*wanders into the tavern with her bag of sewing, and takes a seat by the roaring fireplace where the light is good*
Merry Frostfell, all!
*starts humming Frostfell carols to herself and hangs Frostfell stockings from the mantel, each with a Saga member's name on the brim and decorated with bits of shiny stones and a Frostfell scene*
*pulls out her sewing project and bends over, stitching industriously and waiting for her friends to join her*
/me enters with empty mug in hand, ready to be refilled, casually whistling something off-key that may at one time have been a recognizeable tune.
Howdy folks! Happy Frostfell... 'n stuff.
/me he passes through on his way to the nearest keg, Jasyn arches his neck to take a peek at what Missa is working on.
Lyrima looks up from her work on her bow, "Yo! Merry Frostfell, Jasyn." She flashes her wolfish grin at Missa and Jasyn before returning her attention to the bowstring in her lap.
Imeriel roams around blearily blinking, hands cupped protectively over a steaming mug. She beelines for a seat in the shadoweed corner and sits, quietly sipping her brew, all the while puzzledly eyeing Niassa, who appears, for all intents and purposes, to be talking excitedly to the Star on the Frostfell Tree.
Quince strolls in, followed by his Centurion. Centurion is carrying two huge kegs, and is loaded down with packs and bags. Centurion puts all of the items down near the bar. Quince says a few phrases in an arcane tongue, waves his hands, and Centurion disappears, replace by Ignacious.
"Iggy, warm those back up for me, eh?"
Looking around the room, Quince smiles big and shouts "HAPPY FROSTFELL! The keg with the red bow has hot spiced wine, and the keg with the green bow has Flutterfoot's Secret Eggnog!"
Lining up mugs on the bar, he then opens the boxes and bags and lays out a dozen different pies, cakes, and plates of cookies. "Dessert anyone?"
*staggers in and over to the bar*
*muzzy voiced*
Hello all
*grabs a cookie, stares at it a moment, takes a bite*
*trailing off*
S'good cookie Quince. It has been a really long...
*head slumps to bar, snoring commences*
*looks up from her holiday issue of Qeynos Style magazine*
*beams a warm smile to everyone in the room*
Oh, I just love the holidays! Happy Frostfell everyone!
*eyes Quince....and thinks for a moment*
I might actually be nice to you for a day, Quince...
*eyes Missa hanging stockings with everyone's name on it*
Chika darling, why is my stocking like everyone else's? It should be pink and glittery... And special....
*regal nod*
Imeriel looks at Anaris, shock creeping over her face.
Anaris, I know you did not just say your stocking should be PINK. Pink is so very passe` these days ... unless you are very specifically emulating a pink jewel tone for the winter ... like conch pearl or pink tourmaline, and even then it very properly should have strong white or white-gold accents ... And GLITTER??!! Whysoever would you wish to place something so common as glitter on your stocking when one could tastefully affix gems instead?
Imeriel stops suddenly and looks around.
What? Uhm ... yeah ... and ... stuff ...
She flushes and slides back into her shadowed corner.
*stares at Imeriel, blushing a little, and blinks*
Oh dear... Now that you mention it....
*flips through the magazine she was just browsing and stops in shock to read the headline of an article*
There is is! "Pink Tourmaline: The Season's Must Have!" Oh, Ime! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whatever would I have done if, say, Wystro would have caught my fashion faux-pas! I forgot to actually read the magazine, I was just looking at the pictures...
*blushes a bit, then perks up a brow*
Ime, darling, I never took you for a fashionista! Why, I've always thought you're almost as pretty as I am, except you have a thing for light armor instead of robes... It's a good thing though, I'd hate to be upstaged!
*nods and yet again glares at Missa as well for being too pretty*
Quince chuckles at the exchange between Anaris and Imeriel. Pulling out a small, carefully wrapped box with a red bow, he puts it on Anaris's table.
"Here you go, Anaris. Just especially for you, from the whole Flutterfoot clan."
He smiles and waits to see her reaction.
*eyes widen with suspicion at Quince's words, then gaze over the pretty red bow on the box and soften up*
Oh Quince! For me? Why, surely you shouldn't have! I mean, you should have, of course, but you shouldn't have!
*beams and carefully takes the box, slowly but eagerly unwrapping the small gift*
I'm so excited!
*lets out a small gasp as she opens the box and reveals what's inside*
OH!
*a slow rosy blush travels up her neck and cheeks as she hears Jasyn enter the room. Painfully aware that Jasyn is looking over her shoulder, she looks even more intently at the project she is finishing up to avoid making eye contact*
*in a voice barely above a whisper* Merry Frostfell Jasyn! *she heaves a sigh of frustration and relief that Jasyn moves on to his ale*
*looks up when she hears Anaris enter, and in a bright, happy voice* Merry Frostfell, Ana! *she looks enviously at the lovely high elf's perfect coif*
*hearing the exchange between Imeriel and Anaris, she shows her idol the lovely white stocking with pink tourmalines attached and sends Imeriel a grateful, dimpled smile for her timely advice*
*putting the last stitch in her project, she unrolls the banner that will hang above the fireplace, a lovely blue with a border stitched to match the guild cloaks, it reads
"MERRY FROSTFELL, SAGA!"
As Anaris opens the box, she sees a jumble of cookies, all shaped like letters. Shuffling through them, they appear to spell out
L O V E Y E P I G S I
Quince looks in the box and giggles. "It's a puzzle! There's a secret message for you! When you figure it out, you can eat them!"
Quince chuckles to himself and goes back to the bar where he pours a large mug of eggnog.
*glances over at Quince's laugh*
Eh?
*cranes her neck, then stands to look in Anaris' box*
A puzzle. Huh.
*stands there, looking more puzzled than the puzzle*
Quince! Is this.....is this some kind of a joke? How dare you say "Love You Pigsy" to me?! I do not own a swine pet! Jasyn does!
*looks indignant, while slightly salivating over the cookies*
Smiling wryly, Imeriel slides slightly out of the shadowed corner and whispers in Anaris' ear ...
It cannot say that, for there are two I cookies, not one ...
Quince chuckles and says, "Guess again!"
As he takes another swig of his eggnog, Henrieta strolls in, humming to herself. Her nose perks up and she says "I smell cookies!" Following the aroma over to Anaris' table, she looks in the box, giggles, and runs over to Quince. She whispers in his ear, and he nods. They both giggle.
*tilts her head dumbfoundedly and stares at Ime*
You mean... I... I have to figure out this puzzle? But....but they're letters! Letters, Ime! I hate math! How am I supposed to strain my brain that much?
*scratches her head a bit and adjusts her tiara*
Hmmmph!
Alright, fine! I'll start counting!
*starts counting*
Henrieta stops giggling and sort of stares at Anaris for a moment. She pours two cups of eggnog and goes over to Anaris' table.
Placing one of the cups in front of Anaris, she takes a sip, then sits down. "Ana, honey, these are letters. We use them to make words.
Pointing to the letters "L O V E Y E P I G S I", she says, "You seem to have already noticed that the first four letters spell L-O-V-E ... love! Now, the rest of the letters seem a little scrambled ... I wonder what they might spell if you move them around a bit?"
She looks up at the Koada'dal and smiles her sweetest smile, then takes another sip of nog.
*blinks as she looks up at Henrietta from her heavy mathematical concentration*
But..... Ime, she said... And Quince... No math? No counting? Thank Marr!
*sighs in relief and dabs at her brow with her silk handkerchief, patting the slight dewy drops on her forehead from all the "heavy thinking" *
Ok... Um....letters... Let me see.... Hmmm.... I know one of those big books with words in them... What are those books called again?
*a glint on her tiara symbolic of a light bulb sparks up*
Aha! I got it!
*snaps her finger*
Does anyone have an atlas I can look up words in? I need an atlas please! I need to look up words!
*beams*
*saunters over*
*swipes the eggnog*
*sips*
Mmm!
*tosses it back*
Stuffs good! *licks off the eggnog mustache while gazing down at the letters*
Ya got me, Ana. Wonderin if the Princess's gonna be wakin up anytime soon. She'd figger it out, I'm bettin.
*swings around looking for the eggnog vat*
Yo, Q! Got any more of that Nog ?
*sweeps in, every golden strand in place*
Greetings! Greetings to ALL of thee!
*blows kisses*
Darling Anaris! Tis so most marvelously delightful to see thee again.
*gracefully bestows hug and air kisses to each cheek*
*brown eyes glance at the cookies*
Oh! Cookies! Mmmm.
*head tilts slightly*
*blinks thoughtfully*
Tis missing an S.
*turns away briskly*
Now, Sir Quince, thou hast some cookies for me, aye?
*warm smile at the baker*
Quote from: Kiaria on December 27, 2006, 06:00:36 PM
Tis missing an S.
Henderson comes into the tavern, munching an odd snake shaped cookie. As eyes all turn on him, he says through the crumbs, "What?"
/me looks over the cookie puzzle.
Are ya sure it doesn't spell LOVE YE PIGSI? I mean... Swig is all adorable 'n stuff, right? Ain't he, Anaris? Ya DO love Swig, DON'T ya, Anaris?
/me stares at Anaris expectantly as he hands her a random "ale coaster".
"Is it 'n anagram?" Renei appears, carrying a 'Santa Clause' size sack of Frostfell toys to pass out. She sets it down to look at the letters in the cookies.
She looks at the puzzle for a moment, and says, "Hmm... GIVE YE SPOIL? No... YIP GOES EVIL? Nah... O EVIL GYPSIE.. that could be it, but Quince isnay evil... SO YE GIVE LIP? I SPY LIVE EGO?" Renei stares hard at the cookies, then turns to Lady Anaris, "Any o' these make any sense ter ye? They're jus' makin' me hungry... Oh, I got ye all a present, from Odus, believe it 'er nay. Happy Frostfell !"
Without another word, she reaches into her enormous bag and starts handing out magical rings and trinkets to everyone nearby.
Quince notices his cousin enter, cookie in hand. "Hey! That was part of Anaris's present!" Sighing, he looks to Anaris and says, "Pretend you have an extra S in there. I'll make a new one, then beat it out of Hendy."
"Thank you for noticing that, Kiaria. Have some of these!"
As Namae passes out presents, he gratefully accepts one, but asks, "Who's Odus?"
*sighs*
Well, I give up. I have already told you I don't like science. So it's out of the question for me to continue this charade of words and symbols. What is a "Spy Ego" anyway...? Is that, like, Gnome trinketry?
*eyes Jasyn*
Let us not discuss the swine, Jasyn, and why, for the love of Marr, are you handing me this dirty coaster? Whatever happened to pretty lace dollies to place our fine glasses on...
*takes the coaster from Jasyn's hand, holding it as one would hold a dead rat by its tail*
Now, as for this probably unedible cookie jumble...
*eyes Namae's bag of goodies*
Ooooh! Namae! You shouldn't have! I mean, you should, but you shouldn't have, you know... From Odus! How very lovely!
*takes Namae's gift and claps with joy*
Renei answers Quince, "Odus is 'n island.. actually more like a continent, that once was afloat 'side Antonica, opposite 'o Faydwer. Used ter be the home o' the Erudites back in the days. Those folks were split up inter Heretics and normal Erudites; Heretics being tha' necromancers and shadowknights and evil clerics.. inquisitors, I serppose is a fair comparison." She notes the ring that Quince took and adds, "That's from the Deepwater Knights. They used ter be a sect 'o Erudite Paladins."
Renei smiles.
Quote from: Anaris on December 28, 2006, 09:21:34 AM
*sighs*
Well, I give up. I have already told you I don't like science. So it's out of the question for me to continue this charade of words and symbols.
Now, as for this probably unedible cookie jumble...
"Yes, probably so. I'm sure I didn't get the proportions of cinnamon and vanilla and sugar just right, and that they don't QUITE melt in your mouth ... Well, I guess you can just throw them to Jasyn's pig. I'm sure they aren't up to Koada'dal standards."
Quince starts to turn away from Anaris, but then, apparently as an afterthought, says, "Although Kiaria seemed to know what the message was. Not that she'd tell you ... "
He turns his back to Anaris, and starts up a hushed conversation with his cousins by the bar.
Niassa watches the scene before her and moves forward after a second. She walks over to Anaris and peers down at the box of cookies. She then cocks her head slightly sideways, as if listening to something.
Well, the cookies here, they say they don't need another S. They prefer to be entirely factual instead of wishful, you see. And whereas the cookies would be spelling a statement that is spelled somewhat archaically ~without~ the extra S, they do mention that they were baked upon a rather old if much loved baking sheet.
I would hazard a guess, Miss Anaris, that whilst you do not love them all, you do at least love one ... especially as he gave you such a nice gift ... Leastways that's what the cookies are telling me.
Huh?
/me half-frowns with a raised eyebrow at Niassa.
That's funny. I only hear them cookies sayin' one thing: EAT ME!
/me reaches out as if he intends to snatch one.
I like dunkin' 'em in ale.
Quote from: Jasyn on December 28, 2006, 06:12:52 PM
That's funny. I only hear them cookies sayin' one thing: EAT ME!
/me reaches out as if he intends to snatch one.
I like dunkin' 'em in ale.
"Jasyn, those are Ana's present. When she gets the puzzle, she can pass them out to anyone she likes. Meantime, come have some of these."
Quince points to the other plates of sweets laid out on the bar.
QuoteWhen she gets the puzzle, she can pass them out to anyone she likes.
Rats.
They're gonna go stale before that happens.
Yes Jasyn!
*lightly smacks Jasyn's hands*
They're my present! Don't you be placing your Half-Humanoid hands on them! Though, I'll share one with you once you give me the present you got for me...
*smiles sweetly and bats her eyelashes at Jasyn*
Come on now, darling, don't be shy... Where's my present...?
Um...?
/me reaches into his bag and pulls out a wrapped gift, less than vaguely in the shape of a mug. The wrapping is damp as if very recently soaked in liquid, say, ale.
Here.
/me outstretches his hand, offering the present to Anaris.
Oh wait.
/me reaches back into his bag, pulls out a loose bow and smacks it onto the gift.
There ya go. Happy Frostfell!
*with a blank expression takes the gift in her hands and notices the dampness*
Um....yes.... Um.....Thanks Jasyn... I.... It's very sweet of you.... I always wanted a..... *unwraps the gift* ....wet mug. So thoughtful of you, really...
*smiles a very fake half-smile and casually wipes her hand on Quince's sleeve*
Now, about these cookies.....
*covets Anaris' mug*
*notices Missa's fawning over the dirty mug and gives the fellow Koada'dal a strange and curious look*
Missa darling....why are you eyeing my, um, mug in such unusual fashion for an inanimate everyman object?
*arches a brow and looks at Missa with suspicion*
*turns a nice rosy glow* Well, I'm not ... *reddens some more* well, you see, I never imagined you would think ... *turns an interesting shade of crimson* Why would I be wanting an old dirty mug anyway?
Shall I clear it away for you?
((*cough* wood elf *cough*))