private PSL

[srsbznss]

[Part of the problem with being a financial advisor, Ali realized, was that it meant he had to work. And it wasn't even the fun kinds of 'work' like stacking coins and sorting them by the quality of their gold or silver, oh no. The king had made it quite clear that any coin-counting was to be done only when requested, or outside of working hours. No, Ali had to do things like read and fill out paperwork, or run analytics on tax revenue and what kind of surplus or expenditures there were in the quarter. Or, at the very least, he had to assign all of that work to one of his several secretaries. After all, he at to at least keep up the appearances of being a financial advisor, and over the last few decades he had gotten pretty good at that. It wasn't impossible, but it also wasn't nearly as fun as counting coins.

Of course, he would get odd looks if he just sat around counting coins all day. To anyone else looking in, they did not see the fearsome dragon Aligrezoph, guardian of the kingdom's treasury. They saw Ali, a normal- albeit quirky- man who kept a very small social circle in the finance department and spent most of his days trying to keep expenditures to a minimum while saving up as much as he could. All for the kingdom's benefit, of course. It totally wasn't so there would be an even bigger pile of coins for Ali to count on his breaks.

Indeed, most who looked at Ali would just see an average-looking man. shoulder-length black hair tied back with a black ribbon, piercing blue eyes, a perpetual frown stuck on his face in most situations. A lean body that was more built for flexibility and speed than strength, and a very simple style of dress in neutral colors. He looked every bit like a stuffy accountant, though Ali would argue that he wasn't really THAT stuffy. He was just comfortable with the form!

He also would not talk about his other form under any circumstances.

On that day, Ali had an armful of expense reports with him. There was to be a meeting, and he had stayed up all night with two of his secretaries preparing these reports. With the midsummer festival coming up, the festivities had to be decided upon and paid for. And, as usual, Ali wanted to keep the expenses as low as possible. For the good of the kingdom, of course. Ultimately his team had prepared a few possible expense reports, with varying amounts spent on decorations, hiring out staff, and paying guards for keeping the peace. Any one of his plans would be acceptable, but Ali was sure that someone would complain. There was always someone who complained and called him a 'coin-pinching cheapskate', but those complaints had picked up more in recent years. Already Ali was annoyed just from the thought of the argument that would happen that day when he butted heads with a certain other advisor. Sparks would fly as usual, and these weren't the good kind of sparks.

But Ali was willing to give it a chance. As people arrived at the meeting- a meeting between the king and his dozen or so advisors in the various ways of running the kingdom- Ali worked to lay out one set of expense reports at each desk. It was only two pages of paper per table spot, so hopefully everyone liked to read!

Of course, when Ali passed a certain advisor, he had to fight the urge to make a snide comment. Instead, he just held out the two-page document to him, trying not to show too much contempt when he spoke.]

Do take care of those papers, will you? My staff stayed up all night finishing them.

[He was a dragon in hiding, not a snake in hiding, but his words still had bite to them.]

Comments

[virtuesignal]

[Concord, as was his duty, followed behind the King like his shadow. A gleaming shadow, if there ever was one. The man was tall, broad, and had a mane of bright, silver hair curling out in all directions. It collected into a long braid that swung behind him, ending just above his hips. A center part left bangs to frame his features, a gaunt face with five beauty marks, in the precise pattern of the brightest constellation in the night sky. His forehead had a golden tattoo, or so it appeared to most people, a rune of some sort. He had a stern look about him and wore pristinely his military garb at nearly all times. Rare was it to see him look disheveled.

He only sat once the King was seated, taking the last one available. Besides Ali.

His piercing green eyes met the dragon, who spoke to him with utmost condescension. The Knight Commander's face did not react, not beyond a single, long blink. The table fell entirely silent.

Concord reached to take the pages indicated to him. Maintaining a wordless gaze with Ali, he crumpled and shoved them all into his mouth, before slowly and defiantly chewing them up.]

[srsbznss]

[Well. That sure just happened.

Ali just stared at Concord in disbelief for a good five seconds, mouth open slightly as if he had been caught mid-sentence. Then he looked to the king, as if to silently say 'what???' and in turn the king shrugged. Not the answer Ali was looking for, but if the king wasn't going to lecture Concord for destroying notes then it wasn't Ali's place to do so either. He would have to fume silently instead.

And fume he did. By the time he had turned back to Concord, Ali's face was set in a tight-lipped frown, clearly disapproving. But he said nothing to the other man, and instead continued on down the line, passing other copies of the paperwork out to the rest of the table. If Concord wanted to be stubborn as a mule, he could be. He would just have to suffer passive-aggressive comments for the rest of the meeting while Ali instructed people to look at the notes for exact figures. Ali was quite skilled in being petty without directly calling people out.]

As you can see from the figures on page one, we're expecting approximately a thousand participants to show up at the festivities each day, with the majority coming on the last day for the fireworks show. Given the space needed for that many participants, my primary plan has us sectioning off these streets here, starting at the courtyard...

[It was all really, really boring. Talk of how much to spend on setup and takedown, ways to save money by having merchants handle some steps of the process, and so forth. And at the end of his rather long explanation, Ali laid out a question for everyone there:]

So! Does this sound agreeable?

[He was not expecting anyone to have concerns. His plan had been carefully thought out and drawn up and explained, who would have problems with it? Of course, that was his ego talking, and he was definitely leaving himself open for criticism.]

[virtuesignal]

[The King was, most certainly, used to Concord being this way. The Knight Commander wasn't some wildcard, merely inscrutable at times. Shrugging off such antics was quicker than questioning them, as Concord would give little insight into why he acted the way he did. The gesture, in his mind, should speak entirely for itself. He swallowed the papers.

He also didn't interrupt the meeting, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. Dozing off through it, arms folding over his chest. Any strange noise or too quick movement got his eyes to open, assess the cause, then settle back in to his... meditation? Nap? Difficult to say. Despite that, he was listening to the meeting, boring though some may consider it.

His tone was hushed, always disarmingly gentle given his appearance. Concord never raised his voice, not once, ever the quiet sort. He could get passionate, but it burned mostly in his eyes and body language when he did. A sharp glint to his expression was focusing on Ali,]

The guards will need higher pay incentive. If they have to work instead of attend the festivities. That, or you will need to pay more of them, so I can organize half shift evenings.

[srsbznss]

[Ali had assumed Concord was just sleeping through the meeting, only to be stirred every now and then. Being a light sleeper made sense, given his position as Knight Commander, so Ali figured he would have to answer 20 questions later on whatever Concord had missed. Really he had been hoping to just appeal to the king and get a 'yes' without any input from that damn unicorn, because he always had something to say about Ali's plans. But once again, Concord was proving Ali wrong by not only listening, but bringing up a valid objection to an otherwise perfect proposal.

Internally, Ali knew Concord was right. Humans did like their festivities, and anyone who had to work would need an incentive to do so. Ali, who did not car much for festivities in the first place, had assumed like-minded individuals wouldn't mind forgoing time off on the day of festivities in favor of extra approved time off later for their own personal travels. It was far cheaper to reorganize guard rotations than it was to pay more for labor. But what if there weren't enough volunteers? Ali didn't know the guards well enough to know exactly how many would favor special time off later instead of time off for the festival. And while he could just ask Concord directly about that, his pride was telling him 'fuck no'. Which meant he took the most flippant option in explaining his thoughts there.]

Not everyone is as interested in the festival as others are. An offer of extra time off at a later date on top of normal pay should be adequate, if there are enough guards who would take that offer.

[Extra pay was still an option, but Ali was always reluctant to give up even one copper coin more than needed. The treasury technically belonged to the kingdom, but Ali still saw it as his hoard. And dragons were, of course, very protective of their hoard. It meant that the kingdom would always have a full treasury, but it also meant that getting extra funding for anything was an absolute headache.]

[virtuesignal]

As much of a coin-pinching cheapskate as ever, [yes, if anybody is calling Ali that, it's Concord. He feels the King tossing a glare his way, if not scolding him outright, such bickering was not wise to get into in front of him.

But Concord is not the most wise, so he goes on with pushing back,]

The Kingdom needs to show generosity at times like these. What is the point of dust gathering gold when it could be in the hands of our own people? The people who protect the Kingdom, no less. [his quiet, level tone helps the King hear his argument better than if he ever spoke loudly or with aggression. Insults, maybe for Ali being the way he is, but never yelling or kicking up a storm. Concord had a certain civility that kept arguing level headed to some degree.

Usually.]

[srsbznss]

[Usually.

And Ali could keep an even tone too, usually. Though his words had a bite to them, they were not loud nor threatening. It was more like an academic lecturing someone firmly, making it clear that whoever they were speaking to had pushed him to the point of contained annoyance. Actual fighting in front of the king was a no-go, and Ali usually avoided physical confrontations anyway, but he would give out a verbal lashing freely.]

We can't just throw gold at every problem we have, or else we will soon find ourselves with an empty vault. The point of the finance department is to make the most of every coin we have. They're not collecting dust if they're being spent wisely. The question here is if extra wages are the wisest way to spend that gold, or if we use other incentives here and save the gold for another expense in the future. We have to consider the precedent we will set too: if we pay extra wages now, then what about at the next festival? Or the next? There's ten different celebrations each year that need guards present, should we pay extra wages to the guards each time? Or do we look into alternative methods first to keep from emptying our pockets on all the extra labor costs?

[He was saying it as a bunch of questions, which in fairness were directed at least partially at the king. But his tone carried the implication of "if you thought about this for five seconds you would know I am right, you damn unicorn."

The king, for his part, was considering both sides here. Though he was annoyed at the 'fight' before him, he knew he would have to make a decision to get both Ali and Concord to stop. As he considered, he waited to hear what Concord had to say in return.]

[virtuesignal]

So many questions... There is one issue on the table and here you spin that into an eternity.

[a subtle way to nod to their shared immortality, but there's purpose to it. Concord sees individual lives more keenly than Ali, or so he would argue. He's concerned with the day-to-day, the comforts and troubles and dangers that mortals face. Dragons are not known for that, they think in decades and centuries, in numbers. Unicorns think in moments, in the pleasure and strife of living life.

Concord thinks very little of social rigor like money management, beyond what it can do. Money is nothing more than a tool to the Unicorn, something to be used to help, not horded away as mere assets. Leaving it up to him, money would be spent as soo as it was acquired. The King... would never trust Concord with coin.

That doesn't mean his input is meritless, merely a far cry in perspective. So long as they didn't start snarling at one another, having Ali and Concord bicker was a fine exercise in hearing out multiple viewpoints. The King certainly has his reasons for allowing this time and time again in his court]

If you fret so much for managing expectations, then make it clear the bonus pay is once only. If you are concerned for the future, consider that we will have earned more of your dusty gold, by then.

[srsbznss]

[Long term and short, moments and centuries. Both views have their worth, but balancing them was the job of the king. Ali was too stubborn to admit defeat, and there were very few voices that would get him to yield. Fortunately, one of those voices spoke up right before Ali could throw some more harsh words in Concord's direction.]

Enough.

[The king spoke softly, but firmly. He was one who could command a whole room with a single word, and indeed all of the other advisors immediately looked to their leader to see what he had to say. Even Ali's concentration on Concord was broken, and he instantly went from a rising temper to 'open and listening' as he turned to the king.]

You both have presented good points here. Ali, there is some merit in offering extra time off in lieu of overtime pay, and I think at other, smaller festivals there will be plenty of guards interested. But given the size and popularity of the midsummer festival, overtime pay would be a better benefit this time around.

Additionally, I am hesitant to give half-shifts, because a change of the guard is the time when most incidents happen. So it would be best to do the usual guard rotations and offer an adequate compensation for those who will be missing out this year, in addition to the promise of rotating who is working from year-to-year in the name of fairness. Concord, given your familiarity with the guards, I will leave it to you to determine the exact compensation per soldier. Ali, we will try out your suggestion At the Saint's Day festival in the fall. Does this sound agreeable?

[It was a trick question in a way, because Ali knew very well that 'does this sound agreeable' meant it was time to back down and accept what the king had decided. Fuming internally, Ali gave a short nod to the king. He was loathe to give up more gold for this, but even he wouldn't go against the king once a decision had been made. He would just be mad about it for the next few days.]

[virtuesignal]

[When the King draws attention to the council, Concord is the last to turn to him. Not out of any disrespect, but from his attention being slow to break. He's trained in on Ali, has he had been since they started such sparring with words. There are moments like this where he cannot help looking at the dragon with an appreciative eye. When they argue and fuss about their contradictory ideals, it could be difficult to see him as anything more than an obstacle.

When that is called to cease, Concord sees Ali for who he is more clearly. That shift in expression, from combative to listening, it reminds Concord to not be so harsh. Ali... does his best for the kingdom. He's not the snake some may paint him out to be. There is a softness to him, when he is being pulled to compromise.

Concord won't overthink why he yearns to see that softness, even if it's only at a glimpse.

He pulls his gaze away, closing his eyes to nod at the King's words.]

Yes, good King. In a show of good faith, Ali and I will negotiate a fair number, after this meeting. I will advocate for the soldiers within reason. [Concord's eyes shift back to Ali, narrowing to ask]

Amicable?

[srsbznss]

[The softness there often has to be drawn out by people Ali sees as far better than him- his favor and undying loyalty to the king being one of his very few 'soft spots', most notably- but it can be seen on rare occasion. Such as when the king spoke with authority. Ali didn't always like what the king told him, but he respected the man enough to accept answers he did not like. The king always had his reasons, even if Ali didn't see them. Though Ali wouldn't admit it out loud, he did know that his own perspective had blind spots, and the king was one of the few he trusted to point those spots out without making it a personal attack.

Which was why, even though he was peeved at Concord, he accepted the man's words. The annoyance was back when his eyes met Concord's again, but it wasn't as harsh as before. This was more of Ali's baseline level of grumpiness, the king's words had done their job of breaking Ali from his ranting before he actually spiraled into genuine anger. It was a skill the king had honed over the years, after Ali had accidentally set fire to a few tables in the early years of his alliance with the king. The smallest dragon had a bit of a temper, who would have guessed?]

Alright. Stop by the treasury once you have the numbers and I'll draw up the paperwork for it.

[His words were still short, but it was the end of the disagreement for now. And with Ali's part of the meeting done, he would take his own seat at the table to let the next advisor speak.

Shipping logistics, permit issues, public service decisions, the festival had it all. At least a half-dozen advisors, Concord included, would be expected to share their information on the upcoming festival. It was a tiring affair to be sure, but that was probably why the king usually let Ali go first: best to get the most verbose advisor out of the way while everyone still had the mental strength to listen to him prattle on about funds.]

[virtuesignal]

[Concord has little to speak in the meeting, beyond his disagreements with Ali. The guards needed compensation to justify being on duty at the festivities and unable to attend themselves. Younger men wanted to party and mingle, while the older men wanted to spend time with their families, so the enticement of more coin would be necessary. With that already handled, he has fewer concerns. So long as he has the numbers, his regimen would keep order. He is assured in that.

He doses through the other points of the meeting more than he did with Ali's. The dragon is not especially boring to him, Concord was more alert for his bits because he anticipated a disagreement, and was correct in that. Other political concerns wash by him without causing a fuss in the unicorn. That's a special place Ali seems to occupy.

When the meeting is concluded, Concord is the first to stand. He's actually quite prone to lingering about, but in this case it's duty first. He gathers guards left out at the doors and assigns them to the King, as he has to inquire with the lower brigades over their pay. He gets chirped at by both over how much of a bonus there might be, grumbling at them showing such enthusiasm in front of Ali. His level glare tells them to hush up so certain dragon's don't think any pittance will do...

It will take Concord until the late evening to arrive at the Treasury. He has a scroll tucked under one arm and bottle of wine as a show of that good faith he mentioned. Did Ali prefer wine over mead? He suddenly couldn't remember, knocking on Ali's office door. Too late now, if he got it wrong.]

[srsbznss]

[Fortunately Ali won't argue too much over what the bonus pay should be. So long as it's not a ridiculously high number at least. Ali's mind is constantly occupied by numbers and data, counting and planning. He can easily calculate interest rates and estimate tax income for years on end, but the more social aspects of his job are still a struggle to him. As it turns out, twenty years of forced interaction with humans doesn't overwrite centuries of solitude. Human needs and desires are still a bit of a mystery to him.

Most of Ali's day after the meeting is spent drawing up documents for the other portions of the festival- the ones that had been approved and didn't need further signatures- and preparing several bags of coins to be dispersed alongside those documents in the coming days. The same documents are also copied into one of the many record-keeping books that sit on a large wall that occupies the treasury office. That task had been fostered off onto one of Ali's secretaries though, as often happened with the copying portions. Ali's memory was airtight, the records are just in case he is ever unavailable to recall a past transaction for some reason. Though Ali is a long-lived dragon, he still gets sick sometimes and he tends to hide away during his twice-yearly shedding. Keeping backup records is just a matter of practicality.

At this late hour though, all of the secretaries have gone home for the day. Ali might be a bit of a scrooge when it comes to money, but he isn't one to demand unfair labor. Every minute of a worker's time is to be fairly compensated after all, and Ali prefers that his secretaries keep normal business hours and go home on time to both save on labor costs and to give them plenty of time to rest and come back refreshed and ready to work. Productivity drops off after too many hours of work after all, so it's not an efficient use of wages to keep people working endlessly. Ali, however, needs less rest than a normal human, so he can stay late counting out coins and putting wax seals on letters. All of the country's money is 'his', after all, so it's not like he's paying himself overtime.

For a moment he completely forgets about Concord coming by that night, and the knock on the door startles him. But after a second he recovers, and he runs a hand through his hair to both calm himself and straighten himself up before going over to answer. At first he looks the same as he often does: like a cat who has been offended by an offer of sub-par food. But then he sees the bottle of wine, which both catches his attention and confuses him. He does manage to tone down the sass though, and his question comes out as sounding mostly-normal.]

Wine? What's the occasion?

[He is still in his clothes from earlier in the day too. Despite the late hour, Ali has not been back to his quarters to change or freshen up yet.]

[virtuesignal]

Gifts do not require occasion. [Concord says simply as he passes the bottle over, letting it weigh down into his palm, stem his way to hand it off. That's all he has to say on the matter upfront, passing through the doorway and into the office. He feels particularly large in any space that Ali curated for himself. The unicorn was not meant for hidden lairs and dens, but wide open spaces.

Like those spaces, he somehow always smelled of a forest, even if he too had been out all day without cleaning up. His pressed uniform is creased and worn in on his figure by now, hair slightly more wild than usual, though he was far from disheveled. He seats himself where he can, taking the scroll from beneath his arm to open. Green eyes cross over the lines to reread it before presenting, a reminder of what was there precisely, so he didn't say anything wrong.]

I asked around each brigade and noted their desired price to work, rather than attend the festival. You can puzzle out a budget from that, yes? [that is what Ali is best at, isn't it? Making sense of too many numbers. Concord did the legwork of getting the data, it's up to the dragon to work with it, like ingredients for a chef. Concord sees these things in quaint terms, having little grasp of numbers as their own concept]

[srsbznss]

[The room itself is definitely reminiscent of a den, what with how several desks and chairs have been crammed in without much regard for optimal space usage. This is in part because of all the bookshelves to be found lining the walls and making the room feel even smaller. There are a couple chairs free for the taking, thankfully, though the largest desk and chair are currently occupied with papers and small bags of gold. Ali has been quite busy in the last few hours.

Ali stands there dumbly for a moment, blinking in confusion a few times as he stares down at the bottle in his hands. A gift, is it? He can't help but wonder just what Concord is thinking. The bottle does end up on Ali's desk eventually though, if only because Ali is anticipating having to work before. Maybe he'll consider sharing afterward, depending on how their information-sharing goes. And while the small bags of coins get set wherever in the room- on countertops, he also listens to what Concord says.]

That should be enough, provided there are plenty of volunteers.

[More data to analyze, but Ali can do it. He's been doing it for years, he will handle this quickly.

The other bags on the table are already filled and tied up, but Concord can get an estimation of how much has been set aside for each department. Those bags get slid aside though, so that Ali can sit at his desk and run the calculations. He doesn't begrudge Concord for not knowing the math to calculate all of this, it is a rather specialized skill after all. Instead, while he uses a slate to run some quick numbers, he asks another question.]

How did you convince them to take such a deal in the first place? At the meeting you made it sound like they would be reluctant.

[virtuesignal]

Some refused outright. Some gave me numbers even I could tell were outrageous. Some were jumping at the chance to make more coin. I denoted the last with a star.

[His notes are orderly. Concord has soldier names organized by regiment and then listed handily by their answer, refusal or negotiation, with their price listed if the latter. Some have absurd numbers, to the point that maybe they thought Concord was joking. Concord took them quite serious, diligently noting even the smart asses in his brigades. It should be easy enough for Ali to sort and determine a baseline bonus to be allotted and shared.

Concord leans back in the seat his took, taking a long breath in, basking within the space. It is quite pleasant, once settled. All paper and ink and Ali's smokey sort of scent. Even if the unicorn feels out of place, the cramped feeling is being overtaken by a certain coziness.

He also won't ask for a drink of that wine. Knowing Ali, it will be horded away rather than shared.]

We had many of our finest begin new families, this year. I could tell they felt strife at the choice. Provide more coin or provide more of their time.

[Concord thinks it a shame that some would choose luxuries over bonding, but mortals can make their own decisions. He does not need to coddle them...]

[srsbznss]

[For a moment Ali is actually impressed by Concord's note-taking skills. This is the same man who just ate Ali's budget report, after all, he's always questioned the unicorn's ability to do anything even remotely academic. But this information is actually quite useful to Ali, and the way his eyebrows shoot right up to his hairline as he reads through it all is a sure sign that his expectations have been surpassed. He won't verbally praise Concord, but the thought is there.

Looking through the numbers, Ali's first instinct is to give everyone what they request and not a coin more. Everyone has named their price, so it would be easy to just pick the lowest-priced guards and meet their expectations. But Ali has to stop that train of thought right there, because guards do talk to each other and they would quickly realize any unfairness in wages. No, they all had to be paid the same amount, whatever that amount may be. Already his mind is running calculations, piecing together a price point that hits enough of the guards that the rest will follow after the majority. Stating it in terms of a percentage of their usual pay might be useful here too, Ali realizes. His hand is flying over the slate, scrawling out calculations in chalk with a quick, practiced ease. He's so practiced at this that he can write out numbers while talking to Concord even, displaying his ability to split his attention while not meaning to show off.]

It should be safe to let them spend time with their families, the most trouble we should see at the festival are those who have a bit too much to drink. Just having a presence around should dissuade most troublemakers.

[Indeed, the kingdom is going through a period of relative peace. The last true wars ended when the king ascended to the throne some twenty years ago, and relations with neighboring countries are cordial. Peace won't last forever, Ali knows this all too well, but it should last for some time yet. Strife tends to make itself known long before it boils over, should one watch for the signs.]

I suppose the pay should be based on position too...speaking of which, do you intend to work for the festival?

[The question is, from Ali's point of view, a practical one. As the Knight Commander, Concord's wages would be the highest, should he choose to work for the extra pay. Ali would need to account for that in his calculations too.]

[virtuesignal]

[Concord sits back in the seat he chose, a lounger that he could stretch his arms out over the back of to rest. He watches Ali work, more attentive than at the meeting, if expression that of casual interest.

They had been bickering so long it almost felt... performative. Like they were expected to, in front of others. It wasn't fair to say that the King desired them to be at odds, but it did benefit him to have different viewpoints. If they got along perfectly, there would be less reason to speak up. It's conflicting as it is clever of their dear King. Concord understands the benefits of setting them up like that.

He tries to not sound combative to answer, tone subtly playful even, with a quirk of his head]

I do intend to. Does that mean I shall get a bonus from you, Ali?

[srsbznss]

[Conflicting opinions led to a more nuanced approach to problems, or at least the king had always said. Ali is too stubborn for his own good and butts heads with people frequently, often because he feels offended that some upstart human thinks they know better than someone who has been alive for generations. He can't explain that, of course, but that is the source of a lot of his irritation. Damn kids need to get off of his lawn, that kind of thing.

Ali can at least recognize that Concord is different in that regard. Though Concord is younger- probably, he's assuming here but there's no way Concord could be as old as Ali himself is- he is not nearly as naive or inexperienced as young humans tend to be. Concord's opinions were contrary to Ali's a lot of the time, but they were at least well-informed and thought through. As much as Ali hated to admit to 'losing' an argument, he didn't really have to worry about Concord's opinions leading to absolute disaster. That deserved...well okay, maybe not praise, but some consideration.

At Concord's words, though, Ali just sighed and erased a couple numbers from his calculations to change to slightly bigger numbers.]

I don't intend to make anyone work for free, so yes you would.

[Perhaps Concord wanted to let one more newlywed spend the festival with their spouse. Ali supposed that was a noble gesture. Not that he would know, he had never taken a mate so he didn't know about those kinds of attachments.

Ali finished scrawling out a few more numbers, and then he finally looks up to Concord. It's a bit strange to have the man still here, they did spend a lot of time bickering rather than actually talking, but it's not unpleasant. When Concord isn't being an ass on purpose (he assumes it is on purpose at least) he's not so bad to be around. Ali thinks back to that gift of wine, and he wonders briefly if he should grab a couple glasses and have them share it tonight.

Almost as a joke, Ali adds one last line:]

Unless you're the type who prefers an extended vacation later in the year.

[virtuesignal]

[Concord sees him shift at the comment and waves a hand, a "stop, stop" gesture at him seemingly rework his notes]

Whatever you would have given me, use towards the soldiers. I do not need benefit. [an actual moral stance is that Concord would never advocate for his subordinates to get a bonus and then enrich himself. Money is something he's.... chronically poor at keeping hold of. The unicorn immediately spends anything he's given, seeing no reason to hold onto it when it's whole purpose is to be given or exchanged away. He has his basic needs and his finery, those were gifted to him courtesy of the King, so Concord does not feel any need to hold a reserve when others could be using money.

A vacation makes him puff air out of his nose, one of his more horse-like expressions in this human form.]

And leave you to lord over the kingdom, unopposed? I dare not.

[srsbznss]

[Once again Ali finds himself surprised by Concord. He doesn't want additional compensation? Perhaps Ali is just too used to how humans can be when it comes to riches, because in the end humans always looked out for themselves. An action might benefit the group, but individual members of said group are more inclined to go along with it if they get a benefit themselves. And indeed, those with power do try to get on Ali's good side to get special access to the kingdom's funds. Not once has Ali ever cracked, but those conversations never escape his notice.

Maybe it's because Concord is a unicorn, Ali says to himself. They're supposed to be pure and altruistic, at least according to the legends. Maybe this is Concord's way of being altruistic.]

What would you want, then? If not money or time, then something else?

[virtuesignal]

Want? What more is there to want for? [he asks quite sincerely, if bored in his tone. He has all he needs and just what he could want; purpose in a land to protect and the comfort of fine living. He considers what more there is than that.

With a very dull naivety, Concord is still leveled in his gaze to ask,]

Companionship-? That cannot be granted with money.

[if this was with his own men, they would immediately razz him, "Sir Concord, the kingdom has brothels!" This obvious fact completely escapes him in the moment. As a unicorn, he is genuinely too innocent of ideals for the thought to cross his mind. Of course, when he says companionship, he means it quite chastely. Someone to spend time with is the only thing he could consider wanting beyond his basic needs and reasonable luxuries.]

[srsbznss]

[Ali has so many answers to that first question, but he sputters on his own words the moment Concord says 'companionship.'

Admittedly, Ali doesn't have any first-hand experience in the matter either. Being a dragon of his very small stature, he isn't exactly popular with other dragons. And he never really considered anyone beyond other dragons, so he had remained chaste through the centuries. But while he is chaste, he is not nearly as innocent as Concord is. Ali has lived among humans long enough to at least understand the concept of amorous activities- his good hearing is as much a curse as it is a blessing- so even without practical experience he can fill in the blanks on what 'companionship' would mean to most people. He is absolutely making those same assumptions here too, and it's a bit jarring to imagine a unicorn being interested in such things.]

Well- that is-

[He struggles to recover from that slip of Concord's tongue, and he looks visibly frazzled as he starts fussing with his hair and tucking a few stray strands behind his ear. How is he even supposed to respond to this? His mental image of this man has been ruined forever.]

I'm not exactly sure what companionship you're looking for, but generally speaking, more money would help with that. Courting isn't cheap.

[virtuesignal]

[Concord quirks his head further at the reaction that gets. Ali is fidgeting, fussing about with his hair. The unicorn wouldn't think that something so common would make the dragon squirm about. He's much too frank to not find that amusing, though he doesn't show that on his face. He stays stoney of expression, his tone turning more curious than disinterested]

I do not think I would be interested in the sort of courting that would require a show of wealth, Ali. Is that how dragons go about such affairs?

[A pause, a real sturdy pause before Concord interjects with just, such a call out it]

If that is the case, it lends me a very different understanding of all your coin hording.

[srsbznss]

[Ohhhh boy. Ali is torn between being offended at the very suggestion that dragons buy their mates, and abject mortification at the fact that Ali's own words have been twisted to give that impression. It does get him to stop fussing about with his hair though, as he slaps his desk with one hand and turns sharply to look at Concord and spit out the best response he can muster.]

That is not how dragons go about such affairs! And that- it's not hoarding, it's being economically responsible!

[It absolutely is hoarding. Though it's not done to win mates over, it's done out of the greed and possessiveness all dragons feel.

That possessiveness does translate over to courtship and finding mates though, which is why it's difficult to court a dragon.]

[virtuesignal]

If that is not it, then what is the way? Color me intrigued, now. I don't know much of dragonkind.

[He's honest in that, even if his tone is rather teasing. Concord hasn't gotten a rise out Ali in this way before. How novel, flustering him rather than purely frustrating him.

Of course, Concord might be embarrassed in turn, if it was pointed out to him the he started on this topic. So. It sounds strangely like he's trying to get Ali to direct him in his be to go about courting the dragon.]