Logs:Amerie and N'thei Hatch a Plot
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| RL Date: 22 October, 2007 |
| Who: Amerie, N'thei |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| Where: Resident Common Room, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 12, Month 6, Turn 13 (Interval 10) |
| The fire burns terribly, terribly low tonight, little more than embers glowing in the hearth. Perhaps due to this more than anything, the cavern is primarily abandoned, with people seeking more public-- and thus better-heated-- locations to curl up and while away the after dinner hours. But someone's here! A large someone, seated in a low chair near the hearth with his feet propped up on a footstool and a broody expression. It simply wouldn't be an appropriately dark-and-stormy night type of look if he wasn't brooding, see. Amerie enters from the dorms with an astonishing lack of regard for any drama or dark-and-storminess by her very bearing; rather than an appropriately sombre creep, she sweeps in briskly. With a toss of her hair, she scans the caverns she means to pass though with a sharp, dark gaze - and since it's abandoned, spots large dark broody guy with relative ease. Her steps slow, curiousity faint. N'thei becomes aware of Amerie by turns: First, it's the footsteps that have him coming out of his reverie with knitted brows and an about-to-hurt-someone frown; second, it's finding someone to settle that frown upon; third, it's the fact that someone has slowed down to look at him. Quietly; "Browsing or buying, sweetheart?" Fourth, it's the fact that she's pretty, betrayed by a top-to-bottom sweep of his eyes. At the first and second, Amerie's still mildly curious; at the third and fourth, immediately disdainful. With a knowing quirk of her lips, she's dismissive in almost a sing-song tone, soft and amused, "Just passing through." Despite her supposed disinterest, she's not /quite/ as brisk as she once was as she continues on her way. "You sure? I'm willing to let serious buyers sample the goods." To his credit, despite the broodiness of moments ago, N'thei dredges up a fiercely charming smile to illuminate darkened features. He goes as far as to remove one foot from the stool, uses it to scrape a chair from nearby so that it faces the dismal little coals burning in the hearth. "Sit a spell at least, since you derailed my train of thought. Seems like the very least you could do?" With an arched brow, Amerie says very patiently, "I'm not buying what you're selling. But the offer is appreciated - I'll pass it around." Another odd little half-smile - maybe she's entertained? - and she takes those last few steps in reverse. Folding her arms, she approaches the chair N'thei's dragged over, her gaze shifting past it to the coals. "I can't go outside in the evenings anyway. I keep thinking I'll get lost." Although he continues to wear his most smarmy of smiles, amusement never reaches gray eyes, and N'thei still has a shadow behind his expression; "We never close, if you change your mind." Now that he's got company, he sits up only a little straighter, the process just enough of a shift to give away the glint of flask-silver hidden between big hands. "Do you now. At least that would account for how I managed to go all this time without laying eyes on you. Name, miss?" "I'll keep it in mind." Amerie assures this in such a way that she's only assuring she won't; she moves into the chair with a sideways glance to the man, the flash of the flask, then back to the fire. Or lack thereof. Expression shading towards thoughtful, "All this time. You've been here long, then?" There's a pause, then politely, "Amerie. And yourself?" N'thei sounds like this isn't a good thing: "Getting on toward two and a half turns now, or thereabouts." He waves one hand in a dismissive gesture that follows through by deftly pocketing the flask in his riding jacket, worn no doubt to counteract the chill that lingers in a dim-hearth room. "Amerie from...? I want to say Crom, but that would be just too opportune." His eyes fall pointedly on her knot. Wryly, "Oh, is it opportune at this point? It's been cause for suspicion of late." With a little huff, Amerie betrays her age a little by slouching in the chair. Giving a look that lets him know she noticed the disappearing booze, she notes, "You make it sound like a sentence. Two and half turns of hard labour or something. Despite the current situation -" A flick of her gaze to the low fire again. "It seems nice enough." "Well, if you'd shown up a turn ago, no one would think twice about a pretty girl from Crom, now would they?" N'thei just grows a smile at the hard-labor joke, no argument brooked, and then he follows the hand-wave to rest his elbow on the arm of his chair and prop his chin on the heel of his hand, faced to Amerie. "Does it seem nice enough? Seems damn cold to me. Why would someone leave Crom to come to High Reaches? Knowing full well that we've been shafted for coal, I wonder." "I imagine it depends what they're thinking about." Amerie smirks a touch, only momentarily. As he turns to watch her, she also turns, though slowly - leaning back against the arm of her chair. Looking rather expectant, she replies, "Aside from being interrogated and condescended to, nice enough. And someone from Crom would come to High Reaches because they may disagree with certain policies of the Hold." Grudgingly, Amerie admits, "At least I'm being provided with a balanced view of the place. I've never been to a Weyr before - wasn't aware it was the norm." Nose wrinkling at the thought, she shudders and moves on easily, with a smug smile. "Everyone's so surprised. Why should it be so shocking that people in any place have different opinions on everything. Of course there's people that disagree. They even have a word for them. 'Dissident'. Very useful." "At least you fit right in." N'thei mutters this little precursor with gruff humor, soon to follow it with a much more thoughtful expression. His upper teeth file thoughtfully across his lower lip, and his gray eyes seem unfocus in a fuzzy way, though they remain otherwise fixed on Amerie. "How many people, do you suppose, are so-called dissidents? Five? Ten? Two hundred?" --Did he ever introduce himself? And yet he goes on prying. Amerie considers for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she watches N'thei, his thoughtful expression. Dark eyes narrow, and she straightens a bit before flashing one of her killer smiles. "You seem terribly interested in this information - and I can provide answers, but have two things to ask. First, what's in it for me?" A pause. "And next, your /name/." Hello, rude much? "First." N'thei swings his head purposefully away from Amerie and his attention fixes on the very dim redness in the hearth. "I think it would be pretty obvious what's in it for you, at least if you plan to stay the winter here. Second, N'thei, and you don't have to sound so testy about it." His smile grows again, a one-up kind of grin; "What's more, miss, I don't need you to answer anything. Crom's not that far away, as the dragon flies." "Mm. Good luck with getting people to publicly declaim the Lord to a High Reaches rider." Amerie too glances to the low coals, noting, "It'd be nice to be warm, but nicer to be recognized for it. At least, enough to be trusted. Who's to say you won't go off and claim you /did/ fly to Crom? I'm just looking out for my particular interests." Giving N'thei a look, she notes loftily - though not pointedly - "It's just polite. People can observe the little niceties. They certainly ignore the rest." N'thei points out amusedly, "It's not like I wear a big old sign that says 'Hi, I ride bronze at High Reaches Weyr.'" But his snicker is short-lived, humor just about as hard to come by as cromcoal nowadays. "Let's say I put this information toward ends that aren't exactly savory. Do you still want me to make sure you get your dues from it?" Not that he waits for an answer; "Look, I don't want to freeze all winter, and I doubt you want to freeze all winter, so why not just make this easy?" Dryly, "The dragon is generally a big hint. Regardless - outsider. Not likely." Amerie slants a look towards N'thei, at least mildly curious; with another quirk of her lips, "Please. As if people will be upset about much needed supplies arriving. For the most part, people will look the other way and be pleased to do so. Certainly, I don't want to freeze all winter. But at the same time, I'm not even sure I get to /spend/ my winter here. You see the issue." N'thei lets Amerie's first answer go with a touche duck of his head, big shoulders heaved in a helpless shrug. "I don't have anything to give you, miss. If you want me to make sure you get your due recognition, sure. Beyond that, there's not a damn thing in it for you." He's back to filing his lip with his teeth once more, brows pulled upwards anew. "So either you can help me or you can't. If not, I'll have to get about my busy day." Which starts well after dinner? Amerie arches a brow. "Yes, of course. You look /swamped/." She considers him for a moment, thoughtful - then the ceiling. After a few long moments pass, she rolls her eyes and slouches with a sigh, dramatically. Resigned, "Fine." Taking a moment to stare at coals and take her turn at brooding, she comes out of it with, "I don't know exact numbers, but I know about some of the smaller holds. I know about most of the staff at the main Hold. Not very much about the mines, as I don't - dig." Ew. N'thei looks smug, if you want the truth of it, and the look has the full run of his expression /just/ long enough that it's likely to bristle Amerie. All business; "But these smaller holds, they're just the kinds of places that might donate to a worthy cause?" Slowly, the plan practically hatching right then and there, he explains, "I have a mind to get what Crom-proper won't give. I'd rather come by at least some of it honestly." Amerie might be irritated, as she continues to sulk and watch the lack-of-fire with a narrowed gaze that /could/ be entirely thoughtful. Really. Crossing long legs in front of her, she flicks a glance the bronzerider's way, content to play along and be business-like. For now. "They might, as far as I heard. I heard an awful lot, fortunately. And - that might be relatively easy, in some areas. Mostly undetected, if you're able to be careful about it." N'thei goes from zero to sixty like that, from lounged and reclined in his chair to standing the whole mass of him in front of it with very little transition time; "You and I will have to take a trip Crom-ways soon, miss. I trust you brought a winter coat." Though he /looks/ set to go right-this-very-minute, his next comment erases the possibility of a now now now. "Thank you for the food for thought." Amerie blinks at the sudden movement, looking up - and apparently disliking that, stands as well. Being sure to draw herself to her full height, she nods once. "There's winter in Crom, after all. You're welcome. I'll... look forward to it." At that, she sounds dubious at best. Next to Amerie's full height, N'thei doesn't seem quite so hulking, but he's still got six inches to look down at Amerie, and it's six inches that he fills with a nice-try-kid smirk. "I just bet you will. If you get cold--" He just grazes his fingers across the wrought-iron poker next to the fire, though what she's supposed to poke at in that poor excuse for a flame is a mystery. "Night, miss." Hands in pockets, he departs. Amerie likely puts all her effort into seeming unaffected as N'thei goes, as she actually does! Good for her. With a dismissive little nod, she stares at the sad little coals, gives an irritated sniff, and stalks off. |
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