Difference between revisions of "Logs:Opportunistic Experiments"

It's one of those quiet, snowy nights out here in the mountains, where there's little to do but seek whatever meager indoor entertainment might be found. Today, at the dive bar that the Greenfields gang calls home, there's certainly entertainment to be had. In the front room, Grathon works the bar for a nearly full house of surly types with the assistance of a few of the cuter teens in his employ. Presumably there's a fight on down in the ring excavated beneath the building, since there's a decent amount of comings and goings through the door marked 'private' at the back of the room.

During this sort of night, Jo is seen entering into the bar, all fastened up in her black leathers with her gloves on and in place. She has a woven bag hanging over her shoulder that's familiar to those used to seeing the bluerider in the bar - it was her change of clothes, her 'fight' bag - and she's already nodding a few passing by her, just having left the 'private' door in the back of the room. Instead of heading towards the back, though, she heads straight towards the counter where she pies Grathon's familiar form, her stalking gait on display. She ignores most for the most part, grabbing a stool and settling down on it as she tries to get his attention with her dark, unwavering gaze.

If there's one thing Grathon does well, it's pay attention when it looks as though he's oblivious. Jo has barely settled into her seat before he's bringing her a mug of decent beer and greeting her with a warm, "Glad to see you." He thumbs his red-veined nose, then adds casually, "We missed you around these parts. Thinking of staying long?"

It's rare to get a genuine smile from this convict rider, but Jo's returning Grathon's smile with one right now, the woman appearing at ease in so seedy a place as she takes up and briefly toasts the mug in his direction. "Doin' good, Grathon," she returns in her husky drawl before taking a long drink. "I've been around, just, briefly these days. Ya know." After another drink, his next gets that crooked smile back along with a wry and teasing, "Aww, feelin's mutual, darlin'," with all the swagger of a bronzerider. "Things at the Weyr's been keepin' me a bit more locked these days, but I thought I'd throw some weight around in the ring tonight," and she releases the mug to briefly pat the bag at her shoulder a few times. "If it ain' sex, it's gotta be blood to help get this girl a good night's sleep."

"So I hear!" Grathon responds, leaning back with a chortle. "Interesting times we live in, isn't it? Interesting times. Never thought I'd live to see the day, personally, but here we are. Seems to be treating you alright?" He's directing while he converses, indicating with subtle gestures for a girl in her late teens to take over actively fetching drinks behind the bar, and for a boy just on the cusp of puberty to bring over a mix of nuts and dried fruit for Jo to snack on. "I hope you and your friends are doing all good works? I'm glad you found the time to swing by our way-- I'm sure you'll be welcome downstairs. Didn't sound like Zuman had a very interesting lot on the docket tonight."

"Ya can say that again," Jo is in agreement to interesting times, her smile sharing in his enthusiasm. Leaning elbows on the counter, "And I'm golden like the Reachian queens. Been keepin' up on business, on bein' all that I can be in the Weyr's prestigious ranks." Her tone is almost deadpan, but it's in contrast to the dark smirk seen on her face. Eyes going after the girl he gestures to briefly, his question on the others get a brisk nod, and, "They're good. Keepin' in line. M'ron tells me he comes around here for the ring on the nights I'm not down there, and Kait's....well, she's Kait." She snorts to that as she brings that mug to her lips. "But yeah. The discord's been rather workin' in our favor. In all of our favors," she clarifies meaningfully. "Taikrin's holdin' her own up there, even." To the docket not being interesting tonite, there's a shake of her head and a wry, "Guess that means I'm cleanin' up and walkin' away richer." Cocky.

Grathon nods along, genially, as Jo gives her update on each of their crew. "You just missed Kait," he offers. "Saw her leave with a new gentleman friend just a few hours ago. I'll send her down, if she makes it back in tonight." There's a ruckus at the other end of the bar, one that the teenage girl seems ill-suited to handle. "Tell you what, why don't you come up here once you're done downstairs, and we'll catch up? Once some of this lot has cleaned out." He takes a step away then pauses to toss over his shoulder, almost as an afterthought, "And go and see Lanvec in his office before you get all hot and bothered in the ring, alright girlie? He's been meaning to catch up with you, too."

Upon hearing that the blonde brownrider was already present and engaged, all Jo could do was roll her eyes to the ceiling and lift her mug with a brief press of her lips. "Good to know she has enough priorities to be here, at least. Please do," to that offer of sending Kaitlin down, nodding her thanks to that. To the rest, the bluerider is draining her mug and setting it down, already sliding to her feet as she hefts that bag on her shoulder to secure it firmly in place. Lopsided grin in place, "Sounds like a plan, darlin'," is her response to catching up with him, sliding a mark piece from her pocket onto the countertop. She doesn't look all that surprised to hear that Lanvec needs to see her, so all the woman does is toss a wink off in Grathon's direction along with a click of her teeth in confirmation of it, and heads off towards where Lanvec's office is towards the back of the bar.

Grathon waves her off, pleased as punch, before turning away to deal with the mess with a deep basso rumble of irritation. Down the stairs and down a long hallway to the left, away from the noise and chaos of the fighing ring. Lanvec's door is unassuming and un-marked... and cracked open a hair, indicating that his office is 'open for business' so to speak. The man himself is seated at the large desk set to face the doorway, working on some sort of map. The room is well-let and well-organized, from the bookshelves down to the little nest in the corner where his blue firelizard dozes peacefully.

Jo is all saucy saunter and easy gait as she takes the remembered path down to Lanvec's door, the bluerider using one arm to push the door open to reveal herself to his office. As always, she takes in everything in the place before she lights last on him, not yet letting herself in as she watches Lanvec with the map on his desk. Then, after a few moments, "I forget we share the same likin' of maps," is her quiet greeting, brows lifting and falling briefly as one hand curls about a bag strap. Once that gets his attention to her, "Grathon said ya needed to see me." Not a question.

Soft-spoken where his compatriot is loud, calm where he is boisterous, Lanvec merely smiles faintly and gestures for Jo to take one of the two chairs set before his desk. "Jo. Come in, please, have a seat. Maps are important to knowing one's place in the world." This one, in particular, he's rolling up and putting away-- though Jo might catch a glimpse of the surrounding Crom areas. "I did want to see, you, yes. How is everything going in the Weyr?" Here, in the privacy of the office, there is very little beating around the bush; Lanvec is a businessman above all.

With Lanvec, there's hardly any chit-chat, so the convict rider is stepping in and closing the door right behind her before dropping into one of the chairs facing him. To his remark on maps, as her gaze catches the flash of familiar markings before he shields the rest from view, "Especially when one's place happens to be many," is her return to that, her smile a touch knowing as Jo slowly leans back and gets comfortable. Legs crossing, "Got to punch another rider in the guts for tryin' to do the Weyr in," she answers blithely, though she's also quick to add, "Plenty of Weyrs are interested in the little power play goin' on my way. Two Weyrleaders, and two Weyrwomen. The very thought's about to tear the Reaches apart." Should she be worried? She doesn't appear so. In fact, she seems to be finding it all rather amusing, if her quirked up lips is any indication. "It's almost the perfect storm, really," she notes, hitching up a half-shrug. "One side screams for change, and the other cries for old tradition."

Lanvec shakes his head at the chaos of it all. "Such a waste, all of this chaos. Such a waste." He clicks his tongue, then relents with a sigh. "Ah, well. Useful to us, at any rate. Tell me, where do you think it's headed? Are they likely to have a resolution soon? And what's all this business about our dear little Taikrin being in charge of actual humans?" The sarcasm is obvious against his otherwise dry intonation. "Give me the short version of your read on it, please. I'll have you write down the long one for me later."

A brow lifting a bit, "I suppose too much chaos is bad for business," Jo muses to Lanvec's first, drawing a finger back and forth against her bottom lip. "But really, I can't complain." When he asks for the short version of it all, she takes a deep breath and taps her crossed boot in the air before answering briskly with, "Resolution? No," and she shakes her head. "Almost seems like things are getting worse, from where I'm standing. The problem is the differing personalities, in my opinion. Can't have too many chefs over one pot, right?" She smirks a bit on Taikrin before she adds in an amused drawl for his sarcasm, "As for Taikrin, ya heard right. She's one of the Weyrleaders that caught one of the queens. The way some tell it, that's part of the problem, but she ain' gonna expose us. Told me, if she rises, we all do." She drops her chin, looking at him significantly over fingers lacing together before her as she uncrosses her legs and leans forward. "I gave her our support, anyway," she says. "The other one is a problem." Shrugging now, "As for where it's headed, I suppose that depends on them. Taikrin's gainin' support, but the other side is, too. Somethin's gonna come to blows eventually between the two. Has to."

Lanvec listens intently, his expression thoughtful. When Jo has finished her report, he says, "Interesting. I'd heard she's made another batch of eggs for us, which is of course useful given how profitable the last batch turned out to be." His smile is tight, cold, and fleeting. "Good that you threw your support in with her. Taikrin's not reliable, but she's much more easily manipulated than any other of the dragonriders we've run up against. Good... good. We can work with this. How much power do you think she has, realistically? As one of the Weyrleaders?" As he's asking, he gets to his feet to browse through the maps folded on one of the bookshelves. He returns, spreading it out to reveal with High Reaches coverage area in a fair amount of detail. "Does she have any say in what the wings are doing? Sweeps, patrols, watchrider assignments?"

His first gets that return tight smile, a slight incline of her head to where her mission had started. "We could always use a few more bad eggs," Jo remarks to that, smirking briefly at the thought of swelling their numbers at the Weyr. "Especially given the rift the Reaches has got right now. Slippin' more of us in there....who's to know?" Brows lift slightly at his words on Taikrin not being reliable, but then, she's not surprised to hear it. Still, whatever thought she has on the matter seems to be wiped by a poker faced demeanor, and to the question of how much power she has, "I think she's got some pull like the other three, but she's fightin' for it every inch of the way. I still think the Weyrwoman are looked to more for the big decisions. Folks are already used to them, but believe you me, she's been pushin' up sleeves and makin' changes already." Leaning forward more now as he gets to his feet, she watches him bring forth a map with sudden interest, her gaze flicking over the detail of the Reaches, "She's appointed herself Wingleader of the wing we're in," she answers his last immediately. "That gives her some power, there. Heard-tell recently that a couple more wings fell in favor to her, too. Their wingleaders. That puts her in a place to do that."

"Good." As he reseats himself, Lanvec indicates the road leading to a little minehold-- about thirty klicks away. "I want to try a little experiment. See if you can get her to adjust sweeps so that we're leaving just a little gap here, on the road. While you're doing that, make yourself indespensible to her. Gain access to records. Especially patrols and sweep routes. Time-tables. Don't take anything, just make copies-- I shouldn't have to remind you of that, right?" He pins Jo with a gaze that's hard with turns and turns of experience. "This is an unprecedented opportunity for us to be able to move much more freely. Can you do this for us?"

When Lanvec starts to outline out what was the next business deal, already Jo's studying that map along with his words. She's looking up occasionally at him as she speaks, especially on the part of reminding her, and he gains a crooked smirk to that. Once she's had her fill of the map, she leans back and gives him a firm nod of her head as her legs recross again. "I gather the little...adjustment is something Taikrin doesn' really need to know the details on?" she asks, lifting her chin. But to the rest, there's a slight incline of her head along with a brazen, "I know how to play it, darlin'," as she meets his hard gaze steadily. "Make myself indispensable? Check. Gain access to records? Check, check. Sounds like somethin' I can do in my sleep." They had her support, despite her arrogance. "There anythin' M'ron and Kait need to do?" she asks on her clutchmates now, the two usually flanking her in and out of the Weyr.

"That's your call. You've got the better read on her at this point-- tell her as much or as little as you feel necessary. This is just a test. Very little of value will be lost if she proves to be unreliable again. Once we have more information, we can proceed apace." He taps the spot on the map once more, then leans down to rifle through a set of papers in a drawer. "Yes. I'll give you the list of the ones we find likely for a dragon. Take the ones that you find most promising and put them in Kait and M'ron's care. Do what you can to ensure that we end up with more riders-- a bronze would be nice, in particular, to replace Taikrin with in time."

Jo is easy to nod on the first bit, saying to that, "I'll work on her. See what she's capable of. Maybe even over fine brandy." Where Lanvec taps, the bluerider's looking and seeming to be committing to memory - just in case - then on the matter of a new generation of riders, she nods genially to that along with a brisk, "I'll see it done, darlin'. We'll push'em through into the candidacy without none bein' the wiser. Be nice to have one of our own on bronze. I trust we can help get Taikrin to last long enough through this storm," she muses, watching the man intently. "I've taken a personal interest into the swing of things, so I'll make sure no one comes along and swing things the wrong way. Ya know I like to do whatever it takes. No matter." It's all said so casually in a slow drawl, like she was discussing dinner. Straightening up now, "I haven' let ya down," she gives evenly. "Ain' about to start. I know I owe ya a lot, for takin' me in when ya did." A debt she seems more than willing to pay.

"Good, good." Lanvec seems pleased, in as much as he's capable of displaying such an emotion. "See that you do. I have faith in your abilities, Jo. You've always been a loyal girl. One of our own. You do us proud. Now." Business-like, he folds his hands together across the table. "I don't want to keep you from your evening's entertainment. Zuman will have something extra for you when you've finished. And do let us know if there's something you need. A firelizard, perhaps? We've a friend down south, thanks to you and your friends, who might be able to oblige. They've proven to be useful messengers when the appropriate discipline is applied."

Any sort of pleasing Lanvec is taken with one of Jo's lopsided smiles and brief dips of her head, his compliments to her abilities going straight to her ego and it shows. Hands briefly lifting out, "Yer will, my hands," is all she says to that in a barring of teeth, her brand of staunch loyalty to those few in her life evident in tone. Legs uncross then once that part of the meeting's over, her gaze anticipatory for the night's activities in the ring present. "Ya really do know how to take care of a girl," she says to Zuman having something extra waiting for her once she's done, and when Lanvec mentions firelizards, her interest piques to that. "I could use one, truth be told," she admits, brushing her hair back with one hand as she gets to her feet. "A real capable one for that very reason. Hook that up for me and I'll be cheesin' for days." Like that flash of a smile she shows him now, briefly. "Thanks, boss. Ya know how to get at me, if ya need me."

With that, Jo's out of there with her bag, returning to the bar with a few words for Grathon along the way and then moving off towards the private door where she's to be in down in the ring - fists ever at the ready for any opponent thrown her way.

Comments

Barnabas (Barnabas (talk)) left a comment on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:13:40 GMT.

Stop being evil Jo. STOP IT!

Azaylia (Dragonshy (talk)) left a comment on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:23:06 GMT.

JO. WUT. JO. STAHP. No, this is pretty awesome. It's interesting to see that Jo is even more criminal-y than Taikrin. ;) More reliable, it certainly sounds like.

Zian (Zian (talk)) left a comment on Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:18:09 GMT.

Yes, Jo! Be moooooooore evil! More!