[Log] "If I were a proud woman, that'd smart some."

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Eavesdown Docks, Persephone
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Through the varied, colourful and often unscrupulous crowd comes the comparatively clean and spritely familiar form of Grace's beloved Galley Regent. She has a satchel over one shoulder and a pale wicker container (with lid) tucked under one arm. Deftly the little woman skirts puddles, avoids potential pickpockets and otherwise pretty much makes a beeline for where her destination is docked, -her destination, of course, being the ship she has learned to call home.


Early evening finds Saienne sitting cross-legged on the Grace's dusty cargo ramp looking down at the book resting open in her lap. Her broad-brimmed hat, unnecessary now that Persephone's bright January sun has slipped beyond the rooftops of Eavesdown, rests on the ramp next to her. Saienne reads; and pauses; and turns the page; and stops to think, raising her gaze to stare unseeing across the sea of faces bustling around the dock. Unseeing, that is, until a particular half-familiar figure becomes distinguishable from the greater mass of humanity thronging the place. She holds her page down with one finger, raises her other hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the docklights, and squints hard in Josephine's direction.


With the sun behind her back, Josephine has a much clearer view of the squinting Saienne. Her expression shifts to a wide, warm grin and she breaks into a jog, hurrying to cross the distance between her and the other woman. "Well, I'll be a fried potato! It's Saienne Oleano!" she proclaims when she is close enough to do so. "Were you waiting out here just for me? Say it is so, and I'll thank you for humouring my delusions of grandeur." She seems to have a new look about her, both in attire and in the renewed serenity of her general demeanour.


Down the steps inside and out onto the ramp of Grace comes Hatch with a duffle bag over his shoulder packed full and seeming to have a sock or two hanging out the tight knot at the far end, perhaps a pantleg? Something along those lines none the less as he enters into the fresh air of E.. okay relative fresh air of Eavesdown with a smile on his face.


As Josephine begins to jog towards the ship, Sai abandons her book - page and all - and unfolds limbs until she is standing. She hops to the bottom of the ramp, a crooked grin coming easily to her lips. "Well, if it ain't our Josephine," she says as the woman comes close enough to hear and be heard. "Welcome home. An' if it makes you feel all grand an' mighty, of course I was waitin' out here for you." She scritches the back of her head and squints at Jo again. "Real glad to see you, an' all, Josephine." Her tone is earnest and serious, and the grin fades just a little to her lop-sided smile. "You had an... enlightenin' time, I hope?" Hearing footsteps on the ramp behind her, Saienne turns slightly and sees Hatch and his bundle of what looks like laundry. She takes a small step backwards, out of his path and out of the way.


Looking radiant and serene and altogether happy, Josephine is grinning from ear to ear. "So nice of you to be here, Sai," she replies, trapping the woman in a brief but enthusiastic hug, because that's what Josephine does, despite the fact that she's still holding her satchel over her shoulder /and/ that wicker container under her arm, which is probably why the hug wasn't longer. "And every time is enlightening, didn't you know?" She smiles warmly before lifting her dark gaze to the man standing there with his overflowing duffel bag and his cheerful expression. "Now, if that isn't Richard Halpin," the little woman murmurs, her expression suddenly shifting to something entirely more profound.


Hatch really had no idea at all, his thoughts were distant as he was amusing himself with this thought or that. Date, time? Didn't matter really and they seemed to go so fast as he worked.. the job has been absorbing so much of his time of late. On the other hand as he hears that voice his eyes jerk back down in to reality, a shocked expression that changes into a smile of such joy "Hey you!" He declares and starts down the ramp, obviously not thinking about anything as he trips right over the lip of the ramp that he's stepped over ten thousand times and face plants on the ramp with a resounding "OOmph!" Dang distractions anyway he's full of them today, and his head comes up again just as the bag of laundry lands right across his shoulders. Hatch squints one eye shut, everything happening so very fast leaving him with a look of bemused frustration all in all.


"You want to give me that basket...?" Saienne says quietly but quickly, before Josephine and Hatch's worlds have time to shrink down to being able to hold just each other. She grins a little at the hug she receives from Jo, and returns it just as enthusiastically. "Did miss you, you know," Sai says, her voice muffled only a little bit by the cloth of Josephine's beautiful new coat, and she pulls away in plenty of time to see Hatch take his unexpected tumble down the ramp. "Good gorram!" She exclaims, startled. "Hatch!" She takes a step towards him, bending to haul the laundry bag from across his shoulders before anything else.


"I didn't realise I was that dazzling!" Josephine declares, but she is hurrying too, over to the large man who seems to have fallen on his face right there on the cargo ramp of Grace O' Malley. "Hatch? You okay?" she is asking gently, but with considerable concern.


With a wrinkle of his nose Hatch presses his hand to his face for a moment rubbing before he starts to push the laundry bag off of his shoulders, and the back of his head, then get at least into a sitting position as the bag starts to roll away down the ramp, "Nothing really wounded other then my pride and..YOUR BACK!" He shouts to the docks, trying to scramble back to his feet and envelop Jo in his arms regardless of his rather spectacular no brainer that ended him on his face in the first place.


Deftly, Josephine quickly takes up Saienne's offer of holding her wicker basket, placing it gently in her hands in the split second she has before she is completely enveloped in the large man's arms. "Oh! Yes, I'm back! Ow, you're stepping on my toe!" She is laughing, however, at the First Mate's clumsy enthusiasm. "I'm guessing you missed me a little, too?"


Saienne and Josephine are stood at the foot of the cargo ramp to the Grace O'Malley. Hatch, unfortunately, has somehow ended up in a tumble at their feet - topped neatly by a heavy bag full of what looks like laundry. As Hatch pushes himself up from the ramp and leaps at Josephine, Sai takes the basket and sets it gently down beside her. She then bends to one knee and commences the few bits and pieces of Hatch's washing that have made a bid for freedom. "Homecomings," she murmurs, "Always an interestin' thing to see."


Coyote ambles into the Docks area, meandering through the crowd. His hands are thrust deep into the pockets of his jacket and a glowing cigarette dangles from his lips.


It really takes a second for it to dawn on him, "Toe?" He looks down and steps back rather suddenly holding Jose at arms length, "Sorry?" He starts then breaks into a huge grin, "How about I stand real still, and yeah I missed you. Sai can attest to my.. well I have been pretty content but mostly content in my work, we got a couple more crew members who I have hardly said boo to and really have been meaning to, was going to after doing my laundry saw that Peeper gal inside but she was working so passed her by for now. Think we got a new engineer... and dear God what else. I really haven't been much up to date.. had my head in the engine most of the time, or hauling cargo. You know me baby.. God I've missed you!"


Josephine seems to have all her toes intact. Those must be some boots, really. She is smiling warmly, with her cheeks vaguely flushed from the enthusiasm of these wonderful greetings. "In other words, you've been anti-social. For shame, Mister Halpin! And..new people? How delightful!" The little woman doesn't even try to break free of Hatch's hold on her, there on the ramp, but she turns her head to grin to Saienne. "Interesting indeed. So!" She inhales deeply before starting a large stream of questions, "Someone tell me about the new folks! Did anyone starve to death while I was away? How are Larry? Did he chew his crate again? Did Pauline get bigger? Do you think Ara missed me? Has anyone heard from Matty?"


Coyote taps the ash from the end of his cigarette, casting a perfunctory glance about the Docks before using a small crate to step up to the dumpster, seating himself there in a supine position, his ankles dangling over the edge.


Peeper stifles a yawn and blinks, trudging down the ramp with heavy, if slightly slow, steps. Her hands tucked in the puch of her hoody, her hood drawn tight so that she can hide her face as usual. She gives the clot of folks on or near the ramp a wide berth, and a vague, polite little wave as she tries to slip past unnoticed.


Saienne gingerly stuffs the last rather ripe-smelling sock into the top of the duffel bag and then props the whole lot up near the basket. While she's on her knees, she picks her book and her hat up and, straightening, slips the one into her pocket and the other onto her head. She takes a couple of steps away from Hatch and Josephine, smiling lop-sidedly at the pair of them, and leans against the shining curve of the Grace's hull. From beneath the brim of her hat, she watches the people on Eavesdown - Coyote, as he passes, receives a long, steady look. Josephine's questions cause her to turn back in the couple's direction and she chuckles, a low throaty rumble of a sound. "Tyr's been lookin' after Larry an' Pauline an' doin' a fine job an' all," she says. "An' of course the Captain missed you. We all missed you." A pause. "No one starved but... Kael cooked. Your galley ain't burnt out, so don't fret. He made sandwiches." She grins crookedly. "They weren't bad." A beat. "Leastwise, they din't cause me no bother." She slips her hands into her pockets. "An' the new folks? Well, we got a Shepherd travellin' with us, Sander. An' a Companion an' all. Real pretty lady. An' here's Peeper," Saienne says as the girl fails in her attempt to slip by unnoticed. "She's good with computers an' the like. Real handy skill, that." She smiles a lop-sided smile at Peeper before continuing: "An' there's Styger. I do believe he's an engineer, but I ain't seen much of him. No doubt Ronnie's got him stickin' his head in some oily hole somewhere..." She sniffs. "Got a full house, ain't it so?"


"Haven't been anti-social persay, by definition anti-social would have me going against social behaviour and attempting to break social norms in order to... Yep, there be Peeper. Already been through her file along with the rest of em for clearance reasons." The big fellow shrugs his shoulders and calls over to Sai, "Thanks for grabbing my laundry Sai, it's got to get done sometime here, and I intend to do that today. Looks like your on the nose with answering everything other then the chicken.. who is doing okay, but making it hell for me to clean up after got her in a cage with some newspaper. Well fed, happy, even lets people pet.. but to keep the dogs away and save me mopping everything Pauline has been restricted a bit."


Coyote rests languidly on one elbow, his gaze roaming the assembled inhabitants of the Docks from his fairly prominent position atop the dumpster. Smoke drifts lazily from his lips.


Ponderously, Josephine repeats, "A Shepherd, a lady Companion, a possible engineer and...Peeper the computer expert." She smiles warmly and offers Peeper a bit of a wave, not wishing to inflict any social discomfort on the girl who is obviously trying to avoid just that. "Sounds like our family has grown quite a bit indeed. I look forward to meeting everyone." She just shakes her head a bit and smiles at all of Hatch's disclaimers. "So. Laundry for you today, eh?"


Peeper veers around the masses, and down the ramp. Head turning back and forth, she looks around for a long moment, as if thinking something over with great care and caution. Decision made, she steps off the ramp and merges with the flow of foot traffic when an opening presents itself. Still checking around warily, she turns her steps towards the city proper.


"Well I ain't seen their files, Hatch," Saienne says, "So I don't doubt I ain't entirely on the nose - but I ain't about to say folk ain't allowed their secrets, an' all." She grins crookedly. "I have, however, spent an evenin' in the company of Tyr an' Sirah drinkin' vile cocktails thrown together by our illustrious - an' too often trouserless - pilot, an' I must say the Companion seems like a real gracious lady." The drift of Coyote's cigarette smoke catches her attention again - by way of her nose - and she turns to regard him, the feather tucked into her hat brim swooping a low dip as her head moves. Peeper moving off into the crowd causes Saienne to frown slightly, and the crowsfeet at the edges of her eyes wrinkle deeply. "Must catch up with that girl..." Sai murmurs, mostly to herself.


You sense: Peeper stops a ways away, waiting until she makes eye contact with you. She then looks off towards the spacers district, and then back to you.Peeper heads through the exit labeled Spacers District onto Spacers District - Persephone.Peeper has left.


"Apparently Peeper is a little harder to meet then I'd originaly suspected." Hatch states as he settles in to a less crushing mode of being happy to see Jose but his intention to remain close to her remains as does one arm about her as he watches Peeper take her leave, "Eh not so much secrets really as a bit of history, read the same on you when you came on board Sai.. I forget most of it, ain't all that important as the person you are." His pale eyes watch the gal wander off into the crowd before they trace back to Sai's reaction and move on to the search out the dark eyes of the lady standing next to him, "So going to tell me all about your trip then sooner or later?" In the least he's stopped acting as excited as an old hound dog.. may not have put licking her face past him eh?


Coyote shifts himself to sit upright, shuffling forward on the dumpster so that his legs, from the knees down, dangle in front of the attached billboard. He barely suppresses a yawn as his gaze moves from the crowd to now surveying each of the assembled ships in turn.


"I will consider it," Josephine informs Hatch, enigmatically, being difficult simply for the sake of being so. She considers the space where Peeper was last seen. "Is she having trouble settling in?" the dark woman frets worriedly about a person she doesn't yet know, before she reassures herself: "These things can take time." It seems after a month away, and in a temple to top, the little nun-turned-cook finds herself feeling slightly unaccustomed to being held thusly by Hatch, although..of course, she is clearly happy to be there!


"In fact," says Saienne, still mostly to herself as she watches Peeper's departing form, "I should catch up with her now. Left her long enough, I reckon." She smiles a distracted smile back across at Hatch. "Well, hell," she says, "Must've been fascinatin' readin' for you. Evidently there weren't nothin' excitin' enough to keep the Captain from takin' me on." She grins abruptly. "Aged thirteen, Miss Olaeno stole a jar of biscuits from the General Store an' got chased up Main Street by Mr Garnett, the storekeeper, an' then thrashed by her mother when she found out." A pause, and a regretful expression: "It ain't exactly the stuff Fed bulletins are made up of, is it?" To Jo's Peeper-related question, Sai answers: "She's shy, sure enough. Ain't got close to gettin' through her armour yet." She smiles at Josephine. "I reckon you might have better luck. You got a gentler touch, ain't it so?"


"Better then me I'd pin her down and.. that sounds all wrong don't it? Forget it you all already know how I am about thiongs.." Hatch ends with a broad shrug as he releases Jo in order to go after his laundry bag, in this case to flop his backside down atop it. "A whole lot of wind, with good meaning behind it.. don't always work out right though.. didn't know you were a biscut theefer there Sai, I'll keep an eye on em from now one." Ahh now there is a bit of a grin involved there.


"Well, I know know about that, Sai," Josephine considers, "but I'll certainly do my best to make her feel at home, if she's to stay with us for any length of time." She follows after Hatch and, when he sits down, she rests her hands lightly on his head a moment, as if to assure him she is there. "I believe I called you a clumsy oaf once, dear," she says, fondly. "You looked kind of sad about that at the time."


Coyote now casts an appraising glance at the small group in front of the Grace, taking an extended drag on the cigarette that rest between finger and thumb.


"Ain't much more than the pinchin' of biscuits to keep a kid occupied where I'm from, Hatch. That an' starin' at the stars, of which I do recall I did a fair amount an' all." She smiles and pushes off from the Grace to follow Peeper. "Josephine, I am entirely glad you're back with us, but I got me an errand to run." She looks across at Hatch. "An' I reckon your gentleman needs some help not fallin' over his own feet again." She grins crookedly and good-naturedly at Hatch and then proceeds to weave her way through Eavesdown, the feather in her hat bobbing and ducking as she walks. As she passes Coyote's crate, she looks up and sideways at him, and nods almost imperceptibly.


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The Dreggs Bar and Grill, Persephone
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This bar makes /no/ claims that it will please an 'upper scale' clientele. This place is for real spacers that are looking for a drink, and a sandwich. In here you will find no pretensions of superiority at all. This is a simple place, where working folk gather, and the rough and tumble feel right at home. There is a long bar adorned with pock marked brass that is very well worn from years and years of elbows and glasses, but the bar top is kept well waxed and polished. There are /no/ bar stools. The patrons are expected to belly up to the bar, and vie for position, something the patrons here are used too. There are several tables in the center of the room, and booths against the walls that afford a modicum of privacy for those that desire it. Anyone putting on airs in here is often put in their place by the barkeep and proprietor Gus.
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Peeper is waiting at a table set neatly against one of the walls.


Saienne follows in not long after Peeper left Eavesdown. She swipes her hat off her head as she walks through the door and then stands, for a few moments only, blinking as her eyes adjust to the lower light levels. When they have, she lopes over to the bar and, turning her back to it, scours the room for the girl. When she sees her - no mean feat in this atmosphere and given Peeper's choice of clothes - she walks over, hands thrust deep into her pockets. "Evenin'," she says, pulling out a chair.


Peeper waves and fidgets a little nervously. One foot tapping up and down as she feels very much out of place. Still, this is dark, and quiet, and out of the way. So it should work, right? She waits for you to take a seat.


And so she does, slipping into the seat opposite and planting her large hat on the table beside her. "Real pleasant place this," Saienne says, in quiet enough tones not to be overheard by anyone but Peeper. "An' your choice makes me wonder if you've found somewhat less than savoury on that there data block...?" Saienne's dark eyes are cool and serious, and she steeples her fingers in front of her... waiting.


Peeper looks around a little and shrugs, leaning closer so her voice can be heard,"Figured this is all transient types, so nobody will think much about us meetin' here. You got numbers, lots of em. And a key to decrypt them. They're related somehow, I'll find out exactly how with a lio more work. Also, the names Wan Xiao-Chen and Walter Hornby popped up. I hope that helps?"


Saienne wrinkles her nose. "Numbers? Well that ain't... " A pause and the older woman falls silent to think. "Numbers. Huh!" She frowns a little. "That... weren't entirely what I was expectin'." She focuses on Peeper again, and tilts her head sideways. "You got any inklin' what the numbers might be?" She asks. "Or is that all included in the 'more work' you mentioned?" Sai rubs her thumb along the line of her jaw as she ponders. "Mighty good work an' all, mind," she says, "An' done real quick, an' all. I appreciate it." She leans back in her chair. "Xiao-Chen I know, but Walter Hornby... name's somewhat familiar, but..." A shrug.


Peeper shrugs and says,"My guess? Money. Some kind of ledger. A code one. That or an inventory of something. Either way someone wants the info hid, but it can kide long. Not from me." She flashes a confident smile.


"No," says Saienne, thoughtfully. "I reckon it can't, at that." She rubs her eyes. "You do know you've come closer to crackin' this thing in a week than I have in a whole gorram year?" She smiles dryly. "If I were a proud woman, that'd smart some - but as it is I can only be grateful." She purses her lips as Peeper voices her theory about keeping things hidden. "You reckon? I did think that, an' all. Only I ain't so sure no more."


Peeper shrugs and looks around warily. She keeps her voice low enough that only her table mate can hear it. "It's hard to say with no context. I'll know a little more soon I bet. The money and such is just a guess, but I guess it could be like, some kind of list of people?" She taps her chin in thought and asks,"What does this Xiao-Chen person do exactly?"


"She's a businesswoman," says Saienne, carefully. "The Eavesdown kind." She stresses the word 'Eavesdown' and glances up through heavy lashes at Peeper as she says it. "Dancin' the dance, but more elegantly than most folk manage. Last I heard it she was in import-export, but she shifts an' changes as often as the music. She's been in light industry, retail, entertainment... all sorts." Another dry smile. "Ain't that but the Eavesdown way?" She looks up as Rammoc joins the crowd of people already in the Dregs and, as he stands taller than most of the rest of the clientele, she has no problem following his path to the bar. She wrinkles her nose again, and turns her attention back to Peeper: "Mayhap it's time to try an' track her down again."


Peeper taps her chin again lightly and then says,"I'm gonna check around on a couple things. Don't wory, I'll be careful, I promise. I'll let you know when I know something more ok?"


Rammoc orders a tall glass of red juice and vodka. He slowly looks around as he sips his drink.


Saienne nods, somewhat sharply. "Sounds like a real good plan. But you be careful, an' all." A pause. "I expect I don't need to say that, do I? But I reckon it would have been remiss of me not to an' all." She picks up her hat and strokes the feather with one long finger. "I reckon I'm goin' to try some of the folk I know an' all. See if they're willin' to talk to me this time round."


Saienne scoops up her hat and stands, pushing the chair out with her legs as she straightens. The legs scrape a little too loudly on the hard floor. She crams her hat onto her head and places a hand on the back of the chair. "Well, you know where to find me if you need me, I reckon," Sai says, in good-natured tones. "An' I know where to find you an' all." She nods to Peeper, the feather bobbing and dipping again, and says: "Thank you." After which she lopes towards the door and out into Persephone's bustle.