Making Matters Worse

Writers: Dana, Michelle
Date Posted: 17th January 2006

Characters: A'se, Desirae
Description: A'se and Des have a run-in with each other, and the misunderstanding between them gets worse
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 11 of Turn 3

A'se in what was now becoming his typical fashion, hurried to his weyr, full mug of klah in one hand, steaming plate of food in the other. It was easier, he thought, to eat leaning up against his dragon, than in a busy Dinning Hall. Especially at the busier times of busy, such as right now.
People were inclined to ask meaningless questions as a way of small talk.
Namely 'How is the leg healing?' This annoyed A'se to no end. He hated the constant reminder of the hideous scar snaking up his leg, and he wished that people would simply shut up about it. Rath on the other hand asked less questions, none of which upset the bluerider.

Desirae had just left Penala's weyr and had rounded the corner of the hallway when suddenly she crashed into someone's left side. Hard. She gave a startled cry of pain as the hot klah scalded her through her thin shirt and she twisted away before the plate of food could land on her as well.

"Shards, what were you thinking?" A'se snapped angrily, looking down at his clothes which were a mess of hot klah and vegetables. Looking up he saw who it was who has run into him, "Des?" he asked his voice softening.
He hadn't seen her since the day she had come to visit him in the infirmary. The day that he had made such a wherry's ass out of himself.

She glanced up from her stained shirt, whatever comeback that had danced on the tip of her tongue was forgotten when she recognized who she'd crashed into. Taking a small step back, she looked away, fiddling with her shirt. "Hello, A'se."

How was he supposed to respond to that. He assumed that Des was still mad at him. Shards, he was still mad at himself over that inccident. Finally he said "I'm sorry?" **Shards that shouldn't have come out as a question.**

Her eyes flashed with anger, and a bit of hurt, when they rose to meet his. "Don't worry about it." Des glanced down at her shirt and began edging around him. "I should've been watching more closely to where I was going." Shards, she needed to get out of there. She needed to leave -
with as much dignity as she could. Of course, it didn't help that she was dripping klah.

"Look, the least I can do is offer you a change of clothes," A'se said, unable to take his eyes off of her now very see through shirt. He knew that the dolphineer wouldn't be comfortable walking around the Weyr like _that_. Plus some part of him felt possessive of the young woman, and he didn't want any of the other dragonriders leering at her.

Desirae hesitated, feeling trapped. She couldn't forget the last time they'd seen each other, and how he had treated her. She hadn't heard a single word or apology from him for at least a month. Now here he was, and inviting her back to his _weyr_ no less! Des crossed her arms over her chest, flushing, concious of his eyes on her.

Just because they wanted nothing to do with each other didn't mean that they shouldn't be civil. He'd done his part. And now she should do hers, and accept.

"All right. Thanks," she said quietly. At least she wouldn't have to walk out of the Weyr wearing her wet, stained clothes.

Awkwardly A'se led the way to his weyr. Back before the Threadfall Accident he would have taken her hand in his, guiding her towards his weyr, allowing her to anticipate what would come next. Now it seemed that he had no interest in sleeping with the dolphineer. His only intention was to make up for his rudeness in the infirmary.

His weyr wasn't too far off, thankfully. Once he opened the door for her, she paused just briefly before taking her first, cautious step inside. Des wasn't quite sure what to say or do as she stood there, in the middle of the room, so she looked around, her arms crossing again.

"I guess I had better go and...um" A'se said, gesturing to his wardrobe.
**should I apologize to her?** he asked himself, **or offer her something to drink?**

}:Whatever you do, be nice:{ Rath interrupted, }:I like her and don't want you to scare her off. Plus she could make you feel better.:{ She glanced at him. "Look, A'se... I don't want to...inconvienence you long..." Shards, she felt so awkward. As soon as she could change her wet clothes, she'd get out. She would.

"It's not a problem," the bluerider mumbled, "I don't have anything to do anyways."

An awkward silence fell. There were many ways she could interpret that remark. And Des decided not to interpret it at all. She plucked at her shirt. "Do you...do you have an extra tunic?"

"Oh right," A'se said heading over to the wardrobe and rummaging through it. Being tailor trained, A'se held on to many of his old clothes just in case he ever had need of a pattern, or extra material. "Here," he said finally pulling out a plain white tunic, "this is too small for me anyways."

"Thanks," she murmured, taking it from him. Another silence fell between them, and she found that she couldn't quite look at him. "Where should I change?"

A'se looked around his small weyr. He had never had this problem before.
Normally women didn't mind changing in front of him. "I guess I can wait for you to change out in the hall." A'se said, wishing he could come up with a more clever answer.

She waited until he was at the door before unlacing the ties to her shirt.
Hearing the door close, Des quickly pulled the ruined tunic over her head, wincing as the burn from the klah pulled at her skin. Pausing, she fingered it. Stifling a quiet groan - she'd need to put some numbweed on it later - she slipped into A'se's shirt and began to button it up.

A'se leaned with his back against the closed door, thinking. He knew that he should make some effort to apologize to Des, but it was just so sharding hard. What was he supposed to say to her? How was he supposed to make it up? He now knew that he liked her company to much to risk making matters worse.

The shirt was rather big, and she had buttoned it up as far as she could -
but she wasn't about to complain. Bunching the wet tunic in her hands, she looked quickly around, vainly wishing that there was another way out of this room. Then her eyes landed on the door. Her only way out.
Letting out a breath and raising her chin, Des walked over and turned the nob.

As Des opened the door unexpectedly, A'se fell backwards, falling into the dolphineer. "Shards what did you do that for?" he barked.

Her anger rose at his tone. "I opened the door so I could sharding get away from here!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and her cheeks grew crimson.

"That anxious to go?" A'se asked, his tone emotionless. He could feel Rath's soothing prescence in the back of his mind, urging him not to get angry. It was all he could do not to yell at the girl. If she hated him so sharding much why did she come back to his weyr?

"After everything that has passed between us - or maybe I should say the _lack_ of everything - yes, I guess I am anxious. So don't try to pretend everything's just fine between us, A'se, because it isn't. I don't know _what_ is going on in your head, but you better make up your mind about how you're going to treat me!"

"What's going on in my head?" A'se snapped, buying for time. He knew that he was wrong but there was no way that he was going to put away his side, "You were the one that walked out on me last time," he finally spat, not able to come up with a more convincing argument.

"I walked out because you pushed me away." Her voice had gone quiet, and she knew she had to leave. "Goodbye, A'se." Then she turned and began walking away.

"Fine then, leave," A'se said in defeat. Quietly, more to himself than to Des he said, "don't give me a chance to apologize then."

But she didn't hear him, and a moment later, she was gone.

Last updated on the January 17th 2006

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Making Matters Worse