May 2002

Carver's Party

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 Carver smiles and bows formally, his hand sweeping towards the refreshment
table, "Welcome everyone, My name name is Carver, and I hope that you all
enjoy your evening here with us."
 Sarah glides gracefully in from the Hold House.  She is a teenager of about
19. She is awake and looks alert.
 Larnat is a bit flustered by the man's rather...er...formal bow so she just
settles for a bit of a nervous nod.  "Eeeh...see, I was at 'Reaches, and
there're a lot of cooks here, see, and so I remembered that I had to get the
recipe for klah from Gen, but /then/...oh, I can't remember if it was Gar or
Grinstead.  I'll just stay and pray that it's right."  Ahem, it's not, she
misheard, but it's all well and good, isn't it?
 Baker Queen to the rescue! "Hi everyone!" Hurray! Sarah is here. "I'm Sarah,
Baker Journeyman here at Grinstead," is said, exuberant as ever. "Do you need
any help?" is directed to Carver before Larnat's knot is noticed. "Another
Baker!" Pounce. "High Reaches too! I suppose you'll be 'Mia's, won't you?"
Humm, sorry. "Klah recipe.. mhmm. I could help you with that!" Sarah is the
cookbook queen, you must understand.
 Jozzie moves gracefully with a habital swing of her hips, in from the Hold
House.
 Carver lifts a tankard in salute to the ladies, "I'm terribly sorry about
the lack of planning.  But there's plenty of drink for everyone.  There
should be a harper in a little while."  He grins at Larnat's excuse, certain
that Sarah will be quite capable of providing a klah recipie, then breaks
into a full smile, "Food is a little bit touchy at the moment..."
 A somewhat grizzled Harper climbs onto the low stage, and scans the crowd,
pausing to glare at Carver before settling down and checking the tune on his
gitar.  "Any requests?" he asks in a clear tenor.
 Jozzie strides into the building, her glove gently patted against her hips
as she tucks them into her belt. She looks around the room, trying to spot a
person which she was invited here to meet. Her lips settle together as she
eyes the crowd of people sitting around tables, casually drinking.
 "Drink?" Larnat asks with a raised eyebrow at Carver.  Then shrugging, she
turns to grab a cup.  "Hrrm, whatever it is, can't be all /that/ bad."
Pursing her lips she takes a delicate sniff before turning to have her ear
catch the Harper's words.  "A lively tune!" she calls out quickly, before
ducking back low into a seat and blushing.  Heee.  "Oh, and that klah recipe?
 Marvelous if you could get it to me sometime."
 At that remark, Sarah is in her prime. "How delightful!" is exclaimed as she
heads for the Kitchen. "I believe I have some good redfruit pies in the Cold
Cavern," she muses generally before smiling benignly at Carver. "Leave it to
me." Sarah knows these kitchens better than anyone, and would be more than
happy to help. Suddenly looking around her, she sighs. "Asca, Dami, Nija,
Rygel, where are you?" The firelizards quickly pop out of between before
Sarah sends Rygel back to make sure B'ane doesn't wake up. Tee hee.
"Greetings, Harper," Sarah says in her respectful tone with a grin. "Drinking
is not for me," she admits with a smile, "but cooking is, so I can get some
practice I gather." Jozzie is smiled at and given a little wave. Istans are
great friends. Turning to Larnat, she smiles. "Enjoy yourself."
 Carver lifts his mug in salute, "A bit of new beer.  No doubt intended for
another Hold or Hall, but it wouldn't due to let it go stale waiting for it
to be sorted out."  He tips it back, and makes a point of smiling at the
harper after swallowing.
Istans are also great drinkers, especially those who have some relation to
Ista Weyr's Firestorm Wing. The Wingleader of Firestorm shifts her knot and
adjustes her riding jacket as she strides into the room. So, Jozzie did come
at the right time. Free drinks, umm? Well, there is no passing that one.
"Greetings," she chimes happily.
 Sythian grumbles quietly to himself 'a 'lively' tune... hmph doing well to
play at all at my age...  He strikes a high bright cord, and his fingers
dance through the first few bars before he misses a fingering.  He scowls at
the frets a moment, then laces his fingers and pops every joint.  A quick
swallow of beer to wet the pipes, and he tries again; striking up a quick,
double-intendre laden sea-chanty...
 Larnat has already polished a bottle of the "drink" off by now and nearly
chokes on her current liquid.  "Beer?" she asks nervously...aren't appies
like her not allowed to do that?  "Eh...I wasn't drinking."  Quick!  Stash
the incriminating evidence...and so is the bottle placed quietly on the table
as Lar covers up all with a nervous smile.  You didn't see that.
 Sarah laughs happily as she brings out some warmed up pies. "Really, I'm not
going to tell anyone. I myself had a bit of wine at my Journeyman project.
Hated the stuff! Was at the latrine for hours, I was." Winking, she brings
them over and sets them over on a table gingerly. "Redfruit pies, my
favorite," she says with a warm smile. "Would you like to do the honors,
Carver?" she asks him and holds out a knife.
 Carver smiles at the choice of tune by Sythian.  He hasn't heard this one
since he left 'Reaches.   He chuckles as Larnat looks like she got caught in
the Lord Holders office... "There's other drinks as well.  Pitchers of juices
and water at the far end of the table there."  He turns back as he hears his
name called, "Me?"  Well, why not?  He sets aside his beer and moves down to
where Sarah has set the pies.  "It would be a pleasure," he smiles as he
accepts the knife and begins slicing.
 [OOC:] Jozzie sorries I came in at the wrong time. Dashes RLly.
Jozzie goes home.
 Sythian's voice trails off, and as the last chord fades, he begins an
instrumental piece, to accompany the small crowd that's milling about.  Noone
seems interested in singing or dancing, so he'll save those for later.
 Larnat is relieved on /that/ account at least.  Besides...she's not immune
to maybe stomaching a bit more, if Sarah won't tell.  Every appy's gotta, it
must be...tradition or something.  And so Lar pours herself another cup fast
and drains it before clutching the edge of her chair, in case everything
starts to go fuzzy.  Eheh.  Let's hope not.
 Sarah turns her head in accordence of her promise to Larnat. "Well dear, I
think that stuff's rancid - so you can have my share," she says with a wink.
Sarah sits down and pours herself a glass of juice, to which she grabs to
Tillek Whie wine and pours a tablespoon in. "This is as strong as it gets,"
she says with a laugh as she watches the pies - just to make sure Carver
doesn't kill himself or anything.
 Carver hasn't actually done this before, but how hard can it be right?
Insert knife, draw towards yourself in a straight line that goes through the
middle of the pie; turn, repeat.  A few moments later, the job is finished,
and he lays the knife on the table.  No muss, no fuss, just six pieces of
pie, no two of which are even close to the same size.  "Here we are..."  He
looks at the stack of plates, and the pie with no idea how to get a slice out
of the pie plate and onto a dish.
 Laughing, Sarah immediately stands from her chair and slides the used knife
under the first piece. "Who wants pie?" she asks with a glance to Carver.
"Oh, and for anyone who cares, it's my nineteenth turnday today!" Bright
smile. Another swig of her juice and a wink ensues as she settles back into
her chair. Shards, she misses Ista already.
 Larnat eyes the drink nervously but swallows dutifully before feeling her
cheeks flush brightly and gulping.  "Eeh.  That's certainly...strong."
Running a hand through her hair quickly and swallowing, she shakes it off
with a little shudder.  "Strong stuff."
 Sythian's ears perk, and his head snaps over to Sarah immediately at the
words, 'my turnday'!  A bright spark of mischief comes into his eyes and the
music stops.  "Your Turnday?!  Why didn't you say so sooner?"  He pushes his
chair back, and gestures to the spot next to himself, "Come on up here lass!"
 Sarah blinks. Harpers frighten her, all but her friends. "No, no, that's
quite alright," she says firmly - that Journeyman tone coming into her voice.
She's also turned rigid at the use of lass. She's Journeyman - she was at
sixteen. She is NOT a child. Sparkle! Quickly sitting back down, she smiles.
Quirky brows form a rather embarassed arch as she grins uneasily. "Really,
it's alright. Nothing special."
 Carver smiles brightly at Sarah's help, "I do.  Thank you."  He chuckles as
she sits down again, and offers her his free hand to help her right back up,
"Happy turnday!"  Can't miss a chance to sing the turnday song, and
thoroughly embarass someone after all!
 Sarah waves her hand around in a limp wristed fashion. "Really, I'm fine. No
fuss." Thank shards that B'ane isn't here right now. Or Squaln. She'd NEVER
live this down. "Believe me, I don't need anything. I have my spiked juice
and pie. It's all good. No song." He is given that dark look - saying 'If you
even, I will have my firelizards poke your eyes out'.
 Sythian shakes his thoroughly greyed head.  He saw the look in her eye at
'lass'.  Only 19!  Not a third his age and trying to make like she's above
all that. Indeed!  When she's old enough to know that the only out is to no
longer be embarrased by it, then he'll leave her alone.  Well, more than one
way to skin a wherry... He begins a convoluted introduction to the turnday
song on his gitar as he windingly strolls towards her.
 Carver backs away from Sarah, not caring for the look in her eyes.  Quite
conveniently placing himself between Larnat and the beer, "Feeling allright
Larnat?" he asks quietly without disturbing his wide smile and the clapping
in time to the music that he's taken up now that he's far enough away from
Sarah.
 "Turnday?" Larnat asks with a slight grin, and rosy cheeks dimple as she
raucously cheers the fellow Baker on.  Mrr.  Must be the wine.  "Err...go on
up, Sarah!  Ya can do it!"  Gripping the table firmly and setting her glass
down with decided emphasis, she's had more than enough wine for one night.
Sarah will hide in the kitchen, she will. She even has a room in which she
can lock. Mwhahaha.
 Yawning, Sarah stands up immediately. "Harper," she says darkly before
nodding her head and smiling to the other membors of the room. "Please excuse
me -- I, I need to send an urgent message to B'ane." Her firelizards chitter
menacingly at the Harper as Sarah whirls around at Larnat. "Do you need a
Healer dear? You're drunk.." Carver is given a small smile as she rushes into
that kitchen. To scroll out a message, yes.
Missy enters the room with a huge tray of klah pitchers, cups, and meatrolls.
 She barely manages to squeeze through the only door, and stands squarely
blocking it with both her own not inconsiderable size, and the tray.  She
smiles brightly and casts about the room without moving her feet, but
swinging the tray dangerously close to spilling. "Did I hear Turnday music?
Who's turnday is it?  I didn't miss the singing did I?"  She looks at Sythian
for a hint.
 Sarah just stops and turns around, "Now would be a good time to rescue me,
B'ane." Knowing that he's still asleep, due to her firelizard, she sighs and
smiles to Missy. No problem. "I'm going to bed, tired from travelling and
all." RUN. Nice room, nice bed, it's all good. "G'night."
 Sythian and a rapidly forming crowd of well wishers are all in pursuit of
Sarah as he starts the first line of that most dreaded of all songs, "Happy
Turnday to you!  Happy Turn day to you!"  Ah now /this/ is fun isn't it?  The
whole crowd singing along, moving about the room....
 Sarah grabs the door and waves before rushing to her room. She has a lovely
cake that dear B'ane attempted to bake for her. Emphesis on attempted, and
she's content. "To my room. Lar - if you need me, I'll be in there. I'll know
it's you."
Sarah glides gracefully to the Hold House.
 Missy of course doesn't move willingly out of the way, trying to offer the
tired baker some of the klah she's brought, "Just the thing to perk you up
after a day of travelling..." her voice trails off, as the young woman pushes
past.  Well, perhaps she just didn't want to say she was on the way to the
necessary...  She takes up the singing with the rest of the crowd, wondering
who's Turnday it is.
 Carver has never seen anyone /run/ away from the Turnday song before!  This
is almost as much fun as if she'd been cajoled onto the stage!  He keeps
singing, wondering who's name they were about to substitute?
 Larnat nods a bit shakily to Sarah quickly before getting up herself and
staggering over to the door with a nod to all.  Grooooan.  Hopefully that
runnerbeast driver'll hitch her a ride back.  Mrr.  Hopefully.  Or someone.
Shaking her hair into some form of semblance her faded green eyes sparkle for
a moment with the impending feeling of DOOM.  She's gotta be okay.
Larnat goes home.
 Sythian hasn't been a harper for half a century without picking up a few
tricks, "Happy Turnday Dear Missy!  Happy Turnday to you!"  Just pick someone
that the group is heading towards.  He finishes the song with a flourish, and
the crowd cheers loudly, they hadn't known it was Missy's Turnday too!  She
is of course relieved of the tray she's carrying, and a few dark looks sent
towards Carver for daring make her work on her Turnday.
 Missy is quite flustered by all of the sudden attention.  "But it's not..."
Is it?  No!  Her turnday is at planting, not harvest.  She can't help but be
swept up by the attention and well wishings though, and lets herself be led
to a table.
 Carver fetches a glass of beer for Missy, hoping to make ammends with the
crowd by so doing.  Never mind that it wasn't his fault; only a few people
knew it wasn't Missy's Turnday.  He can't suppress a bright smile at the
thought of how long it would be before she stopped getting well wishes on the
wrong day.
 As the crowd wanders back to their tables, Sythian plays a happy melody,
wondering just how much trouble he's in with Missy for having turned the
attention on her like that.  Something to worry about later; for now, there's
a crowd to entertain.


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