Making a Date

Writers: Kaysea, Rochelle
Date Posted: 13th January 2008

Characters: Susha, Turoar
Description: Susha and Turoar have dinner together.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 5 of Turn 4

"Susha!" He waved from his chair, hoping she would both hear and see him amongst the noisy crowd sitting for second servings of the evening meal. He hadn't seen her all day, sure that Tatitem had purposely planned that they wouldn't share chores together.

Occasionally he looked over at the other candidate table, watching to see what Vasco would do once Ari arrived for his meal. The fracas he had witnessed, yet another one, had him worried - what would the bluerider do - report them all to Tatitem? He hoped not, he wanted to stay on the Headwoman's good side for a while yet.

Susha was scanning the crowd half-heartedly, hoping to see a seat available by someone she knew -or better yet, wanted to know more. A waving hand caught her attention, and she grinned, scurrying quickly across the cavern to slide into the seat across from Turoar.

"Hi there!" he grinned, pleased that she seemed as enthusiastic about being with him as he felt about being with her. "I was hoping you'd be here."

She grinned back. "Me too. I didn't know if you'd be here."

"Me, miss and evening meal? You're joking - right?" he laughed. "I had enough problems trying to eat the noon meal today, I'm not likely to miss the evening one as well." He couldn't help it, once more his eyes scanned the room for Vasco and the others, he hadn't missed Badaral's appearance.

She cocked her head curiously as she chewed, then swallowed. "What happened? Did you miss it?"

"Well, I did manage to eat a little, but not as much as I usually do, so all afternoon my stomach felt as if my throat had been cut." he shook his head. "Sharding holder prejudices - that's what happened."

She looked at him blankly. "That doesn't explain much. Did you get into a fight?"

"Shards no!" he looked alarmed, "Though it was close run thing, I suppose. I'm just glad it was M'nex who came over and not one of the other riders."

Her eyes widened. "M'nex? Just what happened at lunch anyway?"

"Oh Ari and Vasco got into an argument over some disabled rider, and just when I thought Ari was gonna snot him one, M'nex came up and grabbed Ari's arm. I kinda left them to talk." he said, a little shamefacedly. "I didn't want to get in trouble with your fostermother again."

"Who does?" Susha agreed rhetorically, taking a bite. "But if M'nex was talking to him, he probably straightened things out."

Turoar nodded, "I hope so, I think Ari's letting himself in for some heartache, so hopefully M'nex can help him there as well."

"Well, for your friend I hope so." Susha said, still not entirely certain what had been going on. "M'nex has always been good with people.
But is what happened earlier why you can't keep your eyes on your plate?" She asked, noting his eyes wandering quickly around the cavern again.

"Yes, I'm just hoping Vasco and his friends steer clear of Ari, they're not above stirring, just to see a reaction, and since they've now figured Ari out, it could mean trouble." his eyes once more flicked around the room. "That - and I'm keeping an eye out for your mum." he said a little more quietly, his attention returning to Susha. Under the table, his hand found hers, and he took it, squeezing it softly.

Susha smiled guiltily. "So am I." She laughed hesitantly. "Although we really don't need to. She already knows about us, and it's not like we're doing anything wrong."

"She knows about us going to the lake to _talk_." Turoar nodded, "but this?" he asked, squeezing her hand below the table. "I don't think I'm quite what she had in mind for her foster-daughter." he continued, looking a little disappointed.

"I'm seventeen." Susha pointed out. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions about who I want to be with." She smiled sheepishly at him, giving him a squeeze under the table. "It's just easier when she approves."

"Much less likely the fellow will take off running, if she approves of him." he grinned, "but don't worry I'm made of sterner stuff - I think."
he added, with a chuckle. Then his attention was drawn when he saw the greenrider, who Ari had been mooning over earlier, and sure enough Ari slid into the shadows his eyes not leaving the man as he made his way across to the invalids table. Turoar shook his head.

"What is it?" Susha asked, having seen Turoar's head shake while she was watching her fosterbrother J'ritem enter. She couldn't help it -it was habit to note when her family was entering a room -especially when she was with Turoar. "Did you see your friend?"

"Yes, and the greenrider he's been mooning over." he nodded in the direction of the invalid tables, "That one about to sit down - he's the one Ari was helping a sevenday or more ago, and since then..." he shook his head again, "I can't understand it."

Susha blinked, and stared at Turoar. "That's J'ritem. The one with the crutches? That's my fosterbrother!"

"Oh wonderful!" Turoar slapped his forehead with his palm, "This just keeps getting better and better. I wonder if Ari knows who he's fawning over?" he mused.

"If M'nex was talking to him, I'm sure he does." Susha looked around the cavern, trying to spot Turoar's friend. "But if he had to chose someone, he could have picked someone a little less..." Her voice trailed off, not wanting to disparage her fosterbrother, but remembering the way his eyes had followed her, lifeless, around the room the last time he'd had one of his bad days and Tatitem had dragged him to the weyr. "Where's your friend?"

"Over there..." he nodded, pointing out Ari skulking in the shadows.
"Sorry, he's your brother, and all, but - I just can't see the attraction myself, and wonder if he's not confusing sympathy with real affection."

Susha was silent, not wanting to say anything against J'ritem, but privately agreeing with Turoar's suggestion. She was almost certain that J'ritem would not do anything that might make a candidate fall for him.
_Maybe_ one of the other disabled riders, but not a candidate. If her mother found out... Or J'ritem... She shuddered, feeling pity for the boy Turoar pointed out to her, hiding in the shadows of an alcove.

"I've said the wrong thing, haven't I?" he said misunderstanding her silence. "I'm sorry, but - well I feel sorry for Ari, he had a rough time of it in the Hold where he lived before being Searched. I'm a little protective of him." he shrugged, not willing to divulge anything further.

"Oh no!" She protested, shaking her head. "It's not you. I just..." She groped for the right words, and failed, settling instead with. "I guess I feel sorry for him too. J'ritem hasn't been the same since he was 'scored, and I don't know how he'd take something like that." There.
That was safe enough and close to the truth, but she didn't feel like she was disparaging her family.

"I haven't had anything to do with him, but the scowls I've seen him dole out to others, doesn't do him any favours." Once again he forgot who he was talking to, "Sorry, I should keep opinions like that to myself." he flushed, his eyes drifting back to Susha again.

"I didn't mean to spend all the mealtime sitting here talking about Ari, either." his hand squeezed hers under the table again. "I just wanted to have a nice peaceful meal sitting with someone I really like."

Susha smiled at the compliment. "You're forgiven." She said lightly, returning the squeeze. She liked being with Turoar so much more than some others she had gone with, even if sometimes the conversations did get a little uncomfortable. "And I think that's a wonderful idea."

"Are you busy tonight?" he ventured, wondering what Tatitem would make of him if he showed up outside their weyr again.

"Not really." She admitted, glancing slyly at him. "At least, all I have is some craft review. It's just mum and I tonight -no nieces or nephews."

"Would you like to come out for a walk with me? I know its getting pretty cold at night, but I don't think your mum would like me being around your weyr, so I figured we could go for a walk and then maybe, just come back here and have some hot klah before bed."

Susha grinned happily at Turoar. Her fostermother could hardly object to a some klah after a walk, could she? And just knowing that she had something fun she could do after dinner besides studying... "That sounds wonderful."

"Will she...mind?" he asked, glancing over her shoulder into the room behind.

"Yes." Susha admitted slowly, but smiled quickly at Turoar to reassure him. "But she won't do anything if we don't get in trouble. M'nex said she's trying not to encourage me into your arms just to annoy her. She thinks you're a phase."

"A phase?" he looked at her quizzically and a thought struck him, "Am I?" he asked, a sickening feeling rising within him. Was he just a phase? Was he just an excuse to irritate her fostermother? Doubts assailed him.

Susha shook her head, plowing into her denial without thinking about it, although she had wondered about that herself. But... when she was with Turoar it felt different. It hadn't been the instant immediate attraction for her that it had been with some boys. Rather, she had started to like him a little more every day. "No. You're not a phase.
Phases don't stick by me even when they've met my family." She smiled shyly at him. "Especially when they have bad records with my mum."

He felt a little calmer after her reassurance, "Well, let's just let your mum think I'm a phase, then. While she's thinking that, she won't be as concerned about stopping you from seeing me." he smiled down at her, an amusing thought occurring to him, "Hey, maybe as a way to get this 'phase' out of you, she may encourage you to be with me more."

She giggled, giving him a squeeze under the table. "I wish! But if we suggest it, she'll know what's up. Mum's not stupid."

"No, she's not." he sobered, remembering all the times he had been caught out by Tatitem. He regretted it all now, if he had settled in better, he wouldn't be having as many problems with her now, over Susha.
"So, tonight - you'll be okay to come out for a walk?"

"I think so." She smiled at him. "When do you want to go? Right after dinner? Or do you have chores?"

"I er, I have a few chores I still have to finish, but should be finished by just after the evening meal, so we could go out then?" he suggested.

Susha couldn't seem to stop smiling. No wonder she like Turoar! It was hard not to be encouraged with him around. Definitely not a phase...
"That sounds perfect."

Last updated on the January 19th 2008

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Making a Date