Log Date:
	10/20/98

Log Cast:
	Airgiod, Tance, Vyana, assorted NPCs, Quinn, Sorchca, Espra, Gyles

Log Intro:
	Memory is a fragile thing, especially for a Crystal Singer -- and
especially for one who has taken the kind of abuse to his symbiont across
two centuries of life that Tance Vokrim has. Having journeyed to Verron
IV with his bride-to-be, Kesya As'shoriah, Tance has happily settled down
into several long months of hiking across the planet with his beloved,
exploring every nook and cranny of a wilderness unbothered by mach storms
or crystal resonance. However, even happy memories slip through this
particular Singer's recall after enough time -- and when disaster strikes,
his tenuous recollection can't help but give way beneath it.
	Tance doesn't recall what separated him from his beloved Jade;
in fact, as he comes stumbling exhaustedly into civilization on Verron IV,
Tance Vokrim in fact recalls very little of anything....

----------
You open the Black Eagle Hotel door and stride through, closing it behind you.
Hotel Lobby
     This plushly decorated room is wallpapered in muted gold and red tones, 
  the delicate medallion pattern broken up by several large windows facing the 
  main courtyard. A mural on the side wall is of a majestic black eagle 
  speading its wings upon a golden disk. Potted plants squat in their pots 
  beside comfortable-looking tan leather couches. The area where the couches 
  are has been turned into a small lounge. The couches are arranged in cozy 
  conversational clusters. Short tables bear magazines and brochures. Even the 
  potted plants somehow look inviting.
     Along the back wall is a large desk, behind which sits a rather 
  starched-looking man. Along a short hallway, doors open into guest rooms. 
  You can hear the clanking of machinery and the hum of transport sleds off in 
  the distance.
Contents:
Airgiod
Vyana
Richard
Obvious exits:
Vyana's Room  Nywenian's Room  Faram's Room  Airgiod's Room  Pool Area  Side 
  Door  Main Courtyard  

Time? Eww. Someone who lives by the demands of the clock. And yes, Airgiod's 
  expression reflects those same thoughts as she glances back at Vyana before 
  reluctantly looking at her own wrist. "Nearly 1800," she murmurs with the 
  faintest of grimaces. The two women are currently standing almost in front 
  of the door to Airgiod's room where they came to a halt after a near 
  collision.

"Please, sir, do calm down, you can't go -- _sir_! I beg your pardon, 
  _sir_...?!" The frantic babbling comes from one of the luggage porters 
  generally on duty outside the hotel, as the front doors burst open to admit 
  a most curious-looking figure. Clad in rags, redolent with a number of... 
  fragrant... odors, a battered man with a wildly disheveled mop of hair, a 
  beard and a mustache disguising most of his weathered face, and a wild and 
  disoriented expression comes staggering into the lobby.

Tance(#3209POQce)
This man stands at about 5'10" in height, though the way he seems prone to 
  slouching over often disguises how tall he actually is. His height is 
  further confused by the state of his undernourished frame; from the look of 
  him, he probably hasn't eaten decently in several days. Despite a deep 
  coppery tan to his weathered skin, there's an unhealthy pallor beneath it, 
  suggesting recent illness or injury, and the brown eyes within that face 
  meet the galaxy with a wild, disoriented, and frequently anguished gaze.
Tance's hair has grown out into a shaggy unkempt mop, that at one time might 
  have been a dark shade of brown. Now it's shot through with grey, and 
  lightened into paler yellowish streaks as well from exposure to sunlight. 
  He's had a beard and mustache grow in, equally unkempt, showing that he 
  hasn't been near a razor in weeks. He is clad in ragged remnants of clothing 
  that look as if he's been wandering in the wilderness for at least a month. 
  Their original hues indistinguishable with the amount of dirt, sweat... and 
  perhaps other things, too... ground into them, the pitiful remains of a 
  shirt and trousers cling haphazardly to his battered frame. On his feet are 
  the remains of what used to be boots, split and cracked with much wear and 
  tear. 
 You see that Tance seems very edgy and almost looks as if he has lost 
  something very important with the way he growls at bystanders and looks 
  rather pale. 

Vyana doesn't recognise the man at all, at first. She looks at him twice, but 
  only because it's odd to see someone so ragged in a fine hotel. She turns 
  back to Airgiod, and starts to say, "Thank you very..." when she suddenly 
  freezes. She turns again, to look at Tance, but still not with recognition 
  in her face.

About to drag in the breath to reply to Vyana, Airy instead clamps a hand 
  across her nose when that ill-fated move brings the aroma that Tance wears 
  so..heavily..to her attention. 'Kor! What a scent,' her wrinkled nose seems 
  to imply as her golden eyed gaze travels over his rag tag figure. She's seen 
  some pretty unusual things in her time on Verron, but this may take the cake.

Vyana takes a step toward Tance, and then another. Her hand as well rises to 
  her face, and she grimmaces. The closer she gets, the more determined she 
  seems, however. Finally, she gathers her determination, and crosses the 
  room, motioning for the clerks to back off from Tance. Her brow furrows, and 
  she asks him determinedly, "Who are you?"

"Outta m'way," growls out the ragged figure, swiping clumsily at the attendant 
  trying to bodily prevent him from advancing any further into the hotel. "I 
  gotta find 'er. Lemme go, I gotta find 'er..." The voice is a gravelly 
  baritone, cracked and rusty and anguished. "I gotta find 'er! We gotta get 
  back!"

The attendant, his features settling into an expression all too readily 
  translatable as 'joy, oh glee, we've got a lunatic on our hands', grabs hold 
  of the stumbling figure's filthy arm, hanging on tenaciously even as the man 
  starts awkwardly dragging him along in his wake. With the attendant still 
  clinging to his arm and pawing for his communicator to hail hotel security, 
  the ragged man bellows frantically, "Jade! Where are ya?!"

Vyana frowns at that. She motions again to the people dragging Tance out. Her 
  brow furrows, and she says most seriously, "I said leave him." She looks at 
  Tance. Jade is on Ballybran. I ask again, who are you?"

So much for a peaceful evening, eh? Sighing, Airy's murmurs something beneath 
  her breath then takes a tentative step away from her door. No way. She's not 
  getting pulled into this one. Whoever - Oh He of the Scintillating Aroma - 
  is, it would be a safe call that he's just a little looney. Now, to make an 
  escape. Hugging the wall with her slender frame, the girl attempts to pass 
  by Richard and the remainder of the staff who have gathered. Attempts being 
  the operative word. Too bad they all know her - one even reaching out to 
  draw her closer with a tight grip on her arm. "Doc..." is heard before the 
  girl silences the rest of the sentence with a glowering look. No way she's 
  getting involved in this. Besides, she's not that kind of doctor. Captured 
  as she is, she's rather forced to watch the unfolding drama however.

The luggage attendant, the clerk, and the uniformed security guard who had all 
  arrived on the scene now all gape with near-identical expressions of shock 
  at Vyana -- but the woman _is_ the Deputy Guildmaster of the Heptite Guild, 
  and that carries considerable weight in this establishment. Still, though, 
  the security guard protests, "Madam, the man is clearly... disoriented -- 
  oof!" He cuts off as the filthy figure inadvertantly whacks him in the gut 
  with a flailing arm... at least, until Vyana utters the word 'Ballybran'.

The apparent lunatic then blinks, the weathered face mostly hidden by whiskers 
  and dirt and sweat swinging round to Vyana. Somewhere underneath graying 
  bangs are a pair of wild brown eyes, and the cracked voice mumbles, 
  "B-Ballybran? Jade's on Ballybran?"

Vyana's head whips around as she immediately perceives the sound. Her eyes 
  focus on Airgiod, whom she was talking to, only a moment before. "A Doctor?" 
  She turns directly at the security guard who protested. "Take him into my 
  room...it's safter...who know's what he'll do." To Richard, she adds, "And 
  send that doctor in. I don't care what it takes, this man needs help."

Vyana
Vyana doesn't deign to notice much these days, but when she does it seems her 
  piercing stare looks right to the heart of the matter. She doesn't put up 
  with much -- if you are not doing things the way she feels they should be 
  done she'll be certain to tell you. She looks to be in her late twenties, 
  but you know that looks can be deceiving. Vyana is wearing a pair of rich 
  red brown slacks. They seem to be made of an odd material -- something like 
  denim, but much more tasteful. She wears a deep cream coloured shell, and a 
  very well tailored camel-coloured wool blazer. Her black hair is now short, 
  but it has been styled loosely, adding a touch of softness to her normally 
  severe expression. Her right hand is completely bandaged, well enough that 
  you can't make out its shape. She is filthy, her hands scraped and her 
  clothes and skin covered in muck, slime and lichen. Her hands are red and 
  abraded, with split nails and raw fingers.

Your thoughts are constantly on your claims, and you feel an urge to return to 
  Ballybran.

Airgiod
        Despite what most would think, the tendriled length of golden blonde 
  hair that falls about her neck and down the length of her back is its own 
  natural color, her arched and pointed eyebrows just a shade off being true 
  white. The soft coloring compliments her tanned, peaches and cream skin, 
  offsetting her rare golden eyes over the crooked bridge of her nose. Lean of 
  feature and body, her general appearance seems to remind most people of old 
  pictures of the fantastical Sylvan elves, wiry muscles covered by a firm 
  layer of flesh and taut skin.
        Draped loosely about her narrow shoulders she wears a hooded cloak of 
  a deep black material, an odd design of a bat perched atop the jeweled hilt 
  of a dagger embroidered in silver and gold threading across her right 
  shoulder. She wears a black and white patterned cotton shirt beneath, the 
  zipper tugged up to a point just above the uppermost swells of her breasts. 
  The shirt has been tucked into a pair of form fitting pink jeans, her long 
  calves covered in turn by knee high white suede boots.

"No, wait, I-I-I gotta get back, I gotta find 'er, lemme go..." babbles the 
  disheveled figure, even as the guard and the luggage clerk keep a steady 
  hold on his arms. It seems that despite his emaciated frame, the man's 
  stronger than he looks, for he's struggling vigorously and the two hanging 
  onto him are having a hard time of it. "Doctor, hells, he needs to be 
  sedated," mutters the clerk, even as the man cries hoarsely, "Lemme go!
  Jade!"

"Can't you do *some*thing?" is the question hissed at Airgiod. To which the 
  girl slowly drags a hand across her face in one of the, 'Why me?' types of 
  gestures. "What would you have me do?" she snarls at the man who asked the 
  question. "I'm not licensed on this planet." There. That should settle the 
  matter. And it would have if Vyana hadn't overheard. Nothing for it then. At 
  least as far as Richard is concerned. Airgiod is thusly escorted into 
  Vyana's room. Hauled is more like it, however.

Vyana enters Vyana's Room.
Vyana has left.

You enter Vyana's Room.
Vyana's Room(#9021RAIMU$)
     A beautifully bright and cheery room. The floor is light golden oak waxed 
  to a low shine. A buff leather sofa sits before a glass-topped coffee table 
  which rests on a brightly colored and patterned rug. A fireplace is built 
  into one corner, the crackling fire lending warmth to the cozy atmosphere. A 
  window looks out upon a small courtyard.
     Through an arch up one step is the bedroom, dominated by a king-sized 
  waterbed, satin-sheeted and piled high with fluffy pillows. Tucked 
  discreetly to one side of the bedroom is a small but efficient hygiene 
  facility. Closets and drawers line the wall opposite the arched opening. 
  There are some +veiwable pictures on the walls.
     There is a terminal you should +view in order to learn more about your 
  room and the area.
Contents:
Vyana
Obvious exits:
Hallway  

Airgiod enters the room from the door to the hallway.
Airgiod has arrived.

Vyana moves out of the way of the bustle of clerks. "Outside -- watch the 
  door. Don't let anyone in." She looks at Tance then, "Who are you, Singer? 
  Identify yourself. Do I need to have someone confiscate your wrist unit?" 
  She looks over at the 'doctor' then, "Check him over," she says, "Make sure 
  he's alright." It's not a request.

Wrestled under apparent protest into the room, the man held up between the 
  security guard and the luggage clerk keeps up his rasping protests, not to 
  mention his desperate struggles. It takes the third clerk, who's clearly 
  dubious about this entire procedure, to get a hold solid enough on the man 
  to take him where Vyana has ordered him taken, and even then, the security 
  guard asks doubtfully, "Madam, are you quite sure about this? He--" He cuts 
  off to mutter an oath as his captive almost slams him into the wall. It 
  doesn't take much persuading for the three men to drop the fellow 
  unceremoniously on the floor and retreat out of the room.
Tance then throws himself at the door just as it slams in his face, crying 
  out, "No... noooooo..." But at the sound of Vyana's voice, he whirls around, 
  his back now pressed to the door, and he blinks his dazed brown eyes at her. 
  "S-Singer?"

Not a request, eh? Airy doesn't know who Vyana is and so, the first thing out 
  of the girl's mouth is, "Excuse me?" coupled with an upward arch of her 
  brows. Like, 'And just who are you that I should suddenly be taking orders?' 
  That'd be the attitude yes. "Listen," she continues then, "I am *not* 
  licensed on this karking little planet. There's very little I can do for him 
  except offer a diagnosis. And from painful experience with you Ballybran 
  people, I know for certain I'm not qualified enough to even give a decent 
  one of those!" There. Refute that. Of course, she promptly ruins that little 
  act of defiance by moving toward Tance, drawn by her curiousity.

Vyana stares fixedly at Tance. She's looking more than a little on the annoyed 
  side. "Singer. You. You've almost no crystal left in you, but I can still 
  feel it. I could feel it all the way across the hotel lobby. Now identify 
  yourself, man." She turns to the doctor, "You will be adequately 
  compensated, don't worry."

"S... Singer," mumbles the stranger, brown eyes wide and glazed under his 
  disheveled and grimy bangs, his gaze transfixed on Vyana. Something of the 
  frenetic energy that propelled him into the hotel and caused him to wrestle 
  with the establishment's personnel seems to be draining out of him, and he 
  huddles against the closed door as if it's his only support against falling 
  down. "I'm... I'm a Singer. Yes. Remember. Remember that... I'm... I'm...."

Having almost reached Tance's side, Airgiod swings her attention back to 
  Vyana. "Compensation?" she questions softly of the woman. Almost too softly. 
  Like anything would make recompense for the fact she's putting her 
  livelihood on the line here by working without a license. Please. Hellllo? 
  Are we missing the point here? Just a little? With a disgusted shake of her 
  head, she doesn't wait for the reply - simply returning her attention to the 
  Singer cornered against the door. Releasing a pent-up sigh between her 
  teeth, she takes a tentative step closer to him. Then another. And still 
  another. Watching him intently all the while. He's pretty dangerous when he 
  flails and all that, y'know. Gotta be on her toes. Once she's in a 
  relatively good position, she finally turns her attention to Vyana again to 
  question, "What exactly do you want me to do, anyway?" Here's to hoping 
  Tance stays as docile as he seemingly is while she's not looking.

Urges, small at first, make you feel you should return to the ranges of 
  Ballybran.

The disheveled figure shoots a panicked brown gaze at the slender young female 
  approaching him, staring long and hard at her -- but more in fear than 
  anything else, perhaps. He doesn't flail at her, at any rate, and his gaze 
  roves dazedly around the room even as he mumbles, "Singer. Gotta get back. I 
  gotta find Jade, we gotta get back..."

Vyana looks over at Airgiod, who happened to make the mistake of looking back 
  before carrying on with work. She says officiously, "See if he's alright..." 
  she pauses, a small, cold smile crossing her lips at the irony of that. Then 
  she adds, "Get his wristunit, and plug it into the terminal. I need to know 
  who this man is." She then looks at Tance directly, "Jade has been." She 
  pauses, and looks at the others in the room, "Jade has been 'inactive'." And 
  she chooses the word carefully, "For almost two decades. You can't have seen 
  Jade here in that time."

Something in Vyana's words seems to strike the bedraggled figure very badly. 
  He utters an incoherent little whimper of pain, cringing back against the 
  closed door behind him, beginning to try to curl up into a ball. His shaggy 
  head shakes in apparent agonized denial, and he mumbles over and over, 
  "Gotta find 'er... gotta find 'er, gotta get back, gotta find 'er..."

"See if he's alright...," Airgiod repeats beneath her breath as she turns back 
  to Tance, lips drawn tightly back into a grimace. Yeesh. But he needs a 
  *bath.* Finally taking the last step necessary to bring her close enough for 
  a cursory - anything more than that and she'd need equipment - inspection, 
  the girl slowly reaches her hands out toward the man. Testing the waters, so 
  to speak. Of course, he does seem rather distracted now by what Vyana has 
  said so maybe she doesn't need to be quite as cautious. She settles a firm 
  hand upon his shoulder then reaches with her other for the wristunit, 
  fumbling with its catches just a bit. "Shh," she murmurs soothingly to him 
  in the meantime. "This'll only take a few minutes and then you can be on 
  your way," she continues. Hopefully at any rate. Depends on what she comes 
  up with after the inspection is over. Other than the fact that he smells 
  like he hasn't had a bath in at least a month and seems exhausted, it 
  doesn't look like much is physically wrong. Mentally, eh. That's another 
  story. Can we say, 'Cookoo?' The fasteners finally cooperating, Airy unsnaps 
  the band and plugs it into the wall with a simple twist of her waist, never 
  removing the hand she has settled on the man's shoulder.

The huddled man barely seems to notice, groaning out huskily, "Not gone. Can't 
  be gone. Gotta find her, gotta go find 'er, we gotta get back..." He keeps 
  up this plaintive litany in his broken baritone even as the wrist-unit is 
  removed from him. Like its owner, the thing is battered beyond belief, and 
  it seems to take a few moments before it finally, obediently, starts 
  spitting out data for the perusal of the woman who has appropriated it.

The room's computer brings up a holographically projected screen, flashing up 
  a display of the standard identification data accessible for a multitude of 
  reasons out of FSP citizenry's personal wrist-units. This particular display 
  includes a holo of a handsomely weathered man with short-cropped, 
  gray-streaked dark hair and bemused brown eyes, beardless, signs of aging 
  around his eyes and mouth. His name is reported to be Tance Vokrim; his 
  rank, Crystal Singer of the Heptite Guild, Ballybran.

Well. That went surpisingly well enough. Gotta be living right, Airy m'girl. 
  And yes, she was fully expecting a struggle. Almost a let down that she 
  didn't get it but she's not complaining. Nope. Took forever to recover from 
  the broken bones the last time she tangled with one of the Ballybran crew. 
  After plugging the band into the wall, she attempts the cursory vital check, 
  depending on how willing the Singer is to let her get by with it. If so, 
  there goes the pulse and pupil check. Blood pressure and all that good stuff 
  is a bit out of the question without a steth.

You feel strong urgings to return to Ballybran.

The wrist unit's owner -- is this the same man shown on the holo-screen? If it 
  is, something has caused him to deterioriate, badly -- lifts glazed eyes to 
  the woman leaning over him, mumbling, "W-who're you?"

Vyana nods to Tance, "Yes. We'll get you out of here, as soon as there's a 
  shuttle out. She activates her comm unit, and speaks into it, the same 
  determination in her voice as she uses speaking to someone next to her. "I 
  want two seats on a direct shuttle to Ballybran. Immediately." She pauses, 
  and a voice comes back, indicating a lack of shuttles. Her voice lowers, and 
  she speaks into it one more time, "Arrange one." With that, she deactivates 
  her comm unit. When she looks up she sees the hologram, and her jaw drops 
  suddenly. "Tance Vokrim!" she says, her voice a stage-whisper.

"I don't know," Airgiod sighs as she glances toward Vyana with a slight frown. 
  "From what I can tell, there's nothing *seriously* wrong with him. Seems 
  disoriented. Fatigued. Those kinds of things. And he seriously needs to be 
  cleaned up. I'd suggest getting one of your own doctor's..." She trails off 
  as Vyana orders a shuttle, nodding slightly to herself. Good enough. As for 
  Tance and his question, she returns her attention to him with a slight 
  smile, "Airgiod," she softly murmurs. Probably best to leave out the doctor 
  part.

The man's skittish brown gaze jerks over in Vyana's direction; she might be 
  whispering, but evidently, his hearing caught that stage whisper. Still, it 
  doesn't seem to mean anything to him. His brow crinkles as he fixes Airgiod 
  with a doleful regard and informs her huskily, "I gotta, I gotta find
  Jade..."

Vyana shakes her head, still disbelieving. She nods to Tance, "We'll get you 
  back Vorkim. You need to go home." She looks about, examining the room -- 
  she had only arrived today herself, and hadn't had much chance to look 
  about. Then, to Airy she says, "Clean him up or something...I'll order in 
  some clothes."

Though her first instinct is to say something along the lines of, 'Yeah, I 
  gathered that,' Airy never utters the words. Instead, she lays a soothing 
  hand upon the man's forehead, idly brushing tangled strands of hair from his 
  face. "Perhaps Vyana over there can help with that," she murmurs. "You 
  should go with her.." And there's no way she just heard what she though she 
  did. Clean him up?!! Is there enough water pressure on all of Verron to 
  accomplish that mighty task?

Vyana glances over at the door then. "I'm going to go find out about our 
  shuttle. And I'll get some clothes in. I'll be right outside." She opens the 
  door, and steps out for a moment.

Vokrim's brow is just about as filthy as the rest of him, and his hair is lank 
  and unappealingly greasy; it's anybody's guess what he's been doing, or 
  where, or how long. He seems to settle a little, though, under the 
  combination of the softly murmured words and that hand to his forehead. His 
  dark gaze turns almost childlike, though he starts and tries to skitter out 
  of the way as Vyana moves to the door. "Jade!" he calls mournfully, surging 
  to his feet. Or trying to.

Lowering her hand in preparation for moving, Airy straightens herself out then 
  offers a hand to Tance. "Listen, my man," she softly says, "I think you need 
  to clean yourself up a bit before finding this Jade person. Not many women 
  would appreciate seeing you in the condition you're in." She pauses then, 
  canting her head slightly to one side as she waits to see what, if any, good 
  her words are doing. Would be so much easier if the man were willing.

Vyana returns then, the door closing, rather soundly, behind her. She moves 
  where she can look at Tance. "I've arranged a special shuttle. It leaves in 
  exactly one hour. Clothes are on the way." She looks between Airy and 
  Vorkim. "Let's get you clean enough that you can get on the shuttle withing 
  making the crew pass out. And then we'll be direct to Ballybran."

Now half-crouched again against a wall, the Singer blinks owlishly at the 
  young woman addressing him, and he mutters gruffly, "C-clean up? But... but 
  I gotta go find Jade, I gotta..." And he points with one unsteady, callused 
  hand at the door, just as Vyana returns. He blinks at her too, and he 
  blurts, "Ballybran?"

Vyana continues looking determinedly at Tance. "Yes Ballybran. Your home, 
  remember. I'm telling you, Jade is on Ballybran. Although why you're looking 
  for Jade, I've no idea. Now help the doctor get your cleaned up, so we can 
  get that shuttle."

Well, that didn't work, did it? Making a soft hmm'ing noise, Airy tries once 
  more to get Tance into the spirit of things, "I agree. You do need to find 
  Jade... However, don't you think it would be just a bit rude on your part to 
  foist yourself on her smelling like a..a..well hells..a corpse?" she 
  questions. "I take it she's your girlfriend?" is the next inquiry. An hour, 
  eh? Yeesh. That's not much time at all.

"Doctor?" Vokrim blinks round at Airgiod again, the notion seeming to somehow 
  touch off a chord in him... and her next few words make his expression 
  abruptly shift, practically plummeting to his feet. "Gonna marry 'er," he 
  mutters dolefully. "Gonna marry 'er, gotta find 'er, I gotta... I... 
  I'm...." He trails off, his gaze dropping down to his overfragrant self, and 
  a frown of confusion wrinkles his weathered features. "Clean up for Jade," 
  he mumbles ashamedly.

Vyana cannot help but laugh at Airgiod's comment. "She has you pegged there, 
  Vokrim. You do smell like a corpse."

Your thoughts are constantly on your last cut of crystal and you yearn to sing 
  crystal soon.

At Vyana's laughing remark, the disheveled Singer goes very, very still -- on 
  the word 'corpse'. His face whitens for a moment under his deep tan... but 
  then the look fleetingly passes, his expression turning blank and childlike 
  again.

"That's right," the girl murmurs to Tance. "You need to clean up for Jade, 
  just like you said." So what if he didn't *exactly* say it. So the idea was 
  planted. If it works, it works. Still holding her hand out to the man, Airy 
  smiles patiently down at him. "The sooner you get ready, the sooner your 
  search can continue. I bet she'd be thrilled to see you all cleaned up. Just 
  for her." Vyana she studiously ignores. Not to be rude or anything. Simply 
  because she really is determined that Tance do this himself so that she 
  doesn't have to. "Come on," she prods encouragingly. "A nice hot shower, 
  some shampoo. Maybe even a shave if you're lucky. You'd be doing it for 
  Jade..."

Vyana moves across the room, and opens the sliding door into the bathing room. 
  She gestures to the two, "Go ahead..."

Slowly, stiffly, Vokrim straightens up out of his crouch, like a feral 
  creature lured out of the bushes. He stares round-eyedly at Airgiod, his 
  expression flickering between shy and pained and back again. Perhaps it's 
  the idea of a hot shower -- or perhaps the repetition of the name 'Jade'; 
  regardless, she succeeds in coaxing the man to take her hand. His fingers 
  close round hers with a surprisingly strong grip; he doesn't seem to know 
  his own strength.

Suppressing both the faintly victorious smile and the wince that comes when 
  Tance takes her head, Airy begins to slowly lead Tance toward the door that 
  Vyana has just opened. Better not to spook him at this point by moving too 
  fast. As they approach the other woman's position, Airy shoots Vy one of 
  those kinda glances that says, 'I don't know how I let you talk me into 
  this,' but she remains mostly silent except for her soft, encouraging 
  murmurs to Tance.

Small boys are generally not nearly six feet tall, nor do they possess such 
  shaggy hair and whiskers; nevertheless, Tance Vokrim seems exactly like a 
  small child as Airgiod cajoles him into tottering along after her into the 
  bathroom. He glances in all directions, brown gaze taking in everything he 
  sees without recognition, including his own image in the mirror.

You can only pull your thoughts away from the sweet singing of crystal with 
  great difficulty.

Not releasing Tance's hand - as if she could considering the death grip he 
  seems to have on her own - Airgiod leans across the shower stall to flip the 
  water on with her free hand. Setting it to as hot as she thinks he can take 
  it - gotta melt the grease somehow - she then leans back to an upright 
  position to glance questioningly at him. "You need help?" she asks. A bit 
  resignedly. "Or can you do this part on your own?" Please, please, let it be 
  the latter, her expression seems to say though you can tell she's not really 
  counting on it.

A knock is heard on the door, and Vyana moves that way. She opens it, and 
  talks quietly with a clerk for a moment. He hands her a package, wraped in 
  brown paper, which she places on a table.

The man peers at the shower and the steam curling up off the water beginning 
  to flow; then he peers at the girl to whose hand he clings, an odd 
  expression struggling its way across his face. It's hard to tell with all 
  that grime and the beard hiding his features... but he might, just might, be 
  blushing. "C'n wash," he mumbles faintly, lurching unsteadily at the shower 
  stall. He lets go of Airgiod's hand as he does so, and practically falls 
  into the stall, water immediately beginning to inundate his filthy, battered 
  frame.

Fully clothed, Tance? Eh. It's a start anyway. With a relieved sigh as she's 
  spared this part of the man's toiletry, Airy turns away to begin arranging 
  the shaving utensils. Of course, the fact she's also leaving Tance with some 
  measure of privacy while he bathes is also part of the plan as she takes an 
  inordinate amount of time to lay everything out so neatly. Finally, when 
  there's nothing left she can fiddle with, she raises her voice to be heard 
  over the running water, "And don't forget to wash your hair!"

There is no reply, at least not a spoken one. There are some fumbling noises, 
  a thud that sounds like the Singer's body slapping against the interior of 
  the stall, a noise that sounds like a bottle of shampoo being overturned and 
  several muttered, slurred-sounding oaths. At last, the water dies, 
  apparently turned off by the man -- but Vokrim doesn't emerge.

Vyana opens the package to view the clothes that have been brought for Tance. 
  They seem to have brought Tance a simple black dress suit, a white shirt, a 
  pair of black shoes, and a rather odd looking floral tie. She looks at it 
  oddly a moment, and finally can't help but snicker to herself. Rewrapping 
  the clothes, she moves back to the bathroom and shoves them at the doctor. 
  "Here...I think they gagued his size right. It's their job, after all."

About to peer curiously into the stall as Tance fails to show his face, Airy 
  pauses and turns to take the package from Vyana first. With the arch of a 
  silvery brow, she nearly giggles at the sight of the tie herself but then 
  she nods. "One can only hope," she murmurs as she tosses the clean clothes 
  onto the counter next to the sink. Alright. Enough procrastinating. Squaring 
  her shoulders, she heads toward the shower and slowly begins to open the 
  curtain to peer inside.

The curtain is immediately seized from within, and around the edge of it, a 
  frightened, bearded visage with brown eyes peers back out at the young 
  woman. The face is essentially the same -- Tance Vokrim's -- except now it 
  is exceedlingly damp, water dripping down off gray-streaked brown bangs. And 
  it is rather significantly cleaner.

Vyana moves to the terminal and begins punching in requests. Tance Vokrim's 
  last known departure from Ballybran, last known location...

"What is it?" the girl questions of Tance as she takes in the expression on 
  his face. Looking a little panicked there, Singer. No, no. Not Vyana. The 
  Other Singer. The one looking like a drowned rat.

Vokrim's wrist unit quite cheerfully reports to the Deputy Guildmaster of his 
  Guild that his last known location was, indeed, Verron IV; his last known 
  departure date from Ballybran was over a year ago. Oblivious to Vyana's 
  data-gathering, Vokrim himself mutters, hiding behind that curtain, "Towel."

Your thoughts are constantly on your claims, and you feel an urge to return to 
  Ballybran.

Her mouth dropping open in a startled, 'O' of surprise, Airy actually flushes 
  just a bit as she turns away to gather a towel in hand. "Sorry," she mumbles 
  then as she passes it through to Tance - keeping her face carefully averted. 
  Not like she's never seen a nude body before but umm, shyness is catchy. 
  That's it.

Vyana seems to be judiciously avoiding the bathing area. She taps out a query 
  on Jade as well, and is rewarded with a description of the Jade she was 
  thinking of from her class -- who is indeed listed as inactive on Ballybran.

He has, somehow, managed to get himself undressed, though he nearly trips over 
  the tattered remnants of clothes he's peeled off. Vokrim in fact peers 
  bemusedly down at them as he stumbles out of the shower, the towel wrapped 
  about his frame; the big, fluffy towel conceals a good deal of the lower 
  portions of the man, but the upper half of him, quite wet, is in view. The
  man might actually be rather well-muscled were he not so thin. And there are
  a number of scars criss-crossing his torso, including one rather long and 
  lurid one curving around his side, whiter against his bronzed skin than the 
  rest of the older marks upon his body. Once he's free of the shower, he 
  stands there holding the towel around him, and peers rather helplessly 
  between what he was wearing and what has been brought him; perhaps he 
  doesn't grasp the significance of the new clothes.

Well, Airy's next move might drive that point home then. For almost as soon as 
  Tance has stepped clear of the shower she's moved to bundle up the dripping 
  rags in the bottom of the stall. Once she has them firmly in hand, she turns 
  to smile at Tance then nods to the new clothes. "I'll leave you to get 
  dressed in peace," she softly murmurs as she begins to slide from the room. 
  No way she's gonna let him put those disgusting things back on. Nunt uh! So, 
  unless he wants to walk out of here wearing that towel, he kind of has no 
  choice, see? "Call me when you're ready to shave," she says, just before 
  closing the door and exiting.

After several minutes -- during which there are more clumsy-sounding thumps, 
  and a muttered oath -- the door to the bathroom slides open, and a figure 
  clad in rumpled black and white peers out. Tance Vokrim has not been 
  entirely kind to the suit that's been brought him, getting it on; he's 
  apparently not fully dried himself, and parts of the shirt cling wetly to 
  his frame. Nor has he put on shoes or, gods help him, the tie; the shirt's 
  collar remains open at his throat, and he's not buttoned all of the buttons, 
  either. "Find Jade?" he mumbles plaintively.

Vyana pulls Tance's wrist unit out of the terminal, switching it off extremely 
  quickly. "I didn't ask. Can he travel?" she asks, simply.

Turning as the door opens, Airgiod's silvery brows shoot upward when she takes 
  in the sight before her. Namely Tance. She blinks. Then blinks again. Shakes 
  her head. "Not like that, he can't!" she replies to Vyana as she starts 
  moving toward Tance. "But yes," she qualifies, "he's actually in fairly 
  decent shape." Reaching the man, she cants her head to one side and 
  patiently questions, "Mind if I fix this?" of him as she points at the shirt.

It's quite apparent that the poor man is deeply bemused by these two women, if 
  the way he looks down at his rumpledly clad frame is any indication. His 
  hair and his beard both drip wetly onto the shirt's white collar, and he 
  blinks in uncomprehension at Airgiod's patient query.

Vyana moves into the bathing room, "We've got to get to the shuttles -- you 
  can shave later, Singer. At least you smell human. " She picks up the pieces 
  of suit that Tance left behind, and moves out to where Airgiod is helping 
  him dress, "I said you'd be compensated and I meant it. But not now. We need 
  to get that shuttle."

Somehow knowing that would be the case, Airgiod reaches out and begins to 
  smooth the rumpled shirt into place unless Tance makes a move to stop her, 
  rebuttoning it correctly in the process. Nodding to Vyana then, the girl 
  steps back with a faint smile. "That'll have to do," she murmurs as she eyes 
  the new Tance. Still needs to shave and brush, if not cut, his hair but eh, 
  like Vy said, at least he smells better. "By all means," she nods to the 
  woman at her side. "Travel well."

Vyana loops the tie around Tance's neck, and fumbles to get the jacket over 
  his arms, not bothering to dry his hair.

Looking blatantly overwhelmed, the damp and disheveled man looks back and 
  forth between the two women, fright and uneasiness beginning to blossom 
  across his visage at their exchange. Travel? But, but, but... "Jade," he 
  blurts, looking at the tie as though he's never seen such a thing before. "I 
  gotta find her...."

Vyana gets the jacket to the point that she's satisifed, and tries to move 
  Tance toward the door, by pushing on his arms from behind. "Yes. She's on 
  Ballybran remember." She says loudly in his ear as though he were deaf, 
  "Ballybran."

"Ballybran," Vokrim breathes, his gaze going distant. He stumbles obediently 
  along at the Deputy's insistent shoving, though he gives Airgiod a bemused 
  and confused glance before he vanishes into the hallway.

You return to the Lobby.
Hotel Lobby
< Desc deleted >
Contents:
Richard
Obvious exits:
Vyana's Room  Nywenian's Room  Faram's Room  Airgiod's Room  Pool Area  Side 
  Door  Main Courtyard  

The exit to the room locks behind you with an audible >>click<<.

You feel strong urgings to return to Ballybran.

Vyana enters the Lobby from one of the guest rooms.
Vyana has arrived.
Amidst many stares and gawking looks from the hotel staff, Vyana moves with 
  Tance across to the hotel entrance out to the main courtyard.
Vyana exits out the main double doors of the hotel.
Vyana has left.

[Everything soon blurs for Tance, as the woman escorting him hauls him
 bodily off to a shuttle. The exhausted man's already overwhelmed senses
 go gray, a smear of indistinct sights and sounds and smells, and he has
 no idea how much time elapses before voices begin to nudge him up out
 of unconsciousness....]

Vyana stops, as she hears sounds of Tance stirring. She moves back to where 
  he's lying, to make sure he's 'alright' before leaving.

Quinn frowns to himself. "Give him a full physical, now." He frowns at Tance's 
  form. He mutters something about this being very bad.
Quinn shakes his head, "Nevermind. I'll deal with him." He heads over to where 
  Tance is lying. "Tance, can you hear me?"

The disheveled man in the rumpled suit, lying there in the biobed, stirs but 
  only just, his eyes darting restlessly underneath closed, sunken lids. 
  Tance's mouth moves without sound, and his pulse picks up, reflected both in 
  the increase of his rate of breathing and in the readouts on the biobed's 
  scanners. "Jade," he mumbles then, forlornly.

Quinn asks, "Who brought him back?"

Vyana turns to Quinn, as he approaches, "He charged into the hotel I was 
  staying at, half naked, and half crazed. Asking for Jade. There was a doctor 
  there -- so I had her wash him up. Put him in this suit, and brought him 
  back with me. He couldn't tell us his name, where he was from, anything."

Sorchca slips back a step, available to help but out of the way.

Vyana looks over at Sorchca, "Meditech Grozdanova has his wrist unit now. He 
  left Bally about a standard year ago -- was last seen on Verron IV. I have 
  no idea what happened in between. Neither does he, it seems."

Sorchca tucks said wrist unit into a pocket for safe keeping.

Quinn shakes his head quietly. "Jade's not here, Tance. Tell me when you last 
  saw her, Tance. Tance, I need you to tell me what happened." As an aside, he 
  says, "Order a bowl of peach ice cream from the catering unit. That usually 
  works with him. At least, I hope it still will."

Vyana looks at Quinn, her eyes widening. "I told him Jade was here -- Jade was 
  in my class....been inactive for a decade, and then some. In long term care."

Sorchca's widen, and she looks as if she is going to question Quinn, but 
  instead heads over to the catering unit and dials up the peach ice cream. 
  Craddling the bowl in one hand, a spoon in the other she returns to the 
  biobed.

Brown eyes come open, and the prone Singer blinks without recognition up into 
  Quinn's face. "Where'm I?" he croaks plaintively. His voice is rusty from 
  disuse, weak and husky.

Quinn shakes his head, "Tance's 'Jade' is Kesya As'shoriah, a black Singer 
  from class 2015. Remember her? She used to be in charge of Training along 
  with Shana." To Tance, he says, "Ballybran, Tance. Guild Infirmary."

Sorchca frowns, shaking her head, never having heard of her.

"Jade!" Tance cries out in anguished tones, trying to go bolt upright and not 
  making it. The biobed's scanners fluctate, picking up a surge of adrenaline 
  and panic going through the man's system. "Ballybran? I gotta find 'er, I 
  gotta..."

Sorchca takes a step forward as the singer tries to rise from the bed, though 
  with her hands full of ice cream just what she is going to do is unclear.

Quinn places his hand, gently, above Tance, mostly so he can't bolt. "Calm, 
  Tance. I need you to be calm, so I can find out what happened, Tance. Tance, 
  I have a treat for you, if you'll tell me what happened, Tance." The Chief 
  Medic gestures with the other hand for Sorchca to bring the ice cream.

Sorchca holds out the bowl to Quinn, and as if an afterthought she shoves the 
  spoon to him.

Vokrim's brown gaze refocuses on the medic's face, and he mumbles, "Who's 
  Tance?"

Quinn
Average height, average weight - and a face that you could lose in a crowd of 
  three. Someone who'll never stand out, someone who you'd be hard put to even 
  remember the color of their eyes - the only thing on which to hang any form 
  of image being his stride, a lightfooted, almost mincing bounce of a gait.
Right now, he is a study in black. His black jumpsuit hides the majority of 
  the leather choker around his neck, leaving only the caduceus-shaped gem to 
  twinkle in the light. Invisible but for a moment is an earplug of some sort.

Vyana looks at Quinn again. "See...see what I meant..." she says, helplessly.

Quinn sighs and mutters, "It's worse than ever. Damn her." Then, louder, 
  "Tance, you're Tance. Your name is Tance Vokrim, and you are a Crystal 
  Singer." Taking the ice cream, he offers it to Tance. "Tance, I want you to 
  eat this, all right? I'll help you, if you want."

Sorchca watches the interaction between Quinn and Tance, a small on her 
  forehead. She jerks slightly at the curses of Quinn. Softly to Quinn, "Is 
  there anyone else here that might jog his memory?"

The word 'Singer' clearly gets through to him -- and so does the sight of the 
  peach ice cream. Tance stares at it, looking for a moment like a little boy 
  being presented with an unexpected dessert, regardless of his weathered, 
  bearded face. And then he tentatively reaches out for the bowl and the spoon.

Quinn nods, letting Tance up to a sitting position. "Tance, do you remember 
  who I am?" His voice doesn't sound real confident in the answer.

It's quite apparent that whatever else is wrong with him, Tance Vokrim is 
  starving. Once he has hold of the bowl, he starts wolfing down the contents, 
  looking a time or two as if he's about to inhale the spoon along with the 
  ice cream. A hint of pleasure relaxes his countenance, but then, distracted 
  by Quinn's next question, he peers over at the younger man. His brow 
  crinkled under his disheveled gray-streaked bangs, he slowly shake his head.

You can almost feel your claims calling to you and the urge to return to them 
  is too strong to be ignored.

Sorchca sees how hungry the Singer is, stalks over to it, and punches up 
  another bowl of peach ice cream and some hot broth, and lastly some bread. 
  Setting all the items on a tray, she returns to stand near the biobed.

Quinn watches Tance for a long moment as he eats, sighing quietly. He mutters, 
  "Here we go again." Then, louder, he says, "Tance, if you'll eat some other 
  things, you can have some more ice cream." He nods at Sorchca, and mouths 
  the word 'more' at her. Then, his attention is back on Tance. "Tance, my 
  name is Quinn. I'm a doctor here on Ballybran, and we met awhile ago. I'm 
  going to make sure you're all right, all right?"
Quinn frowns slightly. "Vyana, if you could find Gyles Lee for me, I would be 
  really appreciative."

Sorchca sets the tray down, and heads back over to the catering unit, dialing 
  up dishes up food, setting them precariously on a tray, and making her way 
  back to the biobed. She sets the tray down on a rolling cart designed to let 
  the person in bed eat from it. She swings the arms slowly towards the 
  singer, not wanting to startle him.

The dazed Singer looks long and hard at Quinn on the word 'doctor', and slowly 
  nods at him, attention clearly drawn by the smells and sight of the food. 
  Still, something is clearly tugging at the man's brain, for he mumbles 
  forlornly, "I gotta find Jade..."

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

Quinn smiles and nods. "Don't worry, Tance. I'll see if I can find Jade. Don't 
  worry. Just eat."

Sorchca makes sure that all the appropriate utensils are at hand, then takes a 
  step back from the biobed, not wanting to crowd the singer.

Vyana backs out, "I should go..."
Vyana heads toward the lift area.
Vyana has left.

Food. Tance stares at the tray, too, and then falls upon it with a vigor 
  belying his emaciated and rambling state -- or perhaps it's desperation, for 
  even as he eats, as swiftly as he possibly can, his gaze goes distant and he 
  keeps mumbling the name of 'Jade' in between swallows.

Espra eyes Tance as she passes by, throwing Quinn and Sorchca a questioning 
  look.

Quinn nods at Sorchca, and, again, mouths the word 'more' towards her.

Sorchca catches Espra's glance, shrugs slightly, then heads back to the 
  catering unit, and pushes a few more buttons, slipping the new dishes onto a 
  tray. And once again returning to biobed. She takes the empty plates off, 
  and stacks them off to the side, then replaces them with filled plates. 
  Grabbing a stack of dirty dishes, she heads over to the recylcling unit and 
  disposes of them;

Espra shrugs, moving toward the desk to key into the computer. Every now and 
  then she glances over curiously.

You'd think that this Singer was suffering the Passover hunger, the way he's 
  inhaling every bit of food put before him. Tance Vokrim is not exactly neat 
  about it, either; all the while, his gaze keeps tracking round the room, 
  taking in everything in sight, including the medics. Eventually, wiping a 
  black sleeve unthinkingly across his mouth, he mumbles anxiously, "I gotta 
  go now. I gotta find Jade..."

Quinn shakes his head quietly. "Tance, I will try to find Jade for you. For 
  now, I need you to go out to the ranges. You need to be near crystal."

Sorchca makes a few trips back and forth to the disposal unit, with a few 
  grimaces at the sight of the Singer tearing into the food. She nods as she 
  agrees with Quinn, but heck she is merely a food mule.

No sense in making Sorchca do it all. Espra quietly slips out of her seat, 
  going over to assist the other medic.

Now, though, Tance's attention has been thoroughly recaptured by Quinn, and 
  the younger man's quiet voice and words. A flicker of comprehension comes 
  across Vokrim's dark eyes, and he nods unsteadily, babbling, "Yes... yes, 
  but, I, I, I gotta go with Jade, I always go with Jade, but I can't find 
  her, she's gone, I gotta find her...!" He tries to scramble out of the 
  biobed, as his voice rises progressively in volume, edged and rough and 
  desperate.

Sorchca smiles her thanks to Espra. She wipes her hands on her thighs as she 
  shoves the last load into the unit. With a sudden insight she heads over to 
  the catering unit, she dials up another bowl of peach icecream and 
  practically runs back to the biobed with it.

Quinn's voice, on the other hand, is perfectly calm, quiet, confident. "Tance, 
  I know you normally do, but Jade isn't here right now. I will see about 
  getting her back, but right now, you have to go out. Can you remember when 
  you last saw Jade, Tance? That would help me a lot, Tance."

Sorchca stands near Quinn, holding the bowl of ice cream.

Espra glances over at Tance, then at Quinn, considers for a moment, then 
  shakes her head to herself and watches Sorchca.

Quinn mutters to Sorchca, "... was... out,... need to... first."

Tance's brow crinkles under his disheveled bangs. His eyes turn pained, and 
  his mouth opens and closes a few times before he mutters roughly, "Hiking... 
  we were hiking..."

Sorchca nods, she frowns as she looks at Quinn. "I will go ask, if you think 
  it would help?

Quinn nods at Sorchca. Then, to Tance, encouragingly, "Can you tell me more, 
  Tance? Don't worry. You're safe here."

Sorchca sets the bowl down, and slips from the room.
Sorchca heads toward the lift area.
Sorchca has left.

Espra takes up the bowl, reaching out instinctively to smooth Tance's hair as 
  she listens in silence.

Espra
        She moves smoothly, seeming to glide as she walks along. Her nut brown 
  hair barely stirs to her motions. It's pulled back into an intricate knot at 
  the back of her head, flowing down from there to rest softly on her 
  shoulders with not a trace of curl. She stands around five and a half feet 
  high, with an average build for her average height. Grey eyes, a long narrow 
  nose, and a small mouth are featured in her annoyingly round face. She wears 
  a fine-cut blood-red jumpsuit with black trim on the sleeves and collars, 
  the jacket of which is zipped only half way up to reveal a black sleeveless 
  shirt beneath. Black boots and a utility belt complete the outfit, and a 
  scanner hangs from her belt.
        
You can only pull your thoughts away from the sweet singing of crystal with 
  great difficulty.

Tance's gaze flickers from Quinn to Espra as this unfamiliar figure bends over 
  him, and his face goes blank for several seconds before he mumbles up to 
  her, "You... a doctor, too?"

Espra nods, offering a smile. "Yup, that's what they tell me."

Quinn nods at Tance, "Tance, this is Espra. She's new here, so she doesn't 
  know you. But I've been here for a while. I remember you. I won't forget 
  you."

The Singer blinks to Espra, considering this; he hasn't objected to the 
  smoothing of his gray-streaked mop of hair, and that may well be because 
  he's spotted the other bowl of ice cream. He reaches for it, more slowly 
  than before, and as he starts quietly eating it, he inclines his head 
  gravely to Quinn.

Espra glances up at Quinn, a bit puzzled at the seeming non-sequitur, then 
  looks back down at Tance. "More? Plenty where that came from."

Swallowing down ice cream, Tance gives this new and unfamiliar medic another 
  long, brown stare, before he tells her plaintively, "I'm okay..." He then 
  flicks his attention back to Quinn, repeating, "I'm okay... I gotta find 
  Jade... _please_..." His voice hoarsens, pain and worry lancing across the 
  man's features; he holds the bowl of ice cream now as if he's forgotten it, 
  never mind that he's only half-finished it.

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

Sorchca walks softly from the lift area.
Sorchca has arrived.
Sorchca follows Gyles into the room.

Quinn shakes his head, "Jade isn't here, Tance. I will try to find her, but 
  you have to take care of yourself right now. All right?" He nods gravely at 
  Gyles.

Gyles wanders in, turning to ask Sorchca who 'Vorkim' is, and stops short. 
  "Oh," he says quietly. "I remember."

Espra gestures toward Quinn. "What he said. Please eat, Tance," she urges.

Sorchca sees that Gyles and Quinn have things in hand. She slips quietly from 
  the room.
Sorchca heads toward the lift area.
Sorchca has left.

Uneasily, now rather looking as if he's a little boy being scolded into eating 
  rather than one consuming un-looked-for dessert, Tance starts quietly 
  consuming the rest of the ice cream. But his gaze lingers on Quinn, his eyes 
  darkly anguished.

Gyles remains near the door, eyeing the older singer warily. "You want me to 
  take him into the ranges, I take it?"

Quinn just nods in Gyles' directions. But most of his attention is on Tance. 
  "Tance, I know it hurts. Your Jade is my friend too. I will try my damnedest 
  to get her back. But, in the same vein, for her, I have to make sure you're 
  cared for."

The notion that he must be hale to find the missing 'Jade' must make sense to 
  Tance somehow; he steadily downs ice cream until it's gone, and he nods, 
  dejectedly, to the medic. "Right," he rasps, barely audibly.

Espra slips over to the catering unit to bring back more ice cream. "Ah, I 
  knew you seemed like a sensible man, Tance."

Quinn nods, and then looks towards Gyles, "Are you willing, or should I find 
  someone else?"

A long moment passes while Gyles considers the question, studying Tance 
  carefully. Finally he shrugs slightly and nods, "I'll take him out, for the 
  usual bonus."

Quinn nods. "Thank you, Gyles. I appreciate it."
Quinn turns back to Tance, "Tance? Do you remember Singer Gyles Lee?"

Brown eyes swing their attention round to Lee, and hesitantly, Vokrim shakes 
  his grizzled head.

You start to get urges, small at first, to return to the ranges of Ballybran.

A small smile crosses Gyles' face, a look of relief, almost, that the older 
  Singer doesn't recognize him. "How long do you want us out, Quinn?" he asks 
  the medic quietly. "Is there anything I need to know?"

Quinn sighs quietly, and for those who can read him, it's clear this disturbs 
  him quite a bit. "Tance, I've asked Gyles to take you out to the ranges. All 
  right? I want you to soak up some resonance and then come back here, to the 
  infirmary. All right?"

Espra glances at Gyles, mouth quirking slightly. Talk about a loaded question.

"And then I-I can look for Jade?" Vokrim asks roughly, the rasp of his voice 
  at odds with the liquid hurt in his eyes.

Quinn lifts his shoulders. "Standard precautions, of course. And his 
  preference for peach ice cream. Stay out until you can feel a bit of a buzz. 
  Or, actually, until both of you can."
Quinn nods at Tance. "I'll even help you, Tance."

Tance's preference is currently leading him through that last bowl of ice 
  cream Espra had brought him; as he works his way through the stuff, he nods 
  slowly and dolefully to the medic before flicking an uneasy look at Gyles.

Peach ice cream? "Right," Gyles replies dryly as he turns to eye Tance. "Are 
  you ready to head out, now, or do you want to leave in the morning?"

The question seems to throw Tance for a loop. The spoon clatters down into the 
  bowl, and he stares blankly at the younger man, a tangle of thoughts visible 
  in his expression, but none of them making it into words. Finally, he 
  manages to utter the word "Ranges," his voice thickened with palpable 
  yearning.

Espra deftly takes the bowl, not wanting that to be dropped as well.

Quinn comments, "I think he means tonight."

Gyles nods, his expression softening a bit. "Well, let's get going, eh?" He 
  shoots Quinn an unreadable glance, as if to say 'just you wait..!' as he 
  waits for Tance to collect himself.

"Ranges," repeats Tance, mumbling, and clearly more or less to himself. He 
  glances around in startlement as if surprised to recollect that he's sitting 
  in a biobed, and then, stiffly, he clambers up out of it, trying to pull 
  himself to his feet. His movements are grudging, perhaps out of fatigue, but 
  if anything, the yearning in his face grows stronger. Never mind that the 
  civilian garb he's wearing isn't exactly designed for trekking into the 
  Ranges of Ballybran; that doesn't appear to be an issue as he concludes 
  longingly, "Now... then Jade... I gotta find Jade..."

Gyles returns and gestures toward the door, "Well, let's go find your cutter 
  and your pack and get going, Tance. Do you remember where your apartment 
  is?" Now, that was probably a stupid question.

Espra chucks the dirty dishes into the disposal, turning to watch Gyles go 
  with a slight frown of puzzlement.

"My... I...." Indeed, the question seems to rather overwhelm the dazed Singer; 
  Tance blinks at Gyles as though the younger man is speaking gibberish at 
  him., and finally he lifts a hand, absently flexing the fingers on it, 
  mumbling, "Cut... I gotta... cut?"

Gyles sighs and turns back to Quinn. "What wing does he live in? We'll have to 
  raid his closet and find his cutter."

Quinn moves over to check his files. "Level 11. Ocher Quadrant,:

Gyles nods, "I thought so." He turns back to Tance, "Well, let's get moving, 
  eh?" he gestures toward the lifts.

For a brief moment, two powerful expressions war for supremacy upon the 
  countenance of Tance Vokrim. One of them threatens to make him look like a 
  child despite his battered appearance, for it's blatantly obvious that the 
  situation is rushing right over his head; the other is the undeniable _need_ 
  of a Singer too long out of the Ranges being reminded of the tug of the 
  crystal. He peers at both of the medics, helpless and at a loss before that 
  _need_ sends him stumbling out of the room, mumbling under his breath in 
  husky tones about 'cutting' and then 'Jade'... until he's gone.

[To be continued...]