Harper Hall - Rayathess' Room
Just your standard room, as befits a Journeyman Harper. Carved primarily of stone, there is little in the way of decoration here. He keeps his room sparsely furnished and tidied.


With the trials having been held early during the day, it left Rayathess time to disappear for awhile and be alone so he could absorb the emotional fallout of all the old wounds and bad memories that have been dredged up from it. Now it’s the day after and early morning again and he finds himself in his room. They’ve given him a few rest days and probably for the best. After spending most of the early hours pacing his room restlessly, he finally sits down and begins to write a letter. It’s short and curt but there isn’t much to be said. He’ll send it with his more trustworthy firelizard and when the brown pops from Between he knows exactly where to go. When the rolled parchment is received, it will say this:

Dtirae,

When are you available? I need to talk to you. I can come to the Weyr. Send a message back with Gren.

Rayathess

The letter finds Dtirae at a good time, free from the morning meetings and the ability to depart without causing issues for the others. She does not write a response, instead opting to travel and sneaking into the Hall — in the route Rayathess used to sneak her out. Zuvaleyuth is well hidden and occupied so not to draw attention to her rider's visit. The way to his room is relatively unoccupied and allows her to reach it without being stopped. There is no hesitation when she knocks on the door. (And, it isn't a frantic, worried knocking, at least.)

Rayathess startles at the sound of a knock on the door. He’d begun to grow worried that he had caught Dtirae at a bad time and was debating stepping out of his room. Instead, he’ll stride for the door and open it, blinking in dumbfounded surprise to find the weyrwoman standing there. “Shards! Dtirae… What’re you doing here?” he almost growls, gesturing for her to get inside while he peeks his head out to peer down the hallways nervously. Has anyone seen? Does anyone know?

Dtirae would grin, in another situation, at catching the Harper by surprise. But, she does not. "It sounded urgent and I can travel faster." Rather than waiting for him to secure transport. She steps into the room, quickly moving away from the frame ofthe door to allow a quick retreat before they can be found out. "I wasn't seen." She promises, this time there's a grin but it sobers quickly as she looks on him with concern. "Are you okay?"

“I’ve my own runner,” Rayathess begins to counter and protest but gives up. What’s the point? He closes the door and locks it, leaving Dtirae to make herself comfortable as she steps into his room. Her grinning is met only with a sort of strained grimace and he shakes his head, gesturing for her to take a seat. “They held the trials yesterday. For Ustrr’s followers…” he mutters. “I had to stand witness as… as one of the women involved plead against her charge of accessory to murder.” HIS murder. There is a lot more to this tale of his but Rayathess starts out there, right in the thick of it.

"Right. That you do." Dtirae agrees but does not push the rest of her argument as the protesting doesn't go much further. She does make herself comfortable in the same seat she previously occupied last she had been in his room. Grey eyes search him once again, after she is comfortable. "Right. The trials." A note of her remembrance of the fact. Brows begin to furrow in further concern when he continues. "And… This woman means something?" The 'to you' hangs silently in the air.

Rayathess doesn’t make a very good host but in his defence he wasn’t expecting Dtirae to come here. He’s no refreshment to offer her, only the seat in which she settles herself in. At least there is that? At her prompt, his features twist and a tense silence hangs and drags out almost to a painful length of time. “Yes, she did. I thought I had rid myself of my feelings for her after all that she’s done but…” He shrugs. Apparently he was wrong? “It just… brought up a lot of bad memories. And to be dragged out in front of everyone because she just won’t accept her wrongdoings…”

They're friends, Dtirae has no high expectations of him as a host, especially when she comes unannounced. As his features twist and the silence settles between them, the woman waits. At least until he's speaking again and she moves to reach for his hands. If he doesn't pull away, she firmly grasps his hands in hers. "Raya… It must've been hard. And… Putting that out in front of everyone?" She shakes her head and sighs softly. "Some people find a way into our hearts… And even when they should be gone and out of them, things make you remember that you still love them. Are… Are you okay?"

He doesn’t pull away but he does jerk to an awkward stop when his hands are suddenly grasped and he will look down at Dtirae, frowning. She’s one of the few who could get away with that and not have him flip out. Rayathess smirks, “I shouldn’t love her. Things between us grew estranged the moment I ratted out Laris and the camps. The younger me had a foolish romantic notion that people like her can change but they can’t. She’s a renegade to the core…” And will forever will be. He never was, just pretended to be. Is he okay? He sighs, “Not really but I’ll get over it. I was in a bad way just after the trials.”

When he jerks, Dtirae’s grip only tightens a bit more. If he makes an attempt to pull free, however, she will release him without protest. She looks back up at him, meeting his frown with her own. “Whether or not you should doesn’t mean you won’t, or didn’t. Some people do change, we talked about this. They change if and when they want, not because we want them to. If she had wanted to…” She trails off, looking down at their hands, her thumbs gently stroking his hands. “I wish you had called me sooner.” Okay, so, she was busy. Beside the point, however. “Do you want to talk about it more? Get it all off your chest?”

Rayathess won’t pull away right off, standing there for a moment with his wrists gripped by her hands and it’s only when he wishes to go sit that he pulls free of her hold. Stepping back, always keeping his eyes on her, he’ll sit on the chair opposite hers. “I know that,” he grumbles, his brows knitting into another frown that borders on a scowl. “I had hoped, I guess, that she WOULD change. For me, for us… Most of all for her. I tried to warn her, many times, what her life would be like if she continued. Guess it just all fell on deaf ears.” He sighs and his shoulders shrug in an almost helpless way. Too late now? “I wasn’t — not in a good state of mind. And what is there to talk about? Nothing can be changed about it. The men are to be exiled and Lyreh was spared that but is sentenced to work ten Turns in the mines north of Crom.” If she even survives that long!

When he does pull away, Dtirae does not fight him and returns to her chair, settling in and pulling a leg up to wrap her arms around it. "I don't think it was a bad thing for you to hope. Her… Morals were just different than yours. You did what was right by you and she did what she thought was right. Even if it wasn't. It sounds like she simply didn't believe you. Or, she didn't want to hear it." Grey eyes watch him sadly while her chin comes to rest on her knee. She doesn't say anything on the sentencing, because none of her comments would help. Likely, she'd make things worse. "Sometimes, just talking helps. It doesn't have to be about her. Or the trial. Just… Tell me how I can help, Raya. We could go out drinking, pretend not to be ourselves for a little while. Someplace where no one knows us. Whatever you want to do."

“Morals? I doubt she has any left, Dtirae. Maybe once long ago when she was younger and not so broken by her life’s experiences but now…” Rayathess sincerely doubts there is much, if anything, good left in Lyreh. “But yeah, you’re more on the mark about her not wanting to believe and not wanting to hear.” As for help? He scrubs wearily at his face, letting his hands come up to run through his hair before they drop again with an audible but soft slap-sound to his legs. Shards if he knows what’ll help? “I don’t know, Dtirae. There’s just so much going on in my head… They’ve given me a few days off but there’s a few things I still have to do. I’ve yet to speak with Ezra and I know he’ll be hurt if I don’t at least write to him by tonight. Then I’ve a… “ Here he hesitates awkwardly, his expression turning troubled. “…An apology to make to someone here. After that, though…” It comes to him then, what could be done and he chuckles faintly. “You still owe me a guitar.”

"Morals aren't necessarily one thing or another. Everyone has their own." Dtirae points out softly. So, while her morals didn't fit theirs, it fit hers and she saw fit to stick by it. As he scrubs at his face, she watches with further concern. "Because there's so much, you need to get away. You've a few days off, and it's still early. We don't have to go drink until you forget everything but we can go do something fun. Without our knots and duties. Then, I'll take you to Stonehaven because this is a conversation best done in person. And after, I will bring you back for your apology." The owing of the guitar does bring some color to her cheeks. "I do. We can do that today. I'll throw in a nice between-friendly case."

Rayathess shakes his head, “If I’m to disappear for a day or half a day, I’d rather set these things right first or they’ll just nag me. I owe it to Ezra to talk to him as soon as possible. He probably tried to find me after that trial…” But he made sure to hide real well and his brother never succeeded. Another DID find him and that leads to his other problem. “I also — hurt someone indirectly and I should speak with her too before things get any worse.” With another sigh, he smooths back his hair and sits up a little straighter. “You’re too kind, Dtirae to offer to help. I can handle my brother and this… other situation… just fine. Let me tend to it. You’ve done enough by coming here so swiftly after I sent you my letter. Tomorrow, if you’re free, you’ll have me for the day.” Which is much better than a half day! Rayathess’ mood may also be far more… ideal for being out and about.

"You're very dutiful, but, you're right. It's best to tend to these things first." Dtirae smiles at him, a little easier now and certainly more cheerful, as she sits up and straightens out. "I hope she wasn't hurt too terribly. I would suggest flowers, I hear they're good for apologies… Unless she hates flowers." She beams, just a little, "I am sure you'll be forgiven." She rises from her chair and moves to stand before him. "And you've been as kind when I needed you. You've done the same for me already. Tomorrow, I will clear the day for you. I'll carry you out if I need to." She teases before hesitating just a moment. "Do you mind if I give you a hug?"

Rayathess relaxes when he realizes that she understands and isn’t upset by his “refusal” of her plan. Not that he outrightly said no, only that he changed the order of things. His nose wrinkles, “Wrong season for flowers. I’ll think of something,” he mutters. Definitely not flowers — that’s not his thing. When she stands, he’ll be soon to follow, stepping towards the door. “I’m glad and… you won’t have to. Trust me,” he mutters and clears his throat slightly. Her next question, or offer really, has him blinking and at a loss of words. He’s scrambling to think if he’s ever been asked for a hug before! Most folks don’t ask but rather than be awkward, he’s oddly touched by her consideration to his personal space. “… no. I don’t mind.” he says after a moment of thought and will slowly lift his arms, stepping forwards.

Dtirae is an easygoing sort, not really one to get upset over plans that haven’t been established, yet. Though, they’re not completely dismissed, and that helps. “Hmm. I’ve got nothing. I’m not really the sort who receives apology gifts.” No help from her on that front. And, previously, her apology gifts were all booze. She follows him to the door, grinning a touch. “I know, but, the thought is funny.” As he considers her question on the hug, she is patient in waiting. If he says no, she will settle with that and leave it be. But, he doesn’t! “I’m glad.” Because she wishes she could do more, but, a hug will have to do. For now. As his arms lift, she’s stepping into him and wrapping her arms around him tightly. It is short-lived, not pressing past the boundaries of what is meant to be comforting, friendly, and reassuring before she steps back and beams at him again. “I’ll see you tomorrow. But, write me if you need me sooner. I’ll be here as soon as I’m able. Or, anywhere else you’d like.”

Rayathess would be one to accept booze as an apology gift but he feels that that sort of gesture would be ill received by the one he’s trying to apologize to. He’ll have time to mull over it later and after speaking with his brother, come to a decision that in the end turns out to be the correct move. For now, he concerns himself with returning Dtirae’s hug and not making it hugely awkward though it’s short-lived enough that it never crosses over lines and makes him uncomfortable. His smile, while not as bright as hers is at least there. Faintly, but there. “I’ll remember that. Clear skies and good flying, Dtirae. And thank you.” He is really beginning to appreciate their friendship.

Which is a good indication of why Dtirae didn’t suggest the booze, most women don’t appreciate that sort of gift — so she’s heard. Once they’re apart, and he’s giving that faint smile (which is more than enough to reassure her), she gives his arm a gentle pat before nodding. “Good. Any time. And, you’re more than welcome, Rayathess. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She promises again, before carefully departing from his room, making sure there are none in the hallway before making her Great Escape.