25.Mar.12, 06:55 PM
Something about the woman's cheerful smile Breccan found surprising. She had an odd, half-formed idea that rank meant you were always the picture of rank, not ever sad or happy or anything but perfectly at work. It probably said something significant about her that that was her first dream, and all others ranked neatly in line behind that one. With difficulty, she tried to look at Tsuen as a woman and not as the Weyrwoman, but didn't entirely succeed. Accustomed as she was at measuring worth -and self-worth- by rank alone, she simply couldn't separate title from person.
Tsuen's polite uncertainty baffled her even further. She nodded hesitantly, confirming that she was indeed Breccan, and wondered what sort of paperwork there was on her. Breccan, Healer, grumpy most of the time? The idea made her half-smile. Tsuen's request only broadened that smile, and gave it a touch of something akin to shyness. Someone wanted her? Warm with pleasure, she nodded.
"No, of course, I'm not doing much," she assured the Weyrwoman with a negligent wave of her hand towards her hut, "Just checking some drying plants, but they're fine." She felt she had to assure the woman she'd been doing something productive; admitting that she'd been doing little more than pouting was completely unacceptable. She nearly gave the woman an encyclopedic list of which plants she had chosen and why, but managed not to. For one, Tsuen was not one of her Masters, checking up on her, and would probably not criticize her method of hanging or tying or somesuch. That babbling would have just been nerves, and she didn't want to appear too nervous in front of the Weyrwoman. In truth, she had no idea what sort of person Tsuen was, nor how she'd react to nerves. And in even more truth, it had never occurred to her before to wonder what the Weyrwoman was like as a person.
Curiosity flickered across her features, and her head tilted fractionally to one side. "You don't choose your own chores?" she asked, her tone marginally surprised. Who had assigned a very pregnant Weyrwoman to hunting? It surprised her, as well, to hear that Tsuen even had to do any. Sure, doing a few token duties here and there could be used to make the general population of the Weyr more amenable to their own assigned jobs, but really doing the chores...huh. Breccan found herself unaccountably interested. This day was really shaping up.
"Would you prefer to go east or west? I've been through plenty of the forest, but I haven't been east yet," she asked, glancing back into her room. She'd have to grab her bag, but it was already stocked with the leather sample containers she'd been making obsessively, and a few other things she thought she might need on one of her little expeditions. She'd never had occasion to use the knife or rope, but she flattered herself by believing she was the equal of any situation, and that she'd know precisely what to do with them when the time came. Even Brec could be blind about her faults.
Her eyes returned to the Weyrwoman, lingering on the protruding belly. It was a long walk, but she didn't quite know how to ask Tsuen if she could handle it. It had been her idea, so presumably she could. Were pregnant women supposed to do these kinds of things? Breccan wished she'd paid more attention in the classes dealing with gynecology, but they had never interested her much, and she'd dismissed most of the information as soon as she could, in order to turn her mind to more interesting pursuits.
Tsuen's polite uncertainty baffled her even further. She nodded hesitantly, confirming that she was indeed Breccan, and wondered what sort of paperwork there was on her. Breccan, Healer, grumpy most of the time? The idea made her half-smile. Tsuen's request only broadened that smile, and gave it a touch of something akin to shyness. Someone wanted her? Warm with pleasure, she nodded.
"No, of course, I'm not doing much," she assured the Weyrwoman with a negligent wave of her hand towards her hut, "Just checking some drying plants, but they're fine." She felt she had to assure the woman she'd been doing something productive; admitting that she'd been doing little more than pouting was completely unacceptable. She nearly gave the woman an encyclopedic list of which plants she had chosen and why, but managed not to. For one, Tsuen was not one of her Masters, checking up on her, and would probably not criticize her method of hanging or tying or somesuch. That babbling would have just been nerves, and she didn't want to appear too nervous in front of the Weyrwoman. In truth, she had no idea what sort of person Tsuen was, nor how she'd react to nerves. And in even more truth, it had never occurred to her before to wonder what the Weyrwoman was like as a person.
Curiosity flickered across her features, and her head tilted fractionally to one side. "You don't choose your own chores?" she asked, her tone marginally surprised. Who had assigned a very pregnant Weyrwoman to hunting? It surprised her, as well, to hear that Tsuen even had to do any. Sure, doing a few token duties here and there could be used to make the general population of the Weyr more amenable to their own assigned jobs, but really doing the chores...huh. Breccan found herself unaccountably interested. This day was really shaping up.
"Would you prefer to go east or west? I've been through plenty of the forest, but I haven't been east yet," she asked, glancing back into her room. She'd have to grab her bag, but it was already stocked with the leather sample containers she'd been making obsessively, and a few other things she thought she might need on one of her little expeditions. She'd never had occasion to use the knife or rope, but she flattered herself by believing she was the equal of any situation, and that she'd know precisely what to do with them when the time came. Even Brec could be blind about her faults.
Her eyes returned to the Weyrwoman, lingering on the protruding belly. It was a long walk, but she didn't quite know how to ask Tsuen if she could handle it. It had been her idea, so presumably she could. Were pregnant women supposed to do these kinds of things? Breccan wished she'd paid more attention in the classes dealing with gynecology, but they had never interested her much, and she'd dismissed most of the information as soon as she could, in order to turn her mind to more interesting pursuits.