Strike Three, Is He Out?

Writers: Clancey, Suzee
Date Posted: 30th March 2015

Characters: Tavia, D'aon, N'klar
Description: Tavia runs into (literally) D'aon and it goes as well as can be expected. N'klar the superhero saves the day.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 17 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: U'kaiah, Aileyan

Tavia

N'klar

Evening found him traveling the corridors with his thoughts far away.
Some interesting news had been brought by a group of traders
visiting the Weyr and he was mulling over politics and traditions and
various things not at all related to watching where he was going as he
made his way back to his own weyr.

Because of this distraction, he nearly ran over Tavia as she made her
own way through the corridors, carrying her son and some other
packages.

Once he realized he was about to collide with her, he backed up a step
or two and offered an apology, though even that had a slightly
sarcastic tinge.

"Overloaded are you?" His eyebrow arched in question.

"I'll manage," she snapped back. She'd been sure she was going to end
up on the floor when she saw him coming and had twisted to protect
Kaiavin with her own body. Now she straightened. "I'll thank you to
watch where you're going."

He almost laughed. The same sharp tongued woman he'd encountered each
time he'd met her. No surprise there. Holding his hands up in a
peace offering, he said, "I was indeed lost in thought. Let me help
you to your weyr in apology. You and your son... deserve better,
hmm?" the word son was a question, but he was sure she had a son by
U'kaiah. He knew most of that sort of thing without half trying.

He took two steps back toward her, meaning to help her will she or
nill she. He was really incapable of anything else. "At least the
things beside the babe?" While most of his sarcasm had vanished, his
tone was still mildly insufferable.

At almost eighteen months Kaiavin was a toddler hardly a babe but she
didn't expect the man to know the difference. Her face still stormy
she wordlessly accepted his apology by shrugging the strap of the bag
off her shoulder and handing it to him.

Kaiavin sensing Tavia's discomfort stuck his thumb in his mouth and
laid his head on her shoulder though one foot swung restlessly against
her back.

"It's alright little man," she said softly as she turned to lead the
way to her weyr. Opening the door and turning on the lights she set
him down and heard Sawauth croon a welcome so that she was smiling
when she turned back around. "Thank you," she said.

The bag was heavy enough and combined with her sturdy young son, he
was glad he had nearly run into her. Besides, he felt perverse about
this greenrider. Annoying but she was engaging in a way few he had
spent time with over the Turns.

Her smile was a pleasant surprise and it shocked an answering smile
out of him before he said, admittedly without thinking, "Nothing
anyone wouldn't have done. " It was offhanded and slightly arrogant,
but what else do you expect form this man? His smile stayed though
and he set the bag down inside the door. "My regards to your
lovely green. Chridheth finds her attractive." Unsaid was the fact
that he wasn't sure about her rider, though each encounter was more
and more interesting.

"Your son is quite the sturdy young boy." He added in an aside,
nodding toward the boy. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Thanks," she nodded. "Sawauth is a very great flirt," she chuckled.
She didn't add that she normally preferred brown in her mating
flights. Kaiavin had toddled over to his box of toys and plopped down
in front of it. He was busily pulling everything out as he usually did
first thing upon coming home. "He's a lot like his father," she
smiled. **Except he's still here.** She didn't let the pain of his
leaving show to anyone but N'klar. He at least understood as she was
sure Aileyan did.

D'aon leaned casually against the wall, his smile still in place.
Were they actually having a conversation? A bit shocked, to be
honest, he found himself responding to the fond smile she had for her
son without thinking. "It must be hard to not have his father
around." It sounded a bit ...naive... considering this was a Weyr,
but still, he knew she had moved from her sunny home in Dolphin Cove
to the frozen confines of Dragonsfall. _Everyone_ knew that, it had
been all over the lower caverns.

He was about to continue when he felt a presence disturbing the air
behind the door, which had been left open.

"Tavia, my dearest greenrider, I've a new skin of wine. Its a new
pressing. You _must_ try it with me! We will even give some to
Kaiavin. You can never start too .... " N'klar burst into the door
with his customary exuberance upon coming to see Tavia, whom he
adored. He came to a slow halt, smile in place, wine in hand and
eyed the long, tall drink of water leaning on Tavia's wall.

"Oh my. Well, I'd no idea you had company, love. " The way he
said _company_ left no doubt as to what he meant. And such company.
Unless N'klar was mistaken, and he wasn't, this was D'aon, the
bluerider from K'ran's wing. He had heard he might even be tapped
for Wingthird in that open slot. He was gorgeous. But, he was also
known for a marked preference for girls despite N'klar knowing for
certain he enjoyed male partners from time to time as well. They
didn't know each other well, though N'klar was vaguely familiar
anyway.

A bit of proprietary interest rose up in N'klar though and he crossed
his arms, gazing curiously at D'aon. He remembered, then, suddenly,
that this bluerider had been a right wherry's arse when he had taken
her out on her birthingday.

What _was_ he doing here? And looking so comfortable?

D'aon responded to the inferred reason for his visit with a very
visible snort, the smile fading.

"Popular, aren't you, Tavia?"

Tavia's eyes brightened when she said the familiar form of N'klar in
her doorway. Even Kaiavin gave a squeal of excitement and toddled as
fast as his fat little legs could carry him toward the bluerider.

And then the insufferable D'aon had to open up his big fat mouth. She
froze for a moment but then she walked over to the red haired N'klar
and sparkled at him. "Thanks," she smiled and pulled the skin from his
finger. "Oh him," she said. Her tone dripped disdain. "I can't help it
if puppies follow me home." She walked away from both men and gave
them her back. For some reason D'aon's quip had cut her to the quick.
It wasn't that she'd lost her free spirited ways but more the way he'd
said it. Like it was a bad thing.

She turned with a hint of unshed tears in her eyes. "Don't let the
door hit you on the way out D'aon."

He watched her steadily for a moment. Had he hurt her somehow? He
hadn't meant to, had he? Well, lets face it, he meant to say
something snide. She brought out the worst in him it seemed.

He bowed his head in farewell and stepped out the door, shutting it
firmly behind him with a hint of slam.

N'klar swore after him, then went immediately to Tavia. "Oh,
sweetie. He's an arse. A big fat wherry's arse." He opened his
arms to her in case she wanted to a hug and said with a faint attempt
at humor, "Handsome though, and man fills out a tunic very nicely."

Tavia put her forehead into his chest and her arms around his waist.
"Yes he is an arse," came her muffled response. As much as she didn't
want to admit it in her current frame of mind she looked up at him
with a small shake of her head. "Well _you_ can have him," she said.
Though she didn't disagree she didn't enjoy the though of the
insufferable man in her bed.

He wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly.

"I"d rather have others besides him." A wink as he leaned back to
look into her face, and reached up to cup her face, tilting it up.

"He's an incredible lout and we are going to drink ourselves merry,and then
I'm staying the night." His smile turned quite mischievous.

"And I'll make you forget all about Mr. Wide Shoulders, hmm? I've
missed you and Kaiavin both."

"I like that plan," she smiled up at him. "Let me get Kaiavin his
dinner and then we can start on that bottle."

Last updated on the April 1st 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Strike Three, Is He Out?