been intentional. She was sure Lo'qui's plan was to lure all his children to Mavros, but it didn't mean the girl-WOMAN-hadn't taken slight even when none was offered intentionally. Riasu remembered when she had turned seventeen turns, all the hormones, feelings, and freedom. She had made assumptions and allowed her feelings to get the best of her at that age.. Still, Lounessa was not Riasu, and had always been more openminded. She clung to that hope while she looked over the small bay. This had been one of her running spots. When the voices would get too intense, or too heated. Especially during flights. She would up and leave, and this is where she usually found herself, the voices still present, but not as intensely loud, or insistent of a press on her mind. A nice distraction could be found in this spot as well, sometimes she would spot a shipfish pod. Oh how she loved watching them jump and play. She would imagine what they could be saying to eachother, and sometimes it helped her build her wall back up, so the dragons could be silenced in her own head. 

Riasu took a large breath, enjoying the fresh air, closing her eyes. She hoped Nessa had found her note she had left on her cot with the directions and the invitation for the picnic. They didn'y have candidate lessons today, but she wasn't quite sure of her niece's chores, or if she had previous engagements. She could only wait and hope that the younger woman came.   

Taxx

[Taxx]

The sun was warm enough when she was out in it, but Lounessa brought a jacket along just in case. Buttons was left sprawled on her bed, stuffed full and not likely to be much of a pest until he slept off his meal, which would hopefully be long enough for the Candidate to enjoy time with her aunt without the pesky little brown demanding her attention, which he would do and had done before. Really, she loved Buttons, but he was such a needy creature and sometimes she wanted to be around people without a firelizard trying to claim all her attention.

She left the message where it was and headed for the beach, walking quickly but not pushing herself into a run because she didn't want to get sticky and gross with sweat; she turned to make her way along the coast, just skirting the water's edge and adjusting her path frequently as the waves rolled in. She picked up her pace once more as she spotted Riasu sitting in the sand, a blanket with foods spread out, and as her eye landed on the bubbly pie a flicker of a smile crossed Lounessa's face. "Good afternoon, Riasu, how are you? And how did you manage to talk those out of a cook?"

She settled onto her knees, laying the jacket at her side and tucking a lock of hair back behind an ear as she made herself comfortable.
kevna

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

Riasu perked up when Lounessa came into view, surprisingly, and refreshingly, without Buttons. The thought brought to mind her own firelizard Perdy, last seen galavanting with a random dragon. She was such a free spirit. Still, the nightly cuddles were nice, as long as there wasn’t a man in her bed-then there usually was trouble. Riasu smiled brightly and flourished her hands around the bubbly pies as the younger girl’s mention of them.

“I pouted and smiled, and bothered, until it was easier to give me the pies then make new ones…” She puffed out her chest in triumph, and the chuckled and shook her head. “Plus, I might have promised to come and do some extra kitchen duties next week.” She shrugged, it wasn’t a big deal. Totally worth it.

“I’ve been having a wonderful day, thanks for asking. Perdy is off with some dragon or other bothering them, and I am loving the break between classes. And in addition, I have been craving some girl time with you! We haven’t had any one-on-one time recently. How are you liking Mavros? How is Cionessan? You must miss him terribly!”

Riasu thought of the other twin with some humor. He and Nessa were quite different from each other. They shared the same birthing day, and parents, but most of their personality traits were stark contrasts. Like how Cionessan could hold grudges, and had some real attitude issues, whereas Lounessa was slow to anger and not one to stick her nose into a fight, at least not with any malice. She wondered about Cionessan, wondered if he would get searched, and even if he would come at the call as his twin sister had. Things she could ask her younger relative she supposed.

[Taxx]

Lounessa was absolutely not questioning the sweet treats, grinning at her aunt's retelling of how she'd acquired them, ending with the promise she'd made about taking on kitchen chores. "If you tell me when," she offered, "I'll come and help. Seems only fair, since you got one for me too." And a few extra chores wouldn't hurt, in favor of enjoying the pie, no more than spending more time with her aunt/fellow Candidate would hurt. She liked Riasu, after all, and she was right; they hadn't spent a whole lot of time together lately. Even if it was time during chores, it was still time together.

"Mavros is different, but not bad. I like it here. And yes, I miss Cion, but we send letters back and forth and I know he's happy where he is, as I am happy here. And he's promised to come to the next Hatching, so if either of us do Impress he'll be here to see it." It wasn't quite the same without her twin, but life had pulled them apart and it wasn't entirely realistic to think they'd spend their entire lives attached at the hip. Cionessan had his Harpering to focus on, and she had her Candidacy; her goal was to join the ranks of riders with their father, while her brother had set his sites on something he'd felt a calling to. "I can let him know you were asking after him- maybe I can use Perdy for the next letter?" Buttons was far too unreliable to be trusted with a letter, something she'd learned the hard way, but Perdy might be willing to take a message.
kevna

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

Riasu smiled, unsurprised by her niece’s offer. She nodded, “I’m sure Cook would be grateful for more hands too, thanks Nessa.” Lounessa had always had a kind heart, a willingness to lend a hand, and made her character shine all the brighter from within her. She really would make a great dragonrider someday. Riasu nodded in agreement, Mavros was incredibly different, and not always in the good way. The candidate quarters had much to be desired, but her young relative’s optimism only hinted at how open-minded the teenager could be.

“Well, I’m glad you’ll be able to pull him away from the harper halls long enough for us to see him. I hope we both impress. It would be a blast to experience everything together.” She reached over and rested her hand briefly on her arm, giving it a squeeze to better relay her excitement. She felt confident the closer they came to a queen rising. Mavros seemed like the place, at least for now. Her father had always told her she was meant for great things. It was in her blood. Their blood. She wondered what type of dragon Nessa would impress to, the color that would suit her… She laughed lightly at her companion’s question.

“I’m sure with the right bribe, Perdy would love to send your next letter. Do say hello to him for me.” She handed one of the pies and forks to her niece, and picked up her own, digging into it. She loved her bubbly pies. It was one of the things she loved getting her nieces and nephews, and briefly she wondered if Cion would sit with her and enjoy one as they had as kids.

“So tell me, what did inspire you to Mavros? Just wanting to be near Lo’qui? And me of course?” The last she said teasingly, and she took another bite into her bubbly pie.

[Taxx]

Lounessa : Candidate

A nod, a smile. “No problem. Two sets of hands will make it go quicker than one, after all.” Some Candidates might shy away from more work, but it felt a fair exchange for Lounessa, and she’d never been afraid of work. Something she was pretty sure she’d inherited from Lo’qui.

A pat of Riasu’s hand as it rested on her arm and another smile, this one holding a touch of hopeful excitement at the thought of the both of them Impressing- perhaps even at the same Hatching. “I hope so too.” She didn’t think she’d mind too much if she didn’t manage it, but it would be nice to advance with Riasu as weyrlings, with dragons by their sides.

“I will,” she assured, hands reaching for the pie and fork, digging in and taking the first bite with anticipation, thoroughly enjoying the flavor that came: fresh berries and the slightest bit of sugar to make it sweeter. She took a moment to savor it before speaking again in answer to the query of what had brought her to Mavros.

“Of course,” she replied, a grin briefly crossing her face at the tease, because having Riasu here was honestly something she enjoyed- having someone whose company she could enjoy during her time as a Candidate. “I thought I’d try my hand at Impressing a Mavros dragon, and- well, when Cion went to the Harper Hall and Lo’qui came here, I didn’t really have anyone else I was all that close to, so I thought nobody would miss me. Why not come here, where I had family?”
kevna

[kevna]

Riasu – Candidate

“That it will.” She smiled and nodded. She was starting to feel completely at ease, sitting with her niece and friend, a bubbly pie in hand, a beautiful fall day. It almost felt much like it had once upon a time in Ierne Island Weyr. For a moment she had a brief pang of homesickness, but it passed quickly. Nessa returned her touch with an excited enough pat of her own, and Riasu pulled away so she could continue eating. Uhhg how she loved her bubbly pies. Why did they have to taste so good?

Riasu shared a grin with Lounessa as she returned her teasing with a simple ‘of course.’ She listened to her friend’s explanation for coming here, nodding in understanding as the younger woman spoke, though her nodding turned to a firm shaking at the end and she scoffed. “No one? I have a hard time believing no one is missing you right now. My confident and clever niece?” She scoffed again in unbelief. She had a hard time believing the young woman didn’t have a lover, or friend, or someone who cared when the woman had left.

“Not that I’m disappointed you are here, not in the least, and I do find Mavros alluring as well, all the crazy rumors, interesting people. Are you making friends here?”