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.
07-08-01: Hormones
Caeruleth spreads dark-tinted wings once, pushing upwards--disappearing ::between:: with a rush of air. :::BETWEEN!::: You hang, senseless, in the dark...
Caeruleth spreads dark-tinted wings once, pushing upwards--disappearing ::between:: with a rush of air.
:::BETWEEN!:::
You hang, senseless, in the dark nothingness of ::between::... absolute darkness surrounds you, and the profound cold stings you... you wait, and count...
Black...
Blacker...
Blackest...
Caeruleth emerges from ::between:: with a rush of cold air, dark wings outstretching, then beating, as she hovers in the air.
You glide over and backwing to a landing, casting up a spray of soft sand.
Caeruleth lunges towards a landing upon the beach, spraying sand about her as darkest hide comes in contact with darkest sand, sweeping with imperious, regal finesse into a firm backswinged landing. Hanneke pouts; there's *people* here! "Oh. Hihi!"
Katarra has indeed arrived popcornless, alas, but hey, there might be a few of those honey nut thingies they serve on airplanes in the bottom of her satchel. "I see that," she responds to Kr'lin concerning Niabeth's color. "It's rather obvious in more ways than one, I'd say." Twitching her head toward the green's equally glowing rider, she returns the greetings as she give her towel a good shake and plops down on it beside Zureile. "What's the matter, Zur?" she asks, "The guys giving you a hard time?"
Kr'lin chalks one up for himself. A quick buffing of the nails, because darn it, he's just /that/ good. Then comes another dragon.. Boy, starting to get crowded.. As if the 5 people before weren't enough.. Now there are 7 people and two dragons. "D'nic.. I didn't know you were admiring Zureile's backside. I'm surprised. I thought you were going after Kyla." And just to add a little spice tot he mix, "You heart hat, Zureile, D'nic's been oggling your butt."
Kyla manages to rise from the sand with some semblance of ease, "Well Tajiath /did/ wake Niabeth up..so I don't think she'd be against the idea." Hand is held out to the brownrider, to help her up. Ah, but you see, her attention is yanked to something far more unpleasant. Zur and Hanneke in the same place..at the same time. Hand stays frozen in the air, but Kyla's gaze is now on the Weyrlings. "Kr'lin." Voice is taunt and sharp, "Deal with them." Lovely. Really lovely.
D'nic shrugs his shoulders, "It's only fair, Kr'lin... she ogles mine all day long." He tosses a wave in Hanneke's direction, but his attention turns right back to Kyla and L'lia. They're leaving? Without Dom? But, but, but!
L'lia takes Kyla's hand, and gets herself pulled up from the sand. She glances towards the weyrlings, and she murmurs softly, "Isn't it lovely to have an assistant, Kyla?"
Zureile's getting fed up with being picked on. "Yeah? Well, I wouldn't give you the pleasure of looking at my behind anyways. Besides, at least I've got one, which is more than I can say for you and your bony little excuse," she snaps out. Hey, maybe there is hope for her and her comebacks. Katarra's question is met with more irritation than it deserves. "Yes. They are. And I don't appreciate it one bit." And then to make matters worse, Caeruleth arrives bearing Hanneke. Zureile's nightmare is now complete. Or so she thought--- Because she's suddenly the focus of Kyla's wrath again. Hoo-boy.
Hanneke, Zureile, together? The greenriding weyrling hadn't noticed that, and now, overhearing Kr'lin, recoils with displeasure -- evidently, enough sense has been knocked into her head that even she can see that this is a very bad thing -- shifting back within her seat. "Oh, I'm not staying! No, no, no. It's okay." Really. That wave from D'nic isn't even seen; things rarely seem to work out well.
You overhear L'lia murmur, " He'll ... ... of ... ... ... ... ... a ... weyr." to Kyla
Kyla watches as Niabeth circles down from above.
Kr'lin isn't like Kyla, he can't turn on and off like a faucet, so, he hasn't quite made the connection, "Deal with who?" Okay.. Now, Kr'lin is just confused. One moment he is getting a show, the next moment he's getting yelled at.
Xornath plummets down into the cove from the top of the cliff--!!splash!!
Xornath wades out of the water.
Kyla's hand slips from L'lia's. "True enough." she responds curtly, attention still on the Weyrlings for the moment. "But this must be dealt with..then.." Ah, mind flickers to the possibility and a smile finally reemerges. "Ah..later." A deep breath and she breaks away from L'lia, "Zureile and Hanneke. Your behavior in the Lower Caverns was noted. And now, Kr'lin will dole out the punishment. While I.." brows lift, "take care of hide work." Really.
Katarra leans closer to Zureile, nudging the weyrling's shoulder with her own. "He's no doubt just jealous. They can't help it, you know. It's a 'male' thing." Pulling a bottle out of her satchel, she unpops the stopper and casts an innocent smile toward the guys. Poor guys. Slaves to their hormones.
Kr'lin ahas! as Kyla fills in the blank. "Hide work.. *snicker* That's funny." It makes him laugh. Yes, it does, but then, the laughing has to stop, he's up on his feet, "Hanneke, come on down from there. It's weyrlingmaster time." Darnit! Darn it to heck! Why does Kyla get to have all the fun! The humanity of it all! *sigh*
D'nic is jealous. But not of Zureile. L'lia's the object of his envy at the moment. Blasted brownrider. He glances over at Katarra with a grin, "Who, me?"
L'lia murmurs softly to Kyla, "Looks like your assistant has everything under control..." She doesn't let go of the greenrider's hand for a moment, and she gestures towards her lifemate, "If Norieth wants to rest, Xornath would be happy to escort us.."
Katarra's attention is divided as expressions sour here and there. Thankfully the dirty work seems to be firmly in Kr'lin's lap, so she can just observe for once. Tipping the bottle, she let's some of the liquid inside spill out onto her leg and spreads it with her hand, meanwhile giving D'nic another beaming smile, with a bit of a twist. "Sorry, dear, but yes. It's inevitable. We promise not to hold it against you."
Hanneke doesn't want to come down--she crosses her arms, and stares at Kr'lin. "Don't wanna!" Kyla, L'lia--et al, for that matter, aren't even noticed; which is probably a good thing, considering.
Kyla allows herself to be tugged slightly by L'lia, now that Kr'lin is focused on the job. But she can't leave before she adds, "Tomorrow you can help with that hide work if you like, Kr'lin." A quick wink and then she turns and heads toward the brown. "Niabeth is fine with that. Lead the way, I can't wait to.." well her words fall off.
D'nic shrugs his shoulders with a smirk for the weyrwoman, "Okay, so long as y'all remember that I have no control over it." Hey! Kr'lin gets to help with hide work! No fair!
L'lia swings up to Xornath's neck, settling between two neckridges, and smiles down to her lifemate.
Kyla clambers up Xornath's neck and settles in between two neckridges.
Kr'lin hmms and likes that idea, "I dunno.. I'm thinking I'm going to need twice the hide work.." So distracted, Kr'lin isn't quite as forceful as he should be with Hanneke, "That's not a request Hanneke. Please dismount."
From Xornath's neck, L'lia smiles and climbs up her dragon, and then offers Kyla a hand. She pulls a blanket out of her pack, and murmurs, "Wrap this around you, hon, or you'll get rather cold.." Granted, Xoranth'll fly straight, but.
From Xornath's neck, Kyla smiles and presses against L'lia and pulls the blanket around both. "Warmer this way.." she says.
Hanneke nonetheless yelps, and dismounts in a hurry. Maybe he was polite. Maybe that helped.
Xornath launches up into the sky.
Above, Xornath comes to a lazy hover.
Caeruleth sends dark ripples of forest green through your mind, releasing you as you tumble, somewhat precipitaciously, down from her neckridges, eventually reaching the ground in an acervated heap.
Above, Xornath shifts his pinions and catches one of the brisk, upper currents, gliding towards the rocky point.
Kr'lin does a quick bit of sand dusting a quick examination finds his leathers mostly sand free. He has to look respectable for what he's about to do, "Now, Hanneke. Kyla and the other Weyrlingmasters had a nice long conversation about how to punish you and Zureile for what you did in the Living Cavern."
Hanneke squeaks, and jams her hands into the pockets of her breeches--ooh, someone's managed to replace the water and juice stained ones--and peers at up Kr'lin with a wary glance. "I didn't do it!"
Kr'lin arches an eyebrow and just stares at the Weyrling, "So, you are calling L'lia a liar then?" Here, Hanneke, have a shovel, you'll dig yourself a hole quicker, "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear you called her that. She tells us you and Zureile made quite a spectacle of yourselves."
Katarra continues applying her lotion slowly, just watching and listening for the moment. A tiny bug dares to attempt crossing her blanket, but is quickly dispatched by a flick of her wrist. Ew.
D'nic watches Katarra apply lotion. What? It's the hormones, remember?
Hanneke says, "Ummmmm." That's probably not a good tack to go down. "Well, *no*, but..."
Kr'lin lifts a finger and waggles it, hopefully cutting the weyrling off, "But nothing, Hanneke. You and Zureile were way out of line. There is no reason why a dragonrider needs to step in between two Weyrlings and tell them to go to their separate corners." Not exactly what L'lia said, but still, it gets the point across.
Katarra sets the bottle aside and tilts her head, swinging long honey tresses around her shoulder and to the front. Nimble fingers quickly create a single, neat braid, which she then twists up behind her head and pins into place. "Oh D'nic....." she smiles. "I don't suppose you'd mind helping me out here?" Twisting her shoulders a bit and lifting the bottle, she makes her intention clear. Hopefully. You can never tell when hormones are running amok.
Hanneke scowls, and runs her booted foot into the sand, digging it deeper. Thankfully, she's not quite up to noticing Katarra, either--these apparently hormonal riders are not something that would make this any easier. "She started it, and--yes." Caeruleth's darkly ranging alto rumble has her posture straightened, her head raised, her eyes downcast, all within a moment.
Kr'lin moves a little closer to the young greenrider, he's not tall enough to be too far away and look imposing.. Well, okay, he's wide enough, but still, "Hanneke, what did I just say? There is no excuse. And don't /make/ me bring up you tossing red fruit juice into Zureile's face." Oh, wait, he just did, "The bit L'lia caught was the second time you and Zureile were out of line in the living cavern."
In the background, Tajiath bathes in the morning's bright sun, it's glow glimmering brightly off her golden hide. Muscles relaxed, curled in a sleeping pose, one might assume she was unaware of her surroundings, till the twitching tail gives her away.
D'nic's hormones aren't /totally/ running amok. He's kept 'em in check this long, he can maintain his cool a bit longer. Liberating the lotion bottle from her, he shifts to a kneeling position behind Katarra, "No bother at all, Kat. At your service." Lotion is dripped into his hands, then his fingers go to work on her shoulders and back. "Y'know, I've always been told that I give a pretty good shoulder massage...." Relax. Enjoy.
Zureile could have ducked. Hanneke's got more sense -- amazingly -- to note it, though. "No excuse," she repeats, nodding rapidly to Caeruleth's lurking presence behind her--there's more to that contact that meets the eye, the darkling green holding poise to shadow her lifemate in sultry dark. "Um. Yes."
Kr'lin nods his head, see, she isn't talking back, that is a good sign, "Very good, Hanneke. You are correct. There is no reason why you should have been acting that way in the Living Cavern. You and Zureile should have worked out your problems in a more private arena. Do you have any idea how badly you have embarrassed us?" The us being the weyrlingmasters.
Hesitation from Hanneke. "Uh--no?" The chronically confused simply blinks at Kr'lin, tossing her ever so slowly growing hair with her fingers. She mutters something to herself, more petulantly, but resorts to plastering brilliant smiles upon her face.
D'nic would be able to provide the pina colada, if weyrlings were allowed near the drinks. But nooooo. Bad enough the Weyr has been deprived of Dom's masseuse skills all this time. He's out of practice. Luckily for Katarra, he makes up for the rust with effort. A light touch, but insistent. Those knots /will/ be worked out of her muscles, if it's the last thing he does. "Here?" The flesh is manipulated, thumbs digging in -- but not too hard.
Kr'lin was hoping she wasn't going to give that answer, but she did, "Well, it was extremely embarrassing. We had to be told that a pair of our Weyrlings were yelling at each other and throwing drinks in each others' face. That is completely unacceptable!" See, he added an exclamation point to his statement. He's getting himself worked into a lather here.. well, okay.. I slight foam, barely even a head. "If you and Zureile have a problem, you work it out in house."
D'nic has his work cut out for him because it's probably been just as long that the Weyr has deprived Katarra of a good massage. All that hide work, after all. Oh, that's right... Kyla's taking care of that. The thought brings a chuckle to Katarra's lips, but just as quickly her head turns toward her lounging lifemate, who hasn't been so unobserving as she thought. "Oh shush, Taji," she mutters. Purposefully tipping her head a bit, she answers D'nic, "Yes, that's just the spot. Thanks. It's really sore too, so feel free to press harder."
Hanneke blinks. She blinks a second time, and then a third. At her most vacuous, before Caeruleth can halt any damaging syllables, she comments--"That's embarrassing?" For the record, she also nods, rapidly, as if accepting his words. "In house. O-K." Yes, we're ignoring D'nic and Katarra. Yes, we're being quite our worst, this fine day.
Kr'lin nods very slowly, "That's very embarrassing, Hanneke. It makes us look very bad. When Weyrlings act up, people always blame us for it. Wonder why we didn't catch it." Okay, he's dragged this on long enough, "And to make sure you understand how embarassing it is, we are going to give you several punishments."
Off to the side, Tajiath snorts, dislodging a small bit of sand and startling a pair of birds pecking at a dead fish nearby. Humans. Hormones. If dragons could roll their eyes, she would.
Now it's time to rally really hard--"I'll try really, really hard, and it won't happen again, and I'll really be the *best* weyrling again, I promise!" Just please, please, please don't punish her? "We could have wrestled in the living caverns, in all the juice, and that would have been worse!" Never say that Hanneke does not have an overactive imagination.
D'nic dutifully presses harder, "Got it." Knead. Push. Knuckle. Rub. You name it, Dom tries it on Katarra's muscles. Mumbling absently to the weyrwoman as his fingers continue their work, "Tense. Much too tense..." The hands roam around the shoulder area, never staying in one place for too long. Teasing here, prodding there, a light grazing up the neck. A soft snort at Hanneke's claim to the Best Weyrling title. Then back to work.
Kr'lin hmms and does have to agree, that would have been worse.. "Would have only made your punishment much worse than it already is, Hanneke. Physical activity between two weyrlings is most definitely discouraged.. Fighting included." Okay, that's out of the way, "It still doesn't get you out of your punishment. First off, once you and Caeruleth get back to the Weyr, you are grounded for the next sevenday(OOC: Until Class on Wednesday). The only time Caeruleth may leave the ground is to feed."
Hanneke glances around the beach, up and down, down and up--"Um...How do we get home?" The stupidest weyrling--who can't really make claim to her prefered title at this particular point--blinks several times. "I--"
Kr'lin just glowers at Hanneke, "I did say once you get back to the Weyr, Hanneke. Try listening to what I am saying. You are already in enough trouble. Now is not the time to not be listening to what I have to say." Now, where was he.. Ah, yes.. The punishments. "That's just your first punishment. The next punishment is.." He trails off, adding a bit of suspense.
Hanneke's brow furrows, and her scowl centres itself upon her face once more. "Oh." Rats. "Just the first?" Her voice quavers as she states this, and she peers up at Kr'lin, attempting, somehow, to look pitiful. It's probably better described is hopelessly stupid.
Katarra is momentarily lost as aching muscles protest their forced loosening. Pulling her legs closer, she crosses them for better leverage against all that firm kneeding. Ahh, the rating level is surely increasing by the moment. Mention of rolling in liquids does catch her attention though, and Kr'lin's further comments cause pert nose to wrinkle. Hanging in the suspenseful pause, she suddenly cringes as D'nic hits a really tight spot. "Ouch! Down, down, D'nic. Right a tad? Use those thumbs." Demanding sort, ain't she?
Kr'lin nods his head, "Correct, first punishment. The next punishment is that since you and Zureile are not going to be doing much for the next sevenday, we are going to be offering your services to the Headwoman. You two get to work the Living cavern while you are grounded.." See, not that bad, but.. Alas, he isn't done yet, "But, before you get too excited. We are going to make this a lesson about working together."
D'nic down downs, and goes to the right a tad, and uses those thumbs. Her wish is his command. Is he a sucker for the ladies or what? Is it Jaqueth's personality rubbing off on Dom, or vice versa? "Sheesh, Katarra, what've you been /doing/? My shoulders didn't get this tight when I was lugging fully-packed crates around the store caverns." I'm gonna rub that knot right outta her back, gonna rub that knot right outta her back...
Hanneke has one small problem, that being that she has an inate ability to drop plates if she ever holds more than two at once. Ergo, her response to Kr'lin is an expression in askance. The horror. "Buh?" Powers of articulation, flee from this particular doomed weyrling.
Now /that/ is the reaction Kr'lin was hoping for, "Buh what? Buh you haven't learned you lesson yet? Well, good. Because not only are you going to be grounded and working the Living Cavern. But you and Zureile are going to be tied together. You aren't going to be able to get away from each other for the next sevenday." A slight pause, see how that one sinks in, "So, you and Zureile had better work your troubles out, otherwise, your next week is going to be absolutely horrible."
"Nononono, Buh--" begins Hanneke, as if attempting to explain herself, although she doesn't quite manage to get it out before her jaw drops, and Kr'lin's words sink in. It's going to be horrible. She just knows it.
Kr'lin just nods his head as Hanneke says no over and over, "Yup. So enjoy your foray, Hanneke. As soon as Caeruleth lands in the bowl, she isn't to leave the ground." Oh, and just in case, Hanneke tries to be sneaky, "And when you two leave this beach, you are to head directly for the Weyr." So, at most, she has one day of freedom.. Have to be back by nightfall, don't you know. "Report to the Headwoman tomorrow. She'll have the rope."
Katarra squirms a bit on the towel, stretching and arching her back before heaving a tremendous sigh and settling down again. "Ah, my back feels much better already," she says. Success! But then, "Could you do up here some more now?" is added as she tilts her head forward and taps behind her neck. Round two! Poor D'nic. What has he gotten himself into? Of course, Kr'lin's announcement isn't missed, and she blinks in surprise, smothering a chortle for the perfectly fitting conclusion to the list of punishments.
Hanneke kicks her foot into the sand with more force, scowling, "That's not fair! I hate you! You're all nasty and mean, and it wasn't my fault!" Her mouth opens as that particular tirade finishes, and she gulps. "Oops."
Kr'lin sighs heavily, "Hanneke, you don't ever learn, do you?" He points at the ground with a grin, "Fifty." He doesn't feel the need to tell Hanneke that she needs to do fifty pushups, she's done so many of them during her Weyrlinghood.
D'nic bites down on his upper lip to keep from bursting into laughter at the latest punishment that's thrown Hanneke's way. That's just mean, Kr'lin. Dom can't wait to see it in action. Can't think of a more deserving pair to have to suffer through /that/ indignity. "Yeah, sure, no problem." Not like he's got anywhere else to be today. Least the sun is hitting his back while he's at it. Katarra's neck gets a much more gentle treatment, after another spurt of lotion is applied. Hey, y'know what? Kat's got a pretty nice neck on her. D'nic's fingertips gently soothe the muscles and tendons, paying special attention to the spot just below the weyrwoman's ears.
Hanneke, the *best* weyrling, suffer that indignity, as D'nic so rightly put it? Oh, life is not fair. Half a wail escapes from Hanneke's opened mouth, then she snaps it shut. "What if I won't?" Excuse Caeruleth, while she goes and sinks her head into the sand in disgust. Bad Hanneke.
Kr'lin folds his arms, raising his eyebrow again, "Then you'll give me one hundred pushups and head back to the Weyr as soon as you are done." See, Kr'lin isn't a very good negotiator. He's a good dictator though. Just tell 'em what needs to be done and if they question, increase it.
Katarra smiles to herself, since no one else has a clear view of her expression at the moment, and pulls her knees up close, wrapping her arms around them. Her head tips forward as the massage continues, offering D'nic as much of an expanse to soothe as possible. Hopefully he doesn't have any needlework to be done in the next few days - after this workout they'll be numb as Hanneke's negotiating skills are at the moment. "I guess I'll have to agree with those previous estimates," she decides. "You do a fairly good job at massaging." Stressing the word 'fairly', she grins, teasing.
Hanneke glances around, very briefly, in the hope of seeing mercy within the faces of those nearby, but turns back, falling to the beach without much grace, and--yes, that's one pushup. And a second. And a heaving, wheezing sigh.
Kr'lin folds his arms and starts to tap his fingers on his biceps, "Come on, Hanneke. You should be an expert at these. Have you even been training?" See, mock the weyrling, it works wonders for their motivation.
D'nic grins slyly from behind Katarra, "Just imagine if my fingers were in practice..." It's a shame that the women of the Weyr have been denied Dom's fingers for two turns or so. A travesty. As he leans in to knead the base of her neck, he murmurs, "And backs aren't even my specialty..." Did someone say hormones?
Hanneke mutters something, which proceeds to gain her a rather sandy meal: it is not advisable to speak when one is collapsed upon the sand, attempting rather valiantly to heave oneself back into position for yet another -- the third -- push up. "No."
Kr'lin is quite shocked at that, "I'm amazed you can pull yourself up on your dragon, Hanneke. Really. I've seen children that can do better pushups than you." Oh yeah.. Stroke that ego. Yup. Build up the weyrling's confidence. "You can do better than this, Hanneke. Just stop complaining and start pushing."
Oh, now, that one she just can't resist. Despite the glowering presense in her mind, which she easily ignores, Katarra twists about slightly till D'nic is partially in view. "Is that so? Hmm... What is then?" she asks, pale brows dipping in feigned confusion.
Kr'lin points at D'nic and says, "You'd better say feet, D'nic." See, he can pay attention to two conversation too.
Hanneke, the weyrling that everyone should feel sorry for, mutters something else, but this time manages not to gain a mouthful of sand in the process. Her head ducks up, her eyes moving into glare position upon Kr'lin. "Nasty."
Kr'lin squats down in front of Hanneke, "Fine, keep up your complaining. You are only making it worse, Hanneke. If you really want to show me up, start doing some decent pushups." Hey, incentive there. "Prove me wrong, weyrling. I'm saying you can't do fifty pushups, what do you have to say about that?"
Kr'lin snugs Hanneke! Hanneke beams brilliantly, and hugs you, and cuddles you, and absolutely oozes saccharine! Charmed.
Hanneke's arms give way. "That you're right?" so queries she, her voice raising into a squeek as, covered in dark sand, she peers upwards at the Assistant Weyrlingmaster.
D'nic flashes that sly grin again for the weyrwoman before deftly moving his head to the other side of her head, resting his chin on her shoulder for a moment. Just long enough for him to murmur in her ear, "You'll have to find out after graduation..." And, with that, he leans back to arms length, finishing the job on her neck. Smirking over to Kr'lin, he adds, "Feet."
Kr'lin just shakes his head, "I'm so ashamed, Hanneke. You can't even prove me wrong." A few more headshakes and he stands up, "You still owe me the rest of your pushups, Hanneke."
Hanneke watches Kr'lin go, her chin and nose sticking up in the air, "I told you so!" she calls, towards no one, pulling herself into a seated position. She probably stuffs up just to be contrary.
Katarra's smirk quickly turns to a pout, although a playful one by the spark that remains in her eye. "I'll remember to ask you again later then," she remarks, rolling one shoulder. "Ahhh, that does feel much better." Pulling out the braid, she lets her hair fall free, and climbs to her feet. Brushing at the little sand that actually managed to cling to her, she gives the struggling weyrling a non-sympathetic look, and announces, "Well, guess I'll go for a swim now. Can't waste a good trip to the beach without going in the water." Leaving her things behind, she heads for the softly incoming waves.
Gah. What with the whole Kyla-L'lia display, and the rubbing and lotioning of Katarra, D'nic's gonna need to go hide away from the world for a little while. He pushes himself to his feet, and starts heading back to where Jaqueth is /still/ lounging. Along the way, he veers over to give Hanneke a smirk and a pat on the shoulder, "Have fun with Zureile..." Ouch. That's just mean, Dom.