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: 4/27/98 Log Cast: (People) Chveya, Mehlani, Emlyn, Jehrina, K'tyn, Kassima, A'lex, Nimiriel, Kindre, Ro, Jayna (Dragons) Nraith, Pleiath, Lysseth (Fire lizards) Tigros, Mehlani's fair, Flutterby, Tarnish, Thunder Log Intro: Mehlani's love life has as of late become simultaneously more complicated, and more simple... for although she's been extremely fond of K'star, brown Indyth's rider, for some time, the young Apprentice Baker Jorenan has recently told her that he has feelings for her. It's been a deeply troubling topic for the young girl, for she hasn't been able to tell Jorenan that she reciprocates his feelings... yet, she's horribly afraid of hurting him, and his declaration has sharply increased her ability to notice him. Now, both the Baker and the brown rider occupy her thoughts, and only the distraction of the recently-laid clutch of gold Leilanth is really enough to rouse Mehlani out of her anxious ruminations over the two young men.... ---------- Your location's current time: 20:26 on day 6, month 9, Turn 22, of the Tenth Pass. It is a autumn evening. Tigros has left. Chveya walks in from outside the room. Chveya has arrived. Chveya Darkskinned with thick black hair which curls down her neck, Chveya's most prominent feature is her nose, which, though elegantly formed, is slightly too large for the rest of her face. Her deep hazel eyes reflect a calm alertness to her surroundings. She wears an olive-green tunic and short black pants with brown boots. She is 15 Turns, 11 months, and 17 days old. Mehlani(#4177POaceq) This teenaged girl stands at 5'4" in height, and is of a delicate but sweetly curved build. Her skin is pale, speaking of unfamiliarity with Pern's sunnier climes; her auburn hair long, held in check by a long braid in the back, yet with a few rogue tendrils escaping to spill across her brow and dangle loosely before her ears. Seldom does this lass speak; when she does, her voic is soft and gravely toned. But far more often than not, she simply fixes her liquid blue gaze on an object or person of interest, and keeps it there with an intense attention that suggests the weight of her world rides upon her drinking in every detail of her surroundings through her guileless eyes. She is currently clad in a simply cut dark golden brown blouse with blue laces at her collar and sleeves, along with a pair of dark brown breeches laced, also in blue, around her calves and ankles. Over the shirt she is wearing a soft black leather vest of a stylish cut, setting off the pale cloth beneath it. On her feet she sports a pair of sturdy, scuffed boots; on her head perches a battered brown wherhide hat, just a touch too large for her. Through the braid of her hair is entwined a long ribbon of Harper blue, glimmering out amongst her auburn tresses. Sitting quietly near the railing, Mehlani might be spotted, a lone teenaged girl with a battered brown hat crowning her head, and a number of fire lizards visible perching on and about her person. The creatures are rather subdued of behavior, perhaps due to the gold dragon brooding over her clutch down on the Sands. Chveya looks at you for a moment. Chveya goes home. Chveya has left. [And after a time, Mehlani makes her way out from quiet observation of the clutch, off through the Bowl...] You walk off towards the Central Bowl. Central Bowl(#298RL$) Contents: Necessity Obvious exits: Weyrling Barracks Southern Bowl Lake Shore Hatching Cavern Feeding Grounds Runner Pasture Weyr Entrance You walk south. Southern Bowl(#396RJL$) Contents: Lysseth Manira Nraith Spineth(#8674JOaepq$) Pliarth Obvious exits: Living Cavern Central Bowl Weyrleaders' Complex Outer Infirmary Guest Weyr Records Room Nraith whuffs the behatted one. Mehlani slips softly into view, and pauses to glance up and giggle at Nraith. Fire lizards wing after her, her greens whirling curiously about the big bronze. Nraith's eyes whirl blue green as he bends his head down to nuzzle the girl gently. A smile flashes across Mehlani's face. With one hand, she shooes her fair out of the way, and with the other, she reaches up to scratch delicately at a bronze eyeridge. "Hello there," she murmurs. Nraith exhales deeply, but not so hard as to de-hat the lass. 'Lani, it would seem, is long familiar with how to keep a hat on her head. She brings her other hand up to lightly settle the battered brown thing a little more securely atop her hair, and then uses that hand to join the first in scritching. She's still smiling, rather more widely than she usually does. Nraith rumbles happily at the attention, lowering himself down even more. Pays to be accommodating, ya know. "You poor thing," Mehlani croons, very softly. "Has your rider been neglecting you? Are you not getting scritched enough?" Fairly familiar with how their young human habitually stops to be whuffled by and converse with bigcousins, her fair starts into an impromptu game of Let's Chase One Another *Between*, blue and green and brown forms darting in and out of view in the air. Above, Pleiath leaps off the ledge she shares with brown Spineth. Pleiath backwings for a landing. Pleiath has arrived. Emlyn slides down Pleiath's shoulder to her forelimb, then jumps to the ground. Emlyn has arrived. Pleiath greets the dragons nearby with a warm rumble. Her rider smiles at Mehlani and Manira as she passes them on her way to the living cavern. Emlyn walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern. Emlyn has left. Lysseth stretches out on the Bowl floor, turning her head to gaze idly at the spectacle of scritcher and scritchee. Her gaze sharpens abruptly, taking on more of an interested cast. With a faint rumble, she rises from her place and ambles over to where Nraith and Mehlani are, with a preoccupied greeting warble to Pleiath on the way. Dragon> Nraith bespoke Mehlani with << He treats me well. But you are a special one, and I like your attentions. >> Mehlani's blue eyes go abruptly wide, and by reflex, she quickly casts a look left, then right... anybody in sight besides dragons and fire lizards? No? Good. Her expression gentles, turns moved, and she stands on her tiptoes to murmur up softly to the bronze, "You're very kind!" And as if by way of gratitude, she scritches him some more. Nraith just settles in, content to be scritched for the time being, sighing softly as the little fingers dance over his hide. Lysseth slinks her way up beside the bronze, a dark shadow against the darker night save for the brilliants of her sapphrine-hued eyes. With a faint rumble, she lowers her head to just *stare* at Mehlani. Stare rather expectantly, in fact. It's not difficult to spy Lysseth's interjecting herself into Mehlani's vicinity. Smaller than a bronze though she might be, the green is still significantly larger than Mehlani, and as that green head comes down to level its gaze at the girl, 'Lani blinks, and then giggles softly. "What, do you want a turn?" Nraith opens an eye to watch Lysseth carefully. Pleiath has the orange tint to her eyes of hunger. She shakes out her wings and goes for a meal. Pleiath takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry her aloft. Pleiath has left. Above, Pleiath rises up from the bowl. Above, Pleiath flies towards the north end of the bowl. Lysseth just continues... *staring* at 'Lani, in a rather thoughtful, albeit disconcerting as all shells way. Finally, she rumbles and lowers her muzzle further until it's within scritching range. That would probably be the equivalent of a yes. Nraith sighs, but reluctantly leans his head over towards Lysseth so Mehlani will give her a turn. Can't be stingy with the skritchers, there are so few good ones. Jehrina comes down the stairs from the Weyrwoman's Ledge. Jehrina has arrived. Lysseth rumbles amiably enough to Nraith, though she doesn't turn her head away. Sharing means caring... or in this case, a healthy sense of self-preservation. Jehrina walks north. Jehrina has left. Mehlani smiles softly up at Nraith, murmurs a "thank-you" to him, and then steps to Lysseth's lowered head. It's not so far of a reach, this time, and the girl in the hat willingly takes on the task of scritching this second dragon. She starts once, as she notices Jehrina's figure striding off to the north; this causes her to halt her efforts, but only for a few moments. "Whew," she breathes. Then, she murmurs up to both dragons, almost conversationally, "Weyrwomen scare me, when there are clutches on the Sands...!" Nraith rumblechuckles, then looks over his shoulder towards the hatching cavern. Lysseth exhales a warm breath in a faint, barely audible *snort*. What this might mean is a mystery; she could be agreeing that Jehrina is scary, as any sane creature would--or she could be pah-pahing the idea of fearing a human, regardless of how formidable she is. Possibly, just possibly, it's a snort of some other kind entirely. The only thing is certain is that she's enjoying this scritching business. Pleased at Nraith's noise, for it reminds her of Tzornth, Mehlani gets a bit dreamy-eyed, thinking of her father's dragon, then of her new little brother at Benden... and then, simply letting her mind wander where it will. Her slim, deft fingers track from one end of Lysseth's eyeridge to the other, giving it a thorough scritching. K'tyn comes down from Herath and Prometh's ledge. K'tyn has arrived. K'tyn disappears into the records cavern. K'tyn has left. Lysseth sighs with indubitable draconic pleasure, her innermost eyelids slowly closing. She turns her head minutely to direct 'Lani to the best scritching spots from time to time. Kassima comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. Kassima has arrived. A'lex comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. A'lex has arrived. A'lex stops short for a moment, then sighs, "Oh, Faranth! I thougth Lyss and Nraith were cuddling there for a second. But I see Lani between them..." Nimiriel walks down the stairs from Daelyth's Ledge. Nimiriel has arrived. Nimiriel disappears into the records cavern. Nimiriel has left. It's probably inevitable that the girl's thoughts should wander around to another dragon, not present -- brown Indyth. And his rider. Mehlani blows out a soft sigh, a smile quirking at either end of her mouth, and whatever thoughts have settled into her awareness get her distracted enough that she doesn't see 'Lex and Kassi emerge from the living cavern. Flutterby sails here from the north. Flutterby has arrived. Flutterby dives, plunging into the records cavern to the southwest. Flutterby has left. Kassima meanders past the dragons and 'Lani, pausing for a moment to scope out what's caused 'Lex to pause. "Thank Faranth," she agrees drolly, winking to the bronzerider, and heading off before she can disturb the threesome. Kassima walks north. Kassima has left. A'lex follows.... A'lex walks north. A'lex has left. Voices? Mehlani starts, blinks several times, and peeks around Lysseth's head. "Oh," she murmurs, palm pressed to her chest for a moment. Startled her! Above, Tarnish flies over from the north end of the bowl. Above, Tarnish flits over the spiky cliffs to the south towards the springs. Lysseth gives Mehlani's shoulder a reassuring nudge, as though to say, 'Hey, it's just my idiot rider. No need to freak.' Nraith seems to grunt in agreement. 'Lani might be slight, but she keeps her feet at dragon nudges, and she peers up ruefully at the pair of dragons, out from under her hat brim. "I got... distracted," she murmurs. "Where was I?" Kindre comes down from Herath and Prometh's ledge. Kindre has arrived. Kindre disappears into the records cavern. Kindre has left. Ro comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern. Ro has arrived. Ro walks out of the living cavern as she feeds bits of meatroll her the firelizards on her shoulders. Nraith and Lysseth might, at first glance, seem awfully close for their riders' comfort. Only when one draws near the pair of dragons, and spots the fair of fire lizards playing 'lizard Tag high up in the air, might the girl between them be spotted as well... Mehlani, currently busily engaged in the scritching of Lysseth's green eyeridge. "I really don't know what to do," she murmurs very softly, perhaps to the dragon, perhaps to herself. She doesn't appear to see Ro coming. From Ro's shoulder Thunder leaps to join the other firelizards, curious to see what they are doing. His pet follows wearily. Lysseth doesn't reply with words... she's not that kind of dragon. However, her eyes remained trained on the young woman, and the twitch of her dark tail in the sand suggests that she is listening. She rustles her wings in what might be the draconic equivalent of a shrug. A low rumble deep in her throat encourages Mehlani to continue. Nraith, too, gives the girl all of his attention. Forget that he's focusing it all through one open eye. "Jorenan is very nice, but so is Kes, and... oh, Lysseth, I don't know why I'm saying this to you," Mehlani murmurs towards green hide, as her fingers scritchscritchscritch away. "I'm not sure dragons understand such things...!" Above, Enri and two of Mehlani's greens warble their welcoems to Thunder. Tag is the game, and Wili is It! Ro comes around Nraith and spots her friend. She calls out "Hi Mehlani." Mehlani starts! Nraith starts! Mehlani's behatted head snaps round, and blue eyes go wide, before blinking several times. "Oh my... Ro... hello," she murmurs weakly. Nraith tries to regain his composure, and the flecks of red in his eyes is quickly subdued. He snorts as if to say, "I meant to jump... oh yea... I meant that..." Thunder joins the game of tag gleefully, though he seems undecides as to whether he wants to be caught or not. It is Wili, after all. Even if dragons do, one might question whether Lysseth--known to rise less frequently than most greens, and not much given to cuddling with the males in the meantime--would. Still, perhaps she understands at least as well as 'Lani herself does. Her breathy warble is pitched low, as comforting a sound as she can manage--but it turns into a wary and not altogether pleased rumble as she's startled by the appearance of Ro. Patting Lysseth apologetically, and glancing up at Nraith, too, in apology, Mehlani then glances back to Ro and observes sheepishly, "I'm sorry... my, um... my mind went off without me..." Ro giggles softly and offers Nraith a nice eyeridge scritching, if he wants. Lysseth she eyes warily, as if she fears the creature might hiss at her at any moment. Nraith drops his head for a skritch, happily. Ro asks Mehlani "Went off without you?" Mehlani bobs her head, blushing lightly. Lysseth doesn't hiss, but she does eye Ro with something akin to distrust before settling back down for the resumption of scritching. Her nudge to Mehlani's hand is somewhat imperative. Jayna emerges from the infirmary. Jayna has arrived. Knowing a dragonish command when she gets one, Mehlani smiles a little, and resumes scritching Lysseth's eyeridge, as, after all, she should finish thoroughly scritching it before the job of Lyssethscritching can be declared complete. "Happens to me a lot lately," Mehlani mutters, more or less towards Ro. Jayna smiles, brushing her hands on her legs. With a low murmur that sounds like "Big sweetie" Ro begins to scritch Nraith. She gives her friend a puzzled look "Is that a bad thing?" "I've been so wrapped up in the inner caverns, I haven't had a chance to take a look at the eggs," she confesses ruefully as she wanders on her way, grinning at Ro and Mehlani. Jayna walks north. Jayna has left. "When I can't--" 'Lani starts as Jayna passes, and she smiles sheepishly in the other girl's wake, looking rather nervous now. Only when Jayna has gone on by does 'Lani risk continuing, "--stop thinking about the same thing, it is." She sighs tinily, though she also keeps scritching Lysseth. Lysseth arches her neck after a moment, suggesting that, y'know, there's an awful lot of green neck that could use Mehlani's scritching talents. For that matter, there's an expanse of chin, and those points at the end of her wings, and maybe that tricky spot just above her right shoulder.... Nraith sighs and settles back down, one eye still on the behatted one. Ro blinks "The eggs have been layed? How could I not have heard? Yeash, Richenda goes on the warpath and I get to busy to even find out about the important stuff goin' on. Hmm? What are you thinkin' about?" Mehlani bobs her head again at the question about the clutch, murmuring, "Leilanth began to hide them yesterday, on the Sands... I saw Jehrina go that way, perhaps she is laying more now." And she peers sidelong at Ro, brow crinkling briefly at the mention of Richenda, before she admits tinily, "Jorenan and K'star..." Ro blushes, then regains some measure of composure, focusing marginally more effort into scritching the bronze "Isn't that two things?" she says. Sheepishly, 'Lani grins a moment, allowing, "Two things... but one, as well... oh, Ro..." Her brow crinkling again, Mehlani finishes plaintively, "I don't know what to do about them. I thought it would be _easier_ with fewer boys trying to... well... you know?" Jayna walks here from the north. Jayna has arrived. Lysseth gives another of those cryptic *snorts*--though this one's marginally less cryptic than the last. Given that she gives Nraith a *look* to accompany, it would suggest that she's commiserating with 'Lani. Males--go figure, eh? Jayna moves beneath the rocky overhang that protects the Infirmary entrance. Jayna has left. Nraith looks like every other male in this situation... "Huh?" Ro blushes more deeply this time. She says "I um, I wouldn't know too much of that." Just as 'Lani offers this confession to her friend, there comes a strident and decidedly frightened shout out of the lower caverns. "MEHLANI! Mehlani, come quickly, that vicious green of yours--" Mehlani blinks, starting yet again, and she mumbles, "Oh no... Arki?" Ro gently rests her bandaged hand against Nraith's bronze mass. She blinks at Mehlani "Arki? What's wrong?" Mehlani vacillates for a moment, torn between staying with Ro, and giving Lysseth the scritching the green clearly is demanding of her... but. Afraid Arki's about to bite someone's fingers off, the girl finally turns to each of the dragons and pipes anxiously, "Please excuse me..." She pauses, chews her lip, and adds hastily to Ro, "I don't know much of it myself, and _I'm_ in the middle of it... oh dear..." Then, grabbing onto her hat, she darts off into the lower caverns, to see what the undisputed tyrant of her fair is doing. "Please excuse me!" You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern. Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$) Contents: Lathen Ursa Emlyn R'val Pierron Lordie Twink Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl Mehlani comes running through the room, an anxious-eyed drudge running beside her, jabbering something about the girl's green fire lizard lurking in the stores. 'Lani and the drudge go bolting off into the kitchen, neither of them stopping to meet anyone's eye. [End log.]