Welcome (It's Not Always Like This, I Swear)

Writers: Devin, Duskdog
Date Posted: 19th June 2024

Characters: Nidre, N'vanik
Description: N'vanik welcomes Nidre to Dolphin Cove Weyr
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 25 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis, A'kades, Jayala

Nidre

N'vanik

N'vanik waited until after Cyradis met with the new goldrider-- Nidre
was going to be her 'Second after all. Then he settled himself at his
favorite working spot on the beach, where a cluster of trees provided
shade.

}:Hello Jossenth, I hope you're settling in. Mine would like to meet
with yours here.:{ Loseth sent an image of the shady spot. }:He
thought yours might appreciate talking somewhere that isn't a stuffy
office.:{

}:I am, thank you, and she absolutely would,:{ Jossenth replied,
without even bothering to consult Nidre for her opinion.

**Who are you promising me to, now?**

}:Loseth's rider has the good sense to work down by the beach and
would like to see you. You should take some drinks.:{

Nidre absolutely did _not_ take drinks -- the shady spot on the beach
might be a more casual spot for work than she was used to, but she
didn't want to give the mistaken impression that she was hitting on
the Weyrleader on day one. She did wander down there, though, enjoying
the view of the sun glittering off of the sea as she did. That, at
least, was something she knew, and it was bittersweet: comforting in
its familiarity, but tinged with a brief pang of homesickness. It was
still a little hard to believe that she'd left her home of eighteen
turns behind. She'd been at Vista Point for over half of her life, and
now it was behind her.

No sense dwelling on it.

"You really know how to pick a spot," she said as she approached
N'vanik, shading her eyes from the sun with one hand until she reached
the shelter of the trees. "You should be napping in a hammock here."

He chuckled and gestured for her to sit. "I found this spot soon after
I became Weyrleader and worked here as much as I could. I had so many
people running around looking for me in the early days. Everyone
seemed to expect I'd be shut up in my office all day. No thank you."

"Well, it's refreshing. What's the point in spending all your time
keeping a Weyr running if you never get to actually enjoy it, hmm?"
Nidre sat, folding one leg beneath her comfortably. Well, comfortable
for her, at any rate. "I imagine it makes the magnitude of work feel a
little less... overwhelming?"

N'vanik nodded. "If I'm doing a bunch of hidework, why not enjoy fresh
air and a view?"

"I'm sure not going to complain about it!" Nidre laughed softly.
"Working on anything in particular today, out here with the ocean, or
just general hidework?"

"Just the endless pile of hidework." He laughed. "Well, it's really
not so bad. I learned how to manage it. Sometimes I pretend I'm busy
but I just take a nap." N'vanik winked.

"Hey, take them when you can get them," she agreed with a shrug. "Need
any help? I'm sure there's stuff in there that doesn't _necessarily_
require only the signature of the top man, himself."

"I pass a lot to A'kades and my Wingthird. Besides, I called you down
here for a chat, not to work. Although, well . . . there was one thing
I wanted to talk to you about."

Nidre spread her arms. "Well, you've got your opportunity. I'm here
and I'm a mostly-open book. Go for it."

"You seemed like you had some ideas about our holder problem. I'd like
to hear them." N'vanik wanted a fresh perspective.

"Jumping in with both feet, huh? Okay, I can do that." Nidre took a
moment to gather her thoughts. "Well... I think my biggest concern is
that this kind of hate doesn't just spring out of nowhere. People
grumble about things, people have their prejudices, but hating
something enough to murder for the cause? To _die_ for it? That's the
kind of hate that comes from somewhere, and takes time to build up.
That doesn't mean it's _justified_, mind you -- people can hate for
incorrect or downright _stupid_ reasons -- but people almost always
have some sort of reason for the things they do, even if it's a
misguided one, and especially things for that are extreme. If it was
just one or two crazy people, sure, I'd probably write that off as
just some weirdos who went unhinged when they felt slighted in a way
that tangentially involved the Weyr or something, but it's not just
one or two crazy people. It's apparently a whole group of them. And
for every extremist willing to kill, there's probably at least a dozen
people who hate us but aren't willing to go that far. And for every
one of _those_, there are probably fifty more who are just disgruntled
but don't actually wish us harm. I think what I'd like to do is figure
out what the mildly disgruntled people are annoyed about, because
that's where the extremists probably start -- they just start to
obsess, or get it twisted in their heads for whatever reason, and take
it way too far. I want to know where the discontent starts, so that we
can address it -- even if the solution is just helping them understand
us better."

She took a deep breath and thought some more before continuing.
"Understanding that would help us cut off any future trouble, which I
think should be a goal. But for the ones who are already too far gone,
and a clear and present threat... well, I'm sure you're doing all you
can to root them out. Figuring out where they're most likely based,
how they communicate, how they're being supplied. Do you trust the
Harper Hall?"

The Weyrleader considered for a brief moment. "'Bout as much as I
trust anyone outside the Weyr. Hallsecond Jayala has been helping me
investigate."

"Well, that should be helpful, at least. If they can be trusted, they
can probably get whatever information we want." She shrugged a little.
"No clue how they do it, but they seem to have a way with that sort of
thing."

"They're trained for it," N'vanik said with a hint of amusement. "I'd
like you to follow your idea -- with the Weyrwoman's permission, of
course. I like that you're not inclined to be too soft, but you can be
more objective than I can. Diplomacy is . . . not my strong suit. You
should work with my Weyrsecond, A'kades, too. He's keen on winning
over the holders' hearts and minds." While N'vanik felt more like
bashing their heads.

"Diplomacy's not my strong suit, either... but it's something I'm
actively working on," Nidre said. "I won't let it interfere with my
other duties, but I'll clear things with Cyradis before I go running
off anywhere. And I'll check in with A'kades. Sounds like he's put
some thought into this, and I'd love to hear his ideas. I think
winning them over will probably have to be a part of this eventually
-- even if it's not necessarily the most pressing step."

"A big problem needs multiple solutions," N'vanik said. "Much as I'd
like to solve all this myself, I know I can't. You weren't here, so
none of this is personal and you can come in with a different
viewpoint."

"Something to keep in mind if I start sounding too reasonable," she
huffed in amusement. "It's a lot harder for me once it becomes
personal, too. But you're right -- I don't have that problem _now_, so
may as well take advantage of it before I let myself get _too_ pissed
off. A good test of my patience, I guess -- the stakes are too high to
let myself muck it up." She shook her head, grinning crookedly again.
"Don't worry. I won't let you -- us -- down."

"Thanks," N'vanik said. "You know, when the holders aren't tryin' to
kill us, this is a nice place, really."

She sat back and looked out over the waves. "I absolutely believe it."

Last updated on the June 23rd 2024

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Welcome (It's Not Always Like This, I Swear)