Logs:Just In Time For Dinner!
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| RL Date: 14 February, 2010 |
| Who: Gustav, Xeoshen, Taikrin |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Dinner time for the criminals! |
| Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 15, Month 13, Turn 21 (Interval 10) |
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| Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr Stalactites hang high above this enormous cavern like a jagged chandelier or an inversion of the Spires themselves, but shadows cling to them instead of light. Below lie great tables arranged in rows, each large enough to serve a fighting wing, while in the nooks and alcoves around the cavern's edge sit more sensibly-sized tables, from six- and eight-seaters down to intimate spots for just a couple of diners. The only really open space is around the kitchen entrance, smelling of food and rarely quiet, and by the nearby serving tables with their long buffet of the day's offerings. Tapestries on the smooth walls -- some faded and others newly woven -- only slightly mute the sea of sound when a meal is in full swing, but they add cheerfulness augmented by the glowlight from wall sconces and the centerpieces of each table. Still, shadows always creep along the ceiling and into the mouths of the exits -- the myriad small hallways at one end of the cavern and, at the other, the twisting tunnel to the bowl near an array of coathooks and and hatracks -- and late at night, when the glows are allowed to dim, the chamber can seem very dark indeed. Contents: Xeoshen Eldena Obvious exits: Inner Caverns Kitchen Bowl Inside the Living Cavern it's warm, and oczy, people inside enjoying dinner, and comfortable conversation. Outside, it's cold, and rainy, only a little above the freezing mark, weather nobody wants to be in, but there are some that're forced to be out there, atleast till they come in here. Xeoshen is among a group of convicts who get ushered into the caverns, looking damp, but atleast they were bundled up. Of course escorting them is a few overseers, who look less then pleased to of been out there themselves. "Alright you lot, get yer food, and go sit down, no funny business." One of them barks at the convicts. Xeo mutters something as he moves to the serving tables, to get his food, ignoring any looks he may receive. Sitting on the other side, watching the convicts and eating her own meal, Eldena works her way through the food on her small plate, just sort of eyeing those workers who are supposed to be doing a job. Taikrin meanders in a few paces behind Xeoshen, scuffing her hands together for warmth. Her gaze darts continuously around the room, marking exits and overseers alike, the perpetual scowl deepening at the sight of the 'free' folk enjoying their meal. As she grabs a plate, she mutters to nobody in particular, "Look at this fat lot, lazing about." More food than should probably be her share is heaped upon her plate, as furtively as she can manage. "No surprise wot with all this food." Gustav heads in from the kitchens. Gustav has arrived. There's more then a few people in the caverns who give the convicts a look of disgust, and turn away, perhaps a few who mutter about the weyr allowing them in the caverns with 'decent' people. Xeoshen snorts, and starts filling his own plate. "Jeez, we been here how long, and they still scowl at us, why don't they just get over it, we aint leaving." He mutters, and gets himself some klah as well. Eldena listens to the workers and seems fior a moment a bit lost in thought. Taikrin lets out a short, derisive bark of laughter as she follows Xeo over towards the klah hearth. "I dunno, just got rotated over 'ere. So this lot's fer sure the stick-arsed kind, eh?" She pauses, collected klah in hand, then frowns. "Where we supposed ta sit, anyways? Not with this lot?" "Ah, yeah, there's always been groups that scoff at us, they probably woulda kicked us out of the weyr by now if they could. We sit over here, we don't get to sit with the general populace." He rolls his eyes, and heads over to the, probably, only empty table in this place at this time of night. There's atleast two overseers by the table, while the rest are currently watching those still getting food. Xeo takes a seat, setting his food, and drink down. "I'm Xeoshen." He bsays to Tai. "Whart's yer name, and whatcha in for? Time to eat, finally! Gustav trots into the living cavern, pulling a rain slicked jacket off and shaking it out by the entrance. He moves amongst the tables, staying out of the way of anyone trying to find a seat. And damn, it really is crowded. His normally smiling face works itself into a frown as he goes to the line and gets his food together. By the time he's done there are practically no seats and the nearest available table is the one all the convicts are sitting at. Not being a particularly choosy kind of guy (or perhaps just oblivious to two overseers) he sits right on down. Right there. With the criminals. And begins to eat, looking content. "Hah, woulda kicked us out iffen we weren't doing all the work what's too dangerous for this lot, more likely." Taikrin drops her plate down across from Xeoshen, and proceeds to stuff a half a tuber in her mouth before replying. "Taikrin. Nabbed me fer 'breakin the peace' when I tore up a coupl'a smiths right good. Smug basterds, didn't even have the sense ter lock up their marks. Deserved it." She glances over a Gustav, eyebrows knitting together, but makes no move. Instead, she turns back to look at Xeoshen, obviously baffled by his appearance. "He one of us?" Eldena has left. Xeoshen snorts. "They're probably plannin' to when this project is over." He remarks, and stuffs a fork full of food into his mouth as he listens. "Ah, thewy nabbed me for stealing clothes, gave me a lousy four turn sentence, 'cause I got some stupid apprentice lawyer who didn't know what the shards he was doin'." He rolls his eyes, and tuurns to peer at Gustav. "Hey, you aint one of us, who are you?" He peers at the man. Gustav shoves a forkful of tubers into his mouth at just the moment that Xeoshen asks his question. Wide, dark eyes make a clean sweep of the table. Oh. There's a little shrug of his shoulders following the realization of who he's sitting with. His smile turns on and he gives both convicts a cheerful wave of his hand and a single finger held up. One moment, please. Swallow. "Gus. Yourselves?" Taikrin included in the question. Taikrin is quite busy stuffing food into her mouth that her words come up somewhat garbled, if more or less intelligible. "Well sure, why'd they keep the likes of us around? Though with a lot as soft as this..." A somewhat predatory smile creeps onto her face as she eyes Gustav up and down following his introduction. "Might not be such a bad gig. Taikrin." The last is added on almost as an afterthought. You paged W'chek with 'Sad! It's sad to see an old, old game like that in decline, though I'm glad it led to the creation of this one. Sounds like they're basically done, then?'. Xeoshen nods. "Exactly." He says, and turns to eye Gustav, again, for a moment,. "This place does have some upsides to it, yeah." He says tin agreement to Taikrin, and stuffs a bit of tuber in his mouth. "Xeoshen." He finally adds as an introduction. The overseers eye the group a moment, but they don't make Gustav leave, long as as the cons behave themselves. Gustav has this tendency to sort of... assume things that may or may not be really happening. So when Taikrin eyes him up and down his cheerful smile shifts, changes gears and turns into the 'hey a woman is looking at me' type of smile. He lifts his eyebrows and leans onto one elbow. "Taikrin is a very interesting name. Strong. Mother or father?" The origin. He glances up and beyond his shoulder at the overseers, but doesn't say a word before he turns back to his new tablemates. "Xeoshen. Another good name. Hardly ever meet anyone who uses an x decently. Usually atrocious." Yes, this must be fascinating for them. Taikrin for a moment bears a look of such disbelief that it's almost comical, before very nearly choking on a piece of meat with a sudden snort of laughter. "Did you-- are you--" She finally manages to swallow the offending morsel, at which point she demands, "Did you jes' ask me if I was a dad?" Obviously, she didn't get the reference. A sly glance is shot towards Xeoshen, along a muttered, "They all like this?" Xeoshen blinks, chokes, and laughs a bit. "Aparently he thinks women can't be convicts." He says, and chortles a moment. "Yeah well, not like I had a choice in the matter, of what my name started with." He says in reply, and stuffs anothert tuber into his mouth. "Pretty sure they aint all like that." He adds to Tai. "Ask if you were a dad?" It's Gustav's chance to laugh now and he shakes his head. His fork is pointed at her, in a non-threatening fashion of course. "No, no. I meant if the name was more your father's side or your mother's. You know, some families enjoy that sort of thing." The fork is waved around some more before he spears another piece of food and bites down. Once chewed and swallowed he shakes his head at Xeoshen. "Actually, if we revisit what I just said we won't see any sign of me 'apparently' thinking women can't be convicts too." The other man is given a long, considering look. Eyebrows furrowing, concentration growing, attentiong centering! Conclusion: "She looks like she could take you to the cleaners." Taikrin says, "I ain't a convict," Taikrin declares loftily. "Just got caught with my fist in the wrong dude's face, is all." Apparently she's got a very loose definition of 'convict'. "Well why didn'cha say that in the first place?" This is directed at Gustav, along with a rather malicious roll of the eyes. "From my ma, a'course." Her head is tilted towards one of the supervisors, and a smile that's all teeth flashed at his subsequent scowl. "Me, I ain't taken nobody anywhere for another coupl'a months. 'Less you want ter make a special request, eh Gust-ey?" That toothy grin is probably as far from friendly as a smile can get, at this point." Xeoshen snorts at Gustav. "Of course not." He rolls his eyes, though he grins at her loose definition. "Yeah, sure, that's all." He replies, with a shrug, and thgen snorts. "I think we're evenly matched, yer the one that she looks like se could take to the cleaners." "From your mother? Interesting. I was about to assume it was perhaps the other way around. Was her name something like Taikina or Taikini?" Both sound equally absurd the way he says them, but Gustav says it with the utmost serious look upon his face. "Oh, is that all? I don't really know much about what defines a convict and what doesn't." He shoots a look to Xeoshen and laughs, good natured sounding. "I honestly think she'd be better off taking /you/ to the cleaners. You might have a mark to your name someplace. Squirreled away!" He wiggles his finger at the much larger, scarier man. He knows he's hiding it someplace. Oh but then, there's an opportunity. Though her smile might be cruel and possibly threatening, his is flirtatious. "Well, doll," Deeper, suggestive voice, "Ol' Gust-ey wouldn't mind making special requests with /you/." "T'ain't any of your business, my ma's name. You ask too many questions, boy." Despite the fact that Gustav appears to be of an age with her, Taikrin resorts to speaking down to him as one would speak to a child. Her smile, however, continues to show every tooth in her head. "Hey, Xeoshen, what's the going rate fer a fist to the face 'round this place? First one free, maybe?" She pops a final tuber into her mouth, then pops her knuckles as she chews. "'Cause Gust-ey boy here seems ter think he's ready to play with the big boys." What was already a husky voice deepens as she turns the full force of her attention back to Gustav. "You think you got the stones ter handle me, boy?" Xeoshen snorts at Gustav. "What I got is none of yer business." He says to the other man. "And I suggest you watch what yer saying." He adds, and looks to Taikrin. "Dunno, probably sleeping out in the cold or something." He replies, and snorts again. "I doubt he does." "I imagine it's probably high, considering the risk of getting caught," Laugh. "Is well, astronomical as those smart math guys like to say." A hand is waved up into the air, one finger pointing idly to the overseers. Still his tone is jovial and unconcerned, almost as if he doesn't really think that one of them will punch him in the face. Amused, "I think you're a smarter girl than that. Never said I wanted a brawl." Xeoshen though, earns the roll of his eyes and perhaps (maybe!) a flicker of something that's not just the usual brand of stock 'happy' that Gustav's sells. "Oh, right, right. I couldn't possibly know what sleeping in the cold is like. I forgot you were psychic and knew all things I intended with my words as well as my past and future." A furtive glance is shot towards one of the supervisors, seated just beyond Gustav, and Taikrin takes a deep, bracing breath. "Ain't worth my time, anyways, soft boy like you. Won't be no sport to it." Affecting an expression of unconcern, she deliberately turns her entire body away from Gustav, though a careful observer would note the clench of her jaw and the tightness of the muscles in her neck and shoulders. "S'colder here than down in the mines, that's for sharding sure. Ain't had a chance yet ter check out the sleeping rooms. Where we stayin', anyways?" Xeoshen snorts. "You try saying that again, when slept out in freezing cold in drafty tents." He replies to Gustav. "Eh, yeah, a wirery guy like him aint worth the time of energy, especially when a gust of wind could beat him up." He says, and looks to Tai. "Ask one of the guys in charge of us, not the guards, the crafters." He replies about sleeping arrangements. "Yeah, you know..." Gustav starts, rolling his eyes up to the living cavern ceiling in thought. "I think you're just putting off the obvious. You like the nice, soft, squishy boys. Helps prop that ego of yours right up when it needs a quick fix. You don't have to put on a show for me." He winks at her and lifts his eyebrows. His fork is scraped against the plate and he acts if he didn't just hear them shut him out of the conversation. To the man, said cheerfully enough, "Saying what again? That you're an assuming ass? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't say that last time, I made it a touch too complicated obviously. I'll keep it simple next time." Xeoshen is given a cheeky smile before the nanny rises. "Lovely having dinner with you two. We'll do it again real soon, I'm sure." Taikrin half-starts out of her seat, fist clenched, before managing a tenuous rein on her temper. Her attempt to ignore Gustav was obviously unsuccessful. "Yeah sharding well I like soft little boys. Best marks going!" The last bit is barked out rather harshly, earning her a warning glare from the nearest supervisor. She sullenly drops down into her seat, teeth grinding. "Keep talking, boy. I got nothin' but time, next two months. Might not know where I'm sleepin', but I can sure find out where YOU are." A scowl settles back down across her features as she returns her attention once more to Xeoshen upon Gustav's apparent departure. "Shards but I forgot about how these people are. Headless wherries, the lot of 'em." Xeoshen sneers at Gustav calling him simple. "Keep it up, and I'll show you simple." He says, but stays seated, at a look from the nearest supervisor as well. "I don't want to jepordize my damn shot at freedom at the end of this, but some of these people really push it." He grunts, and looks to Taikrin, and nods. "I think they do it cause if anything happened, they know we're the ones that would get in trouble, and then they'd never have to deal with us again." A bit of the tension in Taikrin's jaw relaxes after Gustav's departure. "Yeah, freedom. 'Cause we're gonna be so free after this. Free and dead, maybe." She picks at the scraps and crumbs left on her plate, despite the quantity of food she just shoveled down her maw. "Heard 'em talking about how there's been slides and collapses. I shoulda just stayed in the mines at Crom... ain't got no mouthy weyrbrats there, and those shafts ain't comming down any time soon." Xeoshen snorts. "Meh, they're shoring them up best they can." He grunts. "But, aye, I've heard that too, I know some of the injured, been working with them since I got there, thhey're out for a while though." He says, and sips at his klah. "Where ever ya wind up sleeping, don't expect a lot, pretty much all ya get is a matress, and covers to keep ya warm." Taikrin stretches backwards cracking her knuckles and then the vertibrae in her neck as she slowly winds down. "Don't mind it so much as it ain't snowing on top of my head. Matress is more'n I expected. Actually, food is more'n I expected, too. Didn't count on getting run of the kitchen." From the hollowness in her cheeks, she obviously hasn't been getting enough to eat down in the Crom mines. "Nobody dead yet, though, right? Anything I should be lookin' out for?" Xeoshen nods."Not too much longer till we will be out there working with snow falling on our heads." He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, the food here's way better than at the mines, glad I aint going back, I think I'm spoiled on this food." He remarks, only joking though. "So, if ya make it till this is over, ya got any plans?" He asks. "I plan ta see if maybe I can get work here, somewhere." "At least we ain't working night shifts." At least, Taikrin didn't /think/ they were going to work those. She downs her klah in a series of giant gulps, then slouches down to rest an elbow in the table with a sigh. "Dunno. Didn't figure on making it this far. Was a miner, way back. Don't know what I'm gonna do, after. Wish I could be sharding done with mines." Taikrin quirks an eyebrow at Xeoshen, her lips quirking into a derisive grin. "You really think this lot of wherries is gonna let the likes of any of us stay on? What sort of work you think they're gonna let us do?" Xeoshen snorts. "We were, but it's gettin' way too cold now at night, even the miners don't wanna be there when it's near freezin', they rather retreat to their nice warm quarters." He rolls his eyes. "Atleast in the weyrs we got a hearth to keep warm, some of them anyway." He says. "Ah, I was never a crafter, I came from a poor hold, fell in with the 'wrong crowd', into stealin', and almost four turns later, here I am." He says. "Hey, from what I hear, once this is done, we're free to do whatever the hell we want, and go where we want." He says, and shrugs. "Not everybody is a stick in mud here, there are a few that like us." Taikrin eyes Xeoshen with a mixture of disdain and pity, plopping her chin into her hand as she does so. "Why d'you think it'll be any easier when your done than it was when you were a kid? Food ain't gonna be any easier to get when we're done, or shelter. 'Cept now when people ask what you been doin', what are you gonna say? Been working the Crom prison mine? C'mon, none of these decent people are gonna give us the time of day." Amazingly cynical, is Taikrin. A long-suffering sigh is let out before she goes on. "Gonna enjoy the hearth and the food while I got it, I guess. 'Least it's not a Pass." Xeoshen shrugs. "Because maybe here, I won't be having to worry about where my next meal comes from, or if at all." He says. "If not, then I can find work somewhere, I'm sure my skills learned in the mines can be used for things other than in the mines." He says. "Maybe I could become a handy man or something." He remarks. Taikrin holds up a calloused, scarred hand, turning it this way and that to show off the full effects of a lifetime mining. "Ain't really got any skills 'cept swinging a pickaxe real hard and picking through rocks." Her head tilts slightly to one side, chin still in palm, as a faint grin returns to play on her features. "Well, maybe I got a few other skills what weyrboy might find out before too long." Dropping both hands to the table, Taikrin suddenly leans in to mutter, "'Sides, I dunno if we can trust all the riders. My ma used to say they knew every thought in yer head before even you did. Kinda gives me the creeps, thinking about it." Xeoshen chuckles. "I don't think punching guys would make you too many marks." He remarks, would be nice though, wouldn't it? "They know what you think?" He asks, looking slightly skeptical. "I dunno, I met a few that aint that bad, hell, one riders green actually scared the overseers that were snickering at us." That was one upside after all, they atleast atleast one scary green on their side! "Oh, I dunno, I did some collecting once, made some decent marks." Taikrin lets the faint grin return once more. "Got paid ta tussle with a guy once, too. Didn't expect a girl ter put up a fight." The talk of dragons, though, is met with equal amounts of skepticism. "Guess we'll see. Never actually met a dragonrider, not /really/." Here, she glances around again, paranoia rising. "How d'you know that green ain't gonna turn on YOU later, for fun?" Xeoshen raises an eyebrow. "What kind of collecting?" He asks, out of curiosity, and chuckles. "A strong woman, in will, and body, I like that." He says with a grin, and then shrugs. "I haven't really met them either, other then when I go to bed, one of the guys in charge pointing at one, and saying go with him, or her." He replies, and then shrugs. "She seemed pretty nice to me, atleast until the overseer called me away, then she got nippy." Taikrin is, if nothing else, good at putting on a show of bravado. She preens under the praise, which in this instance translates into a broadening of her smirk and a crack of her knuckles. "Collecting marks from deadbeats, a'course. Was just getting settled in when that whole mess with the smiths started." A hand is waved, dismissing talk of her final criminal offense. Just as she leans in to say something more, a pair of overseers rise and begin to loudly attempt to herd the convicts up. Taikrin lets out a groan, though not altogether bad-naturedly. "Looks like maybe I might get a chance ter meet one yet, if I'm getting sent up tonight." Xeoshen ahs. "That does sound like a good way to gert marks, yeah." And maybe wind up right back in the mines if caught. But the overseers distract him from anything further, and her gets up as well. "Yeah, well, guess I'll see you then Taikrin." He replies, and gets ducks his head as he gets herded out into the cold rain with the group. |
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