Logs:Plausible Deniability
| |
|---|
| RL Date: 3 November, 2007 |
| Who: Shanlee, N'thei |
| Type: [[Concept:{{{type}}}|{{{type}}}]] |
| When: Day {{{day}}}, Month {{{month}}}, Turn {{{turn}}} ({{{IP}}} {{{IP2}}}) |
| Noontime sees most of the weyrfolk in the lower caverns, working on such chores as can be accomplished in the ridiculous cold. The kitchens are quiet, shut down for the afternoon except for a couple of people who've chosen to doze near the stoves, the few reliable sources of heat this dismal winter. N'thei is not such a person; he's a person on a mission. His riding jacket and gloves if nothing else make it clear that this is not a long stay for him, as does the purposeful stride that brings him into the room, the sweeping look that surveys with a particular target clearly in mind. At a table set off to one corner, there's Shan, one hand propping her head up, the other absently feeding pieces of meat to a small green firelizard that seems to find it amusing to hop onto the Weyrsecond's head at intervals and try hanging upside down to eat. "I swear, when I find Caitlyn. You're going straight back with her." a yawn coming on the heels of that disgruntled mutter. Does Zetia care that her person looks like she hasn't slept in days? Not rightly so. There's food and that's all that matters. With a quick twist of his fingers down the line, N'thei unbuttons his coat and marches directly over to where Shanlee is playing with a firelizard? His steps hesitate about halfway there, he's realized her occupation no doubt, and he continues the rest of the way with a bemused look on his face. "It's a little harder to take you seriously like that. When did that happen?" He points one thick finger at the little creature. It's either what Shan sees as mockery, or simply the fact that she's not very happy with the situation herself, that narrow eyes onto N'thei. "Didn't know you took me seriously in the first place." disgruntlement clear in the light but muzzy tone. A dark look is thrown back over her shoulder where the 'lizard has taken to playing climb the braid, claws digging in and swinging herself up and down the thick length of hair, "Someone I thought to be a friend, figured this would be an amusing gift to me." "Now don't be sore at me because your friend dumped a firelizard on you." N'thei stands safely to the side to watch the braid-climbing, brow raised before a grin spreads. "I kind of envy the little bastard really. I can't tell you how many fantasies I've had about getting tangled in your hair." He flicks his finger at Zetia, well away from a place where they might make contact, then slides on to the seat next to Shanlee's, scoots it closer. "I know I say this a lot, but I need something." Dropping her hand from her head, Shan lifts it and gives N'thei a doleful stare, "I'm sorry. You're right its not your fault I find myself playing babsitter to this." An annoyed tug of braid unsettles Zetia enough to send an irritated squawk to the greenrider "Well then stop mucking about." There's clearly no love lost there. The bronzerider's own take on hair, draws a fine brow upward, "Oh? Really? Please feel free. Anytime you want to have a go at climbing up and down it." facetious the tone, for she knew full well what he'd been referring to. Making a grab behind her the Weyrsecond spends a few minutes trying to disentangle the 'lizard from her hair in order to set it down near the plate, her eyes held on the man scooted over closer to them, "I already spoke to the Headwoman about Amerie." figuring he was about to hound over that. Expression brightened; "Feel free?" N'thei turns like he might indeed avail Shanlee of so open an invitation, but then she furthers her joke and he leans back into his chair with a sigh. "Ah, I see. You were making a joke." Now with idle fingers, he reaches into his jacket pocket to withdraw his ever-present flask, unscrew it, and turn the business end toward Zetia with a tempting waggle, here little 'lizard. "Yes, that's all squared away, and thank you for whatever part you had in it. But what I need now is something a little different. --If you knew someone was doing something wrong for the right reasons, would you feel obligated to turn them in?" Oh shiny. That waggling flask certainly attracts Zetia's attention, and with a hop closer, she's sooner craning her head closer to take a sniff. The fumes of course sending her rolling over backward and shaking her head from side to side to try and rid nostrils of the pungent smell. That amuses Shan, and it's N'thei who's rewarded with a grin for the entertainment provided, "Maybe." She leaves that pretty open on whether she'd been joking or not, as his last has caught her unprepared for such a query. Intent study is made of the bronzerider, her eyes seeking his own for any guile she may find there, "How about you tell me a little more and I'll tell you whether I would or not." A finger lifts to forestall argument "-If- I find it would be something I would feel compelled to act on, I'll stop you before you turn the waters hot. Deal?" N'thei takes a sip, eyes on Zetia, as if to prove the stuff is palatable. Of course, it makes the corners of his eyes water and his breath blow out a little harshly, but he swallows and tips the flask to the firelizard again, help-yourself. "Let's say someone had found a way to... come across some cromcoal. Just enough to ease the winter. But that person needs a little help with the procurement. Would you, for example, know anyone who might be of assistance?" He slides a look just briefly to meet Shanlee's eyes, the usual merriment gone from his own. Zetia's not impressed. Her disdain of N'thei's further offer, evidenced in the haughty about face to present him with her back, deciding that her food was of far more interest then whatever was inside that shiny thing he held. Firelizard the furthest thing from her mind now, Shan listens quietly as the bronzerider speaks, not once calling a halt to him as continues on with further explanation. The idle trace of a long finger around a knot in the wood of the tabletop drawing her attention now, there comes silence, a long silence. And N'thei may think the greenrider to be contemplating acting on turning him in for such talk. However, lips have drawn into a deep smirk, the light in the green eyes lifted to him shone with a fierce light, "'bout sharding time someone did -something-." Leaning back now in her chair, the Weyrsecond affords him an approving nod "If I say I may know someone. It's going to be on one condition that I hand him over to you." A finger lifts "My name is not to ever come into to this. I'll give you whatever help you need as far as my position allows me to." A brow lifts now in query of this being understood. N'thei wears an odd smile as Shanlee proceeds, some expression of tolerance and told-you-so mingled together so that he averts his look from the greenrider. Since it's of no further comical value, he puts away his flask while submitting a slow-and-steady nod. "I won't so much as breathe your name in any of this, my lovely. I'd hate for you to risk that knot of yours." And that's when he exhales a chuckle, finally looks back to her with a resurgence of humor on his face. "All I need right now are people who don't have so much to lose. And I admit that I haven't gone out of my way to make friends here." Shanlee nods just once, her finger waggling toward the flask just as it disappears. With a cant of head to one side, the Weyrsecond offers N'thei a look as if sizing him up, "This knot of mine might just save your backside if you get caught." now both look and tone become pointed in their delivery, as she adds further, "Unless of course you know someone of higher rank that might be interested in saving it?" the query seemingly innocent as there were only two higher then herself and at least one that would be likely to turn a blind eye. Coming back to the one she had in mind for the venture, "He does hold rank. And I for one would prefer he didn't risk it, but he'd have my head for trying to play 'mother' over him." a light smirk touches through. "Why are you doing this? Loyalty to the weyr? Or have you found some way of making profit from it all?" Grinning, unabashed, N'thei answers the first question with a shake of his head and a spark to his smile that has no place in a discussion about saving-his-ass. Her latter question puts a wrinkle in his nose, faint hurt managing to wash in among the grins and chuckles; "Do you really think I'm that mercenary? Just a little faith is too much to ask for?" He holds his fingers a modicum of distance apart, just-a-little, before both hands flatten to the table like he means to push to his feet in a moment now. "Who?" Slight shoulders lift and fall in a shrug, "I'd look for the profit in any venture. Even one that benefits the Weyr." Shan's mouth curls into a crooked grin "But then that's just me." There's still a cast of deliberation that flickers over N'thei, his looking to be leaving doesn't however, earn him a name "He'll find you. If he feels he wants to be involved." unprepared to give up the other without consulting with him first. Zetia must have sated that hunger, for with imperious steps she scuttles up the Weyrsecond's arm and disappears around her neck and under the heavy braid, earning a light scowl for her efforts but not reprimand forthcomin. "But then that's just you." N'thei repeats the shrug back to Shanlee, big shoulders raised helplessly while he straightens to his feet. "I trust you'll be keeping my identity as sacrosanct with him till it's all squared away? And thank you-- whatever way it turns out. I'd just as soon express my gratitude more directly, but you never seem to want to take me up on that. So remind me to buy you a drink or something." Again, he looks at where Zetia's curled up against Shanlee's neck with no small envy. "Mmm, twisted piece of work, aren't I?" Shan returns to N'thei blithely. Where she might otherwise have been tempted to make some wisecrack on keeping the bronzerider's identity under wraps, this is not the time for such mockery's, "You have my word on it, N'thei." Lips curl into an amused pattern over expressions of gratitude "You still got to make it all work bronzerider." Was that a softening on the subject, or simply more taunts? Zetia's starting to get the hang of the way humans twist their faces, and the big human's is met with a deliberately sly rub of her little head against her person's neck. Nyah, nyah - she seems to send back to the man. N'thei comments amiably, brow quirked at the rubbing-it-in Zetia's accomplished, "You two are certainly well-matched." After only a brief hesitation, the desire to linger clear in his posture and the lethargy with which he rebuttons his coat, he lowers a nod to Shanlee and starts off at a jog through the lower caverns, the roundabout way to the bowl. That comment draws a definite scowl from Shan, if she were younger she may even have stuck her tongue out at N'thei. Instead she draws a good facade of cheeriness across her face and wiggles fingers at the bronzerider "Clear skies, bronzerider." Zetia only gets her mouthful from the greenrider once the man has departed "You're a brat. We're nothing alike." |
Leave A Comment