==== December 21, 2013
====Mayte and K'vvan
==== Mayte spots Nadeeth; then K'vvan comes along. Also, Nadeeth is shiny.

Central Bazaar
All roads in the weyr ultimately lead here, to this center of commerce. Canvas awnings jut out over time worn, sandy cobblestone, sheltering customers and wares alike from the majority of Igen's elements, and funnel scents both mouthwatering and vomit inducing through the thin streets. Almost all store fronts are open air, delineated by sandstone arches with intricately carved facades. The insides of these stone-shingled buildings act as an amplifier for the salesmens' bawled enticements, and are held up by the chipped swirls of marble pillars.

Long has that black cloud on the horizon hung there, long enough that those in the weyr have ceased to worry that the storm would break today. Thus it is that injured dragons who should stay out of the fierce winds feel safe enough to venture outside. Nadeeth is one of these. Not wanting to sleep on the cliffs above alone, the small green has decided to settle right at the edge of the activity bustling in the bazaar. She is curled up, her tail tucked alongside her belly as her wings cover her like a blanket. Her jeweled eyes watch the activity with keen interest.

Mayte is merely a party-goer in this crazy fiesta called life. She is sweeping along through the Bazaar, stopping to buy a fruit here, a stalk of vegetable there - if someone foolishly lets her near a pot, the Vintner might try to make soup. As she's brisking along, Mayte catches sight of a one-time familiar green shape and pauses. Trying to search around for a similarly familiar figure, she seems to decide to risk it, making quick tracks up to Nadeeth: "Hello, Lady Nadeeth," Mayte says in hushed tones, as if K'vvan might be around any corner. "I heard you were hurt in the Keroon fall. I've been… thinking of you."

Nadeeth's head picks up off the ground, and she puts her face right on level with the vinter's. There is a quiet murr as her wings spread outwards once, then fold back in. The injury along her foresail is still visible, but clearly almost completely healed. She cocks that head just slightly, letting out a slightly inquisitive whistle.

A ribbons of thought stretches outwards from where the green is curled up, seeking a familiar mind. It wraps tightly around that mind as an insistent pull begins.

» Move Re'ngal to… I'll be there in just a moment. « K'vvan answers back, distracted still.

Mayte offers a hand for scritchies and Mayte smiles briefly before seeing the injury to Nadeeth's wing, unable to stop a faint hiss of sympathy, "That looks awful. Did i…" dumb question, 'did it hurt?' The whistle is interpreted by Mayte and she replies accordingly, "I was there, but no, I wasn't hurt. Um." Looking in embarrassment at the ground, she comes clean, "They wouldn't let me out on the ground-crews, so I helped the healers as best I could." Between girls, Mayte seems a little shy before asking in whispery tones, "Is K'vvan okay too?"

Nadeeth rubs her head against that hand very gently, yes, pets are always welcome! A brief shoulder shrug answers her question, the gesture causing her to resettle her wings again on her shoulders. A slight mental touch is sent out, light enough that her ribbons do not completely form. There is an overtone of melancholy- Nadeeth has missed seeing the little vintner.

Mayte pets indeed! Scritchies for all the eye-ridges! She stands there in a moment of quiet, just enjoying the sensation of Nadeeth's hide. "Anyway, it's been pretty quiet, at least until the Fall. And Jivayath went up, and I got to see most of that…" there's a nose wrinkle of distaste, "Not that I wanted to, really. But Sadaiya's pretty nice, and Jivayath too, so I'm happy for them." That brings her back to the last time she talked with Nadeeth; Mayte's fingers freeze for a moment before she starts to chatter, on a different subject: "And my journeywoman, Eollyn is getting really pregnant now," as opposed to the way she was only slightly pregnant before…

Nadeeth is much too busy enjoying the girl's clever hands and murring softly to warn her about who is coming up from behind. K'vvan's soft footfalls are hidden in the bluster of the bazaar. He had been stepping sharply, a destination in mind… but the familiar figure touching his dragon has his steps slowly… then stopping several paces away. He opens his mouth once, then closes it again. There is slight longing in his eyes, the deep green showing wistfulness.

Confusion slips down the ribbons, « Why do you speak not? »

Unfortunately for Mayte, most footsteps are lost amongst the noise of other footsteps, and she entirely doesn't notice K'vvan as she continues to talk about how things have been going; she's gotten to the topic of who's Weyrsecond now, commenting on how the last time she saw A'lory, he seemed to be less weighed-down. Between girls, y'know? "Anyway, I don't know anything about this Cha'el guy; I've only seen him from afar, so we'll have to see."

"He is a good man." K'vvan finally breaks the silence, his voice is low. "And his Sikorth is kind." Nadeeth raises her head higher, out of reach of the vinter to peer at K'vvan. He still stands a few paces away, his injured hand awkwardly folded behind his back.

Mayte was totally not expecting K'vvan, though in hindsight as she whirls around flushing, that was probably foolish. "Um. Hello, Wing…" eyes fall on the knot, "Second." Hands retract from Nadeeth's scritchings as if Mayte was doing something untoward, but she doesn't look away from him. "I was just chatting with Nadeeth…" Awkward moment time! "Her wing looks like it's healing really fast."

K'vvan shifts his weight from foot to foot, unsure of this particular meeting. "Mayte, I…" The words that had fallen so easily from his tongue today, well, mostly swear words, are stuck in his throat. Instead he just nods to her question, falling mute again. He bites his lip and takes a deep breath which he then releases. If it is possible, the green behind Mayte lets out an exasperated noise. Gently she lowers her head again, pushing against the back of the vintner, towards her rider.

The ribbons colour changes slowly, slipping from the bright excited yellow to a much darker orange. « You miss her! Tell her! »

» It is complicated! She probably still hates me.«

Vibrations shake the ribbons, as frayed edges shower down into darkness as hints of other colors streak downwards the perfect order of Nadeeth's thoughts hinting at an unusual chaos. « She asked after you! »

It's one of those things one can envision again and again, but the reality is so much stranger: Mayte watches K'vvan's unease, but she opens her mouth to ask a question… only to be pushed forward! Harrumph! Mayte turns to give the green dragon an astonished look before she looks back at K'vvan, her eyes almost twinkling, "Did you see that?" She's at least much closer to K'vvan now and eyes the way he doesn't show his hands. "How, ah, how did you do in the fall? I, ah, I heard your hand got hit?" Perhaps she takes his stiff posture as sign of unhealed relations, or normal K'vvannity but Mayte thinks nothing of revealing she's been listening in on conversations of interest.
… concerning him.

"She has been opinionated since the fall." K'vvan says slowly, eyeing his dragon again… and not for the first time in as many days. He is starting to get a sinking feeling about how she has been acting. "We were hurt, but… not badly." His right hand stays firmly hidden behind his back, and he rubs that arm with his left, as if there was a slight chill despite the heat of the Igen day. "I saw you at the party…. are… did they take care of you?"

Mayte huffs slightly as she turns to give Nadeeth a faux-cross look that melts into fond smiling. As K'vvan confesses his own injury, Mayte turns around to eye him carefully, as if she can see through cloth to … well, with the exception of underwear, to see what might have been hit. She has no idea what's on Nadeeth's mind, so she's busy making sure K'vvan's okay, replying offhandedly, "Yeah. They wouldn't let me help on the groundcrews, so I helped the Healers." Okay, Mayte gives up: "Where did you get hurt?"

Is it possible for a dragon to look completely innocent? If so, Nadeeth is doing a fair impression of it. She sits up fully on her haunches, flipping just the tips of her wings to resettle her wings again. "The holders need to learn to take care of themselves." There is a hint of relief in his voice, though he tries to smother it. "We weren't hit anywhere serious." That hand though? Yeah, it stays firmly behind his back.

Mayte can't miss the woosh of air behind her, half-turning with a pout-lip expecting Nadeeth to have taken off (even if it usually makes a lot more breeze than a mere wing-flip. Nope, Nadeeth's still there, so Mayte turns to look at K'vvan suspiciously again though she sounds agreeable when she comments, "And what was with Keroon suddenly having a mountain," small exaggeration, "Of firestone, right when it was needed?" Dark hair shakes solemnly, "I sure hope Lord Keroon lets us in on that when Thread falls again." The lightness of tone is a mask, though: Mayte's eyes are dark and remembering. "It hit your hand, huh." Can't fool this one.

The way K'vvan does not remove his hand from behind his back should answer her question easily enough. There is no attempt for him to keep his voice light as he speaks. "Keroon was lucky he had, however ill-advised it was." K'vvan's voice is low as his gaze drops to the ground. "It could easily have gone another way. I am sure the Weyrleader will make sure the firestone will always be where it needs to be from now on."

Mayte nods briefly; just as she thought. Still, it's not her place to pre… "Lemme see," she demands, remembering she's not some bovine-eyed lassie from the Farmholds. AS for Keroon, Mayte snorts, "He'd better not. He lost a hundred people with that stunt!" though surely there was a bit more to it than hiding firestone = bad and Thread crashing the party. The Vintner gives a derisive sniff, and then, "I just hope Thread doesn't come back for another five months." Or, you know, at all. That'd be fine too.

It is about here that K'vvan's tendency to stubbornness will get him in trouble, as he continues to refuse to show her his scarred hand. Nadeeth gives an unlady like snort and flips her wings again. "I hope it doesn't either. We were ready, but it could have been much better. Mayte… I'm glad you're okay."

Mayte watches K'vvan, narrow-eyed, and holds out the hand opposite to the one K'vvan is hiding, "Gimme." Stubbornness goes both ways with these two. She inclines her head in Nadeeth's direction as if to indicate that she knows the green agrees with her. Still, Mayte can't pretend to be cross after that: "I'm glad you are too. Well, you will be." That hand outheld doesn't waver, though. "I saw a lot of the Thread-scores that people came in with," she says quietly, like this is a need to see for herself that K'vvan's hand doesn't resemble others she saw.

If anyone was wondering who is in charge in this partnership, this moment would answer this. Nadeeth actually hisses her annoyance and K'vvan frowns before he pulls out his hand from behind his back and holds it out to the vintner. The score on the back of his hand and wrist is mostly healed, the blackness of the score itself barely visible behind the healing pink.

A thick black ribbon, tossed with annoyance ties itself to to the dark orange. « SHOW HER. This is silly! »

See? Girls get it. Mayte moves a little closer to look at the score carefully, not even attempting to touch it, or move K'vvan's hand one way or another. The examination lasts a bit longer than a mere cursory glance, but finally Mayte looks up, dark eyes flashing a little, "It's looking good. S'a lot better than some of the scores I saw at the Hold." Her own hands drop away suddenly, fidgeting with the hem of her coat, "I'm really glad you're okay. And Nadeeth."

Or perhaps Nadeeth is just looking slightly more shiny than normal. As she pulls away he does the same, tucking the hand back behind his back again. He isn't sure what to say now, and so he shifts his weight from foot to foot, simply looking at Mayte.

And we have entered the Awkward Phase of the game: Mayte just watches between Nadeeth and K'vvan for a moment, having moved herself while examining the man's hand. "So… You know this new Weyrsecond pretty good, huh?" Because that's about the only way she can imagine K'vvan giving the guy a positive rating.

"He was in Arroyo," K'vvan reaches up a hand to run it through his hair before allowing the limb to drop back to his side. "he was, is, good. And like I said, his Sikorth is really sweet to Nadeeth." Though speaking of his wing and responsibilities has K'vvan's frown returning to his face, though it is not directed at the vinter before him.

For a moment, a wryer, more adult Mayte shines through, asking with a grin, "Isn't everyone sweet on Nadeeth, though?" Nope, definitely not hiding the affection. Fortunately for all concerned, that thought is shattered; "What's that look for?" Mayte asks in confusion; she thought they were managing to hold a nice conversation here. Or maybe she's out of practice with K'vvan-body-language.

"Not everyone. I… should get back to work. There are still things to do." K'vvan shakes his head, banishing thoughts as he steps past the vintner towards Nadeeth… who steps back a pace of her own away from K'vvan. Standing all the way upon her feet the green dragon takes a few more steps backwards, then steps so that Mayte is between K'vvan and herself again. Apparently, she disagrees that this conversation is done.

« Speak. To. Her. Make this right.» The slight chaos in Nadeeth's mind voice remains, the black and bright ribbons shifting constantly around their knot on K'vvan's mind. «You need your friends.»

Mayte blinks a little and then nods, "Yeah, uh… I should go see if Eollyn needs anything." Mayte is just starting to move out of K'vvan's way when she turns and sees Nadeeth's little dance away. As much as the short vintner tries not to, she can't stop the grin that starts across her face. "What are you doing, Nadeeth?" she asks in that annoying habit of talking to a dragon like it's its own person.

K'vvan's eyes track Nadeeth's movements as she does her little dance behind the vintner. He sighs and gently rubs at the healing scars of his wrist. "She doesn't get why we haven't spoken in months even though I think about you all the time."

Mayte is starting to lose control of her giggles at the way Nadeeth steps delicately out of the way. Well, up until K'vvan's confession. Waitwut? She stares up at the greenrider like he's grown another hand to replace the scarred one. Still, not one to usually be lost for words, Mayte blinks to wet her eyes again, licks her lips and says quietly, "I… didn't know that. But I've wondered it too." It was such a nice conversation…

The honest confusion in Mayte's tone has K'vvan blinking. "I didn't think you would want to see me again after…" K'vvan kicks at a clod of dirt on the ground, much like a young boy who has been caught in wrong doing. "And your journeywoman forbade me from speaking to you again."

Okay, so that was a pretty huge thing; Mayte shrugs uncomfortably, but her tone is firm, "I was pretty pissed off." A pause, "But, ah, you didn't tell me to…" This is hard! Still, Mayte swallows, "You didn't tell me to walk home." That's as close as Mayte's getting to this tangled web of mea culpa, so she's happy to wave off Eollyn's forbidding, "She's pretty busy right now. Lots on her mind." In other words, Mayte thinks she's totally getting away with this. "Sooooo… are we good again?" There's not a hand stuck out to shake or a hug offered, but Mayte is giving a cautious grin, "Friends?"

Is that a brief flash of disappointment at the lack of hug? K'vvan buries it swiftly, and nods at the vintner. Nadeeth lets out a happy murr and steps around Mayte to rub against K'vvan like an oversized kitten. "Just… stay safe okay? I… don't want to lose anyone else."

The black fades from the knot of colours, replaced with the bright fuzzballs that are her laughter. «This is as it should be. You will be less unhappy now.»

You gotta earn hugs these days, from stingy hug-dispenser Mayte, but she does move so she can lean in and bump K'vvan's arm with her shoulder. S'close enough, right? "You too, huh? I…" Mayte's voice goes faint for a moment before clearing her throat, "I saw the wounds Thread could do. I don't want that on you either."

K'vvan reaches out a hand, almost brushing it against Mayte's face, then lets it fall. "I do have to get back to work, this," He shrugs the shoulder holding the wingsecond knot, "is a lot more than I expected." Nadeeth is cooperating now, and crouches down to allow her lifemate to pull himself onto her neck, him not bothering with straps for such a short flight as this would be. On her neck he pauses again. "I'll see you again."

Mayte gives a tentative little grin as she sees K'vvan's hand move, and to her credit, she doesn't even flinch back as usual. A little grin as she eyes that knot, "It's a good fit on you." With that, she pets Nadeeth on the neck one more time, and steps back to avoid getting knocked over by a rising green, "See you later, then!" She does, however, watch until the green pair has gone.