23.Aug.12, 08:46 AM
The smile faded soon enough. He almost felt uncomfortable, smiling at anyone other than his precious greenrider. Even that wasn't necessarily a common sight. He remained hospitable and his demeanor nonthreatening, but as he crossed his arms and strode across the room towards Jada, there was a certain air of confidence and entitlement. He was the flight winner. A brownrider didn't have the same claim over a goldrider as he did a green, but it was still his conquered territory, in a way. He didn't have conscious thoughts to that affect, but rather it was instinct, habit. He was used to being on top.
So Jada was interviewing women? S'kef nodded and did an excellent job of feigning interest, but he really felt the whole thing was silly. He personally did suspect that D'ren was just appeasing Jada, but the suspicion was born more from his own cynicism than any actual evidence or likelihood. D'ren, as far as S'kef knew, considered Jada promising but in need of guidance. S'kef liked her just fine and hoped she'd remember him when she matured, but the idea of her having actual responsibilities this early was rediciulous. She was a weyrling, and not the Weyrwoman. Training wheels, he supposed? Whatever.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about ant of the candidates," he said, shifting his weight to one leg. He'd met a couple here and there, but his attitude towards the stolen was not necessarily one he cared to share with Jada. As far as he was concerned, they were property of the Weyr until they Impressed or got too old to be useful. They were potential dragonriders, little else. Half of them would be greens anyhow. Why would he bother getting to know them until they turned out to actually be something worth knowing?
He shrugged politely. "I could try, though." He was more than willing to suck up a bit if it might earn him some points with the leadership again. It was a shameful tactic, and one that he'd never employed before. He'd always earned his power through merit and action, not through gradual weaseling. Desperate times, though. He'd fallen far, and he knew much of it was his own fault.
"Of course..." he added with a bit of reservation, "I'm not particularly popular with the northerners." Many of them had been there for B'jin's lashing. They imprinted their fear and anger at dragonriders upon the one responsible for the first true violence and cruelty they had witness. Him, naturally. He loved the way they scattered before him, but that wasn't exactly useful for candidate interviews.
Besides, he'd be talking them into standing down anyhow.
He paused thoughtfully and closed his eyes. "I'd like to help you, Miss Jada, but you'll have to pardon me. This is a new thing for me, as well." It was true. He'd never been a clutchfather before. He remembered standing on the sands, though. It felt powerful.
So Jada was interviewing women? S'kef nodded and did an excellent job of feigning interest, but he really felt the whole thing was silly. He personally did suspect that D'ren was just appeasing Jada, but the suspicion was born more from his own cynicism than any actual evidence or likelihood. D'ren, as far as S'kef knew, considered Jada promising but in need of guidance. S'kef liked her just fine and hoped she'd remember him when she matured, but the idea of her having actual responsibilities this early was rediciulous. She was a weyrling, and not the Weyrwoman. Training wheels, he supposed? Whatever.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about ant of the candidates," he said, shifting his weight to one leg. He'd met a couple here and there, but his attitude towards the stolen was not necessarily one he cared to share with Jada. As far as he was concerned, they were property of the Weyr until they Impressed or got too old to be useful. They were potential dragonriders, little else. Half of them would be greens anyhow. Why would he bother getting to know them until they turned out to actually be something worth knowing?
He shrugged politely. "I could try, though." He was more than willing to suck up a bit if it might earn him some points with the leadership again. It was a shameful tactic, and one that he'd never employed before. He'd always earned his power through merit and action, not through gradual weaseling. Desperate times, though. He'd fallen far, and he knew much of it was his own fault.
"Of course..." he added with a bit of reservation, "I'm not particularly popular with the northerners." Many of them had been there for B'jin's lashing. They imprinted their fear and anger at dragonriders upon the one responsible for the first true violence and cruelty they had witness. Him, naturally. He loved the way they scattered before him, but that wasn't exactly useful for candidate interviews.
Besides, he'd be talking them into standing down anyhow.
He paused thoughtfully and closed his eyes. "I'd like to help you, Miss Jada, but you'll have to pardon me. This is a new thing for me, as well." It was true. He'd never been a clutchfather before. He remembered standing on the sands, though. It felt powerful.