Logs:Peace Talks
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| RL Date: 6 July, 2014 |
| Who: H'vier, Tayte |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: After Reisoth catches Iesaryth, there's the inevitable conversation to be had between H'vier and Tayte. It goes much better than expected, and even gets a little squishy after some hard things. |
| Where: H'vier's weyr, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 8, Month 3, Turn 35 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Aishani/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Tahvra/Mentions, Yvalia/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Some reference to previous abuse/violence. Back-dated. |
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| After leaving the flight weyr, H'vier's first impulse wasn't to want to find Tayte. He knew she wouldn't be happy about it. But he went looking for her anyway. And he couldn't find her. It wasn't until he heard she'd been seen with K'del that he started getting agitated. And it wasn't until he heard she'd left the Weyr entirely with him that he got angry. Fortunately for Tayte (and probably their relationship), it was Iceberg that took the brunt of his anger with more intense drills than usual that afternoon. By the next day when Tayte returns, the bronzerider has mostly cooled off. Enough, at least, to know being angry isn't going to be very well received. Tayte's return to routine after her sojourn with K'del found her no less fastidious but perhaps a little sadder. She wasn't avoiding H'vier, but she hadn't come back immediately to his weyr. It's true that most of her daily need items were in his weyr, not having bothered to bring them back to her room after she was deemed "safe," but that's probably because she's been practically living there, but she apparently made do in order to go about her day's duties, first with the vintners and then a shift in Snowasis. Unless he found her first, the elevator dragon delivers her to his ledge as usual later in the evening, her footsteps quiet, matching her overall manner as she enters. When Tayte shows up like it's more or less any other day, H'vier doesn't get up from where he's sitting on the couch like it's more or less any other day. "Hey," he greets her as he glances toward the sound of her footsteps, even offering a brief but typical smile. He's reading reports and doing wingleadery things, a glass of whiskey on the side table and a fire blazing in the hearth. "You eat?" She's less effusive than other days, her manner more self-contained, but beyond that it's all very usual. She moves over behind the couch and lays her hands on his shoulders to give a brief squeeze as she leans down to kiss the top of his head before moving toward his wardrobe as she begins working on the buttons of her collared shirt, the over-vest already hanging open. "Yeah. A bit of something while I was on break." She hasn't been eating much lately, so that probably sufficed, whatever it was. "Good day?" She asks casually as she gets the last button. "Could have been worse." Like if Tayte hadn't eventually come home or something like that, maybe. H'vier turns enough to watch her and her button for a moment, then focuses his attention on his work again. Or, at least, makes it look like he is. He's not really reading any of it at this point. "You?" Her form-fitting shirt is peeled off and placed neatly in the laundry basket with the pants soon following. There's a small sigh, "Alright." At least she doesn't sound over the moon so it probably wasn't some romantic tryst she was off on. "Long," is added next. "I was thinking I might like a bath tonight." Which is unusual, since she usually starts her morning with one, but not unheard of, and already she's changing into her loose garments habitually worn down to the bathes and soon she's pulling her hair out of its runner's tail. "I'm glad Aishani didn't stab you this time," she offers quietly then, perhaps as a start to peace talks. And, "Congratulations to you both. I'm sure Reisoth must be pleased." It sounds a little sad but not ingenuine. Mention of a bath has H'vier turning to look at her again, this time as he sets his things aside and rises up to his feet. "Do you want company?" is the question he asks before his attention diverts to the More Important topic with a brief frown. "Not for lack of want, I'm sure," he says in regards to not being stabbed. Again. "Thank you." It's almost questioning. Then, more confidently, "He is. Annoyingly so." "Sure," is the casual answer as her hands fluff through her hair and start loosely braiding it for the trip down. "I need a haircut," is probably more for herself than him and that really only means a trim to neaten up the bottom edge and layers. It's said to buffer probably, because after she twists her head to look at him, curious, "Isn't it supposed to be exciting for bronzeriders to be clutchsires?" Indirectly, of course. This is probably because his thanks were questioning. "I'm glad for him," which sounds like the truth, so the sad must not be for his part of the equation. But why would it be? H'vier opens his mouth to respond to the 'sure' but stops himself before he actually manages to get it out. "I suppose. It's never been the clutch I've been concerned with." Just the knot. Of which Aishani cannot give him. "I didn't mean for him to chase at all, Tayte," he says after another moment. "He's not exactly weak-willed." Which might be to say that he tried to keep him from chasing. "But nothing would have happened if he'd lost. He never wins goldflights. You know that." Except this one. "It's fine. Goldflights are our exception, right?" Which... might mean she took advantage of the exception? "That's what we discussed after ... the last one." Tayte tries to sound nonchalant, only there's tension in her tone. "He should chase, anyway. It would be wrong to stop him." This much she sounds certain about. She ties off the braid and reaches for a fresh set of clothes for post-bath. They're just like the pre-bath kind but cleaner. "Did you...?" What he's asking should be pretty obvious but H'vier sounds uncharacteristically neutral about it. Probably because he's forcing it. But he doesn't look angry or anything, either, and that's a little harder for him to force when it comes to these things. Her eyes do flick to him to observe what she can of his reaction before she answers simply, "No. The last time went rather poorly, wouldn't you say? I lost my girls because of everything that happened. I commandeered K'del's private bath since I thought it unwise to go to the public ones and when he got back to his weyr," she side-eyes the big bronzerider as she reaches for her shower caddy, "after I finished," it seems an important point: the arrival timing of K'del, "I asked him to take me to see the girls. We ended up spending the night and came back this morning." Tayte is offering H'vier apparent transparency. If he believes her. If he doesn't believe her, he does a good job of hiding it. H'vier's focus shifts to the girls, though, so maybe he really does believe her. "Are they doing well? Has Tahvra gotten bigger?" His questions are a little earnest and his expression, now, shifts a little toward pained. He doesn't ask when she's coming back or if he can see her before then, though. He knows better. "They are. Bigger every time. Her vocabulary is growing." Tayte relates it quietly. It's never not a touchy subject for them both. She looks to the man, "I'd like to bring them home. Have you had a chance to speak to K'del?" It seems as simple and straightforward a question and she looks at him with a look that speaks to patience despite her feelings. One might think talking to K'del to get his daughter back in the Weyr, back to him, might be something of a priority to H'vier. But his answer is, "No." A moment later, he's adding, "I will. Soon. I promise." One would think Tayte would be a little fired up by finding something she'd asked for that is so important going undone, but instead there is a nod. It's paired with a quietly fervent. "I want them home, Havi." The glance she casts toward the wardrobe might imply 'even if she has to move out to get them home.' The bronzerider is important to her, sure. Important enough that she's putting on the brave show about his having slept with Aishani, but not as important to her as her children. "Ready?" She asks this tiredly, like maybe she'd just rather go to sleep now and not bathe after all. "I want them home, too," says H'vier. He sounds like he means it, too, despite the fact that he hasn't done anything about it so far. "I'll talk to him, Tayte. I just... I needed to make sure I could do it with just talking." She should know perfectly well what that means. He's been trying really hard to keep his temper in check. Tayte's eyes rest heavily on him but after a long moment of silence, she nods. "I should start taking my things back down to my room so everything is back to normal for them when they come back." Which may not be any time soon. But maybe it's growth that she's at least making mention of the intention instead of just spiriting items down with her over time. Wait, wait, wait. H'vier's brows are furrowed now and he moves around to close some of the distance between himself and the vintner. "What do you mean back to your room? What happened to us living together? As a family?" That was the plan wasn't it? Or did he just make that up because that's what he wanted? He may not be close yet, but Tayte takes an involuntary step back. She probably expected this would be received poorly. "That-" the blonde is blinking as she tries to pick words carefully, "-is what we're moving toward. But we're not-" She stops again. Instead of whatever she was going to say, she says, "You told me to stay to keep me safe, and now I am," the "right?" that follows is emphasized almost in a way that begs him not to do something stupid that changes that now. H'vier stops when Tayte takes that step back, like he's making a point that he's not going to get in her space if she doesn't want him to. It's almost noble, really, considering that this is H'vier. Except that it could be as much that he's keeping his distance so he can't do anything stupid. "You're safe," he assures her, wanting to say more but failing to put the words together. Until, "You should take your bath if you're going to. I'll stay here, hmm?" And then they can forget about this by the time she gets back. "I thought you were going to join me?" Tayte asks, her alto uncertain. Now she's hesitating and then her shower caddy is being placed on the edge of the bed and she's bravely (stupidly?) crossing to him, seeking to wrap her arms around his waist and press her cheek to his chest. She might say something more, but she doesn't. Silence is easier now, so she favors it. "I was," he says as she crosses to him. H'vier wraps his arms around her in turn, tilting his head to rest his cheek against her hair. "I can still, if you want. Just thought you might like the time to yourself is all." He could probably say other things, but apparently silence seems easier for him, too. "I had time to myself." Yesterday. While he was fucking Aishani. It's a loaded statement. "If I'd not wanted your company, I'd have said." Would she really? Maybe she just likes to think so. "This isn't all or nothing, you know." Their relationship, presumably. Happy family or nothing at all. H'vier starts to open his mouth to respond but he stops himself. So much restraint lately! When he's let himself think for a few moments, he asks, "How long is that going to be the case, Tayte? I don't want it to be like this forever. And you can't tell me you want it like this forever, either." "I don't." Tayte won't try to tell him differently. "But I need my girls. In order to have everything I want, my whole family has to be comfortable with everything. That includes you and K'del." Whether he likes it or not. "At least to the point that no one is concerned for anyone's safety." So, whenever that happens. As hard as he's trying, H'vier still kind of hates Tayte saying the other bronzerider's name. There's a quiet, unconscious growl in his throat before he stops himself. "No one needs to be concerned about anyone's safety. You know he's just trying to piss me off so we'll end it for good, right?" He's not paranoid at all! "But I said I'd talk to him and I will." It's the growl that has Tayte jerking away in surprise. Or as away as may be with his arms around her. Skittish? Yes. Concerned for her safety? Apparently! She's looking up at him with wide eyes, trying not to let wide become fearful, even if it is at the edges already. Jerking away is enough for H'vier to look down at her with something like agitation. It's apparently annoying that the woman he loves doesn't trust him anymore. He lets her go, though, and turns away to go fill up his glass and sit down with his drink. "Go take your bath, Tayte." She should just go. But instead she follows him to the couch and sits down next to him, legs folded under her. (She really is terrible at doing what she's told. It might explain why K'del's arm tossing is so ineffective.) Tayte reaches out a hand to touch his shoulder, her fingers seeking to initiate a massage of the tense muscles there. Her expression is unreadable and she'll shift so she can get to both shoulders if he'll let her. Her touch just seems to make him more tense in the few moments that follow. H'vier glances at her like he might tell her to leave properly. But the words don't come and, instead, he takes a drink as he shifts into a more obliging position. He doesn't say anything, but there is a small, tired sigh. She massages for many long moments before she's pressed her front to his back, arms draped down over his torso, cheek touching his in a sort of reverse hug. "I love you, Havi." Maybe that will make everything all better somehow. "I love you, too, Tayte," H'vier says to her, tilting his cheek against hers a little more firmly before he's moving a hand to touch one of hers. His next question is maybe just a tiny bit out of the blue, but it seems relevant enough to him, "Do you want to see other people?" Her specifically, presumably. It's statements like, "Not even a little bit," that just sneak out of Tayte's lips, bypassing her brain, that get her into trouble. But trouble will come later. For now, Tayte doesn't think about it. For now she closes her eyes and holds him all the tighter. "I want to grow old with you, Havi." It's some moments later when her arms start to loosen and she asks softly, "Do you want to see other people?" "Let's not start getting old just yet," he murmurs, sort of teasing as her arms loosen and he shifts to be able to look at her more easily. It's a serious sort of look that H'vier gives her, too. To go along with his firm, earnest answer. "No. I only want you." "I don't mind if we start now. I'll always be prettier than you anyway." Tayte's expression is perfectly sincere until the cheeky smile with dimples breaks though a few moments later. Easier now to have humor than to deal with such serious questions. "Well," begins H'vier with a small, affectionate sort of grin as he reaches to try pulling Tayte into his lap, "I can't really argue with that, now can I." And he certainly wouldn't want to if he could. But there's definitely no doubt that he thinks Tayte is the prettier of them. "Do you still want that bath?" This is a known pattern, this is something that's happened between them before, this teasing and this being pulled into his lap and while sometimes Tayte resists, now is not one of them. She lands, grinning in his lap. "I think I know a better way to unwind." Does he need to even guess? |
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