Getting The Story. (2/2)

Writers: Jelena, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 19th February 2016

Characters: Genna, A'kua, Eionen
Description: Eionen finally has a chance to explain.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 23 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: NPCs Bailan, Falior, and Shastia; Genna's mother.

Notes: Rated PG-13 for upsetting topics handled indelicately.

Genna

Genna didn't think she'd ever been in a more precarious position when it came to keeping her composure. There had been plenty of times when she or her friends pulled a trick on someone at the Hold and it had been her job to keep a straight face, but nothing like that could ever compete with the sudden, absurd revelation of this story, however painful it had to be for the man. Aluka rolling on the floor didn't help matters much and all she could do was feign a cough to hide the chuckle that was bubbling up.

"That must have been -" cough "- a devastating surprise," she said somewhat stiffly as she tried her best to hold in more laughter.

At least someone in the room understood how it had made him feel. Eionen nodded rigidly to Genna. "Yes, it- will you _stop_ that?!" he broke off to yell at A'kua. "It's not funny!"

"Are- you- kiddin'?!" A'kua gasped between gales of mirth. "That's the funniest thing- I've ever- heard!" The heartbreaker who had been heartbroken by another man. It was too perfect. He gulped air and managed to bring himself under control soon enough. He got off the floor, wiping his eyes, and sat back down. "Okay, okay, I gotta hear how this ends," he giggled.

"Why should I continue after witnessing such disrespect for my pain?" Eionen growled.

A'kua leaned an elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his hand. "Because you still owe me."

Fine. "She- He had been born Eridaten, but she said she had always believed she was supposed to be female. I don't know why her parents let her wear dresses, cosmetics and perfume, and act like a woman for so long. Maybe they believed she would grow out of it. Maybe they thought she would prefer being a man after seeing how hard life can be for holder women. I never asked. But it certainly explained why she couldn't sing: Her voice was too low to pass even for a contralto."

He buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. "I didn't mind the things we had done. Ancients only know what some of the boys in the Harper Hall got up to when no one was looking, though they weren't supposed to. Even I kissed one of my male friends when I was very drunk, to see what it was like. If Erisalle had told me sooner, I could have tried to curb my feelings and just be her friend and teacher. But she kept me in the dark for two years.

"Did you know hearts really can break? I swear I felt mine shatter. I didn't tell anyone, but I broke my contract and got out of there. And after a few weeks of getting drunk off my arse, I started bedding other women, trying to believe I had forgotten Erisalle. But I.... I was just looking for her again, because even now, so many years later, I still love her." Eionen smiled sadly. "I thought perhaps I had found someone like Erisalle with Shastia. In the hours we talked, she captivated me. She had such a lovely speaking voice, and a sweet personality. It was habit to ask her to run away with me, though I wasn't surprised she turned me down. They always do, you know. So I left, mistakenly thinking everything would be all right, and hoping I would find someone else in another Hold.

"That's the whole story, A'kua, and I am sorry it all turned out this way. I never intended for anyone to get hurt, and if there's anything I can do to make this at all better, then please tell me what it is."

A'kua gave him a long look. "The only thing you could do to make any of this better is takin' a long jump between, and I doubt you'd do that. So you're goin' to find Firelloa; if she is my sister, and she needs a safe place to live because of it, send her here. I'll take care of her. After that, you'll never come back, or reach out to me other than to tell me if Firelloa is on her way." He stood. "As for me, if someone asks about my parentage, I'll tell 'em I renounce you as my sire, and you're still just a worthless slut who drove my mother to drink herself to death. For all I care, you're dead and rottin' as well. And one day, I hope that'll be true."

The words were like a punch in the gut. Eionen felt a lump grow in his throat. "That's unnecessarily cruel, A'kua," he said huskily.

The weyrling half smiled. "Not nearly as cruel as you," he said quietly. "We're done here, Genna."

Genna's eyebrows raised only so slightly at A'kua's last words, but she nodded diplomatically. She knew her friend was angry and riled up, but there was still a matter of decorum and she was on the clock. She should not let a weyrling tell her when she was done with something, even if said weyrling was a good friend. Also, the conversation had brought a dawning of some kind of reluctant compassion for the man. She hadn´t consciously registered it before, but now she realised why she had felt so strongly about standing by A´kua in this. His struggle with his father cut awfully close to home. The face of her mother rose up in her thoughts and she shook it away quickly. Not right now. "If you're done, I would like one moment with journeyman Eionen and then I'll meet you outside."

A'kua gave her a disbelieving look, then scoffed. "You'll never get those minutes of your life back," he warned, and stepped out of the room. Eionen just turned a stunned, saddened expression on Genna.

"Give him time," Genna said when she heard the door close behind A'kua. "He's spent his whole life hating you, that is not going to change in one conversation. But if you do as he says, leave him alone and take care of your daughter, who knows what might happen. Keep in touch with me and when he does feel the need to make amends, I will tell him where to find you."

Eionen swallowed hard, wiping at stinging eyes. "I know," he said shakily. "I just didn't know the reality would be worse than what I was told." He poured himself some wine with trembling hands and knocked back half the contents in one gulp. "Thank you for your kindness, weyrwoman. It's truly appreciated. I'll do my best to keep you abreast of my activities." It was not easy to borrow a fire-lizard outside a Weyr, though; he knew that very well by now. And runners could take too long through no fault of their own. But he would try anyway. "Do you really think it's a 'when'?"

"I honestly don't know. I'm not A' kua, I can't pretend to know what goes on in his head. All you can do is give him time, because I can tell you that pushing harder will only make matters worse," she got to her feet, giving the man the tiniest of smiles. "At least you changed one person's opinion of you this evening."

Eionen couldn't even bring himself to smile back. "Thank you, again. Please go find my son, if it's not too much to request. If what his old girlfriend said still holds true, he's probably hitting something he shouldn't right now. And I would like to be alone for a little while," he said, pulling the tray closer. "I'm about to play the part of the drunken, miserable harper brooding over everything that's gone wrong." Although he wouldn't be acting this time. **Ah, Shastia, I'm so sorry I failed,** he thought mournfully.

Genna nodded and turned to leave, but before she did, she turned back and took the wine pitcher, giving him a long, lingering look. "However miserable it may feel right now, maybe today is the perfect day to take on a new part." She said with what she hoped to be her most encouraging smile. Then she walked out, leaving the wine with the first drudge she could find.

}}: A'kua is with Zeiranth? :{{ she checked with Lissath.

As it turned out, A'kua was not with his dragonet yet; he had stopped somewhere in the hall ahead and slammed the side of his left fist into the wall. His skin had been spared by his customary gloves. When he heard Genna's footsteps, he turned around, looking absolutely anguished, infuriated, and so very lost. "He's even worse'n I imagined. It was all worse'n I ever thought it could be," he croaked, and pulled Genna into another hug, closing his eyes as suppressed sobs started making him shake. "Now what do I do?"

Genna hugged A' kua tight, meanwhile mentally checking with Lissath to see how Zeiranth was holding up. "You don't have to do anything, except keep breathing. Just let the dust settle. It's all way too much to take in at once."

The redhead didn't speak for several minutes, trying to get himself under control while Zeiranth assured Lissath he was fine, just waiting for A'kua to come back. "Thank ya for bein' there," A'kua finally whispered. "I owe ya." He just hoped Genna wouldn't call in the debt immediately. It was so hard to think now that everything he'd known seemed to have broken around him.

"You don't owe me anything," Genna replied. "That's what friends are for. Come, let's go find the dragons. Lissath is complaning about an itch and I'm sure Zeiranth is itching to see you as well." She gave A'kua a wink, hoping to ease the tension just a little.

A'kua forced a half smile, even though it was shaky, and took her hand as he told Zeiranth to meet them outside. "Glad I have a friend like you," he said quietly.

"Right back atcha," Genna grinned, though inwardly she sighed with relief. This hadn't gone as badly as she had expected, at least.

Last updated on the February 21st 2016

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Getting The Story. (2/2)