Difference between revisions of "Logs:An Unkept Woman"

Five sevens. It's been five sevens since Tayte saw H'vier, save for the once when she happened to be on an unusual shift in Snowasis, and then she didn't spare him more than a look. Yvalia answers the door when he brings now toddling Tavi back from their visits, and he's never invited inside. It would be easy to assume he just wasn't into Snowasis when she was on when, in fact, she stopped taking shifts there only two or three sevens after they broke up. What certainly goes around the rumor mill for its rarity is that on the first of month seven, Tayte surrendered her journeyman's knot and has, instead, gone to work assisting the weavers of the Weyr with the knitting. Just another resident now.

The fact that H'vier didn't have Tavi tonight doesn't keep him from showing up at Tayte's door, pounding on the poor thing with an insistent fist until someone answers it. "I need to speak with your mother," he tells Yvalia calmly when the door finally opens. He even offers her a smile that's probably supposed to be comforting or something.

It's probably only because they've come to know H'vier's knock that there was a wait to open it at all. The blonde seven turn old glances back over her shoulder, the door only open enough for her to stand in the entryway, but then Tayte's hand is on her shoulder. "Why don't you go get some hot cocoa from the lounge?" She suggest to the girl who slips readily out past H'vier, her slippers carrying her swiftly away. It leaves Tayte to fill the space. She's already dressed for bed. Tonight's is a silky dusty rose colored gown that he must remember is long but has slits up the sides for comfort though that part is hidden by her equally silky black robe tied hastily over herself. "Tahvra is asleep, H'vier." It's not said coldly, but simply factually.

The bronzerider doesn't make any motion to try forcing himself into the doorway, at least, and he glances after Yvalia when she goes to get cocoa before turning his attention back on her mother. His gaze starts low, but finds its way to her face soon enough. "I'm not here to see Tahvra. Why did you give up your knot, Tayte?" No unnecessary pleasantries from H'vier tonight, evidently.

Tayte regards him evenly for a moment as if his gaze went wholly unnoticed. Quite possibly she'd like to simply shut the door, but then she'd be leaving her oldest to his mercy. So, instead, she leans on the door frame and says quietly and calmly. "I don't think that's your concern anymore. What you need to know is that I will continue to take care of my children. Just as a resident of the Weyr." Which is certainly at a lower wage than as a posted Journeyman. Will she be able to afford her trendy clothes? Likely not. Those days are over now.

"Bullshit, it's not my concern. My daughter lives with you, woman. Everything about your life and your ability to care for her is my concern." H'vier doesn't sound angry, but he does sound firm. This is important to him. "How are you going to make enough to take care of all three of you without your knot? How much less are you making now?" That these are pretty personal questions doesn't seem to occur to him.

"And I live in the Weyr." Tayte responds firmly. "I will work and my children will be provided for. It means no more turnday dresses and no more new wardrobes for me, but my children will not want. And if Tahvra needed something I couldn't provide, I would ask you, her father, and the same is true of Yvalia and K'del, though I don't think it will come to that." She doesn't, of course, answer his questions about the specifics of her income. "Is that all?"

"Why did you give up your knot?" asks H'vier again. "Did someone do something to you?" It's not weird for him to still be protective of her, right? That's probably normal. "You don't need to wait until she needs something you can't give her, Tayte. You can have money. I have plenty enough for all of us. You don't even have to work, if you don't want to." Being financially dependent on H'vier sounds great, doesn't it?

The blonde sighs. Instead of answering, she asks him tiredly, "Do you want to weyrmate me?"

Not being the response H'vier was expecting, he answers, "What? Yes-- No. What does that have to do with anything?"

Tayte's neutral expression flickers only briefly to something more pained before returning to its previous state. "If we were weyrmated, I might consider letting you support me. As is, you are welcome to contribute to the financial responsibilities that Tahvra brings, as her father, but I will continue to support myself and Yvalia as I always have, if not by the same manner and to the same luxury I previously afforded." It's decidedly abrupt when she says, "I'm seeing someone," and not at all on topic.

H'vier opens his mouth to answer. Or at least say something confrontational about the whole money thing. But when she changes the subject to that, he only stares at her instead. Right up until he forces himself to remember that he doesn't care. "Don't let pride make you stupid, Tayte. If you need money, I'll give you money." He'll just ignore the rest.

Tayte doesn't feel the need to say it again just because he didn't respond to it. In point of fact, it's probably a better reaction than she'd hoped for for her purposes. "I'm not prideful, Havi." She sighs, leaning harder against the door frame. "The clothes..." Another sigh. Because she loves them. "They're nice, but not a necessity. I have enough clothes and can set my marks aside and save up like any other person for anything they want. Would you argue with me that it's more important that the girls have what they need than I what I simply want?" She has a grasp of these things. Want and need.

"Of course it's more important that the girls have what they need. I'm telling you that you don't have to make that choice if you don't want to." H'vier's arms cross over his chest and he glances off in the direction that Yvalia had gone. "And I know you don't want to." They haven't been together for this long for him not to know that. Or assume that.

Tayte sighs, and then reaches out from the door, laying one hand lightly on H'vier's arm. "Havi, it is very kind of you to offer. And you're right, I don't want to. But this is the way it needs to be, because we're not together, and I can't feel continual gratitude for you without feeling other things. And I can't go on feeling those things with things as they are. Understand?" Her hand lingers a moment longer before withdrawing again. "I won't create any hardships for Tahvra and Yvalia. You have my word I'll come to you when they," now she's conceded to two of the three, "have need.

Does he understand? He doesn't seem to. H'vier looks at Tayte like she's saying things that don't make sense for the sole purpose of being difficult. But he doesn't move away from her touch for the few moments it's there. "Fine," is what he says. He does back up, then, once her hand is gone. "Have it your way." He pauses for a moment, then adds, "I'll go tell Vali she can come back. Good night, Tayte."

"Thank you." Tayte keeps it simple. She might just be thanking him for sending Vali back. "Good night, H'vier."