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Ursa wanders back into the bowl, looking around curiously because it 
  seems all the folks that she was talking to when she left not long ago 
  have all moved on. 

Lathen enters from the Bowl. 

J'cob walks here from the Inner Cavern. 

Ursa glances up and salutes Lathen. "Hello, again." Another wave is 
  waved towards J'cob. 

J'cob returns from putting Sonya to bed. ANd -didn't- join her. :) 
J'cob settles fown across from Ursa, "Hey; share a skin?" 

Lathen returns to sitting with Ursa. He smiles at the salute and at 
  J'cob. 

Ursa grins at the two as they both sit down nearby. "I leave and ya'll 
  leave, I return and ya'll do the same?" she teases. 

J'cob grins, "For a lady like yourself, what else?" 

Lathen lifts a shoulder and grins, as well. "Flutters to a glow. 
  Flutters to a glow. And I think I'm going to have juice." 

Ursa grins. "tween the two of you, how many skins have been emptied?" 

J'cob says "Three?" 

Jaolem sips his klah, listening quietly 

Lathen looks at the space between himself and J'cob. "Well, since there 
  were two greenriders there a while ago, probably quite a few." He nods 
  at J'cob. "Or four." 

Ursa looks suitably impressed. "S'good thing Benden's so well-stocked," 
  she drawls. 

J'cob smiles at Ursa, 'YOu found Maarie?" 

Lathen nods, thinking about what he knows of Benden's storage caves. 
  "Best selection of nuts on Pern," he says, lifting his glass in 
  tribute. 

Ursa nods. "I did." She shrugs, accompanied by a sigh. "Sleeping, she 
  was." 

J'cob frowns, "She okay?" 

Ursa nods, "I think so. Just tired." Something makes it through her 
  skull. "Nuts?" she asks quizzically. 

Lathen looks uncertainly from Ursa to J'cob, not wanting to interrupt, 
  but Ursa's question prompts him to say, "Benden hold supplies most of 
  the almonds on Pern." 

Ursa grins, shaking her head. "Only a Baker would know that." 

J'cob says "We are a nutty weyr." 

Lathen winks over his glass. "That's -not- what I said, but it'd be 
  impolite of me to disagree with my hosts, I think." 

Ursa smirks. "And perish the thought that the Master Baker should 
  disagree with his hosts." 

J'cob says "Say, Ursa, did ja ever get that dress from Fiona?" 

Lathen sets his glass down. "Well, in addition to the obvious commitment 
  to good nutrition, my craft's main purpose is to bring some refinement 
  to Pern. And refined bakers don't disagree with their hosts." 
Lathen looks from Ursa to J'cob and back. 

Ursa blushes suddenly. Look long, look hard, folks. This is a rare 
  sight. "Uhm.... yeah," she replies feebly. 

J'cob grins, "Ganna show it off?" 

Lathen notes the blush and his tablemates' response to it. He likes 
  gowns, same as most men, and begins smiling. 

Ursa presses her lips together in a firm line, shaking her head 
  vehemently. "mmmmp-mmmm" is the negative response that comes through 
  her closed mouth. 

J'cob frowns, "C'mon, Ursa, afraid I'll lose control and drag you off to 
  the weyr for anoher night?" 

Ursa rests a hand very subtly, but very protectively atop the pouch 
  lying to her side on the bench. "Naw," she says, a belated attempt at 
  being casual. "It's not that... nice, ya know?" 

Kassima walks in from the bowl. 

Ursa quietly, so no one notices, hopefully, tightens her grip on that 
  pouch on the bench. No one's getting their hands on this. 

Lathen blinks over at J'cob. Is it possible this fellow's slept with his 
  craftmaster -and- the brownrider? Shells. He blinks again and picks up 
  his glass. 

Kassima smiles and waves as she returns, looking a bit different from 
  when she left. For one thing, a giant towel is draped around her 
  shoulders, to protect her jacket from her sopping braid. "That soak 
  was just what Lyss and I needed," she declares to whomever may be 
  listening, and belatedly adds a, "Oh, and heyla, all," to that. 

Ursa looks up, grasping at a conversation change. "A soak? Must have 
  been lovely, wasn't it?" 

Lathen turns to smiles at the returning Kassima. He waves, then turns 
  back to Ursa. He nods at the pouch, "Is that the laundry you had at 
  Ista earler?" 

J'cob smiles, "Kassima, make Ursa try on her new dress!" 

Kassima nods. "Indeed, in very deed. Needed it to get warm--you were 
  right; 'tis dread chill back there. Laundry?" She blinks at Lathen. 
  "Laundry? What laundry? New dress? Huh?" Clearly, so many 
  conversations at once is confusing the hapless greenrider. 

Ursa snatches her hand away from the pouch when it's noticed. Casual, 
  she is. "Laundry?" she squeeks. "Oh," she lets out a casual laugh. 
  "No, that.. that's still atop Spineth." Then her eyes widen and her 
  hand quickly makes its way back to the pouch. Can't let that be 
  unprotected for anything. 

J'cob closes on Ursa, "I can also try it on; whacha think?" 

Kassima peers at the pouch. "What's that, Ursa?" she inquires, deciding 
  that ignoring all the other conversations to focus on one thing would 
  probably be much less befuddling. 

Ursa looks critically at J'cob, then shakes her head. She's still trying 
  hard to be casual, she even makes a lame attempt at a joke, "Uhm, but 
  you're just shaped all wrong!" Okay, so it wasn't a joke at all. Oh 
  well. 

Lathen adds, putting more pressue on Ursa, "oh, if it's not laundry, it 
  must be the new gown." 

J'cob hmmms, "Go put it on, Ursa. Kassi, why don't you go help her?" 

Kassima blinks. "Why don't I go help her put what on? What *have* I 
  walked into?" She blinks. "Oh, is that what 'tis? A new gown? That's 
  marvelous! Everyone should get new finery now and again... I just 
  purchased two gowns m'self, one for Gathers and one for handfastings 
  and the like. Cost me a fortune, but less than if the Weaver hadn't 
  been m'cousin...." She looks about ready to ramble on about this 
  subject, until she realizes her wine skin is still on the table, 
  partly full. Naturally, she goes quickly over to fetch it. 

Ursa shrugs nonchalantly. "What if it is?" then protests, "I don't need 
  to try it on. It fits all right. And ya'll get to see it... the next 
  time that I wear it." Lamely finished. 

Kassima raises an eyebrow. "You sure, Ursa? I'd think having a small 
  audience to see it would be easier than wearing it first for the huge 
  crowds of people at a Gather... especially since all those strangers 
  are always looking at everyone anyway. Y'know how 'tis." 

J'cob snorts, "C'mon, Ursa, we can cheer for you and I can whistle and 
  make you feel all nice." 

Lathen's chances of seeing the Benden rider the next time she's in 
  finery are about as slim as a cotholder's chances to make money at 
  Bitra. He clearly would like to press to see the gown, but that 
  confuses the man. He ends up just nodding. That's helpful. 

Ursa wavers. Or shudders, maybe. She sighs. "But... But she was supposed 
  to make me something I'd -wear-!" she protests. "This is... it's... 
  it's.. it's got lace!" 

Lace is good. Lathen nods. 

Ursa winds up picking up the pouch and holding it tightly against her. 
  "I.... Would ya'll tell me if I look so foolish I should never wear it 
  again?" She looks from person to person, pleading look in her eyes. 
  "Please?" 

Kassima blinks. "What's wrong with lace? 'Tis nay my personal liking for 
  m'self, but 'tis hardly a *bad* thing." She then smiles and nods. "Of 
  course, Ursa, though I doubt very much that'll be so." 

Ursa shakes her head vehemently, "You haven't seen the gown. It very 
  much might be so... Would ya'll promise to be honest?" 

Lathen nods solemnly. "We'll tell you that you look foolish, sure. I 
  mean, if it looks, well.. " Kassima's doing a better job. Sheesh. How 
  much wine did he drink, anyway. It must be J'cob's fault. He looks at 
  the greenrider with a suspicious frown. 

Ursa sighs, still wavering. 

J'cob says "We'll be completely honest, but we -know- you'll look 
  glorious in it!" 

Kassima quirks a half-smile. "Have I ever been less than honest? Well... 
  less than honest *often*? More than once or twice or maybe a dozen 
  times? Of course we'll be honest. Better us than a crowd of strangers, 
  don't you think?" 

Ursa nods. Kassi's crowd of strangers is scaring her more than anything. 
  She hesitates. "Would you help me with the buttons, then?" she asks 
  Kassi. 

Lathen adds, "I'll be honest, sure. I've got a night's worth of being 
  called 'master' that'd keep me from flattering you." He grins. "Got 
  put it on." 

J'cob says "I'd help too, Ursa." 

Kassima nods, again. "A'course, a'course." 

J'cob grins broadly. He'd rather help to -undo- them, however. 

Ursa grins, a bit of her humour regained as she whirls on Lathen, "You 
  -would- hold that against me, wouldn't you?" 
Ursa rises, and drops her flight jacket and gloves in her place on the 
  bench. "Then let's get this over with," she sighs and trods towards 
  the door way. 

Lathen grins. "Do you mean the gown, or being called by my rank?" He 
  holds up a hand. "Don't answer." 

Kassima snorts and notes to Lathen, "I should call you Master from now 
  till m'dying day, just to get even at you for saluting me back there. 
  He *saluted* me, d'you believe it? Me!" This last is directed to the 
  rest of the room, just as she follows after Ursa. 

You walk towards the inner cavern. 

Benden LC> "Shells," somebody mutters, "he must not know you at *all*" 

Kassima walks in from the living caverns. 

Benden LC> J'cob laughs, "So, old guy, what do you think it'll look 
  like?" 

Ursa gets dressed, flurry of leathers, then lace, buttons, all that. 
  lots of sighs. the works. you know. :) 

Kassima whistles, applauds, and sounds generally approving. Her FLs even 
  wolf-whistle, just for good measure, and she thwaps them all. :) 

Benden LC> Lathen grins at J'cob. "Depends on whether the weaver she 
  went to has an eye for natural beauty or not. I'm guessing that the 
  gown'll be well-made and, well, properly-fitted." He lifts his glass. 
  "What do -you- predict?" 
Benden LC> J'cob smirks, "Fiona's the one who once made me pants 
  designed to fall down in public." 
Benden LC> Lathen blinks, then guffaws. 
Benden LC> J'cob grins, "Who can tell?" 

Ursa has long dark hair and even darker eyes. Her hair is plaited into 
  two long braids hanging down her back, the ends tied with dark green 
  yarn. Though slight of frame, her body is well-toned. She wears a knot 
  that indicates she is a Wing Second at Benden Weyr, the brown thread 
  showing the colour of her lifemate Spineth. She also wears two 
  intricately 'detail'ed pieces of Minercrafted jewelery. 
Ursa wears her elegant gown like an illfitting shoe. She moves awkwardly 
  in it, her steps a tortured combination of a careless long stride and 
  a careful mincing step, which not only proves how uneasy the dress 
  makes her, but entangles her legs even more frequently than usual in 
  the delicate fabric. Despite Ursa wearing it like it were made of 
  Thread, the gown has a style and a grace that stands on its own. The 
  black underdress is actually made of lace, a hand-done pattern that 
  must have taken many long hours. High necked and long sleeved, only 
  flashes of Ursa's skin are visible through the pattern of the 
  close-fitting dress. Atop the lace she wears a sleeveless overdress, a 
  dark, rich burgundy only a few shades from black, with an equally 
  fitted vest-style bodice. A low scooping neckline shows off the lace 
  nicely, and delicately carved buttons fasten the gown over her bosum 
  and downwards to her thighs, giving rare evidence of Ursa's curving 
  waistline. The remaining buttons are undone, leaving the two halves of 
  the skirt to flow outwards freely, the wide lace skirt clearly visible 
  underneath. 

Ursa sighs pathetically. "I can't go back out there!" 
Ursa sighs, gathering up her skirts. "Better get it over with, I 
  suppose." She gulps. 

Kassima laughs and shakes her head. "Of course you can! 'Tis nay like 
  there's aught for you to be embarrassed of; 'tis a lovely dress, in 
  very deed, and I wish Simian wove as well for me." 

Ursa flashes Kassi a grateful smile. "Thanks. I appreciate your help." 

You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern. 

Kassima walks here from the Inner Cavern. 

Ursa walks in, walking haltingly. She shuffles at first, then takes a 
  longer step, entangles in the skirt, and barely catches herself before 
  she trips flat on her face. 

Lathen is still chuckling. He hears an entrance and turns to face the 
  inner cavern. 

Kassima resists the urge to pose like Vanna White and announce, 'Ta da!' 
  because as much as she's tempted to do so, she suspects it would 
  embarrass Ursa too much. Instead, she just beams, looking very 
  approving and a trifle envious of the gown. 

Ursa recovers herself, pulls herself to her full height, which is 
  nothing great or tall, of course, and tries again to walk across the 
  cavern. Her steps are awkward in those long skirts, she's clearly out 
  of practise for this. 

J'cob smiles, "Beautiful looking dress, Ursa." 

Ursa nearly falls again, and she sighs heavily, attempting walking once 
  again. She makes it back to the table having entangled in her skirts 
  at least three times. 

Lathen, who has only seen Ursa in riding leathers, slouching over a mug 
  in a cavern, is frankly astonished. Then Ursa nearly takes a tumble, 
  and a grin breaks over his face. He says, "Perfect. You look great." 

Kassima grins as she watches, and repeats her previous sentiments: "'Tis 
  i'truth lovely, Ursa, and I promise you that 'tis naught but honesty 
  that I'm giving you in that. You don't need to worry about any crowd 
  of strangers--they won't be strangers for long, truly, for the lads 
  will be falling all over you and the lasses will be introducing 
  themselves and asking for the name of the Weaver!" 

Ursa smiles sadly. "It -is- a lovely dress," she agrees, "But it was 
  clearly made for some one else." Standing still, she doesn't look 
  quite so awkward in the gown. She does smile, just a little timidly, 
  but pleased, at the compliments. 

J'cob mmms, then finally says it, "Its a simply BEAUTIFUL dress, Ursa. 
  But I think it'd hang better on me than you. You can bearly walk, and 
  it shows off bearly anything you have ot offer." 

Lathen endorses Kassima's assessment. He points at his chest. "My name, 
  for example, is Lathen, and I'd like to know jst -which- gather you'll 
  be wearing this for?" 
Lathen chuckles over at J'cob. 

Ursa bursts out laughing at J'cob's comment. "You can -have- it," she 
  offers, making like she's about to pull it off on the spot. "-HE-," 
  she tells Lathen, "will be wearing it to the Ruathan Runner Festival 
  next month." 

J'cob grins, "I'd like to drop the neck a bit, to show off more skin, of 
  course." 

Lathen grins at Ursa, then asks J'cob, "Well, in -that- gown.. Can I 
  have a dance with you?" 

Kassima shakes her head. "Nay... it suits you, Ursa, it suits just fine. 
  You've just got to loosen up a bit when you wear it, mayhaps... think 
  of it as being oddly-shaped riding leathers." She grins as she admits, 
  "Every time I get something new, I have to practice walking in it in 
  m'weyr when nay anyone's about. Else I'd trip over the skirts and have 
  other people stepping on the train... shells, I'd be lucky if I didn't 
  somehow manage to tear the sharding thing and have to go home nay five 
  moments after I'd arrived." 

Ursa snorts. "I wouldn't dare," she tells Lathen. "He'll be tripping all 
  over the place." She grins appreciatively at Kassi. "Going home five 
  minutes after arriving might be the only way I'd survive going out in 
  public in this thing." 

Kassima laughs at the interchange between J'cob and Lathen. "Faranth! 
  Now I'll definitely have to go to the Runner Festival, to see how 
  J'cob looks in that dress. You'll need some matching slippers though, 
  J'cob...." 

Ursa looks down at her bare feet in alarm. "Shells! Can't I wear it with 
  my boots?" 

J'cob nods, "Definately, my slippers are -all- the wrong colors." 

Kassima chuckles. "Ach, think of it this way. There'll be plenty of 
  people there, all dressed up and all looking just as ridiculous as 
  you, which is to say nay 'tall, but thinking of it that way may help. 
  If'n y'wanted to, mayhaps you could pick some walnuts from the Tree 
  and pelt anyone who dares look at you...." 
Kassima shrugs. "You could, I think. The skirts are long enough that nay 
  anyone would see if'n y'did." 

Ursa brightens. "Now that's an idea I like," she agrees. She fumbles at 
  the side of the dress. "Doesn't it have any pockets? For walnuts?" 

Lathen suggests. "Tuck them up the sleeves?" 

Kassima grins. "Mayhaps you can add a matching belt-pouch to it, to put 
  walnuts in." 

Ursa's hands test the tightly fitted sleeves. "Perfect," she drawls to 
  Lathen, then sighs. "Fiona's gonna be pleased, after all the 
  complaining I did about hte dress, when I come back demanding a 
  belt-pouch to match." And she grins. 

Lathen offers, "Just tell her you need it carry walnuts. I'm sure she's 
  had requests like that before." Blink. Blink. Straight face. 

Ursa nods. "Right. I'm sure." She gulps. "There, can I go change now?" 
  she asks, or rather pleads. 

J'cob smirks, "I'm sure she has, too. Weavers are -very- flexible. 
  Fiona's also flexible." He winks at Lathen, "In all the right ways." 
  Yah. Her too. 
J'cob mmmms, "Yes. Shall I help?" 

Kassima laughs. "Aye, aye; we've all seen and given our honest opinions, 
  after all." 

Lathen blinks at J'cob. Her, too? Wow. He turns after a pause to tell 
  Ursa, "You look great. The dress is great." 

Ursa gives J'cob a suspicious look. "You," she says firmly, "Are needed 
  at home tonight." And she gathers up her skirts, not an easy task with 
  the double layers, and flees. 
Ursa is gone long enough to change. Really. She returns with the pouch 
  and the gown over her arm, unsure of how to fit it back into the pouch 
  again. 
Ursa sits down at the table again, grinning slightly. "Thanks guys. 
  Ya'll were nice." As she attempts to fold it nicely. 

J'cob smirks, "Do I get to wear it?" 

Kassima flops into her chair and picks up her wine glass again, sipping 
  contemplatively between yawns. She smiles at Ursa and says, "Nice? 
  Well, mayhaps in part, but I think we were mostly just being honest." 

Lathen nods in agreement with Kassima. He refills his juice glass and 
  the one sitting in front of Ursa, then seeing that Kassima and J'cob 
  are taken care of, he sets the pitcher down. 

J'cob grins at Kassi broadly. 

Kassima peers with faint suspicion at the grinning greenrider, and turns 
  to see who's behind her, figuring maybe someone else is the grin 
  target. Hmmm, doesn't look like it. She shrugs and, apparently 
  deciding that she's being paranoid--what else is new?--pulls her 
  dragonpoker cards from one of her riding jacket pockets and starts 
  shuffling. 

Lathen looks over at the shuffling. "You want a game, Kassima?" 

Kassima hrms? "Oh, I don't know many games... just a couple versions of 
  solitaire and four-way dragonpoker. Which I make a point to never play 
  this late at night, with wine in the vicinity." She grins. 

J'cob says "How 'bout strip?" 

Lathen blinks at J'cob again. Maybe that's how he ended up with the 
  craftmaster.. 

J'cob says "We've got two and two, afterall." 

Kassima makes a face and shakes her head. "Nay, thanks. I'm nay skilled 
  enough at dragonpoker to be willing to risk it. Nuh-uh." 

Lathen looks enormously relieved at Kassima's decision to turn down the 
  invite. 

J'cob sniffles, "Aww!" 

Kassima grins at Lathen. "That's Weyrlife for you," she comments, 
  repeating her oft-used phrase. "Never a dull moment." 

J'cob winks at Kassi, then (the idle) Ursa. 

Lathen nods at once to Kassima. "This is more eventful than the great 
  yeast incident of 12th turn, present pass." 

Kassima raises an eyebrow. "Yeast incident?" 

Lathen shudders in mock horror. "Terrible. Brewer's yeast in the morning 
  baking at High Reaches Hold. Thankfully, nobody was killed." 

Ursa blinks. A lot. At the mention of strip poker. And at the mention of 
  Yeast Incidents. But she's still busy trying to fathom how to fold 
  that gown. 

J'cob sighs regretfully. 

Kassima peers. At Ursa. And her gown. Just because. Then eyes Latham. 
  "You're kidding. Aren't you?" 

Lathen looks over at Ursa's attempt to fold the gown. Like trying to 
  watch somebody else do a puzzle. Kassima's question draws his gaze 
  back her way. "Well, I -did- put the wrong yeast in the hold's baking, 
  and we did have a small explosion, and nobody was killed, that's true, 
  too. But it was only one day, and I get the impression this place is 
  always this way." 

Ursa looks up. "Always which way?" she inquires. 

Kassima ahs. And nods. "Aye. 'Tis so. Just ask anyone." 

Lathen waves his hand vaguely at the thinning crowd in the cavern. Some 
  riders who didn't suceed in the flight are consoling one another in a 
  corner. There's a small knot of people listening to a pick-up band of 
  musicians. There's J'cob. The baker says, "Just, this place." 

Ursa glances around, shrugging casually. "S'home, now." She grins. 

Kassima chuckles. She looks around carefully. A bluerider sees her 
  looking at him and throws a roll at her. Why? Only Faranth knows. 
  Kassi catches it. "Mmmm. Aye. This place. Well. It's something." 

J'cob aavoids other women this time. S'his job to avoid 'em. 

Lathen looks around. "I think it's a nice place, surely. And there're 
  the almonds, too." 

Ursa gives up on folding the gown and toasts with her juice instead. 
  "Aye. There's almonds." 

Kassima hrms. "If you like almonds. I don't happen to. But 'tis a nice
  place."

Lathen answers the toast, grinning, then drinks.