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Bubbly Pie Eating Contest - Telgar Weyr Winter Games

Chailyn - Friday, September 08, 2000, 12:08 PM
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Nimiriel walks in from the bowl.

"I need the fuel. All that heavy lifting and stuff," is M'rgan's quick jibe back though he neglects to mention that most of his duties consist of sitting on Ularrith's neck all day, looking bored. His gaze turns towards Ilexa and Kiran as he takes their measure, sizing up the competition.

Ilexa considers. "But if you eat too much, you end up getting sick, and I just got here," she says. She looks at M'rgan and Kichevio thoughtfully. "And then I wouldn't be able to do any of the /really/ fun stuff, because I'd be throwing up."

Kichevio's eyes slant briefly toward the teapot...for some odd reason...before she nods gracefully to the Weyrwoman. "Come to watch the pandemonium, Nimiriel?"

Kiran's lips tighten into a small smile, and he seats himself directly opposite M'rgan. "Alright," he says. "I missed breakfast anyways."

Chailyn chuckles at Ilexa. "We've got some wonderful prizes... and I'd bet Kich wouldn't mind the help in puttering M'rgan in his place." She beams at Kiran and offers, "Great! Afternoon, Weyrwoman." Her attention it turned to Nimiriel, "Come to stuff yourself, or just to see who wins?"

Nimiriel, predictably, makes a beeline for that teapot. "Afternoon, everyone." She *seems* to be acting normally, at least for now. A glance is cast in Kichevio's direction, "Mmm. Yesterday, I might've participated. I had such an awful craving for those things... Not today, though."

Ilexa cocks her head to the side. "Prizes? What are the prizes?" It seems more simple curiousity than greed, though. She still looks doubtful about participating.

Kichevio sits calmly beside Kiran, grinning back at Chailyn. "Putting M'rgan in his place is always a worthy endeavour."

Chailyn grins at Ilexa. "Firelizard eggs, stuffed firelizards, gloves, a commission from the woodcraft, a ride anywhere on Pern and back, and baker's sweets. So, I've got M'rgan, Kichevio, Kiran.... who else...?" She arches her eyebrows at Ilexa inquiringly.

M'rgan mutters to himself, "Gonna need some space," and he loosens his belt a couple of notches. After hooking his thumb in his waistband and giving it a tug to make sure that there's enough emptiness there, the brownrider settles his elbows on the table. "I skipped breakfast too," he tells Kiran.

Kichevio says "You're not joining us, Chailyn?"

Ilexa draws a breath sudden, remembering something forgotten, and mutters a quiet, "Weaver's duties." Said softly enough that hopefully no one will notice she's forgotten 'til now. She wanders over toward the pie eaters, leaning against the table in a casual attitude. "How many people get prizes?" she asks Chailyn.

One of the drudges, Framn, clomps over and cheerfully sits down next to M'rgan. "Pies'r good! I eat lots." Okay, count Framn in.

Chailyn grins at Kich, "Faranth no! I'm with the Weyrwoman. I'll just watch. Though I've been eyeing those gloves. I swear, if no one claims them for prizes, I'll take 'em myself."

A dark-haired young woman, about ten years old, creeps toward the table, obviously hoping to go unnoticed. She slips to a seat next to Kichevio and smiles up at the older girl, with a finger to her lips. "Shhhh. I don't want Mama to know I'm here," Tarien whispers.

You sense Kichevio murmurs 'Scaredy-feline', but smiles as she says it.

Chailyn considers, and then says, "Well, top three get to pick their own prizes. After that, I suppose I'll decide. We've plenty for everyone though, so don't be shy about entering. There's also the ice sculpting contest, and the sacvenger hunt still going on." Something in her tone indicates that she's rather a pushover, and probably can be talked into letting everyone pick their prizes but...

Kiran spreads his hands out on the table in front of him after firing a short grin over at Kichevio. "Beating a rider's prize enough," he says.

Kichevio winks at Tarien and whispers, "No worries," before looking back up with a smile. "Bring them on. I wouldn't mind a new pair of gloves myself."

Ilexa nods decisively. "Okay, I'll try too," she says. "But if I even start to /think/ I might be about to get sick from eating to much, I'm quitting." She drops into a seat and looks around. "Then I'll go make an ice sculpture, and then I'll do the scavenger hunt, and then..." she trails off. "Anyway, it's free bubblies, and at a gather even."

M'rgan arches an eyebrow at Kiran's comment to Kichevio and a mildy insulted, "Excuse me?" bursts out of him.

From a corner, a group of young weyrbrats titter over a pilfered skin of wine. As the skin makes its way around the youngsters, they laugh at their cleverness at this prank. Of course, they don't realize that this was a special skin, highly watered for just this purpose.

Kiran looks challengingly across the table at M'rgan, a good-natured smile touching his lips. "You heard me," he says. "If I beat you, I don't need a prize. It'll be enough that I'll be able to gloat about it."

Chailyn wrinkles her nose at something Kichevio murmurs to her. "In a word: yes." She grins and asks, "Okay, pipe down, pipe down. You two," she grins at Kiran and M'rgan, "Settle this my stuffing your faces." She grins. "The rules are simple. One: You have to eat all of the bubbly for it to be counted. Two: This is timed. When I say stop, put down the bubbly you're working on. Top three pie eaters will pick their own prizes. Any questions?"

Kichevio asks sweetly, "Are we allowed to throw any at M'rgan if he cheats?"

Tarien just sits there, trying to look as innocent as possible, listening closely to Chailyn.

Ilexa raises her hand, but asks without waiting, "How long is the time?" She shoots a startled glance at Kichevio at her question.

Chailyn starts to giggle, and then casts a glace towards the kitchen, sure Rhiallya will show up. "Um, only if you clean it up after." She nods to Ilexa, "Five minutes. Any other questions?"

Ilexa cocks her head to the side. "Are we allowed to throw them at people who don't cheat, just to make it more interesting?" She almost seems serious.

"It's timed?" M'rgan's expression becomes vaguely depressed. "I was hoping for all you could eat. Given enough time..." Given enough time, he could probably down any amount of food. "No, no questions." He gives his waistband another tug test. Maybe he should loosen his belt one more notch.

Ceria walks in from the bowl.

Laidan walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Ceria peeks into the living cavern with a smile.

Laidan comes out into the living cavern.. looking for food.

Chailyn waves to Ceria and Laidan, "Come join the bubbly eating contest!" She arches her eyebrows at Ilexa, "Only if you clean them up after. And thrown pies," she adds hurriedly. "Don't count towards your total!"

Laidan ohs.. food. "Sure!"

Ceria grins at Chailyn. "Who made the bubblies?" she inquires as she heads toward a table.

Kichevio waves over at Ceria. "Brownrider versus brownrider," she chuckles. "This could get interesting."

Chailyn laughs at Ceria. "Not me! The bakers have been busy all morning."

Tarien starts to giggle, but quickly claps both hands over her mouth, and peers quickly around the cavern--just to make sure. "It's not so easy to clean 'em up, either," she notes, rather mournfully. "Had to scrub some out of my hair once."

Kiran rolls his shoulders a few times, loosening muscles as if he's about to embark on some intensely physical endeavor, like a footrace.

Laidan sits and relaxes, eying the bubblies.

Famn, the drudge, sets his ham-like hands to either side, ready to dive in to grab the pies, "Famn is ready! Let's eat!"

Ceria chuckles as she drops into a seat. "I don't know how good I'll be at this," she says. "I've always been better at making a lot of bubblies than eating a lot of them."

Ilexa looks at the rest of the pie-eaters thoughtfully. "But it would certain be distracting," she says with a grin. Then, at Tarien's comment, she shakes her head. Regretfully, "And people are wearing gather clothes, probably." She pulls her coat a little closer around her own clothes.

You say "Everyone ready? All right. You have until I say stop! Remember: you have to eat the whole bubbly for it to count. And thrown ones don't count either! On the mark.... get set.... GO!"

Laidan grabs a pair of bubblies and just dives in, not seeming to care about the juice getting on her face. She chomps away with childish abandon, not quite beingold enough to care about her figure, yet.

M'rgan puffs his cheeks in and out and then thrusts out his tongue. He repeats this exercise several times, getting the important bits of his body ready. At the go he grabs the closest bubbly from the tray and tries to wedge the whole thing into his mouth. His jaws work and work as he stuffs and stuffs.

Ceria quickly grabs a bubbly from the group set before them. She takes large bites, tucking away the food somewhere in her small figure. She wrinkles her nose as she catches sight of M'rgan's technique and she starts in on another bubbly pie.

Kichevio scoops up the nearest bubbly and begins to eat, taking small, fast bites. Despite her daintiness, the pie is gone quite soon, with only a few crumbs spilled. A second one vanishes with equal speed and delicacy.

Tarien's quick to reach out and grab a bubbly in each hand. By the quickness of the movement, it looks like she's already well-practiced in snatching the pies. She's also quick to eat them, without a care in the least about the juice she's getting on her face and her clothes.

The start comes while Ilexa is still trying to arrange her coat so as to make her clothes less vulnerable to a thrown pie, so she starts off a little slowly. She seems more concerned than most with eating neatly, too, and so is soon far behind the others.

Famn takes four bubblies. He squishes them all together and shoves them in his mouth. A chew swallow, and he's already reaching for more. Another three disappear in the same manner as juice and filling flies everywhere. Lucky M'rgan, seated right next to him.

At the go, Kiran snatches up a couple of the bubblies and proceeds to attempt to cram them, one after the other, into his mouth whole. Brute force, a teen's appetite, and stubborn pride all help him devour both, and then two more, in short order.

Laidan reaches out for another pair of bubblies, making a slightly dismayed noise as one crumples and has to be shoveled into her mouth any haphazard way. That doesn't seem to really matter, though, judging by the way she eats the other.

Chailyn counts down. "Three minutes left!"

Tarien grabs again, with grubby, sticky fingers, but changes her tactic. Now, rather than grabbing two at a time, she grabs one at a time, eating one while her free hand reaches out to grab another. Small though she might be, she's able to pack quite a few of these things away.

Ceria scoops another couple bubblies toward her and starts munching away. First one, then another disappear in to her mouth, leaving just a bit of juice dribbling down her chin. She wipes it off with her hand and licks her fingers for a moment before starting in on yet another.

Zuliah walks in from the bowl.

Kichevio is on her fourth, and seems to be slowing down a bit. As she finishes the pie, she grimaces a little before reaching for a fifth. To top it off, she's obviously unaware of the ring of purple-red juice around her mouth.

Ilexa scoots unobtrusively away from the others' messiness, pausing to stare at the spectacularly messy Famn. She picks up another pie, beginning to get the idea and eat a little faster, for all the good it'll do her at this point.

M'rgan doesn't flinch as the bubbly juice from Famn's messy eating sprays his arm but that's probably not a surprise as his mouth, chin, neck and the front of his shirt is already covered in juice from his own messy eating. The tray in front of him is rapidly emptying and he sucks in a breath, compares his tray to Kiran's during this brief pause, and then scoops up another bubbly.

Alarm reaches Kiran's expression as Famn begins outpacing him, and he redoubles his efforts. By now his chin and the front of his shirt are covered with remnants of the bubblies, but his brow furrows in concentration as he consumes another two, then two more.

Famn reaches out and grab a total of six more bubblies. Cheerfully he stuff another three in his mouth with one hand. He barely pauses to chew, swallowing down one mouthful, before the other is shoved in with the other three. Undaunted, he reaches for another two as he chews.

Chailyn calls out, "One minute! One minute left!" She keeps an eye on the hourglass timer.

Laidan hears the time and starts cramming a lot faster, chewing as fast as her jaw muscles can work. She'll probably be beaten by the champion chewers, but she's going to eat her share of bubblies!

Kichevio takes her time with the fifth one. Watching the others eat is more fun than actually eating for herself. Her eyes twinkle as she watches M'rgan and Kiran try to outpace Famn, nibbling at the last bits of crust.

Ceria finishes her fifth bubbly and now pays no mind to the juice that seems to be covering her mouth and dripping down her chin. She eats a sixth, and then starts on a seventh, but she seems to be slowing down considerably.

Catching sight of Famn's tactic, Tarien decides to try that one herself, grabbing two pies with her next attempt. She's just barely able to get both of them in her mouth, but it looks like she's getting the hang of the inhale-without-chewing concept. She grabs another pair, her sixth and seventh, and downs them quickly.

Ilexa stops abruptly with an expression of alarm. She hops up quickly, and moves away from the bubbly table, brushing at the few crumbs and drips of juice she was unable to avoid. After a moment, the alarm fades, then turns to interest as she looks back at the pie-eaters. She asks generally, "Do they get anything taken off for the amount all over their clothes? They could have a whole pie there!"

A group of riders huddle over a hide, their laughter erupting from time to time before dying away to the soft murmur of voices. After a while, a greenrider grabs the hide and darts through the tables and people before darting out into the bowl.

Famn, for all his great mass, starts to choke on the last one. A couple of cheering bystanders start swatting the drudge on his back, laughing goodnaturedly.

M'rgan's eating pace actually slows rather than quickens as the one minute time has called. His early plunge into the food has left him with little room in his belly and a vague feeling of indigestion. The bubblies he eats now go down in halves, rather than wholes and he takes a lot more time chewing and *gulp* swallowing than he did before.

Kiran apparently realizes he's more than outmatched by Famn, and puts his mind to simply beating M'rgan. Despite the enormous quantity he's already consumed, he doesn't slow down: two more bubblies, and then two more still -- but then Ilexa's comment reaches him, and he bursts into laughter. Half-chewed bubbly goes everywhere, but mostly spraying across the table at M'rgan.

Chailyn is watching the timer closely. As the grains run out, she calls, "STOP!" Then she grins at Ilexa, "If I knew how to measure it, I would."

Kichevio ducks under the table as Kiran starts laughing. As Chailyn yells stop, she waves a hand. "Okay, we're done. Call them off!"

Laidan licks a last bit of pie into her mouth and swallows. She pauses.. "I think.. I got eight."

Laidan stops to count in her head.

Tarien doesn't have the reflexes to duck, so she, too, ends up splattered with flying bubbly, which causes her to giggle. She stops rather abruptly as she catches sight of--and makes eye contact with--her mother.

Chailyn giggles at Kiran and just eyes M'rgan. "I think we should give out baths as prizes as well. Let me tally up everything. Remember our prize list. Stuffed Firelizards, eggs, gloves, woodcrafter commission, baker's treats - like you didn't just have enough! -- and a ride anywhere on Pern and back from I'sai."

Kiran rolls his eyes skywards as Chailyn calls a halt to the contest; he's managed to contain his laughter, but now he's got a hand pressed to his belly. One more swallow, and he chokes out, "That was disgusting. I think I got around ten." This may be something of an exaggeration considering the quantity of bubbly on his chin and shirt, and that which he spat across the table.

Famn finally stops coughing, and looks up with a bubbl-smeared face. "Famn had two!" And he seems all excited about how large a number that is. Even though he clearly had more than that.

M'rgan instantly puts down the remains of the bubbly he was chewing and he thrusts out his tongue, as if considering getting rid of what's in his mouth as well. But eventually good manners overrides the pain in his stomach and he manages to swallow the remains. As he curls his lip distastefully at the splatters of bubbly Kiran's left on the table in front of him, he reaches down to loosen his belt again.

Kichevio is staying under the table where it's safe, thank you very much. "I ate five, Chailyn. Very neatly too, I might add."

Ilexa suggests, "You could just take one pie off the total for everyone who looks like they've been swimming in pie filling?" She sits down at a table next to the bubbly table, and grins. "That was actually sort of fun," she announces. Not that she really did much.

Laidan stifles a burp.. and begins looking around for something to drink.

Tarien reports, rather meekly, now that she's been caught, "I had eight." Without paying attention to what she's doing, she wipes her mouth and chin on the sleeve of her shirt.

Chailyn looks up from her tally sheet as a bluerider comes over with the correct number for Famn. "Okay, the winner, with an *amazing* two - sixteen - is Famn! Second place is Kiran with ten, M'rgan with nine, Laiden and Tarien are tied with eight. Ceria comes next with seven, Kichevio with a very neatly done five and, uh, I didn't get your name?" she offers to Ilexa, "But you had two. Now, Famn, Kiran and M'rgan, pick your prizes!"

Famn blinks comically, his entire face stained with juice and pie crusts. "Famn won? Famn want firelizard!" And the man picks up one of the stuffed lizards, and immediately hugs it, getting berry stain all over it. "Firelizard, firelizard!" The drudge heads back to the kitchen, repeating the chant.

M'rgan slumps down in his chair so that his head is resting against the chairback. His eyelids are heavy and his eyes are barely open. "Someone else can have my prize." He just wants to stay in this spot and slowly die.

Laidan manages to find some water and offers a cup to M'rgan thoughtfully before guzzling some herself and busily licking juice stains off her hands.

Ilexa says, "Oh! Ilexa. Did I really eat two? I didn't think I quite finished the second one, thought it was a really good spice berry pie. I thought I felt a little sick," she explains. She looks back at where she was sitting, and conceeds, "But probably I finished it just as well as most, just without leaving the remains all over my shirt."

Kiran, his other hand now pressed to his belly, nods agreement to M'rgan. "One of the littles," he croaks. He leans forward against the edge of the table, his expression twisted into a grimace.

Tarien looks quite pleased at hearing the results, and not at all dismayed at not getting to pick a prize. "That was fun!" she announces to all and sundry, then bounces to her feet, displaying none of the discomfort that the older folks in the caverns might be.

From Laidan's shoulder, Hielo :chirples curiously.

Kichevio is really, _really_ trying not to look smug as she comes out from under the table. But she does anyway--can't help it. "Can I claim M'rgan's prize?"

Laidan offers her firelizard a sniff at the juice stains, grinning.

Chailyn blinks at M'rgan, and then Kichevio. Flustered, the girl says, "Well, all right. You can all just pick. But Laidan, and Ceria, you two have firelizards allready, so pick something else."

M'rgan manages to crack open an eye enough to peer at the cup he's being offered by Laidan and as he takes it unsteadily he asks her in a hopeful voice, "Is this poison?" He also extends it towards Kiran, having noted the boy's similar condition. "Want some?"

It's about all Kiran can do to weakly wave away the offer. He's turned positively grey.

Chailyn selects a stuffed firelizard from the table and puts it aside, from the mess and stain for Kiran. "One stuffed lizard for Kiran. And M'rgan wins a tip to the healers." She grins, and then asks, "Laiden, Tarien? You two are next..."

Laidan ums.. "Well, it might make you feel better.. kind of fills things out so they don't hurt as much." She brightens at Chailyn. "Could I have a stuffed firelizard?"

Kichevio ambles over to the prize table, and begins looking at objects, ignoring the hopeful twittering of a green fire-lizard on her shoulder. "No Magda. You are _not_ getting another friend. Four is plenty."

Ceria grins at Chailyn. "I've got a weaver commission as well," she says. "I wouldn't mind a stuffed firelizard. "I can give it to Adaria."

Chailyn nods to Laidan, selecting one out for her as well. And for Ceria. "All right. I'd suggest picking them up once you've sponged off." She grins. "Kichevio? And Ilexa. What'll you have?"

Laidan nods, wipes a bit more off and heads into the inner caverns to finish getting clean before claiming her prize.

"I was hoping for poison," M'rgan tells Laidan in disappointment though he does manage a sip of the water. Poison would definitely be quicker than death by exploded belly. He deposits the cup on the table and then lays his head down also, just like Kiran. "Tell Kena I want to be buried on that hill overlooking Boll."

Laidan walks towards the inner cavern.

Kichevio is eyeing a pair of soft black gloves trimmed in white fur. "These are lovely...unless you laid first claim to them, Chailyn?"

Chailyn grins at Kichevio. "They're yours. But I promised not to say who made them."

Tarien looks over the prizes thoughtfully. Another glance is cast toward the Weyrwoman, then the young girl smiles up at Chailyn. "Can I have one of the stuffed firelizards, please? Rivaar's been talking about how much he wants to have one."

Ilexa watches the prize giving curiously. "Stuffed firelizards sure are popular," she notes. "Oh, I get one? Can I have the gloves, please? I'm going to go make a sculpture now, and I don't have any. Silly of me, when I knew this was a winter gather, but it's not nearly so cold..." She pauses at Kichevio's request. "Or is there only one pair?"

In a corner, a group of aunties sit with their knitting. Quiet for the most part, they are paying close attention to everything that goes on around them. The gossip garnished this day will last them at least a season as they discuss who was seen with whom and who was avoiding whom.

"Somebody wake me up when I'm dead," Kiran moans softly, without moving his head from the table. He hasn't looked over at his prize yet.

Kichevio takes the black gloves, trying them on with a happy smile. "I think there are some other gloves...but none like _these_. If you know whoever made them, Chailyn, thank them for me."

M'rgan's eyes close and he falls asleep. Probably a blessing as he can sleep through the pain. His cheek will likely be permanently bonded to the tabletop by the sticky bubbly juice.

Chailyn grins at Ilexa, "Two pairs. So you're more than welcome to the other one." She restrains from teasing M'rgan, though she grins over at the stuffed brownrider.

Ilexa smiles. "Oh, I'm lucky," she says, jumping up to claim her pair. "These are nice gloves," she adds, turning them over and over and stroking the soft hide. "Almost enough to make me want to move back home so I can use them more often."

Kichevio pulls on the gloves with a happy smile, then sits down a safe distance away from the comatose M'rgan and Kiran, watching with quiet amusement. Are they alive?

Chailyn hands out the gloves to the proper people and then nods to Tarien. "Of course you can. Pick one out yourself?" She grins and raises her voice, "There's going to be a mock firelizard hatching soon outside in the south bowl. Zuliah's got things all set up there. So if you're looking for more fun, try that out!"

Kiran somehow manages to haul himself back up to sit straight, and forces his eyes back in to focus. He first looks at the stuffed firelizard on the table next to him, bemusement slipping into his expression. Then his eyes stray over to the comatose M'rgan, and then on to Kichevio.

Kichevio is still hiding a smile as she peers at Kiran. "Can you move yet? Or shall I and the fire-lizard stand watch over you?"

Ilexa adds firmly, "But not quite. Very useful though." She grins and stuff them into her pockets, with some difficult due to their stiff newness. "What's a mock firelizard hatching?"

"Give me a few minutes," croaks Kiran. "Just to make sure I'm not going to burst."

Kichevio sits, admiring her gloves. "We wouldn't want _that_...take your time."