Moving on...or trying to (tag Rida)

IC Time: mid-afternoon
IC Setting: mid-winter, 8 month

Life, what was the point in it? This question kept circling around and around in Tabitha's mind as she stared out across the lake. It had been about two weeks since Alex had came to her and broke her heart in two. A part of her had known it was coming, the break up. Since the hatching he'd drifted farther away from her especially since she was still a candidate. Still hurt worse than she could have ever imagined. Tabitha had never been the dating type, in fact he had really been her first boyfriend. She had even planned on giving herself to him eventually. Something she'd never done before or even considered doing before.

Now she was just lost and she wasn't sure how to be found. It was like a mist had settled over her life and though she struggled to get out of it she could not. So Tabitha did the one thing she knew how to do, work. If she was a workaholic before she was even worse now. Sometimes she didn't even go to bed at night, instead staying up just avoid having thoughts of Alex plague her every waking moment. Work occupied her mind and made her forget, at least for a little while.

Today however she had almost past out from exhaustion and she was made to leave. She was told to go to the doctor's, but she didn't. Instead she made her way to the lake almost in a blind daze. Even with the coming of the new riders, life held no interest for her. She knew she needed to do something to get out of this severe depression, but she lacked the motivation to do so herself. Without knowing what else to do, Tabitha sat down on the ground. Pulling her knees up to her chest she laid her head down and cried uncontrollably.

D'karon stared at his reflection in his wardrobe. Such odd clothing and mannerisms these people of the past had! Why, it felt odd seeing these fabrics so commonplace, when in his own time they were rare and hard to come by. He sorted through them until he found a good loincloth to use while swimming. It was cold, but Avoneth needed her bath.

Ever listening to his thoughts, she piped up, 'D'karon mine, you are taking too long! I itch and want to get clean.'

"Just a moment, Avvy," he said impatiently. It took but a few moments to strip out of the warm clothes, then throw on the loincloth. It was very... very chilly. He glanced back towards where Avoneth was laying. "Okay, we are going to get right in that lake."

'No complaints from me,' The crimson female said with a snort. 'I think i will just dive in. Its certainly warm enough, and nicer than our old lake.'

As she said this, the rider climbed up onto her neck, straddling bareback between two ridges. "Well, at least it will get the getting wet part over with fast," D'karon added with a mock sigh of displeasure. "Well, lets go!" A playful slap of his hand made the dragon shiver, and then quickly dart out and take wing towards the lake.

D'karon spent a few moments glancing around the bowl. It was quite quiet for the most part; dragons outside sunning and people inside eating or staying warm. Some of the past-people had a hard time dealing with the new riders. Or at least in his experience it had been a bit awkward. No one seemed quite sure what to make of them! Ah, well. They would adjust in time, and for now it gave D'karon ample chance to spend with his dragon, which she needed more than ever in this new place.

His eyes alighted on a spot of color amongst the faded winter tones on the ground. Someone was out by the lake. Maybe he would get a chance to say hi...

... Or more than hi. 'We are getting in NOW!' Avoneth said firmly, and with that she dove straight into the lake, D'karon still on her back. The change in temperature and pressure made him gasp, and he came up spluttering and glaring at his crimson. "You did that on purpose." As he shook the wet hair out of his eyes he saw signs that the dragon's splashdown and resultant wave might have reached as far as the young woman on shore. He blinked and looked at her.

"Sorry about that; Avvy gets... eager for baths. Did she get you wet?" It took but a moment to call out to her, thinking her posture might just be from getting wet and being cold.

Tabitha didn't even notice the dragon above the lake getting closer and closer. All she could do was cry and try her damnedest not to think about anything. Of course it was failing though, her mind still swam with depressed thoughts and memories. It was only when she heard the loud splash and then felt the mist of the water carried by the sharp wind that she realized she wasn't alone at the lake.

Though the splash the dragon made was big, she was just far enough away that she only got sprinkled. Which was probably a good thing considering she had came out here in this weather with nothing by her normal clothes on. She hadn't even bothered to get her coat that she had worn out of her quarters today.

Without drying her tears she looked up at the man her had spoken to her. Her eyes were red and blood shot from crying and lack of sleep. Her face was gaunt and sunk in, indicating how little she had eaten lately and she shook from being upset and cold. With a unconscious thought she wiped her runny nose with her hand and said weakly, "No, I'm not wet."

D'karon blinked and looked at the girl more closely. "That's a bold faced lie, my lady," he said bluntly. "However it was not Avvy here that got you wet." He glanced at the crimson whom was quite happily ensconced now, paddling around the rather warm lake. He swam just a bit closer to shore, and took up a similar posture to her, but with only his head out of water.

"So, I'm D'karon, and you're upset. Want someone to talk to?" He says, again rather blunt. But in his mind, wasting time on frivolities just makes things worse. He cocks his head, and listens to what she has to say.

It took her confused mind a moment to realize that this man was still talking to her and knew that she was upset. Not that she was trying to hide it or even could if she was. She sniffled a bit more and tried to pull herself together, but it was hard. Very very hard. She looked at him, more tears welling in her eyes, but she managed to hold them back.

"It's nothing, really. I don't want to bother you." She managed to whisper. In all honesty she couldn't talk about it if she wanted to, though it sure would feel good to get it off her chest. This D'karon was one of the future riders, she realized that much at least. She'd never spoken to him before though and a part of her thought it would be weird to just pour her heart out to this man she didn't know. Especially when the reason she was so upset was because of a man.

"It's just...it's just..." She started and had to stop because her throat closed with grief. How could one person, one stupid man, make her this miserable? Tabitha had cried before when the break up first happened, but she hadn't really let all her grief out. She thought she had to be strong and put on a strong front. Now that barrier was quickly crumbling down around her feet and there was no way she could stop the pieces from falling. All she wanted was to be held, by anyone. She didn't care, just as long as she felt secure. "I'm sorry...I just can't..."

D'karon continued to look at her. She appeared to be around his own age; rather pretty. At least she would be if she stopped crying her eyes out. And it was obvious she had been holding things in. Well, D'karon couldn't stand for -that-.

"Obviously its something, or it would not be upsetting you so much. That whatever it is, it must be pretty severe," he said, his head still tilted to the side. He waited a minute more looking at her, and then with a bracing intake of breath for the cold, rose out of the heated lake and strolled towards Tabby.

It was quite chilly, goosebumps rose on his skin and steam came off the wet areas of his body. In other words every part. Fortunately the ground, thanks to the heated effect of the lake, was not too chilly on his feet, so he made it over to where Tabby was without much trouble. He crouched down and looked at her a bit closer, to be on her level. "You can, you know," he said quietly, just to her. "If you have not spoken yet about such things, I would assume it is because you do not have someone to discuss it with. In such case I might be a good person to unburden to, for I know really no one here and have no motives any which way." He tentatively reached a hand out, and put it gently on her shoulder. "So, I say again, would you like someone to talk to?"

Tabby didn't even watch as this kind man got out of the warm lake to brave the harsh winter winds, wet even, just to try and comfort her. If she hadn't been heart broken she'd be absolutely aghast she was causing one person so much trouble. That however was the last thing on her mind.

It was just nice to have someone talking to her, asking her if she wanted to talk about her sad situation. The only problem was she was still crying too hard to say much of anything. As D'karon rested a hand on her shoulder however. That small gesture and feeling of warmth was what she needed to get a bit of a hold on herself. "I would...*sniffle*...love to talk about it. *sniffle sniffle* I just can't *sniffle* stop crying. *sniffle* For some reason." She managed to get out through her sobs.

Feeling another wave of grief threaten to wash over her she did something she normally would never do. Even though D'karon was very wet and probably very cold Tabitha crossed the short distance and buried her head in his shoulder. She would probably regret doing that later, but for now it felt good.

D'karon pursed his lips at her words. And as she continued sobbing, laying her head on his shoulder, he knew in a moment that such hard crying would be detrimental for the poor girl's health. So he waited just a moment, swung her up into his arms, and held her as he looked at her.

"Well, crying so much is not healthy for you, girl whom I have no name for yet! Come on, let's dry those tears. Or at least mask them," the rider said with a smile. He quickly turned and, thanking how close the lake was to where she had been sitting, jumped straight on in. Nothing was better for tears that outright shock.

Of course, how he had jumped in thoroughly soaked both. And even though it was up to his thighs, the weight difference was still enough to unbalance him.... causing the both of them to topple into the water, becoming soaked from head to foot. "Graceful," D'karon muttered to himself, and a mental snickering told him that his crimson lady had in fact just seen his rather failed attempt to shock the girl. Well, maybe it had worked anyways. He grinned sheepishly. "Um... didn't quite get that to work the way I wanted; sorry about that."

Tabby could feel she was being moved and it took her a moment to realize that maybe that wasn't something she wanted. To be carried away by a stranger. A named stranger, but a stranger none the less. Before she could protest or do anything really except more crying. That's when his last words 'or at least mask them', hit home. He didn't think he was going to....

With a jolt she was splashed with water, not that cold but still shocking and stunning. For not only was she splashed with the water, she was then unceremoniously dumped in as well when D'karon lost his balance.

She got up sputtering water and wiping it from her eyes. "What the...?" She said, no longer crying uncontrollably. His planned had worked at least. "What the hell were you thinking? I'm here crying my eyes out like a blundering idiot and you throw me in the lake? Guh...all men are completely useless. Why I ever thought it was a good idea to love one, I don't know." Tabby could be your classic fiery red head and right now she was one. Not only had she stopped crying, but she had replaced her severe grief for bitter anger. Not that that was any better, but at least it was different.

"Well, at least now I know what made your eyes like waterfalls and your mind filled with sorrow," D'karon said back, still grinning sheepishly. "I do apologize, I meant to land and sit down with you; however I appear simply clumsy."

He shook his head a bit to get the wet black hair out of his face. "Although my initial fact stands, crying like that would make you sick. You are no longer sad, are you? And you still have not given me your name." The rider didn't look much at her for a moment, wringing his hair to get more water out. This could turn into a very interesting afternoon, he thought to himself.

She cooled down a bit, but just a bit, and only because he apologized. "Yes, well. You shouldn't have thrown me in the water at all. Though I guess I appreciate you getting me to stop crying. The name is Tabitha, Tabitha Wosely. I'm a candi...xenobiologist. I assume you are one of the riders from the future." No matter how many times she stated that it still seemed absolutely impossible to her that these people weren't from this time.

"I'm sorry we could not have met under better circumstances. Thanks for the....help. I won't bother you longer." She said and started to walk out of the lake. The wind made her shiver, but she wasn't about to stay and make more of a fool out of herself. Especially not to a man who was hardly wearing a thing.

D'karon's eyebrows rose a bit at her change in tone now. "Well, its a good thing to meet you, miss Tabitha Wosely. So you're one of those.... xeno... xenowhatsits that helped create the dragons. It must be nice, knowing that." He watched her turn and start to walk away.

Well, that would just not do.

"So tell me, before you run off. Did this man, the one who hurt you so badly. Was he really horrible, or is it just the fact that there is no longer anything there for you to count on, to rely upon to support that upset you? Either one alone is bad enough; but both is certainly nightmarish. I still would like to help, you know." His tone was rather flat, inflectionless, and a glance at his face would show not a trace of any emotion... positive or negative.

Tabitha stopped and turned around, her arms crossed over her chest. Slightly from annoyance and mostly from trying to keep warmer. "I actually didn't have anything to do with that major project. That was the geneticist. I simple study the alien life here and make sure all the data is record properly so it is not lost to us."

She looked down to her feet that was under water still and thought about whether or not she should talk to this man. It would feel good to talk about it. So she decided to take a risk. "He isn't really a bad man, his life just took him in directions that mine could not keep up with. So he decided it was best if it ended. I thought we were working things out, but apparently I was wrong. He was my first love. I know I shouldn't be so weak about it...." she explained half heartedly, trying to stay detached from the feelings some.

D'karon tilted his head again at these words, a thoughtful expression slowly spreading across his face. "Well, that would do it. But first love? A lady such as you? Surely not, I cannot believe this!" he said with mock disbelief. The man also strode forward and took Tabitha's hand into his own.

"Come, let us talk. And since you are already wet, you should either strip to something more comfortable, or just relax in the warm water. It shall be easier." With a tug, he pulled her back towards where the water would be somewhat deeper, hoping she would follow. It would be nice to get his body submerged and warm, once more.

His voice did become softer, more introspective with his next words. "It is not weak to be upset about such things; weakness and danger come from hiding it away, allowing such emotions to fester. Having been the object and cause of many heartbreaks before, I should know. But what drew this man away from you?"

Tabitha wanted to leave, even tried to pull away from him, but there was something about him that just made her want to pour out every little detail about herself. So she followed him back into the warmer water. It was much warmer in the water than out of it, so she sat down to where the water came to her shoulders.

"Well, technically my first love is my work. I'm a horrible workaholic, but Alex was my first true love as far as people go. If you knew me it wouldn't be so surprising really." She began explaining. "What drew him away? A very good reason if not a completely true one. His dragon is what separated us. He impressed at the first clutch to a brown. Things had been going so well and we even managed to stay together through the weyrling stage. I figured things would go even smoother once I impressed, but I was left standing again. I think he'd felt we needed to end it sooner, but didn't have the heart to tell me. I'm just glad it didn't get any farther than it did."

Scowls. Thats what D'karon felt wanting to creep across his face. But he kept his expression polite and his head cocked, listening. "A rider, then... well, my lady Tabitha, in my time the riders are taught to hold to what relationships they had going. A dragon is no excuse; but it seems that has not come about yet." The words rolled off his tongue, and he gazed at Tabby a bit longer.

"So, you have stood as well. You might be in luck then; since my Avoneth will most likely rise again soon... although she probably will not clutch. Crimsons, I am afraid, have the libido of greens and the fertility of them as well, for all their size. I believe your geneticists want to look at her, but Avoneth is not quite willing to be poked, prodded, and have herself sampled for their needs," The man said. His hands trailed in the water, and reached out to lightly grasp one of Tabitha's own. "Go on. Obviously the fact it did separate still troubles you. How long ago was this?"

"Must be nice coming from that area. I promise you if I had the chance to go any where else right now I would." Tabitha said with conviction. All she wanted to do was curl up under a rock and sleep for a few years. At least until the hurt was gone.

"I've seen your crimson, she's absolutely darling. I'm sure the geneticist would be wanting to get their grubby little hands on her. Careful with them. I know they're suppose to be my colleges of a sort, but I can't say I trust them fully." She warned ominously, though part of her wasn't serious.

"It was only a couple weeks ago. He sort of blind sided me with it. I thought we were doing well. Even thought that maybe....well it doesn't matter now. He's gone his way and I'm left to wander mine alone." Tabby answered him, a bit of the grief creeping back into her voice. She managed to control it though.

"Quite recent then... but you certainly do not have to wander alone however," he said, and left it at that.

His mind played on some of the other words. Avoneth would not like leaving bathing so soon, but this would be a worthy cause. He mindcalled her over, and as she trumped up he said quietly, "Well, it may not be the future, but you can get away for a bit. Would you care to come with me to my weyr, and warm up there? Its the least I can do after getting you wet." He smiled at that, letting her know the offer was open to her choosing. "We could keep discussing then as well, if you wanted."

Tabby gave D'karon a scrutinizing look. It was too early to know if he really was a womanizer or if he was just being kind after dunking her in the water like that. She really didn't want to be alone that was true enough, but then again she wasn't so sure it was a good idea to go the weyr of a man she'd just met. Especially after just being dumped by Alex.

He was being so sweet however and talking more would be nice. She squeezed his hand that was holding hers. "I'd love to join you. Talking more would be wonderful." She answered giving him the biggest smile she could muster at the moment.