Tea and Reports
[ MurderTP Main ]
Location: Master Jueann's Quarters, Istan Harper Hall
Persons:
Masters Jueann and Liesana
Jueann is brewing up some tea on a small brazier. On the table, is a small healer vial of some sort and a cup with tea fixings around it. Hearing the knock, Jueann looks up and calls, "Come in."
Liesana pokes her head around the doorway as she knocks, and then slides the rest of the way in at Jueann's call, the young master temporarily free of paperwork. "Hullo Jue," she greets. "Managed to win a small sliver of time away from classes, mentees and paperwork, so I'm redeeming that visit I promised you..." Spotting the contents of the table, she offers a quizzical smirk. "Planning to cross-craft?"
Jueann chuckles as she brings the singing teakettle over to the table, "Ohh I was brewing up some tea, care to join me? Trust me, I won't poison you." She chuckles at her own joke. "Ohh the healer vial? It's something that Jaqui gave me to help with the hot flashes. She said to take it with some strong tea." She pours some hot water into a cup and adds the tea strainer, "Ohh have a seat. Tea? And I have some sweet rolls around here somewhere. They are still fresh. I think."
Liesana laughs. "The day you poison anyone will be the day Master Poirot stops meddling," she quips, before pausing thoughtfully, and laughing again. "And I didn't mean that the way it sounds. Tea would be lovely. And... is that what's been leaving you so flustered lately?" she asks, taking a seat on the sofa and crossing her ankles. "I'm glad to hear it's nothing serious."
Jueann smiles as she brings out another cup and the tea canister, a
platter of sweet rolls, pouring more hot water before returning the
kettle to the braizer. "Jaqui says, although I haven't started my change
of life, I'm heading towards it and will start suffering from all the
symptums." She makes herself comfortable in a chair, fussing with her
teacup for a moment and sighs. "yes. That's why I've been so
flustered."
"Mmm," replies Liesana with a nod, sipping slightly from her own cup. "I must say it must be a bit of a relief to know you'll soon have that whole mess over and done with," she comments. "So, I think I promised you the lowdown on what I've been hearing about this and that... where would you like me to start?"
Jueann reaches out for the vial and puts a drop into it and only a drop. "Have to be careful with this." She says, putting the stopper back into thevial and setting aside, "Start? Low down... Ohh.. From the beginning of course. Tell me all."
Liesana eyes the procedure with the vial carefully, and asks in a tone of casual interest "Easy to overdose on it, hmm?" before returning to her tea, and snabbling a small sweetroll to pick apart. "Well, 'all' will be told in time, but it's rather difficult to start with it. I can give you news of Poirot, Rook, the scuttlebutt amongst the apprentices, the latest rant of Jeranium..."
Jueann smiles as she stirs her tea, adding more sweetener, taking a sip and barely tasting the bitter aftertaste. She shrugs, "Jaqui says a 100 drops can kill. So what's up with Poirot and Rook? I've gotten the written reports but not the gossip."
Liesana whistles appreciatively, catching a glimpse of the label. "Aconite, hmm? I recall when Kurt overdosed... T'was a rather frightening scene." she remnisces. "But... Poirot and Rook. Well, the report my Fortian friend sent me on Rook confirms my guesses about him. Grandson of Lord Trew. Rich, reckless, arrogant and apparently able to buy his way out of the trouble he got into at Fort. They'd apparently like us to reform him, and I seem to have him as my mentee now. This could prove entertaining," the heretical young master theorizes.
Jueann laughs, "good for you. You always were a rebel at heart. Don't let him boss you around. Did he say anything about how Oriana is doing?"
Liesana laughs. "And at other areas too," she agrees. "But boss me around? Not likely... I am Keroon-bred, you know." she winks, before settling back in. "Hmm? No, our young Rook is a touch too self-focused to pass along that sort of news. Adrois writes that she's made a full recovery, and once more has her finger firmly on Pern's pulse."
Jueann sips her doctored tea and sighs, setting it down. "Well, then what's up with Poirot?" changing the subject. "Why is he here? And who sent those reports?"
Liesana shrugs. "I can answer the first, hazard the second, but the third is strictly a matter of conjecture." she admits. "Whoever sent them off wasn't thoughtful enough to leave copies lying around for me to find. But as for why he's here... I'm working on that. He claims to be an archivist, and he certainly knows enough to have that as one of his specialties, but from mannerisms and knowledge, I'm begining to think he's a dual specialist like me... Law/Archives. And as for what's up... the man's apparently lecherous enough to make eyes at the prettier ones of the apprentice girls, if Leyte is to be believed."
Jueann sighs, "I noticed him eyeing the girls at the dinner the other night before the hot flashes got to me. I think he's a bean counter. You know the ones that dot every i and cross every t and if he finds anything out of line, you know it'll be my fault." She swirls what's left of her tea. "I wish I knew what he's doing here."
"If he eyes one of my mentees, I'll beancount him." notes Liesana, with an odd mix of serenity, conviction, and tea-sipping. "But I'll keep digging to see what I can find out for you."
Jueann nods, blinking coming back to what's going on. "Well, what's the latest Hall gossip? I know Leyte has been busy."
Liesana snorts in dry amusement. "The latest hall gossip? Involves entirely too much of me for my liking," she admits with a wry chuckle. "As well as the fact that you were helped up to your room by a certain stablehand of a certain age with you..." she trails off teasingly. "And then there's a rumour that Falada might be expecting, but I find that one a tad hard to believe. Lada's, ah, not the sort to enjoy company of the right persuasion."
Jueann blinks, "Ohhh the gossips have been busy. As long as they don't get back to Poirot, I'll be happy. And I did get a tad drunk the other night. I hadn't sleep for two days and I needed something to help and Brogan was a gentlemen."
Liesana chuckles. "Ohhh, I'd not worry about that... he's not in very good odour with the drudges at the moment. And Brogan is indeed a gentleman... he was all set to appoint himself my guardian for my rides between Smith and here... I managed to dissuade him eventually once he found out who I was seeing. Apparently, I'm well-protected."
Jueann raises an eyebrow, "Ohhh What did Poirot do to the drudges?" She stands to reheat the water for more tea, "More tea?"
"Nothing they'd tell me." replies Liesana. "Although apparently he was muttering about finding dust on his doorframe. And of course, asking Leyte about some apprentice girl in the middle of the Dinner, with the sort of look he was wearing... the woman is rather protective of the girls."
Jueann blinks, "And she should, She was hired to look after the girls." The kettle is singing again and she pours out more water for tea. "Well time will tell. I guess. I just hope I can weather it. Sure you don't want more tea?" This time no medicine is going into this cup. This one is for pleasure.
"Among other things." agrees Liesana. "And she does it well. So Poirot has cut himself out of a very important information line right there... Sloppy work, if he's a legal expert." pronounces the legist, before eyeing the teapot and nodding. "That would be lovely, thanks. I've been on my feet all day..."
Jueann smiles as she refills the cups, "This tea is my own blend. I have a trader make it up special for me. But then I ran my father's hold for turns before I became a harper so I know how to make up my own blend." Sitting back down, "Poirot strikes me as someone that can get around anyone, if he puts his mind to it."
"Then in that case, we'll just have to keep him from doing so. I'm certain I can manufacture some task that just desperately needs another Master Archivist to assist with..." Liesana winks, before sniffing delicately at her refilled mug. "Mmm... what sort of herbs do you use in this?"
Jueann smiles, "Ohh a little mosstea, basil, alfalfa, sweetgrass... and dried citron peel."
"Alfalfa?" echoes Liesana, eyeing her mug more curiously still. She then takes a hearty sip and smiles. "Well, my friends always did say I was more runnerbeast than Pernese, growing up. How are you doing, though, Jue? The Change and Poirot aside."
Jueann chuckles, "Alfalfa is good if you retend water. I'm managing. Jaqui is a good friend as well as my healer. I'm doing fine, now." She hopes. "I never was one to be comfortable around a lot of people. You know me, I rather have my nose in a scroll or book then deal with a huge dinner."
Liesana chuckles as well. "And a room full of Harpers is more daunting than most... I did wonder, when you turned most of the emceeing over to me," she allows. "Memories of Oriana, and all. Interesting, when I did a little research. For almost every internal power struggle in Harper Hall, poison of some form or another has been the weapon of choice."
Jueann chuckles, "I'm just not a speaker. I have the authority to do what I want and if I don't want to speak to a room full of people, I don't have to." She smiles at her logic, "Of course, I do get my share of criticism for it." She shrugs, sipping her tea. "Right?"
Liesana laughs quietly. "I'm sufficiently your partisan, and known for it, that people tend to take any complaints about you elsewhere, " she notes. "Still, my sources detect no real mutters from the Istans. We like you, you know. You're our Jueann, so we can talk about you, but no-one else can."
Jueann chuckles, "I see. So we're like a family, no?" Looking at the water clock, blinking, "Look at the time."
Liesana grins. "Exactly like one, in some respects. Squabbles and all. But that's as it should be... and indeed the time!" she notes, suddenly finishing the last of her tea in a series of gulps. "I've got to get ready for my next class... thanks for the tea and company, Jue, and I'll keep you informed..."
Jueann smiles and waves, "Thanks for stopping by Liesana. I have some reading to do." Standing to see the young master out. "Come by any time."
"Will do, and thank you, Jueann..." And with that, away goes Liesana.
Liesana steps silently to the Harper Lounge.
