I'm Sorry...Sort Of

Writers: AL, KC Free
Date Posted: 4th April 2011

Characters: T'aesh, Meledei
Description: Taeshin attempts to apologize to Meledei
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 19 of Turn 6

Taeshin walked slowly over to where a group of riders where standing around, chatting. He had spotted his target's straight brown hair a few feet away. His steps were slow and mechanic, as if some unseen force was controlling him. This was definitely not as task he was looking forward too, but Janani had ordered it. Out of all the riders and all the weyrlings; this particular one gave him pause. They had both stood as candidate's before, and had a nice association during that time, until about a Turn ago, when she left the Hatching Sands a new queenrider, and Taeshin with no dragon bondmate.

Their relationship had degenerated since then into one of few words, sour
looks and smoldering jealousy. Now, Taeshin had to turn that around.
Janani told him that this particular rider may be the most important one
Taeshin had to speak to; because as a queenrider she had the potential to
one day be Weyrwoman. And if Taeshin ever Impressed, it would not go well
with him to have a goldrider, let alone her Queen dislike him.

When Taeshin got closer to her, but still a respectful distance away, he
toed the ground nervously with his boots as he called to her.

"Um...excuse me. Meledei? May I speak with you, for a brief moment?"
Taeshin asked with some anxiety.

Meledei laughed at the joke that a fellow rider told. It had been funny.
She turned away when she heard her name and that laugh stopped abruptly, the smile faded and Meledei stiffened visibly. Taeshin again. Ever since her Impression he'd been distant at best and down right mean at worst. Her last interaction with him hadn't gone well at all. And now he was coming to her? What did he want now? Surely he wasn't going to start a fight right in front of all those riders. "Taeshin." She managed a nod, but that was about as polite as she was going to get. "What do you want?"

Taeshin flinched visibly from the vehemence in Meledei's voice. Not that he didn't deserve it, of course, but still for a brief moment anger flashed
across his face and he was prepared to treat her the way he had been doing
for the past Turn. Instead Weyrwoman Janani's words played in the back of
his mind, and he relaxed, just a little.

He looked at the other riders present, taking notice that each of them had a look on their face that told Taeshin that would not tolerate any of his
antics towards Meledei. He stared at each of them, letting them know he
wouldn't tolerate any of their interference in this matter, riders or not he didn't need anyone else botching this up. He looked back to Meledei, giving her an assessing look as he remembered the budding friendship they had before she Impressed the golden Elleth. Then Taeshin's emotions, mainly his jealousy, had caused him to pull away from her, and at times be downright hostile to her presence. He hated how the jealousy made him act, and with Weyrwoman Janani's help he was learning to control these feelings, and part of that meant he had to apologize.

"I'm sorry" Taeshin said, suddenly and quietly, nervously kicking at rocks
on the ground that weren't there.

The words had caught Meledei completely off guard. She had expected venom.
Or coldness. What did he want? She thought maybe he was there to deliver a message of some sort. Maybe he was there to tell her someone else wanted to see her. Or maybe he was there to try and start another argument. Those were the ideas that flashed through her mind at his arrival. So when the apology came from his mouth instead, it made her pause. It made her stare. And then it made her ask, "What?" Because she just couldn't believe she'd heard right.

Taeshin sighed in frustration and defeat. He thought that maybe this would
be over quick and easy. But just like when a Healer told you something
would be quick and painless, it wasn't.

"I said I'm sorry Meledei. Sorry for being an ass to you, sorry for cutting our friendship off. I'm jealous. I've been angry and mad and jealousy of you ever since Elleth choose you." he said, looking Meledei directly in the eyes. "I hate that I have these feelings towards you, towards anyone one who has Stood with me as a Candidate and Impressed really. I don't know why, I just do ok?"

"Uh..." Okay, so maybe she wasn't hearing wrong. Meledei glanced back at
the other riders, unable to read their expression. Then she stepped forward and curled her fingers around Taeshin's arm to lead him away and allow for a more private conversation. "We should talk."

Taeshin looked at Meledei and then down at her hand in mild surprise. He
thought she would probably scoff at him and walk away, not believing his
sentiments. He had been down right nasty to this woman in the past. He
allowed him to lead her some way away from the looking Riders and gave her a quizzical look. Maybe she wanted to give him a tongue lashing away from
listening ears.

But Meledei didn't give him a tongue lashing. She didn't really say
anything - at least, not at first. She did let go of Taeshin once he was
staying with her and let her arms cross over her chest. Finally, when
they'd gone some distance, more than necessary, she stopped and turned
toward him. "So basically. You were mad at me for Impressing?"

Teashin looked away from Meledei, back towards the feeding dragons. He gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head to the question, affirming. His eyes followed a green as it circled the skies above the herdbeast and dove with breakneck speed when she found the one she favored.

"Yes Meledei, I was...I am mad at your for Impressing. It's the dumbest
thing in the world, but that's just how I feel" he told her.

"Yeah, Taeshin. It is the dumbest thing in the world. And here you come,
trying to apologise to me. And you know, I _might_ have accepted; except by
your own admission, you're still mad. I want to forgive you Taeshin, but
I'm having a very hard time feeling forgiving right now." Meledei shook her head. "If you want to be forgiven, then you've got to get over this being mad, otherwise, there's no point. You've got to get over yourself. Come back when you grow up a bit more." And with that, the goldrider turned and started to walk away.

Taeshin looked at the queenrider's retreating back, rigid in anger and
embarrassment. He tried to call out to her but he couldn't even form one
coherent word. His eyes flashed coldly before he turned sharply and walk in the opposite direction that Meledei was going.

"I tried!" he yelled as he stalked towards Janani's office.

"Well you didn't try hard enough!" Meledei snapped back, then turn and ran
back to the riders before Taeshin could get another shot in. The boy needed to learn how to _deal_!

Taeshin heard Meldei's reply, but he refused to turn around and give her a
rebuttal. He just continued on his course, throwing his hand up as if he
was dismissing Meledei, his steps hard and purposeful.

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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I'm Sorry...Sort Of