Matching Bracelets

Writers: Aaron, Devin
Date Posted: 23rd July 2025

Characters: Saedyna, Tirraze
Description: Saedyna and Tirraze go on their first date.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 21 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Ç'pier

The clouds looked a little ominous and Saedyna hoped the weather would
be clearer where they were going. Avarith's eyes whirled eagerly as
they waited in the Bowl. Today Saedyna had on one of her finest
dresses, green a few shades darker than Avarith's hide with emerald
earrings and a necklace to match.

When she landed beside them with Riamorth, Tirraze wore the suit she
had showed off to Saedyna in her weyr, a fresh haircut, and smile a
mile wide.

"Ready to go, my lady? Better beat the storm."

"Absolutely, my brave dragonrider." Saedyna grinned and pulled on her
riding jacket. She spent a few moments fussing with her helmet, trying
to settle it so it wouldn't mess up her hair too much. Leaving it free
to tangle in the wind would be worse, though. After doing the best she
could, she had Avarith send the image to Riamorth and took to the
skies.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they came out, seeing partly cloudy
skies that didn't look like imminent rain. Below them the Gather
stalls and tents looked bright and welcoming. They landed in a clear
area off to the side and Saedyna felt a nervous flutter in her
stomach. A date. She was actually going on her first ever date.

Tirraze slid down to the ground and smoothed and resituated her outfit
as quickly as she could manage, then jogged over to offer her hand to
Saedyna to help her down. Climbing in a dress was a whole other
ordeal.

Saedyna smiled as Tirraze helped her down. She took off her riding
jacket and helmet and then did her best to fix her hair. The small
braids tied around the top of her head seemed to have survived, at
least. "What should we do first? Food?" She mostly wanted to shop, but
a treat first would be nice.

"Whatever makes you happiest," said Tirraze. She would have offered to
pay for everything, but also she knew Saedyna had been milking Ç'pier
for a fortune in restitution, so she would play the whole 'paying'
thing by ear. "What's your favorite Gather food?"

"I . . . didn't get a chance to go to many, and they were much smaller
than this." Saedyna smiled, though. "Let's just see what looks good."
She took Tirraze's hand, stomach fluttering.

"Well, you look amazing." Tirraze squeezed her hand and then leaned in to whisper, "But I think I'll have to wait until later to eat you."

She strutted proudly with Saedyna on her arm past the food stalls, enjoying the aromas. She would have been happy to settle for whatever had the shortest line, but she let Saedyna choose. Tirraze had been to plenty of big Gathers before.

Saedyna's nose led her to a stall with herdbeast skewers soaked in a sauce. "Oh, those smell amazing. Two please," she told the vendor and reached into her pouch for marks.

"They _do_." Tirraze took a deep whiff of the saucy smell. She reached into her own pouch to pay for hers, just in case. Best not to assume.

Saedyna waved her off. "My treat." She had marks coming in steadily from C'pier, and what better way to spend it than on her first date?

"Thanks." Tirraze gave her best charming smile.

As the vendor served up two steaming hot saucy meat skewers, Tirraze noticed that he was eyeballing her. She liked to think he was trying to discern whether she was a man or a woman, but perhaps he had already decided she was a man and was judging her for not paying for the food.

She blew on her skewer but waited for Saedyna to take the first bite.

Saedyna took a delicate bite and her eyes widened. "Oh! This delicious!" She took another, larger bite and licked a bit of sauce from her lips.

Well, that was a good sign. Tirraze took a decent bite of hers and was happy to find that Saedyna was not overreacting in the slightest.

"Top notch, sir," she said to the vendor.

"Thanks. Glad you like it." He handed skewers to the next in line.

After finishing another bite, Saedyna said, "Now let's go shopping! If you wanted to get something for yourself, what would it be?" That sounded more casual than 'what do you want me to buy you', right?

"Oh. Shells, I didn't come with anything in mind but being with you," said Tirraze. "But I've got a few marks in case anything catches my eye. What about you? This is your first big Gather-- what did you always wish you could buy?"

"Oh, I've bought a lot of things for myself, from the crafters at the Weyr and the traders who visit," Saedyna said, even as she thought of getting new jewelry and dresses. "We can find something for you first." She took another bite of the tasty meat.

"Well, all right. Let's see whether you think anything they have would look good on me." Tirraze winked.

"I'm sure anything would look good on you," Saedyna said warmly. She led the way toward a group of stalls selling clothing, jewelry, and various accessories and waited to see what drew Tirraze's eye.

Tirraze had never been one for jewelry, but at least one Gather stall's proprietor knew to expect sentimental dragonriders. They carried intricately braided soft leather bracelets with interwoven pairs of colors. Gold and bronze. Even one gold and brown! Bronze and green. Brown and green. Blue and green.

"I really like these," she said.

"Oh, those are lovely." Saedyna ran a finger gently over one of the bracelets, her heart beating faster. Blue and green, braided together. "Let me buy you one?"

"Would you let me buy you one, too?" Tirraze grinned. It was only fair, and it seemed somehow special.

Saedyna hesitated, but the idea of them buying each other matching bracelets, what that would _mean_ . . . "Okay, but I'm paying for everything else today."

"Yes, ma'am!" Tirraze put on a dutiful tone, but she was still grinning. She paid for one of the two bracelets and then fastened it on Saedyna's wrist. "There. How's that? Not too snug?"

"It's perfect," Saedyna said, a blush rising to her cheeks. She bought a matching bracelet for Tirraze and put it around the other girl's wrist.

"Perfect," Tirraze agreed. "Well, what's next, then? Want to buy a puppy?"

"A pup-- oh, you're joking."

"Of course, I'm joking," Tirraze laughed.

Saedyna had a sudden urge to kiss her, but they were at a Hold, so she just smiled and ducked her head.

Tirraze took her hand and squeezed it briefly. In Turns past, she might have been brave and brazen enough to kiss her anyway, but with everything that had happened with deranged Holders attacking Weyrfolk... Well, it was better she did not put Saedyna in any additional danger.

"How about we go see when the Harpers are putting on their next show?"

"That sounds good," Saedyna said. "And then we can go look at jewelry."

Last updated on the July 29th 2025

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