Sue glances around the hut then grins at her friend. "It works."

The list owner's eyes bug out. "Excuse me, this is some of our finest Amazon wood for these huts."

Lil' Bard laughs softly. "Its nice, Red." She strolls over to her desk, decides its large enough for her writing. "This is a… interesting Place, Red."

The bard starts laughing quietly. "I just made the list, the rest of the bunch crafted it."

Sue smirks at her friend. "I can tell."

"Sue!" squeals MomBard as she comes racing in the hut.

Lil' Bard groans but smiles as she hugs MomBard. "Hi, Mom."

MomBard pulls away after the long hug but holds Sue's arms. "What took you so long to join the Place?"

Red Hope chuckles and folds her arms, watching.

"You know me, Mom," teases Sue, "had brace myself for this list."

The list owner huffs from behind.

"And I am glad I did," states Lil' Bard loudly as her mother releases her.

"Well… she has a point, babes," says MomBard to Red Hope.

The bard flashes a mean glare at the moderator. "Uh huh, I see."

MomBard laughs before saying, "Love ya, Bratt."

Red Hope rolls her eyes but was grinning.

"Knock, knock." Came a voice from the open hut door.

The three women turn and see Lor at the door.

"Hey, Lor." MomBard smiles happily. "How you like it here?"

The poet grins and replies, "Still getting use to it." She chuckles and adds evilly, "Not exactly your regular run of the mill list."

"Mmm," agrees Red Hope. "All settled in though?"

Lor nods while leaning against the doorframe. "Pretty much."

The list owner glances at MomBard. "Did you inform them about the induction ceremony?"

MomBard furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "The induction ceremony?"

"Yes," states Red Hope in a hard tone, and she lifts an eyebrow. "The induction ceremony so that Sue and Lor are apart of the Place."

The moderator's eyes widen. "Oooh, Red but… the Queen is in charge of that." She grins evilly. "Remember?"

The list owner chuckles. "I know but I thought you may have mentioned it."

"Induction ceremony?" cuts in Lor. "What you mean, induction ceremony?"

"Whatever it is," starts Sue, "I can tell its going to be bad."

MomBard snickers lowly.

Red Hope folds her arms. "You have no idea, SueRice."

Sue sighs dramatically. "Alright, what do me and Lor have to do?"

Red Hope glances at MomBard.

MomBard glances at Red Hope.

They both start laughing very evilly.

Lor looks at Sue with worry.

Sue looks at Lor with a grin.

~*~*~*~

"Yup," agrees Red Hope. "He needs a name."

Janelle chuckles and questions, "Since when were we doing this induction ceremony around the Place?"

The list owner lifts an eyebrow. "How'd you hear about it?"

The Aussie bard snickers before drinking some of her carbonated water. She settles her mug back down on the table in the middle of the food hut. "Just ya know, mate. Heard it in the wind."

"Yeah, so what's the ceremony?" inquires Empress Cy.

The bard is about to reply to the members at the table but notices the newbies coming in with MomBard and Queen Karena. "Yawl will see," she taunts.

Janelle huffs and glances at Michelle beside her. "You know what its about?"

The moderator smirks. "It’s a secret. Sorry, Janelle."

"Damn, I wanna know," whines Tea and then she drinks some of her Starbucks coffee.

"So this is where the food is," directs Queen Karena to the newbies. "We have quite the variety and we drink aaa lot of carbonated water."

"Carbonated water," inquires Lor.

Queen Karena shrugs with a grin. "We do have water, forbidden beverages without the forbiddeness, and…" she trails off while looking at MomBard for help.

"Water," adds on MomBard with a laugh.

"That's it?" asks Sue with surprise.

Queen Karena puts her hands on her hips. "Well, if you're nice to me, I can import a special drink you like. Just tell me what it is."

"Oooh really?" asks Lor happily. "Wicked."

"Just don't touch the Starbucks coffee," calls Tea as she raises up a glass of her coffee in example.

Lor and Sue laugh together and shake their heads.

"Or my ice tea," tags on the list owner.

Lil' Bard evilly grins at Lor and nudges her with her elbow. "The ice tea," she whispers.

"Sue," warns MomBard.

Sue grins at her mother but shrugs.

"Hold on, you said something about forbidden beverages…?" Lor folds her arms and waits for the explanation.

Michelle gets up from her seat beside Red Hope while carrying her plate. "Those are alcoholic beverages," she whispers, "they're forbidden."

"Why's that?" asks Sue.

"'Cause I hate them," answers the list owner with a smirk.

Again, Sue and Lor exchange glances.

"Hey Sue, you have a dog too?" inquires Janelle happily.

"Yup," replies Sue Rice with a grin. "Lady and my cat are around here somewhere."

"Wonderful," mutters MomBard sarcastically.

"Cat too?" Janelle jumps up happily. "I have got to see them."

Michelle comes back over with a full mug of carbonated water. "Dog too?"

Sue smiles. "Uh huh. Heard you have a dog?"

The moderator laughs softly. "Yes but I haven't named him yet. Its so bloody hard."

Lil' Bard nods with a grin. "That takes time."

Queen Karena glances at MomBard. "Can you handle the rest of the tour?"

MomBard nods.

"Thanks, be back." The Queen heads towards the exit of the food hut. "Need to check on something, mates."

"What's that 'bout?" asks Terri as she gets up with her dirty dishes.

Everybody in the hut shrugs.

"Who knows with the Queen," jokes Janelle.

"I think she's paranoid about the Amazon Beans in the hut," answers Cindy from her spot at the bench.

"Oh that's right." Red Hope laughs and shakes her head. "She's proud of her beans."

"Beans?" asks Sue with a curious expression.

Michelle grins at Red Hope. "Take it away, Red. You're the bard and list owner."

The list owner swats her friend but brings her attention back to Lor and Lil' Bard. "See, our income is based on the Amazon Beans." She glances over at Tea. "Tea, can I see your coffee?"

"Sure." The Canadian gets up and strolls over. She gives Red Hope the bottle.

"See." The list owner holds out the bottom half of the Starbucks' coffee bottle towards the newbies.

Sue and Lor squint down and read the fine print.

"Especially made from rich Amazon Beans," reads Lor aloud and looks up quickly. "You're kidding?"

"Nope," replies Red Hope and grins at Lor's funny expression. "That's our income and Queen Karena was the one to discover Amazon Beans." She hands Tea back her coffee.

"Thanks." Tea reopens the glass bottle and finishes up her coffee. "Good stuff too." She laughs and strolls off to get another one.

"That's amazing," murmurs the poet.

"If y'all ask me," starts Terri, "we should grow cotton." The southern poet grins evilly while she rejoins the group.

"Southerners," mutters Red Hope. "But we ain't in the south, hun."

"Ain't that the truth," mumbles the Rebel with a chuckle.

"So," cuts in MomBard, "let's finish the tour?"

"Hey Sue, I wanna see Lady and your cat?"

"Racquette and Lady are somewhere around the Place," informs Lil' Bard to Janelle. "Just go look for them."

"Red!" screams Queen Karena.

"Oh no, what?" whispers the list owner in fear. "Karena!?" She jogs over to the door with everybody following. She comes outside and sees the Queen spring towards her. "Karena, what's wrong?"

The Queen comes up and starts breathing heavy. "Its horrible… utterly horrible." She stops to breathe.

"What, what?" The list owner asks frantically.

The Kiwi Queen gasps and coughs. "Missy's dog and Sue's dog…" She bends forward, still breathing heavy.

"Uh oh," whispers Sue to herself, "already in trouble."

Michelle moves through the people and comes up beside Red Hope. "What's he done?"

Karena looks up and rasps, "They broke into the Amazon Bean Hut… and are eating the beans. The stock is ruined!"

"Oh my god!" gasps Red Hope. "There goes our money!" She shakes her head. "There has to be some to save." She breaks off running towards the Bean Hut. "Come on, yawl," she orders loudly.

The rest of the crew all jog behind in worry about this predicament.

Michelle looks at Sue Rice while running beside her. "We're both bloody toast, I can tell ya."

Lil' Bard groans and shakes her head. "Oh boy… I might not make it to the induction ceremony," she mutters.

"This means I can't go on any more shopping sprees!" cries out Empress Cy sadly.

Red Hope makes it to the Bean Hut first and stops dead in her tracks. She stares through the wide-open double doors. "Lady and… and Missy's dog, out!" she roars while pointing at them.

The two dogs lift their heads, their lips soiled in brown from the beans. They drop their ears, and slowly walk out with their heads down.

Lady hides behind her mommy and peaks around Sue's legs at the list owner's back.

Missy's dog sits down beside Michelle and peers up at her with sad eyes.

Michelle sighs and squats down beside him. She soothingly pets him.

Tea takes a step back and grasps Lor's shoulder. "You may want to step back. Red has a temper eh?"

The poet doesn't quite know that but sees how Red Hope's body tensing up.

"Its ruined," mutters the list owner as she stares in awe at the messed up Bean stock.

Queen Karena quietly joins the group after catching her breath.

Red Hope suddenly whirls around with fire in her eyes. "Michelle and Sue, those dogs are out!" she yells in anger. "I don't care where but not here!"

Michelle drops her head at hearing that and looks at her dog. She chews on her lower lip without saying anything.

"Red," whispers MomBard, "calm down."

"What you mean calm down?" The list owner holds her hands out to the Bean Hut. "Our stock is ruined! We can't make the next season without them!" She throws her hands up. "That's all there is to it!" She stomps off in a huff. "I love dogs, but gods," she mutters.

All the member's shoulders sag sadly as they watch Red Hope stomp off in anger.

Michelle sighs sadly and looks at MomBard. "Mom, can you do anything?"

MomBard smiles a little. "I'll give it my best shot, sweetness." She winks. "I know how to deal with her green-eyed monster." She turns and heads off on her mission to tame Red Hope's anger.

Sue glances over at Michelle.

The moderator sense Lil' Bard's gaze on her and peers up at her.

Sue nods towards the collection of huts. "Come on, I have an idea."

Michelle gives a half smile at that and stands up. She pats the side of her leg and her dog follows her. She nears the Queen first and says, "I'm really sorry, Karena."

Sue joins them. "My apologies too, Karena. Lady doesn't normally do this stuff."

The Queen sighs but gives a smile despite things. "Its alright… always next season. Centaur crap happens."

Slowly, Sue and Michelle stroll off towards Sue's hut for a chit-chat.

Janelle turns to Cindy. "Do we have enough money to make it through the next season?"

The accountant shakes her head. "No… and not with these new members."

Lor lowers her eyes and says, "If members need to leave to save money, I'll go." She peers up and runs her fingers through her hair.

Terri shakes her head. "No ya can't, Lor." The poet grins. "I need a poet friend here."

The poet laughs softly at the southerner. "Alright."

Empress Cy folds her arms and glances between the group. "Well, one thing is for sure… there's some maintenance that needs to be done." She shakes her head. "Badly too."

"This is not good," mutters Karena.

Tea turns around and steps closer towards the open doors of the Bean Hut. She studies the eaten beans and uneaten beans. "I don't know…" She shrugs. "I think some of it can be saved."

Queen Karena comes over and peers in. "Wait… you're right, Tea." She smiles happily.