Another dreary wintry day in Southern. Nothing new there! Evening saw another bought of drizzling rain and by the time Va'os arrived, he was close to soaked through. Running a hand through his hair to shake the worst of the rainwater from it, he'll drift right to the bar to get himself something "warm" to drink ? and it must be one of Those Days because the bronzerider ends up just taking the bottle in the end and an empty glass. Finding some spot to settle off to the side, he'll claim it and promptly shrug out of his damp riding leathers and hang them somewhere to dry (he can hope, right?). Settling with a low sigh that's half groan, he'll pour himself some of the amber liquid from the bottle he procured and sets to doing what anyone who comes here to do. Drink!

It's only the fact that it's been so rainy and dull today that makes Rielle grateful she's had to stay inside. What she's been doing inside has made her wish for a nice day outside, but since that isn't around to escape to at the end of her day, she makes the trek to where there's an abundance of alcohol as well. When she walks into the Kitten, she's wearing the hooded green oilskin that seems to live on her shoulders during the rainy season and looks to be clad in her leathers from the waist down. When she pulls the oilskin off, however, there's top that screams OFF DUTY beneath - a rather elegant asymmetrical long-sleeved top the same shade as her eyes. It's longer at her left hip than the right, leaving that same shoulder bare while the other is covered. The wingleader is not in right now, but the woman is, and she goes decisively after a drink before moving just as decisively to a table…until she spies Va'os. A sympathetic smile curving her lips, she makes her way to his table and leans a hip against it as she looks him over. "You look like you've definitely earned that bottle today," she lilts wryly. "Mind some company?"

Va'os was not expecting anyone to join him and when there's color suddenly filling his far-away stare (and, let's face it, the curve of hip), he'll draw himself back to the present and look up. Recognition dawns then and he smirks, almost lazily, as he tilts his head up and gestures with one hand to the empty seats. "Not at all. Done for the day?" Hard to miss the 'off duty' vibe, there! "Don't blame you for wanting to avoid the outdoors this time. And after the last incident… I didn't think I'd have it in me for any public gathering." Not that the Kitten is a gala or even nearly as crowded but it's his way of saying he's not been terribly social since. She's caught him at a good time.

Rielle settles into the chair immediately to Va'os' right, carefully setting down her drink just before that. Rather than something warm, she's gotten a nice, cold cider - not typical, as she's usually a fan of stronger stuff, but apparently she's looking to wake up a bit. "Aye, and glad of it," she drawls tiredly. "I've been putting Serval through interviews. Every wingleader's doing the same. Has L'xan pulled you in for one yet?" she asks before taking a long sip that flushes her cheeks and giving a satisfied sigh. "One of these days we'll have one that doesn't involve a death," she remarks, turning her glass in the ring of moisture it's sweated onto the tabletop. "One where I get the chance to show off a little for the sexy bronzerider I see across the room instead of just getting a wink in." She tilts a subtly flirtatious smile over at Va'os, a gently-arched brow rising with it. "We kept crossing paths and never in good ways! Though I'm glad you're alright after all that. And sorry you ended up having to prop up dead bodies and fainting Lord Warders and whatnot."

Va'os has chosen rum as his poison, which should be obvious enough on what he's angling to do tonight; get decently buzzed or drunk. Not enough to be an embarrassment but pretty damn close. He might need to NOT be hungover the next day. "Interviews? Nope. Haven't had my lucky card drawn yet." Bit 'o sarcasm there, to judge the lift and tilt of his glass. "You? Doesn't seem too enjoyable to be on either end, if you ask me." There's a dry chuckle for her teasing remarks and the bronzerider shrugs his shoulders. "I heard that Southern tends to have a reputation with any sort of gathering. Maybe you'll get that chance again! More flirting and showing off. Less… duty and death." One can hope and dream! "What? Crossing paths at Caelisth's flight wasn't that bad, was it?" Now it's his turn to jab at her a little, only to grimace as he looks back at his drink. "Yeah, well. Could've been worse?"

Rielle can smell that faintly sharp, sweet note that defines rum and gives an approving little smile for Va'os' choice. "Well, maybe your card won't get drawn; we all know where you were the whole time, after all," she says hopefully, draining more of her cider. "Oh, I'm counting on another chance. I've been to some nice ones, after all." Ones where the shenanigans were fun rather than criminal. His mention of Caelisth's flight earns a nicely heated look up through her lashes. "Oh, there was nothing about that particular crossing of paths I'd call bad in the least," she replies, her tone limned in enough velvet to remind him that the invitation she'd given then is most definitely still on the table. His last certainly has her sobering though, and she sighs, giving a conceding tilt of her head. "Aye, much worse. But enough about that," she says, weary of the subject of the gala. They were both there, after all. "What has you looking like you've been running laps in the rain, hm?"

"Guess there's a perk for being in the thick of it all," Va'os mutters with another one of his smirks and takes another knock of his drink. Are they playing a drinking game? Because it could become one at this rate! "Oh yeah? Can you name the most recent?" Because he's curious! And it's an excuse to pry at Rielle's past but not really pry. That heated look brings a grin from him. "Good! Had me worried there that you'd changed your mind." Oh, he picked up on that invitation too and he may yet cash in on that. He's all too happy to put the morbid topics behind them, however and he chuckles. "Well… kind of that, exactly? Lots of running back and forth. Kind of all tangled up in this mess." He means more than just the gala. There's the refugees and everything else going on too. "Never thought I'd be more involved in things as a rider. It's not exactly a… strength of mine." Yet.

Rielle looks first surprised and then sympathetic as she finds herself not too far off the mark, giving a rueful bit of a laugh. She nods slowly but pointedly to the matter of being tangled up in…everything. She regards Va'os thoughtfully at his last, teal eyes studying his expression intently as she rests her chin on clasped hands. "You seem to be handling things well despite that," she observes with quiet factuality, and gives another soft sigh. "Even when all we mean to do is fight Thread, the world keeps making us more than just Threadfighters. Being a bronzerider means you could end up with this sort of thing and more in your lap someday, like it or no. So all this…prepares you a bit, aye? It's like exercising a muscle. It might not be your strength now, but because of having to deal with it, you may suddenly find that muscle is a lot stronger than you remember it to be someday."

Va'os lifts his glass up again as if to toast her compliment on how he's handling things. It's promptly drained and then refilled, but he nurses this second one a little slower than his first. "I've dealt with worse. Personally, I mean." And for the first time, his voice has an edge to it that speaks of finality. He won't be elaborating on that, even if Rielle calls him out on it. Instead he just laughs in the next breath and scratches behind one ear in some sort of twitch-fidget habit of his. "Y'know? L'xan said something similar to me once. I think…" That talk might've not fully sunk into his head. "Maybe you're right. Still, I can't help but think I'd prefer just to be nothing more than a 'bronzerider' for now. No offence." Given she's a Wingleader and he's pretty much saying he finds rank overrated — at least for him (hey, he's young… ish still!).

Rielle might be curious in the wake of Va'os definitive tone, but she also knows better than to press him. In her experience, it's far better - more rewarding - for such things to come around on their own, if that trust has been earned. Instead, she nods and drains her glass, giving a tilted little smile and cant of her head as the bronzerider recalls something else. His last his her laughing softly, nodding. "None taken; I know what you mean. I've been content to be a just a wingrider for a long time." Relatively. "Then there just comes a point where…maybe the call comes, and you find the idea of taking on more not to be too painful. Maybe even welcome." She considers him again, her smile lingering. "So I hope you stay as you prefer, Va'os. I like you as is, too." A slender finger lazily taps his bottle of rum. "You planning on drinking this all on your own tonight, or can I convince you to share a little?"

“Trust me, I’d make a lousy Wingleader right now or… any sort of ‘leader’. I had that rank in weyrlinghood and that was enough.” Va’os’ smile is a touch grim. Maybe it didn’t go so well? He must’ve done a good enough job at it if rumor isn’t wide spread. There were some weyrling deaths though… Maybe that is it? “Want to have some ‘fun’ before I’m saddled with responsibility… Well. More responsibility!” He IS a rider, after all and Tsiroth takes up a lot of first priority. He grins to her, “And same, Rielle. Do what you love, right? Even if that’s taking up a big-rank knot!” There’s a chuckled-laugh again for her admitting to liking him as is. “I think you might be one of the very few who would. And normally I would…” He taps his own finger against the bottle before carefully nudging it closer to her. “Buuuut… I DO have to be somewhat functional tomorrow. Help yourself!”

“So did I,” Rielle mentions softly concerning wingleadership in weyrlinghood. The little smile that accompanies it is subtle, knowing and a bit melancholy around the edges. “Had someone die the same night I got the bloody knot, and I had to learn to live with it a few more times after that. It was…nice, getting to be just a plain old wingrider again when we graduated.” A deep sigh gusts the memories away, and she grins at Va’os again, laughing a bit. “I do love to work, I suppose.” Hence not feeling too nervous about taking on the knot. “But I love having fun just as much. Balance is important, you know.” Following his nudge of the bottle, she picks it up by the neck and surveys the slosh of amber liquid appreciatively. “This is why it’s good to have a drinking partner. Making sure you both keep yourselves presentable for the morning, and being equally fuzzy in the head when you get there.” With a wink, she tilts the bottle to her lips, the heat of the alcohol making her cheeks flush prettily as she swallows it down and then gives an approving hum. “Nice. Good follow-up to that cider.”

Va’os’ own grin falters a bit to Rielle’s sobering reflection into her turn at weyrlinghood. “… shit, that’s rough. Sorry, for what it’s worth.” For the loss, that she had to struggle through it and for him bringing it up — or maybe all of the above? His grin is swift to return, along with a scoff. “Balance is hard to find,” he counters but in a teasing manner. “As is a trustworthy enough partner. Can be tough not to give in and just keep the drinks flowing…” he muses and leans back in his seat. His head tilts in a way to appear casual but he’s giving her an appreciative look over. “Was it? Don’t usually mix, myself.” A brief pause, while he runs his tongue thoughtfully over his teeth and then grins, mischievously, at her. “So,” he drags that out a bit, in a playful manner. “Just what do you consider ‘fun’ around here, Wingleader Rielle?”

Rielle inclines her head to the sentiment and is quick to move on from the topic herself, grinning to Va’os’ declaration that balance is a difficult thing. “Aye, it can be. But when your partner is a Healer who doesn’t want you hurting yourself, or a friend who gives a damn, it tends to help the odds a bit.” Here she takes another pull from the bottle and gives the bronzerider a casual shrug to counter that casual little sit-back he’s doing. The look isn’t missed, earning him a playful little lift of a gently angled brow over teal eyes glinting with appreciation of their own. “I don’t always. I have a pretty good tolerance. But I never drink to get drunk.” Which shouldn’t be surprising, given the point she just made. She looks over at him in full during that pause, her lips curving reflexively as Va’os’ grin grows. She rather likes that mischievousness! “Fun for me,” she replies, leaning forward enough to fold her arms on the table’s edge, “is…drinks and good conversation. Maybe a game of dragonpoker. Spontaneous adventures. A good tumble. The unexpected, when it’s the good sort of unexpected.” Grinning in impishly in turn, she tucks a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m not reckless, but I do like to roll with what comes as much as possible.”

“I’ll give you that,” Va’os doesn’t argue with Rielle there and will drain his drink, if he hasn’t already. Time for a refill! The bottle is set a little away when he’s done with it; a sign that he intends for this third one to be his last. Maybe! He chuckles, “Never, ever? I’ve told myself that before too. Usually while hungover! Have a better reason not to get that shitfaced though.” Mostly because he’s growing up, but also, y’know. Responsibilities! Tilting his head, he’ll show avid interest in her response to his little bit of bait and that grin never quite falters. “Sounds similar to what I enjoy for fun! Who knew?” Only he IS reckless! To a fault, in the right situations. Or would that be wrong?

“Oh, I have before,” Rielle says of getting drunk. “I just don’t do it now, probably for the same reason you don’t.” And that’s not to say getting a little buzzy doesn’t happen every now and then, of course. But those responsibilities - Obhaeroth, her daughter, and now wingleading - are extremely compelling reasons. Rielle suspects Va’os’ bait but finds it a rather delightful thing, particularly because it keeps that roguish grin in place so well. “Who knew, indeed?” she echoes, her eyes wandering his face and lingering upon curved lips for a moment before rising back to his. “Though I do recall mentioning I like the way you think. So what are you thinking right now, bronzerider?” Her nearest hand lifts to skim idly along the woodgrain of the tabletop…though perhaps not so idly, considering that brings it closer to him. “Spontaneous adventures?” Reckless just might be considered good in some situations, of course.

Va’os chuckles, “Another point to you.” He doesn’t have the same span of responsibilities as Rielle does, but enough on his plate to get it! The look she gives him isn’t completely lost on him either or the fact that her hand has skimmed idly closer. He doesn’t take it, but he does lean in towards her, as his voice drops to playful, teasingly conspiratorial tones. “I’d never say no to spontaneous adventures…” As to what those may be? From the grin that slowly tugs at the corners of his mouth, he’s leaving THAT decision open entirely for the brownrider to choose.

That grin is catching, growing on Rielle’s lips in turn as she leans closer in turn. “And that is part of why I like you,” she all but purrs, her near hand lifting to skim fingertips along his jawline. She looks for all the world as though she’s going to kiss him…but teases her lips past his at the last moment, grazing across his cheek to feather at his ear instead. “Come on,” she whispers, and pulls back, standing and tugging his arm to encourage him after her. “Something cold…and then something to warm up with.” Which isn’t hard to figure out by her tone. The first part…well. Who knows what she has in mind? The surprise is part of the fun, and all she wants right now is to forget matters more grim and have fun with him.