therookery | [OPEN] say hi to the new boss i guess

Entry tags:

[OPEN] say hi to the new boss i guess

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Kit Gandir
RECIPIENT: Everyone; priority for members of the Other Powers project
WHAT: Announcing himself as the new project head.
WHEN: Now-ish.
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: None currently.

[This is, possibly, his third attempt recording this message, and so if his words sound tired or rehearsed, that's probably why.

He clears his throat and gets right into it with,] I'm Kit Gandir, and I'm the new leader of the Other Powers project. Javin Mazurak decided to step down from his position as leader and--[cornered, cajoled, pleaded, blackmailed]--asked me to step in as his replacement. So, here I am.

If you know me, you know I'm from Orzammar, but my diplomatic skills are rusty at best and I don't speak a word of Qunlat. I'd like to set aside some time this week to meet with other project members to get up to speed with what everyone is working on, and get feedback from you all on where we should be going. I know I'm the new guy as it is, you may not know me at all, and now you're expected to take direction from me. I'll do what I can to make it as easy a process as possible.

Quick word of thanks to Javin for leaving me his--[completely disorganized mess to sort through]--files.

[Kit hangs up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Seeing as how I just joined up, there aren't any transition problems on my part! Good on you, for taking the lead.

My experience is much more with dwarves than it is Qunari, but I'm willing to learn as need be.

Pretty sure there's gonna be a learning curve for all of us, salroka. Glad to have you with us.

[Have a cheerful mage!]

You make it sound like congratulations would be out of place, but nevertheless, you've got them from me. You'll make up that rustiness with pure charm, I know.

[All completely earnest. You're still his friend, Kit.]

[A moment's hesitation before Kit responds, a smile creeping into his voice despite his best efforts.] Yeah, you say that now, but you really haven't heard me try to speak Qunlat yet. [A quiet chuckle. Then, after a pause,] Thanks, Myr.

I don't know a word of it myself, so how would I know you're mangling it? [He's grinning.]

Sure thing. It's deserved.

You're holding up all right? [Maybe not the most diplomatic question to ask the guy immediately after a promotion, but that's why Myr's over in Research.]

[An answering smile audible in his voice.] Hah--good point, salroka.

[As for the very weighted question, he makes a dismissive noise, like it ain't no big thing.] Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Got some digs outside the Gallows, too, so I don't have to deal with snoring bunkmates anymore. [Just the occasional lost vagrant or urchin breaking in to rummage through his empty cupboards, but they're easy enough to usher out. Like stray cats.]

[So that's where he went. Myr's not surprised, but any twinge of pain he feels at the reminder Kit's avoiding something--including him--doesn't make it to his voice:]

Glad to hear it--and your voice, again.

I won't take up any more of your time, though; if you ever need bees sent after someone in the course of your job, you know how to find me.

[A chuckle, and a smile.] Yeah, I know. [A momentary pause, before he adds,] I'll come find you, sometime this week, if you don't have too much on your plate.

[...That's promising.]

I can always make time for friends. It'll be good to see you [well, metaphorically] again.

You bet.

Give me some time to get settled in here; I'll swing by your rooms later, we can catch up.

[Sort of dreading the inevitable topic of conversation... but it will be good to talk with his friend again. Can't deny that.]

[He's come all the way around from hiding pain to grinning openly. This is good!

...This is good if it means Kit's also made up to Van. But let that worry rest for now.]

Sounds good to me. I'll talk to you then.

[There are quite a few ways both direct and indirect in which his cousin has prompted him to answer this, when otherwise he'd have bitten his tongue, and fought back that urge to congratulate Kit, and convinced himself he wasn't proud of him. But hearing Kit and Myr talk is the last straw, and Van is determined not to be outdone or left out.]

That's a hell of a promotion. You should be proud.

[He considers the crystal in his hands for a moment, simultaneously wanting to toss it under his desk and make a break for it, and also wanting to answer it too quickly. Ancestors, how did he create this situation so quickly?

He activates the crystal, holds his silence for a moment, then smirks a little.] Yeah... you say that now--I've only been on the job for a day. There's plenty of time left for everything to go tits up.

[A pause. He chews the corner of his mouth. Then,] I've been thinking-- [Nope, bad idea, bad idea. Try again.] --I hope things're going all right. For you.

[Yeah. Smooth.]

Cross the tits-up bridge when you come to it. For now, you get to celebrate.

[He has no doubts about Kit's suitability for the job, no matter what personal matters he may think Kit has mishandled. He's warier about this conversation than he'll admit to himself, because it shouldn't matter whether Kit's willing to talk to him again or not, but he has to acknowledge that little surge of hope and wash of relief for what they are when Kit doesn't simply end the conversation there again.]

That's what you've been thinking about, huh? [His tone has only the faintest hint of irony. Kit isn't getting off the hook that easily, but neither does Vandelin want to scare him off again.] You can rest easy; I'm fine.

[A small sigh, and a smaller smile.] Good, good. I'm glad.

[He drums his fingers in agitation against the surface of his desk, staring past the crystal at the stack of paperwork in front of him, then beyond it out the window. It's a nice day, sunny and cool; why does he feel like thunderheads are about to roll in again?]

Heard Madame de Cedoux wanted to have a word with you, [he says, in lieu of anything better, because he doesn't know how to broach the most obvious subject they need to address--but neither does he want to end the call.]

Yeah, she did. It went well. [He's not sure how much of it he's at liberty to discuss yet, and so errs on the side of caution--but it isn't a matter of not wanting to share the news with Kit, reserved though he still is.]

I think good things are happening. And they may incidentally put me in your path more often, so it would be nice if that weren't an issue. [This, sadly enough, is Van's idea of an olive branch. In its way.]

No, no, it won't be an issue, [he insists, almost without thinking,] it'd be nice to-- [He stops himself, lets the words he'd been about to say sit with him for a moment longer. What frightens him more, the truth of them, or that they might not be enough?]

...It'd be nice to see you again.

[The speed with which Kit answers that, even more so than the words themselves, is what sticks with Vandelin. Words can be diplomatically falsified, but genuine enthusiasm is harder to fake even if Kit had reason to. In spite of himself, even as he still holds that grudge close and nurses it, he's touched--

Get a grip, he scolds himself. He sounded like that before, too.]

We'll see what happens. I'm sure it'll be good to work with you.

...Right, of course, [Kit replies, forcing relaxed levity into his tone when he doesn't feel it, not really. He shouldn't have expected anything different.

He takes a breath and squashes the ache in his chest, to deal with it another time. They're both adults.] Well we've got some folks in the project who are familiar with the Qun and Qunlat, so I expect there's an opportunity for some liaising there. I can send their dossiers over to you, if you want to look them over.

[He discreetly sets the crystal down, without deactivating it, and presses his eyes against the heel of his palm.]

[He's not sure that reviewing dossiers quite falls under his purview, but even if he were one to turn down information--he never has been; he wants to know everything, because how else do you get ahead but by knowing things about people--he can't help but feel like a refusal would look personal, as if he's pushing Kit away out of spite as a lover scorned.]

That would be great. And I don't know exactly what your office covers, but if your job ever intersects with the Northern Powers group, I speak a little bit of Tevene spread across a few dialects. So does Myr.

[This is not at all grasping at tangentially-relevant straws as a thinly-veiled excuse to talk to Kit more often. Shut up.]

I expect we will, further on down the road. [It's a vague, wishy-washy kind of answer--but in his defence, he's still getting his sea legs under him in this position. Whatever documentation Javin has left behind for him doesn't quite pass muster in terms of enabling him to slip easily into this role; he knows he's going to be winging it, but if he's going to fake it, he's going to look make it look intentional.]

Well, [he starts after a pause, and finds himself searching for something else to say, some way to keep the conversation going, and coming up short. No, if he keeps Vandelin on the call for any longer than this, he's going to end up sounding pathetic and desperate. Kit clears his throat.] Well-- [you already said that, idiot,] --I don't want to keep you from your work if you're busy.

[He can tell, though, that Kit would rather let the conversation linger, and he can't pretend the thought isn't tempting. Nor is he actually busy right now, though he could certainly find work to do if he tried. He's torn. Ending the conversation now would leave him with the upper hand, and conversely, finding some excuse to keep it going would render him vulnerable, but...]

Then let me know when you're free and we could go over it in person.

Edited 2017-09-10 17:30 (UTC)

[He makes himself answer quickly, before he can give himself too long to think about--and then talk himself out of--accepting that invitation.] Sure, [he says,] I'm free--well, I'm free about now, actually. If this is a good time for you.

I speak Anders if you could use help with that.

[He sounds very amused.]

A little Tevene too, I've been taking lessons. And congratulations.

[A chuckle, and a smile audible in his voice.] Hey, I won't turn down the help. And thanks--I still feel congratulations are premature. I've barely started the job yet.

Of course congratulations are in order. You got enough bed rest after your wounds to be able to show your skills and get appointed to a new position. Some fail to manage that.

[Another laugh--careful, Anders, you're going to give him an ego the size of Rivain.] Hah! Well I guess it won't do me too many favours to question my own competence, eh? Still, I appreciate the vote of confidence, Anders. You're all right.

[Little does Kit know how much being called "all right" publicly by someone means to Anders.]

So does this make you a surface Dwarf? I'm not sure where the divide falls.

Nah--I've still got my stone sense. [This said with another chuckle, before it occurs to him that that probably doesn't mean a hell of a lot to Anders.] Hm. I'm not sure how to explain it--not sure it really matters anymore.

If it matters with how you see yourself, then it matters.

[Identity is a Very Big Thing to Anders, especially after he's lost so much of it in different ways.]

And if you do figure out a way to explain it, I'd love to hear that. Varric mentioned stone sense but never went into detail and I've been curious for some time.

...you got a fair point there--can't argue with that. [He has always seen himself as fundamentally different from the surface dwarves born on the surface, who never had to suffer through Orzammar's bullshit. ...not to say that they hadn't had their own shit to suffer through.]

Well, don't know that I can think of the right way to word it, but sure, we can chat about it sometime.

Shall I let you go for now? I'm certain you've a thousand things to organize.

[Congratulations have been given; it's best not to impose. He would like to avoid scaring Kit off just yet, after all.]

Might be good, for now, but don't be a stranger, huh? [He's learning, slowly, that casually casting off acquaintances once they run the risk of becoming real friendships is not something that actually does him, or anyone else, any favours.]

I... I won't.

[This is different, and it's nice. He likes being wanted around.]

Congratulations, Kit. I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job with this new responsibility.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, boss, [this said with a little grin.]

If you ever need someone capable of speaking Qunlat, I can assist with that. I'm fairly familiar with the culture, as well, should that information be needed.

[Though it's probably clear that he himself certainly doesn't sound much like a Qunari at all.]

[That's more than enough to snag Kit's attention. Audible relief in his reply of,] Ancestors, yes, I'd welcome the help.

[He's got some limited experience with the Qunari--not much, but enough to guess that the fellow speaking to him isn't of the Qun. Still, best not to pry.] I'm just getting myself situated in this, uh--[small closet]--...office. If you want to swing by.

I can do that... Are you located in the Gallows?

[It sounds like his knowledge will be of considerable help, anyway, which is always a good thing. Who knew his time among the Fog Warriors would prove to be so useful? Between this and the Arishok business a while back...]

I am now, [Kit replies affably, and provides some directions to his office.] Whenever you've got the time to spare and want to drop by, I'd like to talk with you about your experiences with the Qun.

Then I would be glad to stop by... I can be there soon.

[He'd been assigned to this division for good reason, after all, and he supposes it's worth putting that information to use.]

Great--looking forward to it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OPEN] say hi to the new boss i guess

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject