Tilarekna - Wednesday, November 15, 2000, 1:21 PM ------------------------------------------------- _--^^^#####// \\#####^^^--_ _-^##########// ( ) \\##########^-_ -############// |\^^/| \\############- _/############// (>::<) \\############\_ /#############(( \\// ))#############\ -###############\\ (oo) //###############- -#################\\ / \ //#################- -###################\\/ \//###################- _#/|##########/\######( /\ )######/\##########|\#_ |/ |#/\#/\#/\/ \#/\##\ | | /##/\#/ \/\#/\#/\#| \| ' |/ V V ' V \#\| | | |/#/ V ' V V \| ' ' ' ' ' / | | | | \ ' ' ' ' ## ## ######### ( | | | | ) __________________________ ## ## ## __\ | | | | /__ | A Pern Themed Moo, based | ###### ## (vvv(VVV)(VVV)vvv) | on 'Dragonriders of Pern'| ## ## ## art by | books, by Anne McCaffrey | ## ## arpers ## ale John Moser ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The "Dragonriders of Pern" (tm) books are copyright 1967 by Anne McCaffrey. You are playing this game by the kind permission of Anne McCaffrey and her agent, Virginia Kidd. Type: connect to login to an existing character connect guest to login as a guest character @who to see who's online @quit to logoff *** Connected *** Central Bowl Seven spindles brush the clouds -- quite literally -- overhead, a jagged, spired cotillion grey-stoned majesty. The bowl from here is expansively large, extending a full half mile in both directions, and although sometimes a bit of a stretch, most of the hubs of activity can be easily observed. Hard-packed ground shows the common pathways, all of them meandering about the craggy bunch of boulders that form a centerpiece: carven, hand-worn and foothold-full, it gives a bit of centerpoint to the otherwise vast emptiness of the area. To the north lie the hatching grounds and leadership weyrs, while the lows of herdbeasts mark the feeding pens to the northeast. A flurry of ever-present activity marks the living caverns to the west, and another time-traveled path the ground weyrs just adjacent to the southwest. Southeast, a glint of blue shows the lake, glittering and cold. It is a spring before dawn. Below, you see one person. Clinging to footholds in the boulder-mound are Zhaneel, Vanitas, Tremayne, Gavin, Wilt, Archer, Beats, Persnickety, Reno, Immie, Sentanta, Mosfet, Gyahaahaa, Ozu-Zarkh, Qebehsenuef, Ascelpius, Kinky, and Simon. Bronze Nhamarath, green Yshanth, brown Druseth, green Miravith, brown Revnath, bronze Jhanath, green Alymath, and brown Puizuth are here. You see a wagonmaster and Wagon Two here. Skylark and Anthea are here. Obvious exits: Pens Northern Bowl Caverns Ground Weyrs Lakeside Guards HQ Skylark Appearing to be the base of her namesake, arresting eyes of the deepest ocean blue watch warmly out onto her surroundings with intense depths into her mind. Long legs carry her 5'7 figure, abundantly curved with womanhood, with the grace of the wind, careful like a feline stalking it's prey. Long, delicate fingers run through the poker-straight silken river of tawny locks that fall down to a thin waist and slender hips. A relatively sharp nose leads up to those startling eyes and narrow eyebrows, nicely arched above the long lashes rimming her eyes. Her muscle seems like a little amount as is the way she's built but hidden within her fragile limbs are the power that enables her to work hard. Black wherhide hugs her legs, slipping into a pair of polished black knee-high boots, laces well tied. Both seem to have a shiny luster to them in even the dim light of a glow. Adoring her torso sits a loose-fitting white shirt, swallowing her arms in their tunnels and the cuffs wrapping about her wrists. A cool breeze could easily slip down the neck of her shirt as it's been left with one button to finish buttoning. She is awake, but has been staring off into space for 3 minutes. Skylark is 20 Turns, 7 months, and 27 days old. Skylark breathes in a deep breath of crisp, clean air, a trickle of a smoke-like cloud seeping out of her mouth as she lets her lungs relax again. "Ah, spingtime in thr north," she whispers. As she hears the steps of someone leaving the living caverns, Lark whirls around. She smiles, "Good morning, or soon to be anyhow," she greets to both the Candie and the brat. Anthea Lanky this young girl is, the softness of childhood having left and the curves of womanhood not yet arrived. She stands taller than most girls her age, on legs which seem to be a little too long for the rest of her body. Heavy brows shadow the slanted eyes of a strange greenish blue, set deeply over high cheek bones. The nose is small and a bit stubby and there's a little dimple in her chin, right below the wide mouth. A few unruly wisps of deepest black have escaped the thick braid which tames the heavy mane and hangs down below her waist. A thick, handknit cardigan, medium blue of color and with intricate patterns, opens over a light tunic of honey coloured cotton which is closed with a draw string at the neck and falls down to her thighs. Sturdy, comfortable breeches, the hide dyed a pale brown, envelop those skinny legs and reach down to ankle high boots of worn wher-hide. Perched on Anthea's shoulder is Pretty Ugly. She is awake, but has been staring off into space for a minute. Carrying: Question Deck Pretty Ugly Anthea is 14 Turns, 8 months, and 24 days old. "Noo, Ugly, I just fed you," Anthea scolds as she leaves the living caverns, talking sternly to the chattering 'lizard on her shoulder. "You're being so rude, you! Ohh, good morning," greets the 'brat back, sending Skylark a shyish smile. "Isn't it nice that we have spring?" she continues in the same breath, giggling slightly towards both other girls. "I really like spring." Skylark scoops up some snow just perfect for snowballs as a lot of it is melting and begins to form a round ball in her hands. "I love spring," Lark explains, "I love autumn as well. I like the smells they have... well, and the snow and leaves that make their own fun." She giggles, possibly short enough to /be/ a brat and childish often enough but she's nearly 21 Turns now and left brathood not that long ago. "Anyone in for making snow-flitters?" THIS? This is SPRING? Please tell me you ARE joking, right? Eyes sweep the bowl as Tilarekna emerges from the caverns, still shivering a little. Coldcoldcoldcold.. Huh? What's all this white stuff? She carefully prods the snow with her toe, and watches the other two as Skylark makes.. a ball out of the white stuff? Is this the mysterious snow she's heard of yet never seen? "Ohh, that sounds like fun!" Anthea exclaims, quickly dislodging the small blue from her shoulder so she can bend down to grab a handful of snow - yes, snow, the mysterious white, /cold/ stuff. "Or we could build a /really/ large snow-dragon? Maybe they'll think it's a white dragon," the girl proposes, giggling at the thought. Skylark giggles at Tilarekna's antics. "Oh, hon, don't tell me you're cold in /this/ weather, are you?" she asks. Must be one of those folks from the 'isle, she guesses. Lark abruptly lays down in the cold, gentle, lowly crunching white substance, too solid to be water and too light and airy to be hard. Skky laughs in agreement with Anthea, "They might just," she says, beginning to wave her arms and legs as she lays there in the snow, building a wall where her arms stop and clearing part of the snow where she waves. Quickly, she stands and points down to the figure, "Ta-daa!" she exclaims. "Let's get crackin' on that snow-dragon." Tilarekna stares... "You can't tell me this ISN'T cold!" her exclamation of surprise is echoed by widening of the eyes as.. this other is flopping in the snow. Flopping! In the white stuff! And getting all... white. Yes. Oh my. She just gapes, before looking down at her feet and the.. snow. Well, it wouldn't hurt to TOUCH, now would it? And she IS wearing gloves.. Hrmm... "Cold?" Anthea echoes, her breath coming out in little puffs. "Well, it /is/ eaarly, so it's a bit cold. But you should've been here during the winter! An' it wasn't even hard this Turn." Gee, Tilarekna must be disappointed to have missed that...! "Ohh, how're we going to do??" asks the girl, glancing at her older companions - they must know, right? Right. "Should we do the legs first?" Skylark hides behind a smile of upmost innocence. Just wait until Tilarekna sees /winter/. If she doesn't stay here, Lark just might have to drag her back from Ista Isle. Larky thinks, "Why not have it sitting back on it's hindquarters. That'll be much easier to make," Skylark comments, gathering up a large pile of the -cold white snow stuff-. Skylark *has to go soon but will be back in a few hours. Not sure when but when I'm gone, add little poses from me of building it if you like ;) How do we.. what? Pausing mid-crouch as she peers closer at the White Stuff, (and we ain't talkin' milk here,) she raises an eyebrow at Anthea. Then Skylark. She watches, her green and bronze watching too. And then.. she reaches.. and pokes the snow with a finger. Ooo! Look! she left a print! Tilarekna *snugs. Skylark *smooches! Skylark can hardly contain her giggles, "I'm Skylark, by the way," she introduces and she begins to create one of the legs out of the side. It'll be a dragonling.. Skylark *bye! Anthea watches Tilarekna and hides a giggle behing her hand, quickly bending down to scoop up more snow. "Oh yeah, we could do that, too," she nods, grinning at Skylark. "But it can't be much taller'n us if we have to put on the head... I'm Anthy," said girl introduces. Tilarekna pauses as she looks up again, before a smile is offered. One that holds great joy and innocence upon looking upon snow for the first time. Awwww, ain't she cute? "Tilarekna," and she grins, "But you can call me.. anything, but _not_ Rekky." Brow furrows as she watches them. "What.. what are you doing? "I'll call you Tina, then," Anthea decides. "That's cute - one of m'dad's runners was named Tina, and /she/ was really cute!" What compliment, being compared to a runner, huh? "We're building a dragon of snow! You shoulda seen th'one they did of Chayath some Turns back - I wasn't here, but m'sister told me of it and I've seen drawing of it. BUt it was big, and frozen... oh, we need to pour water over it!" she adds, frowning slightly in thought. "That way it'll be harder." Tilarekna blinks. She's cute? Like a runner? Oi.. And "Tina"? hmmm that's a new one.. And they're.. what? "You're making a what? Out of this?" She picks up a handful of the white stuff, and crushes it in a gloved fist. Hrmm. "Mm-hmm," Anthea nods in an affirmative tone, "when you cram it together it stays in place. And when you pour water over it turns to frost." She knows - the male brats tend to do that with snowballs. But then the nannies yell at them, which makes up for the pain. Tilarekna nods slowly, before glancing at Skylark, who simply smiles indulgently as she piles more snow in one spot. Hmm.. Maybe.. uh.. "Can.. I help? And I'm sure that, if there's still enough snow, the other candidates will be happy to, as well." A friendly grin enlightens her face and she rises from the crouch to walk over, hmming as she watches the two. "Of course! The more the merrier," Anthea states, her face lighting up in a bright smile. "And I'm sure it's more fun than th'other chores they make you do," the girl continues, wrinkling her nose. Latrine duty... eww. Worse than mucking the stables - and she's not a squeamish girl. "You can start on the other leg, and I'll help Lark with this one," is ordered to Tina, young girl moving to assist with one hindleg and foot. Of course. Leave the girl who, before today has NEVER touched snow, to build the hind leg of a dragon out of it. Wheee, fuuun. Giving Anthea a rather unsure look, the older girl nods slowly, before moving around to the opposite side. Dropping to her knees in the snow, she meeps as they go cold from the contact. But since no one else is complaining, she'll assume it is supposed to do that.. right? Of course, it's IS bad to assume things (ass - you - me..), but the others would say otherwise.. right? Ohkay.. She stares at the snow for a very long moment, before looking up again. "So.. what do I do?" "Well, you just start shaping it by piling up snow and making it firm by pressing yuor hand - like this," Anthea demonstrates, her hands scooping up snow and then pressing it against the already-present lump of left dragon-foot. "And when it's ready we make the stomach and then the neck and the head. And th'tail." Piece of bubbly pie, no? Tilarekna watches intently, somehow feeling bot awed and horribly embarrassed she didn't know how to do that.. but.. Nodding again, she gives a vague smile. And then STARES at the snow as intently as her green and bronze are. Oooo... Reaching for the White stuff with care, she takes a double-scoopful in her hands, pushing it together a little before plopping it, quite literally, on her side of the dragon. So. Now there's a round-ish lump on her side. Hmm. She looks up, wondering is she'd doing alright so far? Anthea giggles and nods, her own hands busy with shaping up the foot and leg of the dragonet-to-be. "That looks right. Just make sure it gets as big as this one," she instructs, mouth half open in concentration. "Otherwise it'll look really silly!" Like it doesn't already? Um.. Oooookay.. Slowly, she shapes the snow, which sticks far better to the rest than the sand does when she tried to make sand-dragons as a weyrbrat (oh, those many many days ago..). Slowly, a grin crosses her face again, and she starts to build the leg. Gotcha dragon thigh right here, with yer dragon calf and dragon feet and dragon toes and dragon talons and.. "I think we'd bettter start on the stomach now," Anthea decides as Tina is done with the leg, her eyes slipping over the two lone legs on the snow. With a giggle, she adds: "They look a bit silly like that, don't they?" Tilarekna pauses and takes a good look at their work so far, before grinning. "Yeah.. methinks she needs a stomach.." She? Since when is this a she? Since she just said so! Nah! Beaming, she reaches for more snow to start adding some belly to their snow dragon.. "She?" Anthea frowns a bit, then giggles. "I s'pose she's too small to be a brown... too bad we don't have any green paint. But I s'pose it'd run into th snow and melt it anyway." Phooey - and it's be so fun to have a small Peorth in the bowl. "Just careful or it'll collapse," girl warns, having done this before. "You've to connect the two legs first..." Tilarekna gives another nod, piling on the extra snow in the middle, before smoothing the edges and carefully attaching it to the snow.. Molding it.. "Yeah, shame.. but.. paint's a liquid.. and you said water would freeze it.." Ooo! Wait! "Food dye, perhaps?" She pats the snow into place, and reaches for another double handful. Ponder. "Yeah, but I don't think the cooks'll let us have that much food dye... it'd take a /lot/ even if it's a small dragon," Anthea states, pulling gently at her lower lip before getting back to the task of building the dragon's stomach. Daaaarrrrrn... Ah well, they can IMAGINE that it's green. Reka huffs faintly, blinking as her breath fogs before her, amber eyes going round slightly before she restarts the snow-dragon building process. Gotta make it groooowww.... Gonna be a big snow hatchling. Maybe.. Anthea pauses as she reaches the dragon's shoulders, and glances down the back. "We need neckridges! And the tail, too." Mustn't forget about the tail, oh no. "But I dunno how we can make'm stick to the back... ooh, maybe if we use icicles?? We an stick'm into the snow and pour water over..." Tilarekna wrinkles her nose as she smooths the snow 'hide' down with her gloved hands, pausing mid-stroke. "Uh.. well.. aren't most of them melting? we'll need to find some soon.." She starts adding snow to the back of the snow-hatchling, curving the tail about it's side, careful to make it as natural a look as possible. Pwettypwettypwetty! "Hmm, I guess..... maybe.... we could use sweetsitcks but then someone'd just eat it," Anthy sighs, regarding their work. "Well, we can make the head first and the see. And we need wings too, but I think they'll need to be against her side, or they'd fall off." *Nodnodnod* Yup, they probably would. And the wings? Meep! These'll be hard. Reka hrms a moment, thinking as she stares at the slowly being built dragon. "Yeah... We should do the wings folded and flipped to her back?" Jolinar tweeps and jumps onto the mound of snow beside the snowhatchling, showing off how well she folds her wings. Looklooklook.. "Mm, I think that'd be best," Anthea states, an air of superior charge around her. After all, who /is/ the expert on this? Giggling, the girl starts clasping snow on the dragonet's side, trying to form a shape of wings curled 'gainst the hide. Tilarekna giggles too, more at her fire lizard than anything, and starts shaping a wing on the other side, mumbling softly as she tries to make the general shape, and THEN the little lines for wing folds. Murff.. Oookay.. Um.. this is hard.. Despite of her experience, Anthea, too, is battling with the wing-shape, her tongue poking out as she pushes at the snow. "Phew, this is hard work," girl states in a clear voice, sweeping locks of hair behind her ears. "I was thinking, maybe we should use branches for neckridges? They'll stick if we use water too." Tilarekna pauses, wiping her forehead and meeping at the cold touch from the snow frostings there. "That'd be good," she grins, dropping her hands to her lap as she sits back to see how things are going so far. "Hmm.. Not bad. not at all.." OOC: Anthea grins. ICly, I doubt there'd be enough snow to do this, but, um.... ^_^ OOC: Tilarekna winks. same here.. ;) OOC: Anthea says "We'll play pretend ;)" OOC: Tilarekna grins.. we run out of snow? headless snow-hatchling? ^_^ OOC: Anthea oohs........ warped ;) OOC: Tilarekna laughs.. "Well.... I think we have to stop here," Anthea says suddenly, eyeing the form of the hatchling-to-be. "I don't think there's enough snow for the head... well, there wasn't much to begin with, but...." Giggling, the girl nods towards the few spots of sap remaining in the bowl. Tilarekna blinks, and begins to look about her.. and giggles. Can you blame her? "Oh dear.. whoops." she snickers, shaking her head as she does so. "I think.." she covers her mouth now, trying to suppress a chuckle, "What WILL the dragons think?" Anthea starts giggling too, a sweet sound emerging from her lips. "Well," giggle, "maybe they'll think they accidentally flamed its head off." Now wouldn't that be funny? Accidentally...? *snerk!* Laughter escapes Reka's lips and she nearly flops over backwards as she tries to contain the giggles that burble up her throat. "Oh.. probably.. if it's not squished by an incoming dragon first!" "Aww, I hope not, after all the time we spent on it!" Anthea manages to gasp out 'tween giggles, her hand triling up in an attempt of hiding it. "But maybe the brats'll squish it..." Tilarekna hugs Gideon! Gideon holds you tenderly in his arms, letting the warm embrace last just a moment longer, then lets you go with a soft smile. Tilarekna shakes her head now, before pushing herself to her feet, amber eyes dancing. "I hope not. Like you said, we spent time working on that!" Flicking a lock of hair over one shoulder, she huffs slightly. "Darn.. and it was looking so good too." "Maybe.... we could mark it off somehow, so it doesn't stand out," Anthea ponders, eyeing the snow. "Maybe with a scarf or so... I know D'renn has some bright ones!" Giggle. "But a lot of the nannies have them too. And other riders..." Hmming thoughtfully, a nod is given by Reka. "Maybe.. although.." she pauses and gestures about her, "This IS the only really white thing left in the bowl I don't think we'll need anything to identify it.." "No, but t'was as a warning so people don't accidentally squish it," Anthea states, narrowing her eyes as she glances around for something usable. "But I dunno what it'd be.... maybe we should just leave it be like that." Tilarekna hrms, and sighs as she nods. "Well, we can always find something for it later, neh? I doubt any dragons will be invading and squishing our snow-hatchling at this hour.." She yawns a little, rubbing her eyes, and squeaking at the cold of the gloves. The only down side of this snow stuff: it's COLD. "I guess not," Anthea nods, glancing upwards. "I know 'Drinth wouldn't for sure, or Peorth. and dragons can see well in the dark," she informs, as if Tina didn't know this fact. "Is it fun being a candidate?" is asked suddenly, bluish eyes peering curiously at said person. Tilarekna nods in agreement, "That they can," she murmurs, before smiling a littl at the younger girl. "Well, it CAN be. Except for all the extra chores some times." And she would know. This is Candidacy number three... "But, yeah, I get to meet all these new folks I'd never have met otherwise, and I finally got to see exactly what snow is.." she laughs slightly at that, "And.. well, yeah. Is fun." "Ohh. Well, some people are nice about chores," Anthea grins, "and some are nasty. The nannies can be /really/ mean! Make you change diapers and stuff. And some of the 'riders make you wash their dragons." Nose crinkles slightly. "It's funny, but so hard work. They're too big." Dragons? Too big? Well.. maybe. If you're small.. "Good point. I'll remember to avoid going near any nannies while I'm doing chores then, shall I?" she smiles with more than a hint of internal amusement, stepping around the ice-snow sculpture. "Good idea. Let the boys do that - they look so funny when they have to change diapers," Anthea tells, giggling impishly. Oh yes, boys are funny, when they're not icky that is. "I think I'd better go sleep now - Thes wanted me to take care of Ishty later," she explains, waving a hand at Tina. "I'll see you around." Well, it's be hard avoiding each other... OOC: Anthea has to idle a bit - OOC stuff ^::^ OOC: Tilarekna snugs. That's okay.. OOC: Tilarekna hugs! Thank you for the RP! OOC: Anthea says "Likewise! I don't RP Anthy as much as I should....... :)" OOC: Tilarekna grins, "No, you don't! She's fun! Again, thank you for the RP.