D'nic would have you know that he's quite a good choice to go to bed with... not that he'd give Zureile the choice or anything, but. He shrugs his shoulders, "G'ar hit me in the face with a firestone sack." Multiple times. "But I hit M'kael in the, uhh, you know."

Zureile doesn't know. She smiles slightly at the thought of G'ar hitting D'nic in the face, then puts words to her confusion. "In the..." she trails off, then adds helpfully, "In the back?"

Hanneke would probably say 'ew', except that she's not privy to these thoughts, nor the previous topic of conversation. "Oh. Happy Turnday, Zureile! You're a baby. I was sixteen *ages* ago." She peers across at D'nic, and his face, adding, "In the what?"

>> (Caeruleth and Suryareth) Jaqueth admires Zureile's handiwork as he eyes Suryareth's gleaming gold hide, his mindcolor shifting towards an orange-red. >> Quite nice, fine work she does. << Turning his gaze to Caeruleth's green hide, his mindcolor is accompanied by a garlicy scent. >> Yours does good work, too. << <<

>> I bespoke Jaqueth and Suryareth with Caeruleth snorts, and with the snort, ripples of deep red cascade against her mind, svelte touch resonating the wafting scent of opium, << You shouldn't say things, if they aren't, >> she retorts, via Suryareth. Jaqueth's comment is met with a regal demeanor, her ego raising her tone to imperious alto, << I know. >> <<<

"In the..." D'nic shifts uncomfortably in his seat, replaying the horrible scene in his mind. "The, uhm, you know, the.. down /there/. Y'know?" Surely they know about down /there/, don't they?

Zureile looks momentarily confused, then brightens. "You mean in the stomach?" She looks at D'nic expectantly. No, she doesn't know about "down there".

Hanneke does! Which is why she has just started blushing--rather furiously. "Oh! Ew, D'nic, that's *gross*!" Rather than face the conversation, she heaves into her food, eating as rapidly as possible.

Does he have to draw them a picture? Yeesh. He lets out a sigh, shaking his head, "No, not in the stomach, Zureile. Lower." There, that should explain it all. Letting out a chuckle at Hanneke's blush, he crooks his thumb at her, telling Zureile, "See, /she/ knows."

>> (Jaqueth and Caeruleth) Suryareth brightens visibly under Jaqueth's scrutiny, stretching out her wings happily. The mindtouch is warm, and heavily laden with the scent of sun and ripe citrus. <> The touch cools slighty, like an afternoon ocean breeze. <> <<

Zureile's eyebrows lower, as she appears to be mentally working through the information D'nic provided for her. Lower, lower.... AH! It's obvious the moment the glowbasket turns on in her head, because she also begins to blush. Look, how cute. Hanneke and Zureile have matching faces. Unfortunately, Zureile doesn't have any food to distract her with, so she decides to tackle the conversation head on. "Oh, there," she says in an offhand manner, as if she knew the entire while. "Does it hurt? You know, to be hit down there." Hey, maybe she could file this away under "Ways to Torture D'nic, if Ever Given the Chance."

>> (Suryareth and Caeruleth) Jaqueth delights at the prospect of another skilled oiler for his hide. Deep, bass mindvoice tells Suryareth. >> She meant you. Not me. I did not say anything was not. << <<

>> I bespoke Jaqueth and Suryareth with Caeruleth bespoke us with >> Not him, << announces the green impatiently, sarcasm flecking deep red even further through her thoughts. >> You! << The burr within her voice deepens, irritation masqued in burgandy and maroon shot with black ripples. >> Exactly, Jaqueth. <<<

"Duh," announces Hanneke--she knows something? This is impressive, indeed. "Of course it hurts! Daddy told me that, and he's a healer, so he should know. He said that we should *never* hit someone there." She blushes again, furiously pink.

D'nic nods solemnly, "Yes, it hurts. It hurts more than any other kind of pain in the world, short of death. You should /never/ try to hurt someone down /there/.. it can lead to permanent damage. That'd just be malicious and evil." So don't get any ideas, Zureile! "No one with the slightest bit of honor or compassion would ever intentionally hit a man down /there/."

Hanneke frowns. "But you did."

D'nic shakes his head at Hanneke, "Not intentionally I didn't. We were practicing throwing and catching the firestone sacks. M'kael missed. I caught more than a couple of sacks in the face, thanks to G'ar. We need the practice, me and M'kael and G'ar. Neither M'kael or I can catch so good, and G'ar's aim is way off."

Zureile nods in agreement with Hanneke. "Then why did you hit M'kael there, D'nic?" Of course, this just confirms what she's known about D'nic all the time. She doesn't look like she believes his answer, but she lets it slide. "So is M'kael, you know, permanently damaged? What's going to happen to you?" Hey, it's your own fault, D'nic, for making it into such a big deal.

Hanneke nods her head sagely, remarking, "Oh." Yes, that's a remarkably astute statement, really it is. "I bet he won't be able to have children! So that's a good thing, right?" You're a hero, Dom.

D'nic shrugs his shoulders again, "I don't know if he's permanently damaged. We'll have to wait and see. He'll probably be okay, just walking kinda funny for a while." Another shrug, "Nothing's gonna happen to me, Zureile, he's the one who couldn't make the catch." Glancing over to Hanneke, he nods slightly, "Yeah, well, maybe Pern is better off if M'kael doesn't breed."

Zureile would rather not get into a discussion on the breeding merits of M'kael, so she changes the subject. "Um, Hanneke? How are you doing with the firestone tossing?" Zureile's kind of hoping that the other weyrling is having just as much trouble as her.

"Pern," announces Hanneke, "is better off if *no one* breeds." Logic escapes her, but this she latches upon, frowning eloquently. Zureile's statement is greeted thoughtfully, as she announces, "Oh, fine! Just fine!" Meaning, hopelessly! Just hopelessly!

>> [lings] Suryareth's voice is quickly draining of all it's richness, the flat tone interlaced with viciously swirling orange and reds. <> <<

D'nic has no comment on the idea of breeding. Someday he wouldn't mind breeding. The world could use some little D'nic's running around. Instead, he'll push himself out of his chair, giving Hanneke one last piece of advice, "Be sure to keep your eye on the sack as it's thrown, Hanneke, but don't stare at it so long that it hits you in the eye." See? He's learning. Stretching his arms over his head, he sighs, "I'm off to oil Jaqueth.. he's saying something about getting Zureile to do it for me, and we wouldn't want /that/ to happen, would we?"

Zureile droops slightly as Hanneke asserts her firestone-tossing prowess. Was she the /only/ weyrling having trouble? D'nic is eyed curiously as he speaks. "Me? Why me?" She pauses momentarily, then groans. "Suryareth... it must be her. That dragon would have me oiling the whole weyr if she could. No, you do it D'nic. I'm not doing your job for you." Or anything, for that matter. Do D'nic a favor? In his wildest dreams.

Hanneke hesitates, then nods sagely, agreeing, "That's a good idea! Thanks, D'nic!" she beams brilliantly, adding, towards Zureile, "I bet you'll get better! It's not really hard. I don't see how anyone could not be good at it." It depends, of course, on your definition of 'good'.

D'nic waves, "See ya." That's more for Hanneke than it is for Zureile.

>> [lings] Caeruleth nudges back, rippling darkness in ominous presence. << What's wrong with you? Shall I count the ways? >> Barbs sting with molten burgandy, whilst she adds, << Perhaps you should speak more clearly. Perhaps that would give you the intelligence of a flightless wherry. >> <<

>> [lings] Suryareth's mindtouch is about as unsubtle as an explosion. In contrast to Caeruleth's darkness, the clashing, vibrant colors that swirl down the line only intensify in their brightness. <> <<