Morning-After | ATTN: Evelie

[saidaltam]

T'rel's mind was slow to come around, but as it did, it began to notice things. The first thing it noticed was that the surface it laid on did not feel correct. It was insufficiently lumpy to be his bed. It was too soft to be his floor. It was much too soft to be Vijaith's ledge. For a long moment, he lay there, half asleep, half awake, trying vainly to assess just where he was.

Then, he noticed the line of warmth beside him, and he came fully awake, all at once. In the rush of shock that followed his realization, he half-jumped, tangled himself in the blankets, and fell off the bed, landing in a mess on the floor with a loud thud!

"Ow..." he murmured quietly, shifting to rub his now-aching tailbone. As he did so, he cast his mind around for Vijaith, but the lazy, oversized wherry was still soundly asleep and positively purring with self-satisfaction.

[maiwolf]

It did not take long for Evelie to figure out what had happened yesterday. In fact, she knew before she had woken up what had happened yesterday. There was a dull ache everywhere in her body, and that only happened after flights—a side effect of trying to delay her dragon’s lust. Because of that, Evelie did not want to move.

There was commotion in her bed. Evelie didn’t even have to look to know that the man was freaking out. How come many men did that after their dragons won Htattath during a flight? Evelie was used to it as if she were some sort of plague. Doubtless she was for earning this much bad attention. Evelie stifled a small laugh as the man fell out of bed.

“Ow…” The man that used to be beside her murmured. That made Evelie, despite her aching body, sit upright. “T’rel!?” She asked incredulously, “Vijaith caught Htattath?”

[saidaltam]

"Mhm," T'rel replied, rising slowly to rub his sore tailbone. "Sorry. Didn't mean to... fall out of bed and wake you." He coughed, blushing, and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm always kind of jumpy after Vijaith wins a flight," he explained weakly.

That was, if anything, the understatement of the century. Evelie seemed very nice, in the short time he'd known her, and he thought he was fond of her, as much as someone could be with a woman they'd just met, but Vijaith did not have a history of excellent decision-making. In fact, he had a history of primarily heedless decision making: if she flew, he chased.

Well. If he had to wake up in a bed beside a mostly strange woman, at least he'd managed to do so beside one of the few he didn't actively object to the company of. That thought only served to make him blush, again.

[maiwolf]

Evelie snorted, “You didn’t wake me; I was awake a while ago.” Not exactly a lie. “I don’t blame you, being jumpy and all. I’d be jumpy, too, if I woke up with someone like me in the bed.” She winked, and then sat up, drawing the covers over her.

In the back of her mind, Htattath mumbled something vaguely seeming like nice flight, but Evelie couldn’t be sure. Of course that wherrybrained dragon had had a nice flight! She’d had her pick of almost any bronze of the Weyr that hadn’t caught Astoth. Stupid green.

“Oh, um, anyway,” Evelie said, scratching her head awkwardly. “So, was the flight what you expected? I mean… from your dragon.” Evelie’d known she wasn’t this good with small talk. Wow, now she knew she sucked at it.

[saidaltam]

"Vijaith is always sickeningly happy after flights," T'rel replied dryly, then swiftly diverted back to her previous statement. "And it's nothing to do with you. You can blame Vijaith for that one. His judgement has a history of being... shaky at best."

:My judgment is better than yours, mine. Go nuzzle your new mate and apologize for saying mean things,:[/color] the bronze admonished from where he lounged, considering going back to sleep.

'I did not say mean things,' T'rel shot back.

:You implied that she was not good when you said I have bad judgment,:[/color] Vijaith pointed out crisply.

T'rel was, for a moment, quietly stunned, then flushed, coughed, and said, "I... didn't mean to sound like that meant he'd done anything wrong now. I didn't mean that at all. He's just very... he's not always... I'm not trying to say you and Htattath aren't both wonderful, I don't mean that at all, I meant..." He cut himself off, taking a deep breath.

'I'm babbling.'

:You are,:[/color] Vijaith agreed. :Try being more like me.:[/color]

'A shameless flirt?' T'rel replied sardonically.

:Nice to her.:[/color] Vijaith corrected, nuzzling closer to Htattath.

T'rel sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I'm not... I'm not good at this. At... people. I get flustered and then I insult people, and it's not my intention, especially not with you. I like you. I don't want to... be insulting."

:A start, Mine.:[/color]

'Quiet, you overgrown wherry.'

[maiwolf]

Evelie studied the man. She didn't take any of it in as bad--T'rel was obviously reaching for words. But just to show him that she had realized what he said, she raised an eyebrow. "His... judgment?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Was that judgment good or bad?"

She waited patiently, too, when he started blabbling. She scooted over to his side of the bed to better see him, and smied, "You're fine. I wasn't insulted. I figured out you werne't meaning what you were saying when you started to babble." She tilted her head to one side, "Maybe you should hink about what to say first; and I mean this with no offense."

Htattath raised her head, and opened her mouth in a very large draconic yawn. She snuggled closer to Vijaith, dwarfed by his huge form. Already a small dragon--barely even large enough to carry her rider--she seemed like a playtoy to the Bronze. You are the same as him.

[/b]

'Am not, at least I said 'no offense.'' Evelie retorted in her mind.

Be happy with him, snuggle him.[/b] Htattath suggested.

'Humans don't think like dragons, little dragon.' Evelie thought, 'I don't think that would work.'

You're right.[/b] Htattath answered, Embarrassing.[/b][/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

:I like her, Mine, and I very much like her Htattath.:[/color] Speaking of, too, Vijaith purred softly and folded a wing over her. She did fit so very nicely next to him. :Be nice.:[/color]

T'rel ignored the dragon, sitting down next to Evelie on the edge of the bed and dropping his forehead into his hand. Smiling a wry, self-depreciating smile, he shrugged. "I should. I try to, I do." He made a brief, helpless gesture, then propped his forehead back in his hand. "I just tend to... not, especially after flights. I really am sorry." Dropping his hand, he sat up properly and looked over at her, very carefully being as polite as humanly possible about that particular gesture. This was bound to be no more comfortable for her--especially after his stumbling, earlier--than it was for him, and she really was a very, very nice woman. Besides, if her Htattath's flight was any indication, it was even possible that she was someone he'd have seriously considered for himself without Vijaith's interference, and there had been few enough of those in his life that it was a bit of a shock to him to consider. He didn't want to fumble that, now.

[maiwolf]

The woman didn’t know what to think of him. Sure, she’d met T’rel before, but not long enough to really get to know him. She could tell from this experience that he talked when he was nervous, or at a loss for actual words. She smiled at him, and brought the covers closer to her, though they never had dropped low enough to reveal anything.

Then she pulled her knees up to her chin underneath the blankets, and wrapped her arms around them above the blanket, further covering herself up. She looked at him, her stubborn blue eyes seemingly sizing him up. Thens eh shrugged, “No need for apologies. I know you don’t mean what you say, unless what you say is nice.” She winked at him.

Evelie’s mind suddenly flicked to her previous flights and she shuddered. He’s not like that.

[/b] Htattath said, trying to soothe her rider. But Evelie had to know anyway. “Are you an abusive partner?” She asked bluntly.
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

"Ab...what? No!" T'rel exclaimed, looking mildly horrified that she'd even have to ask. Then, he actually looked at her, and his brow furrowed. Tilting his head to the side, he leaned toward her, just a bit. "Evelie, are you alright?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned. She seemed... off, to him. Then again, what did he know about women? He, who had never once managed a successful romantic relationship, was certainly not qualified to diagnose the mental well-being of the otherwise light-hearted greenrider. However, he didn't really see as there was any serious alternative. If he didn't, after all, who would?

[maiwolf]

Evelie looked at him, brows furrowed. They were not furrowed in anger, n, far from that. They were furrowed in fear, confusion. She didn't want to be abused, she never wanted to be abused, and yet she had been. She was distrusting of anyone who caught her Htattath, even to T'rel, though she'd already met him. Looks could, indeed, be decieving.

He is telling the truth, Eevee. He shall not hurt you.

[/b] Htattath said, her eyes whirling softly, shades of red entering them. She was afraid for Hers. Evelie sighed, "I--I'm sorry. All of the men whose dragon's have caught Htattath before have been abusive. I wanted to know outright." Furrowed brows lessened, but just a bit.[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

Vijaith rumbled softly in concern, lifting his head and rubbing his cheek along Htattath's neck before tilting his head toward Evelie. :If mine were the sort who would do such a thing,:[/color] the dragon told her somberly, allowing T'rel and Htattath both to hear him as well, :He would not be mine.:[/color]

T'rel, for his part, merely nodded his understanding. He had never been abused. His had been, for the most part, a relatively idyllic upbringing and, even with Vijaith's complications, a good several turns. However, he had known enough who had to understand. Normal people rarely end up in Weyrs. Most candidates, he had noticed, were following in someone's footsteps, already unusual, or, surprisingly commonly, trying to escape something. He had never known how to handle it before, or what to say, and he didn't know now. It was just as well that Vijaith had an idea.

[maiwolf]

The woman’s unblinking eyes burned into T’rel. She trusted him more than any of her other partners she had before since the ache she had woken up to was wholly dissimilar to waking up having been abused. Tell the truth, Evelie had never woken up feeling like this, and it felt good as opposed to bad. But she was still worried.

Evelie jumped when Vijaith spoke to her. It was strange, having a dragon that was not her own speaking to her, but when he spoke she relaxed. She also realized that Vijaith’s voice was like T’rel’s only it was different, lighter, flirtier. She wondered how Htattath’s voice sounded to others. The woman smiled slowly, “Thank you, Vijaith.” Then she slid over to her side of the bed, leaned down, and donned the long shirt she had placed on the ground the night before. That shirt covered her fully to the middle of her thigh.

Evelie got up and picked up her brush. As she began to brush her hair, she turned back to T’rel. “It feels good not to wake up feeling bruised.” She said, and that was true.

[saidaltam]

T'rel didn't know how to reply to that, so instead, he set about locating and collecting his clothing. It didn't take him too terribly long, but he didn't bother dressing entirely. There were, after all, technical matters they still needed to go over--such as defining the exact nature of their relationship. He did, however, at least put on some pants, and it did wonders for his morale. Taking a seat on the foot of the bed, again, he took a few long moments to fold up his clothing in an unnecessarily tidy manner and stack it neatly before turning back to watch Evelie brushing her hair. He'd have to do the same, soon, or he'd have a tangled knot, but it would wait a bit longer.

After several long moments, he worked up the nerve to break the silence. "So... now what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. It was an entirely unhelpful question, he knew, but what else was he supposed to say? This was the first time Vijaith had won a flight that didn't send him scrambling for his clothes and racing out the door as soon as he woke. He was entirely at a loss.