Pinching [Valerian]

It was summer in Katila and the air was thick with scent of fruits clinging to the air, and the classroom that Jada had appropriated for a ‘classroom’ in the Crafthall was decorated in stark, pure colors to celebrate the season. Hand-whittled flowers had been painted and lined the window, which had bold drapes sewn by Jada’s own hand. After all, she’d been told, most people had better things to do. So the homey feel of this room was her doing. Well, she corrected herself, except the flowers. She’d paid for those with a kiss. She liked to think that it was for the fact she had tried to make her class visually appealing that so many people actually attended their lessons; Considering, however, that half the class was young boys who were just entering puberty, and the other half were dragonriders that were probably being threatened? Well, Jada consoled herself; at least they were learning something. Maybe. It was nice to think so, in any case! 

She wasn’t accustomed to older students, but they were good to have on hand for beating their misbehaving children, since she wasn’t the type to do so. Even if a couple of these Weyrbrats really were just that. Brats! Most of the girls, however, were sweet as bubble pie, and she just wanted to gobble them up and pinch their cheeks. Ah shards, she was turning into her mother. Master Szelem had always had a fondness for pinching cheeks and gnawing on her youngest daughter’s face. It had been a habit she had passed on to Kalem, who had passed on that love to Cerisa, Litir and Fiona. All of whom just loved to pinch Jada’s own cheeks. She could remember squalling and wailing about it, but it was a habit she had also gotten into. 

Litir had been Jada’s own favorite target, actually. When Jada had been younger, he’d been her protector, always defending her from Fiona’s pinches and slaps. Then in 218, he’d become an Apprentice, and she’d had to learn to defend herself. Instead of doing so, she had trailed him when she could, all long legs and big eyes. She’d adored him, and everyone knew it; and so long as the child remained out of the way… Of course, Fiona had left for Southern Boll when Jada was 10, just after the child had suffered her first blood, and Litir had promptly made the step into tormentor. Baggy shirts. Shapeless dresses. Always messing up her hair and making her look like an urchin. Jada understood now what her complex-ridden big brother had been doing, but at the time, her only method of revenge had been to pinch his cheeks. And oh! The drama when he’d found her writing that confession to one of his friends!

Jada shook her head. Kalem had been a much better brother. He’d stayed away. Fiona and Litir had adored their baby sister much more than the older Cerisa and Kalem. Jada should have gone to Healer Hall, or joined a craft she didn’t have any family in. But then, she decided, already switching gears and selecting the piece of fabric she would be draping over the windows this sevenday, she wouldn’t have her very own classroom. Of course, she also might not be in Katila Weyr, a mixed blessing and curse. 

She turned at the call of her name, sticking her head out the door. One of the other Harpers, an older one who had come with a Rider, was the person speaking. It was the one who had taken it upon herself to be Jada’s guide after her thief had brought her here. A pleasant woman, but she didn’t miss the Hall at all. Of course she couldn’t regret her choice; it still irked Jada that she hadn’t gotten one. Maybe with time… “One of the new Candidates from the isle is supposed to be coming by the Hall today. I will be in and out, I don’t have time to help out. Can you make sure he gets anything he needs? Instrument, parchment, ink, a room, a tour?”

“Do you know what he’s-“ But the other woman was already gone. Great. She was still practically new to this hall herself, and she was supposed to be giving tours? Jada pushed open the door and propped it with a chair so she might be able to hear if someone entered. Pulling a chair close to the window, Jada pushed on top of it, dragging the first of the curtains off the rod overtop of it and setting it to the side, balancing carefully to try and get the next one up.

Valerian’s time on the Isle was, for the most part, rather boring. He was glad someone else had ended up with the same fate as him at the same time only because Allendris was amazingly fun to tease and helped pass the time. When they weren’t trading barbs, they managed to have some decent conversations that had the Harper deciding that he would claim the glass-smith as someone to keep close in this new life he had been brought into. That didn’t mean they would be doing everything together whether by choice or due to assignments, like how he asked to see the Crafting Hall or more specifically, where the Harpers hung out. It wasn’t that he had a desire to meet others of the same craft as soon as possible but more music was comforting to him and what he enjoyed doing so finding some parchment and a place to sneak off to with his guitar was pretty vital to him.

He followed the directions given him and soon came upon the hall, eyes taking in every sight he came across up till then. Everything was so new and interesting to him that Valerian felt like he had his first day arriving at Harper Hall. There was a part of him that wanted to delay entering the hall so he could continue absorbing everything he could about the area surrounding it but there were a lot of people out doing chores or moving from one location to another that were starting to stare at him and looked ready to ask him questions. Not in the mood to entertain the locals with stories about himself, Valerian slipped inside the building, silently closing the door behind him.

So far the Crafting Hall looked much like any other he had seen with it being mostly open concept with some areas sectioned off, likely for lessons. It was also fairly quiet, as if no one else felt the need to do anything indoors on such a hot sunny day. Valerian could understand that as he enjoyed summer days though his favourite part was napping in the shade. Now there was a thought. He had seen a forest outside the Weyr when he was brought in and that would be a perfect spot to disappear to when in the need to escape everyone and relax in the shade with his music or nothing at all. Another glance around the hall was given but when he heard some movement coming from one of the rooms, Valerian followed the sounds to check it out, hopefully finding someone that could give him what he wanted.

What he found was a woman playing with some curtains in a small classroom. He had been told there would be someone willing to help him and since the place seemed lifeless save for her, Valerian assumed this was that someone in question. If not, she’d just have to do since standing around the hall all day waiting for someone or going through every area of the building for items didn’t appeal to the Harper. He also didn’t want to be near classrooms as that was one aspect of his craft that Valerian hated doing, but always seemed to do the most of, and wanted to avoid as much as he could now that he was in Katila. Stepping inside the room, Valerian made himself known not with a greeting or any form of manners to apologise for disturbing the lady but with his own special style of questioning, “are you only a sub-par decorator or can you double as a decent assistant in helping me out around here?”

Engrossed in her work, Jada missed the door opening and closing; missed the sound of footsteps in the hall. Instead, she was focused on making certain that the curtain hung just so o the rod. Hmm, perhaps she could move this end over just a hair? She really should- oops! Wobbling! Wobbling! Her chair, already on two legs, teetered onto one and Jada tried to push it back to two. Or four! Four was a very good idea. Agh! The sound of a soft, masculine voice behind her was the last straw on her already splintered concentration, and Jada went toppling to the floor in a ‘graceful’ windmill of limbs. To add insult to injury, the newcomer was mocking her decorating skills. ‘Subpar’ indeed! While admittedly Jada was no seamstress, she thought the colors looked lovely. And seasonal! She could sulk, or she could get up and see what he wanted from her. Considering that she was expecting someone new, she should probably get up. Since the breath had been crushed out of her body, she remained on the floor. Tilting her head, she stared at the upside-down figure, trying to decide if she knew who it was. It was possible, she decided, there was a certain familiarity in his face.

“Subpar decorator.” She decided, her tone as dry as his was. “I’m afraid your dragon is in another Weyr.” Jada quickly rolled onto her belly and pressed her hands to the floor, pushing to her feet, dusting off the legs of her pants. Gripping the chair in one hand she tugged it up and pushed it back into place against the wall, ready to go for round two once she’d taken care of all her new associate’s needs. “Though I will be more than happy to serve as guide in a temporary capacity should you know what you’re looking for.” The Harper briskly dusted off her hands and moved across the room until she was standing in front of the stranger, her eyes about even with his nose. “Welcome to Katila.” She glanced up at him, amber eyes narrowing in consideration. She did know this face, but she couldn’t quite place who owned it, and that irritated her. Why did he look so familiar? Knowing he was one of her fellow Harpers didn’t narrow her options down very much, alas, since she’d lived her entire life in Harper Hall, she knew quite a few people.

He looked to be around Jada’s own age, give or take a couple of turns. Dark hair, dark eyes, a clear complexion. Maybe it was the shape of his nose? But as she ran through the list of people she could remember, one niggled at the edge of her mind, dangling. Could it be? 

“Are you Valerian?” Could he be? She hadn’t seen him in 6 turns if it was! He’d been one of her brothers friends, and she could remember the other boy fairly well, but the face was only a hint similar to her memory. Of course, she’d not only been seeing him from a distinctly different angle that many turns ago, but his face was much slimmer than it had been. Still, the nose was right, as was the sardonic attitude. She’d put marks on him not remembering her though, even if he tried. She wasn’t 14 anymore! No, the girl Valerian might recall had been all angles and sharp, skinny limbs, big eyes and an often dirty face. She’d been a mischievous child, though.

Pinched cheeks just like her mother.

He supposed he should have felt bad for being the deciding factor that sent the girl sprawling on the floor or even to rush over and help her up, but Valerian figured she was on her way to toppling over anyway and she seemed fine so he made no movement to assist her. Instead he just watched her, brow quirking with slight amusement at her comment about dragons and weyrs. If he was going to be stuck with someone even for a few minutes while finding what he needed, he supposed someone with an odd sense of humour wouldn’t be too bad. That was definitely better than someone who lacked in the ability to even define humour whether from sheer stupidity or being utterly boring. “I guess it’s a good thing I do know what I’m looking for so I don’t tax your limited tour guide skills.”

When she approached him, Valerian took in her appearance, marking as someone who would be found beautiful by most and she no doubt used that to her advantage when she had to. Who wouldn’t in her place when other methods failed? As for himself, he could admit to seeing her beauty but he wasn’t attracted by it, though that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary given his lack of interest in such physical desires. It was only when she was close enough for her amber eyes to catch his attention did Valerian give her pause of consideration. They were fairly rare and he couldn’t remember seeing such colouring all that often in his turns of traveling and assignments in various holds. If not her curves and complexion, than a bat of those eyes would have men drooling and at her feet to assist her in anything.

The study of her appearance came to an end when her question fell between them. He should have been surprised that this girl he didn’t know already knew him and perhaps he would have been if they were meeting in the North, without either of them being assigned and expected. He had been whisked away in the night to help run a secret Weyr in the South and had been left on a small isle for days before being allowed to join their little secret society. For all he knew there had been an announcement at the morning meal that he would be leaving the isle. His kidnapper had asked him enough questions to give the Katilans knowledge on him after all. “I am. Valerian, Journeyman Harper.” He didn’t ask who she was since while he liked her humour, he wasn’t sure she was worth remembering.

"I do so like someone who knows what they want." It made them much easier to deal with, since Jada liked being a people-pleaser; Clear desires and instructions made it considerably easier to do do as requested. "Do you have a list you can give me, or would you rather get the tour while I dig things out for you? I highly suggest the tour, I've been told I missed my calling in life. Telling stories, however, was always my mother's forte, not mine." Would he be able to tell her something of her mother, perhaps? Or her brother? Chances weren't good even a Harper would be able to tell her of what had happened to her other siblings. They hadn't exactly been close after the other three left Harper Hall. Fiona hadn't even come back when father died. So even if Valerian could eventually bring himself to remember them, chances of there being any reliable news on anyone but Litir and her mother was slim.

His brow was quirked, but she didn't think she saw any recognition in those green eyes of his. Not surprising at all, actually. She looked more like her father for coloring, and Valerian would have spent more time with Szelem than Mikael, anyway. Her father had enjoyed a severe lack of patience for teaching. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Valerian," Jada's voice was rife with mischief, and she couldn't hide it. Why bother? On one hand, she desperately wanted to play with him and see if he would try and remember her, but her memories of the boy he had been said no. Somehow, gauging by the bland look on his face, she didn't think that had changed any. Her memory was rife with days of he and Litir sequestering themselves away, and more than once slamming doors on her fingers when she tried to come in and spend time with them.

She clucked her tongue thoughtfully, amused. As her father had told her 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' Maybe Katila was a little more the same than she'd thought. It would be interesting to see how long it took him to connect her to her brother, and from there to connect her to the gangly little girl she'd been. She spun, chomping on her bottom lip forcefully and walked across the room to collect the cloth she'd dropped, setting it on her desk. A few more minor touch-ups, and she was ready to go. She'd just shut the door when she left, and it would be fine. "Alright." she said at last, and walked to the door. As she walked by, she reached out, intending to pinch his cheek lightly. "Lets see what I can do you for."

“The tour’s fine. I can grab things as we go since I might find more things I want than previously thought,” he had told the rider that retrieved him that he was okay with being kidnapped and made to start a new life, and for the most part he was. That didn’t mean, however, that he wasn’t going to take advantage of opportunities presented to him. If they were foolish enough to let a Harper that enjoyed writing near unguarded parchment and ink, then that was their fault. He was very tempted to grab as much as he could comfortably carry to start documenting his new life and the hidden weyr from his point of view. Of course there would be turns unaccounted for from before he arrived and Valerian was itching to get his hands on those records as well to learn the truth of what happened to the dragons during the plague that was said to have wiped them out.

The woman’s playful tone as she continued with courtesies caught Valerian’s attention once more and he left off from thinking about the dragon mystery. It is a pleasure to see you again, Valerian. That wasn’t adding up. That one little sentence implied so much and green eyes narrowed as he studied the, assumed, female Harper. There were a lot of people coming and going through Harper Hall and he most certainly took no effort to recall every last name and face. His goal at that time was to learn everything he could about the craft and while making friends wasn’t a priority, a few people did earn the honour of receiving more than a passing interest. This girl likely wasn’t one of those people. There was really only one boy that stood out in his mind and the boy’s mother had also been one of his favourite people while growing up. So he was left baffled, at least until his tour guide returned and he suddenly had a hand reaching for his face and fingers going in for a light pinch.

“Hey!” Valerian normally wasn’t one to raise his voice but suddenly having a girl pinching his cheek was a bit startling. People normally didn’t invade his space since he didn’t come off as overly warm and inviting but here he was with a girl acting so familiar with him. That’s when it hit him. The girl was familiar! The amber eyes and the pinching finally connected a few missing dots. He knew her, but only barely since it was her mother and brother he had spent time with. “Litir’s bratty little sister!” Green eyes were wide with the startling truth as he recognized her but that wouldn’t be enough for -- what was her name again? -- the girl to give up in victory. So he reached out and tugged at a piece of her hair she had foolishly worn down that day to encourage the release. Once she let go, he would as well.

"The tour it is." she agreed easily. "I've been here since last spring, so I may forget a couple places. There are about 220 dragons or so, and they all have their own little huts. I think I'll leave that to your official tour guide though, and limit our little excursion to the Hall." Jada had also spent a lot of time being upset at the Rider who had stolen her and dropped her on Candidate isle. It had been a miserable time, and she'd been on there two weeks before she'd calmed down enough to be presented to Katilan society. And then she had seriously debated finding her Rider's hut and setting it on fire. Alas, she hadn't, and Jada was settling into a life that was familiar to when she had first settled on the Ruathan outskirts. Just without the ability to sent messages home, or see her family and friends ever again.

Her fingers made contact with the man's cheek as she walked for the door, and she grinned as she squeezed the boyish face gently. Heh, there was a lot less baby fat there now than there had been, so it was harder to geta  good grip. But his skin was still soft and warm, and it really was relaxing to have a good cheek to pinch. As Valerian protested, Jada couldn't keep her smile down anymore. Until he- "Bratty?" she sounded indignant. Was indignant, actually. "I was eight!" And ten. And twelve. And fourteen. And knowing Valerian, the whole time her name had been brat. Then again, considering the pranks she had pulled to try and get the attention of her older brother and his friends.

One of which had been Valerian.

A hand gripped her hair, and Jada squeaked. She'd forgotten that the other Harper liked to get his, especially when it came to his cheeks. Her long, loose curls were the perfect target for his wandering, vengeful hands. "That's my hair!" she protested, and shook her arm, attached to his cheek. "You let go!" she commanded, glaring at him as he tugged her head via the black rope. "Val! Stop! I won't take you on a tour!" They were useless, futile threats, and if he remembered the first thing about her it was that she was a pushover. "I'll hide the parchment. I'll tell them you like teaching."

The gloves were off, so her other hand lifted, scrabbling for his other cheek. Chances weren't good she'd get it, but if she aimed for the top of the tree, she'd still land on some random part of him that was just begging to be pinched. Hopefully above the waist.

"Very bratty," Valerian replied in a cool, even tone. It had been turns since he had to deal with Jada and while the memories were coming back to him, he tried to keep his composure and not hug a familiar person that was a link to the past or get overly irritated at her pinching habit that didn't seem to have died with time. He had hoped though! Not that he thought they would cross paths again with them both traveling as often as they had or being stationed in remote parts of the continent. It was almost funny how it took being kidnapped and brought to a secret Weyr to bring them back together again. Valerian almost wished it hadn't when her empty threats started. Hadn't she learned yet? She either couldn't follow through with the threats or Valerian simply didn't care if she tried or not, knowing he would either get out of trouble or any punishment given would be worth it for whatever he had been dragged into.

That was until she brought up the effective threat of telling people here that he liked teaching. Valerian had made no effort in his youth to show which field of the craft he enjoyed, intent as he was on learning all aspects before finally deciding on a field and striking out on his own. His masters had all decided he was great in a classroom and continued shoving him into one every chance he could get until a reputation was born. With that I'shan guy's words in his head for the last week, repeating that he was to start a new life and never return to the old, Valerian had decided to avoid teaching as much as he could and just focus on documenting Katila life, writing songs, and playing for the public when he felt like it. So he decided to give in this once -- being their reunion and all -- and let go of her hair but Jada ruined her victory by moving in for what Valerian suspected to be another pinch.

He did his best to dodge with the first attacking fingers clinging tightly, though he knew he could break free with a bit more pain if he was truly desperate, but stilled when the idea of losing an eye to a wildly aimed finger formed. Thankfully, he had moved around enough to throw her off and fingers landed on his bicep, the baggy material momentarily slowing down the attack he knew Jada would persist in. In order to save himself, he gave her what she wanted. Sort of.

His free hand went to her waist, where fingers brushed against soft curves he assumed she didn't have back in the day but he hadn't quite examined her closely to find out, and latched on. He pinched just as his other hand released her hair, a smirk that made him look just as bratty as he was calling her appearing as he did so. "I let go."

"That was more than six turns ago!" she protested. "You can't judge me when you didn't even recognize me!" That wasn't fair at all, not that she thought the fairness of a situation would have anything to do with his decision. He was even more dispassionate than she recalled; to be fair, however, this was a situation they had never been in before. He was a familiar face, even if it was old memories. He probably wasn't the boy she remembered, but if there was any of him left in there, it would be good to see him again. And see him again she would, once he let go of her hair!

At eight she'd been more jealous of him than anything, this strange young boy swooping in and taking her brother's attention away. Litir had been enamored- not romantically, of course- by his new friend. Mother had encouraged their relationship, thinking it was good for Litir to have a companion who wasn't put off by his antisocial habits. How many times had her skinny fingers been crushed in the door as Litir closed it in her face? Too many. She'd been about 9, perhaps 10, when she'd hidden in the archives and slingshot pieces of molded cheese at him, irritated that her brother had decided to spend her nameday with him instead of her. How old had she been when she decided she had a crush on Valerian? (That had lasted about a sevenday, certainly no more, before Litir found her writing the older male a confession and mocked her mercilessly for her infatuation. She'd decided all men were wicked brutes like her brother, and Litir had gleefully torn the product of her innocent heart to shreds.)

Yet now here he was, and memories were just memories; this Valerian was much more wiggly than the boy her mother had loved to pinch. Her hand missed his cheek, but she felt it slide past his shoulder, and she dug her fingers into his shirt, twisting. Her hair was freed and her head jerked up, so she could glare at his face, almost pouting. A childish habit, one she'd hoped she had outgrown. She was just releasing his cheek when she felt his hand at her waist, felt the pinch of his fingers on the thin layer of skin around her waistline.

He latched onto her fiercely and Jada stepped forward, closer to him, trying to get away from his pinching fingers. She scowled up, not missing that bratty smirk, and moved the hand that had been on his cheek for his lip. She couldn't let the smirk go unpunished. She was going to wiggle that lip! Her hand was still tangled in his shirt, and her face was set in a scowl. "So you did." she agreed with him. And just as he'd let go of her hair, she'd relinquished her grip on his cheek. So what if she was going for someplace else- he had!

This encounter wasn’t leading them anywhere but into irritation and potential bruises or reddened skin. It was only natural for them to continue countering each move made and knowing how stubborn he was, and how stubborn he recalled little Jada being at times, they would keep going until they ran out of new locations to mark or someone else walked in. Valerian knew he’d be amused at walking in on two adults entangled such as they were but didn’t much like the idea of someone else doing it to him. He still wasn’t going to back down first though! Give Jada the illusion she had won and she’d lord it over him forever and continue using the pinching tactic as a means to getting her way. Nope, that didn’t sound like an ideal way to start and continue his new life at all.

As her hand on his cheek started to move, Valerian debated his next move in how to end the stalemate of their other hands, only to give up when the fingers moved to his lips. He imagined she would try to stop him from talking by covering his mouth or perhaps simply tug on his lower lip but neither seemed an option for her. Instead, she started to wiggle his lip, which did silence him, though from shock. How weird was this girl? No doubt Jada enjoyed teaching, younger brats of course, given her odd tendencies and apparent matching intelligence. Well, she was younger than him though Valerian couldn’t recall by how much; had he ever known? He had been friends with Litir and never paid his siblings much interest.

In response to the latest, and oddly creative, attack, Valerian simply stuck out his tongue so her fingers ended up being licked with each move they made. It wasn’t really his ideal situation but she didn’t taste like ink or dirt which was a good thing. If it made her squirm, then even the taste of ink would be worth it. He watched her closely, looking for the breaking point but then suddenly had another idea to help in the goals of making her squirm and earning his freedom. With arms quickly encircling Jada’s waist, Valerian pulled her tight to his body for the best hug he could give with how he was being accosted. He had been, unsurprisingly, oblivious to Jada’s crush when they were younger but was banking on her being uncomfortable enough with a semi-unfamiliar man to relent and call this encounter her loss.

Success! Jada wiggled her companion's lip, feeling the amusement playing over her face. Childish, she knew, but she loved it. And the expression on Valerian's face! Oh, she could probably laugh until she died, if she let it out. She could only imagine the scene that the two of them made. A casual observer could probably take it as more intimate than it was, two bodies pressed together like this, but that only made it all the more amusing. "Do you still like to compose?" she asked sweetly, wagging his lip. "I remember you and Litir spending hours locked in his room. Fiona used to say you were playing 'dragon and rider' but I think you and my brother just had a lot in common." That, and that Litir was lonely, and Valerian hadn't been put off by his musical genius. Their mother had liked Valerian for his deft hand on an instrument. She batted her eyes at him sweetly, playfully. "Feline got your to- Ew!" She stared at his tongue as it lapped over her fingers. She certainly didn't remember that!

Her face went red, flushed, and she was afraid he may have won this round. A shame, since losing from the get-go did not bode well for the future. She tried to stick it out (no pun intended) to make it through at least a few more waggles, but she could feel his warm, rough, wet tongue on her fingers and her nose kept wrinkling... and wrinkling... and wrinkling. Until she was certain she looked rather scrunched. "Valerian!" she gasped out his name, jerking her fingers away, wiping them on his shirt. Lucky for him she kept her hands clean! Otherwise, that would just be... she shook her head, wiping. Wiping.

And then she felt herself being crushed to his body, and her brain froze. On one hand, it was unfamiliar to her, the masculine body pressed to her feeling alien and unfamiliar. And on the other hand, it was the hug of someone familiar. An older brother figure, perhaps, a friend of a friend. It wasn't what he'd meant to o, she was certain, so she gave him his victory and claimed her own win out of it. The pressure of a hug, contact that she had thrived on as a child and denied to her for far too long, was enough to make her drop his cheek, sliding her arms around his neck and falling into the physical contact, returning it. She'd take what she could get. He wasn't a stranger, at least, and his hand was around her waist, not on her rear.

Not for too long did she give in to her cravings, however, before she pulled back and batted her eyes up at him, impish. "Oh, Valerian," she sounded more amused than she'd meant to, and tried to correct it. She wanted to sound dramatic and breathless. "I never knew you felt this way." Too bad she could feel her breath shuddering as she tried to suppress a giggle. Who knew. Maybe this would be the killing blow for one of them! "I'm so glad you-"

She couldn't keep it up. "Bwahahaha!" it wasn't a feminine laugh, it was a genuine one, and she dropped her head towards his shoulder.

Jada’s ramblings were almost adorable and slightly misguided. Valerian had a suspicion Fiona’s idea of what he was up to with Litir was a lot different to what Jada had took the meaning of back then and apparently now given her expression of innocence. He didn’t comment on any of that however, instead making his move for freedom first with the licking and then the hug. It seemed to have been working and he revelled in her disgusted reaction to being licked. Too bad she seemed determined to suffer through it until he gave up. So it was a good thing he went for the hug to go in for the killing blow that earned him the win.

Sort of.

He suddenly has his arms full of a wilting Jada. Valerian was close to being worried and pushing her away but her dramatics faded with each word, his trained Harper-ear catching her efforts to put on a good act. He was tempted to play along but then he was hit with the full force of a loud laugh followed by another genuine move of Jada sinking into the hug she returned. That wasn’t really what he was going for though the assault in the form of pinching had ceased so Valerian was calling it a victory all the same. Now he just had to deal with the hug that was actually sort of affecting him as well. He wasn’t one to enjoy physical contact of any sort and while he had accepted his new life in the South, Valerian couldn’t deny how relieved he was to have someone from his past there with him.

Instead of pushing her away like he knew he should and normally would do, Valerian shifted his hold to hug Jada a little closer and tighter in nothing more than an act of one friend happy to see another after so many turns apart. “I’m glad someone I know is here.” His voice was a low whisper, as if he was too shy to confess such a thing but if Jada looked up then, she would have seen the playful smile tugging at his lips, “even if that someone is you.”

Honestly, Fiona's idea of what Val and Litir had been up to was not what Jada's idea had been. Fiona was older. And infinitely more... aware... of certain possibilities.

"You're darn lucky that someone is me," Jada teased, glancing up and into his green eyes. She kept her arms around him loosely, smiling at the taller figure. "I know you just enough that we don't have any of that awkward first-meeting fiddle-dee, and not so much that you have to worry about me saying anything incriminating." And that worked both ways! "I can't believe you forgot my name. You did, didn't you?" He could admit it now; at least he remembered Litir, that had to count for something. And if she had faded into the background, then there wouldn't be any of those awkward questions.

"We'll get you lots of parchment." she decided. "And I can show you some of my favorite places to hide from the heat. How long were you on the isle?" Her hand stayed attached to him as she pulled away, resting casually on his sleeve. "It is good to see a familiar face. Even if that face is you."

Valerian had seemed so much taller when she was younger. Now she needed only raise her eyes a little to meet his. How time changed things! "Come," she encouraged, and slipped her hand down his arm, to his wrist, "Let's go find you some supplies, and I will show you the hall."

Her eyes lingered on his cheek, longing.

One thing he was quickly learning was Jada loved to talk. Was that something she always enjoyed or did the shunning she received by Litir and him make her quiet and now that she was older, she was making up for lost time? Valerian would take some time later to sift through his memories from Harper Hall and try to bring up the younger girl he was now stuck with. At least she wasn’t irritating or stuffy liked a few people he had already crossed paths so for someone returning from his past, she was off to a good start. She just needed to stop eyeing his cheeks like that!

Quickly Valerian untangled himself from the hug and put a few feet of distance between them again so he could answer her questions without worrying about a pinch slurring his speech. “I do still compose so a large stack of parchment would be appreciated.” She didn’t need to know about his interest in documenting various aspects of Katila right now since he did remember her curiosity and she’d likely be all over the idea, wanting to see what he wrote or adding her own views on things. Perhaps at some point another Harper’s view would be nice to have but for the time being, Valerian was happy to do the narrative solo.

“I was on the isle for a sevenday, with another Northerner. So my time there was as boring as I suspect it’s meant to be but I still had company while sitting in silence,” for a man that didn’t actively seek out companionship, Valerian couldn’t help but notice how he had already collected two people he didn’t mind being around so soon after starting his new life. It was odd but so far he was okay with it.

He struggled, and Jada chose to let him go without complaint, taking a step backwards at the same time that he did so that they were more that an arms length away from each other.

"I think you'll find them surprisingly accommodating with the supplies. Of course, they can always get more." She raised her eyebrows. "Don't be too greedy, though, or they'll start getting suspicious. You'll find a surprising amount of Harpers here, so music is one thing Katila won't be lacking in future turns. I'm sure they have started sonnets on their myriad experiences already." She knew she hadn't, but that was because she hadn't had time. Frowning at the open door, she wondered if she was talking too much. Was it nerves? No, she wouldn't describe herself as nervous. She was happy, a little excited for a familiar face.

She gestured to the door, walking in front of him and waiting until he passed before shutting the makeshift 'door.' "Who were you with?" she asked, moving towards the area where supplies were kept, beginning the tour. It was simple enough; "This is the Craft Hall. It is probably the southernmost of the major buildings. Healer Hall is a little north of here, and the candidate Barracks are nearby as well. I suppose for an easy commute for us, since it isn't as easy for us to get around. As you can see, little 'rooms' like I've made are about the best you can get, they've left it very flexible in here. I'm hoping that eventually there will be able to get something more formal made, but there are more important things that they worry about than convenience. Some of the Katilans come here to learn from us, and we are always welcome to learn from other crafts here."

At last they reached their goal, and she looked around, gripping various things and passing them to the other Journeyman. A few quills, two vials of ink, a blotter, a sheaf of parchment, all before she sat back on her heels and considered. "Do you have an instrument, or would you like to borrow something until you can get to making your own, or commission something more fit for you?" She didn't see an instrument on him, but that didn't mean he had not had his things deposited in the barracks before he headed this way.

Pleased that Jada didn’t question him further about his forgetting her name or not, Valerian continued to work on piecing it together -- though he knew he’d have to admit defeat soon enough since she wasn’t vital to studying back then – while answering other questions and following dutifully on the tour. “I was with a glass-smith named Allendris,” the man was a bit dull but he was fun to tease and carried a decent conversation when they both were in the mood to talk. It was because of that that Valerian remembered that name. If Allendris had been annoying or just not worth his time, the Harper would have ignored him and promptly forgotten the name and his existence.

He took in the information of the layout of the Weyr as it would help him later on when he explored further on his own and let Jada pile his arms with all the supplies that would help set him up. “I still compose but mostly for my own enjoyment. We’ll see how much I share with the locals,” he was certain some would be appropriate to share but most often it was random thoughts that were penned into song.

“As for instruments, I have my guitar. It was the only thing I had with me when I was secreted away.” He was glad he had that with him despite having nothing else but the clothes on his back. He had made the guitar himself several turns before but it wouldn’t have mattered who the maker was since it was a piece of his old life and a reminder of where he came from to reach the current path in life. “Did you commission one or use one of theirs? How’s the quality of instruments here?”

"It was lonely on the island." Jada confessed. "I ate a lot of fruit, and didn't have much of anyone or anything to talk to." Other than herself. And fish. And fruit trees. She was almost a little envious of Valerian for having someone to talk to, who might have helped him with fishing or something. It was really unfortunate that she hadn't gotten much contact during her time on Candidate Isle; she could have used knowing someone when she had first come, aside from Lunkhead.

"you can compose for yourself," she agreed, "But I don't know what kinds of tasks they might assign you. I'm sure you'll be joining in on any Candidate classes once those start back up. They are sort of a crash course on Candidate etiquette, and what to do and not to do if a dragon decides to Impress you. Or if you Impress one. I'm still not quite sure how that works." She pushed back to her feet, dropping one last item on his pile- some sand, in case he needed to dry something quickly or just wanted to add a little shine to his work.

Jada's mood turned a little sour at the question in regards to her instruments. When she had been taken, almost all of her possessions had been on the Runner that had been taking her back to the Hall. When the dragon had plucked her, she had caught a glimpse of the startled little wherry running away with all of her things except what had been in the small pack she'd had on her back. "Until I can finagle something custom, I've been using a loaned instrument. There are some very skilled crafters here, so the instrument isn't lacking for sound, but it doesn't fit my fingers as well as I'd like."

The pack that she'd had on her had been filled with little enough. Sheet music, scribblings and notes from her time in the Hold, and some goodbye letters from her students. A few extra treats, but the oiled pouch had been mostly filled with parchment and various supplies. Everything else that she'd had was most likely returned to her mother. Litir. Had anyone heard of her disappearance? Had it been noted? Had they assumed she had been thrown, or gotten lost? Had they searched?

The question lingered on her tongue; her lips parted to form the question. She snapped shut her jaw, and glanced around. "Some very skilled woodcrafters, too, for those more intricate pieces you need. A jewelsmith or two, I believe; the clothing they offer is comfortable as well, they have some skilled tailors. Rumor even has it of a Master Healer being in Katila." If that meant anything- which of course it did. "Did you have anything else you wanted to look at in the hall?"

There she went chattering away again. Had she forgotten how little he partook in conversations just as he had forgotten her name? He should probably rectify that soon but instead focused on shifting the pile of goodies around to make sure he had a good hold on everything. The added sand was nice but it was throwing off the balance he had managed before it. “I plan on it. We’re here to Impress dragons, not bored weyrfolk.”  Speaking of boredom, Valerian wondered what their nightly entertainment was like. They clearly had at least two Harpers and he didn’t doubt there were more as well as a few musically inclined scattered throughout other crafts, as there always was. Would they be made to perform at or after dinner? He enjoyed it but it was more voluntary and not mandatory when it came to such a setting.

He ignored Jada’s bitterness at not having her own instruments or belongings, whether it was done knowingly or simply because that was the way he was, was uncertain. Instead Valerian focused on the topic of classes for Candidates as he also wasn’t too interested in the other crafts right then. It wasn’t like he had any marks on him and didn’t know what the bartering system was like in the small weyr to go browsing for clothes, let alone jewellery. “You’d think they’d let us interact with some of the dragons before throwing us into lessons on how to care for one of our own,” even if the plan was to just have them sit in class for a large portion of the day, Valerian had already decided to find time to meet a dragon or two just to satisfy his curiosity about the beautiful beasts. The silly dreams of a little boy still lived on inside the shell of indifference and Valerian would see to it that he got to pet one before there was a clutch on the sands.

“No, I got what I was interested in so I don’t really need to see the rest of the hall.” Just in case there was any confusion over what he wanted, a nod toward the stack of items he carried was given, though he felt he should probably address their reunion once more given the circumstances. “I guess there’s one more thing I need; your name. Unless you want to be called Litir’s bratty little sister, which is fine by me.”

She watched Valerian shuffle things from her location, squatting in front of him. "You need any help with that?" Jada inquired, coming to her feet. She could remember when she was little, and the motion would have been awkward and bumbling; she probably would have been liable to fall into the other person, often sending who-knew-what flying or falling. "Impressing bored Weyrfolk could be just as beneficial as Impressing a dragon, I'm sure." Much as she disliked the method of her arrival, she was falling in love with the myriad people in the Weyr. Valerian might not care to Impress them, but she did. In the end, he would probably be much happier than she would.

If only she could allow herself to relax like that.

"We're more than welcome to interact with them." the young Harper was more than mildly amused, though she was quite able to resist any loud guffawing. . "In fact, we've little enough choice in the matter unless we just lock ourselves in the barracks, and something would drag us outside eventually, be it food or the privy. I think they mostly believe we'll be inundated with them, so we may as well hurry up and learn. You missed Nirinath's Flight." It had been incredible, though she'd seen the aftermath. Many had been effected by the emotions of the gold Flight, by the strong waves of desire; almost no one had crawled from their beds until late the next day.

She'd been barely able to resist some 'urges' of her own.

Closing the supply cabinet back up, she gestured back the way they had come from. "I can get any doors for you, or show you anything else you feel the need to see." Jada offered, eager to help in any way she could. Though when he asked for her name, the smile that crossed her face was anything but sweet: It was downright impish, if she had to pick a label for what she could feel. Goodness only knew what an expression the other Harper imagined he saw in it. Should she tell him her name? He probably wouldn't care if she didn't, but it would prick her until she went mad with it. Litir's bratty little sister.

That was all she'd been for turns, it seemed. Katila was a place for changes, not the same-old same-old.

"Jada." she said simply.

Valerian shook his head at the offer for assistance in carrying his new supplies though he would wait for her to take the lead and therefore open any doors that tried to hinder his way back ‘home’. While he was coming to terms with Katila being the center of his new life, Valerian still found it a touch odd to call the small room in the barracks his home. It was hard to say why, though, given he had spent so much time living in various holds for the last several turns. Perhaps it was simply that Harper Hall felt like his real home and where he was able to learn, have fun, and do something he had a passion for. Katila was still new and hadn’t had a chance to prove how much freedom he would have and how much he would enjoy doing what was asked of him. Still, it was early days and labels and desires were bound to change.

“Can’t say I’m overly disappointed by missing her flight,” while he would have loved to see a gold dragon in flight, Valerian had read enough to know what he had missed out on and didn’t mind it. He wasn’t an overly sexual being and having to deal with the emotions and hormones brought out by Nirinath flying wasn’t something he would have enjoyed. If they were given enough warning, perhaps he could have locked himself away until the worst of it was over and the weyr wasn’t one large orgy. Weyr life was going to be interesting and possibly a bit challenging for someone like him but given his boredom of late, Valerian was oddly looking forward to it.

“Jada…” Valerian rolled the name around on his tongue, testing it out like it was the first time he had ever said it and then nodded, “I like it.” As if his approval was enough on the subject, the Harper male turned to leave the supply area and only managed three steps before he stopped and gave a light sigh. He remembered her from when they were younger, more now than he had earlier upon their meeting, and recalled things Litir had said then and even more recently about the curious and annoying little sister that always wanted to be included in everything they did. It was usually annoying since Litir understood the beauty in silence and a lot of their time together was sitting in silence doing their own thing but reflecting back on it now, Valerian could see why Jada longed to be included. His older sisters always looked after him and invited him along on most things they did and he loved them for it.

“Litir talked about you back then. Usually it was about how annoying you were, sometimes about your potential, but the oddest was when it felt like he was making sure I stayed away from you.” He never understood why Litir did that, it wasn’t like Valerian had shown interest in any of the sisters. If anything, it was his mother Litir should have worried about being hit on if his friend was the sort. Valerian worshipped the woman and in a way sort of made her a substitute mom and looked for her praise, which he received regularly. But Jada? She was young and far too energetic to capture his interest. “I didn’t keep in touch all that much once we all started to travel but I saw him and your mother before I was brought here. They mentioned they miss you.” He fell silent for several seconds while trying to recall anything else they had said but he had been smothered in hugs at the time and his thoughts had been scrambled.

He turned back to Jada, having not wanted to see her face when he brought up such a topic that was sure to bring out odd emotions and gave her a small smile as he continued, “they had some theories about where you went, including you met someone they wouldn’t approve of and ran off with him. Now that I’m missing as well, perhaps they’ll think we’re together. I guess it’s as close to the truth as they’ll ever be.”

Jada nodded as Valerian rejected her offer of assistance and looked to the first of the doors that she would need to open for him. They weren't heavy, but she'd piled his harms high with little things that he would be able to use for his craft. There were people that they would pass, and how would he be able to greet them properly if he were so loaded down with supplies? Ah well, it was only his first day in the Weyr; there would be many more days to come, and he may as well take his time. Goodness knew she had, still sulking even after they deemed her 'safe' to come to the Weyr proper. Melodramatics had been quite common through the first sevenday, but finding herself ignored had put a quick stop to that.

The women smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair, remembering the Flight vividly. "She glowed, Valerian." if her tone was reverent, she didn't recognize it as such. "Admittedly I could have done without the side-effects, but I wasn't the only one avoiding them." Her name on his tongue stopped her, and she blinked at the other Harper, curious. Was he going to- oh. She grinned, then paused. Had she ever heard him say her name before? Had he even known her name? Litir had always called her "J" so it was entirely possible that her little joke had been cruel, and he'd legitimately been at a loss. Oh well, too late now!

Valerian turned, moving for the door and Jada stepped after him, intending to pass around him in order to get to the first of the barriers that he would be unable to pass without her assistance. But she almost ran into his back- broader than she remembered, now that she was standing so close to him without cheek-pinching in the way. Still lithe, not muscle-bound. She smiled when he spoke of her brother, then laughed. "Litir never let me have any friends once I became a formal apprentice." she kept her tone light. "I think he was a little jealous of the fact that I could sing soprano and he couldn't." Either that or he was among the first to notice when she hit puberty.

Then again, older brothers always were.

"I was on my way home when I was taken." she admitted, and felt her lips tremble. She missed her family very much. She wished she had gotten to see her family, so that there wasn't this unfinished feeling. "I was being called back. They just told me they needed me. I was afraid something was wrong with mother or Litir, so I'm glad that they seemed alright." He turned, and she hopped back a step to avoid being nose-to-nose with him. "Thank you for letting me know." His hands were full, so she took advantage of the fact to lean up and in, pressing her lips firmly and briefly to his cheek. "I mean it."

She could feel her eyes threatening to fill up, so she moved past him and pulled open the first door. "After you."

Valerian had been expecting Jada to cry or toss question upon question at him when he mentioned seeing her family before he was taken. He most certainly had not been expecting gratitude and a kiss to his cheek. He wasn’t the blushing sort so he thankfully didn’t have to go through the indignity of cheeks burning bright red at the little peck on the cheek. But green eyes went wide at the action instead and he held that comical expression for several seconds before getting over the shock and turning back to the door. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he responded, for once not sure of what else was appropriate. Was that even appropriate? An hour ago he would have barely been able to recall Jada but now that he remembered her and did know what had happened to her, the words were said with sincerity and that had to make up for not knowing her name.

Regardless, it all evened out in his mind and that was what was important. If for some reason it didn’t to Jada, then they had the rest of their lives to balance out the score. As he walked by the young woman and out the door, Valerian realized that while he thought it before, he really was okay with that idea. Other than her pinching, she wasn’t irritating him yet which earned her more bonus points than she was probably aware of. So it was as they made their way through the building that Valerian tossed out an invitation he had previously thought he wouldn’t give out since his space was exactly that and he liked his privacy, “you can stay and tell me about the weyr some more once we get back. Unless you have to get back to hanging that cloth.”

If Valerian noticed the emotion on her face he didn't say anything, and for that Jada was extremely grateful. In truth, she had no desire to be remembered this time as 'the girl who snots when she blubbers'- since that was probably worse than being remembered as 'Litir's bratty little sister.' Correction: It would, at the least, be a much harder title to live down! She had enough of a handicap being one of the new people in the Weyr! So since the older man didn't say anything about her slight hiccup of composure, she didn't say anything about the way his eyes widened in her direction at the press of her lips to his cheek.

And she didn't pinch his cheek again. (An added bonus, one time only.)

She led him to another door, pushing it open and holding it for him, then another. She caught one of the vials that started to fall, and pointed out little landmarks that she thought he should know as they walked. And when they made it to the Candidate barracks, she pointed out her room and helped him to his. "I appreciate the invitation to stay," she said at last, leaning against the door and announcing her decision, "But I think I'll let you settle in." It was the least she could do, after already talking his ear off. "We know where to find each other, and I would like to catch up sometime soon." A nice way of saying 'I'd like to get to know the person you are now' she supposed, but the phrasing worked either way. People changed in six turns! She knew she had.

Jada stepped back out of the door, giving the young man's cheek a playful look. "I'll try not to pinch you next time," she offered coyly, "but we'll see how that goes. Let me know if I can help, and you'll be able to find me in the Crafthall until dinnertime. No worries on finding your way to the dining hall, just look for the conglomeration of Weyrfolk." Was there anything she'd forgotten? Oh! The Harper set the vial of sand down on the small table, and nodded to her companion. "I'll see you soon!"

It wouldn't take the Candidate long to get back to the crafthall. Jada would have to pick another curtain when she got back, however, one detail running through her mind...

Sub-par decorator indeed! She'd show him...