First Gather: Craft Stalls

[B'kay]

B'kay was slightly surprised that it was Alana who'd spoken, as the junior queenrider had always seemed to be somewhat quiet around him. He steadied himself, and turned to her with a smile, trying not to breathe directly into her face, for it dawned on him that his students might find it uncomfortable to smell wine on his breath.

"Ah, have you purchased a flight jacket?" he asked, still hanging on to the boots. "Excellent, it looks to be well sewn." He gave her an approving nod, and turned back to the vendor. His voice took on a firmness as he addressed the man. "I hope you've been treating my students fairly, my good man!" he said, and held up the boots.

"I need to be fitted for a pair of these, and will pick them up before the dance square starts filling up this evening," he said with authority, and then glanced to the heights where his bronze rested. He waited to see that the craftsman had taken note of Syth before smiling and continuing. "I will offer you twelve marks, half paid now, half when I pick up the boots."

The vendor's eyes lit up and he flashed B'kay a feral grin. "Those boots are worth at least twenty!" he said.

"Nonsense, they're worth what I've offered, but I'll extend that to thirteen marks, as I see you double-stitch the seams."

"Eighteen, no less!"

"Fourteen."

The vendor flushed slightly. "Seventeen!"

B'kay put the boots back on the counter. "Well, I see another tanner's stall over there, I'll see what he has to off--"

"Fourteen it is, then!" the man said with a scowl, and rushed out of his booth with a measuring tape.

B'kay smiled and winked at Alana as the man measured his foot and made some notes on a scrap of hide. The bronzerider fished seven marks out of his pouch, and said, "I like that darker hide, there, with the slightly lighter pattern running throughout. Fine leather, a good sale, my friend." As he placed the marks in the vendor's hand, he held out his other to seal the deal.

The vendor shook the offered hand and smiled ruefully. "Your boots will be ready at dusk," he said.

B'kay nodded to him, leaned toward Alana and Kitari, and whispered, "They're worth eighteen, don't you think?"

[Kitari]

Kitari was absorbed in studying a wherhide helmet hanging on a peg, admiring what she believed to be fine workmanship indeed, when she heard L'kas's address. "Good day, L'kas," she replied in turn, nodding and smiling in greeting. He was one of the few Sr. Bronzeriders in the Weyr and seemed to be a kindly fellow overall, though she'd only spoken to him on rare occasion. "Enjoying the Gather so far?"

Her attention was quickly diverted, though, for Alana began to bargain fiercely with a Journeyman Tanner, and Kitari couldn't help but raise a brow in surprise. The other queenrider was certainly becoming more emboldened ever since she had Impressed Gwynevith. The Weyrling was glad, for it was important that goldriders be confident and in control, but she also wondered if a tad too much of Sitareh's bitterness might be rubbing off on the girl as well. The jacket was a very fine one...

When the Weyrlingmaster entered the Stall, Kitari turned to him, expecting a greeting and ready to return it. His simple 'Ho, there,' made her blink in surprise, but she nodded nonetheless and replied, "Hello, Weyrlingmaster." After that situation during the green's Flight, in which she and Lefayeth had swept in to catch him as he plummeted from his weyr ledge, followed by a rather unexpectedly deep conversation, she had expected a bit more friendliness on his part. However, she had also come to realize on that occasion that B'kay was far more human than the image his title created. And he was behaving strangely now indeed...

Kitari watched as he, too, began to bargain heatedly with the Journeyman. She quirked a brow upon noticing his wink directed at Alana, surprised by such casual behaviour. He was usually so reserved around his charges, and they were still Weyrlings. The girl nodded absently when he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, thinking that the leather he had chosen looked very expensive. However, she was amused by the time he had directed the boots to be ready by, and she smiled teasingly up at him. "Are you planning to be dancing quite a lot, then?"

The girl then set to bargaining over the wherhide helmet, but she made a weak show of it. Growing up in the Fishercraft, she had no idea about the quality of leather and appropriate pricing, but this helmet looked well-made, so she agreed easily to the price of 25 Marks. A Gather was far too exciting a time to get riled over chipping off one more Mark from the cost! Kitari began to peer eagerly towards the Food Stalls, wondering if she could afford a few treats today. "Alana, do you think you'd like to split a tray of bubbly pies later?" she queried, nudging her friend playfully.

((Sorry it's so blah...I'm exhausted today for some reason, and I didn't really feel like writing out the whole bargaining process. It would probably end up mirroring your guys', since I'm so uninspired, lol. ))

[B'kay]

Dancing? B'kay's brows rose at Kitari's question and he looked for a moment as if he were a nightbeast caught by the light of a bright lantern. As if the warmth of the wine hadn't blurred his lines of caution enough, his dragon picked up on the startled thought, and added to the moment.

I did not even know you knew how to dance!

Of COURSE I know how to dance! B'kay snapped back to Syth, though he honestly couldn't recall the last time he'd done so. And therefore, the mouth opened, and some very bizarre words came out of it....

"Only if I have a pretty partner to join me!"

For a heartbeat, B'kay fought back the urge to run away ... away from himself as much as from the situation ... but the courage of the wine held him in place.

Kitari's mention of bubbly pies cemented B'kay's bravado, and he was still clear enough to realize that his students might not exactly have purses full of marks.

"I'll tell you what, ladies," he said with a slightly lopsided smile, "Save the bubblies for dessert, I'll treat you both to a meal!"

At that, the Weyrlingmaster put an arm around each Junior Weyrwoman's shoulders, and began to steer them toward the food courts.

On the sunning heights far above, a dark bronze dragon stretched his neck high, in an effort to get a better view of his rider's odd behavior.

[.K.aci]

For Alana, Kitari, and B'kay
Why was he here again? Oh, the horror among horror, he couldn't figure it out. Dragged here by a Greenrider that had wanted company, she had rather quickly ditched him, and he couldn't help but thank Faranth that that had been the case. She was like any other Greenrider, flirty and ditsy. My my, Hauze my poor boy, feeling just a little grumpy? Don't wanna be here? Sucks to be you. The real reason he was here? None at all. He just needed to get out, be free... And maybe he'd find his siblings if they were there. It was a long shot, but he hadn't seen them for turns, and the steady ache in his heart that generally kept him going was slowly helping to engulf him, break the thin rope he balanced on.

Of course, it helped that Ritan, his little Brown had Impressed him. So busy on helping the young thing conquer his fear of everything, Hauze had been neglecting the time he generally spent in his own mind, helping out quite a bit. So now he was in the middle of the craft-stalls, holding a terrified out of it's mind flit and a pocket-ful of marks. Tall, lithe, handsome, Hauze was an oddity among the people, scarred so heavily with the thick tattoos that streaked down the side of his face and down the arm that cradled the Brown. Most people gave his tall frame a wide berth...

Unless of course, you are a head taller than the kid and already drunk enough to pick a fight. Hauze excused himself rather quickly as the drunk sneered at him again, bumping into the man and sending him wildly careening out of control... Sending Ritan straight to someone else... Nestling in one Queenrider's hair, might I add? Straight to Alana's head, clinging for dear life and cheeping, sending frazzled pictures of His and the scary guy that would eat his alive... Ohh, it was so scary, HIS WAS GOING TO DIE.

Of course Hauze was running after the Brown, halting infront of the Weyrlingmaster, and the two Junior Queenrider's. Of course, his day couldn't get any worse. But calm and collected on the outside, Hauze bowed politely, ever the gentleman.

"I do apologize, Mam'mam" - although she was younger than him - "For my flit. Ritan tends to be nervous, and it seemed you were his new savior."

Reaching for the flit, he hesitated, not wanting to touch the Queenrider in case anything would happen.

"I'm sorry marm, truly... Can I have him back?"

Indeed, Ritan was clenched tightly around the poor girl's head, eyes squeezed shut and peeping miserably, wings covering his face mainly as he hid from so many staring faces. Where was His???

[.K.aci]

For A'idin
As she gathered the cheeping, apologizing Bronze into her arms, Crown looked up to see...

'No harm done Crown.'

"A'idin!"

The rider had been nice to her, and despite the eyepatch she had no fear for the male. Silenced for the moment as she caught him eying her boys, he only turned back and kept talking.

'I'm glad to see that you were able to come to the Gather.'

"Me too."

She told him, in better spirits than she had been for awhile. She loved her brothers, and for the chance to see them... She would give up half the world in a heartbeat. Taking the offered hand as Glomp slipped from her hold to clamber up to her neck, she bounced to her feet, looking at him. He didn't look as gruff as he had when she first met him and the ever helpful forest Green Euphoria sent Her's the picture. He had shaved, was cleaner! Boys, always thinking they had to look nice to pick up girls at these sort of things.

Shaking her head as the green alighted calmly on her other shoulder, immediately brining a smile to her face. The Hope Green had that effect on people.

"I don't think you've met the next addition to my harem. This is Euphoria."

Glomp, meanwhile, was showing off for a Gold on some Holder's shoulder, and Crown's nimble fingers quickly wrapped around his larger body and hauled him from her shoulder to cradle him again.

"So, watcha doin' here, A'idin? Looking for anything special?"

[Skye]

A'idin smiled as he helped Crown back to her feet, completely ignoring the boys she had had around her. As she introduced the green on her shoulder his grin widened and he chuckled, bowing politely to the little green. "Pleased to meet you Euphoria," he said with a light chuckle.

He turned his attention back to Crown as she cradled the bronze again, shaking his head slightly. At her question he shrugged. "Not really anything special. I could use some leather for some new straps, but I haven't seen anything here to catch my eye," he said, glancing toward the stall nearest them. Most of the stalls were selling already made pieces and the tanner stalls didn't have any straps.

He absently rubbed the bridge of his nose as he turned his attention back to Crown. He liked the girl's spirit and attitude, she was someone he could see as a Queen rider. He chuckled softly at the image and straightened. "What about you Crown? Anything catching your fancy here?" he asked.

[C'lyn]

L'kas watched B'kay lead the two weyrlings away and leaned his hip against the stall, sighing. He shook his head and watched them walk away. Well, so much for getting to know Alana better, he mumbled to himself and to Seath. He was a bit surprised with himself, usually he had no problem flirting with a woman, but Alana was different, not just because she was a weyrling bonded to a gold. He supposed it was because he was developing deeper feelings then that.

He shook his head and shrugged, he had after all heard them mentioning dancing later. He could always try to get a dance from the lovely young woman. He smiled to himself then and turned his attention back to the tanner stall. He had to agree with the other three, the prices were way too high, probably increased just because they were dragon riders. He ignored the journeyman who tried to sell him something, rather browsing on his own. He spotted a pair of gloves and haggled with the vendor. Grumbling he finally gave in and paid the high price of eighteen marks, grabbing up the gloves. Her tucked them into his belt and began to wander through the stalls, killing time until the dancing square was open.

[.K.aci]

For A'idin

As the boy's melted away, off to find other things for them to do, Crown stayed put, accepting for once help. Even in something as small as getting up, she was far too much of her own queen to allow anybody else to help, at all. Pride goeth before fall, of course, but no one had told her that yet.

'Pleased to meet you Euphoria.'

The stately Green cheeped at Her's new friend, while Glomp twisted his way from her grasp enough to snake up her arm and again show off for the ladies. Ah, the boy desired more than he'd ever get, even as his eyes landed on a shiney trinket. Immediatly, the pictures and want bombed her mind, but with a scowl to the Bronze and practiced ease, she ignored him.

'Not really anything special. I could use some leather for some new straps, but I haven't seen anything here to catch my eye.'

She looked as he did, with a new appreciation in her glance. When she got her Bronze, she would have to look at things like this. Had she known what he was thinking, the girl would have scoffed. A Queen? No, she would be a Bronzerider, of course! Queen's were useless, not even breathing fire!

'What about you Crown? Anything catching your fancy here?'

The girl snickered at him.

"A'idin, I have three mark's, one for food, the other two I had from before I was a drudge. Girls,"

Note the amnosity she threw in the single scathing word,

"Like baubles and silly ornaments. I'm looking at daggers, but you can't by the metal for two marks."

Glomp, however, was ignoring His. He liked the shiney bauble, very much so, and His would look so nice with one just like it... He would get her one! Of course he would, that was what he did. He loved His very much, her kind words and soft hands, despite the other Green she had drawn. His was a nice, kind person, and all that dressing in clothes that could easily fit thirty of him bothered the large Bronze.

So off from her shoulder he went, as Euphoria followed him, cheeping botheringly. What was he doing? Making His pretty! All he had to do was take the pretty necklace, and the matching small thing next to it... Why, he could wear that! But of course, something for Euphoria... Musn't let the lady think that he thought about himself first... No, each Green and Gold was something to be treated with the utmost care, such pretty things they were... Well, he would just have to get her the small metal band with it. And so, the little Bronze set off on his master plan...

//-snickers- This'll be funny...

[Shikai]

Alana took a deep, slow breath, trying to expel her negative emotions. This was a Gather, the first she had ever attended! She ought to try to enjoy it, and not let her bad experience with the tanners ruin her day. The goldrider attempted a smile as Kitari nudged her, and had a good deal of success given the bad mood her encounter with the craftsmen had put her in. Bubbly pies? She hadn’t had too many of the treats, as her parents had certainly not allowed her to be frivolous with marks in the past, and the few spare marks she had she had usually opted to spend on treats for her younger siblings, who enjoyed them more than she did anyway. The thought of sharing a tray with her friend did more to lift her spirits than her own attempts had.

But before she had a chance to voice her assent, B’kay offered to first buy them a meal! Well, Alana didn’t have many marks to spare, but it was far from her to let someone else pay for her food! Or anything for her, for that matter. She opened her mouth to decline, even as the bronzerider had his arm around her, steering her toward the food vendors, but held back her words as she thought. On the other hand, she certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with B’kay, and having some food together could be a good opportunity to finally talk to the candidate master. Of course, Kitari was there, but perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Alana wasn’t the best at making small talk.

Yet wasn’t there someone else with them? Oh, L’kas! Alana turned slightly, looking behind them, but she didn’t see the other bronzerider. Ah well…

Before the goldrider had had so much as a moment to ponder his disappearance, something collided with her head! Something alive, moving! “Ah!” She drew in her breath sharply, and tentatively reached up a hand to feel what was in her hair. It felt like…a firelizard? Alana tried to gently detach its claws from her hair, but to no avail, for the little creature seemed to be clinging to her as though to life itself! “Hey, can one of you…help me out, here?” She asked, somewhat irritated, although she couldn’t really be mad at the frightened creature.

To her relief, however, the firelizard’s owner materialized from the crowd. He had a truly striking appearance, although whether due to Alana’s preoccupation with the firelizard tangled in her hair or the fact that she had seen him about the weyr before, the sight of the young man and his tattoos earned no more reaction from her than any more normal looking person would. She grinned wryly at him, nodding in acceptance of his apology. “Sure, take him! You’re welcome to, if you can get him out. He’s really holding on!”

[.K.aci]

'Ah!'

Oh no, she was screeching! Wincing, he sped up, even as Ritan burrowed deeper in the fluffy mess, too big wings shielding him like a protective cave.

'Hey, can one of you…help me out, here?'

Even as she spoke again, Hauze noted that she sounded mad, and he flinched back as though she had struck him. He had no qualms about the rider's, but a mad goldrider wasn't what he wanted to talk to. Even as he debated dropping back, Ritan's miserable fright sank threw him, making the young man double his efforts against the crowd.

It gave her credit in the small part of his quick mind that she smoothed into him so easily. He heard the whispers, the rumors as he walked through the Weyr, wondering why he was so bold as to openly scar his face, wondering why he was here, where he came from. The first time face to face with someone they generally gaped at him for a few minutes before talking to him, but she just smiled at him and took the apology in her stride.

'Sure, take him! You’re welcome to, if you can get him out. He’s really holding on!'

He did not wince, even as he felt Ritan's cheeping pick up and knew his claws were tightening in her hair.

"Ritan's... Slightly afraid of everything."

Slightly didn't even cut it, but the poor thing hated knowing his faults, and Hauze took great bounds explaining to the `lizard that he loved him very much, even if he did take things overboard sometimes. Long, elegant fingers reached over to gently tangle threw her hair, finding the claws and detaching them as carefully as he could, though no doubt there would be pain as Ritan, sensing His, slowly relaxed his hold. But there was the fact that he had managed to wind himself up in her hair...

With a sigh, and a murmured apology, Hauze stepped closer, working with careful hands to untangle the creature from the girl's head. It took more seconds than he cared to count, too close to the girl for him to be comfortable with. Even as he managed to slip the `lizard from his nest, Ritan cheeped and scrambled from His's hold, up the girl's arm and to her shoulder, wrapping himself around the back of her neck, into the cool shadow of her neck, peeping miserably the whole time.

An exhasperated sigh, and Hauze dropped back, propping big hands on a narrow waist and looking worriedly at the quivering lump.

"I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have brought him to the Gather, but I needed a few things and he refused to stay behind... You might try,"

He added wryly, a touch of his dry humor,

"He does seem to like you well enough."

//Sorry Shikai, it was too good to just end there. Ritan is such a coward.