The beat of the earth
Is the pulse of its people
Whether primitive or advanced
The same beat drives them all forward
There is nothing like the heart
The hearts blood of the earth
When it comes to existing.
And it’s those beats
Even and unmeasured
Ever changing yet always the same
They are what drives all forward.
Aurea burst onto the stage in a somersault, and wrapped a paw around the pole causing her form to swing around, getting right into the music. She blinked trying to see out into the audience, but was thankful that the lights were bright, so they prevented her from seeing them. But she could hear sounds of approval as she continued dancing, and she smiled. The announcer winked at her and she dived onto the catwalk hitting her knees and acting more like a cat than she had in years. Then mimicking some of the earlier sales she leaned back and started a string of back flips, careful of course to keep in time to the music. As she continued, she felt more at ease on the stage, and just decided to have fun. And yes, she was having fun.
In the third row Cedric, raised an eyebrow as Aurea stretched on the stage. He turned and looked at Mar, who nodded at him.
“Go ahead kid. Give it a shot; the worst that could happen is someone outbids you. But trust me… The card I gave you should be more than enough to beat anyone here.”
“Ok.” Cedric replied simply, turning back to watch intrigued at the way Aurea seemed to be so confident. Out of everyone that had been on the stage, she didn’t seem to really fit the ‘desperate for a date’ stereotype. This one didn’t belong up on the stage.
In the second row, on the other side of the room, Dillon sat mouth agape.
“My oh my D, that’s your best friend?” Jay said watching her reaction. “I didn’t know that you knew anyone that could move like that…”
“I didn’t know that she could…” Dillon replied shaking her head. “I think we’re going to have to bid to keep her out of the hands of someone who might expect the wrong thing out of her.”
“Sure we will. I think I’ll be bidding for that threesome that I had in mind. I wonder if she’d mind…” Jay braced himself and laughed as Dillon drove her fist into him. “It was only a thought.”
“Keep those thoughts to yourself and get ready to bid. The song is almost over.” Dillon replied as she shivered after Aurea did a cartwheel. The outfit that they’d gotten earlier seemed to cling to her like a second skin, and displayed clearly the fact that she knew what she was doing. Dillon hadn’t even realized that at the store, now she wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was jealousy or fear. Aurea looked good. And by the reactions around the room, everyone was taking note of that. Even Jay had.
The song came to an end and all the house lights went out, and a spotlight flickered on, focusing on the announcer as the crowd applauded uproariously. Aurea had disappeared backstage, where she took a bottle of water one of the stage hands offered her.
“You’ve done this before kid?” The woman asked, looking Aurea over.
“No. I had some good training earlier today though. Plus I paid close attention to the others while they were on stage. Why did I do horribly?” Aurea asked worried, as she took her tail in one paw and wrung it nervously.
The woman laughed and pointed back out on stage where the announcer was waiting for the crowd to quiet down before getting the first bid. “Not at all. I think you did quite the opposite. You may turn out to be the gem this year. The kid they saved for last, you heard about him sure, the one from last year, he didn’t meet expectations. But you my dear have surely exceeded them.”
“Ah.” Aurea grinned happily, and then turned to watch, leaning on the wall sipping the water. “Well, I had no idea how to go about this, so I made it up along the way, mostly.”
“Ah, now that you’ve all quieted down.” The Announcer said looking out over the crowd as the floor lights came back on, showing the audience clearly as he adjusted his tie. “I must say, I’m not sure I want to have you even try top bid on her. I might just take this one home with me.” The crowd erupted in laughter and exclamations. “But I won’t. So, what do we have as a starting bid? Can I get 200?”
“Easily!” A tall blonde said shaking her hair out as she raised her bid card. “I raise it to 500!” She looked around, adjusting her corset as if daring anyone to challenge her.
“500 so quickly!” His eyebrows shot up as he looked around. “Anyone want to challenge that?”
“Pfft. Pocket change.” A Coralitian in a green suit said raising his own card. “1500!”
“1510!” A voice shouted from the back.
“1550!” The blonde spat back without prompting.
“1560!” The same voice called from the back.
Mariel prodded Cedric and he raised his card. “1600!” He shouted. Mar nodded in approval and waited. Realizing now that if he even wanted a chance at winning, he was going to have to be prodded into it.
“1600?” The Announcer inquired. “Anyone going to beat that?”
Dillon stared at Jay, and he raised their card. “1800.”
“Jay!” She hissed. “That’s ALL we have for this! Plus that’s two times what they got for the Coralitian.”
“I know, but the jump is going to cut out any of the small jumpers.” Jay replied rolling his eyes. “And it’s not all we have. I called in reserves as you were watching her slack jaw.”
“Ah.” Dillon nodded, blushing as she settled back into her seat nervously.
“1860.” An Orange Tabby Astute said, raising his card sluggishly.
Aurea looked at the stage hand baffled. “Why are they bidding so high? It took them ages to get that high earlier!”
“Yeah, but no one else gave them as good a show as they did. Not only that, I think they’ve changed the date plan for you.” The stage hand laughed, and patted Aurea on the shoulder. “Remember, everything raised tonight goes to charity.”
“I know. Wait…” She turned. “They changed the date plan?”
Mariel frowned and prodded Cedric. “Take it up another 100 lad.”
Cedric nodded nervously and raised the card again. “1960!”
The announcer looked around shaking his head. “1900?” He waited, and in a few seconds the blonde jumped to her feet.
“2500!” She put her hands on her hips and waited as the room rumbled.
“2800.” Jay retorted getting to his feet. Dillon cringed, and sunk into her seat hoping that Aurea couldn’t see her.
Mar prodded Cedric who nervously got to his feet. “I want you to bid 3500. NOW.” Mar whispered to him.
“3500!” Cedric shouted raising his card yet again.
“3500!” The Announcer said nodding thoughtfully.
“4000!” The Astute said looking over at Cedric a smug expression on his face.
“4010!” The Coralitian interjected.
“4510!” Jay said with a laugh, turning to wink at Dillon.
“6000!” The blonde cut in angrily, her arms crossed under her breasts, as she tapped her foot angrily.
“Hrmm...6000! Is there anyone here that wants to challenge that?”
Mar laughed and nodded at Cedric. “I think we’ve about reached a point. Take 6500!”
Cedric shouted Mars suggestion as loud as he could over the murmuring crowd. “6500!”
The Astute turned and growled at him before raising his card again. “7800!”
“Yeah. They were going to be sending you and your ‘owner’ to a carnival. Now they’re sending you on a full day excursion: museums, bars, all sorts of things.” The stage hand pulled a few curtains back so that only the black one was left. A band was setting up and needed as much room as they could get back behind the announcer.
Aurea blinked and nodded woodenly. “I didn’t realize that those things were pre-determined.”
The woman laughed again. “Didn’t use to be, not originally, but it sure makes things easier that’s for sure.”
“Oh.” Aurea bit her lip and finished off her bottle of water and peered out nervously to see who it was that had bid 7800.
Jay winced and looked at Dillon. “Well love, it’s up to you. I can take it to 8900 now… but you realize if we win… it’s going to be tight as far as anything we want to do for a while.”
Dillon nodded rigidly, looking at the bidders. “Go ahead. I don’t think I trust any of them.”
Jay nodded and turned to the stage. “8900!”
The room seemed to rumble as everyone started talking. That was the highest bid that had ever been brought up in the auction, at least at the space port it was. The Coralitian and the Astute both sat down in their seats. But the blonde, started checking over her notes, and looking at the ‘purchases’ she had made earlier that night.
“8900… is there anyone that wishes to go above 8900?” The announcer looked at the Coralitian and the Astute who both shook their heads.
“9000!” The Blonde shouted victoriously coming to a resolve.
Dillon gasped and grabbed Jays arm. “Oh no… I hope that someone…”
Jay petted Dillon soothingly. “It’s ok. I mean how bad could it be love?”
Dillon just shook her head and frowned at him. “You have no idea…”
Mar scowled and jabbed Cedric in the ribs. “Now finish her! 9500! Bid it.”
Cedric gulped. “9500.” He said quietly.
“Anyone, going to go higher than 9000?” The Announcer looked amazed as he waited as the Blonde started moving closer to the stage, checkbook in hand.
“Louder.” Mar told him jabbing him again. “He obviously didn’t hear you.”
“Anyone?” The room murmured as the Announcer started to count. “going once…”
Cedric looked at Mar, and shook his head.
“Going twice…”
Mar stamped on Cedric’s foot. He yelped and then shouted. “Oi! 9500!”
The Blonde spun around, her eyes as big as saucers. “9500?”
Mar nodded satisfied and grinned. “That’s my boy.”
“9500!” The announcer also blinked. “Anyone care to go above 9500?”
The Blonde turned crimson as she tramped back to her seat. And Cedric shivered as the announcer motioned him forward.
Mar caught his hand. “Sweetie, and just so you know, there’s still 20500 on that there card.”
Cedric blushed and went to hand it back to her. “Oh Mar!!!”
Mar stamped on his foot and refused to take it. “Get up on that stage, you can thank me later, plus I can explain it to you.” She laughed, and winked at him. “Plus I should have told you about that earlier. But this is the only bit of bidding you’ve done tonight that I’ve approved of so…” She laughed and squeezed her dates hand before stomping on Cedric’s foot again.
“9500 it is then!” The Announcer replied having gotten through the final bid procedure as they’d been talking. “Would the holder of bid card number 45 please come to the stage?”
Cedric yelped and hopped on one foot, and leaned over to kiss Mar’s cheek before going up onto the stage.
“What’s your name my boy?” The announcer queried, and laughed as Cedric turned red. “Oh come on. Its alright I don’t bite but after that performance I can’t promise that your date won’t.”
Cedric laughed, and tugged at his shirt collar with one hand. “I’m Cedric…” He paused and added hesitantly, “From the travel port.”
“Ah! That explains why I don’t know you as from around the port. You’re one of those that come and go so much it’s hard to say anything one way or the other, eh?” The audience laughed.
As Cedric stammered his replies to the other questions Dillon prodded Jay. “I don’t think that we have to worry about Aurea if that’s the winner.” She giggled as Jay grinned at her. “Though, I do wonder how they’ll get along seeing how he’s basically being prompted, and he’s still having trouble finding words to say.”
“True dear;” Jay rolled his eyes. “But we all can’t be public speakers or where would you be? Without a job that’s where. You and me both though actually.”
“Oh shush, let’s see what Aurea thinks of him.”
“9500!” Aurea blinked and started backing away, back towards the room they’d all been in before the auction had started.
“Where you going?” The stage hand asked puzzled. “You should feel special; you’ve created a new ‘landmark price’ something people are going to be talking about for a while.”
“Oh I’m just going to get my purse…”
“You don’t need it, now get back out there, they’re calling you out.” The woman laughed as she pushed Aurea gently back in the direction of the stage, gently of course. She couldn’t know what her actions may have helped to set in motion.
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