Sparkles thunk-stepped his way down the pier, ignoring the drizzle that made things further than ten feet away look fuzzy. Not unlike the way the white mold that encrusted a loaf of bread somewhere under his bed back at the Hingle made the original features of the crust indistinguishable from a small, dead, white animal. He refused to get rid of the thing until someone noticed the smell and forced him to get rid of it. What was the fun, after all, of keeping nasty things about if there wasn't someone nearby who was averse to them?

His mission this day, however, had little to do with moldy bread. It had, in fact, to do with selecting some fine variety of wine to haul back (or roll back, as he planned to purchase a great cask) to the Hingle. His new tenants had been particularly good to the old place, and despite his own broken-down, rusted-out lifestyle, he could appreciate the hard work they had put into the new aesthetic.

He had heard on the down-low that there was to be a "wine and ale tasting" on the pier today. And because he had heard it on the down-low, that probably meant that everyone knew about it. The tasting was some new trick brought down from high-society people in far-off places (or maybe even as near as the capitol, for all he knew or cared) that involved giving small amounts of different varieties of liquor to people as "free samples" in order to make them want to buy more of their favorites.

Sparkles didn't know about all that jazz, but where there was free booze, there, too, would he be. Dragging his rain-damp sleeve across his grizzled countenance to rid himself of a wet-induced nasal drip, he found the place where the fun was to take place.

A sign that he ignored proclaimed the booth belonged to Mugrobi Spices, Wines and Ales Imports. A dark-skinned man stood behind the booth filling trays of teeny cups with teeny doses of booze. Damn, Sparkles thought, it'll take too long'a git soused on tha'. Mebbe they'll give an ol' man a' extra nip.

Sparkles scratched his belly absently as a crowd began to gather and the blessed hour approached. Or I could jes' shoot'em all an' take th'extra fer m'self...

The idea was tempting... but he decided against it. Bloodshed wasn't necessarily the best lead-in to good bargaining.

The dark man checked a fine pocket watch, then slipped it delicately into the folds of his shirt, "Good sirs and madams! I'm sure you've all come for the fine wine and ale tasting! I'm so pleased to see you all here."

Sparkles laughed quietly to himself as he considered the mug's expression. He didn't look exactly pleased; maybe it was a look of shock and mild depression, but when had that ever been called pleasure? After all, Old Rose boasted a pretty rough crowd for high tea and finger bowls.

Sarinah had heard about the Wine Tasting day, it was posted everywhere. Some wonderful idea about tasting wine and then listening to its orgins. Very gollyish sounding. It didn't seem like the smartest idea anyone visiting the harbour had come up with, but at least it was something different. It was later in the afternoon than she had expected, but with an eager step, she pulled on her black outfit - wrapping a shawl around her shoulders, and walked down to the pier. How often could she participate in something like this?

Stopping short of the crowd, she looked around. Dismal drunks looking for a free drink, thats all it was. Still, it was better than cleaning the chandiler. Moving closer, she looked up at the seller as he called out over the crowd, standing with hands on hips. It seemed like the mugrobi, judging from his expression, had expected a little more of the harbours...finer crowd...than this rabble. But, beggers cant be choosers. She waited for him to continue, smiling slightly. Perhaps, if the price was right, she might be able to pick up some of that nice bubbly stuff she'd told Tristaan about. Wouldn't that be nice?

The man cleared his throat with an expression that said he wasn't sure this was the kind of crowd with which he should be sharing fine wine and ales. Nevertheless, he pasted back his salesman's grin and proceeded.

"You may call me Duromi. Now, for clarity's sake, we will be announcing each variety before handing out samples, and Miaoa, our sales associate, will be available to take orders if you find something that suits you," the man indicated a pretty young girl toting a more-than-ample bosom and standing behind a writing desk. Sparkles, along with others in the crowd (including rather a few women), catcalled and wolf-whistled at her. I know a few things I'd like ta ord'r from 'er! Her warm cocoa skin reddened slightly.

The poor thing didn't know what she was getting into.

Sparkles licked his lips, though from being parched or looking at a pretty young thing it couldn't be said.

Duromi tossed a sash from his robe over his arm and hefted a tray, "First today, we've decided to start with a light white wine from Redomseko Dailotoma. It has become quite popular with the town's tourists, and so only recently has the winery there decided to begin exporting this delicately-flavored wine."

He tiptoed lightly through the crowd, careful not to tip the tray and its contents onto the ground or a potential patron-- though it could be said that such an act would be an improvement on the smell.

Sparkles took a minuscule cup from the tray as it came near and downed the droplet of wine in an instant. It was terribly sweet to his buds, used to burning liquors and heavy ales as they were, and he sneered down into the empty cup, "Boy, 'at's fruity, innit?"

"Oh, indeed, sir," the dark man turned back to Sparkles with a slightly awed expression, "I'm sure you've detected the light strawberry high notes, hmm?"

"Erm, yeh could say'at, yar."

Leon stood next to the horrifically smelling gentlemen. He knew it would be ages before he would be able to clean this stench off. He placed the small cup around his nose to displace the horrible scent with the pleasing one of strawberries. Out of the whole crowd formed, Leon seemed the most sophisticated, and that's saying a lot for a spoke.

Leon tipped his newly purchased tricorne hat at the Mugrobi man as he passed by with the tray of drinks. He hadn't had a fine glass of wine since his kint had been in Bastia. He always favored the more prestigious wine over the more solemn ale, another twinkling of his wishes to be as sophisticated as a golly.

With the his cup still firmly placed over his nasal cavity, he kindly turned to the horrid smelling man and smiled. "So, what brings you out here? The wine or the ale?" Leon hoped it was the wine.

Sparkles eyed the funny little wick in the tricorne. Wine or ale? What a silly question to ask.

Sparkles smacked his lips and simply answered, "Aye."

Duromi was continuing to exalt the virtues of the wine, "Now, as our..." he glanced at Sparkles as if searching for the right word, "our fine friend has pointed out, the Redomseko has a soft strawberry high notes. Some of the finer palettes among us may detect a slight honeyed aftertaste."

He was looking at the crowd hopefully, trying to generate discussion of the wine. Most of them, however, were fondling their cutlasses, looking on the verge of growling, get on with it!

He managed to keep up his smile, though, when he noticed that someone had approached Miaoa to place an order. Quite honestly, that in itself was almost more than he had hoped for when he had first seen the crowd.