Not So Good Turn

Writers: AL, Suzee
Date Posted: 21st May 2013

Characters: R'enh, Meledei
Description: Trying to reconnect
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 29 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Aishara

R'enh

Meledei had been dancing and dancing and dancing. Eventually she
slipped away and somehow avoided more requests for dances. She ducked
outside where others milled about. Most had brought their drinks and
sipped in between spurts of conversation. The music of the evening
was the murmur of voices and the rustle of nature. The stars seemed
to dance to it, enjoying the rhythm. Meledei turned her gaze up to
those stars to watch them and smiled. The day had been hot, but the
night had turned mild and made a lovely Turn's end.

The party was wonderful and he'd danced with Aishara multiple times.
She made him happy in a way he couldn't really describe, but he'd
released her to another partner who'd come to claim her for a dance.
He turned to scan the crowd and saw a familiar figure walking away
from the crowd. He stood there in a moment of indecision and then
followed her outside.

"Beautiful evening," he said as he walked up beside her.

The voice was a familiar one but it startled Meledei. They hadn't
spoken since his perceived slight and frankly she'd been avoiding him
- and she had to wonder if he had been avoiding her. She stiffened a
little but nodded politely. "Yes, it is."

He would have had to been blind not to see the stiffness in her
shoulders. So it was fairly obvious to him that she wasn't going to
make this easy for him. Even though Mnoranth was still dancing
attendance on his mate he'd found it inexplicably difficult to open
back up to the goldrider. Especially, since it seemed she didn't even
understand why he'd needed to pull away.

"I hear Cyradis has given you more responsibility."

"Yes, she has." Cyradis had put confidence in her, which even Janani
hadn't gotten so far as to do. Would she have entrusted Meledei the
way Cyradis had? Maybe - but she had a feeling it may have been later
rather than sooner. "It's been nice."

"I'm glad," he said. "You deserve it." He knew she'd been working hard
at every task she'd been handed.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say." Meledei had to wonder
why he was coming to her all of a sudden. They hadn't spoken since
their little incident. Her dismissal had hurt her, but he hadn't
seemed to have cared. So why now?

R'enh could tell he wasn't really making much progress but his humor
kicked in. "So, how long are you going to keep me out here in the
cold?"

"You don't have to stay if you don't want." Meledei shrugged. "And
it's not really that cold." Irritation flared up a little and she did
her best to press it back. He was trying to act like nothing had
happened, but she just couldn't.

"Faranth Meledei," he shook his head. "Do you care at all about other
people or is everything about you?" He crossed his arms and just
stared at her. "I meant how long are you going to freeze me out of
your life?"

"If I recall, you're the one who rather coldly dismissed me even after
I apologised for something that you over reacted to." Meledei
straightened, her back stiff. "And you didn't really make any effort
to reach out to me. So why should I be the one to reach out to you?
From your demeanor, you acted like you didn't want me around. And now
you're here trying to act like nothing happened. If anything, R'enh,
you're the one acting like it's all about you." Meledei lifted her
skirts and swished passed him. She was no longer in the mood to
celebrate - perhaps it was time to return to her weyr for the night.

R'enh's hand snaked out to grab her arm before she could escape. This
wasn't going at all the way he'd wanted. His voice came out in a
growl. "Oh no, we're not done," he said as he spun her around and
pulled her back toward him. His eyes were steel as they looked without
sympathy into the storm that was to his view a callous and selfish
spoiled little girl.

"If you've forgotten, I'm the one that just followed you out here to
talk. I_was_ making an effort and if you weren't so blinded by your
own ego you'd see it." He let go of her arm. "Just once Mel, just once
make an effort to see things from another person's point of view.
Whether you believe it or not... I have. I wasn't proud of myself and
came out to apologize."

He crossed his arms, He couldn't believe the young woman he now saw in
front of him had once been a good friend. She was obviously nothing
like what he'd thought. One brow arched in expectation of the reaming
she was going to try to give him.

"You were making an effort to pretend like nothing had happened. Like
nothing was wrong. That's not apologising, R'ehn, that's brushing
things under the carpet which doesn't help anything." Sadness tinged
Meledei's voice. He obviously didn't think much of her if that's what
he wanted to do and she was hurt that their friendship had taken such
a sour turn "You said I'd hurt your feelings. I came to you that
very same day and asked for forgiveness. You never really gave that
to me either. You dismissed me in a way that was down right icy. And
while I gave you space for a sevenday, you pretty much had nothing to
do with me either, so you can't say this is all my fault. I
acknowledge that I hurt you, but it wasn't done intentionally. You,
however, intentionally spurned me. So what do you want me to do?
Apologise? I've already done that but you didn't accept it the first
time."

He mentally shook his head. "No," he started. "You assumed I was
pretending. Back when that first happened , you came too soon Meledei.
I was still angry." She hadn't realized it at the time but he'd even
felt bad about the way he'd reacted at the time. "But once again, you
aren't hearing me." He took a breath still trying to get across to her
his real points. "Today, right here, right now, I'm trying to
apologize and you're throwing everything back in my face. Yes I hurt
you when you hurt me and for that I'm sorry. So, I started the
conversation with simple pleasantries that's true. Would you have
rather just said I was a fool and bend to kiss your foot?"

"No, that's not what I want." Meledei felt her hackles rising and she
was trying very hard not to get angry. "I don't like letting the sun
go down on arguments so I came to you before the day ended for that
reason. You treated me callously, ignore me for a sevenday, then act
like everything is fine and dandy. I have a feeling if I did the same
you wouldn't be so happy with me. And now you're 'apologising' but
picking a fight at the same time. Somehow that makes it feel like
it's less sincere."

"I did not act like everything was fine and dandy, I tried to be
polite and then I tried to apologize, which I now have done, whether
or not you choose to believe me is irrelevant. But what I'm hearing is
you still need to be mad." He nodded "I can understand that." He
turned away from the fuming gold rider. "Have a nice new turn," he
called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"No, R'enh." Meledei's voice cracked as tears stung her eyes.
Shaffit, why was she trying to cry? She didn't want to cry. "The
problem is you don't understand at all." Then it was her turn to move
away. She moved quickly, not wanting to hear anything else from the
bronzerider. Any and all desire to participate in the festivities was
gone. Instead, she made her way quickly through the halls as she
struggled to keep back the tears until she could make it to her weyr.

R'enh went to find a good bottle and get himself quietly drunk.

Last updated on the June 1st 2013

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Not So Good Turn