Who

Ibrahim, Th'res

What

Ibrahim and Th'res escape the heat, catch up on their lives.

None

When

It is the seventy-third day of Summer and 115 degrees. It is sunny and bright. White fluffy clouds drift lazily across the china blue sky.

Where

Hidden Grotto, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 22 Jan 2018 06:00

 

ibrahim_default.jpg th-res_default.jpg

hidden_grotto.jpg

Hidden Grotto

The bones of the earth curve 'round to hide this small cavern from prying eyes. Vines of Morning Glory hide the entryway, and a light trellis seals it and holds the vines out. In the cool dimness there loom three large stones, shaped and smoothed to be an ideal table and chairs. Through the vines and trellis you can see the sparkle of falling water. A few carefully tended shade-loving flowers grow here, and soft moss grows over the floor. From the west a small stream runs and spills out into the lake, chuckling merrily at the marvelous secrets it's privy to.


How does one escape the heat on this Summer afternoon in Southern Weyr? Why by finding a nice hidden spot to where which one can sleep off the noon day heat. Th'res who usually would be out drilling or doing something more boring and tedious seems to have taken a half day, or at least a very very long lunch. The blue rider is currently floating in the coolish waters of the hidden pool eyes closed enjoying the quiet.

All great minds think alike! Ibrahim, too, is seeking escape from the oppressive heat — and possibly another round of cleaning fish. Though he's a known fisher of redfin, even he wants to escape the endless prep sometimes. And so, it's to the grotto with him, away from the kitchens and the heat and the noise; away, to the Hidden Grotto, place of his dreams! But he discovers he isn't alone in liking the place, for there is Th'res, a good and steady fellow; one Ibrahim has found a spark of affection for, along with his dragon. Crouching at the very edge of the little pool just beyond Th'res' field of vision, he calls out, "Hey, now. Who told you you could steal my pool?"

Th'res won't even open an eyelid as he answers saying in a warm but teasing tone "I was here before you…" he points to one of the walls on the far end that has his old name. The one before his dragon calmed him that is, carved into the wall. "But I always am happy to share, there is fresh water in the skin by my boots if you are thirsty" The happy grin on his face doesn't fade as he asks "How is the fishing now that the red is gone?"

"Hmmph. Suppose I have to let you claim prior ownership, then." Ibrahim acknowledges equitably, sinking into his usual crosslegged seat, as graceful and boneless as a child. Cupping his chin in one hand, he studies Th'res enjoying the pool with calm, amused eyes. "It's… rather busier than before. The people require their usual fare, having missed it for so long."

Th'res chuckles as he floats "I expect so, after eating bugs… I myself didn't but then I have a dragon who likes to share." Yup he escaped the kitchens for a while, but only just. "How have you been my friend? it has been a while."

Ibrahim rolls his eyes skyward in exasperation. "Those things were abhorrent." So disgusting he can't even, really. "My firelizards loved them, though. Stuffed themselves full at every opportunity, the greedy things." There's a delicate shudder for their enthusiasm in sharing the flying pestilences' 'interesting' taste. May he never have to experience that again, having avoided a more direct taste of them. It's enough to put him off seafood altogether. "I am well content." The smugness of his grin might hint at just why he's so content to restrict his roaming. "And you?"

Th'res shrugs "things are.. strange for me." He opens up his eyes and looks over at the fisher saying "How are things with Amani? Or are you two just friends?" He chuckles as something comes through the dragonlink and he adds with a grin "Jedameth says he found a good spot for Redfin."

"Strange? Strange how?" Ibrahim wants to know immediately, leaning forward to be sure he catches every single word of this sotry; he's sure it will be worth it. At mention of Amani, his features soften into a smile of something approaching bliss. "That, my friend, is well established. We've a name for it, even. Sort of — lovers, friends…" He shrugs affably. "Both." And then he laughs. "Has he, now? Well, thank him for me, will you?"

Th'res nods and chuckles saying "Strange as how I am finding love, or my understanding of it isn't as straight forward as I was told it was." He grins a little foolishly as his mind obviously goes to said love interest, "Not that I am complaining mind you, just you know I hate when I don't know how something fits." He looks up as if trying to look through the walls but sighs before going back to his floating.

Ibrahim raises his eyebrows in rampant curiosity. "Oh? Do tell. Come on, man, don't leave me hanging, here." Because if Th'res has a girlfriend now, the wildling will all too happily lend an ear to her virtues, and the tale of how Th'res managed to be snared.

Th'res laughs and winks at the man "Oh there is a lady who has snared my fancy. But the rules keep us from acting on it.. at least for now, so I won't give her name just yet." Ever the gentleman is the blue rider. "But she does seem to keep my mind distracted even when I don't get to see her. And it helps Jed likes her too."

Ibrahim squints, and squints hard, at Th'res. "You would keep secrets from me? I'm hurt!" And, to emphasize the pain — the agoneh — of it all, the wildling presses a hand to his chest to cover his wounded, wounded heart, closing his eyes against (totally fake) tears. "Ah how you wound me!" Is Th'res laughing hard yet?

Th'res is completely straight faced at this moment saying "Really? I seem to remember a time when you wanted me to keep your interactions with a certain gold rider on the quiet side until things were figured out." Sucks when your friends have long and good memories doesn't, but he grins and says "but she is an apprentice so like I said the rules keep us from actually dating until she is Journeyman.."

Well doesn't that put a different spin on things! Ibrahim squints narrowly, playfully. "Well, that was because — " Yeah, well, now Th'res has given him the best tidbit: the love interest is an apprentice. "Ah, well, keep your secret, then. Never know what or who might be listening, looking for salacious gossip. Wouldn't want the girl to get into a bind with her craft…" His gaze is far away for a moment, remembering his own troubled history with Crafts.

Th'res grins and nods "thanks, your a good friend Ibrahim." he looks over at the man who is relaxing/brooding "What has been new with you? besides the fishing? Go anywhere new?"

"I try." Ibrahim's grin is impish now as his wandering attention returns to Th'res. "Well — I tend to stay close to the Weyr, these days. I don't like to be unavailable for too long." There are various reasons for this — and not all of them lead back to Amani. "I'm thinking of volunteering my skills in the infirmary — poor as they may be when measured against Craft-trained apprentices."

Th'res nods and grins "Well better is the helping hand then the empty one." he says before moving over to get the water skin out offering some to Ibrahim as he explains "At least that is what my old master used to say to me." He also pulls out a wrapped thing of bread and cheese adding that to the group snack options.

"Ah yeah, that old adage. It's popular amongst us wildlings too." Ibrahim laughs, refusing the water with a gesture to his own small skin. "Thank you — I carry some with me everywhere out of habit." He reaches back to pull the tie binding his hair free, to allow the thick twisty ropes of it to fall free about his torso. "True; we wildlings may not be Craft-trained but we are skilled in our own way." Herbal medicine, patience, and massage; the three pillars of a good folk healer. Too bad they know next to nothing about more advanced treatments and view Crafted Healers with suspicion.

Th'res nods and drinks from the skin before saying "So why the change of pace?" He starts to nibble on his snacks while he looks over regarding his friend.

"No great change; I merely wish to put forth all my skills." Ibrahim is utterly nonchalant, here. He's got his reasons, and not all of them would make sense to most. "Besides, I will be making this place my residence… they may as well have the benefit of what skills I do have."

Th'res gives him the eyebrow raise saying "OH? so you are officially staying around then? I mean I am happy about it but what happened to wanting to be free and roam around?" So he is is a little dense and not everything clicks with him some times. He offers some cheese and bread for snack.

"I can still roam." Ibrahim points out wryly, twisting a bit of his hair round and round his fingers. "I'd just base things from here, rather than the wilds." There's a gleam of anticipation in the eye, now: he's one step closer to severing every tie with his little band of wildlings.

Th'res nods and grins "well I am happy that you are sticking around. Need good people like you around" he finishes his snack before sinking back into the water. Looking over at the dreadheaded man he askes "You going to live with Amani? or have you gotten your own room?"

Ibrahim grins warmly. "Well, thank you, Th'res." Who knew the man cared! He rests his elbows on his knees, just relaxing away from the sun in the relatively cooler grotto. "Hm. I don't think we've got that far yet."

Th'res tilts his head "what do you mean that far? is there some kind of goal list invovled?" like bases or something?! Not being one to actually have a relationship seems to be keeping this young man in the dark about a lot of things.

Ibrahim laughs outright at that, resettling himself so he's lying on his belly along the edge of the pool, trailing a hand into the water as he contemplates the thing. "Not that I'm aware of, but I don't want to rush things with her. If she invites me to, I will."

Th'res nods and hmms a little thinking "Well that is good, it is bad enough I got D'ex and a few others trying to rush me into certain parts of it." Yeah he may love Zynth and his rider but somethings shouldn't require marks changing hands. Looking up at the ceiling he will ask "How much do you know about her family? I mean I haven't actually gotten to meet any of them but I hear they are kinda friendly.."

"Wait, what?" Ibrahim rolls his head toward Th'ress, his eyes startled and confused. "Why was D'ex trying to buy you a bedmate?" Because that just seems like a recipe for disaster, to try and push a person into a thing like that. "Hmm… I've yet to meet the Zingari, but from what I know — " He has his sources, though they be few and only occasionally helpful, being separated from Igen by an entire continent. " — they are a colorful bunch. I want to meet them, though."

Th'res chuckles saying "he is convinced that my virginity is holding me back for some reason." Yeah he is confident enough to admit it with Ibrahim around but around others not so much. Turning he grins saying "well if you ever do go, you better send for me and Jedameth. That crazy blue has been wanting to meet the 'people of the moving homes' as he calls them, since he found out a bout them."

"From what? Spreading children about the land willy-nilly?" Ibrahim rolls his eyes skyward as though he might find patience there. Some people have no sense of appropriate restraint, apparently. "Why does that even matter to him. Deal with it in your own time, Th'res. Don't let him rush you. It's your virginity, man, not his. There is nothing about sex that's needed to live a good life. You know that, right?" If he didn't before, he does now. And then he laughs softly. "I wouldn't even begin to know how to introduce myself. Perhaps Amani would be willing to take us both."

"Thanks man, I know. And D'ex means well in his own weird way he is trying to make me better." Th'res answers with a grin and his usual trusting tone. When the gold rider is mentioned he will chuckle and say "Well as long as it isn't some kind of meet the Parents thing we would be glad to tag along. Wouldn't want to mess with your bad boy style." The tease is lite but the water splashed at the fisherman is heavy and cool.

Ibrahim doesn't even try to duck the wave — nobody in their right mind would object to cool water on a hot day like this. Instead, he returns the favor, grinning. "Yeah, man, I'm such a bad boy." In the way laid-back nerds are bad boys: they tote books and are proud of it. Thing is, nobody knows whether Ibrahim can even read, yo — nobody's ever thought to ask him, either.

Th'res chuckles and is drenched in the nice water "Could be worse, you could be that F'kan guy. There is someone that is on your ladies bad side." He shakes the water from his flame red hair, and grins saying "I am just glad I am not a bronze rider.."

Ibrahim snorts. "The only reason I haven't skewered that bastard is because the Weyr needs his dragon." He rubs a hand over his face, trying to rub away the memory of his sole meeting with the man, and the remarkably deep and instant dislike of the brownrider away. "He's… slimy. And utterly worthless as a man. I've heard he managed to get himself beaten bloody by that candidate's brother and boyfriend."

Th'res nods at the rumor "and his Wingleader in front of the Weyrsecond I heard too." There is a deep sigh as he adds "And now he is in my wing, which means I am going to be the one working with him the most besides M'noq" Sometimes it sucks being the nice guy.

"F'kan the Punching Bag: may he learn, finally, the price of being a douche." Was that soliloquy meant as an effigy? One cannot be sure, with Ibrahim. He smirks at the idea of F'kan getting himself EVEN MORE bruises by the ranking riders. "Hmm. Weren't you a weyrling with him? That was bad enough, I imagine."

Th'res nods and shrugs "I was, and although there is part of me that absolutly hates him for what happened with Xanthee. I was also probably the only one who at least treated him fairly. His dragon is nice, and he can have good moments, be they true diamonds in hearbeast scat but they are there." He stretches and looks over at Ibrahim "Which is probably why I will be the one who works with him, but then some people just need the right kind of help."

Ibrahim nods, slowly. "I remember him bragging about it, like he'd won a card game. And blaming her. Yeah, even if she was a little starstruck… I'm sure he encouraged that to get his way." This from a man who schemed for an entire Turn and a half to get into a woman's bed, forsaking all others in the pursuit. Ibrahim, however, has shown an unnerving level of commitment to his lady, much to the disappointment of other ladies who might have liked to try him. "Well, at least they picked a patient one. Sorry, Th'res."

Th'res shrugs and grins "Hey at least if I give it a shot then Jedameth will be happy." Because that blue just loves everyone and thinks there is a spot for everyone on the team. He will wade to the edge of the pool and start to collect his things "Well I need to go and make sure my lovely blue hasn't gone and tried to crawl into another tide pool again." He turns and grins at Ibrahim giving the man a salute saying "I leave the pool in your capable hands my friend, I will see you around." He turns and heads up the passage that will take him out and back to the water fall.

Add a New Comment