[PRP] Feast of Sorrows [Tyila/Tass/T'rel]

[ShinosBee]

The clutch had been terribly large, Tyila had gathered, though as the first clutch she's seen in person she'd have had no way to know on her own. It had been equal parts exciting and exhausting for the introverted and somewhat fragile young woman. The babies! So many and so small, and so much more...animated, compared to how things had been for her and Mishaath. It had been absolutely entrancing, even if there had been a moment or two that had worried her that she would have to suffer a repeat of the brown that had betweened, screaming pain and loss, so many turns ago and mere feet in front of her.

The crowds of course she had not cared for. At all. T'rel had convinced her to attend, but once Mishaath and Tyalith had flown them in she'd been fixed to her seat in her riding straps. She'd vehemently refused to climb down or sit in the stands, and the sight and sound of them below had made her feel stared at the whole time.

By the time the hatching was done, she was worn beyond desire to attend the feast. Even more people, all touching and talking and moving together? No, no no no. She would rather curl up in their weyr and go hungry. Mishaath had demanded she eat though, and whenshe'd crept our into the silent empty weyr hall to find the kitchen, she'd almost tripped over Tass--her T'rel's own brother--sniffling on the doorstep. Poor boy. She'd forgotten...he'd stood for impression, hadn't he? And been rejected... She sank to sit beside him on the step, saying nothing, but willing to listen or offer silent support.

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Tassiel had tried to attend the feast. He really had. He was happy for Demanthra! His sister had finally Impressed, she wouldn't have to worry about what she'd have to do in the future now that she had Monath. He was happy for her, really. Just as he'd been for T'rel and Ash.

This time was somehow different. He was getting older, he was starting to be concerned about his future. And a dragon definitely would have impressed Bekah, wouldn't it?

He sighed, wiped at his eyes and looked up as someone sat beside him. Tyila. T'rel's weyrmate. He took her hand quietly, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of my brother." Anything to keep the topic off of him.  

[ShinosBee]

Poor Tass. She'd never quite understand the fears and anxieties of the Weyr's candidates. She herself had...never even really wanted a dragon. Had never seen one up close, and certainly not seen an egg or a baby until Mishaath was literally standing in front of her, begging for her love and protection. All he'd ever wanted was shelter and enough food to get by, and maybe for her mother's love. These children, and young adults, they had dreams. Real, true dreams, things they hoped for and wanted. It would be, she thought, very hard to be strong when the chance to have those dreams come true was right in front of you, and then looked at you, and picked someone else.

She cupped Tass' hand between the two of hers, patting the back of it with an almost ghost-like lightness. "He's the one taking care of me, really," She admitted. It was true enough. "Most days I think he'd be fine as ever without me. But I try to make things easier..." Her own insecurities made it easy for her mind to be pushed away from centering on him, but a glint of light caught on the moisture still smudged around the corners of his eye. Poor child. She stood, then, and tugged at his hand for him to join her.

A distraction for them both, perhaps. "I don't...think I can go to the feast. There are too many people. But...the healers will scold me and T'rel both if I miss dinner. Would you come with me, Tass? You shouldn't miss it either."

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Tassiel looked up and shook his head. Tyila didn't know, then. "You take care of him in other ways," he offered, by way of explanation. "I've never seen him as happy as he was when he first found you, you know. And then when you came.." He'd been so excited, and yet so anxoous. "He was so worried you'd hate the place. All you had to worry about, and he was worried about whether you'd like the way the weyr looked." He shook his head, but his expression had turned fond. "I don't think he'd be the same without you."

He stood when prompted. "Probably would," he agreed. For all the help they provided, angry healers could be as terrifying as Thread when they wanted to be. "Do you think we can get bubblypies?" He asked.

The door of the weyr swung open. "Hey. Bring me some," T'rel said, and kissed Tyila's temple. He didn't seem surprised to see Tass there, either.  

[ShinosBee]

It was almost crushingly sweet to hear how happy she apparently had made T'rel. He'd literally pulled her out of hell, out of a life she had hated and not wanted, and given her safety, a home, acceptance. A way to take care of Mishaath. That he'd been, of all things, worried she'd find his home ugly...that was entirely T'rel. She was utterly certain the man would have tried to paint the sky green if she'd said it was her favorite color. He really...really was far too kind, too sweet for her. Why had he ever picked her? She'd been nothing, no one, weak and helpless and frightened, worth nothing to anyone but her dragon. He'd seen her though, and told her she was beautiful. She didn't understand it...but she was starting to learn that it was okay not to, and to simply enjoy what luck life had finally seen her ready to have.

The same man her thoughts were whirling around popping out of their rooms startled her, and from within she could hear Mishaath's tell-tale honk of surprise, but she couldn't help but smile at his affection. "Of course, T'rel." Her hand found Tass', and she tugged him gently along with her as they set off. "I don't know if there'll be any left that they didn't take up to the feast, but we can try. It's important to eat other things though." She'd been in and out of the healers' offices for herself and her green in the months since joining the weyr. The dangers of malnutrition were entirely real, and ones she was keenly aware of. "Though...maybe just once wouldn't hurt."

She herself was determined to find a hearty stew, or at least something better than a pie she could get T'rel to share with her. He'd eat well for her sake, if nothing else, and she would play no part in him suffering for her poor attentions.

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Tass followed Tyila with a smile. "T'rel hates tubers," he revealed. He had since they'd been tiny, their foster mother had gone through hoops trying to hide them in dishes. "I'm sure he'd eat them if you asked him to, though." Was love like that? T'rel had become someone who wanted to make Tyila happy more than anything else.

"We could get meatrolls or stew," he suggested, then. "What do you like best? Sometimes the kitchen workers'll let us make things, if we promise not to make a mess." Maybe that would be today. They'd worked so hard on the feast, maybe they'd let them make dinner.  

[ShinosBee]

Tyila felt a brief flutter in her middle, a milder version of that sensation of your stomach dropping, at this revelation. What if she had tried to bring him tubers? What if he'd been mad about it? What if he'd been upset that she didn't already know, and had finally turned her out? Of course, a split second later the panic passed—T'rel had NEVER been like that, never been anything but patient and loving and kind. Turns-long paranoia was harder to shake though, but...she was getting there. Tass had said that for her he'd try them, hadn't he? T'rel, after all, had made it his mission to help her patch the cracks left behind from her life before the weyr.

"Stew might be good. It's simple, but filling and good for you. And we can put a few chopped tubers in, T'rel might think they're bits of other things or meat if there's enough seasoning...right?" There were only two or three lights on in the kitchens, a rather unhappy looking skeleton crew still lurking within instead of off with the rest at the feast. " I don't...know what I like best," She admitted. "What about you?"

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"Yeah, I thought we could make that on our own," Tass nodded. Simple and filling seemed to be just what Tyila needed. She was still so thin. "I bet if we put tubers in it, he wouldn't notice," he added. Their foster mother had done much the same.

"I like..." He considered the question for a long moment. "Just about anything, I suppose. But dessert is always best!" Especially still hot bubblypies, when T'rel was willing to share. "But I don't think there's any left," he added, as he looked around the kitchens. "We're just going to make some stew," he offered, to the nearest kitchen worker.  

[ShinosBee]

Tyila hung back just a bit as Tass spoke to the kitchen workers. Taking food, even though it was freely given, and intended to be eaten, was still a struggle. From wherever she was in the weyr, Mishaath sent a soothing thought, and noted her own full belly. There was no one for Tyila to withhold on behalf of, so she'd best eat, the green seemed to chide her. When the staff only nodded, apparently all too glad to be left to rest after a no-doubt explosively busy day, then did she step out from the candidate's shadow to begin gathering up ingredients.

"Stew is good for scraps too." He was used to working with those, and often they went unmissed. "T'rel should eat a bit of everything. He needs to be strong..." Especially with thread back. The cooking work went quick with extra hands, so Tyila began to put together a tray to take back to the weyr for them all. She had no interest in lingering here when she could be snugly hidden behind stone walls and her own door. Breads, cheeses, a few bowls and the pot of stew. Two pies, and a small cake, for hersellf. T'rel loved the pies, but they still seemed so cloying, far too sweet almost to her. A little bit of lighter, spongier cake instead...it was less popular, so it was often easier to find too. Less guilt for sneaking some, though really it wasn't sneaking at all.

"I'm sure the next clutch will have one for you, you know, Tass. You're just as kind as T'rel, so I can't imagine you being left wanting..."

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

Tass knew Tyila was speaking from experience. It didn't take a healer to see the poor girl had starved! "Don't worry," he said. "He'd do anything for you, tubers and all." His brother was firmly and soundly smitten.

"You're really good at this," he complimented. He hadn't expected the stew to prepared so soon, but time went faster with two cooks. "I'll carry it," he offered. With the pot of stew, the tray might be heavy.

"Really?" Tass smiled at Tyila's next words. "I hope so. I've always wanted a dragon, since I can remember. Thanks, Tyila."  

[ShinosBee]

Tyila had been ready to haul the heavy tray itself, but also had no hesitation about allowing Tass to do it. He was a sweet boy, as kind as any in his family, and...it probably was safer. She hadn't dropped anything in months now but you never knew. And the small kettle they'd used to make the stew was a bit on the heavy side for her. She bustled about, gathering a few more things—a small pot of preserves to put on the bread, a little tankard of juice—and nodded to Tass to show she was ready to go back. "Thank you..." She made sure to call back to the still-tired looking kitchen staff, and she took no offense when the best she received in turn was a grunt or two.

"I really do think you will, Tass. It might take a while, for the right dragon to come find you, but it'll happen..." She'd feel terrible down the line if all her encouragement was for naught. What if none did come? What if Tass remembered she'd said one would and felt betrayed? But...Tass wasn't the type. No one here, really, was the type to come back turns later to accuse her of something said innocently enough. And she really did think one would come! A perfectly cute green, or a beautiful brown, maybe...

Thaliawen

 

[Thaliawen]

"Yeah, thank you!" Tass called, smiling at the tired kitchenworkers. He didn't envy them one bit. They'd probably sleep all of tomorrow, if they could. "I think T'rel will like the stew we made," he offered a smile at Tyila.

"I'll try to be patient," he promised. A dragon was definitely worth the wait. He would have hugged her, if not for the food they were both carrying. "My brother is really lucky, to have someone like you," he said. "But I'm lucky too," he gave her a smile. "You're my sister, now."  

[ShinosBee]

Tyila nodded along as Tass and she returned to the weyr she shared with T'rel. A quick tap on the door to get him to open it, and they were all set for a nice, quiet dinner. Tucked away out of sight of the rest of the weyr, out of mind in their own private space. Only the distant honks and trills of the number of dragons outside, the dim noise of throngs of people down in the bowl filtering up through the open ledge shared by her green, as well as T'rel's, was there to distract, and from this distance...it was little more than background white noise.

"It takes patience to raise a dragon, at least, to do it properly. Waiting for the right dragon will help you learn that. I think, at least." It was what she'd been told. Tass was so young still. He had so much time. there was no need to rush, to speed towards the danger of thread and battle. It was already nerve-wracking, stressful and terrifying that she had to fight, that T'rel had to fight. He'd called her his sister—she'd rather have some family left out of the fighting, so...as much as Tass wanted a dragon, she realized she would not be entirely sad to see him unchosen at the end of things.

Thaliawen