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Logs:Snowdrift at Nerat's Gather

2014-11-29T06:53:06Z

Milani: Gather fun at Nerat

{{Log
|who=V'ros, Milani, NPC: X'ton
|what=Members of Snowdrift and guests, including Milani, head to Nerat's gather.
|where=Gather Grounds, Nerat Hold
|when=Day 22, Month 5, Turn 36 of the 10th Interval
|gamedate=2014.11.28
|quote=Fruity isn't my thing
|weather=
|mentions=Giorda, X'ton
|ooc=
|icons-new=
|icons=
|desc=
|log=By the time Snowdrift's riders show up at the gather on Nerat's grounds, everything is in full swing and it's hard to see anything beyond the thickly-packed crowd. Tents stand on the outskirts, boasting everything from crafter wares to hogsheads of ale and wine. Strings of glows wind around poles and free-standing structures, giving little illumination in the quickly-settling dusk. Voices, both practiced and slurred, build on top of each other to create a cacophony of sound that ''nearly'' drowns out the jaunty tunes being played by the harpers up on the stage. There is plenty of laughter and taunts thrown out between the Snowdrift riders, who move through the throng in a loose pack; they don't quite deviate from each other, but neither do they stand shoulder to shoulder. V'ros stays near the back of their number, as much due to his shorter statue and short strides as it is due to his newness in their wing. He chances a look at Milani and tries for a casual tone. "Been to Nerat.. often?" Doesn't quite hit the mark, but then, it's normal for this brownrider to be so awkward.

Having tagged along with a few others who caught a lift with Snowdrift to Nerat, Milani's abandoned the warm jacket used for the flight Between with the dragons. Beneath those warmer layers, she's dressed to the nines, but in a light, sleeveless dres, as befits a gather in Nerat's warm climate. She seems perfectly at ease in the crowd, even with the mixed group of ages the wing represents. V'ros' awkwardness is met with an easy, warm smile as the headwoman's assistant aims to set him at ease: "Many times, though not so often for the last ten turns or so. A few of my friends and I used to get out to every gather we possibly could get to, during the season. Couldn't pin us down," she notes laughingly. "Is this your first visit, other than training?"

They're moving towards the tent with the alcohol, getting more somber as they go. "How do you.. get Giorda to agree to that?" V'ros has on ''his'' jacket, for now, despite the heat and humidity hanging in the night air. His eyes follow his wingmates' entrance into the beverage tent, and he ducks his head, holding back the flap to let Milani precede him. "Other than training.. yeah, my first. Haven't been out here before coming to the Weyr." He gives his admission with a faint smile, and flushed cheeks.

Milani grins all the more widely: "Because back then, I was /her/ boss," she notes, sotto voce and casts the young brownrider a broad wink. "Thank you," she says sweetly as he holds the tent flap for her and she ducks inside. "Nerat puts on a good party, I think it's partly due to the warmth of the climate. Just mind some of the fruit drinks: they're deceptive, taste mild, but are a lot stronger than they seem."

"Ah," V'ros notes, and behind her, gives a grimace for talking casually to the ''former'' Headwoman. "I don't.. fruity isn't my.. thing." Lamely, he adds the last, and lets the flap hang. Laughter and jokes fill the air as his wingmates interrogate the vintner on duty, causing the young woman to flush and duck her head as she rushes around, filling their orders. "C'mon, Ros, this girl gots the red like you!" And they're back to cackling, leaving V'ros to flush the deeper, sweeping the rest of the tent with a broad glance that settles, in the end, on Milani. "Where are you from?" Because, small talk takes away from the larger picture.

Clearly, Milani doesn't stand on ceremony as regards her rank, current, or former. It's a night out on the town with old friends and possibly new. "What is your thing?" she asks gaily as she leans against one end of the counter while the others are placing orders. "And I'm Reaches born and raised. You're from a seahold, right?" Her tone remains friendly and casual as she casts back in memory for the places the most recently graduated weyrlings came from.

"My thing.." V'ros stares darkly at the vintner pouring draughts from the nearest ale barrel. "Stout. Wine's alright." He passes a hand through his short-cropped hair and then raps his knuckles on the counter to get the crafter's attention; everyone else has been served. "Ale and.." His fingers flick towards Milani, awaiting for request, because he isn't the type to order for a woman. "Not a seahold, but north of Tillek. Export wool."

"Ahh, an ale man," Milani replies with a little nod. Her chin lifts toward the serving vintner and she shoots the woman a smile. "Nerat brandy," is her order. "Ahh, right. Tillek-but-not-sea," she echoes. "Do you miss it at all? Or does the weyr feel like home now?"

"I'm a.. a.. sure." V'ros passes the vintner the appropriate marks for ''his'' and ''hers'', and steps away from the counter to assess Milani as he drinks. "I did.. miss it, at first. I don't anymore. I've.. grown out of it, and the Weyr feels more like home. It's Zmeyth's home." He takes a couple steps to the side, careful not to bump into the assistant headwoman. "Anything you want to see? Shop? Eat?"

Again: "Thank you!" as V'ros ponies up the marks for the drinks. "I'll buy next round," she offers, however. "I'm glad the Weyr's gotten to feel that way so soon. It's often harder for some young riders who impress from the holds," Milani notes as her hand curls around her glass and she takes a sedate sip from it. "If it's your first time at a Nerat gather, we should wander a bit so you can get a good look around. It's the dance floor I'll be wanting to visit sooner rather than later. I love to dance. How about you?"

Some of the other Snowdrift riders are starting to spread out and leave the comforting feel of the beverage tent. V'ros doesn't miss the shift of dynamic, and watches as each, in turn, wanders out into the warm night air. "It might not.. have, but Zmeyth.." He clamps his mouth closed and shrugs, motioning with a hand towards the exit before his strides stretch out to bring him back to the flap. "I'd like to get a look." His hand brings the flap up again, holding it for Milani. "No, I don't.. dance. Not anymore."

Milani knocks back the rest of her drink and leaves the glass on the counter for the vintner to reclaim. "Dragons change everything," the assistant headwoman remarks lightly and falls into step with the brownrider, ducks through the flap as he holds up again. Over her shoulder with a curious look: "Why not?"

Could that be a grin? But it's gone too fast, and V'ros is letting the flap fall once they step outside. "They do. You don't know.. how much, until they're.. there, in your head." He frowns, now, and starts moving past the beverage tent and past another, this one arrayed with ceramics. "Not good at it. It's.. humiliating, when you aren't. Who'd want to?"

"So I've heard," Milani replies with a little smile. "It's interesting observing candidates change through weyrlinghood and become full riders. I can only ever see it from the outside, so I can't understand it from that point of view, but those of us who are weyrbred and don't Impress, we see it over and over, so there's a different kind of understanding." She ambles along at an easy pace, letting V'ros take the lead. "Pretty glaze on that," she notes idly of a platter on the display. "Because it's fun if you don't think about it being embarrassing. That and if you don't practice, you can't get better. What trips you up most?" Milani asks casually, keeping her tone light and conversational.

"Right." V'ros finishes off that short statement with a long drink of his ale. "It would be.. weird, not living at the Weyr, being.. somewhere else, somewhere without.." his eyes flick to the side where, across the way, one of the Snowdrift greenriders is haggling with a smith, "them." His wingmates. Not even weyrlings anymore. He turns his head to look at the platter she points out, but his silence says a thousand things his words couldn't. "Everything? I don't know where to put my feet. And I can't catch the.." Pausing, with a frown. "..beat?" But then he's moving towards a weaver booth filled with accessories like hats, cloaks, gloves, and other accoutrements.

"I can't imagine living elsewhere either, myself, but for different reasonse." Pause. "The Reaches is home," Milani says firmly. Her gaze follows his to the Snowdrift group and she grins. "Mm. People come and go though ... wings can change," she muses thoughtfully, "but the Weyr, somehow, still stays mostly the same." A little shake of her head, seems to clear more serious thoughts and the assistant headwoman re-focuses on dancing. "Hmm. So that strikes just moving with the music as a possible strategy for you. Though generally speaking, when I'm teaching someone, I tell them to forget about putting feet in the right places and just listen and let the music move you. The right steps aren't always that important, unless it's a very structured dance." Haberdashery and millinery can't help but attract Milani's notice and she slows a bit to size up some of the merchandise.

A loud crash and laughter sound somewhere nearby, but V'ros hardly hears it for the matter of their conversation. "I've tried. Other have tried. I should stick to.. sitting on the side." He shrugs and takes another long drink, leaning against the nearest support beam while Milani checks out the accessories on display. "I used to.. want things like that. Now, they're pointless." Riders wear their jackets, but what need do they have for fancy outerwear, hats, and pinnings? He shrugs and buries his face in his tankard.

"Nothing wrong with knowing your limits, though don't count yourself out completely, you never know when something might change," Milani notes over her shoulder, fingering the fine fabric of a scarf. "Is something pointless if you enjoy wearing it or using it, or you feel comfortable with it?" she asks the brownrider, mouth curving into a lopsided grin. "I'll confess that I still harbor a girlish love of pretty things, but I don't go overboard. The assistant headwoman leaves the weaver's tent behind without purchasing anything. "Hungry yet?" she asks him, "best not to drink too much on an empty stomach, right?"

V'ros eyes the ''pretty'' things and makes a grunt-like sound into his ale. He has a mouthful when he nods his acquiescence to Milani's suggestion. "I could eat." He doesn't wait for the strawberry-blonde to move towards the trestle tables set up near the food booths, but takes the lead, again, and straggles nearby one serving meatrolls and meat roasted on sticks with spices. "Good?" he asks, finally, giving the woman a questioning stare.

"Mmmhm, though I recommend trying some of the stuffed breads, like those over there," Milani points in the direction of another food stall. "Meat on a stick is always good though," she says with a touch of humor. "What's your usual favorite?"

"We can get both." V'ros picks up a couple skewers each and shuffles to the stuffed bread booth, where he picks up a couple of those. "Fried legumes." His bounty claimed, he steps over the seat of one of the table benches and plops down, spreading out his fare for Milani to pick from. "It's better at gathers," he observes with a small, boyish smile.

While V'ros is securing dinner-like foods, Milani slips over to one of the many baker's tents and secures local flaky pastries stuffed with tropical fruit. "Now there's a gather feast," she says laughingly and peeks around, maybe for some of the other wingriders. "Looks like some of Snowdrift are making new friends," she points out where some flirting is going on with what look like traders. "And I agree, somehow, being out and about in the fresh air makes all the food taste better!" She settles down beside V'ros and snags a meat skewer to start with, munching down with gusto, but eating neatly for all that.

They've definitely got a ''feast'' to finish, and he too looks out for his wingmates to help finish off the food. Being that they've involved with some traders, well, V'ros has no choice but to attempt such a feat himself, with Milani's help. He picks apart the stuffed bread and pops a piece in his mouth. "Kitchens can't make it this good." Hopefully, no one from the Reaches' kitchens are around to hear that comment.

"Hard to make things taste as good when you're cooking for so many all at once," Milani agrees. "Though depending on who's cooking in the Snowasis, you can get some seriously good eats in there." This between bites from the skewer and occasional, dainty licking of her fingers. "So, you must be all settled into your weyr by now. How do you like it? Comfortable enough?"

Cheeks stuffed with food make it hard to speak, and so V'ros just nods a bunch until he swallows. He will, instead of licking his, wipe his hands on his pants when the moment calls for it. "Comfortable. Warm. Right by the hatching sands. Zmeyth likes it." He shrugs and drains what's left in the bottom of his mug, letting out a satisfied sound before stuffing more bread and meat into his maw.

"Niiice," Milani approves of 'warm by the sands'. "Need anything furniture-wise or decorating-wise, still? If you do, just let me know and I can help find it in stores." She beams a grin sideways at V'ros. "I like helping people get set up, or re-decorating." She finishes up her skewer and tackles the bread, breaking off bits and munching away. From over by the dance square, the sound of a merry tune drifts forth, swirling together with the chorus of crowd voices to make the unique noise of a gather.

"Don't stay there long enough to care about the furniture." V'ros slides the last morsel of meat off the stick and sticks it into his mouth, chewing reflectively. "I wouldn't turn down.. fresh sheets," he says sheepishly, shrugging away her concern and setting into one of the pastries she nabbed from the baker booths. "You know," he says, brows knitting, "X'ton is a good dancer." His eyes automatically try to seek out the bluerider, but with so many people milling around, it would be hard to find the Weyrwoman in such a crowd.

"Lots of duties? Or are you just not much of a homebody?" Milani asks in reaction to that particular statement about furnishings. His comment about the sheets earns a sideways glance. "You do send yours down to the laundry, right? So we're talking, one or two extra sets to keep on hand?" She has another few bites of the bread, leaving very little behind. Apparently, the assistant headwoman has a big appetite. Mention of a good dancer earns a quick-flashed smile, "Is he? Well then we'll have to try to find him, otherwise I'm likely to nab an available trader. Are you sure you won't try a turn if it's a slow one? You can just kind of sway back and forth for those ones."

"Staying in my weyr," V'ros reflects, "gives me too much time to think." It's the prevailing emotion that thinking leads to.. bad thoughts, or something. "Yeah, I do," a bit sheepishly, "but it's not like ''new'' sheets. Ones no one else have had." That is stretching it a bit - being a rare commodity in a Weyr full of people who would all ''love'' new sheets. "I'd.. prefer not to." He's resolved not to dance, and his search for his wingmate is resumed. "X'ton," he calls, spotting the foppish man with straw-colored hair nearby the meat-on-a-stick booth. "He's decent."

"Too much time to think," Milani echoes and props her chin up on one hand while the other breaks off a piece of pastry. "So you prefer to stay active and 'doing', hm?" Munch. Another piece of pastry is broken off. "I'll see what I can rustle up for nice, new sheets. I'll assume you don't want girlie patterns on them, but otherwise, any color?" She does give him a brief sad-face about the dancing. "All right, I won't insist, but let me know if you change your mind." X'ton is duly noted, for later.

"I don't.." V'ros goes still, eyes considering his empty mug now. "I wouldn't call myself active." For the sheets, he has a simple shrug and a mumble, "Whatever's easiest." Because he wasn't expecting her to ''agree'' and so he's a little speechless. That is until X'ton comes walking towards them, seeming to think he's been hailed by his fellow Snowdrift rider. "Right, X'ton, this is Milani, Milani this is X'ton." Even if they know each other. X'ton avails himself of one of their pastries, making a horrible mess as he does so. "Mm, where'd ya get these? That there?" He's pointing towards a booth across the way, one that V'ros doesn't know, so he just shrugs.

A sunny smile slides V'ros' way as he disclaims 'active'. "Well, we all do what we have to, right?" And then: "We'll see what I can find and I might be able to give you some options." She finishes up her pastry just in time for messy X'ton to arrive. "Hey there, X'ton," she greets him with what must be now apparent, as customary cheer. "Over there," she points out the stall in question. "V'ros tells me you like to dance, maybe save me one?" she suggests gaily.

Furtive eyes meet in some unsaid understanding, and the two young men cut their eye-lock, with one grinning widely and the other frowning as he finishes his pastry. Hint: V'ros is the second one. "Heya, nice to meet you, Milani," X'ton greets, sticking out a sticky-fingered hand to shake the assistant headwoman's, "I can show ya a thing or too!" He sets one foot on the bench seat and leans an elbow on the upraised knee, gesturing with his other hand. "Not a single lady been displeased with what I've got to show em." V'ros just frowns, some more, and stares down at his food.

It's entirely possible that said looks do not go right over Milani's head. It's a definite that she only shakes the tips of X'ton's fingers, most likely not caring to get her hand stickified. And yet, she just makes big eyes up at the rider. "Really? Well now, we'll just have to see about that," she replies sweetly and gives the platter with the remaining stuffed bread toward him. "Here, have a little bit of this," she suggests and rises from her seat. "I'll be right back V'ros, I need a drink after all that good food. I'll bring back a pitcher."

X'ton doesn't appear to notice the difference in the way the woman shakes his hand, his grin only grows that much wider. "Alright, be waiting for ya right here." He pats the top of the table with his palm, identifying it as where he ''will'' be waiting. "Can't say for this guy." V'ros has taken up frowning ferociously at his blueriding wingmate, but says nothing more than a mumbled, "okay" to Milani about the pitcher.

After a little while, Milani returns with a pitcher of frothy ale and several mugs. These are set down on the table and she fills one up for herself and one for X'ton. "Refill, V'ros? I made sure to get some of the darker stuff, though it's not stout." She has a few sips from her own mug, then gives the table a little tap. "Something caught my eye in one of the stalls over there, I'm going to go dicker over price with the craftsman and I'll be back!" she promises. Dickering over the price of a lightweight shawl winds up taking longer perhaps, than expected and whether or not X'ton has the patience to wait, Milani does eventually return, but with company, having found some other friends. That ought to make for a gaggle of ladies to accompany to the dance floor. Should V'ros decide to observe from the sidelines, yes, Milani and most of her pals sure can kick up their heels. But if X'ton was hoping to get more than a dance out of the evening, he'll be disappointed. By evening's end, hopefully everyone's eaten enough to satisfy stomachs and taste buds alike, drunk enough to be happily buzzed but not sick the following day and those who like dancing have had their fill. Milani will seek out V'ros for her ride home if he's still around to be found and if so, a pleasant farewell is bidden once they've returned to the Reaches across time zones and back into the earlier part of the day.
}}
{{Categories
|Categories=Gather Logs
}}

Logs:Things In Common

2014-07-04T04:14:59Z

Milani:

{{ Log
| who = K'del, Milani
| where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr
| what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in common
| when = 15:12 of day 26, month 2, turn 35 of Interval 10
| gamedate = 2014.07.03
| quote = Where'd the turns go, Millie?
| weather = Wind and snow make for very bad weather today. The visibility is low,
making travel dangerous.
| categories = 
| mentions = Milandra, Tiriana, Nikalas, Kasey
| ooc =
| icons = k'del_atthebar.jpg, milani.jpg
| log = It's typical Reaches winter weather out there which means that even at this hour, the Snowasis is a little more crowded than usual, though it hasn't hit peak post-work capacity yet. There's a cluster of barely-old-enough-to-really-drink youngsters up at the bar proper, several of the nooks are occupied if the low hum of voices is any indication and several of the tables are occupied as well. The couch by the hearth currently holds one occupant: Milani, who is very clearly NOT working. No abacus, no clipboard, no sheets of paper, just a pencil forgotten in the thick braids coiled atop her head. She is however, reading and a mug stands on the nearest side table to her. A Snowasis worker pauses near her and asks her about a refill: "No thank you, I'll just finish this up first."

K'del - who has managed to go outdoors without a hat (again) - shakes snow out of his hair as he enters from the ledge, rubbing gingerly at his ears as he does so. That chill has him keeping his coat on as he makes his way to the bar to collect a mug, those youngsters given only a passing glance. "No," he says to a passing query from the bartender. "Just taking a breather. Cheers." Mug in hand, he turns, blue-eyed gaze sweeping the room for several seconds before it alights upon Milani. "Millie," he says, as he approaches, clearly aiming to perch himself upon the couch's armrest. "Working hard, I see."

The armrest is availably, though Milani shifts her elbow a titch to make room. The Weyrleader's voice brings her gaze upward and a warm, fond smile curls the corners of her mouth. "Kas," she greets him and gives her book a little waggle. "I'm improving my mind," she claims and slips a finger between the pages, lets the pages fall shut around it and perches the volume on her thigh. "Though it's arguable whether or not the adventures of a wandering harper are truly educational or just entertainment." A little pause as she scans his face. "How are you?"

"For you," decides K'del, the glimmer of a grin visible about the corners of his mouth, "definitely educational. If it were Nik, and there was homework still to be done..." Double standards are alive and well. He adjusts his mug, half-balancing it upon his knee, fingers wrapped closely around the rim. "I'm good. Trying to work out whether having a reason to be down south on a regular basis is a good thing or not, given how much colder it feels when I get home." His smile, though, is indulgent: he's not really complaining. "Cadejoth's always glad to be back, though, especially with the eggs and all. How're you?"

Laughter answers double standards. "At least I can vouch for there being something new to be learned for him in this particular book, though not in some I've read most recently." The assistant headwoman leans back against the couch back, listening. "Funny how that works, isn't it? When you're somewhere cool, the warmer place also seems that much warmer." Milani reaches for her own mug, leaning forward and to the side to fetch it and takes a drink. "Are you glad to be back too?" A little look tilted up sideways at him. "And I'm well - busy, but not too busy."

K'del's got a laugh of his own for that first comment, though his expression turns more reflective as Milani continues. "Mm," he agrees. "I'm always glad to be back. High Reaches is home, no matter how much I appreciate my time spent with Ali and the kids... no matter how difficult it is to leave them, or to take Iska way from them. It's not just duty that keeps me here." He lifts his own mug, now, though it's mostly to inhale the steam from it as he nods. "Good. Best way to be, I think."

"I'm glad for that, though ... being torn that way, it's hard," Milani remarks as thoughtfully, tone gentle. "Though maybe it might be easier if it were just duty. Less tugging here," she gives her sternum a little tap, right above the heart and the corner of her mouth quirks up, a touch wry. That broadens out into an honest smile though. "Agreed. Too much and you're going crazy, too little and ... well the same."

Slowly, carefully, K'del nods. "It's... sure, with dragons we can be anywhere we want within a few seconds, but it's not quite the same as just ''being'' there. Though you may be right on the duty. The heart just complicates things." He's got his own wryness for that, in the glance he aims back at Milani, though he, too, turns it back to something more cheerful quickly. "Exactly so. Should warn you: Kasey's been at me to let him and Nik Stand, even though eleven," beat, "all right, eleven and a half, is clearly far too young. Don't know if it'll come back to you, but... just in case."

"No, it isn't. Long distance just -- sucks," Milani falls back on that word with a little laugh, merriment crinkling up the corners of her eyes. His next sees her drawing a breath and puffing out her cheeks. "Mmmm. Has Nik said anything to you about it? He hasn't mentioned it to me yet, but you know how kids are when there's eggs about - a little dragon crazy. She drums her fingers against the side of her mug. "Milandra didn't ask. She told me that she's going to, whether I like to or not, or she'll run away with her father's family caravan. Go figure right?"

K'del raises his mug in silent toast: yes, it sucks. What's more to be said about it? As for their son, he shakes his head. "No. Not sure if he's just letting Kasey talk for him, or if Kasey is just taking it on himself. Guess I'd've been the same, though, if I'd grown up here: it's got to be tough, not ''really'' being old enough, but being so excited by the possibility." A moment later, his gaze dropping towards his mug, he adds, "That sounds like Milandra. Shells, though: it's hard to believe she really ''is'' old enough. Where'd the turns go, Millie?"
\
"I'll keep my ears open, just in case. And if he does ask, I'll gently remind him about the age requirements and that we're not comfortable with it until he's at least ... 13? 14?" Milani looks up at K'del questioningly, then chuckles: "She's an awful lot like me, isn't she. I wish she'd inherited a little bit of Mik's more laid-back attitude, but what can you do?" One shoulder lifts, drops again, gaze going to the fire dancing on the hearth. "Seems just yesterday we were around her age, doesn't it? But everyone grows up, changes." One of her hands frees itself from her mug, reaches for his to offer a little squeeze.

"Thirteen, at least," confirms K'del; of this much, at least, he's sure. "Given Iesaryth's probably liable to rise in the next few months, and it's a good two to three turns between flights, unless things change dramatically, he'll be roughly an appropriate age by Hraedhyth's next. And probably, by then, better equipped to figure out if it's actually what he wants." His mug is returned to his knee, balanced there carefully as he adds, "She's her own self. ''Could'' call it payback: your parents had to put up with you, and now it's your turn." It's teasing; lighthearted. His fingers return Milani's squeeze, just gently. "Mm. And it's not that I miss being that age. Not unhappy being over thirty. It's just... strange, sometimes."

"Exactly," Milani agrees. "I think it's important to go into it whole-hearted. I've seen and heard too many candidates and weyrlings over the turns with regrets," she muses with a little wrinkle of her brow that smooths out quickly enough when she laughs again. "Ye-es. That's it. Payback and well deserved," the assistant headwoman agrees, amused. Her hand withdraws post-squeeze. "I don't either. Miss that age. Even at fifteen and sixteen and seventeen and eighteen I was doing too many stupid things," she admits with a laugh. "It's a little odd being considered 'older and wiser' and having people look up to me. I don't remember when that changed either, going from the one who always had questions and heartaches to the one answering the questions and providing comforting words for the aches."

K'del admits, as his fingers wrap back around his mug, "Pretty sure I had no idea what I was getting in to at fifteen, even. But much better than ''eleven'' would've been. Want all my kids to be making decisions based on what they really want, and not... what feels exciting in the moment." He drops his gaze to his mug, considering it with cheerful thoughtfulness, and then sets the mug down on a conveniently located table. "Was just commenting the other night to someone that, shells, I understand how frustrating and awful it must've been for people, when I first became Weyrleader. Not that I didn't get it, even, then, but now... you look back and it's just such a strange thing. In a way, I'm glad I spent so long as not Weyrleader: feels like, this time, I'm here as an adult from the start. Clean slate, you know?"

"Not what feels exciting at the moment. Words I thought I'd never hear coming from you," Milani teases lightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes and she aims a little knuckle-poke at the side of his leg, meant fondly. "Yes. I understand so much better now, why some people used to get so angry, frustrated and sometimes downright mean to me, when I find myself trying to get some of the younger assistants to see some sense and it's like beating my head against the walls. Though I think the mean was probably still uncalled for." She's clearly thinking back to something specific, but tilts a look upward once more. "Clean slate. That must feel a lot better, hm? Than being thrown into the middle of things? And I think the break did you good."

The tease makes K'del grin - and the poke, too. He sticks out his tongue, utterly mature. "Mmm," he agrees. "The mean was definitely uncalled for. But it's easier to understand some of it, now. Do you miss being Headwoman, now?" The question is thoughtful, and carries a note of surprise to it, as though he's just realised that he's never asked this... and perhaps should have. "Much better. It... did. The circumstances of it all were hardly ideal, of course, but... I'm much better for it. Happier. Hopeful that, with Azaylia, I can build some kind of close, solid working relationship, better than what I've had in the past."

Now there's a doozy of a question and the lightheartedness of Milani's expression dims as she looks away. She doesn't answer right away, commenting on his situation instead: "I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anyone," the headwoman's assistant says softly. "Not even Tiriana." Her nose wrinkles and she gives a little shake of her head, like shaking off shades of the past. "I am /very/ glad of that and hope the same. Honestly, I think you deserve to have /that/ kind of Weyrleadership, where it's a partnership with your Weyrwoman." Firm in that belief, she is, it seems. She's silent for the space of a sip from her mug, the book sliding down off her leg and coming to rest between it and the side of the couch. "As for being Headwoman -- it was my ambition for so long and when it came my way, I don't think I was entirely ready for it, but losing it, especially in the way I did, cut deeply." Bare honesty. "Yes, I miss it. But I'm mostly content with how things have worked out. At this point, if I were truly ambitious for that knot again, I'd have to seek it outside the Weyr, because I don't want to take anything from Giorda. And leaving the Weyr again isn't something I'm prepared to do."

Mention of Tiriana has K'del's own expression twisting, though it's a careful thing, much more subtle than it might have been a few turns ago. He inhales as Milani talks, letting the breath whistle through his teeth in a thoughtful way; as she finishes, he nods, just once. "It's something we both have in common," he supposes, in the end. "Neither of us was really ready for what we got, ambition or no ambition. And the circumstances of losing it..." He trails off, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Glad you're content, though. And I understand completely about not leaving High Reaches: home is home." He exhales again, this time more softly. "Still half expect to see you behind the desk in Giorda's office, even after all this time. It's strange."

Even more subtle, Milani catches that and briefly her hand ghosts over, just a press of fingers offering sympathetic understanding for the T-word. "There's a reason we've always gotten along," she reaches for humor and lightheartedness again. "Plenty in common. Makes for good friendships." And this time she beams a smile up at him, more akin to ones of yore. "Home is home. Just don't ever mix Giorda and I up, that could be embarrassing considering some of the usage that desk once got put to," she quips with some of her old sass. "Who knows where the path will lead next. Giorda could meet the love of her life who's a trader and run off with him. But I'm not holding my breath. Things are as they are and it's good work that I'm good at and do well. I like being part of the team and making home, home."

The silent tip of K'del's head acknowledges Milani's gesture, accompanied by the twist of his mouth, just barely visible. Seriousness, however, is not long for his expression: it's a good thing he has abandoned his klah, because if he'd been halfway through a sip at that mention of the desk... well. It could've been messy. As it is, he can do nothing less than ''laugh''. "Shells. Don't I remember. We had some good times." For the rest, he nods: "I'm glad. It's a good attitude. Won't say it's one I managed all that well, when it was me. Guess it helps you've a useful position as part of the team; which I'm glad for." It's a moment later, as he reaches to reclaim his mug, that he adds, "Glad you and I managed to stay friends."

Milani can't help but grin sunnily, all eyes wide and 'innocent' in the face of that laughter of K'del's. She joins in after a moment, merrily. "Yes, we did," she agrees when laughter has given way to a long deep breath. "I don't do well without useful work to do. Too much energy, that's always been true." At his last, her head tips to the side, aims to rest against whatever lines up best - probably his elbow. "Couldn't be any other way," Milani concludes, lightly enough, though there's firmness in her tone beneath that. Like, come hell or high water, she'd have it that way and no other. "There are some friends that are too good to lose, no matter what."

K'del grins down at Milani as she leans against him: this time, he's the one reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "You'll slow down when your dead and not before," he opines, still grinning. "Can't imagine you any other way." Almost can't. No doubt he's deliberately ignoring that awful time after Nikalas' birth. "You're right, anyway: really ''couldn't'' be any other way. Friends forever, just without the friendship bracelets or whatever the pre-teen girls swear by."

"Most likely," Milani agrees and returns the finger-squeeze, before straightening back up. "As for friendship bracelets, I'm sure I could get Milandra to make a few, or teach me how to make one, and then we can each have one in matching colors and complementary patterns and make all of those pre-teen girls terribly jealous," she jokes. She rarely-to-never talks about that time after Nik's birth except in oblique terms, especially 'in public'.

K'del hides his smile in his mug, though it's probably not quite deliberate - more coincidence. Said mug gets set down again, now nudged well away from the edge of the table as if to formally abandon it, as he says, "I'm sure they would be just ''beautiful''." His mouth twitches. "So glad it'll be a long time before I have pre-teen girls to parent," he concludes, shaking his head. "Not sure I'd even know where to start. "

"The best /evar/," Milani echoes with the exaggerated tones of some girls that age, she dimples a grin up at him. "You'll manage when the time comes. Besides, every girl is different. Some of them come with more attitude than others. Just remember that more often than not, you don't actually have to say anything. Just listen, hug if it seems right and just get out of the way if whatever issue is looking well and truly ''bad''." Deadpan.

K'del bites back actual laughter at that first remark, his expression turning more thoughtful for the rest... right up until that ''last'' remark. "And then I pass them back to their mothers," he concludes, with a twitching smile. "That's what moms are for, right?" Now, however, he reluctantly slides his feet back to the ground, making as if to stand. "Guess I ought to get back to it, stop interrupting your... what was it, mind improvement?"

"That works too," Milani replies laughingly. "Depending on the mother." Light. Her smile tipped up at him as he rises, is warm, expression fond. "Improvement, definitely not entertainment," the assistant headwoman continues humorously. "But don't hesitate to interrupt, I don't mind if it's you." Sincere and still lighthearted. "Just don't freeze on your way across the Bowl, okay?" And she roots around in the couch to find her book wherever it's slipped off to.

K'del turns his gaze towards the door, as if only now remembering the weather outside; his nose wrinkles. But, "Rather stay and interrupt you, but there's work to be done. Do my best not to freeze, anyway. Have a good one, Millie." For now-- it's back across to the exit, and out into the cold. Brr.

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[[Category:General_Logs]]

Logs:Things In Common

2014-07-04T04:12:19Z

Milani:

{{ Log
| who = K'del, Milani
| where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr
| what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in common
| when = 15:12 of day 26, month 2, turn 35 of Interval 10
| gamedate = 2014.07.03
| quote = Where'd the turns go, Millie?
| weather = Wind and snow make for very bad weather today. The visibility is low,
making travel dangerous.
| categories = 
| mentions = Milandra, Tiriana, Nikalas, Kasey
| ooc =
| icons = [[Image:Icon_k'del_atthebar.jpg]] [[Image:Icon_milani.jpg]]
| log = It's typical Reaches winter weather out there which means that even at this hour, the Snowasis is a little more crowded than usual, though it hasn't hit peak post-work capacity yet. There's a cluster of barely-old-enough-to-really-drink youngsters up at the bar proper, several of the nooks are occupied if the low hum of voices is any indication and several of the tables are occupied as well. The couch by the hearth currently holds one occupant: Milani, who is very clearly NOT working. No abacus, no clipboard, no sheets of paper, just a pencil forgotten in the thick braids coiled atop her head. She is however, reading and a mug stands on the nearest side table to her. A Snowasis worker pauses near her and asks her about a refill: "No thank you, I'll just finish this up first."

K'del - who has managed to go outdoors without a hat (again) - shakes snow out of his hair as he enters from the ledge, rubbing gingerly at his ears as he does so. That chill has him keeping his coat on as he makes his way to the bar to collect a mug, those youngsters given only a passing glance. "No," he says to a passing query from the bartender. "Just taking a breather. Cheers." Mug in hand, he turns, blue-eyed gaze sweeping the room for several seconds before it alights upon Milani. "Millie," he says, as he approaches, clearly aiming to perch himself upon the couch's armrest. "Working hard, I see."

The armrest is availably, though Milani shifts her elbow a titch to make room. The Weyrleader's voice brings her gaze upward and a warm, fond smile curls the corners of her mouth. "Kas," she greets him and gives her book a little waggle. "I'm improving my mind," she claims and slips a finger between the pages, lets the pages fall shut around it and perches the volume on her thigh. "Though it's arguable whether or not the adventures of a wandering harper are truly educational or just entertainment." A little pause as she scans his face. "How are you?"

"For you," decides K'del, the glimmer of a grin visible about the corners of his mouth, "definitely educational. If it were Nik, and there was homework still to be done..." Double standards are alive and well. He adjusts his mug, half-balancing it upon his knee, fingers wrapped closely around the rim. "I'm good. Trying to work out whether having a reason to be down south on a regular basis is a good thing or not, given how much colder it feels when I get home." His smile, though, is indulgent: he's not really complaining. "Cadejoth's always glad to be back, though, especially with the eggs and all. How're you?"

Laughter answers double standards. "At least I can vouch for there being something new to be learned for him in this particular book, though not in some I've read most recently." The assistant headwoman leans back against the couch back, listening. "Funny how that works, isn't it? When you're somewhere cool, the warmer place also seems that much warmer." Milani reaches for her own mug, leaning forward and to the side to fetch it and takes a drink. "Are you glad to be back too?" A little look tilted up sideways at him. "And I'm well - busy, but not too busy."

K'del's got a laugh of his own for that first comment, though his expression turns more reflective as Milani continues. "Mm," he agrees. "I'm always glad to be back. High Reaches is home, no matter how much I appreciate my time spent with Ali and the kids... no matter how difficult it is to leave them, or to take Iska way from them. It's not just duty that keeps me here." He lifts his own mug, now, though it's mostly to inhale the steam from it as he nods. "Good. Best way to be, I think."

"I'm glad for that, though ... being torn that way, it's hard," Milani remarks as thoughtfully, tone gentle. "Though maybe it might be easier if it were just duty. Less tugging here," she gives her sternum a little tap, right above the heart and the corner of her mouth quirks up, a touch wry. That broadens out into an honest smile though. "Agreed. Too much and you're going crazy, too little and ... well the same."

Slowly, carefully, K'del nods. "It's... sure, with dragons we can be anywhere we want within a few seconds, but it's not quite the same as just ''being'' there. Though you may be right on the duty. The heart just complicates things." He's got his own wryness for that, in the glance he aims back at Milani, though he, too, turns it back to something more cheerful quickly. "Exactly so. Should warn you: Kasey's been at me to let him and Nik Stand, even though eleven," beat, "all right, eleven and a half, is clearly far too young. Don't know if it'll come back to you, but... just in case."

"No, it isn't. Long distance just -- sucks," Milani falls back on that word with a little laugh, merriment crinkling up the corners of her eyes. His next sees her drawing a breath and puffing out her cheeks. "Mmmm. Has Nik said anything to you about it? He hasn't mentioned it to me yet, but you know how kids are when there's eggs about - a little dragon crazy. She drums her fingers against the side of her mug. "Milandra didn't ask. She told me that she's going to, whether I like to or not, or she'll run away with her father's family caravan. Go figure right?"

K'del raises his mug in silent toast: yes, it sucks. What's more to be said about it? As for their son, he shakes his head. "No. Not sure if he's just letting Kasey talk for him, or if Kasey is just taking it on himself. Guess I'd've been the same, though, if I'd grown up here: it's got to be tough, not ''really'' being old enough, but being so excited by the possibility." A moment later, his gaze dropping towards his mug, he adds, "That sounds like Milandra. Shells, though: it's hard to believe she really ''is'' old enough. Where'd the turns go, Millie?"
\
"I'll keep my ears open, just in case. And if he does ask, I'll gently remind him about the age requirements and that we're not comfortable with it until he's at least ... 13? 14?" Milani looks up at K'del questioningly, then chuckles: "She's an awful lot like me, isn't she. I wish she'd inherited a little bit of Mik's more laid-back attitude, but what can you do?" One shoulder lifts, drops again, gaze going to the fire dancing on the hearth. "Seems just yesterday we were around her age, doesn't it? But everyone grows up, changes." One of her hands frees itself from her mug, reaches for his to offer a little squeeze.

"Thirteen, at least," confirms K'del; of this much, at least, he's sure. "Given Iesaryth's probably liable to rise in the next few months, and it's a good two to three turns between flights, unless things change dramatically, he'll be roughly an appropriate age by Hraedhyth's next. And probably, by then, better equipped to figure out if it's actually what he wants." His mug is returned to his knee, balanced there carefully as he adds, "She's her own self. ''Could'' call it payback: your parents had to put up with you, and now it's your turn." It's teasing; lighthearted. His fingers return Milani's squeeze, just gently. "Mm. And it's not that I miss being that age. Not unhappy being over thirty. It's just... strange, sometimes."

"Exactly," Milani agrees. "I think it's important to go into it whole-hearted. I've seen and heard too many candidates and weyrlings over the turns with regrets," she muses with a little wrinkle of her brow that smooths out quickly enough when she laughs again. "Ye-es. That's it. Payback and well deserved," the assistant headwoman agrees, amused. Her hand withdraws post-squeeze. "I don't either. Miss that age. Even at fifteen and sixteen and seventeen and eighteen I was doing too many stupid things," she admits with a laugh. "It's a little odd being considered 'older and wiser' and having people look up to me. I don't remember when that changed either, going from the one who always had questions and heartaches to the one answering the questions and providing comforting words for the aches."

K'del admits, as his fingers wrap back around his mug, "Pretty sure I had no idea what I was getting in to at fifteen, even. But much better than ''eleven'' would've been. Want all my kids to be making decisions based on what they really want, and not... what feels exciting in the moment." He drops his gaze to his mug, considering it with cheerful thoughtfulness, and then sets the mug down on a conveniently located table. "Was just commenting the other night to someone that, shells, I understand how frustrating and awful it must've been for people, when I first became Weyrleader. Not that I didn't get it, even, then, but now... you look back and it's just such a strange thing. In a way, I'm glad I spent so long as not Weyrleader: feels like, this time, I'm here as an adult from the start. Clean slate, you know?"

"Not what feels exciting at the moment. Words I thought I'd never hear coming from you," Milani teases lightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes and she aims a little knuckle-poke at the side of his leg, meant fondly. "Yes. I understand so much better now, why some people used to get so angry, frustrated and sometimes downright mean to me, when I find myself trying to get some of the younger assistants to see some sense and it's like beating my head against the walls. Though I think the mean was probably still uncalled for." She's clearly thinking back to something specific, but tilts a look upward once more. "Clean slate. That must feel a lot better, hm? Than being thrown into the middle of things? And I think the break did you good."

The tease makes K'del grin - and the poke, too. He sticks out his tongue, utterly mature. "Mmm," he agrees. "The mean was definitely uncalled for. But it's easier to understand some of it, now. Do you miss being Headwoman, now?" The question is thoughtful, and carries a note of surprise to it, as though he's just realised that he's never asked this... and perhaps should have. "Much better. It... did. The circumstances of it all were hardly ideal, of course, but... I'm much better for it. Happier. Hopeful that, with Azaylia, I can build some kind of close, solid working relationship, better than what I've had in the past."

Now there's a doozy of a question and the lightheartedness of Milani's expression dims as she looks away. She doesn't answer right away, commenting on his situation instead: "I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anyone," the headwoman's assistant says softly. "Not even Tiriana." Her nose wrinkles and she gives a little shake of her head, like shaking off shades of the past. "I am /very/ glad of that and hope the same. Honestly, I think you deserve to have /that/ kind of Weyrleadership, where it's a partnership with your Weyrwoman." Firm in that belief, she is, it seems. She's silent for the space of a sip from her mug, the book sliding down off her leg and coming to rest between it and the side of the couch. "As for being Headwoman -- it was my ambition for so long and when it came my way, I don't think I was entirely ready for it, but losing it, especially in the way I did, cut deeply." Bare honesty. "Yes, I miss it. But I'm mostly content with how things have worked out. At this point, if I were truly ambitious for that knot again, I'd have to seek it outside the Weyr, because I don't want to take anything from Giorda. And leaving the Weyr again isn't something I'm prepared to do."

Mention of Tiriana has K'del's own expression twisting, though it's a careful thing, much more subtle than it might have been a few turns ago. He inhales as Milani talks, letting the breath whistle through his teeth in a thoughtful way; as she finishes, he nods, just once. "It's something we both have in common," he supposes, in the end. "Neither of us was really ready for what we got, ambition or no ambition. And the circumstances of losing it..." He trails off, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Glad you're content, though. And I understand completely about not leaving High Reaches: home is home." He exhales again, this time more softly. "Still half expect to see you behind the desk in Giorda's office, even after all this time. It's strange."

Even more subtle, Milani catches that and briefly her hand ghosts over, just a press of fingers offering sympathetic understanding for the T-word. "There's a reason we've always gotten along," she reaches for humor and lightheartedness again. "Plenty in common. Makes for good friendships." And this time she beams a smile up at him, more akin to ones of yore. "Home is home. Just don't ever mix Giorda and I up, that could be embarrassing considering some of the usage that desk once got put to," she quips with some of her old sass. "Who knows where the path will lead next. Giorda could meet the love of her life who's a trader and run off with him. But I'm not holding my breath. Things are as they are and it's good work that I'm good at and do well. I like being part of the team and making home, home."

The silent tip of K'del's head acknowledges Milani's gesture, accompanied by the twist of his mouth, just barely visible. Seriousness, however, is not long for his expression: it's a good thing he has abandoned his klah, because if he'd been halfway through a sip at that mention of the desk... well. It could've been messy. As it is, he can do nothing less than ''laugh''. "Shells. Don't I remember. We had some good times." For the rest, he nods: "I'm glad. It's a good attitude. Won't say it's one I managed all that well, when it was me. Guess it helps you've a useful position as part of the team; which I'm glad for." It's a moment later, as he reaches to reclaim his mug, that he adds, "Glad you and I managed to stay friends."

Milani can't help but grin sunnily, all eyes wide and 'innocent' in the face of that laughter of K'del's. She joins in after a moment, merrily. "Yes, we did," she agrees when laughter has given way to a long deep breath. "I don't do well without useful work to do. Too much energy, that's always been true." At his last, her head tips to the side, aims to rest against whatever lines up best - probably his elbow. "Couldn't be any other way," Milani concludes, lightly enough, though there's firmness in her tone beneath that. Like, come hell or high water, she'd have it that way and no other. "There are some friends that are too good to lose, no matter what."

K'del grins down at Milani as she leans against him: this time, he's the one reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "You'll slow down when your dead and not before," he opines, still grinning. "Can't imagine you any other way." Almost can't. No doubt he's deliberately ignoring that awful time after Nikalas' birth. "You're right, anyway: really ''couldn't'' be any other way. Friends forever, just without the friendship bracelets or whatever the pre-teen girls swear by."

"Most likely," Milani agrees and returns the finger-squeeze, before straightening back up. "As for friendship bracelets, I'm sure I could get Milandra to make a few, or teach me how to make one, and then we can each have one in matching colors and complementary patterns and make all of those pre-teen girls terribly jealous," she jokes. She rarely-to-never talks about that time after Nik's birth except in oblique terms, especially 'in public'.

K'del hides his smile in his mug, though it's probably not quite deliberate - more coincidence. Said mug gets set down again, now nudged well away from the edge of the table as if to formally abandon it, as he says, "I'm sure they would be just ''beautiful''." His mouth twitches. "So glad it'll be a long time before I have pre-teen girls to parent," he concludes, shaking his head. "Not sure I'd even know where to start. "

"The best /evar/," Milani echoes with the exaggerated tones of some girls that age, she dimples a grin up at him. "You'll manage when the time comes. Besides, every girl is different. Some of them come with more attitude than others. Just remember that more often than not, you don't actually have to say anything. Just listen, hug if it seems right and just get out of the way if whatever issue is looking well and truly ''bad''." Deadpan.

K'del bites back actual laughter at that first remark, his expression turning more thoughtful for the rest... right up until that ''last'' remark. "And then I pass them back to their mothers," he concludes, with a twitching smile. "That's what moms are for, right?" Now, however, he reluctantly slides his feet back to the ground, making as if to stand. "Guess I ought to get back to it, stop interrupting your... what was it, mind improvement?"

"That works too," Milani replies laughingly. "Depending on the mother." Light. Her smile tipped up at him as he rises, is warm, expression fond. "Improvement, definitely not entertainment," the assistant headwoman continues humorously. "But don't hesitate to interrupt, I don't mind if it's you." Sincere and still lighthearted. "Just don't freeze on your way across the Bowl, okay?" And she roots around in the couch to find her book wherever it's slipped off to.

K'del turns his gaze towards the door, as if only now remembering the weather outside; his nose wrinkles. But, "Rather stay and interrupt you, but there's work to be done. Do my best not to freeze, anyway. Have a good one, Millie." For now-- it's back across to the exit, and out into the cold. Brr.

{{#ifexist: Logs_talk:{{BASEPAGENAME}} | <hr><hr><br><h2>Comments</h2>{{Logs_talk:{{BASEPAGENAME}}}} |<hr><hr>}}

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[[Category:General_Logs]]

Logs:Things In Common

2014-07-04T04:07:18Z

Milani:

{{ Log
| who = K'del, Milani
| where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr
| what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in common
| when = 15:12 of day 26, month 2, turn 35 of Interval 10
| gamedate = 2014.07.03
| quote = Where'd the turns go, Millie?
| weather = Wind and snow make for very bad weather today. The visibility is low,
making travel dangerous.
| categories = 
| mentions = Milandra, Tiriana, Nikalas, Kasey
| ooc =
| icons = [[File:Icon_k'del_atthebar.jpg]] [[File:Icon_milani.jpg]]
| log = It's typical Reaches winter weather out there which means that even at this hour, the Snowasis is a little more crowded than usual, though it hasn't hit peak post-work capacity yet. There's a cluster of barely-old-enough-to-really-drink youngsters up at the bar proper, several of the nooks are occupied if the low hum of voices is any indication and several of the tables are occupied as well. The couch by the hearth currently holds one occupant: Milani, who is very clearly NOT working. No abacus, no clipboard, no sheets of paper, just a pencil forgotten in the thick braids coiled atop her head. She is however, reading and a mug stands on the nearest side table to her. A Snowasis worker pauses near her and asks her about a refill: "No thank you, I'll just finish this up first."

K'del - who has managed to go outdoors without a hat (again) - shakes snow out of his hair as he enters from the ledge, rubbing gingerly at his ears as he does so. That chill has him keeping his coat on as he makes his way to the bar to collect a mug, those youngsters given only a passing glance. "No," he says to a passing query from the bartender. "Just taking a breather. Cheers." Mug in hand, he turns, blue-eyed gaze sweeping the room for several seconds before it alights upon Milani. "Millie," he says, as he approaches, clearly aiming to perch himself upon the couch's armrest. "Working hard, I see."

The armrest is availably, though Milani shifts her elbow a titch to make room. The Weyrleader's voice brings her gaze upward and a warm, fond smile curls the corners of her mouth. "Kas," she greets him and gives her book a little waggle. "I'm improving my mind," she claims and slips a finger between the pages, lets the pages fall shut around it and perches the volume on her thigh. "Though it's arguable whether or not the adventures of a wandering harper are truly educational or just entertainment." A little pause as she scans his face. "How are you?"

"For you," decides K'del, the glimmer of a grin visible about the corners of his mouth, "definitely educational. If it were Nik, and there was homework still to be done..." Double standards are alive and well. He adjusts his mug, half-balancing it upon his knee, fingers wrapped closely around the rim. "I'm good. Trying to work out whether having a reason to be down south on a regular basis is a good thing or not, given how much colder it feels when I get home." His smile, though, is indulgent: he's not really complaining. "Cadejoth's always glad to be back, though, especially with the eggs and all. How're you?"

Laughter answers double standards. "At least I can vouch for there being something new to be learned for him in this particular book, though not in some I've read most recently." The assistant headwoman leans back against the couch back, listening. "Funny how that works, isn't it? When you're somewhere cool, the warmer place also seems that much warmer." Milani reaches for her own mug, leaning forward and to the side to fetch it and takes a drink. "Are you glad to be back too?" A little look tilted up sideways at him. "And I'm well - busy, but not too busy."

K'del's got a laugh of his own for that first comment, though his expression turns more reflective as Milani continues. "Mm," he agrees. "I'm always glad to be back. High Reaches is home, no matter how much I appreciate my time spent with Ali and the kids... no matter how difficult it is to leave them, or to take Iska way from them. It's not just duty that keeps me here." He lifts his own mug, now, though it's mostly to inhale the steam from it as he nods. "Good. Best way to be, I think."

"I'm glad for that, though ... being torn that way, it's hard," Milani remarks as thoughtfully, tone gentle. "Though maybe it might be easier if it were just duty. Less tugging here," she gives her sternum a little tap, right above the heart and the corner of her mouth quirks up, a touch wry. That broadens out into an honest smile though. "Agreed. Too much and you're going crazy, too little and ... well the same."

Slowly, carefully, K'del nods. "It's... sure, with dragons we can be anywhere we want within a few seconds, but it's not quite the same as just ''being'' there. Though you may be right on the duty. The heart just complicates things." He's got his own wryness for that, in the glance he aims back at Milani, though he, too, turns it back to something more cheerful quickly. "Exactly so. Should warn you: Kasey's been at me to let him and Nik Stand, even though eleven," beat, "all right, eleven and a half, is clearly far too young. Don't know if it'll come back to you, but... just in case."

"No, it isn't. Long distance just -- sucks," Milani falls back on that word with a little laugh, merriment crinkling up the corners of her eyes. His next sees her drawing a breath and puffing out her cheeks. "Mmmm. Has Nik said anything to you about it? He hasn't mentioned it to me yet, but you know how kids are when there's eggs about - a little dragon crazy. She drums her fingers against the side of her mug. "Milandra didn't ask. She told me that she's going to, whether I like to or not, or she'll run away with her father's family caravan. Go figure right?"

K'del raises his mug in silent toast: yes, it sucks. What's more to be said about it? As for their son, he shakes his head. "No. Not sure if he's just letting Kasey talk for him, or if Kasey is just taking it on himself. Guess I'd've been the same, though, if I'd grown up here: it's got to be tough, not ''really'' being old enough, but being so excited by the possibility." A moment later, his gaze dropping towards his mug, he adds, "That sounds like Milandra. Shells, though: it's hard to believe she really ''is'' old enough. Where'd the turns go, Millie?"
\
"I'll keep my ears open, just in case. And if he does ask, I'll gently remind him about the age requirements and that we're not comfortable with it until he's at least ... 13? 14?" Milani looks up at K'del questioningly, then chuckles: "She's an awful lot like me, isn't she. I wish she'd inherited a little bit of Mik's more laid-back attitude, but what can you do?" One shoulder lifts, drops again, gaze going to the fire dancing on the hearth. "Seems just yesterday we were around her age, doesn't it? But everyone grows up, changes." One of her hands frees itself from her mug, reaches for his to offer a little squeeze.

"Thirteen, at least," confirms K'del; of this much, at least, he's sure. "Given Iesaryth's probably liable to rise in the next few months, and it's a good two to three turns between flights, unless things change dramatically, he'll be roughly an appropriate age by Hraedhyth's next. And probably, by then, better equipped to figure out if it's actually what he wants." His mug is returned to his knee, balanced there carefully as he adds, "She's her own self. ''Could'' call it payback: your parents had to put up with you, and now it's your turn." It's teasing; lighthearted. His fingers return Milani's squeeze, just gently. "Mm. And it's not that I miss being that age. Not unhappy being over thirty. It's just... strange, sometimes."

"Exactly," Milani agrees. "I think it's important to go into it whole-hearted. I've seen and heard too many candidates and weyrlings over the turns with regrets," she muses with a little wrinkle of her brow that smooths out quickly enough when she laughs again. "Ye-es. That's it. Payback and well deserved," the assistant headwoman agrees, amused. Her hand withdraws post-squeeze. "I don't either. Miss that age. Even at fifteen and sixteen and seventeen and eighteen I was doing too many stupid things," she admits with a laugh. "It's a little odd being considered 'older and wiser' and having people look up to me. I don't remember when that changed either, going from the one who always had questions and heartaches to the one answering the questions and providing comforting words for the aches."

K'del admits, as his fingers wrap back around his mug, "Pretty sure I had no idea what I was getting in to at fifteen, even. But much better than ''eleven'' would've been. Want all my kids to be making decisions based on what they really want, and not... what feels exciting in the moment." He drops his gaze to his mug, considering it with cheerful thoughtfulness, and then sets the mug down on a conveniently located table. "Was just commenting the other night to someone that, shells, I understand how frustrating and awful it must've been for people, when I first became Weyrleader. Not that I didn't get it, even, then, but now... you look back and it's just such a strange thing. In a way, I'm glad I spent so long as not Weyrleader: feels like, this time, I'm here as an adult from the start. Clean slate, you know?"

"Not what feels exciting at the moment. Words I thought I'd never hear coming from you," Milani teases lightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes and she aims a little knuckle-poke at the side of his leg, meant fondly. "Yes. I understand so much better now, why some people used to get so angry, frustrated and sometimes downright mean to me, when I find myself trying to get some of the younger assistants to see some sense and it's like beating my head against the walls. Though I think the mean was probably still uncalled for." She's clearly thinking back to something specific, but tilts a look upward once more. "Clean slate. That must feel a lot better, hm? Than being thrown into the middle of things? And I think the break did you good."

The tease makes K'del grin - and the poke, too. He sticks out his tongue, utterly mature. "Mmm," he agrees. "The mean was definitely uncalled for. But it's easier to understand some of it, now. Do you miss being Headwoman, now?" The question is thoughtful, and carries a note of surprise to it, as though he's just realised that he's never asked this... and perhaps should have. "Much better. It... did. The circumstances of it all were hardly ideal, of course, but... I'm much better for it. Happier. Hopeful that, with Azaylia, I can build some kind of close, solid working relationship, better than what I've had in the past."

Now there's a doozy of a question and the lightheartedness of Milani's expression dims as she looks away. She doesn't answer right away, commenting on his situation instead: "I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anyone," the headwoman's assistant says softly. "Not even Tiriana." Her nose wrinkles and she gives a little shake of her head, like shaking off shades of the past. "I am /very/ glad of that and hope the same. Honestly, I think you deserve to have /that/ kind of Weyrleadership, where it's a partnership with your Weyrwoman." Firm in that belief, she is, it seems. She's silent for the space of a sip from her mug, the book sliding down off her leg and coming to rest between it and the side of the couch. "As for being Headwoman -- it was my ambition for so long and when it came my way, I don't think I was entirely ready for it, but losing it, especially in the way I did, cut deeply." Bare honesty. "Yes, I miss it. But I'm mostly content with how things have worked out. At this point, if I were truly ambitious for that knot again, I'd have to seek it outside the Weyr, because I don't want to take anything from Giorda. And leaving the Weyr again isn't something I'm prepared to do."

Mention of Tiriana has K'del's own expression twisting, though it's a careful thing, much more subtle than it might have been a few turns ago. He inhales as Milani talks, letting the breath whistle through his teeth in a thoughtful way; as she finishes, he nods, just once. "It's something we both have in common," he supposes, in the end. "Neither of us was really ready for what we got, ambition or no ambition. And the circumstances of losing it..." He trails off, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Glad you're content, though. And I understand completely about not leaving High Reaches: home is home." He exhales again, this time more softly. "Still half expect to see you behind the desk in Giorda's office, even after all this time. It's strange."

Even more subtle, Milani catches that and briefly her hand ghosts over, just a press of fingers offering sympathetic understanding for the T-word. "There's a reason we've always gotten along," she reaches for humor and lightheartedness again. "Plenty in common. Makes for good friendships." And this time she beams a smile up at him, more akin to ones of yore. "Home is home. Just don't ever mix Giorda and I up, that could be embarrassing considering some of the usage that desk once got put to," she quips with some of her old sass. "Who knows where the path will lead next. Giorda could meet the love of her life who's a trader and run off with him. But I'm not holding my breath. Things are as they are and it's good work that I'm good at and do well. I like being part of the team and making home, home."

The silent tip of K'del's head acknowledges Milani's gesture, accompanied by the twist of his mouth, just barely visible. Seriousness, however, is not long for his expression: it's a good thing he has abandoned his klah, because if he'd been halfway through a sip at that mention of the desk... well. It could've been messy. As it is, he can do nothing less than ''laugh''. "Shells. Don't I remember. We had some good times." For the rest, he nods: "I'm glad. It's a good attitude. Won't say it's one I managed all that well, when it was me. Guess it helps you've a useful position as part of the team; which I'm glad for." It's a moment later, as he reaches to reclaim his mug, that he adds, "Glad you and I managed to stay friends."

Milani can't help but grin sunnily, all eyes wide and 'innocent' in the face of that laughter of K'del's. She joins in after a moment, merrily. "Yes, we did," she agrees when laughter has given way to a long deep breath. "I don't do well without useful work to do. Too much energy, that's always been true." At his last, her head tips to the side, aims to rest against whatever lines up best - probably his elbow. "Couldn't be any other way," Milani concludes, lightly enough, though there's firmness in her tone beneath that. Like, come hell or high water, she'd have it that way and no other. "There are some friends that are too good to lose, no matter what."

K'del grins down at Milani as she leans against him: this time, he's the one reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "You'll slow down when your dead and not before," he opines, still grinning. "Can't imagine you any other way." Almost can't. No doubt he's deliberately ignoring that awful time after Nikalas' birth. "You're right, anyway: really ''couldn't'' be any other way. Friends forever, just without the friendship bracelets or whatever the pre-teen girls swear by."

"Most likely," Milani agrees and returns the finger-squeeze, before straightening back up. "As for friendship bracelets, I'm sure I could get Milandra to make a few, or teach me how to make one, and then we can each have one in matching colors and complementary patterns and make all of those pre-teen girls terribly jealous," she jokes. She rarely-to-never talks about that time after Nik's birth except in oblique terms, especially 'in public'.

K'del hides his smile in his mug, though it's probably not quite deliberate - more coincidence. Said mug gets set down again, now nudged well away from the edge of the table as if to formally abandon it, as he says, "I'm sure they would be just ''beautiful''." His mouth twitches. "So glad it'll be a long time before I have pre-teen girls to parent," he concludes, shaking his head. "Not sure I'd even know where to start. "

"The best /evar/," Milani echoes with the exaggerated tones of some girls that age, she dimples a grin up at him. "You'll manage when the time comes. Besides, every girl is different. Some of them come with more attitude than others. Just remember that more often than not, you don't actually have to say anything. Just listen, hug if it seems right and just get out of the way if whatever issue is looking well and truly ''bad''." Deadpan.

K'del bites back actual laughter at that first remark, his expression turning more thoughtful for the rest... right up until that ''last'' remark. "And then I pass them back to their mothers," he concludes, with a twitching smile. "That's what moms are for, right?" Now, however, he reluctantly slides his feet back to the ground, making as if to stand. "Guess I ought to get back to it, stop interrupting your... what was it, mind improvement?"

"That works too," Milani replies laughingly. "Depending on the mother." Light. Her smile tipped up at him as he rises, is warm, expression fond. "Improvement, definitely not entertainment," the assistant headwoman continues humorously. "But don't hesitate to interrupt, I don't mind if it's you." Sincere and still lighthearted. "Just don't freeze on your way across the Bowl, okay?" And she roots around in the couch to find her book wherever it's slipped off to.

K'del turns his gaze towards the door, as if only now remembering the weather outside; his nose wrinkles. But, "Rather stay and interrupt you, but there's work to be done. Do my best not to freeze, anyway. Have a good one, Millie." For now-- it's back across to the exit, and out into the cold. Brr.

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[[Category:General_Logs]]

Logs:Things In Common

2014-07-04T04:06:55Z

Milani:

{{ Log
| who = K'del, Milani
| where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr
| what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in common
| when = 15:12 of day 26, month 2, turn 35 of Interval 10
| gamedate = 2014.07.03
| quote = Where'd the turns go, Millie?
| weather = Wind and snow make for very bad weather today. The visibility is low,
making travel dangerous.
| categories = 
| mentions = Milandra, Tiriana, Nikalas, Kasey
| ooc =
| icons = [[File:Icon_k'del_atthebar.jpg]][[File:Icon_milani.jpg]]
| log = It's typical Reaches winter weather out there which means that even at this hour, the Snowasis is a little more crowded than usual, though it hasn't hit peak post-work capacity yet. There's a cluster of barely-old-enough-to-really-drink youngsters up at the bar proper, several of the nooks are occupied if the low hum of voices is any indication and several of the tables are occupied as well. The couch by the hearth currently holds one occupant: Milani, who is very clearly NOT working. No abacus, no clipboard, no sheets of paper, just a pencil forgotten in the thick braids coiled atop her head. She is however, reading and a mug stands on the nearest side table to her. A Snowasis worker pauses near her and asks her about a refill: "No thank you, I'll just finish this up first."

K'del - who has managed to go outdoors without a hat (again) - shakes snow out of his hair as he enters from the ledge, rubbing gingerly at his ears as he does so. That chill has him keeping his coat on as he makes his way to the bar to collect a mug, those youngsters given only a passing glance. "No," he says to a passing query from the bartender. "Just taking a breather. Cheers." Mug in hand, he turns, blue-eyed gaze sweeping the room for several seconds before it alights upon Milani. "Millie," he says, as he approaches, clearly aiming to perch himself upon the couch's armrest. "Working hard, I see."

The armrest is availably, though Milani shifts her elbow a titch to make room. The Weyrleader's voice brings her gaze upward and a warm, fond smile curls the corners of her mouth. "Kas," she greets him and gives her book a little waggle. "I'm improving my mind," she claims and slips a finger between the pages, lets the pages fall shut around it and perches the volume on her thigh. "Though it's arguable whether or not the adventures of a wandering harper are truly educational or just entertainment." A little pause as she scans his face. "How are you?"

"For you," decides K'del, the glimmer of a grin visible about the corners of his mouth, "definitely educational. If it were Nik, and there was homework still to be done..." Double standards are alive and well. He adjusts his mug, half-balancing it upon his knee, fingers wrapped closely around the rim. "I'm good. Trying to work out whether having a reason to be down south on a regular basis is a good thing or not, given how much colder it feels when I get home." His smile, though, is indulgent: he's not really complaining. "Cadejoth's always glad to be back, though, especially with the eggs and all. How're you?"

Laughter answers double standards. "At least I can vouch for there being something new to be learned for him in this particular book, though not in some I've read most recently." The assistant headwoman leans back against the couch back, listening. "Funny how that works, isn't it? When you're somewhere cool, the warmer place also seems that much warmer." Milani reaches for her own mug, leaning forward and to the side to fetch it and takes a drink. "Are you glad to be back too?" A little look tilted up sideways at him. "And I'm well - busy, but not too busy."

K'del's got a laugh of his own for that first comment, though his expression turns more reflective as Milani continues. "Mm," he agrees. "I'm always glad to be back. High Reaches is home, no matter how much I appreciate my time spent with Ali and the kids... no matter how difficult it is to leave them, or to take Iska way from them. It's not just duty that keeps me here." He lifts his own mug, now, though it's mostly to inhale the steam from it as he nods. "Good. Best way to be, I think."

"I'm glad for that, though ... being torn that way, it's hard," Milani remarks as thoughtfully, tone gentle. "Though maybe it might be easier if it were just duty. Less tugging here," she gives her sternum a little tap, right above the heart and the corner of her mouth quirks up, a touch wry. That broadens out into an honest smile though. "Agreed. Too much and you're going crazy, too little and ... well the same."

Slowly, carefully, K'del nods. "It's... sure, with dragons we can be anywhere we want within a few seconds, but it's not quite the same as just ''being'' there. Though you may be right on the duty. The heart just complicates things." He's got his own wryness for that, in the glance he aims back at Milani, though he, too, turns it back to something more cheerful quickly. "Exactly so. Should warn you: Kasey's been at me to let him and Nik Stand, even though eleven," beat, "all right, eleven and a half, is clearly far too young. Don't know if it'll come back to you, but... just in case."

"No, it isn't. Long distance just -- sucks," Milani falls back on that word with a little laugh, merriment crinkling up the corners of her eyes. His next sees her drawing a breath and puffing out her cheeks. "Mmmm. Has Nik said anything to you about it? He hasn't mentioned it to me yet, but you know how kids are when there's eggs about - a little dragon crazy. She drums her fingers against the side of her mug. "Milandra didn't ask. She told me that she's going to, whether I like to or not, or she'll run away with her father's family caravan. Go figure right?"

K'del raises his mug in silent toast: yes, it sucks. What's more to be said about it? As for their son, he shakes his head. "No. Not sure if he's just letting Kasey talk for him, or if Kasey is just taking it on himself. Guess I'd've been the same, though, if I'd grown up here: it's got to be tough, not ''really'' being old enough, but being so excited by the possibility." A moment later, his gaze dropping towards his mug, he adds, "That sounds like Milandra. Shells, though: it's hard to believe she really ''is'' old enough. Where'd the turns go, Millie?"
\
"I'll keep my ears open, just in case. And if he does ask, I'll gently remind him about the age requirements and that we're not comfortable with it until he's at least ... 13? 14?" Milani looks up at K'del questioningly, then chuckles: "She's an awful lot like me, isn't she. I wish she'd inherited a little bit of Mik's more laid-back attitude, but what can you do?" One shoulder lifts, drops again, gaze going to the fire dancing on the hearth. "Seems just yesterday we were around her age, doesn't it? But everyone grows up, changes." One of her hands frees itself from her mug, reaches for his to offer a little squeeze.

"Thirteen, at least," confirms K'del; of this much, at least, he's sure. "Given Iesaryth's probably liable to rise in the next few months, and it's a good two to three turns between flights, unless things change dramatically, he'll be roughly an appropriate age by Hraedhyth's next. And probably, by then, better equipped to figure out if it's actually what he wants." His mug is returned to his knee, balanced there carefully as he adds, "She's her own self. ''Could'' call it payback: your parents had to put up with you, and now it's your turn." It's teasing; lighthearted. His fingers return Milani's squeeze, just gently. "Mm. And it's not that I miss being that age. Not unhappy being over thirty. It's just... strange, sometimes."

"Exactly," Milani agrees. "I think it's important to go into it whole-hearted. I've seen and heard too many candidates and weyrlings over the turns with regrets," she muses with a little wrinkle of her brow that smooths out quickly enough when she laughs again. "Ye-es. That's it. Payback and well deserved," the assistant headwoman agrees, amused. Her hand withdraws post-squeeze. "I don't either. Miss that age. Even at fifteen and sixteen and seventeen and eighteen I was doing too many stupid things," she admits with a laugh. "It's a little odd being considered 'older and wiser' and having people look up to me. I don't remember when that changed either, going from the one who always had questions and heartaches to the one answering the questions and providing comforting words for the aches."

K'del admits, as his fingers wrap back around his mug, "Pretty sure I had no idea what I was getting in to at fifteen, even. But much better than ''eleven'' would've been. Want all my kids to be making decisions based on what they really want, and not... what feels exciting in the moment." He drops his gaze to his mug, considering it with cheerful thoughtfulness, and then sets the mug down on a conveniently located table. "Was just commenting the other night to someone that, shells, I understand how frustrating and awful it must've been for people, when I first became Weyrleader. Not that I didn't get it, even, then, but now... you look back and it's just such a strange thing. In a way, I'm glad I spent so long as not Weyrleader: feels like, this time, I'm here as an adult from the start. Clean slate, you know?"

"Not what feels exciting at the moment. Words I thought I'd never hear coming from you," Milani teases lightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes and she aims a little knuckle-poke at the side of his leg, meant fondly. "Yes. I understand so much better now, why some people used to get so angry, frustrated and sometimes downright mean to me, when I find myself trying to get some of the younger assistants to see some sense and it's like beating my head against the walls. Though I think the mean was probably still uncalled for." She's clearly thinking back to something specific, but tilts a look upward once more. "Clean slate. That must feel a lot better, hm? Than being thrown into the middle of things? And I think the break did you good."

The tease makes K'del grin - and the poke, too. He sticks out his tongue, utterly mature. "Mmm," he agrees. "The mean was definitely uncalled for. But it's easier to understand some of it, now. Do you miss being Headwoman, now?" The question is thoughtful, and carries a note of surprise to it, as though he's just realised that he's never asked this... and perhaps should have. "Much better. It... did. The circumstances of it all were hardly ideal, of course, but... I'm much better for it. Happier. Hopeful that, with Azaylia, I can build some kind of close, solid working relationship, better than what I've had in the past."

Now there's a doozy of a question and the lightheartedness of Milani's expression dims as she looks away. She doesn't answer right away, commenting on his situation instead: "I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anyone," the headwoman's assistant says softly. "Not even Tiriana." Her nose wrinkles and she gives a little shake of her head, like shaking off shades of the past. "I am /very/ glad of that and hope the same. Honestly, I think you deserve to have /that/ kind of Weyrleadership, where it's a partnership with your Weyrwoman." Firm in that belief, she is, it seems. She's silent for the space of a sip from her mug, the book sliding down off her leg and coming to rest between it and the side of the couch. "As for being Headwoman -- it was my ambition for so long and when it came my way, I don't think I was entirely ready for it, but losing it, especially in the way I did, cut deeply." Bare honesty. "Yes, I miss it. But I'm mostly content with how things have worked out. At this point, if I were truly ambitious for that knot again, I'd have to seek it outside the Weyr, because I don't want to take anything from Giorda. And leaving the Weyr again isn't something I'm prepared to do."

Mention of Tiriana has K'del's own expression twisting, though it's a careful thing, much more subtle than it might have been a few turns ago. He inhales as Milani talks, letting the breath whistle through his teeth in a thoughtful way; as she finishes, he nods, just once. "It's something we both have in common," he supposes, in the end. "Neither of us was really ready for what we got, ambition or no ambition. And the circumstances of losing it..." He trails off, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Glad you're content, though. And I understand completely about not leaving High Reaches: home is home." He exhales again, this time more softly. "Still half expect to see you behind the desk in Giorda's office, even after all this time. It's strange."

Even more subtle, Milani catches that and briefly her hand ghosts over, just a press of fingers offering sympathetic understanding for the T-word. "There's a reason we've always gotten along," she reaches for humor and lightheartedness again. "Plenty in common. Makes for good friendships." And this time she beams a smile up at him, more akin to ones of yore. "Home is home. Just don't ever mix Giorda and I up, that could be embarrassing considering some of the usage that desk once got put to," she quips with some of her old sass. "Who knows where the path will lead next. Giorda could meet the love of her life who's a trader and run off with him. But I'm not holding my breath. Things are as they are and it's good work that I'm good at and do well. I like being part of the team and making home, home."

The silent tip of K'del's head acknowledges Milani's gesture, accompanied by the twist of his mouth, just barely visible. Seriousness, however, is not long for his expression: it's a good thing he has abandoned his klah, because if he'd been halfway through a sip at that mention of the desk... well. It could've been messy. As it is, he can do nothing less than ''laugh''. "Shells. Don't I remember. We had some good times." For the rest, he nods: "I'm glad. It's a good attitude. Won't say it's one I managed all that well, when it was me. Guess it helps you've a useful position as part of the team; which I'm glad for." It's a moment later, as he reaches to reclaim his mug, that he adds, "Glad you and I managed to stay friends."

Milani can't help but grin sunnily, all eyes wide and 'innocent' in the face of that laughter of K'del's. She joins in after a moment, merrily. "Yes, we did," she agrees when laughter has given way to a long deep breath. "I don't do well without useful work to do. Too much energy, that's always been true." At his last, her head tips to the side, aims to rest against whatever lines up best - probably his elbow. "Couldn't be any other way," Milani concludes, lightly enough, though there's firmness in her tone beneath that. Like, come hell or high water, she'd have it that way and no other. "There are some friends that are too good to lose, no matter what."

K'del grins down at Milani as she leans against him: this time, he's the one reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "You'll slow down when your dead and not before," he opines, still grinning. "Can't imagine you any other way." Almost can't. No doubt he's deliberately ignoring that awful time after Nikalas' birth. "You're right, anyway: really ''couldn't'' be any other way. Friends forever, just without the friendship bracelets or whatever the pre-teen girls swear by."

"Most likely," Milani agrees and returns the finger-squeeze, before straightening back up. "As for friendship bracelets, I'm sure I could get Milandra to make a few, or teach me how to make one, and then we can each have one in matching colors and complementary patterns and make all of those pre-teen girls terribly jealous," she jokes. She rarely-to-never talks about that time after Nik's birth except in oblique terms, especially 'in public'.

K'del hides his smile in his mug, though it's probably not quite deliberate - more coincidence. Said mug gets set down again, now nudged well away from the edge of the table as if to formally abandon it, as he says, "I'm sure they would be just ''beautiful''." His mouth twitches. "So glad it'll be a long time before I have pre-teen girls to parent," he concludes, shaking his head. "Not sure I'd even know where to start. "

"The best /evar/," Milani echoes with the exaggerated tones of some girls that age, she dimples a grin up at him. "You'll manage when the time comes. Besides, every girl is different. Some of them come with more attitude than others. Just remember that more often than not, you don't actually have to say anything. Just listen, hug if it seems right and just get out of the way if whatever issue is looking well and truly ''bad''." Deadpan.

K'del bites back actual laughter at that first remark, his expression turning more thoughtful for the rest... right up until that ''last'' remark. "And then I pass them back to their mothers," he concludes, with a twitching smile. "That's what moms are for, right?" Now, however, he reluctantly slides his feet back to the ground, making as if to stand. "Guess I ought to get back to it, stop interrupting your... what was it, mind improvement?"

"That works too," Milani replies laughingly. "Depending on the mother." Light. Her smile tipped up at him as he rises, is warm, expression fond. "Improvement, definitely not entertainment," the assistant headwoman continues humorously. "But don't hesitate to interrupt, I don't mind if it's you." Sincere and still lighthearted. "Just don't freeze on your way across the Bowl, okay?" And she roots around in the couch to find her book wherever it's slipped off to.

K'del turns his gaze towards the door, as if only now remembering the weather outside; his nose wrinkles. But, "Rather stay and interrupt you, but there's work to be done. Do my best not to freeze, anyway. Have a good one, Millie." For now-- it's back across to the exit, and out into the cold. Brr.

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[[Category:General_Logs]]

Logs:Things In Common

2014-07-04T03:59:22Z

Milani: Created page with "{{ Log | who = K'del, Milani | where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr | what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in c..."

{{ Log
| who = K'del, Milani
| where = Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr
| what = Even after all these turns, growing older, wiser and calmer, Milani and K'del still have a lot in common
| when = 15:12 of day 26, month 2, turn 35 of Interval 10
| gamedate = 2014.07.03
| quote = Where'd the turns go, Millie?
| weather = Wind and snow make for very bad weather today. The visibility is low,
making travel dangerous.
| categories = 
| mentions = Milandra, Tiriana, Nikalas, Kasey
| ooc =
| icons =
| log = It's typical Reaches winter weather out there which means that even at this hour, the Snowasis is a little more crowded than usual, though it hasn't hit peak post-work capacity yet. There's a cluster of barely-old-enough-to-really-drink youngsters up at the bar proper, several of the nooks are occupied if the low hum of voices is any indication and several of the tables are occupied as well. The couch by the hearth currently holds one occupant: Milani, who is very clearly NOT working. No abacus, no clipboard, no sheets of paper, just a pencil forgotten in the thick braids coiled atop her head. She is however, reading and a mug stands on the nearest side table to her. A Snowasis worker pauses near her and asks her about a refill: "No thank you, I'll just finish this up first."

K'del - who has managed to go outdoors without a hat (again) - shakes snow out of his hair as he enters from the ledge, rubbing gingerly at his ears as he does so. That chill has him keeping his coat on as he makes his way to the bar to collect a mug, those youngsters given only a passing glance. "No," he says to a passing query from the bartender. "Just taking a breather. Cheers." Mug in hand, he turns, blue-eyed gaze sweeping the room for several seconds before it alights upon Milani. "Millie," he says, as he approaches, clearly aiming to perch himself upon the couch's armrest. "Working hard, I see."

The armrest is availably, though Milani shifts her elbow a titch to make room. The Weyrleader's voice brings her gaze upward and a warm, fond smile curls the corners of her mouth. "Kas," she greets him and gives her book a little waggle. "I'm improving my mind," she claims and slips a finger between the pages, lets the pages fall shut around it and perches the volume on her thigh. "Though it's arguable whether or not the adventures of a wandering harper are truly educational or just entertainment." A little pause as she scans his face. "How are you?"

"For you," decides K'del, the glimmer of a grin visible about the corners of his mouth, "definitely educational. If it were Nik, and there was homework still to be done..." Double standards are alive and well. He adjusts his mug, half-balancing it upon his knee, fingers wrapped closely around the rim. "I'm good. Trying to work out whether having a reason to be down south on a regular basis is a good thing or not, given how much colder it feels when I get home." His smile, though, is indulgent: he's not really complaining. "Cadejoth's always glad to be back, though, especially with the eggs and all. How're you?"

Laughter answers double standards. "At least I can vouch for there being something new to be learned for him in this particular book, though not in some I've read most recently." The assistant headwoman leans back against the couch back, listening. "Funny how that works, isn't it? When you're somewhere cool, the warmer place also seems that much warmer." Milani reaches for her own mug, leaning forward and to the side to fetch it and takes a drink. "Are you glad to be back too?" A little look tilted up sideways at him. "And I'm well - busy, but not too busy."

K'del's got a laugh of his own for that first comment, though his expression turns more reflective as Milani continues. "Mm," he agrees. "I'm always glad to be back. High Reaches is home, no matter how much I appreciate my time spent with Ali and the kids... no matter how difficult it is to leave them, or to take Iska way from them. It's not just duty that keeps me here." He lifts his own mug, now, though it's mostly to inhale the steam from it as he nods. "Good. Best way to be, I think."

"I'm glad for that, though ... being torn that way, it's hard," Milani remarks as thoughtfully, tone gentle. "Though maybe it might be easier if it were just duty. Less tugging here," she gives her sternum a little tap, right above the heart and the corner of her mouth quirks up, a touch wry. That broadens out into an honest smile though. "Agreed. Too much and you're going crazy, too little and ... well the same."

Slowly, carefully, K'del nods. "It's... sure, with dragons we can be anywhere we want within a few seconds, but it's not quite the same as just ''being'' there. Though you may be right on the duty. The heart just complicates things." He's got his own wryness for that, in the glance he aims back at Milani, though he, too, turns it back to something more cheerful quickly. "Exactly so. Should warn you: Kasey's been at me to let him and Nik Stand, even though eleven," beat, "all right, eleven and a half, is clearly far too young. Don't know if it'll come back to you, but... just in case."

"No, it isn't. Long distance just -- sucks," Milani falls back on that word with a little laugh, merriment crinkling up the corners of her eyes. His next sees her drawing a breath and puffing out her cheeks. "Mmmm. Has Nik said anything to you about it? He hasn't mentioned it to me yet, but you know how kids are when there's eggs about - a little dragon crazy. She drums her fingers against the side of her mug. "Milandra didn't ask. She told me that she's going to, whether I like to or not, or she'll run away with her father's family caravan. Go figure right?"

K'del raises his mug in silent toast: yes, it sucks. What's more to be said about it? As for their son, he shakes his head. "No. Not sure if he's just letting Kasey talk for him, or if Kasey is just taking it on himself. Guess I'd've been the same, though, if I'd grown up here: it's got to be tough, not ''really'' being old enough, but being so excited by the possibility." A moment later, his gaze dropping towards his mug, he adds, "That sounds like Milandra. Shells, though: it's hard to believe she really ''is'' old enough. Where'd the turns go, Millie?"
\
"I'll keep my ears open, just in case. And if he does ask, I'll gently remind him about the age requirements and that we're not comfortable with it until he's at least ... 13? 14?" Milani looks up at K'del questioningly, then chuckles: "She's an awful lot like me, isn't she. I wish she'd inherited a little bit of Mik's more laid-back attitude, but what can you do?" One shoulder lifts, drops again, gaze going to the fire dancing on the hearth. "Seems just yesterday we were around her age, doesn't it? But everyone grows up, changes." One of her hands frees itself from her mug, reaches for his to offer a little squeeze.

"Thirteen, at least," confirms K'del; of this much, at least, he's sure. "Given Iesaryth's probably liable to rise in the next few months, and it's a good two to three turns between flights, unless things change dramatically, he'll be roughly an appropriate age by Hraedhyth's next. And probably, by then, better equipped to figure out if it's actually what he wants." His mug is returned to his knee, balanced there carefully as he adds, "She's her own self. ''Could'' call it payback: your parents had to put up with you, and now it's your turn." It's teasing; lighthearted. His fingers return Milani's squeeze, just gently. "Mm. And it's not that I miss being that age. Not unhappy being over thirty. It's just... strange, sometimes."

"Exactly," Milani agrees. "I think it's important to go into it whole-hearted. I've seen and heard too many candidates and weyrlings over the turns with regrets," she muses with a little wrinkle of her brow that smooths out quickly enough when she laughs again. "Ye-es. That's it. Payback and well deserved," the assistant headwoman agrees, amused. Her hand withdraws post-squeeze. "I don't either. Miss that age. Even at fifteen and sixteen and seventeen and eighteen I was doing too many stupid things," she admits with a laugh. "It's a little odd being considered 'older and wiser' and having people look up to me. I don't remember when that changed either, going from the one who always had questions and heartaches to the one answering the questions and providing comforting words for the aches."

K'del admits, as his fingers wrap back around his mug, "Pretty sure I had no idea what I was getting in to at fifteen, even. But much better than ''eleven'' would've been. Want all my kids to be making decisions based on what they really want, and not... what feels exciting in the moment." He drops his gaze to his mug, considering it with cheerful thoughtfulness, and then sets the mug down on a conveniently located table. "Was just commenting the other night to someone that, shells, I understand how frustrating and awful it must've been for people, when I first became Weyrleader. Not that I didn't get it, even, then, but now... you look back and it's just such a strange thing. In a way, I'm glad I spent so long as not Weyrleader: feels like, this time, I'm here as an adult from the start. Clean slate, you know?"

"Not what feels exciting at the moment. Words I thought I'd never hear coming from you," Milani teases lightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes and she aims a little knuckle-poke at the side of his leg, meant fondly. "Yes. I understand so much better now, why some people used to get so angry, frustrated and sometimes downright mean to me, when I find myself trying to get some of the younger assistants to see some sense and it's like beating my head against the walls. Though I think the mean was probably still uncalled for." She's clearly thinking back to something specific, but tilts a look upward once more. "Clean slate. That must feel a lot better, hm? Than being thrown into the middle of things? And I think the break did you good."

The tease makes K'del grin - and the poke, too. He sticks out his tongue, utterly mature. "Mmm," he agrees. "The mean was definitely uncalled for. But it's easier to understand some of it, now. Do you miss being Headwoman, now?" The question is thoughtful, and carries a note of surprise to it, as though he's just realised that he's never asked this... and perhaps should have. "Much better. It... did. The circumstances of it all were hardly ideal, of course, but... I'm much better for it. Happier. Hopeful that, with Azaylia, I can build some kind of close, solid working relationship, better than what I've had in the past."

Now there's a doozy of a question and the lightheartedness of Milani's expression dims as she looks away. She doesn't answer right away, commenting on his situation instead: "I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anyone," the headwoman's assistant says softly. "Not even Tiriana." Her nose wrinkles and she gives a little shake of her head, like shaking off shades of the past. "I am /very/ glad of that and hope the same. Honestly, I think you deserve to have /that/ kind of Weyrleadership, where it's a partnership with your Weyrwoman." Firm in that belief, she is, it seems. She's silent for the space of a sip from her mug, the book sliding down off her leg and coming to rest between it and the side of the couch. "As for being Headwoman -- it was my ambition for so long and when it came my way, I don't think I was entirely ready for it, but losing it, especially in the way I did, cut deeply." Bare honesty. "Yes, I miss it. But I'm mostly content with how things have worked out. At this point, if I were truly ambitious for that knot again, I'd have to seek it outside the Weyr, because I don't want to take anything from Giorda. And leaving the Weyr again isn't something I'm prepared to do."

Mention of Tiriana has K'del's own expression twisting, though it's a careful thing, much more subtle than it might have been a few turns ago. He inhales as Milani talks, letting the breath whistle through his teeth in a thoughtful way; as she finishes, he nods, just once. "It's something we both have in common," he supposes, in the end. "Neither of us was really ready for what we got, ambition or no ambition. And the circumstances of losing it..." He trails off, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Glad you're content, though. And I understand completely about not leaving High Reaches: home is home." He exhales again, this time more softly. "Still half expect to see you behind the desk in Giorda's office, even after all this time. It's strange."

Even more subtle, Milani catches that and briefly her hand ghosts over, just a press of fingers offering sympathetic understanding for the T-word. "There's a reason we've always gotten along," she reaches for humor and lightheartedness again. "Plenty in common. Makes for good friendships." And this time she beams a smile up at him, more akin to ones of yore. "Home is home. Just don't ever mix Giorda and I up, that could be embarrassing considering some of the usage that desk once got put to," she quips with some of her old sass. "Who knows where the path will lead next. Giorda could meet the love of her life who's a trader and run off with him. But I'm not holding my breath. Things are as they are and it's good work that I'm good at and do well. I like being part of the team and making home, home."

The silent tip of K'del's head acknowledges Milani's gesture, accompanied by the twist of his mouth, just barely visible. Seriousness, however, is not long for his expression: it's a good thing he has abandoned his klah, because if he'd been halfway through a sip at that mention of the desk... well. It could've been messy. As it is, he can do nothing less than ''laugh''. "Shells. Don't I remember. We had some good times." For the rest, he nods: "I'm glad. It's a good attitude. Won't say it's one I managed all that well, when it was me. Guess it helps you've a useful position as part of the team; which I'm glad for." It's a moment later, as he reaches to reclaim his mug, that he adds, "Glad you and I managed to stay friends."

Milani can't help but grin sunnily, all eyes wide and 'innocent' in the face of that laughter of K'del's. She joins in after a moment, merrily. "Yes, we did," she agrees when laughter has given way to a long deep breath. "I don't do well without useful work to do. Too much energy, that's always been true." At his last, her head tips to the side, aims to rest against whatever lines up best - probably his elbow. "Couldn't be any other way," Milani concludes, lightly enough, though there's firmness in her tone beneath that. Like, come hell or high water, she'd have it that way and no other. "There are some friends that are too good to lose, no matter what."

K'del grins down at Milani as she leans against him: this time, he's the one reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "You'll slow down when your dead and not before," he opines, still grinning. "Can't imagine you any other way." Almost can't. No doubt he's deliberately ignoring that awful time after Nikalas' birth. "You're right, anyway: really ''couldn't'' be any other way. Friends forever, just without the friendship bracelets or whatever the pre-teen girls swear by."

"Most likely," Milani agrees and returns the finger-squeeze, before straightening back up. "As for friendship bracelets, I'm sure I could get Milandra to make a few, or teach me how to make one, and then we can each have one in matching colors and complementary patterns and make all of those pre-teen girls terribly jealous," she jokes. She rarely-to-never talks about that time after Nik's birth except in oblique terms, especially 'in public'.

K'del hides his smile in his mug, though it's probably not quite deliberate - more coincidence. Said mug gets set down again, now nudged well away from the edge of the table as if to formally abandon it, as he says, "I'm sure they would be just ''beautiful''." His mouth twitches. "So glad it'll be a long time before I have pre-teen girls to parent," he concludes, shaking his head. "Not sure I'd even know where to start. "

"The best /evar/," Milani echoes with the exaggerated tones of some girls that age, she dimples a grin up at him. "You'll manage when the time comes. Besides, every girl is different. Some of them come with more attitude than others. Just remember that more often than not, you don't actually have to say anything. Just listen, hug if it seems right and just get out of the way if whatever issue is looking well and truly ''bad''." Deadpan.

K'del bites back actual laughter at that first remark, his expression turning more thoughtful for the rest... right up until that ''last'' remark. "And then I pass them back to their mothers," he concludes, with a twitching smile. "That's what moms are for, right?" Now, however, he reluctantly slides his feet back to the ground, making as if to stand. "Guess I ought to get back to it, stop interrupting your... what was it, mind improvement?"

"That works too," Milani replies laughingly. "Depending on the mother." Light. Her smile tipped up at him as he rises, is warm, expression fond. "Improvement, definitely not entertainment," the assistant headwoman continues humorously. "But don't hesitate to interrupt, I don't mind if it's you." Sincere and still lighthearted. "Just don't freeze on your way across the Bowl, okay?" And she roots around in the couch to find her book wherever it's slipped off to.

K'del turns his gaze towards the door, as if only now remembering the weather outside; his nose wrinkles. But, "Rather stay and interrupt you, but there's work to be done. Do my best not to freeze, anyway. Have a good one, Millie." For now-- it's back across to the exit, and out into the cold. Brr.

{{#ifexist: Logs_talk:{{BASEPAGENAME}} | <hr><hr><br><h2>Comments</h2>{{Logs_talk:{{BASEPAGENAME}}}} |<hr><hr>}}

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[[Category:General_Logs]]

Milani

2014-06-29T02:38:16Z

Milani:

{{HrwProfile
|picture=Milani-Portrait-30s.jpg
|name=Milani
|dragon=
|craft=
|position=Assistant Headwoman
|birthplace=High Reaches Weyr
|mother=Emilly, green Sionath's
|father=E'lan (Eolan), brown Lazryth's
|siblings=Theona, P'draig, Bella, Giremi, Ilyandra
|children=Milandra, Nikalas
|friends=Leova, Madilla, L'vae, T'mic, N'thei, Amerie, K'ndro, K'del
|playedby=Kate Mara
|livejournal=[http://milaninc.livejournal.com/ View From The Spires]}}

== Description ==
Tall at somewhere just shy of six feet with a head of strawberry blonde hair, Milani tends to stick out in a crowd. Her well-balanced figure boasts decidedly feminine curves, rather than the angularity that often goes along with such height. Her features are on the 'cute' side with a small, slightly upturned nose scattered with freckles across the bridge and a wide, full mouth. Eyes of a singular blue-green shade might draw attention in a pleasantly oval face that's saved from too much softness by a sharp chin.

== WYSK ==
* Birth Date: day 26, month 12, Turn 48 of the Tenth Pass.

* Milani is a native of High Reaches Weyr, born and raised by her parents and fosterers in the lower caverns

* Natives of the Weyr will know that she is the daughter of E'lan, rider of brown Lazryth and Emilly rider of green Sionath. She's also the younger half-sister of P'draig, rider of brown Jekzith, formerly at Fort and Ista, Giremi, harper master at Telgar Weyr and sister Ilyandra who is a journeyman smith. She has several other half-siblings on her father's side and foster-siblings from the Reaches.

* She worked under Headwoman [[Hayda]] for five turns, from age fourteen and a half until not long after she turned nineteen when she stepped into the venerable Headwoman's shoes. She held the position until personal health issues after the birth of her son Nikalas late in turn 23 of the 10th interval caused her to step down and spend 7 months away from the Weyr. When she returned, she 'took it easy' by working in records for several turns before petitioning Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant. She has held this position for the last five or six turns.

* She used to have an unfortunate habit of blurting out her opinion thoughtlessly. It's something she's learned to curb in the last twenty turns, but is still more on the forthright side than not.

== History ==

* Weyrbrat at High Reaches Weyr until her mother petitioned Satiet and got her a job as an assistant to then-headwoman Hayda.

* 'Laundered' goods as an off-shoot of the Crom-raiding plot along with fellow headwoman's assistant Amerie. The doctored books are still in the Reaches' records.

* Tangled with former Weyrleader N'thei over the issue of shady traders in the Weyr, especially as regarded a list of items 'lost' or 'stolen'.

* Headwoman of High Reaches Weyr

* Made peace with N'thei in the wake of Satiet's death.

* Had first child, a daughter, Milandra, in month 9 of Turn 21 with bronzerider K'ndro and her second child, a son, Nikalas, in month 9 of Turn 23 with bronzerider and then-Weyrleader K'del.

Youngest child of Emilly (greenrider, Sionath) and E'lan (brownrider, Lazryth), born during the last turns of the Pass and raised by parents who did not have to fight Thread any longer, Milani is just a little bit different from the rest of her siblings. Accustomed to being the apple of her parents' eye the return of Thread was quite an upset for her, given that it took her parents 'away' from her.

As a pre-teen and young teen, she was used to getting her own way a lot, not quite spoiled but on the verge of it. With her parents suddenly on duty so much and not having bonded quite so closely with a foster-parent, Milani turned into quite the feisty, know-it-all, independent adolescent. Very sure of her own knowledge about how things work, she was not and is still not shy about sharing her own very definite opinions about things, though she's tempered those instincts as she's matured and is able to keep her tongue when she needs to.

With her mother's guidance and support, she got a position as an assistant to the Headwoman at High Reaches Weyr when she was fourteen. After five turns of service under Hayda, Milani was tapped by the Weyrwoman when she was nineteen to take over the Headwoman's position. She stepped down when she had difficulties with severe post-partum depression after the birth of her second child and did not seek to regain the position when she returned from a 7 month sabbatical to Cove Hold to restore her health. Since turn 24, she worked first as a records keeper then petitioned Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant late in turn 28.

When she was younger, Milani's interests included math, gossip, fishing, eating sweets, flirting, reading adventure stories and finding odd or unusual items for people in Stores. Older, wiser and more mellow now in her mid-thirties, she still enjoys math for the fun of it as well as for work, will bait a line for relaxation and of course won't turn down a good meal. However her sugar addiction is a thing of the past, she's more likely to listen and learn from others gossiping around her than creating any of her own and flirting is done far more judiciously than in the past. She can also still be found curled up in a chair reading a good book when off-duty. Milani's encyclopedic knowledge of what's in Stores remains unparalleled, she can still be counted on to find almost anything anyone might need if it's available in Stores ... or how to get it from outside the Weyr if it's not. Though she can be a little unorthodox in her approach to other people, she's an able organizer with a generous heart and will go to great lengths to ensure the comfort and well-being of all the Weyr's denizens.

== Relationships ==
* Milani's mother and father are NPCs at the weyr and the headwoman is still close to both of her parents. She also has an older sister, several foster-siblings and two older half-brothers by her mother's first weyrmate. Milani is pretty close to her family, especially her mother, greenrider Emilly and visits her siblings regularly, though not as frequently as she used to when she was Hayda's assistant.

* Milani has a lot of friends at the Weyr, being Reaches born and raised. She knows most of the 'kids' that she grew up with in the lower caverns pretty well, anyone right around her age and a little older or younger probably knows her or knows of her from her days running around the caverns filching cookies and being a brat. Especially close friends include Leova, Madilla and L'vae as well as her older brother P'draig's weyrmate, T'mic at Ista and Journeyman Weaver Amerie at Fort Weyr. C'mryn, bronze Tausreth's is also a good pal of Milani's.

* Stalked A'son, bronze Nikoth's as a teenager. When she was actually legal, turns out the feelings were mutual and for a single turn they were an exclusive couple. The whole Ista's Weyrleader and an assistant headwoman from the Reaches thing made it ... tough. A'son and Milani wound up splitting up amicably and then there were fireworks when A'son returned to HRW. Their relationship could be described as casually cordial many turns later.

* Former Weyrwoman Tiriana and Milani had a very long and fraught history that started way back when Tiriana still lived at Telgar Weyr and Milani's older brother Giremi, a harper, was involved with her. This relationship improved mildly and briefly when Satiet died. After a while, however, matters between the two became fraught again for many reasons. For the most part, they buried their personal differences in the name of getting their jobs done around the Weyr until Milani stepped down. Milani could not claim to be anything but relieved when Tiriana left the Reaches.

* K'del and Milani became lovers in the middle of his weyrlinghood. For many turns, they had a committed but open relationship. Over time, however, partly due to Milani's reticence to have another child, after the difficulties she suffered after their son Nikalas was born, the relationship gently dissolved back into friendship.

* K'ndro and Milani did not get along when they first met, but became friends and occasional lovers and have one daughter together, Milandra born towards the end of month 9, turn 21 of the 10th Interval.

* Has a very strange friendship with former Weyrleader N'thei that is way too complicated to describe briefly. Let's just say they have the kind of bond that people who go through the kind of weird and stressful crap they went through (like raiding holders and covering up for it) tend to have.

* Since the dissolution of her relationship with K'del, Milani has not been linked for long with anyone. She spends plenty of time socializing with friends and acquaintances both at the Weyr and outside of it and occasionally has overnight company, but her infamously loose-skirted ways of the past seem to be behind her.

== RP Logs ==

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{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions}} | }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments}} | }}

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{{HRW}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Greater_Pern]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Area]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Weyr]]
[[Category:Residents]]
[[Category:Inactive_Characters]]

Milani

2014-06-29T01:34:57Z

Milani:

{{HrwProfile
|picture=Milani-Portrait-30s.jpg
|name=Milani
|dragon=
|craft=
|position=Assistant Headwoman
|birthplace=High Reaches Weyr
|mother=Emilly, green Sionath's
|father=E'lan (Eolan), brown Lazryth's
|siblings=Theona, P'draig, Bella, Giremi, Ilyandra
|children=Milandra (K'ndro), Nikalas (K'del)
|friends=Leova, Madilla, L'vae, T'mic, N'thei, Amerie, K'ndro, K'del
|playedby=Kate Mara
|livejournal=[http://milaninc.livejournal.com/ View From The Spires]}}

== Description ==
Tall at somewhere just shy of six feet with a head of strawberry blonde hair, Milani tends to stick out in a crowd. Her well-balanced figure boasts decidedly feminine curves, rather than the angularity that often goes along with such height. Her features are on the 'cute' side with a small, slightly upturned nose scattered with freckles across the bridge and a wide, full mouth. Eyes of a singular blue-green shade might draw attention in a pleasantly oval face that's saved from too much softness by a sharp chin.

== WYSK ==
* Milani is a native of High Reaches Weyr, born and raised in the lower caverns and her parents' weyr.

* She worked under Headwoman [[Hayda]] for five turns, from age fourteen and a half until not long after she turned nineteen when she stepped into the venerable Headwoman's shoes. She held the position until personal health issues after the birth of her son Nikalas caused her to step down and spend some time away from the Weyr. When she returned, she 'took it easy' by working in records for several turns before petitioning Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant. She has held this position for the last five or six turns.

* She used to have an unfortunate habit of blurting out her opinion thoughtlessly. It's something she's learned to curb in the last twenty turns, but is still more on the forthright side than not.

* Natives of the Weyr will know that she is the daughter of E'lan, rider of brown Lazryth and Emilly rider of green Sionath. She's also the younger half-sister of P'draig, rider of brown Jekzith, formerly at Fort and Ista, Giremi, harper master at Telgar Weyr and sister Ilyandra who is a journeyman smith. She has several other half-siblings on her father's side and foster-siblings from the Reaches.

== History ==
* Birth Date: day 26, month 12, Turn 48 of the Tenth Pass.

* Weyrbrat at High Reaches Weyr until her mother petitioned Satiet and got her a job as an assistant to then-headwoman Hayda.

* 'Laundered' goods as an off-shoot of the Crom-raiding plot along with fellow headwoman's assistant Amerie. The doctored books are still in the Reaches' records.

* Tangled with former Weyrleader N'thei over the issue of shady traders in the Weyr, especially as regarded a list of items 'lost' or 'stolen'.

* Headwoman of High Reaches Weyr

* Made peace with N'thei in the wake of Satiet's death.

* Had first child, a daughter, Milandra, in month 9 of Turn 21 with bronzerider K'ndro and her second child, a son, Nikalas, in month 9 of Turn 23 with bronzerider and then-Weyrleader K'del.

Youngest child of Emilly (greenrider, Sionath) and E'lan (brownrider, Lazryth), born during the last turns of the Pass and raised by parents who did not have to fight Thread any longer, Milani is just a little bit different from the rest of her siblings. Accustomed to being the apple of her parents' eye the return of Thread was quite an upset for her, given that it took her parents 'away' from her.

As a pre-teen and young teen, she was used to getting her own way a lot, not quite spoiled but on the verge of it. With her parents suddenly on duty so much and not having bonded quite so closely with a foster-parent, Milani turned into quite the feisty, know-it-all, independent adolescent. Very sure of her own knowledge about how things work, she was not and is still not shy about sharing her own very definite opinions about things, though she's tempered those instincts as she's matured and is able to keep her tongue when she needs to.

With her mother's guidance and support, she got a position as an assistant to the Headwoman at High Reaches Weyr when she was fourteen. After five turns of service under Hayda, Milani was tapped by the Weyrwoman when she was nineteen to take over the Headwoman's position. She stepped down when she had difficulties with severe post-partum depression after the birth of her second child and did not seek to regain the position when she returned from a sabbatical to Cove Hold to restore her health. Since turn 25, she worked first as a records keeper then petitioned Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant roughly six turns ago.

When she was younger, Milani's interests included math, gossip, fishing, eating sweets, flirting, reading adventure stories and finding odd or unusual items for people in Stores. Older, wiser and more mellow now in her mid-thirties, she still enjoys math for the fun of it, as well as for work, will bait a line for relaxation and of course won't turn down a good meal. However her sugar addiction is a thing of the past, she's more likely to listen and learn from others gossiping around her than creating any of her own and flirting is done far more judiciously than in the past. She can also still be found curled up in a chair reading a good book when off-duty. Milani's encyclopedic knowledge of what's in Stores remains unparalleled. Though she can be a little unorthodox in her approach to other people, she's an able organizer with a generous heart and will go to great lengths to ensure the comfort and well-being of all the Weyr's denizens.

== Relationships ==
* Milani's mother and father are NPCs at the weyr and the headwoman is still close to both of her parents. She also has an older sister, several foster-siblings and two older half-brothers by her mother's first weyrmate. Milani is pretty close to her family, especially her mother, greenrider Emilly and visits her siblings regularly, though not as frequently as she used to when she was Hayda's assistant.

* Milani has a lot of friends at the Weyr, being Reaches born and raised. She knows most of the 'kids' that she grew up with in the lower caverns pretty well, anyone right around her age and a little older or younger probably knows her or knows of her from her days running around the caverns filching cookies and being a brat. Especially close friends include Leova, Madilla and L'vae as well as her older brother P'draig's weyrmate, T'mic at Ista and Journeyman Weaver Amerie at Fort Weyr. C'mryn, bronze Tausreth's is also a good pal of Milani's.

* Stalked A'son, bronze Nikoth's as a teenager. When she was actually legal, turns out the feelings were mutual and for a single turn they were an exclusive couple. The whole Ista's Weyrleader and an assistant headwoman from the Reaches thing made it ... tough. A'son and Milani wound up splitting up amicably and then there were fireworks when A'son returned to HRW. Their relationship could be described as casually cordial many turns later.

* Former Weyrwoman Tiriana and Milani had a very long and fraught history that started way back when Tiriana still lived at Telgar Weyr and Milani's older brother Giremi, a harper, was involved with her. This relationship improved mildly and briefly when Satiet died. After a while, however, matters between the two became fraught again for many reasons. For the most part, they buried their personal differences in the name of getting their jobs done around the Weyr until Milani stepped down.

* K'del and Milani became lovers in the middle of his weyrlinghood. For many turns, they had a committed but open relationship. Over time, however, partly due to Milani's reticence to have another child, after the difficulties she suffered after their son Nikalas was born, the relationship gently dissolved back into a friendship.

* K'ndro and Milani are friends and occasional lovers and have one daughter together, Milandra born towards the end of month 9, turn 21 of the 10th Interval.

* Has a very strange friendship with former Weyrleader N'thei that is way too complicated to describe briefly. Let's just say they have the kind of bond that people who go through the kind of weird and stressful crap they went through (like raiding holders and covering up for it) tend to have.

== RP Logs ==

{{RP Logs | name = {{BASEPAGENAME}} | columns = 3 }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions}} | }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments}} | }}

{{Icons}}

{{HRW}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Greater_Pern]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Area]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Weyr]]
[[Category:Residents]]
[[Category:Inactive_Characters]]

File:Milani-Portrait-30s.jpg

2014-06-29T01:28:55Z

Milani:

Milani

2014-06-28T22:52:15Z

Milani:

{{HrwProfile
|picture=milani.jpg
|name=Milani
|dragon=
|craft=
|position=Assistant Headwoman
|birthplace=High Reaches Weyr
|mother=Emilly, green Sionath's
|father=E'lan (Eolan), brown Lazryth's
|siblings=Theona, P'draig, Bella, Giremi, Ilyandra
|children=Milandra (K'ndro), Nikalas (K'del)
|friends=Leova, Madilla, L'vae, T'mic, N'thei, Amerie, K'ndro, K'del
|playedby=Kate Mara
|livejournal=[http://milaninc.livejournal.com/ View From The Spires]}}

== Description ==
Tall at somewhere just shy of six feet with a head of strawberry blonde hair, Milani tends to stick out in a crowd. Her well-balanced figure boasts decidedly feminine curves, rather than the angularity that often goes along with such height. Her features are on the 'cute' side with a small, slightly upturned nose scattered with freckles across the bridge and a wide, full mouth. Eyes of a singular blue-green shade might draw attention in a pleasantly oval face that's saved from too much softness by a sharp chin.

== WYSK ==
* Milani is a native of High Reaches Weyr, born and raised in the lower caverns and her parents' weyr.

* She worked under Headwoman [[Hayda]] for five turns, from age fourteen and a half until not long after she turned nineteen when she stepped into the venerable Headwoman's shoes. She held the position until personal health issues after the birth of her son Nikalas caused her to step down and spend some time away from the Weyr. When she returned, she 'took it easy' by working in records for several turns before petitioning Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant. She has held this position for the last five or six turns.

* She used to have an unfortunate habit of blurting out her opinion thoughtlessly. It's something she's learned to curb in the last twenty turns, but is still more on the forthright side than not.

* Natives of the Weyr will know that she is the daughter of E'lan, rider of brown Lazryth and Emilly rider of green Sionath. She's also the younger half-sister of P'draig, rider of brown Jekzith, formerly at Fort and Ista, Giremi, harper master at Telgar Weyr and sister Ilyandra who is a journeyman smith. She has several other half-siblings on her father's side and foster-siblings from the Reaches.

== History ==
* Birth Date: day 26, month 12, Turn 48 of the Tenth Pass.

* Weyrbrat at High Reaches Weyr until her mother petitioned Satiet and got her a job as an assistant to then-headwoman Hayda.

* 'Laundered' goods as an off-shoot of the Crom-raiding plot along with fellow headwoman's assistant Amerie. The doctored books are still in the Reaches' records.

* Tangled with former Weyrleader N'thei over the issue of shady traders in the Weyr, especially as regarded a list of items 'lost' or 'stolen'.

* Headwoman of High Reaches Weyr

* Made peace with N'thei in the wake of Satiet's death.

* Had first child, a daughter, Milandra, in month 9 of Turn 21 with bronzerider K'ndro and her second child, a son, Nikalas, in month 9 of Turn 23 with bronzerider and then-Weyrleader K'del.

Youngest child of Emilly (greenrider, Sionath) and E'lan (brownrider, Lazryth), born during the last turns of the Pass and raised by parents who did not have to fight Thread any longer, Milani is just a little bit different from the rest of her siblings. Accustomed to being the apple of her parents' eye the return of Thread was quite an upset for her, given that it took her parents 'away' from her.

As a pre-teen and young teen, she was used to getting her own way a lot, not quite spoiled but on the verge of it. With her parents suddenly on duty so much and not having bonded quite so closely with a foster-parent, Milani turned into quite the feisty, know-it-all, independent adolescent. Very sure of her own knowledge about how things work, she was not and is still not shy about sharing her own very definite opinions about things, though she's tempered those instincts as she's matured and is able to keep her tongue when she needs to.

With her mother's guidance and support, she got a position as an assistant to the Headwoman at High Reaches Weyr when she was fourteen. After five turns of service under Hayda, Milani was tapped by the Weyrwoman when she was nineteen to take over the Headwoman's position. She stepped down when she had difficulties with severe post-partum depression after the birth of her second child and did not seek to regain the position when she returned from a sabbatical to Cove Hold to restore her health. Since turn 25, she worked first as a records keeper then petitioned Giorda to rejoin the headwoman's staff as an assistant roughly six turns ago.

When she was younger, Milani's interests included math, gossip, fishing, eating sweets, flirting, reading adventure stories and finding odd or unusual items for people in Stores. Older, wiser and more mellow now in her mid-thirties, she still enjoys math for the fun of it, as well as for work, will bait a line for relaxation and of course won't turn down a good meal. However her sugar addiction is a thing of the past, she's more likely to listen and learn from others gossiping around her than creating any of her own and flirting is done far more judiciously than in the past. She can also still be found curled up in a chair reading a good book when off-duty. Milani's encyclopedic knowledge of what's in Stores remains unparalleled. Though she can be a little unorthodox in her approach to other people, she's an able organizer with a generous heart and will go to great lengths to ensure the comfort and well-being of all the Weyr's denizens.

== Relationships ==
* Milani's mother and father are NPCs at the weyr and the headwoman is still close to both of her parents. She also has an older sister, several foster-siblings and two older half-brothers by her mother's first weyrmate. Milani is pretty close to her family, especially her mother, greenrider Emilly and visits her siblings regularly, though not as frequently as she used to when she was Hayda's assistant.

* Milani has a lot of friends at the Weyr, being Reaches born and raised. She knows most of the 'kids' that she grew up with in the lower caverns pretty well, anyone right around her age and a little older or younger probably knows her or knows of her from her days running around the caverns filching cookies and being a brat. Especially close friends include Leova, Madilla and L'vae as well as her older brother P'draig's weyrmate, T'mic at Ista and Journeyman Weaver Amerie at Fort Weyr. C'mryn, bronze Tausreth's is also a good pal of Milani's.

* Stalked A'son, bronze Nikoth's as a teenager. When she was actually legal, turns out the feelings were mutual and for a single turn they were an exclusive couple. The whole Ista's Weyrleader and an assistant headwoman from the Reaches thing made it ... tough. A'son and Milani wound up splitting up amicably and then there were fireworks when A'son returned to HRW. Their relationship could be described as casually cordial many turns later.

* Former Weyrwoman Tiriana and Milani had a very long and fraught history that started way back when Tiriana still lived at Telgar Weyr and Milani's older brother Giremi, a harper, was involved with her. This relationship improved mildly and briefly when Satiet died. After a while, however, matters between the two became fraught again for many reasons. For the most part, they buried their personal differences in the name of getting their jobs done around the Weyr until Milani stepped down.

* K'del and Milani became lovers in the middle of his weyrlinghood. For many turns, they had a committed but open relationship. Over time, however, partly due to Milani's reticence to have another child, after the difficulties she suffered after their son Nikalas was born, the relationship gently dissolved back into a friendship.

* K'ndro and Milani are friends and occasional lovers and have one daughter together, Milandra born towards the end of month 9, turn 21 of the 10th Interval.

* Has a very strange friendship with former Weyrleader N'thei that is way too complicated to describe briefly. Let's just say they have the kind of bond that people who go through the kind of weird and stressful crap they went through (like raiding holders and covering up for it) tend to have.

== RP Logs ==

{{RP Logs | name = {{BASEPAGENAME}} | columns = 3 }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions}} | }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments}} | }}

{{Icons}}

{{HRW}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Greater_Pern]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Area]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Weyr]]
[[Category:Residents]]
[[Category:Inactive_Characters]]

Milani

2014-06-28T22:38:55Z

Milani:

{{HrwProfile
|picture=milani.jpg
|name=Milani
|dragon=
|craft=
|position=Assistant Headwoman
|birthplace=High Reaches Weyr
|mother=Emilly, green Sionath's
|father=E'lan (Eolan), brown Lazryth's
|siblings=Theona, P'draig, Bella, Giremi, Ilyandra
|children=Milandra (K'ndro), Nikalas (K'del)
|friends=Leova, Madilla, L'vae, T'mic, N'thei, Amerie, K'ndro, K'del
|playedby=Kate Mara
|livejournal=[http://milaninc.livejournal.com/ View From The Spires]}}

== Description ==
Tall at somewhere just shy of six feet with a head of strawberry blonde hair, Milani tends to stick out in a crowd. Her well-balanced figure boasts decidedly feminine curves, rather than the angularity that often goes along with such height. Her features are on the 'cute' side with a small, slightly upturned nose scattered with freckles across the bridge and a wide, full mouth. Eyes of a singular blue-green shade might draw attention in a pleasantly oval face that's saved from too much softness by a sharp chin.

== WYSK ==
* Milani is a native of High Reaches Weyr, born and raised in the lower caverns and her parents' weyr.

* She worked under Headwoman [[Hayda]] for five turns, from age fourteen and a half until not long after she turned nineteen when she stepped into the venerable Headwoman's shoes. She held the position until personal health issues after the birth of her son Nikalas caused her to step down and spend some time away from the Weyr.

* She used to have an unfortunate habit of blurting out her opinion thoughtlessly. It's something she's learned to curb in the last twenty turns, but is still more on the forthright side than not.

* Natives of the Weyr will know that she is the daughter of E'lan, rider of brown Lazryth and Emilly rider of green Sionath. She's also the younger half-sister of P'draig, rider of brown Jekzith, formerly at Fort and Ista, Giremi, harper master at Telgar Weyr and sister Ilyandra who is a journeyman smith. She has several other half-siblings on her father's side and foster-siblings from the Reaches.

== History ==
* Birth Date: day 26, month 12, Turn 48 of the Tenth Pass.

* Weyrbrat at High Reaches Weyr until her mother petitioned Satiet and got her a job as an assistant to then-headwoman Hayda.

* 'Laundered' goods as an off-shoot of the Crom-raiding plot along with fellow headwoman's assistant Amerie. The doctored books are still in the Reaches' records.

* Tangled with former Weyrleader N'thei over the issue of shady traders in the Weyr, especially as regarded a list of items 'lost' or 'stolen'.

* Headwoman of High Reaches Weyr

* Made peace with N'thei in the wake of Satiet's death.

* Had first child, a daughter, Milandra, in month 9 of Turn 21 with bronzerider K'ndro and her second child, a son, Nikalas, in month 9 of Turn 23 with bronzerider and then-Weyrleader K'del.

Youngest child of Emilly (greenrider, Sionath) and E'lan (brownrider, Lazryth), born during the last turns of the Pass and raised by parents who did not have to fight Thread any longer, Milani is just a little bit different from the rest of her siblings. Accustomed to being the apple of her parents' eye the return of Thread was quite an upset for her, given that it took her parents 'away' from her.

As a pre-teen and young teen, she was used to getting her own way a lot, not quite spoiled but on the verge of it. With her parents suddenly on duty so much and not having bonded quite so closely with a foster-parent, Milani turned into quite the feisty, know-it-all, independent adolescent. Very sure of her own knowledge about how things work, she was not and is still not shy about sharing her own very definite opinions about things, though she's tempered those instincts as she's matured and is able to keep her tongue when she needs to.

With her mother's guidance and support, she got a position as an assistant to the Headwoman at High Reaches Weyr when she was fourteen. After five turns of service under Hayda, Milani was tapped by the Weyrwoman when she was nineteen to take over the Headwoman's position.

Milani's interests include math, gossip, fishing, eating sweets, flirting, reading adventure stories and finding odd or unusual items for people in Stores. She's really top-notch with everything Stores-related and though she can be a little unorthodox in her approach to other people, she's an able organizer with a generous heart in spite of her sometimes blunt, or even forward ways. Weybred to the core, she's not shy about flirting, casual liaisons or walking up to a rider after a flight to help out. It's just a fact of life in a Weyr as far as Milani is concerned.

== Relationships ==
* Milani's mother and father are NPCs at the weyr and the headwoman is still close to both of her parents. She also has an older sister, several foster-siblings and two older half-brothers by her mother's first weyrmate. Milani is pretty close to her family, especially her mother, greenrider Emilly and visits her siblings regularly, though not as frequently as she used to when she was Hayda's assistant.

* Milani has a lot of friends at the Weyr, being Reaches born and raised. She knows most of the 'kids' that she grew up with in the lower caverns pretty well, anyone right around her age and a little older or younger probably knows her or knows of her from her days running around the caverns filching cookies and being a brat. Especially close friends include Leova, Madilla and L'vae as well as her older brother P'draig's weyrmate, T'mic at Ista and Journeyman Weaver Amerie at Fort Weyr. C'mryn, bronze Tausreth's is also a good pal of Milani's.

* Stalked A'son, bronze Nikoth's as a teenager. When she was actually legal, turns out the feelings were mutual and for a single turn they were an exclusive couple. The whole Ista's Weyrleader and an assistant headwoman from the Reaches thing made it ... tough. A'son and Milani wound up splitting up amicably and then there were fireworks when A'son returned to HRW. Their relationship could be described as casually cordial many turns later.

* Former Weyrwoman Tiriana and Milani had a very long and fraught history that started way back when Tiriana still lived at Telgar Weyr and Milani's older brother Giremi, a harper, was involved with her. This relationship improved mildly and briefly when Satiet died. After a while, however, matters between the two became fraught again for many reasons. For the most part, they buried their personal differences in the name of getting their jobs done around the Weyr until Milani stepped down.

* K'del and Milani became lovers in the middle of his weyrlinghood. For many turns, they had a committed but open relationship. Over time, however, partly due to Milani's reticence to have another child, after the difficulties she suffered after their son Nikalas was born, the relationship gently dissolved back into a friendship.

* K'ndro and Milani are friends and occasional lovers and have one daughter together, Milandra born towards the end of month 9, turn 21 of the 10th Interval.

* Has a very strange friendship with former Weyrleader N'thei that is way too complicated to describe briefly. Let's just say they have the kind of bond that people who go through the kind of weird and stressful crap they went through (like raiding holders and covering up for it) tend to have.

== RP Logs ==

{{RP Logs | name = {{BASEPAGENAME}} | columns = 3 }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Mentions}} | }}

{{#ifexist: {{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments | {{:{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Comments}} | }}

{{Icons}}

{{HRW}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Greater_Pern]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Area]]
[[Category:High_Reaches_Weyr]]
[[Category:Residents]]
[[Category:Inactive_Characters]]