[PRP] Six months of missing you (Oreune + X'teis/Damisath)

[sariraii]

A discord-based rp with houllow, between Oreune and X'teis (and Damisath.) Will be continued on here, probably? I don't want to quote crab yet, so I'm just going to say that the Oreune posts (quoted) are houllow, and the X'teis/Damisath posts are sariraii (me).  

[sariraii]

Quote:

Oreune sat inside the dining hall, her palm propping up her chin. She was exhausted with the change of weather and an apparent increase in work and lessons, though none of the three actually did change.

 

[sariraii]

X'teis was lurking nearby, constantly looking over at Oreune. He finally worked up the courage to approach--for the first time since he'd Impressed. Taking a deep breath, he moved to her table. "Can I sit with you...?"  

[sariraii]

Quote:

"X.eee..., er, sure." How was she supposed to address him now? It'd been almost six months since Oreune had spoken to the man she'd come to Western with, if only because he'd Impressed on the Sands and she was left alone and exceptionally paranoid. Her hand moved out from beneath her chin and quickly she rubbed away the red mark she knew must have been forming.

"Bee...been a while."

 

[sariraii]

"Yeah, I...um..." He pauses, and for a moment, it's clear that he's talking to his dragon. He opens his mouth, then closes it, and then opens it again. "Have you been...okay?" His eyes shift around, clearly anxious, and he definitely looks like he wanted to say something else.  

[sariraii]

Quote:

It wasn't that she couldn't tell when riders were speaking to their dragons - it was more than obvious. For someone who constantly read facial expressions Oreune was a bit more adapt than most at the subtle changes in expression that came when people weren't really just lost in thought. "I'm fine, debating on going back to the Hall though." That was an out and out in lie in both regards - she wasn't okay and she certainly hadn't been thinking of leaving. There was nothing left there for her (apart from advancing her craft) and while she was lonely here at least he was - no, stop it. A shake of her head stopped that line of thought. "How are...you....both?" She couldn't just ask about the rider, right? Wasn't it rude?

 

[sariraii]

"What?" No, she couldn't leave. His eyes went wide for a moment, before shaking his head. He had to be logical about this, but his heart was in his chest. Faranth, he was so awkward. He had to tell her, or he'd lose her. Surely she'd understand? While he internally panicked, trying to figure out if confessing would make things better or worse, Damisath stepped in.

We're fine, just fine. X'teis wanted to talk to you...

The dragon trailed off, after reaching out to her, as if hoping his rider would take over and just do it already. No such thing happened. Poor X'teis continued to flounder, and nothing was happening. Look, this is ridiculous, he said, speaking to his rider but letting Oreune hear. Just tell her how you feel already.  

[sariraii]

Quote:

"!!!!" There was sudden panic that flashed over Oreune's face as a voiced flooded her mind; it wasn't her own despite how often she talked to herself and the widening of her eyes should have been a clear indication that whatever just happened had caught her completely off-guard. The last time she'd heard someone speaking like this had been the search dragon, if she remembered right, and it wasn't exactly pleasant. Was this what happened all the time with -

And then the voice spoke again, something about feelings, and the candidate's face scrunched up. This wasn't something she wanted to hear, not after so long. If he was being so antsy because he wanted to end their friendship after so long he didn't need to beat around the loom. "I. . . . . I'm going to head back to the barracks then, if you don't really have much to say to me."

 

[sariraii]

She looked devastated, not quite realizing X'teis's true feelings. "No, wait! Don't go... please?" This was hard-- he'd never felt anything like what he'd felt for her before, no romantic connections at all. Just seeing her made it all flood back. It was puppy love, but her was willing to follow her through anything... anything that wasn't to Damisath's detriment, that was.

He closed his eyes, which somehow made it easier, as he spoke. "Oreune, I came to the Weyr because I enjoy spending time with you, and, uh...I really like you. In the, er, romantic sense. I'm sorry. I know you won't reciprocate, and you probably hate me, but... I'm a senior weyrling now, so.. we can still be friends, at least, right?"  

[sariraii]

Quote:

Oreune was pretty sure she was making a face, and not a pleasant one. She'd often been told when she was younger that she was beautiful, or whatever else, but she was also more than capable of producing a look like she'd just bitten into something super sour and was doing her best to not spit it out. That was the look this time, and it wasn't because of the confession. On the contrary, Oreune was delighted, probably ready to fight the sky if she had to, but she also really, really, really didn't believe it to be true. ". . . . . . you....expect me to believe it? You straight up ignored me for six months, and now you're saying that you 'really like me in the romantic sense' ? You..." The sour fruit look remained, even though a bright red blush was starting to creep itself onto her dark-skinned ears.

 

[sariraii]

His expression fell as he saw hers. Not only did she not want to be with him, or be his friend, but she clearly hated him. He waited for the worst, but when she spoke, she did not scorn him. Not in the way he'd expected, at least. "You... think I'd lie? I'm sorry I avoided you, I just.. couldn't think of romantic things with a newly hatched dragon... and i would do anything for my Damisath. I..." he gulped. "I understand if you never want to see me again, but I've, um, missed you. "  

[sariraii]

Quote:

"You think I'd buy that excuse?" Of course she would, there was nothing else Oreune would do to keep their friendship going. X'teis was the reason she came here after all and basically the only reason she was staying. She'd gotten to know fellow candidates of course but none of them were really friends. "You can't be around me without having 'romantic thoughts' or whatever? Is that the only way you'd ever seen me?" The red on her ears was getting deeper and for once Oreune was so glad for the darkness of her skin to hide it. "Was I the only one who was really lonely....?"

 

[sariraii]

"I'm...sorry." He bowed his head, ashamed. How could he just expect her to wait for him. "I did miss you...but I guess I didn't really, uh, think of how you might have felt. I guess I just...was so wrapped up in Damisath. I would do anything for him, but...that doesn't mean I want to lose you." He looked up again, his eyes pleading. He didn't seem like his usual self, but...he really just didn't want to lose her. "Do you want to...maybe...do something together? Or would you rather just not see me anymore?"  

[sariraii]

Quote:

Oreune shook her head, doing her best to keep her calm. So many scenarios were running rampant in her mind, of what she should do next, what she should say next, and all she could do was try and keep herself from trembling in a mixture of rage-excitement. There was something slightly thrilling about how he really hadn't forgotten her and how he'd instantly come back for her once it was......okay. Not acceptable, but okay and permissible and how neither of them would get in trouble and - oh boy, her wagon line of thought was running off without her. ". . . . . .. I.....I was painfully lonely, you know. You....when you walked off the sands, you didn't even say anything to me. Not a see you later, not an introduction. I.......you're all I have here, but I'm not all for you."

 

[sariraii]

He drooped a little. It was hardly a no, but that wasn't the point, was it? He'd let her down, despite how he wished he could have done anything but. Still...his dragon...but...he could have said something. Anything. He was so stupid. A mental nudge from Damisath gave him heart, and he collected himself. "I...really am sorry." He didn't know what else to say. Why did he think they could just pick up where they left off?