26.Aug.12, 10:55 AM
Busy. Not lately, he hadn't been. He still smiled casually and shrugged. "It's nice to have work again," he said in a somewhat restrained voice, polite and devoid of his anger. He still thought N'gelt in his old position was a complete joke. N'gelt was even more temperamental than S'kef was, and every bit as prejudiced and about half as logical. S'kef was hard-edged, but he wasn't insane. S'kef was pretty sure N'gelt's true colors would show soon enough; N'gelt carried S'kef's worst traits and none of his good ones. They would see eventually.
Well, S'kef imagined they would, but he wasn't willing to risk his future counting on it.
Her next comment ruffled his feathers a bit. Oh yes, he was Weyrsecond. How kind of her to remind him. He set his jaw and managed to squeeze his anger into the back of his mind. He was in polite company and he'd resolved to undo the harm done by his past two months of bad behavior. S'kef knew better than anyone (except perhaps J'ver) that he was capable of outstanding feats of self-destruction when he lacked a reason to abstain from them. Repairing his reputation was an excellent reason.
He just sighed. "I'm afraid D'ren kept me away from the clutching business," he commented. He couldn't help but feel like the awkward dialogue between them was going nowhere. Had he done something to offend her? Nothing should have, considering she was one of the few people in the Weyr that be bothered talking civilly with these days. He didn't exactly view the rest of the Weyr as rabble (except greenriders), but not many of them seemed worth his time on a personal level, either.
"Jada," he said at last, dropping into a wearily conversational tone. "Is there something you are trying to ask me?" He wasn't rude, merely straightforward. The casual tone was enough of an indication of his comfort, though there was perhaps just a bit of exasperation mixed in as well. It wasn't necessarily aimed at Jada, but more the situation. He hated dancing around issues. Just come out and sat it. His eyes implored her.
Well, S'kef imagined they would, but he wasn't willing to risk his future counting on it.
Her next comment ruffled his feathers a bit. Oh yes, he was Weyrsecond. How kind of her to remind him. He set his jaw and managed to squeeze his anger into the back of his mind. He was in polite company and he'd resolved to undo the harm done by his past two months of bad behavior. S'kef knew better than anyone (except perhaps J'ver) that he was capable of outstanding feats of self-destruction when he lacked a reason to abstain from them. Repairing his reputation was an excellent reason.
He just sighed. "I'm afraid D'ren kept me away from the clutching business," he commented. He couldn't help but feel like the awkward dialogue between them was going nowhere. Had he done something to offend her? Nothing should have, considering she was one of the few people in the Weyr that be bothered talking civilly with these days. He didn't exactly view the rest of the Weyr as rabble (except greenriders), but not many of them seemed worth his time on a personal level, either.
"Jada," he said at last, dropping into a wearily conversational tone. "Is there something you are trying to ask me?" He wasn't rude, merely straightforward. The casual tone was enough of an indication of his comfort, though there was perhaps just a bit of exasperation mixed in as well. It wasn't necessarily aimed at Jada, but more the situation. He hated dancing around issues. Just come out and sat it. His eyes implored her.