Candlelit Dinner (Feast!)

[zeis]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our auction! Canph purred into the minds of all those he held enthralled, reaching forward with one massive clawed foot to drag the sizable pile of diasks toward his person. It was a small fortune, easily 12 pounds of coin and more money than either the red or his rider had seen collectively in their entire lives. Thinking greedy thoughts but maintaining the suave and mildly cynical persona he had taken on during the auction, he turned his sly brown eyes out over the assembled people. Congratulations to all out winners out there, and especially you new Winglets! Now have a wonderful evening, and drink responsibly!

He was sure they didn't need much urging to have a good time. The kitchen staff had not been expecting a make shift auction to be started in the large yawning cavern adjoining the kitchens and mess halls with the outdoor canyon bed. The cavern was used primarily for bringing in wagons of supplies than anything else, but they had adapted quickly as the auction progressed, moving quickly and unobtrusively amidst the bidders. Clearing out spaces, hauling out seating, candles, and braziers to flood the area with heat and light, making it as accommodating as any inner chamber, albeit with a partial view of the starry sky. Ironically, it gave the evening a pretty romantic candle-lit feeling.

The amount of simourv born today may have been considerably less than Eceph's hatching, but the occasion was none the less special. In fact the amount of food and drink laid out the many tables and trays seemed more abundant than the last, most likely due to the Eyrie's growing population. Now that the auction was over, the dancers and musicians took up the entertainment where the red simourv left off. The night was still young, and the party would go on.

"If you think I'm letting you keep any of that, you're out of your damn mind." K'huna growled dangerously, raising his voice over the music, and he looked away from his enticing pile of treasure to see the Wingletmaster marching toward him with eyes that promised death if he was lucky. Didn't I sell you? Canph asked a bit sourly, enjoying the flare of anger and disapproval that flared in his riders mind. He gave a squawk of disapproval as the man ripped an empty sack off the nearby wagon he had been using as an improvised auction block, and began packing the money away. Hey! That's mine!

"No, it's not." He sighed, as he scooped the diasks into the bag, ignoring the giant head that rudely tried to nose him out of the way, and ducking under the beak to continue his task. "This came from the Eyrie, and its going right back into it. What the hell could you even do with all this money?" He paused to glance briefly up at the red, and snort. "Make me buy you jewelry?" The slightly angry speechless look in the great creatures eyes affirmed that as truth, and he stifled a cynical laugh as he went back to it, storing the last diask away. None had escaped his notice. Good.

He searched the crowd for a face he trusted among the servants, found it, and had the money taken away to somewhere safe, with murmured threats should any one of those diasks go missing. Around this little drama between simourv and rider, bidders were meeting up with their dates, fresh drinks were being poured, and people all around toasted to the three new Winglets of the Eyrie.

[Kat]

Ros’n had won someone, but she had no idea what to do with him, now. She bit her lip, as she wandered up near the stage to find the new winglet she had ‘purchased.’ Originally, Ros’n wanted to buy some pretty feminine thing, some lithe woman Ros’n could toy with before she seduced that girl into her bed, but once the idea entered her mind to evaluate the new winglet, Ros’n could not forget it, and the result was that she spent all her diasks buying the boy. She might have allowed the Gray fledgeling to outbid her, and by Wegmeph’s calculations, she needed to do so, but once T’ia started bidding, Ros’n became horribly competitive, and she refused to lose to the horrible woman who had stolen her mother. T’ia could have nothing else of Ros’n’s. The bluerider, while she bid, had been consuming copious amounts of ale, which meant that she was a little shaky on her feet, as she danced towards K’huna and Canph, a grin plastered across her face. She was in a good mood, even though she had spent her diasks on a person who she was not sure how to interact with. Wegmeph’s clutch had hatched. The hatchlings were all beautiful and incredible, and they had all bonded. Not a single drop of blood was shed; not a single hatchling unbonded; everything was perfect.

And the success of the hatching relieved the stress which had been building inside Ros’n for weeks, since Altaph had laid the clutch. The idea of parenthood, even though it was Wegmeph’s parenthood and not her own, made Ros’n a wreck, and not even her cool tempered blue could keep her mind from spinning through horrible possibilities. And now it was over, and Ros’n wanted to celebrate. And she was going to celebrate with this new winglet who was the rider of her Wegmeph’s child, and the only blue of the clutch. While Wegmeph instructed Ros’n not to favor any of the hatchlings over any of the others, and if she did so she should like little Philomeph best, but Ros’n felt a certain attachment to the only blue hatchling. Wegmeph was a blue, and Ros’n loved him with every hollow of her heart. And for Ros’n, celebrating meant drinking. She had already consumed quite a bit, and she absolutely planned to drink more. She was going to need it, as her date was probably going to be pretty awkward. Oh, well, she would make it a good time. Ros’n always had fun, if she could manage it.

Wegmeph was hiding in shame from his rider’s antics. She was such an embarrassment to him sometimes. She was just so uncontrolled at times, so absolutely contrary to the way she should act. She should have allowed the gray hatchling to win the auction for the new winglet. She should have not been bidding at all, because Canph’s game was stupid and petty. Wegmeph absolutely disapproved. But he had found Altaph, and he was chirping to her lovingly, even though she was less excited about his company than he was. She was a mother, though, on this day, and Wegmeph wanted her to be celebrated.
I want no part in this.
The blue announced, and for once, he did not care who heard him. He wanted the whole Eyrie to know that he disapproved, and that his silly rider acted out of her own accord. Ros’n, now at the stage, looked around for her new charge. She was so excited to get to know him and his lovely little blue. It was a wonderful night. She wondered what the boy drank. She would like to order his drink before she found him.

---

Ri’ley did not drink often. He tried to keep himself in a sober state, so that he could remain in control of his body and his mind. Ri’ley liked control, but more importantly, he needed control. Ri’ley’s emotions were stiff and powerful, and Ri’ley needed his full capacity to control his own passions. But the auction was quite stressful, and as the price on him went up, Ri’ley really wanted to drink something right then. He was not sure that he could make it through the night without snatching the boy in half unless Ri’ley was pretty intoxicated, but K'huna had directly told them not to drink, and Ri'ley was not going to ruin Dionyph's night. And then, L’nan swept in and saved Ri’ley from his horrible demise and ensured humiliation, by bidding on him as well. And Ri’ley had never been so glad that L’nan was his friend in his entire life. And he liked L’nan quite a bit, so he was often glad to see her. A large, appreciative smile had spread across Ri’ley’s face, until N'raan started bidding on Amaryllis, after which Ri'ley paled to a sickly pallor. When the other boy had dedicated himself to winning K’huna. Ri’ley would have to provide condolences to the redrider after the feast, as well as provide the redrider with his eternal thanks. In Ri’ley’s mind, K’huna had saved the blackrider from a horrible fate.

But Ri’ley was more thankful to L’nan, who he moved off the stage to go find so that she did not have to retrieve her. He would make sure that he paid her back, as he did not want her to spend her diasks on him solely to save him. He had the money to make sure that she was compensated for the money she spent on him. She had done him such a favor. Ri’ley wrapped his arms around his chest, and then he tightened his lips. He glanced towards Amaryllis, who was bought by a lovely child who he had not yet met, before he turned to look for his new date before. Ri’ley did not worry that the rumors might be intensified by L’nan’s purchase. Perhaps he should have worried about that problem, but instead, he was just gracious that she had saved him. He would worry about the rumors later, but for now, he was just happy to have avoided a date with N’raan. Ri’ley did not even want to speculate what that date would have entailed.

At least, in all this chaos, the night would go well for Dionyph. Ri’ley liked to think that Dionyph’s affection for Laraph would make him feel over the moon about her bids on him. The Black did not seem to understand what exactly a date was, but he knew that he was going to spend the night with Laraph. The gray probably did not understand the meaning of the event, either, but it was an adorable thought that the two of them would spend the night together, and that Dionyph would be effortlessly happy for a night. Ri’ley’s night did not matter; he would focus on Dionyph’s happiness.

---

Dionyph knew that Ri’ley had been stressed about the auction, but now that the even was over, Ri’ley seemed to have calmed. That was all that Dionyph cared about for now. He was far too wrapped up in his own happiness and excitement to worry about Ri’ley, who was a worrier anyway, and who would be fine later, after the feast and auction ended. All Dionyph understood was that Laraph had won him, and that she had spent money on him. She wanted to spend time with him! She truly not only did not mind his company, but sought it out, because she wanted to be with him! What could be more glorious of a revelation? Dionyph could think of no situation which made him happier. He puffed up his body with excitement, which made him look even larger than he already was. Even though Dionyph was less than half of the size that he would probably reach, he was becoming larger and larger, and Ri’ley, especially, noticed and mourned the change. Dionyph was thrilled that he was becoming an adult. He was increasing in size; he was becoming a beast, finally, and he was reaching the size which would make him a protector, a knight, a king. Dionyph was growing up, and when he was grown, he could accept his destiny as a ruler of the Eyrie—of the skies. Ri’ley, though, disliked the fact that the hatchling would not be a hatchling much longer, and that the creature would soon grow to such a size that the man could not spend every second with the beast. Ri’ley liked to be physically intimate with Dionyph. He liked to keep himself in the closest physical proximity as possible to his black, and although he assumed that the infatuation stage would fade, the thought of being without Dionyph always was painful to the man. Dionyph knew that, but he also thought that the behavior was silly. He would be so much better when he was large. Dionyph would be much more suited for the company of Laraph when he was large, but she was still small too, although she was bigger than him, the only one in their class who was larger, so perhaps he was actually worthy of her company tonight.

The black did not understand, really, what was being traded for his company, but he seemed to glean that the traded item was important to the humans. Ri’ley was worried, after all, about L’nan spending the currency on his purchase. What if Dionyph was costing Laraph something valuable! Why, that would be horrible. He would be ruining her wonderful life with his needy taint. That was not acceptable. The black suddenly moved from being excited and elated to worried and nervous. What if Laraph was angry with him? What would he do with himself? He purred a bit, as he looked around the room in an attempt to find a suitable gift for his love. He could find nothing in the room. How could he present himself to Laraph without a gift? She might never forgive the indiscretion.

Dionyph’s eyes were frantically searching around the room for a hint of a gift to present to Laraph. He could find nothing, but his light gray eyes scanned over the room, flashing with worry. He could not fail his queen! His night was slowly spinning away from being a perfect, amazing night, and Dionyph was becoming frantic. Ri’ley did not know what aggravated his black, but he send comforting, loving thoughts, and soon, Dionyph was puffed back up in his proud, ready stance. He would make it up to Laraph, somehow, even if he could not do so tonight. Right now, he just needed to live in the moment and appreciate that Laraph wanted to be with him. He wanted to be with her so badly, and he would enjoy his time.

---

Morgana was not entirely sure why she decided to spend her diasks buying Amira—or whatever the Hell her name was now. The Tawny was very pretty, and Morgana was fond of her roommate—well, former roommate, and it seemed like a grand idea at the time. Besides, Morgana was just protecting Amira from some of the less savory people who might try to buy her. Morgana was a fun night, really, and she was determined to show Amira a good time. The other girl deserved to be treated to a fun, exciting night. She had done a great thing, today, bonding, and although Morgana did not give a shit about the simourvs, she knew that Amira did. Besides, this would probably be Morgana’s last night in the Eyrie, and she wanted to spend it with a girl she considered her friend. That was fair, in Morgana’s eyes. She could take back the money that she ahd spent. People would be drunk tonight, and wallets were easily taken.

Morgana had changed since the hatching, and she had removed her scarf, while keeping her red cloak on her body. She was fond of her cloak, and it was still cold enough to wear it feasibly. Morgana had also had the foresight of finding Amira a gift, since the other girl would soon be leaving their shared room, Morgana had selected one of her large, painted scarves, one with a ocean theme painted over a light blue wash. It was a nice scarf, one her father had bought her when she asked too many questions about Itnala, and she thought the scarf fit Amira quite well. Since she had expected to see the other girl at the feast, she had brought the scarf, and she wrapped it around her neck.

Otherwise, Morgana was not dressed up for the feast. She was wearing a dark blue dress under her cloak, which was unusually plain for the woman. She did not want to stand out tonight. She wanted to fit in as much as possible so that no one would notice her nearby escape. She would only be spending a few more days in the Eyrie, at the most, and she wanted to slip away without a hassle. If she could avoid making a scene, she could bring no more attention to herself, and she could leave without a stir. Morgana stomped towards the stage, where she dropped her coins into the bag. The red auctioneer was very pretty, Morgana noted. She liked his bright colors and she was impressed by him. Morgana loved the brightly colored simourvs. She liked the Tawny which was now Amira’s, but she also liked the simourvs with the most color, like Aburoqaph, who she would like more if he only looked pretty and never spoke. And this big red seemed both graceful and flamboyant and pretty. Morgana appreciated it. The girl lifted her hand in a wave towards Amira, and she donned a large smile across her face.

((EDITED: to remove Ri'ley's alcohol consumption.))

[zeis]

M'ari, who at this point was feeling the light buzz of a few mugs of mead, looked up at the makeshift wagon-stage with a shrug, and an accepting sigh. There'd be no date for him tonight. He hadn't managed to win anyone, and there had been several very cute girls being auctioned off too. Maybe he should have put himself up on the block? Everyone was sold to someone, at least then maybe he could have gotten some action. He regarded the party around him gloomily for a moment, before shrugging, and winking at a passing barmaid. Well, my beauty, at least we have each other.

The reliable presence of Valenph surged comfortably on the shores of his mind, all at once a whole manner of emotions that needed no words to express. Love, consolation, joy, amusement, perhaps a little disappointment as well. He strained to see over the milling crowds of celebrating people to the shapes of the simourv in attendance. Their great colorful forms bathed in torchlight and arranged comfortably on the ground outside the overhang of rock that sheltered most of the feast It was not hard to spot his lovely green, reclining and regarding him sedately with black eyes that flickered orange in the light. He lifted his half depleted mug toward her in a toast, and in return she perked her large ears.

I wish there were more nights like this. Her voice was pleased, but also wistful. M'ari could sympathize. Their lives in Spiderland were full of challenge and hardship, and his more recent life as a rider wasn't a bed of roses. The work was tough, the battles fierce and stressful. He sipped his liquor, and leaned back to relax and scan the crowd for familiar faces. There were plenty of them. Me too. Let's just enjoy 'em, while we can, yeah? He smiled cheerily, whatever disappointment he felt at being a wall-flower replaced by his usual unshakable optimism. Tonight was going to be a good party, and maybe if he met a pretty girl it would turn into a great party.

~~~~~~~~~

Now look at the mess you're in!

K'ii hesitated near the stage after most of the other 'dates' seemed to be meeting up with their buyers. Though he did sidle away from the Wingletmaster and Canph when they started arguing over money, he didn't go too far. He was entirely unsure of what to do with himself at this point. He was feeling a number of things but he wasn't sure which to focus on. Embarrassment, for one, because he had just been hoisted in front of the crowd and sold to the highest bidder. And because he hadn't been expecting it, so it wasn't like he was really well groomed. His clothes were old and torn, and his hair was straggly and snarled around his shoulders. He normally didn't care so much about his appearance, but it was funny how that could change when people put a value to you based on that.

This wouldn't have happened if you just listened to me!

He pushed his hair back behind his ears, and kept his eyes firmly on the floor, his face burning almost as red as his hair was. Another reason to be embarrassed, he hadn't been bought by a person but by a simourv. What did that mean? And Akaturiaph had gotten into a bidding war over him, how embarrassing was that? His other hand was clenched into a fist, turning his already pale knuckles white. The young man wasn't just embarrassed, he felt angry too. Angry at his brother for dragging him up there, when K'ii had protested so insistently. Angry at Canph for quietly threatening to blackmail him with extra chores, and angry at N'raan for apparently having knowledge of this. What was making him the most upset however, was how upset he was over this!

I wanted to stay in our room, but nooo~!

He swallowed against the hot sore feeling in his throat, and outright rejected any notion that he may have been close to tears. No way. He was not going to add that humiliation onto the list of things that happened to him today. His dark green eyes lifted to scan the crowd for his brother, and his frowning face settled into something more akin to an angry pout. If he saw N'raan at all tonight, he'd just walk right up and punch him. That sounded like a good idea. Somewhere deep down he realized that the emotions he was feeling were fueled by similar emotions being fed to him by Akaturiaph, whose mental bombardment of scolding and criticisms had not stopped since Othokenph won him for the night.

If Othokenph thinks he can just take you away from me, then he's go-

Aka, SHUT UP! K'ii, who's short temper had been frayed to a single thread and finally snapped, nearly yelled in his own head. The feeling startled him, but silenced the young green simourv. The boy instantly felt terrible. How could he have said something like that to her? She really was just trying to keep him safe, and it wasn't like she didn't love him. He sighed, and took a deep fortifying breath, before darting self consciously through the crowd and out of the general feasting area, slipping into the cool dark of where most of the adult simourv sat. The boy pressed his back against the rough canyon rock, and closed his eyes. Please just... Yell at me later.

Akaturiaph, who still inside glaring metaphorical daggers she wished were real at Othokenph, responded icily. Oh, I will. To the blue at her side, she offered a huffing breath, before rising to her feet. It displeased her to see that the blue was taller than her now. Well, if he thought he could use size to intimidate her, he was wrong! She stood with her back arched and stunted wings spread, stretching her neck up as well to try and gain the height advantage. She couldn't, but it made her feel more powerful all the same. She spoke acidly to her sibling, her golden eyes accusing. I hope you're happy.

[Kilnarak]

Really, all things considered, N'raan was rather pleased. Even if, in the end, he only had one man-slave for the evening. So what if he couldn't make Ri'ley's evening a nightmare, there were always other evenings. And days. Really, he would just have to make up for the loss later, and that wasn't so bad. He was a bit more disappointed that he had not been able to win that lovely herbalist, however - was he an herbalist? or an alchemist? N'raan really wasn't entirely clear, and really, it didn't matter so much. But again, he could assuage himself that there were always other times, other days and nights. There would be other chances, and at the very least he had won a date for the night.

Speaking of his date, while N'raan had seen the Wingletmaster step down from the auction platform, he wasn't entirely sure where he had gone. A faint frown curved his lips, but before he could move to make sure his date wasn't trying to make an escape, Teimoph's hulking form stepped between him and the platform. The growing giant of a red glowered down at His, his ears set back and his molten eyes narrowed nearly to slits - really, if simourv could scowl, he would be doing so. Why? Teimoph only offered one simple word, that one thought the eye of a raging hurricane. A growing sense of anger hung about it, swirling in a mix of suspicion and jealousy, and the vaguest hint of betrayal. His had bought K'huna, wanted K'huna, and Teimoph already had a rather good idea of what His wanted the older man for. But they had discussed this, they had come to an agreement, and now His was going to break it? Teimoph growled softly at the thought, but really, there wasn't much force behind it - there wasn't much he could do to stop His, short of sitting on him or screaming in his head all evening, and really, that wouldn't be particularly pleasant for either of them.

N'raan blinked at the simourv blocking his path, momentarily confused by the question. Why? Why what? But then he felt the surge of Teimoph's emotions through their bond and understood. The boy straightened himself, reaching up abruptly to grab ahold of Teimoph's head and tug it down, ruffling feathers and drawing a soft hiss from the temperamental creature - but still Teimoph allowed it, and may have relaxed a touch as His continued to muss up his feathers. We're being good, see? N'raan grinned in the most reassuring manner he knew how up at the giant of a hatchling - it really wasn't very reassuring, but it was the best he had at the moment. He didn't intend to go back on his word, at least, not at the moment. He was trying to be good, and even if he did slip up now and then, at least he was being better than he had been. Besides, don't you want to humiliate him? The sly expression to replace his attempt at reassurance sat more comfortably upon his sharp-edged features.

Teimoph snorted derisively at His' question, although still the concept piqued his interest. Humiliate Canph's...? The young red turned his head to the side, his golden gaze finding the Wingletmaster easily where N'raan had not - of course, now His' gaze was following. The red's ears relaxed slightly, perking up a bit, and he seemed to be considering the concept. Teimoph finally rumbled an answer, turning his attention back to His. What do you mean? How? He still radiated a faint sense of suspicion, but at his question N'raan's grin broadened. He could sense that he had won Teimoph over. Do you want to know, Tei? There's a satchel, back in our room. Bring it here. Teimoph only snorted again, setting his ears back, his suspicion growing. You want me to leave, he growled again, his tail lashing behind him and he didn't particularly care that it smacked into others around them.

No. You know how to find me. Bring it back, N'raan frowned up at the simourv, dragging Teimoph's head down again to briefly hug his neck before releasing him. It was true! He wasn't lying! And he didn't particularly care to go back to his room just to get the bag of clothing. Really, he hadn't actually been planning it ahead of time - he had just been separating his warm-weather clothes from cold-weather, searching for the soft fur-lined suede overcoat he had chosen to wear tonight. But he was sure the variety of loincloths and not-very-covering attire would look simply fabuluous on K'huna - even if they would be a size or two too small. Finally, perhaps catching a hint of His' intentions, Teimoph turned about to do as asked, grumbling about the foolishness of humanity (even if he was rather fond of the idea of making Canph's into a laughing-stock).

N'raan watched Teimoph a few moments, waiting until he was nearly out of sight before turning his attention back toward K'huna. The dark-skinned winglet's lips curved into a rather predatory smirk as he began making his way to where K'huna seemed to be having an argument with Canph. He leaned forward to purr in the Wingletmaster's ear as he drew closer, catching ahold of the other man's arm and making as if to drag him away from his red. "Hellooo~ Y' ain' tryin' t' get out've our date, are y' hunter?"

---

Mashiro - no Ma'ro now - had not been expecting to be dragged to this event. He had been on the way back to the room he had shared with Embry to collect his things, his arms laden with the surprisingly heavy form of Hummiph. The blue had fallen into an uneasy sleep after he had eaten. He'd had enough time to set the newborn simourv down upon what had been his bed - intending to begin packing his things - when someone had grabbed him from behind and dragged him to a... pair of rather large red, Seronaph and Canph, who had made some sort of threat or other that he hadn't entirely been able to follow before shoving him and a number of others up onto a stage. And then the bidding itself had begun, and the albino had simply held still, stunned by the bidding war occurring over his purchase for the night.

At some point during the proceedings he had sensed Hummiph awaken - had sensed the sudden surge of panic when the hatchling had found himself in an unfamiliar place without His. He hadn't been sure how to calm the child, and while he had tried to send the blue reassuring thoughts, he really had no way of knowing if they worked. Hummiph had eventually followed the bread-crumb trail of Ma'ro's thoughts, darting from shadow to shadow and skulking low to the ground - out of sight and out of notice, with all of the attention focused up on the stage, up on His - until he finally crawled beneath the stage itself and huddled there, shivering in sympathy as he felt them all looking at His.

It felt like it went on forever, by the time the auction finally closed even Ma'ro was worn - his calm, polite exterior waring thin as he had begun to fidget on the stage. As soon as the auction was called to a close, the albino was on his way off the stage - he didn't bother looking for the woman who had won him, but instead immediately turned about to crawl under the stage and collect his shadow, the blue ball of feathers and anxiety that was Hummiph. As soon as the hatchling saw his, the little simourv was scrambling to the man, shoving up against his chest and huddling there. He whimpered and shivered, and even the arms wrapped about his small form could not fully comfort him. They were all watching, his voice was whisper soft and shaking, Mine, can we stay here? Until they stop? Until they're gone?

Ma'ro stroked Hummiph's ears, making soft reassuring noises for the hatchling. A part of him wanted - and badly - to tell the child yes, yes they could stay here and wait. But he didn't, and he couldn't - they had responsibilities, and it would be decidedly less traumatic if their buyer did not have to bodily drag them out. But maybe for the moment? For a few moments? They could stay here just a little while, just until Hummiph stopped shaking. "Shh. We will stay a little while, but it will only draw more attention if they have to drag us out, Hummiph. I promise, when we get out we will find somewhere away from the crowd."

[Fox]

Stony silence. Silent treatment, Mine, really?[/color] No answer. How old are you, five?[/color] Angry, stomping steps off the set of his humiliation. No words. It was just a bit of fun… Maybe Muraaph’s might be able to remove that stick stuck up your--[/color] ”Enough!” K’ean exploded, though he did so quietly in a hiss that would have frozen fire. Tight-lipped, blue eyes blazing, the redrider was most certainly not amused. In fact, ‘not amused’ was a severe understatement. Seronaph matched the ice-blue glare with his one of glowing amber, and for a full minute there was a small circle of stillness in their immediate vicinity. Eventually, K’ean turned away with a huff of breath, backing down not because he conceded the point, but because he had better things to do than butt heads with his ass of a simourv (who had, apparently, thought it would be a good idea to haul his rider up onto the auction block); he had a date to find. One who had paid money to buy his company for the evening. The redrider could not even begin to stress just why he thought it was ridiculous. He left Seronaph to his own devices for the evening; likely the red would remain a grump, as he settled himself slightly to one side of the congregation. The night suddenly seemed a lot less fun.

But, K’ean mused with a sigh, temper fading slowly to the barest flicker of embers, just because he thought the whole ‘auction’ was idiotic didn’t mean he’d be too unpleasant. A’re had spent diasks on him, and there were certainly worse people to spend the evening with. Briefly, the new wingletmaster’s thoughts flashed back to the rather evilly-smirking N’raan of Red Teimoph who had bought K’huna. That was one man K’ean did not envy at all.

The redrider had dressed well for the evening; he had wanted to make a good impression on the winglets he would have in his class for the next two years. Maroon button-down, black trousers, polished black boots. At least if he was going to have a date foisted on him tonight he wouldn’t look completely disgraceful. With a scowl, K’ean eyed a passing servant bearing a tray of drinks. It was so tempting to reach out and snag one, but no. He couldn’t afford to be hungover when he had his first Winglet lesson to conduct tomorrow. He would have to go it alone. At least there would be good company. Sighing heavily, the redrider straightened from his despondent slouch, peering over the heads of the people present (he was thankful for his height; it made looking over people so much easier) in search of the familiar greenrider. They might as well make a night of it.

&

To be perfectly honest, L’nan hadn’t been intending to actually bid on anyone during the auction. Sure, she’d stuck her hand in it a bit, and maybe even was partially to blame, but spending money? On a date? That thought had made her slightly uncomfortable. She would have been content to bid in the beginning, and then let others who were more seriously competitive outstrip her as the prices went up; it was partly frugality and partly embarrassment, but this outcome was not one that Lea would have pegged for the end of the auction. She had bought someone. For 37 diasks she now had Ri’ley as a date for the evening. Now, she just had to get over the unrealistic urge to hide her face in her hands. That would not do at all.

Admittedly, she hadn’t wanted to see her friend end up saddled with N’raan for the night. Who knew what that boy would come up with; it would have been hell. And excuse her if L’nan preferred to watch out for her friends. Her fiercely competitive streak had surfaced with a vengeance. And she’d outbid him. That was that. The tawnyrider groaned and gave in to the urge to hide her face in her hands for a moment, remembering at the last minute to do so carefully to avoid smudging the make-up she still wasn’t used to wearing. On the bright side, she’d have intelligent conversation. And Eoreph was happy. Lea had had to explain the process to her simourv before the tawny finally understood why her siblings and Theirs were traipsing up onto the stage to be sold, but no sooner had L’nan finished explaining than the tawny had placed a bid. On Dareph.

It had been a bit of a shock, but not unwelcome. The tawny was starting to poke her head out a bit more from inside her shell, and L’nan was happy for it. Even if Eoreph had followed the bid by hunching her shoulders, as if trying to appear smaller. It didn’t work. If anything, Eoreph only looked more conspicuous. But anyway, the tawny had disappeared to find Dareph, on her own, which left her bonded to suck up her hesitation and go to find Ri’ley. With a sigh, she stood from her table where she’d been so preoccupied admiring a wrinkle in the cloth. It wasn’t hard to spot him, either; the blackrider towered over a good portion of the crowd, and after a moment in which Lea teetered between the options of calling out to him and actually going to speak to him, the young woman vacated her table to approach her friend. Whilst doing so, she fixed a smile on her face; her manner becoming decidedly cheery as she stopped in front of her friend, peering up the height difference to raise an eyebrow.

”So, I do hope that my date for the evening is worth the price.” She offered by way of greeting, her tone verging on cheeky. It was a persona which meant safety, though Lea couldn’t deny that she did like Ri’ley; he was thus far one of her best friends, after all.

&

Eoreph was beginning to regret the decision to find Dareph on her own. In fact, she was beginning to regret the decision of bidding at all. When Hers had explained it, it had seemed like it would potentially be a fun game; though the tawny wasn’t usually of the sort to play games. But she had not thought it through, and she had placed money on Dareph; it had been either him or Dionyph, and the tawny wasn’t about to go up against her Gray sister. One of the reds had been happy enough to do that. Now, she wondered what in the world people talked about on these ‘dates’. Did they even talk? Or did they eat? L’nan had been a bit unclear on that. And Eoreph knew she wasn’t the best talker anyway. Oh dear, this was going to be a disaster.

Hesitantly, the tawny found herself standing at the edge of the group of winglets and riders; partially hidden by the much larger body of Red Seronaph (who snorted at her but otherwise did not comment, being largely absorbed by his own wallowing) watching shyly. She hoped the evening went well for Hers, and for all the other people who had been bought and who had paid the money. But Eoreph really just wanted to slink back to the room that she and Hers shared in the Winglets Barracks. It was so much more comfortable there. Fewer people. Less expectation to talk. Eoreph didn’t really dislike talking; she just had very little to say.

&

Well, that had been fun. The auction had gone rather splendidly, even if Silas had not had anything to do with the actual planning. Silas had been a willing ‘victim’; sauntering up to the stage like it was nobody’s business but his own. He figured why not? It would be fun to watch, and he might even get a date out of it without having to spend his own diasks. Let others spend them on him instead. Up there, he had been decidedly amused and fascinated to watch a bidding war break out as people rushed to outbid each other for their desired dates for that evening. The man had even been surprised to see Mashiro-- Ma’ro now-- get sold at the highest price of 70 diasks; he was pleased for his friend, but really, seventy? Eventually, Silas himself had ended the auction at a respectable 43 diasks, sold to a girl he didn’t know, but vaguely recognised as a winglet. He wasn’t bothered. Meeting knew people was half the fun, anyway.

As the auction closed and people began to approach to pay up, Silas hopped off the block. He was tempted to let the girl who’d bought him come and find him herself, but it wouldn’t be gentlemanly. And tonight was a perfect night to dust off his charmer’s skills. He wouldn’t waste it. Now all he had to do was find her in the crowded place; with only a vague idea of where she had been sitting, Silas meandered off in that direction, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dress pants as he surveyed the crowd, searching non-chalantly for that familiar face. He had to find his date. [/size]

[Bre]

You eyes are like a blue sky, blue sky, blue . . .

Emi had already tottered up and paid. 69 diasks for three people. It was a lot but not not enough to bother her. She had a job and she thought this affair a worthy investment. After all, having some fun never hurt anybody! She had successfully won I'dou, H'kan, and Amaryllis. She didn't really know any of them, but I'dou was nice from what she knew. The other two were important in her mind, vitally important for her selfless plan. She was going to make sure that all of them had lots of fun. Too many people didn't know how to make friends. You had to put yourself out there. She knew that. She knew that very well. She wasn't scared of anything, even if she still liked to sleep with her stuffed animals tucked securely into bed with her. Taking a moment of pause, she straightened out the tiny blue dress she had picked. It flowed elegantly from her small body.

Turning around and standing as tall as she could, Emi started to survey the thickening crowd. I'dou was the easiest for her to find amongst the swirling mass of people milling about the open room and entranceway. Everyone knew what the young grayrider looked like! She slipped her way up beside the young woman, beaming from ear to ear. She was really, really excited. This was going to be so much fun! Canph was such a smart simourv. Not really nice, the way he yelled at everyone. He had a very loud voice. However, this was a great idea for the feast! "Hey I'dou! We get to hangout. I made sure. This is gonna be so much fun!" She sounded quite sure of everything she said, manner energetic, radiant, and cheery. "Can you help me find the others?" Emi asked the taller girl, voice quite polite. She didn't have to help if she didn't want to help.

Ro'za was pissed. Eceph was busy standing watch so that all the other people could celebrate and Ro'za was pissed. She was not an object to be auctioned off. What was K'huna thinking? No, wait, this was Canph's fault. K'huna had been sold off too. One of the winglets or something had bought him. How appropriate. Kill him, Eceph. The order was very sincere, but the gray, using her most viable skill to control her rider, decided to ignore her and focus on the task of guarding the eyrie. This did not please Phoenix in the slightest. Glowering over at where Canph had been standing, her body language and posture radiated unadulterated aggression and frustration. Ro'za didn't want a date. She didn't go on dates. She didn't do love or romance. She had G'len, who was not her romantic partner in any way, and that was way more than enough for her.

Showing no interest in being cooperative, Ro'za eventually turned away and stalked towards the nearest server. He tried to get away, thinking that he was in trouble, quite wisely, but she was quicker than him and grabbed a glass of what he was caring before he could push his way through the crowd. Without even realizing what was in the cup, she drained it. Professionalism and authority had already gone to heck that evening. She was going to make sure Canph was slaughtered later. Did he have any idea what he was doing? The eyrie was a military force, one that didn't need fools. She would kill him herself, no matter the size difference. Not particularly interested in finding out who had won her auction, she slumped into one of the seats that had been setup around the dining space, her shoulders rolled up and her face set in a glower.

. . . you're floating in the fountain, in the fountain of youth.

[winged]

The moment all bids were accounted for, and all spent diasks swept aside to be eyed covetously by Auctioneer Canph, Laraph whisked through the slowly dismantling crowd towards the hastily erected stage. A growing number of participants and onlookers were buffeted to one side or another by the gray's half-furled wingspan or her lashing tail. She didn't so much weave through the crowd as enjoy the immediate ease of the path cleared for her by wary, sensible folk and simourv alike. As it was, she was too keyed up to acknowledge others' feelings - the loss of Ma'ro had unsettled the not-so-little queen, and she was anxious to collect the date she'd salvaged from the wreckage.

Dionyph! The greeting was as much an undignified scramble as her stage mount, the chick's eyes restlessly wandering the room and occasionally on the black himself. Laraph was clearly expecting some last minute intervention, a planned abduction of Dionyph. Well, she wouldn't settle for that! Chuffing and otherwise grumbling to herself, the gray finally settled into a terse crouch, tail still twitching. She'd unintentionally left the initiated conversation stall, although it was clear to see that she was making a game attempt at focusing on the here and now, rather than the miserly culprits shadowing her troubled thoughts. She'd won Dionyph fair and square!

- -

I'dou was equal parts distracted and perturbed. The fog of warmth and love leftover from the Hatching had persisted through the morning - clouding her senses and providing an easy target for the foolhardy schemer who'd corralled her up here, on stage, to be handed to the highest bidder. That had been very unpleasant indeed - she'd divided her glares amongst those who had placed diasks on her presumed company for the evening (backed by Canph's promises of extra chores for every idling minute of the day) and her simourv who seemed only too happy to throw away the diasks she'd been scrounging and saving for YEARS.

When all was said and done, I'dou felt only the drain of slowly ebbing emotion and a grudging sense of finality. She'd kept a frantic mental tally of how much of her budget Laraph had spent (while providing many unfounded threats in the hopes of forcing the gray to back down). No dice, in the end, and she was left torn between mourning her lost money, or her lost evening. In the end neither came to fruition, as Emi bounded into view. The gray winglet listened with the plainest expression she could fathom, arms crossed against her chest as the little herder girl spoke most earnestly of the wonderful evening in store for ALL of them!

Oh, well. She didn't remember hearing about /more/ participants to this little getogether - lost somewhere amidst her internalized rage and disbelief most likely. "...uh." Now she was supposed to find these people - she, who didn't know half her class beyond a face and an annoying habit or two that defined them. Looking fairly lost, I'dou glanced about in startling likeness to her simourv, who was performing the same action on the other side of the stage, before shrugging. "Sure." Emi could lead the way, she seemed perfectly capable. I'dou wasn't even going to begin trying to handle this.

[Vanman]

There he was, standing on stage. People were shouting around him, all shouting out numbers each higher than the last. He looked to his left and he saw Canaph, giving a type of grin that people get when they earn hefty amounts of money. He looked to his right and saw Gaoph, with H’kan’s shirt hanging from his mouth. He looked down. Yep, I have no shirt. Fortunatley for H’kan, his abs were quite well defined, he takes pride in his fitness. He was mad at Gaoph, he was extremely mad. You will thank me some day. Gaoph said, trying to shed reason on why he had gone and sold his rider as stock. But it dam well wont be today or anytime soon. The bidding had stopped and H’kan left the stage. He was going to get his shirt as Gaoph ran away, saying something about finding wives or to that effect. It didn’t matter though. His night of misery started now.

H’kan found a seat at a table on the edge and sat. He flagged down the nearest server and grabbed a large pilsner of some kind of alcohol, maybe Drunken Geese, he didn’t care as long as it was alcohol. He sat and drank, watching all the others getting sold like cattle. It was the same story for each unlucky soul. For every one person sold, there was one person shoving him or her up there. Some people had to be forced by two or three. He felt sorry for the poor fools, he had been up there just a short while ago.

At last they had reached the final “date”. When the bidding stopped, Canaph said something cheesy and left. He saw a whole bunch of people move forward to pay for their prize date. He looked down to see two things, one was that his drink was gone, and two was that he was still shirtless. He was hoping it was some kind of illusion, but he knew it was not. He decided it was time to get it over with. He had heard Canaph call out who had won him, Emillabbea was her name. Was that the server girl, was it a candidate? he asked himself. It’s the herder girl, I saw her by the gray rider. Now go enjoy yourself. H’kan looked around to see if Gaoph was anywhere near, but he was not. Instead he just glared at open space.

He made his way over to the gray rider, who was quite easy to spot for some odd reason. Perhaps it was the fact that she would be important one day and it was always good to know the important people. It didn’t matter now, all that mattered was the night before him. When he had finaly made his way over, he saw the gray rider and the herder girl. He spoke to the herder. Hello, I’m H’kan. I would be nicer with my greetings but I'm quite mad at someone right now, COUGHCOUGHGAOPHCOUGH. He felt that this was going to be an interesting nigh. Good job, you founder. Now go have fun. H’kan looked around again to see if Gaoph was near, which he wasn’t. you are going to pay

[Cy]

[/center]
Ze’el had been so upset when he stormed off the stage from being tricked on to it in the first place, but Dareph had been far too confused by the entire event of things to worry about it. The man would sulk safely away in their room and would remain there until the large red returned, so it was a matter that he could and would deal with at a later time. For now, these confusing matters needed to be figured out! All of his siblings were participating in one way or another, some of them calling out prices and others simply standing on the stage that His had been lured onto in the first place. Dionyph and his bonded were there as well! Standing close to his brother, the concept of an auction gradually made itself clear bit by bit, though he was still fairly unsure of his feelings towards it. Eoreph won him though! He did like that.

As the auction came to an end, Dareph remained sitting upon the stage, glancing warm brown eyes over the audience and those that still stood on either side of him. However, once Dionyph left his side to meet up with Laraph, their significant gray sibling and his ‘date’ for the night, it occurred to him that he should probably go meet up with his own as well! Shifting fluidly into a stand, his large frame allowing him to peer easily over the heads of the humans around him as he stretched his long neck out so he could look around for his lovely tawny sibling. Predictably, he found her lurking at the sidelines and he brightened upon sighting her, immediately moving to weave his way through the crowd and descend the stage so he could approach her. ‘Eoreph,’ He greeted, moving to a stop in front of her and dipping his head down to her. ‘I am honoured to be your date for this feast.’ Though he was quite unsure of what it meant to be someone’s date in the first place.

__________

Shovaph was not happy, moreso than she normally was. Not only was she displeased, but she was deeply humiliated and she was too large to successfully hide her face. Gambling was hardly a pastime for a lady to indulge in, but she’d still dared to do so for the sake of potentially winning time with the gentleman K’huna, an individual that she rationally knew she shouldn’t even waste her time with. However, she couldn’t even manage to be victorious in order to make up for her behaviour. She’d lost to some boy bonded to bloody Teimoph. Great. She wasn’t the only one in a disheartened mood though. T’ia, even, was leaning back and glowering over her mug as she took a sip of her drink, dark gaze following Ros’n’s progress as she moved to claim her prize. The albino had not originally caught the former dancer’s eye, but the moment that the bluerider had expressed such a strong interest in him, spite and competition had snagged her – but all for nothing because she’d lost to the younger woman and she was not at all happy about it.

‘Mine, can we please return to our room now?’ Shovaph mewed pitifully, keeping her familiar glare steady and her posture upright, maintaining as much dignity as she could manage. Instead, the Alpha winglet replied with nothing as she swallowed the alcohol down and looked off to the side, gaze glittering with mischief as she skimmed over faces both familiar and strange. ‘You can go. I’m staying here.’ She left no room for her green to argue as she pushed herself up to stand and moved her way along, leaving Shovaph to glare at her retreating back as she approached another lonely figure. “Didn’t win a date either?” She questioned, painting a coy smirk onto her features as she shot a sidelong glance to M’ari, turning her head slightly to sip at her drink once more.

__________

Embry was more than excited. He’d not managed to win Silas, even with the brief aid of N’raan, but he had no doubts that he’d be tangled up in that boy’s sheets at some point, so it was a loss that was easy to shrug off. Besides, he had a victory! Ts’kal was all his for the evening and he had every intention to make it worthwhile – especially considering that his roommate had now totally ditched their room to give him complete privacy. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about that stupid mutt anymore. He’d definitely have to pay that albino back at some point, maybe sneak into his room and rip up some things…

But now he was just getting distracted! Forget Ma’ro, forget Silas – he’d won his candidatemaster. And if he had to repeat the same lessons over again, he’d at least do it while knowing that he’d gotten somewhere with that hot thing. All that energy could be used for something so much better than just teaching some crappy lessons! Grabbing up his drink, he swiftly snatched up another mug before rushing off, weaving into the crowd and balancing both beverages in one hand long enough to drop off the diasks spent on his prize. Navigating the crowd with the ease of familiarity borne of a social nature, he boldly approached his candidatemaster and thrust a mug towards him without invitation, a flirtatious smirk tugging lopsidedly at his lips. “Hey there, date.”[/ul][/size]

[Quill]

Je'ce did not know what to expect when he, along with many other winglets to the feast early. His intital thoughts were helping out, as a sign of friendship from one batch of winglets to the next, but the auction was not something he expected. In an instant, he decided to buy. Yes, it would be cheaper to be a victim, but he had no intention of dating anyone. After Nasyeph eagerly volunteered to become a victim, Je'ce planned to be sneaky, only bidding on the most desired, but by the third cup, his carefully planned bids turned into a random decision. In his drunken stupor, he threw names out, often repeating what others had said. Finally, the auction ended and Je'ce smiled. He should have been outbid, but as the results of the Auction were announced, his head rolled back in despair as his name accompanied a T'gan. The name was familiar, but he knew little about his date other than she was a bluerider. Well, there was a common ground. Je'ce's eyes look for the blurry image he had. Perhaps he would hear her name. Groaning, he doubted the drinks he already had and the fact Nasyeph was not at his side.

---------

It felt odd to be so far away from Je'ce. Yes, he was only a few feet away, but Nasyeph was not standing next to him. At the end of the auction, the fledging felt better. He clicked his beak in excitement. This date would surely be over food, hopefully all he eat. Despite being so small, he could never be satisfied. Muraaph, a simourv. This should be fun. Craning his neck, he remembered her coat from the bidding. He had to find her before it was the other way around. A male should always greet a female, auction or not.

For a while, he searched around until he caught sight of her. His tail swished with excitement as he rushed for the large green. "Hello Muraaph! Your date is prompt and ready for your date." His head held high, showing his brilliant blue feathers to the older green. He looked at her focusing on yellow-green feathers before moving his head, looking for Je'ce until he remembered that Je'ce had a date as well.

-------

Oh what a night. He did not expect this. From the moment Sal'a stood up and said she wanted to be a victim, Sydnyph had to work to get his to change her mind. The stubborn one groaned for a bit until she started having fun. The blue could not have been happier for His. He even forgot to bid for a while. Panicked that he would not win and would be alone while Sal'a sought her target. Hestarted bidding here and there until he settled with Aburoqaph. Sal'a had spoken many times about him and her times as a candidate. Maybe they could talk about that. They were relatives, so they had plenty to talk about. Gulping, Sydnyph wondered if the subject of koxi would arise. His feathers shook and then his head followed. Among the chaos, it should have not been too hard to locate the flurry of colors of the rainbow.

-------

Sal'a was proud to admit her Sydnyph had many outstanding qualities, but one that she had trouble handling was Sydnyph's charisma. Why if Koxi were the sort of creatures that could be reasoned with, Sydnyph would be the one to do it. In this case, the blue simourv was right. It took a while for him to actually bid on someone as he worried about if Sal'a would have enough.

But she did. Sal'a did not find herself too brave to be bidding on Ro'za. And she did not seek any type of relationship with the Phoenix. Sal'a just wanted to talk. Not about any particular subject. Well, maybe about swords. Her skills had dulled considerably since becoming a candidate. Sal'a did not know how having a "date" would inspire swordmanship into her, but it was important to remain positive.

After the bid, her eyes scanned the area for Ro'za, but she saw no proud shape. Instead, she caught one indulging in a drink. The girl stood tall as she walked to the Phoenix. Mentally, she braced for anything like harsh words or a violent glare. The winglet was indeed nervous. Hopefully her diasks would not be wasted. Then she thought. If the Phoenix simply walked away, Sal'a would follow. Those were her diasks and this was her date.

------

No one had to ask twice for Ama to volunteer to be a victim. At the time, she did not know what exactly she volunteered for until the buyers for the auction arrived. It was a strange position to be in, especially with Ri'ley close by, but so was Dionyph. The candidate smiled at the sight of the black before she paid attention to the auction. She did not expect many eyes to be on her. She was new and foreign, but at the first few bids, Amaryllis's eyes lit up. They stayed that way until she was won. Holding her head high, she wondered who this Emi person was. The dancer, with her now bare stomach, rushed off the stage to find her.

And that was not hard. Following a winglet who had been won by Emi, she heard the girl's name and smiled. "Hello though, dear date," she said with a smile, her bangles ringing together as her hands clasped together. Of course, she added mentally, there were others on this date, but Ama was simply excited to have someone bid on her and more than once too.

[‡§åkørü‡]

Aburoqaph was thrilled. He, the Eyrie's only male rainbow, had inspired a bidding war of epic proportions! He was popular! He was a ladies' bird! Well, not really, because the blue Sydnyph had won him, but still! Delighted, the rainbow trilled in excitement and wriggled about on the block, impatient to get off it and run to his date. Beside him, and considerably smaller than the overjoyed simourv, Ts'kal lifted a brow, looking up at his bonded with an amused expression. Happy? he inquired a little snidely, and the brilliant crimson head bobbed. Yup yup, Mine! I got bought by a hatchling! Practically bouncing with pride, Aburoqaph scanned the crowd with eager eyes for his date, and as soon as he was allowed off the block, shot away to leave His standing there in mild confusion.

Bounding through the crowd, the brilliantly coloured rainbow looked from side to side, and at last spied his blue buyer. Warbling in triumph, he leapt over a table, flapping his wings madly so he wouldn't bowl anyone over with his feet, and then landed neatly in the middle of the aisle, making a four-pillared archway for people to walk through under his bright purple belly. He'd landed directly in front of Sydnyph, on the opposite side of the bench, and he chirruped, lowering his head with a glowingly joyful expression in his golden eyes. Sydnyph! exclaimed the rainbow, hello! Isn't the feast great? Everyone's so excited! It's wonderful! How are you? Chances were good that the little blue had no idea what he was getting into when he bid on Aburoqaph, but he was about to find out. Aburo, for his part, was delighted to be spiffy enough to have a buyer! He wasn't as popular as His, but that was okay! He didn't mind - this was fun! Fun, fun, fun!

---

Exuberance beyond the rainbow's was impossible, as Ts'kal decided most sincerely when his simourv went dashing off to find Sydnyph. And of course there he parked in the middle of the aisle, arranging his legs so people could just barely get through, without a care as to the fact that he was completely in the way. Still, the candidatemaster let him do as he would - if he were being too ridiculous, some other simourv was bound to yell at him and make him budge over. For his part, the human was happy to get off the block and find a server. Cheerily requesting a small cup of water, he was just lifting it to his lips when he realized that Embry was standing in front of him, holding out a mug. Downing the water in one quick swallow, Ts'kal then simultaneously caught the mug and set his own glass down on a nearby table, offering a smile to the candidate. Of course, the tone made him a little nervous, but perhaps it was just the drinks. Who knew what he was holding, anyway? It smelled like some kind of alcohol, but having no nose for the specifics, Ts'kal didn't know what exactly it was.

Either way, he lifted it to his lips and took a sip, half-raising a hand in greeting. "Hey," he returned, and smiled. Taking another small sip of his drink, the candidatemaster tilted his head with a grin, and glanced idly at the faraway Aburoqaph before his gaze returned to Embry. "Shall we go sit somewhere?" he inquired mildly, and smiled. The flirtation on the boy's face was a bit alarming - what was he expecting from this 'date,' exactly? Hopefully not a lot... surely, the man decided, the candidate would know that any kind of intimate relationship between a student and a teacher was impossible. And he certainly didn't want one.

But still, he had been bought by Embry and he'd enjoy his date with him. Smiling brightly, the candidatemaster gestured to two available chairs nearby, and sat down in one, resting his mug idly on the table beside him. In his cheery way, he tilted his head and grinned. "Enjoying your break from lessons?" queried the rainbowrider. Doubtless the answer would be a 'yes' - no one liked lessons very much. Not that he blamed them - all the fun stuff probably came when they were winglets. Still, maybe Embry didn't mind lessons... at the very least, Ts'kal knew that he wasn't a fan of them. But anyway... shoving all thought of lessons out of his mind, the candidatemaster leaned back in his chair, smiling warmly at the candidate and waiting for him to take a seat. This night had to be enjoyable - the Hatching had been a success and he wanted to celebrate it!

---

Heh, heh. I won, M'rao informed her simourv. Her thoughts were extremely pleased, and Seiliph, behind Hers, snorted. More than a little drunk by now, the redhead twisted around and grinned up at her green, lifting a hand to touch the creature's beak gently. Hissing, Seiliph lifted her head out of her rider's reach. Stupid, Mine. Way to impress him, she snapped, and Hers rolled her eyes. Beautiful, M'rao pointed out smoothly, I can impress anyone no matter how drunk I am. Watch me. And with that, she rose to her feet (stumbling only a little bit) and swept off through the crowd in search of her date.

Aha! There he was, and he was exactly as smoking hot as he'd looked on the auction block. Smiling triumphantly, the winglet slipped between a few conversing couples and, finding Silas, shifted her course to walk next to him. Tipsy as she was, she wasn't staggering hopelessly to and fro yet, and was capable of walking a mostly straight line. Lifting a blonde brow, she smiled, canines exposed in a slightly predatory fashion. "So," she drawled, extending one arm to loop lightly through his, "you're mine for the night, yes? Care for a drink to start it off?"

That done, the greenrider cast an inconspicuous glance about for her green. She found her sitting against one wall in a rather dark shadow, watching Hers with anger in her dark eyes. What? she inquired coldly, and the green flicked her tail almost indifferently. You're planning to sleep with him as soon as you can, aren't you, M'rao?

[/color] she demanded in a colourless voice. The redhead gazed at her simourv with cool grey eyes for a moment, then returned her attention to Silas without answering. Beneath the green's irritation, she knew that the simourv still loved her - and even if she didn't, it wouldn't matter much, or so she liked to tell herself. Few people did like her that much anyway - probably because she was such a manipulative person. But that was fine by her - M'rao was a lone wolf, and always had been. Tonight, though, she wanted to have a little fun. Leaning lightly and flirtatiously on her date's arm, she flagged down a server carrying wine, and deftly snagged a glass for herself, and motioned for the man beside her to take one too. Looking up at him, she smiled, making a faint effort to remove the ice from the expression. It failed, and she merely sipped the wine, letting the chill smirk remain on her face. "Go up there yourself, or did someone make you?" she inquired at length, and then brushed coppery hair out of her eyes and added, "I'm M'rao, by the way, of green Seiliph."

Seiliph, of course, was none too pleased with Hers, but she remained quietly and protectively in the corner, watching over every move the redhead made. Her unfledged wings were folded tightly against her back, and her dark claws dug hard into the floor. Clearly, she'd have a few choice words to say to Hers later. For now, though, she settled for watching and waiting. There was plenty activity going on in here; much of it was of interest and soon the green found herself absorbing everything in rapt fascination, cataloging it in her brain for later use, and possibly blackmail, if it came to that. It was better than watching M'rao work her wiles, after all.[/size][/center]

[Bre]

I bet you have an ocean, secret little potion . . .

There was a presence behind her. She could sense it, hovering with some malicious purpose. Ro'za did not look up at first. She focused on the empty glass in front of her, as if willing it to make her drunk somehow. Normally, she preferred her alcohol to have an impressively innocuous effect on her, but she wasn't feeling so inclined to behave that evening. Finally, the Phoenix raised and turned her head to fix Sal'a with a glower. Her lips only moved to crease into a thin line; she made no effort to speak, not even to comment sourly. This little twerp of a winglet had bought her, but that meant nothing. It only gave her a reason to glare with a particularly nasty intensity. She wasn't anyone's date. She arrived to parties fashionably late and alone, riding in on the back of a giant griffin. She was not about to play this stupid game with Sal'a.

Emi beamed when I'dou said she'd helped. However, it turned out that the grayrider's assistance wasn't needed. The redrider she had bought had already wandered up and introduced himself. He didn't have a shirt on, a fact that the young herder mostly found funny at that point. She bit her lip to keep from giggling. "It's nice to meet you, H'kan. I'm Emi;" she said politely, voice carefully moderated so that it was no more chipper than usual. She didn't want to seem rude, beaming up at him and I'dou like someone had just dropped a few delicious, liquid rainbows down her throat. It was then that the final member of their party showed up with a tickle jewelry and a greeting that made the young girl grin all the more. "Hello, dear, um, other side of date!" It made her feel important and responsible to be in charge of them all.

"Alright! We're all here now! I was really just thinking we could all spend time together and get to know each other and have lots and lots of fun;" Emi explained to them after a brief pause, grin growing with her enthusiasm as she spoke. She glanced between the three people she had so expertly chosen, looking to see if everyone was agreeable to her master plan. It didn't really matter if they cared too much. She'd only feel horrible if they yelled at her or something. After all, Amaryllis seemed like a lot of fun! H'kan still didn't have a shirt. That was really all she kept noticing about him as the seconds passed. I'dou was nice. The young herder would insist on that. The grayrider was totally nice. "So, who wants some punch?" She glanced between them again, clasping her hands in front of her chest. She was ridiculously excited about this.

. . . I bet you have a lover who's as fine as you.

[winged]

The red winglet's lack of shirt was positively riveting - I'dou had shot a fleeting glance in Ama's direction before settling her gaze on the half-dressed boy, expression caught somewhere between consternation and...really, just that. Perhaps a bit of disgust at his lack of such a fundamental piece of attire. Where Emi was polite and considerate enough to pass it off with a humorous shrug, the gray winglet sank her fangs into the overwhelmingly obvious problem from the start.

"Why the hell don't you have a shirt?" The tone of her voice suggested she had a good idea why he was running around topless, but she'd give him a fighting chance to explain to her this faux pas. See, she was nice - she was providing the opportunity for H'kan to redeem himself before she wrote him off as a complete moron.

Speaking of, those seconds were counting down quite rapidly.

[Kat]

Even though Wegmeph had told Ros’n he was going to have nothing to do with the feast situation, he was the one who saw the little blue chick dart from the back room and slip under the stage. The poor creature was so frightened. He was not sure how it was related to him, since Wegmeph was a champion of brave blues, and yet, his heart yearned for his son, who was so clearly in pain and so clearly scared. Wegmeph rolled his large eyes, turning his golden eyes towards the air, before flashing them towards Ros’n. She was not exactly the one who could coax the hatchling from under the stage. But she was the only one that could do so. He nudged his rider with his face, bending his neck to do so, and she turned towards him to glare angrily at him. In her current state of intoxication, his actions confused her, annoyed her, and he felt the peeved feeling radiate off of her. Ros’n was so very difficult. She turned towards Wegmeph, her expression bitter, and her hands resting on his cocked hips.
Wegmeph, what? I’m looking for my date.
Ros’n snapped, and the large simourv sighed, his body lifting with the action. He tilted his head towards the stage, and raised the area above his eye. The expression was very anthropomorphic, and it was very much a gesture the large creature had learned from Ros’n.
The hatchling is hiding under the stage, but please, mine, be sensitive. He is very scared.
Wegmeph explained, and immediately as he spoke, he watched Ros’n’s demeanor change. She straightened her body, and the blue watched his rider begin to attempt to take control of her rather intoxicated mind. He helped her, imposing structure in her head, and with both her own concentration and her simouv’s organization, Ros’n began to sober up rather quickly.

Ros’n was good at moving gracefully and daintily. She floated through the crowd, slipping between people, without hitting any of them. Moving in a crowd was like dancing, and Ros’n was a good dancer. She made her body small, so that she took up less room, and she made it to the make-shift stage. With a small huff of breath, Ros’n dropped to her knees, and then she crawled under the stage as well. Before she even reached the pair, Ros’n opened her mouth and spoke in a calm, reserved, and controlled voice, which was inherently unlike her. Wegmeph sent Ros’n a thought, via a picture and a concept, about the simourv chick’s mindset. He was frightened of judgment, and Ros’n understood. She lifted her hand so that she covered her brow, so that her eyes were covered most of the way.
”Little ones, you can’t stay under here all night. You won’t have any fun.”
Ros’n stated, as she kept her gaze pointed towards the ground. She did not understand the feelings of the hatchling, but she refused to allow the hatchling to be frightened around her. She refused to disappoint Wegmeph like that.

---

When Ri’ley spotted L’nan, his face burst into a large grin. His whole face lit up, his eyes and brows engaging into an amused and excited smile. He really owed her a great dept, and he was glad that she had rescued him from an awful fate. If he had to have a date, at least it was with a person he liked. He took a few long strides towards her, which did not feel long to him at all, and he offered his hand out so that she could grab it in a shake. He wondered if he should hug her, but that would be too intimate. They still had to be careful. Of course, because of the rumors, but Ri’ley did not care that much about the rumors right now. He was just happy that he was not going on a date with N’raan.
”Thank you; you saved me!”
Ri’ley announced as he nodded his head in a submissive gesture towards L’nan. Then, as if the idea just struck him, Ri’ley reached into his pocket and removed a pile of diasks.
”How much do I owe you, by the way? I mean, for rescuing me from a certain redrider.?”
He questioned as his skilled, exact hands began to sort through diask coins. He moved them with his right hand to his left hand.

---

Dionyph bounded towards Laraph with a look of pure wonderment and joy on his face. His eyes danced with glee, and his movements conveyed a strange sense of childish excitement and maturing grace. As soon as he reached Laraph, the black simourv dropped down in a deep bow, lowering his entire body to the floor. He lifted his head a bit, so that he could see if Laraph approved, and then he stretched his body upwards to his full height. She was bigger than him, but he was still gaining height at an impressive rate.
You did not have to buy me, lovely Laraph, I would do anything for you. I would spend time with you no matter what obstructed my progress. I will make sure that mine pays yours back.
Dionyph explained. He walked towards Laraph, and when he reached her, he nuzzled her affectionately with his face. He hoped that she would not mind the intrusion onto her personal space. He wondered if he should apologize, but he could not find the right words, so he shrank back, and he slipped his tail between his legs.

---

When Am’ra hugged Morgana, the other girl draped her arms around her friend’s body. She pulled herself into the hug, and when she released Am’ra, Morgana instantly began to unwrap the scarf from around her neck. The scarf was released from Morgana’s neck, and when she did so, she slipped the scarf over Am’ra’s neck. She wiggled the scarf around Am’ra’s neck, and then she pulled the girl a bit closer to her.
”I brought this for you, by the way, in celebration.”
Morgana explained with a large smile crossing her face. Her teeth flashed in a smear of white between her lipstick covered lips. Morgana liked the way that the scarf looked on Am’ra. The blue color contrasted against the girl’s bright red hair. Morgana then realized that the simourv was not with the girl, and Morgana turned towards the space next to Am’ra where she imagined the creature would be.
”Oh, did you leave your new pet? What is her name? She was quite pretty.”
Morgana was not quite sure why she asked. She had liked the creature, but she did not want to engage any further with her. Morgana was ready to leave, and she was trying to distance herself from her friend. That was why they had one night, why Morgana was giving Am’ra a gift. She was just so intrigued.

[zeis]

N'raan's appearance saved Canph from any further scolding, and as the androgynous youth took hold of the red-riders arm, the two halves of the pair wore quite different expressions. K'huna turned to glower at whoever it was that seized his arm, only to find himself face to face with the last person in the world he wanted to see right now. He reluctantly allowed his 'date' for the night to drag him off, scowling and tight lipped with anger, and perhaps something else as well. We're going to talk about this later.

Have fun, you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Canph called after them, his voice laden with delicious schadenfreude. K'huna snorted both at his partner and at the purring question his companion offered. "If I could get out of this date, I wouldn't still be here." He sighed, before trying his best to maintain his respectful and authoritative presence. Most of the Eyrie was gathered here tonight, and even if he stuck with N'raan, he'd do nothing further to disgrace himself. Though the date ahead of him made him really want a drink.

As he was being hauled off to unknown and frightening horizons, K'huna spotted Am'ra in the crowd, and his mood lifted slightly. "Before we get this nightmare over with, I've got an errand to run." He excused himself rather bluntly, and attempted to dislodge his arm from the slighter man's grasp. N'raan however, wasn't letting go. The Wingletmaster flashed him a warning look that stated clearly, 'my patience is running thin tonight', but said nothing. Instead he simply hauled off in that direction, turning the tables on his suitor, and dragging him instead of being dragged.

The new tawny-rider was conversing with one of the candidates who had been left standing, and he politely waited until there was a lull in the conversation before approaching and butting in. "Excuse me, ladies." He nodded respectfully toward both of them, finding it somewhat difficult to maintain a calm sense of mind with N'raan clinging to him. His yellow gaze rolled to Am'ra, and he smiled approvingly. "Amira, wasn't it? I just wanted to congratulate you on bonding. Never doubted you, and neither did Canph." The man's attention turned to Morgana, and he added with genuine sincerity. "You keep that in mind, miss. The simourv don't make mistakes in bringing anyone here. All you candidates have what it takes."

"Have a wonderful evening, ladies. Give your tawny my regards." That said, he offered N'raan a sidelong glance, wordlessly consenting to being dragged off.