Culture Shock

Writers: Devin, Miriah
Date Posted: 12th November 2014

Characters: A'dryn, Lanniya
Description: Lanniya gives Aldryn his first bit of culture shock
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 1 of Turn 7

Lanniya

Aldryn stood in the Bowl, staring up at all the dragons on the
Heights. So many of them. And all the little holes were entrances to
weyrs. So much space. So many people.

"Hi!" A bright voice perkily greeted him from behind. "It's amazing,
isn't it?" Lanniya smiled as she walked towards him. "You're new,
aren't you?"

"Um, yes." He turned to see who it was and saw a red-haired girl with
Candidate knots. "My name is Aldryn, pleased to meet you." He bowed
slightly.

"Oh, you don't need to bow. I'm just a Candidate like you. My name is
Lanniya. Pleased to meet you too, Aldryn." Her smile was wide and
welcoming. "Have you been shown around yet?"

"I was shown to the barracks, to drop of my personal items and choose
a cot, but I haven't had a tour of the Weyr yet." Aldryn had a feeling
he was going to get lost. A lot.

"Oh. Well, I can help with that." She grabbed his hand and pulled to
get him to follow her. "I arrived not too long ago so I had to get a
tour too."

He stiffened at being touched by a woman that he wasn't related to.
That he didn't even know! But things were different here. "Have you
gotten used to the size of this place?" he asked as he followed her.

"Oh, not yet." She tugged him after her, half skipping. "But there's
still so much to see. " She pointed at the entrance to the lower
caverns. "See there? That's where I came in from. My grandparents are
Traders." She turned and pointed at another opening. "That's the
Dining Cavern. They have really good food."

"You're a Trader?" That might explain some of her... relaxed nature.

She nodded, then paused. "Well, my grandparents are. I just kind of
followed along with them. Where are you from?"

"Blue Creek Hold. It's a smaller holding, to the Southeast." Aldryn
was a little distracted by the memory of the handsome trader boy he'd
met last turn. Was he from the same caravan as this girl?

"What did it look like? I remember what places look like more than
names. I've been to way too many places." She led him towards the
Hatching Grounds and pointed. "There's the entrance to the Hatching
Grounds. I was told we really can't go in there until a queen lays
eggs and she agrees to allow it. I wanted to see if I could hear the
eggs, but I haven't gotten the chance to yet."

"Hear the eggs?" He thought she must have misspoken.

She nodded. "Mhmm." She had gotten so used to people knowing what she
could do that she didn't expand on her thoughts. "Where do you want to
go next?"

Well, she was an odd one. "Um... what do you think I need to see?"

She paused and tapped her finger on her chin. "Oh! You'll need to know
where the bathing caverns are."

He couldn't help making a face. Yes, he needed to know where those
were, but he didn't want a _girl_ showing him there. He'd heard about
the mixed bathing and it was so improper he didn't even want to think
about it. **It's not the women you need to be worried about. It's the
men.** There was the time he'd gone swimming with some of the hold
boys, all of them wearing nothing but undershorts... Aldryn bit his
lip.

She noticed the face and tilted her head to the side before
realization came. "Oh...uh..yeah. My grandparents don't like me going
there without them. I guess you're not used to it either, huh?"

"Everyone... unclothed in the same room?" Aldryn shook his head. "I
suppose I'll _have_ to get used to it."

She nodded. "Oh yes. I've not gotten used to it either. My
grandmother doesn't like it at all." She grinned. "But, you learn a
lot when you go. " Her smile flashed though a blush stained her
cheeks. "I never really knew what a man looked like naked. They kind
of look funny."

Aldryn's face heated and he felt a little ill. "You shouldn't be
looking." **Things are different here. They have no morals. You're
unnatural and this is the only place you can belong.**

"I know." Her weight shifted on her feet as she giggled. "Sometimes
you can't help it. I can't bathe with my eyes closed." She tilted her
head. "Besides, I thought men liked that sort of thing."

"But it... it's _improper_!" Aldryn snapped his mouth shut after the outburst.

"That's what my gramps says, but we're getting used to it. At least I
know what they really look like now." Her head tilted to the side as
she looked at him. "We don't have to go there if you don't want to.
But if you're living in the barracks, you'll probably be bathing with
the other candidates in the barracks."

Aldryn took a deep breath and let it out. "We could walk by the
bathing rooms and you could point them out." It should be okay as long
as they didn't go in.

"We can do that then." She pulled at his hand to guide him. "But
what'll you do when you bathe? I mean, you don't want to stink, do
you?"

A self-conscious laugh escaped him. "I suppose hygiene will trump my
embarrassment sooner rather than later."

"Oh, it won't be so bad." She walked him towards the entrance of the
barracks and the shared bathing pools. "It's right through there.
They're good sized, so if you have to, you can turn your back to
other people if you want."

The thought of going in there, stripping down in front of strangers,
made his palms sweat. "I suspect I'll be doing that."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine." Lanniya patted his arm, never for an
instant losing her cheer.

Last updated on the November 20th 2014

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Culture Shock