All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

You walk toward the bustling Weyrhall.

Kayjay smiles at Jude and waves to Auralia. "Suriath was too busy showing off in the lake. I ended up under a tree and snoozing. I really don't get into parties much.. too much mushy talk."

Starr rolls her eyes and chuckles, nodding. "I have to agree with that. I did have fun though, lots of dancing."

"Morning, friendly persons that I know. Others." Auralia strides in from the courtyard, weaving her way past those she doesn't know to well, towards the group that she does. "I hear I have to offer a happy turnday to a few young, but overly large friends? Tell them Iesath and I wish them all a happy first turnday." She pauses, moving into a seat.

Starr looks up and grins at Auralia. "Thanks!" she chimes, sipping from her stew. "Jiazith wore herself out at the party. Showing off too much..."

Kayjay grins. "I will Aura. " She turns to Jude."How are you doing?"

Jude smiles at Kayjay and her party. "Quite well," he responds. "And so have the friends I have invited over here from the north. The thing is, they've beenenjoying themselves too much I barely see them anymore."

Auralia wiggles in her seat, listening quietly to the conversation. Her eyes are tilting towards the donation bin. No, they

No, they're not. They're looking at everyone else...or are they? Anyway, she's not doing much at this moment.

Kayjay glances over at Jude. "That must be a bit disappointing for you?"

Jude shakes his head rapidly. "Not really, we'll meet again for sure. Besides, why begrudge their revels?"

Kayjay winks at Auralia. "Anything interesting in there?"

Auralia looks up, startled. "Er? In there?" She tilts her head towards the bin, "Oh, there. Nothing. No, I don't think so."

Kayjay looks puzzled."I noticed something that I had seen before, maybe not even a month ago.. something like an ancient auntie might wear?"

"Are you sure, I mean I thought you was looking at that outfit that would look really good on you, I mean the one from the last interval and everything 'cause well that is what you like, right? I mean what Kayjay said."

You say "Did you?" She sounds completely breezy about it, "How fascinating. I guess some old auntie has died, and they've put her clothes in there. Me, I can't imagine why anyone would want to, but still. Someone might. I certainly wouldn't."

Kayjay winks at C'ley and then turns to Auralia. "Funny, must have been a recent death, I destinctly remember seeing that outfit on .. oh never mind, I must be mistaken."

Starr seems to have fallen asleep in her chair, for a soft snore emits from the weyrling.

"Well I wasn't mistaken 'cause well I saw it on old Auntie here, I mean that is what you was, wasn't it, I mean trying to think you was so old and everything, it was kinda fun actually and everything." C'ley says "I mean I actually liked to be around you when you was proddy and that is strange 'cause I usally run from proddy riders.

Auralia looks completely baffled now. Maybe she's successfuly convinced herself that she never did such a thing...Which she didn't right? "How odd. You're all hallucinating. Is it something in the water?"

Kayjay blinks."I see the outfit right there in the box..."

Auralia snaps her fingers, "Of course! She saw some old auntie with it on, and because of that water, you thought it was me. It all makes sense now." Smile, smile, nod. That's right.

Kayjay innocently <?> comments. "I remember seeing it on someone who looked an awfully lot like you."

Auralia shrugs. Equally innocently, in fact, "You were hallucinating, I told you that. I swear that must be it. I mean, Nareisa was saying all that about my killing the headwoman, and now you all think that I dressed as an old auntie. Which, I must tell you, I would never do. Not even if I was proddy."

Kayjay gasps. "You killed the headwoman?"

Auralia puts on a poker face. "Yes, I killed the headwoman." Rolling her eyes, she shakes her head, "Of course I didn't kill the headwoman! Why would I?"

Kayjay giggles."I don't know .. but I don't remember seeing the headwoman around here for a while."

Auralia whimpers. She actually whimpers, "You have. She is here. I didn't touch her!" Her voice raises a note, almost on the verge of being hysterical, "I swear she is!"

Kayjay blinks and bites her lip."I believe you.. I was just teasing you."

Auralia mutters under her breath, "Yeah, right. Of course. Honestly, what are weyrlings coming to these days?" Blink. She didn't say that. Really she didn't. "Er, I mean, I guess I was the same. Since it wasn't all that long ago and all."

Kayjay does some mental counting in her head and mutters to herself.
Kayjay says "Proddy .. .. to .... early.""

Auralia frowns, watching Kayjay. "Are you alright? Is that water still affecting you, or something? I mean, should I get a healer?" She's babbling. Fear.

Kayjay shakes her head. "No.. - I - am fine.. How are you and your sweet little green doing these days?"

Auralia blinks. "You're fine. Indicating that I'm not?" She's confused, "And a sweet little green? Somehow...I don't see it. But we're well, all the same. Perfectly sane."

Kayjay blinks yet again and decides a different tactic."You know, I was talking to another Weyrling today, about how dragons forget .. about things that are painful. Do you think that sometimes happens to riders too?"

Auralia's confused. Call it age. Er, no. Don't call it age. "Dragons forget almost anything, really. But I doubt it happens to riders. -I- can't remember anything like that happening, and I know that my memory is perfectly good."

Kayjay says "Well, what if, lets say. someone wears a strange outfit for a few days.. and everyone see's her wearing that outfit." She pauses. "Even if she might forget wearing it, the rest remember.. so does that mean the memory of everyone else is wrong, even though she doesn't remember?""

Kayjay pauses again. "Or doesn't want to admit she remembers?"

Auralia considers this a moment. She scrunches up her nose, "I doubt it. I mean, I doubt someone would forget doing a thing like that. I'd say everyone else would be insane, rather than her. If a person doesn't remember something like that, it can't haven happened." A pause, "No one would be that stupid, Kayjay. Honestly."

Kayjay shrugs. 'I suppose you are right.. after all you have been around the weyr a lot longer than I have."

Auralia nods, firmly. She's probably still insane, herself. I mean, she hasn't realized what is being got at, "Right. Believe me on that one."

Kayjay giggles. "I will. I had better get to my cot, N'all has drills scheduled early."

Auralia nods, shaking her head in slight confusion. She's still confused. How odd, "Ick. Alright, I'll see you round."

As Kayjay wanders out of the hall you hear her mutter to herself. "Thank Farnath I impressed a brown, I would never have coped with a green."

Kayjay walks toward the Courtyard.
Kayjay has left.