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Josy - Saturday, November 06, 1999, 4:53 PM
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The following is a roleplay-log from SouCon MUSH (soucon.godlike.com 4201). The world of Pern is copyright to Anne McCaffrey.
You walk toward the bustling Weyrhall.
Boots tied together by their laces and slung over her shoulder, Joslyn saunters in with a bit of sand stuck to her bare feet and the cuffs of her damp trousers rolled up. A collective smile is summoned before she drops the boots into a chair as its passed.
Marila tugs a bit on one of her leathers. She hmmms.
D'thyn returns Joslyn's smile around a mouthful of meatroll, which he eventually swallows. "Hi there, young 'un."
Joslyn dusts some of the white sands off her palms, letting the grains land on the chair with her boots, before she starts toward the serving table. "Well, hullo there, old man," she returns to D'thyn. "How've you been keeping yourself?"
D'thyn grins, "Very well, thanks, but far too active for an ancient personage such as myself. I've probably sprouted twenty new wrinkles since last we met. And you?"
Kinoa finishes her dinner and pushes her plate away from her with a satisfied sigh. One hand covers her belly and she pats at it contentedly. "Evening, Josy," she greets the weyrwoman.
"Helps some if you stay outta the sun," Joslyn advises, being oh-so-wizened herself and therefore familiar with the problem. Meatrolls and juice and cookies and such are carried over toward Kinoa somewhere, and it's there that she parks herself. "Evening, Kinoa." Let's cut to the chase, shall we? "You hear about Reis being pregnant?"
Auralia strides over from the Western Courtyard.
D'thyn does indeed choke a bit on his juice, but at least he does it in a discreet and experienced fashion.
Kinoa abruptly removes her hand from her own belly as though it's caught fire. "What?" she asks, clearly assuming Joslyn is pulling her leg. "You're kidding. I didn't think she...did that."
Joslyn nods most soberly, separating the items on her plate prepatory to eating any of them. "I ain't kidding, nope. I hear it's one of Kat's." She says that with something of a grin before half a 'roll goes into her mouth. Excellent reactions.
Auralia wanders in, gathering up juice and bubblies for a moment, then journeying towards one of the tables. "Evening, morning, whatever it is." Seated, she eats, listening with half an ear to the conversation.
Kinoa snorts. "Why am I not surprised," she mutters, then just shakes her head again. "How pregnant is she, anyway?" She's trying not to appear to be too eager for this information.
D'thyn, having recovered from the cough, takes another swallow of juice and listens in on the conversation with a disgruntled look. "Kat's, eh?" Is that a 'tsk' that emerges?
Joslyn flutters a wave toward Auralia, inviting her over to hear as well. To Kinoa, "I don't really know. I just heard about it today, from th'daddy himself. Liwellan and Anja have his on the way, too. And Linia's already got a little Kat." She seconds D'thyn's tsk with a nodnod.
Kinoa glances over at D'thyn, clearly sharing his sentiment. "He should be more careful."
Oh, bear in mind the source of all this: It may or may not be entirely true.
Auralia's ears flicker with shared gossip, and she leans in, "If my sources are correct...You're saying that Reis' kid is Kat's?" Her nose wiggles, and she raises an eye, "I must be lucky, then, if those're all Kat's."
D'thyn rolls his eyes ceilingwards. "Before we know it the whole place will be crawling with little Kats. Good riddance." Not that there aren't a few little D'thyn's around. "Any idea how Nareisa is taking it?"
Kinoa rolls her eyes. "Am I the only greenrider, or female rider, for that matter, on this continent that -hasn't- slept with him?" No, that's not a challenge.
Kenla has been quietly eating her single meatroll, nibble by nibble, and half-listening. At Kinoa's comment she swallows rather hard and looks away.
Auralia says "Probably, Kinoa," with a faint drawl in her voice, "But hey, it wasn't -my- fault."
Joslyn arches a brow at Auralia, but will get around to following up on that in a moment or two. "I think there's three or four of us left on Pern what ain't shared furs with him. But I think most have," and she tips a half-nod toward Kenla and Auralia, jumping to conclusions no doubt. In response to D'thyn, she shrugs and says, "I ain't had the chance to see her yet. But Kat's all outta sorts."
D'thyn sighs, shaking his head. "He'd better be. But if he's out of sorts, I can only imagine how she'd be. Doesn't exactly seem, well, prepared for that sort of thing."
Kinoa crosses her arms over her chest and nods at D'thyn. "That's putting it lightly," she says, peering curiously at Kenla for a moment. Has she failed in her duty to shepherd the girl towards full riderhood? "And I don't understand what all the fuss is about him anyway. He's not bad-looking, but really. Marila, Nareisa, and you, Aura, plus half of Honshu..." she shrugs. "Seems a bit greedy, even for me."
Kenla simply flashes Kinoa and empty smile as she gets up and walks over to the food table to get some more rolls and another glassful of juice.
Marila rolls her eyes, "Thank you Kinoa for speaking about me like I'm not here." She stands lightly, "So much for an enjoyable day.."
Auralia coughs quietly under her breath, turning her head away, "Not his fault. For...Well, for some of us, it's our dragons. His, in particular." A shrug, "He's got 'em all wrapped around his little finger."
aN empty smile
Kinoa blinks over at Marila, actually completely having forgotten the other woman -was- there. "Oh, um," she says, biting her lower lip. "Well."
Marila pushes out of the room lightly.
Marila strides over to the Courtyard.
"Jeuneth says he's in counsel with K'laarn - got his own 'second pregnant this time. And Liw's one of his, too." With a cluck of her tongue, Joslyn shakes her head and pauses a moment. "Kat's an all right fellow, but he's... well... got WAY too many women chasing him," and she gestures to Marila to prove her point.
Kinoa nods like a righteous old auntie, now that Marila's gone and she doesn't have to feel guilty about flapping her lips. "Seems rather irresponsible of him," she agrees. "Soon he'll have no wing left if he keeps it up. He'll probably start trying to plunder mine. I'm glad you're better behaved than that," she tells D'thyn with a brilliant smile.
D'thyn chuckles and shakes his head. "It's well and good to have a lot of women chasing you, but he should have the dignity not to.. exploit the fact quite so much." He looks with some surprise at Kinoa, and grins. "Thank you. I prefer that explanation to the other one, which would be that women don't chase -me- as much."
Kenla is carrying the glass and rolls back to the table when she stops suddenly. "Oh!" she says, voice muffled a bit since she's got a mouth half-full of roll. "You're awake." She sets the glass down on a table and jogs outside, roll crumbs dropping to the ground as she goes.
Kenla strides over to the Courtyard.
Nodding along with each of Kinoa's statements, the goldrider contributes, "Least I don't have to worry about him plundering my wing. Goldriders won't have nothin' to do with him." Joslyn looks quite smug about this fact, laughing at Kenal's abrupt departure before concluding, "D'thyn's just old enough t'know better, I'd say. Kat's..." A young stud? "...easy."
Auralia rolls her eyes, leaning back in her chair further, "I wouldn't count on that for long, Joslyn. He'll win 'em all in the end. Just you wait." Coming from someone who has already been won...sort of.
D'thyn chuckles and nods to Joslyn. "Exactly. Besides, I save myself for the goldriders. Someone has to stay good enough for them." His eyes glimmer, more or less jokingly.
Joslyn gives Auralia a Look, one that begs to differ. "Not all of 'em.
Kinoa counters, "Well, goldriders don't think quite so much with their pants." Not that she's saying anything about greenriders, mind you. "And I don't see why he'd want to," she says to Auralia. "I mean, what's the fun, really, of having people fight over you all the time. I should think all the yelling would give me headaches."
Auralia cowers. Somewhat. "Whatever." Kinoa's comment gets a laugh, and she shrugs, "There's a thought. Would make him the center of attention, though." Which is what he already is, at least at this girls-chat, "He might be doing it 'cause of that."
Joslyn gives Auralia a Look, one that begs to differ. "Not all of 'em. I punched him right in the nose," and doesn't she look pleased with herself for that one. "I think he kinda likes having girls fall all over him - what Auralia said, yes."
D'thyn shrugs in Auralia's direction. "Frankly, I doubt he does it for such a focused reason. Seems to me it just never occurred to him he could actually choose -not- to do it."
Kinoa hugs her arms more tightly around her chest. "I haven't punched him, but I will if he ever tries coming near me," she says firmly. Yes, she's generally fighting off bronzeriders with a stick.
Auralia coughs again - she really must have a frog in her throat or something - murmuring, "I don't think I've ever had the opertunity to ward off a bronzerider. Or even a brownrider. I must try this some time." Hrm, there's an idea. D'thyn's words get thought, and she nods, "Perhaps. Although it might be subconscious." Shoulders shrug. She doesn't care either way.
"He told me he only wants Marila'n Nareisa," Joslyn informs, nevermind this was probably all conveyed to her in the strictest of confidence. "All the others're 'cause of flights, he says. Greens just LIKE Albanth, apparently. Not golds though." She looks smug again.
Kinoa says "SOME greens," still holding onto her elbows firmly. "Not Luiseth. And there, D'thyn, you see what I was talking about. He wants only Marila and Nareisa and yet he sires children on every female who walks into view." Exaggerate some more, Kin. "I swear, I'm going to stick completely to women."
D'thyn grins slightly, "Ranorth tells me this is exactly as it should be. Apparently, Albanth is far too young to be able to handle a gold. And if you'd like to ward off a bronzerider some time, Auralia, I'll be happy to be warded off." He adds, "Attacking firelizards work well. Or perhaps a cane."
Joslyn sputters at Kinoa's words, unfortunately having chosen that exact moment to take a gulp of her juice - wet her whistle for all this gossip. Wiping the red liquid carelessly on her blouse (oblivious to the stain that will leave), she says, "Give him a run for his marks, Kinoa? Least you don't haveta worry about kids then."
Auralia raises her eyes to the ceiling with a laugh, and rolls her eyes, "You try that, Kinoa. Wonder how easy that'll be." Snort, or something. D'thyn gets a smile, "Oh? I'll have to take you up on that, D'thyn. Good practice." Her fingers flex. Evil. Or something. "Firelizards? Hrm.." Cane. Cough. Cough. Splutter. Ignore her.
Kinoa raises her eyebrows at Joslyn and Auralia. "I could do it," she says defiantly. "If I really wanted to." She's trying to decide whether or not she wants to, and flashes a look at D'thyn. "But then why punish all men just because one is a greedy bugger?"
"I bet you five marks that you can't last half a turn," offers Auralia, lazily. "Of course, that's only if you really wanted to do it, so maybe you're just too scared." A wry smile, "Because they're all like that. They're all men."
D'thyn spreads his hands out, palms facing up, and raises his eyebrows at Kinoa. "Hardly seems fair to me, but of course, I'm biased." And eyes Auralia, but wisely keeps his mouth shut at that.
Joslyn laughs at Kinoa's ultimate decision, so amused she has to push her plate away 'cause her stomach hurts with giggles. "I haveta agree with Auri on this one. Most men're pretty crummy when you get right down to it." She's got SO much experience in the field, too.
Kinoa dissolves into giggles. "Five marks?" she repeats, shaking her head. "For half a turn? I may not like certain people's attitudes, but that doesn't mean I don't like what they can do for me." She's not going to ogle D'thyn anymore, so she merely smiles at Auralia and Joslyn. "Unless either of you is offering to fill in."
D'thyn frowns. "Well, now, just because.." Looking between the women, he falls silent. Maybe best not to protest too much just now.
Joslyn withdraws from the position offered, but does have to look interested now that there's a bet on the table. "I'll go five marks on that," she offers helpfully - aren't we all surprised? She gives a prompting look to D'thyn, "You were saying?"
Auralia's feet scrape on the floor. Maybe that was a bad suggestion. Bad bet. "Er, well, maybe not. " Ah, but Josy's going in for it, so maybe..."Well, hey. If you like what they do, then it'd just make it harder." Which is exactly what she wants. Or something.
Kinoa lifts an eyebrow. "So that's ten marks total?" she asks, looking between the two women. "What about you?
D'thyn opens his mouth to answer Joslyn, then closes it again to rethink. And opens it one more time, "What exactly is the bet, here?"
she asks D'thyn. "Are you going to join in?"
Auralia is green Iesath's rider at Southern Weyr.
Joslyn's definitely entertained now. Not only have they been saying terrible and likely untrue things about a bronzerider, but they're gambling to boot. "Yeah, what EXACTLY are th'terms on this?" she echoes, looking between the two greenriders for clarifications.
Kinoa taps one fingertip against her lower lip. "In return for only sleeping with women for," she glances at Auralia, "One season, you'll all give me five marks each." The twinkle in her eyes belies the fact she may not find this a challenge, but nevermind. "And flights are exempted. I can't help that."
Auralia waggles her fingers thoughtfuly. This is VeryImportantBusiness(tm) here. "WELL." She begins, and then stops. A nod, "That sounds alright, I guess. But the flights bit...." She shrugs. She knows it can't be helped. Even though it sorta makes it all for nothing. "I think I'm going to have to go and talk to K'tor, you know. And a few others." A mutter, and she adds, "I better go. But count me in."
Joslyn thinks a moment before contributing, "And you'll give us each five marks if you don't make it?" Pause. "Rather, if you make it with a guy?" She cracks herself up, really.
D'thyn smirks slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "One -season-? I dunno.." He shrugs. "But why not? Five marks it is." He chuckles, "If Joslyn's betting on it, it must be a reasonably safe chance."
Auralia strides over to the Courtyard.
Kinoa narrows her eyes at Joslyn. "That's not fair. Why should I have to pay more than you? You're not really doing anything to earn it." D'thyn gets a -look- and she mutters, "Well there's one temptation gone."
D'thyn grins at Kinoa and bats his eyelashes, what little he has of them, bleached white as they are. "Don't be too sure of it. I'll have a vested interest, after all."
"All right. I'll bet you that I don't share furs with a guy, either," Joslyn readily enjoins, not that it's any skin of her back. "I think it's only fair you get five marks a piece for winnin' so we should get five a piece if you lose."
D'thyn blinks. "Shells. With the two of you out of the running, what will us males have left to strive for?"
Kinoa considers Joslyn's offer seriously. "Okay then. Neither of us can do the wild wherry with a man until the summer. And whoever loses has to pay the winner five marks. But I'm only paying Auri if she does it too, otherwise she only gets one mark. Not fair to us otherwise." D'thyn's eyebrow batting is ignored to the best of her abilities. Must show strength at the beginning.
"Women more your age," Joslyn teases with a quick wink to the bronzerider. And then she sticks her palm out across the table to Kinoa in a seal-the-deal manner. "All agreed, then. No men till summertime for five marks. Sounds fair to me. What's D'thyn giving up?" She turns a questioning blink upon him now.
D'thyn sticks his tongue out at Joslyn's 'age' remark and moves over to sit down in a chair next to them, straddling it backwards with his arms folded over the chair back. "Good question. I think I'd have to confer with someone else before offering to sacrifice females entirely."
Kinoa takes Joslyn's hand and shakes it firmly. That settled, she turns back to D'thyn, smiling sweetly. "Really, who? And, if you can't give up females, you have to give up something else you like a whole lot."
That was just enough to pique Joslyn's curiosity. "Check with whom?" she asks pointedly, trying not to come across as the gossip that she is. In response to Kinoa's comment and after retrieving her hand from the greenrider, she adds, "I think if we're giving up boys, he oughta give up girls. Or boys, if that's the case." Another grin.
D'thyn chews on his lower lip silently, ignoring the probing questions. "Weell.. if giving up girls really is the condition, I'm afraid I'm going to have to stay out of it." He grins, "It's one thing sacrificing something for myself, but taking it away from others..." He tsks. "Seems unfair."
Joslyn rolls her eyes skyward, saying decisively, "If this is about Belira, then I s'pose we could make an allowance. I imagine she'n Ranorth are rather cozy now - " Been there, done that. " - but you have to give up SOMEthing."
D'thyn shrugs noncommitally, but nods. "Belira, too. Hmm. Would wine do? Coming from an old vintner, that might even be more than giving up women." Stress on 'might'.
Kinoa leans forward and rests her elbows on the table. "I told you flights don't count," she says helpfully. "I suppose that sort of counts as s flight thing." She thinks on the subject of wine for a moment. "I suppose it's better than nothing. BUt I don't know about giving you the full five marks." Hustler, she is.
Belira, too? Joslyn cocks an eyebrow and leans her elbow on the table, nodding to his contribution to the bet. "That's fine." More to the point, "Who else? Got someone bottled up in your Weyr we dunno about?" Can we say wheedle?
D'thyn nods to Kinoa. "Fair enough. Three?" And bestows on Joslyn a beatific smile, eyes crinkling with mirth. "Don't worry, Joslyn. If I did, I'm sure you'd know about it long before even I did."
Marila walks over from the Western Courtyard.
Kinoa sticks out her palm to D'thyn. "Deal," she says cheerfully.
Joslyn kicks the leg of D'thyn's chair, a childish release of frustration at trying to get secrets out of him. "Who, D'thyn? If you tell me, I won't tell anyone!" Just like she didn't tell anyone about Nareisa being pregnant. "Oh, yeah. Deal," she adds, skipping the palm-bit. She's distracted already.
Marila enters walking through irritably. Apparently hunger won out over sulking.
D'thyn puts his palm against hers, grinning. "Oh, definitely. I dare say the most entertaining part of this will be trying to convince each other to give up our part of the deal." His chair jerks slightly to the side and he gives Joslyn a look of genuine surprise. "Shells, Joslyn. If I didn't know better I'd think you were jealous! Nobody seriously -- yet."
Joslyn's a triffle offended at the suggestion she'd be jealous; she's honestly nosey, nothing wrong with that. "I just wanna KNOW. You'd think you were embarassed to talk about her," she counters, then gives a grin as she entertains the earlier portion of his comment, her eyes landing on Kinoa first - hatching a plan already.
Kinoa runs her thumbnail along the bronzerider's palm as she releases it and grins lazily. "Ah, but I have something to substitute, at least," she says with a smirk. "Something that definitely won't cause me any undue problems." One eyebrow raises at Joslyn's outburst but she says nothing, looking suspiciously at the goldrider.
D'thyn chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm not embarassed -- it's called tact. Nothing's really come very far yet, and I wouldn't want to give anyone cause to spread rumours about her which weren't necessarily true." He gives Joslyn a meaningful look.
Joslyn? Spread rumours? "I'd NEVER do that, D'thyn. On my honor as a goldrider. I just really wanna know." It's eating at her, obviously, enough that she's fidgeting in her chair now.
Kinoa says "Oh, it's Cecily, isn't it?" She waves hesitantly at Marila before turning back to D'thyn. "There already are rumors, if that's what you're worried about." She smiles winningly. "So you may as well just tell us."
D'thyn sighs, and idly begins chewing on a couple of his nails. "Really, hardly anything's happened, and after the flight the other day I doubt it will for some time. I just..", he gnaws on the tip of his forefinger, "can have honest intentions, can't I? And if the rumours get too wild I imagine they'd drive her quite thoroughly away."
Joslyn gets caught with an enlightened grin, looking between the greenrider and the bronzerider several times. "Cecily, hmm? Th'brownrider from Honshu?" She files that tidbit away someplace to be repeated a half-dozen times in the next sevenday. Sorry, D'thyn; she can't help herself. "Is this bet over th'beginning or the end of summer?" she asks, only just starting to reckon time.
Kinoa continues to smile brightly at D'thyn. "Oh, of -course- you can," she says, trying to stifle a giggle. "And I wish you luck, really. You have a difficult road ahead, from what I hear. Not that I hear anything," green eyes sparkle with undisguised delight. "And I think it's over at the beginning of the summer."
D'thyn was about to ask Joslyn something, but turns at the 'difficult' remark. "Difficult? What do you mean?" Unlike certain people, D'thyn doesn't hear much.
Joslyn nods as if sagely to Kinoa's comment, letting the greenrider run with it as she might pick up a few tidbits for herself. Plus, she seems to be thinking, counting off something or another on her fingers and mumbling numbers under her breath in the meantime.
Kinoa's smile retains that plastic quality. "Hmm?" she asks D'thyn, leaning back in her chair.
Kinoa says "Oh, nothing, really. Just, I wish you luck. Really."
D'thyn smirks slightly, by now looking none too pleased, and throws his hands up in the air. "Great. Maybe I should just give up before the whole Weyr is discussing my spectacular failure."
"Too late," Joslyn chirps. People will hear about this.
Kinoa shakes her head. "Oh, you haven't failed yet. Not until she kicks you out of her weyr without your pants, that's when people will talk."
D'thyn lifts a foot to nudge the side of Joslyn's chair. "Oh, alright. Do your worst. But I don't recall being anything but kind to you." He gives Kinoa a sour look, but some humor seems to be poking through the corners of his mouth. "Warning acknowledged."
"Which reminds me," D'thyn turns back to Joslyn, "you a friend of Belira's at all?"
Kinoa adds, reassuringly, "But I'm sure it won't come to that. I certainly wouldn't turn you out of my weyr, especially if you-" she breaks off suddenly. "Shells. This is harder than I thought."
Joslyn smiles sweetly upon D'thyn, commenting, "You HAVE been nice to me. And I'm nice to you." But that doesn't mean she's not going to tell people everything she knows about and some stuff she doesn't. "I'm sorta a friend of Bel - you're SO gonna lose, Kinoa," with a giggle.
D'thyn's irritated expression, which never lasts long, gives way to a grin in Kinoa's direction. "I could make it fair, and bring over one my better skins of wine."
Kinoa sticks her tongue out at Joslyn. "You didn't say anything about flirting," she says good-naturedly. Back to D'thyn, she grins. "We'd both lose, then, but it would be a good time before we did."
Speaking of wine, "D'you hear about the vineyards at Cove? Last of the Harper red burnt to a crisp on the vine," Joslyn comments, shaking her head as if regretful for the loss. She's such a drinker, after all.
D'thyn nods, laughing quietly. "It would. Something to keep in mind if things get too ugly towards spring's end." He glances at Joslyn. "But that would be letting the Bitran win, which would be a bit of a let-down."
D'thyn sighs at the mention of the vineyards, nodding. "I did, I did. Tragic. Fortunately I always preferred Southern Red a notch, but still.."
The Bitran makes a face at the bronzerider and informs, "I'll win anyway." There is no doubt about this in Joslyn's mind, and it shows in the adament little nod she contributes. "Mm, something to keep in mind if things get too ugly toward spring's end," she echoes in response to the Southern Red bit.
Kinoa eases out of her chair. "No you won't," she tells Joslyn. She could go back and forth all night. "But I'd better go and get some work done or else it won't much matter whether I win or not." She grins at them both and heads out.
Kinoa walks toward the Courtyard.
D'thyn raps his fingers against the table. "Anyway, about Belira -- has she had many .. interested suitors after her, at all?"
Joslyn leans over and looks after Kinoa for a second or two, contemplating at length before she comments. "She's gonna lose," is her decisive remark, one of the long forgotten cookies broken in halves. "Anyway, about Belira. So far as I know, most folks stay away from Belira. Bit clumsy, that one."
D'thyn chuckles at the losing remark, and nods. "I imagine you're right. She didn't seem to firm in her convictions to begin with." He hmms, and nods, "That's what I was afraid of. I gave her a few flowers after the flight, just as a friendly gesture, and she seemed, well, unusually enthusiastic about them."
"Oh, that's 'cause most folks try to give Belira PLENTY of space." Joslyn adds this next part with a proud little beam: "But I helped Remarra show her how t'shoot her crossbow. She's not too good at it, though." Pause. "Why? You gonna court her properly?" she asks pointedly.
D'thyn shakes his head. "I wasn't planning on it, no, but she seemed to be awfully hopeful that I would." He sighs. "She's really very sweet, I'll give her that.."
It may not be terribly kind, but it is honest. "She's a walking disaster area. Dunno how she'n Feilynth made it this far unscathed," Joslyn remarks, good-natured though she doesn't sound like it. "Still, she is nice and she deserves a little affection. Though you might wanna ask Cecily first, huh?" Grin.
D'thyn sticks his tongue out slightly at Joslyn, but grins despite himself. "Yeah, both of those pretty much confirmed my impression. And I think if I asked Cecily she'd be confused as to why -- I'm starting to suspect she doesn't like me that much after all, but with her it's hard to tell."
"I think you oughta avoid being another K'tor at all costs," is Joslyn's sage advice, the broken cookie deposited in her mouth and chewed up promptly. Crumbs are dusted from her lips before she proceeds, "So maybe pick one or the other now?" It's that simple in Josy's mind, yes.
D'thyn ohs, "Naturally." It sounds like no other possibility has entered his mind, but he grins slightly. "Funny; spend Turns as a sad bachelor and suddenly.." He shrugs. "Just never had to really -pick- before. Never was a K'tor.
Joslyn, who has given some thought to this subject, says, "Definitely better that way. Really, it's just lots easier if you don't haveta worry about this kinda stuff at all, but most folks seem to relish a relationship to make life difficult, so I guess I can't blame you. Anyway and either way, Cecily seems awful nice." And she wouldn't wish Belira on anyone.
D'thyn nods and smiles. "Cecily it is, then; at least, until she makes it clear she won't have anything to do with me. Which also reminds me -- how come I never hear any gossip about -you-? Because you're the one generating it all?" He winks, but his expression seems genuinely curious.
Joslyn knows the answer to this right away: "'Cause there ain't nothing to tell. What love life I do got is my own personaly business and I ain't sharing it." She's probably aware just how hypocritical that is, but she also doesn't care so what difference does it make?
D'thyn arches his eyebrows slightly at the intensity of her response, but simply nods. "Fair enough." He chuckles, "I'd like it that way, myself, but I could never keep my feelings to myself."
Joslyn's a gossip; she naturally knows how to dispel them. "It's hard for most folks. Most folks really like t'talk about their business, though they like to pretend they don't. Kinoa don't talk so much, and C'al never would. But most folks. Kat practically spilled his guts, for example."
D'thyn chuckles and nods, "I'm afraid to say I recognize myself a bit there. Most of us like to be made to feel we're interesting, after all, though I hope I've improved some in that department with age. But obviously not everyone likes to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Cecily, for one, is not always easy to get to."
"But you like her anyways. It's the challenge," Joslyn says like she really knows what she's talking about. Can't be from personal experience. "And I bet if you really like her, she'll come around eventually. There's nothin' WRONG with you, even if you are getting up there in Turns." Teasing or serious, it's hard to tell with that last comment.
D'thyn sighs, and nods, "So I am, and I'm the first to admit she's probably a bit young for me to be going after. But.." He shrugs. "We can't always help what we do." He eyes Joslyn. "You sound like you know a lot. Or is this from listening to everyone else?"
Joslyn, honestly, "I don't know nothing about nothing. I just pretend I do." She draws up one of those sickeningly cute smiles and shrugs. "People seem to believe me, so. Anyway, age really ain't important when you get down to it. So long as you both like each other, what difference does it make how old or young you are?"
D'thyn grins slightly. "You're right -- you don't know -everything-, at any rate. While in an ideal world old or young should mean nothing, it usually means a little, at least to some people. One tends to have slightly different intentions in what one does."
"Why?" Joslyn asks. She may not live in the ideal world, but she does have very good ideals. "I mean, if Cecily doesn't care that you're old and you don't care that she's young, what difference does age really make?" the girl reasons.
D'thyn smiles and gets up to fill a cup of wine -- but remembers himself just as he's about to start, and gets klah instead. He speaks as he sits back down, "Well, since we're using her as an example.. she's just starting out her life. Probably intends to try and fail a few things, and ought to. Whereas I'm honestly getting a little tired of trying and failing. It's a minor difference, but it counts."
Joslyn mms, her eyes having trailed along the whole way, willing the bronzerider to slip and go for the wine. Sharditall. "But are you opposed t'helping her along with the trying and the failing?" she asks reasonably.
D'thyn grins, straddling his chair, and shakes his head. "Nah. Of course not. Though sometimes I wish..." He shrugs, and looks oddly at Joslyn. "Never mind. You've tricked me into spilling more of myself, again. I take it you don't need advice on anything?"
"No, no, no. You HAVE to proceed now," Joslyn notes, ignoring the prod to get things out of her. That's just not going to happen. "You wish what?" she prompts, leaning her elbows onto the table so she has a way to prop her chin in her palms.
D'thyn's eyes glint with the germ of an idea. "Tit for tat. I can't just keep pouring out my insides without something in return. I'll try to explain for what I wish if you give me something honest about yourself."
Joslyn can be honest, fine. "I cheat at cards." Not that everyone didn't know that already. "Now what is it you wish for?" Tit for tat. Or something.
D'thyn laughs. "Oh, I don't know if the mechanics of a card game is really equivalent to an old man's yearnings."
"Why not?" Joslyn asks, some offended glint stealing over her expression. "Card games're every bit as important to me as whatever it is your yearning for is to you." And saying otherwise will just make her mad so don't?
D'thyn spots the look in Joslyn's eye, and his own pride at his idea seems to collapse somewhat. "They are, really? So if I asked you to finish the 'I wish for...' sentence, it would be to win at cards?" He shrugs. "Fair enough, I suppose."
Joslyn nods readily and says, "Yes. I'd say I wish to win at cards." Very certain, there's little if any reason to doubt the sincerity of the statement given her expression. "I like winning at cards. So what do YOU wish for?" as that is the point here.
D'thyn leans back in his chair so that the front legs tip off the floor, and he balances on the back two. "OK, so you like winning at cards. But do you love it? I mean, you might walk around thinking about winning at cards, but when you -do- win, you'll just start thinking about winning the next round, right?" He shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm babbling. None of my business." The chair lands back on the floor with a thud.
Joslyn, very patiently, "Look, hon. You could really save us both a lotta trouble here if you'd just answer the question. Otherwise I'm gonna have to wheedle you until you do and that'll just be a bother for both of us."
D'thyn can't help but grin at that. "Hey, I'm just trying my hand at wheedling for a change. It seems entertaining."
"Yeah, but you're not really succeeding. You might - " Joslyn's not making any promises here. Just tossing around a few ideas. " - have better luck if you held up your end and told me what you wish for."
D'thyn eyes Joslyn uncertainly. "Alright. I will. But how do I know you'll follow it up with your end? It's hard to make advances on this sort of thing."
Joslyn heys, shaking a finger as she notes, "I told you what I wished for right away. You didn't even ask me twice. I've had to ask you like twelve times now." She hasn't been keeping track, but twelve sounds about right.
D'thyn laughs despite himself. "OK, OK. You win, as I'm beginning to gather you always do -- doesn't that ever get boring? Anyway, as I was saying, I wish for something I guess I can't have. I don't have any big plans for the rest of my life just now, I grew out of them eventually. And I wish for someone who's at the same point, who would be pleased not to try and fail anymore but just, well, -do-. If that makes -any- sense at all."
Joslyn never gets bored with winning, no. It suits her very nicely to get what she wants most if not all of the time. "It doesn't make a lotta sense, but I guess that's fair. Still, if you want someone who's all grown up, you really oughta stop hangin' around with kids."
D'thyn smirks. "Yeah, well." He shrugs. "I try. Not hard enough, apparently."
"You really try?" Joslyn asks, grinning while both brows raise on the question mark. "Or you just tell yourself you try?"
D'thyn grins back, and tilts his head to consider the question. "Hmm. You think there's a big difference?"
Joslyn nodsnods enthusiastically. She very much thinks there's a difference, apparently. "You can really try, or you can be one of those people who always says they're gonna try but never really does. Like I really mean to go home and visit sometime, but I never really try."
D'thyn frowns, apparently not entirely pleased by her answer. It's not that he's thick; he's probably figured this out at his age, but one doesn't always like to hear things. "Why do you not try if you mean to?"
Joslyn shrugs up both shoulders, not concerned with the reception of her comment. "'Cause it's just one of those things I always say I'm gonna do but don't really want to. See, if I really wanted to, I could go home right now 'steada shooting the breeze with you."
D'thyn chuckles, "And if I really wanted to I could be off elsewhere having a ball with people 'my age'? True."
"So you don't really try, see." Joslyn grins as her point is proven; she loves that. "But that's okay. Most people your age are pretty boring." She means that in the nicest way possible, honest.
D'thyn laughs. "Why thank you. I -think- I might be able to construe that into a compliment. I dare say most people your age are boring, too, for what that's worth."
Joslyn heys again, bristling though with more jest than sincerity. "We ain't boring. The most exciting stuff around here is 'cause of people my age." Though they usually act their ages. "Must be somethin' good else you wouldn't be around us all the time."
D'thyn sighs again, clambering out of his seat and emptying his klah. "Oh, I suppose I'll grant you that. But only a few of you, mind." He winks. "Most people your age are still running around talking drivel. I was probably one of them, so maybe that's why I feel the need to catch up."
Joslyn laughs at the logic behind all that, remembering the dishes she collected quite a while ago. The mug is mostly empty now, and the plate is littered with more crumbs than anything else. "Well, I admit some of us talk drivel. Ever tried to have a REAL conversation with Nareisa?" Grin.
D'thyn places his mug wherever dirty mugs go to be collected, and grins back, though not nearly as enthusiastically as Joslyn. "I've tried, but admittedly not got too far. I think Ranorth communicates with her better than I do, for some reason." He picks up a pair of riding gloves discarded on the table.
"No one'se very got too far," Joslyn notes, no doubt reliving a few of the more amusing encounters with the bluerider in question. "Leaving?" she adds, noting the gloves and such and no doubt considering the same. Even she can't be lazy all the time. (Just most of it.)
D'thyn nods. "I'd better be off. Can't continue corrupting myself with the impulses of the young." He grins. "Although it was an entertaining conversation."
Grinning, Joslyn has to nod agreement and say, "Indeed. Should be a profitable one as well." She's still convinced she's going to win. "Clear skies, old man. Careful with them old bones of yours."
D'thyn laughs. "We'll see about that part. Clear skies," he calls as he ducks out the door.
D'thyn walks toward the Courtyard.
You walk over to the Courtyard.
*** END LOG ***