Frenemies [Tag: Talaria]

[Hiko]

A long soak in a hot bath. That was the cure-all for a terrible week, right? Talera sighed, sinking into the heated pool, murmuring bubbles as her lips hit the warm water.

The past sevenday had begun with the ending of hers and A'dion's relationship. The man could not be content with merely her, and she had accepted that; or at least, that was what she had been telling herself. Aerroth was still too infatuated with his bronze to care, and while the woman couldn't fault the dragon for having tastes of her own (especially when the pairing produced such interesting clutches), she held a vain hope that she might let another catch her when she next rose to mate.

Besides, she thought darkly, it wasn't as if the man was as loyal.
Talera leaned her head back, easing into a more relaxed posture in the pool. A good, long soak could wear away at any trouble – especially when she wasn't expecting to return to a weyr with said Trouble. Still, his need to roam stung. She'd known he'd had flings in the past that had turned sour, but he'd promised it was different for them, that weyrmates meant something.
But he'd flirted with that kitchen girl.
He'd been seen leaving that cavern worker's room.
And he'd outright told her about the green rider he'd been wanting to see when she was too busy with Aerroth.
The gold rider sighed, displeased with her train of thoughts.

Then, to end the week, the hatching happened. What was usually a glorious day, a proud day for Aerroth had turned at first horrifying, and then just strange. She didn't even know what to think with T'vir's outbursts. Their newest queen rider, a boy in disguise? The very idea unsettled the woman, but until a healer could verify (or Aleni herself came forth with her side of the story), Talera thought it better to steer clear of such drama. Besides, even if Aleni were a boy, what could they do? One could hardly rebuke Impression. Though, she thought with a groan, that would be the icing on the cake for Mavros, wouldn't it? Lose two golds, have the Weyrwoman come back from the dead, and then Impress another queen to a boy.
Come to Mavros, ladies and gentlemen, and see the world's biggest collection of oddities!
A'zael could even charge a fare.

Bah. Thoughts were hideous. She sunk down into the water, dunking her head under for a moment. Perhaps the heat would clear her head.

Zen

[Zen]

Talaria

Talaria had not attended the Hatching. Not only was there another gold on the sands, but it was Aerroth's clutch... and Zevranth's, yet again. And while she had nothing against the bronze, his rider was another story. But now, she half wished she had attended with all the talk flying around about it. The new gold had supposedly Impressed a boy parading around like a girl? With all the talk she'd heard leading up to it, she'd actually decided to attend the feast in some attempt to sort some of it out. Just what the shell had happened? Surely it was just slander, started by someone jealous of the girl's Impression? Who ever heard of a gold Impressing a boy? The browns Impressing girls was one thing, but this was entirely another.

So she had been at the feast to see their esteemed Weyrleader making a complete ass of himself in front of everyone by getting so drunk on wine he could barely stand upright. Just when she started thinking A'zael might actually be starting to grow up he went and proved her wrong. Served her right for expecting anything different, the man was as clueless as his dimglow bronze. It was infuriating that Mavros was in the hands of someone so selfish and immature. He was just a walking scandal, dragging the entire Weyr's name through the mud with him. Ugh. She could only hope that Zalmaranth had better sense during her next rise. The fluke of two golds in one clutch must have been why she chose Fath again, thinking he'd proven a good sire. Well, there'd only even been one bronze in their second clutch, so hopefully the senior gold would look elsewhere for a mate.

And she had also witnessed A'dion being his usual sharding self, flirting with anything with legs, boasting over his dragon's fine clutch despite the oddities of the day. That he was so open in his flirting had surprised her. She had thought he and Talera were.... Well, not that it mattered. Nor was it surprising. The man was greedy and fickle. Moodily, she headed to the bathing caverns, hoping to wash away some of the stresses of the day with the grime, and also hoping not too many others had the same idea. She'd asked Tanith to check, to make sure it was not too crowded, and the green had replied with a strange lilt in her tone that there were not many others and it should be suitably private for her tastes. Not caring to worry about just what that weird tone was, she had sent her dragon a wary thank you before heading down. She headed away from the entrance, to one of the more secluded corners, quickly stripped down, and settled into the water with a long sigh. What a day.

Hiko

[Hiko]

Talera had remained under the heated waters until she could hold her breath no longer. When she finally gave up and broke for air, the gold rider gave a soft pah, breathing in and out. Wiping at her eyes, she only vaguely saw the blurred shape of someone else having joined in the pool.

“Sorry,” she said, still clearing away her vision, “I didn't think anyone else was planning on coming in tonight.”
And then her eyes were open, dry, and fully capable of seeing her companion.
Oh.
Oh.
“Ah, Talaria.” Talera faltered, unsure of how to proceed. The green rider was known for her dislike of weyrwomen, and that was without acknowledging Talera's recent relationship with A'dion. Add to that the utter strangeness that had come from Aerroth and Zevranth's latest coupling. Silently, she cursed her luck. The pools should have been clear the rest of the evening! Who bathed after a feast? Feasts nights nearly always guaranteed a quiet pool. Well, except for tonight, apparently.
This...
This was going to be bad.
“What, ah.” she cleared her throat, tight in apprehension, “Today was certainly something, wasn't it?”

Zen

[Zen]

Talaria :: Green Tanith

Having closed her eyes to relax for a moment, it was all the more startling when there was a sudden rush of sound from nearby. She jolted around to see another woman emerging from the water. Well, at least it was a woman-.... Her wide gaze narrowed to displeased slits as she recognized the face, and she felt Tanith's amusement seeping through their bond. It occurred to Talaria just what that strange feeling had been before.

Tanith! Why didn't you tell me SHE was here!

I thought this would be more fun. For me.

You're an ass, she mentally snarled.

As are you, my beloved rider. The green's voice dripped with poisoned honey, a deceptive sweetness to cover the intense bitterness beneath.

She thought about just up and leaving. She could come back tomorrow morning instead. And then the woman was talking to her. Wonderful. Of all the goldriders it could have been, why her? She was at least half pleased to note that Talera did not at all sound comfortable with the situation.

Her own bitterness was clear in her sarcastic tone as she responded to the woman's attempt at small talk, “I'm not sure what you mean. Just another day at Mavros.” She sat back in the water and stared straight ahead, avoiding looking over at Talera any longer as she tried to determine her next course of action, “Your Aerroth certainly clutches interesting hatchlings.” It had been Aerroth's first clutch that had resulted in Mavros's first female brownrider after all... and now they had two more. Unless they were all secretly boys parading around as girls too? Anything was sharding possible, apparently. And with a barb meant more for A'dion than Zevranth, for she did adore the bronze despite his choice in rider, “Then again, perhaps the sire is to blame for such... eccentricities.”

Hiko

[Hiko]

Just another day at -
Talera frowned. The green rider was less than accommodating for conversation, wasn't she? And now, she wouldn't even look her way. Well, two could play this game, she thought with a huff.
“Well, yes,” she replied evenly to the jab at her golden lifemate, “But you know golds. Always giving the Weyr something notable.”

She took up a handful of soapsand from the nearest dispensing bowl and scrubbed at her shoulders. When Talaria brought up Zevranth, she stiffened. Did she know, then, that she and A'dion had ended their relationship? Surely, he had been discreet?
She reflected on the idiocy of that thought.
“Oh, don't blame the bronze, Talaria. It's not his fault he's stuck with-” Talera stopped herself before she could say more. With cupped hands, she worked at taking the sand off her shoulders and arms. Now it was Talera who refused to look at Talaria.
“Well, anyway. It's not as if their clutches aren't the only odd things within the Weyr. Surely you've met our undead Weyrwoman? How about the drama-magnet of a Weyrleader?” Her tone had somehow shifted from unaffected to bitter.
So much for casual conversation.

Zen

[Zen]

Talaria

Always giving the Weyr something notable. Talaria snorted lightly at that. Something notable indeed. Zalmaranth had produced two golds in one clutch and her rider had come back from the dead. The gold Aerroth had produced may very well have chosen a boy as her rider, on top of the browns that continued to choose females, not to mention the blue with strange white markings. One could only wonder what Danovelith or Sularenth might end up giving the Weyr once they clutched for the first time, not that it was a thought she particularly wanted to dwell upon.

She actually raised an eyebrow as Talera cut herself off, chancing a glance over at the other woman. Her tone changed then. Hm. She moved the conversation along to their weyrleaders, but Talaria was left wondering. Not that she cared. Had something happened to between A'dion and the goldrider he had left her behind for? Well, it was a soothing thought, at least, to know that not even a goldrider could satisfy the man for long. Perhaps that was why he had been so open with his flirting at the feast. Really, Talera had done her a favor, distracting A'dion away from her before anything had gotten serious between them. She'd proven her suspicions right that she had only been another conquest to him, that she hadn't meant anything to him in the end despite all his pretty words.

Men.

Exactly why she avoided them. As if she didn't have better things to do. They were all idiotic distractions that weren't worth her time. If only women could run everything, Mavros would be in much better shape. With a cold laugh, she made the suggestion, “Well. Perhaps next clutch will give us a woman on a bronze and we will finally get a Weyrleader with a decent head on their shoulders. The men riding our current bronzes rather leave much to be desired.” Not that she personally knew every bronzerider at Mavros, but they were all men, so it was a safe assumption to make.

Grabbing up a fistful of soapsand she started scrubbing at herself as if she could scrub away the annoyance and frustration as well, “The only reason A'zael rides bronze is because the dragon is too stupid to know to choose someone better. You should have seen them as weyrlings. Well. What am I saying, seeing as neither of them have changed at all? Immature, selfish, arrogant.... I wonder if men ever grow up.” She snapped her jaws closed as she realized she was starting on a bit of a tirade, focusing on her washing for a few moments as she deescalated her feelings a bit rather than continuing to feed their fire.

Hiko

[Hiko]

Talera's bitterness only deepened at Talaria's comments. A'zael had made a complete fool of himself at the feast tonight, and apparently, that was par for the course for his behavior. Fath was... Well, Fath was Fath. He'd adored Aerroth when they'd first arrived, and so the gold's own vanity colored her perception of the bronze; she couldn't easily fault the dragon. That was why they Impressed – the human was supposed to be the responsible party in the bond.

Bronze riders, couldn't live with them, couldn't make a clutch without them.
Or could you?
A sly smile curved onto Talera's lips.
“You know, we have enough women on browns now. It's not as if we're completely bereft of intelligent riders on capable dragons, as-is. Frankly, I'd be far happier if some young brown proved himself in Aerroth's next flight. The aftermath could hardly be more awkward than it already will be,” she added in afterthought.

Zen

[Zen]

Talaria

Raising an eyebrow over at the other woman as she mused about the girls on the browns, Talaria could only laugh at the suggestion. She supposed it was possible, though hardly likely, for one of those newly Impressed girls to end up as Weyrleader. Talera might only be speaking of her own gold's flight, which would not confer onto the winner any sort of rank, but the possibility remained. She shook her head, “Well your Aerroth may be one thing, but I can hardly see Zalmaranth allowing a brown to catch her. Who knows, though... she does seem to dislike everyone in equal measure.”

Pushing wet hair out of her face, she relaxed back against the stone walls of the bathing pools and pondered the idea for a bit longer. She figured that a girl on a brown becoming Weyrleader seemed like JUST the sort of thing that would happen at Mavros at this point. Because wouldn't that just do wonders for their wherryshit reputation? She made a soft noise in the back of her throat and glanced over at Talera again, “Either way, Mavros needs dragons, and brown sired clutches are hardly known for their numbers.” Suffer the bronzeriders she would, for the sake of the Weyrhold her parents had died for.

[Hiko]

Talera snorted at the green rider's reply. Aerroth gave her heart to anyone who gave half an attempt to woo her. Zalmaranth, however? She wondered if the dragon would allow browns to even compete, let alone catch her. Then again, Talaria wasn't wrong; the other gold seemed to hate everyone in her presence. Talera briefly wondered what it was like to be bound to such a spiteful creature, but Aerroth's own thoughts invaded, hurt.
Why concern yourself about that one? Am I not enough?
Merely pondering the trials and tribulations of the Weyrwoman, love. You are easily the best queen the Weyr has – let no one tell you otherwise.
This seemed to placate the golden dragon, but Talera privately wondered if the Weyr wouldn't be suited for a Weyrqueen with a better temperament. Surely, no bronze would continue to catch a gold that hated him? What happened, then, when the bronzes grew tired of the spite?

Talera sighed. These weren't questions she should have to ask herself in the middle of an already awkward bathing experience.
“True enough, I suppose. But you can't blame a woman for holding out a hope. Aerroth's besotted, never mind my own tastes.” The night had grown long, and the woman was too tired from the day's events. Talaria could have the bathing pool to herself. Rising from the pool, Talera took up a towel and wrapped it around her body, before pinning up her wet hair.
“How do you feel about lunch, sometime? I know I'm likely one of the last people you'd prefer to spend time with, but I did enjoy this, despite our mutual connection.” And that, oddly enough, felt true. She'd needed someone to rail against the world with, she realized, and Talaria had been a great outlet.

[Zen]

Talaria

Talaria was mildly amused by Talera's admission that her gold was besotted. She blew out her breath in surrender, “I can't say that I blame her. Zevranth is a fine bronze, despite his choice in rider.” A slight growl crept into her voice, but she ended the thought there. Talera rose from the pool and Talaria dunked beneath the water to rinse her hair out and give the woman some privacy while she covered herself.

Wringing her hair out a bit after resurfacing, she glanced over as the goldrider suggested lunch sometime. At the start of this little interaction she would have laughed and asked her if she was daft. However... it hadn't been quite as terrible as she'd thought it would be. Especially after figuring out that something had happened between her and A'dion. She thought of her - relationship was hardly the right word, but she wasn't entirely sure what was – with Srunae, and sighed.

As much as she wanted to hate these goldriders, actually interacting with them proved to be salve on the wound. Lunch with Talera. She gave a short, dry laugh. “Why not? Planning how to get a woman installed as Weyrleader over lunch sounds fantastic.”