Don't Just Be Polite

Writers: Emma, Miriah
Date Posted: 7th October 2014

Characters: Demalia, Ninaine
Description: Demalia talks to Ninaine about elevator duty
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 7

Ninaine

Ninaine was a picture of propriety as she was directed by weyrlingstaff
towards Demalia. It wasn't as though she hadn't spoken to other greenriders,
so she wasn't sure why they were so insistent that she speak more to them.
She knew what life as a greenrider consisted of. Luneth trailed behind her,
peering around at the rest of the weyrbowl, but keeping her mental attention
on her rider. As they grew nearer, Luneth drew closer, almost hovering over
Ninaine. Ninaine ignored it and stepped closer to Demalia as she cleared her
throat. "Greenrider Demalia? I was sent to speak with you."

"Certainly Weyrling, Ninaine, isn't it?" The greenrider studied the
weyrling for a moment, wondering why there had been so much fuss about her,
gossip had a way of getting around, and certainly some of it had to be
exaggerated out of all normal proportions.

"Yes." Ninaine didn't move too close to the other woman, which seemed to
settle Luneth. The possessive green tended to be more anxious about newer
people. "The Weyrlingmasters wish for me to speak more to greenriders." She
took a breath, "especially since Luneth may be /betweening/ soon and is
beginning to interact more with other dragons."

"I see," Demalia began to realise that perhaps there was a little more to
this youngster than first appearances showed. "Is there anything you'd
specifically like to know?" she asked. "About what it's like riding in the
wings, or daily life here."

Ninaine remained polite, but reserved. There were things she wanted to
know, but some things simply weren't discussed with strangers.
"Perhaps you can tell me about elevator duty, if you would. Luneth
does not like strangers and I do not know how to prepare her for that
duty. She has never allowed another that close to her."

"It's something you and Luneth will either love or hate. You get to know
people pretty quickly, and where things are, it certainly sharpens up your
knowledge of landmarks around here for during fall." Demalia said. "And
sometimes you get to hear some really juicy gossip, like one day Tapheth and
I found out about this bluerider who had two greenriders in his weyr, one
male, one female and both young enough to be his children."

Ninaine just stared at Demalia for a moment before what she said really sank
in. Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened in embarrassed fascination.
Three people? At once? She sputtered for a moment, trying to come up with
some sort of reply, but simply couldn't. That was just..... _wrong_. She
finally managed to squeak out, "I don't care about gossip."

"Haven't you noticed the Weyr just about runs on it?"

Clearing her throat, Ninaine resisted the urge to run the pink out of her
cheeks. She lifted her chin. "It may, but I don't."

Demalia resisted the urge to laugh at that. "Sometimes it can be a way to
get yourself into talking to other people, and it can be away to find out
what other people are interested in."

Ninaine frowned a little at that. She kept to herself and tried not to
listen to gossip, though it certainly came her way. "I keep to myself." She
admitted. "I don't really talk to too many people."

"Then elevator duty will help. Sometimes we all need some 'me' time. but
most people like to talk to others around them," Demalia explained. "Some
people could be your wingmates one day soon, and they need to know you and
understand you so they can trust you in fall."

She wasn't most people and she certainly didn't want to hear gossip about
what people were doing in the privacy of their weyrs. "If I'm on elevator
duty, then it won't be my wingmates. It'll be lower caverns staff, won't
it?" And some of those girls in the kitchens were horrendous in the way they
acted. And she didn't really connect well with people here. "Isn't it enough
to just be polite, get them to where they need to be and then drop them
off?"

"Not all of them," Demalia said. "It could be your wingmate's pregnant
weyrmate who can't manage the stairs, or a candidate on a round of chores
who'll impress next time and one day be in your wing. The point is that yes,
be polite, but if they want to chat, then do."

"I suppose I can think of it as a necessary duty." Ninaine agreed. She was
well acquainted with the courtesies of conversation from the Hold. But she
didn't have to gossip and take part in conversations that involved private
matters. If they brought up delicate matters, she could very politely change
the subject.

That brought about an exasperated sigh. How on Pern had this one even
managed to leave a hold for the Weyr in the first place? "Enjoy it," Demalia
told
her. "Don't think of it as a duty, think of it as finally being able to do
what you and Luneth are meant to do together, you're flying!"

That brought more of a smile to her lips. She adored flying with Luneth, but
the green hadn't had the experience of passengers just yet. "I can do that."
She nodded, then peered at Demalia for a long moment. "Forgive me, but are
you weyrbred?"

"My family and I moved here when thread came back. I was barely out of
Harper classes then, and it was a bit of a shock at first. But we knew that
we had to make things work here."

"And how did you happen to 'make things work'?" Ninaine looked closely at
her. "How did you adapt?"

"By doing what everyone else did, and asking questions if I didn't
understand. Then Tapheth found me, and everything changed for the better." A
smile crossed the rider's face as she thought back to that moment. "I
wouldn't be without her now."

Ninaine's lip pursed as she mused for a moment. "You didn't mind discarding
what you had been taught?"

"Not for Tapheth, how could I make her unhappy?"

Ninaine frowned a little. "Well, it would make Luneth happy if I no one ever
got close to me at all. That wouldn't work for me."

"Then you'll have to find out what does work," Demalia advised.

Brow knitting, Ninaine nodded briefly. "Very well. Thank you for your time."

"You're welcome, Weyrling."

Last updated on the October 10th 2014

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Don't Just Be Polite