Who

Drex, Sorvani

What

With the ongoing beer shortage there isn't much else to do at The Tipsy Kitten other than philosophize.

When

It is evening of the first day of the second month of the tenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

The Tipsy Kitten, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 01 Feb 2017 11:00

 

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"Change doesn't come from a cage."


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The Tipsy Kitten

Here there be drunkards: a marble bar and the gorgeous array of colored bottles behind it would be enough to draw them in, but more yet lures those to enjoy the recreation the Kitten has to offer. Windows allow light to naturally illuminate the first floor of the tavern in the daytime, while green-tinted glows shine after nightfall. A door behind the bar leads to the tiny kitchen, while a stairway leads above to the rooms available for rent. Among the hubbub and the ruckus, a calamity of tables scatter through the open space, plenty enough for dragonpoker tournaments on restday eve.


The Tipsy Kitten is rather … empty … . with no alcohol around, why would people go to a bar other than to complain and order water? The few filled tables are sullen and quiet, the pleasant buzz of tipsy talk is non-existent, even the lights seem lower than usual. A bar without alcohol is a sad place indeed. However, one bartender is taking full advantage of the situation. A table is flipped upside down, legs in the air and here Drex kneels with a hammer, tapping in a nail here, and here, wiggle the leg, maybe another nail, yes, fixing.

The Tipsy Kitten is empty of beer. Not alcohol, and Sorvani is doing her damndest to keep the paltry patrons pretending that they are happy about the alternatives. "It's wine! And juice! It's all the rage in Ista. Very refreshing." She nods her head brightly at the tableful of weyrfolk who were unable to manage a lift on the many dragons heading elsewhere in Pern where the beer is free-flowing. "Try it! You might like it!" She leaves the pitcher and some novelty glasses on the table and turns around completely, the bright expression falling from her face as she makes rude gestures where the table-people can't see. Given that she's already circulated her sangria around the bar, she's left with little else to do but wander closer to Drex. "They might drink it if you weren't making so much noise." She points out with real pleasantry, not that fake stuff she was using on the others.

"They might drink if the stuff you were serving them was half-way decent." The words are not polite, but the tone is almost teasing. Drex sits back on his heels and tosses Sorvani a smirk, "But the brewers seem to be on vacation, so sit down and let them gripe. It's not going to change things if you keep fluttering around like that. They won't like it and they already know it." The hammer is waved at her slightly, "Good show though, kudos for the effort." Drex couldn't quite bring himself to try to convince the Kitten's current patrons that Yes, they really Did want some of this beer. Nope, He didn't want any of this beer and telling someone else they wanted it was just silly. Whatever ice had been between them in weeks previous is more or less nonexistent for Drex, his manner is easy and relaxed, words only half serious.

It's NOT beer, its SANGRIA which is problematic because it's Spanish. "It doesn't taste all that bad. It would taste better if we had some of that Lemosan sparkling wine." Her tone is speculative, and she'll just chew on her lower lip for a moment. But Drex also instructed her to sit, which she will…because she likes sitting, and there is very little to do at the moment any way. Taking her own glass of sangria she sips from it thoughtfully for a moment before addressing the other parts of the conversation. "The brewer's aren't on break. Blackrock is screwing around with the tithes." Even she knows that, but she tends to eavesdrop on all the pertinent knowledge. "I'm a bloody good barmaid." She accepts the compliment, with a tip of her glass and humble expression.

No wonder these people don't want any, sangria sounds like a name or a person not a drink. Who would drink a person-named beverage with a clear conscience? "If that doesn't taste bad, you have disappointingly bad taste in liquor." Hmmm, need more nails. "Hey now, don't be saying bad things about Black Rock, they aren't messing things up on purpose, losing all those ships kinda puts a dent in one's livelihood when one's livelihood floats." Because Burning Ships is Still Immoral in Drex's head. Burning Ships was Wrong. Even as a pirate he didn't do that sort of thing because it was Wrong. "And yes, you are a bloody good barmaid despite your regrettable taste in beer." He shifts back again, selecting another few nails and tapped another in.

"Not beer." Sorvani will just mutter that under her breath, taking a moment to glare at the former-pirate. "Wine-juice!" Her new made-up name for her invention gets her expression to brighten once more. "All those pirate ships?" She asks pointedly, tapping a finger against her glass. It is too early in the evening for her to be hitting the hard stuff so this is her only alternative. "I get that you're still loyal…but come on." Her face folds into a disbelieving expression. "Not on purpose!" She snorts. "You know, and I know that is not true Drex." C'mon you can be truthful with her! She's a sweetheart. He appears to have things with the table well under control, so she'll just happily sit there, awaiting his answer with a pleasant listening expression on her face.

Drex snorts, "Wine-Juice?" Who on Pern wanted wine-juice? "Gotta be pretty desperate to pay for something like Wine-Juice, sweetie." At Sorvani's emphasis on the word Pirate, Drex snickers and straightens to grin at her, "You don't seriously think everyone in Black Rock is a pirate, do you? And yes, I do have to be loyal! After all, where is it I'm going when I get kicked out or anywhere? Home~" Black Rock was the home to a small shack that served as dwelling to a whole gaggle of red-heads related to Drex. Familial obligation said Black Rock is Good and Home, but stopped short of actually writing home. After all, he wasn't their problem at the moment, so they were all good. "I can't possibly agree with you as to if it is on purpose or not, but I must insist it isn't~" The light note to his tone might suggest that the whole Liquor-crisis was all a bit of a joke to him and while it might mean a lot of unhappy patrons, it meant he could fix tables.

Sorvani grins. "I wasn't joking about how popular it is in Ista you realise." Istans pay good money for wine-juice. "And yes. everyone. Including the babies. ESPECIALLY the babies." Her tone makes is kind of curious as to whether or not she is serious (completely, baby-pirates are the worst). "Kicked out? I thought you were going to the mines?" Because he's got all those charges and stuff…which reminds her. "How are the guards treating you?" Because he is currently a guest of the weyr's finest right? "You can insist. It just makes you look like an idiot~." And this is when she busts out the high-voltage beam. SHE IS VERY VERY INNOCENT.

Drex snickers, "Oh really? Wine-juice? I didn't know Ista had a thing for drunk children!" Two can play the innocent game and as Drex stands and starts to flip the table over, he offers Sorvani another smile, "Maybe Ista should start hiring some of Black Rock's brewers~" There is a grunt and a heave, the table is flipped with an air of caution and settled neatly down. A shake, no wobble!!! Win!!! "Who knows? Turnfy told me the other day he thinks he can ensure no mines. Apparently only one charge doesn't equate to mines?" Drex shrugs slightly; he didn't understand half the things Turnfy wanted him to do, "The guards? Mild actually." A thumb is jerked toward the corner, the two shadows for the night were stationed by the bar and out of the way, "I finally got some not-jackasses! Maybe luck exists?"

"Luck?" Sorvani is just going to question that with a quirked brow before shaking her head. The rapport they were sharing fading somewhat. "Of course it was luck." Her voice flattens, but otherwise she's just going to let the matter drop. Folding one leg over the other she sips from her glass once more. "No. Everyone in Blackrock is a pirate." Duh. Although that may have been confusing in her speed to get multiple points across. "Why'd you want to go back?" Seeing as you know, even the babies are pirates.

Drex shrugs at the luck, offers a half smile, then he too lets it drop. "Awe, everyone in Black Rock is a pirate? Wow, talented Hold! Why would I not want to go back?" Apart from the smallness of his family’s home, the abundance of children, and the expectation of him to interact with said children. Yeah? Why would he want to go back? It was just family. Just A Lot of Family. "It's nice this time of year~ Best ale, best sights, you know Maybe if there were more ships, Black Rock could dip into the Tourist Industry." Because Pern totally has one of those. "I'm sure the taverns would love it~"

Sorvani leans back on her seat, that one dangling leg twitching ever so slightly. "Is this what you are normally like? When you're in a good mood?" Her eyes dart towards the two guards, and her mouth straightens into a line. "It was a serious question." Which Sorvani does do on occasion. "I've never been." And she doesn't sound particularly like she wants to change that either. "But I highly doubt that. I've been in pubs that survived the comets." Now those are impressive taverns. "And the best ale comes from Telgar." With its wheaten plains of deliciousness.

Drex laughs, a rag is snatched off of the bar and thrown at her, "Is this what I'm like? Normally?" his grin grows, the nails are collected together and the next item to be fixed is brought over, a rickety chair with a missing arm-rest. "Sure, I suppose so." What was normal? Living in the brig? Drex liked to think of himself as a pretty reasonable guy, but convincing other people of that was hard when one possessed a temper and too many mental boxes to shove people into. "You should come visit~ I know that Telgar's ale would shrivel next to Black Rock's finest and I do happen to know a brown rider who likes the stuff." Because A'hali did have good taste in liquor! "I do happen to have an intimate knowledge of the place and could show you two around?" It's an offer, tone too candy-sweet to be serious, but an offer non-the-less.

"You've not tasted Telgar's ale." Sorvani points out even as her expression turns speculative. "I think I liked you better before." You know when she was avoiding him and stuff~. He certainly was quieter. "Somehow, I doubt that that brownrider you know would let me visit Blackrock. Even if the ale is one he prefers." But then again, A'hali did invite a pirate to live on the couch - so she could be wrong. "Why can no-one ever sit still?" She asks as she continues to watch him putter around. Oh, and then she'll pipe up. "Speaking of that brownrider. Don't touch the back storeroom okay?" Will that work? She doesn't know, but she's willing to try it.

Drex smirks again, and shrugs, "Sorry sweetheart, if you're going to not like me, you'd better get back to avoiding because I intend to spend a lot of time not sitting still and hanging out around here." After all, his days were limited. Trial Day might be Good-Bye. "I come here so I don't have to sit still." He did have a cell he could go sit in all he wanted. "He'd let you. Why not? He's the reasonable sort. And what of the storeroom?" He nods toward his guards as another set of nails are selected. "I don't think I'll be getting back to the weyr any time soon, they don't like it."

Sorvani sighs. One day she'll meet another soul who could just sit and not do all the things. ONE DAY. "The trial is soon isn't it?" She recognises some of his brightness for what it is. "I thought you said that Turnfy guy was good." Or Turnfy did when she visited him, she doesn't recall. "Yet you can't stir yourself to try and get some profits into this place?" She holds up her glass of perfectly good sangria. Nobody wants it :( Not even her, as she finally stands to make her way behind the bar. "And, one of Hal's other strays found a home there. I don't want it disturbed." There are other reasons as well, but concern for that lizard compels her to say something.

The word Trial and Suddenly Drex is brighter, maybe the smile looking forced this time, "Soon actually! Turnfy is excited about!" Drex is not, but he's not about to admit that. "He's very good! One of the best apparently! I couldn't share with Luciana, but he's second best? I don't know, but it is soon." The chair leg is secured and set down again to look at, hm, not quite level, "Oh well it's complicated." And he's going to leave it at that, "Okay, I'll stay out although Storerooms are for Storing." Not that Drex is storing anything in them, but someone might be and need use of the place.

Sorvani points a finger at the ever-brightening former-pirate. "Don't play cards." It's a friendly enough piece of advice, completely unrelated to the run of babble he just unleashed upon her. Seeing as Drex is running around fixing furniture and not drinks, everything is in their proper non-Drex place, which makes her happy as she mixes herself something a little more appealing than wine-juice. "It still works as a storeroom. There's just a little lizard in there to eat the spinners." Her expression softens, and her smile turns sweeter - which she is quick to hide behind the sipping of her glass.

"I do avoid cards these days." Although common sense says he wouldn't if he had anything to gamble. Gambling addiction was unhealthy, but difficult to maintain when living in a brig and working for free. "But I will keep it in mind." The shelves are surely the next order of business, but still, there were chairs and tables to fix while they were not in use, therefore taking priority in Drex's world. "Ah, I didn't know the little beasts ate spinners." He wasn't a fan of Firelizards, not seeing the point of them, "But if people want to pick their pests, so be it."

Sorvani shakes her head. "Not a firelizard. A lizard lizard." Or the Pernese equivalent thereof. "And it's A'hali's." It just lives in that dusty ick storeroom, and sometimes Sorvani leaves it water. "So you think it's a pest." She'll just ask him with a cocked head. "And those creatures in A'hali's cages? Did you think they were pests too?" Not that the cages have anything in them now :(

"Like an actual lizard?" That gives him pause and he's turning this over in his head. Of course it's A'hali's. Who else would think pirates and lizards were useful? "Hm? Pests? By definition, a pest is any unwanted thing, the things in the cages were there for a reason and therefore wanted." This is stated matter-of factly. Drex's world order may not always make sense, but there we go. "For most other people, such creatures in a home would not be in a cage and would be a nuisance and therefore a pest. It depends on the situation." Hm. "People are kind of like that too." Again, the words are not harsh, simple truth from Drex-World-View, which may not actually be the world anyone else lives on.

Sorvani is just going to ponder what Drex has said carefully. Taking a moment to sip from her glass. "Not all of A'hali's rescues live in cages, and the cages are only temporary at best." Her tone is gentle. "They were in the cages to heal; he releases them once they have." Now she will hold up a finger. "I am not one of his rescues." She smiles sweetly again. "If you're really serious about changing, perhaps consider pests from A'hali's point of view." Which is almost the complete opposite to the pirates. Is she being philosophical? Or just telling it like it is? Her tone and expression aren't really giving away a lot.

Drex glances at her blankly, "Pests are the unwanted. When something moves from unwanted to wanted, it's not a pest anymore." A frown flickers across his face and he rocks back to his heels, "Tell me, if you are a rescue, and the cages are for healing, what is it I am? I do happen to live in a cage and I can't say it's done much for my head. Change doesn't come from a cage." Of course, his situation and A'hali's rescues were very different, but the metaphor still stood.

Sorvani shakes her head. "But I am not a rescue." That is her point. "Look. Drex. I'm not attacking you. I'm just trying to see what your intentions are towards someone I care about very deeply. When you start talking about pests the way you do, it concerns me. Or have you forgotten the other night?" Because Sorvani sure hasn't. "And I'd say it depends on the cage." There is a wry tilt to her head. "I shouldn't drink this stuff. It makes me ramble."

"When things move from wanted to unwanted, it makes it a pest as well, doesn't it?" His words are flat, eyes meeting Sorvani's. "I am unwanted a lot Sorvani and I live in a cage." There is no bite to his words, but the tension is back, "What ever happened the other night is just further proof. I have no intentions beyond my Trial, you asked me to talk to him and I did. Not in the way I'd hoped, but I tried." His attention turns back to the chair, not about to comment on her rambling.

"He still wants to help you. Does that mean you're still unwanted?" Sorvani points out, her own expression passing through regret briefly. "I am sorry you are in your current situation." Her lips twitch slightly, unlike her mate - Sorvani isn't taking a giants share of the guilt. "It was bad timing. You couldn't have known. He lost two wingmates that 'Fall." She shrugs, pulling her lips into a hurt little line. "I appreciate you trying." And with that she finishes up her drink. "I don't think we're getting any more in tonight." Even the handful of patrons that remain look kind of depressed, and tired. A sure sign that they'll be heading home soon. "Do you mind if I take off?" There is another sweet smile, and a hint of a wink. "It might be nice to give him a pleasant surprise for once."

Drex is quiet, he hadn't heard about the fall-deaths until the following day, he hadn't known they were wingmates of A'hali's. "Hm. Why does everyone apologize about it? Empathy doesn't do me much good." Again, the words are flat, question rhetorical. His attention turns to the bar around them and he nods, "Yeah, I can close up." A smile again plays on his lips, "Order than man some decent ale." He stands, tools collected, the chair dealt with for now, "Get gone lady, the night is wasting!"

Sorvani giggles. "A'hali doesn't know there is a beer shortage." She calls over her shoulder, presumably she's laid plenty enough away for the large brownrider. "And thank you!" Her head pops back over the swinging door. And then she is gone. She doesn't need to be told twice.

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