Logs:Got A Fix

From NorCon MUSH
Got A Fix
RL Date: 7 April, 2013
Who: Aishani, Taikrin
Involves: High Reaches Weyr
Type: Log
What: Aishani and Taikrin discuss how Taikrin will straighten out the 'hidebound' wings in their morning meeting. They continue to understand each other remarkably well.
Where: Council Chambers, High Reaches Weyr
When: Day 14, Month 6, Turn 31 (Interval 10)
Mentions: K'del/Mentions, Z'ian/Mentions, D'nis/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, Mielline/Mentions, B'ren/Mentions


Icon aishani in control.png Icon taikrin weyrleader.jpg


Council Chambers, High Reaches Weyr


At the heart of this oblong cavern is its meeting table: a long hardwood oval with a mirror's dark shine, High Reaches' sigil picked out in lapis and onyx at its center. Twenty chairs surround it, each softened by an embroidered cushion that's just a little too stiff for complete comfort -- meetings need to be kept short, after all -- with the chair at the table's head, facing the ledge, being somewhat larger than the rest.

Interspersed between glowsconces upon the smooth walls, ancient tapestries depict the territories High Reaches protects in a particularly pastoral fashion, all fluffy clouds and fluffier llamas, or else fishing crafts sailing merrily out to sea. Among them is also a natural alcove, its several wooden shelves primarily stocking fine wines and liquors as well as the glasses to serve them, though the lower shelves also hold whatever hidework requires particularly frequent attention.


A narrow wooden door leads to the Records room, while the tunnel that extends to the weyrleaders' ledge is wide enough for three men to walk abreast, with just enough kink in it to block the wind.

The rumblings among certain wings has not subsided in the past weeks, nor has it come to a head. D'nis and Iceberg remain hostile, though not quite in open rebellion, and several others seem to look towards his leadership. All of this has left Taikrin running right on the edge; every now and then she shows up with bruised and scabbed knuckles for her morning meetings-- so far, nobody can ever find matching marks on some poor sot's face. There are no fresh marks today, but she is idly picking at the remains of a scab on one knuckle as she waits for Brieli to join her in meeting. She's in the weyrleader's chair, of course, and from the look of that ice-cold mug of klah and disarrayed hides, she's been here for some time.

The brownrider's not the only one still thinking of Aishani as 'Brieli'; old habits die hard, and she doesn't seem to take it too personally. It wouldn't make much sense to, not after turns of using one name, to suddenly expect everyone to remember the other as if it's always been hers. Even if it has. And for some reason, so far, those bruises and scrapes Taikrin's sporting bring absolutely no questions from the Weyrwoman. Nor has she pushed about the matter of those wings, even when the insults coming from them have turned toward the somewhat personal. When she arrives, it's with her usual brisk stride and folder in hand, and no apparent imperfections. Also, there's a thermos, lucky for that ice-cold mug. "Morning," she offers, easily. No sense in calling it a good one.

"Morning," Taikrin echoes. She summons up a lopsided smile, but it's both brief and somewhat lacking in her usual charm. "Doing alright?" Her hands reach instinctively to cradle that mug, and she has it almost all the way to her lips before she realizes what she's doing, scowls, and sets it aside. "Might be a good day to see some weyrling dragons in the air, yeah? They're supposed to be going up soon, ain't they? I thought I remembered Quin saying something about that, last seven. Or was it the one before?" Her brief frown is cut off by a headshake. "Ain't had time to pay attention to them, much."

Pushing the thermos down the table at that scowl, Aishani's answer is perhaps telling; "Thinking about going away for a day or two. How about you?" There's a note of concern there as she sets down her folder and sits, arching fine brows over Taikrin's way - a lack of her usual charm, general tiredness - someone's not quite herself. Even so, she won't push at that either, merely shrugging a little. "Who has, really? I check in when I can, but for what it's worth, Iesaryth says she hasn't seen any flying yet. She watches." From her ledge, the rim - all day, usually.

"Szad does too, when he can-- he ain't as interested in babies as he is in eggs, though. Mostly I reckon he does it for points with Hraedhyth." Taikrin's smile twists, caught somewhere between proud and sour. "'Least I ain't going to have to worry about fielding them in wings any time soon. Bad enough we still got those transfers trickling in-- Faranth only knows what they're trying to do to us. Bad enough I got to deal with integrating them in when-- well. Reckon we're going to have a lot of integrating to do, here, in the next seven. If you really are going to get away for a day or two, let me know now, yeah? Szadath might need Iesaryth backing him, too, if this next meeting goes the way I think."

With a quirk of her lips, "Iesaryth wasn't terribly interested in the eggs until they hatched. Not babies..." Aishani wrinkles her nose at using the word in relation to dragons, or perhaps that's something related to the gold. "But who they are. She wanted to know... Well. It's not important. Perhaps they're all just dying to live under a dynamic regime." That last, for the transfers, is wry. Smirking a touch, that begins to fade as she considers Taikrin for a moment. "'Too'," she echoes. "If you mean in addition to Hraedhyth, I would recommend, if you intend on supporting things as they stand, having Szadath ask the Weyrwoman's queen for support first. And I would like to go away, but I won't anytime soon if something's about to happen." There's an unspoken question there.

"You think I ain't told him that?" Now Taikrin looks genuinely frustrated. "We been around and around on this, and on how he keeps using Hraedhyth when he really ought to be asking Iesaryth. He's stuck on this business of flying and mates and sometimes I don't even think he knows he's leaning against Hraedhyth." But then she drags a hand across her face and sighs. "Sorry. We just got into it again, last night. He don't-- he acts on instinct. I'm working on it. For simple creatures, the dragons are so flaming complicated sometimes." She offers a rueful smile. "I've got a couple ideas how to deal with what's been going around through the more hidebound wings."

There's a blink for the frustration, and something in Aishani's expression tightens before she looks away, towards the entrance. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware it was an issue. I hate flights." Apropos of nothing, said with no real weight, but it's not like she was looking happy or well-rested a couple of weeks ago, was it? Over a sigh, wry again, "No kidding. Anyway." She'll shake that off visibly, look back to Taikrin with a smile, as if everything's pleasant now and she's ready to get back to work. Dammit. "That would be... excellent. It's no secret that 'hidebound' is often as good as 'anti-Vijay' around here, still. I can't say that I'd mind it handled, given that - let alone the fact that it's dangerous that they feel they can behave as they have."

"Very dangerous. It's the same attitude that led to a weyrwoman dead and another one exiled, and I'm going to stomp it out if it kills me." There are teeth in her smile now. "One more step from D'nis, and I'm going to make an example out of Iceberg. Set 'em all on notice-- especially Z'ian. I don't trust what's going on with Boreal, either, but at least it ain't like it is with D'nis. Szadath can deal with Bovinath okay, but I have a feeling the bronzes will step in-- especially Cadejoth. So I'm sure he's going to need Iesaryth to back his play, give him some extra teeth. I let it go so far, and I gave 'em all a chance to clean up their acts and step in line. Time they find out we got bite, too, when we need to use it."

Shani doesn't look as if she's entirely sure about that - then pauses to consider the argument... and finds she can't really negate Taikrin there. "It's ridiculous that people respect something decided by random chance more than something decided by sheer will and capability," clearly believing that she and the brownrider are where they are due to both. And she might not be wrong. Looking down the table, arching fine brows, she asks, "Why wait? Why not surprise him? Haven't they done enough? Z'ian... I think his intentions have been good. But why not make an example if you intend to anyway?" There's a moment before, "I suppose it does help to have a specific reason, but it seems like so much has happened already. And certainly, Iesaryth and I will back you both. Without question. My vacation..." A faintly wistful expression passes. "Can wait. The timing has been bad."

"Needs to be a cause," Taikrin agrees. "Something explicit he can be punished for. It's coming, either way. Men like him-- well. I can tell. I'm going to ask him to do something he don't like, he's going to do that thing he does where he pretends I ain't there-- and then he won't be able to pretend anymore. I got the new rosters here for the redistribution, if you want to take a look. I been floating a couple of names past Miellene and B'ren, so I think I got it covered. If we're lucky, we might get one or two of the ringleaders transferred out, if they ain't going to buckle under. Should set the other wingleaders on notice, too. Give Z'ian some enthusiasm to deal with his troublemakers."

"Very obvious. People will look for a reason to make you look... unreasonable or unstable. If you could set him up, honestly, it would be ideal." Aishani suggests this as if it's not that big a deal - of course, she is suggesting it about a man who's already causing trouble; perhaps she'd not be so cavalier about framing the innocent. "That way, there'd be no concerns about 'is there enough evidence' or so on. There could be appropriate witnesses, even. If necessary. Just a thought." She waves it off - it's up to Taikrin, after all. There's some interest there, and she glances over at the mess of hides curiously. "I suppose I could. And... Benden is sympathetic to some of our issues. They might be willing to take them if their issues with us are primarily personal." She doesn't mention Boreal's wingleader again, but she does agree, "It needs to be handled."

"Got it covered. I got a fix on him, now." Not only is this not a big deal to Taikrin, but her smile suggests that this is, in fact, a preferred way of dealing with the situation. "I've been nothing but reasonable and tolerant with them, ain't I? Gave them plenty of time and reasons to come around. Nobody can say I didn't try." She spreads her hands on the table, marred knuckles and all. "Good. Don't want to flood 'em, but knowing we can count on them to take a couple will help. It ain't like they're all bad riders, just... permanently hidebound. Been led astray by the turns. It's up to us to lead as many of 'em back as we can."

Impressed, Aishani appears pleased. "And I'm not saying you haven't been. I'm just saying people will look for reasons to say you're not, just like they looked for reasons to find something wrong with me before I went and proved them right." Despite the fact that it could seem like admitting a mistake, she doesn't seem anything less content with that decision still - and she does seem easier, better for it. "They'll say whatever they want. As long as you know you tried - that's the important thing. The people who matter will remember." With a grimace, "Hidebound or stuck in the recent past. K'del and Cadejoth thinking they own the place... is not helping."

"No. It ain't. It's worse because Cadejoth is Szadath's sire. You know? He's trying, but it takes time to build up the sort of influence they got-- and it's harder for Szad when he has to push against a bronze. Physically he's more'n a match, but..." Taikrin doesn't dwell on this line of thought, particularly because, somewhere out in the bowl, Szadath's eyes are starting to whirl red with irritation. "He's going to try to cause problems. Is Iesaryth ready to stand up to him, when he does? I don't think Hraedhyth would back him, not with Szadath as stuck on her as he is." There's confidence in her voice, now, and she's sitting upright in her chair as if she belongs there. "Winners write the history, yeah? We just got to make sure we're the ones doing the writing. Having Quinlys with the weyrlings helps-- she's the right sort. They'll come up the right way."

"Does he... remember that? And Iesaryth and Cadejoth... Iesaryth doesn't like him very much. She never really has. And if she wasn't able to stand up to any bronze, she wouldn't be much of a queen. Taikrin, they're both queens, regardless of Cadejoth and who he's sired. They know that they're meant to be in charge. Like I do." The other weyrwoman is perhaps glaring in her omission; Aishani apparently thinks things work differently there. "All K'del does is complain, in the end. I wouldn't put it past him to do something, but it would require him to have something to do... and he lacks a certain imagination. I don't count him out, but I do wonder what he could come up with. And... yes. I'm well aware of that." A quirk of lips. "The weyrlings seem... divided. Some are with us. We'll see how it turns out by graduation."

"He does remember. Strange how some things stick with them, ain't it? Always the stupidest things, too, seems like." Taikrin shuffles her papers back together, hesitates, then holds them out for Aishani. "Like I do, too. Like anyone should who ain't got their ego tied up in the size of their dragon's--." Maybe she meant to say something considerably more vulgar there. It's possible. "Glacier's gathering for morning drills. Here's the proposed wing rosters, if you want to look. I'm thinking of organizing a set of Weyr-wide drills, once the change happens. Maybe a seven of mock mid-Pass threadfalls? Keep the wings too tired to think. They're getting lazy, anyways. Nobody likes to see fat dragons."

A touch regretfully, "Yes, it does seem that way." Aishani doesn't bother to elaborate on what sticks with Iesaryth, but it's all really beside the point. She takes the papers from Taikrin as if there'd been no hesitation, with an arch of fine brows and a smirk. "I was a trader," she reminds the brownrider. "Half my family was likely in the mines right next to you, saying worse than that." Yet, she still sounds so... ladylike. Shuffling through the papers thoughtfully before taking the next set for perusal, "Why not. Tell them the weyrlings are handling the workload fine if they complain about it." Once she's done, she hands it all back with another little wrinkle of nose. "Speaking of which... they are going through a remarkable amount of wherries and beasts, given it's a double clutch... and with Tillek as it is, we might need to do some creative... requests for new stock..." And on they go to the less intriguing aspects of weyr management.




Comments

Alida (Alida (talk)) left a comment on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:04:49 GMT.

< More and more webs woven...more and more complications that could develop... ^^

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