A Sexual Harassment Case?

Writers: Paula, Rochelle
Date Posted: 8th July 2007

Characters: Tatitem, N'mor
Description: Tatitem punishes Naemor and another candidate for fighting.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 4 of Turn 4

Naemor and the other candidate stood behind the Headwoman's door, waiting to be summoned inside. The taller candidate's nose had already stopped bleeding, but the swollen nose and bloodstains told everyone how hard Naemor could punch, and why they were waiting to see the Headwoman. Naemor shifted nervously. Shards, he was in big trouble now. Especially if and when his mother heard about it. Tatitem emerged from her office, frowning at the boys. Would she ever have a day when someone _wasn't_ fighting? "Inside boys." She said crisply, ushering them in with narrowed eyes. **Naemor, Naerella's son** she noted.
**He certainly should know better.**

"Yes, ma'am," Naemor replied meekly.

Tatitem closed the door behind them, and turned to face them, crossing her arms. "All right. What happened, boys?" She asked sternly, glaring disapprovingly at them with her best annoyed-mother glare. She'd never had a problem guilting confessions out of weyrbrats, and even grown bronzeriders tended to squirm when she used it.

"He hit me. On the nose!" The candidates voice was muffled because of his swollen nose. "He was sexually harrassing me!" Naemor said. She raised an eyebrow. "And what gave you that idea?"

"He snogged me! Right on the lips!" Naemor almost yelled, still obviously shaken by it. She turned to the other boy. "Is that what happened?" She asked, trying to get a better feel for the situation. Candidates were always a bit uncertain about where the boundaries were, but she handled more harassment issues with the girls than the boys.

"Well...," the other candidate squirmed under the headwoman's gaze. "...I might... Look, it was just a dare! You know, I dare you to kiss next person to pass by!" Oh. One of _those_. "And what possessed you to think that was a good idea?" She asked coldly, her glare intensifying as she stared at the boys.

"Obviously it wasn't a good idea," Naemor murmured quietly while the other candidate squirmed and stuttered something. "No matter what stories you may hear, the weyr does not look kindly on that sort of behavior." She told the candidate sternly. "Kissing, whether a man or woman, is an intimate gesture. Not something to be turned into a game or a contest. And the same goes for you Naemor. You know better than to punch people." She added, switching her attention to the younger candidate.

"Yes, ma'am," Naemor said. "But it was a reflex," he continued. He felt the matter required more explanation. "You see, when I was a kid in Onyx Hills hold, there was few older boys who picked me because I was small-sized. Once they went too far with it and my dad found it out. The black eye and bleeding lip kind of gave it out. He took me outside to guards' practice ground and taught me how to defend myself. I didn't even know he could fight, he being a healer and always so peaceful. But those lads learned to leave me alone after that. Of course Mommy was really furious when she found out and scolded dad for it whole sevenday," Naemor told her. The pain and grief the memory brought back surprised him. He came very close to tears. He cleared his throat to cover it. Tatitem could see how much the memory meant to the boy, but he had to understand that his behavior wasn't acceptable. Still, she softened her tone a little. "It can be a good reflex to have for a holder, but you're in the weyr now, Naemor. You need to learn to think about the consequences before you react. What if he had been a dragonrider? You would have upset his dragon and half the weyr in the process." She said sternly.

That thought made Naemor wince. "I'll control myself better for now on,"
he promised. Especially since he really wanted to Impress. He didn't want to be left Standing because dragons thought he was too violent.

"Good." She said shortly. "And the same goes for you as well." She told the other candidate severely. "I'll be assigning extra chores for the rest of the sevenday, for both of you. I suggest you keep proper behavior and thinking through the consequences of your actions in mind while you work. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both answered in unison, but their tones were different. Naemor sounded half resigned, half relieved while the other candidate sounded sullen. "Good." She said firmly. "And remember, if I hear of this happening again, the punishment will be more than just a few candlemarks of extra chores."
She let the threat dangle. She knew the boys were aware of some of the nastier punishments she'd meted out recently. Letting their imagination run a little might be good for them.

Naemor nodded vigorously. He had pretty good imagination and he promised himself to be a good boy. Seeing that they understood, Tatitem escorted them to the door. "That will be all, for the moment." She said severely. "Naemor, take him to the infirmary to get cleaned up, and when you're done you can return here.
You'll start by washing up the pots after dinner."

"Yes, ma'am!" Naemor said. The boys very relieved to leave her office. On their way to infirmary, the older candidate turned to whisper Naemor: "You know, you were very sweet to kiss." "Keep going like that and the bloody nose is the least of your injuries,"
Naemor growled.

Last updated on the July 8th 2007

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A Sexual Harassment Case?