Logs:Higher Ground
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| RL Date: 16 May, 2013 |
| Who: Aishani, Jo |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Jo's taking Shani out for a brief drink, but first, they talk business and the latest revelations. |
| Where: Southern Rim, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 18, Month 10, Turn 31 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Z'ian/Mentions, K'del/Mentions, Taikrin/Mentions, Azaylia/Mentions, Iolene/Mentions, Edeline/Mentions |
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| It's near full evening and the activity in the Bowl is calming down for the night. Jo and Tacuseth is here, seeming to have just gotten in from wherever it is they go since Jo still have her rider gear on. She's in the process of pulling the helmet and goggles off, scanning the bowl activity and the skies around while doing so. Then, the blue sends out towards the Weyrwoman ledges, « Iesaryth, » with the call of the horns and the shade of shadows through the winds. « Do ya wanna come out? And yers, » with the image of the panoramic view of the Southern rim to paint his words. And yes, like his wily rider, he tries to sound quite enticing. Iesaryth is, as per her usual, asleep. Not sounds asleep, but dozing on her ledge, content with the calming of the traffic, enough to let it go unwatched for the time being. But Tacuseth's call is enough to bring ocean's whisper up into a roar, a spray of sea foam sent the blue's way, frothy and light. « I like it there. » And the company, it should be said. It doesn't take too long for the gold to wing her way up and south, to alight on the rim in a way that's contrary to her massive size. Aishani dismounts with long-limbed grace, wrapping red scarf about her neck and doing up her jacket against the winds as she approaches the bluerider. "Jo." With shadows clearing away as if the sun had come out to play, Tacuseth shows his pleasure. He watches the gold wing her way up while Jo's stuffing her gear into the attachment at her blue's side. Once the gold pair is present, she turns to face them and watches Aishani dismount. Hands tucking into her pant pockets as she approaches, "Hope I didn' disturb," she states in greeting as she approaches. "Thought ya could use a drink right about now outside this place. After..." and the bluerider just waves a hand around, not finishing that sentence. "And I'm curious enough to have some questions about it. Ya game?" It's all casually spoken, of course. As Iesaryth settles, she gives Tacuseth a little rumble, trying not to take up too much room, though it just feels right for her to stretch her wings as she surveys the Weyr below. Especially given recent turmoil, off in the distance, but still felt if not entirely recalled. Her rider reaches into her jacket and pulls forth a thick envelope, sober for it as she offers it over. "After this?" Aishani asks. There's a pause. "I went. It was... tense. Awkward. But... not discouraging." She glances away to look out over the Weyr, away. "I saw my youngest cousin, though. I wasn't sure I would again. And a drink outside sounds lovely, though I'm not sure what else will be done behind my back if I'm gone for more than five minutes, again." Her tone is wry, and she tries to keep it light, given Jo's position. Tacuseth is right there with her. He's much smaller in comparison to Iesaryth, but he's just as cocky enough to spread his wings with her. When Aishani hands over the thick envelope, Jo takes it up immediately and starts to rifle through it as she speaks. "I imagine so," she finally says towards the end, looking up to watch Aishani's face. "Bet it was a shock to see a queen dragon in the sky, huh? But, tense. How's yer cousin? Yer alright?" Somehow, that question is more than just the family trip as she looks from her to the information given. Then, a she flips a page, "Someone runnin' the clan in particular?" she asks now, noting the lack of names on the hides. "A woman? Man?" Of course, to that last, the ex-con gives an audible snort and a wry, "Too right. I think they're just waitin' to see Iesaryth's backside before they start up again. Z'ian came to my weyr that night," she notes now, watching Aishani more than the information. "All, piss-drunk and rantin' out his mind. Apparently had a meetin' with K'del and got the dragons all riled up about fake Weyrwomen." Said queen dragon has to give a little snort for the issues with seeing her in the sky; she's stunning, why not look at her? But Aishani notes, seeming a bit abashed for it, "We didn't land right on top of them, obviously. I took a bit of a walk in. But... some people still..." She searches for the words, tucking dark curls whipping in the wind behind one ear, like it'll help. "Lose it a little if you're not careful with certain things. Dragons amongst them. And she's grown up, nearly." There's a little wonder in those words - how did that happen so fast? Looking back to Jo, conflicted, "She wants to come here." But down to business, that's easier: "Devindra. He's only been back from the mines a couple of turns, but he was in charge before, so... it doesn't seem to matter that my aunts held things together while he was gone or not." There's an echo of Iesaryth's snort for Z'ian. "They blame Iesaryth, like Ysavaeth didn't do it, Io didn't do what she asked. And Z'ian took in the tithe while we were at Tillek. I don't know what's going on with him, but his problem with Taikrin seems to be more wide-spread than he's said." Jo blinks when Aishani mentions that her cousin wants to come to the Weyr. "Just to visit, right?" she's quick to ask. "Not, like, stay here? With all this mess goin' around?" Yes, conflict. She nods on the name, though, seeming to file that away as she echoes, "Devindra. Wonder what he went in for. Did'ja talk to him about this? What did he say?" Business outside the Weyr, business within it. Jo's easy with jumping from one to the other without missing a step. There's a slight fondness of grin on account of Z'ian, even though she rolls her eyes and says, "He's part ofwhatever it is K'del's got goin' on," she notes despite of it. It's the last though that has that grin fading away, the bluerider looking the Weyrwoman in the eyes before she shakes her head. She looks almost at a loss. "Wish I could say I know for sure," she admits, "but I do know that he's angry. Really angry. Seems like K'del's tryin' to paint ya as someone this Weyr can' trust, fakin' flights and all - did that really go down? How do ya even-?" Jo's momentarily distracted by the very thought, nothing accusatory about it - rather, she's curious about how get away with such a feat. She catches herself though and continues. "Anyway. Next we'll be hearin' how ya stole a bubbly from the kitchens where ya were a child, or how ya lied to yer ma about a dirty dress. What's this about tithe?" She didn't hear. A little grimly, "She wants to come and live here, yes. I've... said they'll need her there, for now, with the business." But the way Aishani says it, she knows that won't work forever. With a quirk of her lips, "He went in with the rest of my family, turns ago. He was just under my father - obviously that required one of the longest sentences. And I did talk to him - that was the difficult part." She grimaces a little with the memory, looking younger for it as well - it's not facing off with one's father, but near it. "He... Well. They'll take the deal, if I'm making it. They'll take my help. But anything else with your people, between them - he wants to handle." It's fair, in her estimation. As for Jo - she can give her a sympathetic look for the situation, but simply says, "I don't know how she did it, how they did it. The flight, or convincing the Weyr she was in charge. Iolene only came to me once it was too far along to... not ask for help, I suppose." With a little shrug, helpless, "Iesaryth didn't like it. But she helped, because I said I would. Because Io was my friend and she sent me to Monaco for Iesaryth." Why hide it now? Rolling her eyes - more problems - "Tillek sent the tithe care of Z'ian to get our attention. To make a point. When Azaylia and I went to talk to the Lady, Z'ian rounded people up and took it in." Without either weyrwoman. "Weyr probably looks like an excitin' place to one her age," Jo gives idly on Aishani's cousin, one corner of her mouth pulling in amusement to it. "Especially now. Hope she doesn' pull one of those numbers where she runs away and suddenly appears here. Likely the last thing ya need right now." Arms fold and she listens on what happened with Devindra, nodding at the end of it before she speaks. "Alright," she simply states to that. "Sounds fair enough. I'd say the same in his position. Ya wouldn' walk into any sort of deal blindly." Closing up the envelope now and giving it a good pat to her chest before it disappears into her black leather jacket, "I'll get this to them first thing," she says in thanks. "I'll let them know what ya said. What they said. I think this should wet their appetites enough." With that business concluded, she turns to the one involving Z'ian with a sigh and look out towards the view around them. "Clever," she states on how Iolene managed. "Brilliant, even," to her twisted mind. "A shame she's not here, or I'd ask her. Ya were loyal to her," and she turns a look onto the Weyrwoman, it being a studied one. "Ya did it because she asked. That ya never betrayed the secret, even beyond her death, says much of ya. The past is the past," she goes on to say with a shake of her head. "It's not somethin' I dwell on myself. Ya aren' Iolene. Managed to calm him down at least, but, guess he still has somethin' to say if he's takin' in tithe. Bronzeriders are stubborn sorts." Slowly, "I... don't know if it's that. She followed me around, when I was younger. It wasn't easy to leave." To leave her. Aishani is quiet for a time, before, "She won't." The goldrider merely nods for all the business, content to leave it there and to Jo now; the next steps will come when they come. All the talk of her family and dead Weyrwomen has left her a little dark and melancholy, as she slides her hands into jacket pockets and follows the bluerider's gaze over the bowl, "I didn't want to know too much, and I thought there'd be time. But yes, Ysavaeth was something else." Glancing to the other woman sidelong, "There didn't seem to be a point. Then or now. I shouldn't have told K'del, but I thought he wouldn't want to be known to have been fooled in that way." Guess she was wrong! With a wrinkle of her nose, "Everyone thinks it's so easy. That it should be so easy. But do you think Edeline would have respected us if we just... let her do that, without comment, without censure? Without a response? We have a full Interval to maintain the power balance, and I don't know how that happens if we just... accept whatever they do." Jo merely nods on the matter of the Weyrwoman's cousin, seeming to take the statement at final word. She notes the melancholy expression on Aishani's face, though, a slight frown given herself before she says quietly, "Sounds to me like he's been runnin' on emotion these days, K'del. Makin' things personal, that's a whole different game to play, darlin'. He's one that needs to be studied. Needs to be watched. Whoever's with him, too. What's Taikrin's take on this, if ya seen her? What about Azaylia?" She shakes her head again and steps away, looking away to the view as she adds, "Folks out there are growin' tired of all this," she comments gravelly. "This makes us look weak beyond. Folks that are of my sort are startin' to turn their heads toward this place." She doesn't need to clarify her sorts, either. "Everything was personal, when I started. And in many ways, it still is. But emotion... that can be controlled." Aishani seems to think so, anyway - seems to be trying to prove, with the shake of her head and the clearing of her gaze, the lift of her chin to look over at Jo. "I don't know how much of it really has to do with me, as much as I'd be inclined to be paranoid about it. But I still don't think what any of them are doing will make anything better. And you don't have to tell me how weak this makes us look, but no one else seems to care. The Holds are at us, next comes the Weyrs again, maybe. And if we make a deal, your people ought to be able to keep your sort... our sort, away from here. At the least." With a sigh, "Taikrin's working so hard, it's difficult to tell what's actually bothering her the most. I... haven't talked to her about the tithe. I don't know how she'd take that. Azaylia's no longer with Taikrin, obviously - and I think she's concerned about making things worse with the Holds." "I agree," Jo says drolly on the things personal. "Emotions can be controlled. It's good to keep a level head with all of this. No one here's without dirt on their hands, and I've told Z'ian as much the other night. If they're so set on throwin' stones, that is." She permits a little smile on the paranoid bit, and it lingers through talk of weakness as she looks out over the view, then down at the bowl below. "Everyone's gonna want a piece of the Weyr that's lost its panties," she remarks in humor with a sniff at hearing about the Holds and the other Weyrs. "We can try to keep our sort away as long as we keep an eye on those that come and go from the Weyr. I should have a package on the way," she adds with a look going towards the Weyrwoman, "by name of Bar and Kin. I set it up so that the scent of a Weyr's weakness would draw their attention. I'll make sure they don' steal should I let them step foot this far in." She turns to face her when the answer comes on Taikrin and Azaylia, nodding once at it. "She has too much on her plate," she notes on the brownrider. "This wing issue's gettin' worse and it's proof enough. Dealin' with them heavy handed like she's been is causin' a bad-tastin' stew. Still. Shame to hear about Azaylia, but I figured that alliance there had an expiration date." With a little smirk for the bluerider, "Some people feel like they have to occupy the moral high ground. Even if, in the end, they're more or less the same as everyone else." Aishani has to sigh again as Jo tells her more things she's well aware of, but it's not like she faults the other woman for it, just shaking her head. "I thought we'd just gotten to a point where things... were not under control, but were at least being watched. Managed. I never should have--" Pause. "I should have made sure the appropriate arrangements were made. It wasn't the best time, but it's not an excuse." But the news about the 'package' has fine brows arching with interest. "Really. Well. If they steal anything, make sure you get it back. Do you have it handled?" Does she want help? Dark gaze even as she's quiet for a moment, "It all might have an expiration date. But I'm going to see what I can do." "The moral high ground is borin," a twisted Jo quips with a flash of teeth. "They should try out the dirty pits for awhile. It ain' so bad down below. We have better booze." Arrangements made, that she can understand with her silence, and her lending support. Returning to the topic of packages in thieving form, there's a dark smirk that appears on her face as she moves to settle right next to Aishani as she answers her. "I can chop a finger off for each thing they've taken? That might keep them from stealin' more?" she suggests oh-so innocently. Then, evenly, "Figurin' out what to do with them once they're here," she actually admits, "but I know I want to keep'em close. Don' want too many folks here catchin' their faces, either. They'll be just passin' through. Ya can quote me on that." As for needing any help, she regards the Weyrwoman for a moment before she says, "I wanted them dead, but that would be too easy a fate, wouldn' it? I want them to have misfortune. I want them to suffer as I did." "It's more honest to admit you don't always tell the truth." Aishani has a strange definition of honesty, but she might. And with a faint quirk of her lips, "You do what you feel is right. But I trust that you'll handle it. Just... let me know if you need anything. Or someone." As long as Jo doesn't necessarily go it entirely alone, even on her own turf. The older woman's words are considered seriously before, "I understand that. It only seems fair, doesn't it? For them to feel the way you did - so they know." That sets her jaw as she glances back to Iesaryth briefly before, "We should get out of here. But not for too long. I don't trust this place and I don't trust myself to drink too much right now, especially away from home." A pause. "I just need to get a... hat." "It'd be hypocritical otherwise," Jo remarks with a one shoulder shrug. "What ya did for Iolene...ya did for a friend. We do things for our friends. Even help steal a Weyr from right underneath a bronzerider's nose." It's criminal and it makes perfect sense to someone like Jo. She inclines her head on her own matters, stating, "Someone. I just might, when the time is right. I'll keep that in mind. Keep ya posted if ya want." Now she looks to her waiting blue, letting the tension of such heavy subjects fade away as she permits an easier grin to light up her face. "Let's go," she agrees to them leaving, leaving such heaviness behind for a bit. "We'll make it a brief one. There's a dive closer to Crom where the patrons mind their own card tables. We'll blend in, there." Already she's fastening up her jacket in preparation when the Weyrwoman mentions getting a hat. She and Tacuseth can certainly wait for her. "Please do," Aishani says, to keeping her posted. She and Iesaryth are quick to go off and return on their errand, and when said hat is revealed to Jo closer to said dive bar, it's more like a disguise, with long wooly pieces attached that might pass for matted hair in a darkened hole in the wall. There's no hiding the big gold dragon maybe, but that might help her blend in just a little bit easier, even if it's just for a drink or two where discussions are more on the things around them, not whatever awaits at home. |
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