milliways_bar | (no subject)

Today had been going really well for Ellen.

She'd been called back to the Citadel to report on the RobCo factory status, and she had good results to report. She'd been able to give a coherent account of all the measures taken at Second Diana to ensure that their communications tech was working properly, and it had been accepted. She'd been sent to the Order of the Shield armor labs to give them the Enclave power armor she'd earned from Scribe Bigsley, so that they could retrofit it to her, upgrade it, and repaint it to Brotherhood standards. And she'd even been able to handle Squire Maxson when the boy came to her and asked her, as chaplain, if his parents were really dead and what that meant for him and the rest of his life. Not perfectly, obviously, but well enough that he promised to come back and talk some more the next time she was at the Citadel, and keep on coming back regularly when he needed it. So that had been really, really good.

And then she'd just HAD to go and talk to Senior Scribe Jameson, hadn't she.

She's not sure her face is ever going to stop burning. Talking to the head of the Order of the Quill about- well, it'd been the most embarrassing five minutes of her life that she could recall. So she's gone to the Bar and she's going to stay RIGHT THERE until she no longer wants to pull her power helmet on and do her very best Knight-Captain Gallows impression* for a week.

Feel free to bother her in the meantime, though. It's not like you're from the Wasteland, right?

*Which consists mostly of "...", as Knight-Captain Gallows is widely known as the least talkative man in the Citadel

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"He has not made them clear?"

Her brow furrows slightly. "Might that be because you do not know the signals of his tribe? Or is the failing his?"

Ellen's trying to keep steady with this, really she is. It's just- it's easier to talk about this kind of thing when it's happening to someone else, that's all.

"I- don't know what the signals of his tribe are," she finally decides. "I don't know if what he does is part of his job duty, or a good sign. I mean, he's not a warrior himself, he's a scholar, but he's a scholar who designs and builds weapons, and fixes and improves weapons that already exist. So I don't know if he's really enthusiastic about making sure I have the right weapons because that's his job, or if it's because he likes me in particular."

"Then you should approach him and make yourself known," Leela says. "Then you will be able to see for yourself."

Ellen nods. "I'll speak to him when I get home," she says. "Just- just so nobody makes fools of themselves. I mean. Courting's not- not something you should be unclear about. It's not like hunting, right? You're not supposed to sneak up on the other person with it...."

"You should be bold and direct in your pursuit," Leela says. "Even if your desire is not returned, there are many worse things that can happen to a warrior."

"I suppose that's true," says Ellen. God knows, she's seen enough of those things in the Wasteland at some point or other. "And if I'm wrong... well, there's always other places I might have to fight, if it gets to be a problem."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Wasteland's a big place. If I'm wrong and he doesn't want to be pursued, I can always find some other part of it to serve in, away from him, so that neither one of us is embarrassed by the other after the fact."

In the Vault, you avoided interaction with people if you'd caused a problem with them. You couldn't really leave, but you could find other things to do and other rooms to be in, most of the time. It cut down on fights and other problems of enclosed populations. The surface? Just makes it easier to leave.

Leela raises an eyebrow. "You would leave out of shame?"

There was no leaving Leela's village, either. But disputes were generally considered to be settled to everyone's satisfaction in favor of whoever was victorious in unarmed combat.

"No, not shame," says Ellen, "but in the tribe where I grew up, if you were rejected or similar the first time, you backed off for a while until the other person had time to forget it, or to give them more of a chance to change their minds. Then you were free to try again, either with them or with someone else more suitable."

"Oh," she says, frowning slightly. "And it is the same among the Brotherhood?"

Actually, Leela isn't entirely certain what happens if the other person says no in her tribe. Trying to chase down a howlerbird and present yourself before the parents and the high priest isn't generally something you try to do unless you're pretty damn sure it'll work out. Especially killing the howlerbird - lightning speed, sharp claws, and a call that can nearly make you go deaf (or at least wish that you would). He's almost doing you a favor if the early signs point to no.

Also, mild awkwardness seems a bit less important when you're engaged with the concerns of day to day survival in a harsh and unrelenting jungle.

Edited 2012-11-17 01:37 (UTC)

"I.. don't know." Ellen shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I'm new at this."

Despite being twenty. This is what happens when you grow up with most of the Vault population not really liking your father and taking it out on you by keeping their children from warming up to you.

"Well, the only way to change that is to act on it," Leela says. "You will never know if you do not ask. There is no shame in it."

I mean, sure, twenty is a bit old for that by the standards of the Sevateem. But then, Leela's never been the type to get hung up on these sorts of things.

"Were he a warrior like you, I might suggest that you spar with him, or perhaps challenge him to single combat. There is less uncertainty that way. And you could draw out his intentions without him knowing."

Especially when your tribe has standards like that.

Edited 2012-11-19 06:02 (UTC)

"... maybe arm wrestling," Ellen says after some thought. "He's not a warrior, but he's got a good grip and good strong arms, so a contest like that might be something he'd do. It'd be a start, anyway."

"Any test of strength would do just as well," Leela says.

Ellen nods. "It's worth a try," she says. "Thanks, Leela."

"You are welcome," Leela says. "Good luck."