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.
25-09-01: Suryareth
You go into the Living Caverns. Though the comment was left unremarked upon, Katarra didn't miss it at all. Her...
You go into the Living Caverns.
Though the comment was left unremarked upon, Katarra didn't miss it at all. Her reaction was simply delayed. A swing of her foot beneath the table aims for a certain blue-rider's shin, and by the sudden jerk of its target, the connection is made. Leaning toward Kr'lin, she murmers, "Too........ you....... naked, alright." Settling back with a smirk, she sips from her mug. Wait, green eyes blink as several comments register... what's all this about inhibitions? Who's got inhibitions around here?? OFF with their head!!
Zureile
Yowza! Zureile's... grown. No, not up. Though she's still tall and slightly gaunt, she's the same height. It's more like she appears to have suddenly sprouted rather obvious new...attributes. Perhaps too suddenly. And could it be your imagination, but are they changing in size from one day to the next? It's not like they're gigantic, but in comparison to what she had before.. Yowza. Zureile's air of innocence continues to cling, and she's still more arresting than beautiful. Some things never change. Her features are probably too strong to ever meld together smoothly. Her skin is creamy and pale, with a small smattering of freckles dusting the bridge of her nose. Large gray eyes peer at the world with an unnerving intensity from beneath a thick fringe of lashes, and her hair falls in thick, chestnut curls to her shoulders. Generous lips are usually pulled back into an infectious grin, giving her normally earnest face an impish expression. Her slender body is finally beginning to fill out, the hard work of weyrlinghood and good food of Ista lending her taut muscles along with her growing curves.
High on her left shoulder is a knot of black and orange, the braided gold looping indicating her status as one of Ista's Jr. Weyrwoman.
Cotton ruffles turn her into a veritable walking bonbon; frothy, creamed buttercup yellow, they bedeck the sundress from the modest line suspended below her collarbones by slender straps to it's finish, just above her knees -- sunflower yellow and small clusters of azure flowers can be glimpsed in the gap 'tween each ruffle, and guessed at over the matching sandals, though the latter are devoid of ruffles.
"Yes sir." Sumi mumbles to Kr'lin, "THank you for pointing that out to me. I would have never have known that, sir." She babbles trying to make up for her serious lack of common sense only moments before, yet it appears the poor girl is digging herself a deeper ditch in which she may be buried.
Did Zureile finally learn how to dress? Admiringly, in some form of the word, Hanneke hesitates by the entrance, glimpsing the attire of her arch nemesis. This feeling is evidently rapidly shrugged off; Greenrider strides indeed for the serving table, pouring juice and, for a wonder, spilling no more than a drop or two. "Hihi!" is the issued greeting, hardly unusual, as she turns her head about once more.
L'lia looks at Hanneke, and says, with a bit more fervor that is strictly polite, "Hanneke, please tell me that your green isn't proddy." She reachs across to pat Sumi lightly on the shoulder, "Don't take it to heart, lass. You'll survive."
If Kr'lin's trying to make Zureile a little less cheerful, he's definitely succeeding. "And just what do you mean by that little inhibition remark? I don't think that's nice of you. In fact, you've been insulting me since you came in. You're mean." She says this as if suddenly discovering an astonishing fact. "If you want a drink of klah, you're going to have to get it yourself." And with that, she tips the mug over on Kr'lin, spilling the warm contents on his lap.
There are enough ditches around Ista to qualify the whole weyr as a mine-field. That never stops these weyrfolk though. Katarra gives Sumi a sympathetic smile. Hanneke's entrance is noted, and greeting returned with a short lift of mug. "Good morning, Hanneke."
Kr'lin is both shocked at Katarra's kick to his shins(The
L'lia half-rises, and she puts herself inbetween her wingleader and the weyrwoman. "KR'lin. Zureile. Stop this." She glares at them equally, even though she did put herself in the danger zone. "You'll scare the kid." Of course, 'the kid' isn't that much younger than some of these riders.
Hanneke jumps. Just slightly -- more or less a hop -- to L'lia's comment, squeaking out an answer; "Um, no?-- Oh, hihi, Katarra. You're well, I hope?" Politesse dispatched, the greenrider, still watching Zureile every moment or two -- she's doing something worth supporting, even if she is unsuportable -- slips towards a chair, sitting. Hesitating. Watching.
Sumi can only do one thing, watch.
Zureile's not going to give him some time. She's already on to the next thing which has caught her attention... namely, Hanneke. "Hanneke, hi! How are you?
Kr'lin is saved from having yet another mug dumped over his head to complete the klah shower by the fact that Katarra can't read his mind. Instead, she dodges away with a gasp, just missing the spreading dark liquid. "OH!" Of course, dresses aren't exactly handy for quick movements, and thus she gets tangled and trips on the seat bench, falling to the floor with a resounding *thud*. Ugh.
L'lia shakes her head, and mutters, "Kr'lin.. you should go change. In your weyr." In case there was a question where he should be disrobing. "Zureile... maybe you and Katarra should go.. supervisor the stores or something."
Zureile's not going to give him some time. She's already on to the next thing which has caught her attention... namely, Hanneke. "Hanneke, hi! How are you? We haven't talked in a really long time. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for all the mean things I said to you. I was really mean, very bad. Not nice. Like Kr'lin is not nice, you know?" She hiccups. "We should try to be friends, because that's what the weyr needs. More friends. And more inhibitions. Maybe it's that we need more inhibited friends... Katarra!" Zureile flounces over to see if she can help. "I can't supervise... I have to help." Like, duh.
Hanneke is now ready to fear for her life -- Zureile's talking to her? Hesitation follows. "Er, hello, Junior Weyrwoman," she greets, as if with the proper level of respect, boggling at the apology, which she is not quite ready to accept. "Friends, um...yes." Any further answer is avoided by Katarra's little accident, which is greeted with more than a little trepidation. She's beginning to look scared. "What's going on!" she wails, understandably.
Kr'lin is immediately deluged by wide-eyed drudges with rags and towels. Of course, no one goes dabbing where they shouldn't, poor guy
Stammering as if trying to find the proper words to fit such an awkward moment, "I - I - I should --- f-f-f-find Beca!" Sumi bobs her head quickly, "If this is unusual, shells and shards, this is just weird." She's watch the klah in the lap, the floucing, the bouncing and the odd proportioned weyrwoman. This holder can say, she's definitely seen enough and enough is entirely too much.
Kr'lin hmphs at the bouncing Zureile, then another one for the bouncing Katarra. Just they are bouncing on different parts of their body, Zureile on her feet, Katarra on her.. Well.. padding. He starts to swat at the drudges, "Shoo, shoo. It'll dry on it's own. Shooo!" Nothing worse than having drudges dab at you when you are trying to be all gentleman like.. Worse yet.. Have them dabbing when you had the intention of being gentleman-like, but are unable to do so because they are dabbing. A few extra swats and he slides over to Katarra, "Here, let me help you up." A hand is even offered. Zureile gets a, "Haven't you caused enough trouble? Hmm? Here Katarra was minding her own business and you nearly ruined her fine dress by pouring klah in my lap."
L'lia mutters, under her breath, "This is getting.. insane." SHe nods, and immediately takes a step towards Sumi, "Certainly, lets get you settled in the guest quarters, and find your sister, and.. it should calm down out here, and they'll start behaving like normal Istans. Else I'm transferring back to Igen."
"Anything other than this, must be normal." Sumi rises, "I mean what will happen next a bubblely pie fight?" Reaching for her bag, "Or someone trying to fly without their dragon." Snorting in a very unlady like fashion, Sumi's pratical holder nature finally kicks in, "A bunch of fluff-n-nuthin-n-nonsense." Scoffing as she mutters, "Klah in the lap, why my Ma would wear the bark off a branch on my hide if I did something like that." Trying to tuck the bag this way or that to hold it properly and failing, "Better'n are just more than a bit silly."
Katarra blinks for a few moments, waiting for feeling to return to her 'padding'. Looking up, at first her vision is filled with bright ruffles, but finally a face appears as vision clears and it appears to be that of Kr'lin. Hesitantly, she accepts his hand, eyeing him as if she expects him to let go at any moment. Once on her feet, she begins a check of her own attire, smoothing the pastel panels down with her palms. "I'm /fine/," she stresses. "/You/ shouldn't have done that Zureile, but /you/ shouldn't have asked for it, Kr'lin. Now.. both of you apologize." Crossing her arms, she slowly looks from one to the other.
Zureile glares at Kr'lin, swaying on her feet. "I would never ruin Katarra's dress. It's beautiful. Like mine. I was just giving you your klah that you deserved, but not in your mouth. I put it in your lap." Just in case he'd forgotten, Zureile'll remind him. You never could tell with Kr'lin. "Don't go, Sumi! Please. We need to talk some more. Yes, talk. About..." About what? Shoes and ships and sealing wax? "About inhibitions. Kr'lin doesn't believe in them, but they're good. We need them. People like," she waves at L'lia, "Don't understand. They think they're dragon'll rise at any moment, and they should act like it. But L'lia's is a brown, so he won't rise..ever!" Zureile laughs so hard at her own flat joke that she snorts. She cuts off at the sound of Katarra's voice. "Apologize?" She looks woebegone. "I'm sorry I tried to help you up, Katarra." Whether or not she's purposefully misunderstanding is not evident.
Hanneke, more than ever, leans back within her seat to peer--at everything, jaw dropping as words are exchanged; "I don't understand!" she wails, more to herself than to anyone else, head shaking. Well, duh.
L'lia murmurs, "COme on, lass, before they do something worse." She ignores the fact that the holder-girl is insulting the weyr-life, "We'll get you settled, and they'll become normal." She adds, a touch louder, "WHen I was a young rider, something like that would have gotten me... dawn sweeps for a turn!" She glares at them all. SHe mutters... "He will catch, and then'll you'll flip out, Zureile."
Kr'lin hmms and starts to help Katarra inspect her outfit, dusting off where she landed, several times, "Oh my. Look at all that dust. Hmm.. Just horrid, absolutely horrid. You'll have to change, Katarra. Can't have you dressed like this." *patpat* *patpat* "All this dust." Then the apology, "Oh, yes. I'm most definitely sorry that Zureile had to go and pour klah in my lap and almost splatter you with klah."
"Yes ma'am." Sumi says with a final nod, retreating from the fru-fru'd weyrwoman, "I think her shell has done cracked if you ask me." THe girl mutters to herself prepared to follow after L'lia.
L'lia heads into the lower caverns, young girl in tow. "This way, lass." SHe waves at the other riders, and winks at Zureile. "I'll see you later." A promise? Threat? Who knows.
L'lia disappears beneath the arched entrance to the Living Quarters.
Sumi disappears beneath the arched entrance to the Living Quarters.
L'lia stalks back through the living cavern, muttering under her breath about riders who create a bad impression for visitors.
From outside of the caverns, there's the unmistakable sound of an irritated whuffle. Come to think of it, if anyone's looking, there's a large, golden muzzle filling the entrance. Suryareth is /done/ waiting for Zureile. Zureile jumps as if she's been scalded, and whirls around in a frantic twist of lace and ruffles. "I have to go. Suryareth needs me. She says the weyr is dirty, and that I need to wash it. But I need to wash her, first. With water from the lake, of course, But I'm not washing the weyr in the lake. It won't fit." She nods her head in drunken assurance. Weyrs don't fit in lakes. Or if they did, most weyrs are too attatched to the mountain. "So I have to go."
Katarra's face turns a rather lovely shade of crimson. The loveliness doesn't match the flash of her steely green gaze or set of her jaw though (although those are quite lovely too, mind you). "I meant apologize to each /other/!" she says in an even, slow, and firm tone. Arms uncross and her hands settle on her hips. Uh oh.. is that the tapping of a slippered foot?
Hanneke, blinking, rapidly, peers at Zureile. "Why'd you want to wash the weyr, anyway?" Rubbing her head in typical Hanneke confusion, she leans back in her chair. "Um, bye." That's measured respect; the other girl was nice, therefore--she'll try.
Katarra swats at Kr'lin, connecting with his arm and hands several times. "And you - cut that out before I have Taji drop you in the ocean for a good cooling off!"
Kr'lin pats a few more times at the 'dust', "What? Apologize to Zureile? But she's the one that poured klah in my lap. Why should I apologize to her? And besides, she's leaving, I can't really apologize to her when she is leaving." Oh my, missed a bit of dust there. *patpat* Hmm, pesky dust molecule, won't go away, maybe he should rub at it a bit. Then the swatting, "Hmm, actually, looks like the dust is all gone now."
Zureile stares at Kr'lin in confusion, still wobbling slightly on her feet. "Apologize to you?" She glance at Katarra to see if she means it, then shrugs her shoulders. "Alright. I'm sorry that you picked Katarra up. Although I'm not sure /why/ I have to apologize for that." Another irritated rumble is heard, and Zureile dashes out of the living caverns, ruffles trailing in her wake. "Bye bye!"
Zureile walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.
Katarra twists about, pulling her skirt and extremeties out of Kr'lin's overly helpful reach. "Yes, it is all gone," she murmers rather firmly, still sending him that steely glare. One hand jerks upward as Zureile rushes from the cavern. "Wait!..." Too late. But then, the other culprit has not yet escaped. Turning back to Kr'lin, she sighs. "You /know/ what I meant."
Hanneke remains quiet, sipping her juice carefully; what's more to say? Nodding sagely to something unheard, or not hearable, she eyes the wall. Safer.
Kr'lin titls his head to the side, and not because he is checking out Katarra's backside, "No, actually I don't. What are you talking about? All I remember is telling Zureile that she poured my morning drink wrong. She poured it 1 part klah, three parts alcohol. I can't help it if she went all nutty on my and poured klah on me." Speaking of which, he leans forward and inspects a spot on Katarra's dress, "Oh no.. A spot. could it be?" Located about chest high, yes, it could be.
Katarra huffs, jaw jutting out slightly as she visibly calms herself by tucking a few stray strands behind her ear. Where's a mirror when you need one? The thought only darkens her mood more. Faranth forbid anything be out of place! "You were egging her on and you know it. And that comment about.... hey! I'm up /here/, Kr'lin!" she spouts, lifting his chin to eye level with one hand. "Ya know, if I didn't know better I'd say /you/ were the one who was proddy."
Kr'lin points at the spot, "I wasn't looking there!" Okay, he was, but he wasn't looking there to be looking there, "You got a spot on your dress, I was merely making sure it was a spot before I brought it to your attention." And Kr'lin isn't exactly proddy, he just hasn't been getting much lately. What with Fiora being in her final trimester and all. "I couldn't go and say, 'Oh my! You have a spot on your dress!' only to find out it is just a sequin or something."
Hanneke's disgusted. In case someone is interested -- but she's nonetheless watching with rapt fascination. *This* is awful. It's also fascinating. "You're a--a--*perve*, Kr'lin."
Katarra overhears Hanneke's comment and turns, a few quick steps bringing her to the greenrider. Putting one arm around the girl's shoulder, she casts a haughty, parent-ish look back toward Kr'lin. "Do you see what's happening? Just /look/ at the impression you're making on our youth. They look up to you, you know. An example. A leader. And here we have it - the cold hard truth. You're a perve." Lips curve downward, a slow sad nod, and soft sigh, and a pitying look is given Hanneke before she turns again to Kr'lin. "I think the only way to rectify this situation is to set the /right/ example by apologizing to Zureile the very next time you see her. And I mean the /correct/ apology."
Hanneke manages, by some twist of fate, to look altogether pitiable as Katarra moves to put her arm upon her shoulder, puppy dog lip and all. We are the youth -- and we're able to look innocent.
Kr'lin sighs heavily and just shakes his head, "You are right. I should apologize to Zureile." He even hangs his head, almost looking apologetic, "I should apologize for not mentioning to her that when she stuffs her shirt, she should make sure to make her 'breasts' the same size every time." Okay, he did look apologetic for a bit, now he just looks like he is having the time of his life. That is, for a few moments atleast, "But, if you will excuse me. L'lia kept saying something about wanting to talk to me about sweep schedules..." He sighs heavily and starts for the bowl, "And Hanneke, lose the pout. You still have dawn sweeps." Hey! speaking of which.. It's dawn and she isn't airborne.. Hmm. Maybe that is what L'lia wanted to mention to him. She uninked Hanneke in for dawnsweeps.
She penciled -- maybe. At any rate, Hanneke's here, not there, and moves to smile vacuously, instead. Nod and smile, and if you look good enough, they might think you're too stupid.
"Kr'lin! You are... are.. incorrigable!!" Katarra insists, stomping one foot. Way to go. Show real authority there. Well, it used to always work, anyway. Giving Hanneke's shoulder a pat, she says, "Pay no mind to him, dear. There's just no accounting for /some/ men. They're hopeless." A pause follows, in which Katarra's lips curl upward, her gaze frozen. With a hint of humor in her tone, she adds, "As I've just been reminded..... again..... they have their limited uses. Very limited."
Kr'lin strolls on out of the cavern, making sure to note, "Oh, and Katarra, I'm glad to see you have been working out lately. You've firmed up since last time." He's out. He has a reputation to live up to and he isn't about to disappoint.
Kr'lin walks out of the Living Caverns into the bowl.
"I know," announces Hanneke, almost quietly. Depression-related, perhaps. "They're *awful*." She sticks her tongue out after Kr'lin's retreating back; "Nasty man."
Katarra would very much like to imitate Hanneke's gesture, so fitting it is, but manages to maintain her decorum by simply clicking her tongue. Tsk. Tsk. "Well, I must be going. Taji is awake now and informs me I've daudled in here long enough. Good day, Hanneke. Clear skies." She /was/ just on her way through after her bath is all. It's all Kr'lin's fault. Somehow it is. Didn't have a thing to do with stopping to admire Zureile's dress, nooooooooo...... not at all.
Hanneke raises her hand politely, noting, "Clear skies to you, also, Katarra!" Zureile's dress *was*, after all, worth admiring. Frills. Mmm.