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Josy - Monday, January 03, 2000, 2:24 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.
Joslyn strolls in (surprise, surprise), with a rather bored look painted on her face and her hands shoved in their customary trouser pockets. Feet dragging, she's the very portrait of dull today, even going so far as to yawn whilst tossing waves about to all and sundry. "'Lo."
K'tor grins at Tiri and offers, "My sister has that look about her. You must be the new nanny she's mentioned." He wanders away from the serving table, observing to Kayla, "I dunno how you can drink that when it's so warm out. But better pour Josy a mug. Looks like she could use it."
"Use what?" Joslyn asks, eager for even the semblance of a conversation to cure the aforementioned boredom. She wasn't headed for the serving tables at first, but her course redirects that she winds up over there somewhere, trolling for cookies most likely.
Tiri nods to K'tor, "That's me, who's your sister?" she asks, collapsing into a chair, the weyrbrat still tugging at her hand.
Kayjay strides over from the Western Courtyard.
K'tor grins at Tiri. "Niala. I'm surprised she hasn't warned you about her little brother. Not that you should believe *everything* you hear about me." He gives Josy a pointed look. "Klah, Josy. You look like you're still asleep." How he might know (or guess) what the goldrider looks like asleep is not explained. "Heya, Squirt." This last tossed off to Kayjay as she enters.
Kayjay yawns as she walks into the hall, blinking a bit. She heads to the serving table and pours a tea, and grabs a meatroll which she devours on her way to an empty seat.
Kayjay waves at K'tor and winks, looking rather.. satisfied with life.
Four sleepy blueriders in the foyer wave at K'tor and pull out another chair.
Batting a hand at the klah-bit, Joslyn explains, "S'too warm for klah." She rubs at her face a moment, covering a yawn with her other hand before it scrapes together a short stack of nut-less cookies and wanders back toward the bronzerider. Pointedly, "So."
Kayla shrugs as she yeawns.. "Klah..." She's slow.. She takes a mug forherself and falls into a chair.
K'tor peers down at Josy. "So?"
"So," Joslyn repeats, obviously headed somewhere with this though she pauses to bite half a cookie first. Priorities. Upon chewing and swallowing properly, she tips her chin in Bertha's general direction and notes, "Bertha's been tellin' me stories. About you. And Kinoa."
Bertha winks back at Joslyn.
K'tor just smiles charmingly at Josy. "That's because I told her *not* to tell the stories about you and I, Josy, dear." He starts to extract himself from the situation, easing his way over towards Kayjay.
Kayla slowly makes her way over to sit next to Kayjay.
Kayjay smiles at K'tor, heck she smiles at the world. "Good thing to keep secrets, I think."
Joslyn, who is oblivious to the subtlety of K'tor's escape, follows along on his heels, cookies in tow. "That's 'cause all th'stories about you and I end in physical violence. And everyone's heard them already." She smiles prettily at Kayjay to acknowledge her, though attention is obviously kept on the evasive bronzerider. "She told me that you'n Kinoa snuck off together. For a long time. Alone."
Kayjay raises an eyebrow. "Didn't she only get a spanking or something?"
K'tor persists in avoiding the subject, "Now, Josy, there have been a few times that didn't end in violence. Usually when Jeuneth wasn't involved. How is she today, by the way?"
Joslyn shrugs up both shoulders at the question and says simply, "Same ol', same ol'." Only because it's polite, she adds, "How's Albanth keepin' himself?" And back to the point: "So is it true that you'n Kinoa ran off together?"
Soft snores surround the room quietly as Kayla lays her head on the table. Her eyes close slowly and her hair falls about her face.
Kayjay giggles as she watches Joslyn at work.
K'tor steadfastly refuses to confirm or deny, "Albanth's fine. K'laarn's been working our tails off riding sweep." He pauses and then teases, "Shells, Josy, you'd think you had a stake in it or something. Why so curious?" He gives the goldrider a decidedly innocent look, before winking at Kayjay.
Joslyn, to be quite frank, "I DO have a stake in it. She owes me a fair amount of marks if she's shared furs with you, and I intend t'collect." That last with a stout nod, which looks rather silly when she follows it up with a crumbly bite of cookies and a sidelong grin at the brownriding spectator. Watch the master and learn... or something.
Kayjay clears her throat and sips her tea. She munches the last of the meatroll and licks her fingertips, all the while darting her eyes back and forth from K'tor and Joslyn.
K'tor's tone is laconic, and he leans indolently against the table. "So did you ask her?"
"No," Joslyn admits, boot scuffed absently against the floor in the dejected manner of one who's tried infinitely and ultimately failed. "But that's just 'cause I never see her anymore. We keep different hours, it seems. S'why I'm asking you," and she flashes the charmingest smile she can manage.
K'tor mms at Josy. "You must want to know rather badly then, hm?"
Joslyn nodsnods brightly, polishing off the cookies and dusting her palms that a few crumbs flutter toward her boots. "Rather badly, yep," she echoes. "I'm even willing to cut you in on my winnings if you'll just tell me so's I can collect."
K'tor eyes Josy. "And what makes you so sure you can collect? I'm not *that* charming, am I?"
Kayjay grins. "Oh, I don't know, you have a certain.. something about you, K'tor."
Kayjay nudges Kayla. "Don
Kayjay says "Don't you agree?"
Kayla opens one eye, the other firmly staying shut. "Wha....?" At least the snores stoped...
Joslyn's eyes roll almost at once following Kayjay's remark and she says, "Don't encourage him, silly. His head will explode and it'll be messy." Back to the subject at hand, she wrinkles her nose up at K'tor and explains, "Even if I'm not gonna collect, I'd rather just know that than wait around thinking I got marks coming, y'know? So just TELL me and save th'trouble of listening to me wheedle all day."
Kayjay smiles that same sort of goofy life is wonderful grins and shrugs. "You could try charming it out of him.." She glances at Kayla "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Kayla slowly sticks her tounge out at her, stil grogy from the short sleep. She says, "Wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't been up all night. This is the first sleep I've had since yester day, early in the morn."
Kayjay looks surprized. "Maybe you might find a cot more comfortable? Tables leave funny marks on your face when you sleep on them."
K'tor grins at Josy. "But I rather enjoy having you wheedle at me. At least you're not breaking anything when you do it."
Kayla grins softly, "I suppose so. But I just came in for some klah. One of the mares went into labor yesterday and that kept me up very late..er..early this morning."
Joslyn shakes an oh-so-threatening fist at K'tor and notes, "Not yet, anyway." As an aside to Kayjay, she adds, "I'd rather not charm K'tor, thankyouverymuch. It's too easy, and I prefer at least SOME challenge." Now then. "Won't you just tell me, Kat? It'd save me a headache and you know you don't want me to have a headache. Do you?"
K'tor arches his eyebrows. "Easy? I'm *easy*, Josy?"
Kayjay hmms. "I can imagine that would be tiring. It was a hard birth it sounds like." She keeps her eyes on the pair.
Kayla nods, "That it was..."
"Yes, dear," Joslyn replies, with a consoling pat for poor K'tor's arm. She really feels for him. Honest. "And there's no point pretending you aren't, 'cause EVERYbody knows you are. So why don't you just tell me? Please? I'll pay you."
K'tor does sputter at that one.
Kayjay blinks at Joslyn. 'Isn't that going a bit too far?
Joslyn shrugs up both shoulders at Kayjay and asks, "Isn't which going too far? Saying Kat's easy?" She pauses a moment, another shrug before adding, "That's just honest. And if you mean offering to pay him - well, I will. If that's what it takes."
Kayjay hmms and sips at her tea. "How come everyone beats up on you so much K'tor?"
K'tor says "PAY me! Josy, the *very* idea!" He straightens upright, dropping his juice down to the table with a thump. "Young lady, I ought to take you over my knee and thrash you right now so that you're eating standing up for a sevenday. Are you so feather-headed that you believe *every* rumor you hear? Not to mention the ones you start up yourself. Contrary to popular opinion, there are quite a few girls and women both at this weyr that I haven't bedded, or even tried to."
K'tor growls quietly at Kayjay, "Primarily because I've never bothered to deny the rumors until now." He turns accusing eyes back to Josy.
"Oh, pfft," says Joslyn, decidedly unimpressed with the Weyrsecond's tirade. She hangs out with Telinda; it takes far more than that to get through to Josy. "I just wanna know if it's true or not. If it ain't, and you haven't set me straight, then you're just as much at fault for the rumor's existence as me'n Bertha. If it is - well, you're being self-righteous and silly." Pause. "And if you take me over your knee, I will bite you in the shin and you'll be sorry."
K'tor demands of Josy, his tone a trifle dangerous, "What's the rumor? That Kinoa and I went off together alone?"
Nareisa strides over from the Western Courtyard.
Nareisa waddles in looking... pregnant. What a weird thing.
Joslyn rolls her eyes again, irritated with the lack of progress in this conversation. "The rumor is that you - being K'tor - carried Kinoa off in th'general direction of your weyr. It continues that you were seen disappearing into said weyr and weren't seen to emerge for quite some time thereafter. All I wanna know is if I won my bet."
Kayjay nods quietly to Nareisa from her table. Kayla is nodding off beside her so Kayjay keeps her eyes on K'tor and Joslyn as they continue to spar.
Kayla takes a sip of klah and shakes her head, groggily trying to keep her eyes open.
Nareisa stops her waddling, looks over at K'tor, and kind of waits to see what his response to that is.
Joslyn kind of waits, too, and even has the decency to wear a little 'eek' expression upon noting Nareisa's entrance. But she's used to the taste of her own feet in her mouth, and there's really nothing she can do about it now except scuff her toe and stuff.
K'tor eyes Josy with irritation. "Your source was wrong. We never went inside the cothold, but instead stayed outside. But you automatically jumped to the conclusion. I thought you had more sense than that, Josy." His tone is cool on the last, and he turns, effectively putting the weyrwoman out of his line of sight in order to greet Nareisa. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink, Reis?"
Nareisa waddles over to K'tor, "Some water?" she says hopefully.
Joslyn is never effectively put out of anything. She follows K'tor again, because she's not through with him yet, and proceeds, "My source may have been wrong about the latter half, but the former I have on good authority. So we know you carried her off to your weyr. All we - " Meaning Josy. " - wanna know is if I get my five marks or not." Absently, "Hi, Reis." Smile.
K'tor nods, pulling out a chair across from Kayjay for Nareisa. Then he turns, and looks as though he is rather deliberately going to run Josy down if she doesn't move from his path to the serving table and to water.
Kayjay shakes her head. "Why don't you talk to the person you made the bet with? K'tor obviously doesn't have much more to say?" She frowns slightly at Joslyn and the smiles softly at Nareisa. "Looking good as usual, Nareisa."
Nareisa flops in a chair, which squeaks under her weight. "Hi Kat, hi Josy, hi Kayjay," she looks tired.
Joslyn? Move? Why, that would take common sense, which this goldrider plainly lacks. Hence her reason for staying put and looking up at K'tor expectantly, a reply going to Kayjay along with a flippant toss of her fingers, "'Cause I can never find Kinoa, and he'd know just as well as she would, so why not ask him since he's here?" Duh.
Kayjay shrugs at Joslyn. It's not her business, so she looks at Nareisa instead. "Any more contractions?"
K'tor stops bare inches from Josy and says quietly, "Please move. Reis wants water."
Nareisa shrugs. "A few. Not as bad as the last lot."
Plainly going nowhere, Joslyn shakes her head adamently and informs in the very same quiet voice, "And Josy wants to know if she won her bet or not. So we're apparently at an impasse." So there.
Kayjay shakes her bed slightly. "Did you go to the healer again? I hope not the same .. idiot as before."
K'tor's expression is still quiet, reserved, and clearly promising dire consequences for one goldrider. Rather than make an issue of it, he simply reaches out, and picks Josy up by her upper arms, setting her to one side. And gently even.
Nareisa shakes her head. "I don't like those healers." She must've picked that stubborn look up from K'tor.
Which prompts Joslyn's none to gentle response - that being a swift and square kick in the bronzerider's shins, one after the other. "You have to ask permission to manhandle me, Kat. So just TELL ME."
Nareisa heeeeeeys. "Don't kick Kat!" she looks all grumpy and stuff, and shuffles off that chair. Whoops, remind her about the change in her center of gravity will you? Timbeeeeeeeeeeeeeer.
Kayjay blinks, trying to reach over the table to help steady Nareisa. Her tea mug spills in the process.
K'tor's jaw tightens and he resists swearing at Josy. Instead, he limps towards the serving table. Water. He was tasked to get water. Though from his expression, he looks as though a dousing of the weyrwoman in a runner trough might do her a world of good. "Careful, Reis..."
Nareisa falls into Kayjay. The question is, will the domino effect come into play?
"Oh, fine!" Now watch as Joslyn exhibits her customary childishness and stomps her foot squarely on the floor. "I never liked you anyway, Kat. You're no fun unless you're takin' someone to bed. So just keep your stupid li'l secret and I'll find out from someone else. But, in th'meantime, don't think I'll try'n correct the rumor any." With a hmph, she folds her arms and spares a glance for toppled Nareisa. Obviously, storming out will follow shortly.
Kayjay pushes Nareisa as well as she can, being half sprawled across a table, into some what of a steady posture.
Nareisa erms. "Sorry," she mumbles. She's pretty pink.
Kayjay scrambles off the table, looking down at herself. "Umm no problem at all.." She blushes at a few wet spots on her clothing and sits down again.
K'tor pours the water with alacrity, getting back on the other side of Nareisa to help steady her. "Sit back down, sweetheart." He hands over the water and then informs Josy, "Contrary to popular opinion, the world doesn't revolve around you Josy. I answered your question. And I would ask you for a destination if Albanth and I were lost between." His tone is quiet, measured, and then he looks back at Nareisa and asks gently, "You all right?"
Nareisa flops back into the chair by K'tor, giving Josy a 'yeah, so there' look. "Mostly," she says. "Thank you."
Joslyn makes a face at K'tor, in very grownup fashion, and informs him, "I never once thought th'world revolved around me. Just th'Weyr. So you take care of your ladies and their babies and I'll take care of my marks and rumors and we'll see who comes out with th'better end of th'bargain." The face is extended to include Nareisa as well on her way out.
You walk over to the Courtyard.
*** END LOG ***