Set the Record Straight

Writers: Leigh M-F., Miriah
Date Posted: 26th January 2015

Characters: Ninaine, A'kua
Description: The record needs to be set straight.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 8 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Ilyssia, Jessmyr.

Ninaine

Swimming was a lot like flying. The feeling of weightlessness, of
being untouchable in an element that could lift one up or destroy
them. Aluka wasn't much of a swimmer, but he could appreciate a dunk
once in a while, and with the weather having its warmer days, he
wanted to be outside more often between chores and lessons. So if he
wasn't rock-climbing or playing his gitar, he had started swimming
too.

The afternoon break would soon be ending, though, so Aluka dove one
more time, surfacing only when his lungs begged for air. Catching his
breath, he paddled into shallower water, standing up when his knees
hit sand. His ratty, scraped-up pants, normally reserved for said
rock-climbing, hung low on his hips and clung to his legs as he
slogged for the shore, looking for the towel he had left there.

The towel was thrust at him as Ninaine looked away, but her expression
was not only the discomfort with his lack of clothing. There was a
touch of embarrassment and a little hurt on her face as she waited for
him to take the fluffy cloth.

Well, this was a surprise. If it were anyone else, Aluka would have
made a joke about how flattering it was to have a pretty lady do
something so nice as to hand him a towel -the sand had even been
shaken off it- but it was Ninaine, so Aluka hitched up his pants as
best he could (though that was useless, what with how waterlogged they
were) and took the towel, draping it around his shoulders to cover his
chest somewhat. "It's not that bad, if Luneth wants a swim," he
offered.

She cleared her throat after a quick flicked glance to make sure he
was covered, then turned to face him. Her brow was knit and her arms
crossed over her chest, but she winced and lowered them down to her
hips. "I'm sure it is." She stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me? I
thought I was your friend. Did you think I'd think poorly of you?" She
paused and searched his face. "She's not _in trouble_ is she?"

Okay, what? Aluka's brows gradually drew together the more Ninaine
talked, utterly confused. She looked and sounded awfully upset, and
she seemed to think that was his fault, but he hadn't done anything.
Had he? "Ya lost me," he said honestly.

She looked at him, her usual cool demeanor now tinged with
exasperation. "You weren't going to tell me at all?" She stepped back.
"I would have told you if _I_ was getting weyrmated, you know." She
took a deep breath. "I know that you hate hold ways and all, Aluka,
but really, it's just common courtesy to tell your friends these
things. It's not a wedding, I know, and it doesn't have a proper
ceremony but I would still have wanted to know. I could have gotten
you both something."

If it were anyone else, Aluka would have slung them into the lake for
listening to gossip. Instead, he sighed gustily and muttered "Fardles,
not ya too." This was getting decidedly less funny. He swiped a hand
through his hair, slicking it back and shaking water onto the ground.
"I'm not gettin' weyrmated to anyone. There's still no one like that
in my life. Some of Lys' classmates just jumped to conclusions 'cause
we're friends and they're jealous of her. Believe me, Ninaine, if it
were anythin' close to the truth, you'd be the first one I'd tell."
Jessmyr would be the second, but only because the redhead had
befriended the greenrider first and she had seniority.

She blinked rapidly, his words soaking in slowly. He wasn't? Slowly,
a flush covered her face. "Oh. OOoooooh..." She cleared her throat and
pulled her braid over her shoulder to tug at it. "Well, isn't this
perfectly embarrassing. Aluka, I'm sorry. I just was told that you
were, well... that your friend was with child before she Impressed and
you were going to weyrmate her to make it right."

The Candidate gave Ninaine a horrified look. "She's _fourteen_!" Sweet
Ancients, this was _really_ getting out of hand. There had to be some
way to kill the rumors before they grew even bigger.

Her eyes widened. "Fourteen! Aluka, did you get a fourteen year old
girl with child?" Her jaw dropped open in shock. "And you're not
weyrmating her?"

"WHA- NO!" Aluka shouted loudly enough that he got an echo. "That's
disgustin', Ninaine! How could ya pos'bly think tha' o' me?! Ilyssia's
not preg'ant! She took Search t' escape tha' kinda thang! I'm jus' her
friend! Got tha'? Jus'! Her! Friend!" He abruptly realized how thick
his accent was getting and just how angry the words had made him, and
stopped yelling, taking some deep breaths. He tried to tell himself
the greenrider was just concerned, but it didn't help much.

"I didn't..." Her jaw dropped open. "You didn't deny it and I thought
maybe..." Her brows snapped down. "Hey! Don't yell at me!" There was
an answering bugle from a nearby ledge, then a low growl accompanied
by a dull thump of a tail. "Why do you think I'm down here asking
about it!" She stomped her foot in a surprisingly open display of
displeasure. "I've heard of girls that young with child and..and...I
didn't think you would!" She jabbed at him with her finger. "I was
worried about you, you...you...dunce!"

Aluka pressed his hands to his temples and had a few more deep
breaths, trying to beat down his temper before Luneth arrived and ate
him. This was Ninaine. She was his friend, not a threat. "If you did
not think I would do anything like that, why did you say it after you
heard how old Lys is?" he wanted to know, speaking slowly and clearly,
and sounding a lot more hurt than he wanted to let on. "I may be
holdbred, but I'm nothing like those- those animals who would. I'm not
like the man who bedded my mother and went his merry way without
thinking of the consequences."

"Because...I'm only fifteen, Aluka. It's not that big of a
difference." Her voice dropped. "It can happen you know, being young
and doing things." She suddenly wrapped her arms around herself at the
hurt in his voice. "I'm sorry, I guess I just got a little upset and
jumped to assumptions that were really wrong." Her eyes lifted. "I'm
sorry. About what I said. You're nothing like that."

It was on the tip of Aluka's tongue to scathingly ask if she was
jealous too, but that was going too far. Besides, she had apologized.
It wasn't helping much right now, but she had said it, and it was big
of her to do so. "I'm sorry I yelled," he said after a moment,
lowering his hands. "I didn't mean to upset Luneth. Or you."

"I suppose I deserved it." She took a breath and straightened herself,
falling back on the appearance of composure that had been drilled into
her since she was old enough to remember. "I yelled too." There was a
huff; Luneth wasn't as forgiving at the moment, but Ninaine was able
to push the green's attitude aside for the moment. She was a little
more sensitive to the situation than he knew, especially considering
what the rumor was saying. She wasn't that much older than Ilyssia
and... She shook the thought away as she rubbed her arms. "I don't
know what I was thinking."

That made two of them. Aluka unbent a little more anyway. "It's nice
that you'd offer a present if I ever was lucky enough to find a
weyrmate."

"Of course I would. I mean...it may not be marriage or anything, but
it still deserves something." She shifted on her feet. "I'm really
sorry, Aluka."

The redhead half smiled. "'Sokay, li'l sis." It wasn't her fault she
might never entirely leave her Hold behind. "I forgive ya." He went to
excuse himself, only to pause. "Why _did_ ya get so upset?" She didn't
know Lys personally, so Ninaine had no investment in her. All her
emotions had been aimed at him.

She bit her lower lip and as she looked down at her feet, she
swallowed. She quickly crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I
just did. I was worried. That's all."

In other words, she was worried he was a giant hypocrite. (See
previous thought about never entirely leaving the Hold behind.) He
could deal with that, especially since she had apologized twice. "I
should head off, then. Break's almost over, and I better dry off
before I catch a cold."

She turned to leave and then stopped, holding herself still. She
didn't look at him and her voice was quiet. "Aluka? What would you do
if something like that happened? If you got a woman with child?"

Aluka stopped dead, and it took him some minutes to answer. Not
because he had to think about the answer, but because he knew it
already, and it was painful. "I'd be scared outta my mind," he said,
almost as quietly. "Ancients only know what kinda father I'd be. It's
not like I had a lotta good role models back in Bex. But I- I wouldn'
ask her to go between or anythin'. That's not my right. So I'd.... I'd
just cope, I guess."

"I think you'd be a good father. You're a good person." She still
didn't look at him. "Would you weyrmate the woman then? If she was
willing?"

Her confidence in him after their kerfluffle warmed him, but the
second question did take some thought. "If she wanted me for who I am
and not just my body, loved me somehow in some small way; if there was
the barest chance we could be happy, then I would," he said, his voice
again betraying him with a thread of longing when he mentioned being
loved and wanted.

"Oh." Her voice was small. "Well...that's good then." She looked over
her shoulder at him and her eyes were somehow sad. "You deserve that.
It'll happen some day."

Something about that look made him uneasy. But maybe she was just
wishing for a weyrmate herself, or a wedding ceremony if she did find
a weyrmate. Maybe that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. He wanted
to ask, but that was prying, so all he said was "Ya deserve it too, ya
know. If it's whatcha want, I mean."

She just nodded. "You might want to talk to Ilyssia about what's being
said about her. Or the Weyrlingmaster. Rumors spread really fast." Her
smile was brief. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Oh, I plan on it," Aluka stated. "Take care." He nodded to his friend
and headed inside, resolving to pay Ninaine a visit very soon. He had
a feeling it would be a really good idea.

Last updated on the January 27th 2015

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Set the Record Straight