Be a good man
Who: Rhodya and Winston
When: Evening on day 26, month 13, turn 18
Where: Records Room, Fort Weyr
What: Rhodya gets a footrub from Winston, and recruits him for her plan about used candidates' robes. Then they talk about love lives and expectations.
In a desk not far from the bowl entrance to the room, Rhodya's folded up in her chair like a dead spider, spindly limbs bent inwards and hugged close. Her chin rests on her knees while she stares at the book in front of her, but the emptiness of her expression and the way her eyes are almost entirely motionless suggests she's not getting far with her efforts. In fact, her eyelids are drooping.
Having had the day off Winston's still full of energy. This is evidenced by the fact he's whispering and laughing with a girl near farther in the room. But they part ways without either of them requiring any clothes adjusting. Still wearing a grin he heads out, but stops when he sees Rhodya. He moves quietly over to her desk and grins down at her. "Sleeping beauty," he says quietly trying not to startle her.
Rhodya startles anyway, tightening her limbs defensively. Then she looks up. "Oh, hey, Winst." In her sleepiness, she shortens the name without appearing to notice, but she does drudge up enough energy to send him a smile. "Shoveling all that snow ain't as easy as you make it look." Freeing a hand, she points it at the slush-covered boots she abandoned at the entrance to the records room. She's only in her socks now.
"Didn't mean to startle you there, darling," Winston apologizes with a smile. He crouches down so he's not looming over her and then he looks at her feet. "Ah, your poor feet. Would you like me to give them a rub?" He holds up his hands and wiggles his magic fingers. "Had a rest day myself so not tired out."
"Yeah, Sulisah mentioned," Rhodya tells him. She takes a playful swat at him, but it's nowhere near actually hitting. "Lucky thing. Wish I'd have a rest day." Giving up on the book, she flips it closed, the pages thunking heavily, and stretches back in her chair. "Think I'll take you up on that foot rub. Guy over there just left," she says, pointing at a desk not far from hers. "So you could take his seat."
"Ah, she did find you then? That girl was slacking off so I hope you made her work extra hard then." Winston looks over and sees the chair and stands up again. "I'll just go get it then. I've been dying to get my hands on your feet again." His laugh with those words echoes as he heads to get the chair and carries it back.
Rhodya laughs, shaking her head. "If she was slacking, I didn't see it. Didn't spend much time with her on the whole, there bein' all that ground to cover." She leans down and strips off her socks, with a guilty look around to see if anyone's offended by her bare feet. Those near enough have their noses too deeply wedged in books to care, it seems, so she gets away with it. "Well, my feet are happy to get a little attention again. Just you mind you don't get all licentious with 'em."
Winston sets the chair down and pats his lap. "I cannot make any such promise," he tells her with another low chuckle. "You know I find your feet intoxicating, Rhodya, darlin'." He lets her pick which foot he'll work on first. "I'll have you know I've been working my adorable butt off so am happy to get a day to rest. Although I spent plenty of time trying to update my wardrobe without new items. This shortage is terrible." Poor Winston in last turn's clothes!
Speaking of Winston's wardrobe - Rhodya gets a grin on her face as she reaches into her pocket, pulls out his red cap, and slaps it on her head. She hasn't tired of it yet, so she's been carrying it around with her. "Guess you'll just have to get creative," she says mildly. "Put new cuts on your old items or what-have-ya. Say." She starts to lean forward, then remembers what he brought that other chair over for and just puts her foot up instead. "I'm still thinkin' about them candidates robes. I know Phara said not to, but... I think it'd be just disgraceful, what with this shortage going on, if we all walk out white 'n glowing in new things. Huh?" Obviously seeking approval, she raises her brows at him.
"I am quite creative it's true," Winston says with a wide, not quite lecherous grin. Not quite. He looks at the cap, but doesn't say anything at all. What he does do is get to work on her foot. His hands are even warm to help with outdoor feet. "Well, there's old ones, right? Suppose we could reuse those. Some mending would be required, but I am definitely good with a needle and thread. Considered being a weaver, but decided I'd rather not work so hard. Easier to just do my own stuff and occasionally help out a friend." Help his friends out of their clothes, yep. That's him.
"That's what I'm saying," Rhodya says, nodding. "Should talk to the others, see if we can't get 'em to agree that we all wear used robes for this one. And if there ain't enough robes already in the used bin, should go around and ask some riders if they'd be willing to give their old ones up, assuming they've still got 'em, or see what the Headwoman's got in the way of old sheets what can't be used." Turning on the charm, she flashes him a smile. "And I know you're good at convincin' people, so if you were to take up talking with the other candidates about this, well, it'd be right nice of ya."
His fingers give her foot more of a caress than a rub as he leans forward. "And if I helped you with this I don't suppose I could talk you into a kiss?" His grin is roguish and Winston taps his cheek a couple of times with his fingers. "Right here, darlin'?" Then he leans back and chuckles. "But yea, sweetheart. I'll talk to the others. And I know where that stuff is in stores and can go looking for it." Anything to make the ladies appreciate him. His fingers return to their professional foot rubbing with no more hanky panky.
Rhodya's charm fades a little bit when his massage changes tenor, and she watches his hands suspiciously until they return to their regularly scheduled massage. "Be a good man and you won't need to talk me into a kiss on the cheek," she says, putting ever so slight an emphasis on the last word. Because that's all he can hope for. "Just ask T'rev how many times I have with him. But T'rev don't ever make me nervous," she adds, shaking a finger at him lightly.
"Now, now. Ain't no reason to be nervous of me, Rhodya," Winston says with a hurt expression. It's mostly play of course and he cannot help that. "Just wanted one little kiss on the cheek. Weren't asking for anything else. Know I'm not your type, sweetheart. Don't bother me none at all." He taps her big toe once with a laugh and then says, "Ready for the other one or did I miss a spot? And I will happily speak to people about this. It's a good idea and I'll make sure you get your credit for it."
"You forgot the crystals," Rhodya tells him, her wide smile once again on certain ground. She wiggles her toes at him - remember her request that they be squeezed at the end of a massage? - and waits for that last step before the next foot can be presented. "I know you ain't got evil in your heart or none, but you make me nervous anyway," she admits, her smile turning wry. "Ain't your fault, but it holds me up a little when I think about givin' a friendly hug or somethin'."
Winston's expression turns all apologetic as he squeezes her toes like requested. "For shame on me. I promise I will never forget again, darlin'." Another tap of her toe when he's done so she'll hand over the next foot. "You wanna know a secret then, Rhodya my sweets?" He lowers his voice and looks around to the left and then right and then over his shoulder like he expects everyone to be crowded around. "Ain't so interested in the end result. Happy to bed a woman if that's what she wants, but I am just as happy to spend time treating a woman like she's a Lady no matter what she really might be. It's about treating a woman proper. Because few men actually do."
"That's true enough," Rhodya laughs sourly, taking her foot back and lifting the other for its turn at his fingertips. "Well, I'll keep your secret between you, me, an' the four walls, but I must say I'm surprised at you, Winston." She grins. "'Cause for a second there, you almost sounded like a fella what's got holder values, talkin' about the right way to treat a lady."
"And you think I was not raised properly?" Winston asks as he lets go of her foot to clutch at his heart. "You wound me right here," he tells her with a wink before he gets back to work. "Did you forget you're talking to the former heir to Two Trees Hold? We ain't much, but we're something. And I was supposed to run it right. Just because my healthy libido got in the way doesn't mean those lessons were not learned." He shrugs his shoulders and lets out a chuckle. "Don't get me wrong. I've got plenty of desire for all the fun naked sweaty stuff. But that's not why I'm nice to a woman. I'm nice to a woman because it makes it clear to every woman I meet that no matter what they've got a friendly ear should they need one. No matter if no one else wants to give them the time of day."
Rhodya's grin, unlike his heart, takes not the slightest wound. "I didn't forget, in fact, I remembered you tellin' me you ain't got nothin' of your parents in you at all. But look at you, you take at least a /little/ pride in what they taught you, huh?" She's wheedling here, trying to get him to admit what she (clearly) already thinks is true. But in case he doesn't want to, he's got another conversational option to choose. "But what do you for the men, then? Give 'em a cold shoulder, or have they got your ear when they need it, too?" After a second's pause, she adds, "I don't mean that in no sexual way, mind you.
Fingers continue their work as Winston makes sure the conversation doesn't interfere with his work. "Lessons were learned by harpers. Tutors even, Rhodya my darlin'. My parents had little in my upbringing. They did not think it proper to raise their own heir." His shoulder shrug at this and he's completely unbothered by this fact. Besides he has to answer her question. "Men? Oh, really? Usually the women want to know about the other. The sexual part, darlin'." He winks at her before working on her toes. "Happy to lend a hand to the men, but lots of women don't have a shoulder at all. Men can go get drunk and cry over cards. Willing to do that too, but men don't always appreciate me. Jealous I say."
Rhodya chuckles. "Winston, most of the women I know've got plenty of shoulders to cry on - other women's. It's the men, from where I'm sitting, don't have anyone to talk to. At least, not that they're willing." She wriggles the toes on her recently massaged foot, no doubt enjoying the feel of crystal-free bliss, then grabs up her sock and slips it back in. "But I still don't buy it when you say you got nothing of your parents to ya. I don't know, maybe they ain't nice people, but I ain't sayin' you're their copy. I'll bet there's somethin' good that you picked up." She look at him thoughtfully.
"Nonsense. You just don't know so much about men," he objects as he leans back in his chair when all done. Winston looks at her critically before shaking his head. "Men do not want a shoulder to cry on most of the time you know. I know I sure as sharding don't want any sort of thing. Besides a woman ain't gonna make another woman feel desirable the way a good looking man can." Yea, the ego is still there. No surprises. "And I'm willing to listen to a man too. Ain't uninterested in listening to a man." His grin is slow and more of a smirk than anything else. "As for my parents I got their looks. Suppose my father's almost smart as me. Am my own man though, sweetheart."
"Well, I won't argue with that," Rhodya says with a smile. She gives her (Winston's) hat a little tip, winking at him. "If you weren't your own man, I doubt you'd've left that nice inheritance you had for an old Weyr. Now, you're only provin' my point about men," she continues, raising a finger with an instructive air. "Women want to talk, and so they find people to talk to. Other women, boyfriends, nice fellas like yourself. Men, though, they don't want to talk, you can't make 'em talk, and say what you will, I still think it'd do 'em /good/ to try and talk."
Winston's eyes look at the hat and he winks. "Mighty fine looking there. Better than when I wore it that's for sure. And that's saying something because I make everything look good." He shakes his head and corrects her with, "I didn't walk away from it, dear. I was kicked out of it. Made a mistake, pissed em right off. And here I am. But I'm not upset. Don't figure I had a chance of being searched there. Now who knows. Could even be weyrleader someday." He chuckles at this and gestures to himself. "Do a fine job. Be the best looking one there is and I'd insist on you making me fine shoes to look the part you know." His feet stretch out under her chair without knocking it. "And ain't I talking now?"
Grinning good-naturedly, Rhodya tips her head to one side to give him her best angle while he's admiring her in his own hat. "I admit I've got a certain flair with it." She chuckles. "As for talking, sure you are, but you're a rarity and you said it yourself. Men, at least most men, don't want no shoulder to cry on. See, I'm not so clueless about 'em as you think," she adds, winking as she jabs a thumb back at herself. "For instance, I don't believe for a second that you didn't walk away. If you'd wanted that inheritance more 'n you wanted to be Winston, you'd've been working for it from the start, and never got your parents so mad they'd kick you out. I'll bet you my next rest day you was done with 'em long before they threw you on your tush."
"I still toy with going back and kicking my brother's fat read end out of the seat I once held," Winston admits with a wink. He stretches his arms over his head and laces his fingers together before putting his hands behind his head. "He ain't given em no son yet and despite the fact Olviana's not so keen on my being near my son, well, they ain't got to know that. Suppose it'll keep til after the hatching however. Ain't likely to change before then." His smile comes again as he nods once. "Wouldn't mind being a holder. It's the marrying a gal and keeping only her I took issue with."
"Well, until you actually go back and do it, I'll be keeping my rest day," Rhodya tells him, smirking. She leans back in her own chair, that smirk still tugging at her lips now and then while she speaks. "Get married, now, that's just a bigger, bolder step in making a woman happy. You do some good, I'll admit, flattering us lonely females with your handsome self, but come reckoning, you only get out of a relationship as much as you're putting in. And maybe you could admit, you're not putting anything in." At the end of this speech, she looks up at the hands crossed behind his head, then moves the foot that's still in his lap. Specifically, she wiggles the toes. Forgetting something?
Eyes dropping down to that foot Winston cocks a grin at her. "Oh, I thought you were just saying how I wasn't giving nothing?" He lifts his eyes up to her face as he asks, "Weren't you just saying words to that effect, sweetheart?" She said them after he stopped sure, but that's a silly point. "I got plenty of rest days of my own anyway. You're not wanting to keep me off the sands are you now? That's a cruel thing." But his hands move then and he gives her feet a few more rubs before seeing to each toe for her to finish it off. "Making one woman happy would be dull and I admit it. I am not saying I don't have my flaws and one of them is I like the attention of more than one woman. And I don't just mean that sexual, sweetheart. But a wife? You do her a disservice running around comforting other women. She should come first. That's all. First and last with nothing in between. Not for me is all. Can't do that."
Rhodya considers that thought for a moment, her eyes all squinted up at Winston. "Well, now that's pretty fair," she admits. "I'd rather a man be a perpetual loose lover than promise things he can't hold up. All right," she decides, holding up her hands. "I'll leave ya alone on the subject." Flashing him a nice smile, she draws her foot back and re-socks it.
Winston's hand lifts up to wipe imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Feel like I handled an interrogation I do. Glad I passed some muster at least." His chuckle is soft and he leans back again to watch her put her socks on. "Enjoy life while you can. When you have to settle down do so. But I won't be doing that any time soon. Figure I hit sixty I'll consider it though." He pauses and then winks. "Maybe seventy."
Leaned down while she puts that sock back on, Rhodya has to look up in order to grin at him. "Well, my version of enjoying life ain't the same as your version of it." Sock replaced, she hugs herself as she eases back into her chair. "'Cause if I hit seventy and ain't found somebody to spend all that time with, I feel it's gonna be mighty lonely lookin' back." Shaking her head slowly, she gives a disapproving tsk at the thought of such a poor existence.
"You're thinking like a woman," he teases with with a laugh. Winston gestures to himself. "I'm content sharing my happiness around. It will not make me look back in disappointment." He pushes his chair back and rises up to his feet. "But for now I fear I must leave you to your self right now. Because I had best get to my bed for sleep so I can wake up early. After all I won't be lazing away tomorrow will I?" He looks at her feet and then meets her eyes with a wink. "Want me to carry you back with me?"
"Well, I /am/ a woman!" Rhodya exclaims. "Ain't you observant." Flopping an arm over the desk she was reading at, she leans her head onto it and grins at him. She could fall asleep like that if she's not careful, but for now at least, it seems Winston's woken her up. "Nah, I'd better try and get a bit of reading in before I give up entirely. You go on, now, and thank you for the foot massage." Once again, she wiggles her grateful toes.
"Always my pleasure," Winston says with a bow. "You take care then and I'll be seeing you in the morning. If I'm asleep when you get to the barracks you feel free to come kiss my cheek good night." He never gives up and winks as he heads out into the bowl.
When: Evening on day 26, month 13, turn 18
Where: Records Room, Fort Weyr
What: Rhodya gets a footrub from Winston, and recruits him for her plan about used candidates' robes. Then they talk about love lives and expectations.
In a desk not far from the bowl entrance to the room, Rhodya's folded up in her chair like a dead spider, spindly limbs bent inwards and hugged close. Her chin rests on her knees while she stares at the book in front of her, but the emptiness of her expression and the way her eyes are almost entirely motionless suggests she's not getting far with her efforts. In fact, her eyelids are drooping.
Having had the day off Winston's still full of energy. This is evidenced by the fact he's whispering and laughing with a girl near farther in the room. But they part ways without either of them requiring any clothes adjusting. Still wearing a grin he heads out, but stops when he sees Rhodya. He moves quietly over to her desk and grins down at her. "Sleeping beauty," he says quietly trying not to startle her.
Rhodya startles anyway, tightening her limbs defensively. Then she looks up. "Oh, hey, Winst." In her sleepiness, she shortens the name without appearing to notice, but she does drudge up enough energy to send him a smile. "Shoveling all that snow ain't as easy as you make it look." Freeing a hand, she points it at the slush-covered boots she abandoned at the entrance to the records room. She's only in her socks now.
"Didn't mean to startle you there, darling," Winston apologizes with a smile. He crouches down so he's not looming over her and then he looks at her feet. "Ah, your poor feet. Would you like me to give them a rub?" He holds up his hands and wiggles his magic fingers. "Had a rest day myself so not tired out."
"Yeah, Sulisah mentioned," Rhodya tells him. She takes a playful swat at him, but it's nowhere near actually hitting. "Lucky thing. Wish I'd have a rest day." Giving up on the book, she flips it closed, the pages thunking heavily, and stretches back in her chair. "Think I'll take you up on that foot rub. Guy over there just left," she says, pointing at a desk not far from hers. "So you could take his seat."
"Ah, she did find you then? That girl was slacking off so I hope you made her work extra hard then." Winston looks over and sees the chair and stands up again. "I'll just go get it then. I've been dying to get my hands on your feet again." His laugh with those words echoes as he heads to get the chair and carries it back.
Rhodya laughs, shaking her head. "If she was slacking, I didn't see it. Didn't spend much time with her on the whole, there bein' all that ground to cover." She leans down and strips off her socks, with a guilty look around to see if anyone's offended by her bare feet. Those near enough have their noses too deeply wedged in books to care, it seems, so she gets away with it. "Well, my feet are happy to get a little attention again. Just you mind you don't get all licentious with 'em."
Winston sets the chair down and pats his lap. "I cannot make any such promise," he tells her with another low chuckle. "You know I find your feet intoxicating, Rhodya, darlin'." He lets her pick which foot he'll work on first. "I'll have you know I've been working my adorable butt off so am happy to get a day to rest. Although I spent plenty of time trying to update my wardrobe without new items. This shortage is terrible." Poor Winston in last turn's clothes!
Speaking of Winston's wardrobe - Rhodya gets a grin on her face as she reaches into her pocket, pulls out his red cap, and slaps it on her head. She hasn't tired of it yet, so she's been carrying it around with her. "Guess you'll just have to get creative," she says mildly. "Put new cuts on your old items or what-have-ya. Say." She starts to lean forward, then remembers what he brought that other chair over for and just puts her foot up instead. "I'm still thinkin' about them candidates robes. I know Phara said not to, but... I think it'd be just disgraceful, what with this shortage going on, if we all walk out white 'n glowing in new things. Huh?" Obviously seeking approval, she raises her brows at him.
"I am quite creative it's true," Winston says with a wide, not quite lecherous grin. Not quite. He looks at the cap, but doesn't say anything at all. What he does do is get to work on her foot. His hands are even warm to help with outdoor feet. "Well, there's old ones, right? Suppose we could reuse those. Some mending would be required, but I am definitely good with a needle and thread. Considered being a weaver, but decided I'd rather not work so hard. Easier to just do my own stuff and occasionally help out a friend." Help his friends out of their clothes, yep. That's him.
"That's what I'm saying," Rhodya says, nodding. "Should talk to the others, see if we can't get 'em to agree that we all wear used robes for this one. And if there ain't enough robes already in the used bin, should go around and ask some riders if they'd be willing to give their old ones up, assuming they've still got 'em, or see what the Headwoman's got in the way of old sheets what can't be used." Turning on the charm, she flashes him a smile. "And I know you're good at convincin' people, so if you were to take up talking with the other candidates about this, well, it'd be right nice of ya."
His fingers give her foot more of a caress than a rub as he leans forward. "And if I helped you with this I don't suppose I could talk you into a kiss?" His grin is roguish and Winston taps his cheek a couple of times with his fingers. "Right here, darlin'?" Then he leans back and chuckles. "But yea, sweetheart. I'll talk to the others. And I know where that stuff is in stores and can go looking for it." Anything to make the ladies appreciate him. His fingers return to their professional foot rubbing with no more hanky panky.
Rhodya's charm fades a little bit when his massage changes tenor, and she watches his hands suspiciously until they return to their regularly scheduled massage. "Be a good man and you won't need to talk me into a kiss on the cheek," she says, putting ever so slight an emphasis on the last word. Because that's all he can hope for. "Just ask T'rev how many times I have with him. But T'rev don't ever make me nervous," she adds, shaking a finger at him lightly.
"Now, now. Ain't no reason to be nervous of me, Rhodya," Winston says with a hurt expression. It's mostly play of course and he cannot help that. "Just wanted one little kiss on the cheek. Weren't asking for anything else. Know I'm not your type, sweetheart. Don't bother me none at all." He taps her big toe once with a laugh and then says, "Ready for the other one or did I miss a spot? And I will happily speak to people about this. It's a good idea and I'll make sure you get your credit for it."
"You forgot the crystals," Rhodya tells him, her wide smile once again on certain ground. She wiggles her toes at him - remember her request that they be squeezed at the end of a massage? - and waits for that last step before the next foot can be presented. "I know you ain't got evil in your heart or none, but you make me nervous anyway," she admits, her smile turning wry. "Ain't your fault, but it holds me up a little when I think about givin' a friendly hug or somethin'."
Winston's expression turns all apologetic as he squeezes her toes like requested. "For shame on me. I promise I will never forget again, darlin'." Another tap of her toe when he's done so she'll hand over the next foot. "You wanna know a secret then, Rhodya my sweets?" He lowers his voice and looks around to the left and then right and then over his shoulder like he expects everyone to be crowded around. "Ain't so interested in the end result. Happy to bed a woman if that's what she wants, but I am just as happy to spend time treating a woman like she's a Lady no matter what she really might be. It's about treating a woman proper. Because few men actually do."
"That's true enough," Rhodya laughs sourly, taking her foot back and lifting the other for its turn at his fingertips. "Well, I'll keep your secret between you, me, an' the four walls, but I must say I'm surprised at you, Winston." She grins. "'Cause for a second there, you almost sounded like a fella what's got holder values, talkin' about the right way to treat a lady."
"And you think I was not raised properly?" Winston asks as he lets go of her foot to clutch at his heart. "You wound me right here," he tells her with a wink before he gets back to work. "Did you forget you're talking to the former heir to Two Trees Hold? We ain't much, but we're something. And I was supposed to run it right. Just because my healthy libido got in the way doesn't mean those lessons were not learned." He shrugs his shoulders and lets out a chuckle. "Don't get me wrong. I've got plenty of desire for all the fun naked sweaty stuff. But that's not why I'm nice to a woman. I'm nice to a woman because it makes it clear to every woman I meet that no matter what they've got a friendly ear should they need one. No matter if no one else wants to give them the time of day."
Rhodya's grin, unlike his heart, takes not the slightest wound. "I didn't forget, in fact, I remembered you tellin' me you ain't got nothin' of your parents in you at all. But look at you, you take at least a /little/ pride in what they taught you, huh?" She's wheedling here, trying to get him to admit what she (clearly) already thinks is true. But in case he doesn't want to, he's got another conversational option to choose. "But what do you for the men, then? Give 'em a cold shoulder, or have they got your ear when they need it, too?" After a second's pause, she adds, "I don't mean that in no sexual way, mind you.
Fingers continue their work as Winston makes sure the conversation doesn't interfere with his work. "Lessons were learned by harpers. Tutors even, Rhodya my darlin'. My parents had little in my upbringing. They did not think it proper to raise their own heir." His shoulder shrug at this and he's completely unbothered by this fact. Besides he has to answer her question. "Men? Oh, really? Usually the women want to know about the other. The sexual part, darlin'." He winks at her before working on her toes. "Happy to lend a hand to the men, but lots of women don't have a shoulder at all. Men can go get drunk and cry over cards. Willing to do that too, but men don't always appreciate me. Jealous I say."
Rhodya chuckles. "Winston, most of the women I know've got plenty of shoulders to cry on - other women's. It's the men, from where I'm sitting, don't have anyone to talk to. At least, not that they're willing." She wriggles the toes on her recently massaged foot, no doubt enjoying the feel of crystal-free bliss, then grabs up her sock and slips it back in. "But I still don't buy it when you say you got nothing of your parents to ya. I don't know, maybe they ain't nice people, but I ain't sayin' you're their copy. I'll bet there's somethin' good that you picked up." She look at him thoughtfully.
"Nonsense. You just don't know so much about men," he objects as he leans back in his chair when all done. Winston looks at her critically before shaking his head. "Men do not want a shoulder to cry on most of the time you know. I know I sure as sharding don't want any sort of thing. Besides a woman ain't gonna make another woman feel desirable the way a good looking man can." Yea, the ego is still there. No surprises. "And I'm willing to listen to a man too. Ain't uninterested in listening to a man." His grin is slow and more of a smirk than anything else. "As for my parents I got their looks. Suppose my father's almost smart as me. Am my own man though, sweetheart."
"Well, I won't argue with that," Rhodya says with a smile. She gives her (Winston's) hat a little tip, winking at him. "If you weren't your own man, I doubt you'd've left that nice inheritance you had for an old Weyr. Now, you're only provin' my point about men," she continues, raising a finger with an instructive air. "Women want to talk, and so they find people to talk to. Other women, boyfriends, nice fellas like yourself. Men, though, they don't want to talk, you can't make 'em talk, and say what you will, I still think it'd do 'em /good/ to try and talk."
Winston's eyes look at the hat and he winks. "Mighty fine looking there. Better than when I wore it that's for sure. And that's saying something because I make everything look good." He shakes his head and corrects her with, "I didn't walk away from it, dear. I was kicked out of it. Made a mistake, pissed em right off. And here I am. But I'm not upset. Don't figure I had a chance of being searched there. Now who knows. Could even be weyrleader someday." He chuckles at this and gestures to himself. "Do a fine job. Be the best looking one there is and I'd insist on you making me fine shoes to look the part you know." His feet stretch out under her chair without knocking it. "And ain't I talking now?"
Grinning good-naturedly, Rhodya tips her head to one side to give him her best angle while he's admiring her in his own hat. "I admit I've got a certain flair with it." She chuckles. "As for talking, sure you are, but you're a rarity and you said it yourself. Men, at least most men, don't want no shoulder to cry on. See, I'm not so clueless about 'em as you think," she adds, winking as she jabs a thumb back at herself. "For instance, I don't believe for a second that you didn't walk away. If you'd wanted that inheritance more 'n you wanted to be Winston, you'd've been working for it from the start, and never got your parents so mad they'd kick you out. I'll bet you my next rest day you was done with 'em long before they threw you on your tush."
"I still toy with going back and kicking my brother's fat read end out of the seat I once held," Winston admits with a wink. He stretches his arms over his head and laces his fingers together before putting his hands behind his head. "He ain't given em no son yet and despite the fact Olviana's not so keen on my being near my son, well, they ain't got to know that. Suppose it'll keep til after the hatching however. Ain't likely to change before then." His smile comes again as he nods once. "Wouldn't mind being a holder. It's the marrying a gal and keeping only her I took issue with."
"Well, until you actually go back and do it, I'll be keeping my rest day," Rhodya tells him, smirking. She leans back in her own chair, that smirk still tugging at her lips now and then while she speaks. "Get married, now, that's just a bigger, bolder step in making a woman happy. You do some good, I'll admit, flattering us lonely females with your handsome self, but come reckoning, you only get out of a relationship as much as you're putting in. And maybe you could admit, you're not putting anything in." At the end of this speech, she looks up at the hands crossed behind his head, then moves the foot that's still in his lap. Specifically, she wiggles the toes. Forgetting something?
Eyes dropping down to that foot Winston cocks a grin at her. "Oh, I thought you were just saying how I wasn't giving nothing?" He lifts his eyes up to her face as he asks, "Weren't you just saying words to that effect, sweetheart?" She said them after he stopped sure, but that's a silly point. "I got plenty of rest days of my own anyway. You're not wanting to keep me off the sands are you now? That's a cruel thing." But his hands move then and he gives her feet a few more rubs before seeing to each toe for her to finish it off. "Making one woman happy would be dull and I admit it. I am not saying I don't have my flaws and one of them is I like the attention of more than one woman. And I don't just mean that sexual, sweetheart. But a wife? You do her a disservice running around comforting other women. She should come first. That's all. First and last with nothing in between. Not for me is all. Can't do that."
Rhodya considers that thought for a moment, her eyes all squinted up at Winston. "Well, now that's pretty fair," she admits. "I'd rather a man be a perpetual loose lover than promise things he can't hold up. All right," she decides, holding up her hands. "I'll leave ya alone on the subject." Flashing him a nice smile, she draws her foot back and re-socks it.
Winston's hand lifts up to wipe imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Feel like I handled an interrogation I do. Glad I passed some muster at least." His chuckle is soft and he leans back again to watch her put her socks on. "Enjoy life while you can. When you have to settle down do so. But I won't be doing that any time soon. Figure I hit sixty I'll consider it though." He pauses and then winks. "Maybe seventy."
Leaned down while she puts that sock back on, Rhodya has to look up in order to grin at him. "Well, my version of enjoying life ain't the same as your version of it." Sock replaced, she hugs herself as she eases back into her chair. "'Cause if I hit seventy and ain't found somebody to spend all that time with, I feel it's gonna be mighty lonely lookin' back." Shaking her head slowly, she gives a disapproving tsk at the thought of such a poor existence.
"You're thinking like a woman," he teases with with a laugh. Winston gestures to himself. "I'm content sharing my happiness around. It will not make me look back in disappointment." He pushes his chair back and rises up to his feet. "But for now I fear I must leave you to your self right now. Because I had best get to my bed for sleep so I can wake up early. After all I won't be lazing away tomorrow will I?" He looks at her feet and then meets her eyes with a wink. "Want me to carry you back with me?"
"Well, I /am/ a woman!" Rhodya exclaims. "Ain't you observant." Flopping an arm over the desk she was reading at, she leans her head onto it and grins at him. She could fall asleep like that if she's not careful, but for now at least, it seems Winston's woken her up. "Nah, I'd better try and get a bit of reading in before I give up entirely. You go on, now, and thank you for the foot massage." Once again, she wiggles her grateful toes.
"Always my pleasure," Winston says with a bow. "You take care then and I'll be seeing you in the morning. If I'm asleep when you get to the barracks you feel free to come kiss my cheek good night." He never gives up and winks as he heads out into the bowl.