Logs:Sink or Swim
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| RL Date: 13 June, 2014 |
| Who: Alida, Jadzia, Suireh, Valenros |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Two holders and a harper walk into a bar-- into the Living Cavern. And something about a bluerider. |
| Where: Living Cavern, HRW |
| When: Day 22, Month 13, Turn 34 (Interval 10) |
| Weather: Blizzard |
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| This winter afternoon is a characteristic one - the living caverns are full of people catching up on the days events, scarfing down bowls of steamy beef stew, and warming themselves by the fires of the hearths. It is quite crowded, and therefore the noise deafening. Valenros, bundled up in a large wool overcoat, is hunched over, blowing the team off his own bowl of shady-looking veggies and beef swimming in red sauce. He has two red spots in his cheeks and his eyes having a cursory look around the expansive room. And yet, he seems to be largely ignored and frowned upon, most of those nearby giving a bit of elbow room. It may be his dark scowl or it could be the fresh scent of manure emanating from him. Manure! That's like a beacon of light in the darkness. Or noise. Whatever. Jadzia doesn't have any food. She has a mug. And it's not even klah. But it's never too early for beer, right? It's practically salad anyway. The blonde with her hair plaited back from her face gets a small berth for much the same reason Valenros does. She smells like she's spent too much time in the stables. But since she helps herself to a seat right across from the young man, maybe she doesn't mind the fact that he smells, too. Or that he's scowling. She smiles, "I'm sitting here." The crowd makes it inevitable, seat after seat filling up quite quickly until the few that are left are those around the cloud of manure steam emanating from Jadzia and Valenros, but it's not until Suireh's lithe frame is already sinking down into a seat next to the man that realization sinks in with a widened set of her eyes and a wrinkle of her nose that isn't caught quick enough. Oh! How awkward. To stand and scurry off or to finish sitting? With shoulders lifting delicately, squeezing her slenderness even skinnier, the harper completes the motion and even manages a thin little maybe-smile of greeting. There is a sort space of time where his face goes blank as Jadzia sits across from him. Then, tight-lipped and in a terrible, polite tone of voice, Valenros says, "You smell like shit." He gives her a look that's meant to be reproaching, before he takes a cautious slurp of his stew. "And this tastes like shit." Resigning himself, he rolls his head on his neck and frowns first at Jadzia, moving his gaze onto Suireh shortly thereafter. "Does this whole place wreak of it? Or is it just me?" Jadzia is still smiling when she eyes Suireh. It could be that she realizes why the other woman hesitates to sit before submitting to her fate and she's going to enjoy the show. The blonde doesn't have the grace to look reproached by the man. In fact, she looks a little smug. "I try. And so do you, you know. But I think it's just us. Mine tastes just fine." She taps the side of her mug with one finger. The look which Suireh gives Valenros and his commentary of stench is met with a delicate lift of her eyebrows. Not having opted for the stew, Suireh looks down at her stir fried winter vegetables. "Might stop tasting like shit if you weren't smelling the shit still stuck to your-," and there's no need to finish her statement, the dark haired woman draws an air circle around Valenros's nose. But none of this banter is doing anything for the harper's appetite. In fact, the fork in one hand just kind of slumps in her lax grip, defeated in the wake of the smell. Valenros concentrates on their words, giving each the expression of someone mildly confused. Clarity, however, comes with the end of Suireh's words. He mumbles something under his breath, lifts one arm, and then in a flurry of hurried movement sheds his coat and tosses it behind him. It's enough to attract the attention of nearby eyes. A deep blush seeps into his cheeks, stretching upwards from his neck. Lowering his head, he idly stirs his stew with his spoon, and grumbles out a weak, "apologies" in the general direction of Jadzia. "I.. ah.. fell, earlier." If anything, his blush becomes more intense as he shifts his weight, seeming to shrink into himself a bit. "Outside." As if that's enough clarification. There's a glance between Suireh's food and Valenros' quick abandonment of his jacket and Jadzia's gaze settles on the man with an expression stuck somewhere between curious and annoyed. "Serves you right, probably. You should pay attention to where your feet are." As for her smell? She doesn't go about explaining it right now. But with that said, she offers a more proper smile to Suireh and a, "Hey." "Angry to blushing. All in the span of five minutes. If someone were keeping count, I think this might be a new record even for me. Then again," Suireh, still not opting to eat with the cloud of manure about her, "Usually it's the other way around; blush first, then anger." The lax fork is set down precisely by the plate and a very slight push sends the plate just enough away from her so its aroma is just that much away. Vegetable stir fries might be a thing of the past now. "I would hope you didn't fall into shit inside. It'd make me reevaluate my desire to be posted here." There's a pause, an audible breath, and that lingering paused poise to her features that betrays something else was about to be said but withheld. An abrupt shake of her head loosens the curls pinned above her ear. "Let's start over," this said for Valenros's benefit, but those pale eyes linger longer on Jadzia. There might even be the faint semblance of a smile somewhere on her face. "Suireh, harper's duties." "It isn't completely sound to just leave shit lying around in the middle of a common area. Isn't there someone to see to those things?" Valenros stirs a little faster, though his blush stays firmly in place. He keeps his gaze down on his food. "I can't help but question your judgment anyway," he mumbles down to his food. "I've never been to a Hold that was so.." A grasp for words, but alas, he finds none. Sinking down a little further in his seat, he looks up briefly at Jadzia, then to the side to take in Suireh. His blush has faded to a pinkish tinge in his cheeks. "Valenros. Winter Ridge Hold, Tillek." Taking the harper's cue, he pushes his food away too; what good is a stew you don't care for? His eyes land on Jadzia, as if to say, "and who are you?" Don't mind if she do. Jadzia eyes Suireh's abandoned stir fry and doesn't ask before she's reaching to pluck something off of the plate to pop into her mouth. She doesn't given the same consideration to the stew. Veggies are just easier to steal. "If your runner shits in the aisle, you're not supposed to leave it for someone else to clean up. But I don't know how the folks here work." Weyrfolk, presumably. They're a strange lot. Since everyone else is offering their names, she follows suit. "Jadzia." Just the name though. Jadzia's fingers in her food pretty much dissipates any desire Suireh might have had later to eat. The harper pushes back from the table with these sage words: "Welcome to a Weyr then. First lesson, sweetheart, it's not a Hold so obviously won't be like any Hold you've been to. Weyrs-," the slender woman pauses, the myriad of mixed emotions flickering through those pale eyes, "-Sink or swim. If you need anyone to talk to, to adjust, come by the harper classroom later." A place she's apparently headed to now, without her food. But funny that, she's filching a muffin or two from the buffet tables and before she's out the door to the inner caverns, both are demolished. "Mhrpt." An incoherent word as Jadzia takes food off of Suireh's plate, his eyes dropping to the plate and then up to the girl. But his lips stay conspicuously closed. Valenros looks at Suireh just in time for her short-lived lecture, his mouth opening more than once and then snapping back closed. "I.. er.. yeah," he finishes lamely as she leaves the table. Now he's alone with Jadzia it would seem. And about a hundred other weyrfolk. They're sitting at a table, across from each other, with a bowl of quickly-cooling stew between them. It appears he wants to say something, but the unknown stops him, so instead he levels an even stare on the young woman for an unseemly amount of time. "Why are you here?" Here in the living cavern? Here in the Weyr? Who knows what he means - he probably doesn't even know what he means. Jadzia isn't just going to let all those veggies go to waste. She pulls Suireh's plate, hers now, a little closer to her to pick out another bit with her fingers. "Sink or swim. I hope that's not the advice she's planning on repeating later. You gonna take her up on that? She might want something in return." The way Jadzia wiggles her thin eyebrows is suggestive. And if she notices as discomfort coming from Valenros' direction, that might be why she lets the awkward silence hand before he's asking her things. "I was thirsty. I guess I was hungry, too." The second is said like it hadn't really occurred to her before now that she might have tried eating instead of drinking. It's nigh-unto blizzarding outside, and as such, there's no drills, or even sweeps taking place. Alida - often the restless sort - has already finished not only cleaning and oiling her lifemate, but also with her extended workout and bath afterward, and is now striding into the cavern for some chow. About the back of her neck is draped a languid firelizard, the little gold's blue eyes lifting open, her tail tips twitching once as the scent of food becomes more prevalent. The bluerider's gaze makes a general sweep over all around her as she advances upon the queue for food, and it so happens that she notices Suireh as the Harper is exiting. A peer of recognition is all for the Harper - though Alida doesn't bother to call out to her - while her former companions receive only swift little studies from those merciless, clear-vert eyes. Yes, the bluie saw the crafter rise and depart from their presences. "I'd rather not sink or swim. I don't plan on being here for too much longer." Quick pause wherein his continues his unerring stare. "Surely she isn't.. You can't think she would.. No." Valenros is all about preserving a lady's dignity - even if she isn't really a lady. He scrubs a hand across his forehead and breathes a quiet sigh. "But, do you live here? Permanently?" His mouth has resolved itself into a frown, his hands falling lamely into his lap with a lack of anything better to do. Jadzia, who currently smells not unlike a runner, doesn't notice any new faces in the cavern. It's too busy and she's too focused on her lucky victim! Er, on Valenros. "Oh, sure. She was definitely giving you the look. Trust me." She knows these things. "You aren't one of those jerks who think women can't want just as much as men, are you? I hate those guys." As for where she lives, all she offers is, "No." Not known in any way for ability to mingle well with most people, Alida simply continues on until she reaches the shorter line, which moves along briskly, now that most folk have already come and gone. In no time at all, the blonde has acquired a good-sized pile of various foodstuffs on her plate, the tray soon balancing a couple of tall mugs of klah and warm cider upon them, as well. At this point, the rider is slowly picking her way through the lingering crowds seated and nattering within the cavern...'lida looking for a free seat. Good luck; right now, the place is packed with Weyrfolk who do *not* want to bother or risk going outside into the storm. For a fortunate bluerider, the seats nearby both Valenros and Jadzia are vacant whereas other tables are full. It's most likely because they both smell suspiciously of animal feces. Valenros continues to frown across the table. "I'm sure she wasn't giving me a look other than one of dislike," he says rather matter-of-factly. "It's not that.. women.. can't say those things.. it's that they shouldn't be said AT ALL." This last bit is said in a heated, hurried whisper-shout. Shameful look bent on Jadzia. Lots of reproach today. But then he visibly relaxes with her last answer. "Good." She still doesn't look particularly reproached. Maybe she's immune. Rather, Jadzia is clearly baffled by what the man is saying to her. "Why not? And who are you to tell anyone else what they should or shouldn't be saying. If I like to get all naked and sweaty with someone, that's my business and I can talk about it all I want." She might be glaring now, but she's not leaving. She still has beer and vegetable stir fry to finish. "What do you mean 'good?'" Yeah... it looks that way. Though she's looking for other riders to try and sit next to, the benches are full, and nobody wants to stir themselves from them. Looking a bit resigned, Alida finally steps up to the place Suireh formerly vacated, and goes about seating herself...a bare nod of cursory politeness offered to the two 'kids' next to her. By this time, Pyrite's sitting quietly upon one of the bluie's shoulders, her eyes whirling redly as she quietly awaits her own food. Jadzia's words of naked and sweaty almost prompt a ghost of a smirk from the pale woman, but she holds it back. Don't want to prompt them, after all. Valenros spares a polite nod for the newcomer beside him, but this conversation he has going with Jadzia is a bit distracting. Naked AND sweaty? He may as well be an old biddie fanning himself, about to faint of the vapors - he squirms in his seat, blushing from ear to ear, trying to look anywhere but at the girl across from him. "Can't you.. talk about that.. in private?" In a couple minutes, he may well slide out of his seat and under the table, he's squirming so much. "That's not polite conversation," he mumbles finally. This isn't going well for him. "Well, do you want to live here?" Spoken with a little less conviction and an unsure glance over to his neighbor, Alida. Jadzia glances at the bluerider, her firelizard, then her food. Her own claimed plate is pulled a little closer to herself. This is hers. Really. There's a brief nod of acknowledgment but Valenros is such a nice target, he's hard to look away from for too long. "Are you asking to go somewhere private with me? This is all moving so quickly." The last is feigned drama. And if Valenros happens to feel the brush of a foot against his leg under the table, he's probably just imagining things. "Not sure." Faranth... another blusher and squirmer. That's the look in Alida's clear green eyes as she can't help but glance over at Valenros for a moment - followed by a think little smirk for the way Jadzia mantles over her own food *and* talks to the guy - the woman then attending to her own business again. Between the carved-up little bites she feeds her flit, the blonde tucks into her own chow - a hearty lentil and beef stew - further nomming on turnips and tubers heaped beside her large bowl. The motion of the male's head is noted by her own astute gaze, and the bluerider quite firmly meets his brown gaze for a long moment, her greens as flat of affect as a slab of rock. So, no help there. Valenros swivels his head back to Jadzia. He looks like he may throw up. "You've gone mad." It's a simple statement but carries with it some gravity. There isn't much to say after that, so he gathers up his discarded bowl, his coat on the floor, and quickly stands, hugging all the things to his chest. "I.. have to ..go. Bye." And he goes, scurrying quickly out of the living cavern, headed further into the lower caverns. "A simple no would have worked just fine," says Jadzia, more to herself than to the departing man. "Men," is added after a moment. She sends a look Alida-wards, like 'can you believe that?' then goes back to picking through the vegetables with her fingers. If Alida minds the scent of runners and their dung that hovers about Jadzia, she expresses none of such, the bluerider merely smirking softly at the other female's words before she returns to feeding her pet and eating. On occasion, Jadzia might feel those cool green eyes upon her, but nothing comes from the pale-blonde's mouth, beside chewing and drinking. Jadzia makes no grand gestures of conversation now that her play-thing has run away. While she finishes her food, and her beer, she seems to settle into a simple, quiet awareness of her surroundings. And if she's self-conscious about the way she smells, there's no indication of it from the young woman. Eventually she's done eating and drinking, though, and when that time comes, she starts to rise to get on with her own things. Two perhaps self-contained people tends to not lead into much conversation, and Alida doesn't disappoint in that aspect, the bluie simply eating, feeding her pet, and occasionally gazing about with habitually vigilant eyes that also manage to covertly glance Jadzia's way in quick study, once or twice. It takes longer for the rider to finish her own food, given how much of it is on her tray, and how late she arrived to the large table. |
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