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.
19-11-01: Brataphobia
Debajirin once again has that chunk of white material with him as he enters the galleries, evading the chores in...
Debajirin once again has that chunk of white material with him as he enters the galleries, evading the chores in favour of stitching at a robe. Bronze on either shoulder have gotten into quite the argument by the sounds of their bugles and chirps and trills, which are much too loud for the Candied Fisherman, though he seems to have given up on them. He's halfway to falling to a bench when the stammered 'Iona' catches his ears, and he manages to look up from his little trance of flit ignorance and point pathetically at the Headwoman.
Iona stands up again, making the wobbley belly...wobble. "Nyla!" she screeches excitedly, arms thrown up in the air. "Dahhhlink!" more squealing..and more thunder as the headwoman from Seacliffs thumps in a jog towards her fosterling. The toddler twins left behind break out into an argumetn and begin hitting and whacking each other. Io of course ignores her children in favour of throwing her arms about Nyla. "Sweetiekins! You look so thin! Don't they feed you hear? Where are your weyrlingmasters, I'll have a word about letting you starve!" She's so involved she misses Deba. But not for long..
Up the stairs climbs Relian, striding lengthily across the rows and rows of seating, to pause, hesitantly, as he catches sight of the candidates and their companion. "Good evening," he offers politely, catching Iona's motherly worry over Nyla, and taking a step back, rapidly. Someone goes gaga over Nyla like that? This has to be peculiar.
Serafa follows the other candidiates, not much to do seeing as the afternoons chores have been done. Almost running into the back of Jirin she hisses before smiling sweetly and winking, settling into a bench she pulls her knees up and leans her chin upon them. Gazing adoringly at the hardening eggs, all touching family reunions momentarily blocked out by her awe.
"What are you /doing/ here?" Nyla manages to stifle out before allowing herself to be caught up in a large hug. Shoulders hunch as she is released, and she stares down at her feet for a little, chewing her lip. "Hey, I'm not too thin. I'm normal size." Sniff. Before little feet are noticed. "Oh!" And she walks straight past Iona, grinning brightly at Serafa, wiggling fingers at Relian, Yuliannna and Debajirin and nodding politely to the Weyrwoman down on the Sands. Should she be awake or not. "Eli! Thor!" And the two fighting siblings are wrapped up in another hug. Awwie. Day for hugs, is it not?
Debajirin is more than happy to be missed. Bad enough he's got bronzes fighting each other with his head in the middle, and now they've started wing-flapping and tail-whipping, but he's quietly afraid of the woman and her children, in a sort of affectionate way, but still afraid. The kids get a big grin though, him recognizing at least one of 'em as the one who'd kicked him, and positively beaming to her. His 'sewing kit' a.k.a. folded material with needle and thread in it, is laid to the side for a moment. He turns at a hissing that's actually /not/ coming from the angry 'lizards, greeting Serafa with one of his more 'winning' grins, and then going back to his bemused watching of the twins. Oh, home. Sniffle.
Iona turns about to look at the others who are...looking at her with Nyla. "What are you kids staring at?" she snips, waving a finger madly. "Never seen a mother worry about her daughter, stolen by dragons and forced to do chores huh?" She exagerrates, but in her mind, poor Nyla is enduring horrid circumstances here at the weyr. The finger stops however, right at the fisherman candidate. "Deba?" blink. "Oh honeypot! Come and give your old Headwoman a hug, dahhlink. Your thin aswell...don't they feed you here?" she tsks. Meanwhile her twins have stopped their fighting instead jumping and clamouring at Nyla "Ny Ny Ny!" they chant wildly. Too bad if your here for some quiet.
On the ledge, Djarreth lands neatly, and furls his wings.
On the ledge, Kita slides from Djarreth's neck and lands gently on the ground.
Relian, at least, is saved from hugging - that's got to make anyone, and everyone's, day. He peers owlishly at Iona, then blinks, commenting only, "Sorry. I would've thought she'd have had to do chores as an apprentice, too." Never one to shut up when he should, he sits instead - watching the interplay with some lack of amusement. Dear Faranth, as long as those excitable kids don't come to near. Instead, he glances at Serafa. "Have they changed, any?"
On the ledge, Kita makes her way carefully down into the galleries.
Kita scatters down off one of the ledges.
Of course watching eggs can only be utterly fascinating to so long, craning her neck she peers towards the other candidates to see Deba being hugged by this slighter older (but she doesnt look it *wink*) woman. "Deba? Is that your /girlfriend/?" Serafa asks her brown eyes large and innocent, giggling she turns her attention back to Relian "I dunno never seen her before in my whole life...but I think she's Deba's girlfriend" This of course in a mock-whisper. She obviously didnt get the beggining of the conversation
"Wow. You're both so big." Nyla pokes Elinsay's side, tapping Thorpe on the shoe and flashing a cute, lopsided grin. "Been good for your parents, have you? Not gotten into any trouble?" At this, the girl scoops up Eli in her arms and allows Thorpe to jump onto her back. Trudging over as quickly as possible, the girl sidles up beside Serafa and Relian and says, "Seffy, Relian, this is Elindsay and Thorpe." Either kidlet nods politely at the two candidates. "Io, that's Serafa and Relian. And I guess you know Debajirin." Sage nod. Ooh. "So, yeah. See the eggs, Thorpie? Eli?" They're.. sitting. Interestingly. Woo.
Debajirin blinks away from the twins, after all, they're all huggin' the Nyla now, and he's being called honeypot, and that's enough to get his attention. "Hug?" he asks rather cautiously, eyeing Iona dubiously, and laying his robe aside with his sewing kit. Standing up is done rather briskly, enough to get those firelizards to quit his shoulders, and with a little shrug, prancing on over to Iona, arms outstretched. "Io! How's Kristi?" Suave in his greetings, isn't he? Serafa gets a grimace from over a shoulder, and he shakes his head at her. "No. I wouldn't go after a 'fasted woman, really, I like to pretend I'm not a fisherman at times," he replies rather icily, and then goes back to his inquiries of the 'older' woman. "Feln's not doin' anything bad is he?"
"The eggs," says Relian, head shaking. "I meant the eggs." He refrains from a mock whisper, talking in a normal tone, levelly. "Have *they* changed, or did you miss something the first time? So intent, your gaze." Nyla's introduction of the pair of children is met with the briefest, most hesitant smile he can manage - it couldn't possibly be worse, though he's trying for better. "Oh, er, hi." Children love him, surely.
Iona beams at Nyla with her siblings, content to let the little ones fuss with their older sister. Deba is smooshed in an eveloping cuddle "Kristi is missing you, so you'd best leave the weyr and come home with me" she hopes in vain "And Feln is doing just fine" Grin. Then she peers at the other candidates."Trust the dragons to search out all the pretty ones eh?" sher remarks, looking he pair of candidates up and down. "Come here, gorgeous.." Relian? Serafa? Io probably means both "Give me a hug" Since the SeaCliffer assumes their parents haven't been by to hug them, she'll provide the cushy service. Saggy waistline jiggles as she grins and spreads her arms out wide.
Serafa pokes her toungue out at grumpy Debajirin. "Yeah well /how/ was I supposed to know that? She called you honeypot!" Thats what you call boyfriends isnt it? Shrugging she teases Relian slightly. "If you look really reeeeally closely they look a tiny bit harder" The children are given a wink and a funny face along with thier hello, before she unwraps herself to stand before the woman who knows some of her new friends. "Good afternoon" She greets with a cheeky smiles after all she doesnt know the woman yet.
Kita strides down from the ledge, a puzzled but not angry expression on her face. "Have any of you seen my sock? This is about the only place in the Weyr I haven't looked..." she asks, scratching her head in complete confusion. It's obvious she hasn't any idea where the thing is, and isn't accusing anyone of stealing it. In typical Kita fashion, she is completely oblivious to the conversations going on already- she is too busy trying to figure out the location of her sock.
Thorpe leans in to whisper something into Nyla's ear, and she stifles giggles with a finger pushed against her lips. "Alright, Thor." Then, turning elegantly (?) to Relian, she allows Thorpe to clamber down and wander over to the young male candidate. "Relian, Thorpe wants you to tell him about the eggs." So, do it. That's what it means, when the male counterpart of this duo wants something. Io is glanced at, the fawn arc of a 'brow raised in question as she wants hugs from people she doesn't know -- but hey, that's fostermothers for you. She trundles over to Debajirin and then allows Eli to tap him on the shoulder, flashing bright kidlet eyes at the well-met acquaintance. "Well, Debajirin, Eli wants you." And so, with Eli clambering over to Jirin, she stands rather lonely in the middle of this area. "Your sock, Kita? No, but what colour was it?"
Relian's expression could not be more pained. Hugs, by someone he doesn't even know? He swallows, visibly and audibly, forcing his muscles into a smile as he steps forward; it would be rude, not to. "Hi." What's the appropriate greeting to someone you don't know, who's about to envelop you in a hug? Gingerly, he smiles, wrapping his arms, somewhat hesitantly, about her...saggy frame. See, he's more polite than Serafa, to whom he rolls his eyes as he pulls away. "Oh, really? Just what I've always wanted to see." Taste the enthusiasm. Kita's sock hunt is met with a raised eyebrow. "Er, no--" which is promptly interrupted by Thorpe's approach. Squeak; he turns red, just like that. "The eggs? Oh, that's nice."
Debajirin makes a fun little sound, something to the effect of 'mrkf' upon being smooshed and informed on the general situation, but he's not done interviewing Io yet, oh no. "So is Leigh really gonna have a kid? I got a letter, and..." And he's always willing to listen to the gossip. Serafa gets one more little glare. "And she asked to hug you!" is his somewhat immature retort, and he sticks his tongue out to complete the tone. Kita's entrance is noted, and he blinks. "Well, if any of the Weyrbrats tell you anything, it wasn't me makin' sock puppets with 'em? And I didn't know where they go the socks from in the first place."
Iona throws her arms about Serafa in a bear hug. Nevermind the headwoman is pretty..fat so the hug is comfy if a little too exuberant. "Call me Io. I'm Nyla's mum" she says, releasing the candidate. Don't think about the age difference because it'll give you a headache and make you realise that it's not biologically possible. "Nyla, dahhlink, find me a weyrlingmaster quickly...go go go" she says over Relian's shoulder as she hugs him too. "Oh Deba, she's going to handfast Gannon, me and Ei are sure she's knocked up aswell!" Io delights in telling the local gossip to the fisherman. "And Byrd and Sola are engaged aswell and they make the cutest couple..." suddenly Io pauses and stares at Relian "Show him the eggs, hon, don't be a wherryhead!". And don't refuse a fat woman.
Kita raises her frowning, puzzled gaze to Nyla. "It was...brown I think. Then turned pink by some errant drudge. At least I think it was a drudge. Actually, come to think of it, I'm bot too upset that I've lost it, considering the hideous colour it was." Kita turns away and scratches her head again, climbing over stone seats to peer around the galleries overlooking the sands. The 'comfortable' looking woman is glanced at, her words noted. "She's your mum?" Kita mouths to Nyla, then raises a hand in a wave. "I'm an Assistant Weyrlingmaster Ma'am...anything I can do?" Not that Kita has any idea of the conversation just passed...
Serafa wrinkles her nose and retorts "Dont stick that thing out at me unless you mean to use it matey" She manages to squeeze out before she herself is squeezed, but she squishes back happily more firendly than Relian. "Pleased to met you Io, Nyla's mum." She giggles as she can breathe once more. "You remind me of my mum, she started early too" The healerite winks teasing. "But I'm her first-born so she doesnt count me"
Debajirin nods to Nyla, then considers what she'd said, and is soon kneeling rather protectively to hide his shins from Elindsay, and grinning at her, falling into the 'nanny' mode he'd picked up from various candidate duties (like sock puppet making). "Byrd?" he asks over to the Iona, holding out a hand for Eli to shake or bite or whatever it is she wants to do. "He's a Nanny, right? And Sola, what does she do? I know the name, but... And Gannon an Leigh, is it? Amazing, a fisherman willing to commit." Deba get's over his evil tone towards Serafa, grinning at her and raising an eyebrow. "And what if I do intend to? Course, not here, there's really so many people..." And now back to the kid at hand, one must stop setting bad examples. "So how're you then?"
Iona pfffts at Deba, and marches over to Kita, jelly belly wibbling. "Could I have a word puhlease?" she says sweetly, fanning at Nyla to join by her side. "I'm Nyla's mother. And I'm a little worried..." she begins, pursing her lips. "Do you feed them at all? I mean she's rake thin. It's not a good sign...don't you allow them sweeties with every meal or something?" Luckily Io has her own private stash for she pulls a pouch out of her pocket and hands it to Nyla. Full of lollies. "Eat them" she instructs her fosterling seriously before glancing back at Kita. Meanwhile, back in the teirs, Elindsay giggles and strikes out to kick Deba in the shins. Gotta love tradition.
Nyla snickers at Serafa. "I'm sure even if you were her third born she wouldn't count you." Ooh. Fiesty. Still, the words were barely audible. Brushing a strand of blonde from her cheek, she shuffles over to Kita and nods. "Yeah. Foster mother. Don't tell her you're a.." Too late. She tosses a glance to Iona and slumps, drawing a sweetstick from the jar and popping it in her mouth obediently.
Relian scuttles - there's no other word for it - away from Iona, and, if he's lucky, away from Thorpe as well; fearful things, children. "I'm *not* a wherryhead," he mumbles, digging his hands deeper into his pockets.
Kita blinks over to Nyla- she hadn't noticed any weight loss really, not in any of the Candidates. But Kita isn't the biggest girl in the world, especially compared to this lady...ahem. "The Candidates may eat whatever they wish whenever they wish, as long as it doesn't inferfere with their duties, or possibly make them too overweight and unable to ride a dragon." The brownrider looks a little puzzled towards Nyla's bitten off warning. "Why?" she mouths, before returning her gaze back to the...circular woman beside her. "Would you like to see what meals the Weyr provides Lady...uh..." she stammers, looking for a name.
Iona has connected.
Kita blinks over to Nyla- she hadn't noticed any weight loss really, not in any of the Candidates. But Kita isn't the biggest girl in the world, especially compared to this lady...ahem. "The Candidates may eat whatever they wish whenever they wish, as long as it doesn't inferfere with their duties, or possibly make them too overweight and unable to ride a dragon." The brownrider looks a little puzzled towards Nyla's bitten off warning. "Why?" she mouths, before returning her gaze back to the...circular woman beside her. "Would you like to see what meals the Weyr provides Lady...uh..." she stammers, looking for a name. *repose*
Serafa glares at Nyla before looking apologetically at the rotund woman. "I'm sorry I normally am very polite." She sighs and retorts "Yeah well at least /my/ mother taught me manners...Oh I really am sorry for saying that, I'm sure you taught her lovely manners she just doesnt apply them." She apologises once more to Iona. Dismissing the Ashen one she turns her attention Deba-wards. "And you, fish-boy are all words and no action" Really, she was trying to behave...Honest?
Debajirin hisses at being kicked, firelizard-esque. "Still charming I see," he manages from between clenched teeth, rubbing at the freshly-bruised shin and giggling a bit. "And still have got quite a good kick, I gather? Cause I guess it's not really likely that someone else kicked me..." Fisherman reaches out to pat her head, and then jump back a ways incase tradition should be followed again. A wistful little look is shot towards Nyla's candy, and he whuffles at the 'unfairness.' "That's fish-man," Jirin corrects somewhat indignantly. "And what about the baths, hmm?" Behave? Pfft. Deba doesn't really care for that. All that matters now is his ego.
"Holder" Io replies the title for the brownrider. "Lady Holder Iona of SeaCliffs" nevermind that she's not. Who is oing to argue. But she seems satisfied enough with answer and nods her head curtly. "Alright, then Nyla i want you eating at least 5 meals a day, you hear me? 3 is not enough plainly I can see...your too thin!" she turns to tell her fosterling who is rather too old to be mothered don't you think? "Look, dahhlink" she turns towards Serafa "My kids can do whatever they like...can't they" she beams, bubbly. "Eli do stop kicking Deba's shin. Try his behind next time" that to her monster toddler of a daughter who clambers up the tiers, heading for another victim in Relian.
"Don't go on, Iona." Nyla's eyes droop, her fingers intertwining in and out of each other as she sulks, sucking on the sweetstick. Horrid, salty thing. SeaCliffs salt. Eyes drift to Relian, who gets a glare, but her attention is wavered by Serafa's own glare, and she flashes a brilliant, innocently sarcastic smile. Until, "What? Three meals? Kita, you can't make her do this. LADY HOLDER? What? When did that happen?" Gullable? With a capital G.
Relian is glared upon, *and* chased by Iona's toddler daughter, which all but makes for the worst day - moment, even - possible. If one should see his expression, one might decide that he's terrified by children, especially as he looks down at this one. He gulps, looks sick, and then hesitates. "Um..." You could almost - almost - feel sorry for him.
Kita looks momentarily horrified as Iona reveals her title- or fake one at that. But quite frankly, Kita wouldn't have a clue who the Lady Holder of Seacliffs is, and if someone calls themselves that, Kita is not about to tarnish Ista's reputation by questioning it. Nyla's outburst gives Kita a reason to pause. "I gather this is a new appointment?" she asks of Iona, then winks to Nyla. "I'm afraid...erm..LADY Holder, that Nyla's frame is just too small to cope with that many meals a day. It would cause untold problems were she to Impress." A movement out of the corner of her eye directs her gaze to Relian- and she nearly laughs at the poor lad's expression. Kids are harmless, really...;)
"What about the baths? You didnt do anything particularly enthralling fish-/wo/man!" Serafa's eyes start to flash, in for a penny in for a pound and all that. For the moment she continues to ignore children, riders, Lady Holders and thier foster-daughters. "You are impossible do you realise that?"
Eli doesn't stop, she marches rather like her mother- with evil grin and stomping feet- right up to Relian and blows a huge raspberry at him. And then there goees the foot reeling back to strike a kick at his shin aswell. Io, meanwhile, fans her hands. "Yes, Nyla. I'm Lady Holder. You wouldn't know because you abandoned your family for this.." 'this' she means candidacy. "Anyway, can't handle all that food? Your too skinny aswell" she tells Kita. "Have a sweetie" and she thrusts more lollies towards the brownrider. "Oh do stop the screeching" she adds in aside over her shoulder towards Serafa and Deba. "Come and have another hug from your Lady Holder" snicker.
Debajirin turns a 'look' to Iona, raising both eyebrows her way. "The /behind?/ The shins are quite bad enough, thank you." Though he is rather relieved to see the girl go off towards Relian. Even if it means taking joy in the torture of another candidate. Serafa's comment is wondered at a moment, and then he grins. "I'll take /that/ as a compliment! Maybe I could even get Hannah to lend me a few more skirts, ones with dye that doesn't run? And if you /really/ want to be that way, then maybe after-" Hoorah for being cut off by 'Lady Holder' cause he was most likely gonna get himself in trouble. With a whuffle Serafa's way, and another stuck out tongue, he bounces on over to Iona. "Hugs? Really?"
Relian attempts to wipe spittle off of himself, after Eli's raspberry, but is distracted by her shin-kicking, jumping up and down as he clutches at the area of his leg, in pain. "Brat!" He'd say worse - and he does - but it's probably better left to the imagination. Seething, and recoiling, he makes a run for the stairs, jumping over seats as he sprints for cover. At least he manages to keep some kind of sanity to his face - that is, at least, until he's out of sight, and his audible yelp is liable to be heard. At least it's a better phobia than porcelain.
You go to the Hatching Grounds Entrance.