Logs:Capable Leaders
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| RL Date: 30 April, 2015 |
| Who: Farideh, K'del |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Farideh and K'del have words. |
| Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 5, Month 9, Turn 37 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Snowing! |
| Mentions: Tiriana/Mentions, Iolene/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, Aishani/Mentions, Teris/Mentions, Irianke/Mentions, Nimae/Mentions, Quinlys/Mentions |
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| It was summer, literally only days ago... and now there's snow. It's not heavy, and not sticking on the ground or anything, but still; winter is coming. It hasn't stopped K'del from taking a walk, though, or Cadejoth from swooping through the skies above. The former has a (light) jacket on, his hands tucked into the pockets of it, and is meandering around the edge of the lake, allegedly deep in thought. Snow is one of the things that Farideh hates the most, and is extremely verbal about, but despite this, there are still texts to study, dragons to feed, and exercises to complete. It's this latter duty that has her lightly jogging on the lake-end of the bowl, wearing a comfortable fitted long-sleeved shirt and loose pants with sturdy shoes. Once she's actually at the lakeshore, she side-steps behind a convenient boulder and stops, glancing around suspiciously; and there she leans, hands on her thighs, bent forward, to catch her breath. Being fit is hard, and embarrassing, etc etc. Snow is, alas, an inevitability at High Reaches-- it doesn't seem to have bothered K'del, much, but then, he's been here how many turns? His progress around the lake is rather slower than Farideh's, and hers catches his attention from a distance: he watches, silent, until he's close enough to call, "Afternoon!" It's friendly enough; he doesn't have a major issue with her. The weyrleader's greeting brings her head up, guilt marking her wearied features before they smooth into coolness; she might have rolled her eyes and jogged off if he wasn't her superior, and she, in little position to snub him so publicly. Instead, Farideh braces her back with her hands and walks closer, cutting the distance, though she's a bit wary. "Hello, K'del. How are you today?" "Weyrling," is, perhaps, a reminder: surely Quinlys and her team have covered proper respect in weyrlings! But K'del's plainly not bothered, not when he's clearly not officially in duty. "I'm well, thank you. How are you, and Roszadyth? Meant to convey my congratulations." He's not one of those who has been seeking out weyrlings in particular, not of late. A tight, not-quite-nice smile answers him, and she flicks off a quick, sarcastic salute to him that should properly convey her resentment for the gesture-- or, being of inferior rank to him? "We're fine, and thank you. I'm sure you've had a lot of think about since then. Restoring faith in the system, aligning to your new position of acting Weyrleader, wondering how you're ever going to live up to one of Nimae's juniors--" She purses her lips and leans forward, like she's going to impart a great secret on him. "That is what you've been thinking, right? I would, if I were you." "I'm not acting Weyrleader," says K'del, calm and even and quiet. His brows have furrowed, but his expression is otherwise even. "And Irianke and I work very well together. Has your Impression gone to your head, weyrling? If I were you, I would be conscious of how much I have to learn, and that learning to work with those around me is, above all, vitally important." He's stopped walking, now; he's watching Farideh carefully. "Why do you hate me so much? You didn't used to." Warmth blossoms from the dark void of slumber, and with it the gentle, fluttering touch that is so familiar to the weyrling now. It's sweet, poignant, reassuring. « You should give Cadejoth's a chance. Nothing can be accomplished with so closed a mind, Farideh. » (To Farideh from Roszadyth) Defensive, now, Farideh's arms lift to cross over her chest, her lips tightening while she simply stares at him moodily; she might not even hear any of the things he has to say. Except, apparently, she does, or her own rendition of them. "Oh? Should I? I have certainly learned a lot, Weyrleader," she says, those compressed lips lifting into an unkind smile. "And I have-- reasons. Why should I trust you? I surely hope Irianke doesn't." She tenses up, like she's going to say something else, and then relaxes, as though a great weight as lifted, some of her animosity leeching out with the rise and fall of her shoulders. Emotive hazel eyes study the man who is a living piece of High Reaches history. "I'm scared of you. Wouldn't you be?" One piece connects to another; K'del's eyes basically roll back into his head before he smooths his expression again, all calm, cool, and collected. "Indeed," he says. "Because I have personally killed off all of High Reaches' goldriders. I forced someone to assassinate my weyrmate. I made a storm happen. I caused a fire. I did it all!" His voice is heavy-- rich!-- with sarcasm. "You don't have to like me, Farideh; shells knows I can't require that. But I am High Reaches' Weyrleader, until such time as another catches our senior queen. And I work hard, endlessly and constantly, with Irianke, for this Weyr. Do you wish to see us torn apart by suspicion and superstition?" Her warmth circles in, tight like an embrace, and she breathes, « You will not win him with your words if they are in anger. » (To Farideh from Roszadyth) It's a battle, within as much as without, and she has to work hard to take that breath, to not call him all of the names that come to the tip of her tongue; it's evident in her hardening expression and then the smoothing out. "I've been reading and listening. I'm less worried about the suspicions and the rumors, but the truths. Since you have been Weyrleader, people have been executed, you got rid of one weyrwoman, and-- where were you when some idiot was poisoning your lover? And where were you when that lightning sent Iesaryth between? And where were you when Azaylia was burning in that stupid stall? I even heard that when that healer was keeping that goldrider alive-- you-you-- you did nothing. How can you do nothing?" She looks positively disgusted by him, her upper lip curled in distaste, and has to look way, to shake her head. "Where will you be when we need you?" "No one can be everywhere at once," is K'del's answer to that. He's managing to keep his cool-- which is admirable, really-- though there is a darkness to his gaze, and a stiffness to the way he holds his shoulders, so tight. "I'm not perfect. D'you think I don't wish I was there, to prevent what happened to Io? To all of them? But I can't see the future, no more than anyone can. Nothing's as simple as it seems on the surface. I'm here. Doing the best I can for the Weyr I love. By all means, do better. Please. Every Weyr needs better. But learn, Farideh. Nothing is as simple as it seems on the surface." "You settle on the most trivial of explanations? Really?" Farideh has another unpleasant smile for him, for his lackluster excuses. "I can understand it happening to you, once or twice, but those are far too many coincidences for me to be comfortable with. Your priorities are clearly not aligned like you think they are and I don't want to get caught in the crossfire. No--" She drops her arms, hands curling into fists, and her lifts her chin, aiming to stare the much-taller bronzerider in the eye "I don't want to be better or what the Weyr needs. I don't want any of this, but can I help it, now? No. But, I can promise you that," she stiffens, but manages to work through the words, "if Roszadyth rises first, like people are betting on, I will do everything in my power to make sure it isn't you." A sigh, « Oh, Farideh. » (To Farideh from Roszadyth) K'del's answer is quiet, but sure. "Bullshit," he says. "You have a lot to learn, Farideh. I hope like shells your Roszadyth isn't the first to rise, because we need an adult as weyrwoman, and not a jumped-up, over-emotional, quick-to-judge, naive child." Beat. "And if she is first? I'll be one of the first out there to chase, because you will need a Weyrleader who can pick up after all your stupid mistakes. Learn, Farideh. Because right now? You know nothing." Maybe less quiet now. maybe less calm, too. If she had pearls on, Farideh would be clutching them. As it is, her mouth drops open and she stares at him, her frustration an almost palpable thing. "I won't let you. I'll-- I'll-- find a way," is gritted, her cheeks growing pink from her agitation. "You're not the only bronzerider around here that can find his way to a bed and knows how sort a wing." Now would likely be the perfect time to stomp away, but she's, childishly, holding her ground. "At least I don't pretend to be something I'm not!" "I know exactly what I am." K'del's chin lifts as he says that. "Well aware of my weaknesses, and my strengths. Give it a couple of turns; you'll see." He's plainly not concerned by her protestations against the chances of Cadejoth winning a flight of Roszadyth; it's not as though he's not been there before. "Right now, if I were you, I'd go back to remembering what you are: a weyrling. Back to the barracks, weyrling. There'll be a report, from you, on my desk tomorrow outlining the qualities of a capable leader. Like me or not, you're going to have to work with me, once you graduate, at least for a little while. Start trying." Beat. "Dismissed." K'del's dismissal is met with angry silence for a few beats, and then Farideh turns, abruptly, though her voice, in clear, over-exaggerated mimicry of him, is loud enough to hear as she's stalking away. "Outline the qualities of capable leader-- try to be more like me-- kiss my ass while you're at it--" and the rest is a mumbled tangle of curses and slurs and whatever else she's managed to come up with on her jaunt back to the barracks. K'del watches; impassive. But he'll expect that report... and if it doesn't come, there may be hell to pay, from him, and maybe even from Quinlys too. So there.
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Comments
K'del (21:44, 30 April 2015 (EDT)) said...
Ahahaha. Oh, Roszadyth. <3
Alida (21:56, 30 April 2015 (EDT)) said...
Love it! Hahahahahaha!
Faryn (00:25, 1 May 2015 (EDT)) said...
Now I have that hilarious He-man song stuck in my head. I love this a bunch. More! The public demands more!
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