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.

28-12-00: Smell
Julen is parked on a couch, leaning forward at an incredibly awkward angle to write on the low table before...

Julen is parked on a couch, leaning forward at an incredibly awkward angle to write on the low table before him. He looks a little dolorous -- or maybe he's just concentrating on his spelling. from Hanneke

Hanneke bounces, tripping over the edge of a table, in from the apprentice dorms, casting a brightly lit smile about the room as she passes through. "Has it snowed again, yet? I just love playing in fresh snow -- it's so white!"

Jena , once again, walks out from the Staff hall. All wrapped in black. The black tunic, the black boots, black paint in her hands (In a bottle, needless to mention). It's one of her 'phases', they hope. Eyes go up, at Hanneke. Oh no, it's the 'cheery' girl again.

Julen looks from one apprentice to the other -- talk about polar extremes. "Hi, hi," he offers limply before proceeding with his scrawl. He seems to be copying from one smudged sheet to the other.

Oh yes, it -is- that cheery girl again. Hanneke smoothes her hands down her tunic, eyeing Julen, and his work. "Hihi!" Yes, better to cut out that silly comma, when Hanneke is concerned. "What're you doing? It doesn't look like fun." Nose scrunches, as she tries to peek over his shoulder.

Yasmina comes into view, heading up the grand staircase.

Jena moves over to Julen, not only black, but full of sugar. "H-i." she says, voice going from screechy-high to dreadfully-low, as she sits down on a free part of the sofa. An obvious wink is given, as she looks towards Hanneke, dully saying. "Stuff."

"I have to copy my homework again," Julen tells the other apprentices, waving his stylus around in his attempt to communicate distress. "I did it all, but one of the healers spilled some potion all over it." That also explains the faint ammonia-like smell hanging in the air. He'd whine to Yasmina too, but it's impolite to whine to people you haven't met yet.

"They can be like that." she agrees, "They are just all over the place, and we have to smile and be nice." A dreadful sigh can be heard. "Gr-eat." Now, she's downright acting childish. Someone, hide the sugar. Eyes don't look up at Yasmina, at first.

Yasmina looks all about, her eyes on the hall around her for a moment before settling on each of the people before her, and her face changing from a look of slight wonderment to a cheerful grin as she gives a bright "Hello!" To all of them, and then to the two she hasn't met yet, "I'm Yasmina."

Julen glances up. Can Yasmina fix smudged homework? "Hello. You an apprentice too?"

Hanneke bounces upon the balls of her feet, wrinkling her nose towards Julen, "No fun! None at all!" Copying is just about the only thing she can do; but the actual homework is always a chalange. "Stuff? That's--boring!" Yasmina is given a bright grin; she knows the girl, if only vaguely. "Hihi, Yasmina!"

Yasmina giggles and shakes her head, "No, at least, not yet, but I'm going to be one!" She waves to Hanneke, and gives her a "How have you been?" As if they've known each other forever.

Jena looks up to Yasmina. Perhaps it's one of those tackful, 'I'll be nice to strangers' theories. "Oh, hello there Yasmina. /Very/ well met, indeed!" Jena is far to conclude.

"I've been well enough!" decides Hanneke, as if she could really say anything else, considering who she is. "I don't think you want to be an apprentice; it's all work, and no play!" A hand swings out dramatically towards Julen, and his homework. "I just can't stand all that work."

Yasmina stops giggling, at least for the moment, her demeanor only a bit darker than before, and she does her best to ignore the comment, "then why'd you become one, silly?"

Hanneke rolls her eyes, explaining, quite earnestly, "Mother says that I have to learn how to think, so here I am." Duh.

Jena looks over to Hanneke, softly speaking. "Yeah, that always helps..." she says, with a light sigh as she looks back over to Yasmina, a smile.

Julen copies away, in between the jerks and starts of this conversation. He's about halfway through the piece of work, though his handwriting is getting noticeably messier.

Yasmina smiles back to Jena, well at least someone seems cheerful, "Do you not like being a Harper either?"

Jena shakes her head. "No, I enjoy it wholeheartly." This is why you had a goth-like Harper, sure. Well, it's more than that.

Hanneke adds, "Oh, but I love the -boys-!" She doesn't even glance at Julen, nor ignore him. He's a non-boy, obviously. "And there are some nice people, and all!"

Yasmina nods her agreement, "Oh yes, I've met so many nice people since I've gotten here. Did you know S'fina let me ride her dragon! Oh, it was so much fun, but I haven't met too many boys yet," she does give Julen a glance when she says this.

Julen is oblivious to the interest in boys. For one thing, he's not quite at that age yet. For another, he's too busy fretting over homework. Isn't he cute when he's so serious?

Jena grins and looks over to Yasmina with a chuckle. "S'fina is one of my best friends." she says softly. "As generous as..." Jena, for once, doesn't find the words. "She's just generous."

Hanneke raises her voice again, offering, "I met S'fina. And then I had to run off to class." She seems disappointed, vaguely, although the smile never leaves her visage. "She's gonna have a baby!"

Yasmina nods smiling, "Yeah, she's very nice, she was going to let me stay in her weyr when I went to go visit my brother, he has a dragon too!" She starts to giggle again, "And I saw she was going to have a baby! Think she'll head back home right away?"

On this note, Julen can chime in. "My sister Alyce just had a baby," he offers with trembling authority.

Jena shrugs. "She's 8 months into pregnancy." And it's not like it was some fisaco beforehand either. Or, so it was.

Hanneke looks vaguely disappointed: "I don't have anyone I really know that can have a baby." It doesn't make much sense, except, perhaps, to herself.

"They gotta go nine months before the baby pops out," Julen informs the others, pressing on. "But with my sister, it was closer to eight. The baby was real small when it came out." He gestures appropriately, measuring out the size.

Yasmina nods some more, "I know that, well that it takes nine before they are born, but that means she only has another month right?" She pauses and is quiet for a moment.

"Or less," Julen adds, "if she's like my sister." That about sums up all he knows about pregnancy, so he goes back to copying out his homework. A few more lines and it should be all good -- assuming no other clumsy healers are in range.

Or clumsy Harpers, like Hanneke, who, thankfully, is leaning against the wall a short distance away. "Do they make a horrible mess?" she questions, almost curious, but mostly ambivilent, and smiling.

Yasmina shrugs, she doesn't know much about it, "I dunno, I heard they do, but I've never seen." She looks at Julen, maybe he knows.

The lull in the exchange clues Julen in, more than Yasmina's glance does. "Uh -- I guess they can. One of the babies in the Haven was real sick once, kept throwing up for days. You two don't have younger brothers or sisters?" he asks. He's the youngest himself.

Hanneke, sullenly. "No." But perhaps she's not altogether disappointed, or maybe it's just who she is, because her expression doesn't change much.

Yasmina shakes her head, "No, I was the youngest too, at least of the fosters, I don't know about my real family. Only that they were from Ista somewhere."

Which means Julen is still the resident authority on babies. "I guess they're messy 'cause they can't clean up for themselves yet," he allows as he finishes the last sentence on his homework with a cautious flourish. "It's like taking care of a pet, you know?"

"I never had a pet, either," points out Hanneke, folornly. "Father said that they weren't healthy, and Mother said I had far better things to do, than such banal tasks as caring for a pet." The words sound oddly...wrong, coming out of Hanneke. "Smelly. I suppose I wouldn't much enjoy them, either, then."

Yasmina giggles, "Oh, I hear pets are quite nice if you get the right kind, but you do have to clean up behind them and everything, I guess babies are kind of the same then."

Julen nods sagely, pushing his newly completed homework towards the middle of the table to dry; the smudged piece he crumples, ready to discard. "So, uh, are you just here 'cause you know S'fina or something?" Not that he knows S'fina.

Hanneke states, firmly, "I don't mind washing myself, but I do not get very dirty, at all. A pet would just be work." So stateth she, and firmly decided is all.

Yasmina shakes her head, "Nope, I wanna become a Harper, one of my brothers was a Harper once, I just met S'fina, but she knows another one of my brothers from her home down on Ista."

Julen ohs. Ista is from beyond his experience, so he doesn't have anything to offer on that. "Becoming a harper's not too bad," he mentions, glancing at Hanneke for confirmation. "We just gotta take classes and do this project." Which he is working on, well and truly, as soon as he gets his spelling sorted out.

Hanneke asks, leaning up against the wall even more firmly, although her feet wiggle, one at a time, "What're you doing for your project-stuff, Julen?" Project. A horribly bad word. Especially when you're as creative as Hanneke is..n't.

Yasmina nods, "Oh I see that, its sounds like an awful lot of work to me, do you enjoy it though? I mean besides all the work and stuff. It has to be worth it eventually, right?

"I just want to sing," Julen murmurs before answering Hanneke. "I'm thinking of doing something about a story, 'cause that's all I'm good at -- telling stories -- besides singing. And I can't write a song yet." He's not sure he'll ever write one, but he slips the 'yet' in there for good measure.

Gaelin emerges from the staff hall, beyond the east archway.

Hanneke brightens slightly: "I like to sing, I've discovered. I enjoy singing!" She also makes more noise than a dying feline, and twice as horribly, but that's beyond the point. "I might write a poem. Or write a story, I suppose. I don't know." Nose wrinkles, thoughtfully, as she glances back to Yasmina, "I get to go home and work with my mother, I'm quite sure it'll be worth it." Although she doesn't quite look certain.

Gaelin flickers a wave to the apprentices and stranger gathered here, then slips on down the stairs.

Yasmina nods watching the master go by, "Oh, I don't know about writing at all, but I used to sing a little to myself. My older brothers teased me about it though. My mother always liked to hear me sing though, but she's not around anymore."

The apprentice hopeful's last remark stumps Julen. He glances anxiously at Hanneke, then at the crushed paper in his hands, as if that will provide the insight he needs.

Hanneke sort of blinks back towards Julen, vaguely, as if she's no idea what he's looking at her that way for. "My mother always listens to me, except she's back at home, and I'm here," she continues, as if Yasmina's words never came to her ears. Which, perhaps, is exactly what happened.

Yasmina smiles to Hanneke, "Well that's nice, but I guess you don't see her much at all, do you?"

In fact, Julen would very much rather not think of his mother -- so he inspects homework instead. Nice, safe homework that won't dredge up thoughts of mother and home.

Hanneke shakes her head, after a pause. "No-o. Not since I left." Which has been, in case anyone really cares, months and months. Mothers are at the very forefront of Hanneke's mind, at all times. Her has made a huge impact, see.

Charlton emerges from the staff hall, beyond the east archway.

Yasmina smiles, "Oh, I see... so I guess it's bee a really long time then. Where does she live? Is it very far away? Will you be able to visit her?"

Charlton can't get downstairs without passing through the Windowed Hall. Still, entering a room with three youthful persons of the female persuasion hardly daunts him. Hardly at all. "Good evening," he says, looking pleasant.

Julen is not of the female persuasion. He's just a very small, neatly combed boy, easily disguised in his too-neat clothing. "Evening, sir," he says, scrambling to his feet and hiding a crumpled piece of paper behind him.

Hanneke clasps her hands about her waist, explaining, "I've been at the Hall almost seven months." And she's still probationary--here's to slow learners. "She's at Lemos. So is Father. I don't know if I'll be able to visit her." Doleful, except for her smile, and the bounce in her movements. "G'deve, er--Sir!" She can't read knots. That would make it difficult.

Charlton isn't scared of any youthful persons whatever their persuasions. "What's that you might be hiding, young man?"

Yasmina looks over at the older man, not really knowing him and giving a bright smile, "Hello!" She says, the formality the others seem to be using lost on her.

Charlton nods toward Yasmina, smiling, but still waiting to hear from the boy.

Julen looks distinctly at Charlton's feet. "Nothing, sir." It sort of smells funny too, so he's not about to offer it to a Master. "Really, sir, it's nothing. Was just doing my homework." He nods at the paper on the table, with fairly neat writing marching across it.

Hanneke's nose wrinkles again, at mention of homework, but she keeps her general cool, bouncing up and down upon the balls of her feet.

Yasmina looks over at Julen, wondering what all this is about.

Agnes comes into view, heading up the grand staircase.

Charlton looks at the writing on the table and back up at the boy. "But if this is your homework here, what is it you have there?"

Julen looks up, briefly. "Uh -- the other homework." The one he's not going to hand in. He glances at Hanneke -- help? He'd ask Yasmina for help, but she's not even got a probationary knot yet.

Hanneke, help? Surely Julen doesn't expect much from--"Oh! That's mine. I admit, I'm not so good with stuff. And Julen was helping me lots. Because I need lots of help. Learning how to think, and all."

Charlton is not put off yet. "But why is he hiding it?"

Hanneke pauses, "Because it's horrible, and it'll embarrass me to tears?"

There's a crackling noise as Julen crushes whatever's in his hidden hand. Doesn't he look guilty.

Charlton frowns, but lightning bolts don't crash or anything. The good old days are over. "How very gallant," he says dryly. "But I don't quite believe you."

Allegria emerges from the staff hall, beyond the east archway.

Hanneke pauses. "You don't?" Oh. Darn. She giggles, "Darn!" Oh, she's just so cutely incorrigable that one could kill her.

Charlton has Julen and Hanneke pinned in his merciless frown.

Allegria comes out of the staff hall, piled high with hides. It's rather a common sight. And look, there's Charl, and a merciless frown. Even now, that frown still makes Alli quail. She doesn't ask questions. She just raises an eyebrow.

Julen is stricken by Hanneke's giggle; so much for her being help. And now the current Masterharper is in attendance too. "Uh -- it's just -- well, it smells, you don't want it." His shoulders twitch; maybe he's attempting to shred whatever's in his hand without making too much noise about it.

Hanneke would probably cower, under the gaze of Charlton, and now Allegria as well, not to mention Julen's stricken words in the mix, but she's Hanneke, and that's impossible. So she giggles again, until, wide eyed, she blinks, and shuts her mouth. Oh dear. "He's right! It's--nothing you want to see."

Agnes pauses at the top of the stairs, curiosity and Hanneke's voice pulling her attention from the little wooden puzzle in her hands.

Yasmina holds back a giggle as she sees another approach, hoping that the two aren't going to get in too much trouble, but she stays back and out of the way, at least for the moment.

Charlton's right toe taps, just once. "Julen, is it, did she say? Please show me -- us -- " he acknowledges Allegria, "what you have back there. "

Allegria is now an us. So she glides over to Charlton's side, and lifts that eyebrow at the apprentices. Fear the eyebrow.

Hanneke fears the eyebrow. She's long feared the eyebrow. So she just stands there, eyeing the eyebrow.

Julen capitulates; he's not very good under duress. "Here you are, sir," he murmurs, finally extending the guilty hand towards both masters. There's a crushed ball of paper in it, smudged with ink, redolent of ammonia and other fragrances.

Byre emerges from the staff hall, beyond the east archway.

Charlton reaches for the ball of paper, his nose wrinkling. "Why does it smell of feline spray?"

Agnes admires the eyebrow. She appreciates the inspiration of fear in others.

Hanneke blurts out, "The feline did it on it!" A blush. The eyebrow is given another glance, a shudder, and she eyes the ground intently. Bounce, bounce, however, her feet move.

Allegria wrinkles her nose. The odor carries. Byre gets a nod, even while she's still instilling fear in the apprentices by creative use of eyebrows.

Charlton withdraws his hand.

Julen shrinks his hand back, though keep the incriminating paper in view. "Actually, sir, ma'am," he shrugs at Hanneke, "actually a healer spilled something on this. So I had to copy my homework again." He points guiltily at the paper on the side table.

Hanneke nudges the floor with her foot. Well, she tried, didn't she? For no real reason--but the paths of Hanneke's mind are really hard to trace, anyway. She glances at Julen, lips parting in a semi-smile rather different from her usual grin, before glancing up again. "-Smells-"

Byre glances at Julen, and Charlton, and Allegria, and thinks that whomever just screwed up here right now has managed to attracrt the attention of the Craftsecond, the Masterharper, and the previous Masterharper. It could be, he thinks, pretty amusing. So he stands there, and looks large and imposing and vaguely stern, and waits to see what happens next.

Finally, something that smells of truth. Charlton relents. "I see. Carry on, then. But dispose of that before it brings you more trouble. And beware of healers carrying vile potions."

Allegria would most likely say it smells of something else, but she wasn't asked. Charlton's comment draws a faint upward curve of her lips. "Preferably, dispose of it...outside."

Charlton says, "Or between."

Well, isn't that an anti-climax. Hanneke nudges at Julen with her elbow, a vaguely meaningful glance sent in his direction. "Do it! It -stinks-." And she doesn't. The two should not combine, ever.

"How do I get it between?" Julen whispers Hanneke, after he ducks a ceremonial nod to oblige the various masters. And he thought he'd be safer finishing his homework in this room rather than in the dorms.

Hanneke indicates her shoulder, "Firelizard, I suppose?" It's never safe, to finish homework. Ergo, homework is evil, and should not be done. A rapid nod is made to the masters for her own part, tawny curls bumbling about her shoulders.

Charlton makes his exit, having exuded authority and...stuff. On the way, he gets his knot pinned on.

Agnes observes that the fun appears to be over, and continues on her way.

One master down, two to go. "I don't have a fire lizard," Julen tells Hanneke. "What if I bury it?"

Allegria has Done Her Thing, so to speak, which largely consisted of looking authorative and such. And, as such, she nods at Byre again, and leaves. Away from the stench. Ew.

Allegria heads down the grand main staircase, to the north.

Hanneke indicates her shoulder again, watching Allegria leave, "I'll send one of mine. Give it here. Burying, in this snow, would be...work!" And it sounds vaguely reasonable, for once.

Whereas Julen just sounds desperate. "Okay, okay. Uh, you sure you want to take it? It's kinda sticky too." He's not holding it too close to his clothes for a reason.

Hanneke pauses. Sticky is even worse than smelly. "Er--not really." She flushes, almost, adding, "Feed it to him! That'll be safe enough."

Sabin 01:17 2m Beer good.

Julen holds the crushed ball out to the sapphire blue on Hanneke's shoulder then, eager to be rid of it. "What if his breath smells of it afterwards?" he wonders, though probably too late to retract his hand.

Byre pipes up quietly. "Make him chew on a mint sprig," he says. "Just don't steal it from the Healer's stocks."

Sakari eyes the ball a moment, then grabs it in his mouth. "Mint? I'll try that! He stinks, anyway. Stupid thing." Tianyh eyes the other blue warily, then curls up behind Hanneke's hair. The sapphire blue, with the hide in his mouth, darts up, disappearing between. "Gone!" says Hanneke, delighted. "I just love watching that!"

Julen sighs. It's been a long evening. "Thanks a lot, Hanneke. I'm going to take my homework in now." And think about that project he's been putting off all the weeks he's been here.

Hanneke nods her head slowly, grin returned in full force. "Okay! See you around!" Project. Don't even talk to Hanneke about projects, not that he was.

Julen shuffles off then. He'll be sure to eat the stinky homework himself the next time.

Julen draws aside the northwest tapestries and enters the noise of the apprentice dormitory.

[There was more -- but I lost it. Oops]