Logs:Escape Offers
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| RL Date: 14 September, 2015 |
| Who: Jo, Mielline |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Mielline has an offer for Jo. |
| Where: Nighthearth, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 24, Month 10, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Irianke/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Taikrin/Mentions, Z'ian/Mentions |
| Storyteller: K'del/ST |
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| Since it's a tiny sort of place, this evening it's only few occupants in the nighthearth. Jo occupies its sole table, lounging back in a chair in her black leathers as she looks over a few sheets of hide in one hand. Her flask and a cooling bowl of stew takes up the tablespace in front of her. While she plays with a writing stylus in the other hand, her bronze fire lizard is in the process of inching closer and closer towards the bowl of stew. Incognito. Mielline, well. She's a woman on a mission, though the moment she's stuck her head into the nighthearth and caught sight of Jo, she seems to have achieved her objective, because all of that fades in to nonchalance. She steps-- glides, really-- towards the hearth, filling her own bowl of stew and then, as she passes, "Oh-- watch you. You might lose your dinner." When Mielline walks in, Jo barely stirs. She flips the current hide sheet to the back of the stack before something said gets her to peek over her hides to find the bronze fire lizard close to landing his claws into her stew. Frowning, she sits up with delivers a strange series of whistles that get him to launch into the air and Between in seconds. "Thanks," she says, slouching back to her previous position and sticking the writing stylus above her ear at the same time. "Slick lil' thing." Dark eyes flick over her current hide - and only a brief moment on Mielline passing her. "Working on something interesting?" Mielline's smile is bright and easy, offered as she sinks into a chair on the opposite side of the table-- perfectly reasonable, really, if one prefers a table to put one's dinner on, and not just an arm rest. "It's Jo, isn't it?" She's still wearing her riding jacket, cheeks pink from the chilly evening. It's the questions. Jo's chin stays down, but her eyes cut from the hides to Mielline's face....and maybe Mielline's chest. It's a quick look, perhaps. She's quiet for only a moment before she slowly straightens her posture and sets her hides aside. It's even angled in a way for Mielline to see: they're drawn maps by hand with some of the topography and areas labeled towards the Fort region. "Mielline, ain' it?" she finally speaks, choosing her claim her flask now that her hands are free. Only a nod serves as confirmation on her name as she now studies the other. "Topography," says Mielline, with some suggestion of genuine surprise and interest. Still, her gaze drops towards her stew, one hand lifting the spoon so that she can take her first bite. She's a left-hander. "Mielline, yes. Snowdrift. Snowdrift since I graduated, much like, I think?, you're Glacier since you did. It's a pity what K'del wants to do... there's so much history in our wings." "Just a hobby," Jo is quick to downplay it all with a shrug. "I was in the area hittin' up this girl. My dragon thought it'd be interestin' to draw the area on our way out." She says it as if other people do it, and it's not something she lingers on. She drinks from her flask as she watches the other, and there's just the bare glimmer of a frown touching her face the more she listens. "Z'ian was with ya. I remember," she states, but it's her last that has her in pause. "K'del," she drops the name, and her tone seems to drop towards a cooler range, too. "What're ya talkin' 'bout?" Mielline's gaze keeps sliding back towards those maps, but she doesn't comment on them again. Instead, "Z'ian was-- is-- a good rider." But Glacier? "I know K'del's plans are to cut down on wings, now that we're heading further into the Interval. Which... look, I don't disagree. We have too many, and not enough riders to fill them, for all that it's a shame. But I hate the thought of losing Glacier-- it used to be the Weyrleader's Wing!-- and given K'del's history with Taikrin..." She shrugs. "He's going to shake things up. He can transfer wingriders wherever he likes." "He is," Jo agrees in earnest on Z'ian's behalf, studying Mielline's face. "He's doin' well down south still." Glacier's fate has most of her attention, though, the convict rider being slow to lean back in her seat with both hands gripping that flask as she listens. "Why would he get rid of Glacier - the fuck?" she stops herself, looking off to the side for the moment. Clearly she's disturbed by what she's hearing. Back to Mielline, "Glacier....is Glacier," she says slowly. "Does Taikrin know 'bout this? She wouldn' let this happen. Nah, she wouldn' let this happen. Not on her watch." In fact, she looks ready to launch herself from that chair and out towards to bowl to find her. She looks ready to fight someone, if the heavier breathing is any indication. "There's other wings to get rid of," she notes quickly. "But just cuz...? Wait," and now her focus is solely back on the Acting Weyrleader sitting before her. "Why're ya tellin' me this?" she now asks in pause - her suspicion heavy in her sharp gaze. "Stop," says Mielline, raising one hand. "Please. I'm sorry. I didn't tell you that to upset you. I said it to make a point. K'del can do what he likes; he's the Weyrleader. Chances are, Glacier is on the cutting block, Taikrin will be demoted, and the rest of you will be sent to wherever K'del wants you... his own wing, if he likes. Under close supervision, if he likes. I don't like the idea of it being a surprise. I remember when Snowstrike was disbanded; it sucked, for a lot of people." Jo's still breathing heavily, and she's still looking like that flask she's holding is the only thing keeping her in that chair. "But....he wouldn'," she's trying to say - perhaps to convince her own self. The 'close supervision' bit, along with being transferred to K'del's own wing has her stating, "'Less he's interested in my bedmates every night.....he wouldn' want me in his wing." She looks mulish. "Most folks don'. That goes for 'bout half of my wingmates. Stickin' us in some random wing might only make us cause more problems. 'Least we listen to Taikrin'n she's a damn good wingleader to us. He should see that before cuttin' us into wings we don' want." Pause. "What does Irianke think of this?" she suddenly asks. "Or it might spread you out and make you easier to control. Easier to... ignore." Mielline leans back in her chair, now paying no attention at all to her food. "Irianke thinks you have potential. I don't think she wants to see you end up in a dead-end wing with no prospects. And-- look. I don't know that Glacier is on K'del's list, but I know he has a list. He'll be back in days, and once he is..." "No one controls me," Jo drops that like a stone. "Not even in Glacier, darlin'." She cuts her gaze away on that answer on Irianke, her frown more pronounced on her face as she takes a heavy drink from her flask. "The potential for what, is more the question," she murmurs, looking back at Mielline. "So, what?" she asks now, her tone all business. "Yer tellin' me to leave Glacier now, based on some list that my wing might not be on? Leave for what? Go where? I mean, not that I haven' been asked to transfer by a couple, but," and she gives a shake of her head and cold, disbelieving chuckle, "while I might be known to be a gamblin' girl..." "Me." Mielline lets that hang in the air for a moment. "I need a wingsecond. I need someone who can think outside the box, who isn't stuck with how things 'should' be. Who has skills that aren't run-of-the-mill. Snowdrift is agile. I want new ideas, people willing to push limits and keep up with what's going on around the area." Her words are calm and and even; this is no call-to-emotion. "While I Act for K'del, I can offer this. After he's back... it doesn't matter who else might want you; if he doesn't approve, he won't let you go." There's a heavy frown as Jo falls silent, regarding the Acting Weyrleader steadily as she speaks. Towards the end, something said raises an open brow as she says, "I'll push yer limits," and it's easy to detect the innuendo coupled in with its other sobering meaning. "I'm a lot to take on," she notes briskly. "Most of us in Glacier got reputations. Yer wing ain' gonna be happy with ya bringin' on some slutty-alleged-thief from an allegedly troubled wing. Regardless of what ya think I can do for yer wing." There's a pointed look towards Mielline for that. There's a long pause before she states, "He might not get rid of Glacier. Leavin' it....none of this seems right." "Don't underestimate me," returns the elder of the two blueriders, with a look that holds with it a backbone of steel. "Or Snowdrift. I won't deny, it'll be an adjustment. But my wing? They trust me. And I happen to think you're exactly the person we need." She leans forward, now, pressing both hands flat upon the surface of the table. "He might not. But I can guarantee, as long as you stay in the safety of Glacier, all you'll ever be is 'Taikrin's little convict.' I think it's time to stretch your wings, before K'del clips them." A pause. "Look. If you don't want it, I'll accept that. I could forcibly transfer you to my wing, but I'd rather build a working relationship with you. Snowdrift needs unconventional people, with unconventional pasts." The warning seems to be something more that Jo is looking for since there's only the crack of a smirk coming through from the frown that's been plastered on her face. Holding the flask with one hand, "You may think the wing needs me," she notes. "I'm not so convinced." There's an unmistakable 'yet' hanging, unspoken, between them. She considers Mielline's words on being Taikrin's little convict with a thin-lipped stare going her way. "Safety, ya say," she chooses to pick on. "Ya think I hide behind Taikrin's ass. Interestin'." There's a shift of her jaw as she drinks. It's like a twitch. It's not subtle. The next moment of silence is a long one from her as she now considers the surface of her flask rather than the other bluerider, seeming to be mulling over her words. Then, "I've gotta consider some things first," she allows, meeting her gaze once more. "I'll need to see how yer wing operates. Ain' promisin' anythin'," she's quick to add. "I dunno ya well, but I haven' heard anythin' bad 'bout ya." "No," says Mielline. "I don't think you hide at all. But I don't think being in Glacier is letting you be everything you could be, as a rider. You're loyal; I value that. It's important. I just don't think Glacier challenges you... and maybe you decide you don't want to be challenged, and that's fine." Both hands lift. "It's not my place to tell you what you should be. I only offer the option." Finally, Snowdrift's wingleader nods. "I can show you my plans. R'vel's, too. You'd be welcome to join our drills in the morning. But-- I can't hold this offer open forever." She stands, now, picking up her bowl as she does. "Think about it." The smirk is gone and now Jo is back to frowning - but, at least the need tofight someone seems to have passed. The frown seems to look more thoughtful rather than completely combative now. Nodding once, "Those plans, yeah," she agrees to that. "I'll stop by yer drills. But yeah.....I'll think 'bout it." She now looks toward her cold bowl of stew briefly before watching Mielline stand. "Guess I'll be seein' ya, then," she says since she looks to be leaving, the convict rider leaning forward to reclaim her drawn maps. Mielline's expression is nothing but business-like. "That's all I ask," she says, simply, before she gathers up the rest of her things and takes her leave.
K'del's not even back at the Weyr, yet, and he's already the subject of some serious accusations: according to Taikrin, who has been telling anyone who will listen, he has a hit list of wings he intends to shut down or merge, and her Glacier is at the top of it. Where that information comes from is less certain; so is the accuracy (or otherwise) of it. Still, it's a volatile issue for many dragonriders, and the susurrus of consternation is spreading. >------------------------------< Day 27, Month 9, Turn 38 of Interval 10 >---< |
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Comments
Edyis (21:27, 14 September 2015 (PDT)) said...
I think... I may actually be terrified of Mielline. Just a bit.
Irianke (21:39, 14 September 2015 (PDT)) said...
Alida (00:51, 15 September 2015 (PDT)) said...
Alida: Glacier?!?! Nuuuuuuuuuu! Jo?!?! Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!
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