Log: Welcome Home N'thei
Who: N'thei, Milani, Shanlee
When: Late morning, day 1, month 6, turn 14 of the 10th Interval (Backscened to just a few days after the raiders returned to the Reaches)
Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
What: Nice weather at the Reaches bring some out for a swim. Milani, Shanlee and N'thei share an interesting walk.
Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
This shoreline marks the edge of the freshwater lake that fills the southeastern portion of the bowl. The gritty dirt of the bowl gives way to smooth sand. Dragons adore diving from high above into the lake's deep center, often imploring to their lifemates to bathe them with sweetsand. Humans and firelizards alike frequently fish from these clear waters, which are abundantly stocked.
Across the lake, the bowl wall rises high into the sky, its face dotted with weyr entrances. A few dragonlengths above the water, glimpses of a level cliff can be seen amidst boulders lining the edge. Just south of here, a smaller pond of water is divided from the main lake by a natural bridge of land. A path leads across the bridge and up to the diving cliffs, winding through a dotting of small boulders on its way.
Sunshine dapples the surface of the lake, stray beams punching through light cloud cover. At the lake's edge, one assistant headwoman seems to be taking some downtime this morning. Her clothes are in a tangled pile at the base of the rock she's sitting on, damp from a swim. There's a towel spread out on the rock behind her showing evidence of use, but baking dry now in the sunlight. A rock goes sailing from Millie's hand into the water and makes widening ripples that spread out towards shore.
Seated cross-legged atop a boulder not too far down the shoreline from where Milani is, with her chin cupped in a hand that rests its elbow on a knee, and fingers of the other idly twiddling with boot straps, Shan's gaze is tracked out over the water where Kaylith and Zetia frolic. The Weyrsecond's either totally enthralled by the antics of her 'family' or deep in thought. So much so that she's likely not noticed Milani until that rock gets tossed. With a blink for the ripples, a slow swing of head follows in the assistant headwoman's direction, voice raising a little, "Drowning rocks?"
After a week in the stir, a few days back home, N'thei finally surfaces back to the land-of-the-living. Seldom seen since release, save when he and Wyaeth are coming-and-going from their increased duties, the bronzerider treads a path starting north along the lakeshore, headed generally toward the pond in no particular hurry. By and by, he's sure to cross paths with the loungers.
Milani's head lifts and she casts a sunny smile over Shanlee's way. "Nope. I just like the sound they make y'know, when they go /thunk/ like that." The young woman stretches out long legs towards the water and bounces one foot into it, stirring back and forth like she's making stew out of lake weeds. "Don't you toss rocks when you're thinking, Shan?" N'thei's approach distracts though and a sunny smile crosses the girl's face. "N'thei! Hi!" And she swings down off the rock apparently intent on giving the bronzerider a typically exuberant greeting.
Brows arc upward, "Thinking?" Shan queries almost dumbly, then concedes "No, I usually try to toss bronzeriders." dark humor at its best. Hand dropping from chin, the greenrider straightens a crick from her back. That motion stilling at Milani's exuberant call and slinging attention toward the growing form of N'thei as he nears, "Like that one for starters." muttered into a hand that wipes the words from her mouth. A little louder for the benefit of the other two, "Welcome home." neutral, almost bland in delivery except for a quick shine to green eyes.
N'thei greets exuberance with a subdued but pleasant-natured tolerance, a smile and a stride that drifts slower still to let Milani fall in pace. "Milani. Hi. How are you?" It is the blandest of all small-talks, capped by a sly look sideways toward Shanlee. "Thank you. No dancing girls then? Shame."
Milani pauses, mid-step, the heel of one feet dropping sand back onto the ground. "Really? Aren't they ... kind of big?" The girl's eyebrows mimic Shan's, but then she's distracted by reaching towards N'thei's arm to give it a squeeze. "How're you doing? Is it good to have your weyr back? That place was /so/ awful. I'm really glad you guys are home." Breathlessly delivered by the assistant headwoman and then the sly look and words exchanged between him and Shanlee make her giggle. "Um. I bet that could be arranged?" Teasing.
"Bigger they are, the harder they fall." Shan quips dryly to the young assistant headwoman as legs uncurl and she drops lightly to the ground from her perch. She's not moving forward to greet the bronzerider, she'll wait right here for him to come to her, if he does. There's an almost reluctant twist of an amused smile for N'thei's words, eyes resting on him in an assessing manner a moment longer in silence as Milani speaks. Hands slipping into pockets, chin lifting upward in light challenge, "Make it worth my while and I might indulge you, bronzerider." mouth curling into a smirk around the words.
N'thei seems, for the sake of certain prying eyes, completely unchanged by the whole experience, a bit more banged-up in the face but mostly unfazed. To everything Milani says, all his response is a squeeze of her hand in return and a difficult-to-parse shrug. "I did make a lot of marks in all this vigilantism, how many does it take? --Speaking of, I've got something for you, Milani, just not with me. I'll send it around later today." He has by now come about even with Shanlee and pauses, a questioning look. "Have a walk?"
"Well, I s'pose /that's/ true." Milani's naive in that agreement, taking the remark at face value. Then she laughs again, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sounds like you two have /something/ to work out." N'thei's further words widen her eyes though. "For me? Really? Thanks!" The girl looks pleased, gives the bronzerider's arm another comfortable pat then loosely clasps her hands behind her back as she continues to amble along.
The one or two that linger along the shoreline cast curious glances the big bronzerider's way. By the movement of lips there's some low talk going on, such as one could likely expect in a Weyr. Shan's attention is briefly stilled their way by a slide of eyes off to one side and a haughty lift of brow that hurriedly has backs turning on the trio. Milani's mischievous air is infectious and so the greenrider can't help but offer a low chuckle to the naive agreement from her, offering in a low whisper to the younger woman, "Pride always comes before a fall." wink.
Smiling a little at the other's pleasure, brows then crinkle at the query from N'thei, a questioning look going first to the assistant headwoman, her reply then to him, "If you insist?"
"You can sit on your ass if you prefer." N'thei follows Shanlee's attention to the onlookers, a revelation greeted with another heedless shrug before he continues; "But I've done enough of that to last me a while." So he offers the greenrider an elbow, intent on continuing his stroll on so fine an afternoon. "Don't mention it, Milani. --Have either of you ladies seen B'yan this afternoon?" /So/ /casual/.
Milani blinks and chews on her liip at Shanlee's remark, then she makes a little face and shrugs her shoulders. "Sure Shan, c'mon!" It's hard to keep the younger woman down for long it seems. The question though about B'yan's whereabouts causes another rapid-fire shift on Millie's face and she looks off towards the lake, huffing out a breath. "Nope. Not today. I mean, other than like, mealtimes, y'know."
Ass on rock, or satisfy her curiosity. Milani's urging has the latter wining out, for Shan takes that elbow offered, fingers curling over the curve of the arm they lay lightly over and tries to lengthen her stride a little in order to keep up with what N'thei terms a comfortable pace. Her demeanor amiable until the wingsecond's name is brought up, fingers tightening a little in unison with her jaw, "Do you really expect me to answer that?" her tone bland and really offering neither a yes or a no to the query.
"As my friend?" N'thei looks down at Shanlee, secures her hand with a smooth of his palm across her fingers. "Yes. As his?" He smiles glibly at the greenrider, the same smile for Milani when he skims a glance at her mercurial expression. "What's wrong, my lovely? I'd never let on that you told me where he was, of course?"
In way over her head, Milani's eyes skip back and forth between Shan and N'thei. "Um. Well that's not really what it's about." She plows on matter-of-factly. "I mean, in the end it's not like there's a million places to hide out in the Weyr for a big-ass dragon like Jaireth. He needs oiling and washing and everything. So I'm sure you'll catch up to him eventually." Another one of those shrugs from the girl and she looks up a little at the bronzerider alongside. This time her question, accompanied by a chin-lift is blunt. "Are you really going to kill him?"
"As one that wishes to remain neutral on this particular subject." Shan gives over with a well executed smile that's edged with a tight line, "You want him so bad. You find him." N'thei's turning to Milani for answers and the question she turns back on him, narrows an openly warning look onto the assistant headwoman, her hand attempting to pull out from under the bronzerider's on his arm. "I think we've had just about enough wrangling, threats and testosterone flying about don't you?" tone held level as a brow arcs high, her glance flicking between the other two.
N'thei turns down the corner of his mouth and shakes his head in answer to Milani's question, a response likely meant to be not-really, ambiguously mute as it is. He pulls up a light reassuring smile to her afterward, found at exactly the same time that he lifts his hand from over Shanlee's and lets her loose without argument. Still quiet, still mild, he turns his benign smile to the greenrider's new archness like a student to his teacher, stops walking to attend the lesson.
That chin of Milani's stays up and her eyes widen a little in 'what?' kind of look Shan's way. "Well that's good," is her continuingly blunt reply to N'thei. "It'd kind of suck to lose any more riders over this and from all those stupid Threadfalls. So yeah, y'know, he's around and I hope you guys work things out, because all that fighting is kind of. Dumb." She lacks the real sophistication to make all those statements into something weighty the way Shanlee does, but maybe it means something that her heart's in the right place.
Hands lift and fall to her sides with a light slap of palm to leather in exasperation as N'thei adopts that stance, "You're going to try and kick his ass anyway aren't you?"coming out flat, "To soothe your ego or whatever it is you men feel you have to do to feel vindicated?" Milani's reproach to the bronzerider earns her an approving look, no matter how they might have been delivered, "What she said." a shift of chin in agreement going the younger woman's way, echoing the word 'dumb'.
In one thing at least, N'thei has changed; there is no desire shown to argue with the two of them, to defend his stance, not even a twitch of anger or frustration at their pacifism. Rather than all that, he leans his head to indicate that the walk shall resume apace, and he asks benignly, "Have either of you been to Igen? I heard they've got a clutch, but no idea how many were laid." It is the most bland of bland subjects, even worse than the weather! "I might try to have a look in my copious free time."
Shanlee's hands slide up to hips, where they plant as she fixes N'thei with an almost incredulous look for the subject change. She does however, work with it for the sake of public congeniality, "So I've heard. Not been to Igen since before your search cycle and R'hin and I were treated to the sight of a boat in their bowl." small derision appearing for that snippet as the amble takes up once again, her hand stealing toward its previous resting place on the bronzerider's arm. Yes, let's talk neutral for a moment, "Have you met our new junior yet?" this offered to either one of the other two to take up.
"Must have been quite a sight, that boat." N'thei lets Shanlee's hand have its nest back, this time without the added benefit of his own pat to settle it in nicely. "I have actually. I met her on the star stones, then I think she came and made out with A'son while we were at Crom, but I might have been daydreaming. She seems nice." 'Nice.'
Milani is all startled by the change of subject at first and it takes her a second to start walking again. "Igen? Uh no? I don't have much of a reason to go over there. Besides it's all like deserty-warm and dry." Her tongue sticks out, declaring plainly her opinion of said part of the world. The new junior though brings the sunshine and roses back to her face. "Oh Jaispe's /lovely/. She's so sweet and pretty and now that we went by stores she's got some really nice things to wear! And she didn't make out with A'son. But he did ask her for a date." Cheerful patter yep. Maybe overly so in parts.
"Hmmm." the sound coming in an amused tone from Shan, "R'hin suggested using it for flaming practice. Its owner didn't seem to like that idea much." The subject of boats in bowls put aside, the Weyrsecond's expression hikes up into one of disbelief, "Sorry. Did you just say she and A'son...." words drift off, as a skewed glance goes up N'thei's way to figure if he was kidding or not and then lands on Milani with a careful look for the cheerful chatter and explanation. "Nice? What's nice mean? Your kinda nice, or..." again words still as the greenrider's mouth forms an 'O' shape once the assistant headwoman elaborates, "Decent." summing that up with a sly grin back to the bronzerider.
N'thei? Kidding? It's possible, but no one will ever figure it out by his expression, slate-blank of any possible jest. He supplies to qualify Shanlee's summary; "Ripe for corruption. Like a certain assistant headwoman who shall remain nameless, neh?" The lakeshore scenery passes by on the stroll, eventually nearer and nearer to the pond at the southern end, around which time he starts back in the other direction. Aimless.
Milani shoots N'thei a suspicious, narrow-eyed glance. "Jaispe's a good person," she elborates further, yeah that chin's going up again and Shanlee at least earns a smile. "A /decent/ person, yep. I think she still feels a little lost around here, but it'll be good to have a goldrider like her at the Weyr." That's more thoughtfully said, the girl's hands clasping behind her back again. "You know, once she gets used to where everything is and all the duties and so on and so on." She's aiming for serious and professional with that, but it might come out comical.
Something said by N'thei draws a low chuckle from Shan and she counters with a low, "Drinking lessons at the Lava lounge?" as to where the new junior's lessons in corruption or welcome could start. Green eyes swing over Milani's way, the edges of humor pressed tightly back lest she find the smile that threatens to form offensive, "I'm glad that you're already helping her to settle in though Milani. I'm sure she appreciated it." Aimless is not something the Weyrsecond does well, and she's soon canting an agitated look about, like she should be -doing- something, fingers unconsciously tightening and un-tightening on the bronzerider's arm. The scenery passing by viewed in a somewhat uncaring fashion, "Tell me of your extra duties, bronzerider." There you go, maybe that will occupy a mind far too active to remain still for long.
"I never said otherwise, Milani. I'm sure she'll be a ray of sunshine in a Weyr full of thunderclouds." After about the third or fourth time that his arm gets squeezed, N'thei gingerly reaches to pluck Shanlee's fingers off of it with the flash of an apologetic smile. "I'll tell you another time, Weyrsecond. My leisure time is spent, and I have things to take care of. You ladies enjoy the fine weather on my behalf."
Milani seems to be occupied well enough by walking and N'thei's next comment, maybe even if it's sarcastic is answered with a beaming smile from the assistant headwoman. "I think so!" she agrees blithely and stretches her arms up above her head. "Wish I could, N'thei. It's a great day for swimming and lying about on rocks soaking up the sun. But I think Hayda'll roast my behind if I don't finish inventorying." The smile's beamed on Shanlee again and she bounces a little on her toes as they near her rock again and she starts to peel off towards her pile of clothes. "It's good your back, N'thei. Really. I'm glad you're all out of that nasty place. Come by if you need anything. There's some of that brandy you lifted all saved up." Cheeky wink and the teen's turning her back to change back into her clothes.
"Huh, what?" there's distinct confusion at first on Shan's part and then a sheepishness that follows the removal of her hand from N'thei's arm, "Sorry." that hand finding a pocket to burrow its way into. Eyes narrow lightly at the brush off of the query, "Yeah another time." given with a dubious note attached to the words as Milani finds her rock and clothing at the closeout of the walk. A contemplative look and then a curt nod to the bronzerider, "Best to get those duties taken care of." sounding suspiciously double edged in meaning there. With a glance in the direction of the dragon infirmary when the younger woman mentions her duties for the day, "I should be getting going too. Told Selia I'd stop by today." Shaking that off, "Clear skies, N'thei." brows furrowing lightly. So much to say and nothing said. Isn't that the way of life? "Good to have you all back again." her offering more subdued and the light to eyes demonstrating the genuine worth of the words.
N'thei answers Shanlee lightly; "Isn't it just." He watches Milani go trotting off, a checked laugh at the saved-up brandy jab, then he's forked off in his own direction. With pocketed hands, he strolls across the bowl to catch up with Wyaeth, the two not long for the Reaches.
Milani is quick out of her swimming gear and into her usual uniform, hair wound up in a knot and stuck in place with a long polished stick of wood. "I'll see you later, Shan!" she says gaily as she walks on back towards the lower caverns. "And if you want any of that brandy," spoken over her shoulder, "just say the word too. N'thei can share."
Watching after N'thei's departing back, Shan's mouth purses into a thoughtful line which clears to a warmer smile for Milani, "See you later Millie." A light snort coming on words of N'thei sharing brandy, "Not said no to brandy yet." Hand lifting from pocket to wave a farewell, the Weyrsecond peels off toward the infirmary.
When: Late morning, day 1, month 6, turn 14 of the 10th Interval (Backscened to just a few days after the raiders returned to the Reaches)
Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
What: Nice weather at the Reaches bring some out for a swim. Milani, Shanlee and N'thei share an interesting walk.
Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr
This shoreline marks the edge of the freshwater lake that fills the southeastern portion of the bowl. The gritty dirt of the bowl gives way to smooth sand. Dragons adore diving from high above into the lake's deep center, often imploring to their lifemates to bathe them with sweetsand. Humans and firelizards alike frequently fish from these clear waters, which are abundantly stocked.
Across the lake, the bowl wall rises high into the sky, its face dotted with weyr entrances. A few dragonlengths above the water, glimpses of a level cliff can be seen amidst boulders lining the edge. Just south of here, a smaller pond of water is divided from the main lake by a natural bridge of land. A path leads across the bridge and up to the diving cliffs, winding through a dotting of small boulders on its way.
Sunshine dapples the surface of the lake, stray beams punching through light cloud cover. At the lake's edge, one assistant headwoman seems to be taking some downtime this morning. Her clothes are in a tangled pile at the base of the rock she's sitting on, damp from a swim. There's a towel spread out on the rock behind her showing evidence of use, but baking dry now in the sunlight. A rock goes sailing from Millie's hand into the water and makes widening ripples that spread out towards shore.
Seated cross-legged atop a boulder not too far down the shoreline from where Milani is, with her chin cupped in a hand that rests its elbow on a knee, and fingers of the other idly twiddling with boot straps, Shan's gaze is tracked out over the water where Kaylith and Zetia frolic. The Weyrsecond's either totally enthralled by the antics of her 'family' or deep in thought. So much so that she's likely not noticed Milani until that rock gets tossed. With a blink for the ripples, a slow swing of head follows in the assistant headwoman's direction, voice raising a little, "Drowning rocks?"
After a week in the stir, a few days back home, N'thei finally surfaces back to the land-of-the-living. Seldom seen since release, save when he and Wyaeth are coming-and-going from their increased duties, the bronzerider treads a path starting north along the lakeshore, headed generally toward the pond in no particular hurry. By and by, he's sure to cross paths with the loungers.
Milani's head lifts and she casts a sunny smile over Shanlee's way. "Nope. I just like the sound they make y'know, when they go /thunk/ like that." The young woman stretches out long legs towards the water and bounces one foot into it, stirring back and forth like she's making stew out of lake weeds. "Don't you toss rocks when you're thinking, Shan?" N'thei's approach distracts though and a sunny smile crosses the girl's face. "N'thei! Hi!" And she swings down off the rock apparently intent on giving the bronzerider a typically exuberant greeting.
Brows arc upward, "Thinking?" Shan queries almost dumbly, then concedes "No, I usually try to toss bronzeriders." dark humor at its best. Hand dropping from chin, the greenrider straightens a crick from her back. That motion stilling at Milani's exuberant call and slinging attention toward the growing form of N'thei as he nears, "Like that one for starters." muttered into a hand that wipes the words from her mouth. A little louder for the benefit of the other two, "Welcome home." neutral, almost bland in delivery except for a quick shine to green eyes.
N'thei greets exuberance with a subdued but pleasant-natured tolerance, a smile and a stride that drifts slower still to let Milani fall in pace. "Milani. Hi. How are you?" It is the blandest of all small-talks, capped by a sly look sideways toward Shanlee. "Thank you. No dancing girls then? Shame."
Milani pauses, mid-step, the heel of one feet dropping sand back onto the ground. "Really? Aren't they ... kind of big?" The girl's eyebrows mimic Shan's, but then she's distracted by reaching towards N'thei's arm to give it a squeeze. "How're you doing? Is it good to have your weyr back? That place was /so/ awful. I'm really glad you guys are home." Breathlessly delivered by the assistant headwoman and then the sly look and words exchanged between him and Shanlee make her giggle. "Um. I bet that could be arranged?" Teasing.
"Bigger they are, the harder they fall." Shan quips dryly to the young assistant headwoman as legs uncurl and she drops lightly to the ground from her perch. She's not moving forward to greet the bronzerider, she'll wait right here for him to come to her, if he does. There's an almost reluctant twist of an amused smile for N'thei's words, eyes resting on him in an assessing manner a moment longer in silence as Milani speaks. Hands slipping into pockets, chin lifting upward in light challenge, "Make it worth my while and I might indulge you, bronzerider." mouth curling into a smirk around the words.
N'thei seems, for the sake of certain prying eyes, completely unchanged by the whole experience, a bit more banged-up in the face but mostly unfazed. To everything Milani says, all his response is a squeeze of her hand in return and a difficult-to-parse shrug. "I did make a lot of marks in all this vigilantism, how many does it take? --Speaking of, I've got something for you, Milani, just not with me. I'll send it around later today." He has by now come about even with Shanlee and pauses, a questioning look. "Have a walk?"
"Well, I s'pose /that's/ true." Milani's naive in that agreement, taking the remark at face value. Then she laughs again, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sounds like you two have /something/ to work out." N'thei's further words widen her eyes though. "For me? Really? Thanks!" The girl looks pleased, gives the bronzerider's arm another comfortable pat then loosely clasps her hands behind her back as she continues to amble along.
The one or two that linger along the shoreline cast curious glances the big bronzerider's way. By the movement of lips there's some low talk going on, such as one could likely expect in a Weyr. Shan's attention is briefly stilled their way by a slide of eyes off to one side and a haughty lift of brow that hurriedly has backs turning on the trio. Milani's mischievous air is infectious and so the greenrider can't help but offer a low chuckle to the naive agreement from her, offering in a low whisper to the younger woman, "Pride always comes before a fall." wink.
Smiling a little at the other's pleasure, brows then crinkle at the query from N'thei, a questioning look going first to the assistant headwoman, her reply then to him, "If you insist?"
"You can sit on your ass if you prefer." N'thei follows Shanlee's attention to the onlookers, a revelation greeted with another heedless shrug before he continues; "But I've done enough of that to last me a while." So he offers the greenrider an elbow, intent on continuing his stroll on so fine an afternoon. "Don't mention it, Milani. --Have either of you ladies seen B'yan this afternoon?" /So/ /casual/.
Milani blinks and chews on her liip at Shanlee's remark, then she makes a little face and shrugs her shoulders. "Sure Shan, c'mon!" It's hard to keep the younger woman down for long it seems. The question though about B'yan's whereabouts causes another rapid-fire shift on Millie's face and she looks off towards the lake, huffing out a breath. "Nope. Not today. I mean, other than like, mealtimes, y'know."
Ass on rock, or satisfy her curiosity. Milani's urging has the latter wining out, for Shan takes that elbow offered, fingers curling over the curve of the arm they lay lightly over and tries to lengthen her stride a little in order to keep up with what N'thei terms a comfortable pace. Her demeanor amiable until the wingsecond's name is brought up, fingers tightening a little in unison with her jaw, "Do you really expect me to answer that?" her tone bland and really offering neither a yes or a no to the query.
"As my friend?" N'thei looks down at Shanlee, secures her hand with a smooth of his palm across her fingers. "Yes. As his?" He smiles glibly at the greenrider, the same smile for Milani when he skims a glance at her mercurial expression. "What's wrong, my lovely? I'd never let on that you told me where he was, of course?"
In way over her head, Milani's eyes skip back and forth between Shan and N'thei. "Um. Well that's not really what it's about." She plows on matter-of-factly. "I mean, in the end it's not like there's a million places to hide out in the Weyr for a big-ass dragon like Jaireth. He needs oiling and washing and everything. So I'm sure you'll catch up to him eventually." Another one of those shrugs from the girl and she looks up a little at the bronzerider alongside. This time her question, accompanied by a chin-lift is blunt. "Are you really going to kill him?"
"As one that wishes to remain neutral on this particular subject." Shan gives over with a well executed smile that's edged with a tight line, "You want him so bad. You find him." N'thei's turning to Milani for answers and the question she turns back on him, narrows an openly warning look onto the assistant headwoman, her hand attempting to pull out from under the bronzerider's on his arm. "I think we've had just about enough wrangling, threats and testosterone flying about don't you?" tone held level as a brow arcs high, her glance flicking between the other two.
N'thei turns down the corner of his mouth and shakes his head in answer to Milani's question, a response likely meant to be not-really, ambiguously mute as it is. He pulls up a light reassuring smile to her afterward, found at exactly the same time that he lifts his hand from over Shanlee's and lets her loose without argument. Still quiet, still mild, he turns his benign smile to the greenrider's new archness like a student to his teacher, stops walking to attend the lesson.
That chin of Milani's stays up and her eyes widen a little in 'what?' kind of look Shan's way. "Well that's good," is her continuingly blunt reply to N'thei. "It'd kind of suck to lose any more riders over this and from all those stupid Threadfalls. So yeah, y'know, he's around and I hope you guys work things out, because all that fighting is kind of. Dumb." She lacks the real sophistication to make all those statements into something weighty the way Shanlee does, but maybe it means something that her heart's in the right place.
Hands lift and fall to her sides with a light slap of palm to leather in exasperation as N'thei adopts that stance, "You're going to try and kick his ass anyway aren't you?"coming out flat, "To soothe your ego or whatever it is you men feel you have to do to feel vindicated?" Milani's reproach to the bronzerider earns her an approving look, no matter how they might have been delivered, "What she said." a shift of chin in agreement going the younger woman's way, echoing the word 'dumb'.
In one thing at least, N'thei has changed; there is no desire shown to argue with the two of them, to defend his stance, not even a twitch of anger or frustration at their pacifism. Rather than all that, he leans his head to indicate that the walk shall resume apace, and he asks benignly, "Have either of you been to Igen? I heard they've got a clutch, but no idea how many were laid." It is the most bland of bland subjects, even worse than the weather! "I might try to have a look in my copious free time."
Shanlee's hands slide up to hips, where they plant as she fixes N'thei with an almost incredulous look for the subject change. She does however, work with it for the sake of public congeniality, "So I've heard. Not been to Igen since before your search cycle and R'hin and I were treated to the sight of a boat in their bowl." small derision appearing for that snippet as the amble takes up once again, her hand stealing toward its previous resting place on the bronzerider's arm. Yes, let's talk neutral for a moment, "Have you met our new junior yet?" this offered to either one of the other two to take up.
"Must have been quite a sight, that boat." N'thei lets Shanlee's hand have its nest back, this time without the added benefit of his own pat to settle it in nicely. "I have actually. I met her on the star stones, then I think she came and made out with A'son while we were at Crom, but I might have been daydreaming. She seems nice." 'Nice.'
Milani is all startled by the change of subject at first and it takes her a second to start walking again. "Igen? Uh no? I don't have much of a reason to go over there. Besides it's all like deserty-warm and dry." Her tongue sticks out, declaring plainly her opinion of said part of the world. The new junior though brings the sunshine and roses back to her face. "Oh Jaispe's /lovely/. She's so sweet and pretty and now that we went by stores she's got some really nice things to wear! And she didn't make out with A'son. But he did ask her for a date." Cheerful patter yep. Maybe overly so in parts.
"Hmmm." the sound coming in an amused tone from Shan, "R'hin suggested using it for flaming practice. Its owner didn't seem to like that idea much." The subject of boats in bowls put aside, the Weyrsecond's expression hikes up into one of disbelief, "Sorry. Did you just say she and A'son...." words drift off, as a skewed glance goes up N'thei's way to figure if he was kidding or not and then lands on Milani with a careful look for the cheerful chatter and explanation. "Nice? What's nice mean? Your kinda nice, or..." again words still as the greenrider's mouth forms an 'O' shape once the assistant headwoman elaborates, "Decent." summing that up with a sly grin back to the bronzerider.
N'thei? Kidding? It's possible, but no one will ever figure it out by his expression, slate-blank of any possible jest. He supplies to qualify Shanlee's summary; "Ripe for corruption. Like a certain assistant headwoman who shall remain nameless, neh?" The lakeshore scenery passes by on the stroll, eventually nearer and nearer to the pond at the southern end, around which time he starts back in the other direction. Aimless.
Milani shoots N'thei a suspicious, narrow-eyed glance. "Jaispe's a good person," she elborates further, yeah that chin's going up again and Shanlee at least earns a smile. "A /decent/ person, yep. I think she still feels a little lost around here, but it'll be good to have a goldrider like her at the Weyr." That's more thoughtfully said, the girl's hands clasping behind her back again. "You know, once she gets used to where everything is and all the duties and so on and so on." She's aiming for serious and professional with that, but it might come out comical.
Something said by N'thei draws a low chuckle from Shan and she counters with a low, "Drinking lessons at the Lava lounge?" as to where the new junior's lessons in corruption or welcome could start. Green eyes swing over Milani's way, the edges of humor pressed tightly back lest she find the smile that threatens to form offensive, "I'm glad that you're already helping her to settle in though Milani. I'm sure she appreciated it." Aimless is not something the Weyrsecond does well, and she's soon canting an agitated look about, like she should be -doing- something, fingers unconsciously tightening and un-tightening on the bronzerider's arm. The scenery passing by viewed in a somewhat uncaring fashion, "Tell me of your extra duties, bronzerider." There you go, maybe that will occupy a mind far too active to remain still for long.
"I never said otherwise, Milani. I'm sure she'll be a ray of sunshine in a Weyr full of thunderclouds." After about the third or fourth time that his arm gets squeezed, N'thei gingerly reaches to pluck Shanlee's fingers off of it with the flash of an apologetic smile. "I'll tell you another time, Weyrsecond. My leisure time is spent, and I have things to take care of. You ladies enjoy the fine weather on my behalf."
Milani seems to be occupied well enough by walking and N'thei's next comment, maybe even if it's sarcastic is answered with a beaming smile from the assistant headwoman. "I think so!" she agrees blithely and stretches her arms up above her head. "Wish I could, N'thei. It's a great day for swimming and lying about on rocks soaking up the sun. But I think Hayda'll roast my behind if I don't finish inventorying." The smile's beamed on Shanlee again and she bounces a little on her toes as they near her rock again and she starts to peel off towards her pile of clothes. "It's good your back, N'thei. Really. I'm glad you're all out of that nasty place. Come by if you need anything. There's some of that brandy you lifted all saved up." Cheeky wink and the teen's turning her back to change back into her clothes.
"Huh, what?" there's distinct confusion at first on Shan's part and then a sheepishness that follows the removal of her hand from N'thei's arm, "Sorry." that hand finding a pocket to burrow its way into. Eyes narrow lightly at the brush off of the query, "Yeah another time." given with a dubious note attached to the words as Milani finds her rock and clothing at the closeout of the walk. A contemplative look and then a curt nod to the bronzerider, "Best to get those duties taken care of." sounding suspiciously double edged in meaning there. With a glance in the direction of the dragon infirmary when the younger woman mentions her duties for the day, "I should be getting going too. Told Selia I'd stop by today." Shaking that off, "Clear skies, N'thei." brows furrowing lightly. So much to say and nothing said. Isn't that the way of life? "Good to have you all back again." her offering more subdued and the light to eyes demonstrating the genuine worth of the words.
N'thei answers Shanlee lightly; "Isn't it just." He watches Milani go trotting off, a checked laugh at the saved-up brandy jab, then he's forked off in his own direction. With pocketed hands, he strolls across the bowl to catch up with Wyaeth, the two not long for the Reaches.
Milani is quick out of her swimming gear and into her usual uniform, hair wound up in a knot and stuck in place with a long polished stick of wood. "I'll see you later, Shan!" she says gaily as she walks on back towards the lower caverns. "And if you want any of that brandy," spoken over her shoulder, "just say the word too. N'thei can share."
Watching after N'thei's departing back, Shan's mouth purses into a thoughtful line which clears to a warmer smile for Milani, "See you later Millie." A light snort coming on words of N'thei sharing brandy, "Not said no to brandy yet." Hand lifting from pocket to wave a farewell, the Weyrsecond peels off toward the infirmary.