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.

01-07-01: Short and Sweet
Weyrlings have few moments to spare for nothing more than idle chatter, but this interlude catches W'yn and Lydiere together, and they use it well.

Striding in from the bowl is Lydiere, her wet hair falling about her mostly-bare shoulders; she's wearing a rare strappy top, and being sans Llysereth, perhaps that's fairly explainable. The weyrling makes tracks towards her cot with some distaste upon her face, making a hazardous topknot of her hair as she strides, stepping around various items of various origins upon the floor. "Shards, this place is a mess!"

W'yn is sat quietly, his arm leaning agains a Bronze muzzle which is making a great arm wrest. Slowly the faceted eyes of the dragon open and the curiosity makes W'yn look up. Watching Lydiere walk in, he closes his book and cocks his head criously. At her exclamation he jumps sligtly and looks about. "Too many big dragons knocking them about.." he offers quietly.

"Too many people in one place, when they're *all* ready to get out into the big bad world?" suggests Lydiere, agreeing with W'yn as she drops her damp towel into a pile upon the floor. "That's not frustration," she adds, "That's just human nature, as far as I'm concerned." As an afterthought, prompted by a dainty warble from the now awake Llysereth, "Hi, W'yn. Zymanth."

W'yn watches the towl drop to the floor before looking up and nodding. "greeting to you also Lydi..Llysereth." Finally he remembered not to use a shortened name. Chuckling lightly he raises an eyebrow. "Did my frustration come out that much from that one sentence?" Nodding to how she herself sees things he adds. "Ahh, but we should all be more tidy." Zymanth purrs a light greeting but himself only just waking.

Lydiere's response is a chuckle, as she shakes her dark head to admit, "No; I rather think it's a sentiment shared by most of us. It's time -- more than time -- to let us free, as far as I'm concerned. I hate living in here, no offense to anyone." Llysereth gives another dainty warble, this one in greeting, in response to both bronze and rider. "We should. But do any of us really care about the state of the barracks?"

W'yn places his book down on the side of his couch and standing slowly does a huge strech. "Nope! Well, I dont anyhow..spend more time at the beach side.." not mearly to relax but for the open space and the fact that you can do all things like reading and such there. Shuddering after his strech had finished he sighs. "They still say we have three lessons to complete.." Shaking his head and chuckling he adds. "I think the female dragons will be the ones to prove it is time to go..Zymanth informs me some are..er..glowing.." he offers looking down to the dragonic muzzel before back to his friend

Lydiere gives a rueful nod, nudging her towel with her left foot as she straightens her hair, and then the covers on her cot. "Yes, I heard that, too. I wish they'd get them over and done with, quite frankly. Even -- horrors -- being a Junior Weyrwoman," and that idea is greeted with a frown, "is better than being a weyrling." She gives a glance towards the smaller couches, over the other end of the barracks, a rueful nod made. "Yes. I had heard as much; Llysereth's absolutely disgusted."

Zymanth looks up for a moment as he looks to the gold with a curious, rather questioning look. W'yn ignoring his dragon continues talking to Lydiere. "I would have thought you would be looking forward to the position?" but then could he really look forward to paperwork and such duties. "Being in a wing is what im looking forward to..." not that he thinks he could apsire to anything else.

Llysereth, too, raises her head, although it's with a sniff of distaste; her tail is extended in pale ripples, as she offers a concerted warble. "No," assures Lydiere, "I'm not. I'd far rather blend in; even being Captain was hard, at first, because everyone tried to put me onto a pedestal. It took ages to win their respect as a person." This will be worse, apparently. "I'm sure. It'll be a lot of fun, I'll bet."

W'yn could think of many ways to tease his friend on such thoughts but instead he smiles. "Well, youve got people in here already behind you.." As the words come out so his face flushes slightly, but as he quickly gets control, unless you didnt blink you would have missed it. "I would have thought your crew would have truested you, for your rank would show you know what you are doing?" W'yn knows it is a slight detour from the conversation but something had had never thought of before.

Lydiere, rather elegantly, sticks her tongue out, laughing as she returns it to within her mouth. "That's sweet," she finally decides upon as a verbal response, winking. "Eh, they did, sort of. They thought I was good enough as a captain, but they didn't trust me as a *person*, a person worth talking to, and being around. If you get what I mean?"

W'yn thinks for a moment, something that shows by his frown. "I think I know what you mean, abit like how a couple of the other riders - a cirtain blue comes to mind(NPC) - will not talk to me out of class, but well..seem to listen to suggestions and thing in class?" he does not think that is not really what is meant but he is trying to put it into context. In the end he chuckles. "Maybe they dont speak to me because I just cant put what I mean into words..as you can now see.."

Lydiere falls into a seat upon her cot, bare feet pulled up onto the sheets, regardless of the fact that they are both wet and sandy. "Something like that. It's a matter of trust, respect, and understanding that you're more than position and rank." Her nose wrinkles; both are something she'd rather have avoided, in all cases. "You're not doing so bad. I, anyway, know what you mean."

W'yn chuckles and streches out in the seat, once again taken. "I know what you mean now..hey! Seen much of your crew?" he suddenly asks before going back on topic. "I think it will be more hard for the older riders of the weyr? and maybe you will find it harder with the older? as we are taught to respect them? not to ask them to do things.."

"Not much," admits Lydiere with a rueful grin, "They've been in and out, off on their own voyages. They've jobs, afterall, and I'm now nothing more than the owner of the boat. Not really 'my' crew." She hesitates, then shrugs. "Quite possibly. I'm not worried--really. I don't care what people think, as long as I can do what I have to do, and not be harassed for it."

W'yn nods and understands. "Was talking to Veia the other day, about 4 days ago now.." Thoughtful to check that is right he then goes on. "She was saying something similar, about having to do what is needed but then enjoying be draged away when her dragon wants more time with her.." He shrugs lightly before smiling. "Have you ever thought of selling her?" the boat is who he means.

Lydiere raises an eyebrow, questioning, "Veia? Sorry, I'm not sure who that is." Her grasp of names and places is minimal. "But yes, that sounds about right. At least--that's what I'm guessing. I'm a weyrling, yet." She grins, relaxed in her stance, as she flops out over the cot. "Her? My boat, you mean?" She has none of the snottyness of many, who call their boats 'ships'. "I have. But I don't think I will. Why bother? I like my connection to the people I call my friends--my former crew."

Zymanth slowly rises no, his neck arcing down while he slowly, and carefully streaches out limbs, wings and tail, then with as much delicasy as the lump could make, he curls back up, but his eyes shine added light about the barracks. W'yn nods. "yeah, I did mean the boat, sorry.." Smiling then he nods understanding why keeping the ship is more pleasure than not. Smiling he 'ohs' before explaining. "Veia is Jr. Weyrwoman at Igen Weyr, Rider of Sorchayth.."He cant help wincing at the dragons name as Zymanth chuckles. Shaking his head he goes on. "I was at the beach when she came over here to have a change of view..I remembered her vagually from when I lived in Igen.."

Llysereth raises her head from her forelimbs; it's a favourite position of hers, but she moves now, watching Zymanth with her wide-eyed innocent look, slowly unfurling slightly, as if to contrast him. "The boat, good. I just had to be sure. Ah, an Igenite. The name was vaguely familiar, but I wasn't sure where from." Her eyebrows raise, as she queries, "Something wrong with the name? I can bet anyone at Igen'd come out visiting often--imagine living in the middle of the desert." Lydiere never could.

W'yn grins and shakes his head. "No, not with the name but.." He looks to the all to innocent Bronze and smiles. "She came to visit, to get away though your right about Igen, she said herself she had never seen sea before.." Changing his sitting position then W'yn smiles. "Zymanth was swimming and so Sorchayth joined him in the sea, ended up pulling her under by her tail..he got carried away with the game..they did not come back for a while, but when they did, the Queen had to hold back from taking revenge as they where going on somewhere or something.." he does not know where.

"Never seen the sea," repeats Lydiere, seemingly--definitely--at a loss. "Faranth, I pity the poor woman. How...unimaginable. I mean, I was born at Fort, which isn't on the sea, and spent some time at Telgar, but I still *saw* it, long before I went to Tillek." She all but babbles; her adoration for the sea is clear. "Ah-hah! I see."

W'yn smiles in a slightly sympathetic way as he realises at the babbling. All he adds is. "Well, thats what you get for living in the desert i surpose.." Looking about the Barracks makes him sigh, his chargrin at the whole thing a pain. "Its just not on that were stuck in here!"

Lydiere nods with some hesitance, still ill at ease after the very shock of discovering one never having had the experience of the sea. "I suppose so. I'd not really thought about it, so much." Again, she nods, her nose wrinkling. "I'm starving; you'll have to excuse me. See you later!"