The Dragonriders of PernŽ is a trademark, Registered U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, of Anne McCaffrey. This is a recorded session, generated by Harper's Tale MOO on Saturday, November 27th, 1999, for the benefit of members unable to attend. Logged by Khayet and Pyrene.
Waiting for the Hatching
Taliana absorbs who's around her. "Ohhh..." she murmurs, then blushes. "I do beg your pardon, all," she says, "particularly yourself, Weyrwoman Areiah."
Avenlea leans back against Khayet, cookie still in her hand, or what's left of it. She's happy now, having gotten what she wanted, and so, little face shines with pleasure. "My milk, Uncle Khay. Please?" Winsome, and innocent, yup, little Avenlea isn't above trying to wrap him around her little finger.
Nherys frowns. Hey, that's her finger he's s'possed to be wrapped around....after all, sisters're better than neices, because you can't have neices with out sisters...
Pyrene arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Trying? It's a wonder Khayet isn't any taller with as many pinkies as he's wrapped around....Avenlea's....Nherys'.....Alee's....Ari's......And just wait until little Theyer's big enough to bat her little eyelashes at him. Might be a good thing he's far more interested in men romanticly, he'd spoil his own children rotten. Reaching tot he table, he hands the small glass to the small lass, "Here you are, love...."
Wilt blinks in from ::between::!
Siannen warbles brightly, "Nanrene, nanrene! Dija hear, Auri an' me are gunna match, 'cause she's gunna get you to help make me a robe jus' like hers!"
Taliana detects that nobody's noticed her faux pas -- or at least is too polite to mention it -- and so strolls nonchalantly over to the nighthearth to pour herself a mug of klah.
Pyrene hasn't got Khayet wrapped around her finger yet? And at Siannen she swallows suddenly--is that a smirk on her face? "Oh, really Siannen dear? Just /like/ Auri's? Oh...." She hastily turns her back and pours herself some redfruit juice. There, now she has something to cover her mouth.
Pyrene just might, for being the male chasing sort, he's got an aweful softspot for women....."Why do I get the feeling I should fear that very thought, Pyrene?" Khay asks, deciding not to let all the food he brought to the table go to waste.
Siannen nodnods brightly, "That's what she said, because matching is neato...so we're gunna be machies. Lis would've helped, but she can't cut the patterns, so she said that you would help us do that, and she'd help sew..."
Areiah has begun to wilt around the edges, just a little. She's beginning to look sleepy, even, embroidery forgotten, for now. But, oh! It's Pyrene! And Pyrene's presence is surely worth perking over. "Py! Goodness, long time no see." There, see? Still awake.
Avenlea takes the milk and drinks from the mug, making sure with a little sip that it's sweet enough before really drinking it. Wouldn't do to drink it before she's made sure it's perfect now, would it? Little takes her sips, then reaches forwards for the table, hoping it's close enough for her to reach, before wailing. "Uncle Khay." as the glass wobbles in her hands.
Pyrene settles herself all snug in a chair with a blanket around her knees. "Oh, well, if Lis is going to do the actual sewing, then I'll be /happy/ to sort out the pattern for you.... Tell me, is Auri actually going to make and /wear/ that robe? On the sands?" And an innocent wink is thrown to Khay. As if she's doing anything but 'playing nice' with the children. "Oh, Reia! I thought you'd gone to sleep there... I was expecting a horde of candidates to descend on you any minute and shave off your eyebrows." Pyrene's already perky it would seem.
Siannen eeps at that prospect, "Nonono, Reia's eyebrows stay there....I won't let dem shave 'em off, nono....Yup, she's gunna wear it, yah-huh...."
Areiah's eyebrows are staying right where they are, thank you very much! "Not quite - thank you, Siannen." Not /all/ of the Candidates are pure evil. Go figure. "I've some.. some.." But she's smothering a yawn right now, and can't really finish the sentance. When she /can/: "Oh, excuse me. Yes, I've some stitching I need to finish before I go to bed." Right.
D'renn strides in from the Central Bowl.
Siannen beams. She'll protect the weyrwoman, yah-huh...and lookie who just walked in...."D'renn! Rennie, guess what I've still got?"
D'renn appears, yawning rather as he enters the cavern's warmth. "Lotsa people in here," grumbles the bluerider, trailing over to the hearth.... or at least trying to. "Whassat, Siannen. And /don't/ call me Rennie..."
Maurin is...pure evil too? Heh. Heheh. One hand slides idly across the back of his neck, itching idly. His dozing fair stirs, the largest blue chirruping quizzicly in Maurin's left ear, slithering into his lap and settling comfortably.
Pyrene isn't /pure/ evil for a start. "What, somebody's doing work and /not/ dragging a candidate in to do it for them??" she mock-gasps, leaning over to peer at said embroidery. "Oh... very nice. Er... What is it?" She's at the wrong angle to see it of course, it's probably perfectly apparent right side up. D'renn's appearance is noted as his is grumpiness, and it's because of the latter that he gets the brightest of waves with a matching smile.
Siannen pouts. "But I /like/ calling you Rennie...it's easier to say than D'renn." SHe brightens however and pulls the last, somewhat beaten up piece of her last creation. "Here. I saved this jus' for you...i's raspberry flavored....an' /purple/, too..."
"Rennie?" Amusement colors Areiah's tone, and the aforementioned, unshaveable eyebrows go up. "Pyrene? Did you hear that? It would seem D'renn's got a nickname." Oh, did he say /not/ to call him that? Hmm. "Oh - it's a blanket, or it's supposed to be. Just little flowers at the edges, see?" And, obliging, she turns the thing so it's closer to the angle it's supposed to be. It's a pretty blanket, really. "And I'll have you know, I've not once asked a Candidate to lift a finger for me. Well, except Khayet over there, but that was to help wash Ysbryth." And that's justifiable, right?
Of coruse they aren't. The two males flanking Areiah are both rather kind, harmless sorts. One could even say gentleman, if one is....so painfully shy he doesn't exactly show it. Or really anything for that matter. And to Pyrene's teasing, Khayet says nothing, just eats. You don't wanna hear his stomach grumbleing, really. Eventually, though, he does say to Nher, "Oh, Kandar's you're turnday gift.....You've to open it same time as he does his...."
D'renn holds out his hand to accept the battered gift. "Raspberry-flavoured, eh? To match my trousers?" Yes, he's wearing those faded leathers still. "/Reia/!" comes the scandalised tone as he overhears her. "You're /not/ to call me that."
Siannen proudly hands over the long held-onto prize, beaming at the weyrwoman. "It is easier to say though, isn't it?"
Nherys ooohs, "Really? I can't wait...I've still got mine from last turnday, somewhere..." Don't mind the fact that almost all identifying jewelery is stowed safely away...
"Rennie..." the word is turned over Pyrene's tongue with contemplative relish. "Rennie... and we're not to call you that. Well, don't worry... sir..." ahem "I'll make sure to let everybody know that. Including Kolen." Having displayed just how dutiful she really is, she turns back to Areiah... "That's very pretty Reia. Maybe when you're finished you can pass it to Maurin then... he looks like he could use it." If you're not bouncing steadily all over the place and/or chattering 19 to the dozen, Pyrene is going to assume that you're falling asleep.
Areiah gives D'renn her best innocent look - and it's quite impressive, as she's had Turns to practice it - complete with an eyelash flutter. "But it's so much easier - precisely, what Siannen said. I've never been good with honorifics, I'm forever mispronouncing them. Rennie is just so terribly catchy." Lips purse, then, vainly trying to hide a grin as she looks back to her needlework. "It's a gift for a little girl in the 'brat cave, to be honest, but I don't think she'd mind if Maurin borrowed it," she muses bemusedly.
Sugar-stick-thing in one hand, D'renn manages to pour some klah with the other; the furtive gleam in his blue eyes says he's just looking for somewhere to leave the little gift. Hauling up a chair near Areiah, he gives the Weyrwoman a long hard stare. "Don't even think about calling me about but D'renn. Or Don, if you must."
Taliana sips her klah quietly by the nighthearth, and smiles, watching the 'Reachesfolk at their normal nightstuff, feeling just a little homesick.
Avenlea is beginning to get restless, little finished with her milk and 3, count'em... 3 cookies and reaching for a fourth. "Lemme down, Uncle Khay, please?" she asks prettily, cookie now clutched in her little hand.
Oh yes. Maurin could use a blanket. Or a sweater for that matter. Thin frame shivers uncontrollably as clutches his elbows tightly, arms pressed across his chest. Face shows hints of unnatural pale and jaw is clenched against the chattering of his teeth. Brrrr...
It was returning a favour, after all, Ysbryth managed to help him actually get a four hour nap. "Well, there's much of her to wash so......And tisn't like I'm exactly new at it....T'sin and I had to wash S'phen's dragon and all the other's in the bowl one night when we stood together....." Khayet takes a sip of klah and nods to Nher, "Aye....E'er since I'd the flu, Kandar's been wearing his...." He's much relived that that rift's happily closed and life is back to normal between the two short harpers. "Down you go....Off to the nessicary then, lass?"
Siannen nodnods, "Least it's not so bad as Rissie's is to say....an' you get used to it, I /promise/..." And she's good about being cute an' sweet an' nice, and getting big nice 'riders to love her, oh yeah...
Nherys smiles happily and hugs her brother, "I am soooo glad....my greatest wish finally came true!"
Pyrene watches as Areiah once again cleans up /all/ the men in the room. Not that she's jealous of course--not over D'renn anyway. "And then you can do another one, for that... person over there. Another harperish one." She waves fingers at Taliana. She grins cheerfully at Siannen, "That's good... isn't she nice D'renn? Helping to make you more accessible to the weyr?"
Avenlea shakes her head. "I'm just wandering around the room." she says softly, little face totally innocent.
It's Pyrene's turn to get a D'renn-hard-stare. "No," he answers flatly, hiding the sugar-thing down the side of his wherhide armchair. Where it'll no doubt slowly melt all over his leathers.
Khayet hugs back, "Aye well, now you can wish for other things......I need to run and get something right quick...." He nods to 'Lea, "I'll be right back, so don't wander off too far or make too big a mess, alright?"
"What /was/ your name, before Impression, D'renn?" Areiah asks her favorite bluerider, genuine curiousity layered over amusement, now. Well, that is until she spots the shivering Candidate, pursing her lips again. "Maurin? Did you want..?" And she holds up the pale blue blanket with yet-to-be-finished stitches in one corner, offering. "T'would be warmer, and I'll not have you catching cold, now." Yup, that's actual concern on those features. And any cleaning up of males is done unintentionally! Really!
Siannen turns her pretty smile on D'renn, she's cute, she's sweet, she's /not/ sugar-hyper, not bouncing around with Auri and Endi, and hasn't even asked to lick anyone yet...
And she better not, either!
"N-n-n-no, th-th-thank y-you," Maurin stammers, his jaw chattering and he bashfully keeps his gaze from Areiah's. He shifts slightly, tightening his grip on his upper arms. One brief glance is flickered to D'renn, then quickly away again.
Taliana sidles, as unobtrusively as she can, closer to the gathering; there's company here, strangers though they be, and herself far from home as she is.
Avenlea blinks innocently at Khayet. "I don't make messes, Uncle Khay." she says honestly, but escaping is her usual game. Wandering around and being gone is the most fun.
Khayet smiles, "Alright, just be here when I get back, aye?"
Siannen frowns and trots over to the shivering one, "You should get warm...I did excercizes in the snow once, and got cold...then I got sick, and it wasn't fun, nuh-uh...."
"Awww, Maurin, go fetch yourself a sweater or something. We don't need Candidates freezing to death," D'renn scowls at the lad, cradling his klahmug with both hands. "No, we like to roast them instead.... And I was Donorenn," he finishes to Areiah, in for once a dignified tone.
Siannen's attention span is shorter than, well, almost anyone's. "Donorenn? I like that....s'better than Rennie, almost...."
Nherys cocks her head, "Khay-bro, where you going?"
Maurin kind of...hides as he is frowned at. He didn't do anything wrong...did he? He seems rather terrified that he has, subconciously, mebbe, but done something disagreeable. Eeeeeeeek.
Khayet says, "Just to get something....Less than five minutes, I promise....."
Pyrene glances over to Maurin then winces at Siannen. "Well... you should have told us your coat wasn't winter lined..." What, the nannies have to check each and every one?? "Why don't you get him a blanket Sian? There's a couple over there... Ignore him if he says no." She glances at D'renn at mention of his name... "Donorenn... oh! Then we could call you Donnie. It would rhyme with Connie too... Y'know, C'lan?"
D'renn winks at Siannen, shifting uneasily. Perhaps the sugar /is/ melting... "My sisters used to call me Donny," he confides, giving Pyrene an indeterminate look as she comes up with the idea too.
Areiah proceeds to lean over in her chair regardless, either corner of the top of the blanket in either small hand as she reaches around Maurin's shoulders and wraps it snugly about them, anyhow. "You can wear this, or you can be dumped into a warm bath, 'tis your choice." Isn't she sweet? "Donorenn, Donorenn - I realy do like that, it rolls." 'Donnie' gets a wince, albeit an inward one. "Donnie, Rennie - Faranth." Faranth doesn't fit as well as the other two, but hey, D'renn always was unique!
Khayet says, "I'll get him something...."
Avenlea wanders around the room, slowly working her little way towards the opening of the cavern, the way she came in.. like usual, without her nanny. Could be she's ready to wander out into the wilderness, herself never stopping to sleep until she's absolutely exhausted.
Khayet steps into the shadows that lead back into the Weyr.
Siannen claps happily, "Donny. I like it, I like it..." She makes her way over to peer earnestly up at him, "Can I call you that, pretty please?" Then she's gone, with a wink of her blue eye, pouncing back with a blanket bigger than she is. "Oh...never mind then..."
"Hey, if Maurin's got to be dumped into a warm bath, can I....." D'renn's train of thought is easily derailed, and he shrugs at Areiah. "You've know me all this time, Reia-darling, and only now you want to call me petnames?" He bats long eyelashes at the Weyrwoman, a simpering expression arranging itself incongruously on his face.
Maurin protests. Feebly. He tugs at the corner of the blanket, though energy isn't really in abundance at the moment. "N-n-no...R-really...I'm o-o-o-okay..." Stammer. Stammer. Stutter, stammer. But the conversation continues on without him as he pulls at the blanket.
Pyrene winks at Maurin, "See? Reiah likes to take care of the men around here, she does... Oh, Siannen... why don't you give it to Donny over there? See how he's shifting like that? Must be cold." Pyrene's snug in her own blanket with redfruit juice... only way to improve on her situation is to tease people, right?
In the candidate barracks: Khayet rummages around under his cot for a bit, gets somethign kinda fuzzy and heads back out.
D'renn gives Pyrene yet another trade-marked hard stare. "No thank Pyrene... Siannen, I'm fine. Give it to Maurin. I'm sure he doesn't really want me to dump him in a bath."
Siannen is back, the blanket trailing behind her. "Tha's okay....but you still didn't answer me...."
"Oh, no chance, D'renn - if you're getting a petname, it's going to be something fun." Fun? Oh, dear. "Cutesie pie, maybe, or some other fitting thing." Llama baby? Nah. Pyrene gets a pointed /look/ - but Areiah doesn't do much more than that. She's busy rearranging the blanket again, tugging it close as he tugs it away. "Stop that," she scolds, but it's gentle, halfway-teasing. "See? D'renn will help me, even." With that warm bath idea, that is.
Khayet arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Nherys peers at that brother of hers, but decides that not getting up is to her advantage..."Whacha got, Khay-bro?"
Pyrene shakes her head rapidly at Maurin. "He's right you know... you /don't/ want D'renn to dump you into a bath. I would assume..." Areiah is given that sweetly innocent, faintly bemused smile--has she been taking lessons from the Weyrwoman in that expression?
Khayet comes back, to stand somewhat next to Maurin. "Tis five days late, I know....But here....Happy turnday....." Fear....the harper does his research! He holds out something neatly folded, in deepest blue and black varigation. Seems to be knitted.....
"What didn't I answer, Siannen?" D'renn asks the girl. If she means him, of course...
Siannen blinks slowly, "If I could pretty please call you Donny?"
It's better than Rennie, so... "Sure you can, Siannen." D'renn answers with a warm smile. And another shift in his chair. Something's definitely sticky.
Areiah laughs lightly, shaking her own head at Pyrene, now. "Why just 'assume', Py? Didn't D'renn dump you into the snow, once? Trade cold for warm and you'd have the same thing, basically, no?" Hah. All the practicing of that ever-so-innocent expression won't help - the petite goldrider knows it far too well to let her dear friend get away with it. "Ooh? It was someone's Turnday?" Perk.
Maurin stares blankly at Khayet. He's been getting good at these looks. He's never gotten a Turnday presant, thus the blank look. Snapping out of his reverie, he reaches out to accept the gift, clearly amazed. "O-o-oh...K-khayet.../Th-thank/ you!" The heart-felt thanks is spoken before the ex-drudge actually figures out what it is.
Avenlea wanders to the edge of the room, peering out into the darkness, her attention completely caught in the night outside the cavern. A quick look back, and she sees that nobody's paying any attention to her. Time to slip out into the darkness? Little is contemplating wandering.
"Hey, it's my Turnday soon, do I get a present?" D'renn wants to know. Well, he would, wouldn't he...."What is it, Maurin?"
Delphia arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Siannen's face becomes wreathed in her million-watt smile, directed at D'renn. "Oh, thank you! I could make you a present, I could...ask if Tai liked hers...an' I made Nanrene a dragon, even..."
Pyrene stiffens at Areiah. "/Don't/ call me Py... you /know/ I hate that..." Petulant, she, "And yes, D'renn dumped me in snow--and that's different cause I was fully clothed. Besides, he and Thesy Searched me to make up for it." She glares at him by way of gratitude then belatedly registers. "It's Maurin's turnday? Why didn't you say something?" Maybe he heard about Areiah's turnday when /she/ stood...
Cornet peers after the tiny humangirl toddling out of the cavern, and chirps urgently at his humanpet, tugging on her hair with his foreclaws.
Maurin shakes the knitted material out, but gets it upsidedown. Quickly righting it, he imediately recognizes the garment. "A s-s-sweater!" Well, he'll be needing it, and /how/! He fumbles, trying to find the opening...
Nherys claps happily, "Oh, how lovely of you, Khay...Maurin, Khayet gives the best turnday gifts ever..."
Khayet smiles and shrugs, "Your welcome. I'd planned on giving it to you in the morning, but you seem to need it just now...." And with that simple presentation, he retakes his seat after looking around for 'Lea. "If you're going off to bed lass, get one of the ladies to take you up, please...."
Thesy strolls in from the Central Bowl.
"Hush, boyo," Taliana murmurs at her lizard, hoping not to have attention drawn to her. "If you want to go play, go play already."
Thesy stops, startled by the rather larger number of people, gathered here at this early hour. "My, don't you people ever sleep?", she grins while weaving her over, not without snatching herself a mug. Slipping on a chair she puts the towel over its back and takes a swig before she asks, her eyey wandering over the assembled party, "What are y'all doing here at this time?"
Taliana Cornet launches himself from Taliana's shoulder.
And enter the brat. Delphia. With a glare, and whistle - though more of a squeak - Delphia calls Cheep back to her. "Baf Cheep. Bad Bad Cheep." She scolds the brpown before moving further into the caverns. "Py!" This is shouted a moment after Pyrene says she dislikes it. Ooops?
Khayet bahs' at Nher, "Not always.....I'm still fumbling around for something to make Will...."
Avenlea turns and blinks at Khayet. "Bed? I'm not going to bed, Uncle." she says sweetly, that completely innocent look on her face again.
D'renn smirks at Pyrene, grins at Maurin, nods to Khayet (adding, "I hope the sleeves aren't too long,") and beams again at Siannen. "Well, now, only if you want to...."
Nherys smiles sweetly, "I'll help, if you'd like...but it's always something from the heart, so it's always the best..."
D'renn also winks at Thesy. "Drinking klah, my dear. Drinking klah." And he's got the mug to prove it.
Areiah makes no mention of her own Turnday, simply because it's safer that way. "Do you? I'm so sorry, I must have forgotten. You know what my memory is like, mmm?" Brows lift, then, and the look of hopeless absent-mindedness is spoiled by her grin Pyrene-ward. "My humble apologies, in any case. 'Tis a good thing you were Searched to make it all better - and happy belated Turnday to you, Maurin, indeed." There. Done? Not quite. "Thesy!"
Cornet glides over to the little humangirl and perches on an outcropping of the wall near her, watching intently, eyes whirling.
Pyrene glares at Delphia--who should be very glad that Pyrene's in no position to give her punishment right now--then catches Thesy's entrance and words. "You forgot it was Maurin's turnday?" she asks, raising eyebrows in apparently genuine reproach. "And here we all were toasting him and giving him presents. See? Areiah's made him a blanket, and Khay's made him a sweater. And you /forgot/...." She shakes her head sadly.
Siannen turns the smile up a notch and does the only thing she can think of: planting a kiss on his cheek. There. Turning to her nanny, she realizes she didn't do a thing...."Maurin, wha's your favorite color?"
Khayet Ahhhhh's to Avenlea, "Then to where lass?" He gives D'renn an odd look, "We're near on the same size, thank you....I made it to fit me....." He grins to Thesy, she already knows -he- doesn't sleep. "Well....I"ve something extra for you Nher....much as I need it's warmth, I can always make annother for m'self...." He takes off his navy and pale grey sweater and offers it to her. "I think you should have it now.....It won't fit Tom, and Serandu's one of her da's, and Bruan wouldn't take my badge with out an arguement....and...it certianly won't fit Wybren.....
D'renn gets kissed? On the cheek? By a 12-Turn old? Erm... With a rather avuncular expression, he smiles at Siannen, drinking off his klah. And if anyone dares say a word...
The bluerider's head jerks up from the mug, the blue eyes wide with astonishment while the color of her cheeks turns from the usual light tan to a more reddish shade, "Maurin's turnday?" Incomprehensions seems to be Thesy's middle name now, "I'm sorry, Maurin. I had no clue." An annoyed gaze is flashed at her wingmate first, then at Pyrene, "No one told me and I've been away for a lot of time lately." Turning to the lad she smiles, "Nevertheless - Happy Turnday, Maurin!" And with a wink she adds, "Guess you now have a wish free."
Pyrene eyes Areiah and then the two blueriders. "As long as that's not the only reason they Searched me..." she mutters. "I'm not toasting my feet for nothing you know..." not to mention putting up with D'renn on a regular basis. Of course, that offers plenty of teasing potential. "My, D'renn... your fans are actually getting older..." A mental note to take Siannen aside later of course, but she'll be kind enough not to voice that now.
Nherys is speechless, for once. Khay, without his sweater? "B--bb-bbut Khay...."
Khayet says, "You need more of a tie to Mev, and I need less of one."
"I thought younger, personally..." D'renn's reply to Pyrene drips as cold as the snowdrift she pulled him into.
Avenlea turns an innocent gaze back towards Khayet, then decides to give up her bid for escape, turning around and coming back to raise little arms to Khayet again. "Pick me up, please?"
Nherys manages to get her mouth closed, then grins at her brother. "I suppose you're right, aren't you?" Her grin transfers to little 'Lea as her first impulse gets reigned in.
Delphia doesn't note the glare Pyrene had given her, just scoots her way to where some blankets are, snatching one up. The one though, happens to be a bit large and drags across the floor, even after she wraps it about her. Look, Ma! I'm sweepin'.
Areiah opens her mouth to say something - but closes it again, settling for just a warm, duly amused smile in D'renn's d'rection. "They Searched you because you make a wonderful Candidate, Pyrene," she quips, and she means it, too. Sincere Compliments R Us? "Ye'd make a fine bluerider." Well, maybe not. "Oh, come now, D'renn - if all of the girls you charmed had to be the same age, half the population of the weyr would be terribly disappointed. 'Tis much better to keep things open." Really, it's for the benefit of the /weyr/. Ri-ight.
Er - D'renn's direction, even.
"Oh yes, you'd be perfect on blue, Pyrene...." D'renn croons.
Pyrene tilts her head with curiosity at D'renn. "Really? But it's children who like bright colours... You have dozens of admirers in the nurseries, you know." Although that may be more due to the fact that Pyrene has frequently lectured them on his evils. Areiah's comment earns a splutter, then a choke, all topped off with face turning a bright shade of red. "Reiah... there is /no/ way I'll Impress a blue... I'd be left standing first!" She says that now...?
Siannen uh-ohs, "But Nanrene doesn't /like/ blue draggies....."
Khayet picks his neice up, but speaks to his sister/cousin. "Aye....Mev cannot be my hearts home anymore.....And since you've no stigma returning there.....Or rather going there a first time....."
D'renn returns fire. "But you're the likeliest Candidate I've ever seen to Impress a blue, Pyrene....." he insists, ignoring her comments. "Really, you are, and Thesy and I wouldn't have asked you to Stand otherwise!"
Delphia stops, large blanket and all... "But bwues are good, Py! I want you to get a bwue." She pauses to find a place to sit, and spots a still open seat near a fire and drags in that direction.
Areiah can't help it. She laughs. And laughs, and laughs, until the tears come and she really can't speak. It's too amusing for words, that oh, so priceless look on Pyrene's face. Finally, it's someone /else/ spluttering and choking and turning red. She's afforded the luxury of just sitting there and giggling - harder, with D'renn's goading.
Pyrene glares and resorts to logic. Her brand of course. "D'renn... Admittedly, no hatchling is that bright after coming out of an egg... but even a /blue/ would register the fact that I didn't /like/ them, surely? Therefore, they'd go to somebody else... which would make me the /least/ likely candidate to Impress blue, right?" There's only one correct answer to that, choose carefully. "And Delphia, you'd better /hope/ I Impress after that comment... cause I've got a long memory, and if I return to the nurseries..." Dark, fearsome scowl turned brat-wards.
Khayet doesn't go for the correct answer himself, "Not nessecarily, Pyrene.....You might just be waiting for the right blue to come about...."
"You will Impress. An' a blue too. You'd be too scary on green, Py." Delphia says this, settling in more comfortably in the chair. "Or, if ya don't, Py, maybe one'll run you over, making ya loose yer memory."
Siannen giggles, then frowns. "Nanrene, if you get a dragon, does that mean you won't be our nanny anymore?" Despite the fact that Pyrene was the one who nearly froze her, half-drowned Neola, and let 'Lea go tumbling, is that a tear we see?
Avenlea swings her little legs back and forth, carefully avoiding kicking Khayet. Wouldnt' do to cause him to put her back down. "Canni have another cookie?" she whispers hopefully, the plate too far away now for her to reach.
/Proddy/? Areiah suddenly stops giggling, looking for all the world utterly /horrified/. That's an alarming thought - proddy Pyrene. Good grief. R'sli is bad enough, but Pyrene? Scary, scary, scary thought.
D'renn laughs out loud, liking Delphia's suggestion. "Stranger things have happened at Hatchings..."
Nherys waggles a finger at her neice...well, sorta. Unkie Khay won't put his foot down, buuuut...."That's enough cookies for tonight, my dear..."
Khayet nods to the lass and reaches across the table. Long arms for so short a lad. "Here you are, love....."
Nherys sighs and pulls off her cap, whacking the soft-hearted uncle with it. "Khayet....."
Pyrene hunches sulkily in her chair. "I don't think there /is/ such a thing as a right blue. And anyway, I want a brown Delph. And believe me, I'll forget my own name before I forget that comment--I might actually make a note of it just in case..." Siannen, who's being nice to her, gets a more affectionate look. "Well, I'll have to Siannen dear..." this is one of the main reasons to Impress, is it not? "But I'm sure we can find another one /nearly/ as good as I am." She rather enjoys child-worship.
Delphia does beam slightly, she knows when she's said somthing right, or fairly right. "Py, iffn ya get run over, you won't remember your name either, so I dun't need to worry." She pauses, "Brown? No, blue's better for you. Much better."
Yup, that was a tear...and ther goes another one. "But, but Nanrene, I like /you/! ANd what am I s'possed to call you?" Because Nanrene is for nanny Pyrene, y'know...
Khayet twists protectively to be sure he takes the full brunt of the all too soft blow. "What?" He's not a nanny, he doesn't have to deal with her come morning.....
Nherys sighs and sticks her cap back on, not bothering with the hair. She doesn't answer, just shakes her head...
Avenlea blinks at Nherys as the cap comes whizzing close to her and cringes away from her. "Uncle Khay." she whimpers all but throwing the cookie back onto the table.
Khayet hugs Lea to him, shhhhhh'ing softly. "Tis alright, she'dn't hurt me. Nher wouldn't, cause I know where she's tickleish....."
Nherys blanches, "You wouldn't....yes, he would...." She scoots back a bit, because she know he knows.....uh-oh...
Pyrene reaches one hand out and squeezes Siannen's arm. "Oh, I'll be much nicer as a rider, believe me." Based on the principle that she couldn't get worse presumably. "And you'll come up with a name. You're good at it. Rennie for example." And she scowls at D'renn. As for Delphia... "Delph, sweetheart. I may be a candidate right now, but that will change--and then I'll either be a nanny or a rider. If I'm a nanny, your life won't be worth living, and if I'm a rider--well you won't have a life cause I'll feed you to my dragon. And..." another thought strikes her, "I'll make sure that you have Kolen for company..." Now that's sadistic.
Khayet grins, and could that possibly be wickedly? Why yes it could, and yes it is. He gives Pyrene an odd look, "You'd force such indejestion on your dragon like that?"
Siannen shakes her head. "Don't want you asa rider. Want you as Nanrene...." ANd anyway, Pyrene's never been all that evil to her, suprisingly enough...
Nherys frowns and scoots further, feeling along the table for something to to defend herself with--"Aha!" Okay, so it's a crumbly cookie, but it works as the little harper tosses bits of cookie brother-wards.
Thesy goes home.
Eyes widening, Delphia jumps up, discarding the blanket with a shriek... "You're mean, Py! I hope the mommy dragon gets angry at you and smushes you! Then you'll never be able to hurt me!" Sniffling, the girl runs out of the cavern, and back to the brat cave...
Taliana quietly sets her now-empty klah mug back down by the nighthearth and slips away back to the guest quarters... it's rather later at night for her than for these 'Reachesfolk.
Taliana steps into the shadows that lead back into the Weyr.
Avenlea ducks as little pieces of cookie fly towards Khayet, and buries her face in his jerkin. See, it's not her causing trouble, it's big peoples. Like Nherys. The whimper becomes a little more pronounced as she feels the cookie bits go flying by.
Siannen's eyes get even bigger, "Smush you?" Oh-no....no, no, this is Siannen, not Auri....no, no.....
Pyrene is mean. And perhaps she feels a touch ashamed of it? At any rate, she rolls her eyes at Delphia's departure, muttering, "I didn't /mean/ it..." And Siannen gets a nervous look... "She won't, don't worry..."
Nherys isn't tossing them hard...sorta, half heartedly. And she's not big peoples, really.
Khayet frowns, turnign his head away as well. "Nherys! If I weren't a candidate.....!" There's that rank-pulling tone......" Everyone's big peoples to a 2 turn old.
Siannen sniffles, "You /promise/?"
Nherys pauses to munch a biggish chunk of cookie, her eyes sparkling. "You'd what...? Pull rank on me? Or tickle me to death?"
Pyrene looks helplessly to Nherys. "Could you throw some of those cookies this way?" And she nods to Siannen, "I /promise/... by my hope of Impressing a brown rather than a blue." Was that a strong enough vow? Pyrene can't get much stronger.
"She was 18, I swear it!" suddenly erupts from D'renn... Spluttering, he glances around the cavern, klah mug tilted empty in one hand. "Ooof. I think I fell asleep."
Khayet brushes the crumbliy bits off himself and 'Lea. "Both....just be lucky I'm currently occupied, or I'd willingly go deaf from your squeels.....!"
Siannen bursts into a peal of giggles at that outburst from Donny, tragedies forgotten, at least momentarily...
Nherys giggles and tosses a couple of cookies in the nanny-date's direction, "Uh-huh, suuuuure Khay-bro, suuuure...."
Avenlea doesnt' feel any more cookie bits flying there way, and so cautiously pulls her face from Khayet's jerkin, risking a quick peek Nherys' way. "Why are you throwing things?" she asks, confusion in her voice. "Mama doesn't let me throw things,... neither does Uncle Khayet."
Pyrene jumps herself at D'renn's sudden outburst. "Donny?" Yes, the name's stuck now... And we can change the subject. "Dreaming about what can never be again?" Smirk.
Nherys giggles, "Because Uncle Khayet wasn't being any fun?" Hey, it works for her..."And because he can't get me, either..."
"How old are you now, Pyrene?" D'renn riposts, coming fully awake - and completely unembarrassed.
[Khayet gets disconnected and his pose was lost, but is included here before my log takes over]
Khayet frowns at Nherys, "Don't be so sure of that sis. After all, when you're here, you represent the Harper Hall and Mev Cavern, and should therefore be on your best behaviour. No matter how much fun I wasn't being. Just what would Master Caramak and Da say about tossing cookies about before the Weyrlingmaster, much less the Weyrwoman?" He's a clue, but then again, he's been subject to his father's punishments on rare occasion before, and has been wise enough to avoid being subject to Master Caramak's.
Avenlea frowns and looks at the floor, the crumbs around the both of them. "Does that mean Khayet hasta clean them up?" she asks, then frowns. "You should clean them, cause when I make a mess, nanny makes me clean it up."
Pyrene snorts at D'renn. "Aren't you supposed to know the ages of the most likely candidates to Impress blue?" she demands sweetly. "Anyway, I'm old enough to know better..." Better than what, she doesn't say--leave it to be guessed at, so much more interesting...
Nherys shakes her head, "No, Khay-bro doesn't have to clean....Rosie'll get it, don't worry. She's my cat...brought her with me, but she's sleeping now..."
Maurin goes home.
Avenlea frowns in preplexity. "But is that fair?" Okay, little is learning about fairness, and unfairness.
"Old enough to know better. Huh." D'renn snorts back at Pyrene, hefting himself from the deep armchair in search of klah. Can anyone see the sticky purple dribbles all down the back of one thigh?
Nherys nodnods, "Yup, because Rosie likes cookies, and she'll take care of this once she's up...
One sleeping person.. two sleeping people.. who's next? Areiah seems to be it, all cozied in among friends and Candidates and one particularly cute bluerider, fast asleep. One of these days, she's going to do this, and she /is/ going to wake up the victim of some awful prank. But not this time. This time, it's perfectly safe, and she sleeps blissfully on, even as, from seemingly out of nowhere, S'and (rider of brown Manth, of course), makes his way into the caverns and toward the dozing goldrider. "Don't mind me," he offers lightly to anyone who'll listen; "I'll see that she gets home safe." And he will, too.
Pyrene can see them. "Amazing how some people /never/ get old enough to know better..." she observes, waving after S'and and Areiah. "D'renn, you've had an accident... all down your leg."
Avenlea frowns in confusion. "But Rosie didn't make the cookie mess, even if she likes them." Little doesn't understand at all.
Areiah goes home.
D'renn gives Areiah a doting look... and S'and a rather possessive one... "G'night, Reia-love..." he murmurs, returning towards Pyrene with his klah... and stopping dead to stare at her. "An accident? Down my leg?"
Nherys curls up in a little ball on the bench, waving one hand vaguely. "S'okay...you'll understand.....when you're...older..."
Nherys falls asleep, reaching out and securing the nearest male harper in her grasp and murmuring something about 'Harper-Boys....' and pillows.
Nherys has disconnected.
Pyrene nods, eyes glittering at him over her glass of juice (isn't it amazing how long she can nurse that for?) "Yes, it's all wet or sticky or something--I'm not going to investigate anyway. Really, D'renn, and at /your/ age too. Such an example to set for the weyrlings," and she shakes her head sadly.
Avenlea exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Siannen claps her hand over her mouth, "Donny, your present...you forgot'bout it, an' it melted. Or something."
D'renn sets his mug down and performs some interesting contortions, trying to look at the back of his leg. "Oh shards, so it did.... I'd best go clean it." What an excuse for an exit, eh?
D'renn exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Pyrene closes her eyes against D'renn's contortions... /not/ what you want to see and winks at Siannen. "I'd be offended."
Pyrene *checks that pose... once D'renn left I opened my eyes again and /then/ winked. ;)
Siannen giggles, "Why? He prolly just forgot about it..."
Pyrene shakes her head and sighs at the innocence of children. "Oh well, that's so easy for him to /say/.... But who could forget about one of your stick thingies... I know that if you'd given me one, I would have eaten straightaway that's how grateful I would have been!" See? Pyrene can be jealous and encourage dislike of D'renn at the same time. Talented she is.
Siannen ohs, then gets a great idea..."Well, we can always make some more, right? Either raspberry, or something else...."
Pyrene finally tips her head back and drains her glass. "Redfruit." she opines. "Besides, the cooks have been tight on the berries lately... and I don't want to get on their bad side. Just check that the sweetener's not salt. Candidates you know." Terrible species that they are.
Siannen nodnods, "I'll taste to make sure...D'you think they'd like to help? It's fun...."
Pyrene smothers a yawn. "Not at this time of night... They're all fast asleep. As you should be now. Y'know, I don't think much of the new nannies they've got." Never mind the fact that she picked one of them out herself, they can't /possibly/ compare with her. "Are we going to make 'em now? Or later? Auri'd probably like to help..."
Siannen purses her lips, "I dunno...prolly we should wait for Auri. And Endi might like to help too, unless you really want to make them now...."
Pyrene grins, cuddling into her blanket. "I'm a little tired right now..." and she doesn't want to get the blame either. Pol chirrs faintly from his ledge. He likes making those sweet things... Pyrene blows him a kiss and grins back at Siannen, delving into some pocket and producing a sweetstick. "Have one of these for now instead?"
Siannen ooohs and grins. This one's even not fuzzy...."Okay, sounds good to me...."
Pyrene giggles and pulls one out herself, sucking and contemplating life in general. "So how do the nurseries fare these days?" she asks Siannen. Say that they're absolute chaos and desperate for her to get back, go on!
Siannen sighs, "I dunno, really....I don't much like the new nannies, but I get to stay with Ris an' Ty, so it's okay when I don't wanna be down there..." Close enough for you?
Close enough. "Well, you're getting older anyway," Pyrene comments, "Don't do what I did and stay in the nurseries until you're 18... it really /is/ old enough to know better y'know. Still, I escaped at last..." And if she /doesn't/ Impress? Well, maybe the world will end conveniently.
Siannen sighs again, "But I don't want to have to grow up, Nanrene...and anyway, I don't look twelve." Naw, Sian's lucky, at least for now, having been mistaken for a seven or eight turn old a few times. "I do have somewhere to go though, at least..."
Pyrene blinks at Siannen. "You're twelve??" Ahem, she knew that. Really she did. "Go? Ris and Ty's weyr? Well... I suppose that that is good... how very nice of them." Eyes sparkle faintly, she's still not sure /why/ Ris and Ty took in this Siannen-brat, but she finds the whole situation terribly amusing.
Siannen giggles and grins at her nanny, "Yup...an' En's thirteen, too. Yeah, it is nice...I have a room with Ris, but I spend the night at Ty's sometimes, too..." Why? Same reason she can get grumpy blueriders to love her forever an ever. She's endearing.
Geri walks in from the Central Bowl.
Must be endearing. Notice how Pyrene's willingly talking to her, a /weyrbrat/. "It's /is/ nice that they have so much time for you. More time than they have for themselves, by the sounds of it..." Amused smirk plays across her lips as she nods to Geri.
Siannen shrugs, "They make time...but now that Ty's 'Leader and Ris is 'Second, they're even busier, so even I don't see enough of them...."
Pyrene breaks off her faint chuckles with a rueful grin and grimace in one. "They are aren't they? I knew them before they Impressed you know... Reia too..." Name dropping--'I knew the weyrleaders way back when...' but it's strange... "Reia was my age when she Impressed Bryth come to think of it... a little younger actually, only just eighteen. Back then I didn't think that I'd be waiting this long to become a candidate..." A sigh and she smiles softly at Sian, "What about you? Going to be a rider, or just twist all of Pern around your little finger?"
Siannen hasn't really though about it, "I'm not sure...I'm happy now, with Cair and Zaqi, because they're mine too, sometimes...but then I wonder what it would be like to have it be like that all the time." Bratling shrugs, "But then I worry about having all that responsibility...I know I wouldn't /really/ want to get a gold, though En's positive she will...and I /can't/ get a bronze...but greens are my other favorites, and so are browns...blues are okay, but they're quirky. Mrrdynth licked me,
y'know..."
Pyrene shudders faintly. "Blues /are/ quirky... at the very least. And I hope you washed it off after Mrrdynth licked you... And anyway," tone changes, softer, gentle, "don't worry about it. You might not get Searched, after all... don't set your heart on riding. I did once..., now..." she shrugs, her heart's still set on it... she's just not sure if she's been Searched under false pretences or not.
Siannen scoots and gives her once-nanny a quick hug, serious for maybe the first time since she reached the weyr. This is what she was like at home, you know. "'Rene, dragons, they sometimes know about things that even we can't guess. If you were searched, there's always that chance that this might be your lucky break...a chance to get away from us and live your dream." She turns imp again, "Besides, who knows; you might get a brown or (shhhh) a blue and be able to catch that girl of
R'sli's...."
Pyrene hugs back, pinching gently for that blue comment. "Oh, yes, the dragons know... But what about D'renn? I'm still not convinced that he didn't just Search me as an excuse to throw me in snow, y'know. He /said/ Trydanth thought... but..." She shrugs. "Well, I can hope... At least I can say I was Searched once..." There's that competitive streak again. "And I'll tell Ty that you're encouraging me to have flings with
Ris..."
Siannen chuckles, "Well, if the worst that comes of it is being thrown in the snow, then it can't be all that rotten of a deal, can it? And I don't think they play around with things like that...I mean, he could have just as easily thrown you in the snow without Searching you, right?"
He was probably tempted.
Pyrene shrugs. "Well, that's what I keep telling myself... And as well as getting thrown in the snow, there's chores to do, and we get dragged out onto the sands at intervals to practice toasting our feet. And getting blamed for /other/ people's pranks." Hmph. Some people are never happy.
A little snow never hurt any--wait, nevermind...
Siannen grins, "Well, which would you rather do? Take care of the horde of us, or toast your toes on occasion? And..." she leans over conspiritorily, "If you stand still, and don't shift from one to the other, it isn't as bad..."
Huh, what does /she/ know!
Pyrene pokes her gently. "Well, when you put it like that... And I've heard about that--but have you ever been on those sands Siannen? It's bad enough in boots. I shudder to think of what it's going to be like in sandals--and some of us are going barefoot." She shakes her head in despair.
Siannen thinks on that a little while, then, "Well, if you're used to it by the time Hatching rolls around, it won't be so bad....right?"
Pyrene raises her feet, waving boots at the girl. "See? It's going to be worse on the day. It /had/ better be worth it." And if not, she's going to blame D'renn. Utterly. And maybe Thesy too. You need some recompense for these things.
Siannen shrugs, "Well, if I could go with y'all and help, I would, but I can't, so...." And here she shrugs. So what if her sidekick, nanny, and good friends are going to get to stare at the ugly slimy things close up...
Pyrene grins gently at the girl. "Stake out some seats in the front row of the galleries---I used to train Wal to guard some for me. You get a good view from there, y'know. And you're out of reach of the blues." She winks... somethings never change?
Siannen giggles, "I'll see if Yolk's up for the job...and I'll have a supply of towels on hand, too....if dragons out of the shell are anything like
flits.....eeewwww."
Pyrene laughs. "You've not seen a hatching yet? Dragons are worse than lizards because they're bigger. You can really see all those wrinkles and squashed bits. Hideous things... I remember being disappointed the first time I saw one. But they grow up pretty enough... most of them. Look at Zaqith and Cairhoth, lovely pair they are."
Siannen shudders, "Lots of towels, then...but true...I guess they're like all newborns. Have you ever seen a baby?
Eeeeyyyywww, uuuug-ly!"
Pyrene laughs at Siannen. "Oh, I've seen my share of babies... newborns and all. Some riders seem to enjoy showing me their new offspring as soon as possible." Sadistic... so and
so's.
Siannen makes an odd face, sticking out her tounge and wrinkling her nose. "If I ever grow up an have kids, I'm...I dunno, giving them masks or something until they look like proper people..."
Pyrene winces, not sure she wants to see Siannen children. "Just don't have kids, even easier and pregnancy's highly over-rated anyway." Like she's an expert on such things.
Siannen grins and cocks her head, "Why didn't I think of that....that's a good idea. I mean, living in the weyr an' all, there'll be lots of the things popping out...overpopulation....I just won't have kids!"
Pyrene wraps her blanket around her more firmly, as if to keep the ever-increasing numbers of children out as well as the cold. "Foster instead. Much more sensible. And there are numbers of children who'd do much better to be fostered around here--as you know." Pyrene refuses to foster anybody herself of course, but 'do as I say, not as I do'.
Siannen nodnods, then sighs..."I -almost- wish that either Ris or Ty would...I dunno, get someone pregnant...I mean, not now or anything, but when I'm older, So I could return the favor byt fostering one of their's, y'know?" She grins sheepishly, "Silly, huh?"
Pyrene makes a face. "Oh, Siannen... Don't say that. Not while I'm still head-nanny at any rate. Sides, they're devoted to each other, so it's unlikely--as long as they keep taking their red stuff, and there aren't any untoward flights..."
Siannen looks confused. "Redd stuff?"
Pyrene cocks her head. "You know the green stuff that the girls take to keep from getting pregnant? Well, the guys have red stuff." Pyrene's good with contraceptives.
Siannen shakes ehr head, she hadn't known, but..."Well, do they need it? After all, it is just the two of them....."
Pyrene shakes her head at Siannen. "Just the two of them, and both riders. Cairhoth has caught Bryth each time she's gone up. And Zaqith rises regularly. You know what happens during flights don't you?"
Siannen shrugs, "Yeah, I guess..." What counts is Ris isn't cranky anymore, really..."Did Ty and Reiah like each other once?"
Pyrene wrinkles her nose thoughtfully, casting her mind back to gossip-past. "I think so... But Reiah's also liked Finn for the longest time, I never realy doubted that she'd choose him." Or in retrospect anyway. "But I think Reia's glad, maybe, that Bryth's caught by Cairhoth all the time. CAuse it's somebody she can trust, y'know?" Pyrene sighs, not too keen on that aspect of riding herself. Sleepy-headed gold rouses faintly on her shoulder and gets a scritch. "Don't /you/ think about rising soon."
Siannen nods, "Uh-huh, I know....I'm glad Yolkie was a boy flitter and not a girl though....is it as bad with them as with the big ones?" Them being the dragons, of course....
Pyrene shrugs. "Nah... not with my boys anyway--although they're fairly useless at flights on the whole. The worst is when you're half asleep and they get the notion to chase--you have the /weirdest/ dreams." She sticks her tongue out briefly at Pol who's looking smug and then continues, scratching Kernow around her eyeridges. "Kerny's not risen yet, but I suppose it should be alright. I'm not looking forward to it, but it's not like with dragons, so it doesn't matter who catches her."
Siannen giggles, "I remember the only time Yolk tried for a flight...poor thing didn't know what was happenning...it was a green, too. Golds still baffled him completely at the time..." She shrugs, "That's good to know, though..."
Pyrene giggles softly. "Poor Yolk... he didn't catch then? I'm sure he'll get the hang of it. Even Pol did eventually. Got a wild'un didn't you Pol?" The lizard preens, all smug like.
Siannen snorts. "Catch? He chickened out before the thing even got all the way into the air!"
Geri exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.
Pyrene laughs. "Ahh... if only the same thing applied to bronze/riders/... Might as well wish for Thread to only fall on the sea."
Siannen laughs at that, "Too true..."
