Difference between revisions of "Logs:All Too Brief"

Inner Caverns, High Reaches Weyr

Within the labyrinth of interconnected chambers that make up the inner caverns, this large, long cavern serves both as a crossroads and a comfortable place for weyrfolk to sit, talk, and keep a nosy eye out for who's going where. Colorful, seasonal tapestries add warmth to the smooth walls and reduce echoes, while large niches house clusters of chairs, and a waist-high stone shelf along one wall provides a perch for drinks or work for residents on the go. Worn brass hooks often hold jackets or other outerwear with workboots stationed beneath, the transitory nature of the cavern lending itself to being treated as a sort of communal foyer where snowy or muddy gear can be kept outside of living quarters. Smaller, higher niches at regular intervals hold glowbaskets kept fresh during the daytime and allowed to dim somewhat at night.

The largest tunnels lead to the main living cavern, to the bowl and to the Weyr entrance, but it's still easy for the uninitiated to get lost within this maze.

There's many tunnels in the Weyr, almost creating a maze in the inner caverns. Jo can be found in the more popularly used tunnels, conversing with one of the male lower caverns workers. He looks to be her age and rough around the edges to boot, grunting out something to her before she claps him on the back and murmur something in his ear that sets him laughing and nodding. Then she's off, black leathers and all, striding down the hall without even looking over her shoulder. She could be rushing to yet another meeting, or, the dragonrider just likes to be seen as if she's always in a hurry going somewhere.

Jo's not the only one looking like she's in a hurry. Down this particular passage, going in the opposite direction of the way the brunette is heading comes a familiar blonde, stepping quickly along her way. Tayte's so focused on wherever it is she's heading that she doesn't even catch sight of the bluerider until they're practically upon one another and she's stopping short, "Jo." The name is said in an exhale of breath and a smile blossoms on her previously seriously set lips.

Jo almost does plow into Tayte, her head down as she unfolds a small sheet of hide in one hand until she hears her name. She looks up just in time, pausing as she grates out, "Tayte. If we keep runnin' into each other like this down here..." well, it's her humor, poking at the last time they did run into each other and where as it gets attached with one of her signature smirks. Jerking her head back in the direction she was heading, "Where ya headin' with those quick feet, darlin'?" As if she could help or something.

"If we do, I'm going to end up doing something incredibly stupid because I've been left in so much want of you." Tayte's answer quips with exaggerated emotion. One hand going to her heart briefly. Woe! "Top secret vintner errand so important it can't be trusted to an apprentice, apparently." This 'apparently' should indicate to Jo that it's yet another of WeyrVintner Markarin (a.k.a. Journeyman Sourgrapes) stupid extra tasks that he's added onto her usual schedule since she got the job bartending in Snowasis, a fact she's mentioned with annoyance but waved off help; it's between vintners. She'll sort it herself. "And you? Somewhere you couldn't delay a few minutes to be?" The slight curve of her smile is suggestive.

"What would be considered 'incredibly stupid' for ya?" Jo is enticed to ask now, allowing herself to give her a liberal once-over. "Sucks about the errand. Guess that man has nothin' better to do than to order hot women around." As for herself, the bluerider gives a slight shrug as she leans back against the cool inner cavern wall and gives those passing them by idle glances. "I don' mind bein' late for some people and places - when there's no profit involved to myself." Chuckling shortly, "On my way out," as usual, "with some old clutchmates. How ya been, anyway? Ya look like yer in one piece enough," she adds with her usual sardonic tint to her words. "What's been goin' on?"

"Something that might get me pregnant." Tayte's answer doesn't need thought, "And technically, I suppose it's more of a 'someone'." She reaches up to tug a hand through her hair, "To be fair, ordering hot women around can be a very good use of one's time. It might even be the kind of thing that some would make a priority." Her voices is teasing now, "Like he does, except hopefully it would be much more pleasant with you doing the ordering." A passing man catches enough of that sentence and the look the blonde gives the brunette that he slows, prompting the blonde's head to turn and give him a look. It's enough to have him hurrying along. "Oh, you know. Same old. Markarin being an ass. Snowasis is wonderful," That's related almost dreamily. "Vali's happy. We're working numbers together. I took her into the stores the other day so we could count things." Her head tilts as she moves to lean on the wall beside the bluerider. "What about you? Anything you've been keeping busy with that you can tell me about?"

"So ya want me to order ya around like he does?" Jo jumps on that statement more than the others, laughing as she looks about them. "Or is it that ya just wanna imagine me bein' the one doin' it instead of that Sourgrapes man?" That passing man doesn't even warrant a look from this bluerider, probably considering him to be of no importance as she continues to speak. "So yer likin' workin' at Snowasis, huh? None of my wingmates pinched ya on the ass yet, right? Vali's good too? Seems like ya both are settling in well here." She leans more against the wall when Tayte asks the last, the woman hunching up her shoulders in a sort of shrug before answering with, "Well, been continuing my work on the map, me and Tac. Been up over in Ista. Plannin' on takin' a break from all the travelin', though. The rest..." well, it seems the rest she can't tell her about.

"Well, I'd say that could be fun, but I think overall I'd just rather he didn't keep finding such ridiculous tasks to keep me busy. I've many other things I'd rather be doing with my time. Not the least of which is finding a good time for us to get together and play cards." If Jo knows what she means. Tayte says it so evenly, but there's humor hidden in her expression. "Do any of your wingmates have broken fingers? If not, I'd say they probably haven't pinched me." It's also delivered innocently, but something in her expression hints that she's serious. "I do. Some days I'm tempted to hand it my knot and just work at Snowasis, but I won't give Markarin the satisfaction. And you know, that whole long-term job security thing. I can only be breaking ass-grabbing fingers for so many turns." She reaches out then to tuck a strand of hair behind Jo's ear, "The map that's in your weyr? The one you'll show me someday? Maybe when you take your break? Is there a reason for it? The break?"

Laughing at something said, Jo does give the blonde some consideration as she echoes, "Cards? Ya wanna get together and lose at cards to me?" Yeah, she'll alter something simple like card playing into not so simple. On the topic of her wingmates, there's a short chuckle to that before she states wryly, "Remind me not to pinch yer ass while yer at work. I rather need my fingers for various important activities. Ya know." It's said so casually, either way, as if even if her fingers got snapped, she'd still be good. It'd still be worth it. With Tayte tucking back a strand of her hair, her own long fingers press to her elbow as she answers with a nod, "Yep, the one. I will show ya. A small part of it needed to be altered. And, been lookin' for out-the-way places to unwind. Let me know when ya wanna come up. Get one of the 'riders to reach out to Tac." There's a slight shrug on the last - her break - before she answers, "Every now and then, when we keep away for too long Tac starts gettin' tetchy. He feels better when I keep him in the Weyr, and he's been in that mood lately. Dragons." She shakes her head at Tayte. "Could also be, one of the golds have been lookin' brighter than normal lately. Even though he doesn' chase golds."

"You think you can beat me cards?" Tayte asks with a brow raised and a cocky laugh. "I dare you to try. We'll have to make the stakes high." Since it sounds to be a promising match. "You just make sure I know it's you doing the pinching and I'll spare your fingers. I rather like the things they can do." The blonde puts on an expression of faux pensivity, "Tonight? Tomorrow night? At least five of the seven nights that follow?" These are the answers she offers to when she would want to come up. "If only I didn't have shifts or vintner duties or parenting responsibilities." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "You have no idea how badly I want to be up there any of those times. Or all of them. But I promise, soon we'll have time." To the matter of Tacuseth's mood, "There are rumors that Hraedhyth is acting like she might go up." The bartender offers this tidbit for Jo's consideration.

"I make Bitrans cry," Jo gives a good (in her estimation) reason of her prowess with cards. "They cry so much that I have to buy them a round of drinks with my winnings. What have you done? I'm game, of course." Of course. "Whatever stakes ya want, darlin'. Just expect an 'I tol'ja so' when yer on the floor cryin'. Or naked." Because, strip games and cards combine, right? And really, she's amused by the next on her coming up to visit, reaching a finger up to brush the bottom of Tayte's chin before she says, "We'll make it happen, along with that card game. Somethin' to look forward to, among other things." Brows lift and fall at that, then the bluerider falls back to the wall on that tidbit as she says, "Yeah, I've been hearin' that, too. I hope to take Tac outta here when she does go up. Those goldflights are nothin' to play with." Feelings and whatnot, she likely means.

If she were truly trying to take Jo's mark, Tayte likely would keep the following details to herself: "I'm Bitran." And Istan. And Igenite. She's a lot of things. "And my mother is a dealer. I've been chewing on cards since before I had teeth. And taking a bite out of the action since before they'd let me keep my winnings." She reaches up a hand to flip some of her locks over her shoulder in a haughty gesture, "As long as you're prepared to kiss my ass when I've kicked yours, you're on." She bats her eyes prettily at the bluerider. The chin touch earns a smile. "Soon." She promises, and with a sigh, "I'd better get along on my errand. He actually sends someone to check on me if I'm not handling things in a reasonable time. I don't want to give him a leg to stand on with the Hall as far as my behavior's concerned." She shifts, glancing the way she was heading, "But soon?"

To all that, in true Jo-fashion, "So...yer sayin' basically that I've got this in the hole," Jo is more than happy to paraphrase all of Tayte's origins and them some. That smile is crooked, and some would even call it smug. "Which is what I've been tellin' ya. Good to know. I should be a good girl for once and not comment on that ass-kissin' comment, by the way." It would have surely been crass, knowing her. She steps away though with promises made, looking in one direction as she says behind her, "Yeah, I better head out, myself. Got my own bosses lookin' for me whenever they feel like it. Soon," she repeats, eyes cutting to her face with an incline of her head. "Ya have yerself a good day, Tayte. Send Vali a wave from me." If Tayte doesn't stop her, she starts to head off, fingers trailing over her arm as she goes.

Tayte might like to stop her, might like to do a lot of things, but instead, her fingers simply turn to trail likewise and meet fingers briefly as they pull away, the pair of women heading off along their own courses once more.