Log Date: 1/10/97
Log Cast:
	Tance, Sabia, Alpin, Taylor, Gyles, Jilayna, Kesya
Log Intro:
	After a somewhat perplexing repair job done by Evan to his
cutter, Tance wanders off back down to the Singer levels of the JPF,
but discovers to his dismay that he can't remember where his quarters
are. Drawn by the sounds of conversation, he cuts through the central
lounge....

----------
You walk into the lounge.
Singer Common Lounge
This is where Singers can meet and relax after a hard day of work. Chairs and 
  sofas are scattered around in conversational groupings. Several bright 
  stripes lead off to the various Singer accommodation quadrants. 
Contents:
  Tance, just standing there 
  Alpin, sitting on a pile of pillows 
  Sabia, just standing there 
  Gyles, sitting at one of the tables
  Shepherding Manual 
  Sign: Catering for Special Events 
  Parent Shepherding Manual 
  Shepherd Board 
  Planetary Brochure 
  Catering Unit
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wander  .look  .wait  .pace  .couch  .pillows  .table  .catering unit
Obvious Exits:
  Level 11  Level 10  Level 9

Sabia smiles. "I don't think that the sleds are equipped to handle more than 
  two. But it is a nice thought. We will get out into the range and that is 
  the important thing.
Sabia smiles as the singer arrives. "Good evening, singer."

Alpin looks over at the singer and says "Hello."

Tance, alternating between squinting in deep concentration at the battered 
  datapad in his right hand and eying the cutter dangling off his left 
  shoulder, blinks at the sound of voices. He comes to a halt, and looks up, 
  tentatively, and finally frowns. "Where the kark..."

Sabia softly says, "The singer lounge. Are you looking for someone or 
  something in particular?"

Tance soundlessly 'ohs', then repockets the datapad, and peers around. 
  "Forgot," he mutters, disorientedly. "Can't find my quarters..."

Alpin asks quietly "Do you need any help finding them?"

Sabia looks at the singer. Then smiles at Alpin before saying to the singer, 
  "Can we help you somehow?"

Tance half-smiles, vaguely, at the young man and woman, as he turns slowly 
  where he stands and scrutinizes the exits out of the room. Finally, 
  frustatedly, he lets out with, "Kark it...!"

Sabia bites her lip, trying not to laugh, "Sir it would be no problem for us 
  to help, COUld it be on the datapad?"

Taylor comes in from the lift area.
Taylor has arrived.

"Oh... right...!" The distracted-looking Singer half-grins again to Sabia, 
  before fishing out the pad again, flicking it open, and punching awkwardly 
  at its keypad. "Musta stuck in here somewhere..."

Taylor surveys the room from her vantage point just inside the door.

Sabia smiles as the woman enters. Good evening" The she watches as the other 
  singer looks at his datapad. A slightly bemused expression, drifting across 
  her face.

Tance mutters to himself as he pokes, scowling at the screen, "Karkin' hate 
  this, dunno why I don't frekkin' forget my own name...." The pad chirps and 
  beeps at him.

Taylor catches Sabia's smile and nods pleasantly back to her. Leaning heavily 
  on her cane, she limps over to the catering unit and flips through the 
  menu's. She smiles to herself as she hears Tance ranting to his datapad.

Alpin smiles to the singer he hasn't met. "Good evening." then watchesthe 
  other wrestle with his datapad, not quite sure what to do.

Tance abruptly smiles ear to ear, brown eyes lighting triumphantly. "That 
  way!" he proclaims, gaze swinging around to the passageway down to level 11.

Gyles wakes up from an after dinner nap, a nearly polished platter of 
  mongolian beef on the table before hime. He looks around the room, slightly 
  surprised to see so many people here.

Sabia watches the singer limp over to the catering unit, and tries not to 
  wince." Her eyes look back at the forgetful singer, "Oh good, I am glad that 
  it was there,. Anything else that we can help with?"

Gyles looks at you for a moment.

From the immediate vicinity of the man with the datapad and the cutter, a 
  distinct rumble of hunger is suddenly audible. He blinks, looks down at 
  himself, then says sheepishly, "Um."

Sabia looks as Gyles wakes up. The room getting more crowded all the time. 
  "Nice nap?"

Taylor, after much silent negotiation, purches a drink from the catering unit 
  and then turn to pick out a nice spot to settle into.
Taylor sits down on one of the soft couches.

Alpin leans back in the pillows, whatching the room fill up.

Sabia laughs as her own stomach emits an answering rumble, "Would you like to 
  eat withus?"

Gyles glances at Sabia a moment and nods with a wry smile, then warily watches 
  the old singer as he crosses the room. Is this going to turn into another 
  violent confrontation, or is the old geezer mellowed out?

Taylor glances at Tance and lets her gaze travel to his stomach, she grins. 
  Settling into the couch then, she sets her cane across her lap and carefully 
  holds the mug of hot chocolate in her lap, glancing curiously at the other 
  people.

Tance protests plaintively, "Can't, girlie..." And he smirks, looking uneasy. 
  "Can't get nothin', I'm broke..." Then, the smirk eases, as he does indeed 
  shuffle across the room, closer to Sabia, on his way to the level 11 
  corridor.

Taylor looks at you for a moment.

Alpin looks over at Sabia as he starts to stand. "I'm pretty hungry as well. 
  Can I get you anything?"

Sabia watches the older singer shuffle towards her, thinks about her own 
  mounting debt and whether he would be offended by an offer, "It's okay Alpin 
  is buying." She winks over her partner.

Alpin stands up from his pile of pillows.
Alpin saunters over to the catering unit.

Tance blinks at Sabia uncomprehendingly. "What?"

Sabia points at Alpin, "He is buying, not you. That is if eating with us would 
  not offend you."

Tance looks unsurely between Sabia and her companion, and blurts in disbelief, 
  "Wouldn't... offend _me_?" The concept seems to stagger him.

Alpin with a strained smile thinking of his own balance says "That would be 
  fine."

Sabia looks over at Alpin, "What ever you are having is fine with me Alpin, 
  the cheaper the better. Next time is on me." She winces slightly at the 
  thought. She turns to the older singer, "And for you?"

Taylor lets her eyes slide to Gyles, pondering something, a question surely on 
  the tip of her tongue though she debates trying to expend the energy to ask 
  it to the man.
Taylor shakes her head to herself and returns her concentration to polishing 
  off her hot chocolate.

Alpin spins the menufax around to display the veggie selections.

Sabia stomach growls loudly as if to encourage the singer's answer.

Tance opens his mouth, closes it, and finally tells Sabia gruffly, "Um... your 
  friend wanna do a fool thing like buyin' me food, well, um, thanks..." His 
  brown gaze slides a bit towards Alpin, half-directing the comment to him, 
  too.

Gyles sits quietly, carefully watching the old singer from the corner of his 
  eye. Why doesn't the old karker just order what he wants? Catering doesn't 
  require positive balances anymore. Guess he doesn't remember that, either.

Alpin asks Sabia and Tance. "Anything in particular you want? That's cheap."
Alpin spins the menufax around to display the soup selections.

Sabia shakes her head, "Just as long as it isn't mystery meat that is fine 
  with me."

Jilayna comes in from the lift area.
Jilayna has arrived.

Taylor clears her throat and then in a voice filled with humor, she winks to 
  Tance, "P..piece of me-meat is g..g..good."

Tance shrugs the shoulder his cutter is on, as he settles stiffly onto one of 
  the unoccupied chairs. "Um," he begins to Alpin, then blinks brownly at 
  Taylor.

Taylor
        High cheekbones, pale smooth skin and a smattering of freckles over 
  her pert nose, along with mischievous green eyes capture your attention. Her 
  long, fiery red hair tumbles down just past the small of her back and she is 
  constantly pushing it back away from her face in semi-annoyance. Walking 
  with an air of nonchalance, a haughty smile seems to always be tugging at 
  the corners of her full lips. Garbed in the Guild's finest, the bright 
  orange jumpsuit clings to her petite frame in all the right places.
        Someone seems to have decided that certain parts of this singer's body 
  might be good for a snack, and removed them without first paying her the 
  courtesy of hunting and killing her first. A wing here, a drumstick 
  there...but in truth, one arm is missing it's hand, leaving only a grotesque 
  stump exposed where it should be. She is only able to walk with the help of 
  an artificial leg, only made of flesh and blood from the knee up.  She looks 
  like she needs plenty more rest, breathing shallow, but regular, and for all 
  the work done, it seems that there was a little brain damage.

Alpin buys a bowl of Chili Verde.
Alpin buys a bowl of Chili Verde.

Sabia walks over and helps Alpin with the plates.

Tance blinks again at Taylor, taking in her appearance. "You look like you 
  have worse luck than me in the Ranges, girlie," he observes, startled.

Sabia walks over to the catering unit.

Alpin hands one to Sabia.

Jilayna wanders in and blinks in startlement at the number of people. "H'lo." 
  she says in mild surprise.

Alpin gets a couple of glasses of water from the catering unit.
Alpin sits down at one of the tables.

Sabia takes the bowl and dials up a pitcher of water and takes it all over to 
  a table. "Hello again, Jila."
Sabia sits down at one of the tables.

Alpin smiles looking curious and says "I hope you like chili. This does smell 
  pretty good."

Taylor clamps her mouth shut, flushing profusely at having dared speak with 
  her broken voice. Glancing up at Tance, she nods silently, forming the words 
  slowly so her response comes out in one piece. "I... yesss. Baaad...luck." 
  Hey, slurring your words has to be an improvement over stutter, no?

Tance, as the new arrival comes into the lounge, scoots back a bit and looks 
  momentarily uncomfortable again. Five unfamiliar faces, and they're all 
  younger than him. His own face looks suspiciously... shy. The sound of 
  Taylor's voice recaptures his attention, though, and he nods absently, in 
  grave acknowledgement.

Jilayna looks at you for a moment.

Sabia sniffs delicately and then starts the steady shovelling of the chili 
  into her mouth. She stops only long enough to motion to Tance to join them. 
  Arond a mouthful of the chili she says, "Thanks partner."

Taylor gives Tance a vague smile and then looks down, squirming 
  self-conciously on the couch.

Gyles begins to relax, as Tance doesn't seem interested in his usual mayhem 
  this evening. Hope these 'kids' don't learn the hard way...

Alpin tears a piece off of the tortilla and scoops some chili with it. "You're 
  welcome." he says before eating it.

Gestured to by Sabia, Tance looks up again, and blinks again as well. It sinks 
  in, though, that these younguns really _did_ buy him food, and really _do_ 
  want him to eat it right here. He smiles a little back to Taylor, then gets 
  up again, to scoot his chair over to the table... passing Gyles without any 
  trace of recognition in his face as he goes. "Thanks," he mutters to Sabia 
  and Alpin, as he sits down.

Jilayna slips into a couch and sniffs the air appreciatively, "Smells 
  good..what is it?" she quirks a brow at Alpin.

Sabia nods to the singer, once again mumbling around food, "I'm Sabia and this 
  is Alpin..."

Alpin smiles. "It's just the chili, and it is good." then looking at Tance 
  says "Here ya go." as he slides a bowl of chili over to him.

".... Tance," replies the man with the brown eyes and the grey in his short 
  dark hair. He smiles tentatively again. Once the food is actually before 
  him, though, the smile becomes a grin, and he sets at it as though having 
  stored up four or five Passovers' worth of the hungris.

Sabia takes one of the tortillas and dips it in the chili. She nibbles it 
  while she watches Tance devour his. She smiles at both her tablemates.

Jilayna hmms softly, "Chili? Does it have red meat in it?"

Alpin digs into his chili, as the first bite has really got his hunger going.
Alpin looks at Jilayna and says "Not neccesarily, though I think this here 
  does."

Jilayna ahhs and taps something into her datapad.

Sabia finishes her chili and pushes the bowl away. As she leans back in the 
  chair she looks around the room. Quietly to the table she says, "Seems like 
  there are alot of people in here."

Alpin looks up from his chili at Sabia and asks "What do you think."

Gyles stands up from his table.

Taylor appears to be deep in her own thoughts or dozing at the moment.

Gyles collects his tray and quietly paces off with it, dumping it into the 
  disposal slot on the way down to 11. Hmm. No idea the guy lived on the same 
  floor.
Gyles walks down to the senior singer level.
Gyles has left.

Sabia grins. "The chili is good,, and since it is cheap, I have a feeling I 
  will be eating alot of it."

Jilayna sits down on one of the soft couches.
Jilayna turns her eyes down to her reading material.
Jilayna turns a page of her book.

Alpin wipes up the rest of the chili with his tortilla and finishes it. "I 
  like the cheap part too." then picks up his glass of water wishing it were 
  beer.

Jilayna stretches on the couch contentedly and yawns..still reading, somehow.

Tance remains oblivious to the conversation around him as he practically 
  inhales the chili; only when it's vanished almost completely out of his bowl 
  does he look up again, once more distracted of gaze.

Sabia looks at Alpin, "Hey have you done anything to your room yet?"

Jilayna closes her reading material and adjusts her position on the couch.
Jilayna stands up from her couch.

Alpin smiles. "A little now. I haven't wanted to spend much on it yet. How 
  about you?"

Jilayna walks over to the catering unit.

Taylor leans forward and sets her empty coco mug on the table before her and 
  then hefts herself off though couch with a barely audible grunt. Rapping her 
  cane on the floor, twice, she leans heavily upon it as she makes her way out.

Jilayna spins the menufax around to display the sweet selections.

Alpin asks Tance. "How was it?"

Sabia shakes her head. "Nope not a thing." She waves to the retreating back of 
  the other singer. "Night."
Sabia watches as Jila comes over near them, "Join us Jila?"

Alpin waves to the leaving singer. "Good night."

Tance smiles absently. "Less hungry, now," he pronounces in satisfaction.

Jilayna yawns, covering her mouth, "Join? Oh..was going to get something to 
  eat..preferably sweet and yummy. Anyone want some dessert?"

Sabia nods. "Do they have peach ice cream in there still?"

Tance blinks, eyes going round.

Jilayna peers.."They do..anyone want some?"

Taylor's free hand waves absently to those throwing g'nights at her back, her 
  own battered voice echoing, "N..n..night," as she disappears down the 
  corridor.

Tance says worshipfully, "Peach?"

Alpin hmms and thinks. "Actually, that does sound good."

Jilayna grins at Sabia and Alpin, including the older singer in her gaze, 
  "It's on me."

Tance's entire face lights up.

Sabia nods, "PLease Jila. I would."

Taylor walks up to level 9.
Taylor has left.

Jilayna nods, "That's 1." she giggles at Tance's gaze, "And I assume that's 
  2..you too Alpin?"

Alpin smiles broadly. "Please."

Jilayna peruses the selection of sweets, and orders fresh peach icecream.
Jilayna peruses the selection of sweets, and orders fresh peach icecream.
Jilayna peruses the selection of sweets and orders a slice of Peach Raspberry 
  Tart.
Jilayna peruses the selection of sweets, and orders fresh peach icecream.

Sabia watches as Tance's face lights up, she thinks he is rather handsome when 
  he smiles. "Want some help?"

Alpin goes over to help Jilayna with the dishes.
Alpin stands up from his table.
Alpin wanders over to the catering unit.
Alpin smiles. "Let me give you a hand."

Jilayna nods, "3 Peach Ice creams and a tart for me." she sets all four plates 
  onto a tray, and turns, looking in surprise at Alpin, "I can handle it, 
  but..if you want to help." she grins and hands him his bowl of ice cream.

Tance keeps grinning, ear to ear; the moment he actually sees the caterer put 
  forth the promised dessert, his expression shifts to something you might 
  expect more to see on the face of a five-year-old.

Alpin smiles. "Thank you Jila."

Tance looks up to Jilayna, and tells her beamingly, "Peach ice cream is great."

Alpin sits down at one of the tables.

Jilayna makes her way to tables and sets the tray down, "Mind if I join you 
  three?"

Sabia shifts over so that Jila can sit down, "Thanks Jila, it was nice of 
  you."

Alpin smiles and says please do.

Jilayna picks up the two bowls of ice cream and sets one in front of Tance and 
  the other in front of Sabia. "There ya go." she quickly snags her own tart 
  and settles into a seat.
Jilayna sits down at one of the tables.

Alpin takes a bite of his ice cream and grins at Jila. "This is /really/ good."

Sabia digs into the ice cream. "S'good."

Jilayna takes a fork to her tart and slices off a small bite of it. Closing 
  her eyes savouring the taste she nods, "Sure..but this is good too." she 
  blinks for a moment, "Last time I had peach ice cream was...on Shanny with 
  Bri."

Sabia grins at Jilayna, "That was the first time I had it."

Jilayna blinks, "What?"

Alpin nods, not saying anything with a mouth full of the frozen heaven.

Sabia grins. "Umm well I thought it was the two of you who bought it up there 
  for me?" She looks a bit confused.

Jilayna frowns faintly, "I'm not sure..I don't think so." she blinks again and 
  swallows, _Shards my memory's not going already is it?_ "I had peach ice 
  cream right before Bri left for Taal'en on vacation."

Alpin shakes his head and points his spoon at Jila. Around a mouthful he 
  mumbles "She did."

If anything, the Singer who's introduced himself as Tance seems even more 
  eager to inhale the ice cream than he had been the chili. In no time flat, 
  his dessert has vanished, and he's grinning giddily.

Sabia shrugs. "OH well, my memory is not very good. "

Jilayna is only half-way done with her dessert and turns an idle, if confused 
  glance around the table, and to Tance, "Good was it?"

Tance says brightly, "I like peach ice cream a lot."

Jilayna polishes off her plate and nods, "Hope y'all enjoyed it." she sighs 
  softly and gets to her feet, "Time for me to get home, to bed..whatever." 
  she tips her head to the two still left and wanders out to level 9, stopping 
  on the way to slot her plate into the disposal.
Jilayna stands up from her table.
Jilayna walks up to level 9.
Jilayna has left.

Tance watches the others go, then looks around vaguely, as if suddenly 
  remembering he had been only on his way through here when he'd gotten 
  sidetracked.

Alpin finishes up his ice cream and says "That was good."

Tance looks back at the one remaining person in the room, and grins a bit. 
  "Thanks, kid," he mutters. "For the, um, food...."

Alpin smiles and says "You're welcome. I hope you liked the chili."
Alpin picks up the rest of the mess and goes to dump it. "I guess I should go 
  see how the sickies are doing."

Tance repeats musingly, "Chili." He shrugs a bit, again sheepish. "Forget half 
  of what a guy can eat around here..."

Alpin grins. "It's one of my favorites. I like spicy food."

Kesya walks in from the level 11 lift area.
Kesya has arrived.

Alpin smiles and says "Hello."

Tance nods to the younger man as he rises, brow furrowed a bit at the mention 
  of sick parties. As Alpin then speaks, Tance blinks, turns.... and lights up 
  again, but this time in a manner somewhat notably different from the beam 
  he'd given the dessert. "Jade!"

Alpin stands up from his table.

Kesya wanders in absently, her gaze tracking the room. She smiles at Alpin, 
  but virtually beams at the Singer. "Hey Tance! I thought I'd find you in 
  here, when you weren't in your suite."

Alpin finishes cleaning up and heads out. "I'll see everyone later."

Tance gestures at his cutter, and reports earnestly, "It was, um, worn..." He 
  nods absently to Alpin, then.

Alpin walks up to level 9.
Alpin has left.

Tance then adds, brow furrowed, "Kid up on the cutter level said they're out 
  of parts..."

Kesya nods briefly, coming over to peer at your cutter. "So... what'd they do 
  to it?"

Tance peers down the cutter, which he's carefully propped by the chair he's 
  sitting on. "Um, well..." He lifts it, and offers it to you, bemusedly. "Kid 
  took some stuff out. Said those parts were redundant.... couldn't replace 
  the blade." He frowns, anxiously. "I gotta cut."

Kesya's silver-blue eyes gaze at you quizically. "/Redundant? Are you sure...? 
  Does it still work?"

Tance shrugs unsurely. "Ain't tried it," he answers.
Tance goes on, "I was coming... down here. Got lost, and, um, the kids gave me 
  food... ice cream." He suddenly grins.

Kesya bites her lip, and glances about. "Humour me? I know we're just in the 
  lounge... but aim it away from stuff, and turn it on and off? I didn't think 
  cutters had 'redundant' parts."
Kesya grins at the ice cream comment, and she nods. "They're a good group."

Tance inclines his head, then peers at the thing again, and tells you, "It's 
  rechargin'..." He taps the charge indicator.

Kesya snorts. "Hrmph. I hope they didn't just strip parts off /your/ cutter 
  'cause there aren't any anywhere else. Sounds weird to me." She shrugs, then 
  and smiles. "But, probably not." She takes a seat beside you, and pats your 
  leg. "So you want to cut, huh?"

Tance's own face relaxes a bit, as he answers the smile with a half-smile of 
  his own. "Still karkin' broke, Jade," he says ruefully. "Gotta fix that."

Kesya nods a little. "You got two thousand from that bit of black we cut, but 
  that hardly puts you over the top. But there's more too." She shrugs, "And 
  that'll help." She doesn't offer to pay off your debt, though she could... 
  she senses somehow that it's important that you do that on your own.

Tance's smile softens a little. "I... wanted t' wait for you.... remembered to 
  wait."

Kesya's smile widens, her gaze softening at your words. "Aw, really? I'm glad 
  you did... we can help each other out there." She frowns absently, and 
  shrugs a moment. "The recruits for this class are almost done... but when 
  would you like to go?"

Tance starts to speak, brow furrowing at a memory he can't catch. "You said... 
  something... um... recruits...." He rubs at his forehead, and frowns. 
  "You.... um.... " And he looks up again. "You have to take care of the kids? 
  Right?"

Kesya stiffles a laugh, her silver-blue eyes shining. "Um hmm, that's one way 
  to put it." She links her arm through yours, her voice thoughtful. "But a 
  few days in the Ranges at this point won't be horrid. Most of the kids are 
  adapted."
Kesya adds affably, "And the four others are just visiting the ones who're 
  still sick, basically. Nothing that Graidan can't handle."

Tance brightens at the touch of your arm, and asks, shyly hopeful, 
  "Tomorrow...?"

Kesya pulls out her datapad with her free arm, and pushes a key on it for her 
  schedule. "Looks good to me. Nothing major going on... and they can reach us 
  by radio if anything happens." She smiles, leaning her head on your 
  shoulder. "We'll start at the black?"

Tance brightens even further -- then suddenly, his gaze turns a little inward, 
  and he you can hear him give a tiny wry chuckle.

Kesya's chin raises as she looks curiously up at you. "What's so funny?"

"It.... still seems... weird. Cuttin' black... and, um, 'we'...." He meets 
  your gaze, still grinning slightly, and goes on in an uncharacteristic burst 
  of self-admission, "That's the thing 'bout my head bein' fulla holes, 
  Jade... everything keeps seemin' new!"

Kesya chuckles softly, squeezing your arm. "Well... it /is/ new still... I'm 
  hardly used to everything that's happened." Her gaze narrows thoughtfully a 
  moment, and she comments. "I suppose... if we're making a habit of this, we 
  should figure a duo paintmark."
Kesya cocks her head to one side, contemplating the carpeting. "At least, I 
  /think/ that's what the other duo singers do..."

Tance apparently forgets to breathe, for the slight sound of his breath 
  abruptly halts. "You..." Blink. Blink blink. "I mean.... I guess.... _are_ 
  we?"

Kesya doesn't seem to understand why you're so stunned. "Are we what? 
  Partners?"

You say "I mean, like.... _real_ partners?" His grin returns, slowly, but 
  steadily. "I, I thought you had... umm.... the other person, somebody, you 
  said you had somebody else you cut with, except they were hurt, so you got 
  me...? I get that right?"

Kesya laughs softly, and takes your other hand in her own. "Tance, Shana's a 
  good friend, and we tended to sing alone, but we'd duo when we needed the 
  company. But you..." She pauses, smiling. "I want to duo with you just for 
  that, not for 'safety'..."
Kesya shrugs a bit, flushing. "I guess I'm not being very clear, am I?"

Tance's grin seems to hover a bit, somewhere between shy -- and archly 
  teasing. "You're sayin' you like bein' with me..." It's not _quite_ a 
  question, though his voice does rise just a trifle on the last word, as 
  though he were indeed asking.

Kesya catches the teasing look in your eyes, and coyly arches her brows in 
  return, affecting a demure air. "Well, yes... if only to have someone on 
  which I can practice my snowball-throwing aim!"

[And with that, as the pair of Singers reach their accord, we end the log.]