Logs:Flattery
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| RL Date: 17 January, 2013 |
| Who: H'vier, Kinory |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: The newly transferred H'vier interrupts Kinory's studious breakfast. |
| Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 26, Month 10, Turn 30 (Interval 10) |
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| Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr(#350RJs) Stalactites hang high above this enormous cavern like a jagged chandelier or an inversion of the Spires themselves, but shadows cling to them instead of light. Below lie great tables arranged in rows, each large enough to serve a fighting wing, while in the nooks and alcoves around the cavern's edge sit more sensibly-sized tables, from six- and eight-seaters down to intimate spots for just a couple of diners. The only really open space is around the kitchen entrance, smelling of food and rarely quiet, and by the nearby serving tables with their long buffet of the day's offerings. Tapestries on the smooth walls -- some faded and others newly woven -- only slightly mute the sea of sound when a meal is in full swing, but they add cheerfulness augmented by the glowlight from wall sconces and the centerpieces of each table. Still, shadows always creep along the ceiling and into the mouths of the exits -- the myriad small hallways at one end of the cavern and, at the other, the twisting tunnel to the bowl near an array of coathooks and and hatracks -- and late at night, when the glows are allowed to dim, the chamber can seem very dark indeed.
H'vier is a large, broad man. The sort of guy that stands out; and probably moreso because he's still sporting a pretty decent tan from the Weyr he's recently transferred from. He already looks comfortably at home here in the living cavern, though, walking with a roll turned into a sandwich in one hand and a mug in the other. Plates are for other people, evidently. There are plenty of places H'vier could sit, plenty of people he could sit with, but in the end it's across from Kinory that he settles, taking a bite of his sandwich and setting his mug down. "I'm dying to know what's more interesting than one of those pastries. I had two. They're amazing." Startled, Kinory's chin lifts from her studies - which, upon a closer glance, appear to be on various standard wing formations and notes about the functions available at each position, if the circles and arrows are any indication. Wide, dark eyes stare at H'vier. Where did he come from? "I, " she begins automatically, clearly a little flustered, "um. They're not. More interesting, that is. Just more important at the moment." She does, however, slowly push the stack to one side in favor of taking a nibble of the pastry that comes so highly recommended. "Thanks for interrupting me, though. I might have forgotten to eat before our hour for breakfast was up." Her rueful, tentative smile suggests that this wouldn't be a first occurrence. "That brain of yours isn't good for much if you don't feed it," H'vier says as though this is something he's had to tell someone more than should be strictly necessary. He takes another bite of his own breakfast and leans forward to glance over whichever notes are most visible, nodding his head in a slow, absent way that might suggest he understands. "One of many talents of mine. Interrupting. I wouldn't worry about this stuff too much, you know. It'll all be second nature by the time you're done. Not that you'll ever really need to use it." "It seems important enough, " shrugs the young brownrider. "I'd rather know it and not need it than find that I need it and - not know it. I want to do things right." There's a resolved, slight emphasis there. Starry-eyed idealism, perhaps, but her quick change in subject and even quicker, slight frown suggest otherwise. "Sorry. I'm sure you're right. Second nature." She's a bit awkward. "Did you make that? I didn't see a sandwich like that up there." "You should know it." No question about that, obviously. But H'vier lets the subject change without protest, glancing at his sandwich as he takes another bite and nodding his head once he has. "Aye. Flattery gets you everywhere in the kitchen." That or being persistent and annoying gets you sandwich fixings. It's usually easier to give people like H'vier what they want so they'll move along and let you get back to whatever you were doing. "H'vier, by the way," he introduces himself to the small woman without offering his hand or anything. Kinory's laughter is small and rather contained, much like its owner. "I suppose it does, although I've always gone for the route of being just polite and asking." She studies the bronzerider between pastry bites, hastily wiping the crumbs from her mouth with tiny dabs of a napkin as he introduces himself. "Oh, it's nice to meet you, H'vier. I'm Kinory, Ineuth's rider. Weyrling. You know, " and one of her hands makes a vague motion, accompanied by a sheepish smile. "Reisoth's," he adds with a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. "A pleasure, Kinory." H'vier takes a drink from his mug once his sandwich is all gone, lifting a hand to make sure there aren't any crumbs lingering in his short beard. "Being polite and asking isn't so different from flattery if you do it right. The key is to mean what you say. Makes the other person feel good. Can brighten their whole day." There's an easy wink to go along with what he says, like he's giving her some incredibly valuable life lesson from his own experiences. If Kinory's dusky cheeks flush a tiny bit during H'vier's explanation, perhaps her frequent drinks of warm klah could be to blame. "That's true, " she allows after a bit, brow furrowing a little after his easy wink. "Some of us just aren't very good at doing that, I guess, " she says at last. Her mouth soundlessly forms the proper syllables for 'Reisoth, ' ending with a questioning look. "Which wing do you and Reisoth fly in? Do you like it?" "Some of you don't really need to be very good at it. People just want to be nice to you." H'vier is smiling properly, if thoughtfully, now. It doesn't matter if his assessment is accurate for anyone else, that must just be how he feels about it. "We fly with Avalanche. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it yet. Do you all," weyrlings, presumably, "get some say on where you're placed once you graduate these days? It's been a long time since I did." And probably a long time since he's given any thought to much that has to do with weyrlings in general. Kinory easily returns that proper smile with a pretty one of her own. "Avalanche, " she repeats. "I watch them drill, sometimes. All of the wings, I mean. It's a bit early yet for me to be wondering about where Ineuth and I will end up, but - I'd like to be prepared." Both shoulders lift in a classic, 'who knows?' "I don't know how much say we'll get. I'd like to think, though, that if we have a preference, that'll get taken into account. It seems more realistic that we'll get placed wherever another brownrider is most needed. There's just the one of us in this class." "Fortunately 'need' is a little more flexible these days." H'vier takes another drink from his mug as he studies Kinory like he's running through some mental checklist. "There's no reason not to give you preference these days. There wasn't really much need when I graduated, either, but old habits die hard, yeah? Being prepared is good. But don't forget to have fun sometimes." He has clearly decided that Fun isn't exactly Kinory's middle name. "Maybe so, but I think there are still needs in some roles for stamina over ultimate maneuverability. Or at least, that's my hope, " Kinory says frankly. "We like to fly, and that's fun." Nope, definitely not her middle name. "You say 'these days' as if you graduated in an almost completely different time. It can't have been that long ago." Can it? How old are you? Polishing off what's left of her now-cold pastry, she adds, "You were right; these are quite good." "Not that long ago. About," H'vier pauses to consider. Counting in his head is probably not one of his strongest skills. "Fifteen turns or so now. So not a completely different time, no. I suppose I'm... well, it all starts to seem a little foolish when none of us will ever be proper dragonriders, doesn't it?" H'vier watches her as he says that, arching one of his brows just slightly as though he's curious how she'll react. Math isn't one of Kinory's strong points, either, but she can at least add fifteen and twentyish and squint out a general estimate of how old the man is. "We're proper dragonriders, " she replies. "Okay, sure, there's no Thread - but we're still part of something unique and challenging. Different. Inspirational. Children still grow up wanting to be dragonriders." Matter-of-factly, she stacks her notes neatly together. "Ineuth says they're calling us in for our morning lecture. I should probably get going. It - it was really nice to meet you. H'vier." H'vier smiles at her like what she's saying is something he misses believing himself before it's gone and he offers a small nod with no argument to the rest. He makes no move to get up himself just yet, either. "You, too, Kinory. You, too. Enjoy your lecture, yeah?" His dark eyes have already shifted away, though. Looking for his next target? Looking for something, anyway. |
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