==== September 13th, 2013
==== Kyara, Vashae
==== (Backlog!) Kyara has one more person to deal with concerning the weyrlings' jump.

Who Kyara, Vashae
What (Backlog!) Kyara has one more person to deal with concerning the weyrlings' jump.
When The when of this (and related scenes) is a little weird; I'm still figuring it out :P Bear with me! The same day as The Tangles of Friendship
Where Lake Shore, Igen Weyr

Lake Shore
Sprawled out beyond the Weyr proper's hustling activity and ambling roads, the cool, blue paradise of the Weyr lake promises escape from the oppressive hammer of Igen summer's cruel climes; the asymmetrical, sandy white shores hook delicately around the deceptively still waters running deep and sure, greedy peninsulas reaching white fingers stretching in crooked lines towards its center. A sturdy shack, weather-beaten and brown as cured leather, resides in isolated splendor upon one such finger, screened shelving offering a variety of brushes and fragrant oils housed in colorful tureens. Out beyond a small and dusty paddock ringed by a white fence, a long rocky pier stabs out into the lake, providing a panoramic view of the Weyr itself, while the southern shores provide varied shrubs and grassed for the massed herds in their pens.


It's late; almost too late for weyrlings to be out and about without getting in trouble. Kyara hasn't been long out of the Bazaar, her attempted apology to We'bey having been made and met with…something. Forgiveness, though not immediate…but that is, for certain, something she can live with. Drained, she's been wandering slowly along the edge of the lake by the light of only the moons and Liareth's eyes, steadily building herself up to voice all this one more time to the last person she needs to tell. Just let it be done. She's asked Liareth to speak to Jovianth, and hopefully, if it isn't too late, Vashae will be along - strange though the hour and location may be.

At least Vashae and Jovianth were already by the lake's shore, and from the look of things they have been for a while. Vashae looks like she was actually perhaps attempting to tan a little, wearing a bikini that would offend any nowtimer who happened to spot her, and laying on a blanket. Though Rukbat has long since faded, and Belior and Timor have ascended the heavens, she still lays there. Now, however, Jovianth is beside her, a single wing spread over her. She traces something unseen on the underside of his wing, perhaps currently oblivious to her fellow weyrling's approach. Or perhaps she's not worried about it, for whatever reason. Maybe she hasn't yet heard.

« They're here already. » Lia's announcement startles Kyara out of her thoughts, and she looks up just in time to see that, if her lifemate hadn't said anything, she might possibly have walked right by the blue pair. Or into Jovianth, which would have been embarrassing. As it is, she's thrown a little more off than she already was, which could be a good thing; she's more alert now. Kyara stops a short way from Jovianth's wing and crouches, barely seeing where her fellow weyrling is and softly clearing her throat. "Vash?" Her voice sounds very slightly ragged, but even, at least. "Sorry to bother you… Have you got a moment?"

Jovianth himself was aware of his sister's approach, and the gaze he slants toward her and her rider is one keenly aware and welcoming. Vashae's fingers stop their tracing at her weyrling friend's voice. "Kyara. Of course, come join me." Jovianth's wing is folded, and Vashae pushes herself upright, making room for the other woman on the towel beside her. "What's on your mind?" Because something is clearly, clearly bothering her friend. "Don't tell me you're still feeling ill from the Jump?" Concern now etches itself into her words as she watches her.

Kyara comes closer but doesn't sit, choosing instead to kneel, sitting on her heels with her knees on the edge of the towel. "No, not…no." Not physically. She shakes her head a little, simply looking at Vashae with a strange mix of fear, sadness, and tiredness in her eyes. Compared to Webley, how can she expect Vashae to react? Will the forgiveness come easier…or even at all? No; she has to hope, has to. Vashae needs to know this; it's the same sort of care for Sienna that drives her to tell this to Vash, and would have driven her to We'b, had Sienna not gotten to him first. "It's got to do with that, though." She rubs her neck, taking a long moment to fight a burning lump in her throat. "Vash, I need to tell you…Sienna knows. What really happened. I couldn't stand seeing her go around thinking it was her fault; it was driving me crazy, and making Liareth upset with me, so I…I told her. No one's going to be in trouble for it; I did it judging that Sienna wouldn't punish anyone, and I was right, but…I know that's not going to keep you from being angry with me. I've already been about it with We'b, and I knew I had to come to you with it, too. I…" She takes a deep breath, but the tears have already come back, a harsh sheen in her eyes. "I didn't know what else to do."

Vashae's smile disappears at those two simple words. Sienna knows. It's debatable how much of the rest of what Kyara says that the bluerider hears; for very, very long moments she is merely a statue in the sand, leaning against ancient-yet-young blue hide. There is nothing said in those long moments, while Vashae struggles with this news of betrayal. For betrayal is what it is, whether or not Kyara intended it to be. Finally, Vashae breaks her silence, face expressionless, though her hands curling into the sand of the beach indicate her state of mind if one spots them. "I trusted you." Her hands clench tighter. "They needed to think we were dead, Kyara; I thought you understood that!" For a moment her control slips, and the anger she feels can be seen on her face…and then the mask slides back into place. The same mask she hasn't really used around Kyara in a while now. Outwardly unemotional Vashae.

Silence can be far heavier and far more cutting than words at times. This is one of those times for Kyara, who shuts her eyes against the awful weight of it, against the terrible line it draws between her and her friend in that long moment. The same sense of betrayal that was present with We'b hangs tensely between them, and as much as she wants to be able to say something to make that part go away, she knows it isn't so simple. She didn't mean for what she did to be that, but it is how it will be seen, and she understands why now. When she opens her eyes at trust mentioned in the past tense, her gaze picks up the clenched fists, catches the slip of anger in Vashae's face, and the tears come free, quietly. "I did understand. They did think we were dead," she says, weary voice subdued now. "The hundreds of people in this Weyr thought we were dead, and they blame the Reachians, and that's what we wanted, wasn't it? That's not going to change. Sienna's not saying anything, and no one pays the price. I do, with you and Web. But there are only four of us who know what really happened, and that's the way it's going to stay. It still worked." She goes silent for a good moment, simply watching Vashae. "We'b said it was selfish of me, and he was right - in part. I overestimated how I'd handle the repercussions. It was either tell Sienna or…or go to a mindhealer, and that would have well and truly messed everything up." Her eyes close again, briefly. "I know I've made a mess of this, Vashae, but please…please don't push me aside completely. I know I've broken your trust, and that is punishing to me as sure as anything. I want to do whatever I can to rebuild that; you're my friend." The look she has now is pleading. "Please tell me I haven't destroyed that."

Vashae doesn't do more than blink an eye at Kyara's words, struggling to keep her emotions in check as it is. "You should have told us first." There's anger in Vashae's voice, but perhaps strangely, hurt as well. "That you were struggling so much. But I guess you didn't really trust us." It's a jab at her friend, and normally Vashae would care more, but right now… "I don't know, Kyara. Right now all I know is that I can't… I can't deal with this right now. I…" Vashae stands up abruptly, and just…walks off. Right now, that's as close as she's going to get to forgiveness. The actual forgiving will take time, and more of it than they have right now.

Kyara watches Vashae leave, the jab taken directly and wrenching at her as her mistake is laid bare. Why hadn't she told them? Had she truly been so blinded by her own inner turmoil that she lost sight of the better thing to do? Would it have changed anything, in her mind? But the what-ifs, the should-haves…all of it can't be changed now. Her mess is fully made. Silence reigns again, broken only by far-off rustlings of dragonwings in the darkness. Numbly, she drags herself to her feet, but only makes it as far as the waters' edge before falling to her knees, shoulders heaving as she quietly breaks down over this for - she hopes - the final time. Strangely mixed in with all of this is a sense of relief; now everyone who needs to know what she did, knows. And now she can focus on doing what she needs to do to fix it. If she can figure out what that is. If she's allowed. Liareth settles into the sand nearby, and Kyara curls up into her lifemate's side and nearly immediately falls into a dead sleep. A strange place to find her in the morning, to be sure…but she won't move one more step. Not until daybreak gives her a place to start again.

Jovianth lingers just long enough to nuzzle his sister's side briefly, and give reassurance that he at least is not mad at them, before following after his rider.

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