Post by glamourie on Dec 18, 2007 19:20:07 GMT -5
"Interesting is one way to put it," Rawign replied carefully, making sure that his tone did not portray the nervousness he felt at such a topic. Nerat wasn't one of the worst places one could come from but it sure wasn't the best either. As for what it was like there... Well... "Nerat's... well, my father is a fisherman. He's good, too. In that circle he is quite respected. My mother makes amazing stew, too. Everyone who visits Nerat Hold has to try some of it. I grew up going with my father on the ships, fishing. I can't stand eating fish now, it's all I can think about. Um... Nerat's not much different from most places in the north though. My mother and father love each other but she'd never argue with him or dare speak to him in public unless he addressed her first... It's... well, it's in the north. I don't know how else to describe it. It could have been worse. It could have been much, much worse. But it's not like here, not remotely."
What he was trying very hard not to admit was that he'd watched his mother get thrown down by his father in public solely to prove that he wouldn't tolerate backtalk from her. In private they bickered like a normal couple, but Ligna learned fast that she was not permitted to behave that way where anyone else could see it, and his sister wasn't treated much better. He'd gotten into trouble several times for arguing with the hold boys who wanted to use Religna as a punching bag, and ever since he left, the guilt hadn't fully subsided. He wasn't lying, though. His life could have been worse. His father treated him with respect, and he'd never laid a hand on Religna. If he had, Rawign would have left much, much sooner than he did. But he'd never hurt Li, and Rawign could forgive him his stubbornness if only for that fact. Religna was Rawign's best friend. He'd have never tolerated anyone hurting her. But women in the north were so much different than at the Weyr or in the south in general... He still hadn't fully wrapped his mind around that.
"I don't know why the north would intrigue you. Trust me, it's much, much better here. Everything is better here. The food. The people. The scenery. Everyone in the north is either hateful, submissive and broken, or so secretive it hurts. But... the Hall... well, imagine a great big infirmary. It smells like numbweed, redwort and blood constantly. In the north a Healer gets a lot of experience with burns." He shook his head. "The people were nice enough, and tolerant. In fact, going to Healer Hall was one of the best experiences in my life because more people there were open-minded than anywhere I've been. Patient. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world..."
His voice trailed off and his gaze followed Marra. Ilena's words were lost on him for the moment, and he turned to her before he could stop himself, the fury of jealousy taking him over. "Oh, I'm not going to ask her to dance, you're a far better dancer. Besides, I wouldn't call what they're doing dancing at all," he whispered, trying to keep the venom from his voice, though he failed pitifully. He wanted so badly to stomp over and pull them apart, then snipe at Marra for her hypocrisy. He did say something, a little louder, though it was directed at Ilena, "It's funny, she was getting agitated at the Weyrleaders for their antics, but she's no better. They were flirting and... well, I wouldn't call that dancing." The words were definitely loud enough for Marra to hear, though not noticeably yelling. In fact, it was more a normal pitch. He was trying to provoke her, though, in reminding her of her complaints earlier. Ugh, he was so disgusted. He then lowered his voice, whispering for just Ilena to hear, "Why would she want my attention? She hates me. You really don't know her, she's spiteful..."
* * *
Keliris tilted his head. "If...?" Honestly, he didn't consider Lennae normal. She was dancing with him. And talking with him. Therefore, something major had to be wrong with her. No one willingly spent time around him, he wasn't a good person, wasn't even worth the acknowledgment that he was receiving. He knew that to be fact. Some people might have called his mindset "depressed" but he didn't. He was more pessimistic than anything else, and he genuinely believed that the only way anyone would pay attention to him was if they had no other choice or better alternative. Never mind that he'd actually gotten far better about dealing with people in regards to Lennae. He was being almost pleasant, which was very strange for him. But he was trying. It was obvious Lennae wasn't a mean person and while she kept turning the topic onto him (something he didn't appreciate), he got the impression she wasn't as much trying to get to know him as to prevent questions about her. He could deal with that.
Truthfully, Keliris was trying to do the same thing. It was easier to inquire after her history than discuss himself, and he was deliberately changing tactics every chance he got. Questions about what he did turned into answers about things that could be done and less personal. He didn't like talking about himself, at all. He wasn't a curious being by nature, at least not in the way most people were, though he loved picking apart other people to comprehend their motivations for everything. That was the heart of why he hadn't grown bored with Lennae and wandered off yet. She was nice enough, pleasant to talk to, and she was doing an outrageously good job of evading his probing. He liked to analyze. It was just in his nature. And he hated it when people analyzed him.
Keliris glanced back at the couples and smiled, just slightly. "Of course we are," he wiggled his index finger at her, "because we are not a couple, first of all, and second of all, half the fun in coming to these things is getting to sit and laugh at the outrageous behavior of others. You see, when they start filtering off, we can start snickering and whispering about what they're going to end up doing..." His gaze was drawn over to that Harper girl that Rawign spent so much time around and he snorted. "And then there's those who can't be bothered going behind a stall for any kind of privacy. Exhibitionism, gotta love it." He looked back at Lennae and smiled, unable to help himself. "My friend's got a crush on that girl, though he denies it every chance he gets. As for seducing you, if I wanted to do that, I'd be making ends toward the wine, as opposed to on the dance floor... my dancing skills are hardly seductive. Or are they?"
What he was trying very hard not to admit was that he'd watched his mother get thrown down by his father in public solely to prove that he wouldn't tolerate backtalk from her. In private they bickered like a normal couple, but Ligna learned fast that she was not permitted to behave that way where anyone else could see it, and his sister wasn't treated much better. He'd gotten into trouble several times for arguing with the hold boys who wanted to use Religna as a punching bag, and ever since he left, the guilt hadn't fully subsided. He wasn't lying, though. His life could have been worse. His father treated him with respect, and he'd never laid a hand on Religna. If he had, Rawign would have left much, much sooner than he did. But he'd never hurt Li, and Rawign could forgive him his stubbornness if only for that fact. Religna was Rawign's best friend. He'd have never tolerated anyone hurting her. But women in the north were so much different than at the Weyr or in the south in general... He still hadn't fully wrapped his mind around that.
"I don't know why the north would intrigue you. Trust me, it's much, much better here. Everything is better here. The food. The people. The scenery. Everyone in the north is either hateful, submissive and broken, or so secretive it hurts. But... the Hall... well, imagine a great big infirmary. It smells like numbweed, redwort and blood constantly. In the north a Healer gets a lot of experience with burns." He shook his head. "The people were nice enough, and tolerant. In fact, going to Healer Hall was one of the best experiences in my life because more people there were open-minded than anywhere I've been. Patient. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world..."
His voice trailed off and his gaze followed Marra. Ilena's words were lost on him for the moment, and he turned to her before he could stop himself, the fury of jealousy taking him over. "Oh, I'm not going to ask her to dance, you're a far better dancer. Besides, I wouldn't call what they're doing dancing at all," he whispered, trying to keep the venom from his voice, though he failed pitifully. He wanted so badly to stomp over and pull them apart, then snipe at Marra for her hypocrisy. He did say something, a little louder, though it was directed at Ilena, "It's funny, she was getting agitated at the Weyrleaders for their antics, but she's no better. They were flirting and... well, I wouldn't call that dancing." The words were definitely loud enough for Marra to hear, though not noticeably yelling. In fact, it was more a normal pitch. He was trying to provoke her, though, in reminding her of her complaints earlier. Ugh, he was so disgusted. He then lowered his voice, whispering for just Ilena to hear, "Why would she want my attention? She hates me. You really don't know her, she's spiteful..."
* * *
Keliris tilted his head. "If...?" Honestly, he didn't consider Lennae normal. She was dancing with him. And talking with him. Therefore, something major had to be wrong with her. No one willingly spent time around him, he wasn't a good person, wasn't even worth the acknowledgment that he was receiving. He knew that to be fact. Some people might have called his mindset "depressed" but he didn't. He was more pessimistic than anything else, and he genuinely believed that the only way anyone would pay attention to him was if they had no other choice or better alternative. Never mind that he'd actually gotten far better about dealing with people in regards to Lennae. He was being almost pleasant, which was very strange for him. But he was trying. It was obvious Lennae wasn't a mean person and while she kept turning the topic onto him (something he didn't appreciate), he got the impression she wasn't as much trying to get to know him as to prevent questions about her. He could deal with that.
Truthfully, Keliris was trying to do the same thing. It was easier to inquire after her history than discuss himself, and he was deliberately changing tactics every chance he got. Questions about what he did turned into answers about things that could be done and less personal. He didn't like talking about himself, at all. He wasn't a curious being by nature, at least not in the way most people were, though he loved picking apart other people to comprehend their motivations for everything. That was the heart of why he hadn't grown bored with Lennae and wandered off yet. She was nice enough, pleasant to talk to, and she was doing an outrageously good job of evading his probing. He liked to analyze. It was just in his nature. And he hated it when people analyzed him.
Keliris glanced back at the couples and smiled, just slightly. "Of course we are," he wiggled his index finger at her, "because we are not a couple, first of all, and second of all, half the fun in coming to these things is getting to sit and laugh at the outrageous behavior of others. You see, when they start filtering off, we can start snickering and whispering about what they're going to end up doing..." His gaze was drawn over to that Harper girl that Rawign spent so much time around and he snorted. "And then there's those who can't be bothered going behind a stall for any kind of privacy. Exhibitionism, gotta love it." He looked back at Lennae and smiled, unable to help himself. "My friend's got a crush on that girl, though he denies it every chance he gets. As for seducing you, if I wanted to do that, I'd be making ends toward the wine, as opposed to on the dance floor... my dancing skills are hardly seductive. Or are they?"