Logs:A Purposefully Public Private Conversation
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| RL Date: 15 June, 2014 |
| Who: H'vier, Tayte |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Tayte decides to inform H'vier that she's sending the girls away. At least she picks a very public place. |
| Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 2, Month 1, Turn 35 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: G'laer/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Oliwer/Mentions, Tahvra/Mentions, Yvalia/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Angst. Reference to violence/abuse. Back-dated. |
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| Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr Stalactites hang high above this enormous cavern like a jagged chandelier or an inversion of the Spires themselves, but shadows cling to them instead of light. Below lie great tables arranged in rows, each large enough to serve a fighting wing, while in the nooks and alcoves around the cavern's edge sit more sensibly-sized tables, from six- and eight-seaters down to intimate spots for just a couple of diners. The only really open space is around the kitchen entrance, smelling of food and rarely quiet, and by the nearby serving tables with their long buffet of the day's offerings. Tapestries on the smooth walls -- some faded and others newly woven -- only slightly mute the sea of sound when a meal is in full swing, but they add cheerfulness augmented by the glowlight from wall sconces and the centerpieces of each table. Still, shadows always creep along the ceiling and into the mouths of the exits -- the myriad small hallways at one end of the cavern and, at the other, the twisting tunnel to the bowl near an array of coathooks and and hatracks -- and late at night, when the glows are allowed to dim, the chamber can seem very dark indeed.
H'vier is probably intelligent enough to know why Tayte asks him to meet her in the living cavern. It probably explains some of the irritation in his expression when he shows up. But that doesn't stick because, when the bronzerider sees Tayte's bruised face, there's no irritation. Only sadness and regret. There aren't any words of greeting when he sits down across from her, and he has no food or drink. He's only here because she wants him to be here. Tayte watches him arrive, doubtless sees the change in his expression and averts her gaze until he's seated across from her. She doesn't waste time with chit-chat. "I have to tell you something that you're not going to like. I'm telling you because I want to give you a chance," which is what he asked her for. K'del might think really hard about at least figuratively slapping her silly himself if he knew she was here now doing this. "Okay?" H'vier frowns. He already doesn't like it and she's only told him that he's not going to like it. "What is it?" No wasting time with chit-chat here, either. "We are too volatile right now. We keep hurting each other and scaring the girls." At least she said 'we' right? That should count for something. "I've decided to send them on vacation until we've worked some things out and won't scare them anymore." It's obvious from the quaver in her voice and the look of her eyes that she's feeling ready to fall apart; this is not what she wants. "I wanted to make sure you had a chance to see Tavi before she goes." Tayte promised she'd never take Tavi away from him; but he promised a lot of things too. See how well that worked out? The quaver in her voice and the look in her eyes be damned. H'vier is starting to look irritated again. More than irritated, but he's trying hard not to let himself to anything rash. Which is, admittedly, a little easier when her face still reminds him what happened the last time he lost his temper with her. "No. You have no right to send her away from me, Tayte." "Yes, I do." It's quiet, resigned. One hand lifts and points a finger to the bruise. This is probably why it's not touched up with cosmetics now. He shifts like he wants to protest, but after his eyes linger where she points, H'vier says nothing. His elbows bend against the table and his head drops into his hands. He tucks it further and they slide into his hair before he lifts it to look at her. "We already talked about this. I'm not going to scare them anymore. I'm not-- I won't touch you again, Tayte. Not like that. There's no reason to send Tavi away." Tayte keeps her finger pointed to the bruise until he has spoken. Only then does she let it fall away back down to the tabletop. "There was a time I would have liked to believe you." She sounds hurt and sad. "But things between us have become unpredictable in a way I could not have ever imagined." She certainly never thought he would hit her. "And it's not only you," she admits reluctantly. "There may be repercussions from what happened after the gold flight. And I need them to be safe no matter what happens to me you or whomever else." And she doesn't have him to protect them anymore. "So they are going on vacation," whether he likes it or not. It starts with H'vier looking repentant again, looking away from her face more than at it, but that fades into something else as Tayte continues. "What do you mean repercussions?" For now he won't even argue about the girls in favor of maybe getting an answer to his question. "You know how you were angry enough to punch him," it might be wondered which him given recent fist-to-face meetings until Tayte goes on, "even though I was the one to come onto him because I was mad at you?" The last will never not be part of this story. Still his fault. "Well, I don't know how angry his someone is about it, but I don't want the girls anywhere nearby if something should happen." If something should happen. That was her phrase the night she came to his weyr and almost but not quite became his intended. She tries to keep it light, but she wouldn't want to send the girls away if it weren't serious. Even H'vier frowns at the idea of someone hurting children in the process of dealing with everything else. "Who is his someone? If he was going to do something, he would have done it by now." Because that's how he works, so it's clearly how everyone else ought to work, too. "Just how long have you been planning this? And you're just telling me now?" She doesn't even answer the first. The second is answered with gesture and solemn words. The gesture points. Havi probably knows where before Tayte's finger even touches her cheek. "Last night. I haven't been planning. I decided last night. Before then, there was no immediate danger." But the proof is on her face. "I'm telling you now." Because she wasn't telling him last night. H'vier is perfectly aware of the bruise on Tayte's face. That's basically what his expression is saying! "Tayte, I'm sorry. I'm more sorry than I can ever tell you. But sending the girls away doesn't seem like a good idea. And what are you going to do? Just sit around your room alone?" Maybe he doesn't actually want to know the answer. "Who's his weyrmate? I can find out, you know." "I'm going to work. That's why I can't go with them. I need to keep my knot. After all the time off and the moving to the Hall and back, I need to prove my worth to Saelin or I might find myself with a new posting by the end of the turn." Needless to say, Tayte doesn't want to leave 'Reaches. "If you love me, you won't go near his weyrmate." Her eyes round a little, with fear and worry. "Please, Havi." That might sound a little bit too much like the 'pleases' of last night, desperate and afraid. This is a little much for H'vier to force himself to think clearly through. But this is different than just getting angry enough with Tayte to get physical. This is losing his daughter. Even if only temporarily. "You know I love you, Tayte. But if there's something I can do," he kind of wants to do it. "There isn't. It's not fair to kill a dragonman," because what did the dragon ever do? Dragons are good, right? And apparently death is the only solution Tayte can see. "As you said, if he was going to do something, he'd have done it by now." Happy (foolish) thought! She doesn't, deep down, believe it, but this, at least is easy enough to fake. "But if someone," H'vier, "were to accidentally or intentionally provoke the situation, they might, very suddenly, be in danger and neither of us wants that. It's better that they go for a while." Again, she looks like she'd like to cry at the idea. "When it's safe, they'll come back." She's decidedly telling herself as much as him. Doing things Tayte's way is really going to chafe, isn't it. H'vier wants to say things. He really wants to say things. But he doesn't. The bronzerider only looks at the woman unhappily, jaw tense under his beard. When he does speak, it's only, "When can I see her?" "She's with the nannies now. You can see her there." But not take her away. Because who knows if H'vier would come back with her. Ever. "They leave tonight." And now a tear does escape one of Taytes eyes, even if she manages to keep her voice relatively steady. H'vier's with her up until she's mentioning the estimated time of departure. "Tonight? No. Absolutely not, Tayte. You can't tell me my daughter is getting sent off Faranth knows where for Faranth knows how long and tell me she's leaving fucking tonight. No." If he repeats that enough, one of them will stick, right? "Give us until the end of the seven, at least. Please. I promise no complaints if you just give me that long." His words make Tayte suck in her breath. It's some moments before she can answer, probably because more than just that one tear wants to escape. "You won't take her away from me in the meantime?" Because H'vier is so trustworthy, "And you and I will wait to talk about our issues until after they've left? Promise?" Does that word even mean anything anymore? H'vier makes a face like he can't even believe she's asking him about taking her away. For one, that's exactly what she's doing to him and, two, how would that even work? "I'm not going to take her anywhere. Where would I even take her? And how would I manage without your own personal Weyrleader sending me off to Faranth knows where." H'vier is vaguely aware of consequences, evidently. "I promise." All those things. Tayte flinches and two more tears escape, one from each of the eyes that won't rise to meet H'vier's now. It's barely above a whisper when she says, "Okay." For all that he might be sorry for her bruise, for all that his own behavior is at fault, H'vier doesn't seem to have much sympathy for Tayte's tears. "Okay," he echoes. Then he's rising and, if she doesn't stop him, is apparently finished with this little rendezvous. |
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