How Jorina Tried to Hook Keris into a Handfasting

10/16/00
Logfile from Jorina

The Happy Harper (#8241)
You find yourself in the well-lit Happy Harper. It seems to be perhaps one of the most cared for items of the hold. The walls have deep-red wood panelling, and glow baskets placed at a very regular interval. There are about six tables for eight and four booths in the corners. All the tables and chairs seem to be of a very nice quality and very well taken care of. Serving also as the center of social interaction at Gar hold, it is usually where one looks to find anyone.
OOC note: If you wish for a list of the offered drinks here, merely type 'listdrink' and it will show you how to find them. :)
On the perch are Etoile, Shift, Rebellion, Spun, FirstFrost, Ribbon, Elyas, Tallanvor, Espero, Mother, What in the Name of Faranth is That?, and Cute One.
You see Dartboard, Dragon Deck, Chess Set, Firelizard Feeding Tray, Blossom Vase, Rainbow Food Platter, and Bubblies here.
You notice Jinnyna, Kavell, Kinecha, Jerricho, Eltharion, Eleia, and Seraphina asleep here.
Tegwin, Keris, Hikaru, and Archellian are here.
Obvious exits:
Kitchen Entry Hall
Jorina is pulled in by a brown flitterby, Thredd tugging at the fabric on her shoulder to move her forward. "Ed!" She giggles, more nineteen-apprentice than twenty-nine-journeywoman. "Where are you taking me?" Busy trying to stop the forward momentum, she doesn't notice her surroundings until she rams a hip into the corner of a table. "ouch!"

Tegwin blinks. "Well, I think you've finally done it Arc. So close, yet so far." Faranth, we should go catch her. Nah. "And I doubt anyone'll ever name they'e kidlet after you, unless they want odd, hulking, teenage girls on their laps." She blushes a bit as her eyes turn a bit paler. "Jorneywoman Jorina, I presume. Have we met?"

Inhale.... exhale.... inhale.... exh... huh? Wait? He was sleeping, and now someone's moving the table? "Aiee!" Keris' head goes *snap* upwards as Riina violently takes away his makeshift pillow - alright, not violently, but still..... "What? What's burnin'?" The slurred words witness of an apparent dream the journeyman was having... ahem. Hallucinations.

Archellian glances up with amusement to see Jorina's entrance trying to keep the smirk from his face as he calls over, "are you okay?" he enquires. "Nuisances aren't they?" the last is said rather fondly, not an insult at all. His attention diverted back to Tegwin who now seems to have woken up. "Done what?" he sounds confused, trying to remmeber what he was saying to her. "Well someone will name their kidlet after me, they will," he insists. "I have such a lovely, beautiful name after all."

Thredd chirps, his job done, and flutters towards the plate of leftovers to get his evening snack. "Oh, I'm fine." The journeywoman growls out as the brown leaves off. "But he's not going to be fine tonight. I mean, ouch." She rubs her hip, then grins at Tegwin, "I think so. We're at the same Hall." Silly apprentices. Don't even know their journeymen and masters these days. Carefully, Riina edges around Keris' table back to the bar for a glass of Cider, just a small one for now.

Tegwin sighs. He'll get it in a few years...hopefully. "You've scared her off, with you're name boasting. Terrible." SHe raises her eyebrows at the second J-man pile that's been sitting in the corner for awhile now. "And I /know/ that's Journeyman Keris." Oh, the things I've heard. "I'll make you a deal Arc. Once you and 'blank' foster a kidlet. I'll name one of my own after you. What d'you sya?"

"Erm... Riina?" Keris calls after his fellow senior journeyperson, looking slightly concerned. Tegwin catches him off guard though, and blue eyes glance at her in confusion. He's Keris? Oh. He /is/ Journeyman Keris, isn't he??

Archellian just raises both of his brows at Jorina, looking at the cider, though it must be noon by now, can't really complain about her drinking. "Um, sorry," he apologises in response to her growl, assuming he's the source of her anger, after all the world does revolve around him. He looks at Tegwin, "I didn't scare anyone off, who would I scare off?" he pauses, frowns, tries to work it out. "Kezzra? Oh she's always running away from me, that's cuz she likes me though, it's to be expected." There speaks the ego. He frowns over at Keris, "yeah that's journeyman Keris," he agrees, "the horrible taskmaster that wouldn't even let Orpheus take a break to go to Seacliffs dance even though he's been slaving away days on end never taking a break." He chuckles at Tegwin's deal, "okay sure that sounds great, you know I am plannning on fostering," his mood shifting up and down like waves at the moment.

Taskmaster Keris? Really? Jorina returns to that table and plops into a seat next said journeyman, her cider so far untouched. "Didja fall asleep again in here or something?" She asks, teasingly. Riina herself has done that time and again, but mostly when she frequented the Harper in her younger days.

Ummmmmmm... "No?" Keris answers, trying to soung convincing. Oh, ::between:: with it! "Maybe I did, for once," the journeyman admits, grinning sheepishly. "What're you up to, Riina?" Well, duh, she has cider... "Done with classes for today?" One would hope so, since it looks as if she's planning to get drunk..........

Jorina shakes her head, "No, but I'm bailing out and giving the appies a free afternoon." She idly plays with the stem of her glass, twirling the base on the table, forming wet rings on the wood. "I'm just not in the mood for more teaching. Not today."

"I'm sure they appreciate that," Keris snickers, glancing around for an available drudge. Preferably a cute one he can leer at while ordering. Ah well... Riina'll have to do, then, at least for the leering part. Doubt she'd get him something to drink as well, so the journeyman grabs an abandoned wineskin from the next table, pouring into his mug-formerly-used-for-klah. "Been teaching much lately, I take it?"

"Don't I always? I'm hoping that old Gonone'll up and retire so they can make me the appy master and I won't have to teach as much." Riina chuckles softly, hoping her words don't carry to Tegwin. "I really prefer teaching and whatnot in a more casual atmosphere than lessons. It's incredibly more fun."

Archellian yawns at the journeymen as the pointedly ignore his presence, pondering throwing them out of the harper just because he can. Evil thoughts fluttering in his mind, wicked smile toying upon his lips he continues to sip his klah and look over that way, making to pains to avoid seeming as if he's eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Hmm, me too," Keris agrees, smiling slyly. Looks like he's thinkimg more along the lines of 'private lessons' in a certain journeyman's room and not classes on the Star or Charts. Ahem. Archellian gets an arched eyebrow as the 'crafter catches his yawn. Gee, thanks.

Nirra slips in trying to be unnoticed and instead taking a seat at the bar, she moves to a table in the corner. She smiles absently at those she recognizes but her smile doesn't really reach her eyes. She asks a drudge for something you can't hear and sits down quietly.

Archellian glances up at Nirra as she heads in his general direction before veering off to the corner. He offers her a sweet smile, never the one to acknowledge the fact sometimes people just want to be left alone, "good afternoon," he calls over cheerfully.

Jorina sighs and stares at her glass after giving a nod to Nirra. "I'm going to be thirty." She mumbles, this fact nicely settled in her thoughts once again. It had gone, and it's back. Torture for she who, at heart, is so young.

"Oh c'mon, Riina, it's no age," Keris says in an attempt to liven up his tablemate's mood. "Think about how many people are three times that age and still teaching and... everything," journeyman adds lamely. Eep. Women. How complicated.

Nirra doesn't notice Arch's greeting, too wrapped up in her own thoughts at the moment. She dosen't even notice when the drudge returns with her mug of hot klah.

"It's no age? Whatever!" Riina shakes her head, "Mother told me that if I weren't Master or 'fasted or a rider by the time I was thirty, I might as well throw my life away." She shakes her head slowly, but sheds not a tear nor sips her cider, just staring at the potent drink.

Archellian sighs into his mug of klah as yet again he's ignored, this being a rather uncomfortable state of affairs for him. A slender hand flutters up to brush hair from his eyes once again as he bites his lip trying not to butt into any conversations.

"Um..." Yes, how to reply on that one, smart-Keris?? "Well, you can still make Master?" journeyman offers timidly, trying his best to look concerned and encouraging at the same time. Uh. Whine. Help.

Archellian stifles a yawn, hand fluttering up to cover his mouth as he continues to glance around the room. If he gets any more bored than this he'll undoubtedly have to go back to work, why horrors of horrors.

Jorina foists her girl-problems onto the very male Keris. "Yeah, right." She snorts, "They were afraid to make me journeyman when that came around, except it was very early after we broke away from the Smiths and I'd done some good research on the red you-know-what." She shakes her head and heaves a great sigh, finally reaching for her glass of cider and sipping it. "No, by the looks of it now, I'll just have to get 'fasted within the next two months or so."

"Hmm..." Keris tries to appear as if he actually understands Riina's problems, slowly swirling the wine in his klah-mug around. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard, with such an attractive woman as you," the journeyman offers helpfully, showing dimples and white teeth in a smile directed towards his fellwo journeyperson. Stupid Keris, Stupid, clueless Keris.

Archellian smiles and waves over at Shanel, "good afternoon," he calls ever so politely, trying to chase away the boredom that threatens to engulf him. "How are you?"

Shanel spots Nirra sitting of by herself and heads over. "Hi," she calls, "what's up." She sits down next to her.

Shanel looks about, seeing the wave she returns it, "I'm fine, you?" She asks, tring to be polite.

Jorina glances at Archellian, then Nirra, and then Shanel before looking, ever so pleadingly back at Keris, "Then you'll do it?" She asks simply, hands folded in the ages old symbol of hope. "I mean...well..." she trails of and sighs again. "I dunno anyone else." The last bit is mumbled, arranged just so to make her case look helpless.

Shanel leans over to Nirra, "What's going on?" She wispers, left a bit clueless by the exchange.

Archellian sighs as Shanel goes off to talk to Nirra, hands fluttering up to brush his hair from his eyes once again. "Fine thankyou," comes the dull monotone reply as he realises she's not going to pay him any attention either. Looks like it's off to work again for poor Arc.

Shanel blushes when she realizes how rude she must have sounded. "Come sit with us." She calls, trying to correct the mistake.

Choke. Splutter. That's Keris choking on his wine and spluttering it across the table, in case you wondered.... "Me?!" It comes out as a squeak, really, and the journeyman glances around quickly to see if anyone noticed. Meep.

Nirra looks up at Shanel, startled by her sudden appearace. She just looks at Shanel not having heard what she just said. At that time she finally notices the klah the drudge brought her and frowns as she trys to remember how long it's been there.

Archellian manages a sort of smile in response to Shanel's words, his attention half focussed on Keris' discussion before it flutters back to Shanel. "Ahhh, it's okay I'd hate to intrude and all," he calls over, "um... you two just keep talking and all."

Jorina rolls her eyes. Men. So dense. Quickly, though, she goes back into her 'poor pitiful me' routine- not that it isn't real or anything. "Yes, you! I don't see anyone else around her that I could 'fast. Do you?" She forgets Archellian, thinking him a vintner apprentice- and apprentices can't get 'fasted.

Shanel shakes her head at Nirra's blank look. Snapping her fingures in front of her friends face, "What did I miss?" She asks again. Putting on her best smile she turns to Archellian, "No really, come sit with us." Pointing a thumb at Nirra, "I need /someone/ to talk to."

"I... I..." For once totally speechless, Keris just gapes at Riina. Aw, look. How intelligent that expression is. Especially with his eyes bulging like that, and jaw dropping. "H-how about, um, Ci..." No, taken. "Or Ka..." No, taken. "Or Ko...." No, family. "Um, you know, I don't think Veldny's 'fasted....?" And he's very nice. Very nice.

Archellian smiles warmly at Shanel, "you didn't miss anything here, well not that I can see." He frowns at Keris, what little opinion he had suddenly crashing down to rock bottom. He rises to his feet, needing something to keep his mind occupied and walks over, his klah mug held in hand. "Not that I've heard either. Just the starcrafters playing their usual games, nothing special."

Jorina sighs, sinking deeply into her chair and draining her glass of cider. "No. Veldny's got a girlfriend posted at Igen, I think. She's a smith or seacrafter or something." Riina shakes her head, "And it's not like you have anyone." She eyes Keris side-wise. "Or do you? Besides Ali and Lis and Seily."

"He does?" Keris ponders this piece of gossip for a moment, before remembering what the actual subject is. "Erm... hehe, Riina, it's not that I don't /like/ you, but, ehm.... 'fasting?" Shells, they haven't even made out yet!

Shanel giggles, finally catching on. "Thanks." She replies. Shanel shifts in her seat, one spot is so uncomfortable. She eyes her friend, "Still awake?"

"I think your friend needs some quiet time," Archellian says to Shanel, "perhaps she's got the sniffles that is going around or something." He peers at Nirra cautiously. "There's an awful lot of people going around being ill and all."

Nirra is brought back to Pern by the mention of Starcraft and looks around to see if was her. Seeing Arc coming over she sighs and slumps back into her seat, "Yeah, I'm awake." She doesn't look at Shanel but instead at her now cold cup of klah. She sighs again and says almost regretfully, "No, I'm not sick."

Jorina sighs and forces a little tear to trickle down her right cheek. "B-b-but Keris!" She whine- err, cries, soft enough for it not to carry /too/ far around the room. "I don't want my baby to not have a real father. I'm a crafter. Not a weyrperson-type." Ahem. Not that Riina has one or will anytime soon- but Keris doesn't need to know that.

"You might be right." Shanel bites her lower lip, "Probably from swimming in winter." She raises an eyebrow at the denial, glancing back at Archellian, mischief sparkling in her eyes, "Maybe she has a crush."

Her....... "Your what?!" Keris' eye spring to Riina's stomach, as if expecting her to deliver right there in the Harper. "You're going to...?" But if he 'fasted her people'd think it was his, right....? "But I'm not....!" At least he doesn't think so. Maybe that time, when he had too much wine and then... uh. Naw.

Nirra cheeks turn a bright red and she stares at Shanel with wide eyes, "A-a /what/? she stammers.

Jorina looks around for someone to bring her more cider as she lowers her voice to keep the entire hold from hearing. "Don't you remember? When Ali was a Candidate and there was Thread and then the day after was an off day and everyone was at a big crafter picnic and I showed you that cave under the waterfall?" Hmm. More stories. Maybe Riina should've been a Harper, with her flare for making things up.

Archellian peers at Nirra, "you sure you're not sick," he looks her up and down as if he could tell just that way. "You're tired then? You should be in bed if you are. Harper's not a good place to be to sleep." He looks over at Shanel, "hmm but Ista's not cold in winter so swimming shouldn't be that bad. Yeah probably love sickness," he smirks, "Unless she's pregnant, they say all things come in threes and I already met two pregnant starcrafters today," there's logic for you.

The fact that Keris has to think about that one leaves something to be desired of his morals - or lack thereof. "Um.... yes, I remember that. But I certainly don't remember us.. uh." Yikes. He didn't drink that much. Honestly. Whimper.

Shanel snickers, not quit covering the laughter. "A crush, you know," A grin streaches from ear to ear, "on a boy." Looking at first at Archellian and then at Nirra, "No, not pregnant. I'ld know about that." She says, matter of factly.

Jorina sniffs and falls forward dramatically onto the table top. "You don't even remember!" She cries, her voice muffled by her arm. Of course, it could be 'I don't even remember'

Nirra spits out her cold klah and her cheeks go from red to white. "P-p-p," she can't even say it. She's only 12! She truns her wide eyes on Arch.

"She could have a crush on a girl you know," Archellian says ever the contrary one, yes he did spend too much time at the weyr. Poor Arc is awful at judging girls ages, besides it's been a very long day, forgive him for that. "Well okay maybe not pregnant, still.. yeah she probably has a crush if she's not ill." Not even he wanting to think that girls that young would be having babies, even though he knows it happens.

Keris jumps a little in his chair as Riina falls forward. Oh dear Faranth. "Um, are you sure it was me?!" squeaks the journeyman, scooting his chair a little to the left - and away from the dangerous journeywoman. "Um, um. It couldn't have been me. Surely I would've remembered..." Oh, wait. All these people. "Riina, can we go outside? Maybe?"

Shanel laughs out right, unable to hold back any longer. She double over holding her stomach, if only she had a mirror. "Yea," gasping for breathe, "could be on a girl."

Jorina frowns, "It couldn't've been you?" Riina looks up at Keris in bewilderment, eyebrows knit and corners of her mouth turned down in an almost-frown. "Hmm. Maybe that was a dream, then. I have a lot of amazingly real dreams...Still, wouldn't it be fun if we /did/ get 'fasted? I mean, it'd shock the whole craft and maybe all of the island."

Nirra is not happy that the whole conversation seems to be at her expence and her eyes stray back to the mess she's made on the table in front of her. "Well I'm glad you're all having a good time," she mummbles. She really would rather /not/ talk about any crush right now, guy or girl, whichever it may be.

"Ahm..... fun and fun," Keris states, attempting a chuckle, though it comes out rather like a strangled cough. Meep. "Maybe, but um, I don't think Alis... I mean, Ali, would be too pleased," the journeyman says tentatively, not happy to mention that name in the presence of the senior journeywoman.

"Um, sorry," Archellian says immediately to Nirra, he may be mean, he may be cruel but he doesn't go around hurting children for fun, well not usually. "I didn't mean... um, you want more klah?" he asks, always a safe topic of conversation.

Shanel regaining control of herself she reaches an arm around Nirra's shoulder, "I'm sorry." She simply says. "What's wrong then?" Shanel leans her head against Nirra's shoulder, a sort of appolige for ealier.

Jorina sighs as her cider is finally brought and she sips from the glass. "But Ali's a dragonrider now." Is her weak rebuttal. "I mean, she's allowed to have all sorts of men fawning over her, but I'm a crafter. That just doesn't happen." Of course, male crafters can have women all over them. The rules are so different. "And I've never even thought about 'fasting anyone else. Not ever." Oh, poor Riina has showed up again.

Jewel smiles as she walks in, taking a seat in the back of the room in the shadows and leaning back in her chair, she simply decides to listen to those around her for now.

Nirra is glad of the turn of conversation offered by Arch, and smiles weakly at him, "That would be nice." She leans her head on Shanels and decides to take her mind off whatever she's been thinking about, she doesn't like to be the depressed one in a group, draws to much attention.

"You never.... oh," Keris manages to gasp out in between the aftershocks of almost choking. Um. Great. Here he is, with a 'fasting proposal..... "But I still care about Ali," the poor journeyman tries to state again.

Archellian goes and fetches some klah for Nirra, actually he stops, grabs an entire pitcher along with four mugs and dumps them on the table, smiling as Jewel walks near to their secluded corner, "hello, good afternoon, how're you?" he says in a chirpy cheerfullness quite out of character. "Want some klah?" already pouring the other mugs, pushing them towards the girls, before sliding back into his seat.

Jewel smiles and shrugs her shoulders, standing and walking over to join them, giving a polite nod to Jorina and Keris on her way by. "Thank you, Archellian. Much appriciated."

Archellian blinks at Jewel, for the life of him he can't remember ever meeting her then again he has a memory span as short as a rather dim gold fish, especially when it comes to girls. He smiles kinda dumbly at her and pours out a mug of klah pushing it towards you, "you're welcome... um... er..." and he leaves it there, a sort of prompt for her to insert her name.

Jewel laughs softly. "Jewel." she then shrugs. "I was in here the other day when you were talking to... to.. oh my. I can't seem to remember his name..."

Nirra smiles at Arch as he pour her more klah and sips it, "It's warm this time." She grins at her own stupidity and turns to Jewel, "I'm Nirra," she offers.

Jorina sighs, "Yeah, well I like Ali too. But I like you better, right?" She prods, hoping for some response. "And if I'm not 'fasted within the next three months, I'm probably going to end up returning to dad's ship to help out there."

Jewel smiles and bows her head to Nirra. "Well met, Nirra. As I said, I'm Jewel."

Kentin stares in near shock at the crowd in the harper, and decides to not stick around. He nods a hello to everyone, fills his mug with klah, and retreats to the dining hall.

Archellian smiles cheerfully around, he's the center of attention, could he get any happier? No matter if they're all girls, it's still nice to feel loved and adored by the masses. "You're welcome," he smiles at Shanel, the polite answer. He then turns to Jewel, "well met Jewel, that's a pretty name, I'm Archellian," which of course she already knows. "Pleasure to meet you Nirra," not remember if he knows her either, "Arc," there his name supplied in the short form then in case they were in any doubt, "Assistant Steward of this here hold," he preens as he delivers his title. "Hmm the drudges do have a tendency of bringing cold klah, I guess they're getting lazy and slack. Wish someone would bring them back into shape then again not my job."

Shanel pipps up, "I'm Shanel." She takes another sip hiding a smirk at Arc behind the cup.

Nirra shakes her head at Arch but is grinning. "I don't know about the drudges here," she thinks back to one perticular drudge, forgetting his name, "They do seem kinda..." She trails off at a loss for words.

"They're just getting lazy cuz their lord and master has gone," Archellian wrinkles his nose at that, "and Danak's far too busy to well do everything." He grins at Shanel, "well met and all," hand fluttering up to brush his hair from his eyes once again.

Jewel smiles and takes her klah, sipping it softly as she closes her eyes to enjoy the flavor. "Wonderful. Who made this?"

Cute One stretches on his perch and leans over to catch what's going on.

"Well I feteched it," Archellian smiles at Jewel all proud of that fact. "Though I think it's April that actually supervises the whole making of the klah process. Or at least that's what she says. I know for a fact nowhere has as good tasting klah as we have here."

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How Jorina Tried to Hook Keris into a Handfasting