Put out or shut up.
RL Date: 5/12/09
IC Date: 9/20/19
The Glass Fountain, Fort Weyr(#533RJs$)
Despite its subterranean locale, the creamy wall paint, pale woods, and frosted glass give the cavern a light, airy feel. Oil lamps reflect softly in the polished wood of high-backed booths, glimmering through the opaque glass dividers that help lend intimacy to the seating arrangements; round-backed seats with deep, terra-cotta colored padding and the addition of strategic, lyric shapes painted in a subtle red shade at regular intervals around the walls add a little depth to the color palette. The sweeping, half-circle shaped bar with its top of smooth stone, backed by cut-glass-fronted cabinetry flows gracefully into the soft lines and mellow colors that dominate the Glass Fountain.
All the atmosphere aside, the main attractions of the room are clearly the massive, multi-pronged chandelier that hangs from multiple chains from the ceiling and the re-worked leak - which no longer resembles a leak at all, having been channeled through lass to become a beautiful piece of art. A curving wave and a series of glass bubbles guide the water past a bank of glows, allowing the light to shine through the water and turn it into a sparkling fountain. From its dark, dim, shabby history, the Glass Fountain has become - frankly - a swanky place with lattice-stands to hold the menus with their selection ranging from typical 'bar food' to high-end dishes and fancy desserts.
Mornings are thankfully quiet in the Fountain, few people opting for the slightly quieter surroundings for breakfast not to mention the cost. But that dos not mean that work isn't a necessity. Behind the bar one of the resident barmen is slowly cleaning glasses and into the quiet comes a brightly dressed girl with a trolley stacked with bottles. There's a little clank as Sulisah runs the trolley over something on the floor, but other than the cheery "Morning!" she gives there is little in the way of smalltalk.
A greenrider pushes through the doors, a slightly worried look on her face as she enters the Glass Fountain. One look at her surroundings, however, and her expression relaxes into a smile. "Excuse me, miss?" she asks a passing girl pushing a trolley. "Greenrider Ilora, Ista. I was sent here by Healer Makender for a bottle of, uh..." she pauses and then fumbles around in some of her pockets before finally producing a list. "Ah, here it is," she says, and extends the list to the girl. "Doyou have whats on this list?"
"Extras," is all the explanation Jaeyi has for strolling in to the Fountain this early in the morning with a tray that's presently covered, so its contents aren't exactly visible just yet. For it being a quiet morning, there's a fair amount of pretty-girl foot-traffic, isn't there? "Oop," she adds, hurriedly changing course so as not to run in to Sulisah or her trolley or her new friend, holding the tray down against her hip. Being a stranger-- Ilora naturally gets a second, half-skeptical look.
Sulisah does a strange 'one foot in the air and lean over' manouver to stop the trolley, though it does swerve slightly and she has to move quickly to the side to catch something that threatens to roll off. "Good morning!" Gaze flicks between greenrider and list, over to Jaeyi for a second who gets a smile, and then back. "Fort's duties! Let me have a look and we'll see. Would you like something to eat while you wait? Drink maybe?" She gives a look over to Harry who just nods in reply - he's not really one for smalltalk especially when he can watch Jaeyi instead.
"Er, sure, food would be good," Ilora says, blushing just a little bit as she digs through her pockets for some marks. "Er, I think I have enough," she says, displaying marks enough for a meal at a less pricey establishment - she's not yet had a chance to peruse the menu here. "What have you got?" As the third girl arrives, she looks over and flashes a timid smile. "Hello," she says.
Jaeyi, for all that she preens to trot off toward the edge of the bar and deliver her tray, tells Harry sunnily, "You act like you don't have a hundred pretty girls to gawk at all day, darling. Here." Unlidded, it's a smattering of not-too-fancy pastries: extras. Her fingers curl back toward Sulisah and unfamiliar-girl while she leans at the edge of the bar, offers in her own contribution to 'what have you got,' "If you don't mind they might be a little stale..."
"Depends what you're in the mood for really." Sulisah replies with a grin, "Have a peek at the menu and I'll deal with this." She waves the list to indicate which 'this', though also takes a moment to include Jaeyi in the conversation with a bright, "Hey Jaeyi." Taking a step away from the trolley she reads the list quickly, trying to not pay attention as Harry puts down the glass he was cleaning and grabs a pastry.
Ilora picks up the menu, and a quick flick of her eyes over the prices causes her face to blanch. "Shards," she mutters to herself. "I think I can afford a glass of juice," she says, her expression a bit sour. She looks up at the bartender and the girl with her tray of pastries a bit longingly, but then looks away from the enticing even if it is stale food. "All right," she says a bit more loudly. "I'll have a glass of juice, please. Er... this Spiced Apple Juice sounds nice."
A happily drawled, "Suuuuu. Morning." Jaeyi tilts her forehead to indicate the tray of stuff, brows raised in a 'want some?' question to the Vintner. "More Nigel Summer Amber Bush Whatever Beer?" she adds with a glance to the trolley, one that takes place even while she reaches over the bar-- free show for Harry, yay!-- to find a napkin for collecting up one of yesterday's turnovers, for wrapping it in, for offering it toward Ilora. "Leftovers, honey, and mine to give away. No charge."
Sulisah glances up from the list to shake her head at Jaeyi, "Too early in the morning for me. I'm sure you'll find enough willing mouths around though." She nods towards Ilora, trying to mkae it as subtle as she can manage - which really isn't very subtle at all. "No new beer, no name for new beer either, just restocking after last night." Behind the bar Harry looks rather like all his birthdays came at one, but nods to Ilora and goes to get her drink. While he takes his time, mostly resettling his breathing, Sulisah approaches the rider again, "You're in luck, we have the top three, but the bottom one I've never seen outside of Reaches. I'll need you to sign something though saying who got it and why, that okay?"
Practically pouncing on the offered pastry, she blushes and beams at Jaeyi. "Thank you," she says, just before taking a pretty huge bite. She chews it a tad frantically while Harry turns, and she suppresses a chuckle at his ragged breathing. She turns to Sulisah and nods. "Yeah, thats no problem. Do you need my name or the Healers?" She takes another bite, and tucks it into her cheek, looking rather like a chipmunk. "Or both?" Then she looks around at the fountain, finally noticing all the glass everywhere, goggling a little at the show of ostentatious wealth. "Wow, she breathes. "This place is /nice/."
Briefly, Jaeyi's smile brightens and she can be heard to repeat, "Willing mouths." One she'll remember! "Welcome," she answers to the willing mouth-- er, Ilora, and climbs up on to the edge of a stool to go back to leaning against the bar in a way that's a lot less likely to cause Harry's eyes to fall out of his head. Just to be nosy, since the other two seem to know something she doesn't and we can't have that; "What's the list?"
Sulisah giggles, "How about we go for both then none of us will get in trouble?" To Jaeyi she adds quickly, "Wine list." as if that explains everything, "You like it?" This last is directed at Ilora once more, visitor getting the majority of the little vintner's attention, "They fixed it up... um... six months ago maybe? used to be a lot darker and thing, trying to make it a bit more..." her hands wave a little as she searches for the right word, eventually settling on, "Fuzzy." harry returns, handing over Ilora's drink with a quiet, "There y'go." before polishing his way off up the bar to watch the girls from a safe spot.
Our Healer sent me for some wines and things," Ilora explains to Jaeyi. "You know, for 'medicinal purposes.'" She rolls her eyes just a little to show how much she believes /that/ story. "Thank you," she says to Harry, and lifts her juice to sip it. Her eyebrows lift about as high as they can as she tastes it. "Oh, this is /good/," she murmurs. "Yeah, I do like it," she answers Sulisahs question. "It's really... well,I wouldnt say fuzzy, exactly. Really fancy, though. That fountain is very, very pretty."
Not so good at playing along, Jaeyi asks with a hint of shock, "Your healer's a boozer?" Blinking, reaching to pick at the corner of a pastry that she'll probably never finish eating, she mumbles toward Sulisah (like it would be her responsibility to follow up), "Remind me never to get sick at Ista." Talk of the swankiness of the bar falls to the background for her, though she sorta glances around idly while they discus one aspect or another.
"It's... fuzzy." Sulisah glances around, then nods, "Not like bad cheese fuzzy but nice fuzzy. Fun." Jaeyi's comment about Ista results in a giggle, "They do it here too, there's a whole shelf in the stores of wine that goes well with fellis. Seems a shame if you ask me, wasting good wine on fellis but I guess some people need it." She pasues, a sudden thought occurring, "Oh. Is this a rush job or are you okay to wait for a little while?"
Oh, well," Ilora temporizes, blushing. "He's not really a boozer," she says. "He really does use some of this stuff for medicinal purposes, usually. Like she says, you've got to put the fellis in something, and not everyone will take it in juice. But he does like a drink on Gather days and special occasions, and apparently, he's got to get it from here." She grins. "He actually healed me, recently, so I can vouch for his sobriety. Really." At Sulisah's comment, she shrugs. "No, no rush. We're low on supplies, but not out of them. If you have something more pressing to do, by all means, finish it up."
Ooookay. "Remind me never to get sick at Fort," Jaeyi mumbles promptly, the corner of her mouth tweaked down into a blechy expression. Around a grin, she points out for the pair of them, "The fact that they're using it to lace with fellis? Really doesn't make it sound much better, if you stop and think about it. Boozers /and/ addicts?"
Sulisah nods to Ilora, but her wide grin is more directed at Jaeyi, "It's good wine, just... some people prefer it that way. Really sick people." Having a little time she sets about unloading the trolley at long last, though pauses as she comes across the stack of cards from the recent beer tasting. "Hey, are you any good at naming beer?" This to Ilora. "We have a new one, we're trying to figure out a name for it."
Iloras mouth drops open a bit and she rapidly blinks at Jaeyi. "No, you misunderstand," she says. "The fellis-laced wine is for /patients/. You know, when you have a patient who won't rest when they're told, or who needs to be put into a sleep for an operation, you give them fellis juice." Her blush deepens. "Our Healer is /not/ an addict or a boozer. I really didn't mean to give you that impression. Only two of the bottles on that list are for himself, and he doesn't go through them quickly." Sulisa's question about beer prompts a face from Ilora. "Er, well, I'm not much for drinking, myself. I wasn't allowed to during Weyrlinghood, and I only just graduated. And I was ill, so that kind of precluded drinking. I really don't know much about beer at all."
/Patients./ "Yeah. And the inmates aren't running the asylum." Jaeyi's skepticism is more amused than anything else, not like she really believes the healer's are all dosed up but... "Don't worry, honey," she adds in a stage-whisper to Ilora. "I won't tell anyone about your dopey healer. --You should try the beer anyway. It's good." Like she'd know. Still, big-bright-praising smile for Sulisah tacked on to the end there.
Sulisah grins back at Jaeyi, though it's poor Ilora who gets a card and a pen dropped in front of her. "If you were naming a beer, what would you call it? Just write it down. Can't be any worse than some of the suggestions I've had." She deliberately doesn't look at Jaeyi this time, though there's a momentary giggle that breaks loose. "I should go get your wine before someone else does. I'll be back soon." She grabs the list up again, ready to run if nobody objects."
Ilora's blush doesn't fade as she finishes her pastry. "Great," she grumps. "Now everyone is going to think our Healer is a lush, and he /isn't/.She turns large, gray-green eyes on Jaeyi. "I can't drink. I'm /betweening/ back home, and I've got to keep my mind sharp to give Kloveth directions. Wouldn't want to get stuck /between./" When Sulisah drops her pen and paper in front of her, Ilora blinks down at it. "Er, what's /in/ the beer?" she asks.
Confused, not about the lush but about-- "I'm pretty sure you can have one drink? I thought it was just that you can't get, like, drunk?" Jaeyi, promptly after looking bemused, brightens up sunnily at the implications in Sulisah's some-suggestions remark. No objections, she's not going to cling to Su's leg to keep her around or anything.
For some odd reason Sulisah's reply to 'what's in it' is initially, "Nigel." There's a bright giggle follows, then she clarifies, "It's a type of heather. And all the usual beery stuff that goes in it." Backwards motion becomes a turn and forwards motion so that she can go and get the wine. Delivery will happen at some point before Ilora leaves, but for now the little vintner is in work mode.
"Well, I don't know how much it takes to get me drunk," she says. "I don't want to risk it, not when I /know/ I'm going /between/ soon." She peers down at the paper. "Heather in the beer?" she muses, and then writes, in neat, precise handwriting, her entry: 'Heather Ale.' With that, she finishes up her Spiced Apple Juice.
"Heather. Nigel. That poor gender-confused plant." Jaeyi watches Sulisah go, not quite the same way that /Harry/ watches Sulisah go, but they're both kinda smiling in a little way at her departure. "Mmn. I never caught your name," she adds abruptly. "I'm Jaeyi, the Baker."
"Oh!" the greenrider says. "I'm Ilora." Then she glances back where Sulisah disappered. "That was..." she wracks her brains for a minute. "You called her Su?"
Jaeyi offers over a hand with a sunny, "Hi, Ilora." As to the departed Vintner: "Su. Suuuuulisah. She's a Vintner-- very close to walking the tables, depending on how that beer goes over. It was a big hit around here, that's for sure." Behind her, agreeably, Harry mmhmns-and-nods. (But there's a chance he'd agree with damn near anything curves-for-days has to say.)
"Sulisah," Ilora repeats. "And Jaeyi," she says. "I hope I remember the names, but I'm terrible at that kind of thing." She glances at Harry, and notes where his gaze is landing, and kind of grins. Leaning forward and whispering quietly so that only Jaeyi can hear, she says, "I think he likes you."
"Jae and Su works. And, really, I'll answer to pretty much any variation of a name that starts with a J." Shrugging, casting a glance back up and over at the bartender after the whisper, Jaeyi smiles peachily and confides right back, "You get used to it."
"You do?" Ilora asks, and blushes. "Oh, I -- I never have men look at me like that," she says in the same low voice. "I'm not really the kind of girl guys go for, I guess," she finishes rather glumly, right before her expression darkens. "Until Kloveth rises - /then/ they'll go for me." After a second, she realizes what she said, and blushes more. "Er..."
Jaeyi glosses over the whole issue of how much attention Ilora does or does not get, probably a conversation she's had with a /lot/ of girls in her time. Why repeat it? The latter remark, though, has her quirking her brows to look over at the greenrider; "Looking forward to it or dreading it?"
Ilora looks down at the pen that she's still holding, and she caps and uncaps it repeatedly, obviously nervous. "Both," she says, "Though mostly dreading it. I don't have, um, anyone special," she admits. "And I'm not too keen on the idea of it just being /anyone/." She glances up at the Baker. "I'm hold-bred," she explains. "They tell us what to expect in Weyrling class, but I'm still really nervous."
She loves saying this; "I'm holdbred, too." Not a glimmer of a lie in that, either. Jaeyi beams, the smile just a perfect little holder's daughter smile. "There's not really anything you can do about it though, right? I mean, you might as well try to enjoy it. That's what I'd do, anyway."
"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Ilora says a little glumly. "Just to get it over with before I don't have control of the situation, and then when it comes time, at least I'll have had previous, er... experience. You know, preparation."
Still pretty early, before most of the barflies have started buzzing in for their morning pick-me-ups, two girls have taken up residence at the bar. Only one of them has a drink, that being Ilora, though her glass sits emptily at hand. Jaeyi has, as ever, food nearby, a tray of mismatched pastries that have the look of yesterday's-fare about them. Because it's what happens when girls get together, they've taken up chitchatting. "So, wait. You've never ever?" Ten minutes after saying hi the first time, the baker gets to the root of a person's sexual history; big surprise.
Into the Fountain slinks Kai, sending irritably wary looks up at the chandelier like he's afraid it'll collapse or get extra twinkly or something. He heads straight up to the bar beside Ilora, planting his elbows on the stone top, and scowls at the lack of Harry polishing glasses. "You seen Su?" he asks before turning to see who he's addressed, and his scowl doesn't lighten on finding them to be Jaeyi and a stranger. "...Ah, /shells/."
A quick, embarrassed shake of her head is Ilora's answer to Jaeyi's question. "Never had time," she said. "Impressed early, been too busy with Kloveth or being deathly ill." When the newcomer sits himself beside her without so much as a 'How do you do?' she colors again and clams up. "Er," she says in response to his question. "She's in the back re-stocking and filling an order." Her voice squeaks a little on the last two words.
"See if you could just say hiiii, I might tell you--" But, seeing as she's not initiated, the greenrider beats Jaeyi to the punch, leaves her with her nose wrinkling in a little snit of irritation. Rather than continue airing Ilora's virginal laundry, she chimes helpfully, "Ilora, this is B'kaiv. Vice versa. She's running errands from Ista." Which is a very subtle way of pointing out that maybe he ought to be on his company manners?
B'kaiv swears again at Su-in-the-back; he throws an irritated look toward the wall as though it will thus dissolve and reveal to him his heart's desire. But it doesn't - stupid wall - so he turns to face the others, leaning on one elbow. "What? Oh, shells, you're a /rider/?" So much for company manners, though the man does straighten from his scowling slump to give Ilora a salute. "Fort's duties t' Ista an' her queens, ma'am. You ain't got a knot," he adds accusingly, nodding to Ilora's empty shoulder like it's her fault he's been shown up. Past the Istan, to Jaeyi, he adds, "She say how long she's gonna be back there? I got t' ask her somethin'."
Ilora's hand flies to her shoulder and she looks down, startled. "Well, that's the third time it's come un-done. Now I'll never find it!" She frowns. "I hope it didn't come off when I was /between/." Then she gives an apologetic glance to him. "Nice to meet you, Weyrling B'kaiv," she says, but then laughs a little. "Too weird," she says. "I only just graduated, so it's a little strange to out-rank someone who's older than me. You don't have to stand on ceremony, okay?"
Good. Now Jaeyi can say, "Even if she did, I probably wouldn't tell you." With a smile so damn peachy, it's got no place paired with that in-your-face tone. At the mention of the lost knot, she starts glancing down around the floor at her feet in search of cords in orange-and-black-and-green. No? None? "And both greenriders, isn't that precious," she adds from the midst of her distraction.
B'kaiv continues to look grumbly, even under Ilora's cheer (or perhaps it's a direct result of Jaeyi's taunting). He does narrow his eyes at the baker, but as Jaeyi's hair neither bursts into flames nor melts off, it can be taken for granted that his ire probably bounces off. Contradicting Ilora: "Yeah, I do. What're you doin' here?" Then tacked on in an effort to soften the demand, "--Ma'am?" And just to prove how helpful he is, he'll look for a tangle of cords too.
A giggle bursts out of her before she can stop it, when B'kaiv calls her 'ma'am.' "I've never been called that, before," she muses, hopping from her own stool and casting about for the knot. "Sixteen, and I'm already a ma'am!" She giggles again, blushing. "I'm the one Su's filling the order for. Getting some wine and alcohol for the Healer back home at Ista." She bends at the waist to peer under a table. "It might be a while, 'cause she was also re-stocking back there."
"Kai here's a real stickler for propriety," Jaeyi tosses in after his yeah-I-do, and gives up looking around since there are other people doing it for her. It's more fun to watch them fish around than to actually do it herself, especially since there's that pastry she's sort of shredding and pretending to eat off on the side. "We were discussing," she continues importantly, "greenflights. Why don't you tell us your thoughts on the subject, weyrling?"
"F'r what?" Kai asks Jaeyi, confused, only to yank his eyes back to the ground rather than watch her disembowel that poor pastry. A quick step to one of the tables and stoop has him straightening with a scowl: only a dustbunny. But now that he's got distance from the two he folds his arms over his chest and glowers at them equally. "Ain't got none. Chielyth ain't old enough." Maybe that will be quellingly.
A shocked intake of air preceeds Ilora's brightest blush, yet. In fact, she turns an almost alarming shade of red as she turns to stare at Jaeyi. ""That conversation was /done/ with, wasn't it, Jaeyi?" she squeaks. Her mortified expression is almost painful to look at. Then, realizing that she's making a spectacle of herself, she swiftly crouches down on the pretext of looking under the table - completely forgetting that she's already checked there.
"Was it? I didn't think we'd actually finished it, hmn?" Jaeyi seems to doubt that, or maybe she doubts something about the filling of her turnover? That's what she frowns at, anyway, before lifting a blink across to Ilora. "Oh, neither is-- Kloooooveth?" Not sure on the name, but she gives it a try. "So you two have even more in common!" Yaaaay!
"You ain't got no idea what you're talkin' 'bout," Kai decides for Jaeyi. "You wanna know 'bout greenflights so bad, ask Jantha. Or V'rel." A beat, and he adds pointedly, "Or T'rev. Shells, Jaeyi, you ain't got no right t' call me on my manners." Not when Ilora's that red, the lift of his chin at the crouching girl suggests. "You keep your mouth as open as your legs, don't you."
Ilora peeks over the table at B'kaiv and Jaeyi. Her eyes are open about as wide as they can go as she peers at the two of them. At B'kaiv's final question, she sqeaks, but her goldfish impersonation doesn't allow for very much coherant speech.
"Oh, f-ck off." There should have been little doubt as to Jaeyi's propriety anyway, but that slips out with a narrow-eyed, lip-pursed scowl at B'kaiv. "I tried to be nice to you, and all you did was--" That. A hand lifts to indicate B'kaiv-in-general; which at least lets Ilora off the hook for a while? "As far as you're concerned? My legs are sewed together at the knees, buttercup." Where 'buttercup' is synonymous with 'dickhead.'
Into the morning not-rush, blows Shevena-the-headwoman, clipboard brandished, pencil poised as her eyes rove the bar, at her elbow is T'rev and he clears his throat, points over towards looming Kai. "There he is, Shevena. Want me to stick around?" The headwoman looks up at the wingleader, looks back at the visible tension over yonder and nods a couple of times before the pair amble on over.
Ignoring Ilora utterly, Kai challenges the Baker, "Yeah? Put out or shut up, Jaeyi. You talk real big, but when it comes t' doin' you're just a shardin' /tease/. I oughta just -" Happily for everyone involved, that's when Shevana pointedly clears his throat and cuts him off; Kai blinks at the Headwoman, blinks at the Wingleader behind her and backs right off, offering them both a salute and a mumble that could be interpreted as a greeting while he studies the floor. It's very flat.
Since crouching behind a table is a little odd at the best of times, and this really /isn't/ the best of times, Ilora slowly stands, her face still flaming red. "Ista's duties to you, wingleader," she manages. "I lost my knot," she says, "But I'm green Kloveth's." Harry, hearing a call from Su, goes into the back and appears a moment later, carrying a crate full of wine and other spirits. He raises his eyebrows at Ilora and extends the crate meaningfully. "Oh, look," Ilora says, and dashes over to the bar, where she quickly signs for the alcohol. "I've , um, got to go. It was, er, nice meeting you, Im sure," she says. Crate in arms, she nearly runs out of the bar, headed for her dragon.
Talking over the top at first, Jaeyi's, "And you're just a sharding /prick/, so you haven't exactly got room to--" comes out before the presence of people who probably won't appreciate profanity being lobbed about is recognized. What she thought she'd accomplish by standing up and smacking her fingers on the bar is anyone's guess-- squaring up to B'kaiv? storming out?-- since a hard breath has her sitting back down, red-faced, right around the time the purpose for the salutes sinks in. Oh-hi. --Ilora who?
"Now, now, there's no need for such language," Shevena says and hem hem hems again, shoots Kai a meaningful look. "Or shall I tell the weyrlingmaster that you'll be staying in the Barracks another seven?" the headwoman suggests to the weyrling. T'rev ... he looks a little more ... disturbed, though it's not terribly obvious. His eyes are flicking back and forth though, between Kai and Jaeyi as he comes to a halt, leans against the bar. "Hey Kai." A nod. And another. "Jae." And there's a smile for the baker too.
Sullenly, Kai agrees, "No ma'am," though really, Shevana could have said anything in that tone of voice and gotten the same answer. Ilora rushes out without anything more than a blink from the weyrling; so much for a proper salute goodbye. The man shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, glances up at T'rev's knees and adds, "Mornin', sir." Shouldn't he be in class this time of day? Or somewhere besides the bar growling at Jaeyi and causing people to look over uncomfortably?
Jaeyi doesn't say it, but she gives Shevena a beg-to-differ look at the now-now remark. T'rev may be all smiles, but she sits back down next to her tray of pastries with a black black black expression, too busy wishing horrible painful things on B'kaiv to do more than twitch a yeah-hi glance thataway. At this point, she's probably only staying on the off chance that B'kaiv will get dressed down, and she'd never forgive herself if she missed it.
"Good," the headwoman says firmly and she fixes another look on Kai. "Because I don't want to hear anyone using such language or attitude around /any/ young lady in this Weyr, so you just up and apologize right now and then we'll get you settled with your Weyr," Shevena says in a tone that still brooks no argument. T'rev's staying out of this one mostly, though that look on Jaeyi elicits a touch more concern and he shoots sulky-Kai a look too, of the 'wtf, man?' variety.
B'kaiv says, "Yes ma'am. Sorry, ma'am." Whereupon there's an uncomfortable silence. Oh wait, Shevana wants him to apologize to /Jaeyi/? He sends an equally dark-eyed glance over at the sulky teen, clearly considering, but turns back to Shevana and T'rev with a shake of his head. "No ma'am, I can't do that. Weren't nothin' I said ain't true. She's a tease, an' she can't keep neither her knees or her mouth closed. --Sorry you had t' hear it, though."
Oh. My. God. "Just because I don't want to jump /you/ doesn't mean I'm a tease." It's on the verge of shrill, put with another smack of Jaeyi's fingers against the surface of the bar, which sounds sharp but doesn't really accomplish anything. "Just get over it already."
It's that simple, Shevena's clipboard tips upward and pages flip downward. "Then we won't be settling you today, I'm afraid," the headwoman says and her look towards the weyrling turns hard around the edges. "While certainly, it might behoove Jaeyi to pay a little more attention to the rules for apprentices and certain bronzeriders ought not to encourage her," there she's looking at T'rev very meaningfully, before shifting back to the weyrling. "I won't have a weyrling speaking of an apprentice in such terms. That may be /your/ opinion, but it does not make it a truth. Clearly, if she has refused you, she's capable of keeping her knees shut and one might almost say, of having good judgment." Shevena's eyes remain settled on the weyrling a hint of askance in the look she's giving him. "Apology, or weyr. Decision time, weyrling." T'rev's moth opens, shuts when the headwoman fixes him with that look and he has to drop his gaze, clear his throat. Jaeyi's shrill-voiced claim and smack of the table bring his gaze back upward. "Gotta say, she's right there, Kai. Jaeyi don't fit the definition of tease at all."
As the Headwoman speaks B'kaiv stays quiet, though once or twice he almost interrupts. Each time good sense prevails and sends his eyes back to the floor, his jaw working and stiff. Harry has yet to return from wherever he's gone, and the few other people in the bar are keeping still, almost holding their breaths so -they- don't collect Shevana's attention. Ultimatum time. Kai says, "Yes ma'am," and salutes, nice and crisp, heads for the door at a fast march.
Jaeyi has the vague sense that she's not looking very good in all this, which cloudy fact isn't helping her Very Bad Mood much. So, bereft of apology, a whore on one hand and a tease on the other, she gapes at the unfairness of B'kaiv being the on that gets to storm off; "Is he allowed to just, like, go? Don't you have to dismiss him or something?"
That reaction presses Shevena's lips together in a flat line. "It'd be nice if you could tell me /which/, B'kaiv, unless 'Yes, ma'am' means 'I'm going to the Barracks, now.'" The headwoman sound distinctly less-than-pleased a hand reaching out to detain the weyrling. T'rev straightens up against the bar and makes a face. "Oh come on, Kai. She ain't done a blessed thing wrong. She's honorin' her friend by not gettin' in between the two of you and you're gonna pass up your shardin' /weyr/ --" he breaks off as the weyrling moves away and blows out a frustrated breath, hands coming to prop on his hips, brown eyes squinting at Kai's back.
B'kaiv's gotten past Shevana, but when she calls him back he turns anyway like she'd managed to catch hold of his sleeve. He doesn't glance at T'rev, doesn't sneak a peek at Jaeyi, but keeps his eyes fastened straight on the older woman like they're pinned there. "I ain't apologizin' t' her, ma'am," he declares, voice low and tight. Too tight? Maybe. There's just a hint of a wobble in it. Maybe. "I'm - I got - Chielyth's gonna wake up. She don't mind bein' last one. I. I got t' go." This time he doesn't suit actions to words, but stays stock still, staring at the Headwoman in silent entreaty.
As Shevena appears to have things quite literally in hand, it's enough for Jaeyi to sit with her arms folded and her foot bouncing nervously and watch. Pissed.
"Very well then," Shevena says and she's now moving towards the exit too. "Off with you. Go see to that green of yours. I'll be speaking with Jantha about your attitude, " she says with a flap of her hand. T'rev slides one of his hands over his chin and his gaze stays fixed on Kai, puzzlement and a low simmer of something a little more intense shifting in his eyes. Is he pissed too? Hard to say.
One last time Kai says, "Yes ma'am," and one last time he makes for the door. But this time, he makes it! Boooorn freeeee~ Better just hope no one gets in his way as he goes plunging through the tunnels.
Since there's a remote possibility Shevena might still overhear on her way out, Jaeyi can't exactly detail her thoughts on the departed weyrling. What she /can/ do is give him a good ten second head start before she's hopping down off her stool with a brisk, "Well, at least now I know what to do with my spare time."
It's not long though for the headwoman to clear the exit and T'rev is left still leaning and looking after B'kaiv, brows drawn together. "What the hell is his damage ..." he mutters under his breath and looks up as Jaeyi slides off the stool. "I don't what's up his ass. He won't touch Su, but he gives you a hard time?" the wingleader's head shakes back and forth. "Impressing must've addled his brain or something." A breah and then he pushes away from the bar just a little, concern edging onto his features. More softly: "You okay? And ... yeah?"
"Because I'm a whore and she's not." That's more sullen than insightful, with Jaeyi still watching the space where B'kaiv exited with lingering anger. "No, I'm mad, but what can you do, right? They'd know it was me if I, like, poisoned his supper or anything, so I'll just hope for a happy accident." Sunshine-and-daisies smile for T'rev. "You okay?"
"Neither of you is, ain't nothin' wrong with liking to get it on," T'rev says with an easy shrug. Of course /he'd/ say that. "And yeah they would know. Come for you and strand you somewhere without good baking supplies and only lizards for company," the wingleader says mournfully. "And that'd suck. I'd miss you," he aims for somewhere between playful and serious on that one. "Yeah, I'm fine, just ... irritated with how he treats you and also what it kind of says about his respect for Su."
Jaeyi settles for leaning her elbow on the edge of the bar, for turning her cheek on to her palm, and for giving T'rev a bland look for neither-of-you. Yeah, she's not quite on that page, buddy. "What's it say about his respect for Su?" she asks simply, a little too deflated to get lost in a dismal fantasy about being stranded with lizards.
"Well see he's all put out 'cos you won't," T'rev says, his own elbow propping up on the bar. "And here's Su holdin' off right. Waitin' for him because he'd flip if she was with someone else. But if you hadn't started sayin' no, he'd be all over you. Said as much." The bronzerider puffs his cheeks out. "So, see with the two of them, as far as I understand, there's an expectation of bein' faithful. But he wouldn't hold up his end?" he shakes his head a few times. "I'm all for open, I can respect faithful. But you can't have one person in a relationship operatin' with one set of rules n' expectations and the other on another."
"Mmmn." Jaeyi half-listens, still glazed but paying enough attention to be able to contribute; "But Su knows full well how he is and what he expects. If she lets him get away with a double standard? I like her and all, but it's her own fault if she won't do anything about it." Shrugging, not-her-fight, she concludes, "Su's not stupid, but she doesn't seem to have her head on straight about B'kaiv."
"I'm ... not sure that she does, actually know," T'rev says slowly, fingers fidgeting with each other. "And yeah, kind of ... rosy view of him. I admit it burns me to hear him call you a tease, when /he's/ leadin' Su on something fierce. Don't know why he won't just give her what she wants if he wants it so bad, you know? Don't make much sense to me." He's quiet for a moment. "Want to get out of here?" he ask finally, pushing away from the bar again.
Something in all that tricks Jaeyi's smile a little, has her shake her head just a touch at T'rev for reasons she doesn't qualify. Though she does add, "She has to know. She knows why he's mad at me, so it stands to reason..." Her index finger spins the air, connect-the-dots. "No. I kinda want to sit here and sulk for a while, actually." Sarcastic, maybe? "Why? Where's out-of-here imply?"
"Yeah, well, like you said, they both seem a little mixed up about each other," T'rev says with a sigh and a briefly dubious look. "Just wish he'd make up his mind and ease off on the both of you," he says then laughs a little about the sulking. "Not ... implyin' anything," the bronzerider does say though. "Just thought maybe a little fresh air, you know. I know better'n to say 'hey Jae, wanna go flyin'?'." He winks at her there and holds a hand out. "Just ... out of here."
Sullen; "Just wish he'd--" But she's not vindictive enough to come up with anything suitable, only to put rather limp fingers in T'rev's hand and slide off the edge of the stool. "Rules about apprentices," Jaeyi realizes with a dry laugh, appropos of nothing in the current turn of conversation. "Does anyone actually follow those?"
"I know. C'mon. Take your mind off it, yeah?" T'rev jollies just a little as he starts to move out of the bar. That remark brings back the laughter though. "Yeahhh ... well, she did have a point. It's one thing to push the rules. Might be another to you know ... flaunt 'em. Which we do." Still amused.
"Please." Not 'please take her mind off it,' it's a dismissive, wry remark that leads in to, "I'd like to meet the apprentice over the age of fifteen that's not screwing somebody. Or wouldn't if they could." Jaeyi does stroll along after him, just not a lot of hip-swishy verve this afternoon. "They can't send people off to a /Weyr/ and expect chastity."
"Some ain't," T'rev says with an answering chuckle. "Not that /many/ maybe ... but," he shrugs again. "Maybe not chastity nope. But discretion? Believe it or not, I'm not usually quite so ...obvious. Y'know, keep things relatively private."
With a shrug, careless, Jaeyi answers, "But there comes a point when it's just stupid to pretend there's nothing going on. Four months later? People are gonna know you and I are nailing each other." Afterthought; "Also, I have hard time imagining you being all that discrete. For whatever reason."
"Yeah, just if anyone /is/ ruffled by it, it's easier to be all forgiving about it if it's more down-low," T'rev has to acknowledge that generally held bit of wisdom. He has to laugh at that last and lifts his shoulders. "Got away with a lot when I was candidate," T'rev says with a further chuckle, "Amusingly, got in trouble for a kiss, because Phara got jealous and was jumpin' at shadows. She didn't even see me do it, just assumed I had. 'Course in the end I /had/ but I didn't get in trouble for any of the /other/ stuff I'd been doin'." He winks over at the baker as they amble onward. "Mostly, I don't like t'shove anyone's nose in my private business, but no, there ain't no sense in pretendin'."
"Sooooo, keep it quiet or just don't bother pretending? Because you kind of didn't really land anywhere on that, seems like?" asks Jaeyi thoughtfully, having puzzled through the remarks from beginning to end-- and reached no conclusion. Then, "Not that it matters. I'm just cross and you're the only person around to take it out on. Lucky you!" Yeah, that would be ironic cheer, not authentic.
"Not going to bother to pretend, but maybe we should cool it about makin' out in the kitchen," T'rev muses thoughtfully. "Even if the counters are fun." Deadpan. And he squeezes her hand lightly, nodding. "I know. You go ahead and take it out as much as you want. Don't bother m e none."
Jaeyi doesn't argue. Out loud. But that look isn't really signing off on cool-it, doubtful and dismissive all rolled in to one. She knows her shortcomings; lack of subtlety happens to be among them. Gradually, over the course of a short space of steps, she wanders to a halt in a corridor somewhere, her empty hand petting down the front of T'rev's shirt. "I'm sorry. I think I better, like, work or something." Will wonders never cease!
In spite of what he just said about discretion, T'rev just grins and turns the hand he's got in his upward to kiss gently. "Go beat up some dough and pretend it's Kai's head," he teases her a little. "Pick you up later?" he does suggest though, brows lifted.
It costs her an effort to say it, but Jaeyi shakes her head and actually says, "Mmmn, no. I think I'm gonna find a rock or something and climb underneath it till I feel better. But I'll put aside some lovely punched-in-the-face pastries for you, how's that?" With a pat for his cheek, with a quick smile, she starts off toward the kitchen, determined to find her pluck before she's confronted with those nosy old aunties.
"Jae," T'rev says gently, not in reproach or even to convince, but with a touch of sympathy in his voice. "All right. And if you change your mind, I'm easy to find. Poker tonight," the wingleader says with a ready smile and he leans in to kiss her cheek quickly before she goes. His hands slide into his pockets, watching her off down the corridor and he waits until she's out of sight before heading off to take care of the rest of his day.
IC Date: 9/20/19
The Glass Fountain, Fort Weyr(#533RJs$)
Despite its subterranean locale, the creamy wall paint, pale woods, and frosted glass give the cavern a light, airy feel. Oil lamps reflect softly in the polished wood of high-backed booths, glimmering through the opaque glass dividers that help lend intimacy to the seating arrangements; round-backed seats with deep, terra-cotta colored padding and the addition of strategic, lyric shapes painted in a subtle red shade at regular intervals around the walls add a little depth to the color palette. The sweeping, half-circle shaped bar with its top of smooth stone, backed by cut-glass-fronted cabinetry flows gracefully into the soft lines and mellow colors that dominate the Glass Fountain.
All the atmosphere aside, the main attractions of the room are clearly the massive, multi-pronged chandelier that hangs from multiple chains from the ceiling and the re-worked leak - which no longer resembles a leak at all, having been channeled through lass to become a beautiful piece of art. A curving wave and a series of glass bubbles guide the water past a bank of glows, allowing the light to shine through the water and turn it into a sparkling fountain. From its dark, dim, shabby history, the Glass Fountain has become - frankly - a swanky place with lattice-stands to hold the menus with their selection ranging from typical 'bar food' to high-end dishes and fancy desserts.
Mornings are thankfully quiet in the Fountain, few people opting for the slightly quieter surroundings for breakfast not to mention the cost. But that dos not mean that work isn't a necessity. Behind the bar one of the resident barmen is slowly cleaning glasses and into the quiet comes a brightly dressed girl with a trolley stacked with bottles. There's a little clank as Sulisah runs the trolley over something on the floor, but other than the cheery "Morning!" she gives there is little in the way of smalltalk.
A greenrider pushes through the doors, a slightly worried look on her face as she enters the Glass Fountain. One look at her surroundings, however, and her expression relaxes into a smile. "Excuse me, miss?" she asks a passing girl pushing a trolley. "Greenrider Ilora, Ista. I was sent here by Healer Makender for a bottle of, uh..." she pauses and then fumbles around in some of her pockets before finally producing a list. "Ah, here it is," she says, and extends the list to the girl. "Doyou have whats on this list?"
"Extras," is all the explanation Jaeyi has for strolling in to the Fountain this early in the morning with a tray that's presently covered, so its contents aren't exactly visible just yet. For it being a quiet morning, there's a fair amount of pretty-girl foot-traffic, isn't there? "Oop," she adds, hurriedly changing course so as not to run in to Sulisah or her trolley or her new friend, holding the tray down against her hip. Being a stranger-- Ilora naturally gets a second, half-skeptical look.
Sulisah does a strange 'one foot in the air and lean over' manouver to stop the trolley, though it does swerve slightly and she has to move quickly to the side to catch something that threatens to roll off. "Good morning!" Gaze flicks between greenrider and list, over to Jaeyi for a second who gets a smile, and then back. "Fort's duties! Let me have a look and we'll see. Would you like something to eat while you wait? Drink maybe?" She gives a look over to Harry who just nods in reply - he's not really one for smalltalk especially when he can watch Jaeyi instead.
"Er, sure, food would be good," Ilora says, blushing just a little bit as she digs through her pockets for some marks. "Er, I think I have enough," she says, displaying marks enough for a meal at a less pricey establishment - she's not yet had a chance to peruse the menu here. "What have you got?" As the third girl arrives, she looks over and flashes a timid smile. "Hello," she says.
Jaeyi, for all that she preens to trot off toward the edge of the bar and deliver her tray, tells Harry sunnily, "You act like you don't have a hundred pretty girls to gawk at all day, darling. Here." Unlidded, it's a smattering of not-too-fancy pastries: extras. Her fingers curl back toward Sulisah and unfamiliar-girl while she leans at the edge of the bar, offers in her own contribution to 'what have you got,' "If you don't mind they might be a little stale..."
"Depends what you're in the mood for really." Sulisah replies with a grin, "Have a peek at the menu and I'll deal with this." She waves the list to indicate which 'this', though also takes a moment to include Jaeyi in the conversation with a bright, "Hey Jaeyi." Taking a step away from the trolley she reads the list quickly, trying to not pay attention as Harry puts down the glass he was cleaning and grabs a pastry.
Ilora picks up the menu, and a quick flick of her eyes over the prices causes her face to blanch. "Shards," she mutters to herself. "I think I can afford a glass of juice," she says, her expression a bit sour. She looks up at the bartender and the girl with her tray of pastries a bit longingly, but then looks away from the enticing even if it is stale food. "All right," she says a bit more loudly. "I'll have a glass of juice, please. Er... this Spiced Apple Juice sounds nice."
A happily drawled, "Suuuuu. Morning." Jaeyi tilts her forehead to indicate the tray of stuff, brows raised in a 'want some?' question to the Vintner. "More Nigel Summer Amber Bush Whatever Beer?" she adds with a glance to the trolley, one that takes place even while she reaches over the bar-- free show for Harry, yay!-- to find a napkin for collecting up one of yesterday's turnovers, for wrapping it in, for offering it toward Ilora. "Leftovers, honey, and mine to give away. No charge."
Sulisah glances up from the list to shake her head at Jaeyi, "Too early in the morning for me. I'm sure you'll find enough willing mouths around though." She nods towards Ilora, trying to mkae it as subtle as she can manage - which really isn't very subtle at all. "No new beer, no name for new beer either, just restocking after last night." Behind the bar Harry looks rather like all his birthdays came at one, but nods to Ilora and goes to get her drink. While he takes his time, mostly resettling his breathing, Sulisah approaches the rider again, "You're in luck, we have the top three, but the bottom one I've never seen outside of Reaches. I'll need you to sign something though saying who got it and why, that okay?"
Practically pouncing on the offered pastry, she blushes and beams at Jaeyi. "Thank you," she says, just before taking a pretty huge bite. She chews it a tad frantically while Harry turns, and she suppresses a chuckle at his ragged breathing. She turns to Sulisah and nods. "Yeah, thats no problem. Do you need my name or the Healers?" She takes another bite, and tucks it into her cheek, looking rather like a chipmunk. "Or both?" Then she looks around at the fountain, finally noticing all the glass everywhere, goggling a little at the show of ostentatious wealth. "Wow, she breathes. "This place is /nice/."
Briefly, Jaeyi's smile brightens and she can be heard to repeat, "Willing mouths." One she'll remember! "Welcome," she answers to the willing mouth-- er, Ilora, and climbs up on to the edge of a stool to go back to leaning against the bar in a way that's a lot less likely to cause Harry's eyes to fall out of his head. Just to be nosy, since the other two seem to know something she doesn't and we can't have that; "What's the list?"
Sulisah giggles, "How about we go for both then none of us will get in trouble?" To Jaeyi she adds quickly, "Wine list." as if that explains everything, "You like it?" This last is directed at Ilora once more, visitor getting the majority of the little vintner's attention, "They fixed it up... um... six months ago maybe? used to be a lot darker and thing, trying to make it a bit more..." her hands wave a little as she searches for the right word, eventually settling on, "Fuzzy." harry returns, handing over Ilora's drink with a quiet, "There y'go." before polishing his way off up the bar to watch the girls from a safe spot.
Our Healer sent me for some wines and things," Ilora explains to Jaeyi. "You know, for 'medicinal purposes.'" She rolls her eyes just a little to show how much she believes /that/ story. "Thank you," she says to Harry, and lifts her juice to sip it. Her eyebrows lift about as high as they can as she tastes it. "Oh, this is /good/," she murmurs. "Yeah, I do like it," she answers Sulisahs question. "It's really... well,I wouldnt say fuzzy, exactly. Really fancy, though. That fountain is very, very pretty."
Not so good at playing along, Jaeyi asks with a hint of shock, "Your healer's a boozer?" Blinking, reaching to pick at the corner of a pastry that she'll probably never finish eating, she mumbles toward Sulisah (like it would be her responsibility to follow up), "Remind me never to get sick at Ista." Talk of the swankiness of the bar falls to the background for her, though she sorta glances around idly while they discus one aspect or another.
"It's... fuzzy." Sulisah glances around, then nods, "Not like bad cheese fuzzy but nice fuzzy. Fun." Jaeyi's comment about Ista results in a giggle, "They do it here too, there's a whole shelf in the stores of wine that goes well with fellis. Seems a shame if you ask me, wasting good wine on fellis but I guess some people need it." She pasues, a sudden thought occurring, "Oh. Is this a rush job or are you okay to wait for a little while?"
Oh, well," Ilora temporizes, blushing. "He's not really a boozer," she says. "He really does use some of this stuff for medicinal purposes, usually. Like she says, you've got to put the fellis in something, and not everyone will take it in juice. But he does like a drink on Gather days and special occasions, and apparently, he's got to get it from here." She grins. "He actually healed me, recently, so I can vouch for his sobriety. Really." At Sulisah's comment, she shrugs. "No, no rush. We're low on supplies, but not out of them. If you have something more pressing to do, by all means, finish it up."
Ooookay. "Remind me never to get sick at Fort," Jaeyi mumbles promptly, the corner of her mouth tweaked down into a blechy expression. Around a grin, she points out for the pair of them, "The fact that they're using it to lace with fellis? Really doesn't make it sound much better, if you stop and think about it. Boozers /and/ addicts?"
Sulisah nods to Ilora, but her wide grin is more directed at Jaeyi, "It's good wine, just... some people prefer it that way. Really sick people." Having a little time she sets about unloading the trolley at long last, though pauses as she comes across the stack of cards from the recent beer tasting. "Hey, are you any good at naming beer?" This to Ilora. "We have a new one, we're trying to figure out a name for it."
Iloras mouth drops open a bit and she rapidly blinks at Jaeyi. "No, you misunderstand," she says. "The fellis-laced wine is for /patients/. You know, when you have a patient who won't rest when they're told, or who needs to be put into a sleep for an operation, you give them fellis juice." Her blush deepens. "Our Healer is /not/ an addict or a boozer. I really didn't mean to give you that impression. Only two of the bottles on that list are for himself, and he doesn't go through them quickly." Sulisa's question about beer prompts a face from Ilora. "Er, well, I'm not much for drinking, myself. I wasn't allowed to during Weyrlinghood, and I only just graduated. And I was ill, so that kind of precluded drinking. I really don't know much about beer at all."
/Patients./ "Yeah. And the inmates aren't running the asylum." Jaeyi's skepticism is more amused than anything else, not like she really believes the healer's are all dosed up but... "Don't worry, honey," she adds in a stage-whisper to Ilora. "I won't tell anyone about your dopey healer. --You should try the beer anyway. It's good." Like she'd know. Still, big-bright-praising smile for Sulisah tacked on to the end there.
Sulisah grins back at Jaeyi, though it's poor Ilora who gets a card and a pen dropped in front of her. "If you were naming a beer, what would you call it? Just write it down. Can't be any worse than some of the suggestions I've had." She deliberately doesn't look at Jaeyi this time, though there's a momentary giggle that breaks loose. "I should go get your wine before someone else does. I'll be back soon." She grabs the list up again, ready to run if nobody objects."
Ilora's blush doesn't fade as she finishes her pastry. "Great," she grumps. "Now everyone is going to think our Healer is a lush, and he /isn't/.She turns large, gray-green eyes on Jaeyi. "I can't drink. I'm /betweening/ back home, and I've got to keep my mind sharp to give Kloveth directions. Wouldn't want to get stuck /between./" When Sulisah drops her pen and paper in front of her, Ilora blinks down at it. "Er, what's /in/ the beer?" she asks.
Confused, not about the lush but about-- "I'm pretty sure you can have one drink? I thought it was just that you can't get, like, drunk?" Jaeyi, promptly after looking bemused, brightens up sunnily at the implications in Sulisah's some-suggestions remark. No objections, she's not going to cling to Su's leg to keep her around or anything.
For some odd reason Sulisah's reply to 'what's in it' is initially, "Nigel." There's a bright giggle follows, then she clarifies, "It's a type of heather. And all the usual beery stuff that goes in it." Backwards motion becomes a turn and forwards motion so that she can go and get the wine. Delivery will happen at some point before Ilora leaves, but for now the little vintner is in work mode.
"Well, I don't know how much it takes to get me drunk," she says. "I don't want to risk it, not when I /know/ I'm going /between/ soon." She peers down at the paper. "Heather in the beer?" she muses, and then writes, in neat, precise handwriting, her entry: 'Heather Ale.' With that, she finishes up her Spiced Apple Juice.
"Heather. Nigel. That poor gender-confused plant." Jaeyi watches Sulisah go, not quite the same way that /Harry/ watches Sulisah go, but they're both kinda smiling in a little way at her departure. "Mmn. I never caught your name," she adds abruptly. "I'm Jaeyi, the Baker."
"Oh!" the greenrider says. "I'm Ilora." Then she glances back where Sulisah disappered. "That was..." she wracks her brains for a minute. "You called her Su?"
Jaeyi offers over a hand with a sunny, "Hi, Ilora." As to the departed Vintner: "Su. Suuuuulisah. She's a Vintner-- very close to walking the tables, depending on how that beer goes over. It was a big hit around here, that's for sure." Behind her, agreeably, Harry mmhmns-and-nods. (But there's a chance he'd agree with damn near anything curves-for-days has to say.)
"Sulisah," Ilora repeats. "And Jaeyi," she says. "I hope I remember the names, but I'm terrible at that kind of thing." She glances at Harry, and notes where his gaze is landing, and kind of grins. Leaning forward and whispering quietly so that only Jaeyi can hear, she says, "I think he likes you."
"Jae and Su works. And, really, I'll answer to pretty much any variation of a name that starts with a J." Shrugging, casting a glance back up and over at the bartender after the whisper, Jaeyi smiles peachily and confides right back, "You get used to it."
"You do?" Ilora asks, and blushes. "Oh, I -- I never have men look at me like that," she says in the same low voice. "I'm not really the kind of girl guys go for, I guess," she finishes rather glumly, right before her expression darkens. "Until Kloveth rises - /then/ they'll go for me." After a second, she realizes what she said, and blushes more. "Er..."
Jaeyi glosses over the whole issue of how much attention Ilora does or does not get, probably a conversation she's had with a /lot/ of girls in her time. Why repeat it? The latter remark, though, has her quirking her brows to look over at the greenrider; "Looking forward to it or dreading it?"
Ilora looks down at the pen that she's still holding, and she caps and uncaps it repeatedly, obviously nervous. "Both," she says, "Though mostly dreading it. I don't have, um, anyone special," she admits. "And I'm not too keen on the idea of it just being /anyone/." She glances up at the Baker. "I'm hold-bred," she explains. "They tell us what to expect in Weyrling class, but I'm still really nervous."
She loves saying this; "I'm holdbred, too." Not a glimmer of a lie in that, either. Jaeyi beams, the smile just a perfect little holder's daughter smile. "There's not really anything you can do about it though, right? I mean, you might as well try to enjoy it. That's what I'd do, anyway."
"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Ilora says a little glumly. "Just to get it over with before I don't have control of the situation, and then when it comes time, at least I'll have had previous, er... experience. You know, preparation."
Still pretty early, before most of the barflies have started buzzing in for their morning pick-me-ups, two girls have taken up residence at the bar. Only one of them has a drink, that being Ilora, though her glass sits emptily at hand. Jaeyi has, as ever, food nearby, a tray of mismatched pastries that have the look of yesterday's-fare about them. Because it's what happens when girls get together, they've taken up chitchatting. "So, wait. You've never ever?" Ten minutes after saying hi the first time, the baker gets to the root of a person's sexual history; big surprise.
Into the Fountain slinks Kai, sending irritably wary looks up at the chandelier like he's afraid it'll collapse or get extra twinkly or something. He heads straight up to the bar beside Ilora, planting his elbows on the stone top, and scowls at the lack of Harry polishing glasses. "You seen Su?" he asks before turning to see who he's addressed, and his scowl doesn't lighten on finding them to be Jaeyi and a stranger. "...Ah, /shells/."
A quick, embarrassed shake of her head is Ilora's answer to Jaeyi's question. "Never had time," she said. "Impressed early, been too busy with Kloveth or being deathly ill." When the newcomer sits himself beside her without so much as a 'How do you do?' she colors again and clams up. "Er," she says in response to his question. "She's in the back re-stocking and filling an order." Her voice squeaks a little on the last two words.
"See if you could just say hiiii, I might tell you--" But, seeing as she's not initiated, the greenrider beats Jaeyi to the punch, leaves her with her nose wrinkling in a little snit of irritation. Rather than continue airing Ilora's virginal laundry, she chimes helpfully, "Ilora, this is B'kaiv. Vice versa. She's running errands from Ista." Which is a very subtle way of pointing out that maybe he ought to be on his company manners?
B'kaiv swears again at Su-in-the-back; he throws an irritated look toward the wall as though it will thus dissolve and reveal to him his heart's desire. But it doesn't - stupid wall - so he turns to face the others, leaning on one elbow. "What? Oh, shells, you're a /rider/?" So much for company manners, though the man does straighten from his scowling slump to give Ilora a salute. "Fort's duties t' Ista an' her queens, ma'am. You ain't got a knot," he adds accusingly, nodding to Ilora's empty shoulder like it's her fault he's been shown up. Past the Istan, to Jaeyi, he adds, "She say how long she's gonna be back there? I got t' ask her somethin'."
Ilora's hand flies to her shoulder and she looks down, startled. "Well, that's the third time it's come un-done. Now I'll never find it!" She frowns. "I hope it didn't come off when I was /between/." Then she gives an apologetic glance to him. "Nice to meet you, Weyrling B'kaiv," she says, but then laughs a little. "Too weird," she says. "I only just graduated, so it's a little strange to out-rank someone who's older than me. You don't have to stand on ceremony, okay?"
Good. Now Jaeyi can say, "Even if she did, I probably wouldn't tell you." With a smile so damn peachy, it's got no place paired with that in-your-face tone. At the mention of the lost knot, she starts glancing down around the floor at her feet in search of cords in orange-and-black-and-green. No? None? "And both greenriders, isn't that precious," she adds from the midst of her distraction.
B'kaiv continues to look grumbly, even under Ilora's cheer (or perhaps it's a direct result of Jaeyi's taunting). He does narrow his eyes at the baker, but as Jaeyi's hair neither bursts into flames nor melts off, it can be taken for granted that his ire probably bounces off. Contradicting Ilora: "Yeah, I do. What're you doin' here?" Then tacked on in an effort to soften the demand, "--Ma'am?" And just to prove how helpful he is, he'll look for a tangle of cords too.
A giggle bursts out of her before she can stop it, when B'kaiv calls her 'ma'am.' "I've never been called that, before," she muses, hopping from her own stool and casting about for the knot. "Sixteen, and I'm already a ma'am!" She giggles again, blushing. "I'm the one Su's filling the order for. Getting some wine and alcohol for the Healer back home at Ista." She bends at the waist to peer under a table. "It might be a while, 'cause she was also re-stocking back there."
"Kai here's a real stickler for propriety," Jaeyi tosses in after his yeah-I-do, and gives up looking around since there are other people doing it for her. It's more fun to watch them fish around than to actually do it herself, especially since there's that pastry she's sort of shredding and pretending to eat off on the side. "We were discussing," she continues importantly, "greenflights. Why don't you tell us your thoughts on the subject, weyrling?"
"F'r what?" Kai asks Jaeyi, confused, only to yank his eyes back to the ground rather than watch her disembowel that poor pastry. A quick step to one of the tables and stoop has him straightening with a scowl: only a dustbunny. But now that he's got distance from the two he folds his arms over his chest and glowers at them equally. "Ain't got none. Chielyth ain't old enough." Maybe that will be quellingly.
A shocked intake of air preceeds Ilora's brightest blush, yet. In fact, she turns an almost alarming shade of red as she turns to stare at Jaeyi. ""That conversation was /done/ with, wasn't it, Jaeyi?" she squeaks. Her mortified expression is almost painful to look at. Then, realizing that she's making a spectacle of herself, she swiftly crouches down on the pretext of looking under the table - completely forgetting that she's already checked there.
"Was it? I didn't think we'd actually finished it, hmn?" Jaeyi seems to doubt that, or maybe she doubts something about the filling of her turnover? That's what she frowns at, anyway, before lifting a blink across to Ilora. "Oh, neither is-- Kloooooveth?" Not sure on the name, but she gives it a try. "So you two have even more in common!" Yaaaay!
"You ain't got no idea what you're talkin' 'bout," Kai decides for Jaeyi. "You wanna know 'bout greenflights so bad, ask Jantha. Or V'rel." A beat, and he adds pointedly, "Or T'rev. Shells, Jaeyi, you ain't got no right t' call me on my manners." Not when Ilora's that red, the lift of his chin at the crouching girl suggests. "You keep your mouth as open as your legs, don't you."
Ilora peeks over the table at B'kaiv and Jaeyi. Her eyes are open about as wide as they can go as she peers at the two of them. At B'kaiv's final question, she sqeaks, but her goldfish impersonation doesn't allow for very much coherant speech.
"Oh, f-ck off." There should have been little doubt as to Jaeyi's propriety anyway, but that slips out with a narrow-eyed, lip-pursed scowl at B'kaiv. "I tried to be nice to you, and all you did was--" That. A hand lifts to indicate B'kaiv-in-general; which at least lets Ilora off the hook for a while? "As far as you're concerned? My legs are sewed together at the knees, buttercup." Where 'buttercup' is synonymous with 'dickhead.'
Into the morning not-rush, blows Shevena-the-headwoman, clipboard brandished, pencil poised as her eyes rove the bar, at her elbow is T'rev and he clears his throat, points over towards looming Kai. "There he is, Shevena. Want me to stick around?" The headwoman looks up at the wingleader, looks back at the visible tension over yonder and nods a couple of times before the pair amble on over.
Ignoring Ilora utterly, Kai challenges the Baker, "Yeah? Put out or shut up, Jaeyi. You talk real big, but when it comes t' doin' you're just a shardin' /tease/. I oughta just -" Happily for everyone involved, that's when Shevana pointedly clears his throat and cuts him off; Kai blinks at the Headwoman, blinks at the Wingleader behind her and backs right off, offering them both a salute and a mumble that could be interpreted as a greeting while he studies the floor. It's very flat.
Since crouching behind a table is a little odd at the best of times, and this really /isn't/ the best of times, Ilora slowly stands, her face still flaming red. "Ista's duties to you, wingleader," she manages. "I lost my knot," she says, "But I'm green Kloveth's." Harry, hearing a call from Su, goes into the back and appears a moment later, carrying a crate full of wine and other spirits. He raises his eyebrows at Ilora and extends the crate meaningfully. "Oh, look," Ilora says, and dashes over to the bar, where she quickly signs for the alcohol. "I've , um, got to go. It was, er, nice meeting you, Im sure," she says. Crate in arms, she nearly runs out of the bar, headed for her dragon.
Talking over the top at first, Jaeyi's, "And you're just a sharding /prick/, so you haven't exactly got room to--" comes out before the presence of people who probably won't appreciate profanity being lobbed about is recognized. What she thought she'd accomplish by standing up and smacking her fingers on the bar is anyone's guess-- squaring up to B'kaiv? storming out?-- since a hard breath has her sitting back down, red-faced, right around the time the purpose for the salutes sinks in. Oh-hi. --Ilora who?
"Now, now, there's no need for such language," Shevena says and hem hem hems again, shoots Kai a meaningful look. "Or shall I tell the weyrlingmaster that you'll be staying in the Barracks another seven?" the headwoman suggests to the weyrling. T'rev ... he looks a little more ... disturbed, though it's not terribly obvious. His eyes are flicking back and forth though, between Kai and Jaeyi as he comes to a halt, leans against the bar. "Hey Kai." A nod. And another. "Jae." And there's a smile for the baker too.
Sullenly, Kai agrees, "No ma'am," though really, Shevana could have said anything in that tone of voice and gotten the same answer. Ilora rushes out without anything more than a blink from the weyrling; so much for a proper salute goodbye. The man shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, glances up at T'rev's knees and adds, "Mornin', sir." Shouldn't he be in class this time of day? Or somewhere besides the bar growling at Jaeyi and causing people to look over uncomfortably?
Jaeyi doesn't say it, but she gives Shevena a beg-to-differ look at the now-now remark. T'rev may be all smiles, but she sits back down next to her tray of pastries with a black black black expression, too busy wishing horrible painful things on B'kaiv to do more than twitch a yeah-hi glance thataway. At this point, she's probably only staying on the off chance that B'kaiv will get dressed down, and she'd never forgive herself if she missed it.
"Good," the headwoman says firmly and she fixes another look on Kai. "Because I don't want to hear anyone using such language or attitude around /any/ young lady in this Weyr, so you just up and apologize right now and then we'll get you settled with your Weyr," Shevena says in a tone that still brooks no argument. T'rev's staying out of this one mostly, though that look on Jaeyi elicits a touch more concern and he shoots sulky-Kai a look too, of the 'wtf, man?' variety.
B'kaiv says, "Yes ma'am. Sorry, ma'am." Whereupon there's an uncomfortable silence. Oh wait, Shevana wants him to apologize to /Jaeyi/? He sends an equally dark-eyed glance over at the sulky teen, clearly considering, but turns back to Shevana and T'rev with a shake of his head. "No ma'am, I can't do that. Weren't nothin' I said ain't true. She's a tease, an' she can't keep neither her knees or her mouth closed. --Sorry you had t' hear it, though."
Oh. My. God. "Just because I don't want to jump /you/ doesn't mean I'm a tease." It's on the verge of shrill, put with another smack of Jaeyi's fingers against the surface of the bar, which sounds sharp but doesn't really accomplish anything. "Just get over it already."
It's that simple, Shevena's clipboard tips upward and pages flip downward. "Then we won't be settling you today, I'm afraid," the headwoman says and her look towards the weyrling turns hard around the edges. "While certainly, it might behoove Jaeyi to pay a little more attention to the rules for apprentices and certain bronzeriders ought not to encourage her," there she's looking at T'rev very meaningfully, before shifting back to the weyrling. "I won't have a weyrling speaking of an apprentice in such terms. That may be /your/ opinion, but it does not make it a truth. Clearly, if she has refused you, she's capable of keeping her knees shut and one might almost say, of having good judgment." Shevena's eyes remain settled on the weyrling a hint of askance in the look she's giving him. "Apology, or weyr. Decision time, weyrling." T'rev's moth opens, shuts when the headwoman fixes him with that look and he has to drop his gaze, clear his throat. Jaeyi's shrill-voiced claim and smack of the table bring his gaze back upward. "Gotta say, she's right there, Kai. Jaeyi don't fit the definition of tease at all."
As the Headwoman speaks B'kaiv stays quiet, though once or twice he almost interrupts. Each time good sense prevails and sends his eyes back to the floor, his jaw working and stiff. Harry has yet to return from wherever he's gone, and the few other people in the bar are keeping still, almost holding their breaths so -they- don't collect Shevana's attention. Ultimatum time. Kai says, "Yes ma'am," and salutes, nice and crisp, heads for the door at a fast march.
Jaeyi has the vague sense that she's not looking very good in all this, which cloudy fact isn't helping her Very Bad Mood much. So, bereft of apology, a whore on one hand and a tease on the other, she gapes at the unfairness of B'kaiv being the on that gets to storm off; "Is he allowed to just, like, go? Don't you have to dismiss him or something?"
That reaction presses Shevena's lips together in a flat line. "It'd be nice if you could tell me /which/, B'kaiv, unless 'Yes, ma'am' means 'I'm going to the Barracks, now.'" The headwoman sound distinctly less-than-pleased a hand reaching out to detain the weyrling. T'rev straightens up against the bar and makes a face. "Oh come on, Kai. She ain't done a blessed thing wrong. She's honorin' her friend by not gettin' in between the two of you and you're gonna pass up your shardin' /weyr/ --" he breaks off as the weyrling moves away and blows out a frustrated breath, hands coming to prop on his hips, brown eyes squinting at Kai's back.
B'kaiv's gotten past Shevana, but when she calls him back he turns anyway like she'd managed to catch hold of his sleeve. He doesn't glance at T'rev, doesn't sneak a peek at Jaeyi, but keeps his eyes fastened straight on the older woman like they're pinned there. "I ain't apologizin' t' her, ma'am," he declares, voice low and tight. Too tight? Maybe. There's just a hint of a wobble in it. Maybe. "I'm - I got - Chielyth's gonna wake up. She don't mind bein' last one. I. I got t' go." This time he doesn't suit actions to words, but stays stock still, staring at the Headwoman in silent entreaty.
As Shevena appears to have things quite literally in hand, it's enough for Jaeyi to sit with her arms folded and her foot bouncing nervously and watch. Pissed.
"Very well then," Shevena says and she's now moving towards the exit too. "Off with you. Go see to that green of yours. I'll be speaking with Jantha about your attitude, " she says with a flap of her hand. T'rev slides one of his hands over his chin and his gaze stays fixed on Kai, puzzlement and a low simmer of something a little more intense shifting in his eyes. Is he pissed too? Hard to say.
One last time Kai says, "Yes ma'am," and one last time he makes for the door. But this time, he makes it! Boooorn freeeee~ Better just hope no one gets in his way as he goes plunging through the tunnels.
Since there's a remote possibility Shevena might still overhear on her way out, Jaeyi can't exactly detail her thoughts on the departed weyrling. What she /can/ do is give him a good ten second head start before she's hopping down off her stool with a brisk, "Well, at least now I know what to do with my spare time."
It's not long though for the headwoman to clear the exit and T'rev is left still leaning and looking after B'kaiv, brows drawn together. "What the hell is his damage ..." he mutters under his breath and looks up as Jaeyi slides off the stool. "I don't what's up his ass. He won't touch Su, but he gives you a hard time?" the wingleader's head shakes back and forth. "Impressing must've addled his brain or something." A breah and then he pushes away from the bar just a little, concern edging onto his features. More softly: "You okay? And ... yeah?"
"Because I'm a whore and she's not." That's more sullen than insightful, with Jaeyi still watching the space where B'kaiv exited with lingering anger. "No, I'm mad, but what can you do, right? They'd know it was me if I, like, poisoned his supper or anything, so I'll just hope for a happy accident." Sunshine-and-daisies smile for T'rev. "You okay?"
"Neither of you is, ain't nothin' wrong with liking to get it on," T'rev says with an easy shrug. Of course /he'd/ say that. "And yeah they would know. Come for you and strand you somewhere without good baking supplies and only lizards for company," the wingleader says mournfully. "And that'd suck. I'd miss you," he aims for somewhere between playful and serious on that one. "Yeah, I'm fine, just ... irritated with how he treats you and also what it kind of says about his respect for Su."
Jaeyi settles for leaning her elbow on the edge of the bar, for turning her cheek on to her palm, and for giving T'rev a bland look for neither-of-you. Yeah, she's not quite on that page, buddy. "What's it say about his respect for Su?" she asks simply, a little too deflated to get lost in a dismal fantasy about being stranded with lizards.
"Well see he's all put out 'cos you won't," T'rev says, his own elbow propping up on the bar. "And here's Su holdin' off right. Waitin' for him because he'd flip if she was with someone else. But if you hadn't started sayin' no, he'd be all over you. Said as much." The bronzerider puffs his cheeks out. "So, see with the two of them, as far as I understand, there's an expectation of bein' faithful. But he wouldn't hold up his end?" he shakes his head a few times. "I'm all for open, I can respect faithful. But you can't have one person in a relationship operatin' with one set of rules n' expectations and the other on another."
"Mmmn." Jaeyi half-listens, still glazed but paying enough attention to be able to contribute; "But Su knows full well how he is and what he expects. If she lets him get away with a double standard? I like her and all, but it's her own fault if she won't do anything about it." Shrugging, not-her-fight, she concludes, "Su's not stupid, but she doesn't seem to have her head on straight about B'kaiv."
"I'm ... not sure that she does, actually know," T'rev says slowly, fingers fidgeting with each other. "And yeah, kind of ... rosy view of him. I admit it burns me to hear him call you a tease, when /he's/ leadin' Su on something fierce. Don't know why he won't just give her what she wants if he wants it so bad, you know? Don't make much sense to me." He's quiet for a moment. "Want to get out of here?" he ask finally, pushing away from the bar again.
Something in all that tricks Jaeyi's smile a little, has her shake her head just a touch at T'rev for reasons she doesn't qualify. Though she does add, "She has to know. She knows why he's mad at me, so it stands to reason..." Her index finger spins the air, connect-the-dots. "No. I kinda want to sit here and sulk for a while, actually." Sarcastic, maybe? "Why? Where's out-of-here imply?"
"Yeah, well, like you said, they both seem a little mixed up about each other," T'rev says with a sigh and a briefly dubious look. "Just wish he'd make up his mind and ease off on the both of you," he says then laughs a little about the sulking. "Not ... implyin' anything," the bronzerider does say though. "Just thought maybe a little fresh air, you know. I know better'n to say 'hey Jae, wanna go flyin'?'." He winks at her there and holds a hand out. "Just ... out of here."
Sullen; "Just wish he'd--" But she's not vindictive enough to come up with anything suitable, only to put rather limp fingers in T'rev's hand and slide off the edge of the stool. "Rules about apprentices," Jaeyi realizes with a dry laugh, appropos of nothing in the current turn of conversation. "Does anyone actually follow those?"
"I know. C'mon. Take your mind off it, yeah?" T'rev jollies just a little as he starts to move out of the bar. That remark brings back the laughter though. "Yeahhh ... well, she did have a point. It's one thing to push the rules. Might be another to you know ... flaunt 'em. Which we do." Still amused.
"Please." Not 'please take her mind off it,' it's a dismissive, wry remark that leads in to, "I'd like to meet the apprentice over the age of fifteen that's not screwing somebody. Or wouldn't if they could." Jaeyi does stroll along after him, just not a lot of hip-swishy verve this afternoon. "They can't send people off to a /Weyr/ and expect chastity."
"Some ain't," T'rev says with an answering chuckle. "Not that /many/ maybe ... but," he shrugs again. "Maybe not chastity nope. But discretion? Believe it or not, I'm not usually quite so ...obvious. Y'know, keep things relatively private."
With a shrug, careless, Jaeyi answers, "But there comes a point when it's just stupid to pretend there's nothing going on. Four months later? People are gonna know you and I are nailing each other." Afterthought; "Also, I have hard time imagining you being all that discrete. For whatever reason."
"Yeah, just if anyone /is/ ruffled by it, it's easier to be all forgiving about it if it's more down-low," T'rev has to acknowledge that generally held bit of wisdom. He has to laugh at that last and lifts his shoulders. "Got away with a lot when I was candidate," T'rev says with a further chuckle, "Amusingly, got in trouble for a kiss, because Phara got jealous and was jumpin' at shadows. She didn't even see me do it, just assumed I had. 'Course in the end I /had/ but I didn't get in trouble for any of the /other/ stuff I'd been doin'." He winks over at the baker as they amble onward. "Mostly, I don't like t'shove anyone's nose in my private business, but no, there ain't no sense in pretendin'."
"Sooooo, keep it quiet or just don't bother pretending? Because you kind of didn't really land anywhere on that, seems like?" asks Jaeyi thoughtfully, having puzzled through the remarks from beginning to end-- and reached no conclusion. Then, "Not that it matters. I'm just cross and you're the only person around to take it out on. Lucky you!" Yeah, that would be ironic cheer, not authentic.
"Not going to bother to pretend, but maybe we should cool it about makin' out in the kitchen," T'rev muses thoughtfully. "Even if the counters are fun." Deadpan. And he squeezes her hand lightly, nodding. "I know. You go ahead and take it out as much as you want. Don't bother m e none."
Jaeyi doesn't argue. Out loud. But that look isn't really signing off on cool-it, doubtful and dismissive all rolled in to one. She knows her shortcomings; lack of subtlety happens to be among them. Gradually, over the course of a short space of steps, she wanders to a halt in a corridor somewhere, her empty hand petting down the front of T'rev's shirt. "I'm sorry. I think I better, like, work or something." Will wonders never cease!
In spite of what he just said about discretion, T'rev just grins and turns the hand he's got in his upward to kiss gently. "Go beat up some dough and pretend it's Kai's head," he teases her a little. "Pick you up later?" he does suggest though, brows lifted.
It costs her an effort to say it, but Jaeyi shakes her head and actually says, "Mmmn, no. I think I'm gonna find a rock or something and climb underneath it till I feel better. But I'll put aside some lovely punched-in-the-face pastries for you, how's that?" With a pat for his cheek, with a quick smile, she starts off toward the kitchen, determined to find her pluck before she's confronted with those nosy old aunties.
"Jae," T'rev says gently, not in reproach or even to convince, but with a touch of sympathy in his voice. "All right. And if you change your mind, I'm easy to find. Poker tonight," the wingleader says with a ready smile and he leans in to kiss her cheek quickly before she goes. His hands slide into his pockets, watching her off down the corridor and he waits until she's out of sight before heading off to take care of the rest of his day.