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.

31-07-01: Dislike
You go into the Living Caverns. Hanneke's leathers -- yes, let's make a point of this -- are looking rather...

You go into the Living Caverns.

Hanneke's leathers -- yes, let's make a point of this -- are looking rather the worse for wear; dark stains down the front, water stains down throughout, and she, evidently, is not at all thrilled about it. Stomping, with some measure of noise, the weyrling makes an even worse mess than always as she pours juice, then turns about, avoiding Zureile--and that nose is in the air, again.

L'lia archs an eyebrow as Hanneke comes in, and she murmurs, "Good evening, /weyrling/. Did you fall in the lake?" Yes, Zureile got her in weyrlingmaster-mode, which is always a bad thing.

Zureile notices Hanneke's entrance, but doesn't comment on it. But the easy-going look on her face dissappears as soon as the other weyrling enters. And while she doesn't say anything bad, there is a decidely nasty gleam to her eye as she eyes the Hanneke's disheveled appearance. "Good morning, Hanneke," she calls out, her voice dripping with sweet politeness. And with that, the other girl is ignored. Well, almost ignored. Zureile's more than happy to watch L'lia addressing Hanneke, hoping some of that ex-weyrlingmaster ability to give chores will suddenly show itself.

Hanneke's not actually wet: just stained, and thus, she greets L'lia's comment with a frown highly unlike her usual, bouyant nature. "Another weyrling," no, she isn't looking at Zureile. Not at all. "threw juice on me. And Kr'lin made me jump into the ocean." Zureile's oh-so-charming response is greeted only with a raising of her juice-filled cup, and a very quiet, very veiled response, "And the same to you, Zureile."

"Another.. weyrling.. threw juice.. at /you/?" L'lia frowns slightly, and glances back towards Zureile, "I see. It sounds.. like you needed a bath. Is throwing juice.. a common habit within your weyrling class, then? I'm surprised.."

Zureile returns L'lia's glance with the innocence of a baby. Juice-throwing? Zureile? She's never heard of such a thing before. Wisely she keeps her mouth shut, waiting to hear what Hanneke's answer might be. After all, Zureile had proven herself, on more than one occassion, to be an absolutely horrific liar. And the truth definitely wasn't going to win her any points with the brownrider.

"Yes." Sniffing dramatically -- unlike Zureile, Hanneke is actually a decent actress (although she's also good at taking small things very seriously) -- the weyrling steps towards brownrider and fellow weyrling, smoothing down the ruined leather. "It was all through my hair. It's *still* sticky." Oh-so-meaningful glance towards Zureile; scowl, too. "That weyrling is awful. S--it does all these horrible things."

L'lia archs an eyebrow, "I /see/." She looks between the two riders. "How is your dragon? Are the dragonettes getting along, at least? Since their riders, apparantly, are not?"

Zureile's a horrible liar. She knows it. So while she's not exactly going to step in and answer Hanneke's story, she's going to do her best to color the answer she already knows Hanneke is going to give. "Oh, I'm sure they are. After all, most of the dragonettes from this clutch are very friendly. Just look at Suryareth, for example. She's so, outgoing, and friendly. And she's always trying to help others." To hear Zureile tell it, her lifemate is vying to be the next Mother Theresa. Still glaring at Hanneke with her eyes, she's wearing a stiff, pasted smile on her face. Yes? You were going to say?

Hanneke raises an eyebrow, evidently managing with some success to keep any unhappy feelings restrained. "Actually, Suryareth has a tendancy to be rude, and *very* nasty to my poor Caeruleth. Always bossy, and, and--nasty!" Yes, her vocabulary lacks some, as does her ability at rhetoric, but her heart is all there. Sitting, the weyrling adds, "The other dragons don't like Caeruleth. They won't accept her for what she is. And it's not fair!"

"I see." L'lia repeats slowly, always a bad plan. "Perhaps, then, if Caeruleth is having such a difficult time getting along with the others.. and Suryareth is so friendly.. I think it would be fabulous for Suryareth to help her to get along with the others." Her eyes twinkle, "And, I think the two of you, could definitely set an example to the other weyrlings on the importance of getting along."

Zureile's rapidly losing her cool. Not that she had much to begin with, but for a while there her reserve and restraint was quite commendable, for someone as easily insulted as she. But Hanneke's outburst is too much, and Zureile flushes an angry red, hot words leaping to her lips. But L'lia's voice penetrates her anger, and by a strong exertion of will, Zureile manages to bite the words back. Besides, within a few seconds, she's much too busy being horrified by L'lia's suggestion to even remember her sarcastic comeback. "Her? You want Suryareth to help that /green/?" Zureile's obviously still avoiding calling Hanneke's lifemate by name. She shakes her head firmly. "No, I don't think that would be a very good idea, L'lia."

Hanneke is, perhaps, as equally distraught at the idea as Zureile--which is, of course, all the more reason to impliment it. "Caeruleth doesn't need help from that *thing*." Wherry, and all. "That *thing* wants to make her something that she isn't, and that's not fair. I won't let it! Because the *thing* is awful, awful, awful!"

L'lia says firmly, "Suryareth and Caeruleth will benefit from each other. They are /clutchmates/ and they will get along if their riders are firm with them." Her eyes narrow slightly as she looks at the two weyrlings, "And, I know that you two would never want to cause any strife, so I'm certain that you'll help your dragons to get along."

Caeruleth> Suryareth, picking up on Zureile's upset state of mind, rises up from her lazy, sprawled position. Fluttering her wings nervously, she crouches on her hindquarters, eyes whirling with concern. Craning her pale gold head in the direction of the living caverns, she gives a worried rumble.

Caeruleth> Xornath warbles soothingly to the gold, and he dips his head towards her, wuffling the gold gently.

Caeruleth> Caeruleth lifts her head from shadowed pose; regarding Suryareth through two-part lidded eyes. A snort follows, as wings raise to hold looming position, imperious attention manifest away from the gold *thing*.

Zureile's still shaking her head, as if it's going to do any good. "L'lia, I just don't think that's the best idea. Putting us together... it just don't work." Oh, yes. And arguing is really going to change the older rider's mind. Turning to Hanneke, she actually manages to keep her voice civil. "And that *thing* has a name. It's Suryareth. If you don't like that, then it's Surya. At the very least, you could refer to her as if she has a gender. She's female, in case you couldn't tell."

Caeruleth> Xornath turns his head to warble softly towards the young green as well. His wings straighten out, as if to stretch over the young female dragons protectively.

>> I sense that Xornath warbles admonishingly, >>Relax, little one. Your rider will calm down. And you should get along with your queen dragon.<< <<

Hanneke regards L'lia with abject horror--imagine, working with *Zureile*. "Zureile cut my hair," she chimes in, smoothing one hand down the glossy curls. "She also ruined my leathers. I *won't* do *anything* with *her*." Zureile has a gender--Suryareth doesn't. Responding to the other weyrling, she comments, unphased, "You call it a thing yourself! Therefore it is a thing! A wherry!"

>> I bespoke Xornath with: I sense that Caeruleth snorts; her mind glistens with coils of darkness--iritated crimsons bathed in shadowed highlights delineating against the narcissis-scented tone. << I should *not*. She is not worth the attention of anyone. >> Or thing. <<

That does it. L'lia stands up, "Name calling is inappropriate, weyrling." Her icy-eyes focus on Hanneke, "You should apologize to Zureile. SHe is your goldrider, and she will one day command your respect." ANd, before Zureile can react, "And /you/ need to /sincerely/ agree to work with Hanneke."

Caeruleth> Suryareth ignores Xornath's attempt to soothe, and continues to crane her neck in the direction of the caverns. Caeruleth's attempt to loom is noticed with a disdainful glance. Sorry, honey-child, but looming just isn't /you/. She settles herself back onto all fours, still rumbling unhappily. Even in an unhappy crouch she dwarfs her clutchmate, the golden gleam of her hide contrasting with Caeruleth's darker coloring. But for all her size and gleam, Suryareth does not appear to have the ability to remain cool. She twists that aristocratic head back and forth, alternately glancing anxiously into the caverns and eyeing Caeruleth with distaste.

Caeruleth> Xornath rumbles distainfully twoards the two dragons. He curls his wings up on his back, and stretchs to his full-height, and the brown looks between the pair of them with only a hint of sternness.

>> Xornath bespoke me with >> You should not share those thoughts with anyone besides your rider. You will get both of you in trouble, little green. <<

Caeruleth> Asryth walks over from the central area of the bowl.

Caeruleth> Saldia goes into to the Living Caverns.

Saldia enters from the Weyr's bowl, outside.

>> I bespoke Xornath with: I sense that Caeruleth again snorts, ripples of blackness underlying darkest shades of red showing her distaste. << I will not. You, evidently, are the same as all the others. >> <<

Caeruleth> Caeruleth simply snorts at Suryareth, ignoring Xornath. She'll loom all she wants: smaller size may not be entirely conductive to it, but her posture, her stance, her very person resonates the looming darkness that is herself. So there.

Caeruleth> Xornath warbles a greeting to the newly arrived green, his wings twitching as his head looks between Caeruleth and Suryareth. His eyes whirl a mixture of blue-red, always a bad sign.

That does it. L'lia stands up, "Name calling is inappropriate, weyrling." Her icy-eyes focus on Hanneke, "You should apologize to Zureile. SHe is your goldrider, and she will one day command your respect." ANd, before Zureile can react, "And /you/ need to /sincerely/ agree to work with Hanneke."

Caeruleth> Asryth glances and flicks her wings, wondering what she has wandered in too. She settles down to wait, she rumbles a polite greeting as her clutchmates and another one to the brown. Eyes whirly calmly and simply with patience evident in the set of her body.

"She's only a weyrling like me!" retorts Hanneke, rising within her seat, nose in the air. "Until she graduates, she's just another weyrling! I will *not* respect someone as *stupid* *blind* and absolutely useless as Zureile and her *thing-wherry*!" Just in case you hadn't figured that out so far.

Saldia wanders in and yawns, glancing around and smiling broadly "Hello all, what you up to?" She stretches slightly and then finds herself a mug and pours it full of klah and settles down to sit, sipping gently and looking around curiously at the others. Head and shoulders are rolled as if stiff and then she pauses and frowns and wonders at Hanneke's outburst "Wha?" She glances between Hanneke and Zureile "What's going on?" Not that she shouldn't guess or anything but she has to ask.

Zureile really should be feeling good right about now. After all, in effect she just won the arguement. But there was something about winning it because of the color of your dragon that took all the sweetness out of victory. Still glowering, she nods in agreement with L'lia. She'll agree to work with Hanneke, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. And if her lower lip sticks out any farther, she'll be able to wipe the table with it.

L'lia snaps, "Weyrling." L'lia circles the table, with a dark look on her table, stopping inches from Hanneke. "I, however, am /not/ a weyrling." SHe looks into the greenrider's eyes, not even acknowledging the newly arrived greenrider weyrling, as her attention is focused on Hanneke. "Is this how Kr'lin and Kyla have taught you to behave?"

Oooh! L'lia's back is turned to Zureile! Taking advantage of this sudden chance, Zureile sticks her tongue out with all the disdain and fury she can put into such a childish action. She'd do more, but she's scared L'lia's going to turn around and catch her in it. And if she keeps playing her cards right, Hanneke will end up the scapegoat of the entire mess.

Hanneke turns her attention towards Saldia, beaming, and waving her hand--no, she's not above being social, for all her annoyance. L'lia's approach does cause some consternation, and the greenriding weyrling, whose breath intakes, peers at the brownrider. "No, you're not. But you're not the one who is insulting me or my dragon!" She sticks her nose higher -- if that's even possible -- into the air, adding, "They'd want me to stand up for injustice!" Zureile's tongue sticking out is seen, and Hanneke, without thought -- evidently -- sticks her own out in a response. Which would work well, if she wasn't still facing L'lia.

Zureile quickly composes her facial expression, on the offchance the older brownrider decides to turn around. But she can do nothing can wipe that expression of smug victory off. Ha, ha. Hanneke was about to get it.

Saldia glances between the combatants, maybe no physical action is being taken bar the tongue being stuck out but the air is thick with the insults and she ventures an opinion which is always a bad move for someone who does not know the full story "But respect can only be given when it has been received and if one has been insulted how can they respect the person who insulted them. Someone must deserve respect not just from whom they are by what they do..." She shrugs "That is just my opion." She grins at Hanneke and returns the wave, a bit miffed that ZUreille seems to be ignoring her, which might explain her stance in the argument

"One, two, three, four.." Yes, L'lia's counting. Under her breath. She says tightly. "Weyrling. Put your tongue back in your mouth, /now/." She tightens her expression looking directly at Hanneke. "YOu too, ZUreile." She didn't become a weyrlingmaster for nothing. "I think.. I will be having a discussion with Kyla about your behavior. Both of you. My recommendation would definitely be to lock you both in a room until you can be civil."

Hanneke nods rapidly at Saldia; she has the right idea. "Yes! Saldia's right! Can't punish me because Zureile insulted me--" any further statements are lost to the rapid, audible closure of her mouth, as she stares in absolute horror at L'lia. Tongue is long gone, but it goes further, and she shakes her head. "Don't do that! Kyla doesn't like me. She'll blame me. It's not fair!"

Horror of horrors. Zureile's about to agree with Hanneke. Shocked out of her silence brought on by the fact that L'lia knew about her tongue, she begins to stutter frantically. "No, nno, uh, That's, you know, not necessary. See?" She hops quickly over to Hanneke's side and puts a friendly arm around her shoulders. Well, it would be friendly if Zureile felt any sort of friendship. But in light of facing the wrath of Kyla--- Zureile is suddenly inspired to new heights of acting ability. "We'll work it out on our own, L'lia. Don't worry about us. Right, Saldia?" She glances hopefully at the heretofore ignored weyrling.

Saldia grins at Zureile, knowing why Zureile has finally taken notice of her but she doesn't mind, she is ready to support her fellow weyrlings and she nods "yes L'lia, I will make sure of it, they are always like this, its just friendly quarraleling, you know, having to share the same space for two long. Don't worry, you don't need to tell Kyla, see they see the errors of their way." She raises her mug to hide her mouth, so L'lia cannot see that she doesn't believe her words. She takes a large gulp and nods "It will be alright"

"Kyla, being a weyrlingmaster, likes you just fine, weyrling, when you behave." L'lia archs an eyebrow, and then looks at the others with an amused look, "IF you can work it out together, then when Kyla disciplines you, you'll do much better, eh?" Her eyes glint slightly, "I know that Kyla's /tuaght/, so perhaps tonight is just.. bad judgement?"

Hanneke somewhat destroys the effect Zureile attempted to create, by shying away from the arm, and crossing her arms petulantly in front of her. "Zureile's just nasty," proclaims the weyrling, shrugging. "But maybe, if her *thing* grows up, we'll get along better."

Zureile pulls back her arm like it's been singed. Gross. She wouldn't want it tainted by Hanneke-germs after all. Rolling her eyes, she bursts out angrily, "I was trying to make it easier for us. But you can't see past the end of your nose, or your own feelings. Now /she/," a thumb is jerked in the direction of L'lia. Zureile's much to steamed up to consider manners at the moment, "is going to go straight to Kyla. Good job, Hanneke," is that a touch of saracasm in her voice? No. It's much more than a touch---Zureile's voice is dripping with it. "Wonderful job. You've earned us a trip to the weyrlingmaster's office. When we're standing in front of Kyla, I want you to remember that it's," she punctuates the next bit with her index finger, "all...your...fault." Poor Saldia. She's back to being forgotten again.

Saldia shrugs and finishes her mug, used to being ignored when these two start arguing "hanneke, it doesn't make you look good if you continue the argument about respect without giving anyway and being rude, especially when others are trying to help." That is her final comment on it, she is going to try and enjoy her klah before going back out to the company of her dragon

L'lia frowns, and turns her eyes to look directly at the goldrider. "Zureile. I /suggest/ you go to the barracks and spend some time with your lifemate.. and consider.. your responsibility in this situation. That we were discussing before the other weyrlings came in. ABout.. the responsbilities of riding a queen." A hint of a smile twitchs, "Might get some rest, who knows what inventive things Kyla will come up with for you."

"Is not!" insists Hanneke, hands going to hips with more force than ever. She gives Saldia a Look--since when was the other greenrider not on *her* side? "That's unfair!" Her face lifts to a triumphant smile as L'lia speaks to Zureile, and she straightens, attempting, not very hard, not to look superior. "That's right, go consider your *responsibilities*," comments she, sealing her position. Good job, Hanneke.

Zureile sets her jaw stubbornly and glares at the older brownrider like a rebellious teenager... which, in effect, she is. But she's well-trained enough to respond to a direct order when she hears one, so she turns around and begins to make her way angrily out of the living cavern. That is, until she hears Hanneke's response. Breathing deeply in an attempt to control her anger, she stares angrily at her fellow weyrling for a few, brief heartbeats. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. Kyla'd have her head if she did. It was really a bad idea; even Suryareth thought so. She shouldn't...but she's going to anyways. It only took three long strides for her to make her way back over to the table, and only a few seconds more for her to grab L'lia's abandoned mug of luke-warm klah and toss it's contents all over Hanneke. And with that, Zureile spins around and dashes out of the cavern before further reprocussions could be made.

Zureile walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

Saldia shrugs when she sees Hanneke's face, she has never been on anyone's side, just says what she thinks . She shakes her head warningly at Hanneke "Be careful what you say Hanneke, Zureile sounds like she is getting off lightly, if that is her punishment, think what you merit, after all Zu rides Gold and you don't." She waves goodbye to Zureile and then drinks the rest of her klah and nods at L'lia "I better excuse myself so you can talk to Hanneke." Saldia knows when to make her escape

L'lia just stares after the goldrider, and murmurs, "L'lia, she's /not/ your weyrling, you can't beat her.." Shaking her head slightly, she returns her attention to Hanneke, "Weyrling.. grab a towel and dry my klah off yourself, before it adds new stains to your outfit.

Hanneke's jaw drops, as the klah drips down her hair, down her already much stained leathers, and onto the clean shirt beneath. "She--look--but!" She turns to L'lia, shaking her hands, "Did you see what she did?" Saldia's passage out of the living caverns is missed in her distress, as she shakes her head, back and forth. "That's not fair!" L'lia's practical advice is met with a blink, and then a blind following of the order--she mops herself down, scowling. "She's nasty!"

L'lia murmurs, her voice very.. flat. "I did see. And.. I trust that Kyla will understand exactly how inappropriate this childishness is, especially in the living cavern." She looks at the greenrider, "However, she is not the only one who needs to focus on their duties, /weyrling/." L'lia, it seems, is not done."

Hanneke pauses in her mopping, staring at L'lia around the towel that she has picked up from the serving table, head shaking. "Who else are you talking about, *brownrider*?"

L'lia archs an eyebrow, tsking softly, "Manners, manners, weyrling. YOu know very well I"m referring to yourself. Its inappropriate to get into a verbal fight in the living cavern, no matter how 'annoying' you find Zureile."

"Oh." The weyrling drops her gaze, shuffling her feet slightly. "But it's hard--she's always insulting Caeruleth, and Caeruleth can't help being what she is. That's like telling Zureile to be pretty." It's impossible. "She started it, too. Both times." Every time.

L'lia archs an eyebrow, "What is Caeruleth, that she's always insulting?" She relaxes a hair, giving Hanneke plenty of role.

Hanneke hovers behind her chair, shifting her gaze about without settling upon anything. "She's--dark. They don't accept her for being dark, and for lurking, and being sarcastic. They won't let her be who she is, so they -- especially Suryareth -- try to change her! And Zureile called her a runt."

L'lia nods, "Not all dragonetts are light and fluffy tempermented. Which is fine. That said, if your lifemate has a dark sense of humor, its your responsibility to rein her in when she gets too far that way... its one of those things that we have to learn to do. I have to keep Xornath from going off and tormenting the firelizards, Zureile has to keep her lifemate from eating too much, and you have to help Caeruleth remember the lighter side of things."

Hanneke wrinkles her nose, although she nods, smoothing her hand through her slightly damp, sticky curls. "I s'pose," she agrees, for once without a real comment to make. "It's hard. Caeruleth has a mind of her own." Too much of a mind of her own, in fact. "And when people insult her, I can't help being mean back!"

L'lia nods, "Its instinctive. OUr dragons.. are the one thing that we love more than ourselves. Its very difficult to hear someone insulting them. But.. we have to be in control of ourselves -- and our lifemates." She looks directly at you, "If you can't control her now, imagine how much more difficult it will be when she rises? She won't listen half-as well then."

Hanneke opens her mouth, then shuts it again, like some curly haired, moderately beautiful fish. "No!" her voice ranges far higher than it's usual soprano range, squeaking as it ranges the octaves. "She's not going to rise! She's not like that. She's not one of those greens!" And without so much as a fair-thee-well, she makes a dash for the doorway, away from such a horrible idea.

You walk out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.

[-IstaLC-] "Shards! What is /wrong/ with this clutch? ARe all the weyrlings insane?" L'lia directs her comments to the ceiling, and sighs. "I should.. never have tried to solve their problems.." SHe shakes her head, and murmurs, "I better tell Kyla.."