It Was Lovely

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 26th April 2016

Characters: L'pin, Chaysea
Description: L'pin surprises Chaysea.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 8
Notes: Backdated due to LOAs

It was the weyrling's restday, and L'pin had planned out a perfect,
peaceful day. Morning would be spent doing weyrling-related work
(because hidework never ended). Then music lesson with Alina after
lunch, then some quiet time in the archives where in theory he was
'filing documents' and in practice he was having fun reading. It had
even gone mostly to plan, with the exception of a small snag when one
of the weyrling dragons got constipated.

Now it was dinnertime, and time for his very special plan. Dinner in
his weyr, then the touching and kissing they were already comfortable
with. And then...

}:You should have flown her before. Then you wouldn't be worrying
now,:{ Chaneth observed.

**I should have,** L'pin agreed.

Really, it was embarrassing that this had taken so long. He'd been
taking it long and slow with her, partially because of how he had
wanted to be respectful of her holder upbringing and of not wanting to
rush her into weyrlife ways, and partially because he hadn't been sure
of himself. He hadn't been chaste the past few Turns, not between
flights and casual bedmates, but paradoxically the bluerider found it
harder to start being so physical when his heart was tangled up. But
it had been months of a courtship and still nothing had happened, and
it was dissatisfying to himself to realize he hadn't touched her as
much as he wanted - as they both did. He remembered how she'd worried
he wasn't interested. He was, and he hadn't been showing her right.
That was going to change tonight.

}:She is arriving,:{ the blue said, disrupting his chain of thought.

Chaysea had had a similarly busy day, one of the new refrigeration
units that had been installed after the kitchens had been wired with
electricity had gone out, leaving her fussing with the technician as
perfectly good food spoiled. After that had been taken care of there
had been the usual chaos that came with the lunch time rush. Most of
the time the Head Cook took care of the kitchens during meal times,
but the ornery woman was out sick, and that had left Chaysea standing
there in the heat making sure things went according to schedule.

She had nearly lost track of time and had rushed to her bathing pool
to get cleaned up before her dinner with L'pin. Her hair was still
partially wet, so she left it down, with only a couple of hair combs
in place to keep it out of her eyes. In a freshly laundered dress, a
thin cotton one that made the Dolphin Cove heat bearable, Chaysea
finally made it to L'pin's weyr and knocked on his door.

L'pin opened it and smiled at her. "Chaysea, come on in. How was your day?"

"Eventful." She said with pursed lips. When she looked up at him a
smile broke on her face. "So this is a welcome reprieve."

"For the rest of the night, you don't have to be responsible for
anything you don't want to be. I can take care of everything, if you'd
like," he said to her.

Chaysea's smiled broadened, "Now that sounds like a deal."

He took her hand and led her to the table, which had been set out with
a meal and with a flickering small glow basket. "I asked around and
tried to get your favorites," he said, suddenly feeling shy and as
though he was half his age.

"That must have been a relatively easy task then since I have many
favorites." Chaysea enjoyed food, there was hardly anything she could
think of that repulsed her too badly, except for green peppers.

"Well, I hope it is to your satisfaction," he said as he pulled out
her chair, waited for her to be seated, and then sat down himself.

The meal was wherry steak, seared on the outside and juicy inside,
with roasted tubers, seasoned wilted greens, and gravy. It smelled
delicious, L'pin thought.

"I've been meaning to ask when your birthingday is, and if you wanted
to do anything special," he said.

"My birthingday is the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month." She
revealed as she speared some of the seasoned greens, and then wrinkled
her nose. "I'll be turning thirty-three this Turn." Where had the time
gone? She remembered nineteen like it was yesterday.

"Oh, that's not too far away. We'll have to do something," he said.
"Thirty-three and a Weyr's Headwoman, it's quite impressive."

Chaysea smiled, feeling his praise wash over her. "Thank you, I think
so. My family thought I was crazy to move to the Weyr."

"And yet it's brought so much opportunity for you. More responsibility
for more lives than you might have had at a Hold, as well as the
chance to be a bit more free than that life. Although there might be
some things you miss?"

She thought back on her life at the Hold, "No, there is nothing I msis."

"Not the chance at a family or children? If your marriage had been
happier." he probed.

"I've already experienced marriage, it's just a piece of paper."
Chaysea rubbed her finger alone the silver of her fork. "And I believe
children aren't exclusive to the Hold are they?" She looked up at him
and smiled.

"No, they aren't. But many folk don't believe that the Weyr's way of
treating children is natural, with how the parentage isn't always
known and the foster system."

Chaysea lifted her shoulders a little. "It's true that it is
different, but Holders ship their children off to the highest bidder
when it comes time to marry. At least children at a Weyr have options,
eve if the foster system is... something to adjust to."

He gave a sympathetic little smile. "I understand. Sometimes I wonder
if I have other offspring the mothers never presented. I do wish I
knew for sure."

"Yes, I imagine fatherhood is more challenging at the Weyr." It would
be easy for a mother to never tell the man that he had sired a child,
or, she might not even know the father of the child with the way
flights went.

"I'm envious of the certainty a mother has, for sure," he said. Then
he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm so busy talking about weyr culture
and it's probably boring. I just let my thoughts run away."

"I don't mind." She assured him as she finished her plate and folded her
napkin.

"Good. I'd hate to be so boring."

"Thank you for putting all of this together," she waved her hand to
encompass everything. "It's been lovely."

"I'm glad. I want nothing more than your happiness," he assured her.
It sounded so sappy but at this moment it was true.

Last updated on the April 28th 2016

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It Was Lovely