Families and Men

Writers: Avery, Emma
Date Posted: 15th January 2009

Characters: Kapera, Teseada
Description: Kapera and Teseada talk about family and ignorant men.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 27 of Turn 4

Kapera

Teseada

Kapera knocked on Teseada's office door. It was near lunch, and she was
fairly sure the other goldrider would be free. Maybe they could eat lunch
together, talk- she didn't want to just take lunch in her office, alone,
again. "Teseada, are you in there?" she called hopefully.

"Ma'am," called out the younger goldrider politely. "Please, come in." Hides
were set aside as the slate she was using to work out some tithings was also
set aside.

"You're not too busy, are you?" Kapera asked, seeing the slate. "This isn't
a business visit." she added quickly.

"No Ma'am, nothing that can't wait."

"Have you had lunch yet? Do you want it?" Kapera hated beating around the
bush, but she knew she wasn't too great at being direct in personal
conversations.

"I haven't," and as if to emphasise the point, her stomach gurgled.

"Want to either get something, or order it delivered up?"

"Order something I think," her encounter with Y'nub not inclining her to
want to eat in public.

"Anything in particular or a generic meal?" Kapera asked as she stuck her
head out the door to find a drudge.

"Not fish, I feel like I've eaten too much of it over the last sevenday."

Kapera nodded and asked the drudge for two meals, klah, and juice, with no
fish included. She then settled back into the chair. "Is Onnyth really
protective of the new weyrlings?"

"Most of them," answered Teseada. "She likes the little greens."

"Only most?" Kapera asked.

"She doesn't seem very keen on one of the bronzes, I think she's picking up
on my feelings."

"It's quite possible." Kapera agreed. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"Not yet," admitted Teseada. "My mother, I need to be there for her, she
needs me."

"How is she handling it?" Kapera wasn't trying to pry, but she knew how hard
families could be on a person, and Teseada was in a pretty hard spot.

"She threw a pie at my father," Teseada kept her face straight, although she
wasn't sure how. "I think that means she was mad."

Kapera couldn't suppress a chuckle. "I wish I'd seen that." she said
honestly. "Pies as a weapon?" When she stopped, she said more seriously. "Do
you think she's ever going to forgive your father?"

"When it's as hot as River Bluff all the turn round she might."

"What about yourself?"

"I don't think I'm ready to talk to him just yet," Teseada paused, "Karri
thinks I should try to talk to..." She couldn't quite say the words 'my
brother' and instead settled for using his name. "J'nev, and try and see how
he's feeling."

"I think that's a good idea. It isn't his fault, after all- but, I guess
you've heard all that and it isn't my place to lecture anyways."

"I just don't want to antagonize him, he seems to have a good relationship
with my father and I don't want to upset that. It's all such a mess."

"Do you think he wants to form a relationship with you, too?" Kapera asked.
"He didn't know about you, either, right?"

"I don't know, but if I don't speak to him I won't ever know."

"I hope it works out well for you." Kapera said sincerely. "ANd I hope no
one's giving you a hard time about it?"

"Only..." Teseada looked away, pulling a face. "Y'nub."

"Having a hard time with him? Bronzeriders, more gall than sense."

"He's a tunnelsnake dressed as a dragonrider." And that was mild. "A
wherry's arse that just wants to bed goldriders for bets and brag about it
to his equally stupid friends."

"I'll never understand how bronzes- or any dragon- choose people like that."
Kapera agreed. "I had an encounter with one of those once."

"How, how did you handle it?" Curiosity tinged Teseada's voice, maybe that
knowledge could help her.

"I know the talk about my reputation. I believe I've even heard myself
called looser than a proddy greenrider." she added wryly.

"B'ron... I cared about him. I was just graduated, and he told me about how
he'd been attracted to me ever since I came to the Weyr, how he'd never
thought he'd had a chance with me. I was flattered by that- who wouldn't be?
I let it go to my head. And then Riyanth overheard some conversation about
how he was just into me to win her Flight, and she told me..."

It wasn't easy to admit, but Kapera pressed on. "I cried for days. Then I
locked myself in the Records Room and did the hidework of 3 goldriders for
sevendays. And then...well, that's when I started sleeping around." she
admitted honestly.' "I figured that he sucked as a person, but that sex had
been fun. So I just fell into bed with anybody interesting, because if I
don't get close to them, they can't hurt me like B'ron did."

She laughed. "I don't recommend the sleeping around trick. It makes people
know you don't want a real relationship, but then they also see you in a bad
light. And sometimes...I don't think I could stop if I wanted to."

"It just hurts knowing that hhe only wanted what the colour of Onnyth's hide
could bring him," Teseada said, not really understanding where Kaprea was
coming from, but knowing that it had to be a rare confession from her.

Kapera nodded. "I don't want you to make my mistakes. And for what it's
worth, I'm really sorry that he hurt you. He's a selfish, ignorant idiot who
was so blinded by Onnyth's hide that he didn't even stop to notice what a
good person you are."

That managed a smile friom the younger goldrider. "I can find someone far
better than him."

"Definitely." The drudge finally arrived with two plates of food, which
Kapera accepted gratefully.

"Ah, food!" Teseda studied the trays, there, for dessert was a slice of pie
for each of them. "My mother must have sent these."

"Oh, that looks good. That's very sweet of your mother."

"If she knew it was for me, she'd try to puit something special on here."

"It must be really nice to be so close to your mother."

"More to her than my father, I thought it was being a rider that took up his
time, now I know better."

"I hope you reach some kind of understanding eventually. It's awful to be at
odds with your family."

"I don't like it much, but I think we all need some time."

"Well, I wish you the best. And if anyone gives you trouble, tell them to
shut up. You have the right to."

"Believe me, I'll be the first to tell someone to take a long jump /between/
if I think they need it after all this."

Kapera laughed. Teseada really did remind her of herself sometimes. She was
glad to find things in common with the younger woman. "I like your style."

Last updated on the January 20th 2009

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Families and Men