10% summer bonus.
RL Date: 5/27/08
IC Date: 7/11/16
Common Room, High Reaches Weyr(#868RIJLs)
This small cavern has the crisp smells of a recent cleaning, mingled with its more usual smells of klah, woodsmoke, and people. Baskets of glows are scattered about the room, lighting up dark corners and generally providing a cozy atmosphere. Several chairs sit at a large, round table, and more chairs are against the walls, waiting for use. A large, soft fur is spread out in front of a small stone hearth which keeps the cavern warm for its occupants.
Evening, not late yet and much of the Weyr is outside enjoying the warm weather. Milani'd likely usually be out there too, except she's got plans for the evening given her getup. She's paused at the bottom of the balcony to pull the back strap of her shoe back on with a quiet oath. "Stupid shoes," she mutters to herself and tucks back a loose strand of hair. Hayda steps out of her office looking a little careworn and spots the young woman, waves her over. "Milani, a word?" A brief purse of lips shows Milani's opinion of 'a word' but she steps over dutifully and lends her attention to the Headwoman, nodding a few times. "Certainly, I'll take care of it before I go, Headwoman."
N'thei's sunk down in a chair, neither enjoying the weather nor particularly enjoying his current company but the looks of things. The old woman across from him chews his ear off about this, that, and the other; she's plump, pleasant, familiar to almost everyone as a tremendous gossip, and she's gotten time with the weyrleader, so she's exploiting it. While she gabs, he glances up, attention caught-- by Milani's dress? By Hayda's presence? By anything but the old woman!
"See that you do, Milani," Hayda says with a hint of steel in her voice and her dark eyes fix on the young woman intently for a moment. Her brow furrows for a moment and then she smiles more kindly. "Do enjoy your evening out though," the Headwoman states, before she pulls the door of her office well closed behind her and locks it. Her footsteps fade away towards the residential passageways and Milani stands there for a moment, rolling her eyes up towards the ceiling, starts to move away in the opposite direction. There's gab though and her head turns, drawn towards the patter and there's the Weyrleader looking their way and one brow quirks upward, her gaze going to the old gossip then back to the Weyrleader. A little smirk slides across the assistant headwoman's face and she moves over towards the pair. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, Tilda, but I need to steal the Weyrleader away for a minute, if you don't mind?" There's the wide eyes, the innocent air, but also a genuine enough smile.
N'thei had stopped listening to the woman so long ago that the lapse between when he's asked a question and Milani interjects is juuuuust long enough for Tilda to be righteously annoyed. Huff; "Not at all, Millie, and you're looking lovely this evening. Goodnight to /you/." By the time he realizes he should look culpable, apologetic, aware, it's too late and she's slumped off, leaving him a moment to contemplate her departure before he swings his attention back around to land it on Milani, whom he ought to be thanking. "All dolled up?"
Sweetness incarnate: "Thank you /so/ much Tilda, you're a dear and /thank you/. Mum made this one." With a happy pat of skirts and then she drops into that recently vacated chair, crosses one leg over the other and gracefully sets elbows to chair-arms. "Mmhm. Gathers all the time in the summer all across Pern. Are you too busy to go to most of them, N'thei? Or do they not suit you?" Her head cocks to the side slightly, taking the man in thoughtfully. It's a sincere question without the usual bite of sniping.
N'thei answers it the same as he would a snipe though, which is to say that he doesn't answer it at all. He reaches, leaning forward, to rub two fingers of fabric from her skirt together briefly before sinking back into his slouch. "E'dre's work, that?"
That lean forward might make some flinch but Milani doesn't, just watches with another lift of brows. "Nope. This, my mother made. It's a lot more modest than what E'dre put together for me. There's supposed to be toss-dancing tonight and /that/ dress isn't exactly cut out for toss-dances," she says bluntly. "What brought you this way tonight, N'thei? Just hanging out? Taking a break? I can't imagine that listening to Tilda go on was any kind of fun for you."
Ahh yes; "You just told Tilda that, didn't you?" N'thei shrugs blandly in response to her trio of questions, explains in brusque simplicity, "I wasn't listening to her. But if you happened to catch the gist of her nattering, it might come in handy when I insist that I was hanging on her every word?"
"I did, yep," Milani confirms with a hint of amusement on her face. Then she ticks off five important and simple points from what she heard of Tilda's patter. "That ought to come in handy if you're trying to stay on her good side." The assistant headwoman's hand drops back down to her lap and her knee bounces a little, making skirts flutter and her voice turns low. "No more list, by the by, if you were wondering any."
Five important and simple points; after the second, there's a tell-tale glaze forming over N'thei's eyes while he forces them to stay fixed on Milani. But he heard that last remark-- "Why would I be wondering about that." He means it to sound like like-I-care, but there's a little too much accusation in his voice for that to come off flawlessly.
The glaze is noted and another smirk crosses Milani's face. "You're going to forget the minute you walk out of here," she remarks blandly, without reproof in her voice. The next she just leans back in her chair about. "Oh well, guess not then. No big deal." And she waves it off with one hand. "Not something you're worried about, not something I'm worried about." And she just smiles blithely at him.
N'thei; "Do you think you're subtle?" Simple question asked with what looks and sounds like honest curiosity, likely means derisive irritation.
Milani rolls her eyes towards the ceiling and shakes her head. "Shells, no," she exclaims and gives him a look, then slouches back in the chair she's chosen, closes her eyes for a minute, opens them again and looks across at him directly. "It's just kind of the rules you know. Or something. Between you and me. You pretend like you don't care about anything. I pretend like I have the slightest inkling of what I'm doing, when we both know, for the most part, I don't. Except for when it comes to ledgers."
Revelation; "You think I'm pretending." Isn't that cuuuute. N'thei baits a smile to meet Milani's direct look. "So why bring up a list you already know that I didn't want you to have? Set my mind at ease? Prove your ability to follow orders? Mystifies me." Really, it does.
"I can never tell," Milani replies honestly. "The way you say things, even when it seems like you're trying to be nice, they cut." Chin up, but her posture's relaxed. She's gained an iota of real confidence instead of the mimicry of it she used to toss around like it was going out of style. "Yes. To set your mind at ease. I don't have anything to prove to you." Quiet sincerity in those words.
Oh even better; "Trying to be nice?" N'thei casts back over that one, narrows his eyes, searches searches searches-- shakes his head. He contemplates with more sincerity this new confidence, takes in Milani's poise with a studious frown. "Set your mind at ease then. I don't stay up nights wondering if you are going to do what you're told." /You/ in the of-all-people tone.
"Seems like sometimes you're trying to be, anyway. You know, trying to make me see things more clearly, even when I'm being stubborn." Oh that. The A-word, no doubt. But she just nods once next. "Good. Wouldn't want to keep you up at night for /that/," she replies with a laugh and the bright twinkle returning to her eyes. More thoughtfully: "Mostly, I think the one thing we're on the same page about N'thei, is that whatever is best for the Reaches is what goes. This is my home and you've made it yours. I'm pretty well convinced we'd both throw down quite a bit to keep this place going. In the end, that's all that matters, even if I might not always agree with how we're getting there."
N'thei listens to Milani's thoughts without interruption, brokers a nod at the appropriate end-point. He looks like he's on board with her summary, his frown a thoughtful concession to her observations. "Very idealistic. Did I tell you we're all getting a summer bonus? The marks should be in for pay the beginning of the month; see to it that everyone gets their ten-percent." The shift from idealism to capitalism takes no longer than a lash-bat, his tone never even has to change from benign.
"I'm seventeen. I'm supposed to be," Milani fires back with a wry twist to her tone. "Summer bonus. Ten percent. Check. Got it." Just like that, dropping back to pragmatic herself.
"Good." N'thei stands, pragmatism to match Milani's in the brisk simplicity of his nod. "And it would be good if you could imply that the marks would go a long way spent locally." After accusing her lack of subtlety, he emphasizes /imply/ with a blatant brow-hitch.
Milani laughs and slips to her feet too. Salutes pretty smartly, rider-style. "Yessir, Weyrleader, sir." And she's back to her usual fluffy gaiety, turning towards the exit. "Oh ... and if you want to see what E'dre made for me, you could drop me off at Boll next seven. There's supposed to be another Gather down that way then. See you around, N'thei." A wave of fingers and she's bending to do up her father's old riding jacket as she moves on out to take care of what Hayda asked her to and head off for whatever party it is she's aiming for tonight.
N'thei's sadly too busy to be Milani's ferry for the next sevenday. That's how the story goes anyway.
IC Date: 7/11/16
Common Room, High Reaches Weyr(#868RIJLs)
This small cavern has the crisp smells of a recent cleaning, mingled with its more usual smells of klah, woodsmoke, and people. Baskets of glows are scattered about the room, lighting up dark corners and generally providing a cozy atmosphere. Several chairs sit at a large, round table, and more chairs are against the walls, waiting for use. A large, soft fur is spread out in front of a small stone hearth which keeps the cavern warm for its occupants.
Evening, not late yet and much of the Weyr is outside enjoying the warm weather. Milani'd likely usually be out there too, except she's got plans for the evening given her getup. She's paused at the bottom of the balcony to pull the back strap of her shoe back on with a quiet oath. "Stupid shoes," she mutters to herself and tucks back a loose strand of hair. Hayda steps out of her office looking a little careworn and spots the young woman, waves her over. "Milani, a word?" A brief purse of lips shows Milani's opinion of 'a word' but she steps over dutifully and lends her attention to the Headwoman, nodding a few times. "Certainly, I'll take care of it before I go, Headwoman."
N'thei's sunk down in a chair, neither enjoying the weather nor particularly enjoying his current company but the looks of things. The old woman across from him chews his ear off about this, that, and the other; she's plump, pleasant, familiar to almost everyone as a tremendous gossip, and she's gotten time with the weyrleader, so she's exploiting it. While she gabs, he glances up, attention caught-- by Milani's dress? By Hayda's presence? By anything but the old woman!
"See that you do, Milani," Hayda says with a hint of steel in her voice and her dark eyes fix on the young woman intently for a moment. Her brow furrows for a moment and then she smiles more kindly. "Do enjoy your evening out though," the Headwoman states, before she pulls the door of her office well closed behind her and locks it. Her footsteps fade away towards the residential passageways and Milani stands there for a moment, rolling her eyes up towards the ceiling, starts to move away in the opposite direction. There's gab though and her head turns, drawn towards the patter and there's the Weyrleader looking their way and one brow quirks upward, her gaze going to the old gossip then back to the Weyrleader. A little smirk slides across the assistant headwoman's face and she moves over towards the pair. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, Tilda, but I need to steal the Weyrleader away for a minute, if you don't mind?" There's the wide eyes, the innocent air, but also a genuine enough smile.
N'thei had stopped listening to the woman so long ago that the lapse between when he's asked a question and Milani interjects is juuuuust long enough for Tilda to be righteously annoyed. Huff; "Not at all, Millie, and you're looking lovely this evening. Goodnight to /you/." By the time he realizes he should look culpable, apologetic, aware, it's too late and she's slumped off, leaving him a moment to contemplate her departure before he swings his attention back around to land it on Milani, whom he ought to be thanking. "All dolled up?"
Sweetness incarnate: "Thank you /so/ much Tilda, you're a dear and /thank you/. Mum made this one." With a happy pat of skirts and then she drops into that recently vacated chair, crosses one leg over the other and gracefully sets elbows to chair-arms. "Mmhm. Gathers all the time in the summer all across Pern. Are you too busy to go to most of them, N'thei? Or do they not suit you?" Her head cocks to the side slightly, taking the man in thoughtfully. It's a sincere question without the usual bite of sniping.
N'thei answers it the same as he would a snipe though, which is to say that he doesn't answer it at all. He reaches, leaning forward, to rub two fingers of fabric from her skirt together briefly before sinking back into his slouch. "E'dre's work, that?"
That lean forward might make some flinch but Milani doesn't, just watches with another lift of brows. "Nope. This, my mother made. It's a lot more modest than what E'dre put together for me. There's supposed to be toss-dancing tonight and /that/ dress isn't exactly cut out for toss-dances," she says bluntly. "What brought you this way tonight, N'thei? Just hanging out? Taking a break? I can't imagine that listening to Tilda go on was any kind of fun for you."
Ahh yes; "You just told Tilda that, didn't you?" N'thei shrugs blandly in response to her trio of questions, explains in brusque simplicity, "I wasn't listening to her. But if you happened to catch the gist of her nattering, it might come in handy when I insist that I was hanging on her every word?"
"I did, yep," Milani confirms with a hint of amusement on her face. Then she ticks off five important and simple points from what she heard of Tilda's patter. "That ought to come in handy if you're trying to stay on her good side." The assistant headwoman's hand drops back down to her lap and her knee bounces a little, making skirts flutter and her voice turns low. "No more list, by the by, if you were wondering any."
Five important and simple points; after the second, there's a tell-tale glaze forming over N'thei's eyes while he forces them to stay fixed on Milani. But he heard that last remark-- "Why would I be wondering about that." He means it to sound like like-I-care, but there's a little too much accusation in his voice for that to come off flawlessly.
The glaze is noted and another smirk crosses Milani's face. "You're going to forget the minute you walk out of here," she remarks blandly, without reproof in her voice. The next she just leans back in her chair about. "Oh well, guess not then. No big deal." And she waves it off with one hand. "Not something you're worried about, not something I'm worried about." And she just smiles blithely at him.
N'thei; "Do you think you're subtle?" Simple question asked with what looks and sounds like honest curiosity, likely means derisive irritation.
Milani rolls her eyes towards the ceiling and shakes her head. "Shells, no," she exclaims and gives him a look, then slouches back in the chair she's chosen, closes her eyes for a minute, opens them again and looks across at him directly. "It's just kind of the rules you know. Or something. Between you and me. You pretend like you don't care about anything. I pretend like I have the slightest inkling of what I'm doing, when we both know, for the most part, I don't. Except for when it comes to ledgers."
Revelation; "You think I'm pretending." Isn't that cuuuute. N'thei baits a smile to meet Milani's direct look. "So why bring up a list you already know that I didn't want you to have? Set my mind at ease? Prove your ability to follow orders? Mystifies me." Really, it does.
"I can never tell," Milani replies honestly. "The way you say things, even when it seems like you're trying to be nice, they cut." Chin up, but her posture's relaxed. She's gained an iota of real confidence instead of the mimicry of it she used to toss around like it was going out of style. "Yes. To set your mind at ease. I don't have anything to prove to you." Quiet sincerity in those words.
Oh even better; "Trying to be nice?" N'thei casts back over that one, narrows his eyes, searches searches searches-- shakes his head. He contemplates with more sincerity this new confidence, takes in Milani's poise with a studious frown. "Set your mind at ease then. I don't stay up nights wondering if you are going to do what you're told." /You/ in the of-all-people tone.
"Seems like sometimes you're trying to be, anyway. You know, trying to make me see things more clearly, even when I'm being stubborn." Oh that. The A-word, no doubt. But she just nods once next. "Good. Wouldn't want to keep you up at night for /that/," she replies with a laugh and the bright twinkle returning to her eyes. More thoughtfully: "Mostly, I think the one thing we're on the same page about N'thei, is that whatever is best for the Reaches is what goes. This is my home and you've made it yours. I'm pretty well convinced we'd both throw down quite a bit to keep this place going. In the end, that's all that matters, even if I might not always agree with how we're getting there."
N'thei listens to Milani's thoughts without interruption, brokers a nod at the appropriate end-point. He looks like he's on board with her summary, his frown a thoughtful concession to her observations. "Very idealistic. Did I tell you we're all getting a summer bonus? The marks should be in for pay the beginning of the month; see to it that everyone gets their ten-percent." The shift from idealism to capitalism takes no longer than a lash-bat, his tone never even has to change from benign.
"I'm seventeen. I'm supposed to be," Milani fires back with a wry twist to her tone. "Summer bonus. Ten percent. Check. Got it." Just like that, dropping back to pragmatic herself.
"Good." N'thei stands, pragmatism to match Milani's in the brisk simplicity of his nod. "And it would be good if you could imply that the marks would go a long way spent locally." After accusing her lack of subtlety, he emphasizes /imply/ with a blatant brow-hitch.
Milani laughs and slips to her feet too. Salutes pretty smartly, rider-style. "Yessir, Weyrleader, sir." And she's back to her usual fluffy gaiety, turning towards the exit. "Oh ... and if you want to see what E'dre made for me, you could drop me off at Boll next seven. There's supposed to be another Gather down that way then. See you around, N'thei." A wave of fingers and she's bending to do up her father's old riding jacket as she moves on out to take care of what Hayda asked her to and head off for whatever party it is she's aiming for tonight.
N'thei's sadly too busy to be Milani's ferry for the next sevenday. That's how the story goes anyway.