Booze and Words

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 10th December 2017

Characters: F'lin, Riveenata
Description: F'lin checks in on Riveenata after she is grounded
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 9

It wasn't his job anymore. He wasn't expected to go over the records
from the Healers after a Fall, or check up on the riders from other
Wings. And yet F'lin still sought out his riders from River Bluff,
counting heads and dragon tails like others counted ovines as they
drifted to sleep. Even though he'd been soundly, unequivocally told that
they weren't _his_ anymore, he couldn't let them go. It gave him a sense
of stability and rhythm that was hard to find in the new Weyr, and had a
few unexpected benefits. Like when he saw Riveenata's name come up next
to a notation saying, "grounded by Kapera," he knew that she'd probably
want some company, even if she didn't think she did.

F'lin knocked on Riven's door after the evening meal armed with a couple
of bottles of beer and a flower he'd picked along the way. He'd checked
with Savith and knew she was in, so he waited patiently for her to answer.

}:Seneth's rider is here, you should let him come in,:{ Savith said to
her rider.

**But I - fine,** the greenrider thought back after a moment.

"Come in," she called, after checking over her weyr - there were dropped
flying leathers around from where she'd stripped down to wear just a
long tunic after Fall and she'd thrown herself on the bed to cry right
after. She couldn't be bothered to clean it up before he came in. She
did tug on the tunic she was wearing and sit up on her bed, trying to
force a smile for her visitor.

"Hey." F'lin eased the door open and slipped inside, holding the flower
out like a shield. "I thought you might like something bright after a
bad day. I brought beer, too."

"Oh, that's...that's beautiful." She managed a smile on her lips, but
the expression didn't reach the rest of her face. "Uhm, I've got a vase
somewhere..." She looked around.

Her eyes fell on glasses, first. "Feel free to pour some beer, that was
kind of you. And how's Seneth?"

Aha, there it was. She grabbed a piece of pottery and poured some water
from a jug into it, then held it out.

F'lin popped the flower into the vase. Such a safe question... F'lin was
glad he'd stopped by. "Seneth is fine. Resting after today's 'Fall. How
is Savith?"

"She's perched on the ledge staring at the dragons on the rim. She's
tired. We're disgruntled." There wasn't much point in beating around the
topic. "You probably heard about the weyrling."

He nodded. "Jevila and Gulbeth, I know." F'lin hesitated. "I checked in
on the Infirmary before I came here. The Healers are done with Jevila
and are just waiting for her to wake up." As long as she woke up. As
long as her wounds didn't get infected. "Are you all right?"

"You checked on her? Savith said Gulbeth was still here but I didn't
know more..." she hadn't been able to face the infirmary.

"I'm not hurt," she said at his question. "It all missed Savith. It
missed us. And maybe it shouldn't have. We didn't flame it, it should
have been..."

Her voice trailed off. It wasn't that she _wanted_ herself and Savith be
hurt. But wouldn't it better be herself by her actions than someone else?

"Don't do that." F'lin reached out and drew her into a hug. "Don't go
chasing might-have-beens. Something bad happened, but the only thing
that we can do now is to keep moving." His words made him think of
Lanniya, and of himself. The rules around /timing/ were so unfair.

"I can't stop thinking about it. And now all I'm supposed to do is think
about it, since apparently I'm grounded with nothing but watch duty for
two sevendays," she mumbled, before resting her face into his shoulder.

It was probably a wise decision. Being part of anyone's 'Scoring was
hard on a rider, but when it was a weyrling it was doubly so. Riven
would need some time. "That's a lot of watch duty. I'll come visit you,
though."

She sniffed and kept her face buried. "That would be nice. They can't
get mad at me for having a visitor..."

"If they do, I'll pull rank. It's a Wingsecond's job to look out for his
riders." He kissed the top of her head. "I'll even bring you sweetrolls."

"That's an advantage of your knots for sure."

"I like the sound of those." Which reminded her that F'lin had said that
he brought beer. She stepped back and said, "had you mentioned drinks?"

"I nearly forgot! Straight from the refrigerators in the kitchens, it's
even actually cold." He picked up the bottle from the table he'd left it
on, popped the cap, and poured it into the two glasses Riven had pointed
out earlier. "I thought you might want a nightcap. I know I do."

"It would help me sleep, and I need it," she agreed. She took the glass
and a sip. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever. I feel bad it
took...well, anything, to get you to come over. I just don't know where
month 1 went."

"That's on me, not on you. I could have stopped by but I didn't," F'lin
told her. Riven didn't need more guilt. "This whole transfer business
hasn't been easy on anyone."

"It's been horrible," she admitted. "I just want to go back. I only know
two of my wing mates. I hate that it's so similar but so different. It's
still a warm beach Weyr, but the sand is different, the bowl's all
wrong. There's still glows, for Faranth's sake. I miss electricity. You
just feel comfortable and then something reminds you it's wrong."

He sighed. "I know. People keep transferring out of Rapids and the view
from my weyr trips me up every morning. I wish we could go back too..."
But even if they /timed/ it, nobody could stop a volcano. The Weyr would
still fall and he'd still lose his home.

"They're trying to integrate us so we're not just one strange wing in
the middle of their well oiled Weyr. And maybe we would have done it.
But it's insulting," she grumbled.

"Yeah, it is. Rapids is wasted at a low altitude. They're the
_Weyrleader's_ wing. But here we are. How's working with the Healer's
been for you so far?" He sipped his beer, trying to chase away the taste
of melancholy with hops.

"I miss some of the ones from home, the Weyrhealer here I don't know
well yet. I really hate Healing first and flying second green shift,
though," she muttered.

"Have you told Cyradis that?" He paused. "Want me to? Maybe she'll
switch your shift."

"I could ask while I'm grounded, but I don't want more notice... And if
you ask, they'll think I can't do anything myself. Though, it is a
lovely offer," she said.

"That's what I'm here for. Like I said, I've got to look out for my
riders." F'lin studied Riveenata's expression, wondering how all right
she really was. It had been a hard day with a hard few months behind it.
"Look, I... I could stay here tonight. If you feel like you want
company. Sometimes it's not good to sleep alone..."

On the one hand, F'lin snored. And on the other hand, she was miserable
already, ashamed, and anxious, and well-aware she'd fall into self-pity
and self-loathing. So she exhaled. "If it won't put you and Seneth out,
I'd like that."

"We wouldn't be put out. And I promise not to be put out if you kick me
out in the wee candlemarks of the morning, either." F'lin smiled at her,
relieved enough that she'd accepted his offer to attempt a joke. "Like
you did last time."

"No, I won't do that," she said, breathing out a huge sigh. "I would say
you could borrow one of my sleeping shifts, but I don't think they'd fit."

"Too bad. I think I'd look rather fetching in one of your shifts." F'lin
fluttered his eyelashes at her.

"Oh, well if you'd like you could try one on. Something lacy in a pale
blue? It might fit over your shoulders." The laugh this time was
genuine, not forced - the first one all day.

F'lin grinned, happy he'd provoked a laugh. "I don't know, you might not
get it back again..."

She turned around, dug into her wardrobe and found a couple sleeping
shifts, and tossed one at him.

"Here you go. Let's see how it fits," she teased.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2017

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Booze and Words