RP Night at the Dragon Spirit Tavern

8/27/2007
 
The early evening crowd in the Tavern is small, but growing, and the hum of conversation holds a fairly contented note. The largest group belongs to Japh and his cronies, monopolizing a corner of the bar with about half a dozen of his cronies. Their conversation is frequently punctuated by bursts of laughter or groans.
 
And how on Pern did Kiala wind up in this place? After her last encounter with alcohol, the last thing the teenager had in mind was to be stuck in a place where the same situation could easily happen. And to make matters worse, she had agreed to come here in the first place! After finishing her round at the Weyr's stables, free time had allowed the other stablehands a chance to get out and have some fun for once. The first thing that had been mentioned was the tavern, and without much protest, here they were. Kiala sat amongst the mostly male group which counted for her line of work, and sipped at her ice water. Nope, no wine tonight..

Tessadan stands behind the bar, holding tablet and stylus against her hip and staring up at the bottles racked on the shelves there. A halfeaten sandwich sits to her left on the countertop; she periodically taps her lips with the writing implement after making a notation.
 
"Awww, what d'ya mean, ya don't know th' answer? Tis' th' oldest un in th' book." Japh looks at one of his friends in dismay. "Y'know, 'wha walks on four legs inna mornin', two in th' afternoon, an' three at night?'. Y'never heard it? Shells, man, where ya been livin'?" The other man makes a shrugging motion, and all swig their drinks.

Kiala slumps forwards in her seat, her head resting on the surface of the table as her workmates chatter on. It's clear they're listening on someone else's conversation, because Kiala can hear whom and what they're discussing exactly. "That's an easy one!" The closest boy hisses to his friend sitting beside the teenage girl, and she heaves another sigh. Rather than joining in a battle of wits, Kiala's decided for now she's going to just remain quiet.
 
Tessadan glances back over her shoulder, her attention drawn to the raucous table as well. Her lower lip pouts out excessively and she rubs a hand over her protrudant belly. Large, dark eyes look over the crowd with an unhidden degree of sadness, touching extra long on Kiala - the only other quiet person there, it seems.

Japh stands, his mug in one hand as he gestures with the other. "C'mon then, ev'rybody! Who kin' tell Gensher 'ere what th' answer ta that 'un is? Don't be shy!" The normally taciturn handyman's cheeks are bright red, and his eyes sparkling with unaccustomed vivality. Apparently that mug is not the first of the night.
 
Typical of most younger lads, Kiala's table remains near-enough silent. Clearly none of them are eager to speak the answer in fear of the older man. Giving up on her workmates as a bad job, the girl raises her head to Japh, and sighs. "Four refers to Man when he is an infant, crawling along the ground. The second is man when he is an adult, in the prime of his life. The third is an elderly man using a stick to help him walk.. The evening indicates the end of his life approaching." Not too much like some boring textbook definition, she hopes. Slumping her head back down, Kiala falls silent again.

Tessadan finds a smile on her face as she listens to Kiala's response, her back straightening as if she herself were out there giving the answer. But a nudge from the bartender reminds her of the task at hand. She turns back to tallying stores with some reluctance, continually glancing over at Kiala.

"Brilliant! Perfect! 'Zactly right!" Japh shouts each word louder than the last, his free hand jabbing across the room towards Kiala. He turns a scornful eye on his companions, and the boys from the stables. "Tcha, all ye men sittin' 'round here, talkin' like ya know ev'rythin', an' that wee snip of a girl showed yas all up! Ya ought t'be 'shamed o' yerselfs. Really." Scowling one last time at the ineffectual men around him, he looks around the tavern again. "Right. Now, who's got another 'un?"
 
Kiala smiles to herself. Ha. That's payback for spreading rumours. Still, she can't help but resist raising her face once more to watch the rather entertaining Japh. Perhaps he was one of the ones who hadn't figured out who she was just yet. Splendid! "Pfft, drunkard! I could out-smart ya' anyday!" Announces one of the lads who had been silent up to this point. Kiala groans and hides her head once more. How more embarrassing could this be for her, to be stuck amongst a group of headstrong weyrbrats who thought they knew everything? "What's gotta be broken before it can be used?" The boy continues, clearly believing that his riddle would catch the man off-guard.
 
At the rate Tessadan is going, it'll take her all night to finish counting up bottles and plates and Faranth knows what else. She keeps pausing every few moments, darting her glance at the crowd, paying particular attention to the byplay happening between the group of older men and the stablehands. The barkeep has gotten interested, too, and thus spends less time prodding her into work.

Japh snorts loudly. "Faugh! Yer riddle stinks worsen' you do, stablehand!" He makes a snow of pinching his nose shut, though he has to release it in order to take another gulp of his ale. "Th' answer," he says slowly, drawing it out, "is... a runner! Ya can't use a green runner to do a broke 'un's job. Tho' I s'pose tis' th' same fer any work-beast..." A frown forms as he contemplates the variations to his answer.
 
It doesn't take much to offend the young lad, and he's on his feet in an instant. "Say that again, drunkard!" He makes a motion to head for Japh, but he's pulled back to his seat by a rather irritated Kiala. She mutters something in his ear, and the boy grins mischieviously. "How 'bout an egg then!? You can't cook no wherry egg unless you break it first!" It's obvious now that the lad had no idea what the answer was either until now, and both possibilities were good. Kiala takes a sip from her drink and glances around the Tavern for someone who wasn't involved in the battle of wits. Sure enough, her gaze is first to land on Tessadan's unfamiliar appearance.

Tessadan is just at that moment paying close attention to the battle. Or at least she's staring at the boy and Japh intently, all the while shaking her head from side to side. Her lips move, but whatever sound comes out is dulled by the loudness of the crowd. She glances at Kiala again as if by reflex, and drops her eyes when she sees the attention focused on her.
 
Japh seems to think that the stable lad's anger is very funny, because he starts laughing so hard he doubles over. Good thing that mug is now empty. "Best stick to manure an' not thinkin'!" suggests the older man when he can talk again. "Ain't ya ever eaten a boiled egg, then? Ya can't break 'em ta cook 'em, they gotta be whole." But in an abrupt shift of magnanimity, he waves a consoling hand. "But it were a good riddle anyhow. Anyone else got 'un? Riddles?"

Even if not directed at her, Kiala can't seem to help but feel a tad' upset. Sticking to manure instead of thinking? Maybe that's all the good would ever actually come of any of her group sitting at the table tonight. Whilst the three other lads accompanying her take to their beverages, Kiala simply stares at the bottom of her now-empty glass. It takes a minute to register that she's in need of another. Excusing herself from her colleagues, Kiala takes herself up to the bar and orders another ice water, listening on any other riddles people have in mind to test Japh with.
 
The bartender is busy on the other side of the Tavern, chatting with some regulars. Tessadan waves her hand at him as Kiala approaches, but when he fails to notice she swallows hard and faces the older girl herself. "Can I help you?" Her voice is very soft and timid, at odds with her appearance if not her body language.

"Oi! Yeah, you in th' corner. Whassyer riddle?" Japh's speech is starting to suffer a bit, since he's started on a new ale. It looks like he has them lined up on the table, in fact. "Whassat? Oh. 'What is so delicate that when ya speak its name, ya break it?' Oh. 'ssa good 'un. Lemme think."

Kiala is surprised to hear Tessaden answer her request rather than the bartend, so she casually makes a habit of checking that the bartender was indeed occupied before finally turning to the other girl. "Uh.. Just an ice water for me, thanks." Trying her hardest not to stare, Kiala leans back against the bar and listens in on Japh further, wondering if his drunk state can provide him with an answer to this riddle.

Tessadan bobs her head, the motion putting her actually at eye level with Kiala for a second, though she doesn't actually meet Kiala's eyes. "Yes'm," her soft reply, and she takes the glass to slide a few ice chips into it and pour in some fresh, chilled well water. When she slides the glass across the bar, her lips move again, and there's a quiet mutter to be heard. Sounds like "silence."

"Breaks if ya speak its name. Breaks if ya spea... well, crackdust." Japh grins very ruefully, rubbing a hand over the crown of his head. "I dunno what it could be. I don't know nothin' so delicate that it breaks when ya say it--" His tawny eyes go wide. "Breaks when ya say it -- it's silence! Ooh, that's a /real/ good 'un, it is! Barkeep, give tha' man a beer, on me!"

Kiala sighs. Why hadn't she thought of that? Watching as the barkeep served the man a beer as prompted, Kiala glanced over to her table to ensure her friends were still being kept in order. Sure enough they were, and all the more relieving it was for the stablegirl. No more embarrassments for the night! "Thanks." The teenager muttered to Tessa', before picking her way back along to her table.

Tessadan calls a belated, "You're welcome," after Kiala, but it's too late and probably too quiet to be heard anyway. Sighing at what could be nothing but herself, she returns to her doldrums and tallymarks, lips moving the entire time as she mutters under her breath.

A man from his table reaches up to tug Japh's sleeve. It's not a light pull, and he's none too steady on his feet already, and so there's a moment where he nearly tumbles onto the table itself. This encourages him to sit down once more, although he still raises his voice. "How 'bout another? An ale fer th' next good riddle!"
 
Not too interested in the ale part, although not really listening to that part anyway, Kiala pauses in her tracks midway past Japh's table, peering at him curiously. Her actions don't go unnoticed by her fellow workmates, and one of them shouts something to her, although his speech is slurred with the ale. "Alright then." Taking a quick sip from her drink, Kiala lets her mind wander to some of the oldest riddles she can remember. "Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me, When I have flown. What am I?"
 
Finally. Done. Tessadan shoves the list under the bartop for later and leans over, propping her elbows on the bar and her chin in her hands to watch avidly. The barkeep is not pleased. "Here, you girl. Get your broad backside out of here - I haven't room to work." The chiding sends her straight and shuffling away, head down.

"Coooooeee. Well. Measurin's what I does best, smart girl," Japh drawls at Kiala, although he is clearly not mocking her - she still has his respect from the first round.  "Ain't nothin' known til' it's measured, so that's a bit of a bum line. But what d'we measure that flies?" The man next to him looks suddenly brilliant: "Oh, I knows! I knows! It's a dragon!" Japh scowls. "No, you wherryhead."

Kiala grins. "Ever heard of the phrase 'Time flies when you're having fun'?" She takes a seat opposite Japh, draining another mouthful from her glass again. "It's time." Dropping her glass back onto the table, Kiala makes herself comfortable and stretches out. Clearly she's up for a bit of a challenge now, since Japh seems to be challenging her.
 
Tessadan finds a seat in a distant corner and sets herself up for some listening.
 
Japh leans forward with intrigue in his eyes, putting an elbow on the table. "Aye, 'tis time. Pay no 'tention to my lackbrain friend here. He don't know his arse from 'is ears." Sober Japh would never, ever use that kind of language in front of a woman, let alone a girl. But then, Sober Japh isn't home right now. "How 'bout this: forward I be heavy, backward I are not. What am I?"

Kiala leans forwards too, obviously in a thinking manner, as her chin rests on her clenched fist. At first she smirks. "I'm guessing you don't know your backside from your ears either; where's my ale?" Always wanting to see a bargain through, is Kiala. Even if she's not of age to drink, the teenager knows what she wants. "Bring me the drink, and I'll give you an answer."
Japh's jaw drops.
 
Japh says, "An ale? I... well, I can't go givin' ya an ale! T'ain't allowed! Yer too young, fer one, and ya ain't from th' Hold, e'en. What's a girl like you want an ale fer, anyhow? That what they teach ya down at th' Weyr?" His gaze hardens as he stares at Kiala. "Ta be drunk an' loose all th' time, makin' it with whoever ya want wit' no care ta th' consequences? An ale! Fer shame, girlie." He snorts. "Next you'll be askin' me fer a piece o' meat, too."

Kiala seems taken aback. "I'm Hold-bred, actually. And I know my limits too." The girl brushes her hair away from her face, pondering on his lecture. To be honest, she'd only ever been drunk once, and that didn't have such a bad effect at all! Changing the topic, Kiala continues. "The answer to your riddle lies in a measurement of weight, to the reverse of the word 'Not'. It's a ton, easy." Hardly phased by his snort, the girl states her next demand. "Can I have this piece of meat now then?"
 
Japh's jaw drops, again. He just stares at Kiala for a long moment, and then bursts into loud guffaws. He's laughing so hard he just might not recover. It looks like he's going to fall off of his chair, in fact. The men around him are laughing pretty heartily, too, grinning at each other and nudging ribs with elbows as they look at Kiala in a way that's just not quite polite.

It's easy to tell when she's disturbed by something, and the laughter Japh's giving is all too evidently freaking Kiala out. Shaking her head, she sighs. "An ale would be better for me, no? Maybe some water for you." She's not going to dismiss the looks either, and her glare in reply is suited to fit any angry Weyrwoman. "I wouldn't get any ideas.. I'm not as helpless as I look." Even if she's making more of a fool of herself, Kiala's not going to take their fun-making lying down. She calls for the bartender to bring the water, which she would love to splash in someone's laughing face at the moment.
 
Japh struggles to get himself under control. Fortunately, the laughing seems to have a salubrious effect on his drunkenness. "Water's a good idea, lass, thank ya kindly," he manages, gasping for breath as he rights himself in his chair. "We meant no offense, I swear to ya. But th' way ya reacted, well, we just couldn't hold it in. An' ya can't blame us, for what's a nice Holdbred lass like ya doin' over at that Weyr? Someone's bound ta find out how helpless ya are there, whether ya like or not."
 
Kiala rolls her eyes as a tray containing all the glasses of water needed are placed on the table in front of the men. Kiala takes note that her companions are leaving, and she waves to them, absent-minded to how she's going to get back safe to the Weyr tonight. "I'm at the Weyr because I want independance. I'm not going to sit around and be married off by my parents into the life of a mother or drudge!" Her mini-lecture leaves the girl's face flushed bright red, but she lowers her gaze, drinking from her glass to sustain herself.
 
Japh snorts, taking a deep gulp of water before he says, "So you're gonna sit 'round an' play wit' unscrupulous riders all day instead? Mark my words, girl, hangin with those roustabouts all day won't get ya anywhere but right where ya don't want t'be - pregnant an' slavin' away. Only ya won't have a husband around ta help out - no, they just play with ya an' drop ya, dragonriders. 'Less they're the unnatural ones - those that love th' same gender. An' that's even worse."

Shaking her head, Kiala rests her glass down once more. "I don't play with riders all day. I spend near enough all my time working at the stables, and I rarely meet like this with anyone else! And believe me, if I don't want no kids, I shan't have any." Nor does she want a husband. Not at the moment anyway, with her independance reaching new levels. A husband would drag down her dreams, after all! "I have hopes of being a rider, if I ever got the chance." The girl finally murmurs,  looking at her hands rather than Japh. "And if I don't get the oppertunity, I can stay where I am. I'm happy enough as I am."
 
"Well," admits Japh kindly, looking a touch surprised in spite of himself, "ye do sound very sure o' yerself, an' that's a start. I thank ya fer the good riddlin' - ye've got a good head on yer shoulders. T'was a pleasure ta be talking to ya. If ya need a friendly body 'bout the Hold, just ask fer me - Japh." He extends his work-hardened hand.

Kiala takes the hand and shakes it enthusiastically. She's glad to have impressed Japh as such, and she doesn't hesitate in cracking another small joke. "So, if I ask for you, do I still get my piece of meat?" She gives a friendly winking gesture. "Don't hesitate to call on me if you need someone to clean for you. I'm usually good at that sort of thing. Name's Kiala. " She shakes his hand firmly.
 
"Only if yer lookin' for a husband an' a family," states the handyman firmly. "Which, might I remind ya, is yer duty to help rebuild Pern." As their hands clasp, he looks at her closely. "Kiala, ya say? Ain't we met once, down at th' Weyr? In the Kitchens, like."

It takes a moment to realise, but sure enough, Japh's face is recognisable. "Oh! I thought your name sounded familiar! It's been such a long time!" Silly girl. How could she have not recognised him before this? "It's nice to see you, Japh.. And I'm afraid I will have to turn down the husband offer, I'm not gonna start rebuilding pern just yet."

Japh lifts and drops a shoulder. "S'aright. Yer a bit young fer me tastes, anyhow. Do come out an' visit again sometime, lass? Yer a sharp head t' have around, an' ya got a good sense a humor. When those weyrfolk get ta be too much, wander on down here. Now I'd best get meself t' bed. Tomorrow mornin' comes early enough."