Log Date:
	2/15/97

Log Cast:
	Tance, Rosa, Krellin, Vyana

Log Intro:
	After the little mishap with Tance nearly thralling himself on a green
claim, Kesya is reluctant to let him alone into the Ranges again -- so the next
time he goes out, she makes a point of going with him, though she lets him
lead the search and doesn't suggest they venture to the black claim she found,
due to lack of her own time. While they're out, the duo pair finds and ignores
a couple more green claims... but a yellow claim is deemed safe for Tance to
cut.
	But while they're out, Kesya is summoned back to the JPF, as an
issue with adapting recruits comes up. Tance promises to come in quickly
after her in his own sled, but the yellow's call is persuasive, and so's his 
need to work off his debt. Reluctantly, Kesya leaves him at the claim.
	It proves to be a bad choice, for while he's alone, Tance not only
falls and twists his ankle, but he also slices off a finger when his cutter
slips. He manages to get himself and his crystal back to the base and stagger
to the Infirmary, wrestling between pain and hot embarrassment over how
he's going to explain this to Kesya....

----------
Non-singers around you see: If you happen to be very close to Tance, the fine 
  hairs on your arms stand on end, but Tance doesn't appear to notice anything.

Rosa walks softly from the lift area.
Rosa has arrived.
Rosa limps into the infirmary, Bear negligently held under one arm. She looks 
  around, and on seeing Tance, smiles. "Hello there," she calls, then frowns. 
  "You're injured?"

Tance is sitting, somewhat awkwardly, in one of the waiting chairs. One leg's 
  crooked out before him at an uncomfortable angle, and he's got his right 
  hand clasped to him with his left. At the call, he looks up and blinks brown 
  eyes twice, dazedly. "What?"

The little Bear under Rosa's arm appears to be looking at Tance with some 
  concern. So is Rosa. "Fardles, Tance," she murmurs, "what happened to you?"

You feel the mild caress of crystal resonance softly along your nerves.

Rosa
With shining coppery curls, golden highlights glinting among them, and a 
  dusting of frecles across the bridge of her nose, red is one of the first 
  things one notices about this petite young woman. Standing barely 150cm, her 
  trim body seems to exude energy. Rosa's straight stance and direct look note 
  her self-confidence, and the occasional flash of her green-flecked amber 
  eyes gives a hint to her temper.
Rosa's long tresses have been parted in the middle of her head, and pulled 
  into two ponytails, each one just above her ear. A unique feature of these 
  ponytails is the little 'meatball' of hair which gathers before her 
  ponytails wave as she moves. Today, Rosa wears an oversized long-sleeved tan 
  shirt, with a light, cream-coloured pattern around the collar and wrists. 
  The shirt is tucked into a pair of snug smoky sienna-brown trousers with a 
  simple, shiny, black belt cinched around her tiny waist. A multipocketed 
  jacket, of the same fabric as her trousers, is slung carelessly over one 
  shoulder. On Rosa's feet are sturdy, well cared-for boots with reinforced 
  soles, of the type Singers wear when in the Ranges. Around Rosa's neck is a 
  simple gold chain, suspended from which is a delicately crafted pendant, 
  fashioned in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Set into the center of this 
  is an emerald, its rich green highlighted as light reflects from its facets. 
The slight twinkle in Rosa's eyes, and the hint of pink in her cheeks seems to 
  indicate that Rosa is in a good mood. 
  This singer would seem to be fine if not for the cast on the lower part of 
  her right leg. A standard plasti-cast for the simple break in that part of 
  her leg, another deep gouge can be seen in the leg. Though no longer bloody, 
  it still looks nasty and painful.

Perhaps a trifle more disoriented than usual -- the man's blinking every so 
  often at the room as though it's threatening to do a slow pirouette around 
  him -- Tance says blankly, "I... um, cutter slipped...."

Biting her lower lip, Rosa limps forward and slips to a seat. "How many?" she 
  asks. The little Bear seems a bit curious too, his shiny eyes looking toward 
  Tance's hands.

Tance blinks a few times more, mouth working with effort before he gets out, 
  "O... one. I..." His brow crinkles as he peers at the woman and her stuffed 
  companion. "Do... I know you?"

Rosa smiles gently. "We've only met a couple of times," she says, giving Bear 
  an absent pat on the head. "I'm Rosa, a Singer from 2020. And this, of 
  course is Bear. Kesya asked me to keep...you company while she was busy."

Tance straightens a bit at the mention of Kesya's name, expression turning 
  plaintive. "Jade. I didn't tell her I'm here. She had to come back. Talk 
  to... recruits."

Rosa shifts Bear slightly on her lap. "Yes, that's Kesya's friend," she 
  murmurs. "And he's very nice too." Rosa smiles at the little pink creature, 
  and then at Tance. "Well, they've started to drop, you know. I just went in 
  to check on a couple. I'm a trainer too. While you're waiting for a medic, 
  would you like a little snack?"

Tance says dolefully, "I'm real hungry."

Rosa bends her head to listen to Bear, and nods after a moment. "Would you 
  mind if Bear and I fetched you something? There's a catering unit just down 
  the hall."

Tance, clearly taken aback, blinks first at the bear and then at his, um, 
  Singer. "Okay," he says promptly, but dazedly, sounding like a man perhaps 
  addressing a hallucination.

Rosa and Bear limp off and are gone for several moments. They return, Rosa 
  carrying a tray which holds two steak dinners, a couple of Yarran ales, and, 
  for desert, two bowls of peach ice cream. She sets the tray down on a table. 
  "Hope you like steak and ice cream," she says, gesturing. "Oh...with that 
  finger, want me to feed it to you?"

Tance repeats uncomprehendingly, "Feed?"

Rosa nods, and starts cutting one of the steaks up. "Well, you lost a finger, 
  didn't you? Don't imagine the food'd taste all that good with blood in it, 
  or that it'd be too easy to eat with one finger missing and blood 
  everywhere." She spears a slice of staek with a fork. "Open up?"

If you remain motionless, you can just detect some crystal resonance in your 
  bones.
Tance looks unsteadily down at the clenched, misshapen fist he's got pressed 
  up against his chest; there's a strip of a rag wrapped about it, but both 
  the rag and the front of Tance's shirt _are_ bloodstained. "You.... and your 
  bear.... wanna feed me?" Apparently, the Singer's having a hard time 
  processing this, and he mutters baffledly, "What am I, a toddler?"

"Well," Rosa says, glancing around the infirmary, "do you see anyone else 
  around for us to feed?" She smiles. "Look at your hand, Tance. D'you think 
  you could feed yourself with it like that? You said you were hungry." She 
  waves the steak, fork attached, in the air. "Smells awfully good, doesn't 
  it?"

Tance's head turns as if of its own volition, tracking that steak tidbit as it 
  moves; palpable yearning flickers through the pained glaze over his eyes. 
  "Dreamin'," he mutters. "I gotta be dreamin'."

The steak tidbit circles closer and closer to Tance's mouth. Rosa chuckles 
  softly. "Open your mouth and taste. See if it tastes like a dream."

Tance's eyes nearly cross as he tries to keep track of where the tidbit is 
  going -- and from the look that promptly tracks across his face at that, 
  he's probably just made himself very dizzy. He slumps back a little in the 
  chair, mumbling mournfully, "I better not wake up hungry..."

Watching, Rosa chuckles softly. "You won't," she comments, stuffing the piece 
  of steak at Tance's partly open lips. "Just chew on the steak and swallow. 
  If," she adds, "you eat all of your steak and potatoes, you can have the ice 
  cream for dessert. It's peach."

Tance's reflexes take over. Gulp, chew, swallow. He starts looking quite 
  relieved even in his current daze, but at the promise of ice cream, he 
  blinks. "Peach?" he echoes, eyes widening.

Rosa nods solemnly. "Peach." She spears another bite of meat. "But only if you 
  finish up your steak and potatoes. Tell me when you want a drink of Yarran, 
  okay?"

Tance blinks owlishly up at the young woman. Beer too? "Like this dream," he 
  mumbles.

Rosa chuckles, and after that bite, holds up the glass of ale. "It's Yarran, 
  and it's cold. Drink up, Tance....and try not to spill, okay?"

Tance's right hand might be injured, but his left is in perfectly good working 
  order. Well, almost. He fumbles at the glass, grins lopsidedly, and chugs 
  down a fair portion of the brew before coming up for air. At that, as the 
  alcohol surges right into his bloodstream, he looks a fraction more alert.

Rosa watches as Tance drinks, a little satisfied smile curving up her lips. 
  She nods. "Tastes good, doesn't it?" She spears up a mouthful of potatoes. 
  "Ready for amother bite?"

Tance mumbles, voice a trifle slurred, "Yeah... y'know, for a crystal dream, 
  girlie, you're awful kind..."
If you listen hard, you can hear crystal resonance coursing gently through 
  your body.

Rosa chuckles. "No, Bear, he's just a little tired and sick. He really is 
  nice, don't you think?" She pats her bear and waves the fork with the 
  potatoes on them. "Open the hangar door, Tance. Sled wants to land."

Tance suddenly grins vaguely. "Landed the _Meguey_," he murmurs, sounding 
  almost proud. "Didn't crash 'er..." Obediently, he lets Rosa feed him 
  potatoes.

"Good for you!" Rosa says, smiling with approval at Tance. The little Bear 
  watches all with shiny eyes, apparantly approving as well. "Now how about 
  another bite of steak...not too much left for you. And boy, that ice cream 
  looks good."

Tance informs this kindly apparition groggily, "I like ice cream..."

Rosa sets the fork down. "So do I," she says, smiling. The little Bear looks 
  on kindly. "And you've finished up your meal, so now it's time for dessert." 
  She picks up a spoon and scoops up a mouthful of ice cream. "Did I tell 
  you," she says, "that it's peach?" The spoon moves closer.

Tance's dazed eyes brighten at Rosa's reminder. "Like peach," he mumbles.

Rosa brings the peach ice cream closer. "Then take a bite."

The injured Singer lifts his head rather more readily for the ice cream than 
  he had the steak -- a surge of strength, perhaps.

Rosa spoons the ice cream into Tance's mouth. "Now isn't that good?" She 
  chuckles and scoops up another mouthful. "Eat up. I brought you two bowls."

Krellin walks softly from the lift area.
Krellin has arrived.

Tance rouses enough to practically inhale the spoon and a couple of Rosa's 
  fingers along with the offered ice cream, even as he keeps clutching his 
  wounded hand to him. "Best crystal dream I ever had," he mumbles between 
  swallows.

Krellin looks at the two as he comes in, "What is this, a dining room?" He 
  smiles, walking over to them.

Tance, as the medic comes in, can be seen by him to be slumped in one of the 
  waiting chairs; the Singer's got his right hand wrapped in a bloody rag, 
  pressed to the front of his equally bloody shirt. He's got one leg awkwardly 
  crooked out before him, too. He gulps down the last of the first bowl of ice 
  cream, and lifts a muzzy regard to the source of the new voice.

Rosa extracts her fingers, and the spoon, chuckling softly. "Not a dream, 
  Tance," she says, scooping up more ice cream. Holding it out to the Singer, 
  she smiles a greeting to Krellin. "Tance here was waiting for treatment and 
  was a little hungry," she explains. "So I offered to help him out. Promised 
  Kesya, you know."

Tance's brow furrows. "Jade," he mumbles, sounding just a hint worried.

Vyana stirs, sitting up. She peers through the activity in the room, trying to 
  remember how she got here.

Krellin nods at Rosa, "I'm sure he appreciates it." He looks at Tance, "He 
  looks like he does." He looks at tance more carefully, "What have you done 
  to yourself this time?"

Tance seems, for a moment, to have a bit of a problem focusing on the medic. 
  "Am I still dreaming?" he mumbles thickly.

Rosa points to Tance's hand. "His finger," she says. "And his ankle."

Tance foggily observes, "Slipped. Down the hole. Ow."

Krellin shakes his head, "I'm afraid not. You're in the unfortunate position 
  of really being here with me." He pulls Tance's hand forward to examine it.

Vyana looks at you for a moment.

Tance's brown eyes clamp shut as his hand is drawn forward. Krellin can see 
  the Singer's sliced off a finger; he must have awkwardly bandaged himself 
  with a scrap of something.

Krellin looks toward Rosa, not letting go of Tance's hand, "Kesya dropped him 
  off, or did you just find him wandering around?"

"Just popped in while checking on recruits," Rosa says, watching Tance 
  carefully. "And it looked like he'd enjoy a little company."

When you stop to relax you can feel a pleasant humming in your body.

Vyana spots the activity around Tance, and furrows her brows, trying to 
  determine who has been injured.

Krellin has a little trouble unwrapping a sponge with one hand, but after it's 
  out of the packaging he has no trouble. He pulls off the make shift bandage, 
  then quickly cleans the wound. He nods at Rosa, "How's this class look? I 
  haven't gotten a chance to talk to many of them."

Krellin
He stands at a mere 5'8", but his build is a powerful one coming from years of 
  exercise and enhanced further by Ballybrans symbiont. His wavy brown hair, 
  so dark it's nearly black, is combed back out of his eyes. Not that it stays 
  there. Often he can been seen pushing it back with one hand, unless he is 
  working in which case he's to busy to move it, so he's forced to leave it 
  fall where it may. When his does have time to brush the the hair from his 
  eyes it may be seen that they are either a relatively plain brown, or a 
  surprisingly attractive hazel, depending on the lighting which falls upon 
  them. He's dressed is his usual attire, comfortable shoes, tan pants and a 
  white shirt. The shirt is buttoned all the way up, save for the very top 
  button. The shirt and pants were both neatly pressed in the morning, but are 
  now wrinkled from a long day of wear. As always he wears his wrist unit and 
  has his small medical pouch hanging by his side, held there by his belt.  

Tance hisses a little as his wounded hand is tended, muttering something to 
  himself about 'the karkin' cutter slipped, too.'

Bear watches carefully, sitting as he is on Rosa's lap. "Now Krellin is chief 
  medic. He'll take good care of you."

Tance murmurs heavily, "Medic. Yeah. Needed a medic."

Krellin wraps a bandage around Tances hand, then looks down at the ankle.

Tance's boots are both still on, but the leg that's clearly been wounded is 
  held at a stiff and uncomfortable angle.

Vyana watches with interest...

Krellin sighs, then bends down and removes Tance's boot. He props a stool 
  under his foot, then sets an ice pack on the swollen ankle.

Tance hisses rather louder at that, jerking once in the chair. At the touch of 
  the cold to his abused limb, though, he sags immediately back again.

Krellin holds the ice pack gently in place while Tance moves around.

Tance blinks, once, then focuses a little more sharply on the room. "Twisted 
  it," he observes, staring dazedly down at his foot.

Krellin nods, "I can see that." He removes the ice pack and wraps the ankle in 
  a bandage, now that the swelling has gone down.
Krellin holds his scanner up in front of Tance for a few moments, "Looks like 
  that's it. You're free to go cut off some more body parts."

Tance sits up, fumblingly. "Cut... um.... yeah..." He abruptly beams, ear to 
  ear. "I found yellow."

Krellin smiles, "Oh? Did you cut any of it yet?"

Tance nods, enthusiastically -- or at least starts to; the motion appears to 
  dizzy him a little. "Two octaves. Can't cut the green, so I cut the 
  yellow..."

Vyana realises she has been staring at Tance. She looks away, her eyes 
  skimming over some of the monitors.

Rosa smiles warmly at Tance. "Yellow? That's wonderful. And, now that you're 
  all fixed up, would you like to finish off this ice cream?" She gestures to 
  the half-finished bowl.

Tance turns his head automatically at the mention of the remaining dessert. 
  But he blinks. "Wa.... you're real....?"

Rosa pinches the tip of her nose, and chuckles. "I sure hope I am." She then 
  holds out the bowl. "There you go, Tance. Finish it up before it's all 
  melted."

Krellin smirks slightly, then sits down at the desk.

Tance abruptly lights up again, taking the bowl as best he can with a wounded 
  hand, and settling down to shovel down the ice cream, heedless of bandages 
  or blood on his shirt.

Rosa smiles warmly at Tance, and murmurs to Krellin, "Kesya asked me to keep 
  an eye out, if I saw him."

Krellin nods at Rosa, then stands and walks over to Vyana, "Hello Vyana. I 
  take it you're not feeling very well?" He looks you over, then pulls out his 
  scanner to see the extent of the damage.

Vyana smiles, looking a little out of it. "I'm doing better now that Shayna 
  pumped something through my system."

When you stop to relax you can feel a pleasant humming in your body.

Krellin smiles and extends a hand, offering to help her up, "Care to join me 
  in surgery?"

Tance, in a few moments, has disposed of the second bowl of ice cream, and he 
  stares at the empty bowl for a moment as if hoping to see more appear within 
  it.

Rosa looks over to Tance, a smile playing at her lips. "Would you like another 
  bowl?" she asks.

Vyana takes Krellin's hand, standing rather easily. She sways a bit. "Have you 
  redecorated in here...I complained about it last time I was here. Now the 
  colours look all....Floridian."

Tance looks up, considering, apparently very hard, to Rosa.

The little Bear that Rosa is holding seems almost to be smiling at Tance. 
  "Bear says that it'd do you some good. Want to go up to the lounge and have 
  some?"

Tance squints at the stuffed animal. "He does? I mean, says that?"

Krellin glances around before nodding to Vyana, "Yes, a bit." He guides Vyana 
  toward surgery.

Vyana stumbles along with Krellin. Occasionally pausing to examine something 
  seemingly insignificant, which to her seems to have become utterly 
  fascinating.

Krellin heads toward the lift area.
Krellin has left.

Vyana heads toward the lift area.
Vyana has left.

Rosa nods solemnly. "He certainly does. He's very fond of you, he says. You're 
  a friend of Kesya's, so you're a friend of his."

Tance peers again at the bear. "I'm _not_ dreamin'," he says, almost a 
  question, but not quite.

Rosa chuckles, and bends to press a kiss to Bear's head. "No, You're not 
  dreaming. I'm Rosa and this is Bear. And we'll buy you another bowl of ice 
  cream if you'd like one."

Tance grins, tentatively. "Um... okay.... I, um, I better change..." He peers 
  down at himself.

Bear peers up at Tance, and from the expression on Rosa's face says something 
  to her. "He says that might be a good idea. See you in the guild lounge in a 
  few minutes?"

Occasionally, you hear the slightest hint of crystal resonance coursing 
  through your body.
Tance nods, a trifle dazedly, as he pulls himself to his feet. A wince twists 
  his face as he puts his weight onto his bandaged ankle; then, awkwardly, he 
  starts staggering out of the place.

Rosa frowns as she follows you out, limping herself. "Can you make it okay on 
  that ankle, Tance?"

Tance mumbles stoically, "'MFine," as he hobbles out.

You enter the center of the infirmary.
Lift Area - 12
The colors are dimmer here, even to your enhanced eyes. The air filters cannot 
  completely mask the scent of medicine and sickness here, though. 
This well carpeted area circumscribes a circle with the center being filled by 
  a shiny lift tube. On the doors to the tube is the number 12. There is a 
  button set into the wall, you may summon a 'lift.'
Contents:
Nifty(tm) Flower Vendor
Obvious exits:
Infirmary  New Arrivals  Trauma Center  Radiant Tubs  

Rosa steps out of the bustling infirmary.
Rosa has arrived.
Rosa smiles brightly. "Okay, Tance. I'll see you up in the guild lounge in a 
  few minutes, then."
Rosa uses cleverly concealed grips and scales the wall to enter the service 
  shaft.
Rosa has left.

If you listen hard, you can hear crystal resonance rushing dimly between your 
  ears.

[After Tance gets clean clothes on, he hobbles upstairs to the main lounge
 on level three...]

You saunter into the main lounge for Guild members.
Guild Family Den
The main lounge is a very comfortable place. You can almost always find Guild 
  members relaxing in here. Scattered groupings of chairs and sofas create 
  conversational areas. There is a catering unit off to one side and a holovid 
  screen for entertainment. Overhead a crystal chandelier twists and sings 
  almost hypnotically. The walls are painted a shimmering light blue, and a 
  darker blue carpet muffles the sounds of footsteps. There are a few plants 
  scattered about that are cared for by Guild members with a green thumb. 
Contents:
  Tance, just standing there 
  Rosa, just standing there
  Sign: Special Event Catering 
  Catering Unit 
  DataPad Vendor
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wander  .look  .wait  .pace  .couch  .pillows  .table  .catering unit
Obvious Exits:
  Lift

Tance limps into the room, awkwardly.

Rosa is sitting on a sofa, with two bowls of ice cream on the table before 
  her. Bear sits at her side. "Well," she says, brightly, "there you are! 
  C'mon and get it. I just dialed up two bowls of ice cream."

Tance blinks a time or two, then smiles crookedly, and hobbles to the couch.
If you listen hard, you can hear crystal resonance rushing dimly between your 
  ears.

Rosa grins, and gestures toward the second of the two bowls. "That one's for 
  you," she says, and then winks. "Bear's been guarding it."

Tance blinkblinks at the stuffed animal, then gingerly settles down, reaching 
  for the bowl. "Thanks," he says.

Bear looks happily up at Tance as he sits. "Yes, I'm sure he likes you too," 
  Rosa murmurs to the little animal. She takes up her own bowl. "I love this 
  ice cream," she says. "For me, it's always a treat after coming back from 
  the ranges. Even if," she adds, staring down at the cast on her leg, "I come 
  back in pieces."

Tance sits down on one of the soft couches.
Tance murmurs vaguely, "I get hurt a lot..."

Rosa chuckles. "Well, I'm glad you came back okay...and finding yellow is 
  good! Bet you get a good several hundred from that." She spoons up a 
  mouthful of ice cream and swallows with delight. "This is the best stuff 
  that catering puts ou."

You say "I, um, I dunno yet, but I, ah, I couldn't cut the green."
Tance settles down to eat ice cream, looking like a small contented boy for 
  all the grey in his hair.

Rosa looks at you with a soft smile. "Hey, yellow's higher on the market than 
  green right now, so it can't be all bad. And the green'll still be there 
  when you go out again." She takes another mouthful of the dessert. "D'you 
  cut duo with Kesya?"

You say "The green, um, it'll.... fry me." He waves his bandaged hand 
  sheepishly, more or less at his head. But he starts smiling a little more 
  widely at the mention of Kesya. "She's my partner."

Rosa ohs softly as Bear seems to look curiously up at Tance. "Thrall?" she 
  asks quietly. "Yellow does that to me, sometimes. If I'm not really 
  careful." At the smile, she closes one eye in a wink. "You've got yourself a 
  wonderful partner, then, Tance. Kesya's the best."

Tance explains earnestly, "She's, she's helping me remember things. I, I don't 
  remember too well." He pauses, brow furrowing, and adds, "I forgot your name 
  again.
You feel the mild caress of crystal resonance softly along your nerves.
You say "And... the green makes me forget too much. Can't cut it..."
Tance trails off, yearningly.

"Kesya's a very good friend," Rosa says with a warm smile, after another spoon 
  of ice cream. "And I'm Rosa. The little pink fellow is Bear." At mention of 
  the green, she nods, solemn. "Then maybe," she posits, "it's a good thing 
  that you've found the yellow?"

Tance grins lopsidedly. "I gotta finish it. Another chord. Get outta the 
  hole... help Kesya do the work, she's so busy, recruits and everything..." 
  Something about him shifts, becoming slightly more animated.

Rosa grins. "Then you'll do it, I'm sure. And you're helping Kesya? I bet she 
  appreciates that a lot." She pauses a moment. "Hey, know what? Maybe, while 
  she's off with the recruits, she'd not notice if you helped me with a little 
  something...or maybe if I helped you."

Tance's gaze, strangely guileless in comparison to his weathered face, comes 
  back to rest on the younger Singer. "You want to help me?"

Rosa nods, smiling. "Sure, why wouldn't I? You're Kesya's partner. And," she 
  adds, looking at the little pink creature, "Bear likes you. Maybe, while 
  she's busy, we could find a nice present for Kesya?"

Tance's expression turns awed, as if the mere suggestion is a relevation. "I'd 
  like to get her something nice..." Then, just as abruptly, his face falls. 
  "I can't afford it yet."

Rosa smiles warmly. "I bet she'd like something from you, Tance. No matter 
  what it was." She pauses a moment. "I'd loan you the credits, but I think 
  she'd like something small, that wouldn't take very many. She likes to draw, 
  doesn't she?"

Tance brightens again, telling you, "She drew me! And gave me paintings, for 
  my rooms...!"

Rosa beams. "I've seen some of her drawings. They're very good. Y'know," she 
  says after a moment's thought, "I think the specialty stores have paper, 
  real paper. And some pencils. Bet she'd love something like that. And they 
  only cost a couple of credits."

If you remain motionless, you can just detect some crystal resonance in your 
  bones.
Tance studies the other Singer hopefully. "I, um, don't know anything about 
  drawin' stuff, girlie... you know about that kind of thing?"

Rosa smiles, chuckling. "I know a little bit. Mostly what kind of stuff to 
  use. My sister was an artist, you see."

Tance ohs, almost silently, the sort of look one gets when confronted with 
  something completely outside their ken while trying to pretend it isn't. But 
  he asks earnestly, "You really think she'd like that?"

Rosa finishes up the ice cream and takes Bear up into her lap. She looks down 
  at him, frowns for a moment, and nods. "Yes, we both think she will. Bear 
  says she'd like whatever you gave her. Even a smile."

Tance suddenly smiles at that, hugely, brown eyes lightening, but he blushes a 
  bit as well. "Um, I guess she would, I, um, I wanna get her somethin' really 
  nice...!"

Bear appears quite pleased. Then again, so does Rosa. "A smile like that one 
  would be present enough, Tance. But, if you like, Bear and I will help you 
  pick something nice out in the specialty shop."

You feel the mild caress of crystal resonance softly along your nerves.
Tance makes a noise somewhere between a snort and a chuckle, then nods, 
  hastily. "I-I'd like that. Help, that is. Couldn't remember to do it, 
  probably, anyway...!"

Rosa grins, and carefully gets to her feet. "Well, then, we'll be happy to. 
  Should we head downstairs? And if you ever need help, with anything, Tance, 
  you just say the word."

"You, um, you'll hafta remind me. Put you in my datapad..." Tance fumbles at 
  his pockets, till he produces the datapad in question, a battered black 
  little thing. Flicking it open, he peers at you, then murmurs, "Rosa. And, 
  um, Bear..." And he types into the thing's tiny keyboard.
Tance then flicks the pad shut, and carefully and painfully hauls himself to 
  his feet, grimacing.

Rosa nods slowly. "I'll remember," she says, "and I'll try to remember the 
  datapad too." She gives Bear a little hug. "Sprains hurt worse than breaks," 
  she says conversationally. "Even if the bone was showing by the time I got 
  back here."

Tance confides, "I fell down a hole," as he limps to follow you.

"So'd I," Rosa says, "and got some tree branch stuck in my leg when I tried to 
  climb out."

[To be continued....]