Gift barrel in the Snowasis.
RL Date: 12/21/07
IC Date: 8/26/14
Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr(#7315RIJ$)
Large with high ceilings, this cavern's most striking features are the little nooks and crannies along the perimeter and the seemingly dangerous jagged overhang of stalactites just above the hearth. More corners have been made from six, slightly curved walls with half-razed stone blocks rising from the ground as well as outcroppings of hollowed walls, making the layout cumbersome for a private dwelling, however decorative curtain rods and opaque fabrics have been installed to turn each defect in the cavern's shape into its own private corner.
Near the hearth, beneath the stone fixture hanging from the ceilings, a thick rug with a low klah table and comfortable armchairs and couches have been set, the upholstery and cushions changed sporadically to match the season: bright, light colors in the summer, fresh greens and yellows in the spring, warm autumnals in fall, and even warmer hues of rich colors for winter. Small tables, fit for up to four people each, litter the landscape, while a wooden bar construction claims the wall where a dolly window to the kitchens is unlatched. The cabinetry installed has glass panels, so the various liquors available are visible.
Slightly bemused by Jaispe's rush of words in greeting, Shan's attention is drawn downward to the barrel, across afore mentioned decorations and briefly onto the food laid out, before halting on the goldrider once again. "Everyone has a done a lovely job indeed. A lot of hard work, which I'm sure is being well appreciated." a small movement of chin indicates a knot of Glacier wingriders off to one side trading marks between themselves amidst much amusement. With a glance downward to the blue fabric of her attire, "Oh. Thank you." for the compliment and back to the barrel, "I think people are rather intrigued with your southern traditions." the smile genuine there, "Are your children here tonight?"
Entering from the lower caverns quietly is Amerie, chin lifted, dark eyes wary. She makes her way in behind a smaller group of caverns workers, using the opportunity to make a survey of the room. It's not tough for her to spot Shanlee, between the dark girl's height and the Weyrsecond's red hair. Heading in that direction, she glances back momentarily to the rest of the room with mild interest before approaching both gold and greenrider, politely waiting just outside the pair's conversation.
"I did. I..." Persie starts off quick but the 'nagging' part gives her pause. "I guess I didn't need any nagging. But if I didn't want to put a gift in, why would that matter to anyone. Or if you didn't want to put a gift in," since it does rather sound like I'daur did need some nagging. She has her head cocked, an errant strand of blonde across her cheek as she smiles brightly. His glance initiated one of her own, like a contagious thing, but she comes back to ask, "What are you drinking? You know, they have drinks here."
After her first rushed greeting, Jaispe manages a less breathless smile and a nod, even while waving absently at the people who continue to arrive. "My daughter is, somewhere," she tells Shanlee, with a quick glance around for the young girl. "But my son, it's a little late for him, so he didn't get to come. He was really sad, I felt terrible," she confides the latter undertone, wincing. But a second later, she shrugs that off with a bat for the barrel's mouth, pleased with the latter compliment. "Do you think so? I'm glad they like it; we can do it again another time. Oh, hi, how are you?" As she notices Amerie loitering nearby, and includes the other girl at once. "I'm Jaispe, I don't think we've really met."
"Don't seem the sort to need nagging for this," I'daur drawls with a nod and a jerk of his thumb in the general direction of the barrel set-up. But for her question itself, and her logic, he just shrugs. "Dunno. Dunno why it'd matter, but all the same. I'daur, weyrlingmaster--'s assistant." He cocks a smirk with that introduction, and then waves off the mention of drinks. "Brought my own--it's easier than trusting what'll be at one of these things. But feel free to get yourself one." He doesn't offer to do it for her.
Another round of laughter from those Glacier riders pointed out earlier and enough snippets of conversation overheard to suggest they're placing bets on who draws the rumored underwear of the old biddy known as Jemah. Shan's affects a roll of eyes, "Men." Then turns back to Jaispe with a small nod on words of her son's unhappiness, "Must be hard trying to explain." Quiet and unobtrusive her arrival might have been, yet still the taller from of Amerie is noted with a smile as the goldrider introduces herself, "Evening Amerie, I'm glad you came." and indeed the greenrider does appear to be so.
N'thei's been in here a while now, though hard to see since he's chosen to hang out in one of the curtained nooks-and-crannies that line the room's perimeter. Apart from the party, he elects to keep a drink for company and a quiet view of the goings-on. Bets-on-panties rouses his attention though, and he leans out of his cubby toward the Glacier bunch in a subdued effort to get in on that deal.
Milani strides up from a set of stairs from the lower caverns.
Milani has arrived.
Blinking as the goldrider immediately turns her way, Amerie flashes a smile at Jaispe, mostly covering her surprise. "Well, thank you, ma'am. And no, we haven't. I'm Amerie," she offers easily, though politely. "Well met." Glancing Shanlee's way with a nod, she returns to her usual reserved neutrality, though her dark eyes are bright. "Weyrsecond. It's nice to see you."
Jaispe nods in answer to Shanlee. "It is, so I just hope he's asleep and forgotten it by the time he wakes up in the morning,' she notes of her son, with a wrinkle of her nose. But, still, she doesn't worry overmuch about it, in favor of taking a step back and opening the group up a little more to include Amerie. "Nice to meet you. Oh, you can help yourself to the barrel, if you've put something in--one of the kids has a list," she notes, with a glance to the teenagers who have been keeping track of everything that goes in, and are now set to keep up with what goes out. "That way, we don't have a big pile-up, everyone going for it at once. But you have to show us what you get--that's the best part about it," she urges.
Well, since Persie is offering a hand, I'daur extends his own to her to shake, brows raising again. "Persie, right," he agrees, with a nod, and then a slow blink at the question that closely follows the introduction. "Think I'm old enough my memory's starting to go?" he aks in return, evenly. "We haven't, far as I know, but maybe I am wrong. Humor me, if that's the case."
Milani skitters into the Snowasis. Late. Her hair's a little damp yet and that might explain why. With the doorway acheived she turns on the high beam smile and slips inside, dodging people, but taking advantage of her height to try to spot friendly faces. "Hey Milile!" one of her friends from the lower caverns waves and the tall girl waves back. "'Scuse me," she murmurs as she wends her way inward.
Idly flipping a mark piece repeatedly into the air, the apparent ringleader or 'bookie' of the underwear bets is quick to notice N'thei's interest, planting a cant of head in his direction to join the betting if he dare to. With her back to that area of the room, Shan misses whatever exchange is going on and instead turns her attention back to her current companions from it had been hovering over a the bar. A blink at Jaispe, a catching of lip between teeth and then a wary glance at the barrel, "Makes sense I suppose. If I get those knickers..." amusement playing through the unfinished sentence. "You going to go next?" this to Amerie and likely trying to curry up a partner in this venture.
Shanlee receives: A small pink lightshade with bugs drawn all over it.!
N'thei passes a fractioned mark from hand-to-hand until it gets back to the bookie, actual marks exchanging hands over the likelihood of drawing Jemah's drawers. "Good a thing to bet on as anything else, isn't it?" He asks this, with a grin, of a snooty-looking seamstress while she's busy giving the two betters a disapproving look; she sniffs and moves on from N'thei's nook.
"Well I don't think we've met," Persie answers readily, hardly needing to humor him, the hitch of recognition already fading from her thoughts. "So why don't you trust the drinks here?" She's concerned and bewildered for a second, glancing toward toward the busy counter, but when she turns back to I'daur there's something playful in her eye. "Oh, I understand," she says, long slow words and a long slow nod. "You just have juice or water or something in there," she guesses of the flask. "You just want to look like you're knockin' back something hard." She grins at him, impish and teasing. "It wouldn't do very well for you to go up to the counter and ask for apple juice or something when everyone thinks you should be drinking whiskey. Though you know, I've heard the two go pretty well together. I haven't tried it."
Amerie seems bemused as she flicks a glance to the barrel, then looks back to Jaispe - but she's quick enough to quirk at least the traces of a smile, offer a nod. "The best part," she echoes. "Well. I don't know. I suppose..." She trails off, looking somewhat grateful for Shanlee's own wariness; watching the Weyrsecond make for the barrel, the dark girl says quickly, "You first. I feel like I need to give it a moment, for some reason." The reason likely being? She wants to see what comes out first.
Bets placed, marks exchanged, N'thei is fit with a faint smirk, "Doncha wanna know the catch, Snowstrike?" The blonde Glacier rider's wingmates take to snickering as he casts a grin over to them and then mild as you please, "The one that draws 'em wears 'em to drills on the morrow." Dark eyes fix onto the other bronzerider, "Still wanna place that bet?" open challenge made.
"Go on, pick something, Shanlee," Jaispe says, as eager as any child as Shanlee turns to the barrel. She takes a step back from it herself, to give the woman more room to draw forth her gift, and a broad grin crosses her face in doing so. "Sometimes you get the strangest gifts," she'll admit readily, "but I've never gotten anything that's not been wonderful in its own right. There was this pair of socks one time..." But she doesn't finish, and instead glances to Amerie, expectant of her being next.
"S'not that I don't trust them," I'daur corrects Persie, one finger lifting from his flask in a wait-a-minute gesture. "Just, s'easier to just bring what I like and not worry about it." As she accuses him of just having juice, though, he just smirks and offers her the flask to see for herself. "Whiskey," he states flatly, "goes best with more whiskey."
Unaware of the banter ensuing between her wingriders and N'thei, Shan's eyeing that barrel with varying degrees of suspicion, "You wouldn't happen to know if R'sel's been anywhere near this would you?" Amerie's comment earning her a 'thanks for nothing' look that is at least edged along a crooked smile. And Jaispe is apparently by no means wrong with her words on receiving strange gifts, for that is exactly what the weyrsecond pulls out - something indeed strange, to her mind anyway. Blinking a few times the pink lampshade, complete with hand drawn bugs is held up for inspection, "Ummmm....right." for once devoid of words, eyes flick between Jaispe and Amerie, "It's different?" careful comment made.
Milani tucks back a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she reaches her friend and peers over heads towards the barrel. "What's come up so far?" she whispers to the other girl, making big eyes at her. "And wow, some crowd huh?"
N'thei partially stands out of his chair, cranes his neck around like he's checking out the view of his own tail-end, then he sits back down with a supreme confidence. "I have nothing to hide, gents. Count me in." As good a thing to bet on... He lets the others take their turns at the barrel ahead of him, in no rush despite the cocky words. Called with an amen-vehemence to I'daur; "I'll drink to that, sir."
Managing to find a shade of enthusiasm in her tone - next to the goldrider, it only seems polite - Amerie admits, "It's interesting, at least, to see what comes out?" Giving Shanlee an amused glance for crooked smile, she grows more wary at the greenrider's gift. "Oh, well. Different, indeed." Her head tilting slightly, she eyes the lampshade and approaches the barrel like it might bite her - glancing back over her shoulder briefly as she hears N'thei's loud agreement.
Amerie receives: A matched set of white knit lace lady's undergarments with tiny pink flowers.!
"It's amazing!" Jaispe says, with widening eyes as she looks at the lampshade. "I've never seen a pink one before. I bet it'll look great in your weyr--pink goes with /everything/. Oh, what did you get? I suppose I can go next," the woman adds, as Amerie reaches into to pull out her gift. Jaispe waits a second to see, then steps forward to do likewise.
Head tipping in acceptance of N'thei's determination to be counted into the betting, the Glacier bronzerider salutes his bravery with a lift of ale glass and promptly drains the contents shortly thereafter. J'tin, Icicle's wingsecond and a few of his cronies are next to place their share into the pool with a smirking display of confidence, whilst Iceberg riders seem to want nothing to do with the whole venture.
Persie takes the flask without hesitation, holding it beneath her nose to give it a sniff while her eyes narrow in feigned suspicion for its owner. But one whiff does indeed prove the contents to be whiskey and then, bold little creature that she is, the skinny blonde tosses back a sip and passes the flask back with a still-damp smile on her lips. She turns as a familiar voice calls in enthusiasm for whiskey paired with more whiskey, but that just draws her attention to Shanlee with the pink bug shade. "Oh hey! That's what I put in!" She laughs, a happy clap to see her gift given out, even if the recipient seems less than thrilled. Then back to I'daur, "You know, I don't understand why people get all picky about what they drink. I think I'd get bored drinking the same thing all the time. I bet you always drink whiskey."
The voice of agreement behind him makes I'daur glance over his shoulder, half-turning to see N'thei and snort. "Won't we all," he agrees, as he looks back to Persie to watch her take a sip of his whiskey in his flask. "More or less. I'm partial to any hard liquor, though, comes down to it. You put in that... thing?" Because there's no other way to describe it, as he looks around to get a glimpse of something very pink in Shanlee's hands. "At least the right person ended up with it," he notes dryly. "Are you gonna go draw?"
Shanlee's expression changes into one of wide disbelief for Jaispe's response to the pink buggy thing, "You're welcome to it." holding the lampshade out toward the goldrider all too eagerly. Persie's happy little display has the outstretched hand hesitating and green eyes fitting an uncertain look onto the other greenrider, "It's...is it part of a matching set?" perhaps hoping to politely return it back to its mate within the giver's own weyr. I'daur is afforded a narrowed look and a snort for her being the right recipient. With both Amerie and Jaispe now braving the barrel's contents, the weyrsecond is momentarily distracted by seeing what they then pull out.
Jaispe receives: A green woolen cap with ear muffs, that has bright pink stripes that run vertically down it. The ties for securing it under one's chin, have big fluffy pom-poms attached to the ends of them.!
Mug rather than flask, the likelihood that N'thei is drinking whiskey right now is pretty slim; he lifts his glass in a toast-salute to I'daur anyway, a sip while watching what comes out of the barrel. Shanlee's pick gets a little smile, a peer toward Persie, and Amerie's actually makes him choke, cough, and turn away from his mug before he drowns himself trying to laugh and drink at the same time.
"Knickers, a lamp shade and um ... oh, a woolly hat," Milani's pal catches her up and the girl blinks, hand to mouth. "Someone put /underwear/ in? Seriously? Hm. Sounds like no one got mine yet then." N'thei's coughing turns her head and she grins over at the bronzerider. "Hey N'thei! You okay? Don't go dying on us over there."
Amerie wasn't really paying attention as she pulled her gift out; now that it's in the dark girl's hands, she glances back to it - and stares. Dark eyes wide, her expression hovers between any one, unsure how to react. Glancing between Jaispe and Shanlee, she looks as if she's going to attempt to say something. However, N'thei's reaction gives her a way to go - irritated and embarrassed. Cheeks flushing, she gives the bronzerider a narrowed look and tries to wad her gift into a little ball, quick to jump on a nearby distraction. "Evening, Milani."
"No, no--couldn't possibly," Jaispe answers Shanlee, with her arm half-buried in the barrel as she digs up her own gift. "You drew it, so it's only fair you get to keep it. And I got... this!" She emerges, triumphant, with a very green cap that seems to delight her as much as the pink lapshade did. Turning it over in her hands, she inspects it with a pleased grin. "Isn't it adorable? I wonder who made this." She glances around with a hopeful expression, though for very different reasons than Shanlee looks to Persie. The choking over Amerie's present isn't quite noticed., though she does note to Amerie and Milani, bemusedly, "Someone always seems to put in underwear. I think it must be part of the tradition." Any attempt at solmemnity fails as she tests out her gift, sliding the green hat over her hair.
"No no," Persie explains for Shanlee. "You can just fit it over some glows. It's, you know, just a shade." But she does bite her sheepish smile and inch a little closer to I'daur, as unlikely a protector as he may be. She flicks a glance at N'thei, who by now is laughing and sputtering, then to Amerie with a sympathetic purse of her lips, and then "Are you gonna come with me?" she asks of the weyrlingmaster, brows up and hopeful. "You get a gift too, right?"
N'thei waves his hand to Milani to indicate his just-fineness, the red face and continued sputters begging to differ. Not so long after Amerie's death look, he issues one last loud cough to clear the lingering congestion and vocalizes; "I'm good but." He clears his throat and leans back in his chair, tries to find a casual posture after all that, a bright smile pinned in place. "Thanks for your concern."
"I need a drink." Shan mutters still holding the lampshade -away- from herself when the junior weyrwoman turns down her offer. Amerie's new underwear is given a brow arching once over, and then a wide lightly approving grin, "Hey, I'll swap you?" hopeful. Jaispe's hat gift draws a lopsided edge to the grin, "I did." offered so low in hopes that only the goldrider hears that confession. Milani looking like she might be trying to escape, is greeted just as Amerie does so, "Milani! You going to shove your arm in there next?" grin. Persie's assurances to there being only one are met with an almost forgiving chuckle, "Oh. Unique then."
"Y'okay there?" I'daur drawls at N'thei when he starts choking; he glances around over his shoulder to figure out the cause rather than seem /really/ concerned. He just waves a hand at Shanlee, noting her look, but Amerie's attempts at stuffing the underwear away earn most of his attention, and amusement. He doesn't splutter like the other bronzerider, at least, saved by the fact he's not trying to drink just then. "Yeah," he answers Persie a second later, distinctly wary of her suggestion. "S'pose I should." He slides to the edge of his chair, but doesn't stand just yet.
"Interesting tradition." To her credit, Amerie does not note this to Jaispe with any of the acid that might be her wont in such a situation. Maybe it's the hat. Valiant in attempting to at least maintain some of her usual poise, she ignores the fact that she's still rather pink - and that the matching pink flowers are going to pretty much be on display for the evening. Despite being embarrassed, she's still not about to trade Shanlee by her expression - nuh uh. N'thei and his bright smile get another dark look. "Glad to amuse you."
"Well good," Milani dimples a smile at N'thei and then swivels to wave Amerie's way. "Hi! All sorts of interesting stuff in there huh?" Then she beams Shan's way. "Yep yep, in a sec." And she starts to move in that direction. "Oh hey, cool lampshade," she notes of the pink-and-bugs contraption, before digging into the barrel.
Jaispe's eyes widen at Shanlee's admission. "You did? I didn't know you were all crafty. It's lovely, thank you, Shanlee," she tells the greenrider, smile huge. as she adjusts the hat, her hair sticking out oddly from under it. "Isn't it?" she answers Amerie, pleased.
N'thei reassures I'daur with another wave of his hand, this one indicating Amerie and the panties in the process; he expects some level of unspoken understanding with the old cripple evidently. It takes him a few seconds to locate a less cheerful smile to answer Amerie, one tinged with sympathy; "Oh come on. You have to admit it's a little funny. Mostly the look on your face."
"Come on, we'll pick together," Persie insists, now pointedly waiting for I'daur to get up and making little flat-handed motions for him to get on with it. "Come on. We'll pick at the same time. That way neither one of us will be the center of attention. Well, unless we get underwear, of course," she adds with an anxious little laugh.
No luck in trade offs, the lampshade tucked under one arm, Shan steps away from the grouping around the barrel as more and more people are drawn to try their own hands at it. Returning from the bar with a long cool glass of what appears to be lemonade; Amerie is afforded an approving nod, "Good. I happen to think they'll look lovely on you." Heedless of whatever embarrassment the assistant headwoman may be experiencing over the underwear. With a small nod of head to Jaispe, "Family are Llama farmers." like that explains everything and trying very hard to school the grin away that threatens over the hatclad goldrider. And speaking of crafty Milani is touched with a crafty flicker of eyes once she makes the 'cool lampshade' comment. A plan must be afoot in the weyrsecond's head once again.
Amerie gives Milani and Jaispe a slight, abbreviated smile. "Interesting," she echoes. Glancing back to N'thei, she notices the look back to I'daur and Persie's table - which tightens her expression a touch. Even so, she turns back to allow to N'thei, "Alright, fine. I imagine it was - something." Her tone grudging - that's about all he's going to get - she says nothing more on the subject. Not even at compliments, amazingly enough.
Milani receives: A pair of pale yellow bud vases in a swirl design.!
N'thei holds his hand open toward Amerie, his fingers wiggled to beckon at her humorous gift. "Even the weyrsecond says they'll look lovely on you. Let's see them." Something about his tone for even-the-weyrsecond is just snide enough to imply snarky humor at Shanlee's approval, subtle though. "Wait it out a few hours, a few bottles of wine, and you could probably get a half the people in the room to model them." His eyes land accusingly here and there-- I'daur, Persie, J'tin, snooty seamstress; not Milani and Jaispe, models of youth and propriety?
I'daur does understand, without N'thei's having to put words to it; his lingering smirk says as much as he pushes himself up to his feet. "All right, fine. Let's go," he tells Persie as he does so, moving to follow her up to the barrel so they can claim gifts. Post-drink again, of course--he needs just a little more of that sort of courage before he can do it.
After another few moments, Jaispe slides her new hat from her head, folding it over and ending up with very mussed blonde hair, which she brushes a hand at quickly. "Llama farmers. That's really interesting. I'd never actually met a real llama before I came here. They're kind of... strange things, aren't they?" she asks Shanlee, with a cock of her head. "No offense, of course," a beat later.
Persie receives: A cane made of dark wood, old and rather beat-up, with a carved grip for the handle.!
I'daur receives: These slippers are made of a fuzzy, warm-looking grey wool, with thin leather soles sewn to the bottom. Though they're a bit on the large side, drawstrings around the ankle and high tops of the slippers allow the wearer to adjust them as needed. Though they'd be a little warm for summer, they're perfect for the chill Reaches winters.!
Modeling the vases is what Milani's doing at the momet. "Oh these are really neat!" she beams brightly. "Ought to go with the colors in my room and everything even." She steps away from the barrel a little and eyes N'thei and Amerie. "Whatcha want to examine her knickers for?" The she's distracted by more gifts coming out of the barrel.
Amerie approaches N'thei reluctantly and holds out the ball of white and pink. With a long-suffering sigh, she drops it in his hand. "You have far too much interest in women's underwear," she notes with a smirk, folding her arms. "Or at least, you manage to bring it up often enough. And I don't think anyone really needs to do or see any modelling." On that, she's firm. Go figure. After Milani brings up her point, distracted as it may be, the girl arches fine brows back at the bronzerider. "Good question."
Shanlee catches the edge in N'thei's words and simply settles a brow lifted look of dry indifference onto him for it. J'tin brushes past the weyrsecond to stand his place in line for the barrel, a low comment from the bluerider in passing earns him a narrowing of eyes, tossing of head with a disdainful air and a dark return of, "In your wildest dreams boyo!" He's likely saved from further comment by Jaispe, light laughter appears in quick return, "They are, aren't they? Especially after being shorn." no offence taken, "You should come home with me sometime and meet one." as if introductions to a Llama were quite the natural thing, "Rocky Flats is in the sweep area." Milani's vases cause brief diversion and her words to N'thei an amused curl of mouth for the answer to come.
Persie starts her move toward the barrel backwards, having turned on a heel to try to coax I'daur out of his chair. And now that he's up, she puts a hand out for his flask; he took a sip and she wants one too. But beyond that, it's a little crowded to go walking backwards and after almost stepping on someone, Persie does turn around to look where she's going. "Are you ready?" she asks as they get to the barrel. Then her eyes pinch shut and she reaches in to pull out a... cane. Her eyes squeak open as if afraid to look at what she's got in her grasp, and then she just blinks a bit. A grin creeps over her face. "What am I going to do with a cane?" she laughs. But the first thing that comes to her mind is to set it to the floor and give a good tap-tap on the stone to see how nice a sound it makes.
I'daur does cough--not so dramatically as N'thei, but all the same--at Milani's words, and he shoots a look from N'thei to Amerie and then just shakes his head, turning back to the barrel. He leans up against it to reach in and come up with his item: a pair of slippers that earn a surprised blink and then a slow smirk, a nod that's really rather pleased. "Well," he begins, and then glances sideways at Persie to see what she came up with. His mouth twitches again with amusement, but he offers no suggestions at all for what she can do with it.
"You'll understand in a few turns." N'thei answers Milani at his most dismissive, the words just sugar-coated with an apologetic smile. "Not every woman's underwear, my dove, which you really ought to take as a compliment." He hooks a finger through either strap of the lacy bra-thing-- can't really call it a bra since the support value of such a garment leaves much to be desired-- and holds it out with a dubious expression. "Impractical, but at least someone was being thoughtful."
Milani fixes N'thei with a /look/ and rolls her eyes ceilingward. "I meant more like, why here and now and all that. Kind of not the place." She shoots Amerie an apologetic look as the bronzerider continues the displaying of said underthings to all and sundry. "Anyway, there really is all sorts of cool stuff in that barrel. Most of it's useful right?" Oh youthful optimism.
"Oh, /that's/ nice." Amerie isn't all that impressed by N'thei's reply to Milani - or just by N'thei at all for the moment. With a grimace, she gives a derisive sniff at the supposed compliment, echoing with a note of sarcasm, "Thoughtful indeed." Leaving him to look the gift over and far more pink for it, she turns to the distraction of gifts drawn from the barrel, seeming amused by Persie's - and giving an odd half-smile for I'daur's. With glance to Milani, she allows, "Possibly."
J'tin now digs about in the barrel, an overly confident look hefting onto his wingmates and watched by the Glacier betting pool watching with quiet interest. They must have somehow known, because it's the blueriding comedian of Icicle that is the one unlucky enough to prove the rumors true, although there is no way to determine ownership. Where Amerie was graced with something feminine and lacy, these drawers are more reminiscent of a rather large, reinforced version of a Pernese style of 'Bridget Jones' underwear. Flushing crimson, the wingsecond does the only thing one can do in such a situation and plays the idiot by pulling them over his head, causing blonde hair to tuft out of the legholes and the overly slack waistband to obscure his vision. Guess who's wearing those to drills in the morning?
"Well, I suppose it could come in handy if I twist an ankle or something," Persie says, tipping her head as she looks down at the can, very thoughtful, very considering, a finger coming to the corner of her mouth. But whatever it is that has her thinking, she pops a smile back onto her face and turns to I'daur. "Slippers! That's nice. You can sit all cozy by the fire with a glass of brandy and your slippers. I see it already."
"The underwear inspection earns a faint blush from Jaispe, who feels compelled to tell Amerie, in an attempt at comfrot, "That's not really part of the tradition. I don't think." She taps her chin a moment, and then shrugs, turning back to Shanlee. ""Rocky Flats, I'll remember. And we'll go--you'll have to tell me, when you get a chance to go and I can come, too. But, oh! There's Saiphe; I should go show her my hat." Having caught sight of her daughter, Jaispe is quick to go hunt down the girl and show off the present she's claimed, with lots of enthusiastic gestures at Shanlee as the maker of it.
N'thei ignores most things that don't fit in with his world view; right now, he ignores Milani's eye-roll and Amerie's unimpressed grimace. "I do believe Milani just suggested you and I--" He'd been talking to Amerie, but the riot by the barrel pulls his attention, pries him half out of his chair to see what's going on over there. This has the added benefit of lowering the pink-flowered underwear from eye-level of half the room. "Ah, so now it's safe." He gets the rest of the way out of his chair.
The gifts drawn by Persie and I'daur earn a blink and then a low chuckle. With another slow swallow of the drink in her hand, Shan's head dips into a nod, "It would be my pleasure Jaispe." There's a small smile for the gesticulating going on over the hat between the goldrider and her daughter. Turning back just in time, mouth to glass for another swallow, J'tin's extraction of gift and ensuing antics are met with a sudden small eruption of coughing, "Serve you sideways, you twit." coming hoarsely through gasps for air. Glacier for their part are loving the demise of the Icicle wingsecond's dignity and happily handing over the marks won by any that had him pegged as the 'Unlucky One'.
*....the marks won to any that had....
Amerie ignores N'thei right back - though at the riot by the barrel, she proves she's mostly feigning that. As he gets up from the chair, she gives Milani a small smile, taking the opportunity to swipe back the pink-flowered underthings and dart for the door under cover of giant bloomers.
"It could," I'daur agrees with Persie, still quite amused at her and her gift. "But don't be testing that theory out just now. Does it have to be whiskey?" he asks her then, with another glance at the slippers. "I'll have to try it out when I get home, anyway. Never had... these things before," adds the old bronzerider, gesturing to his present.
There's another /look/ for N'thei. "I said no such thing," she says very definitely and tucks a vase apiece under each arm. Then she's sliding along a bit closer to Shanlee. "Hey Shan. D'you like these? I could trade you one for the lampshade, if you don't mind a single."
Tap tap tap. Persie seems to be enjoying the cane, or at least testing it out pretty well, leaning her weight on to it and giving little hops. "Oh fine," she says to I'daur with a little extra exasperation. "Whiskey. Boring boring." But she grins at him, impish again as she needles him. "I think I'm going to get a drink. A not-boring drink." And so she takes up her cane, failing to use it while actually walking, and slips off towards the bar.
N'thei dips into the barrel, one arm reached in toward the bottom. He's poised like that in time to return Milani's look with a cheeky smile, one that wavers while Amerie cuts and runs. After an ah-well smile, he retrieves his present with panty-free confidence.
N'thei receives: A terrifically gaudy silver oval of filigree, forms the base of a brooch that's set with a bright orange tiger's eye. It's big enough that a cloak could be pinned together with it, or attached to a belt for a bit of ... decoration. Of course it's a rather ostentatious piece, but it might delight an auntie or uncle or a small child fond of bright things.!
With Milani sidling over to her and making the offer she does, Shan settles a broad grin upward onto the taller girl, "Hmmm...I don't know. I was thinking of gifting it to someone I'm sure would appreciate it's uniqueness." mischief glinting in green eyes, "He likes the unusual." But soon enough it becomes clear she'd been teasing, "If you really want it?"
"Have fun with that," I'daur tells Persie, about either the cane or the drink, one. He lifts a hand as she moves off, and then he steps away from the barrel too, to watch the next couple of people pull out gifts. "That looks like you," he notes of the brooch N'thei comes up with. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink whiskey in my new shoes." And off he shuffles, slippers in hand.
"Oh well if you know where it'd be appreciated, sure, but ... well I have this pink corner in my room, and y'know the bugs are cute. And um, y'know I haven't thanked you for my /lovely/ blankie yet! I curled up with it the other night when it got a little chilly while I was reading." Chatterbox Millie. But then there's N'thei pulling /that/ out of the barrel and she turns scarlet.
N'thei palms his gift with a bemused expression. It's not the embarrassed confusion of Amerie or the ludicrous confusion of J'tin. His is just downright confusion while he peers at the brooch, then shrugs and pins it to his lapel. It has absolutely no place there, but what else can he do? Milani's scarlet complexion merits a hitched eyebrow; "Yesss?"
Shanlee's been watching N'thei's rummaging around intently from just a step or two back from the barrel, what he extracts however first draws the beginnings of laughter, "Oh my." And that then turns into confusion for the embarrassment coming from Milani, "It was just a blanket. Hope it keeps you warm, and sure I'll trade you." Not sure if she were the cause of that flush or not. Back to the bronzerider again, "Very nice." while the words might sound condescending the greenrider can't help but steal fingers toward the shiny, shiny of the gaudy brooch.
Milani oddly, looks down at her feet, but she only shakes her head then looks back up at Shan. "It's nice and soft and fluffy though and here." She thrusts one vase at the greenrider. "That'll be nice for flowers in your weyr yeah?"
"Do I want to know the punchline?" N'thei drops his chin to bring the brooch into view, a hard thing to look clearly at one's own chest. He manages a glance anyway. And he slaps at Shanlee's pickpockety fingers with a stern but simple, "No touching."
Setting her almost empty drinks glass down, Shan reaches for the vase thrust at her and in turn untucks the lampshade from under her arm in exchange. Mouth curling into a pleased smile, "I'm glad you like it. And yes, one can never have too many flowers in their weyr." The odd discomfort coming off Milani noted with a quizzical expression N'thei-ward, perhaps he knew what was going on? Quickly snapping her hand back as the bronzerider slaps at it, "Just wanted to look." sounding almost petulant and as if she'd suddenly grown eyes in her fingers that touching had been necessary.
Milani clears her throat. "I thought maybe ... one of the aunties would get it." She says this to N'thei, not looking away this time though her cheeks are still faintly pink. The girl tries on a little apologetic smile, looks back at Shan and nods. "See now my room is all fitted out properly and decorated and everything!"
N'thei shakes his head and shrugs at Shanlee's wordless question, his shoulders angled toward Milani for the shrugging portion. "Looks good though, don't you think?" He taps the gaudy thing with his fingernail, exactly what he just forbade the greenrider from doing, and lists toward the patio exits. "You ladies enjoy your evening."
"Um ... " is about all Millie can come up with then suddenly she's coloring up again and just like that she lets out an abruptly blurted. "Good night! Thanks Shan!" And she's turning around and running out the other way.
Milani meanders down a set of long winding stairs into a lower caverns' hallway.
Milani has left.
Realization starts to dawn at Milani's ensuing explanation to N'thei, and Shan busies herself rather with inspecting the designs on her newly acquired vase. Responding to the teen with a smile, "Now that didn't take very long did it?" to her room being all kitted out now. The bronzerider's shrug is mirrored by a smaller one by the weyrsecond, "Sleep tight N'thei." some bemusement still evident in the easy farewell.
The assistant headwoman's sudden departure is covered with a wide eyed expression of curiosity.
IC Date: 8/26/14
Snowasis, High Reaches Weyr(#7315RIJ$)
Large with high ceilings, this cavern's most striking features are the little nooks and crannies along the perimeter and the seemingly dangerous jagged overhang of stalactites just above the hearth. More corners have been made from six, slightly curved walls with half-razed stone blocks rising from the ground as well as outcroppings of hollowed walls, making the layout cumbersome for a private dwelling, however decorative curtain rods and opaque fabrics have been installed to turn each defect in the cavern's shape into its own private corner.
Near the hearth, beneath the stone fixture hanging from the ceilings, a thick rug with a low klah table and comfortable armchairs and couches have been set, the upholstery and cushions changed sporadically to match the season: bright, light colors in the summer, fresh greens and yellows in the spring, warm autumnals in fall, and even warmer hues of rich colors for winter. Small tables, fit for up to four people each, litter the landscape, while a wooden bar construction claims the wall where a dolly window to the kitchens is unlatched. The cabinetry installed has glass panels, so the various liquors available are visible.
Slightly bemused by Jaispe's rush of words in greeting, Shan's attention is drawn downward to the barrel, across afore mentioned decorations and briefly onto the food laid out, before halting on the goldrider once again. "Everyone has a done a lovely job indeed. A lot of hard work, which I'm sure is being well appreciated." a small movement of chin indicates a knot of Glacier wingriders off to one side trading marks between themselves amidst much amusement. With a glance downward to the blue fabric of her attire, "Oh. Thank you." for the compliment and back to the barrel, "I think people are rather intrigued with your southern traditions." the smile genuine there, "Are your children here tonight?"
Entering from the lower caverns quietly is Amerie, chin lifted, dark eyes wary. She makes her way in behind a smaller group of caverns workers, using the opportunity to make a survey of the room. It's not tough for her to spot Shanlee, between the dark girl's height and the Weyrsecond's red hair. Heading in that direction, she glances back momentarily to the rest of the room with mild interest before approaching both gold and greenrider, politely waiting just outside the pair's conversation.
"I did. I..." Persie starts off quick but the 'nagging' part gives her pause. "I guess I didn't need any nagging. But if I didn't want to put a gift in, why would that matter to anyone. Or if you didn't want to put a gift in," since it does rather sound like I'daur did need some nagging. She has her head cocked, an errant strand of blonde across her cheek as she smiles brightly. His glance initiated one of her own, like a contagious thing, but she comes back to ask, "What are you drinking? You know, they have drinks here."
After her first rushed greeting, Jaispe manages a less breathless smile and a nod, even while waving absently at the people who continue to arrive. "My daughter is, somewhere," she tells Shanlee, with a quick glance around for the young girl. "But my son, it's a little late for him, so he didn't get to come. He was really sad, I felt terrible," she confides the latter undertone, wincing. But a second later, she shrugs that off with a bat for the barrel's mouth, pleased with the latter compliment. "Do you think so? I'm glad they like it; we can do it again another time. Oh, hi, how are you?" As she notices Amerie loitering nearby, and includes the other girl at once. "I'm Jaispe, I don't think we've really met."
"Don't seem the sort to need nagging for this," I'daur drawls with a nod and a jerk of his thumb in the general direction of the barrel set-up. But for her question itself, and her logic, he just shrugs. "Dunno. Dunno why it'd matter, but all the same. I'daur, weyrlingmaster--'s assistant." He cocks a smirk with that introduction, and then waves off the mention of drinks. "Brought my own--it's easier than trusting what'll be at one of these things. But feel free to get yourself one." He doesn't offer to do it for her.
Another round of laughter from those Glacier riders pointed out earlier and enough snippets of conversation overheard to suggest they're placing bets on who draws the rumored underwear of the old biddy known as Jemah. Shan's affects a roll of eyes, "Men." Then turns back to Jaispe with a small nod on words of her son's unhappiness, "Must be hard trying to explain." Quiet and unobtrusive her arrival might have been, yet still the taller from of Amerie is noted with a smile as the goldrider introduces herself, "Evening Amerie, I'm glad you came." and indeed the greenrider does appear to be so.
N'thei's been in here a while now, though hard to see since he's chosen to hang out in one of the curtained nooks-and-crannies that line the room's perimeter. Apart from the party, he elects to keep a drink for company and a quiet view of the goings-on. Bets-on-panties rouses his attention though, and he leans out of his cubby toward the Glacier bunch in a subdued effort to get in on that deal.
Milani strides up from a set of stairs from the lower caverns.
Milani has arrived.
Blinking as the goldrider immediately turns her way, Amerie flashes a smile at Jaispe, mostly covering her surprise. "Well, thank you, ma'am. And no, we haven't. I'm Amerie," she offers easily, though politely. "Well met." Glancing Shanlee's way with a nod, she returns to her usual reserved neutrality, though her dark eyes are bright. "Weyrsecond. It's nice to see you."
Jaispe nods in answer to Shanlee. "It is, so I just hope he's asleep and forgotten it by the time he wakes up in the morning,' she notes of her son, with a wrinkle of her nose. But, still, she doesn't worry overmuch about it, in favor of taking a step back and opening the group up a little more to include Amerie. "Nice to meet you. Oh, you can help yourself to the barrel, if you've put something in--one of the kids has a list," she notes, with a glance to the teenagers who have been keeping track of everything that goes in, and are now set to keep up with what goes out. "That way, we don't have a big pile-up, everyone going for it at once. But you have to show us what you get--that's the best part about it," she urges.
Well, since Persie is offering a hand, I'daur extends his own to her to shake, brows raising again. "Persie, right," he agrees, with a nod, and then a slow blink at the question that closely follows the introduction. "Think I'm old enough my memory's starting to go?" he aks in return, evenly. "We haven't, far as I know, but maybe I am wrong. Humor me, if that's the case."
Milani skitters into the Snowasis. Late. Her hair's a little damp yet and that might explain why. With the doorway acheived she turns on the high beam smile and slips inside, dodging people, but taking advantage of her height to try to spot friendly faces. "Hey Milile!" one of her friends from the lower caverns waves and the tall girl waves back. "'Scuse me," she murmurs as she wends her way inward.
Idly flipping a mark piece repeatedly into the air, the apparent ringleader or 'bookie' of the underwear bets is quick to notice N'thei's interest, planting a cant of head in his direction to join the betting if he dare to. With her back to that area of the room, Shan misses whatever exchange is going on and instead turns her attention back to her current companions from it had been hovering over a the bar. A blink at Jaispe, a catching of lip between teeth and then a wary glance at the barrel, "Makes sense I suppose. If I get those knickers..." amusement playing through the unfinished sentence. "You going to go next?" this to Amerie and likely trying to curry up a partner in this venture.
Shanlee receives: A small pink lightshade with bugs drawn all over it.!
N'thei passes a fractioned mark from hand-to-hand until it gets back to the bookie, actual marks exchanging hands over the likelihood of drawing Jemah's drawers. "Good a thing to bet on as anything else, isn't it?" He asks this, with a grin, of a snooty-looking seamstress while she's busy giving the two betters a disapproving look; she sniffs and moves on from N'thei's nook.
"Well I don't think we've met," Persie answers readily, hardly needing to humor him, the hitch of recognition already fading from her thoughts. "So why don't you trust the drinks here?" She's concerned and bewildered for a second, glancing toward toward the busy counter, but when she turns back to I'daur there's something playful in her eye. "Oh, I understand," she says, long slow words and a long slow nod. "You just have juice or water or something in there," she guesses of the flask. "You just want to look like you're knockin' back something hard." She grins at him, impish and teasing. "It wouldn't do very well for you to go up to the counter and ask for apple juice or something when everyone thinks you should be drinking whiskey. Though you know, I've heard the two go pretty well together. I haven't tried it."
Amerie seems bemused as she flicks a glance to the barrel, then looks back to Jaispe - but she's quick enough to quirk at least the traces of a smile, offer a nod. "The best part," she echoes. "Well. I don't know. I suppose..." She trails off, looking somewhat grateful for Shanlee's own wariness; watching the Weyrsecond make for the barrel, the dark girl says quickly, "You first. I feel like I need to give it a moment, for some reason." The reason likely being? She wants to see what comes out first.
Bets placed, marks exchanged, N'thei is fit with a faint smirk, "Doncha wanna know the catch, Snowstrike?" The blonde Glacier rider's wingmates take to snickering as he casts a grin over to them and then mild as you please, "The one that draws 'em wears 'em to drills on the morrow." Dark eyes fix onto the other bronzerider, "Still wanna place that bet?" open challenge made.
"Go on, pick something, Shanlee," Jaispe says, as eager as any child as Shanlee turns to the barrel. She takes a step back from it herself, to give the woman more room to draw forth her gift, and a broad grin crosses her face in doing so. "Sometimes you get the strangest gifts," she'll admit readily, "but I've never gotten anything that's not been wonderful in its own right. There was this pair of socks one time..." But she doesn't finish, and instead glances to Amerie, expectant of her being next.
"S'not that I don't trust them," I'daur corrects Persie, one finger lifting from his flask in a wait-a-minute gesture. "Just, s'easier to just bring what I like and not worry about it." As she accuses him of just having juice, though, he just smirks and offers her the flask to see for herself. "Whiskey," he states flatly, "goes best with more whiskey."
Unaware of the banter ensuing between her wingriders and N'thei, Shan's eyeing that barrel with varying degrees of suspicion, "You wouldn't happen to know if R'sel's been anywhere near this would you?" Amerie's comment earning her a 'thanks for nothing' look that is at least edged along a crooked smile. And Jaispe is apparently by no means wrong with her words on receiving strange gifts, for that is exactly what the weyrsecond pulls out - something indeed strange, to her mind anyway. Blinking a few times the pink lampshade, complete with hand drawn bugs is held up for inspection, "Ummmm....right." for once devoid of words, eyes flick between Jaispe and Amerie, "It's different?" careful comment made.
Milani tucks back a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she reaches her friend and peers over heads towards the barrel. "What's come up so far?" she whispers to the other girl, making big eyes at her. "And wow, some crowd huh?"
N'thei partially stands out of his chair, cranes his neck around like he's checking out the view of his own tail-end, then he sits back down with a supreme confidence. "I have nothing to hide, gents. Count me in." As good a thing to bet on... He lets the others take their turns at the barrel ahead of him, in no rush despite the cocky words. Called with an amen-vehemence to I'daur; "I'll drink to that, sir."
Managing to find a shade of enthusiasm in her tone - next to the goldrider, it only seems polite - Amerie admits, "It's interesting, at least, to see what comes out?" Giving Shanlee an amused glance for crooked smile, she grows more wary at the greenrider's gift. "Oh, well. Different, indeed." Her head tilting slightly, she eyes the lampshade and approaches the barrel like it might bite her - glancing back over her shoulder briefly as she hears N'thei's loud agreement.
Amerie receives: A matched set of white knit lace lady's undergarments with tiny pink flowers.!
"It's amazing!" Jaispe says, with widening eyes as she looks at the lampshade. "I've never seen a pink one before. I bet it'll look great in your weyr--pink goes with /everything/. Oh, what did you get? I suppose I can go next," the woman adds, as Amerie reaches into to pull out her gift. Jaispe waits a second to see, then steps forward to do likewise.
Head tipping in acceptance of N'thei's determination to be counted into the betting, the Glacier bronzerider salutes his bravery with a lift of ale glass and promptly drains the contents shortly thereafter. J'tin, Icicle's wingsecond and a few of his cronies are next to place their share into the pool with a smirking display of confidence, whilst Iceberg riders seem to want nothing to do with the whole venture.
Persie takes the flask without hesitation, holding it beneath her nose to give it a sniff while her eyes narrow in feigned suspicion for its owner. But one whiff does indeed prove the contents to be whiskey and then, bold little creature that she is, the skinny blonde tosses back a sip and passes the flask back with a still-damp smile on her lips. She turns as a familiar voice calls in enthusiasm for whiskey paired with more whiskey, but that just draws her attention to Shanlee with the pink bug shade. "Oh hey! That's what I put in!" She laughs, a happy clap to see her gift given out, even if the recipient seems less than thrilled. Then back to I'daur, "You know, I don't understand why people get all picky about what they drink. I think I'd get bored drinking the same thing all the time. I bet you always drink whiskey."
The voice of agreement behind him makes I'daur glance over his shoulder, half-turning to see N'thei and snort. "Won't we all," he agrees, as he looks back to Persie to watch her take a sip of his whiskey in his flask. "More or less. I'm partial to any hard liquor, though, comes down to it. You put in that... thing?" Because there's no other way to describe it, as he looks around to get a glimpse of something very pink in Shanlee's hands. "At least the right person ended up with it," he notes dryly. "Are you gonna go draw?"
Shanlee's expression changes into one of wide disbelief for Jaispe's response to the pink buggy thing, "You're welcome to it." holding the lampshade out toward the goldrider all too eagerly. Persie's happy little display has the outstretched hand hesitating and green eyes fitting an uncertain look onto the other greenrider, "It's...is it part of a matching set?" perhaps hoping to politely return it back to its mate within the giver's own weyr. I'daur is afforded a narrowed look and a snort for her being the right recipient. With both Amerie and Jaispe now braving the barrel's contents, the weyrsecond is momentarily distracted by seeing what they then pull out.
Jaispe receives: A green woolen cap with ear muffs, that has bright pink stripes that run vertically down it. The ties for securing it under one's chin, have big fluffy pom-poms attached to the ends of them.!
Mug rather than flask, the likelihood that N'thei is drinking whiskey right now is pretty slim; he lifts his glass in a toast-salute to I'daur anyway, a sip while watching what comes out of the barrel. Shanlee's pick gets a little smile, a peer toward Persie, and Amerie's actually makes him choke, cough, and turn away from his mug before he drowns himself trying to laugh and drink at the same time.
"Knickers, a lamp shade and um ... oh, a woolly hat," Milani's pal catches her up and the girl blinks, hand to mouth. "Someone put /underwear/ in? Seriously? Hm. Sounds like no one got mine yet then." N'thei's coughing turns her head and she grins over at the bronzerider. "Hey N'thei! You okay? Don't go dying on us over there."
Amerie wasn't really paying attention as she pulled her gift out; now that it's in the dark girl's hands, she glances back to it - and stares. Dark eyes wide, her expression hovers between any one, unsure how to react. Glancing between Jaispe and Shanlee, she looks as if she's going to attempt to say something. However, N'thei's reaction gives her a way to go - irritated and embarrassed. Cheeks flushing, she gives the bronzerider a narrowed look and tries to wad her gift into a little ball, quick to jump on a nearby distraction. "Evening, Milani."
"No, no--couldn't possibly," Jaispe answers Shanlee, with her arm half-buried in the barrel as she digs up her own gift. "You drew it, so it's only fair you get to keep it. And I got... this!" She emerges, triumphant, with a very green cap that seems to delight her as much as the pink lapshade did. Turning it over in her hands, she inspects it with a pleased grin. "Isn't it adorable? I wonder who made this." She glances around with a hopeful expression, though for very different reasons than Shanlee looks to Persie. The choking over Amerie's present isn't quite noticed., though she does note to Amerie and Milani, bemusedly, "Someone always seems to put in underwear. I think it must be part of the tradition." Any attempt at solmemnity fails as she tests out her gift, sliding the green hat over her hair.
"No no," Persie explains for Shanlee. "You can just fit it over some glows. It's, you know, just a shade." But she does bite her sheepish smile and inch a little closer to I'daur, as unlikely a protector as he may be. She flicks a glance at N'thei, who by now is laughing and sputtering, then to Amerie with a sympathetic purse of her lips, and then "Are you gonna come with me?" she asks of the weyrlingmaster, brows up and hopeful. "You get a gift too, right?"
N'thei waves his hand to Milani to indicate his just-fineness, the red face and continued sputters begging to differ. Not so long after Amerie's death look, he issues one last loud cough to clear the lingering congestion and vocalizes; "I'm good but." He clears his throat and leans back in his chair, tries to find a casual posture after all that, a bright smile pinned in place. "Thanks for your concern."
"I need a drink." Shan mutters still holding the lampshade -away- from herself when the junior weyrwoman turns down her offer. Amerie's new underwear is given a brow arching once over, and then a wide lightly approving grin, "Hey, I'll swap you?" hopeful. Jaispe's hat gift draws a lopsided edge to the grin, "I did." offered so low in hopes that only the goldrider hears that confession. Milani looking like she might be trying to escape, is greeted just as Amerie does so, "Milani! You going to shove your arm in there next?" grin. Persie's assurances to there being only one are met with an almost forgiving chuckle, "Oh. Unique then."
"Y'okay there?" I'daur drawls at N'thei when he starts choking; he glances around over his shoulder to figure out the cause rather than seem /really/ concerned. He just waves a hand at Shanlee, noting her look, but Amerie's attempts at stuffing the underwear away earn most of his attention, and amusement. He doesn't splutter like the other bronzerider, at least, saved by the fact he's not trying to drink just then. "Yeah," he answers Persie a second later, distinctly wary of her suggestion. "S'pose I should." He slides to the edge of his chair, but doesn't stand just yet.
"Interesting tradition." To her credit, Amerie does not note this to Jaispe with any of the acid that might be her wont in such a situation. Maybe it's the hat. Valiant in attempting to at least maintain some of her usual poise, she ignores the fact that she's still rather pink - and that the matching pink flowers are going to pretty much be on display for the evening. Despite being embarrassed, she's still not about to trade Shanlee by her expression - nuh uh. N'thei and his bright smile get another dark look. "Glad to amuse you."
"Well good," Milani dimples a smile at N'thei and then swivels to wave Amerie's way. "Hi! All sorts of interesting stuff in there huh?" Then she beams Shan's way. "Yep yep, in a sec." And she starts to move in that direction. "Oh hey, cool lampshade," she notes of the pink-and-bugs contraption, before digging into the barrel.
Jaispe's eyes widen at Shanlee's admission. "You did? I didn't know you were all crafty. It's lovely, thank you, Shanlee," she tells the greenrider, smile huge. as she adjusts the hat, her hair sticking out oddly from under it. "Isn't it?" she answers Amerie, pleased.
N'thei reassures I'daur with another wave of his hand, this one indicating Amerie and the panties in the process; he expects some level of unspoken understanding with the old cripple evidently. It takes him a few seconds to locate a less cheerful smile to answer Amerie, one tinged with sympathy; "Oh come on. You have to admit it's a little funny. Mostly the look on your face."
"Come on, we'll pick together," Persie insists, now pointedly waiting for I'daur to get up and making little flat-handed motions for him to get on with it. "Come on. We'll pick at the same time. That way neither one of us will be the center of attention. Well, unless we get underwear, of course," she adds with an anxious little laugh.
No luck in trade offs, the lampshade tucked under one arm, Shan steps away from the grouping around the barrel as more and more people are drawn to try their own hands at it. Returning from the bar with a long cool glass of what appears to be lemonade; Amerie is afforded an approving nod, "Good. I happen to think they'll look lovely on you." Heedless of whatever embarrassment the assistant headwoman may be experiencing over the underwear. With a small nod of head to Jaispe, "Family are Llama farmers." like that explains everything and trying very hard to school the grin away that threatens over the hatclad goldrider. And speaking of crafty Milani is touched with a crafty flicker of eyes once she makes the 'cool lampshade' comment. A plan must be afoot in the weyrsecond's head once again.
Amerie gives Milani and Jaispe a slight, abbreviated smile. "Interesting," she echoes. Glancing back to N'thei, she notices the look back to I'daur and Persie's table - which tightens her expression a touch. Even so, she turns back to allow to N'thei, "Alright, fine. I imagine it was - something." Her tone grudging - that's about all he's going to get - she says nothing more on the subject. Not even at compliments, amazingly enough.
Milani receives: A pair of pale yellow bud vases in a swirl design.!
N'thei holds his hand open toward Amerie, his fingers wiggled to beckon at her humorous gift. "Even the weyrsecond says they'll look lovely on you. Let's see them." Something about his tone for even-the-weyrsecond is just snide enough to imply snarky humor at Shanlee's approval, subtle though. "Wait it out a few hours, a few bottles of wine, and you could probably get a half the people in the room to model them." His eyes land accusingly here and there-- I'daur, Persie, J'tin, snooty seamstress; not Milani and Jaispe, models of youth and propriety?
I'daur does understand, without N'thei's having to put words to it; his lingering smirk says as much as he pushes himself up to his feet. "All right, fine. Let's go," he tells Persie as he does so, moving to follow her up to the barrel so they can claim gifts. Post-drink again, of course--he needs just a little more of that sort of courage before he can do it.
After another few moments, Jaispe slides her new hat from her head, folding it over and ending up with very mussed blonde hair, which she brushes a hand at quickly. "Llama farmers. That's really interesting. I'd never actually met a real llama before I came here. They're kind of... strange things, aren't they?" she asks Shanlee, with a cock of her head. "No offense, of course," a beat later.
Persie receives: A cane made of dark wood, old and rather beat-up, with a carved grip for the handle.!
I'daur receives: These slippers are made of a fuzzy, warm-looking grey wool, with thin leather soles sewn to the bottom. Though they're a bit on the large side, drawstrings around the ankle and high tops of the slippers allow the wearer to adjust them as needed. Though they'd be a little warm for summer, they're perfect for the chill Reaches winters.!
Modeling the vases is what Milani's doing at the momet. "Oh these are really neat!" she beams brightly. "Ought to go with the colors in my room and everything even." She steps away from the barrel a little and eyes N'thei and Amerie. "Whatcha want to examine her knickers for?" The she's distracted by more gifts coming out of the barrel.
Amerie approaches N'thei reluctantly and holds out the ball of white and pink. With a long-suffering sigh, she drops it in his hand. "You have far too much interest in women's underwear," she notes with a smirk, folding her arms. "Or at least, you manage to bring it up often enough. And I don't think anyone really needs to do or see any modelling." On that, she's firm. Go figure. After Milani brings up her point, distracted as it may be, the girl arches fine brows back at the bronzerider. "Good question."
Shanlee catches the edge in N'thei's words and simply settles a brow lifted look of dry indifference onto him for it. J'tin brushes past the weyrsecond to stand his place in line for the barrel, a low comment from the bluerider in passing earns him a narrowing of eyes, tossing of head with a disdainful air and a dark return of, "In your wildest dreams boyo!" He's likely saved from further comment by Jaispe, light laughter appears in quick return, "They are, aren't they? Especially after being shorn." no offence taken, "You should come home with me sometime and meet one." as if introductions to a Llama were quite the natural thing, "Rocky Flats is in the sweep area." Milani's vases cause brief diversion and her words to N'thei an amused curl of mouth for the answer to come.
Persie starts her move toward the barrel backwards, having turned on a heel to try to coax I'daur out of his chair. And now that he's up, she puts a hand out for his flask; he took a sip and she wants one too. But beyond that, it's a little crowded to go walking backwards and after almost stepping on someone, Persie does turn around to look where she's going. "Are you ready?" she asks as they get to the barrel. Then her eyes pinch shut and she reaches in to pull out a... cane. Her eyes squeak open as if afraid to look at what she's got in her grasp, and then she just blinks a bit. A grin creeps over her face. "What am I going to do with a cane?" she laughs. But the first thing that comes to her mind is to set it to the floor and give a good tap-tap on the stone to see how nice a sound it makes.
I'daur does cough--not so dramatically as N'thei, but all the same--at Milani's words, and he shoots a look from N'thei to Amerie and then just shakes his head, turning back to the barrel. He leans up against it to reach in and come up with his item: a pair of slippers that earn a surprised blink and then a slow smirk, a nod that's really rather pleased. "Well," he begins, and then glances sideways at Persie to see what she came up with. His mouth twitches again with amusement, but he offers no suggestions at all for what she can do with it.
"You'll understand in a few turns." N'thei answers Milani at his most dismissive, the words just sugar-coated with an apologetic smile. "Not every woman's underwear, my dove, which you really ought to take as a compliment." He hooks a finger through either strap of the lacy bra-thing-- can't really call it a bra since the support value of such a garment leaves much to be desired-- and holds it out with a dubious expression. "Impractical, but at least someone was being thoughtful."
Milani fixes N'thei with a /look/ and rolls her eyes ceilingward. "I meant more like, why here and now and all that. Kind of not the place." She shoots Amerie an apologetic look as the bronzerider continues the displaying of said underthings to all and sundry. "Anyway, there really is all sorts of cool stuff in that barrel. Most of it's useful right?" Oh youthful optimism.
"Oh, /that's/ nice." Amerie isn't all that impressed by N'thei's reply to Milani - or just by N'thei at all for the moment. With a grimace, she gives a derisive sniff at the supposed compliment, echoing with a note of sarcasm, "Thoughtful indeed." Leaving him to look the gift over and far more pink for it, she turns to the distraction of gifts drawn from the barrel, seeming amused by Persie's - and giving an odd half-smile for I'daur's. With glance to Milani, she allows, "Possibly."
J'tin now digs about in the barrel, an overly confident look hefting onto his wingmates and watched by the Glacier betting pool watching with quiet interest. They must have somehow known, because it's the blueriding comedian of Icicle that is the one unlucky enough to prove the rumors true, although there is no way to determine ownership. Where Amerie was graced with something feminine and lacy, these drawers are more reminiscent of a rather large, reinforced version of a Pernese style of 'Bridget Jones' underwear. Flushing crimson, the wingsecond does the only thing one can do in such a situation and plays the idiot by pulling them over his head, causing blonde hair to tuft out of the legholes and the overly slack waistband to obscure his vision. Guess who's wearing those to drills in the morning?
"Well, I suppose it could come in handy if I twist an ankle or something," Persie says, tipping her head as she looks down at the can, very thoughtful, very considering, a finger coming to the corner of her mouth. But whatever it is that has her thinking, she pops a smile back onto her face and turns to I'daur. "Slippers! That's nice. You can sit all cozy by the fire with a glass of brandy and your slippers. I see it already."
"The underwear inspection earns a faint blush from Jaispe, who feels compelled to tell Amerie, in an attempt at comfrot, "That's not really part of the tradition. I don't think." She taps her chin a moment, and then shrugs, turning back to Shanlee. ""Rocky Flats, I'll remember. And we'll go--you'll have to tell me, when you get a chance to go and I can come, too. But, oh! There's Saiphe; I should go show her my hat." Having caught sight of her daughter, Jaispe is quick to go hunt down the girl and show off the present she's claimed, with lots of enthusiastic gestures at Shanlee as the maker of it.
N'thei ignores most things that don't fit in with his world view; right now, he ignores Milani's eye-roll and Amerie's unimpressed grimace. "I do believe Milani just suggested you and I--" He'd been talking to Amerie, but the riot by the barrel pulls his attention, pries him half out of his chair to see what's going on over there. This has the added benefit of lowering the pink-flowered underwear from eye-level of half the room. "Ah, so now it's safe." He gets the rest of the way out of his chair.
The gifts drawn by Persie and I'daur earn a blink and then a low chuckle. With another slow swallow of the drink in her hand, Shan's head dips into a nod, "It would be my pleasure Jaispe." There's a small smile for the gesticulating going on over the hat between the goldrider and her daughter. Turning back just in time, mouth to glass for another swallow, J'tin's extraction of gift and ensuing antics are met with a sudden small eruption of coughing, "Serve you sideways, you twit." coming hoarsely through gasps for air. Glacier for their part are loving the demise of the Icicle wingsecond's dignity and happily handing over the marks won by any that had him pegged as the 'Unlucky One'.
*....the marks won to any that had....
Amerie ignores N'thei right back - though at the riot by the barrel, she proves she's mostly feigning that. As he gets up from the chair, she gives Milani a small smile, taking the opportunity to swipe back the pink-flowered underthings and dart for the door under cover of giant bloomers.
"It could," I'daur agrees with Persie, still quite amused at her and her gift. "But don't be testing that theory out just now. Does it have to be whiskey?" he asks her then, with another glance at the slippers. "I'll have to try it out when I get home, anyway. Never had... these things before," adds the old bronzerider, gesturing to his present.
There's another /look/ for N'thei. "I said no such thing," she says very definitely and tucks a vase apiece under each arm. Then she's sliding along a bit closer to Shanlee. "Hey Shan. D'you like these? I could trade you one for the lampshade, if you don't mind a single."
Tap tap tap. Persie seems to be enjoying the cane, or at least testing it out pretty well, leaning her weight on to it and giving little hops. "Oh fine," she says to I'daur with a little extra exasperation. "Whiskey. Boring boring." But she grins at him, impish again as she needles him. "I think I'm going to get a drink. A not-boring drink." And so she takes up her cane, failing to use it while actually walking, and slips off towards the bar.
N'thei dips into the barrel, one arm reached in toward the bottom. He's poised like that in time to return Milani's look with a cheeky smile, one that wavers while Amerie cuts and runs. After an ah-well smile, he retrieves his present with panty-free confidence.
N'thei receives: A terrifically gaudy silver oval of filigree, forms the base of a brooch that's set with a bright orange tiger's eye. It's big enough that a cloak could be pinned together with it, or attached to a belt for a bit of ... decoration. Of course it's a rather ostentatious piece, but it might delight an auntie or uncle or a small child fond of bright things.!
With Milani sidling over to her and making the offer she does, Shan settles a broad grin upward onto the taller girl, "Hmmm...I don't know. I was thinking of gifting it to someone I'm sure would appreciate it's uniqueness." mischief glinting in green eyes, "He likes the unusual." But soon enough it becomes clear she'd been teasing, "If you really want it?"
"Have fun with that," I'daur tells Persie, about either the cane or the drink, one. He lifts a hand as she moves off, and then he steps away from the barrel too, to watch the next couple of people pull out gifts. "That looks like you," he notes of the brooch N'thei comes up with. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink whiskey in my new shoes." And off he shuffles, slippers in hand.
"Oh well if you know where it'd be appreciated, sure, but ... well I have this pink corner in my room, and y'know the bugs are cute. And um, y'know I haven't thanked you for my /lovely/ blankie yet! I curled up with it the other night when it got a little chilly while I was reading." Chatterbox Millie. But then there's N'thei pulling /that/ out of the barrel and she turns scarlet.
N'thei palms his gift with a bemused expression. It's not the embarrassed confusion of Amerie or the ludicrous confusion of J'tin. His is just downright confusion while he peers at the brooch, then shrugs and pins it to his lapel. It has absolutely no place there, but what else can he do? Milani's scarlet complexion merits a hitched eyebrow; "Yesss?"
Shanlee's been watching N'thei's rummaging around intently from just a step or two back from the barrel, what he extracts however first draws the beginnings of laughter, "Oh my." And that then turns into confusion for the embarrassment coming from Milani, "It was just a blanket. Hope it keeps you warm, and sure I'll trade you." Not sure if she were the cause of that flush or not. Back to the bronzerider again, "Very nice." while the words might sound condescending the greenrider can't help but steal fingers toward the shiny, shiny of the gaudy brooch.
Milani oddly, looks down at her feet, but she only shakes her head then looks back up at Shan. "It's nice and soft and fluffy though and here." She thrusts one vase at the greenrider. "That'll be nice for flowers in your weyr yeah?"
"Do I want to know the punchline?" N'thei drops his chin to bring the brooch into view, a hard thing to look clearly at one's own chest. He manages a glance anyway. And he slaps at Shanlee's pickpockety fingers with a stern but simple, "No touching."
Setting her almost empty drinks glass down, Shan reaches for the vase thrust at her and in turn untucks the lampshade from under her arm in exchange. Mouth curling into a pleased smile, "I'm glad you like it. And yes, one can never have too many flowers in their weyr." The odd discomfort coming off Milani noted with a quizzical expression N'thei-ward, perhaps he knew what was going on? Quickly snapping her hand back as the bronzerider slaps at it, "Just wanted to look." sounding almost petulant and as if she'd suddenly grown eyes in her fingers that touching had been necessary.
Milani clears her throat. "I thought maybe ... one of the aunties would get it." She says this to N'thei, not looking away this time though her cheeks are still faintly pink. The girl tries on a little apologetic smile, looks back at Shan and nods. "See now my room is all fitted out properly and decorated and everything!"
N'thei shakes his head and shrugs at Shanlee's wordless question, his shoulders angled toward Milani for the shrugging portion. "Looks good though, don't you think?" He taps the gaudy thing with his fingernail, exactly what he just forbade the greenrider from doing, and lists toward the patio exits. "You ladies enjoy your evening."
"Um ... " is about all Millie can come up with then suddenly she's coloring up again and just like that she lets out an abruptly blurted. "Good night! Thanks Shan!" And she's turning around and running out the other way.
Milani meanders down a set of long winding stairs into a lower caverns' hallway.
Milani has left.
Realization starts to dawn at Milani's ensuing explanation to N'thei, and Shan busies herself rather with inspecting the designs on her newly acquired vase. Responding to the teen with a smile, "Now that didn't take very long did it?" to her room being all kitted out now. The bronzerider's shrug is mirrored by a smaller one by the weyrsecond, "Sleep tight N'thei." some bemusement still evident in the easy farewell.
The assistant headwoman's sudden departure is covered with a wide eyed expression of curiosity.