Logs:Methods of Succession
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| RL Date: 1 January, 2015 |
| Who: K'del, R'hin |
| Type: [[Concept:{{{type}}}|{{{type}}}]] |
| What: Igen Hold. Igen Weyr. Others. |
| Where: Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 12, Month 9, Turn 36 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Aughan/Mentions, F'rain/Mentions, Farideh/Mentions, Joremy/Mentions, Nimae/Mentions, Tiriana/Mentions, Yuliye/Mentions |
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>---< Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr(#555RJ) >----------------------------------<
The Snowasis is rarely quiet, and even then, the high-ceilinged former
weyr is kept from echoing by the fantastical booths tucked into its
convoluted perimeter. The secluded seating spaces have been shaped from
the truncated stalagmites that escaped the smoothing of the main floor,
and are both softened and separated by colorful hangings that are thick
and opaque enough to make each corner its own private nook.
Some of the smaller stalactites still roam the ceiling, their jagged teeth
tracing a bumpy, inverted spine to the hearth. There, a thick rug with a
low klah table and comfortable armchairs and couches sit, their upholstery
and cushions changed sporadically to match the season: bright, light
colors in the summer, fresh greens and yellows in the spring, warm
autumnals in fall, and clear, rich hues for winter. Small tables litter
the rest of the cavern, enough to fit up to four people each, while stools
stand along the smooth wooden bar behind which is the passthrough window
to the kitchen. Glass-paneled cabinetry behind the bar provides a clear
view of the available liquors, the many colors reflecting the soft light
of glows tucked into strategic niches around the cavern.
-----------------------------< Active Players >-----------------------------
K'del M 34 6'4" slender, toffee hair, baby blue eyes 0s
R'hin M 52 6'1 lean, sandy hair, pale blue eyes 6s
----------------------------------< Exits >---------------------------------
Hallway Patio Ledge
>-------------------------------------< 12D 9M 36T I10, autumn afternoon >---< Despite the hint of autumn chill in the air, the weather's nice enough, today, that a fair few Snowasis visitors have taken their drinks out to the patio; with the doors flung wide, the cheerful buzz of their conversations filters back indoors to the otherwise quieter interior. Unusually, a group of Taiga riders have congregated here, as evening approaches, rather than their more usual haunt in the lounge; there's a game of darts in progress, pitchers of beer upon the table, and, off to one side, K'del - still a member of the wing even if he's no longer its Wingsecond - who watches, beer in hand, and a few hides hastily piled together in front of him. It's perhaps by habit that R'hin enters the Snowasis from the back entrance, wearing leather flying gear. He's still even stripping gloves off as he makes his way to the bar, leaning there for a moment, flirting with the barmaid -- and while her back is turned to get him a drink -- pale gaze roves across the area, taking note of the Taiga riders over at the darts board and inevitably settling on the Weyrleader. With a quiet laugh at the barmaid as she delivers his mug, there's an exchange of coins before the Wingleader heads over to K'del's table. "You know, it defeats the purpose of being sociable," he says by way of greeting, gesturing towards the hides, though his amused gaze is on the Weyrleader's wingmates rather than the man himself. "I just came because I needed a beer to get through this stuff; they interrupted me." K'del's not complaining, though, not given the cheerful amusement in his tone, or the friendly way he turns his head to grin at R'hin. "Though if we're being honest, we can probably deduce from that that what I really needed was a break; bringing work with me was all a ruse. How's business, R'hin?" He gestures towards the empty seats around him; a silent, but obvious, invitation to join. "Ahh. Pretending to look busy in front of the masses. I remember that trick," R'hin is probably joking, but then again -- he looks casual enough as he drops into a seat near enough to comfortably talk. That it also lets him glance at the top of the pile of hides is probably deliberate, too. "You know," with a knowing sort of grin, "Keeping myself busy. Igen's interesting," he says, with a tone that suggests it's as much personal interest as it is interest on behalf of the Weyr. "Nabol's keeping us busy, but Tillek's quiet for a change." K'del's expression remains unchanged for that first remark; if it really is a trick he employs, he's keeping it quiet. The hides are, in fact, all about Nabol: from the look of it, Tevrane has been producing reports from her end, and here they are, High Reaches' business. No doubt that's the reason for K'del's wrinkled nose over R'hin's mention of the hold in question, although it's for Igen that he actually focuses his attention. "Got to admit, I do wonder what's been going on behind the scenes down there. Igen, I mean." Casually gulping a mouthful of his beer, R'hin's gaze doesn't linger overly long on those hides, though there might be a hint of amused approval as he settles in. "Judging by the mood of the crowd, it was more of a popularity vote than anything. I wonder how popular Joremy will be once he has to make the hard decisions, and he no longer has the time to humor the disenfranchised. To hear Farideh tell it, Joremy wasn't the sort she'd expect to be a usurper, but..." he gives a rueful shrug. "I'd imagine he didn't do it alone." K'del is silent for a moment. Then, "You were there." Not a question; mostly, he sounds thoughtful - interested, but without intensity. "You wouldn't have known Yuliye, would you? Personally, I mean. The whole 'help the downtrodden' thing is traditionally her kind of thing. Not so much while she was at High Reaches Hold, but definitely back at Crom. Wonder what that says about it, really; when she is in power, it doesn't matter so much?" A pause, and then, as he brings his mug up towards his mouth, "Farideh?" "The amount of guards that circulated made it feel less like a gather, and more like..." R'hin trails off, trying to figure out what the best description might be, finally flicking his fingers, shaking his head, and taking a large gulp of beer. K'del's mention of Yuliye has him tipping his head in sudden interest. "No," he acknowledges, with a thoughtful twitch of lips. "Appearances are everything when you're trying to change the status quo." A beat, while he says, of Farideh, "She's related to Igen's Blood. Nervous about being dragged back and married off, it seems." Yuliye's thoughtfulness shifts into a wrinkled nose and a dubious, "Igen's Blood. Great. Wish the Blood would stay well and truly away." He drowns that comment out with another sip from his drink, focusing back upon the other topic with more interest. "it's interesting, isn't it? And people think the way we pick Weyrleaders is crazy. Seriously, though... Yu being involved - Yuliye, I mean -" Because otherwise that might sound really confusing, "Just makes it more interesting. She's... much smarter than she looks, I think. Don't know much about Joremy, but Yuliye will manipulate most things to get what she wants. Most people." With a low chuckle, R'hin seems to agree with a gulp from his mug after a lift of it as if in silent toast. "Could be useful, if you keep her away from a dragon." A twitch of brows displays momentary surprise from the Wingleader at that more casual address for the former Lady. "Sounds like you know Yuliye well, to suspect her involvement? I'd have thought she'd be at High Reaches Hold, given Braeden's ongoing involvement there." Given his latter explanation, the Weyrleader's receiving a very thoughtful look from R'hin, who is no doubt making some assumptions about now. "And," after a pause, "What does she want?" "The last thing I want is more stray Bloods on dragons," promises K'del, nose wrinkled with disapproval. He leans back in his chair, then, gaze dropping towards his drink rather than linger upon the other bronzerider. "She and I knew each other, for a while, when she was living here at the Weyr." Knew each other. "We've not spoken in turns, though, not since long before she married Braeden. Heard she's been at Igen a lot lately; that's about all I know for sure." As for what she wants? "She wanted Crom, back then, I think. And not as a wife; in her own right. Now..." he shrugs. The noise in the back of R'hin's throat is probably approval. Pale gaze flickers over the occupants nearby before shifting back towards the Weyrleader. "Crom's out, with Aughan finally having a male heir," he agrees, rubbing knuckles along his chin, thoughtfully. "At Igen, hm? Well, hopefully Igen means out of our hair -- it's Nimae's problem." Not F'rain's, perhaps notably. "At least they've had a gold there. They should be happy." "Nimae's problem," K'del repeats - and then he laughs. "Mm. Exactly so. You've got to wonder what Braeden thinks, but... I'm glad someone else's holds are doing weird things; it's much more fun, looking in from the outside of it all." He lifts his drink as he says that, taking another long swig from the mug. "They're doing well on the gold front," he agrees. "Igen. They've got to be pleased with that, you're right. Nimae will manage whatever kind of a Weyrleader she has." "Weird things," R'hin echoes, with a much drier tone, "You mean Hold things. If I were a Lord Holder, I'm sure I'd spent all my time trying to keep my relatives busy with... something to stop them wondering how they can get to the top. At least Weyrleader is a -- mostly -- transparent process, as random as it is." The mostly said with a wry twitch of lips. "She might wish for a stronger one if things keep up the way they are for Igen's area." For that, K'del's expression turns mildly amused; he acknowledges the correction with a twist of his mouth and a forward tipping of his head. Hold things. Indeed. "F'rain's a good two turns older than I was when I ended up High Reaches' Weyrleader. I forget that, sometimes, you know? It's easy to dismiss him, even though I hated the way people dismissed me, way back then. Nimae's got about as much sympathy as Tiriana... but at least Nimae is smarter." With a shake of head, R'hin counters, "But he is not--" for once, he pauses, picking his words carefully, "I've had a couple of beers with him. Under a different Weyrwoman he'd probably learn well, but I doubt Nimae will give him the room needed to do so. He's too... timid," comes his summation of Igen's Weyrleader. "And Nimae too used to running things. She'll run roughshod over him. Of course," with a grin that is slyly suggestive, "Start to have a few casual beers with him yourself. I'm sure he'd appreciate the companionship of a current Weyrleader." "From one boy Weyrleader to another?" K'del's tone is amused, but thoughtfully so; clearly, he's giving this some serious thought. "Nimae's-- mm. No, you're right. She's the wrong Weyrwoman altogether for this. At least Tiriana inspired me to be better, because--" Because. He straightens, blue eyes wandering towards the still-in-progress dart game, and then further around the room. "At least High Reaches was my home. Coming into that position in a foreign Weyr'd be just awful." R'hin gives a rueful chuckle and a gesture of his fingers as if to say, just so. "I'd suggested he ask Cora if he can transfer at least a couple of friendly faces from Benden, but I think he's too intimidated to ask Nimae. Maybe having a junior whom his dragon is sire to will help, though -- she'll be closer to his age." K'del's nod is slow, though it pauses halfway and he says, "Just as long as it doesn't make Nimae resent her new junior-- make her think F'rain is trying to manipulate her onto his side, or something." He makes a face, then. "It's awful, really. The politics between two people who can't manage to communicate, but theoretically have to work with each other. Normal, par for the course, but... still." "I don't think it's much of a win-win situation for F'rain at all. But at least he'd have some internal support." R'hin's draining his mug, while pale eyes settle back on K'del after perusing the room at large, "You'd probably have some stories to share on the communication part, no?" he says, somewhat ruefully. "It's one of the reasons I've always doubted the for the good of the Weyr argument of the randomness of Weyrleaders' flights -- it's rarely done to benefit the people who actually have to work together." K'del's, "Yes," could well be in answer to any of what R'hin has said - perhaps even all of it. But he shakes his head, glances down at his drink, and then sets it carefully back upon the table, keeping clear of his reports. "I'm never quite sure what I think about it. We've seen too many cases of flights not going to plan, or... pairings that just don't work." "Sounds," R'hin says, all too casually, "Rather like many cases of Impression, too." K'del does not share that casualness; he freezes, then takes in a deep breath, holding it for several seconds. When he finally exhales, he admits, "Not sure I care to think about that." Even so, there's doubt in his voice. "Hard not to, after a while," R'hin continues in that casual tone, even if his voice is low. "Hard not to wonder at the dragons' choices." He's well aware of the change of mood that he's caused, and with a grunt, stands. "Should leave you to it," he nods towards the hides, and there's a flicker of a smile there. Plainly, K'del's thoughts are far from this table, this bar, this moment; it takes him a few seconds to even react to the rest of what R'hin has said, gaze darting up in apparent surprise. "Oh-- yes. Suppose so." He gives the other rider a quick nod. "Talk to you soon, I'm sure." R'hin doesn't seem to expect an immediate response, if any -- he's already heading away from the table by the time the Weyrleader responds. But then, abrupt departures aren't exactly out of the norm for the Savannah Wingleader. |
Contents
Comments
Satiet (11:43, 2 January 2015 (EST)) said...
There is so much political goodness I love about this scene.
Roz (11:53, 2 January 2015 (EST)) said...
I'm going to have to agree. I love the WL-on-WL chats, about worldwide politics. Awesome.
Tela (16:54, 8 January 2015 (EST)) said...
The stories, the stories. Politics and perspective and things coming around, I love it.
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