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.

04-12-00: Parents
Karec strides in with his usual abandon until Theiron's nudges to his cheek make him realize he is not alone,...

Karec strides in with his usual abandon until Theiron's nudges to his cheek make him realize he is not alone, "Well hi, didn't expect you to be around so late." He walks over to the serving trays and snatches up a couple of meatrolls. After surveying the mugs, he grabs up his usual and fills it from the klah pitcher, "Don't they let apprentices sleep too?"[Monitor] Disconnected: Rynne (#19034) at Mon Dec 4 02:03:43 2000 CST - 2 on.

Hanneke, as smiley as ever, glances up from the mug of something warm in front of her, lips pulling further apart: "I could say the same thing about you, but I won't, because I don't suppose it sounds very nice of me." Laying hands upon the table, the apprentice cocks her head, adding, "I didn't feel like sleeping. Do you feel that sometimes?"

Karec laughs softly as he spoons in an indecent amount of sweetner, "Yeah I suppose so. When I was a kid, I used to hide aboard the outbound fishingboats on the night's tide. Of course, I did what I could so I could sleep the next day without my mum finding me." He turns with his plate and mug to the chair opposite of her, "That was till my father looked for me one night and I wasn't there. Talk about getting a skinning." Karec motions to the chair, "Mind if I join you?"

Hanneke regards Karec about the rim of her mug, eyes fluttering an affirmative even as her chin does the same. "Please. Go ahead. It's far nicer to have company." Taking a sip, and then swallowing, the girl asks: "Did he really skin you? Father said that he would never touch a hair on my head, because he didn't think it was sych-psych-er, something. I can't remember exactly what he said."

Theiron hops down from Karec's shoulder and begins to preen, his whirling green eyes studying Hanneke covertly.

Karec sets his plate and mug on the table. Sitting as though he were fresh from the saddle, Karec plops down with a grown and stretches his legs under the table,"Well, not exactly skin me, but sure made me think he was ripping the hide from my backside." He gives her a playful pout, "Made me choose my own switch and everything.

Hanneke has gotten slightly used to firelizards since her arrival at the 'hall (there having been few in the rooms that most of her childhood was spent in), so she barely nods towards Theiron, issuing a wiggle of her lips: "He's quite lovely, don't you think?" Wide eyed, and clearly showing her innocence, she stares abruptly at Karec. "Not really? Ow. That would have hurt."

Karec breaks a meatroll into small peices and lays it before Theiron to belay his creeling begging, "Yeah it did. I mean...yeah...the Hold was turned out looking for me and most of the fleet looking for me in the water...but shards...he was put off." He sweeps his hands of the crumbs, "You never got a switching?", Karec ask as he brings the mug of steaming klah to his lips.

"Never," affirms Hanneke with a definate nod of her head. "Not ever. Father--well, I said that already, didn't I?" She regards her klah with some concernation, before speaking up again, "Why did your father switch you when you were found anyway? Nothing bad happened, I don't think, which makes it seem horribly trivial."

Karec takes a long drink and sets the mug before him, "I think his point was not to scare my mum and him like that again." Chuckling as he rips a peice of the remaining meatroll for himself, "To be honest, I think the switching was easier to take than one of his other punishments, like cleaning the bilges of our boat." He bits into the roll hungrily and wipes his mouth with the cloth napkin.

Hanneke ohs. Obvious things like that don't seem to occur to Hanneke very often. "I guess. Did you do it again?" Digits twine about her mug, but refrain from picking it up again -- by the looks of the skin on top, it's probably not very appetising at all. "Cleaning the bilges?" Her voice takes on a questioning tone: "I don't understand what they are."

Karec nods his head grinning foolishly, "Yeah, I just got better at not getting caught, you would think after the third time, I would have fiqured it out." He shudders teasingly as he rips off more meatroll, "The bilges are pumps at the bottom of a fishing boat to get out...water or whatever else settles to the bottom of the hull."

Hanneke seems to be able to understand doing things again and again. After all, she makes the same mistakes multiple times, and still doesn't notice. "Well, if it was fun, then that's something. I never did anything like that; Mother said that I was perfectly well rounded without doing anything stupid." The edges of her lips pull out further, smile smooth: "Oh. I see. It sounds like hard work."

Karec finishes the remainders of his meal and drains his mug empty, "Hungrier than I thought I was." He looks up at with a shy smile creasing his lips, "Yeah, it was hard...disgusting too." Looking about the hall, he motions for a druge to reteive his plate, "But it is one of those things that has to done sooner or later."

Hanneke's head nods slowly, tawny curls bouncing about. "There are a lot of those things, I suppose." Wrinkling her petite nose, she laments, "I don't like composition classes, here. I don't know what to write, or how to write. Or anything. At least it's not all dirty, though." Her hands scrunch reflectively: dirt and muck are -bad-.

Karec pulls his pack from his lap and pulls a large red-delicious apple from his pack, "I guess you would have to have all that Harpering stuff if you go out. Our Hold harper taught us our writing and fiquring, so someone had to teach him right?" Karec pulls his beltknife from its sheath and cuts deeply into the fruit.

Hanneke gives her deep blue ceramic mug a distainful glance, and then raises her head, regarding Karec once more. "Oh, I suppose so. I expect I'll not use most of it, though, if I'm going to be working with Mother's records. Mother always said that she'd need my help, once I knew how to think." With an almost unconscious flutter of her eyelashes, she adds: "I wouldn't like teaching anyone, but I suppose someone has to do it."

Karec crooks his finger playfully under chin, "You should always pass on what you know. It was given to you to give to others." Sits back and slices a slice neatly from the apple, "Listen to me talk, now I am starting to sound like a harper."

Hanneke, of course, has a bright idea: "You should join us Harpers! Then, you can teach, and that means I won't have to. If you sound like one, it means you ought to be one." Her logic, as always, is impecable...at least, impecably wrong.

Karec 's eyes grow wide as saucers as he considers the idea, "Me? A harper?" He smiles at her incredulously, "I am not the crafter type, besides, I am a crafter in my own right." He pares out a slice of the apple and offers it to her, "I sort of doubt many would come to my banner, but hey, who know?"

If Hanneke is vaguely disappointed in the response, she doesn't show it, responding brightly, "Each to their own, I suppose." Or to their mother's own, but still. "You -are- a crafter. A good one. Just, I suppose, not as official as I am. It's better to be an individual!"

Theiron twitches his tail as he has little firelizard dreams.

Karec sighs deeply, "Yeah well, I get by on what I do, so I am contend with that for know." He finishes the last bit of the apple and cleans his knife on the table cloth, "Besides, I think I am a wee bit old to be an apprentive anyway."

"Mother says," reports Hanneke firmly, "that was long as what we do makes us happy, it doesn't matter what that is." A contradition in terms, but Hanneke hasn't realised this, nor is she likely to. "Are you? I didn't know." Not disappointed, not really, although her face shows a hint of something. Well, it just isn't fair. Or something.

Karec resheathes his knife and leans over the table as though not to be eavesdropped on, "I am 17 turns you know? I think that might kinda ruin my chances." He cradles his hands in his upturned palms, "Besides, I am happy. I got ideas for other stuff too. So I guess I am doing alright by me."

Hanneke wrinkles her nose, reflectively, "I don't think that that's too old. Still, it's a lot older than me, so maybe I'm wrong. I don't know." She pouts for a moment, although it doesn't seem to be an overly serious sentiment, adding, her own head moving closer in, "Good. That's really good! I'm glad that you're happy. It's an awfully good thing to be."

Karec untangles himself from the chair to stretch, his hand covering a yawn, "Well, hate to, but I have duties in the morning as I am sure you must have classes." He slings his pack on and gives her his /most/ gallant bow, "I am afraid I must retire from your most gracious presence", he sputters out in his /most/ melodramatic tone.

Hanneke giggles, jumping to her feet to return the bow with a curtsey -- she's absolutely delighted by the movement -- which almost has her ending up on the floor in a heap, although she manages to keep her balance in the end. "Yes, I suppose I do. Good night, then. Sleep well. And--" she pauses, dimpling a bright smile, "My good sir, I'm quite sure that we shall meet again."

Karec takes her hand in a flourish, his eyes meetings her for a moment before he turns to walks away. Stopping before the door, he calls over his shoulder to her, "And a very good night and peaceful dreams." Karec disappears into the late night.