Topic: A Fundraising Festival of Art for RhyDin

AJ Ryan

Date: 2009-08-07 17:45 EST
Sheaf of paper in hand, and her master's instructions still ringing in her ears, AJ left the bustling work spaces of the RhyDin Traditional Art Studio and settled herself into a seat at the reception desk, sharing a faint grin with the elderly man who worked there. Paper, pen, diary, scrap of paper on which Stas had scribbled the direct phone number of Sivanna Cyredghymn at Riverview - all present and accounted for.

Behind her, she could hear the various masters of art addressing their assembled journeymen and women and apprentices, prepping them for what was probably going to be a gruelling couple of months of work for them all. And, of course, as the resident mama-to-be, as well as having a connection to the chosen charity for the year, AJ was being carefully kept out of most of the heavy work, instead given the task of liaising and organising the various events they had planned.

The first RhyDin Art Festival - one week of setting up, exhibiting, selling, and taking down various pieces of artwork from the multitude of artists living within the city. Most of the week had been planned, but for the last night, which was now solely AJ's responsibility. And she'd decided to spread a little of that responsibility around.

The phone rang only a few times before being answered.

"Uh, hello, is that Miss Cyredghymn?" The voice on the other end, familar but not well known to AJ, tended towards an inclination that it was. "Hello, this is AJ Ryan. We've only met a few times, but my husband, Stas, says that you're the one I need to talk to."

She took a deep breath, tapping her pen against her diary. "I work with the RhyDin Traditional Art Studio - we deal in creating and selling everything from minute carvings to fifty-foot paintings and life-sized sculpture. This year, we're putting on a festival, of sorts, between September 21st and 26th. My boss, Mr Chalmers, has asked me to organise the final night of the festival on the 26th, which will be a large exhibition of work produced by every level of artist from this studio, as well as any donated pieces from any other artist who cares to be a part of it."

Wrap it up, AJ, you're rambling. "Well, basically, the reason I'm calling you is that, uh, we'll be putting any and all of those pieces up for sale that night, during the party to celebrate the end of the festival itself, and we would like to donate all profit from those sales to the Riverview clinic. Uh, specifically the outfitting of the new wing that you're building?"

She took another breath, trying to calm herself down. Seriously, making a phone call shouldn't be this nerve-wracking. "I, uh, I wanted to ask you ....well, first, if Riverview would be happy to take those donations, and uh, second, if you could possibly help me out in organising the party' I am completely hopeless at this sort of thing, and you did such a good job of the auction and Darcy's party, I, uh ....help" Please?"

Not the most professional of notes to leave it on, but then, AJ wasn't the most professional of people. She got on and did it, and if she needed help, she would beg, plead, and if necessary, blackmail to get it. Now, however, all she could do would be to wait for Sivanna to answer, and hope like hell that it was a positive one.

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-08-07 23:24 EST
The door to the Public Relations Office was cracked open just enough for an exasperated cleric's normally melodious voice to carry firmly out into the hallway.

"No, no. It's Valkonan. V-A-L-K-O-N-A-N. And the roster was painfully inaccurate. It is an unnecessary blemish on the clinic's otherwise pristine reputation, and the next time I see a misprint, I won't agree to any more licensing on your publication, or for any more interviews." A pause, and the elfess's expression soured. "Frankly, I don't appreciate your tone. I would like to speak directly to Jay Trebb, please," she demanded from her end. Sivanna could play hardball, too. And her influence stretched a bit beyond some snarky, low-level columnist's who hadn't taken a minute out of her underworked day to verify facts and numbers before publishing an article in a well-known science journal.

"Jay! It's Sivanna. Your newest intern has been a touch disagreeable" No, page thirty-seven?" she began pleasantly to the Editor in Chief. Not four minutes later, she was hanging up the phone with a relieved thank-you, and arranging for a lunch date between friends for the following week. As she set the handset onto the base, however, the former general groaned, removed her reading lenses, tossed them onto her desk, and scrubbed at her face roughly. Deep breaths, Siv. Always give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the writer was just too worked up over her gossip column to pay attention to' Oh who was she kidding" This was public relations. There was little done in the media that was unintentional; Or if it was, she would be hard-pressed to expect an apology from that woman.

With a sigh, the cleric picked up her ballpoint pen and made a quick note in her planner for coffee Tuesday with the editor. Just as she did so, a passing orderly in purple scrubs poked her head into Sivanna's office.

"Sivanna" Your phone has been buzzing out here?" she pronounced warily, extending the glossy black contraption toward the elfess.

"Did I leave it out there" Forgive me. Thank you, Georgia." The cleric rose stiffly from her seat, smoothed out her wool pantsuit, and crossed her office in two strides to take the phone from the helpful employee. Not recognizing the number, she flipped the phone open and set it to a pointed ear.

"Sivanna Cyredghymn, Public Relations" oh! Hello, AJ! What a pleasant surprise!"

She proceeded back to her desk, hovering by the window as she listened. By the time the mother-to-be posed her request, Sivanna was beaming.

"What a superb idea, AJ! Of course we would take the donations. And I would be thrilled— no, honored to help put this together!" Papers hissed across the flat of her desk as fingers rifled here and there for that precious ink wand. Cursing softly to herself, she yanked a desk drawer open and procured a new one, scribbling the dates the artist mentioned into her planner. Her pen tapped the calendar thoughtfully before she switched ears.

"I'll need a few more details from you, if that is all right. And I would love to be able to sit down and brainstorm with you for an hour or so before I start making things permanent. Would it be possible to arrange a meeting with you? If you would rather not come all the way down here— which I can imagine— I would be more than glad to meet you somewhere!?

AJ Ryan

Date: 2009-08-08 18:38 EST
When Sivanna agreed to her plea for help, AJ could have jumped for joy, settling instead for a quiet breath of relief, a huge smile, and a joyous punch to the air as the elderly receptionist beside her chuckled. Evidently his hearing wasn't as awful as he liked the masters to think.

"You would? That's so fantastic, I could kiss you!" Another chuckle from her avid listener, and AJ poked him with a grin. "Sure, we can meet up. Just tell me when and where, I'll bully Greg and Stas into letting me go somewhere on my own for once. No, I don't mind coming down to the clinic ....guess it all depends on where you'd like lunch sometime soon. I'm buying."

It was the least she could do; after all, she was pretty much piling her own troubles onto a woman who had troubles enough of her own. Lunch wasn't exactly a high price to pay.

"Well, I've got the afternoon tomorrow, or the morning after, totally free," she mused, rifling through her diary for her working hours. "Or I can arrange another time to suit you - you're the busy one, I'm just an artist! As to details, just tell me what you wanna know, and I'll answer."

As she spoke, the biggest grin was imposing itself on her face. Suddenly the festival's last night wasn't looking like such a headache after all.

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-08-13 18:50 EST
"Tomorrow afternoon it is," she replied brightly. The distinct sound of a desk drawer being opened could be heard in the background as Sivanna withdrew a brand new, robin's-egg-blue binder. Maybe it was obsessive, but the clean smell of new plastic brought a euphoric smile to the cleric's lips. New plastic meant new planning. New planning meant inordinate amounts of organization to be had. All disorderliness cower before the mighty cleric!

As all this ran through her head, Sivanna couldn't help but giggle under her breath.

"I have a meeting with the editor in chief for Freeform Marketplace until eleven-thirty, but after that I should be free. There is a great place I know that has wonderful salads— I am sure Stas would approve. It's called La Maison Vert, and is about a block east of Riverview. Shall I meet you there, or would you like me to pick you up?"

AJ Ryan

Date: 2009-08-14 01:14 EST
La Maison Vert ....yes, AJ knew that place, it was less than a ten minute walk from the Studios. Stas certainly couldn't object, especially since he'd be working at the clinic all day himself. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him, after all. She grinned to herself, writing the appointment down in her diary.

"Sure, that's perfect," she enthused down the phone. "You have no idea what a relief it is to have someone who knows what they're doing helping me with this. There's no need to pick me up, I'm only across the Marketplace from Riverview anyways. I finish at around a quarter to twelve, so I guess I'll meet you at the restaurant at about twelve?" SHe couldn't help adding a happy little giggle. "This is so exciting!"

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-09-04 17:57 EST
The Elven cleric headed into La Maison Vert on an overcast afternoon, looking notably thin and flustered in an onyx pantsuit. Indeed, the tailored outfit looked as though it had grown a size in the past two weeks. Nevertheless, she maintained an air of businesslike decorum, champagne hair swept into a neat chignon. Immediately, Sivanna headed for the register in the little bistro, where she addressed a petite redhead behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, Sophie. I'm expecting someone. Have they arrived?" The French hostess shook her head with an apologetic look. "No, mademoiselle. But we can seat you, s'il vous plait...?" A cursory glance was cast around the cafe, which was just filling up with patrons for a fresh lunch, and the elfess nodded. A table was probably a good idea. Gathering up two menus, the hostess showed Sivanna to a cast-iron table near an open window, where the elfess set down her briefcase and seated herself in a wicker chair.

Meanwhile, moving as quickly as she could manage, AJ hurried down the street towards Le Maison Vert, her messenger bag bouncing on her shoulder as she did. Blonde hair haphazardly tied back from her face, albeit unsuccessfully, she hadn't had a chance to change after work, still dressed in her paint-splattered jeans. She had managed a fresh shirt, though. AJ ducked into the little eatery, looking around curiously, and addressed the little redhead herself.

"Hi, uh, excuse me" Hi," she smiled warmly. "I'm supposed to meeting Sivanna Cyredghymn here" Do you know if she -?" But she was interrupted by a smile from the redhead, who gestured towards the windows.

"Oui, mademoiselle, over here." Drawing a breath to try and calm her over-excited huffing, AJ followed the woman over to where the elfess sat. "Uh, hi ....Miss Cyredghymn?"

Almond-shaped, metallic eyes snapped up as she was addressed, and Sivanna rose hastily in a pleasant crunch of wicker. She exchanged a warm smile and extended her hand politely.

"Sivanna, please. It is wonderful to see you arwenamin....May I call you AJ?"

AJ's lips curved into a cheerful smile as she took Sivanna's hand.

"Oh, sure. Just don't call me Amelia, the only person who gets away with that is my husband," she laughed, turning to thank the redhead before maneuvering her pregnant body into the chair opposite the elfess. "I'm sorry I'm late, it took me longer to get here than I thought."

"Oh that's all right," said Sivanna. "I trust you found the place with little trouble?" she asked politely. A cherub-faced blonde waitress headed over to the table and paid the cleric a meaningful look. "Earl Grey, please. Unsweetened," requested the cleric. The server nodded and smiled sweetly to AJ soon after, posing a silent inquiry. AJ smiled back uncomprehendingly for a moment before catching on.

"Oh! Uh, mineral water, please. Still." She laughed at her own daftness as she looked back at Sivanna. "Sorry, it's been one of those days. And, uh, yeah, I knew where I was going. I nearly had an escort, too, if I hadn't insisted that I didn't need one."

A soft, musical chuckle escaped Siv's lips at AJ's comment. The French maid taking their order nodded appropriately, curtsied, and headed to the kitchen to fetch the drinks. "Coming along, are we?" Sivanna asked after a moment with a kind smile. Steel eyes left AJ's face only a moment to scan her torso. "All is well?"

AJ looked down at herself with a grin, gesturing to the swollen curve of her belly.

"Getting bigger by the day, but yeah, everything's fine," she smiled. "Thank you for asking. People usually say hello to the bump and ignore me." She giggled, shaking her head. "I feel like a beached whale already. How are you, though' I haven't seen you since Stas felt you up at the Inn."

As the waitress daintily set AJ's water before her, and a round mug of Earl Grey before the cleric, Sivanna chuckled again and shook her head.

"Don't think on it, mellonamin. I've done far worse under the influence," she responded honestly. A nod was given to the waitress, who curtsied again, and went about splitting her attention between four other tables. After taking a tentative sip of that tea, the elfess slipped a thin hand into her briefcase and produced an emerald-green binder and fountain pen, and set them both on the table.

"This meeting is long overdue, I am afraid. Not much longer until the event in question, but..." A purse of her lips, and the elfess opened the binder, revealing already extensive notes she had taken on the art auction. "....It is very doable."

As Sivanna opened her briefcase, AJ bent down to pull her own notes and planner from her bag, pulling a plain old ball-point pen from her hair.

"I really hope so," she said. She bit her lip, looking a little guilty for having left this so long. "Everything else for the week is done, it's just the auction that needs arranging. I have a venue, and a list of auction pieces from the Studio, and that's it. I don't have the slightest idea where I even need to start." Hazel eyes looked across at the elfess with pleading sincerity. "That's kinda why I asked you to help. You're the leading authority on organising these things." She poured a little of her water into a glass and sipped it, watching Sivanna thoughtfully.

Another tentative sip of her tea, and Sivanna twitched a half-smile. She would have blushed under the praise had she not disregarded it completely. The former general had a strange aversion to compliments. Nevertheless, the elfess meticulously turned the copper pen in her hand, freeing a steady stream of ink to coat the steel tip.

"You already have a venue. Spectacular. That's the perfect place to begin. What do you have reserved?" the cleric asked.

"The main hall of the Great Hall," she replied. AJ was quite pleased to be able to say that. "I know, it's pretty big, but all the artwork is going to be on display, and it needs a fair amount of space." She pulled the lid off her pen, watching her companion warily. "Is that okay' Not too big, or anything?"

"Not at all. I think that is a splendid venue. I have used it for more than one event," Sivanna replied kindly. Onto the looseleaf she'd before her, the elfess wrote smoothly in delicate Elvish script, making a notation. "That's the hardest part. It's all downhill from there," she reassured AJ with a wink. Turning a page, quicksilver eyes studied a list of Elvish notes carefully before resting on her lunch guest again. "Now. I tend to think a theme is in order for an event such as this."

Opening her notebook, AJ rifled through the pages to the relevant place. She made a note of her own, resting her chin on her hand to give Sivanna her complete attention. "I hadn't even considered a theme. I'm not very good at this sort of thing, I only got the job because I can't do the heavy stuff we're onto at the moment." She snorted with slightly bittersweet laughter, smiling attentively to her companion.

"Nonsense. You deserve more credit than you give yourself," Siv replied firmly.

"Oh, wait, I actually have the list of pieces that the studio's putting up for auction. Just a sec," AJ interrupted politely. As she rummaged through her bag, she spoke up again. "It's actually kind of an overview of what we produce; there are apprentice pieces, pieces that my rank - the journeymen - have done, and of course, the master pieces. And a collaboration between all of us that Master Greg insists on calling 'Chaos'." She laughed, still rifling for the list.

"Chaos..." the elfess repeated. A fond smile tugged up the corners of her lips. The darker side of Sivanna quite enjoyed that name. As she waited for her companion to procure that list, Sivanna studied her own pensively. "Well....before I go into themes....You've seen the pieces, mellonamin. You are an artist. Why don't you give me some of your perceptions" What kind of theme do these works represent?"

Out came the list from AJ's bag, rather battered and many times rearranged, and it was handed over. "At the moment, we have fourteen pieces we can put up for sale," she told Sivanna, giving the elfess a glimpse of the more in-control AJ than not many people got a look at. "That can be changed, reduced if necessary. And actually, thinking about the pieces themselves, I think a medieval type theme would work quite well. We have carving, sculpture in marble, iron and glass, a variety of different paintings ....yeah, I think Medieval could be the way to go."

Sivanna gave the woman a small smile and nodded after taking and inspecting the list.

"I agree. And that makes it infinitely easier," she replied smoothly. That fountain pen danced across her notebook as she made a quick note, and hastily and effortlessly scrawled out the names and descriptions of those art pieces on a fresh sheet in transcripted Elvish writing. "Quick question. Have you decided to set prices, or are we hosting a silent auction?"

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-09-04 17:57 EST
"A silent auction?" AJ repeated. The term obviously wasn't one AJ had heard before. She raised her hand, scratching absently at her hairline as she thought. "Well, Greg hasn't exactly made any decisions about that. He keeps trying to leave it to me, and I really don't know what?s best. What would you recommend?"

"Well....a silent auction is just that. Notebooks or some sort of notary are present at every item for sale, and bids are received until the seller is satisfied, a cap is reached, or the evening concludes." Siv paused to take a generous sip of her cooling tea. "I personally would recommend the silent auction over the alternative, since it gives the buyers a chance to bump up the price that would otherwise remain stagnant." AJ nodded, scribbling furiously in her notebook to keep up.

"Okay, yeah, that makes a lot more sense than I thought it would," she smiled thoughtfully. "So it's more like a hosted dinner party with a bonus of bidding if you fancy it, right?" Then she groaned. "And that's another problem. I haven't been here long enough to know anything about caterers, or anyone I could hire maybe to promote the pieces on the night." She gave the elfess a hopeless look. "I really don't know what I'm doing, Sivanna."

The cleric flashed another bright, reassuring smile. "Deep breaths. One thing at a time. So have we decided on the silent auction?"

Obediently, the mom-to-be took in a couple of breaths, poking her bump as the inhabitants woke up and started kicking. "Yeah," she nodded then, a little more confidently than before. "Yeah, we're decided. A silent auction." She made a note of it. "And I'll pin down Greg on whether he wants to go with capping the prices."

That calm demeanor did not dissipate, though a slight unease crept into the cleric's metallic eyes as she noted AJ's motherly gesture. Sivanna and anything that had to do with children....well....she was absolutely helpless when it came to that subject. Shifting in her seat in a groan of wicker, the elfess took another sip of that tea. Not long after, the blonde waitress returned to the table and refilled her cup. "Voudriez-vous ordonner?" the waitress asked swiftly. Sivanna wasn't particularly hungry, but then again, she had a pregnant woman in her company. She paid AJ an inquisitive look. "Would you like something to settle your stomach?"

"No, I'm fine for the moment. I don't usually eat until later. Thank you, though." AJ wasn't as unobservant as some people thought, catching the discomfort in her companion. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she apologised, glancing up at the waitress with a smile before looking back to Sivanna.

"You didn't," the elfess replied quickly, with an apologetic smile. She uttered a 'No, merci,' to the waitress, dismissing her, and warmed her hands on that mug of tea. "I'm sorry. Where were we" Oh yes. Medieval concept. Are we going for a regal sort of medieval theme, or rustic" Deck the Hall out with racks and iron maidens, that sort of thing?" she added facetiously with a wink.

"Hey," AJ laughed at that, pouring some more water for herself to sip. "We want people to buy the art, not run away screaming." She looked serious for a moment. "I think we want more of the regal theme, than the rustic. There's an old hall in England, uh ....back home on Earth. I think it's Wincester" It has a round table hanging on the wall that couldn't possibly be King Arthur's, but that hall has a feeling to it. It has coats of arms, crests, on banners and flags that hang on from the walls, the furniture is all carved wood, and it is beautiful. It really feels like you've walked into another world." She smiled a little wistfully. "It'd be great to create a feeling like that."

"That sounds perfect, AJ. As I said, the Hall is already equipped with most of those novelties. And I am sure that Eugene— that's the owner of Boudreaux's— I am sure that he has tapestries we can hang from the walls. I'll make some calls. I am certain I can round up torches, centerpieces, bowls of fruit, suits of armor, tablerunners, scarlet and violet linens, candelabra, that kind of thing." A pause as she wrote every one of those details into her binder. "Oh yes. And catering. I know a splendid caterer. I am sure you've met him— Guillermus Fortis" He did the auction and Darcy's party."

"I think I've met Mr Fortis ....it might only have been once, I don't really get out much. I trust your recommendation; I'm actually going to be rather cheeky and ask you to talk to him for me." AJ offered over an apologetic smile. "What with everything going on that week, it'll be a wonder if I'm still standing by the Saturday night."

"I'll do that. AJ Ryan, you leave just about all the work to me, all right' I'll make the calls about decorating the Hall and catering. You just make sure the items get there with a ballpark price tag, yes?" she replied cheekily, scribbling a few more notes on her binder.

AJ giggled again. "Oh, I'm sure I can manage that," she assured the elfess. "We're going to be one efficient army of art movers by the end of that week." She swallowed the last of her water with a smile. "I'll do a bit of research on silent auctions so I know what I'm doing. And, uh, I'll talk to you closer to the day about what time you think we should start?"

"The evening would be prime, I believe," Sivanna replied swiftly, finishing off her tea and pushing the mug aside. As the waitress scurried back to their table to offer a refill, the cleric dismissed her politely with a wave. "The last few events have been very successful during that time." She paused again to stroke her chin thoughtfully. "I'll tell you what. I'll make a bunch of phone calls and put together a list of what we'll need— or what I think we need— and I'll contact you within a day or two. Sound good?"

"That sounds great," AJ beamed over at her, rummaging in her bag again for her purse. "Sivanna, I have no way to thank you, you are an absolute life-saver."

"Mellonamin, I live for organization," the former general responded with a musical chuckle. "I'll have a tentative list made up for you by tomorrow or Saturday, and I'll have a chat with Guill as soon as I see him." She turned the page in her binder, searching her notes for anything she missed. "Anything else you wanted to talk about' I don't want to keep you from your husband for too long."

AJ smiled, catching the waitress' eye as she opened up her purse. The bill was brought over to the table, and she paid quickly. People kept trying to stop her from paying for things at the moment, it was rather vexing. "No, I think I'm done," she told Sivanna, closing her notebook and stuffing the pen back in her hair. "Unless, you know, you wanna get girlie and start talking about hormones and stretchmarks?" She grinned teasingly, hazel eyes dancing with amusement.

Sivanna snickered. Well. If AJ paid the bill, it was only polite that Sivanna left the tip. Dropping two silver onto the cast-iron tabletop, the cleric slipped that emerald-green binder back into her briefcase and slipped the pen into her breastpocket. "I might have to pass on that. I hardly think I can empathize with you, but I do sympathize," she replied with a wink. She patted her pockets carefully. "All right. I'll get that list for you, and give Guill a call and....you give Stas my regards, won't you?"

"I will, thank you." Her own notes and planner were swept haphazardly into her bag. "I'll get a decent list of the auction pieces for you, too, not one covered in my notes and doodles," she added with a smile. Her eyes lowered to her watch. "Are you going back to Riverview" I promised Stas I'd be waiting for him when he came off shift at half one." She grinned, heaving herself up and out of the chair with a tortured groan of wicker.

"I am. In fact, we finished just on time. They're expecting me in a phone interview in about ten minutes," Siv returned casually with a smile. She rose from her seat, picking up her briefcase, and righted her blazer compulsively. "Shall we walk back together?"

"That sounds great, but I have to warn you, I walk much more slowly these days!" replied AJ with a smile as they departed. ((A collaboration of AJ Ryan and Sivanna Cyredghymn. Thank you, AJ!))

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-09-05 16:30 EST
"By the gods, Sivanna. You're still here?"

The elfess looked up in time to see an older gentleman from housekeeping wheeling a faded yellow bucket-wringer and mop past her office and though the derelict hallway. Blinking furiously, she removed her glasses and scrubbed at her face, feeling around her desk for her timepiece.

"You're here already, Christopher" What time is it?"

"It's just after eleven."

Sivanna let out a long-winded sigh. Lithe arms stretched tensely as she reached for the ceiling and pushed in her chair away from her desk.

"I'm staying here too late these days. Anya is going to kill me," the cleric admitted softly, gathering up a few business envelopes and tucking them under her arm. As she got to her feet and headed to her door, she froze.

"Ohh thes. You didn't lock the lounge already, did you, Christopher?" she asked, her expression growing exceedingly disappointed. The employee smiled and held his hand out.

"I did, but I'll take care of them for you. What do we have here?"

The former general nearly collapsed with relief as she handed over two envelopes. One was addressed and stamped, while the other was merely sealed with a single name on the front.

"This one goes out with the morning mail, and this one goes into Dr. Ryan's mailbox." Christopher quirked a brow as he inspected the addressed envelope.

"But this one is addressed to his wife. Shouldn't I just put them both into Ryan's inbox?" Sivanna grinned and put a finger over her lips.

"Bai. If you do that, it might give away the other." The employee blinked a few times, but seemed to accept that answer, and tucked both envelopes into his pocket.

"I'll take care of it. You get home and get some sleep, all right?" Spotting the skeptical look on Siv's face, he chuckled. "Or at least get home." The cleric gave his arm an affectionate squeeze.

"Diola lle, Christopher. I owe you one." Paying him a warm smile, she turned on her heel and headed back toward the lobby.

The following morning, each of the Ryans would get a letter from Sivanna. Mrs. AJ Ryan would receive hers via the post:

Verdui, AJ, I have here a tentative list of what I have gotten my hands on so far. The Hall is already equipped with trestle tables and benches, so I plan to use those for the majority of the seating. But I have also made the call to my good friend Eugene to bring in some straight-backed chairs with violet cushions to set freestanding along the walls. I put in the order for a few barrels of ale and mead, and Nuitari bless them, Sarrie's gave me a discount on dishware rental. I reserved silver tankards and goblets, as well as plates, serving dishes, and a few gilded jugs. The Hall already has an extensive silverware collection, and believe it or not, when I went into the storeroom today I found six— count them— six sets of armor! I couldn't have been more thrilled. I worked out a deal with the owner of Artes and Arms; as long as we put a stack of his business cards at each entrance, he has agreed to lend us six shields, twelve swords, and two jousting poles to display— for free! I'll need a little help carrying them to and from the shop, but I think it'll be worth it.

Eugene is renting me scarlet, gold, and violet tablerunners and rugs, and he has recommended a good place that rents tapestries, so I plan to check that out tomorrow. I'm headed to the electronics shop off Greensworth to place an order for some truss par cans to light the artwork, since the Hall already has a great collection of candelabra. I'll head to the party supply store to get my hands on some faux coins and scrolls, and see if I can't find some musicians. I'll also give Guill a call tonight and let you know about the catering.

Apologies if I overloaded you— I wanted to let you know where we were! I'll give you a call or write you sometime soon to touch base again. Until then, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Namaarie, Sivanna

P.S. Would you like to arrange for invitations, or shall I"

And to Mr. Stas Ryan:

Verdui, Stas, Your wife seems a bit flustered with this art auction business, so I wonder if you might surreptitiously get her to agree to this. I am sure she needs it. Don't let her know whom it came from!

Take care, Sivanna

Enclosed in the envelope to Stas is a gift certificate to an hour-long massage at the Belle Beautique and Spa in the Marketplace.

AJ Ryan

Date: 2009-09-08 19:44 EST
Wrapped up in a robe that only barely closed over her ever expanding pregnancy, AJ sat curled up on the couch, notes scattered all around her, deep in negotiations with an old friend over the phone.

"No, seriously, Stephanie, I'm in charge of this thing," she was protesting as Stas walked through, dropping a kiss on her forehead and earning a smile from her as she talked on the phone. "It's medieval themed, right' So of course, the minute I knew you were in town, I thought of you!"

Stephanie was a gifted musician, and her favourite area was period music. If anyone could put together a group to fill the Great Hall with the right kind of music for mingling and maybe dancing, it was her, and AJ was more than relieved that she could foist off another aspect of this auction nightmare on someone else. Stas dropped an envelope into her lap, winked at her, and disappeared into his study. He knew by now not to even think about trying to interrupt when her mind was on September 26th.

"It's gonna be a silent auction, so there won't be huge long periods of time without any background music," she told her friend, scribbling notes on a free piece of paper. "We'll pay, too, so you can stop umming about that. You will" Sure" That's fantastic, thank you so much! I love you! Yeah, I'll get in touch with the details in a coupla days. You're a life-saver, Steph. Yeah, you too. See ya."

She hung up, glowing happily that at least something had gone her way for the day, and scribbled Stephanie's name in her planner. That done, the envelope was opened, and the mom-to-be grinned joyously at the letter contained therein. So they had a venue, music, decorations, scene-setting, food and drink, and items for sale.

A random sweep of her notes provided a pen and decent writing paper, and she was quick to pen a reply, bullying Stas into taking it into work with him that night so Sivanna would receive it the next morning.

Hey, Sivanna, You are the best! Everything's coming together at this end. In addition to everything you've so wonderfully managed to provide, I've got us a band to play the night through - they aren't named yet, but they will be, I'm totally confident in their abilities. My friend, Steph, recently came to RhyDin, and the band's her baby.

Greg and the others at the Studio are well up for the theme, even to the point where the masters are insisting we all turn up in period wear. I'm actually kind of relieved on that score, shopping is not my favourite thing to do right now. Just let me know when you're going to need that help with moving everything from the storeroom, and I can send the apprentices down to help you; they'll enjoy it, they don't get much of a chance to get out of the Studio during working hours.

I'm working on getting my hands on some parchment and enchanted quills for the bidding sheets, just to keep things in flavour all night, and sometime today or tomorrow there'll be a list going up on the boards and houses around the city of what?s going to be on sale, and the starting prices. Invitations I hadn't even thought about; I wouldn't know where to begin, I thought I'd just put the news out and hope for the best. I guess I'll leave that to you, if it's okay?

Give me call anytime, I'm never without a phone these days.

Sincerely, AJ.

Sivanna Cyredghymn

Date: 2009-09-12 16:38 EST
Sivanna had finally wrestled with technology enough to find AJ's newly-added number in her cell phone contact's list. Unfortunately, she was not at all surprised to get the mom-to-be's voicemail.

Beep!

"Verdui, AJ. It's Sivanna. Sorry I missed you! I just wanted to give you a quick update. I found a few great scenery tapestries at that store I was telling you about that I went ahead and bought, and I have four saddlebags full of adorable medieval paraphernalia— coins, scrolls, quills....things like that. I also wanted to let you know that I got a hold of Guill, and he's agreed to cater for the event. As for invitations, I suppose you're right. The fliers you've already put up are fantastic, and they should suffice quite well. But make sure that you put a big stack inside the Inn, and go overboard with advertising the week of.

Glad to hear you got a band. I look forward to hearing them!

Everything else is just about settled, and I'll give you a call again soon when we get closer to the event. Have you found a dress yet' If you need help looking, I'd be more than happy to go shopping with you. But I imagine your plate is pretty full these days!

Hope to hear from you soon!"

Click!

AJ Ryan

Date: 2009-09-14 05:51 EST
Sometime in the afternoon, a bundle of packages would arrive for Miss Sivanna Cyredghymn at the Riverview Clinic. Handled with care, at a time chosen when she would not be in her office, they would be left on her desk together with a spray of white roses.

The attached note would read, as follows;

Dear Sivanna, I can't even begin to thank you for all the help you've given me so far, and all the help you will be giving me for the auction night. Not to mention that sneaky gift voucher for the spa - trust me, that was very, very much appreciated.

I honestly couldn't think of a way to thank you properly, and I'm completely useless at doing it in person, so ....everything in the packages is yours. A thank you from me, and the guys at the Studio for preventing me from ripping their throats out in a fit of stress. Feel free to do with them as you please; I do realise they may not be your style, but I did a bit of sneaking myself to try and find the perfect gift.

Many, many, heartfelt thanks AJ (and the gang)

P.S. The money in the pouch is for your expenses; any left over, please keep as a commission.

Within the packages, Sivanna would find a richly made dress in her size exactly, shoes to match, and a pendant of lapis lazuli, the gemstone for friendship.