Let's Talk...or Try To

Writers: Jelena, Miriah
Date Posted: 26th November 2014

Characters: Ninaine, Genna
Description: Genna once more tries to get through to Ninaine, for the first time with marginal success!
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 15 of Turn 7

Ninaine

Genna

For a while Genna had thought things were looking up for her troubled
- or was it troublesome? - fellow weyrling. But lately things had
taken a turn for the worse again. Ninaine had hardly been spotted
except for lessons and chores lately and quite some rumours were
floating about on the reason why. Though tempted to draw her own
conclusions, Genna once more felt compelled to 'do the right thing'.
So when she spotted Ninaine at dinner, Genna quickly found her way to
the empty seat across from her.

Ninaine pushed the food around on the plate, the sight of the meat and
vegetables not stirring her appetite at all. She had taken a few
bites, but it was all she had managed. It felt like dust in her mouth.
At the clatter of the tray across from her, she glanced up and went
still, stiffening. "Can I help you with something, Goldrider?"

"Not really, just don't like eating alone. Do you mind a chat?" Genna
asked, having resolved herself beforehand not to respond to Ninaine's
stiff adress.

Putting down her eating knife, Ninaine took a long breath. "What do
you really want? You've never sat with me before and I've never asked
you to. We're not friends." She finally looked up, her face pinched
even through the mask of civility she attempted. "Just say what you
wanted to say and then please leave."

"Well I've tried to be friendly and every time I do, you act like
this," Genna heaved a deep sigh. "Why can't you accept I'm not here to
be your enemy? That maybe my intentions aren't as bad as you seem to
think all the time?"

"Maybe because we've never liked each other." Ninaine's voice suddenly
seemed tired and strained as she rubbed her eyes. "So go ahead and say
what's on your mind."

"Can't we start trying to?" Genna asked with a sigh. "No hidden
agendas, no unresolved issues, just start afresh?"

"Why?" Ninaine finally looked at her. "We're too different and you
know it. We've known each other for too long to just start fresh.
Besides, you're a goldrider and I'm just a greenrider. You'll have
higher ranked friends a plenty."

"Because we share things others here don't share with us. We're from
the same place. And if you weren't so pinned on rank yourself, you'd
see I've never once lorded the colour of my dragon's hide over
anyone."

"Fine. As you like." Ninaine looked back down at her plate and pushed
the vegetables around without much interest.

Genna was obviously surprised and it showed in the brief, stunned
silence. She shouldn't question this now, she realised, or the effort
would be for nothing again. "How's Luneth?"

Ninaine paid little attention to the silence. Instead she shoved a
tuber to the side of her plate. It was rude to play with food, but she
couldn't find much appetite. "She's fine."

"That's good," Genna replied, searching her brains for a way to
continue a friendly conversation. "She did so well in our last drill.

"Thank you." It was a polite response, but one that did not lend well
to further conversation. She still didn't know what Genna wanted and
despite what she had claimed, Ninaine couldn't believe that she didn't
want something.

Gah, this girl was frustrating! She could just... But no, Genna only
just managed to keep her irritation in. "She has a knack for that sort
of thing, doesn't she?"

Ninaine finally looked up. It was rare that Luneth got complimented on
anything, but she had been doing very well in drills. Perhaps it was
because of her love of acrobatic flying, or perhaps it was because of
the sense of freedom that they both felt while in the air, but drills
were something that Luneth excelled at. "I suppose she does. Thank
you."

"Your welcome," Genna smiled a little more sincere at the fragment of
actual conversation and she paused for a moment while taking another
bite from her dinner. Maybe this wasn't the best time to bring up
Ninaine's odd behaviour of late, but at least it was a step forward.

Ninaine went back to moving her tubers around on her plate. "So...are we done?"

Genna could just contain a desperate sigh. So much for actual
conversation. Well, it had been a step, albeit a small one, so she
shouldn't push her luck. "Sure, Ninaine, if you want to. I'll see you
in class."

Ninaine shrugged, but didn't get up, just staring at her plate as she
moved the food around.

Genna heaved a deep sigh and decided to just leave it at that.
Grabbing her plate, she left silently. It was a partial victory at
least, wasn't it?

Last updated on the November 28th 2014

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