Difference between revisions of "Logs:Weyrling Negotiations"

Sisha's moved a few things into the weyrleader's weyr, enough that she's slept over now and again, but it might be a mark of informality that Z'ian and K'del have been invited to join her in her real home. The leaves are out in the table that she's stationed in the center of the good-sized outer room, the better to hold the collection of necessities upon it: weyrling dossiers, scraps of hide labeled with each wing and others with each weyrling, and of course the liquor. The acting weyrleader's encouraged them to help themselves to the latter, standing back with her spiced vodka. "You're missing out, Z'ian, not having everyone in here bartering all at once. I wager it would have been even louder than our usual meetings."

"All the bickering," says K'del, reminiscing. "Especially my first few times. Everyone was convinced that if they just talked loud enough, I'd give in and give them everything they wanted, and who cared about anyone else." He's nursing his whiskey with a wry smile, leaning forward to grab up one of the dossiers and flick through it, idly. "But I kind of grew to like it, in the end."

Z'ian stands to the back there with his drink, fingers curled around the glass as he lifts it to his mouth. He glances towards the table with the folders and then towards Sisha again, mouth twisted in an amused grin. "I'm sure that they're entertaining. But I'm glad it's a smaller crowd, I think I've had enough of the carrying on and complaining to last me several more turns. Possibly forever." He laughs quietly for K'del's story and shakes his head. Not surprising.

"And you're sure you still want weyrlings?" Sisha inquires of Z'ian, more deadpan than the smile she'd sent K'del. Riffling through the sewn-together papers she keeps in the crook of her arm, she comes up with, "The list of who wanted Boreal, not quite the same as who ended up shadowing with you. Notice who kept adding and getting scratched out, over and over again. Does it give you confidence?" She angles it to show both men.

"Such indecision," says K'del, with a laugh. "Honestly, if you want to take the whole lot, Z'ian, pretty sure I don't have a problem with it. You're doing us all a favour, taking-- well, you know. All that. Only one I've a particular eye on for Taiga."

"The last two haven't been much trouble. You know, recently." Z'ian's humor is dry at that, turning his head to see the scratch offs on the paper. He laughs quietly again, shaking his head. "Boreal's had some holes since the shake ups, but I don't know if we can accomodate the entire class of them."

"He has it easy this time," Sisha explains to Z'ian. "I'm the one who has to act neutral and represent the other wingleaders, now, while he can be as partisan as he chooses. I'm not going to give you anywhere near all of them. Here, K'del, make yourself useful and arrange the names there, show Z'ian how it'll shake down for those who wanted wings that wanted them back. That's before we get to fine-tuning, understand, splitting up the ones too hung up on each other for safety, that sort of thing. At least there are fewer of those this time around, Meara tells me."

K'del's tease is a light one: "Bossy." It's followed pretty quickly by, "Yes, boss." It's easy enough to arrange the names, cross-referencing it with the written records, and by the end of it, he seems quite satisfied. Around the rim of his glass, as he steps back, he adds, "No weyrmates or known lovers together, right? If we can manage it. It happens, but it's just simpler if it doesn't. Which means--" He tugs one of the names, puts it aside, shaking his head sadly. "Alas. No chosen wing for you, little bluerider. Unless you both disagree."

"Then I'm sure he's going to enjoy this. More than usual." Z'ian remarks amusedly and takes a swallow from his glass and glances over towards the folders and then to K'del. He crosses his arms over his chest, still with the fingers curled around his drink. "That seems to be completely reasonable." And not something that he'd be unaware of, so he doesn't look particularly surprised. When the other bronzerider checks for agreement, well, he has no reason to disagree.

Sisha chuckles at K'del, at ease. "Just you remember that." Already, in the past few days, they're working together more smoothly. But then, they had worked together for so long before, just reversed. She doesn't spare a moment for the little bluerider. "Weyrmates, lovers, sisters, stalkers, you name it. So, let's get down to it, Z'ian. Just what direction are you looking to take Boreal in? Who do you want, and why do they fit in better with you than anyone else? Are you looking to swap out any more experienced riders at this time?"

"Which is," puts in K'del, "something I did a bit of, when I had Avalanche. We shuffled things around a bit, changed the focus, a little, and let those who weren't as interested in what we were doing find a better spot. So if you're changing things up at all, that's definitely a valid tactic." He leans up against the wall, and takes a sip from his drink. Then, "If you're taking those two already, do you want smaller ones for any others?"

"No. We haven't had to swap out any of the more experienced riders in..." It's here that he pauses, eyebrows briefly furrowing together as he glances over at K'del. "Nearly a turn? Not since shortly after I took the knot. I'd like to keep more stability." He puts his hand onto the cover of one of the records, pulling it across the table. "I want the ones that are driven, motivated. Intelligent." There's a wry smile, "Just like anyone else. But I want them to push the wing forward. Do more than just drill for a Pass that we'll never see. I don't know if that's much different than the rest now, honestly." Tapping his finger on the folders of one of them, "Just two. A blue and a green." The blue is the one he's tapping now.

Sisha has an approving nod for stability, crossing over for a better look at the one Z'ian's got his hands on before nodding again. "That one, yes. Requested Taiga or Boreal, but Polaris wants him too, and I have to say it could use an up-and-comer. But you're here now, K'del, what do you have to say for Taiga? And you, Z'ian. Tell me more about pushing the wing forward. Where do you see Boreal at, five Turns in the air?"

A nod confirms Z'ian's remarks on the subject of Boreal; his requests, however, have K'del twisting his mouth. "F'manis did express an interest in that one," he admits, leaning forward to get a look. "But we can deal. There're others... Polaris showed an interest in, hm, that other bluerider, didn't they? Seems like it's better to give people what they want, than not."

"I haven't given the progress of the wing a structured guideline and I can't say that it's a simple decision like, 'We want to do search and rescue' or 'We want to be the wing that's full of tough, relatively intimidating people that scare small children'." That last one was a joke, really. Z'ian allows an easy display of a smile to slip through. "We may not be there in five turns. But I want a wing of intelligent people that can look for trouble and maybe clear it up before it can come to a head. Whether that's through their own personal intervention or by flagging more immediate concerns to the Weyrwomen, those may end up being judgement calls."

"You realize that more specifics would help me help you," Sisha says, though she shrugs. For K'del and people wanting what they want, "Did you hear, half of Equinox was claiming that their wingleader buys them drinks twice a seven, but don't tell, it's a secret?" Indeed, Equinox has quite a few weyrling names lined up, more than all of Upper Flight put together. Middle Flight is doing better. In fact, "For whatever it says about Glacier, only one withdrew his name from the hat, though they look to have a couple of transfers coming out." She names names. "The ones who want in seem stable enough, as weyrlings go. Let's settle this one before we move on any further, though. K'del, are you going to make him work for a deal? You don't even know who the other one is yet."

"Oh, fine. Who is the other one?" And yet, despite the question, K'del's shaking his head and adding, "Not likely to argue, though. Not got my eyes on any of the greenriders in particular, though we'll take any that want us and aren't claimed by someone else. Reckon I'm happy to let Boreal take the two, if I can have--" he shuffles through the piles, comes up with one of them, and lays it out for the other two, just daring them to protest. "There's method to my madness, I swear." His glance towards Sisha is meaningful, quietly so.

The quip from Sisha about 'more specifics' goes completely unresponded to. Instead, "I think this weyrling class was largely stable. It had a few bad bumps in the road, but." Z'ian shrugs his shoulders. It's not as if bad things haven't ever happened before in the history of all time. His hand moves from the bluerider to greenrider, pulling it towards him. "If he's not going to argue, I mean-" His eyebrows lift and he stares across the table to K'del. "I hope you're not planning this as some sort of long-term opportunity to get back at him for smashing you one in the face. Day after day." Yes, he heard. "Because that would really be holding a grudge."

"Then he's yours," Sisha says to Z'ian. "If F'manis quibbles, he knows who he can talk to." She leans to look at her weyrsecond's choice, takes another look as though she might have gotten it wrong the first time, and then meets K'del's gaze. "Weren't you the one who was just talking about it being better to give people what they want? If you regret it in a month, you still have to keep him," she says with a shake of her head that isn't no. "Z'ian, you talk about a few bad bumps as though they weren't new riders making premeditated decisions."

K'del had said he wouldn't argue, but his expression turns distinctly dubious as, leaning in, he gets a look at the greenrider Z'ian has his eyes on. "Didn't ask for Boreal," he points out. "Snowdrift and something else, wasn't it? Not that I'm changing my mind on Taiga, mind." That has distracted him from the reactions to his choice, but he's breezy, if belated, in adding, "Not holding a grudge. Do intend to make a real rider out of the weyrling, though, you know? And it's not as though anyone else wants that pair, Sisha. Not a single request."

Z'ian glances towards Sisha before giving his shoulders a shrug. "I know exactly that they were. Bad mistakes, bad decision process. Not the end of the world and certainly not the end of the Weyr." And so he's become perhaps a smidge protective over the two that are in his care, finishing their training with Boreal. "No, she didn't. But she would be a good compliment to the others. Boreal's a high strung lot. And she asks questions, I like that." And as for K'del's choice, Z'ian purses his lips before exhaling and flashing a grin, "Can you teach him to carry a knife, maybe? He asked me in a bar once if I had a pencil sharpener. That alone would get him a long way."

"Not even one from F'manis. I see." Sisha's dark eyes are knowing. "Well, with twenty-four we can afford to be picky. Take him, but wait on the knives until he has a better handle on his temper, K'del." As for the other one, "Let me look. Snowdrift and Frostbite, that's what it was. Frostbite's got a couple of the others it wanted, it'll be fine, but Mielline already isn't happy, Z'ian. She's losing one of her other top picks and you're getting that bluerider you wanted, on top of the other two you think so highly of."

"... A pencil sharpener," repeats K'del, as if he'd like to facepalm repeatedly; certainly, the look he gives Z'ian is very nearly appalled. He seems to accept Z'ian's reasoning for the greenrider readily enough, if his nod is any indication, though he glances at Sisha, too, considering what she says. "Right, no knives. Temper control. Sorted. Honestly, Mielline's unhappy when the weather doesn't obey her requirements for drills. She'll cope. We can give her the others she wants, definitely. Even if that other one is going Glacier."

"Mielline is never going to forgive me for poaching Vienne." Z'ian doesn't seem concerned, he's written off the older rider getting over that particular issue. Even though it was over a turn ago now. "Quinlys told me I could take my pick of the others, since I took the other two. I just want her and the other one." Is that so much to ask for, his tone seems to imply. "Oh yes, a pencil sharpener." K'del's appalled look is met with a quick grin, more than amused.

Sisha puts Z'ian off for the moment, telling K'del, "She has her preferences, but don't dismiss her that way. Mielline works hard, she does a good job with the wing, and she does not deserve your putting her choice of wingmates in the same boat as weather." Her delivery's calm, but quite firm. "Especially since it's your letting him have the bluerider that freed up his choice. I'll have to talk to Quinlys about that, Z'ian, maybe even Taikrin again, so thanks for making my day less boring there. If it's as you say it is, I'll stand by the agreement. In the meantime, try not to tweak her." When Boreal and Snowdrift wind up being assigned to share sweep coverage in the following sevendays, he shouldn't be surprised.

"Sisha," returns K'del, less perturbed by Sisha's words than he might be (he turns to grin at Z'ian, just for a moment, too). "You know I've only the utmost respect for her; I'm teasing. But she did get two out of seven weyrlings from the last clutch." He must have looked that up: he wasn't Weyrleader, by that point. "So I don't think she can complain too much. Now -- Avalanche. Know you said you had some preferences of your own, if I remember rightly. Filling in some gaps since N'var and K'ri retired. Least one green, wasn't it?"

"I live to serve." Z'ian replies with a smile in response to making her day less boring. "I'll try not to aggravate her by simply existing, but I can't make any promises." After all, it's not as if he goes around bothering her on a regular basis. He can't help it if the woman has a long memory. Can he? And as the conversation slips from one wing to the next, he has a few comments to make on the other weyrlings that are up for grabs. But he doesn't try nearly as hard for them as he has for the ones he currently has. Since well, perhaps he's pushed his luck already.

Statistics or no statistics, a quiet sternness has settled into Sisha's demeanor, but when she and K'del discuss matters further it will be after Z'ian's gone. "Here's who I'm looking at," she says for the time being, slotting the names in. Perhaps they aren't obvious choices to some, but she seems pleased with that if nothing else. By comparison, since the other arguments had already been dealt with in meetings prior to this one, the other weyrlings won't take long to parcel out at all.