Cherry picking [Open]

[zouichi]

As Zouichi had mentioned earlier, the cherry trees behind the Inn had begun, as of the past few days, to bear fruit. Whatever oddity of the 'seasons' here had encouraged them to bloom before, apparently it had convinced them that now was prime cherry season.

He reached up into the branches of one of the trees, plucking the ripened fruit and leaving the rest for later. He'd promised some to Alendian, of course, but truth be told, he was setting aside the sweetest, choicest fruits for someone else. A larger proportion of fruit to pit, not too soft or too firm, with the most attractive colors...

It was normally a fairly mindless task, but he was engrossed enough in picking and sorting today that he might be caught unawares.

[The thread with Alendian and Ildraniath is closed, otherwise the post is open]

Comments

[futureisclear]

Ildraniath dipped her head in a nod, "I'll speak with you later Alendian. Be well."

This might make things awkward for a little while.

[zouichi]

Zouichi gave Alendian a nod of farewell, paused for a moment before turning to Ildraniath. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Express surprise that invisible Eldar were hanging out in his backyard?

In the end he settled on, "Are you all right?"

Alendian's disdain, in and of itself, didn't really matter to him. But she was the only other Eldar awake on the ship. And to Ildraniath, her people meant everything.

[futureisclear]

"I'm fine," Ildraniath replied, although she was still watching Alendian leave (or rather, keeping an eye on the direction she'd left it).

"She knows, now. And it will be fine."

At least she thought so. Or maybe she was just saying that.

[zouichi]

Zouichi sighed. Alendian had been much more polite than usual (outwardly, anyway). Was that a good sign, or a bad one? Probably the latter. At the very least, the exchange verified that Ildraniath hadn't told Alendian about the two of them beforehand.

He looked a little wry; it wasn't that he thought the exchange had been his fault, but likely Ildraniath would have preferred the exchange happen differently -- if at all. "Somehow, I never thought I'd have to deal with camouflaged Eldar in the yard."

[futureisclear]

"We tend to be in places we're not meant to be, doing things we're not supposed to. It's a trait our rangers seem to pick up along the way..." Ildraniath replied absently. She would have to deal with the fallout of this. Later.

For now, she would try and think about something else.

[zouichi]

"Are you speaking from experience?" Zouichi knew that Ildraniath had been a Shining Spear -- but a ranger? That he wasn't sure about. He wasn't sure if he could imagine Ildraniath picking her way through the forests, wandering freely as Alendian did. The image seemed so at odds with the reserved, elegant woman with whom he was familiar... but then, it would have been in another lifetime. In a manner of speaking.

"If you'd like, we can go inside. Everyone else is out at the moment, so there shouldn't be any more surprises."

[futureisclear]

"No, it's perfectly alright," Ildraniath murmured. After a moment, she folded her hands and shrugged.

"Not from experience, though. Just from observation and what I know of those who take up the mantle of the ranger. Nothing against them, of course..."

[zouichi]

Zouichi nodded. "Of course. Besides, you might say my job is getting into places I shouldn't be."

He paused for a moment and... ah, that was right. "What were you saying earlier? About moving into the City?"