Open The Grand Opening! (Open to Anyone!)

[Leila]

DisclaimerBy joining this open thread, you are agreeing to a few rules (in addition to those of Mizahar and Zeltiva of course). There is a posting order, you will always reply after the same person, unless a new person jumps in, then they are added to that spot in the posting order list. Now, I'm not going to add a hard amount of time you need to reply, but please keep it reasonable, I don't want anyone waiting unduly. If you disappear for too long, I will skip over you. Keep in mind that the more people that join the thread, the shorter the reply time becomes, just to be fair and reasonable to everyone here. Respect these rules, your fellow writers, and most importantly, have fun! Timestamp: Summer 1, 513 AV Time: Around the 16th Bell Location: Leila's Soothing Salves and Clinic Leila was preparing the finishing touches for her potluck. There were tables and chairs set up in the garden behind her shop in the sun with a light breeze passing through, set up out of spare lumber from the shipbuilder's. Leila thought it entertaining that the makeshift tables and chairs would be made into a ship after this was all said and done. There were plates and flagons and utensils borrowed from World's End Grotto, her previous employer. She hoped they'd be able to get off work and stop by. She was carrying out the foods and setting them in the center of the tables. There was a large pot of Zeltivan clam chowder, a giant bowl of sweetpea salad, a platter of fried cod fillets, a few baskets of fried calimari rings and kelp fritters, and a few scattered plates of gingerbread. Leila sat down in one of the chairs, resting, for she'd been working all day getting ready for this. One could see the tiredness on her face, a few flyaway hairs shooting out. People should start arriving soon, so Leila picked herself up, her purple sundress flowing in the wind. She saw Kris from the Shipbuilders coming around the shop, along with her father, Gerardt, and Captain Becky. Leila smiled at them all, "Thanks for the help you guys, now take a seat, and enjoy yourselves. I'll be out front for a little while to make sure people know to come back here. I hope you enjoy it, I really do appreciate all of this." She made her way to the front of the shop to greet anyone and everyone who arrived, standing beneath the banner that hung over the doorway. She sniffed at the salty air, thankful that no bonesnappers were blowing through today, loving this end of the city, because of all the scents of nature. Shaco, who had been wandering the property, came through the open gate of the fence and up to Leila. He sat at her feet, head atop paws. As usual for himself, he any person who arrived, he'd sniff at them, then try and get them to pet him. Party Layout : It was suggested, due to the amount of people joining to make a picture. Ignore my terrible Paint skills. Seat 1: Captain Becky Seat 2: The Hammer Seat 3: Leila's Father Seat 4: Leila Seat 5: Ricky Seat 6: Telion Assume the rest are open.

[Castor Riley]

At last Castor could see a cottage that looked to be the herbalism shop he was looking for. Even after a season in Zeltiva, he still hadn't visited all of its landmarks, among which Bree's Bivouac. Thanks to the directions he'd received from some helpful members of the Wave Guard, he'd finally started to head in the right direction. With the cask of kelp beer he'd bought earlier in the day in hand, he made his way towards what he hoped was Leila's Soothing Salves and Clinic. As he approached the quaint cottage, his nostrils filled with the aroma of the various herbs and bushes located near its entrance. He inhaled the pleasinng scent deeply. He felt he had found the right place. Looking up, he noticed a young woman standing in the entrance, a huge dog sitting at her feet. Castor's hackles were raised as he saw the dog, but he figured that it wouldn't have been there if it were a violent dog. The woman seemed too young to be the owner. Perhaps, she had been hired to receive guests? As Castor approached he felt this assessment may very well be wrong; the woman looked tired and excited at the same time. This probably meant she'd personally worked hard for this event and had a vested interest in it. Castor felt an immediate respect for such a hard worker. "Hello!" he greeted the woman. The dog picked itself up and started sniffing around his feet, wagging its tail. It looked up and gave a short bark for attention. Castor smiled and freed a hand from carrying the cask to pet the lovable creature. "I'm Castor Riley and I bring Kelp Beer! Where do you want this?" he continued, patting the cask.

[Bernedett Ferald]

Bernedett walked down the street with a small pot in his hand. It was enough for a few servings; he wasn't exactly sure how much to bring. He continued through the streets, enjoying the wonderful Summer day. It reminded him so much of the days when he would sit by the lakes as a boy, fishing pole in hand, trying with all his might to catch something as impressive as the fisherman that came in each day with boat loads of fish and crab. Berne had heard that a new shop was opening up in town; a Herbology shop, if he remembered correctly. It would be good for him to get out. He had been couped up ever since his master had died, and this would allow him to get his mind of things. He was approaching the shop now. It was quite a lovely little thing. Where Berne lived in a shabby, old, yet comfortable home, this was much nicer; and bigger. He saw that people had already began to arrive. The guest that had arrived before him had brought the drinks, apparently, and was talking to a lovly woman, whom he assumed was the owner. As he approached, the dog standing at the womans heels stopped sniffing at the large man and ran over to this new face, and began to sniff at Berne's ankles, just as he heard the man say " Hello! I'm Castor Riley, and I bring Kelp Beer! Where do you want this?" Before the girl answered, berne walked over, and said," I'd very much like to know that as well. If it's close, it might give me an idea as to where to put this Gumbo!" He realized that he had just butted in, and didn't want to appear to rude, so he added" I'm Bernedett Ferald, by the way. You may call me Berne, if you wish. It's very nice to make both your acquaintances."

[Ricky Maze]

"The first day of a new season, and just like Spring, the start of something new. Summer is here now, and with it a bigger purpose."

Ricky was dressed in his warm weather (along with his leather shoes) attire which was all cotton, which consisted of short sleeve shirt, pants, and his vest from his younger days. He hadn't worn it since he had lost his closest companion, mainly because the weather no longer felt warm enough for it. However with summer here once more that would likely change, seeing as how it became his favorite thing he always wore. The tear that once resided in the right side no longer existed as it had been recently patched up, however the memory of his blood slowly spilling after the laceration still clung to the cloth. He was well beyond past that night now, much had happened that demanded him to look forward. Thus he planned to get everything together as he did last season, only this time his sole focus now involved that of a family on the way.

A woman clung to his arm with a grin as they walked with ease, each glance they exchanged met with a giggle and grin. Telion wore a cotton dress the color of robins egg blue, with a white scarf that danced in the breeze, and had her light blonde hair wrapped in a bun with a blue ribbon. She really didn't want to impose coming with Ricky, considering Leila became a close friend to him, but after a bit of convincing she gave in. The two made an agreement on two important things relative to their unborn baby, both decisions were ones that placed a tremendous amount of trust in her. Yet Ricky believed Leila to be trust worthy enough, after everything he put her through and finally telling her what all that happened, she had earned his respected trust and that was enough for Telion to agree with. She had faith in Ricky's beliefs well enough to stick with them.

On their way the two stopped to purchase a bottle of champagne, a gift of celebration for Leila's new shop she was opening up. Ricky held onto it firmly to avoid any possible chance of dropping it, as the bottle costed him a shiny Nilo. They came onto the street the shop would be on and walked onward, nearing Leila's place as already people seemed to he lining up. He recognized two of the three that were there, which where Leila herself and Castor, but the other man happened to be a stranger. "Must be that time where it's gettin' started." He figured as the two quietly made their approach.

Ricky wouldn't interject between anybody as it would come off rude, but when either one of the two noticed it was him (for once out of uniform) then he and Telion would give a warm friendly smile. Telion looked a bit nervous being here of course, but with Ricky by her side she held a soft smile for them all to see.

"Ricky's words.", "Ricky's thoughts.", "Telion's words.", "Hannah's words.", "Other's words."

[Khrassvallen]

He was a little lost. Khrassvallen looked up and down the street, turning in a slow circle and examining the buildings on either side of him. An elderly woman was exiting onto the cobbles to his left, locking what was likely her house behind her. Her long, liver-spotted fingers shook with age as she struggled with the key, and she gave a quiet start when she turned to see him standing and staring. "Dear me, young man! Gave me quite the scare." She smiled, showing off a bottom row of false wooden teeth. Khrassvallen tilted his head at a strange angle, sizing her up. It took no more than a few heartbeats to decide she was too bony. His stomach growled loudly, and he frowned. She continued, barely noticing his odd manners. "That stomach of yours is telling you something. Might want to get a bite in there soon." She chuckled and wheezed to herself, like that was supposed to be funny. "Yesss, I sshould. Do you know where I can get sssomething?" If only she wasn't so arthritic and knobby. Her eyes lit up like a holiday show, and those false teeth flashed with another smile. "Oh! New, are you? In that case, I hear there's a grand opening just down the street and on your left. Nice little place, by the looks of it. And the owner, she's such a dear. I bet she'd love to have another guest. I heard there was going to be food and drinks, so you can have your fill and make some new friends! How does that sound?" Why was she talking to him like a fat human toddler lost on the street? His lip curled in disgust, but again she didn't seem to notice. Maybe she was senile. Probably senile. "Ssounds deliciousss." She nodded like her head was loose where it connected to her thin neck, bobbing erratically in her pride. "Oh yes, yes. Now you go along now. So nice to meet you, but I have a meeting with my lady friends." Her voice suddenly lowered to a whisper, and she leaned in close. "We are going to discuss possible ways the Guard could clean up that rabble on East Street." Like that was supposed to have some kind of effect on him. Khrassvallen merely gave her a strange look and turned on his heel. Humans. At least her directions turned out to be correct. Down the street and to the left was a brand new shop. At least it looked new compared to the others weathered by coastal air. Already there was a small cluster of people gathered around the entrance decorated with a cheery banner. He could smell the food now, mixed with the salty sea air. His mouth flooded with saliva and his stomach growled angrily, making his feet drive forward. A little too late he realized it probably wasn't the best move to arrive at a party stuffed full of humans, being a complete stranger to everyone. But he really wanted some food. He supposed that he could charm the cattle into feeding him then leaving. Several different scenarios flitted through his mind by the time he reached the throng of guests. The owner, for she was obvious that, looked like she could sleep on her feet. The rest he didn't really care about. One had more food, another had a cask of drink, and then two more were latched onto each other's arms. Obviously a couple. The female looked nice, for a human. The male looked like he couldn't count using his own fingers. Back to the owner, she was the one that could feed him. His stomach growled again, quieter this time. Be quiet, you. He cleared his throat unceremoniously. "I wasss told you are having an opening. I congratulate you, and wissh to ssample your refressshmentss." Nailed it.

[Philomena]

Nora Shears arrived early, with a plate of humble, but well prepared sardine pate, smeared in a great heap. There was nothing quite like a Zeltiva pot-luck, and Oh! Gods in heaven, Calamari! She walked over towards it, and kept jabbering to the goodwives who had been following after her, two thin, sallow-looking weaver-women, with dinner-plate wide eyes, and incredulous mouths.

"But she lived right upstairs from you!" the taller of the two intoned with a gossip's wonder, "You must 'er been terrified, Mussy Shears! A murderer, no, no, an Assassin right above yer 'ead, while you were sitting stitching!"

Mussy shears snicked a handful of calimari, and turned, caught between her horror at the memory, and her utter delight at the captivation her story was spreading.

"Terrified when I found out! You would never have guessed, her, after all, she was a university professor for Laviku's sake! And so quiet! But its not the murdering that frightens me, so much, for you know, Lefting only wanted to kill the good leaders of our city - it was the plague!"

"The plague?" the two women said the words at the same time and leaned in close.

Nora spoke in a low, utterly audible, but nonetheless conspiratorial tone, "Yes! You remember Maria, last season, giving that speech like the plague was someone person's doing? Some sort of plague-witch, travelling through the city killing people."

The shorter weaver interrupted. Nora Shears took the opportunity to stuff a few calamari rings into her mouth.

"I heard that she was keeping the plague-witch in her flat! I heard the witch had wings like a bat, and that she stole children and drank their blood!"

The taller woman shook her head, "Nunsense. She were a pretty woman, that's what I am told. IF yer want to know what I think? It was that Capinsal woman at the library, all buried to her nose in queer old books! Learned summat she should nae o' known, and it made her batty. You know there been talk for years that her and Lefting were..." she made a gesture of conjoining wisely with her hands.

Rumors have a strange way of travelling, transforming, and though Nora herself had started this one, she hardly recognized it by the time it returned to her, and assumed that some of the embellishments it had accrued must be due to the better information of others. Reason be damned.

She spoke now, through a mouthful of half-chewed Calimari, "That Capinsal WAS a visitor up the stairs! More than once! And that's only when I was there! Who knows how often she came of a night!"

The taller woman waved a hand, "Nonsense, she were a queer fish, but you forget: she died on the plague same as anyone else. Besides, they said they found the bugger what did it all, and kilt him. The Nuit, he found 'I'm."

The shorter woman, shook her head, and lowered her voice, "Aye, that's what they SAY. But then, again, if they dinny know who had caused the plague, and it started slowing, dunny y'think summat would 'er found a scapegoat, just to calm people down? You ask me... it was Capinsal. And then... maybe Lefting killed her! Her first victim! MAYBE... she took her power!"

The three woman all gasped deliciously.

[Leila]

OOCAnyone can still join this thread, so please feel free. Current post order: Leila, Castor Riley, Bernedette Ferald, Ricky, Khrassvalen, then Philomena. Leila saw the latest arrival, carrying a cask of some sort of alcohol. Leila fought to keep from blushing, because even with events as of late with Ricky, especially the night before, she still found this man attractive. Especially the beard. He had a kind face and kind eyes, even when slightly offset as he looked at Shaco, who immediately took a liking to him, demanding to be pet. "Hello to you as well! I'm Leila, Leila Hughes, and this is Shaco, and it is my pleasure to meet you Castor Riley. Welcome to my Grand Opening! There are tables set up around back," she greeted as she saw him give in to Shaco's demands. Leila found herself liking the man more and more after this moment's meeting, noting that even when removing a hand from the cask, he showed no sign of strain under its weight, something which impressed her. Even though Kelp Beer was not one of her favorites, she knew it was quite popular in the city. She had no doubts that would be among the first drinks to go. She saw more people coming, "If you wouldn't mind waiting a moment, I will take you back there," nodding toward the new arrivals. As if on a hidden cue, Shaco departed from Castor to this new fellow, a strange looking one indeed. His hair pulled back made his head look enormous, adorned with tiny ears, but Leila would never point this out nor make fun. That would just be improper and inappropriate. He brought something called 'gumbo' a meal which Leila wasn't familiar with. She'd have to pry the recipe out of him later. She didn't care for the fact that he'd butted in on her meeting Castor, but she simply did what her mother would do. She made him wait his turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you Berne, I'm Leila Hughes, and the tables are out back. I've not heard of gumbo, but I look forward to trying it. Maybe we can swap recipes later?" Then Leila saw Ricky, and for only the briefest of moments, her heart panged. But she stifled it down, now that she knew of everything that happened last season. While still a little hurt, she could at least understand now, and that did a lot to alleviate her pain. She'd found it within herself to forgive him, and she was glad to still have him in her life. As her father always said, time goes on, no matter how often your heart stops. He was wearing a different uniform than she'd seen him in, and he wore it well, though it looked like he was about ready for a new set. But that wasn't what drew the majority of Leila's attention. There was a blonde woman on his arm, the woman she assumed had stolen his heart and now carried his child within her. A small flurry of jealousy passed through Leila, for this woman was clearly more beautiful than herself. It was no wonder she was the one. Leila couldn't blame him, long time friends, pretty, and... and... not her. But Leila wouldn't let her rain on today's festivities, nor would she want to make either of them uncomfortable. She still wanted to be in Ricky's life, even if it was as a friend rather than anything more. Leila hoped she would at least like Telion, for if she were to be the other woman, then she hoped the other one was better than her in all aspects. Ricky deserved someone nice and lovely, not like her mother, cold and callous. As Ricky approached, he remained quiet, polite, just like Leila knew he would. She smiled at him, and at Telion, the slightest glint of a tear, this one actually of happiness at his arrival. She almost threw herself at him, wishing to just hug him tight, but fought the urge. It would be most improper. "I'm so glad you could make it Ricky!" Turning to the blonde, "And this is Telion that I've heard so much about? I'm glad to finally meet you." Leila did step into the woman's space, a light, informal hug and a peck on the cheek. Mother would be most proud of her proper manners. "I have tables set up out back, and I'm about to take everyone back there." A lingering look was cast at Ricky, only a moment too long, but hopefully it went unnoticed by his new partner. Shaco meanwhile barked happily at his friend, having met Ricky a few times now, and knew that he would be getting proper attention from the Wave Guard. Leila was honestly surprised at how many people were actually showing up. Until now, she'd had this nagging in the back of her head that was saying this was going to be a bust, but it seemed to be becoming anything but. A rugged man approached, one she'd never seen before, though that was to be expected at this event. He had the most peculiar accent, and his manners were clearly that of a foreigner. It seemed he'd either heard of her event by word of mouth or didn't know what a potluck was. But Leila wasn't going to turn him away for that. Shaco didn't seem to particularly care for the man, taking one sniff in his direction, curling his lips, and going back to Leila protectively. "Why thank you kind sir, thank you for coming. Refreshments are around back, please help yourself." Seeing no more immediate arrivals, Leila started to lead her guests around back, through the wooden gate of her fence, taking them past the the windows that let them see into her herbalism lab. "Follow me, and we will get this party started." The lab was full of freshly grown plants, all waiting to be processed and made more useful. She wasn't trying to show off, but she was proud of the way it turned out, and this was a way of providing a brief peek into what actually went on here. Moving around the side of the building, the group eventually came into view of several smaller herb gardens dotting the landscape. But most eyes would likely be drawn to the tables the shipwrights had set up, Leila seeing several people had joined at their leisure. "Grab a seat, grab a plate, and grab a drink, this party isn't for me, but all of you fine people of Zeltiva." Shaco kept himself busy smelling the new people, and wandering off, likely to maintain the perimeter. But he was too happy at all the attention today to cause troubles. Anyone else arriving would be greeted in his typical fashion. Leila parted from the group, making her way over to greet a pair of women, when she heard a quite familiar 'ahem'. She turned and saw a woman in a beautiful navy dress, hair identical to Leila, though a face a few years older. It was mother. Her mother hadn't spoken to her since she'd moved out a season ago, and Leila was honestly startled to see her here now. "Come with me before you talk to those chittering pigeonwomen." Leila nearly reverted fully to how she was when she lived with her, a young girl to be bossed around, would do anything her mother demanded. She followed her mother into the back door of her house, and saw a deep purple dress laying across her bed. "Yvette is loaning this to me, for you, for your grand event. If my daughter is going to be a big success, she's going to look the part. Now hurry up, don't want to keep your guests waiting, this is the event of the summer. I've heard nothing but people talking about this." Leila was surprised to hear her mother give a compliment, and making no mention of the explosive argument they'd had last winter, not mentioning any of the bitter feelings they both carried. But it was obvious why she was here. THE social event of summer, and her daughter was at the center of it? Why she wouldn't dream of not being there, basking in the limelight, for a successful child meant a successful parent. It was all about appearance, and she wanted to maintain the appearance of a mother who cared. Leila removed her current dress and slip, and her mother went to work putting the corset on her. She laced it up quickly and deftly, though when she went to make it as tight as she could, "Mother, easy on the strings, I still need to breathe to entertain." And much to her surprise, "Of course darling." Leila stepped into her dress, got situated, and looked down. She had to admit to herself, she looked stunning. The dresses neck accentuated the little cleavage she had, giving off the feeling that she was in fact a woman, and no longer a growing girl. It hugged her sides, giving a slight curve to her hips, and flowing down, rather than out. It was a stunningly deep shade of violet. Her mother grabbed her comb and began teasing her auburn curls into tight bounces. Satisfied, "Now you look beautiful Leila, make sure to smile, and give everyone some face to face time." Leila and Leina stepped out into the backyard, and her mother steered her toward the gossiping women. "Ladies, this is my daughter Leila, the owner of this shop and the hostess of this fine event." Leila smiled, "It's my pleasure to meet you, thank you so much for coming. It is an honor to have women of proper status attending." It wasn't hard for her to slip into the sycophantic training that her mother had instilled. But these women were her mother's sort of people, not hers. She left her mother to gloat and gossip with them, and made her way to the head of the center table, her father, Captain Becky, and the Hammer all sitting to her left, already eating. Being the ever gracious host, she wouldn't get her own food until everyone had already gotten their own. There were a couple of seats opened to her right, she hoped that Ricky and Telion would join her, to give her a chance to speak to them properly.

[Castor Riley]

The man, Bernedett Ferald, had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Castor felt a bit miffed that Shaco would just run off at the first sign of a new person that might pet him. Where was the loyalty? His interjection, though sudden, had not really bothered Castor, but the same couldn't be said for the owner of the dog. It turned out the woman was in fact the proprietor, Leila Hughes. She seemed like a very pleasant, demure and polite woman, yet she coldly ignored Berne until she had finished her introductions with Castor. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Hughes," he said moving to one side to allow her the time to deal with what was quickly becoming a throng of arriving guests, and making a mental note to avoid getting on her bad side. After Berne had finished his introductiory greetings with Leila, he would find Castor offering his hand as for a hand-shake, with a welcoming smile on his face to soothe any potentially bruised ego. The moment Castor heard Leila exclaim at the arrival of Ricky, he directed his attention at the approaching couple. He realized that the woman accompanying Ricky must be the expecting mother for whose pregnancy he had researched in the library. He waited for Leila to give her greeting, noting that the two were already familiar with each other. After she was done, he walked over himself, extending his hand for a firm hand-shake. "Ricky! It's great to see you here!" he said smiling widely, the sound of Shaco's joyous barking in the background. Turning his attention to the woman accompanying the Wave Guard he said: "And you must be the beautiful woman that's taken Ricky's heart! Remind me to share with you the funny story of how Ricky and I met." He winked at Ricky. He wouldn't be sharing quite the whole story, but he was sure she would appreciate the humor in the lengths to which Ricky went to ensure the safety of their child. Unless he was stopped, he would stand a bit away from the couple to allow them some privacy on their night out. Distracted as he was by the greetings, Castor still noticed the curious man with the lisp. He also noticed Shaco's peculiar behavior; even though the dog had been friendly towards all guests, known and unknown, it showed none of that indiscriminate affection for the new arrival. Castor felt the man was quite rude to arrive at a potluck without something to give, but made allowances, for he was obviously foreign. As the hostess lead them towards the back where the event would be taking place, Castor put the stranger out of mind. Looking in a window as they were guided past it, he noticed an impressive array of herbs and herbology equipment. Leila's operation seemed very well set up, as far as he could tell. As they entered the garden, Castor saw that some people had already gathered; there were three older men, who appeared to be sailors, sitting at the center table, while three older women were gathered together, furiously gossiping about some subject or other. He finally put the cask down on a table, his left hand slightly numb from lugging the 4 gallons of Kelp beer around for the better part of a bell. He massaged the blood back into the weary limb, a tingly sensation going up and down it. His attention was then taken by the several different plates offered at the center table. Everything looked delicious, so rather than choose, he took a small portion of everything, ending up with a hodge-podge of different foodstuffs. He then took a glass and went to pour some kelp beer into it. A sudden twitch of his hand caused him to spill most of it on the floor, and he had to flex the tired muscle a couple of times before he managed to pour himself a proper drink. He had been so distracted by the entire business that he hadn't even noticed when Leila had left. He did, however, notice when she came back. She had been pretty before, but the dress she had changed into truly showed off her best features in a most elegant fashion. He decided to sit near to wherever Ricky did, as he was the only other person he knew at the event and looked to him, then, to see what he might do and follow suite, if possible.

[Bernedett Ferald]

Berne was not at all surprised when Leila ignored him. He had butted in, and he had expected it. When she did finally address him, the first thing he did was appologize. "It is nice to meet you as well, and please allow me to apologize for my rudeness. Also, if you really want the recipe, I can give it to you. Though, its really just a rather thick beef and vegetable stew with one to many spices, to be honest!" He then turned to Castor. He was offering his free hand for a handshake, with a warm smile on his face. He looked as though he felt a little sorry that Berne had been ignored. An unneeded concern on his part, but it was appreciated, none the less. Berne returned the handshake with an equally friendly smile. He was surprised by Castors strength of grip. He had known Castor was strong(he had to be to carry that cask with him so easily), but he still didn't seem the sailor type... More people were arriving, the first of which was quite a handsome couple, but boy was the man big! Berne had thought Castor was big, and he had seen big sailors, but this guy was a bear! Compared to him, his woman seemed like a shy hummingbird. Still, they were a lovely contrast, and he just loved seeing people who looked so happy. Leila didn't seem to share his sentiment. In fact, she looked a little uncomfortable. He wondered if they new each other, and if so, how? Of coarse, he'd never ask. The next person to arrive was a rather odd man. He seemed polite enough, but something seemed off; even the dog didn't seem to like him. He was obviously foreign, hadn't even bothered to bring any food, and had a bit of a lisp... or was it an accent? He couldn't quite tell, and he didn't really want to ask. It would just be too rude to mention it, and he didn't want to further the hostesses apparent opinion of him being a crude and blunt person. He would have to make a note of this one, and try to get to know him... After greeting all of them, Liela finally ushered them all in, past her shop, and into the garden. Berne saw that she had already set out some food of her own, and he was impressed by the work she had put into it. It also appeared that he and Castor were not the first to have arrived, as he had thought. He saw that a few men, and a couple of other women had already arrived, and one was already helping herself to the calamari. He had never met her, but she had been described to him, and from what he heard, she must have been Nora Shears. From what he had heard, she was a gossiper, and was the source of one or two of the... nastier, rumors around town. "Note to self... don't get on her bad side..." He saw Leila about to walk over to them, but she was soon stopped by an older woman. It was rather odd. Leila seemed to adopt an air of dignified respect for the woman... as well as an air of surprise, and what seemed like worry.Was it her mother? He wouldn't be surprised. The did look alike. He watched as the women disappeared behind the door to the back room. He wondered what it was all about. Bernedett walked around the table, grabbing a plate, setting his gumbo down in the center of the table, and took a bit of everything. He saw some fish, of course. It wasn't as if he had expected anything else in Zeltiva. This, however, was some good fish! She must have used some good seasonings. She did own a shop which sold plants, so it would stand to reason she'd have some herbs for cooking as well as for tonics. He forgot about the food when he saw her coming out in her new dress... She was stunning! She had been pretty in her sundress, of course, but she was on a new level. Heck, she was competing with the blonde woman now, and she didn't even have the same motherly glow that was present around her! He watched her walk over to the women standing next to the Calamari, and greet them. It was a quick greeting, and after words she went to sit near to the men who had been present when the had entered. He got over his initial shock, and walked over to nearer to her. He felt it was best to start making friend's, and who better start with than the hostess whom was throwing this little get together? As he approached, he said, "Hello. Would you mind if I sit here? Or are you waiting for some one?"

[Ricky Maze]

The two watched as Leila addressed Castor first, a relaxed attitude about them as she moved on then to Burne. He expected no less of manners and formality from her when she finished interacting with Castor first, which he actually found the two to be quite a pair in his mind. He had met Castor once before the change of the season, that which proved to be an intetesting way to meet. Even better towards the end, as they made plans to spend a little "male bonding" time over kelp beer. Much to his surprise Castor had brought a cask of beverage on his own, what are the odds he chose Kelp Beer as a choice to bring to such a fine party.

Their turn to be addressed by Leila followed, as Ricky nodded with a wide warm grin with a humble attitude. "We're glad we can be here lass, a real treat to be here it is." He assured her graciously, a hearty chuckle as Shaco demanded head scratches from him. Of course he wouldn't deny the adorable dog some animal affection as he loved canines too much, and Shaco just plainly reminded him of a time where Ricky had the best friend of his life. Telion definitely could be seen as timid as Leila adressed her, far from being used to attending such occasions such as this. Her light skin came to be a very light rose color when Leila spoke to her, a gentle smile on her face as she received the hug and peck on her cheek.

"Why thank you," A soft giggle at the compliment, "Ricky's told me quite a bit about you too. I'm so glad we finally had this chance to meet." She gave a small nod as Ricky stood back up after the series of head scratches abd belly rubs he gave Shaco, an arm wrapped over Tel's shoulders as he kept her close. Though Leila had a look that lingered for a few ticks the couple paid no small worry to it, they did after all have a surprise to share for her. Hopefully a surprise she would take well. Castor came next to interact with the two, a enthusiastic greeting mixed with a handshake. Telion took the bottle of champagne and held it close to her, her gentle smile still present as she looked up to Ricky with curiosity. "Castor mate, good to see ya again." He cheered as he shook with his now free hand. Ricky looked down to Tel with a grin as Castor then greeted her, eyebrows raised as she looked up to him in a "what did you do" expression. Ricky laughed as he looked back to Castor with a wide smile, "Castor, this is Telion. Telion, this is Castor from the library."

"Oh him?" Her gentle smile lifted as she looked to him. "Hannah told me about that actually, about running into you two. My condolences on her involvement, though I imagine a good laugh came out of it." Indeed Hannah came off rather strong, Telion being one of the handful that know just how strong. Admittedly Hannah always had a way to make things fun or.interesting, though sometimes she tended to overshare a bit too much.

"The both o' them gave me a hard time when I got home." He mused with a chuckle and a gentle rub on her shoulder. Another man happened to come along to join the group, a man who looked and definitely sounded foreign to Ricky. He never met anybody who had a lisp in their speech, and he honestly found himself quite curious about this guest. He didn't seem to bring any refreshments, so he guessed he was just a party crasher and nothing more.

The couple followed along with the group at a leisurely stroll, and admired the set up that had been put together in the yard as the guests were brought to the table area. "It all looks so good." she murmured as she pulled him, her apetite kicked in at the sight of food. Being pregnant she was still in the stage with serious cravings, whats suppose to be morning sickness, and the random mood swings she suffered on occasion. Being rather over emotional in most cases, Telion suffering from bouts of mood changes started to get a little crazy for Ricky. He definitely didn't count on those, but then again he hardly knew anything about being pregnent.

"There's cod and kelp there," he pointed to it as he handed her a plate, "I've hd some before. It's real good." He loked to her to see if she would get any, a bit of a smoulder on her face.

"I can't eat kelp." She rubbed over her belly area to point out her reason, which surprised Ricky because he didn't think kelp could hurt the baby. "Tell you what, save us a couple of seats and I'll get the food." She suggested, Ricky nodded with a short laugh. Telion knew what he liked and what she could eat, better than he did at most times. He went ahead and found a spot near the head of the table, and watched as Telion sorted out what food she could eat. It was then he noticed Leila went missing from her party, for he hadn't seen the appearance of her mother as the two went off to change. When she returned though all eyes appeared to be on her, and Ricky could admit even he saw that she was beautiful in that moment. Telion took the seat next to him of course, and then Ricky noticed Castor took his nearby. When Telion slid Ricky his plate he looked to hers to see what she had gotten, a little bit of sweet pea salad but a lot of clam chowder, along with a bit of gingerbread. Ricky had plenty of cod smothered with kelp and a dip of clam chowder, an appetized look on his face when he peered back to her. "Better eat up cause you'll need the energy tonight." She nearly whispered it, just enough for him to hear it during the rabble of the party.

Ricky looked back to his plate with raised eyebrows, a smirk on his face as he waited for the guest of honor to take her seat. Burne requested that he be able to sit next to her in the empty chair across from Ricky, who gave a warm smile to the two as he just waited for the opportunity to speak with Leila to come.

"Ricky's words.", "Ricky's thoughts.", "Telion's words.", "Hannah's words.", "Other's words."