A Public Place, A Private Corner

Writers: Halyonix, Devin
Date Posted: 30th December 2024
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: I'serin, Nirian, K'mai
Description: I'serin surprises K'mai by inviting him out to the Vintner Hall Tavern. There might be a bit of footsie involved.
Location: Vintner Hall, Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 25 of Turn 12

I'serin

K'mai

I'serin fingered his Weyrleader knots thoughtfully for a moment before tucking them into his jacket pocket. He looked up the setting sun and then gave Aluneth an affectionate thump. }: An evening away will be good, :{ Aluneth agreed as he unfurled his wings.

"Relay my intent please?" I'serin asked as he mounted.

Aluneth rumbled obligingly as he took off. }: Sebeth, I'serin wishes for your rider to join him here for the evening. :{ The bronze sent a clear image of the tavern at Amber Hills Hold to the blue and then disappeared /between/ ahead of them.

I'serin was inviting him out to the tavern? K'mai had plans, but he rearranged his schedule, apologized to his friends, and threw on Sebeth's riding straps. It was a little over half a candlemark before K'mai landed outside the tavern. The moment he stepped in he started scanning for the bronzerider.

"Looks like your friend is here," Nirian said to the rankless and nameless dragonrider who had been sitting at her bar, quietly nursing a drink alone while the rest of the tavern chattered. Finely dressed for sure but definitely not her type, not with those features. But his friend... She nodded her chin towards the newcomer as she fetched a glass. "What's your drink of choice, handsome?" Same line she had used on the other guy and he had been frigidly polite. Said that he was waiting on someone and had barely replied to her attempts at conversation. Usually dragonriders were way more fun than this!

"Nirian, always good to see a pretty face." He let his gaze drift down. "And other things." He gave her a playful wink. "I'll have the . . . shards I forgot the name. The red with hints of dark cherry and blackberry?"

Nirian burst into bright laughter. "You never disappoint, K'mai. I should have known you were his friend. You're friends with everyone. And you like keeping them waiting," she said with a saucy wink before she went to pour his drink.

I'serin had a sudden thought that this was going to be a very bad idea.

"It's the Turn three pressing that you like," Nirian said as she passed over the wine. "That's when they started adding the berries. That _I_ was forced to pick. Did I tell you about that? I spent two sevendays picking berries for the journeymen and all I got were thorns. Ungrateful jerks." She leaned against the bar, bracing her chin on her hands that created a nice little triangle framing her ample bust. The other guy had politely looked away when she tried it earlier. "Your friend hasn't introduced himself to me," she teased K'mai. "Usually you bring way more interesting company."

When K'mai glanced over I'serin looked a little like he wanted to crawl under the table. And he wasn't wearing his knots, so he obviously didn't want K'mai announcing he was the Dragonsfall Weyrleader. "Much as I love your company," he told Nirian, "I think my friend here wants my undivided attention. We'll have to catch up later." He blew her a kiss. Nirian, thank Faranth, understood a hint. She shot him a wink and wandered off.

I'serin still looked a little unbalanced even after she was out of earshot. "I...had thought to surprise you with...here. And yet you come here frequently," he murmured.

"I was very surprised at your invitation." Under the bar, K'mai nudged his foot against I'serin's. "Surprised and pleased."

While I'serin didn't move his foot away, his gaze swept the tavern. "Perhaps a more private table? To go with your...um...undivided attention?" he suggested. He should have thought of that _before_ sitting down at the very open bar. Could he do nothing right when it came to planning these things?

"Of course." K'mai's pulse sped as he wondered how far I'serin was willing to push things. "Something in the far corner? Or see if we can rent the private room at the back?"

I'serin almost asked what the private room in the back was for and then thought better of asking K'mai that question.

"The far corner will suffice," he managed to say. He stood and strode towards an empty table, tucked away, offering as much privacy as a public place could. If I'serin angled his body just right, he could easily hide a furtive touch or two behind their glasses and the shadows. His stomach did a weird flip with that feeling of fear and elation that was becoming perversely familiar when in K'mai's company. "The barmaid -- her name is Nirian?" he asked, trying to distract his thoughts from doing their usual overthinking.

K'mai nodded. "She likes to flirt, so we get along really well." He chuckled and took a drink, hints of sweetness dancing across his tongue. "But even she can't distract me from the fact that _you_ invited me to the tavern."

I'serin's fingers moved restlessly along his cup as he considered something, anything to say that wasn't doltish or blatantly obvious. "I...used to come here, infrequently, when Aluneth and I were young." Before River Bluff fell and not since, though he did not mention that. "I thought that since you had brought me to Printer Hall, that I would bring you here. Sharing in something you like in return."

"That's so sweet." The words could be interpreted as a tease, but there was nothing but sincerity in K'mai's expression. "For all that you say you don't have much experience with . . ." The look K'mai gave him now was definitely a tease. "Friendship, you're doing a pretty good job."

That teasing tone with their little inside joke brought a small smile to I'serin's face. "I am trying," he said. Obscured by shadows, his fingers crept a little closer to K'mai sitting across from him until they brushed against the bluerider's knuckles.

K'mai's eyes widened and he subtly moved a finger against I'serin's. "Playing with fire?"

In more ways than one, I'serin mused. After a pause, he murmured quietly, "Pushing my boundaries." He let their fingers lightly touch for a moment longer before slowly retreating to a safer distance. He took a long drink and sighed. "Everyone else is allowed to be themselves except me, it seems. And while I am certain that no one whose opinion I care for will mind -- indeed I think a great many would celebrate with me -- it is a lifetime of hiding that is hard to undo. I am...attempting to figure out ways to break through those self-imposed limitations."

"I'm proud of you," K'mai said warmly. "I know this can't be -- well, I _don't_ know actually. I've never tried to hide who I was, and I only know from others how hard it is to keep part of yourself locked away."

The bronzerider gave him a thin smile. He opened his mouth to answer that, to articulate how it had now simply become part of his mannerisms, like breathing, and then realized that he did not want to sour the evening out with talking about his issues. He had not dragged K'mai out for that. Under the table, his foot came to rest against K'mai's, a gentle prod of contact. "The barmaid, she mentioned that you prefer the Turn three pressing. Are there other vintages you prefer here?"

K'mai felt his mouth stretch into a smile that might have been a little bit silly as he lightly bumped his foot against I'serin's. "I like reds that have some sweetness to them, and sparkling whites. What do you like?"

"The drier wines," he answered. He made mental note to find K'mai's favored wines as a gift for another day. "Although, there is a citron-sweetened white out of Citrus Bay that goes down easy on a hot summer day. Have you been there?"

K'mai nodded. "For a Gather or two. I remember that one. I really liked it too."

"I have not been there in..." He paused, rifling through memory. "Turns," he suddenly realized. Had he truly gotten so lost in hides and histories? In preparing to become the very thing he was now and still somehow feeling completely out of his league? "I should remedy that soon," he said softly, almost regretfully.

"I'll take you." K'mai smiled. "Even if I have to drag you out of that stuffy office." It was heartbreaking that I'serin could deny himself even such a small pleasure as visiting a place he liked.

That got a crack of a smile from I'serin. He took a sip of his drink and then pointed a finger playfully at K'mai. "You are dragging me out of that office more and more lately." Before it could be misconstrued, he added, "And I thank you."

"You need it. And you deserve it." K'mai took a drink.

I'serin's fingers briefly brushed against K'mai's in the safety of the shadows again. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "For reminding me of that."

Last updated on the April 30th 2025

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A Public Place, A Private Corner