Shores of Lake Caspian
The cliffs that run along the shore come and go, various weyrs nestled along the tops of them or dug into the walls, but eventually they recede enough to expose a beach. The white sand echoes the rise and fall of the cliffs with a multitude of sandy dunes, endlessly creating tiny valleys that are constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of dragons. The dunes smooth out as the gentle slope approaches the edge of the deep blue water. The sand darkens, and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect.
The beach narrows to the southwest, leaving a path barely wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sands are the same white, the waters the same blue, but they're calmer and more tranquil, more protected from the winds that ruffle Lake Caspian and the currents that tug beneath the surface.
Rough, wide stairs lead up to the meadow above and the road that runs along the top of the cliffs, passing through the fields and heading for the river mouth that can be just barely seen from here. The largest of the staircases up the cliff is located near the docks that jut out onto the peaceful blue waters.
Leirithtopia has seen better days, really. Basically, all of them before today, as cardboard in the outdoors does have a tendency to soften with humidity and maybe get a grosser with use. BUT IT'S STILL HERE. Not that there's a dearth of things to do here, but this afternoon a handful of candidates have decided that a scavenger hunt is in order. The name of the game? Who can get the weirdest/funniest/best/grossest/WTFest item in the following epic categories: FOOD, CLOTHING, SOUVENIR, VENDOR ITEM, and BEST QUOTE FROM CRAYON GRAFITTI. Now our contestants meet back by the Ferris Wheel, a favorite landmark still creeping inexplicably along, to compare their finds and determine the ULTIMATE LEIRITHTOPIAN CHAMPION, for bragging rights and their pick of the booty. Stefyr's back fast, a pillar of broad blond landmark himself, a variety of items in his arms, but most notably, a puff of lavender feathers and something that looks like black velvet. His grin says he's here to win, folks.
Who knows who came up with these categories; it sounds like something of a group effort, especially considering the group — though if you ask Ajral she may or may not confirm which she contributed. She's not wearing a firelizard on her head for once when she returns to regroup, but she is carrying a fancy black tote bag that is not her vendor item or her clothing either way: it's just carrying a bunch of stuff. Simultaneously she is eating a sandwich wrap of some kind and has a little bit of barbecue sauce on her nose, giving the candidate class a chance to see an Ajral who is not fully composed in every possible way … she just doesn't know about the sauce on her nose yet.
Entirely too cheerful, Rhodelia practically BOUNCES her way back towards the designated meeting place at the designated meeting time. Is that a song of victory she is humming or will it be an ode to her own hubris as she carefully clutches her sack to her chest. She skids to a stop next to Ajral, maybe eyeing the sandwich more than the healer herself. "Are we starting with food first? Cause I really wanna eat mine and you know how things are when they get cold…" Considering how much fair food is fried, probably a soggy and gross mess. And those pretty lavender feathers of Stefyr are definitely eyed suspiciously.
Oh, the moment that this plan was revealed? Keruthien volunteered! Leirithtopia has been a source of entertainment he's been thriving upon for the last while but this? Oh, THIS is the grandest of all! With perhaps too much enthusiasm, he took off, an empty bag hanging by his hip with the strap slung over his shoulder. Similar to Arjal, the bag itself is not among the categories, but merely HOLDS his prize finds… all of which are hidden for now. The only one viewable is the folded top of a — you guessed it —cardboard food box. What's inside? Who knows. Just pray it's edible! And not alive. With his free hand, he gives a jovial wave and a bright, cheerful shout to announce his arrival. "I'm back~ Can't wait to see what everyone's hauled in!" He's not in it to win it, but damn if his curiosity doesn't almost have him vibrating with extra energy!
Evangeline was not sure this was a great idea, Leirithtopia's seen better moments, and she is not sure she should be out here touching things. But here she is with bells on, in her brightest greenest shirt and skirt. In one hand is a bag and in her other hand two pencils that she is holding like chopsticks. Yep, if she is picking up weird stuff, she is prepared. There's a slight skip to her step as she moves towards Stefyr, hair flopping on her shoulders as she stops and holds the bag out AS FAR from her body as possible, nose wrinkled in total distaste. "After we are done, I want to burn all of this." She grumbles with a shake of her head. Glancing at Rhodelia, she gasps and makes a mock gag, "You would not still eat any of this, right? Like. You could die."
"You could die just going outside and breathing air," points out Ajral, who has some expertise — though not as much as say a certain Fortian master with a knack — in different ways people can die. "Do not discount food that tastes good just because it might have some off chance of killing you; it's a lot less likely to when it's prepared by people who know what they're doing." That might be the dangerous assumption here but she's definitely eating that sandwich, so — not gonna be the one to tell Rhody she can't eat the fried dough or fried fruit or fried … friedness. "I grabbed an extra one, though," she confesses to Rhodelia, "this isn't my item, it's just a wrap, want a piece?"
"I think the only fair way to do this is to put on the item of clothing, bite the food you've brought, hold the vendor item and the souvenir, and give your quote as one grand reveal." Stefyr half answers Rhodelia even as he's starting to shuffle items (bags are for the smart kids). A stick with something round and fried on the end is grasped between his teeth and items tucked between his thighs so he has both hands to position what proves to be a black velvet-looking broad brimmed hat, whose edge has been trimmed with obviously dyed lavender feathers, two particularly long mottled brown ones tucked into a silver band. It's super fetch and sets off his complexion really well. Then the stick is flipped and bitten to reveal, spaghetti-in-a-meatball-breaded and now oozing tomato sauce. Which only leaves him to hold up a sad beaded chain that spells out 'Leirithtopia 2723' in one hand, and a leather bound book full of blank pages in the other, which is sure not to earn any points, and he spouts grandly, "I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not too sure!" And he beams like he done did good, y'all.
"She's not wrong!" Keruthien points out to Arjal's point, with a haphazard grin that is completely out of place. He may even try to tap his finger to his nose as a hint to her about the BBQ sauce, but it may come too late (or be missed). "Why burn it!?" he sounds aghast at the idea from Evangeline, as he comes closer to set his satchel down with utmost care. "After all the work searching this stuff down! I mean, unless you went for a whole round of gross things?" Because now he's intrigued! More so than the feathers Stefyr has. Until the big reveal and he begins to laugh! "Love the hat, Stefyr!" he compliments with a wink and he would probably trade for that book, were he not busy getting ready. His food is set down carefully, while he unravels the clothing item that looks to be a shrug/shawl type thing of cotton-like fabric, light but sturdy. The embroidery is fascinating, little gleaming shapes of iridescent green and dark blue. Thin stone? Nah, too heavy. Shell? Maybe. Anyone brave enough to peer closer!? His food is gathered, opened to reveal a mass of sliced fried tubers, thick brown gravy and white cheese curd, of which he takes a very genreous serving of with the little provided utensil. "Oh man, gotta try dis…!" he says around the mouthful, quickly trying to pawn it off on whoever has a free hand or if there's a empty surface nearby. Souvenir is a woven bracelet of what looks like runner tail hair and tiny shells. The true HORRIFIC find of his, however, is a cartoonish plushy of vivid pink, with fabric sewn over glass eyes for a terrible squinty-look. It could be a bunny, it's probably a thing of nightmares! It also has two teeth that are… very human in shape and please say it actually isn't really. Clearing his throat, Keruthien recites his graffiti find, almost sing-song. "We're anything but safe, but at least there's graffiti, to brighten up the place." Fox-like grin in place, he looks way to pleased with himself.
Certain other candidates might have more confidence in the quality of the carnival chefs than is warranted, but Rhody is still beaming as she reaches into her bag to unveil… a carefully wrapped parcel that is HUGE. Like almost the size of her own head. And very, very round. She frowns a bit as Stefyr suggests they all reveal at once as she juggles the one item and her sack. "But… I uhhh… hmmmm…." Time for a very serious thinking face as she turns her back and begins figuring out how to actually manage this. Too bad she didn't find any extra arms in the hunt… after a few minutes she manages to turn around… in all her green feather epaulets fastened to brightly colored beads that drape around the chest and more feathers for a collar and even a little sequined bowtie. The getup may have been intended to wear sans shirt, but she just draped it all over her existing clothing. While one hand holds the majestic sphere of fried goodness that already had a bite taken out to reveal it's noodly goodness. HEr other hand has a jar, but not just any jar. It has water and in the water is the most bizarrely bug eyed little orange fish. But she doesn't have another hand, sadly and so she just shrugs. "In my pocket, I got another item. Trust/ me. It's the best deck of cards EVER. Ohhh, and a quote. Procrastinates Unite! Tomorrow…" She does eye Stefyr's meatball… "Think we can mix that with this???" She waves out her ball of fried carby goodness.
At the ridonkulous /absurd/ request from Stefyr that they wear, eat or maybe even touch anything they found Evangeline gags for real. "I— Stefyr no." Shutting her eyes tightly, she places the bag down on the ground and uses her pencils to pull out the clothing piece, but. It doesn't look like clothing, the thing she is holding up is for SURE a dirty brown toupe, with a LARGE pink hair bow in it. The toupe looks like it has seen a better day, it's dirty, dull, frizzled and looks like whatever animal helped make it could come to life and bite her. "This is clothing, it's a hat" A big grin on her face, though she holds the item out with her pencils. Placing it back in the bag by dropping it and jumping back like it might eat her, she uses her pencils to maneuver out a fried, chocolate covered FISH. "These can't have sold well." A wrinkle of her nose and a repeat of the drop and jump, ew, ew, ew. "Like, and then there's this." Chopstick routine and she might as well be capturing tunnel snakes as she holds up a sweater with NO arms. "So.. I kind of think this is a specialty item; also someone would have had to help them take it off right? But without arms they like, couldn't pick it up. MAYBE MAYBE an armless man got in a fight with his lover and the lover stormed off, and he tried to pick it up but couldn't." A frown fills her face because it's actually kind of sad. Poor armless man. This time she uses her hand and pulls out her quote, "The smell of cardboard all wet reminds me of my last flight, I have the weirdest." A giant blush on her face, and she stutters out, "uh- boner." Dropping that she pulls out a cardboard fish, that's in a small glass bowl, "So, I like this one! SEE you couldn't kill it if you tried definitely sturdier for the kids and.. I am keeping it." A few happy bounces and she and grabs her vendor item, it's a feather boa, but it's losing feathers so quickly that a small breeze pushes them into everyone's faces. This isn't helped by Evi tossing it over her shoulders and giving a happy twirl, "THIS. It was the best. I am keeping it." Lets hope they like feathers in the barracks. Yellow feathers flying everywhere.
Having a fancy tote isn't helpful as much anymore when you have to balance it, but Ajral is taking Stefyr's suggestion at face value! Which means she has to finish the sandwich first, but that also means she can take Ruthien's hint and wipe off the end of her nose without commenting on it. At which point she can put on all her Things. One she's already wearing; she pushes her hair aside to reveal INCREDIBLY GAUDY, SUPER CHEAP YOKOHAMA-THEMED EARRINGS. If Pern had ample plastic these would be. Instead they're made of paiper mache and also kind of soggy. "These were probably in one of the boxes and I'm going to count them as a souvenir," she remarks mildly, before continuing by revealing the strangest looking ugly, misshapen fruit from a fruit stand that could possibly have been there. It was at one point a kind of melon. Probably. When it was germinating. It might taste incredible! But it looks super weird. From a vendor she has some handmade soaps that are definitely supposed to be mini-Leiriths, which are being held in part of one hand. In the other of that hand is her clothing item,a scarf; it's a thick cable-knit scarf in Xanadu colors that someone was selling in the middle of summer, and that makes it hilarious to her just because it exists. She also has her quote, it's in her bag, she manages to pull the piece of cardboard out with her mouth — she's assisted with surgery ever, and has had to hold more things than she has arms. On it, it says:
I hate three things:
1. Irony
2. Graffiti
3. Lists
… and then she processes some of the food items other people are holding and cannot help but pull stink face after all. Fried is one thing, but some of the rest of this is ridiculous.
"It's mine and you can't have it, Ruthien," Stefyr tells his bro, primly, but firmly. His. Until some awful fluff ball or hide-bound beastie wrests it from him. Possibly from his cold, dead, fingers, given the way that the hand with the little souvenir goes up to fuss with getting it attached to the silver band. Now everyone knows where he got it and everything. It just needs a, "Property of Stefyr" tag, but maybe that's what the paper in the book is for? Still, his eyes follow the proceedings eagerly. It's not a matter of bravery that brings him closer to investigate Keruthien's shawl, just curiosity and familiarity with the Smith that breeds (so wrongly) a complete lack of concern that it might prove to be something dangerous. He will definitely help himself to a bite of what his friend is offering while he's there, before offering to the next person. He gives Rhodelia the biggest grin when she dons her green feathered ensemble. "My hat would look great with that." He might even think about letting her borrow it. He does, however, stare long enough at the fish to sigh. "That's going in the office, isn't it." He doesn't even phrase it like a question. "Can we play with them later? The cards. Not…. that." The fish. Evangeline's pencils get a very bland look, one of his blandest until she finally dons something, even if the yellow feathers are going everywhere. "Can I have one of your soaps?" Stefyr inquires of Ajral with one of his best 'please' smiles. It's charming, really! "I need brownie points." Which might beg the question, what did he do, or not do, but he doesn't elaborate, but he does grin at the cardboard she holds out.
Rhodelia eyes blink as she tries to comprehend the irony of Ajral's ironic list before it gets a rather delayed snort as she finally gets it. Evangeline's sweet fish cause her to nearly gag. "Why would you doooooo that?" She wouldn't. She's going to try and just take a big bite of her pasta ball. It's easier said that done and some nomming noises are actually required before she gets a bite. The fish jar wiggles and his eyes seem to get even bigger. "He's going in the office unless you want to give him a home?" She wiggles the jar towards Stefyr. "Maybe the fish can scare away the dogs and cats and firelizards." Cause clearly all creatures great and small are drawn to the giant farmer's bed. Keruthien's doll is also blinked at. "Whose's…. you didn't lose anything teeth for that, did you?"
"Not even to borrow it for a bit!?" Bro! Keruthien's super disappointed (not really)! Rhodelia's getup is given a little whistle and laugh. "Look at us all! So classy." That includes Evangeline's boa and Ajral's earrings. WONDERFUL! As for the embroidery? Stefyr will discover very quickly that the coloured bits are sturdy and awfully familiar. Bug-like, familiar. As in the empty husks of wing casings to a native species of tree beetle. YOU'RE WELCOME! At least it doesn't bite? It's so disarmingly dainty pretty too! If no one else is brave enough to try his food concoction, he'll help himself to more, while bravely asking to sample others. Except the fish! That earns a snickered wrinkle of his nose. "Someone pulling a prank?" Because eew. What's this about cards? "Can we see them, Rhody? Which pocket is it?" HE'LL GET 'EM! If no one else will. That nightmare fuel plushy is tucked into his pocket for a moment, to free a hand. The souvenir is easily slipped over onto his wrist. Her question has him blinking. "Hmm? What do you mean? It's a toy!" A very ugly, suspicious one. "And I still got my teeth. All of 'em!" Whoosh. Over his head! Or he's just playing stupid.
"Together, we make one very catchy and … feathery outfit for someone," Ajral concludes, once she's set her stolen graffiti back into the tote and not remaining in her mouth (she'll put it back where she found it later). She is not. Not. Not commenting. On some of this weird food — is that fish with chocolate on it? — and not looking too long at the plushie that Keruthien managed to find, either. Because things meant for children are always a little unsettling anyway … "Yes, but depending on who you need the brownie points with they might not help you," she adds as she hands Stefyr a mini Leirithsoap. "I can't promise how well it actually works as soap. Did not check the vendor's credentials."
The graffiti read by Ajral hits Evangeline in her funny bone and she starts to giggle uncontrollably, at first it's cute and small but then it's a full wicked witch type sound that she seems to not be able to stop. "You-." Gasp, laugh. "I want it!" Her hand goes out to Ajral, "I um.. you can have my fish bowl?" offering Ajral her glass bowl with small cardboard fish, the worlds easiest pet. Grabbing out the toupe she moves to toss it at Stefyr with a squeal, "STEFYR, I dare you to wear it." The poor dead thing lays on the ground. Shaking her head she says to Keruthien, "They made like A HUNDRED of those fishes, not even my cats will touch them! I… can we put them in R'hyns Weyr? They have a /bajillion/ cats. He told me." A small giggle as she stares out at the carnival, planning a chocolate covered fish suprise.
"I dare you to put it all on and wear it to breakfast!" Rhodelia will grin over at Ajral with an extra eyebrow waggle and befeathered shoulder-shimmy for emphasis. "Or Stefyr can wear it all." Since Evangeline was already nominating him. Rhody isn't too picky as long as one fantastically awful outfit is paraded about. She raises an eyebrow at Evangeline's suggestion. "Do you really want to be caught sneaking into the weyrleader's weyr for a prank? They do also have three dragons and countless firelizards along with all those cats…" There are some limits even for Rhody. As for which pocket it is, she'll turn so her left pocket is more accesible. "This one… and uhhh… the cards might not be appropriate for some viewers…" She tilts her head silently towards the youngest of their assorted group before stage whispering. "They're a little obscene!"
Blowing a raspberry at one's bro is totally a mature reaction. So obviously it's Stefyr that does it. Take that Keruthien, you and your not really disappointed, and see who wakes up wearing the precious hat one morning. It might just be you. "No," is firm to Rhodelia. "I do animals of all kinds on the farm. But not fish. And not firelizards." THERE, HE SAID IT. HE DOESN'T DO FIRELIZARDS. Witnessed. Scorn him now, he's shameless. He is also shameless in sidling up to Rhodelia now that he's done looking at Keruthien's shawl, though looking unfazed by the bits of shiny even though as a former gardener and farmer, he must have some inkling as to what they are, to murmur more or less in her ear, "You know, I think you'd have an easier time with that," pasta ball of deliciousness, "if you let me have a bite, get you started into the gooey yummy part." He's selfless, see? Now Rhodelia gets his best smile. That charming one that already secured him a Leriith soap that got tucked away with a word of thanks to Aja. "I don't know that Leirith will care, or that Risali would use it. She might just… keep it. Decorative, you know?" Some people do that kind of thing, don't they? It's while he's with Rhody that he lifts his brows to look skeptically at Evangeline, "After you, Evi," holds a grin that is the devil's own; what an ass. Who knew he had it in him? (Well, other than him.) He, in fact, adopts a singsong as he stoops to pick up the abandoned item between two fingers and wiggle it back at the younger girl, "Can't dare it if you can't do it," is sing-songed at her before a toss takes it back her direction.
"Remember also that soap melts when giving it as a gift, then," Ajral has such helpful advice. "Also, Zehun did lay an egg recently …" If someone wants to, er, do firelizards, she's got an extra one that could be given to someone that she might even be able to locate! Maybe. Considering it was Zehun who lay that egg. But she's still not here volunteering to try anyone's food.
Completely mature! Keruthien follows up the raspberry with sticking out his tongue to Stefyr. "Hey, no shame in that!" he says in the next breath, one the matter of firelizards. He doesn't have any, either! "It's your funeral!" Is his comment to Evangeline's plan of putting the coated fish in R'hyn's weyr. "You could always try seeing if the porcines will eat it? I hear they'll eat just about everything." Then Rhody says the MAGIC WORD and he is snickering under his breath. "Fantastic! So you don't mind if I just?" He's going for those pockets, Rhodelia! Best to hold still. He'll finally get a grip on the prize, hauling them out and immediately hoarding it all to himself. Judging from the way he chortles to himself, it's exactly as promised. "Jays, Rhody! Where'd you find these?" Snicker. Snort. Deftly, he shuffles through a few more, lingering longest on one of a certain variety… of which he promptly flicks to Stefyr. Dude. BRO! Look at this (it's likely a guy, not a woman, as some may assume but leave it to him to make folks assume).
"I think Rhodelia is right, Stefyr." Evangeline giggles and shrugs to Rhodelia, "But, Xermiltoth and Ilyscaeth are on the sands mostly. I am sure Ila'den goes somwhere to get his eyepatches adjusted." Both her shoulders wriggle up, as if eyepatches are equally disgusting as brown old klah coated fish and dirty hair pieces. "Was, just like, an idea." Evi can still /HEAR/ ok rhodelia but she blushes and shakes her head, "Ew. No. I have seen to many people half dressed as it is. I will pass." Both hands held out with a grimace as she uses her chopsticks to toss the fish at Stefyr, throwing the rotting kitchen disaster at him and dancing backwards, "No no, it's your color Stefyr, it's a gentlemans piece." There's a slight fun snottyness to her tone which is normally hidden, could Evi be having FUN. Turning to Ajral she rolls her eyes and says, "WHY does everyone around here always want to see or talk about nudity!" BLEH, she licks her lips like she can't get a bad taste out of her mouth. The teeth Keruthien have recieve a disgusted stare, everything is disgusting.
"Melting is fine," Stefyr says to Ajral around his mouthful of heavenly fried pasta, helping as promised once Rhodelia gives the go ahead. "You get the brownie points for giving the gift. Thought that counts and all that. He only barely manages not to spit his mouthful of food onto Rhody's special piece of clothing, when Keruthien flashes him a card. Instead he chokes. That's absolutely why he's turning red, redder, reddest. It must be the lack of air. No, wait, he's breathing, even as he coughs into his fist and tries to clear his airway a little more. It's not a real life and death situation, but his color… man, it's super. REDDER THAN A RIPE REDFRUIT, Y'ALL. His eyes are watering and he finally manages, "Shards, man, a little warning next time." And averts his gaze, and maybe flicks back once or twice. But who's counting.
Rhodelia doesn't mind as all. NEither pasta ball or fish go falling as she poses for the deck-digging. Once the smith has that in hand, she'll set the poor much wiggled fish on the ground. She gives a shrug to the nudity question. "Thought we were supposed to find the grossest things? And trust me… some of those are very, very gross. No need to look at them." If the girl were to try, Rhody would certainly make an effort to shield her eyes. Stefyr gets no such mercy as she snickers as Keruthien tosses a card at the farmer. "I think you turned about as red as that sauce you got there." She nods in agreement with Ajral and firelizard eggs. "My gold has also been a little bit testier than usual lately. Could have just been being crowded barracks…" Or she might have a proddy firelizard very soon. Or already. Who knows?
Considering we've covered that brownies aren't the food, brownie points in Pernese lexicon must come from the myths about the little helpful household creatures, so soap is a great thing for brownie points! "I ended up going more for strange than gross," says Ajral, as regards the things she found, "but the soggy earrings are pretty, um," coming out of her ears now! To be replaced with something nicer later, for certain. "I think I may spare myself looking at the porn cards, if it's all right with you all? I have expectations of anatomical illustrations."
Keruthien is having way too much fun in general! His laughter continues, though he's doing his best to keep it contained. There's a flash of a mischievous grin to Evangeline, and something a little more fox-like for Stefyr when he reacts so predictably! The card is reshuffled, the whole deck innocently held. "Why? It's just the human body? What's so shameful on something most of us have already seen?" he teases, lightly. NEVER mind that Rhody said they're obscene which is… something completely different. "Y'might want to stash these somewhere, Rhody! They won't be appreciated for their obvious art form. Just sayin? I mean, I'd hate to see someone pawn this to Ila'den or R'hyn. That'd be some awkward explaining!" Is that why he's not handing the cards back? They are offered, after a spell. Ajral is given a curious look. "Anatomical illustrations?" he repeats back, only fumbling the first word slightly. "Sounds like Healer talk."
"Well," Stefyr tries to bring the topic back around, "I like Rhody's clothing item," his face is still red but it's slowly coming back. "Aja's graffiti, Rhody's food, Evi's yellow feather thing, Ruthien's food," wait, that's two food, oh well, "And my hat." And two clothing. Obviously, he's invested in this game. It doesn't stop him from saying to Ajral, "I have a book of those. The anatomical diagrams, and it has a lot of words I'm having trouble with." The look he gives her definitely implies that at his earliest convenience, he's going to be asking her healerly assistance to interpret said items. In the meantime, he's going to move toward Keruthien and make a swipe for the deck of cards from the hand offered back to Rhody; he must have decided he'd like to look through after all, even if it turns his face back to alarming shades of red. It may not bode well that after a few cards, he informs his co-worker to whom the deck technically belongs, "I'm keeping these for now." Prize? Which category did he win? The cards one, obviously.
Rhodelia raises her eyebrows as Stefyr says he's keeping the cards. "You know… they're your's. I was just going to toss them in the Wherry afters but if they've found a good home…" Surely there will be more debate over the perks and flaws of each persons finds for this bizarre hunt. Maybe the conversation devolves into trying to find something even MORE ridiculous. One thing is certain, there's a good amount of laughter before the candidates manage to find their way back to the barracks.