[PRP] How to not get lost (Chluaith, Othelloth, riders)

[Princess_Feylin]

There were parts of being a weyrling which suited T'nori very well: physical fitness, leather working, drilling in formations. He had no problems with those things. He did not care for most of the in-class learning though. He was not a confident reader, nor an imaginative thinker, and it took a lot of drilling for abstract concepts to penetrate and stick inside his skull.

It's because I'm stupid, he thought to himself.

You are not! was Chluaith's instant rejoinder.

Nevertheless, neither human nor dragon particularly cared for exercises which involved working with partners. They tended to be rife with opportunities to look stupid and incompetent. Usually T'nori was able to take most negative things in stride, and not become frustrated or concerned when he ran up against the limits of his abilities, but between coordinates, which is what he and Chluaith were supposed to be practicing with their partners, were vitally important to learn and learn correctly.

"I'm not good at this," he prefaced bluntly once he moved to sit by his assigned partner, La'hisen. "But I'm working on it."

He is, Chluaith agreed to Othelloth, though it wasn't clear whether he meant that T'nori wasn't good at this or was working on it. In fact, it was both.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

La'hisen glanced up when T'nori sat down, arching a brow at the statement. In truth, he appreciated that the man said what was on his mind and didn't waste time trying to get to the point. "It's fine. We'll take as much time as we need until we both feel confident about it." He wasn't about to rush through this stuff, and if T'nori needed a little extra help? La'hisen didn't mind. Though he wasn't a vocal or openly supportive person, he wasn't going to not help someone.

Acknowledging one's weakness and trying to improve is the only way to improve. Othelloth certainly approved. It will be fine, brother. Both you and Yours are hard workers, and you don't give up easily. He will master this.

"The easiest way to get these coordinates down is repetition. Sheer memorization. You having any problems in particular, or just kinda the whole thing?" He wasn't judging. Again, at least T'nori was smart enough to realize he had a problem instead of trying to just fumble through it.

Princess_Feylin

 

[Princess_Feylin]

T'nori and Chluaith both thought about La'hisen's question. What part of memorizing between coordinates did T'nori actually struggle with? T'nori was inclined to just say that he was bad at the whole thing and go along with the repetition idea. He was a very patient man, and did not mind performing repetitive tasks. Particularly those tasks which served a useful purpose. Chluaith, however, was feeling a little more incisive and was not content to throw a blanket of badness over the whole thing.

Actually picturing the coordinates, he answered for both of them, though he addressed himself to Othelloth.

Building on that, T'nori clarified: "I'm not good at imagining what I've not seen firsthand. When Chluaith takes coordinates from the weyrlingmaster it goes well enough."

Having a conversation with T'nori, if the point of the conversation was to get him to open up and talk, was never going to be an easy thing. He did not like to share personal details about himself, nor remark on others' details and doings. Listening and watching suited him fine. It wasn't as if he was quick-witted enough to contribute meaningfully to most conversations anyway.

How are you two doing at all of this? Chluaith asked Othelloth. Unfortunately, Chluaith wasn't really the one struggling with the between coordinates, and he had already exhausted his supply of helpful advice for T'nori and been forced to fall back on simply being supportive and persistent, two things he was good at and inclined toward anyway. For him, this lesson was simple enough: he received whatever coordinates T'nori pictured and let his rider know if it was something he thought he could use as a fixed point for traveling between. He didn't have to actually go between or imagine the points himself.

Tsunake

 

[Tsunake]

He considered that with a thoughtful frown, nodding vaguely to acknowledge that he'd heard the man. "Makes sense." It was much easier to picture something when... well, you had an idea of what you were picturing. In that regard, the first suggestion off the top of his head seemed reasonable enough. "V'mel or the assistants should be able to have their dragons send Chluaith a visual, and he can share it with you so you can see it." Then T'nori would be able to know exactly what he was picturing.

Othelloth considered the question briefly. Mine is good at visualizing, even if it is only with coordinates and maps. However, I find it hard to believe your T'nori is the first to have difficulty like this. Othelloth was confident that the pair would be just fine. No one would leave them behind.

"You'll be fine." La'hisen shrugged absently, mirroring his dragon's confidence. "I don't mind helping until you feel like you've got it." Even if that meant pouring over maps and verbally describing them aloud for the other weyrling's sake.

Princess_Feylin

Sorry for the delay!

 

[Princess_Feylin]

"I wasn't sure that was allowed after a point," T'nori admitted. To be honest, he hadn't even known that was an option. "I thought I was just supposed to remember everything."

And remembering that sort of thing was really not an area where he excelled. There really were aspects of being a weyrling where he did excel, such as the physical fitness areas, or the limited martial aspects, or repairing tack. Unfortunately, this was an area that was essential to dragonriding and couldn't be delegated to someone else.

I'm sure he isn't, Chluaith agreed. Privately, so that not even T'nori could hear him add it, the brown asked, Do you think the archives would have anything about it? Exercises that maybe the weyrlingmaster hasn't found it necessary to introduce yet?

Chluaith was not really sure why T'nori was so willing to admit to his peers that he was struggling with this skill, but not the weyrlingmaster. It wasn't as if they could take Chluaith away from him for not being instantly amazing at everything. The large brown would like to see them try it!

"Also," T'nori went on, becoming positively chatty by his standards, "I think I must not have been paying close enough attention: if I do ever learn the coordinates as well as I ought to, won't the mental images have to change based on time of day and season and such?"

He had only recently learned that the sun rose earlier in some parts of Pern than others, planetary rotation not being knowledge a miner or a guard needed to do their job, and he found the concept a little alarming to think about.

Tsunake

I am so dreadfully sorry. I completely understand if you don't want to continue this.