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+--- Thread: [G] [P] 741.12.23 | Memories (/showthread.php?tid=4780)
741.12.23 | Memories - Vondal - 26.Dec.20
Vondal felt like a new man. He was clean, he was wearing clean clothes, and he was in a warm place without scowling people looming nearby. Riding the dragon had been terrifying, even after learning her name and that he was allowed to greet her and she could understand him, though perhaps not as terrifying as that brief visit into the terrible empty cold of Between.
At least he had found Helyna though, and while he still had so many more questions, he was feeling much more calm about it as he looked around her home in Benden Weyr, all the way on the other side of the continent. "I've never been here before... or have I? It doesn't feel familiar at all."
He sat down on the couch, still marveling at the space she had. After ten years of sailing and staying in very modest accommodations in sea holds, this all seemed luxurious. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. I've been sailing since the crew fished me out of the sea. I didn't remember anything and they'd saved my life so I just... decided to stay and help. I didn't get to make as much lace," that was a memory that Helyna had brought back, "but I mended sails, made nets, and just... well, sailors are not that great at taking care of their clothes so I had plenty to do."
Vondal kept watching Helyna, wanting to pull her into a hug, but still not entirely confident in his memories to try to initiate anything. "After I fell from the rigging and hit my head I remembered your name and had to try to find you. I still don't remember everything, but there's been a little more since I saw your face... like the fact that you already know I fancy men. And I know you fancy women... which is why the son surprised me. Are you sure you're okay? Nothing terrible happened did it?"
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Helyna - 27.Dec.20
Iliyith had been patient with the man, and far less intimidating than Cirith had been. The gold also didn’t care for the lack of respect initially, but she could tell that was more due to fear and ignorance than anything else. She did her best to avoid spooking him with any unnecessary acrobatic flying, landing neatly on the ledge of their weyr shortly after leaving Fort.
Helyna removed her dragon’s harness and her own riding gear, hanging them carefully in the storage cupboard as Vondal got used to being on solid ground again. “We only reopened Benden a few months ago, so it’s unlikely you’ve been here before. Unless you traveled to the Hold, but I don’t recall your circuit taking you out this far.”
“The only terrible thing that’s happened to me was losing my best friend,” she replied, squeezing his hand. She had poured them both a glass of wine, though hers sat untouched on the table. “Iliyith’s maiden flight took me rather by surprise, and we were both quite startled waking up together.” A small smirk twisted her lips at the memory of their shared panic and disgust in the immediate aftermath of that first flight. At least they’d handled it better the second time.
“I made junior apprentice after your accident…” It was a goal they had worked towards together for years. He had taught her what he’d learned of lace, giving her a leg up she normally would have been denied. “And I kept practicing even after Impressing Iliyith. I can show you some in the morning.”
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Vondal - 28.Dec.20
Vondal smiled, glad to hear that the woman had been his best friend. It felt right, and it made him feel even safer and more able to relax. The wine, he was sure, was going to help as well. He took a deep breath as he took a sip, the smell and taste suddenly bringing back a few more fond memories. Sitting with Helyna, enjoying some casual platonic affection at the end of a long day. Taking a few sips as he helped her with lace. His lips twitched towards a smile at the touching domestic moments and the playful interactions, and it was easy to see that they'd been such good friends, even if he still couldn't remember all of the moments. He'd even completely forgotten that he wanted to ask more about the maiden flight and what all that meant.
"You made junior apprentice? That's fantastic! I would love to see what you've done. You might be better than me... not as much use for lace on a ship, though I tried to make a few things sometimes. It was a nice soothing break, even if... some people made fun of me for it." He frowned, still missing Ketan. He hadn't been able to properly mourn his lover before, at least not publicly. Vondal turned to Helyna and forced a small smile. "I... ah... I made a friend I suppose, on the ship. I think you would have hated him though. Ketan was very brash and loud, and very unkind to his clothing. He'd pick at loose threads on purpose and try to make rips worse. He fell overboard last year..."
He took another drink of the wine and moved so that he could gently lean against Helyna. He tried to shift the subject to something a little happier. "Am I remembering right that they're friendlier in the Weyrs? You're allowed to be with women if you want here? Could I safely ogle all the nice men?"
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Helyna - 10.Jan.21
She laughed as he said she might be better than him these days. “I suppose that’s fair, since I have had daily practice.” She covered his hand with hers as he shared about the loss of his friend, not pushing him to share anything he wasn’t ready for. “I’m sorry. I am glad you had someone, though.”
Helyna settled into the lean easily; he had changed over the years, but it seemed this lean never would. Another laugh bubbled up at his question. “It is a lot easier, though you’d be able to ogle better than me. There are… expectations for goldriders.” She made a face but mostly as a joke. “Mostly as an outward facing thing with the holders and crafters. But I do have a partner, Tala. And I’ve been discussing an arrangement like ours with Vondlyn’s father. Iliyith’s set on his bronze as a mate, so it would be convenient all around.”
“I think you’ll like Vondlyn. He’s a sweet boy--though where he gets that from, I don’t know,” she said with a laugh. “I was certainly never sweet as a child, and N’mor is… prickly. Though he’s surprisingly good with the boy. He’s better at being a father than I am at being a mother, sometimes. And his mate absolutely adores children.”
They talked of little things, sharing updates about his sisters and memories of trouble they’d gotten into when they were young. She was relieved that he seemed to remember some of it, and that it wasn’t just her prompting, relaxing as she got to know the man her friend had become.
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Vondal - 11.Jan.21
"Expectations? Ah... well at least you have someone of your own. Is she also a crafter?" Vondal smiled as he adjusted his hands so he could give hers a squeeze. He was happy that she'd found someone and he hoped she was as happy as she deserved to be with her partner. The mention of Vondlyn's father though had him tilting his head and frowning. "Like ours... oh... I... huh."
He leaned back in his chair, pulling his hands away so he could take a thoughtful sip of his tea. Helyna was his wife. Or at least she was. If everyone thought he was dead then did that mean the marriage didn't exist anymore? "Are we still... I guess you don't need me anymore for that. At least not here." The corner of his lips twitched upwards into a smile as he shook his head. "I don't even remember our marriage... I don't know why I'm bothered by the thought of you having another man to pretend with. Maybe because I still don't know what I'm going to do."
Vondal had found some memory, some sign of who he used to be, who he was, only to find that one little anchor had been removed as well. It wasn't anyone's fault as far as he could tell, maybe a bit of his own for not trying harder to find out who he was. He let himself get distracted with the talk of her child, finding that a much more pleasant line of thought. "You had your moments... I think. I don't remember anything specific, but I have the general impression that you did have sweet moments of your own. I'm glad his father is good with him."
The rest of the conversation was good, a few more memories naturally came back as they talked. It was surreal, like reading a book about his past while it was being written. In between their old stories he added a few of his newer stories about the ship, though he avoided talking about Ketan at all. By the time he was done with his tea and was back to leaning comfortably against his old friend again he asked, "So... what should I do now? I'm fairly sure I'm too old to try to join you in the dragon life, I don't know that I want to go back to the hall... and I don't know if I want to go back to sailing either. Still trying to wrap my head around things you know?"
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Helyna - 11.Jan.21
Helyna told him more about Tala, enjoying sharing stories with her friend again. But her face fell at the reaction to mentioning her talks with N’mor. “Dally, I had no way of knowing you were coming back. And like I said, it’s more open here, but I’m a goldrider; Holders have expectations of what that means. But that doesn’t mean I would ever turn you away. Least of all after 10 long Turns of missing my best friend.”
Guiding them both back to happier topics, she was glad that he relaxed again, and she snuggled into him with a smile. “Stranger things have happened; who knows what standards these dragons have anymore,” Helyna teased.
“Stay with me for a while. Write home to your family, and I’ll take you to see them whenever you’re ready, but don’t leave me again.” Her arms tightened around him. “Not yet.” She buried her face in his shoulder as she quietly admitted, “I’m terrified this is all a fever dream. That I’ll wake up tomorrow and this is all just something my mind has made up.
RE: 741.12.23 | Memories - Vondal - 12.Jan.21
Ten turns was a long time. Vondal couldn't imagine what he'd have done if he was in Helyna's place. Probably not have gotten a dragon... definitely not ended up pregnant. The corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly at that thought, and he considered sharing it, but the last thing he wanted was for Helyna to think he was blaming her for anything. The last thing he wanted as to make her upset now that he finally had her back.
"You know... I think I missed you without realizing what exactly I was missing." Vondal turned his head and set a soft affectionate kiss against her head without thinking about it, just obeying an old lingering memory of his lips that was sure it would be fine. He chuckled softly as he gave Helyna a small squeeze. "I keep thinking that someone will throw a bucket of water on me and I'll wake up on the deck after falling from the rigging with some asshole telling me to be more careful and get back to work."
He paused to look around the weyr again, marveling at his wife's... his friend's home. "If this isn't a dream and I wake up still here and not bleeding from a headwound during stormy seas, should I make breakfast? I can't remember if you only ever had klah, or if that was one of my sisters."