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+--- Thread: [G] [C] 739.12.02 | Catching Up (/showthread.php?tid=4298)
739.12.02 | Catching Up - T'ryn - 02.Dec.18
T'ryn hated when Mylorah was right. She had been saying for months he needed to get out more and to either see old friends or make new ones; preferrably both. He was seeing people more regularly again but he still felt a bit lonely and sometimes even out of place with his more outgoing friends. Some of them were also being disgustingly lovey-dovey. He was happy for his friends --N'mor, especially-- but it also kind of hurt. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He wanted to be loved and to love someone but he was too afraid to have that at the same time. Besides, being alone wasn't all bad. He got a lot of reading done and his penmanship was so beautiful that a Harper scribe would weep in jealousy.
Still, he had some friends he hadn't seen for a while and some of them didn't have dragons to come visit him as easily as he could go to them. It was how he found himself in Fort. He had tried popping in on R'dal and R'dare but found they were both out; probably in Ista with his luck. They both had people they visited with regularly over there and would sometimes come see him if they had time. He kind of hated that he was sort of an after thought at this point. Like, 'oh hey, I still have an hour before my dinner plans back home, guess I'll see T'ryn.' He couldn't blame them; he had been horrible company for a while.
As Syrendryth landed in the Lower Bowl, T'ryn wondered where he should start looking for Madiquel. She was one of the friends without dragon access and while she had always been closer to Ayontay, she was still a part of their group of friends born and raised in Katila. He liked that her kindness radiated from her so brightly but she was also on the quieter side--unless she was ridiculously excited, then she may have been counted as the loudest amongst them. A quiet friend seemed nice right then. Someone he could sit with and casually chat without any pressure.
As he started to feel like he needed a flitter to help track down friends, Syrendryth told him to start in the obvious place--her home. T'ryn cringed involuntarily as he realised he was avoiding that idea so he wouldn't have to see Jajojin. The man was huge and intimidated T'ryn when he was a kid. Now, the man was crazy and T'ryn didn't want to be the one to trigger an outburst. Frowning, he left Syrendryth, knowing not to bring his dragon, a bronze dragon at that, any closer. He'd been told it's more about the dragons trying to speak to Jajojin than it was just seeing one, but he wasn't going to risk anything.
Breath held, he knocked when he reached the right door. Of course Jajojin answered. It took a little effort to shove away the fear and manage a small smile in greeting. "Evening, sir. I hope I'm not disturbing you. I wondered if Madiquel was available for a visit." He sounded like he was seven again, asking a friend's parent if their kid could come out and play. The way Jajojin looked him up and down definitely completed the feeling and T'ryn was convinced he was actually seven and not seventeen.
Apparently he had passed some sort of test as he was told to wait there and he'd see if Madiquel was available. He knew the girl was home but T'ryn couldn't blame a dad for making sure his daughter actually wanted to see the boy at the door. He politely waited, staring at the door that had been closed in his face and wondered if they would spend time in her room, find somewhere else to hang out, or go for a walk. Given the choices, he liked the walk and then maybe sit with Syrendryth. Both options kept him away from Jajojin and his all-knowing stare.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - M'quel - 03.Dec.18
“Papa!” Madiquel’s voice echoed through the room, filled with laughter as she scolded her father – who was in a wonderful mood, good enough to play and tease her before telling her she had a visitor waiting outside the door. Laughing as she danced across the Weyr and threw the door open, Madiquel expected to see Quinvalis on the other side of the wood; instead for just a fraction of a second, she thought it was Ayontay, before she recognised all the differences in the blonde man that was visiting her, and she beamed brightly.
“T’ryn!” She said joyfully, throwing herself at the bronzerider and wrapping her arms around his waist. “It’s so good to see you!” T’ryn wasn’t the only one who felt like friends had been abandoned. Madiquel knew she’d seen her friends each fairly recently; she saw Quinvalis almost every day working with Rhaedalyn – since he was pretty much R’nya’s shadow when he wasn’t otherwise fulfilling other duties – but she didn’t get to see R’dare and R’dal as often as she’d like, and it felt like an eternity since she’d last gotten to see A’tay.
Pulling back, Madiquel untangled herself from her delighted hugging of T’ryn, and smiled brightly. “Give me a moment, and we can go for a walk!” Stepping back, she dashed back into the weyr – leaving the door open this time – and into her bedroom; that door she flicked shut. Reappearing a few minutes later, Madiquel was dressed in a woollen winter dress, winter stockings with low heeled winter boots and a heavy cloak around her shoulders. “We’ll be back later, Papa!” she called through the door, grinning at T’ryn as she slipped her arm through his and settled at his side.
“It’s so much colder here than Katila,” she said chattily as they wandered down the hall. “I’m still not used to it. Sometimes I wish we’d moved to Ista like you, but Papa likes it here, and I would hate to leave Rhaedalyn and the girls. Have you met the new babies? Indivara’s little one, her name is Vadira, is doing really well.” She chatted some more about the children, glowing happily as they made their way through the halls.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - T'ryn - 03.Dec.18
T'ryn was relieved to see Madiquel when the door opened again but he didn't get a chance to breathe in relief or greet the girl before she was hugging him. He laughed and returned the gesture, already happy that he had made the trip and found her. There was just something about Madiquel that could lift any bad mood and he waved her off as she promised to return in a moment. He was left waiting several minutes, but he didn't dare enter the weyr without permission, too afraid that Jajojin might eat him alive --or tell his daughter she was no longer allowed to go out.
When he saw her new outfit, T'ryn smiled, pleased that she seemed to like the idea of going somewhere else. As she took his arm and they began walking, he felt a bit under dressed for the weather, but he his riding jacket was thick and kept the chill of between at bay so the ease into winter Fort was currently in wouldn't feel too bad to him. He might eventually need his hat and mittens from last winter's ice skating adventures but he'd live without them for now.
T'ryn laughed again and lightly bumped his arm against Madiquel's. "I have missed you and your happy chatter, Madi. I think I might have to visit you more often." He already had that idea in mind but more because he didn't want to be seen as a horrible friend, but now he remembered the power she had and he already couldn't get enough of it. The babbling wasn't seen as obnoxious or prying and T'ryn wondered how he could ever enjoy the silence with this reminder of what it was like to chat and be at ease with someone again. Not that things were strained with N'mor anymore, but N'mor also had Z'rin now which meant they didn't spend the days glued together as much as they once had.
"I like visits to the colder areas like here or my Aunt's, but I much prefer Ista's heat. I haven't quite adjusted to the idea of layering to go outside just yet," it took so much time to get ready to go out when visiting his Aunt! If he thought tossing gear on Syrendryth was a hassle some days, it was nothing compared to dressing himself in the cold and for the cold.
"I haven't met Rhaedalyn's littlest ones yet. She's close with my dad but I don't know her as well. Would it be weird to stop in one day to greet the Weyrwoman and peek at the kids? I'm not sure what protocol dictates in that case. I should bring a gift, as well." T'ryn's thoughts wandered off as he thought about what was proper and if he even had a right to do such a thing. He knew the ranks and rules inside out but this area seemed a little foggy to him. He supposed it would be okay to come and congratulate her on her growing family and bring gifts, though.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - M'quel - 08.Jan.19
Madiquel never assumed her friends wanted to come into her home. A’tay – or Ayontay, as he was then – was the only one who willingly entered, and sometimes Madiquel was quite sure he was the only one of her fellow weyrbrats that her father tolerated. Though, honestly, Madiquel wasn’t sure if that was because her Papa liked A’tay, or because A’tay refused to be run off. Either way, Madiquel knew her other friends (and her Papa) preferred it when they weren’t all cramped into the little dragon-free weyr she lived in.
“I would like that,” Madiquel said honestly, tilting her head so she could smile up at T’ryn brightly. He wasn’t as tall as his father (yet? Madiquel wasn’t sure!) but he still had half a foot on her, and that alone made him seem so much taller than he probably was. “Sometimes I feel like I never get to see you all very much,” she patted T’ryn’s hand playfully. “All you oh-so-busy dragonriders!” Madiquel stuck her tongue out playfully, before laughing brightly at T’ryn’s love of temporary cold weather.
Coming to a sudden halt at T’ryn’s question, Madiquel dragged him around when he didn’t stop immediately with her. “Are you kidding?” She asked, eyes wide as she peered up at him, bouncing slightly on the spot and making her skirts rustle. “Rhaedalyn would love it!” Madiquel didn’t say anything, but she had seen enough of Rhaedalyn, and her occasionally wistful sighs to know that the woman wasn’t used to the way being Weyrwoman had people dancing around her or afraid to visit her. Madiquel felt bad about it, but the sudden realisation that she could drag her friends off to have lunch with Rhaedalyn and her children had Madiquel beaming.
“She’d love visitors. She doesn’t get them nearly enough,” Madiquel said seriously, frowning slightly with her lips pursed. “And she’ll pretend to be grumpy with you if you get gifts for her or the children, but you really should – especially if they’re for Rhae, because everyone gets stuff for the kids and I haven’t seen her get a lot of anything, honestly.” Madiquel realised she was babbling the same time she came to a natural completion of her sentence, and she lifted her pointed finger of her hand not clinging to T’ryn to tap her lip – very much in a gesture she’d picked up from Rhaedalyn.
“Do you want to visit her now?” Madiquel asked, eyebrows lifting up and an excited expression on her face, “or maybe Syrendryth could take us into the Hold and we could find gifts? I have some marks, but I don’t know if any of the shops will be open…” Madiquel pouted, realising suddenly that it was kind of late – well after dinner time, and the winter had made it dark early, too… Timezones mean that Ista’s stores would still be open, but Madiquel wasn’t sure how her Papa would feel if she went between on T’ryn’s dragon, especially without telling him where she was going or when she was coming back. Madiquel chewed on her bottom lip, still pouting slightly.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - T'ryn - 13.Jan.19
T'ryn made mental notes about gifts and that Rhaedalyn deserved a treat since the kids always got so many. That seemed fair, especially if he was going to visit her home, he should bring something specifically for her if nothing else. He was still nodding along to the babbling ideas, only slightly aware that Madiquel had stopped talking and was pulling a thinking face. "Wait, now?" His eyes went wide at the offer and he quickly shook his head and waved his free hand a bit for further emphasis. "It's late and it would be unannounced. Popping in on you unannounced is one thing but doing it to the Weyrwoman that I don't know that well is a bit different. Besides, I came by to visit you and I don't want to cut that short or drag someone else in on our time."
Since Madiquel seemed excited at the idea of going shopping and visiting Rhaedalyn, T'ryn figured he could meet her half way on the idea. "You're probably right about the shops being closed. I can come by in a few days at an earlier hour, and we can go to the Hold together. If Jajojin okays it, we can go for a bit of a flight around the region as well. Sy's getting fat and needs the exercise." T'ryn's smile as he spoke the words widened and he bit back laughter as his dragon scoffed and denied such claims. Since Syrendryth rarely spoke to humans, T'ryn knew a lot of the grumbling came from the worry that Madiquel would take the claim seriously. The dragon liked to make snarky comments and criticize people but T'ryn had a theory that some people, like Madiquel, were too pure to receive such negative comments and left Syrendryth somewhat conflicted about caring about their opinion or not.
"Anyway, back to what you said a moment ago. R'dare and R'dal live here... though I guess I do see them in Ista rather regularly." Those two never seemed to it still long in general--unless it was nap time, of course-- but T'ryn wondered whom exactly the two were constantly visiting since he wasn't peppered with their antics as much as he used to be. Then again, that was probably partially his fault for being so gloomy after all of his heartbreaks and he couldn't blame the happy blueriders for avoiding him a bit.
"I'll tell N'mor to stop by some more. Although, he's mated now... to Z'rin of blue Varralath, if you haven't heard, so he's somewhat occupied lately." T'ryn winced at how depressed he sounded giving that news. He thought he'd been coping with that situation fairly well, all things considered. Not that he had any right to be anything but happy for N'mor--and he was! He definitely was happy. N'mor had given him a second chance to be together but he had to tell his friend to follow the path that being with Z'rin led him. T'ryn knew N'mor was happy with the bluerider and he'd never forgive himself for taking that away and leaving N'mor with too many 'what ifs' about that relationship. In a way, he had been right not to be with his best friend considering how it turned out, but T'ryn still knew he could have had that happiness and N'mor's smile and love if he had been brave enough to take it when it was offered.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - M'quel - 31.Jan.19
“I guess so,” Madiquel agreed reluctantly, pouting. Once T’ryn had spoken, she agreed that his points were quite valid, but it took the wind rather thoroughly out of her sails and Madiquel sighed softly. Her good mood wasn’t to be blown away for long, however! The offer to spirit her away at a later date was met with a brilliant smile and Madiquel squeezed T’ryn’s hand that she was holding, bumping her shoulder lightly against his arm. “Sounds fun!” she grinned, quite placated by the suggestion. Madiquel giggled at Syrendryth being fat, but would never have taken it to heart, even if she’d walked up to the dragon himself and seen nothing but blubber with stumps for legs. “I’m sure he carries it like a perfect gentleman,” she teased back, her mind alive with imagining a dragon proudly strutting along while his butt wibble-wobbled.
“I would like that,” Madiquel said gently, smiling softly at T’ryn when be brought up N’mor and his new mate. She didn’t comment on the tone, or the way he winced at the end of his statement; oblivious as she was to the crushes her own male friends had on her, Madiquel felt she was in the loop with the way T’ryn seemed so depressed about N’mor being in a relationship. Of course, her idea of being ‘in the loop’ was that clearly T’ryn was sad he didn’t get to spend as much time with his best friend now – not the fact that he was pining after him and working very hard not to.
Making their way to the dragon, Madiquel greeted the great bronze politely, and then waited patiently to see where T’ryn felt they should sit; if they would hunker down against Syrendryth’s side, or away from the dragon a few feet at the bench that had been set up under a large evergreen tree. When he led her to the bench after they’d greeted his dragon, Madiquel sat down close beside her friend, leeching his warmth; it was cooler outside than she’d thought it would be, especially once they stopped moving!
“What surprises do you think the new turn will hold?” She asked idly, staring out over the weyrbowl. They had only just started the last month of the current turn, but Madiquel always been rather prone to trying to imagine what would happen the following turn, especially since her father… well, she needed the goals and the enthusiasm for what could be, to help him – and herself – cope with what was.
RE: 739.12.02 | Catching Up - T'ryn - 02.Feb.19
While he had gone specifically for a visit with Madiquel and to catch up with her, he would have been content to just sit and watch the world for a bit with her as well. He did miss her bubbly chatter like he told her but he didn’t need it to constantly fill the silence either. So when she asked about surprises next turn, he was caught a bit off guard and T’ryn wondered if there was something that prompted the question. “Surprises? Hopefully nothing too traumatic… or dramatic!” He laughed, but really, T’ryn had had enough drama and excitement to last him at least ten more turns. Between relationship woes and everything that had gone horribly wrong for Ista, he was done with surprises.
“But I think there will be a gold Impression and friends falling in love, both of which will surprise us because we didn’t expect it,” T’ryn could handle that level of surprises and really hoped nothing more severe happened. He also wondered, if true, what friends of theirs would be the mystery couple. Maybe he was just projecting his earlier surprise of N’mor falling in love with an older bluerider into an imaginary situation.
“Let’s make wishes for the new turn,” it was something they used to do as kids and T’ryn was suddenly in the mood to be silly and not think too much about anything serious or depressing. “I’ll start, since age before beauty, right?” He stuck his tongue out at Madiquel and thought for a moment, trying to come up with the perfect wish to set the tone for their fun game. He may have been okay with silence but Madiquel really was such a beacon of light that he couldn’t resist but chat about nonsense—though, to be fair to the girl, she was a good confidant as well and T’ryn knew she was the keeper to some of their secrets from turns past.
“I wish I’ll stop having growth spurts so I don’t have to get my pants adjusted or buy new ones!” He had grown two more inches recently and it sucked. He didn’t mind being a bit more average in height—though it was weird not being the same height as N’mor anymore—but it had been annoying to get the hem let out of his pants and get some new clothing as well.
When Madiquel gave her wish, T’ryn laughed and gently teased her that it wouldn’t happen, sending her into a laughing fit as well. When they recovered, they continued taking turns a bit longer before T’ryn finally nudged them off the bench so he could escort her home, promising once more they’d go shopping and flying in a few days.