Logs:Not Why But How
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 2 July, 2015 |
| Who: Ebeny, X'vin |
| Involves: Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Ebeny has some things to say about X'vin taking one of her assistants; and some threats; and some promises. |
| Where: Weyrlingmaster's Office, Fort Weyr |
| When: Day 26, Month 2, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: T'rev/Mentions, N'muir/Mentions, W'leri/Mentions |
  |
>---< Weyrlingmaster's Office, Fort Weyr(#576RJhs$) >------------------------< This small cavern opens off the Complex and serves as a more private meeting space for small groups of the weyrlings and an office space for the Weyrlingmaster. Just within the door, an oval table set about with six chairs is kept stocked with mugs and a fresh pitcher of water and carafe of klah. A blackboard hangs on the wall to the left of the table, often marked with notes or diagrams from lessons. Past the blackboard, a broad-topped desk is arranged with two comfortable chairs in front to welcome guests, while a sturdy, straight-backed and only lightly-padded chair sits behind the desk for the Weyrlingmaster's use. The desk boasts many drawers and a blotter top. A shelf hangs from the wall above and to one side of the desk, extra storage space for stacks of vellum, ink and pens, sealing wax and other odds and ends. Against the back wall a subtly set door leads the way into the Weyrlingmaster's personal weyr. -----------------------------< Active Players >----------------------------- Ebeny F 43 6'0 hourglass, black hair, green eyes 5m X'vin M 32 6'3" muscular, black hair, brown eyes 0s With two weyrling classes in training, seeing the Weyrlingmaster these days without a recently-Impressed rider or young dragon at her heels is quite a rare occurrence. Rumours even suggest that she's taken to sleeping in her office, on occasion, no matter that her weyr is next door. If Laurienth has a rare moment or more alone, and if she's been settled outside the weyrling complex, trying to idly catch glimpses of Besmernyth whenever she can, it surely can't mean anything good, given the green's notorious temper. She doesn't reach out with words, but she sends the occasional, unpredictable screech of strings his way, though whether they're meant as a warning or taunt is not particularly clear. Besmernyth is not hard to spot, distinct bag of skin and bones that he is, but he does not linger in the bowl beyond his obvious duties; further, he does not give Laurienth the attention she desires, and indeed it seems half of his duties have been to ignore her, even when he chooses to hunker down outside of the weyrling barracks to poke at her charges, not always as gently as he should. It's some time before he apparently relays these occurences to his rider, and Laurienth gets an icy, « Your problem is not with me, » and the sound of heavy doors slamming in great halls. Her strings will meet static silence after that, though the benefit is that X'vin appears, looking content despite what has apparently been perceived as summons. He raps gently on Ebeny's doorframe to announce himself, inquiring, "Weyrlingmaster?" « But you are a problem. » Laurienth cares not for a response; she's stated all she needs to in that moment of communication, unstable electric current running beneath the twisting shriek of sound that punctuates her words. It's plainly not Besmernyth's attention that she's after, since those off-key sounds from her don't abate for some time, whatever she may meet. Perhaps she simply enjoys attempting to be irritating. Within the weyrling complex, there's a pillow on the Weyrlingmaster's desk, stashed there temporarily, for all it may be perceived that the greenrider has been napping in her chair. Ben sits back in said chair as X'vin's voice registers, the greeting she has for him a stare that could easily be weary or just bored. "Apparently they taught you some kind of manners, wherever you started out..."
"Very clearly only some kind..." is all Ebeny immediately summons, low-voiced, in response, her lack of interest in his story just about as clear as Laurienth's lack of investment in drawing forth a reply. She looks X'vin up and down, assessing and dismissive all at once, or maybe it truly is the exhaustion that casts shadows across her pale features that eliminates much of the expressive from her face. "I'm wondering if the fact that you didn't have the courtesy to ask before reknotting one of my assistants means I need to escalate the matter higher, or if we can work it out between us." The lack of surprise on his face suggests he anticipated this, at some point. His smile dilutes minimally, which actually is possibly not an improvement. It just makes him look smug. "I apologize the work didn't suit him," X'vin tenders, sounding not sorry at all. "But you can imagine my surprise to find him taken in the first place, when the wing records I was given still listed him as my 'second. I did give him a choice - but I think weyrlingmastering doesn't suit him. I'm sure you realized it." Still not an apology, still steady gazed. "But certainly, we can work it out. Unless my keeping him is cause for escalation. I'm afraid I won't be able to bend on it. He belongs with Flint." "I wonder if he knows that you speak for him?" Ben shrugs, the gesture echoed in the brief flare of one hand. "I get it, if that's why you need him. If he's not going to stand up to or argue with you, well, you've got someone who's in no danger of getting your knot, right? He'll be a useful lackey for you, that way." The shrug is in her tone alone this time, in the up-tilt of her voice. "You can keep him," she states, giving an idle flick of her fingers. "I'm not interested in anyone who can't commit. He'll have an easier time with you. But now I'm out an assistant, and your example is a poor one for the weyrlings." "I think he'd agree," asserts the foreign rider with a shrug on her first point. "He made the decision himself, after all; I didn't hold him down and pin that knot to his shoulder." He shifts slightly, regarding her with a slight narrowing of the eyes. "I have to wonder where you you got that impression from," X'vin muses, sounding like her words might have genuinely hurt him. "Is that what you saw, when you took him? A man without ambition?" It must be rhetorical, because he moves beyond that with, "Maybe you can just spin it as it is: you borrowed him, and now he's needed back, in his proper wing. Having him split his time does neither of us any good." And now comes the apology. "I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you, but you do have a veritable army of assistants in the wings." "I think it's time you stopped putting words in people's mouths. T'rev was well-liked in the role you've claimed, and if I'm just the first of the people you're going to attempt to undermine, you're not going to survive long with that knot." Another flick of her fingers, this time towards X'vin's shoulder. "Let me be clear: I don't sign up anyone to assist with vulnerable dragons and weyrlings against their will. That's a conversation for you to have with your wingsecond. The /what/ isn't my issue, but the /how/." Ebeny shakes her head a little, then sits forward in her chair. "I don't know how it works where you came from, but I've got a good working relationship with the Wingleaders here. I see appropriate fits and talent well-placed when weyrlings graduate. We can either work together above board and communicate appropriately, or things can get decidedly muddy." X'vin's eyebrows become mobile and expressive at the threats, arching high across his forehead with surprise. Something is tense and staticy in his delivery. "In the interest of not putting words in anyone's mouth, I won't dare to hazard a guess as to why so many people seem so highly suspicious of me, and the role N'muir saw fit to give me. Yourself included. I'm sure you got T'rev's blessing to borrow one of his riders for your program, while he still led Flint. I saw the need to revoke that, as wingleader, but I am sorry to not have come to you regarding my decision." His head tilts slightly. "Communication goes both ways, Weyrlingmaster, but if you want to work above board, as you say -- I'd suggest you leave your threats behind. They have no place in civil discourse. Flint is already difficult; you'd be doing your weyrlings more a disservice to place them with me out of spite, and I imagine we'd manage regardless." He lets that sit for a moment, before adding, more gently, an olive branch, "But my hope is this miscommunication doesn't have to sour our relationship, as new as it is." "I don't make threats." It's that simple, Ebeny's faint smile a touch too sharp and one that doesn't suit her at all. "Why in Faranth's name would I place weyrlings with you?" 'At all' could well fill the brief silence that follows, though she doesn't allow it to settle. "But it's nice that you think that that's the worst that could happen. Ultimately, I'm in a better position to help you than most people are, your fellow Wingleaders included. Weyrlings don't usually suffer the pre-conceived notions that you're already aware of. If people are suspicious of you now, maybe it's because their first encounters with you have been like mine. You want new talent to balance out any dissent, then we need to work together to make it happen. They need to want you too." Her head tilts the tiniest bit. "Acceptable?" X'vin's snorting sound falls just short of a laugh. "I'd thought it was just because Fort's riders are more suspicious than I recall them being, even in the face of polite company. No wonder there are problems elsewhere." He doesn't deign to defend his first meetings with other people - which have been fine, thank you - in favor of deciding, agreeably, "I'm willing to work with you. I'm sorry you slipped through the cracks in my haste to sort out new business." He drops his chin, almost contrite. "I do need to get back, though. I'm guessing we both have our plates full." There's a meaningful look at her pillow again, and he gives her a quick nod before he steps out again, to weave his way through weyrlings and back to the bowl. |
Comments
Alida (02:29, 3 July 2015 (MDT)) said...
Hoo-HOO! Fort's going to have a rather 'interesting' underbelly.
Leave A Comment