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Post by jerith on Dec 17, 2007 21:42:50 GMT -5
J'rem sat listening for along time, as he tended to do.
Say something before they think you have fallen asleep
"I don't know. I grew up here at the Weyr, not IN it, but I always felt that the dragonriders were nice to me, and my parents." He thought back, trying to find an exception, "There may have been a few that actted like we were, ah, beneath them. But those were rare. Maybe it's just because Telgar has the best Riders on Pern." He said that with a boyish grin. Telgar Weyr had been the only home he could remember, so he had a strong sense of pride about it.
"I suppose people treat me diffrently now though. Not a great deal, but enough to see there is a diffrence." He drank from his cup and tapped behind his ear. "I think more importantly though, is that sense of eliteness isn't among the riders. We all serve a purpose, right?"
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Post by kayla on Dec 17, 2007 22:38:07 GMT -5
"Well, I never felt looked down upon as a drudge, but there was definitely the sense that... sometimes people didn't notice you. But people don't tend to take Rankers for granted the same way they might take drudges or other workers." She shrugged, "Mixed blessing, I suppose. Kind of feel like I'm under close scrutiny, people jut waiting to see what kind of Weyrwoman I'll be, and I don't even know for sure yet myself."
She chuckled and grinned to J'ren, "And yeah, everyone's important. Not all rankers feel that way though." She'd not had much int he way of encounters with the elitists - unless you count D'leon - but she knew of them.
She then turned her attention back to L'sander, "Sorry, probably a little more sobering than you wanted your reflection to go."
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Post by jerith on Dec 18, 2007 8:28:52 GMT -5
J'ren nodded at Neory's words "That's reassuring. And here I thought I was the only one who felt like everyone is waiting for me to make a mistake. But...", he paused as if listening, " As Gliath likes to remind me, he wouldn't have chosen me if he didn't think I was up to the challenge."
He drank and turned to L'sander, not meaning to leave him out of the conversation.
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Post by brimstone81 on Dec 21, 2007 12:25:38 GMT -5
L'sander nodded listening silently in reflection. Of course he didn't really mind being separate from their conversation, he got a chance to observe them for a moment, and he couldn't help but he was people watcher. Maybe he was priming himself for one day becoming a wingsecond, but it was how he had been for as long as he could remember. Even in the Beast Craft Hall, he watched the other apprentices, and had won his first fight with an older boy because he could guess his moves. He sat back in his chair, his hand stroking his chin in thought. Now that they were both looking at him, he spoke, "I think at the Weyr, they are more accepting generally. At the hold when I was just the beastcrafter's son, I was barely given a second glance. As an apprentice, I was given a little more notice, and as a candidate, I felt like there were plenty of us hanging around, even being bossed around like a common drudge. I was never a drudge here, but I can only imagine that life is even less glamorous than a candidate. Nothing against drudges, they are often hard workers. As a bronzerider," He said, remembering back, his eyes sort of staring off, "There were drudges whom I had befriended that now averted their eyes. Always, 'Yes, bronzerider,' after I graduated. It was a different world I was thrusted into, one I did not expect. As a holdbred, I had only heard stories about dragons and their riders. I had no idea of the rank the colors had. When first coming I had wondered what made one color dragon different from another. Gradually I learned, and of course accepted my path. Like you said, J'ren, Oberonth chose me for some reason."
He sort of chuckled, "And how arrogant does that make me sound? I was worthy. I was different from the other boys in some reason."
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Post by kayla on Dec 21, 2007 14:04:14 GMT -5
"As long as we never forget that being different doesn't mean being better. Each dragon and rider is important." She grinned, knowing that neither Rider meant that they thought otherwise, or at least hoping that that was the case.
When L'sander mentioned the loss of friends he'd made among the drudges she frowned slightly. She had been a drudge. She'd had many friends among the drudges, but how many had she had time to visit with since being Impressed by Sheluth? The answer was clearly none. She smiled at them when she saw them in the Caverns or in the Hall, but she hadn't visited with them. Of course, the simple truth was that she didn't have time to, but still.
She shook her head, bringing her out of her reverie. "I've lived here my whole life. And I am still amazed by the difference since being impressed by a gold. I knew the differences in rank, but I'm still adjusting to what it means. Its kind of dizzying."
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Post by brimstone81 on Dec 21, 2007 19:46:15 GMT -5
"Of course," L'sander nodded, "That's why I laughed, because it sounded so strange for me to say it." As a boy, he had never wanted to be a slave to averagedom, thus he left the beast craft when he was offered a chance at the Weyr. Never again would he average, unless perhaps you called him an average bronzerider. Yet, he still felt like any other man. He was beginning to learn that 'great' or 'average' was dependant on how others saw him.
He smiled at the young goldrider, "Ah, yes, just as long as you don't get caught up in it and grow above all of the material things that come with rank. It can be quite glamorous, and," he paused, almost sadly, "It can get quite lonely at the top." He recoverd with a shrug and a more up beat tone to his voice, "Or so I hear anyways. Still, I would never trade in Oberonth for a mastership at the Beast Craft Hall."
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Post by jerith on Dec 23, 2007 22:57:56 GMT -5
J'ren thought for a long moment what would have happened if he hadn't been chossen. To be a member of the Beastcrafters. He still spent time with his family, but there had been less of it since he had started devoting more time to being a dragonrider.
"It doesn't make you arrogant to know that you are worthy of being impressed by a dragon. Just remember that you are one of many. That's why it doesn't have to be lonely. We have our wingmates, and friends."
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Post by brimstone81 on Jan 5, 2008 13:48:25 GMT -5
"Arrogance. Well, see, it's like saying, 'I'm better than him because he could only Impress blue, because for some reason or another I'm more special to ride bronze.' You said yourself that you were chosen by your dragon, and why not another boy? Because you were worthy. Just that word can be used arrogantly." He paused to take a drink of his wine, but found it bitter so just a sip. He went on, "Of course it is possible to be humble by not using that word at all. I mean, what do you think of a man when he says, 'I am worthy of it.' You think he's too sure of himself and you'd like to knock him down a few pegs. Though tone of voice certainly changes things. And I could go on, but I won't. You probably all think I'm too long winded for my own good."
He swirled his goblet and sort of looked into it, saying almost absentmindedly, "You are such a positive young man. Pray you never loose it. While Telgar is much more interank friendly, then say, High Reaches or Igen, rank still comes with power, and there are always going to be people who crave that power. For me, more girls have approached me since Impressing bronze, and I wonder if they really like me, or if they think by being my weyrmate or having my children that I would bestow upon them nice gifts. You know? Thankfully, all those times I had Renalda, whom I had known before Oberonth." He stopped swirling his glass. He took a breath and mused softly, "And now that she's gone, I wonder if I'll be able to weed through the bad ones."
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