An Interesting Conversation
Monday, October 14, 2002, 9:27 PM
[ MurderTP Main ]
Harper
Lounge
A few chairs are scattered at odd intervals around this room, mostly
soft, comfortable armchairs, with a few wooden ones off against the walls. The
center of the area holds a cluster of sofas, arranged with a carefully sculpted
haphazard appearance around a low wooden table. The glowlight shines off
somewhat uneven walls, which sparkle with bits of bright mineral. A table
against the wall holds some bottles of various beverages and a few trays of neat
snacks. Doors leading off the room lead to various harper private residences.
Observing from the mantlepiece are two firelizards.
You see Samantha here.
Jueann and Mimi are here.
Obvious exits:
Balcony Hallway, Rooms
Jueann is sitting on a cushion fanning herself, little more flustered and a little flushed.
Liesana is looking cool as a cucumber, or a more Pernese vegetable, if cucumbers are lacking. In any case, she slides into the lounge with her usual careless grace, settling on a nearby couch with a casual flop, and a quick placement of her feet on one of the conversation tables. "Hullo there, Jue," she greets as she pulls a small book from her bag. "How does the day find you?"
Mimi peeks into the Harper Lounge - yes, that's right. Harper lounge, not Dormitory Lounge - to see who's around before taking the few steps to flop onto a sofa. "Hey Master Ju. How's it going?" Mimi is just taking the moment to wander around and catch up on any of the latest gossip. A wivvle - it's more wivvly that wiggly - of her fingers to Liesana, "Afternoon."
Jueann is faning herself, "Is it hot in here or is it me?" She sits up, unlacing her bodice a bit.
Christatha walks in from the Balcony Hallway.
Liesana tilts her head curiously Jueann-wards, and lifts a finger as if testing the air in the room. "I'm actually somewhat chilled, myself..." she admits. "Of course, that's likely because I'm simply too thin, rather than any lack of warmth in the room. What about you, Mimi?" she asks the apprentice, by way of drawing her in.
Mimi snorts slightly and holds out a rather skinny arm towards Liesana, "If you're thin, then I'm nonexistant!" she claims with a small shrug. "I'm...comfortable, I guess? It's just fine." Blinks go to the masters, "It's a pretty nice day out, really. I was just wandering around the courtyard. Had to chat with my stables source for the latest news."
Jueann sighs, fanning herself. "I'm roasting to death." she mutters, but hearing Mimi, "What news?" she straighten her bodice but doesnt' re lace.
Christatha meanders into the room, carrying a slim volume and a writing implement; what she intends to do with either of these items is unclear, for as the slim girl perches on the edge of a seat, crossing her ankles with some pretense of elegance, she shows little signs of using the one on the other. Instead, she sits with her slender back held erect as a tree-trunk, her arms folded around the thin book and her fingers clasped around the pen in her lap.
Liesana blinks suddenly, the young master glancing about the room a couple of times with a comically puzzled look. "Great skies, where's Mimi? Nonexistant, that's what..." She lets the levity drop, along with the book in her hands, as she lets her gaze settle curiously on Jueann for a long moment. She says nothing, however, and soon changes to another topic of conversation. "A stables source, hmmm? Anything interesting...? Oh, hello there, new apprentice?" This to Christatha, apparently.
Mimi flutters a hand through the air as she slowly slips off the side of the couch until she's pretty much hanging her head off the edge. "Oh, the usual. He's a boy, she's a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? He was a 'hand, she was a healer...What more can I say? He wanted her, and she'd never tell, but secretly she wanted him as well. But all of her friends stuck up their nose." A slow nod,"They had a problem with his patchy clothes." A small shrug and a blink at the unfamiliar entering apprentice, then a wave,"Hello there," and back to the others,"So...Yeah. Just the usual gossip."
Jueann hmmms softly, fanning herself. "Well.... That's the usual gossip. But any news about Andron? or Natch?" She pauses, "Or about me? It's all I need is for another report make it back to Oriana."
Christatha's large eyes flick almost nervously to Liesana, as though the little blonde is unsure what to expect. Thus far, everyone's been fairly friendly, although more garrulous than she is used to. "Good day," she says, her soprano voice soft. "Yes, I'm new ... I'm Christatha."
"Ah, come now Jueann," notes Liesana with an easy smile. "Who's going to be passing along gossip of /that/ caliber to Mimi? Love's a far hotter topic, after all." she sums up, idly tracing the gold leafwork on the cover of her book with one finger. "I've heard the odd stirring myself, which I'll pass on to you in more sensitive hearing. So, how are you liking Ista then, Christatha? I'm Liesana, by the way. Master of Law, Archive, and liason to Smith Hall. Kindly don't call me by my title, though."
Mimi shakes her head, or as well as she can while hanging upsidedown. "Oh, nothing that I've heard." A waggle of an eyebrow,"Should there be? You getting into trouble again, Master Ju?" A teasing giggle accompanies the question and she turns on the new apprentice. "Enjoying the hall so far then, Chrissy? I'm Mimi, senior appy and your resident gossip," as if it wasn't obvious already. A raised eyebrow to Liesana,"What, you think I don't get important stuff?" A secretive giggle,"I have quite a bit inside information in the going ons of the higher ups. But for now, I've not got a lot."
Jueann smiles at the new apprentice, "I interviewed this young lady myself. I've very impressed with her. I have high hopes for her." She looks over at Liesana and shrugs at the young master. "Now don't let Liesana bore you too much with her reference work."
Christatha's soft mouth twitches into a brief smile. "It's certainly warm," she answers Liesana. Hmm. Masters around here seem to want to avoid being called by their titles, this is the second one to say that since she's got here. Or is it the third? Then she blinks at Mimi. "Chrissy?" An expressive eyebrow quirks upwards. "Chris, yes. Christatha, of course ... Tatha I can handle. But Chrissy?" Then, a rosy flush touches the girl's freckled ivory cheeks. "Thank you, Master ... I hope to live up to them," she offers, a touch nervously.
"I resent that remark, Jue," notes Liesana with a smirk that shows she likely doesn't much at all. "I haven't had a single student fall asleep in my classes for over three months now. And my slingshot has nothing to do with it, I assure you..." she drawls, before letting her gaze settle back on Christatha. "Master Liesana of Smith Hall is a mouthful, you see." she explains, noting some quality of the smile. "But that's rare praise from Jueann you've got there... I might have to see for myself what's got her so rosy about you..." Mimi is just treated to a rather unmasterly crinkling of her nose. "Just as long as you don't /trade/ for your information about /my/ doings."
Mimi casts her eyes up towards the ceiling, which isn't too tough, considering she's upsidedown. "Oh I would never do thaaaat..." And after a short pause she adds more quietly, "Often." Innocent smile. Time for a subject change. "So, Chrissy, what're you into? Dance at all?" Oh the poor girl. Miz is going to stick with Chrissy for ever now. Oh well.
Jueann chuckles softly, "now Liesana. We all know how dry Law can be. I remember when I had to sit through them when I was an apprentice." Looking at Mimi, "Why are you upside down?"
Christatha gives Liesana a mildly worried smile. "I'll do what I can," she says. Then the slim girl-child stares at Mimi for a moment, something cool in gray-blue eyes, before she shakes her head almost imperceptibly: people will be people ... "I don't dance," she answers softly. Regardless of the fact that this isn't an answer to the entirety of the question ... "Nor is my name Chrissy."
Liesana shakes her head. "Law," she notes. "Is only as dry as the person teaching it. It's just that the most brilliant legists generally couldn't teach an interesting class to save their collective lives. Mimi, what did you think of that cross-exam class?" she asks, seemingly unwilling to concede even in a playful argument. Christatha's flash of quiet spirit is awarded nothing more or less than a slyly amused grin.
Mimi snickers with a slightly evil tone, "Oh you will by the time I get through with you." Which is why she has her classes for those who are Chronically Inept at Dancing. Anyways. An eyebrow arches at the retort, "You're good. Very well then, Chris." Miz gives credit where credit is due. A small upside down shrug to Jueann, "Because being rightside up got boring." In this case...Mimi will be Mimi. Eyes brighten at the mention of the cross-exam class, "Oh that was /so/ fun. We should do that again. When I'm not all wet and dripping." Although it still seems to be a mystery why those three apprentice appeared drenched.
Jueann hmms softly, fussing with her loosen laces, and sighs as the hot flash that had seized her passing. "oh dear, oh dear. I used to have fun." she sighs again. "Well... well...." she shakes her head, "What were we talking about? Ohh Classes... I need to see about the next season's class schedules."
Christatha blinks, feeling a little blush touching her cheeks again. "Names are important," she says, softly. A flicker of humor sparkles ever-so-briefly in gray-blue eyes. "But I still don't dance," she adds. As she has no particular expertise in the scheduling of classes, the young girl also offers no particular comment.
"Quite," agrees Liesana. "Although I /have/ been known to answer to 'Hey /you/!' in the past," she grants, expression deadpan but her eyes alight. Mimi gets a grin. "Oh, for sure. Perhaps someone will quite obligingly murder someone else, and I can use an actual trial for demonstration, hey?" she jokes, knowing full well the idolent peace that tropical weather seems to induce in Ista. She cocks her head again at Jueann. "Yes, indeed... how are you coming with that? I'm sorry I had to recall Hynolonie back from here and her helping you, but I needed her at Smith..."
Jueann sighs, "I need a personal assistant. I'll start holding interviews for that soon. I think... Maybe I'll just drop dead with a heart attack instead."
Mimi finally begins to feel the blood rushing to her head and hoists herself up into an upright position again, adding to Christatha's comment,"Yet." Harperlet rubs her head a bit, mussing her curls even more than they were as she giggles,"I can name a couple people I'd like out of the picture." Now combing her fingers through her hair so she looks half decent she brings up,"Oh, since my first Dance for the Chronically Inept was such a success, I was thinking of doing another.. Since I did turning for the first one, maybe I can do the five positions for a second class or something.." Make it a whole series. Keep the girl busy with dancing dunces.
Christatha remains where she is, her hands clasped tightly around thin book and pen. "Yet," she repeats, her voice rippling with definite irony, before she gently shakes her head again. She tilts her head slightly to one side, regarding Jueann curiously, but she offers no further words.
"Ah, no heart attacks on my watch Jue, please?" twinkles Liesana. "You /know/ they'd likely make either Kurt or myself take over from you, and I /do/ value my sanity, or what's left of it," she jokes, apparently in a fine mood. Leaning over, she procures herself a plate of pasties from the nearest of the buffet tables, winking at Mimi. "You know," she muses. "I've long faniced that Harpers would make rather interesting murderers to track down. Subtlety is bred and trained into us. Alas that a dislike for violence is also bred in." *re*
Jueann sighs, "No heart attacks are ever planned."
Mimi snickers from her spot on the sofa as she snatches something to nibble on off of Lies' plate. "Mmhm...Maybe it's because violence seems to be attracted to us." After a pause of chewing she adds,"Or maybe that's just Kurt."
The northbred girl seems to be having mild concern over the idea of murder being discussed in such light terms, and thus she has gone fairly quiet. Kurt ... hmm. That's a name she knows; Christatha met him on her first day, after her interview. Her eyes flick towards the buffet. Hmmm. Food ... probably a good idea, at some point, but ... nah. Not now.
Jueann sighs as she looks at the food and shakes her head. "I'm not hungry. I could use some wine that's in my room." Stretching, "If you'll excuse me....."
"One can, however," notes Liesana around a mouthful of meat pie. "Plan to /avoid/ them. Take it easy, terrorize a few apprentices into helping you like the rest of us do. And I'll distract Poirot from his poking about... I'll speak to you later about the rumours I heard, Jue," she offers, as the other master moves to leave. She grins and waggles her eyebrows at Mimi, before offering her plate of pasties Christatha-wards.
Mimi grins back at Liesana as she breaks her pastie in half, popping a piece into her mouth. After she swallows she asks,"Poking around? Care to elaborate? I haven't had the chance to talk with Master Poirot myself but I've heard a couple things floating around."
Jueann blinks, "Ohh please, don't mention that master's name. He's giving me nightmares."
Christatha looks first at Liesana and then at the plate. Then she nods very slightly and takes a small pasty from the Master. "Thank you," she says softly. She blinks, listening attentively to the conversation going on around her as she nibbles at the gift. Nightmares?
Jueann waves to Liesana and heads for her room, muttering to herself.Jueann leaves for the Jueann's Room.
This is why it's good to have friends in high places. "Mebbe Jue has nightmares about stuffed shirts who rub her the wrong way?" Hey, it's just a suggestion. The last bit of her pasty is nibbled away at. "Tell me about him? I've only seen him around once or twice." A glance over to the newer apprentice,"And I think Christatha may be a bit lost." says Mimi.
A brief smile flashes across Christatha's ivory-skinned features. "A bit lost," she agrees softly, amused by the twists and turns of a conversation in which she is almost totally at sea. She nibbles daintily at the foodstuff in her delicate hand.
"Just a /tad/ unlikely, Mimi," winks Liesana, before she stills her merriment to give Christatha a vaguely sheepish smile. "My apologies for muddling you then. Let me see if I can draw a map... Poirot is Master Poirot, a master form the Fort Hall recently arrived at the Ista Hall on the putative reason of examining our Archives. A load of rot, if you ask me." she sums up.
Mimi nods slowly as she pops the last of her pasty into her mouth. "Load of rot, hm? Well, I guess I'll have to do some of my own poking, now." Senior apprentice stands, dusts off her hands and strides over to the door, "Well, I've got class." And with a slight bow and a wave, "Nice meeting you, Chris!" she heads out.
