Performance at Gar

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Crystal Lake

As you walk along the path, you find yourself near the center of the valley. Situated here is Crystal Lake . This lake is named for its clarity. At nearly 100 feet deep, things can still be seen as if they were closer! Unfortunately, this is also a danger, as one has trouble gauging depth, so swimmers beware! A natural spring feeds the lake from underneath, keeping it a nice 80 degrees, even in the winter, though it can get much warmer in the summer. A gathering area has been cleared and covered with sand. It is a winter midmorning. You see fire pit and Gar lake monster here. Liesana, Tierza, Lynar, Natch, and Sadahl are here.

Natch spots Liesana and Tierza and heads in their direction. "Lollygaging?" she accuses?

Sadahl makes his way into Gar Hold, near Kirsyn, muttering something about, " Um, do we have to sing?" Gulp. " Could I, you know, just hum in the background. Or make a do-do-do kind of noise? Singing isn't really my thing." Not that it really matters. Sadahl /will/ sing. And that's the end of that.

Tierza says, "Not really, Natch.. just finishing up for the day's festivities. This is the harper and her troupe, I hope the music will please you." Natch has been even more unusual then ever, and who knows what may set her off. "Is there anything else you can think of that we might need? I know the food is set in the dining hall."

"Not in the least, Holder" assures Liesana with an easy smile and another pat to her gitar. "Just waiting for my audience to appear before I start my tuning... Sadahl! Kirsyn, over here!" Apprentices have been spotted, and are apparently about to be marshaled into place.

Kirsyn grins at Sadahl, might as well be a dear and humor him. "No, that's fine, you can play a note or two and /I'll/ sing," she adds with a wink. "Unfair to make a Harper 'prentice sing if they don't want to, wouldn't you know?" is added as Kirsy rustles out her skirts and lets out her hair. Now it's wavy, and /that/, dear friends, was the reason for the braid.

Natch holds the freshly cut camellias out to Tierza, taking one last large breath of the fragrance as she sends them on their way. "It was time to prune, anyway," she uses as an excuse to bring them here. Tierza's choice of dress doesn't go unnoticed, but Natch doesn't comment, just gives the details of the red dress close attention.

Rikaeli walks in from the Hold Field.

Sadahl marches up beside Liesana, holding his gitar lopsidedly against his hip. " Um, maybe singing is a better idea." He turns beet-red, glancing at the crowd forming about them. Then smiles. Smiles will make it all better Tierza flushes under Natch's scrutiny and accepts the flowers.. "Umm, maybe I should put these in water?" They are lovely, even if they aren't yellow roses. But Natch wouldn't dream of pruning those, the gardener is sure.

Lynar isn't lollygagging. Nope. Not even. He strides in, head tilted downwards, jaw working - obviously thinking, mulling over some equation or dilemma. Lynnie glances up, once, gazing after the small crowd gathering with much apprehension.

Tie - noted in that stunning red dress - is plucked out of the crowd in his eyes. A smile softens his face, and he strides in that direction, observing the harpers and the holders with slight curiosity. "Hi there, beautiful," the stableman whispers to Tierza as he stops just behind her.

Liesana grins at the arriving apprentices, and pats seats to either side of her on her log, the senior journeywoman clad in her standard casually-conservative breeches, blouse and vest. "It's really not that bad," she assures them both. "Just remember that we're the only Harpers in the crowd. Folks will be so pleased to hear music they likely shan't notice if you muff a note or three."

Kirsyn giggles and turns toward Sadahl. "Well, if you think about it," she notes with a grin, "It does sound like the easier idea. /I/ certainly want to sing...ah, not too good with a gitar yet, m'self," she notes with a faint blush. Kirsy, blushing? Err, you didn't see that.

Rikaeli wanders down to the lake toting along a basket of cookies. "Good day, Gar!" she greets everyone, placing the sugar cookies in a central location for all to grab. "How goes, how goes?" A cookie for herself is nibbled on as she wanders around to the others.

Tierza flushes as Ly whispers and grins. "Hey yourself." Her eyes sweep an appreciative glance over his taste in garb for the day. "Are you entering any of the contests?

Natch spins to check out the offerings on Rikaeli's platter, looking like she's trying to determine what might have poison more than what might taste good.

Sadahl sits down on the other side of Liesana. " If you say so," he replies softly, placing the gitar on his knee. " Um, maybe you'll want to play this." He offers it to Liesana, and ahems. " Maybe I can sing alright after all."

Mimi flounces in from the Hold Field.

Lynar pauses, and definitely has that deer-in-the-headlights look. Good thing he's behind her... "Contests?" is wanly queried. "I-- ah-- guess not." He pauses, doesn't miss a beat, and wraps an arm around her waist, walking a diagonal to stand next to her. "You?" A flashed smile downwards.

Liesana pats at her own gitar. "How about I offer a compromise?" she comments soothingly to the pair of twitchy apprentices. "You can sing, Kirsyn, I'll take the main instrumental line on /my/ gitar, and you, Sadahl, can add backup notes

in your own instrument wherever you feel comfortable. Will that do?"

Rikaeli grins at Natch and enticingly waves the cookie in front of the Holder, "I made sure the kidlets didn't get to /these/. And my newest mentee, Bellynne, should be coming out with someone goodies later."

Tierza watches the harpers intently.. not knowing word one about the how the craft actually works, she loves the by-play of apprentice to journeyman. "I'm a judge silly, I couldn't enter." Besides, she's not about to get this dress dirty.. No chance.

Natch hrm's at Rikaeli, finally deciding it's not a waste of sweetener to use it for a small gathering. She reaches for one as she nods "We shall see what kind of baker you've taken on."

Sadahl nods, placing his gitar back on his lap, fingers placed into a somewhat proper position. " Sounds good," he says. " So I'll just play, like, a few notes of the tune or something?" He sits back on the log, glaring at the bright, rising sun. " I think I can do that."

Mimi skips over to the other Harpers at a near run with her fiddle, throwing her self into a chair and waving at the others. "Heyo. You don't think you're getting away with instrumentals by /yourself/, do you Lies?" A slight finger wiggle goes to Sadahl, "Hi there. new to the craft?" A wink to Kirsyn, "Getting along well?" All this is said as she plucks at a few strings to test tuning of the little fiddle.

Kirsyn could about hug Liesana right now. "Ah yes, /singing/, now /that's/ something I can do," she says with a light laugh. "I can sing fairly well...where would you like me to stand?" is asked with a tilt of the head, setting her belongings to the side so as not to be laden down by baggage. "I do think so, Mimi."

Natch finds a convenient rock to use as a seat and takes it to eat her cookie.

Sadahl waves with a flick of his fingers at the skipping Mimi. " Yes " he admits, pausing to look down at his gitar. " Nice to meet you," he adds, softly, while trying to get the nerve to play.

"Two new kids actually, Mims," allows Liesana to the senior apprentice that's just appeared. "Sadahl, Kirsyn, meet Mimi. She's a senior apprentice, and /might/ just make Journeyman within the turn, if we can keep her from stealing Journeyman Jeranium's undershorts again... Or was that someone else?" An absent look, before the ranking Harper of the group lifts her gitar to her lap and begins the opening chords of an old ballad.

Lynar quietly chuckles. "I suppose that that makes sense," is said amiably. He smothers a slight yawn, and reluctantly unwinds his arm from around his beloved. "I'm going to go grab a cookie," he murmurs, sliding out to snag a few from the basket. Chewing thoughtfully on one, he swallows and grins at the Baker, before sliding back, proffering a cookie to Tie.

Larix walks in from the Hold Field.

Tierza shifts the armful of flowers the Natch ever-so-graciously handed her. "Aren't they.. lovely?" is offered to Ly, or anyone for that matter.. Freeing one hand from the bounteous bouquet, she garbs the cookie.." Good Riki.." Muffled through a full mouth.

Mimi winks at the pair of newer apprentices and raises her eyebrows at Lies, "Might I?" Oh, what pleasant news. A slight cough, "That is classified information, Liesana." Who stole Jeranium's undershorts...Of course it was Mimi. "Yes, nice to meet you too, mm-hm. Don't listen to anything Lies tells you about me. Unless it's good. Then listen." She giggles and quiets a bit before wielding her bow and pulling it across the fiddle to match Lies' chords.

Kirsyn pauses and coughs. "Err, perhaps a short one? I don't know all that many Harper Ballads," she admits with a sheepish grin and faint blush. "How about 'Drummer, beat?'" is asked rather quietly. "I mean...I just know it, and

thusly I can't be too bad at singing it, no?"

Rikaeli beams at Lynar and Tie. "Thank you, thank you." The bakerlet backs up to find a nice log to sit on and listen to the music and nibble on her cookie while chatting with one of the residents.

Lynar mmms, polishing off his second one. "Beautiful," he remarks, gazing at the flowers, then up at Tie. Smile deepening, dimples pop before he shifts to eye the Harpers out of the corner of his eye.

Sadahl's lips curl into a cheerful grin. " Yea, do that one, Kirsyn. We just went over it in one of my classes -" he pauses, shoulders turning into rounded shrug, " So I kind of know it alright."

Kirsyn hehes softly and turns to Liesana with a bit of a 'come-what-may' sort of grin, before continuing. "Ah, give me a few notes to start?" she pleads, adjusting her skirt and sweat- er, glistening like a pig. Mmmhm. Looking at the crowd, Kirsy shoves down a gulp and she turns. "Uh." Please?

Larix goes home.

Liesana ponders a moment, her fingers continuing to weave an easy melody. And then she nods, fingers jumping swiftly to a new chord and key. "Certainly, Kirsyn," she agrees. "You're the main performer, so we're simply here to make you look good, no?" Mimi then gets a knowing smirk. Oh Liesana knew where the undershorts went. Liesana just enjoys seeing the elderly Harper pranked as much as anyone.

Tierza says, "If anyone wishes, I could start a sand building contest. Even you harpers are welcome to join in. You need to keep the theme Garish, is the only rule." She grins, it is a Gar party after all. "And I might be able to come up with a prize for the most creative in that theme."

Janicka walks in from the Hold Field.

Kirsyn coughs, belatedly nodding to Mimi and starting to sing the tune in a voice that's quite not the-best-quality on Pern, but isn't that bad in its own right. "Drummer beat, and piper, blow," she starts, standing tall, the first line sung. "Harper, strike, and soldier, go."

Natch finishes her cookie, wipes crumbs gracefully from her hands and tunic then sits cross armed to listen to the harpers, her face blank of emotions.

Janicka smiles at Natch

Janicka says, "hey!"

Mimi winks at Kirsyn, "No prob, babe." Fiddle is gently played to back up the gitar without taking over. Hey, Kir can sing better than Mimi, that's for certain. But, no, Mimi's not the worst singer on Pern. So, yeah, that's good.

Natch's lips purse at the smiling stranger and she looks away.

Sadahl brushes some sweat from his forehead - it's because it's hot out, not because he's nervous or anything. He watches Kirsyn, steadily, trying to find a beat before playing a single note. Twang. Well, that didn't turn out too badly.

Janicka looks down shyly, slightly downcast by a fruitless attempt to make a friend . Janicka begins to drum her fingers on her thigh to the beat.

Rikaeli pulls her legs up on the tree stump, eating at her cookie as her head slowly bobs in time with the music. Lovely day, yes, yes. Chilly, but not cold, like Istan winters are. Wonder where Laria's off to. The kitchen should be able to survive without her. Her appies should get out more.

Liesana, somewhat constrained to simplicity by the need to keep a pace the apprentices can follow, is left with concentration enough to spare to glance about at the gathering crowd, smiling here and there at faces she recognizes as her fingers weave accompaniment to Kirsyn's singing, a set rhythm evocative of the drumbeats and hammer blows of preparation for Fall.

Ralos walks in from the Hold Field.

Natch sits somewhat placidly, the muscles of her face not pulled as taut as usual.

Tierza says, "If any want, the sand is right there and the theme is merely gar.. and yes, I've a prize to gift to the winner." Shy smile at the attendees. It's not like she hasn't planned parties before, but she is oddly distracted for some reason. Awkwardly added is a last comment "I hope you will all try, actually."

"Free the flame and sear the grasses," Kirsyn continues, voice lower with the old traditions. This song has always oddly pleased the girl, essentially because of it's marvelous beat and rhythm. "Till the dawning Red Star passes."

Song finished, Kirsyn makes an oddly embarrassed curtsy. There. She's done, right? Unless they ask her to sing another...wince.

Lynar taps out the rhythm, boot heel rising and falling to the brisk song. He claps for the apprentice, grin in place, and eyes for kidlets that are sure to rush out for the sandweyr building.

Mimi is quite pleased with the easier goings of things. A break for the hard *cough* working senior appy. The end of the song is drawn slowly from the fiddle. "Lovely, Kirsy, dear. Splendid," commends Miz with a tapping of her foot

as applause, since her hands are otherwise occupied.

Janicka looks divided between wanting to build a sandweyr or to stay and listen to the fantastic music the apprentices were performing

Natch sways just slightly as she watches a small group of children start working on a sand weyr.

The fresh air, the lake smells, the end of this song. Sadahl loves all the wonderful things about this day. " That was beautiful, Kirsyn. Sing louder next time. It might cover up my playing," he cackles, showing the whites of his teeth, then he claps softly.

Yeah, Mimi works about as hard as a bowl of tapioca pudding, but Liesana won't be commenting. Instead, she echoes the verse of the song a final time as a closing bridge and then draws to a finish. "Well done," she congratulates. "I believe I didn't sound half so well my first time performing. But if you want to enter in the sandweyr competition, go on ahead. I'll take my turn at singing next."

Ralos enters, his brown firelizard, Lok, on his shoulder. "Hello all! I'm Ralos, and I'm(hopefully)here to enter the sandcastle contest! This IS where the contest is right?" Ralos says, just as he notices a performance going on. "Oh! Really sorry for interrupting." He blushes and starts watching.

Tierza applauds the harpers best she can with flowers still in tow. "Hey easy Simone, there is plenty of sand for everyone, no need to grab Isik's away from him."

Kirsyn blushes. "You really think so?" is asked of both Mimi and Sadahl, before she jumps off the stage. "I shouldn't sing another, though. might detract from the other wonderful players..." Mmmb. Someone would have to force her to sing

again at this point. "I'd enter but...I hafta go. Like, right now!" Reason is left not to be said, but still.

Natch simply nods toward the sand and working builders as she claps for the entertainment.

Rikaeli goes home.

Sadahl's fingers stray for the warmth of sand, but he then glances at Liesana, offering bravely, " I think I'll play one more song, I just want to practice performing in front of other people." And just practice. His fingers hardly have playing calluses on them yet, after all.

Logfile from Kirsyn

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