Logs:Dealing In Secrets
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| RL Date: 16 December, 2015 |
| Who: Farideh, Jo |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Farideh and Jo reunite! |
| Where: Storerooms, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 24, Month 7, Turn 39 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Irianke/Mentions, Drex/Mentions, Ethran/Mentions, Jocelyn/Mentions, R'hin/Mentions |
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| With the weather being decent for the Reaches lately, it might make sense that the storesroom is one place in the Weyr being frequented by the Weyr's folk for the weather change. Among them is Jo, dressed in dark leathers as if she's either just got in or was preparing to depart the Weyr - rummaging through a box of supplies geared toward healers. She's snagged wraps for bruises and is in the process of looking over folded washrags and nearby bathing supplies. "That," in a warm and amused voice, "is an odd assortment," says the goldrider watching from a few feet away, clipboard in hand and her head tipped to the side. "Are you planning to be an amateur healer on the side?" Farideh sashays forward, not masking the amusement that lights her face, and pulls her chin down to stare at the bluerider with an undeterred look. "Jo. How are you? I've missed you," might as well be talking about the time of day or K'del's underroos. At hearing Farideh's familiar voice, Jo turns to look back at her as she picks up another rag with her free hand. "I'm out of this stuff," is her simple answer, as if this is stuff that everyone should be getting. "I don' really like to harass the healers whenever I've gotten into a fit at a bar'n banged my fists up. I'm the do-it-yerself kinda girl." She sets the rag into the little black box she has to the side for collecting before she looks the goldrider over more thoroughly and adds, "Ya missed me, did'ja, Kitten? Ya knew where to come find me. I hear kisses make many a pain go away." Look who's back, maybe? Perhaps that is answer to how she is, too, since she's nodding towards her belly now and is noting aloud, "Looks like ya popped finally." "I shouldn't be surprised, but-- still? Fighting? Aren't you a big, bad wingsecond by now? It's good to know Mielline isn't curbing your hobbies," Farideh says, still with that laughter imbuing her voice. "You try climbing a dragon when you're as big as a Hold. Perhaps if you'd stay still long enough for me to find you in walking distance." It's all a tease, but she does look pleased to hear that Jo is doing well given all the events that have happened in the last few months. "I'm gladder about it than you are. Glad to have my body back, glad to be-- more me, again." Returning to her perusals again, "It's not as often," Jo admits on the bar brawls with a slight shrug as she hunts. "I don' go out'n'bout with my knot on, so, as far as outside this place's concerned, I haven' changed." Hefting a clear and empty bottle as she turns, "Ya know," she notes casually, "if ya want me, ya have only but to have that queen of yers to call on Tac. Pretty sure Drex'll be put out, though, seein' as how I'm better lover. Is the kid with him? How's he been 'bout all this so far?" "We wouldn't want your reputation being besmirched by a silly little knot," is clarified with a straight face, even. It's her talk about lovers that has Farideh's cheeks turning pink and her eyebrows knitting. "You're horrible. Still as horrible as I remember, and no. Ethran is in the nursery, where he's supposed to be. Drex is still Drex. Did you expect something different?" That she's being mum about her own feelings might be telling. "I really appreciate that," Jo answers on her reputation with an equally straight face. "There's folks out there that wouldn' even talk to me if they see it. I'm glad ya get it." As for her being horrible, "Admit it. Ya missed me bein' horrible. I miss makin' ya blush that pretty lil' color. Bet Drex don' make ya blush like that, right? Don' worry. I won' tell'im." There's a slight smirk to that as she continues her hunt through boxes. "Ethran, huh? Must be a cute kid. What 'bout you?" Yeah, she doesn't miss much at all as she peers at Farideh's face. "Ya can' leave the Weyr?" "There are advantages to the knot, too. You probably haven't even tried using it like your calling card," Farideh sighs, her expression full of fake-disappointment. "I might have, but I'll never admit to that in public. None of it." It's a non-answer, delivered with a delightfully mischievous smile. "Babies change fast they say, but-- he kind of looks like me," which is a given, since she's the mom. "No. Irianke wants to be conservative and give me the time I need to fully recover. I can't blame her, but-- I feel fine. Roszadyth wants to fly, together, as do I." "Like?" Jo prompts on the uses of her knot. "Granted, some girls respond to me wearin' nothin' but the knot, but..." That lopsided grin only lingers to Farideh's answer that she won't admit in public, ticking off a nod and a, "Reckon there's much ya won' admit in public. Not just that. Does Drex want another baby?" she suddenly asks then. As to what Irianke says, there's a considering nod to that with a slight frown. "Ya should take advantage of it'n rest, Kitten," she tells her. "Though, once it's all cleared, I believe I owe ya a trip since ya took me out. I won' forget that. Ya didn' have to do all that for me, ya know." It's sincere, even. "You've said you aren't interested, but, you could gained exclusivity to certain events. Places a regular rider couldn't go-- places rank gets you things and secrets and-- don't you deal in secrets?" Farideh gives a leisurely shrugs of her shoulder bearing her own fancy shoulder knot. "Another baby? This soon? I don't know if he does. We haven't talked about it, but if he did-- I'd tell him to take this clipboard and shove it. He can be pregnant the next time." Less amusedly, with a sullen pout, "I know. Everyone keeps saying, but that doesn't make it any less tedious. It's been more than four months since I've flown, last." She straightens and sighs, studying the other woman. "I didn't, but I wanted to. You were grieving. You should take care of yourself, even then. What would we do without you?" Considering all the things listed that she could use her knot for, "I do deal in' secrets," Jo agrees, "but I'm still learnin' how to get around in this brave new world involvin' ranks'n'knots. Give me time, Kitten. Just need to gain some new perspectives." There's laughter on the answers about having another baby as she briefly considers the ceiling as she wonders aloud, "Drex, pregnant. He'd be a cranky one. I can see it now." She drops a few items into her little box before hefting the whole thing to prop against her stomach with both hands. "Shouldn' be much longer now," she says on Farideh being stuck in the Weyr. "I would talk to Irianke again, were I ya." The last draws a sober look from the wingsecond, her head tilting a bit as she studies the goldrider before her. "There'd be another bluerider with a pretty face'n a pretty smile that would be far less reckless'n far more responsible. That's what." In a heavy pause, "Seen a lot of death in my life, darlin'," she tells her grimly. "Even before comin' here. It never gets easier. Ya just gotta recover from it." "I fully believe that you'll learn it fast. You've yet to disappoint me in and that, and before long you may be schooling me in-- everything, really." Farideh shifts to the side when Jo grabs the box up, as if anticipating her departure. "I think she was pretty firm about it. Two months and then we'd see. Two months of-- healing, bonding with Ethran." She loses all semblance of amusement at Jo's implication, and lifts her chin stubbornly. "No. Why do you think you're that easily replaced? I don't like that, not at all, and I'm not that easy to forget people I like." "Ya have far too much confidence in me, Kitten," Jo notes on her learning it all fast. "But, I've managed to get this far without Mielline tossin' me out. How are things goin' with the new goldrider one? I reckon havin' her around now could pro'bly lessen some of the workload for ya, right?" And then bonding. Jo snorts her amusement with that as she remarks, "I can' even imagine me gettin' knocked up. Any kid of mine'd be a terror." To Farideh's stubborn last, there's more of a genuine smile to peter out from her before she answers, "Ya see? Ya say sweet things like that'n expect me to behave all proper. Yer lucky my self control's intact these days, gentle Kitten." "I have the right amount of confidence-- in you. You're good enough to make wingsecond, and R"hin trusted you, and you get along with Irianke, and--" Farideh could keep talking, but she stops and purses her lips. "Jocelyn is doing well. She has the advantage of having the lower caverns training under her belt from her turns as an assistant headwoman, but she doesn't want to accept the other parts. Dressing the part, looking the part, being a smiling, nodding spokeswoman for the Weyr--" She shrugs, summing up her indifferent thoughts in that single gesture. "Hands to yourself, for now," comes with an ill-restrained smile, "You should visit Jocelyn. I'm interested to hear your opinions on her." "After his death," Jo says, "she hasn' wanted much to do with me. Surely ya've noticed the lack of...noise, from her weyr." It's stated matter-of-factly, couching veiled undecipherable tones. The knowing grin is there, though, for the hands-off comment, but she answers on Jocelyn, "Is that so? Maybe she'll grow into it when she graduates. Did'ja embrace all of this--" her head moves as if to encompass the Weyr, "--when ya were a weyrlin'? But perhaps, should I run into her, I'll be sure to check her out." Yeah, it sounds suggestive. It is Jo, but at least it also manages to sound earnest, too. "Maybe now that yer not carryin'," she adds, "I can swing by with some somethin' good to drink. Ya can even have Drex there. I do remember that he's a rum sort of guy." In stark contrast to her previous expressions, now Farideh appears genuinely surprised to hear that. "Really? Why? I have been a little preoccupied, and I figured-- you'd just learned to be more discreet." She would think that, wouldn't she!? "Jo," holds warning tones, but only light, "I didn't want the responsibility. I don't mind the other parts, but I'm learning to just-- accept them. It won't stop. It won't get better." It's a sad vein, but the suggestion of drink brings about another smile. "I'd like that, as long as you don't start a fight. I've had my furniture broken once, I don't need it to happen again." "Why?" Jo pauses with a slight furrow of brows and lips thinning in the pause before slowly shaking her head. "Iri holds all her cards close to her chest. Even I couldn' peep a single one o' them. I dunno. Fucked up, somehow. It happens." The warning tones from Farideh earns an angling of the wingsecond towards her so that she could bump her black box against her hip before answering, "Ain' nothin' wrong with holdin' the reins to power, Kitten. Embrace it. Ya might find ya like it. Ya see how good it looks on Iri. It'll get better. For the weyrlin' one, too. Ya got me in yer corner, anyway if it gets too much." Pause. "I won' start a fight," she vows far too lightly. "I'll be good, 'specially since I know Drex can twist off by a hair. I tend to make love, not war. Let me know when yer free'n I'll stop on by. I could use a break from starin' at reports all night." "I'm sorry," sounds sincere, at least. "I don't think I want to embrace it. I don't want-- I can lean on Irianke for now. Irianke is made of tougher stuff than other women. I don't think she's going anywhere anytime soon, and--" Farideh stops, bites her lip, but struggles through a smile, all the same. "I'll send for you, whenever things aren't go--" New? Crazy? Depressing? "It'll take with Drex and call for you, soon. It might just be a ladies' night. I have a couple bottles of Benden I got as gifts, and I haven't had enough of an excuse to drink them." Rearranging her clipboard, she takes a step to the side. "Don't try and slip away before then either." "Nothin' to be sorry 'bout, darlin'," Jo is easy in saying as she shakes her head again. "Ya might not want to embrace it now, but, someday ya will. I'm sure of it. Ya gotta toughness in ya, too, ya know. Yer still that feisty feline from what I remember when." She steps back now, hoisting her box back up as she nods on plans and the future, the wingsecond grinning. "Got yerself a party," she says to it all, the wink shallow. "We'll set it up. I won' slip away, darlin', though I like ya missin' me. Catch'a around, right?" Well, she can only be good for so long. The exasperation Farideh exhibits is all for show. "We'll see what the future holds. One day, we'll be old and worn out, and we'll revisit this conversation. I doubt I'll have much to show, but," she is willing to give the bluerider a beguiling grin regardless. "A party." Nod. "It's set. Clear skies until then." Her nose scrunches up as she steps farther out into the hallway, out of Jo's way. "My confidence in you is just as strong as yers in me," is all Jo says with a pointed look. "Clear skies, Kitten. Think of me'n blush that pretty blush." With that, she turns to drop one last thing into her box that she must've missed before she's heading out of the room towards the bowl beyond. |
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