"Setting the Record Straight"

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 26th July 2014

Characters: Kapera, Esiah
Description: Kapera goes to see if Esiah is really a woman-beater.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 1 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned; Meledei
Note: takes place after "Not Quite Right"

Kapera

Esiah

Kapera went hunting for Esiah, wondering where you might find a painter.
It wasn't entirely unreasonable to think she'd find him outside - but no
luck. So she started through the halls towards the crafter's area.

Esiah was in his room for a change, tapping the end of a paint brush
against his lips as he tried to figure out exactly what was missing
from the portrait he was working on. There was just something missing
about the person's eyes that he didn't quite like. He had not captured
the expression in them that he had hoped to convey.

When a knock came at his door, he set down his brush, raked his
fingers through his hair, and opened the door, "Oh, lady Kapera, what
a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"I've got some questions for you," the goldrider said, leaning against his
door. "Mind if I come in?"

Esiah glanced back at his humble abode, which consisted of paintings
propped up to try and other miscellaneous painting supplies, "Of
course." He stepped back, clearing a few items from a chair in case
the goldrider wanted to sit.

She did, and stared at him rather fixedly. "I've heard some rumors
going around, and I figured I'd give you a chance to explain yourself
before we have to throw you out the weyr."

At first he thought she was joking but there was no humor on her face,
"Excuse me?"

"I heard you hit Meledei," she said, crossing her arms.

The crafter's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up, "I did what?!"

"She has a black eye, and I heard it was your fault."

Esiah was insulted and trying not to allow his emotions to get the
best of him. He had never raised a hand to a woman and would never
dream of doing so. "Of course she has a black eye. She was hit in the
face with a ball during a game with her dragon."

"Dragons play ball?" The mental image was enough to distract her from her
fury.

"That's what I thought but apparently her dragon does." He answered
with a shrug.

"And the ball hit Meledei, and that's what happened?"

"That's what happened. You can ask her." Esiah couldn't believe Kapera
hadn't just went to Meledei first.

"She ran out of the Records Room like she was on fire," the goldrider
said. "I had to ask around."

"And what? Because I am some holdbred from the middle of nowhere you
automatically assume that I must be a woman-beater?" Esiah crossed his
arms over his chest.

"So how were you involved?"

It grated on Esiah's nerves that Kapera didn't answer his question so
he assumed that he had been correct. Just because he was holdbred
didn't mean his mother didn't take special pains to teach him how to
properly treat women. "Elleth said that I could sketch her up close if
I promised her a game of ball. Meledei joined the game, because of
course I had no idea what sort of game one would play with a dragon.
Elleth hit the ball toward Meledei, Meledei didn't get out of the way
in time and it smacked her right in the face."

She bit her lip and considered his words. "So you were with Meledei when
she got hit in the face. But then the rumor mill extrapolated that into
_you_ hit her," she said as she figured it out.

The man shook his head, "I had not even heard the rumors..." and then
a piece of conversation he had overheard the other day in the Dining
Cavern made sense, "Ugh, except when I was sitting with Meledei in the
Dining Cavern and some people whispered how they couldn't believe I
had the audacity to sit with her in public. Now at least I know what
they meant."

"I suppose they wouldn't call you a woman-beater to your face," she said
with a flash of a smile. "Are you two even involved?"

Esiah sighed a bit at that, "No, we are not even remotely involved.
Though, not for lack of me trying." He raised his eyebrows a bit, "And
I just saw my ego crawl under my bed."

The goldrider's temper was mercurial, and now that Esiah had been cleared
as a threat to the safety of another goldrider, curiosity caught her whims
instead. "So it must sting to imagine that people think you treat her so
badly."

"I am more offended for my poor mother who went through great pains to
raise me a
gentleman." Esiah said with a dry chuckle.

She laughed. "So where are you from?"

"The middle of nowhere really. Emerald Falls territory." He revealed.

"Hmm." She settled into the chair further. "So a young artist wants to
impress a young goldrider and winds up with her dragon interfering, huh?"

"Not impress necessarily. I have been outright flirting but she seems
completely oblivious or perhaps she just does not like me that way so
I should stop wasting my time." He shrugged.

"I guess this can't have helped." Kapera considered it all for a moment.

"I'm sorry I misjudged you based on the rumors," she said after a moment.

"Thank you, I accept your..... Wait," his brows furrowed, "What do you
mean a _young_ artist? I am older than you, surely, and well older
than Meledei."

"But the stories sound better that way," she said. "And when rumors are
flying, the truth is hard to find out." That she knew.

Esiah shook his head, his hands resting on his hips, "Oh well, I
suppose I will from now on be known as a woman-beater. Not as a
brilliant painter, or anything. Because you know the truth never
travels as fast, nor half as far, as a lie."

"Of course not." Her lips twisted, wondering what she had.

The man hated what rumors could do to a person, and more than that he
hated being the victim of it. Not much he could do about it now, but
he did need to see if Meledei was aware of what people were saying.

"Thanks for giving me a heads up at least. Even if you nearly threw me
out of the Weyr." A teasing tone had returned to his voice.

"We might have to rescue your reputation somehow. If I heard it, others
will have too." And she didn't want the rest excoriating him

Esiah wasn't sure how they would manage to bring his tainted
reputation out of the muck, "That may take some work. Once people have
a bit of juicy gossip to sink their teeth in they have a hard time
letting go."

"Find them something jucier about you. Something that doesn't involve her,
if you don't want your feelings public," she guessed.

He didn't really care about his feelings being public he just didn't
want to be known as a man that beat on women, "Got any ideas? I am
afraid that I have nothing juicy resting in my past."

"Strip naked and run through the weyrbowl?" That one was intentionally
over the top, but she had to admit she'd enjoy seeing it.

Esiah barked out a laugh, shaking his head, "Then they would just
think I was an insane woman-hitter who cannot keep his clothes on."
Although he had to imagine that it would be a hilarious spectacle to
behold.

"It was worth suggesting it, right?" She grinned at him.

"It made me laugh at least." He decided that he liked Kapera. She was
to the point, but at a sense of humor. He liked that. "I suppose I
should just talk with Meledei and see what she thinks."

"Sounds like the sensible thing. A pity, though."

The crafter cocked his head, "I can't decide if you just want to see
me humiliate myself or if you just want to see me naked... Or both."
He grinned.

Her chuckle was low and amused. "Both at the same time can be fun."

Esiah laughed, "All right, milady. Respectfully, get out of my weyr so
I can go and do some damage patrol with a pretty goldrider."

She laughed at that and tossed him a mock salute. "Good luck."

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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"Setting the Record Straight"