Awkward Beginnings

Writers: Miriah, Nicole Bonvisuto
Date Posted: 18th January 2014

Characters: J'ackt, X'dris
Description: Jenackt and Xandris meet, discuss Weyrlife, and examine interesting ways for remembering the alphabet.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 3 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentor Approved

J'ackt

Xandris stuffed the last of his clothes into his chest and let out a
long breath. His mother had insisted on packing him with clothes for
every season, as though he'd be here for turns. The entire mess was a
bit embarrassing. But, as his father had told him, this was his chance
to learn skills outside of the cothold, so he might as well make the
most of it.

With the finishing touches done, he glanced over at the Candidate at
the cot beside him, and tried to not stare. He looked... incredibly
familiar, and Xandris rifled through memories to put a name to the
face. Nothing.

"Hey," he greeted him, trying to evade being awkward.

Jenackt barely glanced up at him, as he stared at the letters on the
hide and laboriously tried to copy them. He knew what they
were...now...but writing was proving difficult. He kept finding
himself copying them backwards. It was frustrating. His brow furrowed
before he mumbled a greeting. "Hi." Shaffit, he'd done it again. He
scratched at the letter and with a scowl, bent to slowly attempt to
write it again.

"The bumps always go to the right," Xandris offered as he noticed the
backwards 'B' in the time it took the other boy to talk.
"B looks like boobs when a woman's laying on her right side."
He shrugged. "That's how I was taught to remember."

Jenackt went still for a long moment before slowly lifting his head,
his brows high. "Boobs." His voice was disbelieving. "Someone taught
you your letters based on boobs?" He looked back down at the letter
and considered it. The other guy made a good point. It did look like
that now that he thought about it.

"Yeah," Xandris chuckled. "All the letters have tricks to remembering
them. L has a lap and you can make it with your left hand. You've just
got to find what works. Sucks though, in the meantime. I'm Xandris, by
the way." Well that was certainly one way to remember. His brow furrowed and he
looked at the letters, the A looked like a woman in a skirt showing
her ankles and the P, well..that looked like a droopy...He paused and
looked up. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Xandris sat down. "How long ago were you Searched?"

Putting aside his hide, for the moment thankful to be clearing his
mind of trying to write, he looked over Xandris. "About two months
ago." He still remembered the way the blue had exploded into his mind
and demanded that he stay. "You?" Small talk wasn't easy for him; but
he was trying to integrate. Faranth knew that he wasn't trusted by
many in the Weyr.

"A few days ago," He said, and then laughed. "I guess it takes a while to get used to things. The green dragon that
Searched us landed out by the ocean, and the minute I got down, three
naked women just walked by."

Brows rose and Jenackt's ears pinkened, but the flush didn't spread to
his cheeks. He'd seen similar and hadn't been able to help but very
carefully observe the behavior. And the nakedness...definitely the
nakedness. "Get used to it. It happens a lot." His lips barely lifted.
"If not naked, then very scantily clad. Just avoid the kitchens."

Xandris' brows rose. "What happens in the kitchens?"
He barely stopped himself from asking if the cooks worked naked. It
struck him as a stupid question, but did make him wonder if it was
safe to eat the food.

"Well, if you end up working in there, the drudges will do their best
to make you uncomfortable." He stopped. "Unless you like that sort of
thing."

Xandris looked uncomfortable at the very thought. Time would tell just
how many of the stories he'd heard were true. "Well, they say you have to take advantage of the chance at some
point," he said with a shrug. "Was it weird? Coming here?"

"You could say that." Jenackt's reply was clipped. Unlike Xandris, he
didn't come from a Hold or a Hall. His experience with people had been
relatively nil. "It still is. You might eventually get used to it."

"It feels like it will take at least a Turn before I stop getting lost,"
Xandris shook his head. "Speaking of which, do you know where they keep the food around here?"

"The dining cavern." He put down the hides and shuffled them together. "Do
you know where it is?" He glanced up. "I guess I could take you. I had to
have a drudge show me around the first few days."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it. With my luck, I'd wander in the Weyrwoman's
weyr or something instead."

Last updated on the January 19th 2014

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Awkward Beginnings