West Beach
As with the other beaches, this one is composed of a fairly course sand. White and black grains mix with the predominant sandy brown to give a speckled appearance, and some mica-like flakes catch glints of sunlight occasionally. This is a fairly busy area with fishing boats coming and going, and people working on boats, either building or repairing. On sunny days the net weavers often meet here to work, and anyone who doesn't look busy may well be drafted to work with them. To the west is the Crafthall, to the south are the docks, to the east is the main beach, and to the north is the Weyr.
Contents:
Rulita
Obvious exits:
Dockyard Main Beach Path to Crafthall Weyr Bowl

M'ko wanders out from the main beach, still dressed in those fine threads from the gather. After a moment he finally speaks up, "...I'd hoped to find you here.." He mutters, softly.

Rulita looks up. "Mo," sadly. "I thought you weren't coming back."

M'ko stops a good distance from her, green gaze dropping. Hands shove in his pockets as he mumbles quietly, "You... You seemed upset, the other night... I couldn't leave... Not 'till I knew you were... All right." Shoulders rise and fall in a brief shrug.

Rulita stares at him. "You disappear from my life a whole turn, reappear long enough to steal my heart away and then say you're leaving me forever, and then... then you expect me to be 'All right'. Well no, as a matter of a fact, I'm not."

M'ko sighs heavily, still not looking up. "...I thought it was what you wanted..." He admits, only giving a one-shouldered shrug, this time. "..And even if it isn't... It's only for the best." He sighs again, finally looking up. "I mean, look what's happened to you in that turn or so... You've become Craftmaster of the Island... That had nothing to do with me, and...." He trails off, ending with yet another sigh.

Rulita swallows, and looks out to the water again. "They needed me. You... you just disappeared Mo. I thought you were with her. I thought you loved her and not me."

M'ko's only reply to that is a whisper soft, "...It's /because/ I love /you/ that I'm leaving.."

Rulita mumbles "I don't want you to leave Mo. I feel like my heart is going to break."

M'ko sighs yet again. "If I stay..." Another sigh. "It will only be worse if we're together, 'Lita... It's rare when we do see each other, and.. There are flights, and... It may break your heart if I leave, but it will ruin your life if I stay."

Rulita sighs. "And so you're just going to..." sigh "go?" She looks at him all cute and kissable-like.

M'ko sighs, too. "....I have to, Lita." His gaze drops, again.

Rulita swallows "Without even saying goodbye?" aw, look how vulnerable and pathetic she looks.

"This /is/ goodbye..." Moe admits, finally. And, even though he /knows/ he shouldn't...Even though he knows it's wrong... He inches closer to the Healer and drapes his arms about her waist, leaning, leaning... And finally that hesitation leaves him, and he presses his lips to hers.

Rulita hesitates just a bit herself, eyes widening, but eventually, her arms slide around him, clutching him to her, eyes closing, surrendering to him.

M'ko breaks away, suddenly, sighing. "We can't, Lita... It isn't right.."

Rulita pulls away from him, curling up into a little ball. "And so you're just going to break my heart again."

M'ko sighs heavily, slowly shaking his head. "It's better this way." He points out, quietly.

Rulita blinks. "Better for who Mo?"

M'ko's gaze drops, yet again. "For you... For your new life... You're more... important to Pern how you are now, as the Craftmaster, and... We can't be together and be that far apart... It will hurt worse in the long run, that way..."

Rulita murmurs "And what about you? I thought," then quieter "I thought you said you loved me?"

"And I do... Of course I do..." Moe sighs. "...But... I don't matter... My feelings don't -- not like yours... It's important to all of the crafts on this island, to Pern, that your future stays... err.. Promising." Or something. Sigh. "Besides, I can't continuing being selfish like this.. Knowing I don't deserve you, knowing we can't last.... Your story made me realize that."

Rulita sighs. "My story," slowly "Was supposed to tell you that despite all there is that says we can't be anything to eachother. Despite the looks and the gossip of those around us, that I love you with all my heart." After a little while "You know," flushing a little. "I think I fell in love with you that first time I saw you sitting in the forest with Eshoth."

M'ko glances away. "It isn't right... I can't keep doing this to you... It will only get worse....being apart from each other for who-knows-how-long... The chances that Eshoth could win a few mating flights..." SIiiigh.

Rulita swallows at that, "So instead of giving me part of you, I get none?"

M'ko sighs. "No... It's.. Not like that. It makes it easier this way... We won't get too much closer, and..Then be hurt more when..things happen."

Rulita stares at M'ko. "And how fragile do you think I am? Do you think if I were, I would've been asked to head up the hall?"

M'ko glances downward, muttering to himself in a sigh, He mutters to himself, "...Maybe..."
You sense "M'ko glances downward, muttering to himself in a sigh, "...Maybe /you/ aren't fragile...""

Rulita reaches a hand for him. "I'm sorry Mo," after a moment "If that's what you really want..."

M'ko just sighs. "...I just... /I/ don't want to be hurt anymore... I don't want to hurt /you/ anymore..."

Rulita closes her eyes "I'm sorry Mo. Maybe it would have been better if we'd never met. The last thing I wanted to do was cause you pain. That's what /she/ did, isn't it? And I was going to do so much better by you." Siiiiigh.

M'ko sighs heavily. "Not just her... Everyone..." Yet another sigh. "I'd never met anyone like her before... No one had ever treated me with any sort of kindness before... that's why I thought it was... Love." Sigh. "..And I've certainly never met anyone like /you/... I do love you..."

Rulita murmurs "But it's not enough for you, is it?"

M'ko blinks at that, shaking his head. "No, no... It's not enough for /you/... I'm not enough for you... You deserve much better..." Mope.

Rulita murmurs "you have no idea what is enough for me. Every time a man is kind to me, all I can think of is that he's not you."

M'ko closes his eyes tightly, gaze dropping. "Please, Rulita... Stop making this harder for me..." He mumbles quietly. He spins quickly on his heels, then, without even another goodbye, and quickly strides further down the beach where that familiar leaf-brown dragon is waiting for him.

Rulita just looks stunned. She just watches, and when it is almost definately too late to catch him, she stands, running after him. "Mo! Don't leave!"

M'ko, now a shadowy sillhouette in the distance, ignores the calling, and climbs up onto the brown dragon, who leaps into the air, and, moments later, disappears between.