--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Going Once... Going Twice... Sold!
Date: March 29, 1997
Place: Benden Weyr's Living Cavern
Game: PernMUSH
Copyright Info: The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kassi's Note: This event was... well, interesting's one word for it.
It dragged on a lot longer than it should've (it was three and a half
hours before it was done) and got ridiculous at some points, but all in
all, I had a lot of fun with it. :) Even if I *still* want to kill
F'nar for auctioning me off. Anyway, as far as technical foo goes, I
think everything speaks for itself. A few snippets of relevant knot
chat have been left in, but that's all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Log:
You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.
C'vadan shakes his head. "As much as Caitria promised to make it worth my
while, I'm not running around in just a sk... kilt."
Danuta walks here from the Inner Cavern.
J'lyn chuckles.
Kindre has been leaning against the table holding various snacks and
beverages, her gaze obviously far off. Blinking back to her surroundings,
she chuckles quietly while pouring herself some wine and moving to take a
seat. Calling greetings to all and sundry, she looks at her glass before
noting, "Mayhap early for wine, I know, but," then shrugs. "Forgive my
mind-absense...Herath wondered how I could be a 'slave' to someone other
than herself," she smirks.
Salless nods at C'vadan as he orders something.
R'val chuckles, "You're not going to be a slave, Kindre. Just a dinner-
date."
C'vadan looks at Kindre. "Nope. Not slave."
Danuta smiles at everyone and goes over to join Kassima. "Was going to
say - nobody told me this was a slave auction I volunteered for" She winks
at the greenrider.
Kassima strides in, skirts swishing about her as she walks up to a table--
and hops up to stand on it. In her hand is a whip. A sort of small whip,
and green, but undeniably a whip. "Good afternoon!" she calls to the room,
a wide grin on her face. "Welcome to the Dinner-Date Auction! If all
people not being sold could have a seat, mayhaps we can begin?"
J'lyn grins. "Feels like slavery, though. Being sold..."
Salless humms as she roots through the kitchen, preparing C'vadan's Benden
Red. Finally, she returns, and gives it to him, saying "Sorry that took so
long. I had to make it from scratch."
Ellwiny looks back at Ais, and shrugs. "Well, if anything's going on, it
would be going on here." She takes a seat near the back of the cavern,
watching those around her with curious, attentive green eyes.
Kindre crooks a thumb at J'lyn, "Not according to him," she teases and
smiles at the rider.
J'cob chuckles, "What use could a greenrider *be* -- its a well kown fact
we're not good for any -normal- work."
Benden Weyr> C'vadan says, "We get to bid on other dinner dates, too,
right? :)"
J'lyn grins. "Define normal, J'cob. Pleasure slave?"
Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "Yep! :)"
C'vadan looks around the room as he sips his wine. Not many people here.
Good.
Aislinn blinks, hearing the greenrider's announcement, "I think we best
sit down, or we might be in for something more than we meant to be.
Trea stirs in her sleep, wiping a bit of drool from he corner of her
mouth.
J'lyn tickles Kindre.
Jaessa walks in from the bowl.
Minya walks in from the bowl.
Danuta grins at Kindre. "Think it's too late for us all to start running?"
J'cob stands, conspiciously.
Revim walks in from the bowl.
Jaessa slips into a corner.
J'lyn stands and adjusts his kilt.
Kindre chuckles while shaking her head, "I fear, Danuta, that we are the
proverbial 'stuck' in this, if you will."
Unfastening her jacket, Minya inclines her head respectfully. "Ista's
duty," she calls on entering. Seeing Ellwiny and Aislinn, she heads over
toward the two. "Heyla," she says, grinning.
Revim quietly slips in after Jaessa, looking around curiously.
C'vadan isn't about to sit in these clothes. Breeches or not.
Kassima laughs, and winks at Danuta. "If we'd told the truth, would anyone
have volunteered?" Laughing, she raises her whip and voice. "We're going
to begin the bidding with--" She swings the whip around, pointing at
J'cob, "this fine greenrider! J'cob, get up on a table and let people get
a look at you, eh?"
---
C'vadan
A young man of average height and stocky build (5'10" and 200lbs),
C'vadan's broad, tanned features are generally worn in a serious
expression, echoed in the depths of his warm brown eyes. Despite that
generally pensive demeanor, the young Benden rider is often seen smiling,
most especially at the Weyr's children (including his son Cailivan and
daughter Caidan) and, of course, at his brown lifemate, Dulath. Cav's
brown hair is just long enough to be held back in a short runnertail to
keep it out of his eyes. He is very soft spoken, but his deep voice
carries very easily.
Cav is wearing a simple black tunic, ample in cut and laced up the neck
with a leather cord, is folded atop a kilt of black and red checks, in the
colors of Benden Weyr. The pleats of heavy wool fall just above Cav's
knees, normally revealing calves well-muscled by dragonriding; But Cav is
wearing leather breeches under the kilt. The set includes a fine leather
belt, tooled with dragons, from which hangs a matching pouch.
(+detail available.)
---
[Editor's Note: This is included simply because Cav said he'd worn this
getup exclusively for me. This being the case, I realized that it was
my duty to share this with the world. Now, let's see if I can keep Cav
from lynching me for it.... ;)]
Aislinn returns Minya's smile, finding a chair and motioning the Istan
greenrider over to join her.
R'val takes a seat with Tinya, pouring himself a cup of wine. He murmurs,
"Care for one, luv?"
Ellwiny straightens, looking at Kassima. Or, more accurately, Kassima's
whip. "Ah, shards, wish I had some marks to spare," she murmurs to
Aislinn. Head lifting, she grins brightly at Minya. "Heyla! You're just
in time."
Danuta laughs. "Knew I should have just said /no/ when Kassi asked me. Oh
well." She looks across at J'cob. "Least we didn't have to go first."
C'vadan nods to Danuta, overhearing her comment.
Aislinn sees the first "item" up for bids, and her expression becomes
momentarily thoughtful, "A quartermark!"
Jaessa mutters to Revim.
"I'm not even sure of the order, but true enough,," Kindre confides
quietly, "I'm glad not to be first."
J'lyn laughs.
J'cob walks from the front of the room to the back, strutting his stuff.
He's a fine greenrider, and fairly buff, so he feels no guilt in tossing
his shirt to Aislinn with a wink, "You can do far better than that!"
Minya slips to a seat next to Aislinn, grinning at Ellwiny. "So it
appears." She looks toward J'cob appraisingly. "Oh, I'll bet a half mark
for that one," she calls.
Revim leans over to listen to Jaessa over the general hubbub, and,
smirking slightly, murmurs in reply to the healer.
Aislinn snorts softly, "I just think Bailey could use a visit from her
father, don't flatter yourself, m'dear, one mark."
C'vadan places his free hand on his forehead.
Trea wakens with a start, the sudden increase of noise in the cavern
finally working into her brain. She looks around in momentary confusion.
Kassima raises her whip and intones, "A quarter mark! Do I hear three
eighths? A half? C'mon, folks, he's nay *that* bad...." She winks. "He's
a Benden greenrider, and surely worth more than a *quarter* on that
virtue alone! All right, I hear one mark--do I hear two marks?"
J'cob blows a kiss towards Kassima.
Public announcement: J'lyn announces "For all of you who would like to
join in, the Dinner-Date Auction at Benden Weyr is beginning at #750. Bid
on your favorite! Win a dinner date with one of Benden's Finest!"
J'cob sits on the edge of table, and shows off his rippling.. er.. flab..
uhm.. well, his muscles :)
Brushing back a lock of hair, Minya chuckles softly. "I'm sure Bailey
would, Aislinn," she murmurs.
Benden Weyr> C'vadan LOL at J'cob :)
Ethelwyn walks in from the bowl.
Amas walks in from the bowl.
Jaessa blushes and glances at Revim.
Ethelwyn walks in, looking around.
Sealgair enters from the Bowl.
A rather striking young brownrider sits in a chair along the wall. Pushing
sun-blonded locks from her forehead, she quips good-naturedly, "Feh, I had
him from free not long ago...but, hrm, alright, I'll go a mark and a
half!"
Trea hears the bidding and looks to see what's on the block...to see a
half-naked rider. *blink*?
Amas walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Kaliela walks in from the kitchen.
Kassima taps her whip against her hand, shaking her head. "One mark. One
mark? For a dinner anywhere on Pern with nay just *any* greenrider, but a
*Benden* greenrider? The best of the best, obviously?" No, she's not
biased. "A mark and a half! Do I hear two marks, two marks, two?"
Lily walks in from the bowl.
Revim smiles charmingly to Jaessa, and quickly winks as well.
Ethelwyn sees Trea and skids over, "What's going on?"
Jaessa blinks at Kaliela, a small frown crossing her face.
Sealgair is drawn to the bidding, like a true trader. She looks the
"wares" over.
Meli walks in from the bowl.
Misharn walks in from the bowl.
C'vadan gets another cup of wine. This is going to be a long day...
Jashua walks in from the bowl.
Kaylarn walks in from the bowl.
R'val spots Misharn entering, and waves to the Fort bluerider with a
grin, "Hey Mish, good to see you."
Trea, still a little confused, murmurs "I think they're sellin'
_riders_...?"
Jaessa blushes purple, and quickly looks towards the proceedings, trying
to regain SOME measure of composure.
Verita puts up two fingers.
Lily enters the living cavern, fingering her rather substantial belt
pouch. She smiles greetings to the many familiar faces and pours herself
a mug of klah.
Kaliela waves over to Verita
Aislinn laughs, "I will go two marks, but not a quartermark higher."
Misharn tiptoes in, peeking over a good many shoulders tyring to see
what's going on. Finally she asks a bit impaitently, "What's going on?"
Meli skirts around the edge of the crowd, in both senses of the word,
coming to a stop near a cluster of riders. "Started yet?" she asks in
general.
Verita waves back to Kali.
Ethelwyn eyes Trea, 'Riders? How can they sell em! No one in their right
mind would buy them!" she jokes, happily and sits to watch. "Goodness..."
J'cob adds, "I'm equally stunning in drag!"
Jashua looks around smiles and notices the Sebring trader. He finds a seat
near her.
Sealgair is looking over the goods, smirking slightly.
Kindre sips at her wine and nearly chokes when she overhears the
brownrider's remark. Bobbing her head to C'vadan, she grins, "That it
seems it will be..."
Minya leans over to Aislinn and murmurs, softly, "Is he worth two marks?"
Verita shrugs.
Jaessa finally places Kaliela's face to a name in her memory and waves
tentatively.
C'vadan waves to Lily, though he still tries to remain hidden in the back.
Danuta chuckles at Trea. "And selling the odd resident as well - even if I
was the only resident fool enough - sorry, brave enough - to get talked
into it."
Trea murmurs to 'Wyn "What's "drag"?"
Jashua smiles. He mutters to Sealgair, "... you..."
Sarala walks in from the kitchen.
Ellwiny glances at Minya and Aislinn, and chuckles softly.
Kaylarn trails in, looking slightly dejected, and finds himself some klah
too.
Simile walks in from the bowl.
J'lyn says "Shards, 3 Marks, Kassi!"
Revim chuckles gently at Jaessa's reaction. "Dontcha just /love/ Weyrs?"
he murmurs.
Ethelwyn mutters to Trea, "... men... dresses... wear men's... Not
like..."
Lily smiles brightly. "F'red! How good to see you!" This, of course, is
said to C'vadan, hidden in the back. She takes a seat and watches the
goings on. "We're buying people?" she asks.
Kassima yells, "Two! I've got two--are there any further bids? Going
once...?" She swings around to point her whip at J'lyn. "Three marks! I
hear three! Any higher bidders?"
Trea looks over at Danuta, and still looks confused. "How kin y'own a
person??"
Jaessa can't help but chuckle at Revim's remark.
The lovely brownrider who claimed one and a half marks shakes her head and
raises her arms is relent. "I'll just wait for that lovely green to rise
again to take J'cob's company," she says and winks.
Misharn blinks. "They're /selling/ riders?" A speculative gleam enters her
eyes. "Which of them are for sale," she asks innocently.
Aislinn replies to Minya, "Not by half, but Bailey's worth a great deal
more." She issues a smile, "And besides, I'm part Bitran, I can't really
resist betting, but I'm going to stay out of it now."
Trea eyes 'Wyn.
Sealgair looks over at the senior trader with a smile. "And you." Her eyes
glow slightly as she smiles.
Kaliela smiles over at Jaessa as she looks like someone she knows, hearing
the shouts she realize whats happening and grins
Trea mutters to Ethelwyn, "... men... up..."
R'val chortles, "Not in the way you might think, MIsh." He glances at
certain riders up on the stage, "Of course, some of them would be more
than willing." he grins at Mish, "It's only a dinner-date auction."
Krysta walks in from the kitchen.
Kassima listens for a moment, then cracks her whip against her own palm.
"Going once, going twice, sold! To J'lyn for three marks! Congratulations,
J'lyn, you've just bought yourself a greenrider. Have fun with him."
Jashua chuckles and inquires of Sea, "Here to bid?"
Jaessa murmers to Revim. "Excuse me." She slips next to Kaliela. "You're
from ruatha, right?"
Revim listens carefully to the various comments flying past. "Only dinner-
date. Is the word 'only' within weyr vocabularly?" he muses aloud.
J'lyn chuckles.
Ethelwyn waves a hand, "Trea, honestly. HAD means she slept with him. You
don't own anybody."
C'vadan overhears the 'dress' comment and sighs, looking down at his own
outfit.
Misharn sniffs at Revim's comment.
J'lyn hands Kassima 3 Harper Marks.
Kindre laughs and applauds the first 'sale,' "Good show, J'cob!"
Verita grins and winks at the precocious Revim.
Minya's light eyes twinkle wickedly. "That's true. Your little Bailey is a
darling...oh, dear. Looks like her father's just been bought by a male
greenrider."
Danuta claps for J'cob. "3 marks - not bad"
Misharn curiously looks at the stage, "Now which ones are for sell again?"
Trea blushes to her ears. "Oh" she says to 'Wyn.
J'cob smiles, "J'lyn? I never knew you cared.." He sits beside his
purchaser.
J'lyn grins at Minya. For a dinner date."
Sealgair chuckles. "I was curious about the going price of riders. Very
interesting." Her face is written across with quiet mirth.
Ellwiny nudges Aislinn gently, grinning. "There's a disease that comes
with having Bitran blood, I think." She glances absently towards the
auction, then notices Simile and blinks.
J'lyn chuckles.
Kaylarn finds himself a seat to watch the proceedings from. For all he
watches with a somewhat bemused look. Weyrs are always ... odd.
R'val nudges Misharn and points to C'vadan, Kindrre, and a number of
others including Danuta, "Them."
Aislinn laughs softly, "Poor man."
Kaliela smiles at Jaessa and nods "Why yes I am, what's your name? You
look incredibly familiar."
Lily takes a drink of her klah, watching with amusement. "Perhaps I
should buy someone."
Jashua nods and smiles. "I guess any market price would be of interest to
us traders."
Simile scans the room for people she knows.
Benden Weyr> C'vadan says, "Say, what are these marks going for,
anyway? :)"
Misharn looks a bit disappointed as she sees the choices. "Is that it?"
Jaessa smiles hyly. "I'm Jaessa, Tierla's younger sister.
Revim watches after Jaessa for a few moments, and then crosses his arms,
looking around for anybody else he might recognize. He arches his eyebrows
as he spots Simile.
Benden Weyr> J'lyn thought it was for a new tapestry.
Ethelwyn ohs and stands, "Trea, someone's in the tent, I'll be back."
Minya chuckles softly ."Which one, Aislinn?"
Ethelwyn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Sealgair chuckles. "My clan has some lagabouts. It would be easy to make
some profit off of them, to my thinking."
Benden Weyr> C'vadan says, "Okay, a good cause :)"
Kassima grins and puts the marks in the pouch tied to her belt, half-
bowing to J'lyn. "Benden Weyr thanks you for your generous contribution,"
she laughs. Raising her voice, she calls, "We'll be auctioning Kindre,
Danuta, J'lyn, Meli, C'vadan, and possibly others if they show up. Next
up is Kindre! A *fine* specimen of goldrider, word has it her mother will
*not* be coming along with her on this date, so feel free to bid without
that fear! Kin, step right up and strut your stuff!"
Simile waves to Ellwiny and Revim.
Trea considers as things finally start clicking into place. Dinner-date.
Anywhere on Pern. That means _flying_. She leans over toward Ethelwyn and
asks "How many marks y'have?" with a grin.
Jashua laughs softly. "Indeed?"
"Bring 'em on!" is the call from an assistant Steward who, obviously, has
been taking long, long draughts from the wineskins since the wee hours of
the morning.
R'val hoots loudly!
Krysta asks Sarala "Shall I bid on one? I've been paid me wadges this
week. Twould be fun."
J'lyn whistles loudly!
Sarala smiles at Jaessa "Ah, I'm Kali I work with your sister, and help
her clean up a klah spill or two"
C'vadan reaches into his pouch. How many marks can he safely bid.
Sealgair inclines her head to Jashua. "And you?"
Benden Weyr> F'nar laughs. And wonders if he can come down and be bait? :)
Revim looks very amused at this. Owning a goldrider? Hm.
Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "Sure, why not? ;)"
"The buyer, but of course, Minya..." Aislinn looks around, "Wonder if I
can find a cup of tea to sip while we watch this."
Meli applauds, calling out "Go Kin!" over the general crowd noise.
Trea blinks, not finding 'Wyn anywhere....drat.
Simile moves through the crowd to Verita, and they whisper together,
looking over the choices.
Jashua grins and nods towards the Bowl. "My son is keeping an eye on our
tent. I'm just taking a break."
Kindre blinks, laughing at the comment about Drejerra before trying to
follow the same strutting pattern as her fellow rider before her. "In case
anyone may be wondering," she smirks as she speaks, "I'll not be tossing
-my- shirt..."
Minya's eyes look over the large crowd. "I really do wish I'd brought more
marks with me. This might be fun." She chuckles at Aislinn's comment and
nods. "Should be some tea about somewhere."
Sarala looks at Krysta and giggles "by all means Krysta, and I'll tell you
what I'll pitch in"
J'lyn says "Aw... Coward!"
J'cob mmms, "I oughta try on this one; had every type but the gold,
y'know." He winks at J'lyn, "Mind?"
C'vadan smiles at Kindre's comment, relaxing just a little. Perhaps the
wine is working.
Revim tsks. "A pity," he drawls.
J'lyn says "Be my guest, J'cob."
R'till walks in from the bowl.
Salless glances up as the weyrsecond enters.
F'nar walks in from the bowl.
Kassima clicks her tongue in a distinct tsk-tsk. "But Kin, don't you want
us to make more marks?" she asks with a wink. "Who wants to start the
bidding on Herath's rider?"
Ellwiny waves, hesitantly, to Simile. Her eyes distance briefly. "Ah, be
right there, Cira," she murmurs, then smiles at Ais and Minya. "Have fun,
you two. I need to get back to the Weyr."
Ellwiny walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Sealgair nods, glancing up at the jr. weyrwoman. "What do you think about
the worth of that one?" Her eyes study Jashua's face.
Lily looks up. "I'll bid three marks!" she calls, then waves a greeting to
R'till and F'nar.
From the back, a booming voice calls out "How about a beautiful new
quilted vest? I don't have any marks to spare."
J'lyn grins. "Her opening bid was as high as your final bid, J'cob."
Kindre laughs, optioning to take a more steady strut and then spinning as
she reaches the end of the psuedo runway. Hands going to rest on her hips,
she looks across the faces, her expression mock-demure.
Trea , not caring so much for the date as the ride to get there, starts to
offer a bid....and then hears someone call three marks....which is more'n
twice what she's got in her pocket. She sighs.
Kassima adds, "She'd be worth at least four *with* the mother along, so
surely she's worth more without--three marks! Three marks from one of
Minecraft's Craftmasters! Do I hear four marks? Five? Six?" She shakes her
head in the direction of the voice. "We can't buy a tapestry with vests!"
she yells.
Misharn watches the goldrider walk around,, grinning.
R'val raises his hand, "Four marks!" he calls out, grinning.
F'nar smiles to Lily, and weaves through the tables towards the banquet,
quietly grabbing something to eat.
"Four and one half," calls out C'vadan from the back.
Jashua looks at Kindre and smiles. He mutters to Sealgair, "... bit..."
J'cob stands and waves his hand, "FIVE for the beautiful goldrider!"
R'val waves his hand again, "Six!"
J'lyn says "Nine!"
Kassima cracks her whip in Cav's direction. "Four and a half! Do I hear
five, five, five? I have five!" *Crack* goes the whip again, more
enthusiastically as the bidding escalates. "I have six! Do I hear seven,
seven, seven?"
R'val eyes J'lyn.
J'cob replies, "Nine, and I put my shirt back on!"
Aislinn waves goodbye to Ellwiny as she exits, and stands to go in search
of some tea.
Minya leans back to watch, fingering the few marks she has. "Really meant
to buy something nice," she murmurs to Aislinn, "for G'fen. But...
goodness, the bidding's going high."
Misharn blinks. "Shards...that's mroe than I'd pay for a runner!"
R'till waves to all, giving Lily a fond look. He then tries to figure
what's the bidding on.
C'vadan hmms at J'cob, then R'val. "Six and..." he blinks at J'lyn.
Meli takes a seat at the edge of the 'runway,' watching the whip-wielding
Kassi and parading Kindre as well as the crowd. When the count reaches
nine, her eyebrows rise. "Wow."
J'lyn grins evilly. "I have a son to think about."
Jaessa 's eyes widen. Nine? "Whoa.
Sealgair grins slightly, glancing at Kassima. She mutters to Jashua,
"I'm... to... she... quite a price."
Kassima swings her whip to point it at J'lyn. "Nine! Do I have ten marks?
Ten marks for Herath's lovely rider, who's guarenteed *nay* to be proddy
during the trip--honest?"
Revim smirks at the outrageous bid. "And where does this greenrider get
his marks?" he inquires softly of the person closest to him.
R'val rolls his eyes, "I might've known, J'lyn...you matchmaker."
Lily smiles at R'till, looks at Kindre, and says, "Ten."
Kindre chuckles, shaking her head and even flushing a bit. Overhearing a
comment, her chuckles increase.
Trea eyes J'lyn and smiles "Ten...the rider puts in nine fer the date, I
put in one fer a ride?"
Sarala puts her head together with Krysta and pulls out a large pouch of
marks.
F'nar hears something about buying runners, and hollers, "Yeah, but look
at that sturdy backside!"
J'lyn says "Twelve."
Benden Weyr> Kindre rotfl!
Benden Weyr> F'nar looks innocent. Really.
C'vadan watches, this bid going far beyond his meager marks.
Trea sighs. "Guess not." She shakes her head an smiles.
Jashua chuckles. He mutters to Sealgair, "... would never... gold,
I'll..."
Kaliela grins at Jaessa "you gonna bet?"
J'cob says "Ten?"
Misharn bursts into laughter at the blueriders comment. "Don't forget to
check the teeth too," she calls out to the bidders, getting into this
auction thing.
Kassima whistles, "Twelve marks!" Even she looks impressed. She raises her
whip, the the lash dangling down from the end of it. "Twelve marks, going
once...! Going twice...!"
An old, toothless bluerider from Telgar calls out, "20!"
J'cob shakes his head, "Twelve 'n a half!"
F'nar says "Smile for us, Kindre!"
Sealgair laughs heartily at that. "Riders seem to value each other."
J'lyn whips his head around to the old bluerider.
R'val's head whips around to stare at the aged bluerider." Shards, what a
price!"
Kindre does a few more spins, the cursive trail of her shirt flowing out
nearly like a bell. Smirking visibly, she feings a sigh, "Mother would be
so proud," she grins.
The old bluerider falls into a coughing fit.
Revim whistles gently. "Older, sadder, wiser..../richer/."
Kassima nearly *drops* the whip as she hears *that* bid. "Twenty marks?"
she asks the toothless rider, flabbergasted. "Hear that, Kin? You're prime
auctioning stock! Twenty marks! Anyone willing to go above twenty?"
Trea's eyes widen. Twenty marks? That more'n even her Da clears in a three
months after expenses....!
Jaessa nods. "Yes. Tierla gave me some marks, and a ride on a dragon is
worth me spending them.
Kaliela grins at Jaessa "not to mention the rider that comes with it"
A young rider with serious acne issues bellows, his voice cracking,
"Twenty-two?"
Revim shakes his head, moving back over to Jaessa. "You're gonna pay for
a lift?"
Misharn blinks, and looks over her shoulder at the old bluerider. "You're
buying a dinner date, not a homestead."
R'val giggles quietly, "Oh, poor Kindre."
F'nar peers at that rider. Where did he get that kinda money?
Jaessa blushes. "I don't know if the master's would approve of that
aspect.
Minya whistles softly. "Too many marks for me," she murmurs to Aislinn.
"That's a lot of money."
Kassima grins at Kin. "Wait until I tell Da that I've been selling
people," she mutters to the goldrider, then tries not to laugh as she
gets another bid. "Twenty and two! Do I hear twenty-three? Twenty-*five*?"
Salless clucks. "R'bar, you couldn't do anything more than drool with
this poor girl," she says to the ancient bluerider.
Benden Weyr> Kassima is laughing sooooo hard.... ;)
Jaessa glances at Revim with a small smile. "I've never ridden a dragon
before.
J'lyn says "Twenty five and three quarters. It's all I've got..."
Krysta cant suppress her giggles any longer. She bursts out in a giggling
fit.
Sarai walks in from the bowl.
J'cob elbows J'lyn, "We'll split her. Combine out marks.. bid thirty?"
Sarai walks in and looks aorund, eyes wide.
Jashua folds his arms and watches with interest.
Kaliela looks at Krysta and starts giggling too
Kindre looks between the bidders, laughing quietly at Kassima, "Stock,
'eh?" she wonders humorously before eyeing the whip. "Mayhap we could
convince your Dah to sell you, too..." she adds and winks before laughing
heartily at Salless' comment.
Trea leans toward J'lyn. "I kin throw in a mark...so long as I get a
ride!"
Kassima whistles and applauds as best she can without letting go of the
whip. "Twenty-five and three-quarters! One *fine* bid--do I hear any
higher ones for Benden's newest, freshest, and youngest queenrider?"
Sealgair's eye go slightly wider. "That is going to be -some- tapestry."
She nudges Jashua's elbow lightly.
Revim hms. "If you wait long enough, I'm getting a lift home from a
rider...not that I know where she is now."
R'bar recovers from his coughing. "Okay, I'll pay my twenty for Salless
instead!"
Benden Weyr> Kindre nearly covered her keyboard w/coffee she's laughing so
hard!!
Aislinn has found her way back to her seat, sipping at her cup of tea,
"Jays, I'm certainly glad I decided not to bid this time."
Kaliela grins at Jaessa, stopping her giggling for a bit
R'till says "Is the dragon included?"
From the back, that same booming voice calls out "Make sure they really
have the marks!
Sarai blinksa nd see's J'cob. So she heads over to him and taps his arm,
looking up with a happy smile.
Kaliela mutters to Jaessa, "... this is"
Kassima waggles her eyebrows at Salless. "I don't suppose you'd be willing
to take him up on that?" she simply has to ask. Twenty marks *is* a lot of
cash.
Benden Weyr> J'lyn says, "You better be worth this, Kin..."
Lily laughs quietly at R'till's question.
Krysta pulls herself together and tries to sit meekly at Sarala's side.
Tinya walks in from the bowl.
J'cob whispers to Sarai, "Daddy's buying a goldrider, dear. In a second.."
Sarala looks at Krysta and shakes her head "whats so funny?"
F'nar smiles to Tinya.
Jashua chuckles and nods at Sea.
Sarai grins, "Can I sit with you dad?"
Minya nods to Aislinn. 'As am I," she murmurs. "Amazing, how much money's
being tossed about."
Kassima holds out her hands for silence as she calls, "Twenty-five and
three-quarters, going once! Last chance, if you want the pleasure of
dining with Kin... going twice!"
F'nar mutters to Tinya, "... bids... twenty five marks!"
R'till says "26"
Salless snorts. "Not a chance Kassima. There's a reason he's called R'bar,
but that was in his youth. Now... it is more like... Rusty."
R'val looks up, smiling warmly and waving Tinya over.
Krysta mutters to Sarala, "... help... twas all... little comments..."
Benden Weyr> Kindre LOL at that!!!!!!!
Jashua shifts his chair a bit closer to the Sebring trader.
J'lyn shoots a glance at R'till.
J'cob mmmms and sighs, "Well, I miht as well; sure, dear.."
Sealgair hmms, glancing at Jashua again. "So how goes the trade for you
and your clan?" A small smile sits on her lips, and she doesn't look to
mind the closeness at all.
Kaliela hears Salles' comment and bites her lip to keep from giggling.
Pimply Igen Brownrider bids twenty eight.
Trea tugs J'yn's sleeve. "I got a mark!"
Kassima bursts out laughing at Salless's comments, but nonetheless manages
to point her whip at R'till, albeit shakily. "I have twenty-six marks!"
She glances at J'cob and J'lyn, grinning. "Going to try and top that?
Wait, I have twenty-eight marks!"
R'till walks over to pour some juice, "Bran has a thing for Golds."
J'lyn says "J'cob and I bid 36 Marks!"
R'bar stands. "There's fire in the old dragon still, Salless!" He starts
coughing again, sitting down.
Kaylarn shakes his head in bemusement. Mentally makes a note to findout
just what the Weyr staff have been feeding these people. Need to put some
out by the entrance to the Minecraft tent.
Sarai smiles and holds out her mark for the gather, "Want my mark, Dad?"
she asks J'cob, holding her stuffed lamb close.
J'cob winks, "Kindre better be sure she can handle -both- of us :)"
Tinya waves to her friends, collecting a glass of wine off a drudge's tray
as she goes by, and then nearly chokes on it as F'nar murmurs something to
her. She _blinks_, shaking her head in amazement as she makes her way to a
seat next to her weyrmate.
Sealgair blushes slightly at the old rider's comments.
R'val slides an arm round Tinya and chortles under his breath, leaning
into her.
Revim finds a seat off to the side. "And they wonder where we get ideas
from."
Kassima's jaw drops, and she just stares at J'lyn and J'cob. "Thirty-
*six*? Dear Faranth! Well... thirty-six marks, going once--anyone going to
top *this* one? Going twice... sold! To J'cob and J'lyn, for thirty-six
marks!"
Kindre's eyes are wide and she tries to keep her fits of giggling quiet.
Shaking her head a bit, she notes aloud, "Shells..."
J'lyn high-fives J'cob!
R'till wanders over towards Lily, and pulls up into a seat.
R'till says "38"
J'cob shakes his head, "No, Sarai, we're doing just fine. He smiles
broadly, and high-fives J'lyn. "See, Sarai? Daddy isn't totally useless."
Misharn grins, "I guess he didnt' get that bid out in time.
Sarai grins, "Momma said you were good." Sarai has no idea what IN, but
still...
Kaliela looks at the two men that have just bought the goldrider and
laughs, shaking her head
Jashua chuckles. He mutters to Sealgair, "... spirit,..."
Salless just shakes her head. "R'bar, the dragon can't even fly let alone
chew firestone."
Kaylarn rises from his seat and steps over to Lily, saying quietly to her,
"See? You don't need those sapphires, no one here'll have any marks left
in a short time."
Trea sighs, looking disappointed.
Misharn grins at the two riders who won, "How are you two gonna afford to
buy the dinner now that you've spent all your marks?
Lily smiles at R'till. "You and Brandalth are well?" she asks. "And yes,
Kay, we need those sapphires. They're here to be sold. Or used in
commissions."
Kassima grins at R'till. "Bets are closed on Kindre, but we do have F'nar,
a *Wingsecond*--" She says the title as if she were saying 'Weyrleader'
or 'Lord Holder'. "And a fine bluerider, at that! Will you pay twenty-
eight marks for him?"
J'lyn grins. "We make it ourselves, Misharn."
C'vadan claps for Kindre and her dates.
Misharn laughs and shakes her head. "Oh Faranth help all of you then.
J'lyn grins.
Sealgair laughs aloud again. She mutters to Jashua, "... he... trader....
trying..."
R'till chuckles, "Er, Kassi, thanks no."
"I believe I've been bought..." Kindre laughs and takes a rather
flourishing curtsy before slipping from the center of attentions. "Woo
F'nar," she calls while making way towards the greenrider pair.
Kassima amends, "Thirty eight? Or twenty-eight, for that matter? Nay an
unreasonable request, I'd say. He doesn't have the matchmaking mother to
contend with, after all... do I hear thirty-eight?" She asks this of the
crowd hopefully. "How about twenty-eight? F'nar, get up on this table and
show off, why don't you?"
Jashua joins in Sealgair's laughter. "True enough."
Trea squeaks quietly, "Half a mark?"
J'cob whispers to Sarai, "Want to big on him? He's not too bad."
The voice from the back calls out with "One half!"
Sarala mutters to Krysta.
Kaylarn blinks innocently at Lily, "I do commissions. They must be there
for me." then steps away quickly, before she has a chance to reply.
Misharn offers, "how about 3/4 mark?" fingering her purse.
Krysta pipes up "4 marks!"
Sarala grins at Krysta and then turns to look at the rider
Simile whispers something to Verita about waking up, and Verita bids one
mark.
Kassima sighs long-sufferingly. "One half? All right, we'll build *up* to
thirty-eight--four! Well, four's nay bad! I have four marks--do I hear
five? If'n he's good enough for Alyssa, he's surely worth that much!"
Sealgair adds in, She mutters to Jashua, "... sublty... learn... with..."
Aislinn stares over at J'cob, overhearing the greenrider's comment and
murmuring to Minya, "Maybe it's a good thing that Bailey doesn't get to
have dinner with her daddy."
Simile offers five marks.
Sarai looks at her daddy, "I like sheep dad!"
Trea sighs. At this rate, she'll never be able t'get that ride.
Verita frowns at Simile, and offers six.
J'cob says "So do I, Sarai.."
R'till chuckles as he sips juice, "Lily, things have turned wierd since
you left."
Kassima calls out, "Five marks! Nay, six marks--we have six marks! Do we
hear seven for this Thunderbolt Wingsecond?"
Sarala winks at Krysta "7!"
F'nar stands. "You wanted me, Kassi?
Lily chuckles. "So I see, Ret."
A woman, mayhap in her forth decade, eyes F'nar up and down for several
long moments. Brushing her skirt and adjusting the bob twisted atop her
head, she stands and waves her wine glass at the whip-weilding greenrider.
"Six! Six I say! Does this include the weyrmate?!"
Jashua glances at Salless, then smiles. He mutters to Sealgair, "You...
sublty, eh...."
Lavinia walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Benden Weyr> C'vadan LOL at the older woman :)
Verita says "Hey, I bid six!"
Sarai grins at J'cob, "See?" she holds up Harry, teh stuffed lamb, "I'm
gonna be a prentice when I'm big enough dad!"
Krysta notes her marks as she counts her marks. She nods at Sarala and
bids "8 marks.
Lavinia looks shocked a t the amount of people in the room
A group of six LCG's combine their marls.
Lavinia walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Kassima nods to F'nar. "Get up on the table and show the people what
they're bidding on! We've got seven marks--anyone willing to chance
eight? We have eight!" She points the whip at Krysta. "Eight! Do I hear
nine?"
The same pimply brownrider squeels, "I want him; for eight!"
A group of six LCG's combine their marks. "Nine!"
Verita says "Eight and a half."
Revim shakes his head. "This is all so pathetic," he mutters.
Verita says "Nine and a half."
The elderly woman regards Verita sourly, her voice tart as she rebids.
Finishing the full glass of wine in one swallow, she yells, "Fine! I'll
bid ten!"
Sarala puts her hands on her hips "10!"
Verita shakes her head and starts whispering to Simile.
Sealgair ahs quietly, noticing the cousins going at the bidding. She eyes
Jashua, tilting her head towards him.
R'till grins, "How's Talia doing." He half listens to F'nar being bidded
off.
Kassima yells, "Ten marks for F'nar! Are there any willing to challenge
that? Eleven? A dozen marks for this bluerider?"
Simile says "Verita and I bid 11."
From the side, B'fus's gravelly voice rings out with "A dozen!"
Sarala says "12 and a half"
Misharn sighs with disapopintment as the bidding rapidly exceeds her
funds.
Simile says "Well, thirteen then."
One greenrider shouts, "Lets see his TEEEETH!"
Lily chuckles softly. "She's doing wonderfully Ret. Growing like you
wouldn't believe." She looks over at F'nar. "For Fash's sire, I bid
fifteen marks."
Sealgair mutters to Jashua, "... it..."
Kaylarn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
C'vadan blinks at B'fus. "I hope this is *only* about dinner," he mutter
to himself.
Sarala hmms "15!"
Salless looks at the 'merchandise' with an appraising eye. "14 Marks,"
she sayd in a definitive tone of voice. "And you BETTER be worth it,
mister!"
Smirking, yon elderly woman sits back down, her expression terribly smug.
"Heh, what I'll do with....huh? Broken spiderclaws, 'tis too rich for
m'blood!"
Kassima whistles, "Thirteen marks!" Hearing that yell, she peers oddly at
the greenrider. "Fifteen! F'nar, want to show 'em your teeth?"
R'bar recovers and bids, "20!"
J'lyn laughs!
Simile whispers to Verita, then shrugs.
Jashua looks at the Sebring and lifts an eyebrow. He mutters to Sealgair,
"This is... next?"
Benden Weyr> Kassima is just dying laughing at these NPCs!
F'nar smiles!
Sarala looks over at R'bar and shakes her head
Lily says "If he promised to sing the Minecraft song, I bid 25."
R'bar erps when he realizes it isn't a woman. "Sorry! My mistake."
Kassima beams, "Twenty marks for F'nar! What say you, Wingsecond--willing
to sing for five extra and twenty-five total?"
Sealgair mutters to Jashua, "... have a... these folks,... impossible..."
F'nar says "Now, see, I have a sturdy backside too! Does that mean I rate
a runner's price!"
Tinya laughs aloud at Lily's qualified bid.
S'cot, though still a weyrling and new to all of this, whispers
conspiratorily at a couple of girls. "I gots two ma'ks ta spa'e ta those
wishin 'em..."
R'val chortles.
Benden Weyr> Kassima begins to wish, seeing these prices, that auctioneers
got a percentage of the profit as they do on Earth. ;)
Sealgair grins at her fellow trader, her eyes sparkling.
R'till smiles at Lily, "Glad to hear she's doing well. And you too."
Krysta blushes as see view's F'nar's backside but knows the bidding is
over her amount of marks.
Kaliela walks off towards the kitchen.
Kassima snickers at F'nar, "If you sing the song! Twenty-five marks,
going once... going twice...."
F'nar breathes for a moment, then begins, but it sounds somehow different.
In key. "Yo he ho! Pick pick pick! I hit at the walls with a sharp pointed
stick! I dig out gems and gold, just like a dream! Oh, I'm not a miner
bold, but that's how I'd like to seem!"
Sarai looks at F'nar and starts giggling. "He's silly dad!"
Sarala looks at the singing rider and holds back laughter
Simile applauds the on-key rendition.
Trea counts out what she has left in her pocket. One and an eighth. No
hope at all, at these prices. She shakes her head, and leans back to just
watch.
C'vadan spits out a mouthful of wine when F'nar sings, laughing.
R'nek, a greenrider, calls from the back of the room, "For him, I bid 40
marks. He's brave to sing that!"
Revim smirks. "Harper-trained, I'm sure."
F'nar bows, quite exaggeratedly. "Good enough for you, Lily?"
J'cob nods, "Yes, very silly, Sarai."
J'lyn woohoos!
Kassima lifts her whip and yells, "Twenty-fi--you bid *what*?" She can't
help it; she just *stares* at R'nek incredulously.
Sealgair grins at Jashua. "Well...."
Lily applauds F'nar. "It is indeed."
Kindre giggles aloud, her chin dropping to nearly meet her chest. Finally
regaining her voice, she looks back up, "Go F'nar!! You'll fetch a
treasure!"
Misharn snorts disbelievingly, "if he's got 40 marks, I can fly to Timor
on my own."
Kassima yells to R'nek, "You have to prove you *have* that much, rider!"
Trea gasps. Fourty??????
Sarai smiles and hugs her father's arm, "Almost's silly assa pentices!"
Jashua shakes his head with a rueful smile. He mutters to Sealgair, "...
I... trouble."
R'val kisses Tinya on the cheek and ambles out.
R'val walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Tinya sniffs. "He hasn't. He was trying to wheedle marks to buy a new
beltknife just yesterday, I heard him."
R'nek digs furiously in his belt pouch. "Um...it seems," he says, "that I
don't quite have all 40 makrs with me. Don't suppose anyone'll loan me a
few."
Aislinn murmurs, "This is just getting ridiculous, I'm going to see if I
can go find something nice for L'tan, okay, Minya?"
Misharn rolls her eyes. "I knew it.
F'nar says "Am I not nice enough for L'tan, Aislinn?"
Kassima snorts and shakes her head. "You have to be able to show 'em to me
right now if you're bidding 'em--this isn't a pay-later deal. Lily, yours
was the twenty-five mark bid, aye?"
Sealgair raises an eyebrow at Jashua. She mutters to Jashua, "... and
for..."
Minya smiles warmly at Aislinn. "Of course. I do hope to see you later,
Ais."
R'till chuckles lightly, "Good bid, Lily."
Jashua chuckles and pats the Sebring's arm. He mutters to Sealgair, "With
two women... ummm....."
Rebekah walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Aislinn lifts her eyes to the bluerider-on-the-block, "I'm not so good at
sharing, that's all, F'nar." She waves and slips out.
Aislinn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
F'nar chuckles at Aislinn's comment, then goes back to showing himself
off. "Surely I'm worth 26 to someone?"
Kassima chuckles and calls, "Sold, to Lily for twenty and five. Now, to
keep people from losing their life-savings, I'm going to try something
new--we'll go up in increments of a quarter at a time, maximum. If you
*really* want to pay forty marks for someone, you'd better be patient!
Now, we have Meli up for auction next--Meli, you want to come up and show
off for us?"
Sealgair's brows shoot up and she grins at the handsome trader. She
mutters to Jashua, "... a..."
Lily grins at R'till, and looks at F'nar. "I'd like my dinner at the
Crafthall," she calls to him. "So you can dine with your son."
F'nar goes to sit by the miner master. "You like my singing?"
Several young lower cavern girls kneel on the floor shoving all of their
collective marks together. The supposed 'leader' of the lasses frowns.
"Shells," she mutters while shaking her head, "just twenty an' three we've
got..."
Lily winks at F'nar. "You still sing in tune."
F'nar says "And the Crafthall would be wonderfull."
Meli rises, jumping up onto the dais. "Well, I'll not take m'shirt off,
an' I can't pose like Kindre or F'nar, so..." She grins, and mindful of
her skirts, does a quick cartwheel down the tabletop.
R'till sips his juice quietly.
J'lyn blinks.
Misharn blinks and giggles at the cartwheel. "That's different.
Jashua smiles. He mutters to Sealgair, "I... I... it,... if... had..."
Sealgair can't help but flutter her lashes a bit, a grin pasted on her
face. She looks down at the table she is leaning upon, allowing herself to
blush and get a hold of herself.
Landing neatly, Meli grins, arms outstretched. "Best I c'n do."
Kassima whistles as Meli cartwheels, grinning. "And quite an acrobatic
greenrider she is, too! Let's start the bidding at a quarter mark; anyone
got a quarter for this greenrider from the finest clutch ever Hatched on
Pern?"
"Woo, Meli!" is exclaimed by Kindre when Meli does her acrobatics. "Good
show! Oh," she turns to face the Craftmaaster, "Congrats to you both," she
smiles over.
Sarai looks at the girl and the men and everything rather wide eyed until
one of the herders spies her and has a few words. To which Sarai
indignantly responds, "I'm with my daaaaad!"
C'vadan calls out, "Two marks." He smiles at Meli.
Feyan walks in from the bowl.
J'cob laughs, "Yes. With me."
Sealgair mutters to Jashua, "... the riders... they... is... of..."
Jashua seems a bit flustered himself but only for an instant.
Feyan wanders in, quietly, and finds a seat...
"To learn how to do that, I'll add a quarter mark to C'vadan's bid,"
Kindre calls up to Kassima.
Kassima grins and comments, "All right, two is the opening bid, so we
can't go any farther until we get two and a quarter--and two is the
opening bid maximum from now on, too! Can't have people opening the bids
at forty now that we've nigh enough for our tapestry." She winks. "Two and
a quarter from Kindre! Do I hear two and a half?"
Sarai smiles, 'Not taking a nap today. I'm eight now!"
Lily takes a drink of juice. "Fash will be so happy to see you, F'nar."
J'cob says "Eight? Really now? Eight?"
C'vadan blinks at the cartwheel and calls out, "Two and one-half."
Sarai looks at J'cob and nods, "Uh huh! It's my turnday!"
F'nar says "Three quarters!"
F'nar smiles. "It'll be nice to see him, too. How's he getting along?"
Meli grins, spinning around so that her skirt billows out and back.
Stopping facing front again, she rolls her eyes a bit. "Remind me not
t'do tha' on a full stomach."
Kassima swings the whip at Cav. "Two and a half--nay, two and three-
quarters from F'nar! Do I hear three marks for this agile greenrider?"
C'vadan says "Three!"
F'nar says "And a quarter!"
Benden Weyr> C'vadan feels like he needs to sell Duly to win this bid :)
Jalimax walks here from the Inner Cavern.
J'lyn isn't bidding on any more girls, sorry. =)
C'vadan says "Half"
Lily beams. "He's so clever, F'nar. And he's doing some gorgeous jadework.
You must come see what he's brought along to the tent."
Feyan stares, and wonders to herself what is going on....
Jalimax waves.
Kassima shouts, "Three and a quarter! Do I hear a half? If you want her,
Cav, you're going to have to come up with at least another quarter!" She
grins at Cav. "Three and a half! Do I hear three and three-quarters?"
F'nar says "Three quarters!"
C'vadan says "Four."
R'till finishes his juice, smiling to Lily and F'nar, "Excuse me. I need
to go buy a few rings."
F'nar says "And a quarter!"
J'cob sighs, "I'm all tapped out, I'm 'fraid."
F'nar smiles to R'till. "Have fun."
Misharn sighs and silently watches the bidding go on for a bit. She spots
a child who looks fairly confused and crosses her eyes comically at the
girl.
F'nar smiles. "That's nice. I cna't imagine doing jadework."
F'rosti can be overheard cursing quietly within a group of fellow
weyrlings. "Shards, I wanted her! I've only three marks total after that
fardling poker game...come on, lend me some, whouldya," he begs of his
mates. They, knowing F'rosti's pention to forget debt, all decline.
Lily smiles warmly at R'till. "Okay. Take care of yourself."
Sealgair looks sideways at Jashua, resisting the urge to ask what his bid
is. She mutters to Jashua, "Perhaps.... depends... what... think...
worth... effort... this..."
Kassima grins. "Four and a quarter! Going once...? Or will you manage
another quarter, Cav, for Juliath's lovely rider?"
Feyan blinkies....then covers her mouth to hide a smile....
C'vadan smiles. "One half!"
Meli plants her hands on her hips, gazing out over the crowd. "If we make
it t'five, I'll add in rides on Juliath for only a half mark to th'first
two int'rested parties!"
F'nar says "Three!"
F'nar says "Quaerters, that is!"
C'vadan sighs and sticks his tongue out at F'nar. "Five."
Kassima grins and yells, "Five! Quick, someone claim your rides from Meli,
for only a half-mark more!"
F'nar says "And a quarter! If she can do that with her legs, I want to see
what she can do with a fork!"
Sealgair sits straighter, and pulls a lock of hair behind her ear. She
looks a tad more serious, but pleasant ever still.
Sarala stares over at F'nar upon hearing his comment
R'till walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Feyan goes to sit by Sealgair....
C'vadan says "One half."
F'nar says "Three quarters!"
Kassima whistles, "Five and a quarter! Do I hear five and a half?" She
has, plainly, decided that she doesn't want to know what the fork thing
was about. "Five and a half! Do I hear three-quarters, three-quarters,
three--yes! Do we have six, six, six?"
Misharn grins at the child's response and winks at her. A yawn escapes
her as she watches the bidding narrow between two riders over the
cartwheeling green.
C'vadan sighs. "Listen, F'nar, how about we just split her?"
Jashua tilts his head and smiles quietly. He mutters to Sealgair,
"... begs... what... I have... opportunity... make... effort..."
Meli leans over to the side a tad. She mutters to Kassima, "Should... be
worried... th'weyrmates... friends... both..."
C'vadan does call out six, though.
Sarai watches and yawns a little, but isn't tired, nope.
F'nar hollers over at Cav. "Three each?"
C'vadan says "I'll pay the six and share with you."
Feyan blinkies at the silly lady. She giggles, but so faintly it isn't
heard in the noisy room.
K'nan walks in from the bowl.
F'nar says "Hey, sounds good to me! Six it is!"
Kassima laughs and shakes her head at Meli, tears of laughter still on
her face. "Six! Sold, for six marks to Cav, to be shared with F'nar!
Congratulations, brownrider!"
C'vadan smiles at Meli. "Assuming that is acceptable to you, Meli."
Meli grins, moving to jump down from the table. "Tha's fine. "
C'vadan smiles and even come out from the back. He offers Meli a seat.
Kindre is still laughing when she catches sight of K'nan, "Hey there...you
just missed Meli being sold! As well as J'cob, F'nar, and myself...how
goes?"
Kassima swings her green whip around to point at J'lyn. "We're running a
special on greenriders, apparently! J'lyn, come on up on the table so the
people can see you!"
Lavinia walks in from the bowl.
With exaggerated grace, Meli takes the proferred seat, wiping a hand
across her brow. "Phew. Glad tha's over."
J'lyn stands and walks to the table. "Kassi, I'm in a kilt. Do I need to
get up there?"
C'vadan grins. "I am not looking forward to my turn up there."
K'nan ducks into the cavern and chuckles..waving over to Kindre. "Heya!
Who bought ya, Kin?"
Minya takes a sip of her klah, smiling as she inspects J'lyn.
Lavinia walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Sarala mutters to Krysta.
N'ren walks in from the bowl.
N'ren enters the cavern, sees that it is busy, and immediately moves back
into the shadows. Watching.
Sealgair leans into the older trader, murmuring in his ear. A bargain
taking place?
Misharn sits up a bit straighter in her chair as the decent looking
greenrider clambers on top of the table. Well now. She glances at the
child again, eyebrows raised in a silent question.
Lily is sitting at a table next to F'nar, nibbling on a cookie.
C'vadan leans down. He mutters to Meli, "... where... F'nar... to dinner?"
Tinya laughs at J'lyn's comment. "Hey, the whole point of getting up there
is to let the bidders inspect the merchandise," she says with a smirk.
Kassima grins and nods, "Aye," she says to J'lyn with a laugh, "you do!
Now, hop on up here so we can start! Maximum starting price is two marks--
who's willing to start the bidding there on the last Benden greenrider on
our program?"
J'lyn groans. He sighs and figures what the hey. He leaps up on the table,
but stands back far enough so that there will be no peeking up his kilt.
Kindre gives J'lyn a tiny shove, "We all had to, dearheart...go ow," she
grins. Turning back to K'nan, she waves to the greenrider at her side and
the one currently up for auction. "J'cob and J'lyn purchased me. 'Twas
quite funny."
Meli chuckles low. She mutters to C'vadan, "Hmm.... a... beachside dinner
out... Shipfish?"
Lips curved in a warm smile, Minya calls out, "I'll bid two marks."
K'nan finds a chair to settle at, and chuckles. "I'm sorry." He winks over
at Kin, then leans back to watch.
C'vadan nods. He mutters to Meli, "Sounds... to... think... all...
weyrmates?"
Kassima adds, "Mind, keep a few marks free, because we've a fine resident
and brownrider still coming up! So! Do I hear two? I hear two marks!" She
smiles at Minya, "Two--do I hear two and a quarter?"
J'lyn flashes a dazzling smile at Minya an struts out on the table, his
shyness apparently gone.
Krysta blueshes as she bids "2 and a quarter."
Lavinia walks in from the bowl.
Sealgair mutters to Jashua.
Misharn blinks as she notices the greenrider is wearing a *dress* (!)
Maybe not this time. She puts her purse away with a sigh.
J'lyn leans over and blows a kiss to Krysta. "My thanks." He winks.
Meli nods. "Might be safer" is her reply to Cav.
Kassima laughs and points, "Two and a quarter! Do I hear two and a half?
Only a quarter more...."
Verita whispers to Simile about a dress, hears an explanation, and bids 2
1/2.
Lavinia sighs and looks about, not sure what is going on
Eyes twinkling merrily, Minya grins right back at J'lyn. "Two and three
quarters."
J'lyn suddenly thinks of something. He dashes behind a curtain and changes
clothes.
Sarala looks from the greenrider to Krysta and giggles "I wonder if they
have a tub around here...."
C'vadan mutters to Meli, "... was going... bid..."
Krysta laughs as she bids 3
Danuta chuckles at J'lyn's sudden disappearence. "Now what?"
Lavinia walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
J'lyn re-emerges.
Kassima grins and calls, "Two and a half--nay, two and three quarters! Do
I hear three...?" She trails off as J'lyn dashes off, then decides to pay
no attention to the man behind the curtain. "He'll be right back," she
assures the audience.
Verita woowoos and bids a quarter above the last bid.
Jashua shifts his chair so he's fairly facing the Sebring trader and
giving her his full attention.
Sarala bids "3 and a half!"
Misharn blinks, clearly wondering what the heck is going on now.
"Uh oh," Kindre comments quietly when J'lyn disappears from view.
Verita says "And three quarters."
Minya whistels softly. "Perhaps you'd enjoy a trip to Ista's beaches,"
she calls. "Four marks."
Sealgair looks a little more heartened, trying a hesitant smile. She
mutters to Jashua, "... words were meant... their..."
Sarala says "4!"
Verita says "And a quarter."
Kassima laughs and yells, "We're at three and a half! Nay, three and three
quarters! Do I hear four marks for this brave greenrider? Four!" She
points to Minya. "Now, four and a quarter, do I hear that?"
J'lyn flexes his massive chest and arms. "Come on... We can do better than
that..."
Misharn bursts into laughter at his new attire. She calls, "Four and a
quarter," goodnaturedly.
Verita says "I said that!"
Krysta says "And a half.""
Sarala waves her arm "4 and 3/4!!!"
Verita says "And three quarters."
Verita says "Sorry, five."
Sarala says "five and a quarter"
Verita says "And a half."
Sarala says "Five and 3 quarters"
J'lyn turns and flexes his legs and glutes. He grins over his shoulder.
"This is prime stuff!"
Kassima whistles as the bidding steps up rapidly. "Five--nay, five and a
quarter! Do I hear five and--do I hear six?"
Sarala says "six !!!"
F'nar mutters to Lily, "I'll be... to... me auction..."
Kindre fans herself sarcasticly and giggles, "I'll offer six and a
quarter, but not a lick higher!"
Verita says "And a quarter."
Feyan blinkies at her Aunt and the other Trader.....
Krysta says "six and a half."
Verita says "And a half, then."
Lily chuckles softly. She mutters to F'nar, "... luck...."
Verita says "And three quarters, then."
Sarala says "and 3/4!"
Sarala says "7"
Danuta grins. "Making a good price there. Wonder who'll get him"
Misharn grins and tucks her purse away again, "Too rich for my blood..and
my purse."
Verita says "And a quarter."
F'nar strolls up to the auction stand. "Hey, Kassi..."
Sarala says "and a half"
F'nar mutters to Kassima, "... like... much... can draw?"
Kassima laughs and swinngs her whip in Kindre, then Krysta's direction,
and finally in Verita's--and Sarala's. She's getting dizzy, as the bidding
goes up. "Verita's got seven and a--no, Sarala has seven and a half! Do I
hear three-quarters?"
Jashua has a twinkle in his eye. He mutters to Sealgair, "This... noisy.
Would... a quieter place to..."
Krysta says "8 and a bath!"
J'lyn jumps down off the table to wander through the crowd "Get a closer
look, ladies...."
Verita says "And three quarters"
Sarala looks at Krysta and laughs
C'vadan just shakes his head, smiling.
Sarala says "8 and a half, and Krysta's bath"
Lily smiles as F'nar steps off, eyes scanning the crowd. She spots a tall
figure hidden in the shadows and quite promptly blushes.
Verita says "And three quarters. Who has to bathe?"
Kassima pauses as F'nar steps up, and squeaks--yes, squeaks--"Me? Dear
Faranth, we don't need just another quarter mark, F'nar...." She winks,
then glacks. "Eight and three quarters! Do I hear nine?"
Sarala says "9!"
Sarala says "and there are advantages to baths..."
Simile whispers urgently to Verita, who seems to argue.
Maren walks in from the kitchen.
C'vadan says "You going to bid on someone, Meli?"
Kassima points to Sarala, "Nine marks! Going once--going twice...!"
J'lyn Wanders back to the table and jumps up again.
Simile shrugs.
F'nar mutters to Kassima, "Yes... And... could... than... for... throw...
a... lesson!"
Verita frowns, but remains silent.
Minya counts her marks and sighs quietly, sitting back to watch the rest
of the bidding.
Kindre sips her wine between audible giggles. "How are you keeping up,"
she calls up to Kassima.
Sealgair smiles slightly, murmuring an affirmative to Jashua. Deal going
down?
J'lyn runs his hands through his hair.
Kassima snorts at F'nar. "Easy for you to say; you went for twenty-five
marks!" she chuckles. Pointing finally to Sarala, she shouts, "Sold! To
Sarala, for nine marks!"
J'lyn winks out at the audience and grins broadly.
Sarala winks at Krysta "get out the bath brush"
C'vadan says "Congrats, J'lyn."
Jashua stands and nods towards the bowl entrance. He mutters to Sealgair.
K'nan kicks his feet up on the table and grins, folding his hands behind
his back as he watches the proceedings with great amusement.
J'lyn grins at C'vadan as he steps down from the table. He wanders over
by Sarala.
Krysta bounces as she hugs Sarala "Twill be nice ta have the company of a
man since we scared off all ore Men folk.
F'nar shrugs. "Alright, you for a quarter mark, a lesson for five, and a
knife for twenty?
Kassima grins and calls, "And now we've something a bit different for you;
one of Benden's residents has volunteered, the lovely Danuta. Come on up,
Danuta, so we can begin the bidding!"
Sealgair rises from her seat and follows Jashua out.
Maren turns from left to right, looking for a place to sit and a klah pot.
Finding each, she moves towards it and sits, pouring a cup of klah.
Sarala chuckles and looks J'lyn up and down "yes, it will be nice to have
a man that wont run when we come..."
Jashua mutters to Sealgair.
J'lyn blinks.
Krysta hands Sarala her share of the marks.
Kassima makes a face at F'nar, her attention caught again. "Are you saying
I'm worth less than a knife? Hrmph!" She grins ruefully, though, and taps
her whip against her hand. "Anyone willing to start the bidding for Danuta
at two marks? Don't be shy, Danuta--get up on the table so that they can
see what they're buying!"
Jashua walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Krysta says ""Na ta worry J'lyn. We shant make ye take an ice bath like
poor Tagore last nigh'."
Sarala chuckles and shakes her head at Krysta "my treat"
F'nar laughs softly. "You were the one that said you were worth just a
quarter. Now, how much do you pay for your knives?"
J'lyn looks between Krysta and Sarala. He shrugs and sits btween them,
putting an arm around each of them.
Danuta chuckles. "These skirts weren't designed for climbing on tables
Kassi - but..." She grins, kilts up her gather dress and climbs up on the
table, displaying a shapely pair of legs in the process before she stands
up and her skirts fall about her again. She eyes the room, her eyes
laughing softly.
Sealgair walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
C'vadan says "You going to bid on someone, Meli?"
F'nar wolf whistles obligatorially.
"I'll start with two marks," Kindre offers up, "Two gals gossiping over
an eve's meal!"
C'vadan calls over to F'nar, "I might need those three marks after all."
Meli hmms, tapping a nail against her cheek. "Maybe..."
Kassima chuckles. "Depends how high in quality they are," she replies
absently, "which is why I'd go for a quarter!" Turning her attention back
to the sale at hand, she yells, "Kin has bid two marks--who'll go two and
a quarter?"
Verita grins and calls out, "What do you do here, Danuta?"
F'nar digs in his pocket to find three wooden coins, which he flips to
Cav. "So it's a date?"
Danuta grins. "Clear up the corrals after all the messy greenflights.
Amongst other things."
A young man calls from the back of the cavern, "I've two an' a half on
'er!"
C'vadan catches them deftly. "Two and three quarter."
Verita laughs. "In memory of another stablehand, three.
"A very worthwhile and honorable task," Lily calls. "Three marks.
Verita says "Well, three and a quarter then."
Tinya slips off for a bit.
Tinya walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Kassima nods to Cav, "Two and three quarters--nay, three! Do I hear three
and a quarter--I do! How about three and a half, hmmm? Is what a date,
F'nar?"
Kindre, suddenly set on the idea of womanly chat, bids once again, "Three
and a quarter!"
Misharn watches the bidding and grins at the girl's explanation of her
duties, and mumbles, "Shards, how does the girl find free time with that
duty?"
Verita says "Sorry, I bid that."
F'nar turns his attentions back to Kassima. "Oh, come now. I'm sure you
are more than a quarter-mark's worth. And our dinner with Meli."
C'vadan wonders what F'nar is trying to negotiate with Kassima.
Kindre ohs, smiling apologetically at Verita, "A half, then."
Danuta chuckles softly. "I have other talents as well though." Her eyes
catch the young mans at the back of the room. "2 and a half all I'm worth
to you? I'm insulted." She twirls once so her skirts swirl around her
legs. "Ever seen me dance?"
Kassima nods to Kindre, "Three and a half! Do I hear three quarters?" She
wrinkles her nose at F'nar. "I can't do cartwheels or aught, as Meli can;
a quarter might just be generous. An eighth, maybe...." She speaks up
again, "Three quarters, three and three quarters--do I hear three and
three quarters?"
Lily takes another nibble of her cookie and leans back, watching the
bidding and murmuring quietly to a few nearby Bendenites.
Frankon, the referred-to young man inn the back, blushes slightly. "Had
I the spare marks, lass," he calls towards Danuta and bows, "I'd offer
more."
Verita looks around, wondering about any dragonriding men that wouldn't
bid on such a lovely girl.
C'vadan would bid more, but Kindre seems determined.
Kassima grins and points her whip at Kindre... sheesh, that whip is
getting a lot of use this evening. "Three and a half, going once! Going
twice!"
Maren slowly sips her klah, watching the activity in the cavern with
bemused curiosity.
F'nar says "Hey, Danuta, help Frankon bid on you!"
N'ren pushes off from the wall, heading towards the quieter tables. He
grins and calls out, "The young lady is worth much more than that." When
he gets behind Lily, he places his hands on the Master's shoulders.
F'nar, seeing a good cause, hollers out, "Frankon, catch!" He flips a full
mark to the lad.
Verita realizes she's competing with a goldrider, and stops bidding.
Lily jumps at the hands on her shoulders and turns around with a smile.
And blushes a bright red. "Hello there, Brownrider," she says to N'ren,
placing one hand over his. "It's very good to see you."
Kassima grins and calls to Frankon, "Does this mean you bid three and
three quarters?"
F'nar says "Come now. I'll tell ya what, I'll make sure that you get the
absolute highest price you can get. We'll do it differen't than you're
doing here."
Kassima peers at F'nar suspiciously. "Why me? Can't you auction, oh...
K'nan, or someone?"
F'nar says "Because surely your green eyes could fetch more than five
marks."
N'ren just smiles down at Lily, and watches the auction.
Frankon inclines his head, "I wish I had the added marks to do so. The
lady," he motions to Kindre, "seems to have outdone me."
Misharn ooos, nice one liner.
K'nan looks up with some alarm at that proposition. "Hey! I agree with
F'nar, Kassi, you'd sell for /much/ more'n I would."
Kassima rolls her eyes, and, laughing, surrenders. "All right, all right!
But we've got two more folk to go, first--and I still say you should sell
K'nan." She winks at her mentor, then yells, "Sold! To Kindre, for three
and a half marks!"
Danuta grins at Kindre and jumps down from the table. "So where and when's
the dinner?"
Lily's face becomes even redder as she looks up at the tall brownrider.
"Silly Brownrider,' she murmurs, patting his hand affectionately. She
then finishes off her cookie and looks back to watch the bidding.
Kassima shakes her head at K'nan. "Bet you I wouldn't!" she yells. "I'll
sell you, he sells me, and we'll just see who fetches the most, eh?
Deal?"
Misharn asks curiously, "Who's left to be auctioned?
F'nar says "Kindre, I'll give ya four!"
Kindre grins as she listens to the debates circling throughout the cavern.
Smiling wide when she's determined the highest bidder, she grins at
Danuta. "Hrm, not certain yet, though it's been an age since I've been to
Boll, and the fish and air are perfect for chatting over."
Kassima grins and hefts her whip to aim it at Cav. "Now! Next--and last,
except for K'nan and me," she adds, blithely oblivious to the fact that
K'nan most certainly hasn't agreed, "is C'vadan, brown Dulath's rider!
Who's willing to start the bidding on this young brownrider at two
marks?"
Simile says "Two, for a favor he once did me."
J'lyn wishes he had the Marks...
F'nar mutters to Kindre, "... ya... Frankon... Danuta would look nice..."
Kindre wolf-whistles playfully when C'vadan steps up to the block.
C'vadan takes a deep breath and jumps onto the table. "This is for a good
cause," he reminds himself. Not one for posing, he does manage to smile.
J'cob smiles; "two 'n a quarteer?
Lily looks up. "Oh, I've got to bet on F'red. Two and a half."
Simile says "A quarter more."
Misharn's eyebrows go up as Cav jumps onto the table. "Two and...aww..
Three marks?"
Kindre smirks at F'nar, "The lad is all hands..."
Minya whistles. "Three and a quarter."
Simile says "A quarter more."
Kassima nods, tapping the whip against her hand. "Two! Do I hear two and
a quarter, two and a quarter? Cav, spin around; strut your stuff for the
nice people! Don't make me get all m'fire-lizards here to whuffle at that
kilt of yours--I've got two and three quarters! Nay, three! Do I hear
three and a--I do! Do I hear three and three quarters?"
Danuta giggles at F'nar and Kindre. "What're you two plotting?"
Kindre feigns innocence, "Me? Surely -I'd- never plot!"
Lily says "Three and three-quarters!"
C'vadan arches a brow at Kassima and then turns as instructed. "Now I
know what a bovine feels like before a flight feeding."
F'nar cocks an eyebrow.
Simile repeats steadly, "A quarter more.
J'lyn hollers out, "Turn around, Cav! Let 'em see your backside!"
F'nar mutters to Kindre, "... he... a..."
Danuta snickers at C'vadan.
C'vadan turns and turns.
Kassima grins at Cav, and yells, "Four marks! Do I hear four and a
quarter? C'mon, Cav; you can show the kilt off better'n that!"
Maren sits back, catching two folk in her line of vision. Her overwhelming
curiosity prompts her to motion to them, a tall brownrider standing behind
a Master. "Master, Rider," she starts with polite greeting, "May I ask
what these folks are being auctiouned for?"
N'ren settles to a seat beside the MineCraft Master, one arm around her
waist. He leans over to whisper something in her ear.
F'nar attempts to start a chant. "Lift the kilt! Lift the kilt! Lift the
kilt! Lift the kilt!"
Tinya walks in from the bowl.
C'vadan rolls his eyes at F'nar.
J'lyn laughs! "Yeah, you're wearing breeches beneath!"
C'vadan smirks. "Tell you what, I'll wear one or the other, whatever the
winning bidder wants."
N'ren glances over at Maren, then gestures towards Kassima, "Ask her."
Lily edges closer to N'ren, placing one hand on his leg. She chuckles
softly, flushes, and nods. "Very much so, N'ren. Especially with such
delightful company." She watches the bidding. "A quarter mark above the
last bid, and the kilt."
J'lyn says "Whomever wins him, make him wear /just/ the kilt!"
Kassima, ever obediant to the chants started anywhere, pokes at the kilt
with her whip. "Should we lift the kilt?" she asks the audience. "Or will
I hear four and a half marks?"
Sarala grins and nods to J'lyn "good idea, or nothing at all..."
Tinya refills her wineglass as she comes back in, and settles down with a
grin to watch the last of the bidding.
Simile grins at that remark.
Simile says "A quarter more."
C'vadan sticks his tongue out at J'lyn, then grins.
Kindre giggles aloud, holding her stomach after setting her wine glass on
a nearby table from fear of possibly spilling it. Bouncing her marks
pouch in her hand, she hesitates only a moment. "I'll top with another
quarter mark, Kassi," is called to the auctioneeresss.
Kassima nods, "Four and a half! What about four and three quarters? Got
it--do I hear five marks, five marks for this brownrider here?"
Lily chuckles. "F'red does have nice legs, doesn't he? Five marks."
Maren follows the brownriders gesture with her eyes, finding the
greenrider in question. She smiles, nodding her head in thanks. "Ah. I
believe I will simply watch instead. She seems occupied at the moment.
My thanks anyway."
Simile says "And a quarter, Master Lily."
Misharn blinks and frowns, "Why would you want to put him in a dress?"
C'vadan feeling silly enough as it is, C'vadan spins around again.
Kassima grins, "Five! Nay, five and a quarter--but do I hear five and a
half? Surely someone good enough for Tria is good enough for five and a
half marks!"
Simile nods in agreement.
Lily laughs at Kassima's comment. "Five and three quarters is it? I'll
bid that."
Simile says "Six."
"Higher than I can afford to go after my purchases during the festival so
far," Kindre sighs almost ruefully.
Feyan walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Simile begins whispering urgently to Verita.
Kassima laughs and points to Lily, "Five and three quar--six! I have six;
anyone willing to challenge six? For only a quarter mark more, this
brownrider could be yours!"
Danuta grins at Kindre. "Want to bid jointly with me? I'll go halves?"
F'nar says "But he's a one night special!"
Kindre smiles while bobbing her head, "Deal, Danuta! Six and a quarter!"
Simile says "Verita and I bid a quarter more."
Lily says "Seven."
Simile says "A quarter more."
C'vadan colors a bit as now women are grouping together to bid on him.
Lily says "And a half."
Simile says "And another quarter."
N'ren tightens his arm around Lily as she moves closer, but only listens
quietly and watches.
Danuta winks at Kindre. "Eight"
Simile says "And a quarter."
Kassima whistles, "Six and a half! We'll need another quarter to top
that; who can open up their purse for six and a--nay, seven and a q--nay
again, seven and a half! Wait, wait, make that eight! Do I have eight and
a half?"
Lily snuggles more closely to N'ren, sneaking a smile up at him. "Eight
and a half," she calls.
Sarala looks over at J'lyn and mumbles something to Krysta "8 and a
half"
"Crackdust," Kindre chuckles, "Can we go higher, Danuta," she wonders of
the resident.
Simile says "And three quarters."
Sarala says "9"
Lily says "And a quarter."
Simile says "And a half."
Danuta grins. "Well, I haven't bought much so far. Nine and a half"
Minya walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
C'vadan blinks as the bidding continues.
Maren sips her klah, watching over the rim. She chuckles softly to herself
as the bidding wanders upwards.
Sarala says "10!"
Simile says "And a quarter." Simile frowns.
J'lyn grins at Cav, a look of pure evil on his face.
Kassima points the whip at Simile, "Nine and a half! Do I hear nine and
three quarters for C'vadan? Ten! I have ten, ten, ten--who'll bid ten and
a quarter? Aye! I have ten and a quarter! Who'll challenge ten and a
quarter?"
Lily grins. "Ten and a half for F'red."
C'vadan uh-ohs as he catches J'lyn's look.
Sarala bites the inside of her lip "10 and a half"
N'ren asks, quietly, quizzically, "F'red?"
Simile says "And three quarters. Oof!"
Kassima chuckles and yells, "Ten and three quarters! Who'll go one quarter
better for eleven?"
Sarala says "11!"
Lily chuckles softly. "Pet name, Brownrider," she murmurs to N'ren.
"Eleven!"
"I think, mayhap, we're about to be outbidded," Kindre chuckles after
speaking quietly to Danuta.
Simile wonders who said 11 first, and bids another quarter to settle it.
Kassima shouts, "I've got eleven! Eleven and a quarter, eleven and a
quarter--who's willing to go that high for this bekilted brownrider?"
Danuta grins. "Admit defeat here. Unless we get someone else to join in"
Sarala says "11 and a half"
Lily says "I'll certainly pay that much. Nice knees. 11 and three
quarters."
Kassima chuckles and yells, "Eleven and *three* quarters! Who'll make it
an even dozen marks?"
Sarala sighs "Twelve for the man in the kilt!"
"And me with a thing for brownriders in kilts," Kindre jokes. "Oh, good
idea...anyone likely to join us?"
Krysta chuckles politely at Sarala
Simile shakes her head and whispers to Verita again.
C'vadan spins once more at Kassima's prodding.
Kassima whistles, "Just look at him spin! *Surely* that's worth twelve
and a quarter! Do I hear anyone willing to bid twelve and a quarter?"
Lily smiles warmly at N'ren. She mutters to N'ren, "... you... that...
are... that you've... care... yourself." She pauses a moment. "Twelve
and a quarter!"
Sarala shrugs at Krysta "I've been stuck in that camp for too long, I'm
bored. Twelve and a half!!"
Simile and Verita look over at Danuta and Kindre, and shrug. "Come in with
us for 12 and 3/4?"
N'ren lifts his shoulders, murmuring quietly to Lily. He mutters to Lily,
"About as... you... beautiful..."
Lily says "What's the latest bid, Kassi? I bid a quarter above that."
Kindre's eyes light, "Sounds like a brilliant idea....Twelve and three
quarters!"
Kassima grins and yells, "Twelve and a half! Is there anyone with the
money left in their belt pouches to buy themselves this brownrider?"
Sarala says "thirteen!"
Drake enters from the Bowl.
Salless dusts off the mantlepiece over the night hearth.
Kassima grins, "That makes it thirteen! Thirteen marks for Lily--anyone
else going to challenge?"
Drake walks in with no sign of a smile on his face.
Krysta ducks as Drake walks in.
Sarala says "13 and a quarter"
Sarala sees Drake and goes wide eyed
Drake says "15 marks"
C'vadan blinks.
Simile says "And a half. SHe looks a question at Danuta and Kindre.
"Oops!""
Sarala stares open mouthed at Drake but doesn't say anything for fear
he'll notice her
Lily smiles warmly. She mutters to N'ren, "... doing... girl... and...
beautiful." She looks at c'vadan. "13 and 3/4."
Simile says "Fourteen?"
Kassima blinks at Drake. "You want to buy Cav for fifteen marks?" She
casts one of those, 'Do you know this guy?' looks at Cav. "Anyway, maximum
bet-raise is a quarter; we're at fourteen...."
Sarala quietly pipes up "fifteen and a quarter?"
Drake ahems and already bid 15 marks
Kindre blinks over at the latest arrival as he bids. Smiling, she nods,
"I think, mayhap, the four of us can get up to twenty, though not much
farther after that..."
Drake turns his head hearing a familiar voice
Kassima shrugs and calls, "All right, fifteen and a quarter! Do I hear
fifteen and a half?"
C'vadan shrugs at Kassima and watching the bidding, having stopped
spinning.
Sarala turns to J'lyn and mumbles "you bet, I'll pay"
Lily says "I'll bid that, Kassi!"
Krysta hides behind Sarala's skirts
Simile says "Fifteen and a half, but he's worth less shared."
Drake raises his hand "15 3/4!"
Simile says "All right, 3/4"
Sarala scurries over to Krysta and ducks behind something"
Drake glances around the room, seeming to be looking for someone
Kassima yells, "Fifteen and three quarters! Do I hear sixteen, sixteen,
sixteen?"
Lily says "Sixteen!"
Maren leans forward, setting her empty cup down. Softly she mutters,
"Interesting. Perhaps I should dress my goods in kilts. High bids,
indded."
Benden Weyr> Kassima thinks the kilt is Cav's secret to getting so much
dough bid on him, yes she does. ;)
"And a quarter," Kindre calls up.
J'lyn removes his arms from around the two women who 'bought' him.
Lily says "And a half!"
Simile gestures to Kindra to handle the bidding for awhile.
Kassima taps Cav on the shoulder with the whip. "Can you flex your muscles
or something? I bet we can get up to twenty before too long!" she stage-
whispers to him. "Sixteen and a half!" she yells, more loudly.
Kindre seems a bit apprehensive but, nonetheless, nods. "Three quarters
more!"
Drake glances over and notices Krysta, and begins to work his way over to
her.
J'lyn closes his eyes. "And another quarter!"
Drake taps Krysta on the shoulder. "Where is my wife?!" He looks rather
unnerved
Sarala quietly sneaks away from Drake...
C'vadan frowns at Kassima, but does as she asks, showing that turns of
lifting firestone sacks have developed his physique.
Danuta grins. "Kassi? Since the auctioneer can't bid - feel like buying
in with Kindre and me?"
Jalimax laughs and chuckles.
Benden Weyr> C'vadan moooooooos.
Drake places his large hand on Krystas shoulder so as not to let her get
away. "Tell me"
Lily says "And a Quarter above the last!"
Krysta gasps as she bluster a greeting "Uhhh mmm, I couldna be telling ya.
I was blinded by some skirts and lost sight o' her."
J'lyn frowns and looks at the trader. "Can I help you, sir?"
Kassima shouts, "Seventeen marks!" She grins at Cav unrepetantly, and
shakes her head at Danuta. "This bidding's too thick for my blood," she
laughs. "We're up to eighteen marks!"
Drake squints his eyes, trying to keep his cool. "Dunna lie to me lass...
where is she."
Drake notices Tinya looking at him, and waves politely.
Sarala says "18!"
J'lyn notices J'lyn's stare, and waves.
F'nar says "Oh, but you'll be bid upon, Kassima."
Drake notices J'lyn looking at him, and waves politely.
Lily says "And a quarter!"
Sarala ducks behind someone else
Sarala says "And a half"
Drake glances around hearing that voice again....he tirns back to Krysta.
"Tell me now!"
Lily then turns to N'ren, smiling. "She's resting inside," she murmurs.
"But I know she'd love to see you."
Simile slumps, shaking her head.
Lily says "And a quarter more!"
"I do believe we've little shot of purchasing C'vadan for ourselves,
ladies," Kindre remarks and then shrugs. "What say we enjoy listening?"
Kassima points to Lily, "Eighteen and a quarter!" She wrinkles her nose at
F'nar. "One quarter mark more or less isn't going to make all that much
difference; I suppose I could always buy myself and eat dinner with
m'self, if it comes to that...." Recovering from her distraction, she
announces, "Eighteen and three-quarters! Do I hear nineteen?"
Krysta scans the room looking to spot Sarala then shrugs.
Sarala says "and a half!"
Sarala ducks behind another person trying to avoid Drake
Lily says "I'll add a quarter mark above that!"
Drake looks down at Krysta and shakes his head. He doesnt say a word, just
shakes his head and walks away. He spins hearing the voice and walks
directly toward it.
C'vadan watches the traders and wonders if he is going to survive this,
should one of them win.
Sarala says "and another qaurter mark here!"
Kassima laughs, "Nineteen and three quarters! Is anyone willing to make
it twenty? Shards, this is going to be one fardling fine tapestry at this
rate--twenty marks, even! Do I hear another quarter?"
Krysta sighs deeply in relief as Drake walks away.
Drake walks around, scanning the grounds for his wife.
Sarala bites her lip and stands up, walking over to Drake "hello love..."
Verita whispers to Simile.
Lily fingers her Craftmaster knot, glances very briefly toward Sarala, and
then smiles to Kassima. "I can spare that much."
J'lyn groans.
Simile nods.
Sarala says "And I'll go a quarter more!"
Kassima nods, "Twenty and a quarter! Going once...."
Drake looks down to Sarala. And nods with a blank look on his face. He
turns "25 marks!!!"
Simile and Verita quietly sneak out.
Simile walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Verita walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Sarala stares up at her husband "Dearest you can only bid a quarter
more."
Benden Weyr> F'nar eh? Oh. Them.
Drake says "No...I'm talking to you."
Kassima amends, "Make that twenty and a--" She spins on her heel as she
hears, "Twenty-five marks? I'm sorry; the maximum bid after twenty and a
half would be twenty and three quarters."
C'vadan frowns and looks at Kassima. "I don't want trouble," he says
softly to her.
Lily says "SUre, Kassi, I'll bid that!"
Sarala says "and I'll bid a quarter more"
Maren looks up from her empty cup sharply, scanning the crowd of faces.
"25 marks?" she says to herself. Looking towards the bidding table, she
scans the good critically.
Drake How much money have you spent here today? How much?!
Sarala looks at Drake "only nine marks love"
Drake and how in Faranths name did you get here!?
Lily clears her throat. "I'd like C'vadan and his lady and his children to
take Talia and I on a picnic someplace warm. A Quarter above that."
Sarala looks over at Drake "I could ask you the same question, calm down
you're interupting my bidding"
Kenai walks in from the bowl.
Kassima calls, "Twenty-one marks! Do I hear twenty-one and a quarter?" She
asks this pretty directly of Lily, glancing at the fighting couple, then
at Cav, and finally at the Master Miner. "Twenty-one and a quarter. Going
once, going twice, sold! To Lily for twenty-one and a quarter marks."
Sarala says "a quarter above that"
C'vadan whews and steps down off the table.
Sarala snaps her fingers "too late, oh well"
C'vadan he moves over to where Lily sits. "Thank you, Master Lily."
Kassima whews a bit herself, and summons a grin, gesturing to K'nan. "Your
turn, mentor mine," she informs him.
Drake looks furious. "Interrupting your bidding?!?!" He throws his hands
up into the "Sharding woman" he pushes his way out.
Sarala turns to Krysta and shrugs
Drake walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Sarala shakes her head and follows after Drake
Sarala walks off towards the kitchen.
Lily kisses N'ren's cheek, and stands to hand C'vadan a cookie. "I mean
that, you know. I'd like you and Caitria and your little ones to come on
a picnic with Talia and I." She looks to N'ren. "And this Brownrider,
too."
Ursa walks in from the bowl.
Jalimax waves at Ursa.
F'nar smiles. "So who are we up to, Kassi?"
C'vadan nods. "Certainly, Master Lily. We will enjoy that."
N'ren grins at Lily, "But what are you bidding for me?"
Maren expels a breath, looking again bemused. "Over twenty marks for a
picnic. Curious." She leans towards the klah pot, refilling her cup.
Kassima grins at F'nar and points to K'nan. "Him," she declares. "We're
going to sell K'nan next! Aren't we, K'nan?"
J'lyn stands and ambles outside.
J'lyn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
"For you," Lily says to N'ren, her eyes glittering with amusement, "there
is no price. Not even all the cookies in our crafthall." She laughs softly
and leans down to give him a big hug.
Krysta stands and leaves
Krysta walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
K'nan looks up, alarmed. "Hm? What? Me? Sell? What?"
N'ren considers, "I'm not sure if that's good or bad, Lily." He grins.
Kassima grins at K'nan. "You're going to be the last sale of the day," she
proclaims, gesturing him up to the table. "C'mon! F'nar, you wanted to
sell someone--sell K'nan."
F'nar laughs. "I'm waiting for you to be available, Kassi."
C'vadan says "No, You next Kassi."
F'nar says "Besides, you said you'll sell K'nan, and I could sell you."
Lily leans down to give N'ren a quick kiss. "It's a compliment of the
highest order. But I've got craft matters to attend to right now. Will
you stop by the tent later?"
N'ren nods, "Surely."
Lily smiles and gives N'ren another hug, waves to the familiar faces, and
wanders out of the living cavern.
Lily walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
C'vadan finds a seat.
K'nan sputters, "But..but..."
Kassima snorts, pointing her whip at the greenrider. "You could get much
more for him, F'nar, but if you want me to sell him, fine! Now, K'nan, you
don't want to have to tell everyone that you were afraid to stand up on a
table and strut while people pay marks to dine with you, do you?"
Ursa pauses as she enters, leaning against the cavern wall to take in the
sights, sounds, and occurences in the cavern, a small smile playing at the
corners of her lips.
C'vadan smiles when he sees Ursa and gets up to go talk to her.
Maren smiles broadly. "Ahh, to dine. Auction for dining partners. I see."
she says to herself.
C'vadan mutters to Ursa, "... missed most of the... bought dinner... And
some... really... winning me."
Kassima nods enthusiastically to Maren. "How much would you pay to dine
anywhere on Pern with this greenrider?" she asks, pointing to K'nan with
her whip. "I think he'd fetch a fair price!"
K'nan groans, getting to his feet with great reluctance. "Kassi...I'm
gonna get y'for this...."
R'bar wakes up. "20 marks!"
Maren starts as she is addressed. "Excuse me? Oh. I see. Well. I'm afraid
that I have one mark, already spoken for. No offence to the rider." She
tilts her head in the greenriders direction, again politely. "I was merely
curious as to what services were being auctioned."
Kassima laughs and yells, starting to get hoarse, "Who'll start the--
twenty marks? Twenty marks for K'nan? You have to show those marks,
R'bar."
Salless whaps R'bar with a wooden spoon. "Shut up, old man. K'nan's a
man."
R'bar blinkblinks. "Oh, I withdraw."
Kassima doubles over on her table for a moment, laughing, but eventually
manages to get control of herself. "Who'll start on the bidding at two
marks?"
R'val walks in from the bowl.
J'cob waves his hand, "I will; two marks."
R'val strides back into the living caverns, and waves with a cheerful
smile as he returns to his weyrmate's side.
Kenai giggles quietly, shifting the wide-awake but thankfully distracted
Kery to a more comfortable spot on her hip. "If I /had/ marks..." she
begins, grinning.
The Serious Ache case bellows, "Y-es, I want him more; two'n a quarter."
Tinya chortles at the old rider, shaking her head, then grins at her
weyrmate as he comes in.
Ursa's smile still just plays at the corner of her lips. "All depends on
how you define fun, now, doesn't it?" she drawls easily, still looking
around the room. She then turns her gaze back to Cav and her whole grin
breaks out. "Some trader, eh? But he was outbid by Lily, I saw?"
K'nan stretches a bit, shaking his head. "I'm gonna get you for this one,
Kassi...I swear it..." Heading over, he hops up onto the table with a
chuckle.
C'vadan says "She, actually. And yes."
Kassima shouts with a definite rasp to her voice by now, "Two and a
quarter! Who'll bid two and a half for this fine greenrider? He promises
nay to drip blood all over the floor during dinner, don't you, K'nan?" She
grins and taps her mentor on the shoulder. "Don't forget to twirl, spin,
strut, and all."
The pimply guy walks ovre to the table to inspect K'nan more closely,
"Lemme see those thighs, greenrider."
R'val waves his arm, "I'll bid on that sexy greenrider!!" He waggles his
eyebrows at K'nan.
K'nan grins wryly, "I do not strut, mentee mine..."
Ursa grins, nodding absently. "Right. She." She watches Kassi for a long
moment, then asks Cav, "And you? Did you twirl, spin, strut, and -all-?"
Caitria walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Kassima snorts cheerfully. "Everyone else had to strut, and so do you! Now
strut! *All* right, R'val, that's two and a half! Do I hear two and three
quarters, three quarters, three quarters?"
R'val grins, "Three quarters!"
The acne case blanches, "Three for that hunk o' beef."
Kassima laughs, "Three marks! Who'll go one quarter better, I ask you?"
Caitria gets the skinny on who's been sold from a passing bronzerider, and
grumbles something about children -refusing- to take naps.
Maren questions those near her, "All of these marks, they go where? A
tapestry perhaps, for your lovely cavern? A gift for the weyrwoman?"
C'vadan smiles and waves over Caitria. "Well, you were right, Cait. This
shardin' kilt did bring up the bidding."
Kassima taps her foot as she adds, "C'mon, people, he's nay *that* bad.
Three and a quarter--surely someone has that much!"
Jaessa enters from the Bowl.
F'nar flips Maren a mark or three. "You two would look nice together."
Kassima eyes the acne rider, and then K'nan, and shrugs apologetically.
"Three marks, going once...."
R'val raises his arm, "Three marks and a quarter."
Caitria flickers a faint grin to Cav, then peers at R'val. "Didn't know
that," she murmurs.
Kassima grins and points to R'val, "Three and a quarter! Who'll go three
and a half, and a half, and a half?"
Jaessa tentatively raises her hand. "Four marks.
K'nan shoots R'val an almost-grateful look, glancing around at the rest
of the crowd with a chuckle..to placate his mentee trying to sell him, he
turns around once, wondering if he looks quite as silly as he feels.
Maren catches them, fumbling one which rolls beneath the table. She
clearsher throat, hiding an embarassed blush on her cheeks with her
hand. "I thank you, rider. However, I can't in good conscience take your
marks for a dinner partner. I prefer to eat alone, at any rate. Character
flaw." With that, she disappears beneath the table, rummaging for the
dropped mark.
Kassima whistles, "Four marks! Who'll give me four and a quarter, a
quarter, a quarter?" She snorts at K'nan and says loudly, "That is *nay*
strutting. You need to *strut*, K'nan. F'nar, show him how to strut, won't
you?"
Ursa turns back to Cav and repeats her question. "Did -you- strut, Cav?"
Caitria watches K'nan with a wicked grin, watching to see if he struts.
As Ursa makes her inquiry, though, she regards her weyrmate with no small
amount of interest.
F'nar hears Kassi, and does so, throwing his chest out, his shoulders
back, and kicking out each foot. "Like this!"
Maren reappears, standing a bit to hand the rider his marks.
Jaessa wonders what the Masters would think of her, bidding on a
dragonrider, and grins.
Maren says "What, may I ask, is the function of the auction."
C'vadan shakes his head. "I did spin. Well, and flex. A little."
Kassima points to the strutting Wingsecond. "See, K'nan? That's strutting!
You can strut, I know you can. C'mon." She taps him with the whip again.
"How're we ever going to get four and a quarter marks, else?"
From the kitchen, Emne walks into the Living Cavern.
Caitria oohs. He flexed. She asks curiously, "Who bought you, love?" Then
she does a doubletake. Oh, that sounded good.
F'nar struts over to Maren, bites the wooden coins, winks, spins on his
heel, and struts back to the table.
Emne walks in from the bowl.
C'vadan simply says, "Master Lily."
Tinya answers Maren's question, since nobody else seems to be going to.
"It's to buy us a tapestry," she says, adding with a grin, "and quite a
wonderful one it should be, too, after all this!"
Emne bustles backin and flops into the first vacant chair she can find
Kassima calls over to Maren, "'Tis to purchase a new tapestry! Of course,
if we don't get four and a quarter marks, we may nay succeed...." She
contrives to look very sorrowful, but anyone who knows Kassi would suspect
she's just going to draw this out until K'nan starts strutting.
Kenai walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Maren tilts her head, watching the rider. "Ah well, I suppose I'll never
know." She waves a hand at his retreating form. "Thank you anyway!"
Maren claps her hands together once, pleased. "A tapestry. Was my first
guess. Thank you."
Kassima comments simply to K'nan, "I'm not letting you off of this table
until you strut, so you might as well get it over with."
R'val hoots loudly, grinning evilly, "Strut, you sexy greenrider!"
Caitria hooboys softly at R'val, and absently reaches down to her belt
pouch, looking as if she's mentally counting.
Maren stands, walking towards the auction table. She reaches into her
pocket and produces her mark, flipping it onto the tabletop. "A worthy
cause. I knew that mark was spoken for." She smiles and heads towards the
cavern entrance.
Maren passes F'nar's table on her way out. "You've been most kind. It was
a pleasure metting you."
F'nar smiles. "The same."
Maren walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Emne blinks with a wide grin at the spectacle in the cavern
A crew of riders in the corner, some of whom have obviously had a mite too
much to drink, chant, "Strut! Strut! Strut!"
K'nan can't help but laugh, "You've /got/ t'be kidding me...strut?"
Caitria grins and calls, "Why not?" Sounds like she'd like to see K'nan
strut.
Kassima grins at K'nan and repeats, "You're nay going to escape until you
do. Just be glad you're nay wearing the kilt too. Now, *strut*!" She pokes
at K'nan's back with her whip.
Jaessa slips into a relatively quiet corner, away from the crowd and
smiles slightly.
Emne calls out over the crowd "You can do it K'nan!"
Tinya grins impishly and hollers, "C'mon, K'nan, show us your stuff!"
K'nan smirks, "I'll get ye for this yet, Kassi..." Mustering his courage,
he does his best at strutting...doesn't do it very expertly, but it's at
least amusing.
F'nar attempts to start another chant. "Strut! Strut! Strut!"
The riders in the corner chorus along with F'nar.
Kassima grins and, as soon as K'nan starts to strut, yells, "Sold! To the
Healer lass, for four marks! Congratulations on your purchase of a
strutting greenrider!"
Jaessa blushes slightly and passed over the marks to Kassima, a small
smiles playing over her features.
F'nar laughs, with a slight evil twinge to it. "Hey, Kassi, it's your
turn now!"
Jalimax grins and nods to F'nar, "Yeah, your turn Kassi."
Tinya laughs, applauds, and calls over to the Healer girl with a wink,
"Woo, got yourself a bargain!"
Kassima adds the marks to the *very* fat pouch of marks at her belt, which
is stuffed almost to bursting. She sticks her whip at its place in her
belt, too, and winces at F'nar. "Can't we just assume the last quarter
mark we got for K'nan was my price, and leave it at that?" she asks
hopefully.
K'nan laughs and hops down from the table, "Jays, that was embarassing..
I'll get y'for this one day, Kassi, I swear."
Kassima grins at K'nan. "That's what you said about the kilt, but you've
nay managed revenge yet!"
R'val snorts, "No way, Kassi. Up you go!"
Jaessa blushes a deeper red, looking as if she'd like to melt into the
wall. To know one in particular, she murmers, "The Masters are going to
kill me.
F'nar stands on the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, this one we'll do a bit
differently. My name is F'nar, and I'll be your auctioneer for this fine
young lass. Now, I run a different type of auction than does this lass,
let me tell you about it."
Caitria laughs, and slips out of the living cavern. As much as she likes
Kassi, she thinks the others will have more fun bidding on her.
Caitria walks towards the inner cavern.
N'ren glances over at the Healer girl, idly.
Emne pops up for some klah then curls back up in her chair to watch the
show.
Ursa grins broadly as F'nar starts to speak. She finally moves farther
into the cavern, as if committing herself to being a spectator, and
towards a seat.
Firwen walks here from the Inner Cavern.
K'nan flashes a bright grin over at Jaessa, then hops back over to a chair
and settles down.
Kassima makes a face, and mutters, "At least with the maximum price surely
nay more'n a quarter-mark, this won't take long." She wrinkles her nose,
and looks for escape routes.
F'nar keeps standing and announcing. "Now, instead of YOU naming the
price, I am going to name the price. If you don't want her at that price,
you wait for me to lower it. If you want her, but think someone else might
want her at that price, you better call her! First to call her by yelling
out the already announced price wins her!"
Benden Weyr> Caitria boggles at F'nar's method, definitely wants a log,
and bamfs.
F'nar says "But if you don't think anyone would want her, y'can take your
chance and let the price drop again! Does everyone understand?"
Benden Weyr> R'val uhhs. Nice method. :)
Benden Weyr> F'nar says, "It's called a Dutch Auction. :)"
Tinya blinks at F'nar's method of auctioning, then settles back to watch
the bidding.
Kassima stares at F'nar in horror. "But getting to an acceptable price
will take *forever*!" She shakes her head, and mutters, "Doomed. I'm
doomed, doomed, doomed...."
Ursa raises her eyebrows with surprise, and takes her seat with a mug of
klah and a sweetroll to dunk in it.
Jaessa thinks this should be interesting.
F'nar, hearing no objections, climbs down from the table, Kassima behind
him. "Now, this is a special greenrider, who has been the bane of R'val,
with a personality all her own. I shall start the bidding at forty marks.
Do I hear forty marks for this wonderful woman?"
R'val says absolutely nothing, leaning back in his seat with a chuckle.
Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "F'nar, if you sell me to one of those NPCs, I
*will* kill you. ;)"
F'nar shouts out, "Thirty nine! Can I get thirty nine for her?"
Benden Weyr> R'val says, "Give 'er to zit boy! ;)"
Benden Weyr> Tinya cackles. R'bar. Sell her to R'bar. :)
The leering youngerster with terribly acne waits.. waits for her.. his
Kassima.. to be his weyrmate, perhaps?
Kassima buries her head in her hands. "If I can't see this," she mutters,
"it can't be happening."
N'ren smiles, "Don't think you're worth very much, Kassima? You might have
to rethink that." He glances around the cavern, "Or maybe not."
F'nar says "Thirty eight? Is anyone willing to pay thirty eight?"
Emne sets her klah down and starts chuckling crazily
N'ren gestures to the acne-faced youngster to come closer.
F'nar says "Can you strut up there, Kassi? How do you expect to fetch more
than twenty if you don't strut and pose?"
The ache-faced brownrider whispers, "She's lovely when she's angry, isn't
she? I bet she's look great dipped in bubbly-filling."
Kassima snorts, and shakes her head. "Even Kin only went for thirty-seven,
for Faranth's sake, and some of the highest bidders...." She trails off,
and just eyes F'nar. "You want me to strut, as if I were K'nan?"
F'nar bellows, "Thirty seven! Anyone got thirty seven marks on them for
this lass?"
Tinya grins. "You told K'nan _everybody_ has to strut, didn't you?"
F'nar says "Exactly, Kassi. EVERYONE struts on the table!"
Jaessa can't hold back her amusement anymore, and bursts into laughter.
K'nan laughs, calling up, "Strut, Kassi! Strut!"
Ursa laughs, lifting her sweetroll to cheer, "Strut, Kassi, c'mon, strut!"
F'nar drops the price another mark. "Will she go for thirty six marks! A
bargain!"
The acne lad shouts, "Show more hide.. er.. skin!"
Kassima sighs and smacks her own forehead. "Mental note: never let myself
get in a situation where I'll have to eat my own words," she grumbles.
Giving K'nan the Evil Eye, she spins on her heel in a whirl of skirts and
forces herself to strut. Not a very good strut, but hey, it's a strut.
Sort of.
F'nar says "What about thirty five? Thirty five marks, anyone? Anyone?"
Jaessa walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
A small group of blueriders snickers, "With a strut like that, she
couldn't seduce J'cob, much less a buyer!"
F'nar says "Thirty four? Come now, such a -shapely- young lass is worth
thirty-four marks. I'll bet she'll even -throw- in a knife lesson, won't
you, Kassi?"
Emne laughs so hard she nearly falls off her chair
Kassima glares at F'nar, though she's hard-put not to laugh, herself.
"What did I ever do to you, that I deserve this?" she asks, between
strutting and spinning on the table. "Sure, I'll throw in a knife lesson,
if you agree to be the target."
A mutter is heard from a brownrider in the back, "I chased in one of that
evil beast's flights. She's a spawn of the Red Star!" He grumbles, "Knives
/everywhere/. Tis the last date for whoever takes /her/ out."
F'nar says "Sure, I'll stand behind ten layers of wherhide. Thirty three
marks! Thirty three marks!"
N'ren calls towards the back, "*That* sounded like a challenge."
F'nar says "Thirty two! Thirty two marks! Look at those green eyes, who
wouldn't pay thirty two, or even thirty one marks to gaze into those
emerald pools for an evening?"
The acne brownrider giggles slightly, "I'd rather my first be my last,
with *her*.."
Kassima taps the hilt of one of her knives and amends, "Mayhaps I'll use
you for a target instead, eh? And have Asrai throw. She's very good at
throwing. Should've seen what she did to this one poor snowman...." She
sighs, doing a small pirouette on the table before deciding that that's
even more embarrassing than strutting and going back to that instead.
One of the acne brownrider's friends pokes him and snickers, "It would be
your last, guaranteed. And you wouldn't enjoy it. She's Evil."
F'nar says "Oh, I see, some of you are thinking about it, aren't ya? Tell
ya what, are any of you willing to pay thirty for her?"
Emne recovers from her laughing fit and takes a nice long drink of klah
The acne boy shouts, "Will she do the thing with the wherry feeathers in
her mouth?"
F'nar says "Come now, that's only a question SHE can answer. For 29 marks,
if you're willing to pay?"
F'nar says "Oh, you're pressuring me. Twenty seven marks! Is anyone
willing to pay twenty seven? She's got more skirt on her than C'vadan!"
Someone quips, "And a less facial hair."
Kassima declares quite firmly, "I am nay doing anything with wherry
feathers!" She eyes K'nan and says, "I do hope this suffices for your
revenge, mentor mine, because trust me, it's eviller."
The pimply brownrider whines, "But I want LESS!"
Emne nearly chokes on her klah over that remark
F'nar laughs! "That too! Twenty five, and shaplier legs!"
F'nar says "Are you strutting, Kassi? If you want to sell for what I did,
you HAVE to strut!"
F'nar says "Oh, it pains me. Twenty three marks! Twenty three marks,
anyone?"
One of Kassi's wingmates adds, "But a lower voice.."
K'nan starts the chant again, "Strut! Strut! Strut!"
Kassima just *glares* at F'nar. "Aye, I'm sharding well strutting!" she
grumbles. Which she is... well, more like walking back and forth, but it's
a big improvement over K'nan's strutting.
Jalimax shouts, "Twenty three!".
F'nar says "Twenty three marks to the retired harper!"
F'nar says "Congratulations, sir, you got yourself a bargain! And Kassima,
I told you I'd get a high price for you!"
Kassima spins on her heel, her expression a cross between surprise--more
like shock, really--and gratitude. "Twenty-three marks? For *me*? Jali,
have you lost your *mind*?"
Emne starts laughing again
Jalimax grins at Kassi, "Depends if I had a mind to start with" He winks.
F'nar bangs his hand on the table. "And as such, Benden's dinner auction
is closed!"
Tinya grins. "Lots better than a quarter-mark, that's for sure."
The pimply fellow moans, "S'only way he'd ever get one."
Kassima chuckles and hops off the table. "You have a point, K'nan," she
admits. "If I were me, I'd want revenge on me too... thanks, Jali. You're
a lifesaver." She casts a glance over her shoulder at the acne-faced
brownrider.
Lecil walks in from the bowl.
Lecil saunters in, glancing around the cavern.
Acne in brown finds a LCG with suprisingly low standards, and fumbles with
her a bit before getting slapped soundly, then wander off to whimper.
Can't it?
F'nar mutters to Kassima, "... got..."
Emne sets her klah mug aside
Emne mutters softly...back to to work....
Emne walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
N'ren sits at one of the quiet tables in the corner, watching what's
going on.
Lecil spies someone and smiles, wandering over to N'ren's table. "Well,
hello there."
Kindre walks in from the bowl.
Salless smiles sweetly at the junior queenrider.
N'ren smiles up at Lecil, "Well, hello there. Long time, no see."
Kassima chuckles and nods her agreement, then glances outside. "Won't be
too long until the aerial display, I suppose," she muses. As Kin walks in,
she waves cheerfully to her. "Heya, Kin! Have you gotten over the
desolation of losing Cav yet?"
F'nar says "Kindre, you missed it! Kassima's cheeks were complimenting her
eyes -wonderfully- while I had her up on the auction block."
Lecil points to a chair. "May I?"
Jalimax chuckles and grins, walking over to get himself a glass of wine.
N'ren nods, "Certainly."
Kassima shakes her head, and has to wonder, "Jali, where'd you get twenty-
three marks, anyway?"
Kindre weaves her way through the dwindling throng of people to move
closer to the seat she claimed earlier. Offering quick apologies first,
she then blinks as words reach her. Laughing, she feigns grand
disappointment, "No, Kassi, it will take me a half a turn to get over
losing the brownrider," she teases. "What have I missed, F'nar?"
Jalimax smiles at Kassi, "Saved up during my turns as a harper, and a
miner both. Not too much to do with your marks at the Minecraft hall."
F'nar says "Kassi went for 23 marks! But I had her up there a while! I did
the auction backwards, I named the price, starting at forty, then when I
got to 23 Jalimax called out and claimed her."
Merla walks in from the bowl.
Salless smiles conspiratorially at Merla.
Ellwiny walks in from the bowl.
Lecil sits, glancing around the cavern, then smiles at N'ren again. "So,
how have you been keeping yourself?"
Giggling aloud, Kindre pouts a bit, "Oh, crackdust! Am I sorry I missed
-that-!"
Kassima chuckles, "Mayhaps nay. Well, we'll be able to buy one sharding
incredible tapestry with all these marks...." She taps the belt-pouch that
contains them, which just *barely* manages to even close. "I could only
wish mine were so full! But after a few more Turns of betting with V'dan,
perchance 'twill be--heya, Merla!"
F'nar says "And we even had her strutting! Hey, Kassi, can you strut for
Kindre?"
N'ren grins at Lecil, "Well, cold when it's cool out, warm when it isn't.
How about you?"
Tinya grins over at Kassi, then gets up from her chair. "Well. Even though
that took forever, it's now time for the firestone sack tossing contest.
South bowl, everyone who wants to participate. Who knows, you might win
something you could sell and get some marks back."
Kassima wrinkles her nose at Kin and F'nar. "I am never strutting again,"
she proclaims, "and that's that! You can strut for her, if'n you wish to."
She nods to Tinya, getting up from her chair and grabbing a mug of cider.
"This should be fun to watch," she opines.
Tinya walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
R'val walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
F'nar laughs. "From now on, I strut only for Alyssa."
Ursa finishes off her klah and rises at Tinya's announcement. She smoothes
down her skirt and stretches her arms regretfully.
Merla smiles to Kassima, and goes to sit down next to her.
Merla leans over to whisper something to F'nar.
Lecil chuckles and shakes her head. "Always so pratical. Recovered for the
most part, and actually enjoying the lack of responsibility for once."
Ursa walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Ellwiny follows closely behind Merla, her gaze flitting around the cavern
as she struggles to take in all the faces. Upon hearing the words 'sack
tossing,' she groans.
Merla mutters to F'nar, "I hear..."
Firwen walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
N'ren blinks, "Recovered?"
F'nar mutters to Merla, "I don't... she... of a... went..."
Kindre chuckles, "Aw, Kassi...well, I can simply imagine the humor I
missed." Turning to watch fellow riders and festival goers alike move out
of the cavern, she concurs. "Oh, that does sound like an event not to
miss."
Kassima grins and nods. "It does!" With a backwards-wave over her
shoulder, she heads outside, mug of cider in hand.
You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.