Logs:An Offer Spurned
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| RL Date: 22 February, 2013 |
| Who: Brieli, K'del |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Brieli has a proposal. K'del turns her down. |
| Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 21, Month 1, Turn 31 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Azaylia/Mentions |
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| Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr The rest of the bowl may be barren, grass barely surviving at best, but here by the lake, it's brilliantly green in the warmer months: thickening and thriving in the silty, boulder-dotted soil just before it transitions to soft sand and thence to the cool, clear water itself. A large freshwater lake fed by a low waterfall, it not only provides warm-weather bathing space for humans and dragons, but has one end fenced off as a watering hole for the livestock in the feeding grounds. The water there is often muddier than the rest of the clear lake, whose shallows drop off abruptly several yards out into deep water, and whose edge undulates against the coarse-hewn bowl wall: here close enough to just be bramble-covered rocks, there far enough away that a narrow land bridge divides the main lake from a smallish pond. Between are several rocky outcroppings that form excellent makeshift diving points, though only one -- across the bridge -- has a set of narrow, slippery, quite possibly tempting stairs. It's actually a beautiful day: sunny, even if that means it's extra cold to make up for it. The ice on the lake is presently thick enough to skate on, and that, it seems, is what K'del has been doing, along with a number of others. Right now, however, he's perched up on the bridge, attempting to adjust something with his skate. His cheeks are flushed pink: he may well have been out here for a while. Here comes Brieli to wreck a perfectly good day skating. Or maybe not? She doesn't seem to be in a particularly bad mood, coming along the lakeshore with her red coat on, hood down in the sunlight. When she spots K'del, there's only a momentary pause in her step, barely noticeable before she continues along to the bridge briskly, sits down next to him silently. After a moment, "You're a hard man to find these days." K'del is too focused upon his skate to note Brieli's arrival, but he certainly does turn his head to acknowledge her when she sits down next at him. His brows raise, a question that he doesn't have time to ask before she speaks. "I'm a busy man," he says. "My kids are having a wonderful winter, with Cadejoth and I at their disposal. What do you need, Brieli? This thing you've wanted to talk to me about for so long." "So busy," Brieli asks, "That you don't have time for, as you said, 'one of your Weyrwomen'?" It's not said with any bitterness or rancor, just simply. Reaching into her inside jacket pocket, she draws forth a flask, holding it in slender gloved hands rather than uncapping it. With a sidelong glance for K'del, "It's not what I need. It's what the Weyr needs. More so now than before, but... we had trouble connecting." To say the least. "In my experience," says K'del, unapologetic, "when you want to speak to me, it's usually about something that's not going to make me happy. Reckon I'd almost go so far as to say you enjoy that." He, too, gives the goldrider a sidelong glance, watching her for several silent seconds before he says, "You'll have to speak plainly." "I'm sorry about that." Brieli does sound sorry, looking down at the flask, not at K'del. Though she does feel the need to point out, "It was one thing." One MASSIVE THING. "Anything before... If we disagreed before, I won't apologize for having a different opinion." Offering over the flask, her dark gaze flickers over to the bronzerider, lingers. "The longer we flounder, the worse things look, outside and in the Weyr. And now, it's split... I was concerned that our only position to work from was strength before. Now..." She shakes her head a little, glances away again. "I've been thinking about that. About the other Weyrs, what they want to do. About what High Reaches needs. And I'm wondering, despite our issues, if what it needs most - despite your resistance to date - is you." K'del's scoffing laughter is for 'one thing', but he only exhales after that, listening. He doesn't expect anything, it seems... he definitely doesn't expect the rest of what she says, and it leaves him speechless. And wary. "No," he says. "You're not saying that. You." It's very quiet. "You're just trying to screw with me." Maybe that's why she's offering her flask? Brieli even waves it K'del's way, but the fact that she can't look at him, only her boots while she talks about this might be more indicative of her sincerity than anything else. Wryly, "You'd think that. But there it is." With a long, slow sigh, "I've been doing a lot of talking, with the riders, the weyrfolk. I'm learning that there's things I may not like that are still necessary." If that's a little pointed, maybe she can be forgiven. After a pause, "Having a Weyrleader and a Weyrwoman is necessary." But K'del seems determined to blatantly ignore the flask, as though in this, too, he is going to make a statement. He wrings his hands, though, which is a definite indication of how uncomfortable he is with this. "Yes," he agrees. "Having a Weyrleader and Weyrwoman is necessary, but you and I, Brieli, could never work together. I don't trust you - it's as simple as that. And I don't want you as Weyrwoman." Looking up, entirely bemused, "You want to help High Reaches, do the best for it, and you'd have Azaylia... as she is as Weyrwoman? When we need to be strong?" Brieli seems honestly confused by that, by that and K'del's immediate refusal both, brown eyes conflicted. "The only way we can stop outside interference, to stop the division is to make a stand. Did you not just hear what I said about not liking things, but needing things?" How is is that Brieli is trying to convince K'del to do right by the Weyr? K'del looks-- it looks like there's an awful lot going on behind his eyes, and he looks mostly so torn, but what's he supposed to do? "Heard what you said," he confirms. "But none of that makes it right. You are not Senior Weyrwoman. Neither is Azaylia. And I can't do this. I can't." He doesn't explain his reasons - instead, he slides back onto his feet, though not in a way that suggests he's going to leave. "Then... neither of us are supposed to be? Do you want someone to bring Teris back, K'del? Ship in someone from Igen? Really?" Brieli needs a drink now, definitely still confused, but also disappointed and disgusted. After a sip from her flask, voice roughened by the alcohol, "I thought I couldn't have this conversation but I did. K'del, you do what you have to do. You suck it up. You make a move, you do what you have to do. Am I the only fucking person in this Weyr that understands that? I know you can, and I know you want to save this Weyr. Believe it or not, I have little else but the people of High Reaches in mind. But if you can't, well." She lifts her hands. "I only have so many options. All sub-standard." "No." K'del's answer is bland, and edging towards irritating. "For fuck's sake, Brieli, you have no idea. You think you know everything. You think, at twenty, you understand the whole world. Well - you don't. Not saying that I do, either. But there's more involved in this than you can possibly understand, right now. It is not all about you. It's not all about me. But I? Don't trust you. Why should I? You don't do things out of the goodness of your heart; that's not what you do. So - no, Brieli, I won't let you steal this Weyr." "I know," Brieli says tightly, "That putting my personal interests and biases before the interests of the Weyr is unwise at best, and suicidal at worst. And there is more to this than I can understand, but... ask yourself this, when you give yourself time to think, and you can tell yourself this thought is your own." Her tone is still controlled, and her words are careful, but she clearly dislikes being dismissed. "Who is trying to understand? Who is keeping tabs on the weyrfolk and their wants, needs, what they see as the leadership? Who's being the Weyrwoman, and not destroying the Weyr in the process?" A pause. "And don't trust me, fine. But I'm only working to keep things afloat. If I wanted to do something, I would have by now." K'del's expression, now, is tight with unsuppressed rage; his glare is probably indication enough of what he thinks. "Oh, Brieli. Don't you dare try and lecture me. Don't you dare. There are plenty of bronzeriders in this Weyr you could have chosen; plenty that even I would follow. But you go for a person you hate, a person you seem to want to hurt. Don't know what your game in this is, but I do know that it would crush Azaylia, if I said yes to this. And I won't do that. I won't destroy one of this weyr's juniors, not when I think there are other options. I hate doing this, you know that? I want to do this, and step in. But I can't, because I am not that person. There are better ways. More honest ways." Capping her flask with quick, stiff gestures, putting it away again, Brieli aims for calm and mostly succeeds, though something about the rage in K'del's expression, directed at her, has her dark eyes flinty and her expression haughty, like he has no right. "There are. But it's not to hurt you, or Azaylia - but frankly, anything I do will hurt Azaylia, and it's not like anyone ever worries about hurting me. It is possible, you know." She does seem briefly wounded by that, younger than she is, before sighing and telling him simply, sadly, "The Weyr in general would be happier with you, they know you. The other Weyrs with experience - but for Fort, I suppose. I've thought this through. Protecting this place - and Azaylia, yes, because she can't handle the idea of being sent away - from the council, from the people wanting to install a puppet Weyrwoman... I'm not being dishonest. I'm trying to do what's right. I just can't have another discussion where she cries again." "Maybe, Brieli, that's because you make it so terribly difficult for people to like you. To care. You're not exactly a nice person." K'del's nod, after that, makes it seem as though he's gutted by this-- torn, but still standing tall. "It feels dishonest, Brieli. Whatever your intentions are, it feels dishonest. And I won't have any part of that. If the pair of you came to me, and proposed something, that would be different. But this isn't that, is it? This is just you. So no." Flinching a touch, Brieli's cheeks flush, as if she'd been slapped - but her expression doesn't change, nor does her hard, stony gaze. "I don't know any other way to be," she says, simply, quietly. And if that's the truth, it speaks volumes about her short life, but K'del's not likely to have much sympathy. Shaking her head as he mentions the pair of goldriders, she tells him, "Talk to her. See if you think she should lead, or have time. How she'd handle this conversation. Think about it if-- If there were someone else. There's been too much trauma for her, as sheltered as she is." Regarding the former Weyrleader for a long moment, she eventually pulls herself to her feet on the bridge, sliding hands in pockets. "Remember I asked you, K'del. I swallowed my pride and issues and came to you. Anything that comes after..." She shrugs. "You do what you have to, Brieli. So will I." K'del doesn't want for anything else - he skates away, his expression a mask of fury, his every slicing movement matching it in intent and tone. |
Comments
Azaylia (Dragonshy (talk)) left a comment on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 09:47:18 GMT.
<
Woosh. That was intense. ._. Lines have been drawn.
...What would K'del Boitano do~
Ainslee (Castandcrew (talk)) left a comment on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 13:28:26 GMT.
< +1 on intense. Damn.
I don't know any other way to be.
Brieli (Brieli (talk)) left a comment on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:30:51 GMT.
< Hey, K'del:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/foofighters/illstickaround.html
http://www.foofighters.com/ca/videos/ill-stick-around
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