The beginnings of a crush

Writers: Ang, Miriah
Date Posted: 10th June 2019

Characters: Aviday, Z'hren
Description: Z'hren and Aviday have fun at the party
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 28 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Tisafelle, Ernola
Follows "Party plans gone awry"

Aviday

She heard her name called and her steps quickened towards the barracks
as she scrubbed at her eyes. It wasn't her fault that she was flat.
She tried everything, eating more, squats, pushups, even creams, but
short of stuffing her breastband or wearing extra layers of clothes
around her bottom, which always ended up with her looking lopsided,
nothing ever worked.

Faranth, this wasn't how the night was supposed to go. He'd needed a
relief from the norm and figured a few sets with the Harpers, a dance
or two and some drinks would accomplish that. Now here he was chasing
a girl that was obviously wounded. Having lost her in the crowd, he
ran towards the barracks where he figured she would go and was pleased
to see her not far away. "Please Aviday ... do I need to ask Garreth
to come," he called out, ignoring the looks he was given.

She cringed as attention was drawn to her and the brownrider and her
cheeks reddened even further. Hugging herself just as tightly, she
noticed that he was standing between her and the barracks main door,
so stopped in front of him. She chewed on her lower lip, and the words
burst out of her. "I'm not a boy!"

"I know that!" he shouted back for anyone watching to hear, glaring at
anyone smirking in their direction. Then he smiled at her and stepped
closer. "You're too pretty to be a boy. Will you walk with me a bit
before we go dance? You do still want to dance, don't you?"

"Stop shouting." Aviday glanced around, feeling eyes on her, then
finally brought her gaze back to him. She shifted on her feet, keeping
her arms tucked around her tightly. "You don't have to say that. I
know I'm not." The most she'd ever been called was 'cute'. She shook
her head. "I just want to go back to the barracks. I don't feel like
dancing anymore. You can go back and dance or play or something.
Thanks though."

Her gaze made him blink in surprise. "You're wrong. Faranth, those
eyes of yours ..." he said then sighed and glanced around to see the
benches outside the barracks. "Will you sit with me before you go in?
That girl had no right to do what she did and Ernola is no doubt
giving her an earful. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes ... what *is*
her name so I can remember to avoid her?"

She didn't quite know what to make of his comment about her eyes. They
were just eyes. She looked at the benches, shrugged, and then sat.
"I guess so. That was Tisafelle." Aviday looked towards the party
with a distinct, resentful glare. "She's a bitch. I don't know why she
doesn't like me. I've never done anything to her." She kicked at a
stone. "She calls me a boy all the time like it's some joke or
something. And boys fall all over her."

Grateful that she wanted to sit, Z'hren filed the name away for future
reference. He sat down sideways, leg bent so that he could face her
and not the crowded dance floor. "Don't mind them ... they're idiots
and all hormones. So, why does it bother you so much what *she*
thinks?"

Aviday shrugged, staring down at her feet. "I don't know. She's
pretty and she's tall and everyone looks at her. Only time I really
get noticed is by boys who like other boys cause they think I'm one.
She's just... mean all the time, except when a weyrlingmaster's
assistant is around. Then she acts all nice and sweet." She kicked a
stone angrily.

The anger was palpable in the small girl next to him and he could see
that this was really affecting her. His protective instincts kicked
in. "Has anyone else treated you this way?" he asked as evenly as he
could but he was angry on her behalf. Perhaps a visit with Tisafelle
to put her in her place was warranted. "Have you gone to the Headwoman
or an assistant about this?"

"Just some boys in the baths who've teased me some." She sighed and
looked up at him again, arching a brow and finally giving a bit of a
smile, though the wasn't much humor in it . "Tell the Headwoman?
It's been a while since you were a Candidate, huh? You don't _tell_.
But maybe I'll Impress and she won't. That'll make me happy. "

Seeing the small smile eased some of his own anger. Z'hren grunted
softly and said, "I guess you're right. It has been a while and the
Headwoman certainly dealt with things differently than the
Werylingmaster. That man wants to know *everything*." He leaned back
and brought a leg up, hooking his hands around his knee while looking
at the crowd before them. "I hope you do Impress, Aviday. I think
you'd be a great rider."

"You do?" That visibly perked her up, her back straightening.
"Really?" She finally gave him a real smile. "I'm going to try really
hard to be." She followed his gaze back to the crowd. "You don't have
to stay with me, you know. You can go have fun with your friends."

"I do. And I'm sure you will try very hard," he answered with a
chuckle. "Just be yourself, Aviday. That's all the dragonet needs.
Now, how about that dance?"

Her smile faltered as she looked back out over the crowd. "She'll just
start in on me again the moment she sees me. It's like she knows when
it's going to bother me the most."

Z'hren tsked and stood up to hold his hand out to her. "Who says we
need to go there? There's plenty of room right here. Can you hear the
music?"

He was an odd man but she decided that she liked him. Debating
quickly, she decided that she didn't care if they looked silly dancing
way over here. She'd wanted to dance and to have fun. Maybe she'd
actually get to. Taking his hand, which seemed very large in
comparison to her own, Aviday rose with a sudden bright smile. "Thank
you."

Luckily for them, it was an upbeat tune that didn't require dancing
with others as he gently clasped her hand and set his other on her
hip. Z'hren smiled back and stepped with her in time to the beat.
"You're welcome," he said as he stepped back with the hand still
clasping hers to guide her into a twirl of her own before pulling her
to him once again.

The twirl brought a giggle. She could dance and keep a beat, but her
awkward, thin limbs didn't allow for much grace. In truth, she
stumbled over her own feet a couple of times and might have caught his
toes a time or two, but was having enough fun that she laughed it off.
Eyes sparkling, she grinned up at Z'hren, hand stretched up to land on
his shoulder.

Z'hren ignored the draconic laughter in his mind from Garreth as he
inwardly winced when she stepped on his toes. He'd expected it and
truthfully, she wasn't heavy enough to make a comment about it.
Grinning back at her, he was glad she was having a good time and as
the music shifted into a slower tune, he slowed their pace to ask,
"See, this wasn't so bad, was it?"

She shook her head, but blushed a bit as the music slowed. Her steps
became hesitant; she'd never really slow danced with anyone and it
showed. "No. Not at all. That was really fun." She glanced over her
shoulder at the bonfire. "Do you want to go back now?"

Feeling her discomfort, Z'hren stopped and stepped back as the music
faded. "I could go for something to drink. Did you wish to go back?"
He didn't want to leave her to fend for herself if Tisafelle decided
to make more trouble.

She glanced at the party, chewed on her lower lip, then looked back up
at him. Should she really let the other girl spoil her fun? "Would you
go back with me? Just at first?"

Z'hren grinned and offered the crook of his arm for her to hold if she
wished. "I would be happy to for as long as you need me," he answered,
hoping that Ernola dealt with the previous situation. He certainly
didn't want Aviday as upset again tonight. "One of these days, you'll
have to come meet Garreth. He'd like you."

She took the crook of his arm, her face flushing with the beginnings
of a crush on the older brownrider. He was handsome, after all. And
he'd even danced with her, checked on her when she was upset. Feeling
her stomach flip a bit in response, she nodded. "Thank you. I'd like
to meet him."

"Then meet him you shall," he said with a smile as he led her back to the party.

Last updated on the June 24th 2019

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The beginnings of a crush