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: 3/2/98 Log Cast: (People) Erdrick, Kailia, Mehlani, Ursa, Ceria, Ofira, Tinya, Richenda, Kassima, E'rian (NPC), Asrai, K'nan, Peyra, Maylia, Emlyn, Xin (Firelizards) Buttons, Darin, Karin, Twink, Etheria Log Intro: It's rather amazing what having one proddy firelizard can do to a person -- even someone as generally shy and reclusive as Mehlani. She's spent most of her life watching the effects of her father's greens upon him, but watching it happen to her sire is as she discovers not at all the same thing as having it happen to her. The bizarre thing is... Mehlani can't say she _minds_.... ---------- Your location's current time: 15:00 on day 6, month 1, Turn 22, of the Tenth Pass. It is a winter afternoon. You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern. Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJ$) This huge cavern is sufficently roomy to hold a large portion of the Weyr's population without feeling cramped. There's always a bustle of activity here. Fragrant dishes are constantly in prepartion for mealtimes: currently for the evening meal. Drudges are always present, either cleaning under Pierron's watchful eye, or helping fetch and carry. A myriad of glowbaskets and many ever-lit hearths make the cavern warm and inviting despite its size. The scents of cooking meats, baking breads and pastries, and the pungent aroma of spices hang mouthwateringly in the air. It is little wonder that those seeking to relax nearly always find their way here to do it. Branches of evergreens and glistening winter berries are ornaments of the season. A short tunnel jaunts northward out to the bowl and the merry sounds of cooking, chores, and laughter echo from the kitchen at the southeast end of the cavern near the easterly passage to the rest of the lower caverns. Within the lower caverns is an entrance to the infirmary weyr to care for injured dragons and riders. Contents: Erdrick Pierron Kailia Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl Erdrick nods at Mehlani, "Hello." Kailia waves to Mehlani! Mehlani wanders out into the living cavern, blinks a few times as she is hailed, and slowly turns her gaze in the direction of the other young people. She then bobs her head, equally slowly, at Erdrick and Kailia, and continues her wander, heading more or less for the klah pot. Erdrick looks at you for a moment. Kailia looks at you for a moment. Mehlani(#4177POace) This young girl stands at about 5'4" in height, and is perhaps about 15 Turns old. Her build is delicate, with budding teenaged curves; her skin, pale, speaking of unfamiliarity with Pern's sunnier climes. Long auburn hair, uncharacteristically unbound, wreathes her head and spills down to the middle of her back in thick, loose curls, and she is frequently pushing rogue strands back out of her face. Seldom does this lass speak; when she does, her voice is soft and sweetly toned. She seems seized by the urge to daydream, her attention seeming to drift at random, her huge blue eyes liquid and dreamy. She is currently clad in a white blouse with a delicate lace-fringed neckline, and similarly lace-trimmed cuffs gracing her wrists; the blouse is tucked into a full, layered skirt of Harper blue that hangs flatteringly down to her ankles and swishes about her slender legs when she moves. On her feet she's sporting a scuffed but still pretty pair of cloud-grey suede boots, and at her throat glints a silver chain from which dangles a translucent opal. 'Lani, with deliberate care, pours herself up a mug of klah, blue gaze lingering on the level of the liquid in her mug until she has, or so it would seem, enough. Then, klah in hand, she chooses a seat apparently at random, sinking quietly into it, and gazing out towards the Bowl as she sips daintily at her hot drink. Kailia grins, "You awake yet, Lani?" "Oh yes," Mehlani gravely replies, not shifting her gaze. Erdrick yawning slightly himself, he stands up, taking his empty mug and the empty bowl and heads for the kitchen. Erdrick walks off towards the kitchen. Erdrick has left. From the kitchen, Erdrick enters the kitchen from the living cavern. From the kitchen, Erdrick leaves the bowl and mug there and walks back to the living cavern. From the kitchen, Erdrick walks into the Living Cavern. Erdrick walks in from the kitchen. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks over to the table where Buttons and Darin are and gently picks them up, trying not to wake Karin up while doing it. Ursa walks in from the bowl. Ursa has arrived. Ursa strolls in, looking mostly like her mind is elsewhere. She bobs her head absently, saying, "'afternoon," in a most general way. She peers at Erdrick--wasn't he the figure standing in the steam last night in the hot springs? "Afternoon, Erwin," she says to him. Erdrick nods at Mehlani, Kailia, and Ursa, "Much as I'd like to stay and talk with ye I'd best go oil these three before they out grow thier hides altogether." Mehlani, whose blue regard is pointed towards the Bowl, register's Ursa's entry after a moment or two. The girl bobs her head at Spineth's rider, a distracted small smile curving one side of her mouth, and then her attention wanders off again. Kailia nods, smiling at Lani. She doesn't look awake. Erdrick chuckles, looking at Ursa, "My name's Erdrick by the way." Mehlani bobs her head to Erdrick as well, proclaiming gravely, "One does need to take good care of one's fire lizards." Erdrick yawns, "Aye, I try to take good care of these three." Smiles at his firelizards. Ursa nods again to the young man, agreeing completely. "Of course it is." She moves towards the table of food, scowling at the offerings. Erdrick nods as he turns to leave, "Mayhaps I'll see ye all later." Kailia waves to Erdrick, "See you later..." From the look on Mehlani's face, it would seem that Erdrick might have uttered a nugget of profound wisdom. She nods absently to him, over her klah mug, as she sips at its contents. Erdrick grins and waves back at Kailia and Twink. Nods back at Mehlani and walks out. Erdrick walks towards the inner cavern. Erdrick has left. From under Kailia's hair, Twink chirples at that thought of good care. Ursa eventually selects herself one of the fancy lil stuffed rolls that are full of all sorts of nourishing things in one little package, and turns, scowling as she looks at the cavern. She's still having troubles recognizing folks here at Telgar. Mehlani she knows, but she also knows better than to try to actually speak to her. She then scowls at Kailia, and says to her without preamble, "Haven't I seen you with a big mess of youngsters?" Kailia nods, "Yes, ma'am, it's likely you have. I'm one of the nannies." Mehlani glances in Kailia and Ursa's direction, smiling somewhat vaguely, but apparently listening to the conversation. For once fire-lizard-free, the girl seems to have only her klah to occupy her, at the moment. Ursa snaps a finger, as if just offered a revelation, and takes herself a seat, uninvited. "Nanny, right," she says after properly polishing off a bite. "Does that mean you care for babies? Or bigger kids? Or what?" Kailia smiles, "A little bit of everything. I like the babies the best, and that's who I've been working with the last few weeks. I had night watch last night, had to stay up and watch all of the littleist ones." Ursa frowns. "Little ones at night?" she asks. "Aren't they with their mommies at night?" The roll is waved towards the nanny as she speaks. Kailia shakes her head, "Some of them, no. Really there we,re only three, one is the night hearth cooks, one lost her mommie, and the last is a rider who had night watch herself." Ursa nods, accepting this with thought, and considers it as she takes a few more bites. "So how many do you usually have at night, then?" she finally asks. Kailia shakes her head, "Well, always the orphaned one, her mother was one of the lower cavern women, and her mother didn't know which rider was the father, so, she'll stay with us until we find a foster for her. Then, the night cook's a few days a week, and the rest changes. It depends which riders have night watch, or the like. When there's a gather, it gets pretty busy." Mehlani quirks her head first one way and then the other, listening to the exchange, and then lifting a slender hand off her mug to shove loose auburn curls out of her eyes. Ursa seems to be taking each answer with a considerable amount of thought. "And how about during Threadfall?" she asks. Kailia nods, "Yes, it goes up then a bit. But, for some reason, it seems to not be too bad. Alot of the riders want their little ones near them at night, to know they'rre safe." Ursa frowns, realizing she hadn't made herself clear. "I guess I was thinking more about during the day during Threadfall. Or do you just work at night?" Slowly drinking down the rest of her klah, Mehlani finally rises to her booted feet and wanders off towards the kitchen, humming absently under her breath. There's a slight lilt to her step, as though rather than walking she is sailing to unheard music. Kailia nods, "Oh, yes. I do work during the day also. We rotate shifts. During threadfall, we have all the children. Normaly, we have most of them at all times during the day." Ursa muses, "Is that so?" as if it were a fascinating revelation. "So Threadfall is really not much busier than any other, eh? How many kids do ya'll usually have in there? You must have a horde." Kailia nods, "Tons! You see, since most of the riders have other dutied during theday, we usually get the kids at some point. During threadfall, we have them all day long, and some into the evening. We just have the kids for a shorter period on non threadfall days." Her mug safely deposited in the kitchen, Mehlani then heads for the cleaning supplies in the store room. Emerging shortly thereafter with an apron laced about her slim form and bearing a few dustrags, she begins a slow circuit of the cavern, dusting shelves, and singing, very softly. Ursa crinkles her brow, "So how many of ya'll are there, then, to take care of tons?" Kailia wrinkles her face. "Hummm, at least 20 or so. It varies, what with people moving on and changing positions." Ursa shakes her head. "There's sure plenty and plenty of babies round here," she comments. "What's the oldest you have? When do they move on to the Harper's classes?" Erdrick walks here from the Inner Cavern. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks in, Buttons on one shoulder, Darin on the other, Karin wrapped around his neck. Apron-bedecked, still softly singing, Mehlani takes her time dusting that self, neatly picking up objects stacked upon it and dusting under them and around them as she goes. Erdrick nods at every one as he gets himself a mug of klah. Eventually, Mehlani moves up to the mantel over one of the hearths, taking her dusting job a little further around the cavern. Her gaze has gone soft and shining, and the smile lingers around her mouth as she hums to herself. Every so often, she pushes her hair out of her field of vision, in between scrupulously dusting the stones of the hearth. Ceria walks in from the bowl. Ceria has arrived. Ceria walks in and gets herself a mug of juice. Then she collapses into a chair with a tired sigh. Kailia nods to the young woman, "Hello." Erdrick takes his mug of Klah to a table and sits, nodding at Ceria. Ceria gives Erdrick a half-hearted wave and nods back to Kailia. Trailing off in her humming as she happens to espy Ceria's arrival, Mehlani calls out from her post by the hearth, "Hello, Ceria!" And then she returns to dusting, her expression warm and absent. Ceria smiles at Mehlani, giving the girl a slightly curious look. Ceria looks at you for a moment. Erdrick leans back in his chair, sipping his klah as he looks over a record hide. Kailia nods, "Well, they usually are with us all of the time until 5 turns or so. Then they head of to the harper's classes. But we still get them even when they're older if their mother are busy after thir classes." Ofira walks here from the Inner Cavern. Ofira has arrived. Ofira walks in slowly, her step heavy. "'Evening all." Erdrick nods at Ofira, "Hello." Ursa nods quietly to herself. "Sounds awfully busy," she muses. To Ofira, she nods absently, saying, "Afternoon, Craftmaster." Ofira smiles and goes to get herself some juice and then sits down quietly. At the sound of Ofira's voice, Mehlani glances in _her_ direction as well, and for a moment, the girl pauses in her diligent task of dusting. She seems briefly perplexed, but then she smiles absently at the Masterbaker, and calls out to her, "Hello, Master Ofira," in an only slightly more shy tone than the one she'd used to greet Ceria. Then, 'Lani dips her attention back to dusting, falling back into silence. Erdrick looks curiously at Mehlani. Ofira looks up at Mehlani, startled to hear her speak aloud and smiles pleasantly. "How is everyone this evening?" Ceria nods to her Craftmaster and goes back to slowly sipping her juice. Tinya walks in from the bowl. Tinya has arrived. Erdrick looks over at Tinya, "Hello." Ofira waves to Tinya, smiling. Kailia waves to Tinya. Tinya walks in, rather heavily, and waves to various folks, returning smiles and nods. She heads, as she's accustomed to, for the food table. Ofira hauls herself from the chair, also heading for the food, and not coincidentally, Tinya. Kailia looks at the two women, an odd look on her face. Mehlani doesn't appear to hear Ofira's question, not immediately. Humming for a few minutes, she then blinks a bit, and then belatedly and solemnly informs the Masterbaker, "Oh, I'm fine, ma'am, thank you..." Ceria peers at Mehlani for a few moments and then shrugs. Ursa turns as Ofira and Tinya walk past. "How are you two doing?" she asks curiously, but quite sincerely. Ofira smiles at Ursa, "Oh, all the usual symptoms. Aching back and feet. Indigestions. Running to the necessary every half hour. Baby keeps me up at night kicking. But fine. Just the way it's supposed to be." Erdrick looks around, thinking that Mehlani seems to be acting rather strange, even though he doesn't really know her. Erdrick belatedly looks at Ofira, remembering her question, "I'm quite fine." Ofira smiles at Mehlani and Erdrick. "Glad to hear it." Seh begins selecting food from the table. Ursa smiles wryly. "Sounds standard," she agrees with dry tones. "How much longer, Ofira?" Ofira considers and after a bried calculation, replies to Ursa, "Should be within the month. three or four weeks, if Marrha has it right." Tinya grins and nods agreement to Ofira's assessment, then offers her own amendments: "My back's not so bad, but I've got _two_ sets of little feet in my ribs to make up for it." She makes herself a smallish sandwich, and grabs a muffin and a piece of fruit to accompany it. Ceria wrinkles her nose as she watches Ofira and Tinya getting food. Ofira nods to Tinya, "R'val just told me last night it was to be twins. Congratulations!" If she's aware of the glances being slid in her direction, Mehlani shows absolutely no sign of it. The girl continues on her quest to dust the cavern, wandering off around to an unoccupied table, and humming dreamily under her breath. Ursa looks at Tinya with surprise. "I hadn't heard!" she says. "These aren't the first twins he's sired, are they?" Richenda walks here from the Inner Cavern. Richenda has arrived. Erdrick nods at Richenda, "Hello." Ofira waves to Richenda as she returns to her seat. Tinya shakes her head. "No, Kieri had a set. And they run in my family, too, so I can't say I was terribly surprised." Richenda waves back, a trifle absentmindedly, as she gazes about, hand on her hip. Ofira smiles, "Have you come up with names for them? We just decided on them last night." Ceria finishes her juice and struggles to her feet. She offers Richenda a slight smile as she goes to refill her mug. The table is spotless by the time the apron-bedecked Mehlani finishes dusting it, and for good measure, the girl dusts each of the chairs around it before drifting off to tackle another of the hearths. En route she happens to see Richenda, and she bobs her head politely to the woman, humming liltingly as she goes. Richenda's eyebrow reaches toward her hairline. Erdrick looks at Richenda and shrugs. Tinya shakes her head. "Not yet. It's hard, trying to come up with two of each sex. Maybe I'll ask Kassi, just for the entertainment," she says with a grin, then asks, "What did you pick?" "Erdrick," says Richenda as she follows Mehlani with her eyes, "are you settled in now? I'm told you helped a bit with numbweed a day or so ago." Ofira laughs, "Well, Kassi came up with a bunch for us too, bu t in the end we went with one I thought of and one K'tyn thought of. Ivalra for a girl, and Irival for a boy." she smiles. Erdrick grins, "I'm pretty settled in now." Ursa has lapsed into silence, getting distracted by this and that. She offers to Richenda, "He found the hot springs last night." She scowls slightly, "He wasn't interested in actually getting in, though." Erdrick blushes slightly. Ceria stops and leans on a table for a moment. She glances at Erdrick and then pours herself some more juice. Richenda chuckles good-naturedly. "Well, that's because Holders are careful about their thises and thats and private bits for a while. It'll be easier later." Erdrick gulps, looking down at the record hide as if he expects it to jump up and run away. Kailia blushes, "I wore shorts and a sleeveless top in the first few times." Ursa nods absently. "That's about what Emlyn said, too," she agrees. Tinya smiles. "Those are nice," she says. "I suppose I should start thinking harder. Let me know if you have any ideas." "Well, yes. Of course, Rennick still covers up his whatsis if he thinks of swimming or bathing in public." Richenda now watches Ceria, a bit worriedly, and smiles at Kailia. "Is everyone doing well? Especially all of you rounded pregnant sorts?" Tinya smiles back at Richenda. "Except for the aching feet and the tiny toes in my ribs, I'm doing just fine," she says, then waves her sandwich vaguely as she adds, "I just came to get this, I have watchriding down at the Hold. Gotta go!" She turns and heads for the bowl, humming happily, very slightly off-key. Ceria grins wryly at Richenda as she slowly heads back to her seat, pausing occasionally. "I'm ok," she says. "Just tired of being so huge." She glances down at her extended abdomen. Ofira smiles, "Well, I'll think about it. But others are a lot better at it then I am." Very softly, Mehlani shifts from humming to actual singing once more -- something about "Somewhere down this road, I know someone's waiting, Turns of dreams just can't be wrong". Then her voice drifts back down into an indistinguishable murmur, as she reaches the other side of the hearth. Tinya walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Tinya has left. Ofira nods to Richenda, heading back to her office, "I'm well. Just the usual complaints," she smiles, patting her stomach. "See you all later. I've got to go work on the menu for the Weyr Festival Feast." Erdrick's eyebrows raise watching Mehlani curiously. Erdrick says "Bye Ofira" Ofira walks towards the inner cavern. Ofira has left. Richenda pats her stomach and answers chipperly, "Well, some of us want to have those tums, and some of us have tums without babies within. Just endure." Ceria smiles. "I don't have much choice," she says. She finally reaches her chair and collapses into it with a tired sigh. Richenda's right foot begins to tap. "Gracious." Kassima walks in from the bowl. Kassima has arrived. Erdrick looks over at Kassi as she enters, "Hi Kassi." Ceria nods to Kassima as she enters. Mehlani stands up on her tiptoes for a moment to peer along the length of the hearth, and beams at what she sees, evidently _quite_ pleased, to be giving a hearth a smile that actually displays her teeth. Then, the girl lowers herself again, and sails off to hit another table, her skirt swirling slightly with her motion. "For the millionth time, cousin," a male voice can be heard to argue, "I say you should stick to your cards. Leave the dicing to me. I swear, random chance seems to loathe you." The words precede Kassima and E'rian's entrance into the 'Cavern by mere heartbeats, and both riders pause to either wave jauntily or immediately salute the Weyrsecond--guess which is which. "Evening, ma'am, all," Kassi greets before nudging Eyr sharply in the elbows. The younger greenrider oofs, but at last does Kassi the favor of shutting up. Eyes narrowing, foot still tapping, Richenda just says, "Barefoot and pregnant. That's what this weyr is. Barefoot and pregnant." A glance at Mehlani, then she adds in a mumble, "And a bit off." Still singing to herself, her voice lifting on high clear notes even if she _is_ singing too softly for the words to be made out, Mehlani dreamily continues her task of table-dusting, a bit slow, but quite thorough. Ceria blinks at Richenda. Then she shrugs and takes a sip of her juice. Kailia giggles, "But, Richenda, it's more work for me! After this, I think we might need even more nannies." Erdrick's eyebrows raise slightly looking towards Kailia. "Oh, I'm not complaining in the least, in the least," Richenda tells Kailia gaily. "No, everyone loves babies and I more than most. Just that I fear about not being able to fuss over them all." Kassima blinks at Riche, and glances down at her feet. "Shoes... check. Nay pregnant, check. And nay a bit off, check. As many would say, I've been more than a bit off since the day 'twas born. How fares with you, Riche?" E'rian, of course, has no time for such pleasantries; he hastens to slide into a seat near his dicing wingmates at the Starblaze table. Except.... "Hey, Mehlani," he says as he catches sight of her, both eyebrows arching appreciatively. "If it were possible, I'd say you're looking lovelier than ever." Ceria chuckles at Richenda. "I'm sure you'll manage," she comments lightly. Richenda winks at Ceria and reaches a hand over to tousle her hair. "I'll do my best, lass." Ceria grins. At the sound of E'rian's voice, Mehlani looks up from her dusting, and the girl freezes there for a moment, seeming... transfixed. Her eyes actually look starry, and although the pink blush that colors her cheeks and the demure dipping of her gaze is normal for her, she _also_ calls over softly, "Hello, E'rian... thank you...!" Asrai walks in from the bowl. Asrai has arrived. Ceria blinks at Mehlani in amazement. Erdrick looks completely puzzled. Asrai comes striding in, looking around the cavern before heading further in. Her eyes a bit..weary. E'rian blinks, too... but hardly seems upset by this change in Mehlani. Oh, no. If anything, his grin grows even broader. "Always welcome, lady fair, though you've little to thank me for; nothing gives me so much pleasure as telling a maid the truth of her supernal beauty." Yep, Eyr has definitely inherited the familial talent for laying it on thick. "You should wear such things more often. It brings out the morning-sky blue of your eyes." Asrai makes her way over to the serving table, pouring herself a healthy glass of wine before claiming a seat. She blinks as she doesn't seem to notice all the attention given to Lani at first. Asrai seems a bit, preoccupied. Erdrick's eyebrows raise now at Asrai, wondering what happened to the Weyr to change it so drasticly overnight. 'Lani turns a vivid shade of rose, her face shyly directed down to the table before her, but her head remains turned partly towards E'rian, and one blue eye can be glimpsed peeking past the curtain of her unbound hair. "You're very sweet!" she informs E'rian solemnly. Etheria has arrived. Etheria This little green's skin is the color of a rich and vibrant glen. It's a very vibrant and brilliant green which you can get lost in if you stare too long. Her tiny jeweled eyes dart all about, not missing a single thing that goes on in -her- home Etheria is 0 Turns, 2 months, and 12 days old and is 22 centimeters in length with a wingspan of 36 cm. Richenda calls as she heads toward the inner caverns again, "I'm off to find Siani. Later, everyone!" Richenda walks towards the inner cavern. Richenda has left. Asrai blinks, Lani's words finally penatrating her musing. Slowly the tiny Bluerider swings her head in Lani's direction, her eyes going wide at the site before her. "They've all gone mad." She intones softly. Ursa pulls herself to her feet. She nods, absently and vaguely, since she's not really conversing with anyone specific at the moment, and heads for the bowl. Kassima shakes her head slightly, her braid swaying against her back like a pitch black serpent. "Uncle Keyssar never should've read Eyr all those romantic ballads when he was young," she informs anyone who might be listening. "See, this is what's wrong with the things: they drive otherwise sane people straight into nauseatingdom." E'rian allows his outer appearance of suaveness to slip long enough to stick his tongue out at his cousin before sliding a scoundrel's grin Mehlani-wards. "Not half so sweet as you, m'lady. Not even a rose could be half as sweet as you. But then, I imagine you must hear that a lot." Ursa walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Ursa has left. Erdrick looks at Asrai then at Mehlani, shakes his head slowly, completely lost. Kailia reches quietly. Erdrick looks at Kailia, "Are you alright?" Ceria frowns disapprovingly at Kailia. Kailia grins, nodding, whispers to Erd, "This /is/ pretty sappy..." Kassima shoots Kailia a look that could only be described as sympathetic. Perhaps fortunately, Mehlani's shyly lowered gaze means that she misses the young green rider's childish gesture at his cousin; once E'rian's words are directed back to her, however, she might be seen to lift and lower her white-clad shoulders in a soft shrug, her only reply to the youth. Her head, however, is still turned half towards him, suggesting she is very aware of his proximity, and she is still blushing. K'nan walks in from the bowl. K'nan has arrived. Peyra walks in from the bowl. Peyra has arrived. Asrai seems to sense her weyrmate's presence as he enters the cavern. Her attention is torn from Lani as she swings it towards the arriving K'nan. "Hello darling." She greats in a perhaps over enthusiastic voice. Ceria sits quietly, her gaze grown rather blank. She appears to be deep in thought. Erdrick looks over at K'nan, nods at him, "Hello." Peyra looks at you for a moment. Never let it be said that E'rian isn't one to take advantage of a situation, even if he isn't sure of what the situation is. "Care to sit with me?" he asks of the blushing young maiden. "I've heard much about your skill at dragonpoker. Perhaps, with your help, I could win enough from these louts to buy you pink roses to match the color of your cheeks... unless you'd prefer flowers with the blue of your eyes, of course." He waggles his eyebrows once, a gesture that plainly says, 'How about it?' "It's -still- winter! Why is it winter still..shard it, I can't even go to Boll and escape all this!" K'nan's dark scowl nearly precedes him into the cavern..then suddenly brightens into a warm grin as he looks to Asrai, "Love of my life and light of my heart..there you are..." Now there's a mood swing. Peyra looks at you for a moment. Peyra looks around very quietly as he comes in from the Bowl. "I have to finish the dusting," murmurs Mehlani to E'rian, peeking sidelong at him as he appears to have closed the remaining gap between them, standing there tall and grinning at her side. To punctuate her point, she waggles her dustrag at the table nearby. "On the other hand, there are times when all that love stuff can come in handy," Kassi murmurs under her breath as she sinks back a bit in her chair. Anything that makes a proddy K'nan even a smidge less frightening is a good thing in her book. Peyra Peyra is around eleven or twelve, albeit a bit small for his age. His hair is a dark black - black enough to have blue highlights in sunlight. His eyes are a deep brown, and peer out from under not terribly-well-cut hair. His nose is long and skinny. He's wearing a brown shirt and matching pants, very plain. Over the top is a white apron, still clean and free from spills. In truth, Peyra is 13 Turns, 4 months, and 17 days old, although very small for his age. Asrai takes another deep drink from her wine glass, perhaps to steady her nerves. "Now dear, " She stats in a soothing voice, "You know why you can't leave..not with Veyath such a lovely shade." Now there's tact at its greatest. "Can I perhaps get you a glass of wine..it will at least warm your inside." E'rian wrinkles his nose a bit as a stray cloud of dust wafts towards his nose. "Ah, I see... well, then, I don't imagine you'd allow me the incomparably sweet delight of helping you?" Erdrick watches E'rian out of the corner of his eyes, he seems to be thinking hard, as if trying to remember what E'rian's saying... Etheria chirps quietly as she stretches her little wings out. K'nan flashes Kassima a brief and startling grin..for no apparent reason..then continues on over to Asrai's table, hopping up on it and sitting on the edge, favoring his weyrmate with a warm smile.. "Wine sounds great..and she's not proddy. Everyone just keeps saying so." Etheria has left. Kassima summons up a return grin for K'nan somehow, though it's a slightly faltering grin. There's nothing more disconcerting than being grinned at by a proddy rider out of the blue. It can make one wonder whether he's just baring his teeth before he goes for your throat. "Know the feeling, mentor mine," she quips with one bob of her head. Ceria manages to get to her feet rather suddenly and she heads out of the living cavern. Ceria walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Ceria has left. Mehlani turns slightly more towards E'rian, briefly lifting a liquid blue gaze up to his face and then down again. "You are very kind to offer," she tells him gravely, lifting an extra rag out of her apron pocket, holding it up for the dark-haired young rider. "Thank you, again...!" Peyra looks out toward Ceria after making sure to get out of the way. He stays put near the entrance. Asrai returns with a full wine glass. Handing it to K'nan she speaks with him softly, She mutters to K'nan, "... would her... her?... remember... last time..." Gallantly, the young greenrider accepts the rag and bows deeply to the one who gave it to him. "Your wish is my command, light of my heart, fairest sight ever to grace my eyes." With one dubious glance towards the rag, he straightens. "Um... where do we start?" Dusting is evidently not his forte. K'nan casts Kassima a suspicious glare - know what feeling? - before taking the glass of red from his weyrmate with a soft smile..responding in just as low a tone of voice. He mutters to Asrai, "Not at all,... it..together... our... were.." Maylia has arrived. Maylia enters from the Bowl. Kailia waves to Maylia! Kassima straightens a bit, her expression one of relief, as K'nan now glares at her. "That's more like it," she murmurs under her breath before lifting a hand to hail her mentee. "G'deve, Maylia!" Maylia brushes a stray lock from her face, sweaty and damp despite the chill air outside. She heads through the cavern towards the klah pots, waveing. "Evening, all!" She calls. Peyra continues to stand near the entrance from the Bowl, a bit awkwardly, remaining quiet. Erdrick nods at Maylia, looking around curiously. Asrai glances over at E'rian, then back to K'nan. Something makes her thing twice about what she was about to say and her mouth closes with a snap. Instead she just sips her wine. Emlyn walks in from the bowl. Emlyn has arrived. In utmost earnestness, Mehlani gestures to the table, and explains somberly to E'rian, "You have to take the rag and wipe down any flat surface... it'll pick up the dust, you see..." Every third word or so, she peeks up at the green rider again. Erdrick looks over at Emlyn, grins and waves at her, "Hello." "Just in from the Springs?" Kassi asks of the younger greenrider, tossing off a wave to Emlyn too. "Or have you found some other way t'keep warm in this frigid chill?" Erdrick chuckles at Kassi's words. Asrai gives Emlyn a nod of greeting, though most of her attention is in keeping K'nan from instantaneously exploding or something just as messy. Emlyn is dressed against the cold in a sweater more notable for its bulk than its craftsmanship. She returns Erdrick's wave before getting a steaming mug of klah. That done, she joins Kassima. "What chill? Da says, 'It isn't too cold until you can't get to the beasthold,' and since he never once let us go without caring for the animals, it must not be too cold." She grins and winks. K'nan takes a long sip of his wine..looking up and letting a calculating gaze sweep across the room. Searching for a target, perhaps. Uh oh. Maylia grimaces, shaking her head at Kassi. "No, but I sure need a bath. Easy to keep warm hauling firestone about, breaking it, sacking it, stacking it..." She nearly moans as she drops into a chair. Drops of klah splatter from her freshly filled mug, hastily wiped up. Peyra continues to stand as awkwardly as ever near the Bowl, silent. Why he's doing this is certainly a mystery. E'rian takes a valiant attempt at this dusting gig, swiping the cloth across a surface that's grey with a thin film of dust. "Like this?" he wonders. Stealing a look at Mehlani, he remarks, "Y'know, I bet you could practically write words in this stuff." Erdrick looks from Maylia to Emlyn, blushes slightly. Emlyn notices Peyra by the entry to the bowl. She calls to him, "The draft is less bone-chilling over here by the hearths, Young Man." Asrai watches K'nan carefully, perhaps ready to intercede..perhaps ready to run. Kassima grimaces at Emlyn, though only half-seriously. "Feh t'that; m'Da always said, 'Men and women were given fingers for a reason, and that reason probably isn't t'freeze 'em off wandering around in the cold like a blooming wild canine.' A'course, Da *is* a bit touched in the head. Ah, aye," she then says to Maylia, nodding in sympathy with the girl's plight. "That would certes do it, better'n aught else save perhaps for mucking." It is, perhaps, also fortunate for Mehlani that she hasn't happened to notice the way K'nan is scoping the room. But then again, given the way she keeps peeking at E'rian, it's doubtful she's happened to notice anyone else in the room in the last several minutes. She slowly bobs her head to Milleniuth's rider, explaining earnestly, "If you can write words in it, there's far too much dust...!" Maylia glugs down her klah quickly, nodding to herslelf. and heads towards the springs... Maylia goes home. Maylia has left. Peyra smiles to Emlyn. "It's all right, miss. I don't mind." Kailia stands, "Well, I need to go start my shift in the nursery. G'bye everyone." Kailia walks towards the inner cavern. Kailia has left. K'nan finally settles his gaze on Kassima..and frowns.."Say..Kassi.." Asrai winces, glancing at Kassi over the rim of her wine glass. With seeming unconsciousness, Asrai lays a comforting hand on K'nan's arm. Emlyn gives Peyra a disbelieving look, but nods. She settles into a seat near the warmth put off by the great, roaring hearth, then turns her attention to K'nan. After a moment's study, she tilts her head to consult silently with Pleiath. Chuckling under his breath, E'rian writes the first line of a rather old ballad called 'My Lady's Eyes' in the dust, humming along in that resonant baritone of his. "Could be fun leaving messages for people to see, though," he points out, his eyes sparkling as he does so. Peyra adds to E'rian, "The messages stay longer if you wet your finger first." Then he seems to have regretted speaking out in public. Kassima tears her eyes away from the amusing spectacle of her cousin trying to dust, regarding K'nan with confusion for a moment. "Aye, K'nan?" She succeeds rather admirably at keeping the wariness she no doubt feels from her tone. Emlyn leans toward Asrai and smiles reassuringly. Erdrick looks confusedly about and quietly sips his klah as he tries to puzzle things out. K'nan's frown deepens just a bit as he considers the greenrider for a quiet moment..then asks, "What was that comment about earlier, when I walked in?" Mehlani gasps a lttle, first at E'rian's dust-writing -- not to mention the humming -- and then at Peyra's helpful interjection. Turning pink once more, the lass shakes a dainty finger at the green rider, scolding gently, "You're being silly." But she's also smiling. Asrai returns Emlyn's smile. "How are you and Pleiath doing, Emlyn?" The conversation between K'nan and Kassi seems safe enough at the moment. Eyr brushes the dust from his fingers off onto his slacks, grinning down at 'Lani. "So I am," he readily admits, "but the world would be boring without a little silliness. Why don't you try it?" To Peyra, he winks. "My thanks for the tip, but methinks 'twould be harder to wipe away the residue that way." K'nan is, however, keeping one eye on Emlyn and Asrai.. Emlyn answers Asrai with a warm smile. "We're thriving, thank you very much. How are you, Cygnith, and the triplets getting along? I feel like we haven't spoken in a very long time." She's aware of Erdrick's attention, but not on K'nan's. Peyra smiles more broadly, but remains quiet again. Kassima tilts her head, regarding K'nan a bit curiously. "What, that bit about knowing the feeling? I just recall how 'twas when everyone would insist that Lysseth was proddy, when I was certain she wasn't... or insinuate that she would be, soon. 'Tis all." Innocuous enough, right? K'nan shakes his head slowly at Kassi's question, "No..the earlier one. When I -first- walked in." Why do proddy greenriders always seem to have better ears than anyone else? Erdrick looks at Buttons who's lying on the table, nods slightly. Mehlani's blue eyes blink a few times, and she steals another peek at E'rian, seeming torn... but only briefly. That flush still delicately brightening her cheeks, she leans slightly over the table, stretching out a single fingertip to start scribing words across the portion of tabletop she hasn't managed to dust yet. Her words read 'Someone holds me safe and warm / Dragons soar through a silver storm'. Asrai smiles warmly at the mention of the triplets. "Cygnith and I are doing fine. He's quite busy mooning over Veyath at the moment..not that its too much different from normal. The triplets are doing just fine...heard from their foster mother the other day. Kana has her two brothers wrapped around her little finger. Gets them into all sorts of trouble even at this early age." Erdrick quietly picks up Buttons and the sleeping Darin, being careful not to wake Karin up. Kassima's brow furrows a bit as she dredges through her memory. "Oh, that... I just said there were times that this love stuff can come in handy, that's all. Wouldn't you agree?" Emlyn grins at the report and nods. "Lucky little girl to have two companions like that." She shifts her attention to K'nan for a moment, then back to Asrai. "So, Cygnith anticipates a mating flight, then?" Erdrick looking about, decides it might be best just to slip out quietly from this confusing scene. K'nan frowns suspiciously, "What do you mean by 'come in handy'.." Then he's distracted again, and looks down to Asrai and Emlyn..sighing wistfully, "Can't I go visit them? Vey and I'll behave.." Asrai chuckles, "Cygnith always anticipates one of Veyath's mating flights." Despite her light words she gives Emlyn a significant nod of her head. Peyra keeps his mouth shut, as always, although he picks a table now. Asrai looks up at K'nan with a loving smile, "By the end of the week, love. We have to wait for our next day off. that way we can spend the whole day with them." Smooth when she wants to be, eh? Kassima winces; trust her mentor to fasten on that. "It seemed t'cheer you up," she explains, settling on a half-truth. "If'n it can brighten the spirit so, then it must have its uses, for all of its drawbacks." Emlyn speaks up, adding to Asrai's explanation, "Besides, in Veyath's condition, you'd probably generate a rise in the birth rate of every locale you visited." Asrai winces, hiding a smile in her wine glass. Erdrick glances at Kassi as he makes his way quietly towards the lower cavern, and the hot springs. Erdrick walks towards the inner cavern. Erdrick has left. K'nan's ignoring Kassima now, much to her relief one'd imagine..and frowns at Emlyn, brow darkening. "What d'you mean by that?" E'rian reads over Mehlani's verse, and quirks a crooked smile. "Lovely," he murmurs, slipping an arm around her shoulders if she allows it. In another clear space--there must be a lot of dust here, to have all of this room--he writes, 'Thy hair, thy lips, thy beauteous face, and all thy studied female grace have won for thee anon a place, within this broken breast.' "One of my favorite poems," he explains softly. Emlyn lifts her shoulder, not daunted by K'nan's brow. "I mean your dragon's clearly about to rise. Surely you've noticed your own behavior and hers are different from usual?" Kassima does indeed seem relieved, though she only allows it to show on her expression for an instant. "How fare the children, Asrai?" she asks brightly in an attempt to change the subject. Mehlani's attention wanders -- off to Emlyn, at the words 'Veyath's condition'.' Emlyn's further words distract her enough that she doesn't see E'rian's arm in motion until it's slipped round her, and then, startled, she lifts her gaze to the young rider. Her gaze flickers to his new dust-writing long enough to read it before returning up to him, her eyes wide. 'Oh," she breathes. Peyra has no chance of reading it from where he sits, but he sure tries. K'nan shakes his head with a derisive snort, "She's nay close to rising at all..and how'm I acting different?" Of course..he's sitting on the edge of the table, and his moods have been swinging like a pendulum. Asrai slips into a seat, watching her wyermate. Occasionally her eyes drift to Lani and her young suiter. there is about her a thoughtfull expression...one that might scare K'nan in saner times. Emlyn answers calmly, surprised she has to for so experienced a green rider as K'nan, "Well, your moods are swinging back and forth like a walking heifer's udder before milking, and Veyath's brighter than the two moons' reflection off the lake at Benden weyr." E'rian asks with deceptive lightness, "D'you like it? I confess, I've always had something of a fondness for all things romantic in nature. Unlike those among my kin who would close their hearts to love completely," and this time it's Kassi who sticks her tongue out at E'rian, "I prefer to bask in the warmth of beauty and the sweetness of true words." His eyes flick towards the poem again, and then back to those eyes of fascinating crystalline blue that look up at him. Asrai smiles, placing a light hand on K'nan's arm once more. "Its alright K'nan, its the natural cycle of things." K'nan has always been a stubborn one - you might almost think that he claims that he isn't proddy simply so he has something to argue about. Hey, wait a.. "Well..I mean..that could be any number of things. I oiled her today. You're just jealous she shines so well.." At Asrai's touch, he sighs..and looks down, grumbling, "All right, all right." Kassima leans back in her chair once she's ever-so-maturely expressed her disagreement with her cousin, and eyes Emlyn rather oddly at the udder metaphor. "And I thought Da was colorful. I'll have t'remember that one, t'tell him." Mehlani's started to look rather odd. Dazed, perhaps. Her eyes blink rapidly a few times, and then she slowly bobs her head in answer to Eyr's query, looking almost hypnotized. Asrai chuckles, "Just as long as you don't chop off wherry heads or go around kissing every girl in sight..I'll take the mood swings." she gives the other greenriders in the room a playful wink. Emlyn laughs and shakes her head. "Veyath is a fine green, a credit to the whole group of greens, but I'm not jealous of her shine, no." She picks up her mug and sips, then asks, "What kind of proddiness do you hate the worst? The one I hate is when I'm randy as the beasthold feline." Erdrick walks here from the Inner Cavern. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick quietly walks back in. Kassima rolls her eyes at Asrai in an exaggerated gesture. "You *know* I only did that the once! Remind me t'be very, very glad that Lyss only sets me off in one way, eh? At least I always know what to expect, even if'n I'm nay always certain what time of Turn to expect it." Peyra doodles idly in the dust, quietly, listening perhaps. K'nan chuckles quietly.."I'd never kiss every girl in sight..that'd mean kissing Kassi." He winks..then sighs over to Emlyn, "All of the above?" Kassima now rolls her eyes at K'nan. "Horror of horrors, eh?" she quips with a wry grin. Some of that romantic light in Eyr's eyes fades a bit, and his gaze takes on a cast of faint concern. "'Lani? Are you all right?" Proddiness? Proddiness? Mehlani's attention wavers again, off to the discussion between Kassima and Emlyn and K'nan. Then, her gaze lifts back to E'rian, turning slightly confused. Emlyn smiles sympathetically at K'nan. Noting that Erdrick's returned, she nods a greeting to him, then looks to see if Peyra is still standing by the entry. Oh, good. He seems to be sitting at a table. Asrai seems to relax as K'nan does. "Good thing too." She says jokingly. She then looks thoughtfully once more at Lani and her suiter. "K'nan, you know..I heard the most interesting stories the other night in here..." Erdrick nods at Emlyn, finding a seat somewhere. Of course..K'nan's seeming bout of calmness might end at any moment. The greenrider returns Emlyn's smile faintly..then cuts his gaze to Asrai, "Oh? What story?" Asrai hmms as she watches K'nan walk off after something. She then looks to Emlyn with a grin. "Well, he's not too bad tonight." Peyra continues to be quietly seated. Emlyn gets up to refill her mug. She gives Mehlani and her companion a smiling look as she pours. She turns to peer at the cavern before going to sit back down. Mehlani murmurs, "I...", but trails off after that single word. She lifts a hand to her brow, pressing the back of two fingers there, while her gaze lingers on E'rian's features; something about him appears to fascinate her. She finishes in a dreamy, distant small voice, 'I'm fine..." Asrai giggles at something, perhaps the tone of Lani's voice... Thing is, she looks so innocent when someone glances her way. Go figure. E'rian still looks mildly confused, but he gives Mehlani his most roguish--and, not coincidentally, most charming--grin. "Good," he murmurs, leaning down to brush a light kiss along her cheek. "'Twould be a sad thing for anything to be amiss with such a vision as you, m'lady." Kassima catches Asrai's eye, nods towards Eyr, and pantomimes sticking her finger down her throat. Erdrick eyebrows ascend into the clouds, watching E'rian and Mehlani, Asrai bursts into another fit of giggles. Looks like living with a proddy rider has finally done the poor girl in, she's lost it. She definitely wasn't looking at Kassi just then, nope nope. "What's so funny?" K'nan returns from wherever he went to..whatever he went to get concealed in his hand as he heads back towards Asrai. "Life," Kassi quickly supplies, removing her finger from her throat. "Naught unusual, I fear." Asrai stiffles her giggling, looking at K'nan with interest, "Whatcha got there?" she then, of course, tries to peek around K'nan's hand. K'nan hops back up onto Asrai's table, letting his legs hang to the floor..and grins, "What? This? Oh, nothing at all." He keeps it carefully hiden in hand. "So what's the joke?" He looks between Asrai and Kassi with a suspicous look. Mehlani doesn't answer E'rian -- unless a slight fluttering shut of her eyes and a sudden weakening of her knees that makes her sway where she stands can be considered an answer, as he brushes that kiss across her cheek. Peyra comes back in from the Bowl after leaving for a while. Emlyn returns to take a seat. She decides to explain to Erdrick what's going on. "Now, when a green dragon needs to mate, she isn't always aware of The Urge, but The Urge nevertheless makes itself known." She nods toward K'nan, then goes on, "And his mood swings are one of the more common ways The Urge appears. Another way is ungovernable lust. That's one that most of the weyr enjoys, even though it tends to spread colds and such." Erdrick's eyebrows raise, "Um, I think I understand..." Peyra listens to this as well, too, still over near the entrance. Kassima makes a face at the mention of ungovernable lust. "Either that, or we can become just plain irritable. Constantly. Irrationally. It helps if'n your dragon's the sort who won't let you get any sleep for days, then argues you into a migraine t'boot. Joke, K'nan? Oh... naught much. 'Twas just making m'usual commentary on romance and the like." K'nan mmhmms quietly..eying Kassima for a moment. "You keep talking about romance and love and all..why?" Asrai grins, still trying to see what it is K'nan's trying to hide. "Oh nothing..Lani's got a suiter. Speaking of which..do you know that people get serenaded...and recied love poems?" She looks pointedly at K'nan. "And love peoms written in the dust of a table about them." she says it all with complete innocence...of course. "Just something I found out the other night." Emlyn then nods towards Kassima as she continues her impromptu lecture, "Some riders display extremely bizarre behavior. Some become fascinated with sharp objects and raw meat. Others cry and cry, and some simply stare off into the distance and refuse to talk. But when the dragon finally goes up and gets The Urge quenched, then the rider returns to normal." Kassima jerks her thumb towards E'rian and Mehlani. "I'm watching them," she explains simply. Erdrick grins slightly, "Normal? You Kassi?" "Or as normal as they ever get," a rather grizzled brownrider mutters. Erdrick chuckles at the brownrider's comment. Peyra wanders over closer to Erdrick and Kassima, perhaps to get a better place to listen. Speaking of sharp objects..K'nan absently draws one of his beltknives and starts to sharpen it on the whetstone he returned with..turning his attenion to Asrai with a grin, "Yeah..that's always sweet, someone singing to you..or writing a love poem, and all.." E'rian smiles crookedly at 'Lani once more, his arm tightening a bit around her shoulder to draw her closer. "I didn't mean to make you nearly fall," he says with a hint of a laugh. "You *are* all right, aye? I'll leave you in peace, of course, if you'd prefer it...." His tone implies that *he* wouldn't prefer it, though. Erdrick noticing the beltknife, glances towards Kassi as he half remembers some comment made about her and knives. Kassima shakes her head in denial. "If'n you think I'm normal, we must nay have met a'fore. I suppose 'tis sweet enough," she further comments to K'nan, "but 'tis hardly the kind of thing one can't live without. Some seem t'feel otherwise, though." Asrai nods, a bit disapointed that the secret object was just K'nan's whetstone. she settles back into her seat with a small sigh, although her eyes begin to glitter. "Yes, very sweet. I'm sure the recipient enjoys it very much." Mehlani appears to be entirely oblivious to the conversation going on now, even the parts mentioning her. And serenades. And love poems. Feeling her knees turning wobbly, she fumbles, instinctively curling an arm of her own around E'rian to brace herself. As he asks her a _second_ time if she's all right, her brows knit together, and she murmurs distantly, "I feel odd..." Peyra looks at you for a moment. K'nan nods absently to Kassima..then continues with his conversation with Asrai, grinning, "Yeah..I'm sure they do. Must be nice having someone love you that much.." Just dig that hole deeper, K'nan. Just keep digging. Erdrick chuckles, "I donna think yer normal Kassi, a'course, a 'normal' Kassi would nae be as fun." Emlyn drinks some of her klah. She speaks up, "There are other ways of showing love, K'nan and Asrai. A sincere smile when your partner gets back from sweeps. Throwing a blanket over them when you find them napping on the couch. A hug in the night." She smiles. Asrai's lips purse, this obviously isn't going the way she had hoped. "Yes, I supose it would be nice to have someone love you that much." she starts to look around the room, perhaps for sympathy..perhaps for a brick. At Emlyn's words she nods, "Oh, I know..but the other stuff would make an interesting change." she says rather pointedly. Erdrick glances at Emlyn at her words, blushes slightly as he remembers something and walks over to get himself a mug of klah. E'rian absently brushes a lock back from Mehlani's face, his strap-calloused fingers light and gentle. "Mmm-hmm. Mayhaps you'd do better to go somewhere quieter," he says with what sounds like genuine concern. "You're not acting quite like yourself." He refrains from mentioning, of course, that he finds this version of Mehlani to be an improvement. Peyra continues to lean against a wall near Erdrick and Kassima. Kassima looks ever-so-slightly wistful for a moment, listening to the other riders; she then dismisses the words with a slight shrug. "A dragon can't serenade you, but you still know she loves you," she settles for saying. "A different sort of love, but love all the same." K'nan nods a few times absently, "I suppose it.." He pauses and blinks back down to Asrai, something finally sinking into his head. "You think so?" Emlyn nods to Kassima's comment. "It's wonderful, the dragon's presence in your thought. It isn't human, though." Asrai blushes softly as K'nan starts to get the picture (and just in time too..Asrai had finally spotted a nice looking brick). "Well, yeah..I do." she doesn't quite meet his eyes, but at least she doesn't use the batting eyelash thing on the poor proddy rider. Peyra stands and leaves the long table by the kitchen. 'Lani's head unconsciously tilts towards E'rian's hand, and she blinks owlishly at him. "I have to finish the dusting," she protests, her voice still small. She does not, however, seem inclined to move, still standing there with the green rider's arm supporting her. Kassima gives another shrug, absently pulling her braid around over her shoulder. "I suppose nay. But with your lifemate's affection, I think you can lead a very full life even without a human romance. Really, it seems much more trouble than it could possibly be worth." Emlyn turns to give Kassima a wide-eyed, somewhat shocked look. "Human affection seems more trouble than it's worth?" Xin walks here from the Inner Cavern. Xin has arrived. Xin wanders in, blindfolded, being lead by a friend. K'nan reaches over and brushes his weyrmate's cheek lightly with his fingers.."I'll see what I can do, then.." He smiles...his eyes sparkling brightly. E'rian eyes the dusting, and impetuously sweeps the sleeve of his jacket along the table surface. "Done," he informs her with a smile that shows off that dimple of his. "Your peace of mind's more important than any dust, anyway. *You* are far more important." Xin is pushed into a chair, and a small group of lower cavern types circle around him. Could this be the end for Our Hero? "Nay necessarily *affection*," Kassi admits. "Friendship, for instance, often has more benefits than troubles... but love? Another matter entirely. That's why I keep the List, t'remind me of why I'm exceedingly fortunate." Asrai smiles at K'nan's words, reaching up to give the hand on hre cheek a little squeeze. It is then that she notices the new blindfolded arrival. She nudges K'nan and motions towards the lad and the small gathering. "what do you supos that is about?" Erdrick looks around, confused, as he tries to figure out what's going on. Emlyn regards Kassima for a long moment before saying, "Well, it must be a lot of work, keeping the list and consulting it. Some might recommend that sort of work poured into the right person would be far more rewarding than the solitude." Suddenly, as if there were a plan, the group shouts out, "HAPPY TURNDAY!" Emlyn jumps at the shout. Erdrick blinks. Mehlani blinkblinks dewily at E'rian's proposed solution to the problem of her chore for the day, and then murmurs at him, "Oh... well... thank you.... very much....!" She stumbles a little as Eyr has to let her go at least somewhat to do that sweep with his arm, and she then blinks distractedly at the commotion surrounding Xin. Peyra blinks as the noise goes off. "All right, that got my attention." K'nan's attention is quickly turned to the blindfolded boy..and he blinks. At the sudden shout, he leaps up - overbalancing andgoing sprawling. "Oof..wha.." Erdrick looks completely lost as he looks around. The blindfold is removed from Xin's face and a large, 'Fear-made cake, is brought to him. Asrai blinks, looking down at the sprawled K'nan. "Dear, you alright?" Belatedly she reaches down to help him up. There is a bunch of excitrement, and a large number of kisses are applied to Xin's face. Erdrick watching Xin, sighs because his turn day isn't until the 12th month. Kassima chuckles wryly, perhaps at the truth of the quip. "Aye, well... mayhaps if'n that right person exists, which I sincerely doubt, I'll learn for certain whether or nay 'twould be the case. Until then, it seems best t'remind m'self of the benefits of solitude. And i'truth, they *are* numerous." Her mouth curves up in a rueful smile--which is then wiped from her face as she jerks her head about at the shout. "Bloody big cake, that," she notices. K'nan reaches up and clasps hands with his weyrmate..getting to his feet and muttering under his breath, casting a dark glare in the general direction of the shout and looking around to see where his knife's gotten off to.. E'rian, too, is somewhat startled by the shout. "Quite welcome," he answers distractedly before refocusing his attention on Mehlani and favoring her with a wry smile. "Sounds like there's about to be a commotion indeed. Are you certain you wouldn't rather go somewhere quieter...?" Peyra continues to hover around the tables, quietly; never actully sitting, but never leaving either. Erdrick looks at Kassi curiously, wondering what she's talking about. Asrai takes up K'nan's knife, but doesn't hand it back directly. "Nuh uh..not until you promise to behave..they didn't mean to startle you, dear." Mehlani blinks, and then, as if trying to practice it a few more times to get it right, she blinks some more. Slowly, she bobs her head to E'rian, beginning to look rather disoriented. "Yes," she breathes. "Yes... please...." K'nan blinks as he notices that Asrai has his knive..and blinks innocently, "Of course I behave.." E'rian nods, giving 'Lani's shoulders a quick squeeze before turning to head out to the Bowl. "Does the Records Room sound all right?" he asks as quietly as he can, considering that he wants to be heard over the commotion. Asrai holds the knife behind ehr back, just to emphasize her point. "On Veyath's shell, please." She knows better then to trust K'nan when he looks innocent. Mehlani blinkblinks at E'rian as he deftly guides her off, murmuring absently, "It's... cold out..." Peyra continues to remain stainding awkwardly, mostly near the Thunderbolt wing's table. Xin is carried off by some friends for a more private celebration. K'nan just tilts his head and gives Asrai a /look/..a hurt look that she wouldn't trust him. E'rian immediately removes his arm from around Mehlani long enough to shrug out of his own wherhide jacket, draping it over her shoulders. "That should keep you warm, nay?" he inquires, a hint of a grin--he grins often, this greenrider--tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Better I be faced with the cold than you, sweet flower of a lass that you are; flowers are ill-equipped to brave the frost. Their beauty is much more suited to warmth, which I will provide for you in whatever quantity you desire." Offering her his arm in a more gallant fashion, he asks, "Shall we?" Kassima tilts her head, looking up at this man who keeps hovering near her Wing's table. "You could always sit down if'n you wanted to, y'know," she points out with a hint of a smile. Emlyn rises and yawns. "Well, I think I'd better get back to the ledge. If you'll pardon me, Friends?" She puts away her used mug. Peyra blinks and smiles. "Really?" Erdrick sighs, "Bye Emlyn." Asrai smiles sweetly at K'nan. She leans forward and kisses the tip of his nose before handing him the knife hilt first. "Here you are dear." She doesn't, however, apologise. She looks over at emlyn and smiles, "Good Eve, Emlyn." Mehlani bobs her head slowly at E'rian, smiling vaguely at him, and lets him lead her out. [To be continued....]