Growing Pains

Writers: Aaron, Sia
Date Posted: 9th August 2025

Characters: I'thralos, Vianne
Description: Vianne comes home later than expected.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 24 of Turn 12

There was a non-zero chance that Vianne had been drinking. She would be a weyrling soon, and wine would be completely forbidden. And she had not meant to get carried away, but well. Whatever her intentions, she had gotten a little carried away. By the time she got home, she was not stumbling or otherwise horribly impaired. But she could still feel the wine.

She had been certain everyone would be asleep when she got home. But Ilthralos was still awake. That was good.

“Oh, darling, you're awake! I'm so glad.” She traced a finger down his chest. “I’m sorry I missed saying goodnight to Ithianne again,” she lamented. “I didn't realize how late it had gotten.” She had not meant to lose track of time. But she would be there when she woke in the morning.

Ilthralos wasn't awake, not really. He'd dozed off once Ilthianne had finally fallen asleep, the book he'd tried to read fallen off his chest and lying half-open on the floor. He blinked blearily in the dim light, trying to understand what was happening. "Vi, what time is it? …Are you drunk?"

Bollocks! He _was_ asleep, and Vianne had awakened him for no reason. She could have just slipped into bed, and he never would have known how late she was! If she had not been drinking, she would have noticed.

“I didn't mean to!” she whispered.

"You didn't mean to drink that much?" Ilthralos asked, irritation cutting through the drowsiness. "Nobody was forcing you, Vi. You could have stopped." Still, he sat up, picked the book up from the floor, and went into the little kitchen area of their shared space. He reappeared with a cup of water and passed it to her. "Drink that."

Vianne scowled. It was more complicated than that! She had not quite realized how much she _was_ feeling the effects of the drink until she stood up. She had been certain she was all right to have one more.

She drank the water.

“I'm sorry I woke you up,” she said.

"That's all right." Ilthralos said, though it wasn't. It had been his one evening off, and he'd kept Ithianne up past her bedtime until she was grumpy and overtired. He could've gone to find her, but he knew she'd planned to spend time with some of the other candidates. She hadn't known anyone at the Weyr when they first transferred, and he was happy to see her fitting in and making friends. Now, though, it felt like she wanted to be anywhere other than with him.

But that jealousy was silly. If she Impressed in Jossenth's hatching, she'd be gone for far longer than an evening. He frowned as he considered her, taking the empty glass from her hand and filling it again. "Is the world spinning? Do we need a bucket by the bed?" He asked instead.

Vianne huffed.

“I'm not going to throw up. Thank you.” She softened her tone then. Ilthralos cared about her. Genuinely. Truly. That was why she loved him. She drank the second glass.

“But I will probably have to get up to pee. Thank you… for taking care of me. I'm… I'm really very sorry. By the time I really started feeling it, I think I had already had too much. I won't let it happen again.”

Ilthralos hovered by the edge of the bed still, holding the empty glass in one hand. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine and her hair was undone. Radiant and guilty and so very far away from the girl he'd met at Emerald Falls Hold. He sighed and set the cup aside.

"Mistakes happen. I just…I don't know." He wasn't good at this part, at naming the ache. He had tried so hard to be supportive, even enthusiastic. When she first said she wanted to Stand he told her he should, that they'd make it work. That he'd make it work.

But tonight, with the baby finally asleep after demanding three renditions of the same story, and the soft scent of wine on her breath, it was hard not to feel left behind. “I missed you,” he said quietly, “So did Ithianne. At least stop by, next time. Or send a little note with Jeepers. If you're planning on staying out late. Shells, I could always leave Ithianne with my foster-mother and go out with you, you know."

“Ashes…” That would have been fun. Though there was something about doing things on her own, something she had never really had before. It was hard to be torn between the two. “Of course. I missed you, too. Next time, we'll go together. I promise.”

Ilthralos wanted to believe her, wanted to let that soft promise be enough to soothe the gnawing worry that tonight had left behind. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, fingers lingering just a moment before he climbed in beside her. She curled into him easily, warm and smelling faintly of wine, and he let his arm rest over her waist. Ithianne’s even breathing from her little cot was a reminder of what they’d built together, and of how quickly things might change if Vianne Impressed. Whatever else he was feeling-- jealousy, worry, the dull sting of being left behind-- none of it mattered as much as keeping her here, safe, for tonight.

Last updated on the September 2nd 2025

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Growing Pains