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There's a quiet knocking at the door, rat-tat-a-tat-tat. Tat-tat.
Corian blinks and calls, "Come in." And stop that tatting!
Tarrant comes quietly in, offering a waved greeting and a smile. "Hello love."
He gestures with a bag. "Ammo?"
Corian inquires curiously, "Did you forget your key, cha'trez? You do not have
to knock here, after all." She peers quizzically at the bag, repeating,
"Ammo?"
Tarrant looks rather sheepish, shaking his head. "I didn't forget it, no. I'm
sorry, old habits die hard I suppose. It will take some getting used to." He
nods, rummaging in the bag and extracting several tubes of foam discs. "I
snagged some ammo while I was out, as I passed the toy store on the way to
deliver some forms. That's a dangerous neighborhood. Toys, fudge, and small
furry animals all right along by each other."
Corian chuckles quietly at that, murmuring a thankyou. She doesn't mention that she doesn't have one of those guns. She can just get one later. "That does sound rather perilous." After a thoughtful pause, she suggests, "Would you keep knocking if we got another place--one that you thought of as 'ours'."
Tarrant also tugs from the bag a yo-yo, examining it carefully as he moves to acquire a seat on the couch. "We don't have to move just because I have a knocking difficulty. I promise, I'll learn, honest."
Corian shifts closer to you, though not so much that she'd hinder yo-yo experimentation. "Moving is not an especially big thing, though, love," she points out. "Neither of us are strangers to moving, after all. At the very least, though, you could bring up some of your belongings, if you liked."
"True enough, we've both moved an awful lot." Tarrant slides the string's loop
over one finger, attempting to set the yo-yo to moving up and down. He fails
rather artistically. "Just about everything's up here already," he replies in
a sheepishly amused tone. "As in my clothes. The only things still downstairs
are a box of books, a box of toys, and my print."
Corian looks for a moment like she's going to offer yo-yo advice, then shakes her head, saying only, "There is plenty of room up here for that--but if you'd rather keep it down there, of course, I understand."
Tarrant makes a second attempt, this one a bit better than the first. "I really wouldn't, I might as well cede the room to someone else. I just hadn't had a chance, or really thought about it much. One step at a time and all..."
Corian nods her agreement, repeating, "One step at a time... yes. That is just
how it should go." Only -she- isn't thinking about moving. Or, at least,
she's not thinking about moving -boxes-. "I could help you carry up the rest
of your belongings sometime, if you like?"
Tarrant manages a third attempt, better still than the second, although he pauses afterwards to coil the string up and set the device on the table for the moment. "Sure, or I can snag them as I head up or downstairs. It just depends on the time involved. It's really next to nothing."
Corian nods once more, watching that third attempt with a fond smile. "You're
really picking that up rather quickly," she observes. "And however it suits
you, of course. We have plenty of time, after all."
Tarrant grins at the yo-yo, looking rather bemused. "I couldn't pass it up, it was either that or this disturbingly adorable bit of fur and beady eyes regarding me from the pet store window, and I figured I was safer with the toy." He nods with an amused smile, "All the time in the world..."
Corian settles closer to you, nodding. "If we're going to be traveling around for the job, having a pet probably wouldn't be the best idea in the world, though it -is- rather tempting. Did you see the little cows?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Tarrant shifts his arm around you, now at least familiar enough with this, to do so without hesitation. "Probably not the best, no. And I'm afraid I saw the cows only in passing, so entranced was I by said little bit of fur. And the puppies, another good reason to visit my parents, to see the dogs."
Corian curls against you with a very quiet, decidedly contented sigh. "What particular bit of fur was it, cha'trez? And your parents have dogs? How many?" She looks just a bit wistful. "We never had pets when I was young, and, well... as we said, traveling does not really give that opportunity."
"I honestly don't know," Tarrant replies with a quiet chuckle. "It looked like
a ferret, but with almost cat ears, and paws too agile for the pet store
clerk's taste. Reddish brown and cream with almost tabby stripes and it
-purred-." He nods amiably, "Four at the moment I believe. For the well,
sheep is the closest word for them, but they have more joints in their legs,
and they come in different colors."
Corian smiles thoughtfully at that. "It sounds like this trip to see your
family will certainly be a novel experience. And the animal sounds
fascinating, cha'trez. Perhaps I will take a trip down to the pet store to
take a look at it."
"I like the place they've ended up in," Tarrant murmurs thoughtfully. "I am
amazed though, that they did at last settle down. I'd have thought it
impossible when I was younger." He grins, "If you do, be careful, it exudes
adorableness rays."
Corian nods amiably to the caution, with a quick smile. "I will certainly be careful, love. I will definitely keep my distance." She reaches for your hand, adding quietly, "I suppose that anyone can settle down--eventually."
Tarrant interlaces his fingers through yours, nodding. "Amazingly enough, it
seems possible certainly. If my parents can of all people...Anybody can. They
seem happy enough. Plenty to do and all."
Corian, with another nod, inquires, "They run a farm, you said? With these
multicolored, extra-jointed sheep?"
Tarrant nods with a bemused grin, "Yeah, originally they wanted a more
traditional crop oriented farm, but they fell in love with their place. And
well, it's not good for much but sheep, mountains, and balley pasture.
They've a garden, but that's it. They also breed the horse-esque critters,
but only casually."
Corian rubs a thumb lightly along the back of your hand. "I really cannot wait to see it--and them, for that matter. And, most especially, Sarah--oh. Riley seems like he would be more than pleased to share stories with you."
"She lives in the same area, so visiting one is visiting the other." Tarrant grins brightly, even as he shifts a bit closer. "This I shall have to pursue. I will have to make an appointement for this sharing of tales."
Corian nestles very close to you, though she lifts a head to smile at you. "As long as I do not have to be there. They will be entertaining enough for you -without- the added benefit of watching me turn entertaining colors."
Tarrant chuckles softly, regarding you with a mixture of amusement and
fondness. "I thank that can be arranged my love. I would not wish to
over-embarrass you. As pretty as you are when you blush, it seems cruel to be
so evil."
Corian smiles at the compliment, with a murmured thankyou. "I do appreciate
that, love. Riley might be a bit disappointed, but he will get over the
difficulty." She pauses a beat, then says, "Speaking of blushing, I was
thinking about comming Honalee tonight."
Tarrant grins at that, shaking his head slightly. "I think I'll hide behind the
couch then, it seems safer."
Corian gives your hand a gentle squeeze. "Hona is not -that- bad, cha'trez. But I really -should- tell her that we have married. She will be... less than pleased, if she learns that she was the last to hear about it. Of course," she adds, "Mother may have told her, or Grandmother."
"Yeah, but she, and the..." There's a pause and Tarrant just chuckles. "I'll
just stick to hiding. It's one of my talents." He nods to that, "I can see
where she wouldn't be thrilled."
Corian nods agreeably enough to the mention of hiding. "I do not know that it is necessary for you to go behind the couch, though," she observes. "The comm's pickup does not go especially far, after all." She shifts to attempt a quick kiss, apparently dismissing Honalee from her mind for now.
Tarrant returns the kiss, altogether pleased at this particular segue. "Long as
hiding's involved..."
Corian, with another nod, murmurs, "Of course you may hide, love, if you like.
I just will not mention that you are there, so she will not ask to speak with
you."
Tarrant murmurs his thanks, although he looks rather sheepish as he notes, "Of course that means I'm going to have to move at some point here, so you can. I don't think she'd buy me being absent if I'm curled up with you."
Corian shakes her head. "I can comm her later," she suggests. "I am rather
comfortable as I am, just now."
Tarrant nods his understanding and agreement. "Hey, you won't catch me being in
any hurry to move when I have you this close."
Corian curls just a bit closer to you, with a rather pleased smile. "Then it can wait," she murmurs. She chuckles quietly, adding, "I would ask you if you were hungry, but getting food would involve moving as well."
"If you're hungry, I could snag us something, but no, I'm not especially so."
Tarrant chuckles softly, "Food is of little importance compared to being warm
and cozy, and comfortable with you. I think even I could manage settling down
for good, if it meant more chances for this."
Corian shakes her head. "I am not hungry, no," she replies, with a smile. She
offers another quick kiss, then adds thoughtfully, "Settling down would be
all right, I suppose. It would be rather odd to stay in one place, though.
Even staying here so long is rather unusual."
"It would be rather weird, by my thinking," Tarrant agrees as he settles his
weight against the back of my couch. "But then I've never tried it. Usually
when I get the craving to I spend a week or so with my parents, and bang,
there goes said craving."
Corian chuckles very quietly at that, shifting somewhat so that she can see you, while still being quite close to you. The closeness is key. "You would not be content staying in such a place as they have?"
Tarrant considers this a moment, half-grinning. "Actually, I'd probably adore
it. It's like a candy store at their place, dogs, horse-things, mountains, a
river... It's just, see...parents are parents, no matter the situation. And
as dearly as I love them, there is only so long I can handle being twelve
again."
Corian pauses a beat. "I thought you were ten," she murmurs, mostly teasing. "Goodness, time flies." She does nod, though. "I can understand that, certainly. I think I will always be a child, to Mother and Father."
Tarrant chuckles softly, shifting a finger around to attempt a rib-poke.
"That's why they're parents, yup. And occasionaly, that's nice. It's nice to
have it to fall back on, especially when things get awful. But there's a
definate time limit."
Corian starts away from you, at the rib-poking, though she curls up against you
once more. With a quiet chuckle, she pokes you right back, adding, "You are
certainly correct, yes. I don't know that I would be able to take more than a
few weeks at a time with Mother."
Tarrant snickers at the poking, "Ack, you wound me." He nods amiably. "That's
the way of things. Crosses borders of race, religion and gender. Parents
torment their kids."
Corian rubs lightly at the poked spot. "Poor cha'trez," she murmurs, unrepentant. "And they do, yes." She chuckles quietly, adding, "As much as Hona torments me, she is -so- much worse to Grandmother."
"Yep, that's me, poor, pathetic, and put upon... My life is so terrible, I have
the most amazing woman in the galaxy curled up with me, I got to spend two
hours playing in the pet store, and my worst problem is an inability to not
remember not to knock. Oh, woe, see the woe?" Tarrant is snickering softly,
his words teasing.
Corian sits up somewhat, casting a look of fond amusement at you. "You know, my love, if you had not said such kind words to me, I would--actually, I think I should -anyway-." And with that, she starts various evil tickle-attempts.
Tarrant yelps in an amused fashion, squirming from the tickling, but not far as he goes down beneath the torrent of evil. "Ack! Wench! Help! Help! I'm being opressed! Come see the evil inherent in the Corian!"
Corian laughs rather gleefully, then attempts to change in mid-laugh to a
maniacal cackle. It doesn't -quite- work. She does not, it may be noted, stop
tickling. "Yes, I am a horrible, awful, evil woman," she replies brightly.
"And you are stuck with me, poor man."
"See the woe? Woe everywhere," Tarrant manages in between snickers. "I'm
-married- to said galaxy's most wonderful woman. Oh, I'm complaining, really.
See me complaining?"
Corian finally does stop the tickling, as she's been laughing, herself. Leaning
against the arm of the couch, she watches you, decidedly amused, but rather
fond as well. "How in the world did I get so lucky? All these wonderful
qualities, and you are -ticklish-, too."
"I am -not- ticklish," Tarrant protests despite evidence to the contrary,
sitting up. "Figment of your imagination."
Corian responds cheerfully, "Well, then, you cause wonderfully entertaining
figments." Risking life and limb and her own ticklish spots, she settles
closer to you.
Tarrant pokes after a ticklish spot, although not it seems, with intent to
follow up. Snickering softly he shifts in close. "As long as I'm
entertaining, all's well."
Corian muffles the squeak that the ticklespot-poking elicits. She smiles up at you, curling against you with a soft sigh. "All is well, then," she replies. "Because I do not know that you could be anything but entertaining."
"I could talk in a monotone and recite the phone book?" Tarrant suggests
thoughtfully. "I bet that'd be dull."
Corian nods agreeably to that. "But then I could tickle you, or find some other
way to get you to stop," she replies, all innocence. "And that would be
entertaining once more."
"Excepting of course, I'm not ticklish," Tarrant once again attempts to avow. "I won't hold any bets though that you couldn't find some way of tormenting me though. And as long as you find tormenting me fun, torment away."
Corian chuckles very quietly. "You are just as unticklish as I am, of course,
cha'trez--unless you have merely been pretending, to assist in the
entertainment." She does not, however, tickle you once more, instead opting
for a kiss. It's a very subtle torment.
Subtle...maybe. Torment, most assuredly. But Tarrant has already pointed out he
doesn't object to torment, but instead seems quite willing to participate.
Six seconds, six minutes, it's all the same in the end in the male mind.
"Yep, terribly unticklish."
Corian settles against you once more with a contented little sigh. She doesn't
torment further, instead giving you a brief hug. "Well, then, I will just
have to cope with having an unticklish husband whose ticklishness is a
figment of my imagination."
Tarrant would probably vote for further torment, but instead he just returns
the hug, sighing contentedly. "Hey, I'd fix it if I could, but some things...
Well some things are beyond us."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Corian's sigh is mournful, but the emotion is obviously feigned. "Who would have thought that? Cha'trez, I thought that you could do -anything-."
"I could send off a postcard to the powers that be? See if it could be
arranged?" Tarrant shakes his head in mock sadness. "I am afraid however I'm
no deity. I can't even do cartwheels properly."
Corian shakes her head, tsking softly under her breath. "That does surprise me, actually--er, the cartwheel aspect. I would have been rather startled to be married to a deity, though it certainly would have explained the pregnancy."
Tarrant grins, half shrugging in an amused fashion. "There are some mysteries,
such as the proper cartwheel, I was obviously not meant to know." He chuckles
quietly, "No messiahs, this is a good thing."
Corian nods firmly to that. "No messiahs, no children, that is very good--despite Father's disappointment." She chuckles very quietly, then adds, with a hint of regret, "I should probably start moving at some point."
Tarrant sighs softly, but nods, shifting back enough to allow you to do so.
"Probably. It's getting on towards late."
Corian moves close enough to attempt a kiss, before getting to her feet. She
really doesn't know how evil she's being. "Are you hungry, or would you
rather wait until after I comm Hona to eat?"
Tarrant is willing to accept evil however, he can't help it. "No, I'm not
hungry, but thanks for asking. I'm fine."
Corian offers you a quick smile. "You are most welcome, cha'trez." She heads
over to the comm, turning off the call-blocking. "Maybe she will not be
there," she murmurs. That said, she keys in the proper code and waits for the
response.
Tarrant shifts into the couch's corner as you call, sinking into a half-curl
there to investigate the possibility of nappage.
The call takes several moments to process, but not too terribly long later, Honalee appears on the other end. "Greetings, dear."
Corian offers a pleasant smile, trying to figure out just what you know. Nah, she's not nervous. "Hello, Hona. How are you doing?"
"All right, things here are a bit hectic, but at least it's something to do."
Honalee settles back into her chair and into her standard routine, "So have
you gotten that nice young man of yours to deflower you yet? Or are the pair
of you still living in the garden?"
Corian shakes her head quickly, of course, blushing. "No, we have not done that just yet," she replies, with the quietest of sighs. She adds, in a diversionary tactic, "But we did get married, if that is any consolation."
Sadly, this doesn't cut it...at first. "Married? Married and you -still-
haven't gotten lai..." Then, with a quiet click, comprehension dawns. "You
got -married-? Congratulations dear!"
Corian is too busy sputtering for a moment. 'Getting laid' is not a phrase that has very often been applied to her, after all. She does recover, though, and reply, with a smile, "Thank you. We are very happy."
"This is wonderful news indeed, dear. Still, you're married now, you have to
have sex. There's a rule. Consummation devoutly to be wished, and all that
jazz." Honalee is in an evil mode this evening. "Was it a romantic affair?
Eloping? Traipsing off into the sunset?"
Corian, risking a brief glance over her shoulder, shakes her head fractionally.
"We will get to it when we get to it, Hona. And I will tell you when we do,
of course." At the mention of the wedding itself, though, she just looks
ridiculously happy. "It was wonderful. We went off by ourselves to the
islands and got married there, then took a few days before we had to get back
here. I wish we could have stayed longer."
Tarrant is thankfully, napping, still more than a little beat from his trip. This is good, or he'd be permanantly neon red by now.
Honalee simply beams in a maternal fashion, "That sounds wonderful, although
how you managed to get that far without consummating this marriage is beyond
me. Is he well...fully functional?"
See, this is why it's best if Tarrant naps.
Corian just stares for a moment, looking utterly shocked. "I... Hona, how in
the world would I -know-? I would assume that he is. He did not mention
anything to the contrary." She's not about to share the bit about
'seventy-seven year-old virgin'.
Honalee looks a bit embarrassed herself at this particularly piece of evil.
"Still, I was -wondering-. I mean seriously, married, and still... Goodness,
do I need to send a -manual-?"
See, that's exactly what these two need--the illustrated Kama Sutra. And they'd
be red forever. "Of course not," Corian replies quickly. "Grandmother
explained it all, quite some time ago. We are just taking our time, that is
all."
"Yes, but your grandmother also has the sex life of a sponge. I'll send a
manual." Honalee seems unlikely to budge on this one. "It will do you good.
Time? Why? You're not going to live forever."
Corian shakes her head once more. "Hona, it is unnecessary--really. We will be
able to figure it out on our own, without any... er, reading material. And we
will not live forever, no, but we are both young, as these things go. I would
rather not rush this."
Honalee sighs in amused exasperation, "Ah well, I have -hope- still. One of
these days..."
Corian is the soul of patience. "Hona, we will manage it eventually, I promise.
But... well, why are you worrying so much about this? It is between Tarrant
and me, after all."
"Because this is my -job- dear. When you get to be a great-grandmother, then you will have to do this." Honalee insists quietly, chuckling.
Corian sighs very quietly. "That will not be for quite some time, though, fortunately," she replies. "And, really, I do appreciate your concern, but we will manage perfectly well on our own. It will just take a bit of time--he had to leave for work after the honeymoon, after all."
"Is that where he is now then?" Honalee questions, brows lowering a bit. "Work
right after the honeymoon?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Corian shakes her head. "He asleep, now, I believe," she replies. "And it was necessary that he leave, Hona. As it was, he put off the trip so that we could marry. We decided on the time rather suddenly, after all."
Honalee nods after a pause, "As long as everything's all right, dear."
Corian nods firmly, with a quick smile. "Everything is wonderful, of course. We
are very happy. Is everyone doing well on Kashid? Things are hectic, you
said?"
"Hectic, yes, as is often the case around here. But it's not an unpleasant hectic." Honalee replies, shifting back in her chair. "Just busy."
Corian, with a nod, observes, "It alleviates boredom, at least. Grandmother
mentioned that you have been busy, though. I do hope that you are not doing
too much."
Honalee shakes her head with a rueful smile, "Goodness, no. They wouldn't let
me if I wished to do so. All is well on this end."
Corian's answering smile is quick, and holds a hint of understanding. "I am
glad to hear that. And everything is just fine here, as well." After a brief
pause, she inquires, "Should I let you go, Hona? I am never certain if there
is that which you need to do."
"Goodness child, nothing is as important as hearing from my family. Especially
recently -married- family." Honalee gestures dismissively, "Everything else
can just wait."
Corian smiles cheerfully at that, looking reassured. "There is not much more to tell, though. Riley is going to tell Tarrant embarrassing stories about me... oh, and Niko's wedding is coming up; had you heard about that?"
Honalee nods with a smile, "I had, another wedding. Things are going well."
Corian nods her agreement to that. "Very well, yes." She settles back in her
seat, pleased with the world--except that niggling trace of guilt. "It is
wonderful to see people happy."
"It certainly is dear." Honalee is, of course, innocent of understanding that guilt. "I am glad the lot of you seem to be sorting yourselves out."
Corian chuckles very quietly. "Well, you had rather a hand in my sorting, I must say. Poor Tarrant would have had to be somewhat more patient with me, if you had not given me a nudge or two. And thank you for that. For all my protestations, I do appreciate your advice--er, most of the time."
"You'll appreciate all of it once you've tried it a few times, I promise dear,"
Honalee replies teasingly. "Still, I'm glad I could help, and that the poor
man did not have to be over-patient."
Corian murmurs, looking a bit abashed, "Clara said something like that as well. But at least -she- blushed when she said it," she adds, with a hint of humor. "I suppose that I will find out for myself, eventually."
"Yes, but Clara's still young. She's allowed to blush when she makes such
declarations." Honalee shakes her head in amusement. "You are a very silly
young woman, but I love you."
Corian blinks, the picture of injured innocence. "Silly? -I-? You must have me
mistaken with some other great-granddaughter." She chuckles softly, then
adds, "And I love you as well, Hona--very much."
"Yes you dear, I promise." Something catches her eye from out of range of the camera. "I'm afraid I must end this however, dear. I'm being summoned."
Corian nods to that, with a warm smile. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Hona. And
thank you for the talk."
Honalee nods, smiling as she moves to switch off the connection. "Be well."
*click*
Tarrant snoozes onwards, curled innocently into the couch's corner.
Corian heads back to the other couch corner, for a nap of her own. She's
probably going to dream about manuals.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.