Talk to Her

Writers: Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 18th March 2006

Characters: Birigundi, Demalia
Description: Birigundi goes to talk to Demalia after his fight with Nialyn
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 3

Birigundi

Birigundi still couldn't believe that Nialyn had actually kicked him out over that. What was even harder to believe was that he couldn't run the thoughts out of his mind. He wiped the sweat from his brow and ran up the stairs. He knocked on Demalia's weyr door. He just needed to talk to someone about it, and she had always been a good friend to him, especially when it came to this.

It took a moment or two for Demalia to make it to the door. She had been getting changed and didn't want to trip over her tunic."Who is it?"
she called out.

"Birigundi!" he called through the door, a little more forcefully than he had intended.

"Biri?" she questioned, it was late. "I won't be a moment."

"All right," he called back. Shards he hoped she'd hurry.

She pulled the tunic back over her head, not bothering to fasten the belt as she went to let him in. "What's up?" she said.

"I just need to talk to someone," he mumbled guiltily. "Sorry if I'm bothering you."

"You," she began, "Aren't." She held the door open wider, letting him in.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he slipped through the open door. "I'm treating Nialyn right, aren't I?" Birigundi asked as he flopped back in a chair.

"How do you mean?" she asked curiously. He was standing by her, he hadn't abandoned her and their unborn child.

"I mean, I'm talking care of her all right, aren't I? I'm being there for her, and I'm owning up to my responsibility, right?"

"Yes, but there is something isn't there," said Demalia gently. She'd heard him promise to take care of the girl, to make sure she was okay.

"I never promised her I would be faithful to only her. In fact, I told her that I _wouldn't_ make her that promise! And she even said she didn't expect me to. And yet, today she got angry at me because I was with another woman. Now I ask you, is that really _my_ fault?" He crossed his arms across his chest in frustration. Shards, what had suddenly gotten in the girl's head, anyway!

"What happened?"

"I was having dinner with that new greenrider, Dynaba, and she invited me up to her room. Well, when I was leaving I noticed Nia was there, and she got all angry! And I couldn't figure out what I did wrong."

"She's holdbred, isn't she?" asked Demalia. Sometimes the holders and crafters that came to the weyr managed to adapt. Birir clearly had. But it seemed Nialyn either hadn't, or her pregnancy was causing this.

"Yeah, she was," he grumbled. "And she got angry at me because I had managed to lose my holdbred inhibitions. So I reminded her that she and I were never meant to be a _relationship_. I mean, it was just supposed to be one night. It's not my fault if she all of a sudden developed feelings for me. And then she kicked me out!" Birigundi was _sure_ he didn't deserve _that_.

Demalia tried so hard to see it from his point of view, but she kept coming back to the thought that Nialyn was carrying his child. That did give her some say, and some right to expect him to be there for her.
Biri was right in that he hadn't promised to be faithful, but he could perhaps be a little more discreet...

"Maybe it's not what you did, but the way that you did it?" she suggested gently.

"But why should _I_ change just because suddenly she decides I'm not doing enough for her? I mean, shards, its not like I don't sleep with her too!" What was this? All the women ganging up on him suddenly?

"That might be the problem," it might be enough to make her think that there was more to their relationship that there really was.

"Why is that a problem?" He was seriously missing how _any_ of this was a problem. After all, he was willing to leave a very nice partner for the night just to check on Nialyn! Didn't that count for _something_?

"Maybe she thinks it means more to you than it does," explained Demalia.

"But I told her in the beginning it doesn't!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air helplessly. "I told her I would be sleeping with other women, and she said she didn't _expect_ me to be faithful. Those were her words!"

"She is carrying _your_ child," stated Demalia. "Pregnancy, well it can do things to people."

"Yeah, I know it's not my fault, but I wish someone would tell _her_
that," he muttered sulkily. A thought crept into his mind as his forehead furrowed in concern. "You don't think she would do anything...
drastic do you? I mean because she's so angry at me?"

"That I don't know," said Demalia. "But maybe you should try talking to her about his, in the morning maybe?"

"I don't know. She was pretty angry. And I didn't seem to help. I just hope that she doesn't decide that she doesn't want to have the baby anymore..." That thought seemed to bother Birigundi much more than he would have thought it would.

"I don't think she'll do that," if she was going to, she'd have done it by now.

"But if she doesn't want me around anymore... What if she thinks its just all too much trouble?" She was still early enough along that it would be easy to lose the baby. What if one of her moodswings she just decided to take a short trip /between/? It was possible...

"Biri," she began. This really was something he should talk to Nialyn about. "Maybe you need to talk to her, but when you have both calmed down a little."

"I know, I know," he nodded. "It's just so... _frustrating_! I mean, I did nothing wrong!"

Perhaps Biri's mother had been right when she said that her son still had some growing up to do, thought Demalia as she studied him for a moment before answering. "I really think that you should have this conversation with her."

Birigundi looked up at her, confused by her repeated advice. "I know, I heard you the first time. I know talking to you won't solve the problem, but can't I at least talk to you about how I feel?"

"Of course you can," she said, realizing he had things on his mind.
Maybe this was the stress of becoming a father showing.

"I mean, shards, this isn't easy, you know. I mean, I barely know her!"
He knew that sounded bad, but it was true. Birigundi didn't know Nialyn well enough yet to know where the moodswings ended and her _true_
feelings began. Really, he had only ever known pregnant Nialyn. "I just don't know what more I can do for her."

"Have you asked her what she wants?" Demalia was aware of how it sounded, but she thought he needed to hear it again.

"And what if I can't _give_ her what she wants?" Shards, was she even _listening_?

"Then you'll have to talk to her about what you do next. But make it clear that you are there for her, and that you want to be there. You, you do want this? Don't You?" she asked.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Make sure she knows that then."

It seems that was half their relationship was him reassuring her that he really did want to be there for her. "I don't know how many more ways I can tell her that, but I will try."

"Maybe she just needs to hear it one last time."

Last updated on the March 19th 2006

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Talk to Her