Are You Sorry Now?

Writers: Devin, Mirren
Date Posted: 23rd January 2016

Characters: J'kri, F'nix
Description: J'kri suggests that F'nix be a little nicer.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 3 of Turn 8

F'nix

"Hi there," J'kri said as he took a seat across from F'nix. His friend
had that tired, dazed look J'kri remembered from his own weyrlinghood.

"No one told me it'd be _this_ hard," F'nix said, by way of greeting.
To be fair, they had, he just thought they'd exaggerated.

"Either you talked to a lot of optimists or you weren't listening,"
J'kri said with a smile.

"Or both," F'nix suggested. "Whatever, I'm a sleeping man walking. Or
-sitting anyway. But shells, it's better than not impressing."

"That's for sure." J'kri picked up his fork. "Other than being
exhausted, how are things going?"

"Good. Nisith is growing like a - a well-fed dragonet. His poo is
getting bigger, in proportion to him." F'nix grimaced.

J'kri laughed. "Oh boy, I sure don't miss that part."

"Does that mean you don't want to do a guy a favour and clean up after
Nisith for me?" F'nix joked.

"Oh shards no." J'kri snorted. "One of the holdbred girls in my class
tried to bribe us to clean up after her dragon."

"What did she try to bribe you with?" F'nix asked with a laugh.

"Marks. And she meant it, too. Her family is rich." J'kri grinned.
"The weyrlingstaff was none too pleased when they found out. She had
to clean up after the sick dragons in the infirmary."

F'nix laughed again. "I get the message; clean up after Nisith myself.
Still though, if you ever want to help…" He couldn't resist trying one
more time.

"I'm a generous person, but not _that_ generous."

The blue weyrling gave an exaggerated, dramatic sigh. "Well I guess
I'm stuck cleaning up my own dragon's poo. Whatever doesn't kill us,
right?" A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"They're worth all of it," J'kri said before taking a forkfull of his
meal. Riders said things like that all the time, but it was true.

"I wonder if they say the same of us," F'nix mused.

"Heh. If they don't, it's their fault for choosing us." J'kri had
teased Rademerth about that a few times when he baffled or annoyed his dragon.

F'nix laughed. "That's true. It's all their fault." Not that he minded
for a minute.

J'kri took a sip of his juice. "So, what's he like?"

"Nisith? He's perfect." What else would he be?

J'kri laughed. "I meant his personality."

"So did I," F'nix replied.

"Faranth." J'kri rolled his eyes, smiling. "How is he like you? How is
he not like you?"

"I don't poo on the floor," F'nix said. "Otherwise he's pretty
tolerant of everything. He doesn't let the…comments from other
weyrlings get to him." Not like he did at times.

"Comments?" J'kri's eyebrows went up.

"You know what guys are like when it comes to blue and greenriders."
Did F'nix need to bring up his own former attitude? Although in the
back of his mind, it was still there to some extent.

"Not that anyone _deserves_ that, but... you do realize you were one
of those guys not long ago?" Maybe F'nix had some idea of how much
he'd hurt others.

"I'm reformed," F'nix replied, as if that made it all right.

"Have you apologized to the people you've hurt?"

"What for?" F'nix shrugged.

"For _hurting_ them, you dimglow." J'kri was tempted to knock him on
the side of the head.

"They're only feelings," F'nix replied. What was the big deal?

"Feelings are _everything_." How could he act like they didn't matter?

"Feelings are only a part of a person. My Da says most people need
thicker skin and a little provoking didn't hurt."

"That's what jerks say when they want to say mean things to you. They
just want to be an ass and pretend like they're helping you somehow."
J'kri stabbed at his meat a little harder than he meant to. "What
people need is more kindness. There's plenty of cruelty in the world."

"Yeah, I guess. He and I didn't get along much. I thought it was
because I was -you know - different." Maybe he was just a jerk.

J'kri was relieved F'nix didn't keep trying to defend him. "What if
your da came to you and apologized? Would it make you feel better
about the mean things he said?"

"Probably not." F'nix shrugged. "He'd just mess it up by saying other
things anyway. He's good with wine, not so much with people."

"Do you think you're better than your father?"

"I don't about better. Different, hopefully."

J'kri looked at him, eyebrow slightly raised. "Then maybe you should
prove it by apologizing to the people you hurt."

"You know that would suck, right?" F'nix asked. "And not in a good way."

"Might suck for you, but you might make someone feel better. You've
been careless and cruel, but I don't think that's who you really are.
Spread some kindness, F'nix." J'kri had been able to shrug off most of
the mean things people said, but some things still hurt. Words could
dig into you like a thorn.

"Fine," F'nix sighed. "I s'pose I could." He'd get around to it. Eventually.

J'kri relaxed into a smile. "Good."

Last updated on the January 27th 2016

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Are You Sorry Now?