Just Checking On You (1/2)

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 13th September 2014

Characters: N'call, Ninaine
Description: An innocent visit turns into something far more.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 6 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: J'darin

N'call

Ninaine

Luneth peered at the dragon who now perched on her ledge. The big
bronze seemed to overshadow the evening light and she, at least, was
pleased to see him. Her rider, however, had asked for Luneth to settle
herself in front of her door to block it. Tail thumping slightly,
Luneth spoke from the growing dark of her wallow. }: Mine says to tell
yours that she is not available. :{

}:Well that's not going to work out for her.:{ Haloth stated simply
and without rancor. }:Mine's not going to let her hide in her weyr.:{

Luneth shifted her weight slightly. }: She isn't hiding. She's...:{
There was silent communication before Luneth continued. }: She says to
tell you that she's studying. She's not, but I'm supposed to say that
to make you go away.:{ Luneth blinked and looked behind her, then
ducked her head. }: Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that. :{ She shifted
again, settling her wings.
}: She says that yours is confusing and strange and she's not properly
dressed, so...go away. :{

}:Mine will wait for her to get dressed to talk privately or accost
her openly in the dining hall if she does not let him in.:{ Haloth's
voice was colored with the humor N'call had expressed when Haloth had
relayed Luneth's response.

Luneth blinked slowly at Haloth for a long moment. }: Mine wants to
know why. :{ She blinked up at Haloth and rose, not quite giving way,
but not giving passage either. On her own, she pointedly asked. }:
Will he touch her? :{

}:He does not intend to touch yours.:{ Haloth said after a moment.

There was a pause before Luneth finally moved aside and headed to her
wallow. }: She does not want to be accosted, but she is displeased. :{

N'call shook his head as he dismounted an walked into the Weyr. Here
he'd thought she'd made progress but the moment she got her own weyr
she holed up in it and didn't want to let anyone in. "So what are you
studying," he asked blandly though he didn't see a single book or
scroll.

Ninaine emerged from behind a privacy screen, her arms crossed over
her chest and her face cool with hauteur. She was wearing the baggy
clothing she preferred, and her trousers were pointedly not snug. It
was almost as though she had quickly pulled on the baggy trousers out
of pure spite. "I was attempting to learn the rules about the privacy
of personal weyrs and the fact that I don't have to let anyone in if I
choose not to."

"Well Miss Peevish," he said with a twinkle, "I think you've done
enough studying of that subject." He noticed the clothing pointedly
with a rake of his eyes and a lifted brow. She could wear whatever she
wanted in the privacy of her own weyr but the bags that attempted to
mime clothing were ridiculous and he didn't attempt to hide his
opinion.

Ninaine felt her stubbornness dig in. "Well, Bronzerider N'call, "
that was said pointedly, frustration evident even as she tried to
modulate her voice into a semblence of calm control, "I do not. This
is my weyr and if I don't want to let you in, I don't have to. You
can't just barge in and do what you please here." Her lips thinned as
she took a deep breath. "I have every right to my privacy."

"Oh," he inquired and folded his arms. "so you're saying that my
simple desire to reassure myself that you're alright is an invasion of
your privacy?" He leaned against the wall and tilted his head. "Are
you going to bring me up on charges with the Weyrleader then?"

"I'm fine. You could have just asked Haloth to ask Luneth. Instead you
threatened to embarrass me in public if I didn't let you in after she
told you I didn't want visitors." She walked with a stiffly straight
back to her sink to pour herself a cup of water. "Apparently, I'm not
allowed to make decisions for myself, am I?"

"Nina," he deliberately used her shortened name. "I've tried to visit
for two days running and respected your denial twice." He held up two
finger in emphasis. "You don't let _anyone_ in. More people than just
me are worried about you. You can't just hide in your weyr and sulk
like a child."

"My name isn't Nina!" She snapped and set down her cup hard, her cool
composure fracturing."And I am not sulking! I want to be left alone!'
She took several deep breaths, her hand clenching on her cup, but the
though of him lecturing her...again...about what she could and could
not do, then calling her a child finally just made her carefully
hidden temper flare. It suddenly didn't matter that he outranked her
or that it was improper, she wanted to lash out. And she did. The cup
in her hand flew at his head. "Stop telling me everything I'm doing is
wrong!"

Years of tossing and catching firestone sacks made his reflexes very
fast and N'call caught the cup with a wry twist of his lips. "Really?"
He shook his head. "You're acting like a child, Yelling and throwing
things? Are you going to fall down on the ground now and kick your
heels?"

That should have brought her back to her senses and it should have
made her realize that she was being ridiculous, but his words made her
temper flare brighter instead. She grabbed the closest thing, a wooden
bowl and flung it too. "Maybe I want to!" She grabbed a plate, weeks
of tossing firestone having improved her aim. "Maybe I'm tired of
people telling me I'm wrong or trying to confuse me or..." She grabbed
another plate and flung it, now in a full fit of temper. Unlike with
J'darin, where she had broken down in tears, now she was just angry.

"I'm not wrong all the time!" Another cup was tossed. "I can think for
myself and you can't tell me what to do all the time!" Now a long
handled wooden spoon.

He caught or batted most of the items aside and started walking toward
her through the rain of dishes then he grabbed both her arms to
immobilize them before she could pick up something that could really
hurt him.

"Stop," he bellowed.

There was a low growl from outside the weyr even as N'call grabbed her
arms. }: He's touching and she's upset! :{ Luneth hissed at Haloth,
fully prepared to thrust her head into the door way to stop the pair.

"No!" Ninaine immediately began to struggle, trying to yank her arms
out of his grip. "You arrogant, know it all...bronzerider! I don't
care if you outrank me!" She kicked at his shins. "Arrogant,
confusing, pain in the ass!" It was the first time a curse word had
even emerged from her lips, but she didn't even notice. Instead, her
face was flushed, her hair tugging out of its braid as she tried to
pull away. "Saying one thing and then saying something else,
and...and...acting like I'm stupid just because I'm from a Hold!" She
kicked again at him. "I liked who I was!"

"Stop... Kicking." he said through clenched teeth.

Haloth snarled his own warning at Luneth. }:Let them work it out.
Yours threw things at mine and is hurting him.:{

And it was no lie. She might be small but her boots were taking divots
out of his shins. He clamped both her forearms in a one handed vice
grip then grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the floor
before she could injure something important. This brought her face
within inches of his. "No you weren't and you're angry because you were
taught wrong and don't want to accept that someone did that to you.
It's not _my_ fault."

Luneth ducked her head, but didn't cease the low, grumbling growl past
the flap of hide covering the door.

"Let me go!" Her feet flailed helplessly and she cursed her lack of
height and leverage. She glared at him, brown eyes narrowed. "It's not
wrong! Just because it's different from the weyr doesn't mean it's
wrong! I knew what I was supposed to do and where I belonged!" She
tried to kick at his leg again. "And men didn't grab me like I was a
tuber sack!" She scowled at him, but her eyes were welling up with
moisture. "And...and they didn't insult my clothes." She kicked at him
helplessly, her lip trembling. "Or tell me I had nice legs or.." She
squirmed violently, "..or...dance close with me and confuse me. Let me
go!"

"Fine!" He walked over to her bed and tossed her on it. "Were you
kicking their shins and throwing things? There are consequences to
your actions greenrider. And why are you complaining about
compliments? Sweet Faranth!"

She gasped as she hit the bed and stared up at him with wide, shocked
eyes. She swallowed roughly and her lips trembled as she spoke softly.
"I'm not pretty. I'm not thin. I don't get compliments. So I don't
know why you do it. I don't know what you want. You don't even like
me." Tears leaked down her face, streaming from her welling eyes, her
anger melting away. "I'm sorry. I just...I shouldn't have said
anything." She looked away, closing her eyes tight.

"Shells Nina," he said in a completely different tone. He leaned over
her and placed his fists on either side of her. "Where do you get all
this stuff. I do like you," he said. "And not everyone has to be thin
to be pretty, I honestly don't know how you think that. You have a
beautiful body, remember I should know."

He sighed, "I'm sorry too," he said. "I only meant to check to see if
you were alright and didn't mean to start a stupid fight." He bent
down and kissed her lightly. "I'll go." He stood and walked back
toward the door.

She took a sharp breath the moment his lips touched hers. No one had
ever kissed her on the mouth and as he pulled away, her eyes were even
wider. Her cheeks pinkened and she spoke in a whisper. "Don't go."

It didn't register immediately but when it did he paused and turned,
"what did you say?"

She slowly sat up and looked down at her hands. "You don't have to
leave. I don't want you to."

Last updated on the October 3rd 2014

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Just Checking On You (1/2)