Logs:Time Will Tell
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 7 June, 2015 |
| Who: Hattie, Bridget |
| Involves: Fort Weyr |
| Type: Vignette |
| What: Hattie finds that having a healer keep her company isn't so bad. |
| Where: Weyrleaders' Weyr, Fort Weyr |
| When: Day 7, Month 13, Turn 37 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Lilah/Mentions, E'dre/Mentions, C'stian/Mentions, Aislara/Mentions, Nimarie/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, Aishani/Mentions |
 |
| She was sat on the floor of the weyr when Bridget arrived, unannounced, carrying a tray of tea and a bowl containing a sticky mess of cake and jam and caramel that she would, under most circumstances, have had no interest in, but they'd figured out between them that, if sweet things were some of the only things she could keep down at times, she would have to commit to eating them. It wasn't as if she was overweight to start with. Bridget didn't stand on ceremony and chose to sit down a few feet away on the floor, legs curled beneath her as she poured the tea. Hattie flung another crumpled dress behind her and muttered under her breath. It would be easy to start wearing trousers and shirts again - easier to hide her changing shape - but she irrationally felt that she had surrendered enough already. She'd ordered a few, rather simple dresses from one of the local Journeymen, the fastenings and ties in the designs enough to adjust over the next couple of months and more without making anything too obvious. "That one would look well on you," Bridget remarked over the rim of her mug, angling a nod after the dress now lying at the foot of the bed. "It would have several months ago," Hattie dryly agreed. She reached rather aggressively for the bowl of sickly sweet dessert and ate a spoonful or two with a predatory edge. "It would be easier to tell people, you know," she said gently, and not for the first time. "Most outside the Infirmary believe me to be a mindhealer. I've had people asking me for quiet chats. I've refused, of course. I'm more likely to have someone walk themselves off a cliff than be any real assistance there." "And endure the unbearable sympathy if I lose the baby...?" the goldrider shook her head. "...People will be asking about Elaruth's lost daughter for months to come," she murmured, shaking out the faded pinks skirts of another dress. "If I-- If it-- At least that grief may be private." "And?" "And I won't have Lilah concerned that she needs to do everything when she should be with Eliyaveith as much as she wishes. She deserves to make what she will of her queen's first clutch. I need to know that Eliyaveith can hatch healthy young. Eggs are all well and good, but unless they hatch... And E'dre has enough to worry about, with Ebeny." "Have you told your children yet?" "If I tell Nimarie, she will undoubtedly run to C'stian and tell him they're going to have a new brother or sister. Then, I imagine it's only a matter of time before it gets to the rest of Hematite and to Lilah. If I tell any of the others, it will inevitably get to Nimarie. And the cycle begins." "...Hattie." It wasn't the first time she'd been chided. "They deserve to know, at least so that they understand they're not the reason you're..." "Unpredictable? Exhausted? Teary?" Hattie glanced up as she disregarded that dress too. "Irritable? A bitch? Pissed off at everyone for my own decision?" Bridget lifted both brows and took a sip of her tea. "I was going to say 'unhappy', but any of those work too." Hattie couldn't help but smirk at that. It was almost a smile. She'd nearly forgotten what it was like to simply keep company with women her own age. She wasn't even sure that she had friends anymore. Even Aislara, she wouldn't pour out her heart to, too afraid of humiliating herself or breaking her. Long ago, she had accepted friendship as the price of her knot and beliefs surrounding what was and wasn't appropriate. It wasn't even that she felt that she could trust no-one to sell her out, as she had when she younger, but that she couldn't let herself be weak or needy, or burden someone else. It wasn't right. Azaylia, she had considered a friend. Aishani too, even if she realised that they had never been entirely honest with each other. Bridget was posted to be with her and keep an eye on her. It wasn't that she was a friend who cared for her and wanted to keep her company. Still, she found herself enjoying her company more, of late, and had begun to cease thinking of her as just a pair of watchful eyes. She could have found herself in a much less tolerable situation, she supposed. "Drink your tea, or I'll start using you as practice for these 'chats' people want me to have with them..." the healer threatened. "Are we so sure I don't need one of those chats myself?" Hattie drawled, though she obediently lifted her mug. "Time will tell..." She wasn't sure she knew which one of them was joking. |
Comments
Kaleidoscope (00:21, 8 June 2015 (EDT)) said...
I really enjoyed this glimpse into this piece of Hattie's hidden life! My inner Tess is bouncing a little with the talk of mindhealering. I'm interested to see how this relationship evolves for Hattie and if it fills gaps or just brings them into sharper relief. Neat side to see of her! <3
Leave A Comment