The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. This is a log of roleplay on PernMUSH, available online by permission of Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern novels, and recorded by A.S. Korra'ti (piper@murkworks.net), player of Mehlani of Telgar Weyr on PernMUSH. This log may be distributed freely as long as this header remains intact. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Log Date: 4/4/98 Log Cast: (People) Ximena, Sandar, Kerlyn, Kassima, Ursa, Dandelions, S'lah (NPC), K'star (NPC), V'dan (NPC), Miryenne (NPC), Sh'roun (NPC), Emlyn, A'lex, Rylan (Dragons) Sorath, Leilanth, Spineth, Camelth (NPC), Elefanth (NPC), Indyth (NPC), Lysseth (Fire Lizards) Arctic, Sahl Log Intro: (Continued from log leilanth-flight-1.txt.) Leilanth has risen, and Prometh has caught her, assuring that Telgar Weyr will be keeping K'tyn as its Weyrleader. Exhausted bronze and brown dragons are returning to their weyrs, and awed spectators in the Bowl are commenting upon the flight. In the southern portion of the Bowl, however, an encounter no less tempestuous than the flight itself, even if it's ground-bound and not aerial, is beginning to take place.... ---------- Southern Bowl(#396RJL$) Towering above, the bowl wall rises in a curving three pointed arc as it shelters this southernmost point of Telgar Weyr's great cauldera. Sloping down to the north to a slight degree, the floor of the bowl channeled so that runoff might drain down to the lake beyond. There are several strategically placed evergreens that serve to baffle the biting mountain winds away from the southern entrance into the living Caverns. The first few spring flowers are blooming in pots, and what weeds there are have a renewed, clean color. The smell of spring comes in on the west wind. Northward, the center of the bowl spreads hugely, leading to the feeding pens, hatching grounds, weyrling barracks and the Telgar Weyr lake. The ground-level weyrs of the junior weyrwomen dot the mountain to the northwest. Use '+view queenriders' to view them. The murmur of voices and the clatter of pots and chairs drifts from the Living Cavern, where the evening meal is being served. Some puffy white clouds skirt across the springtime sky. Contents: Kerlyn Sorath Ximena Spineth(#8674JOaepq$) Ursa Ro Sandar Rylan Kassima Lysseth Obvious exits: Living Cavern Central Bowl Weyrleaders' Complex Outer Infirmary Guest Weyr Records Room Ximena looks at the Greenrider as if she was breathing fire or something, "Poison him? Shards no! He's allergic to the GRAPES, not the wine. Is there ANYONE here who isn't drunk or insane?" She starting to look a little nervous. Sandar looks as though he's about to say something, but then, he thinks better of it. His mouth's already gotten him into enough trouble. Instead, he shrugs weakly. Ximena This raven haired woman walks about with a mission. Her plump body has seen many Turns, and many children, yet she moves with an uncanny grace. She is dressed in simple skirts and blouse, with a grape stained apron tied about her waist. Her long curly black hair is bound at the nape of her neck, but in front it rolls down over her forehead, almost hiding oddly famaliar silver eyes. On her shoulder is a knot indicating that she is a vinetender, hailing from a cothold beholden to Benden Hold. Kerlyn dismounts Sorath, after the pair skim to a landing from the rim. She walks over to Ursa to give the brownrider a companionable whack on the back, and offer a wineskin, "Could be worse- he could have caught her." Kassima just smiles beatifically at Ximena. She's tipsy, she's rich, and the status is quo; all's right with the world. "Oh... a shame. If'n he really is carrying on with M'rgan, he should likely be put out of his misery." She does not, notably, reply to the insanity comment. Above, Leilanth flies out over Telgar and disappears over the rim of the bowl. Sandar smiles at Kerlyn in greeting. Above, From the Telgar Star Stones, Kl'loh, on brick-brown Yoxath, backwings to a clean landing and settles, replacing Pale green Ninnenth, bearing her rider Requa, on watchrider duty. Ximena looks agast, "Mergan? Who's Mergan? He told me he was married to a girl named Channie!" Ursa was so busy ignoring everyone but Spineth, that the whack on her back comes completely out of between. She jumps to her feet, fists ready. "Wha?" she asks, processing the thump much more quickly than the comment. Sandar shakes his head a bit, then takes a big swig of his flask, in the hopes that if Ximena thinks he's too drunk to reply to her questions, she won't ask any of him and he won't give her any wrong answers. He grins as he lets a cool breeze wash over his face. Kerlyn ducks hastily, and takes a quick jog backwards, eyes widening, "Hey! At ease there, Brownrider. I come in peace." she holds up the skin. Ximena looks from face to face, her eyes flashing silver. Kassima informs Ximena with a sweet smile, oblivious to the woman's distress, "M'rgan's a brownrider at High Reaches. He looks *really* stunning in a kilt, which is probably why your son dallies with him, if'n he does i'truth. Channie? Um...." She has to ponder this one for a bit. "Well, aye. He and Nie are weyrmates. I don't think she'd be too pleased if'n she knew about he and Mart, either." Sandar blushes as Kassima mentions kilts, having heard that he, too looks quite dashing in that particular garment. He finishes his first glass of wine, then contemplates a second, looking around at the flasks on the ground for something that catches his fancy. Ximena sputters, "Who are you young woman, and who do you THINK you are, telling me these... these LIES about my beautiful Alexi! I...." She shakes, "I *NEVER*!" Whirling on Sandar, she barks, "Where is he? Where is Alexi-- A'lex? Tell me now, or Faranth help me I'll take that flask of yours an put it somewhere where it will never see Thread, let alone the light of day!" Ursa does, slowly, process the good-natured comment and the face before her--it's that Weyrlingmaster again--the one she calls her friend, the one with some good taste in alcoholic offerings. She recovers slowly, and tries to save face. "Yeah, of course, just thought you were some one else..." Then she snorts. The first comment is finally answered. "Yeah, right, can you imagine if Spineth caught himself a weyrleader position?" Sandar jumps!!! "Uh... that way!" he gulps, pointing at the Living Cavern. Knowing that A'lex will probably killll him if he finds out that it was Sandar who gave away his location. Kerlyn decides it's safe, and walks back into swinging distance, "Well, He'd be a lot more smug, if such a thing were possible-- and Emlyn would be insufferable for sevendays. Probably just as well." Kassima blinks. Now, *that* takes her a bit aback. "Lies?" she repeats very carefully. "Lies? Look, m'lady, I know nay whom you may be, but you can go ask 'Lex himself whether or nay he can keep his mind off of the subject of that brownrider's pants. Don't believe me if'n you don't want to, but don't blame me for nay warning you when 'Lex tells you he's going t'have a baby and 'twill be named Marlex or some such thing." With that, she knocks back another gulp of Black Gold. Dandelions walks here from the north. Dandelions has arrived. Ursa reaches for the offered skin with a grateful grin, and adds, in the poor exhausted brown's defence, "If it weren't a leadership flight, he might have had a shot--he was holding his own." Well, she can't help but defend him in public. Ximena bats her eyes, feigning sweetness. "Thank you," she says shortly. Then she whirls back on Kassima, and through tight clenched teeth she hisses, "I don't know who you are, or what your hatred for my son stems from but I warn you, Rider or no, I will not take it from you." And with that, she whirls and heads towards the living cavern. There's a bit of a stir in one section of the Bowl as several Duskfire riders return from wherever it is they were. Brown Camelth and blue Elefanth both land readily enough, with brown Indyth following straight behind... riderless. Since S'lah isn't given to wearing a fedora, one might place K'star as the second rider up on the brown's neck. The two sober-looking riders are just *barely* restraining their snickering as they try to help Kes down. "Wanna go back t'Boll," the brownrider complains. Ximena goes through the entrance to the living cavern. Ximena has left. Dandelions walks north. Dandelions has left. Sandar whooos as the irate woman heads into the Living Cavern. After a pause, he shrugs, looking at his flask. "I can think of a lot of places where the suns don't shine," he puts in, "and I don't want this flask in any of 'em." "Some people just can't handle the truth," Kassi observes, watching Ximena go. V'dan and Miryenne break off kissing each other--Mir must've mistaken Val for a woman; easy enough to do, really--long enough to nod a hasty agreement. Kerlyn nods, "He did a wonderful job. 'twas just your good luck Prometh edged him out- and really, you saw the damage Jehrina did to him last time- don't tell me you'd want to be on the recieving end of a black eye?" Young blue rider Sh'roun explains very patiently to K'star as he adroitly holds up his side of the teetering brown rider, "No no, Kes, you have to lie down now!" And brown rider S'lah's ruddy face is reflecting his laughter even if he manages not to vocalize it. He's having a much easier time supporting K'star, and he says briskly, "You cannot lie down at Boll, my friend! We have a _much_ more comfortable place in mind for you!" Ro gives K'star and the others a quizical look. Emlyn slides down Pleiath's shoulder to her forelimb, then jumps to the ground. Emlyn has arrived. A'lex comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. A'lex has arrived. A'lex storms out of the Living Cavern and bellows a bellow worthy of Sionelle herself, "KASSIMAAAAAAAAAAA!" Sandar jumps, and not for the first time today. Dandelions walks here from the north. Dandelions has arrived. Ro peers at A'lex. Kassima jumps, one straggly lock of hair falling into her eyes. "You called, purple-man?" she asks cheerfully enough. This is probably because of the glass of Black Gold in her hand--her fourth, to be precise. A'lex stands, fists clenched, silver eyes aflame. "What. Have. You. Done. To. My. MOTHER?!" Ursa takes a big old swig, nodding enthusiastically at Kerlyn's assessment of the situation. "Right--imagine what Rina would do had he managed something that atrocious." Dandelions walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Dandelions has left. K'star blinks hazily at his Wingmates, the fedora brim drooping over his wine-dulled hazel eyes. "Just lemme lie down?" he begs. It's pretty clear that they're going to have to carry him out, too. "And don't bring Camelth. Whatever you do, S'lah, no Camelth!" Dandelions comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. Dandelions has arrived. Arctic sails here from the north. Arctic has arrived. Dandelions goes home. Dandelions crawls onto her cot. Dandelions has left. Kassima inclines her head, eyeing A'lex a bit quizzically and *very* foggily. "Done to her? Ah... naught, that I can recall. I mentioned that you and Mart are going t'have a baby... is that it? Were you meaning t'be surprising her?" She sounds sincere, Faranth help her. Sandar sips his wine innocently. Arctic sails north. Arctic has left. S'lah and Sh'roun exchange glances around K'star's wobbling form as A'lex comes storming into the Bowl. However, the Duskfire wingriders are on a mission, and they aren't about to let an angry bronze rider get in their way. S'lah valiantly stifles another snicker, and assures K'star straight-facedly, "No Camelth, my good friend! Come now. We'll take you to lie down right now, won't we, Sh'roun?" The smaller rider, who is outmassed significantly by S'lah and K'star both, bobs his sleek black head in enthusiastic agreement. The pair of them start hustling K'star towards the lower caverns. A'lex explodes. Pure and simple. This is a side of he that no one has ever seen before, "YOU FARDLING SAID WHAT?!" Sandar looks down at the flasks, wondering if, with some effort, he could build a little wall around himself to hide within using only wine flasks. A'lex hurls the mug in his hand towards the bowl wall, "WHAT? You told her WHAT?" It shatters, spraying him with shards and whatever was inside. Ursa senses Emlyn's arrival before she sees it. She opens her arms, welcoming her weyrmate to come close as she can. Emlyn does so, regardless of the public setting. She nods and smiles a greeting to Kerlyn. Kassima winces, setting her glass down to retroactively clap her hands over her ears. "Aiyeeeeeeeeee! 'Lex, I just told her 'bout how you had an obsession wi' Mart's pants. Y'may as well be admitting it!" Kerlyn eyes her two friends, "If you two want to be alone, I'll see you tomorrow- otherwise, it's quieter in my weyr." Sandar mumbles... "pants?" A'lex just screams a bloodcurtling howl. Rylan eeps shrinking back to sit behind Sandar Emlyn shakes her head and motions for Kerlyn to lead on. Kerlyn walks north. Kerlyn has left. Ro wanders off, her curiosity piqued by K'star and his friends. A'lex turns to Sandar, "Take the liquor from her so I can break her neck." Emlyn walks north. Emlyn has left. Rylan opens his eyes wide, "Shards!' K'star looks over his shoulder, mindless of the saga on the other side of the Bowl. "S'lah, I said... I said *no* Camelths. That's *five* Camelths, can't you count?" He hiccups again as he's dragged towards the Living Caverns, pretty much literally. Ro walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Ro has left. Rylan runs into the living cavern Rylan walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Rylan has left. Rylan comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. Rylan has arrived. Kassima shoots to her feet, pointing one accusatory finger at 'Lex. "*You* can't handle the truth! Nay more than your mother can! You just sit there in denial, while the whole Weyr knows about how you're pining away for whatsisname, the one in the dress. If'n you're nay going t'tell your mother, then *someone* had to!" This is Kassi's brain. This is Kassi's brain on Black Gold. Any questions? There's only _one_ Camelth in sight -- S'lah's brown, who is currently trying to convince Indyth that it's _alright_ that his rider is being dragged off away from him. Blue Elefanth, eyes whirling guilelessly, helps keep the big dark-hided brown distracted, as S'lah and Sh'roun, K'star's arms slung over their shoulders, whisk him away. You go through the entrance and into the living cavern. Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$) Contents: Ro Ximena Pierron Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl Ro glances at the sobbing woman, her brow furrowing in concern, but she seems at the moment unwilling to let the drunken K'star and company out of her sight. "Whaaaaat d'you do with a drunken riiiiiider, earlyyyyyy in the morning," K'star has taken to yodelling as he's dragged past by two of his friends and wingmates, his hat tipping nearly as drunkenly as the rest of him--and his eyes muddled enough that it may be pretty much guaranteed that no one's home inside that handsome skull. Ximena continues to sob, obvilious to those around her. Ro walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Ro has left. Absolutely, positively nothing to see here. Never mind that K'star has apparently lost all concept of the meaning of the word 'vertical' -- S'lah and Sh'roun, wearing equally innocent expressions, hustle their inebriated and overly loud companion off into the inner caverns. Young Sh'roun, though, does peer back with anxious dark eyes at the upset woman, as they go. [Unhindered in their mission, S'lah and Sh'roun smuggle K'star to their intended destination, and saunter back outside, guilelessly...] You head into the living cavern. Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$) Contents: Ximena Pierron Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl S'lah and Sh'roun return after a time, minus their clearly intoxicated companion, though still with barely concealed amusement on both their faces. The two riders slow, though, at the sight of Ximena still in the cavern. Sh'roun glances up at his taller companion, and the two of them exchange considering glances -- and decide against approaching the woman. Best to keep as low a profile as they can right now, anyway! Surreptitiously, the pair sneaks out to the Bowl. You head out to the bowl. Southern Bowl(#396RJL$) Contents: Ro Emmy Rylan A'lex Sandar Kassima Lysseth Obvious exits: Living Cavern Central Bowl Weyrleaders' Complex Outer Infirmary Guest Weyr Records Room Kassima has brass to spare, all right. And an utter lack of any such thing as a fear of death, which probably doesn't help matters. Lysseth, on the other claw, being very protective of her lifemate, has stirred at all the yelling and is now staring at her rider's opponent with eyes that whirl a dangerous red-orange shade. This gives Kassi pause for only a minute before the last of those comments sinks in. "That," she says through grit teeth, "is because I live for the purpose of *embarrassing* him, you lackwitted wher-brained moron! And I didn't think *aught* could possibly humiliate him more than being thought t'be associated with *you*!" For good measure (and because she is, frankly, sloshed out of her mind), she adds a, "So there. Nyah!" to that. Rylan uh ohs at the dragons Minus K'star, their expressions carefully bland -- though young Sh'roun does glance once over his shoulder into the living cavern as he emerges -- brown rider S'lah and blue rider Sh'roun creep out into the bowl. The pair of them come to a skidding halt at the shouting match going on, and give Kassima and A'lex a _very_ wide berth as they angle around the other riders and head towards Camelth, Elefanth, and the rather plaintively confused Indyth. Sandar nudges Ro. "Y'know," he mutters, and not for the first time, "when I was a lad, there was a girl who used to pinch me, 'n kick me 'n call me names. And when I asked my da why she did that to me, he said, 'it's 'cause she LIKES you'. It was at that point," he says drily, "that I realized that I fear women." Rylan laughs at Sandar A'lex takes a step back, gloating, he's won (or so he thinks). "There! That explains it all! That childlike mentality. EMBARASS him since he's too far away to PUNCH, right?" He breaks into a schizophrenic routien, "Hey I like you! **SMACK**" And in a different voice, "I like you too! **POWIE**" Then in his own, "It makes perfect sense! PERFECT sense!" Ro blinks at her Sander, her brow furrowed with worry "You fear me?" Sandar errrrrs, having forgotten who he was telling that analogy to. "Uh... no," he says plaintively. Ro smiles "That good." Then, gazing at the riders, comprehension dawns and she says in a voice overly loud because of her excitement at her discovery "Ah, I see, they're fightin' because they LIKE each other..... so this is like, some kind of foreplay or something." Sandar winces and sips his wine. A'lex whirls on Ro, "WHAT?!" Rylan grins as he hears Ro, "That's what I said already" Kassima's hands slip down to the hilts of two of her knives, the knuckles whitened with the force of her grip. Only at Lysseth's concerned half-warble, half-creel does she let go, instead folding her arms tightly to herself so they won't escape her control again. "Let me get this straight," she says in a deadly calm voice. "You think, first of all, that I would have the utter lack of self-control required t'be slugging another rider in cold blood. *Secondly*, you think I'm immature. And *thirdly*," her voice is rising again, "you are completely and totally out of whatever excuse for a ten-Turn-old raisin you originally had for a mind? Smack? *Powie*? And you call *me* a lunatic?!?" She would probably be mortified by the words of the spectators, if she were able to hear anything beyond her own yelling. Indyth lowers his dark head down to EYE S'lah and Sh'roun, when he realizes that they have emerged without his rider. The big brown can be heard to rumble in almost threatening tones, his eyes taking on a tinge of red in their general exhausted yellow swirl. As Sh'roun casts a cautious glance back at the others present in the Bowl, S'lah eases up to the brown and murmurs soothingly, "Easy, large one, easy! He is safe. He will be with..." And he leans in _very_ close to whisper the last word to Indyth. Whatever he says, it seems to catch the brown's attention. Sandar chugs down the rest of his wine, then calmly reaches down, picks up a couple of wine flasks, and starts building a little wall between himself and the participants of this conversation. Rylan nods confirmation, "They's in love" Ro says helpfully, (after all, she hasn't been herself lately) "Y'know, the guest weyr is empty if'n you need a place." A'lex just laughs, then howls. Finally he stops, "There's no answer to that, I guess." He just gloats. Apparently he thinks he's won. Won what, we're not sure, but won nonetheless. Ro tries to take a sip of her wine, only to realize with a frown that it is empty. Brown Camelth and blue Elefanth promptly croon assurances to Indyth, who swings his head around slightly to take in the other dragons and both their riders with his balefully whirling gaze. S'lah bobs his curly head in solid confirmation to whatever it was he'd told Indyth, and Sh'roun does his best to look guilelessly childlike as he backs his friend up. Young as Sh'roun is, he's _good_ at that. Kassima blinks, stepping warily back away from the laughing maniac. "So, you admit t'being in love with Mart and an utter lunatic t'boot?" she asks, not *quite* believing that she could've won so easily. "And *what* are you laughing at?" She didn't hear those interesting little comments before, remember. A'lex grins at Kassima, "Doesn't matter." He's won the arguement, why continue, right? "My mother brought two casques of Benden Red, I say we drain the little buggers dry!" Ro giggles at the riders and gives Sandar a pitiful look, holding up her empty glass. Indyth finally lets out a sort of 'You're _SURE_ about this?' snortsnuffle of a noise. Apparently mollified by the reassurances of the two dragons and two riders surrounding him, the brown settles down, leaving S'lah and Sh'roun free to scramble up onto their own mounts and escape skyward. Sandar fills Ro's glass, grinning, looking pleased that this conversation most likely isn't going to end in fatalities. Kassima just nods, satisfied. A'lex has admitted his fixation, she's still drunk, she's still rich, the status is still quo... all may no longer be right with the world, but it's a reasonable facsimile thereof. "After you, brownie-lover," she invites cheerfully. Rylan asks Ro and Sandar, "Is this where the baby making comes in?" Brownie-lover? Of course A'lex love Nie, why wouldn't he? Ahhh, that must be her admission that he was right, of course. "Let's go then! To the wine!" Ro nods "I think so. But what is Channie going to do when A'lex and Kassi become weyrmates?" Rylan nods to Ro Kassima beams and leans over to pick up her abandoned satchel... then pauses. With no shrieking to distract her, *this* time, she heard. "What was that?" she asks, blinking. Surely she didn't hear that right. She couldn't have. Rylan looks to Kassi, "Huh? A'lex says "What was what?" A'lex says "C'mon Wingleader, thar's wine in that thar cavern!" Kassima just shakes her head, dismissing the thought. "Don't want t'know. Don't want t'know. If'n there's wine in there, Wingsecond, then count me in!" Hi diddle dee dee, it's a lush's life for she. A'lex nods, "Okay then." A'lex walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. A'lex has left. Rylan smirks as he turns to Ro, "I guess I'll have to get my money from her later" Kassima walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Kassima has left. Ro says "Look at the bright side. They're usually easier to talk to after the baby-makin'." Rylan says "Ro?" Ro says "Yeah?" Rylan says "Where do babies come from exactly" Rylan tosses out the question quickly Ro says "I think you'd have to ask a healer to get the answer to that. I've never actually been around when the baby shows up." Ro's look brightens "Kassi'd know!" Above, Sahl leaps from Nraith's Ledge and flies into the air. Rylan snorts, "Not when the baby gets here...but where it comes from. No one will tell me exactly /how/. Alls I know is you need water, love and something about herdbeasts", he looks perplexed. Rylan says "She wont' tell me" Sahl backwings for a landing. Sahl has arrived. Ro nods "That sounds about right. Rylan blinks, "WHAT??!! Rylan SNORTS, "That can't be right" Ro shrugs "Then I guess it's 'bout the same as where dragon eggs come from. Rylan says "Where's that?" Rylan says "You mean males chase the female and whoevers the fastest wins?" Ro considers "Could be." Rylan frowns, "Could be or is?" Ro says "Dunno." Rylan's face becomes stern, "You're not gonna tell me are you?" Ro looks Rylan straight in the eyes and says slowly "I don't know." Rylan eyes both go wide, "You don't know??" Ro says "You don't see any babies followin' me around, do ya?" Ro walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Ro has left. [And in the living cavern....] A'lex walks in from the bowl. A'lex has arrived. Kassima walks in from the bowl. Kassima has arrived. Pierron humphs thoughtfully as the wingleader of Thunderbolt arrives. A'lex turns away from a LCG, "They've taken my mum to quarters. How sweet." "So that woman *was* your Mum?" Kassi asks, a touch vaguely as she's now busy looking for any sign of wine in the room. "I suppose you could say that. Where'd she leave the drinks?" A'lex thumps one of the casques up on the table and nods. "Aye, that was her. Came to surprise me for my Turnday, but got delayed apparently." he pops the bung from the casque and inserts a winetap. "My father's private stock, aged twelve turns." A'lex tilts the casque onto it's end and opens the tap, filling two LARGE mugs. Kassima beams as brilliantly as Rukbat on a cloudless day, eyeing the flasks with something approaching awe. "For such a gift, I'd excuse her for being late," she says with a slight hiccup. "Y'know, I don't think I even want t'be knowing what those weird people in the Bowl were going on about... and hey, did m'cousin get dragged past awhile ago?" Talk about your delayed reactions, if that one's just now sinking in. A'lex says "Cousin? I'm not sure... here." He holds out a mug to the Greenrider, raising his own in toast to Kassi's secret love, "To Mart!"" Kassima accepts the mug eagerly, and is more than willing to toast to the dearest love of A'lex's life. "T'Mart! May you and he find utter happiness, in whatever fashion y'may, and without hurting Nie or Kena unduly." With that, she takes a hearty gulp from the mug, exhaling an 'ahhh' of appreciation for the excellent vintage. A'lex buhblinks, "Him and me? What about him and YOU?" A'lex drinks anyway, he may need it. Kassima double-blinks. "What 'bout him and me? I'll keep on tormenting him, I s'pose, even after you and he and Nie and Kena all weyrmate together. If'n y'don't mind, 'tis. I mean, I kinda consider it t'be m'duty in life." A'lex slams back more wine, not quite believing his ears, "Wait wait wait, you want me to take Kena off of his hands? I like you alot Kassi, but I couldn't hurt Nie like that so you could have Mart..." Ro walks in from the bowl. Ro has arrived. "Wait a moment, wait a moment...." Kassi's alcohol-muddled mind is confused again. "You want Kena *and* Mart, but nay Nie? Don't know if'n she'd want *you*, 'Lex, but if'n she does, then hey! All the more power t'you and stuff, y'know? But what're you going t'be telling Nie?" Ro smiles at the lovebirds and heads for the lower caverns. Ro walks towards the inner cavern. Ro has left. A'lex shakes his head, "No, there's nothing to TELL Nie, I could never leave her. Shards, I don't even KNOW Kena, but if you think she'll accept you and Mart together without leaving him, then I guess there's nothing to tell her, right?" Kassima asks slowly, while steadily draining the wine from that giant mug, "Accept me and Mart together doing what? If'n y'mean trying t'make each other's lives a living nightmare, well, she's been accepting *that* for Turns... what else is there?" Suspiciously, she asks with shrewdly narrowed eyes, "You *did* acknowledge that 'twas right and 'twere wrong earlier, aye?" A'lex nods, finishing off his first mug, "Aye, 'twere wrong and 'twas right. And if'n ye want to call it a living nightmare, go ahead, but it sounds like alot of FUN to me! Not that I'd be interested in something like THAT..." A'lex refills, "More?" "Please," Kassi immediately responds, holding out her mug. "And you've got that backwards. *I* was right, *you* were wrong. Actually, you're right... making Mart's life a living nightmare *is* fun, for me. You should try it sometime. Bet you'd be really good at it." A'lex nods, "Yes, that's right!" But WHAT is he referring to? He fills Kassi's mug. "But as fun as that may be for YOU, it's just not my style..." [To be continued....]