Not Interested

Writers: Avery, Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th July 2016

Characters: Cyradis, Kapera, J'ackt, M'rit
Description: Cyradis and Kapera have concerns about J'ackt.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 22 of Turn 8

Cyradis

Kapera

J'ackt

J'ackt tugged off of the straps as Zith impatiently waited, the bronze
wanting to dip into the lake as soon as he could. The drills had gone
well; in truth he didn't think they were that much more taxing than
what he had done in his weyrling classes, with the exception that Zith
seemed to trail the queens and fly over them with a protective
intensity that he didn't feel himself. He snorted at the thought, but
kept it to himself. Reining the bronze in from that instinct took most
of his attention during the drills. The rest seemed more or less the
same as ever.

He tugged off the last strap and heard a voice call at him. "Hey,
J'ackt!" He half turned in response, but kept his attention on
gathering the straps. He recognized the voice as one of the blueriders
of the wing, an older man that was close to retiring from the wings,
but one that still seemed spry. J'ackt had to stop to even try to
remember his name. M'rit. That was it. "Did you want to come and grab
a drink with the rest of us?"

The offer had been made several times, after a Fall and after drills
and not always by M'rit. J'ackt always had the same answer: he shook
his head. "No, I'm good."

M'rit shrugged it off as he had before. "Well, if you want to later, a
bunch of us will be in the dining hall."

J'ackt gave a faint half-nod, but then turned back to his straps,
folding them and sending Zith off with a wave of his hand to swim.

Cyradis watched the exchange from where she was also stripping straps
from Panitath. She looked over to where Kapera seemed to be seeing the
same thing and shrugged. Then she thought about it and realized that
J'ackt's lack of socialization might come from not understanding the
cues.

"J'ackt," she said in a conversational tone. "Do you understand what's
happening when they invite you for drinks?"

He threw the straps over his shoulders before he turned to look at the
Weyrwoman and Kapera. One brow quirked. "They're inviting me for drinks."

"They're being friendly, wanting to include you in their social
circle. This is what happens in large groups of people. The kind that
are bigger than single family units. Drinks is just a way to start.
It's not duty or because anyone asked them to include you. They like
you."

"Not interested." He shrugged.

"Why," she asked simply. Surely he had a reason other than his own
taciturn nature.

He shrugged again. "I'm just not. " He wasn't social, didn't like
large groups and didn't care if they liked him or not. He did what he
was supposed to in drills and that should have been the end of it.

Cyradis sighed and turned away. She was going to have to talk to
N'vanik. At the rate this was going he wasn't going to be joining the
upper wings any time soon. What did you do with a young man who
couldn't see the forest for the trees.

"Well, since you don't have plans this evening, you can take the third
watch. Oh," she half turned back, "and can you make sure the
weyrllings stack the stone sacks in the right place for drills
tomorrow morning? Thanks J'ackt," she said as she walked away.

Kapera lingered a moment longer. "We probably seem like we're
meddling. I remember how annoying my Weyrwoman was after I Impressed,"
she began gently.

"We're recommending you join them because it makes them feel better
when you try to socialize. When they feel better, they perform better.
You don't have to stay forever, or tell stories, but it wouldn't be
bad for them to see the effort."

J'ackt immediately protested. "I never said I didn't have plans. And
it's Cherlyn's turn for third watch. " He scowled at Cyradis' back,
then turned to Kapera. "It's not up to me to make them feel better,"
he replied, more than a little frustrated. "I don't like big crowds
and I don't drink. If it's not a duty, then why am I getting punished
for not doing it?"

She couldn't quite answer the last one, so she went to the other
thought. "It's not all on you to fix their discomfort, but the way the
wing works won't change just because you don't like it. If you try it
and hate it, at least you were seen trying."

"It's their problem, not mine." His penchant for being stubborn reared
its head and his scowl was dark. "Guess I'm doing third watch. Well,
feck it all, I'm going to get some rest then." He turned on his heel
and began stalking away.

"If not your wingmates, is there anyone else you can see yourself
spending some time with in public spaces? Have a card game with?" she
asked. But he was heading off.

Kapera waited for a beat, then shook her head. He was a puzzle, wild
and not yet weyr-taught for all that he'd been here, and she didn't
know how to solve it. But now she felt determined to try.

Cyradis had paused and seen when J'ackt walked away from Kapera. So
she motioned with her head for the other woman to join her. Then she
turned and walked into the coolness of the interior. "I think I have
an idea," she said.

Last updated on the August 16th 2016

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