An Unexpected Question

Writers: Avery, Jelena
Date Posted: 15th May 2015

Characters: Genna, K'ran
Description: K'ran and Genna make restday plans.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 9 of Turn 7

Genna

K'ran

The time after Fall was always very hectic for a Wingleader. K'ran had
to assist with a final sweep, check on Cyan's casualties, and bathe
the firestone off himself and Rogueth. Now he was catching dinner late
enough that the Dining Cavern was mostly empty. What was surprising
was that Genna was also eating there. So he carried his tray over and
smiled at the gold weyrling.

"My duty to you and Lissath," he said. "May I join you?"

Genna first greeted K'ran with a yawn, but quickly covered her mouth. "Oh,
I'm sorry K'ran, I'm just dead tired," she smiled vaguely in apology. "And
of course you can, my duty to both you and Rogueth."

She figured he'd understand. Surely he'd still remember how exhausting his
first few Falls were. And the thought of her upcoming graduation the next
day hadn't exactly kept her relaxed the last couple of days either.

"That's more than fine," he said as he set down his tray and settled into
a chair. "We survived unscathed. I hear the weyrlings flew today?"

"We did," Genna nodded, before bringing a bite to her mouth and
chewing it quickly. She was famished. When she'd cleared her mouth
again she continued. "I have to say, even though it was the third
time, it was just as scary as the first. It's hard to believe it'll
ever stop being that scary." Once more she scooped a big spoonful of
stew. Right now her hunger was the first thing on her mind, though
with K'ran's presence, she felt another little twitch in the stomach.
Was now the right time to broach the subject? She felt silly even
thinking about it. "Lissath has been a rock throughout, though, Like
she's never done any different."

"They never seem to feel any fear about it, quite unlike us," he agreed.

Which brought him to a thought. Of course, bronzes flamed, but the
queens... "How is handling the HNO3 tanks? I feel like I'd be nervous
adragonback without flame from my dragon."

"It's scary too," Genna laughed, trying to ignore the nervous twitch as she
waited for the right opening. "But since I've never known any different,
I'm sure it takes just as much getting used to as having a
flaming dragon." Getting the amount of firestone adjusted just right,
making sure your dragon wasn't too eager in flaming... to her it seemed
just as difficult as managing a flamethrower.

"How long did it take you to get used to it all? To feel like you know what
you're doing?"

"Months," he admitted to her. No point in lying about it to make himself
seem braver, he thought. "I stayed in the wyerlings wing a little longer
than most, though, so I had some extra time flaming there. But once I hit
the real wings, it felt different. Even though it wasn't. But eventually
we figured it out."

"Why did you stay in the weyrling wings?" Genna asked curiously, still
in between bites. Slowly she was beginning to feel a bit more steady
as the food filled her stomach.

It was funnier now, so he cracked a smile. "Because Rogueth was so
small and had trouble hatching. Even after we'd got through
weyrlinghood, they were afraid he was going to catch sick. Keep in
mind, this was Turns before Thread began to fall again, so wing duty
wasn't that strenuous, and firestone drills were irregular."

Of course, time had proved his old teachers wrong. After all, they
were flying full Falls, and they were Wingleaders now.

"Well, you certainly turned that around," Genna said with a hint of
admiration in her voice. She knew she was anxious to prove herself,
and so far no one had openly questioned her or Lissath's abilities.
She couldn't imagine how she would feel if they had, like with K'ran
apparently. It made her respect for him grow a little more still.

Putting down her fork, she fell silent for a moment, looking at him
almost cautiously. "K'ran? Can I ask you a really embarrassing
question?"

"Go ahead," he said. He wondered what could be embarrassing to such an
outwardly composed young goldrider.

Was she still worried about being afraid of Thread? It was alright for
metallic riders to be afraid, or so he thought. Pointless to pretend
you were somehow more than human and unafraid of it all.

"Would you -" Genna faltered, looking down at her hands. "How do you
-" She cleared her throat, looking up and finding his eyes again. "Do
you think I'm attractive, K'ran?"

K'ran's emotional reaction was feeling like he'd been hit by a clump
of Thread in the middle of a sunny day. That question was wholly
unexpected - where had it come from? To buy time, he took another sip
of glass while giving her a look. She'd asked, hadn't she? So it would
be okay to look, right?

In the back of his mind, his bronze was laughing wordlessly.

She was pretty, now that he looked at her that way - as a man
appreciating a woman, not just as two colleagues having a talk. She
had lovely hair and pretty smile, and he could easily see her charming
a whole room like Weyrwomen were supposed to.

"You're a very pretty young woman," he answered her. Then he wondred
if that was the problem. "Did someone say you weren't?"

Genna opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say, trying to
make sense of his reaction. A pretty young woman? Did he mean she was
too young for him? She really was, wasn't she? But somehow she felt -
hoped, maybe? - that that wasn't how he had meant it. "No, it's
just..." she waved her hand in frustration at her own loss of words.
She felt like such a wherry head. Why couldn't she just find someone
eager to jump the furs with her and get it over with? Why did she have
to pick the one man that was - apparently - clueless? "I was wondering
if..." she trailed off again, before taking a deep breath and pushing
on. "I was wondering if you'd consider going on a date with me." Wait
- a date? Now she really was playing the silly, proper little hold
girl. Little being the key word. If he didn't already think she was
too young for him, he would now.

A date? With him? Surprise flooded him. Didn't she know he was short
and undesirable? Was it a joke? Why would a girl as nice as her do
that? But the rational part of his mind let him realize why she was
asking. **She's a Senior Weyrling now. They can date. Which means
before Lissath rises...**

He'd been a virgin before Rogueth's first chase, and the aftermath had
been... very awkward. The memory made him blush a little.

Rogueth stepped in to speak to his rider before he could get into too
much trouble. }:She is a nice girl and you liked going to Ista with
her. You would like it. And I like Lissath very much, of course,:{ he
added.

"A date would be nice," he blurted out. "I think it would be really
nice to get to know you better. Like in a date way."

Following his expressions carefully, a silly grin broke out on her
face the moment he spoke. He'd said yes! She hadn't made a complete
fool out of herself in front of him! Sitting back in her chair a bit
in relief, she realised how horrific it would have been if he had
declined. How would she have been able to face him again? But he'd
said yes! Now came the next obstacle...

"What would you feel like doing?" he asked, needing ideas.

Well, he'd taken her to the beach already...what was special enough
for a goldrider? Not going out to a tavern...would another picnic be
too much of the same? Probably, he thought.

"Do you like music?"

"I do," Genna nodded eagerly, feeling the jitters in her stomach rise to
new levels. This morning, when she'd gotten up with just the Fall in mind,
she never would have thought the day would end like this! She just hoped he
didn't want to go out tonight, because she would certainly fall asleep on
him.

"What about listening to the Harpers? Not the ones here but maybe at the
Hall itself." Because that would be fine music and a chance to see an area
of the continent that Dragonsfall riders normally didn't.

"We'd have to go early on a restday, because timezones," he added.

"Wow," Genna seemed impressed by the idea. "I never would have thought of
that. I would love that!" For a moment her nervousness was replaced by
sheer enthusiasm. "Next restday?" she then suggested a bit cautiously. She
didn't want to seem too eager.. but then again, why not?

Now that he'd committed to it, he was feeling his own jitters. What if
she'd decided it was a mistake? Well, if it seemed to be going badly, they
could just pass it off as friends going together...but he hoped it would
go well.

"That works for me," K'ran said.

"Great," Genna said, her smile slightly uncertain, but with an
optimistic twinkle in her eyes as she finished the last of her meal.
As the tension flowed from her body somewhat, she suddenly felt how
dead-tired she really was.

"I'm afraid it's time for me to collapse in my weyr for a while."

"Not a problem,"he said, giving her a sympathetic little smile.
"Hopefully I'll see you around soon."

"See you," Genna grinned a bit sheepishly, before picking up her plate and
leaving the table. Tired as she was, a triumphant smile curled around her
lips. She had finally done it! And he'd said yes.

Last updated on the May 21st 2015

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An Unexpected Question