Goodbye for Now

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 2nd April 2020

Characters: Aviday, T'kala
Description: T'kala says his goodbyes to Aviday
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 1 of Turn 10

Aviday

It had not been an easy decision, but it was one that T'kala had
finally decided was the right thing for him to do. After River Bluff
fell and they all moved to Dolphin Cove, things had been different but
they had been passable because so many of his Wingmates had come to
Dolphin Cove as well. Now with Barrier Lake in operation, many of
T'kala's friends and wingmates that he'd known for Turns had left
Dolphin Cove, ready to help build a new place that would feel like
home. It seemed that T'kala was ready to do that as well.

There was only one person at Dolphin Cove that T'kala needed to say
goodbye to, and it wasn't an easy goodbye and one that he had been
putting off for as long as possible. So long in fact that he and
Dagreth had already moved their things to Barrier Lake and had come
back for this one last task.

Saying goodbye to Aviday.

"Woo, the girls are on display today," he said when he found her
wearing one of her shirts specially chosen to showcase the breasts
that had finally come in.

Aviday looked up at T'kala, looked down at her shirt, then shrugged,
not meeting his eyes. On display? Ha. They were barely visible and
they both knew it. She'd already heard that he was leaving and the
thought pained her. She understood why, but he was one of her best
friends! "I guess."

"Why the long face?" he asked, bending a little to be able to look
into her eyes.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I went to your weyr after lunch.
It was empty. You're leaving aren't you? Going to the other Weyr."

T'kala winced, wishing that she hadn't found out like that. "Yes, I'm
going to Barrier Lake. I've been waiting to tell you, waiting to say
goodbye, because I knew it would be hard."

"You're one of my best friends." She spoke softly. "Like a big brother
before I knew I had one. I don't want you to go."

The bluerider put an arm around her shoulders. "I know. I'm sorry. You
are like the little sister I wish I had. But you've got a dragon now,
you can come visit me when you want."

"It's not the same." Aviday sighed. "Everything seems to be going
wrong all at once. You're leaving, I'm not going to the fighting
wings, Ranni getting so sick, and L'fic..." She bit her lip. "I just
wish you were staying. That's all. You always can make me laugh. Who
else is gonna do that now?"

"Hey, I'll still swing by to make you laugh." His brow furrowed a
little as he caught up to what she had said. "L'fic? That brownrider?"

She shrugged, then shook her head, unwilling to go over her
humiliation once again. "It's nothing." She looked up. "Are you
leaving today?"

It didn't sound like "nothing" but T'kala didn't want to press, not
when she was already down. "Yes, today," he said.

Aviday slowly nodded. "I'm going to really miss you, T'kala."

"I'll still help you pull pranks on your mother. Any time you need a
wingman, I'll be here." The bluerider assured her.

She suddenly flung herself at him, hugging T'kala tightly around the
ribs. "You promise? You'll be here when I need you?"

"Of course I will, squirt," he said, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"I'm going to make you keep your promise, T'kala." She squeezed him
tightly. "Tell me what it's like later. When you come and visit. Maybe
some day I'll transfer there or something. When I'm old enough."

"I'll tell you all about it," he promised, pressing an affectionate
kiss into the top of her hair. Who would look after her while he was
gone? "I would say no to a letter or two, either."

"I'll write." Aviday sighed. "But I don't have to like you going." She
looked up at him. "Can I ask you a question, T'kala?"

He looked down at her. "Of course."

She chewed her lower lip. "Am I pretty? Should I grow my hair out? I
keep getting called a boy but even when I told L'fic that I wasn't,
he said I wasn't attractive. "

"Don't listen to L'fic. He has a certain type, and it should be a
compliment to you _not_ to be that type." T'kala brushed his thumb
across her cheek. "The clothes you wear, the way you do your hair,
should be for you, not for anyone else. You're pretty just the way
you are."

That made her feel a little better, especially considering what she
had noticed L'fic's type to be. But T'kala had always been the one
person that Aviday could talk to about anything. She certainly
couldn't do that with her mama. The loss of his daily presence in her
life and his reassurance would be hard to take. "But...what if no one
ever likes me or wants to be with me just the way I am?" She chewed
her lower lip. "What if I always look like a boy or a man when I get
older?"

"You won't," he chuckled. "You're still young, still developing. In a
couple of Turns you'll crook your finger and men will come running.
Just remember to use that power wisely," T'kala teased.

She wished she could believe it, but had been mistaken for a boy so
often, it seemed it would always be her fate. But maybe...just maybe
she could at least hope he was right. She had developed a little at
least. "Yeah...maybe. I guess I can hope that happens, huh?"

"It'll happen." And even if it didn't, T'kala was well aware of some
blueriders who liked their women to look a little more boyish, he
certainly didn't mind. With Aviday's current insecurities over looking
like a boy, however, T'kala refrained from saying anything about it.

She rubbed at her nose. "Yeah, maybe you'll come and visit one day and
I'll have an awesome body and you'll have to beat men off. Wouldn't
that be great?" If there was one thing Aviday could do well, it was
bounce quickly back into a better mood when worried. "Like you won't
even recognize me or something. Cause I'll be like..." She thrust out
her slender hips in one direction, "...wham! Look at my butt!"

The bluerider tossed back his head and laughed. "You look like your
mother when you do that," he grimaced.

Aviday gasped in horror, then poked a finger in T'kala's middle.
"That's an awful thing to say! You take that back or I'll go to
Barrier Lake and tell everyone that story about you getting drunk in
the dining hall and falling off of the tables face first into her
boobs."

"Ah, yes well, who hasn't been face first in your mother's boobs?" he
said with a wicked grin.

That brought a bark of laughter. "Good point. Very good point!" She
paused and then eyed him. "Please tell me that's the only time you've
ever been in her boobs. Please. "

He laughed again. "Of course it is, you know I prefer men." The
occasional woman caught his eye, but it had never been Aviday's
mother.

"Whew...." She shuddered. "That would have just been too weird. Did I
tell you that ever since Kobeth and me have /betweened/ she's been
trying to find me someone? Like...people she's been with." Aviday
wrinkled her nose. "Just the thought makes it gross, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see how that would not be desirable." No one wanted
sloppy seconds... especially not their _mother's_ sloppy seconds.

"It wouldn't." Aviday sighed, then hugged T'kala tightly once again.
"Come back and visit me as much as you can, T'kala."

"I will, I promise," he said dropping a kiss into her hair.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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