[In and Out] Little Dipper (1.3)

WPTunes

You're at the restaurant, in your black slacks and the branded polo shirt you love so much:

You were only 4 minutes late. Enough for the floor manager to give you a look, but not enough for her to write you up.

You remembered right, Jessi's working tonight.

She gives you a quick hug as you tie on your apron and check that the day shift finished the sidework. "So, that Eve Holt? She's the lady from your game, right? Are you trying to do the quest thingy?"

Rich

I'm checking all my little bowls. Day shift always shorts me the serving bowls, and I hate when I can't dole out a few "extras" for customers. They really appreciate it and I don't mind cutting a few veggies. Not like it costs the restaurant anything, and I swear it helps with tips.

"Yeah, she made TSol and a bunch of other games. She was a real genius. Nobody even knew she was sick." I rattle this off, not defensively, more like it's been rattling around in my head. I look over at Jessi. Damn, her hair cut looks great. "I've already started the quest. Along with tens of thousands of others. So, you know... hey, your hair looks awesome!"

WPTunes

"Thanks! My roommate works at a salon, she did it yesterday when we were bored. Hey, are you okay? I mean, I don't get it, but I know she... her work, the things she made, were important to you. And she seemed nice, in the video."

Your shift starts out okay, one couple out for their anniversary is very sweet and tips you great after you make sure their young son gets extra strawberries for dessert.

Another couple seems to be on an early date. You enjoy reminding them of one of the Little Dipper rules: "If the food falls off your fondue fork while cooking in the pot, you must kiss the person beside you or buy them a drink!" They choose the kiss.

About an hour and a half in, though, it gets rough. A woman that seems about ten months pregnant, out with a bevy of work friends, turns out to be a "Woooo!" girl. After getting louder and louder, trying to keep your attention, despite all your other customers, she asks for a double shot of Jägermeister.

She's pregnant for God's sake. Ordering Jäger. It's not like she's asking for a glass of red wine to sip. What do you do?

Rich

Okay, maybe she's just oddly fat? I smile at her, like always, but I'm looking at the rest of the ladies. Surely one of them is reacting to this. I can push it back on them if that happens, right? So I'll check out how they react before I leave the table. I'll just make some banter until I get a feel. No "Are you sure?" or anything right away.

WPTunes

Trevian, her friends look embarrassed, and one actually opens her mouth to say something when the probably-certainly-pregnant lady interrupts. Peering at your nametag, she says, "C'mon, Trevino, make it snappy! I'm drinking for two!" You know you haven't served her any alcohol tonight, she hasn't ordered any until now, but she sure seems drunk.

You see the floor manager look over, her mouth pursed in disapproval. Why does Jenny have it in for you? And what do you do?

Rich

Jenny is nice, but she's a little older, and married. One night a couple weeks ago we were closing up and she sent everyone else home, then made a move on me. I backed off, tried to be nice and all, but really, man. I was not interested, plus she's a night shift manager! I never told anyone, but I think Jessi suspects something. Which makes it worse, of course. Not that Jessi's territorial or anything, she just hates BS like that. I think she lived through something like it before or something.

I blink a couple times, then ask, "I'm sorry, did you say you're pregnant?" My tone is surprised, but not accusatory. It's a stupid question, I know. I want her to say it out loud. Because really, I'm not going to serve her Jagermeister. That's crazy.

WPTunes

She looks at you with challenge in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm pregnant. Are you blind?"

---

Let's call this a roll, to extricate yourself from the situation gracefully, without ruffling any feathers. The pregnant lady is going to roll 2d6. She's belligerent, but nothing special. I'll roll that in the next post, then you can choose a trait and roll the dice for it.

WPTunes

Pregnant Lady (2d6)

(Rolled: 2d6. Rolls: 6, 1. Total: 7)

Rich

Likeable (4d6)

(Rolled: 4d6. Rolls: 6, 1, 6, 3. Total: 16)

WPTunes

Well, that's a clear success. You make it out with grace and charm, and the pregnant lady (turns out her name is Vicky, by the way) calms down.

What was it you said or did, Trevian? Oh, and one of the women at the table leaves you her number when they eventually get up to go. Was it the cute 20-something with the ever-so-slightly crossed eyes? Or the smoking hot cougar with the blow-dried hair and the tight blouse? What do you do with the number?

Rich

Well, I just bowled her over with curiosity, playing it like I love kids, asking if she has any others, giving her loads of attention. I brought her extra portions, carve off special slices of apples in tiny bites "for the baby", gave her all the attention her "woo-ing" heart could take. That's all she wanted, someone to pay attention to her, validate her. At least, that's the way it seemed when she calmed down.

I wouldn't have minded the 20-something (Cindee), but it was Doris the cougar who gave me her number. If the lady's going to use spray-tan, she should consider covering her ring finger. No thanks, Doris.

WPTunes

It's actually a pretty decent shift, and it goes by pretty quickly. Here's a few things that happen:

One older couple is celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary. They are so sweet, holding hands and talking quietly. They politely thank you for every small service you perform. When you return to the table with their dessert, you happen to overhear the man saying, "I am so sorry I won't be here for our 50th, dear."

"Hush, teddy-bear," she responds, "Doctors can be wrong and there are such things as miracles."

They pay with a credit card, but when they leave, there is a hundred dollar bill in the check-holder for you.

---

Over the evening, you receive two messages from Regina over the TSol Mobile Chat app.

First, at around nine:

From: Jace OMG. Clan meeting SUX! I wonder if other clans are fighting like this.

Second, an hour or so later:

From: Jace !!!

Followed by a picture.

---

At some point, you and Jessi are at the Point-of-Sale at the same time. "So. I've got some pretty good stuff, and we haven't had any, uh, alone time since my tongue piercing healed. You up to hang out after shift?"

Rich

Decisions, decisions. Alone time or the quest. Alone time. The quest. Pot and great sex. A half billion dollars.

"Yeah, Jess, let's hang out back at my place." I answer with a grin. "I need to log in for like half an hour, got a lead on that big prize." I see the look in her eyes and add with complete sincerity, "If I win, I hereby promise to pay you one thousand dollars if you come over and give me that half hour." I wiggle my eyebrows at her playfully.

WPTunes

"I wish I could, Trev, but I really have to be at the apartment tonight. I'm taking care of Cassie's dogs for a few days, and the little one has diabetes, needs a shot at night and in the morning. I understand about the quest, though." She sticks her tongue out a little, clicks the little round stud against her teeth. "I was looking forward to experimenting with this, though."

Rich

I narrow my eyes at her, but my grin isn't gone. "What if I log my time, then swing by a little later? No thousand dollars for you, though. Just me. Cool?"

WPTunes

"Someone wants his cake and the eating of it. But sure, come on by when you're done." She mutters something in Hungarian, but gives your ass a grab before she saunters back out to her section.

From: Jace The birds're still here. I'll wait for you. You said midnight Eastern?

Rich

"Cool, Jess. I'll bring something to drink." I tell her, hoping that buys me some forgiveness. With that c-note, I might grab a bottle of wine. She does like reds.

I tap out a quick reply to Jace
From: Abaddon Yeah. I'm looking to cut out early. But midnight for sure.

I'm looking for Josh. He might swap with me. With that hundred and the tip from cougar, I'm about as flush with cash as I'll get tonight.

WPTunes

Josh shrugs. "Sure, man." He's a chubby Asian guy, friendly as hell and always looking for a few extra bucks. He even agrees to do your side work for $10, which is less than his going rate.

Jenny scowls a little, but agrees to the swap. Even gives you a grudging compliment. "Good work with that pregnant lady earlier. She was out of line."

All in all, it's about 10:30 when you make it back out to your car after a kiss with Jessi in the dry-goods storage room. It seems like she has a natural gift for using that tongue ring, based on that little preview.

Just before eleven, and you're home. Jake's scooter is gone from its spot, but Tandy's cute little Hyundai is there. When you enter the apartment, she's sitting on the sofa in the living room, face streaming with tears, just crying her heart out.

What do you do?

Rich

First reaction is - oh shit, Tandy's sad! Second reaction is - no way I can get online. Oh shit! Then finally, Damnit. Jessiiiii. And Jessi's tongue stud! Shit!

I head over to the couch, "T-dog," I sit sideways, facing her, offering a shoulder to cry on, or a hug, whatever. "What's wrong? What happened?"

WPTunes

"Trev, Darren is married. He told me tonight."

Darren. Dr. Darren. That's the responsible guy she's been seeing. He's 26, an internist at Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. You haven't met him, but he's all Tandy's talked about for the last three months.

What do you do?

Rich

I did not see that coming. She's always had such luck with guys.

Seeing her cry just tears at my heart. I pull her into a hug, patting her back. "I'm sorry, Tandy. Really sorry."

WPTunes

Tandy leans into the hug, soft and warm and so trusting. Trevian, that perfume she always wears, what does it smell like?

"Dammit, Trev, I really liked him!"

She squeezes you tight, burying her face in your shoulder. As she does, it occurs to you that she's never said "love," about any of her boyfriends, even when she was thirteen.

What do you do?

Rich

She smells like vanilla. She has an oil she buys at the Body Shop. I've gotten it for her a few times for birthday or Christmas. It makes her smell like food.. I can't smell vanilla without thinking about Tandy.

I have used the "love" word in years myself. Haven't said it to Jessi. Didn't say it to Monica. Or Lavonda. Last "I love you" was Sophomore crush Carinna. Damn, that girl was cool. We grew apart, but when we clicked, it was something amazing. She moved away. We wrote each other for a while. Then we didn't. I found out she had a new guy on Facebook. They got married this summer.

I hold Tandy, let her cry. Yes, for a moment I think about sending Jace a message while I'm holding Tandy. But I don't. I don't want to hurt Tandy worse.

WPTunes

You hold her for a while, smelling your grandmother's sugar cookies and years of memories of Tandy. Has she cried in front of you often, Trevian?

It's 11:15. Your phone pings with the TSol Chat app tone. If you choose to read it, it says:

From: Jace Hey, a few folks starting to show up. I'm invisible for now, keeping it cool. When can I expect you?

---

So, why don't you make me a roll? I think you're trying to juggle a couple things here, so Likeable may not get you all the way. How about we say the difficulty to calm Tandy down in the next half-hour is a 9. For every 1 you beat that by, reduce that half-hour by 5 minutes. If you miss a 9, it's gonna take you until 12:30 unless you choose to stop trying.

Rich

She has cried in front of me, yeah. I'm "harmless" like that, her little brother (since Jake is her "big" brother, I don't know, it's her nickname for me).

I did snag a look at the text, but I don't reply. I wanted Tandy focused on me, make sure she knows somebody's in her corner. Someone still "likes" her.

"You remember Doctor Hengle? Our GP from like third grade?" I ask her suddenly when she's between cries and a little quiet. "I remember you had the hots for him. It's a weakness. You have a thing for doctors. You should... get that looked at or something." I give her a smirk, hoping some levity, after half an hour or so of weeping, will be a break. Then I hop up, "Want some coffee? Ice cream?"

WPTunes

OOC: That bit of history is worth a bonus die.

Rich

On the Crossroads (4 dice, keep three)
(Rolled: 4d6. Rolls: 4, 3, 5, 2. Total: 14)

Rich

That's a 12. We finish up in 15 minutes or so and I send her to bed with a kiss to her forehead.

WPTunes

So, it's 11:30, and Tandy's tears have dried a bit as you cajole her into laughing with you at memories and ply her with Double Mocha Chip ice cream.

You don your gear, ready to enter Ulaka. On login, you're back at the pond, seeing a dozen fellow adventurers and two grebes, paddling contentedly around in the water.

What do you want to do, Abby? I'm over by the big willow tree.

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