Leilanth's Third Flight (Or, You Can't *Handle* the Truth!)



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Leilanth's Third Flight (Or, You Can't *Handle* the Truth!)


Date:  April 4, 1998
Places:  Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern, Southern Bowl, Central Bowl,
Feeding Grounds, and Upper Skyspace
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  This log is focused primarily on the RP after the third
flight of Telgar's senior queen, Leilanth, but the actual flight foo is
featured here, too.  When Kassi reaches a state of dragonrider nirvana
(security, drunkenness, and wealth), wouldn't you just know that 
insanity would rear its crazy head and turn sheer bliss into sheer
confusion?  Things prefixed by Lysseth> take place in the Southern
Bowl.  I've left in some dragon chatter, some knot chatter, and one set
of Pierron's rumors for amusement's sake.  A word to the wise:  there
are a few innuendos towards the end that may not be for the faint of
heart.   You *have* been warned. :)

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The Log:

You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.

Pierron humphs thoughtfully as the wingleader of Thunderbolt arrives.

Mehlani then shifts her bemused gaze from Ro, to the pair of tippling 
bronze riders, and finally to the newcomer. She bobs her head nervously to 
the unfamiliar boy, then whispers to the cavern at large, "I... think I'll 
be going..."

Sean says "okay"

"Li...wha'?" K'tyn asks again, not trying to focus on one person or one 
thing; instead, he concentrates on drinking his Green. "Oh, Yea," He nods 
at that statement. "It's today."

A'lex says "Wingleader Greenrider Kassima! Good Evening!"

Rylan says "Where you going Lani?"

Why is A'lex trying to lick the last of the green from his glass? Doesn't 
he know there's more in the flask at his side? Oh! NOW he remembers! Good 
boy.

Pierron adjusts his apron and tugs on his moustache.

"Fear nay more the heat o' the sun, nor the furious winter's rages," Kassi 
sings quietly to herself as she meanders in, a very *large* satchel slung 
over her shoulder--one that clinks and sloshes ominously, no less--and an 
equally large stack of hides in her hand. "Sir," she greets first, with a 
bob of her head in lieu of a salute, given that her arms are full. "And 
'Lex... hey, is that Green you're drinking?"

Mehlani can be seen to blush. She turns back to Rylan and blurts to him 
softly, "I think... I will be going to check on Nightsong..." She pulls in 
a breath, then turns around again at the sound of Kassima's voice. The 
behatted lass abruptly darts to the green rider, and lays an anxious hand 
on her shoulder, murmuring, "Excuse me...?"

"Kass--" K'tyn tries to salute, but instead, raises the flask to his 
eyes--Oh! Green. Green is good. He takes a big swig.

Rylan blinks after his sister, what crawlie climbed up her trousers

Dragon> All dragons sense that Leilanth awakens from a restless doze with 
a rumble that resembles a growl of someone who's not a morning person that 
got up way too early and on the wrong side of the weyr to boot.

Ro says to the greenrider with somewhat of a pout. "Yes, it is, and he 
hasn't given me any, yet."

Jehrina walks in from the bowl.

Pierron gives a small bow to the Weyrwoman.

A'lex nods proudly, "Our Illustrious Weyrleader (and yes, he prounounces 
the capital letters) has graciously shared with me."

Rylan wavies to Jehrina, "HeylO"

Jehrina stomps into the cavern, "Now what?"

Lysseth> Talibenth backwings for a landing.

Ro smiles at the weyrwoman with an expression bordering on adoration 
"Afternoon, ma'am. Can I get anythin' for you?"

K'tyn is plastered. Utterly. Somehow, though, he manages to get to his 
feet. "Jeh....Jehrina."

Lysseth> Nraith eyes Talibenth cautiously.

Lysseth> M'hryn swings one of his legs across Talibenth's broad neck to 
dismount and jumps down from the crouched bronze.

Sean walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

"And he'd best nay. Green's too good t'be wasted on one too young to 
appreciate it," Kassi points out matter-of-factly. "Green's good for 
getting sloshed, though." Her expression states that certain people have 
certainly proven to her that this is true. "Aye, Mehlani?"

Mehlani fixes Kassi with an anxious blue gaze, and whispers to her, She 
mutters to Kassima, "... and Kes... they aren't... Do..." 

You sense Mehlani fixes Kassi with an anxious blue gaze, and whispers to 
her, "Indyth... and Kes... they aren't here, are they? Do you know?"

A'lex stands as K'tyn does, "Weyrwoman, ma'am." He's not quite as 
plastered as his boss is.

Public announcement: Jehrina announces "Afternoon folks! Leilanth has 
decided to quit making my life miserable (now, if the rest of the weyr 
would just follow her example) and rise! Spectators are welcome to +go 
telgar-bowl, and watch. :)"

Lysseth> Talibenth rumbles, low in his throat, at the Telgar dragons, 
watching them with eyes that whirl a strange, dark shade of green. Then he 
tosses his head back cockily and settles down upon the ground as if he 
owns this little piece of the Telgar bowl.

Jehrina glares at K'tyn, "Didn't I tell you to stay out of the wine? No 
wonder you're so wety behind the ears. You're too busy drowning yourself 
in drink!"

M'hryn walks in from the bowl.

Kassima shakes her head, lowering her voice to the level of the younger 
woman's. She mutters to Mehlani, "... I believe some... Wingmates... 
drag... as... wishing; they're... the Weyrleader's example and..."  With a 
brief smile, she nods cautiously to the Weyrwoman and sets her hides down 
on a convenient table.

Mehlani senses Kassima shakes her head, lowering her voice to the level 
of the younger woman's. "Nay, they're nay. I believe some of their 
Wingmates helped Kes drag Indyth off t'Boll, as 'twas wishing; they're 
likely following the Weyrleader's example and... ah... dulling things 
out." With a brief smile, she nods cautiously to the Weyrwoman and sets 
her hides down on a convenient table.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex quiets now... but rises for Jehrina... WOO HOO!

Rylan peers amongst all the riders boy this is going to get good /quick/

Lysseth> Prometh ignores the Istan beast for the most part, staring as he 
is at Leilanth. Eyes an Amythystine whorl, he rumbles, stamping his feet.

Lysseth> Lysseth has found herself the perfect place in the Bowl: one as 
far away as she can get from certain ledges. From there, she watches the 
males without a sound, her mood more one of curiousity than anything else.

Taral enters from the Bowl.

Taral wanders in and waves to everyone.

Kassima's murmured reply seems to marginally reassure Mehlani. The girl 
steps back from Lysseth's rider, bobbing her head gravely in 
acknowledgement. Then, however, her gaze tracks round to Jehrina. Mehlani 
can be seen to swallow hard. Without further ado, the lass flees into the 
Bowl, Holl fluttering for purchase on her shoulder.

M'hryn steps cautiously into the living cavern, side-stepping a group of 
hurrying riders and moves to where he's outside the main pathway to and 
from the bowl, looking around.

"A drink, Yes. Had a few. Had a few," K'tyn mutters, then offers the flask 
to the Senior weyrwoman. "Ya want some, Jehrina?"

Lysseth> Nraith puffs himself up boldly and stakes his claim on HIS spot 
in the bowl.

Mehlani walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Rylan hops off his table

Sandar walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Jehrina smacks at the flask, "No, you stupid wherry, I don't want any. My 
*dragon* is rising. IF you think you've got a chance of catching her 
again, you'd better be able to control your dragon better than yourself."

Lysseth> Above, Leilanth leaps from Leilanth's Ledge and flies into the 
air.

Sandar wanders in. He veers aaaaall the way around the Cavern, putting 
lots of space between himself and Jehrina, to reach a group on the other 
side.

Rylan giggles at Jehrina she's too funny

A'lex looks up at the Bronzerider entering, for a moment, dragonlust 
flares in his eyes, but then he regains himself and nods, "Telgar's 
duties, sir."

Lysseth> Talibenth glances again at Nraith and the snort he exhales makes 
his thoughts on Nraith's attempts to look important completely obvious.

Lysseth> Above, Leilanth flies towards the north end of the bowl.

Lysseth> Nraith rumbles deep in his chest at the audacity of some 
visitors...

Jehrina shoots more glares at oh.. everyone, and stomps outside.

Lysseth> Prometh sits up, neck straight as an arrow as he watches the gold 
in the air. Growling at the males, he stomps after her, heading for the 
feeding grounds and the blooding.

Jehrina walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima mutters, as she starts to rummage through the satchel of bottles 
and flasks, "Doesn't take more'n a few, when 'tis Green. Duties to Ista 
and her queens, Assistant Weyrlingmaster." Her absent attention to 
protocol suggests that she knows darned well that she's probably not being 
listened to. "And heya t'you, too, Sandar. Going t'be placing any bets?"

Lysseth> Jehrina walks north.

Sandar nods to Kassima. "Leilanth will win. 5 marks on't."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth flies downward towards the feeding grounds.

Rylan glares at Kassi, "You bet on everything"

A'lex holds his head, "Is it time? Shards..."

M'hryn blinks at A'lex, just noticing the bronzerider. His eyes have been 
wandering towards Jehrina, and A'lex's greeting draws his attention 
slowly. "Uh..." He doesn't finish, eyes following Jehrina as she stomps 
out.

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina cackles at Sandar.

Lysseth> Talibenth takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl 
to carry him aloft.

Lysseth> Above, Talibenth flies towards the north end of the bowl.

Taral sighs a bit and heads off back to work.

Ro giggles, favoring the assistant steward with a smile.

K'tyn shakes his head at Jehrina, and with determination, follows after 
the goldrider. "I've more discipline in my finger than..."

K'tyn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Leilanth rumbles as she lands. Her 
form shines in the afternoon sun as she drops a herdbeast with one well 
placed claw. Immediately her head drops to drink the blood from it.

Kassima just snorts at Rylan. "Certes, I do. All know it. And, A'lex, I 
suggest heavily that you sober up right fast; Nraith will make your life 
miserable if'n your lack of control makes him lose." Eyeing the Weyrleader 
and Wingsecond speculatively, she shakes her head. "G'luck, both of you. 
Remind me t'thank Faranth that Lysseth's nay bronze... and what d'you 
think I am, Sandar? Everyone knows *she'll* win!"

A'lex mumbles, "Shards."

A'lex walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

M'hryn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Telgar-Bowl> Jehrina stops in the center of the bowl, eyes focused on her 
queen, "Don't you dare do anything but drink, Leilanth. Don't you dare. 
You'll never outrun them if you do anything but drink."

Lysseth> Prometh takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to 
carry him aloft.

Lysseth> A'lex looks about.

Lysseth> Nraith takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to 
carry him aloft.

Rylan grins at Kassi, "Wanna go watch?"

Lysseth> Above, Prometh flies towards the north end of the bowl.

Lysseth> Above, Nraith flies towards the north end of the bowl.

Sandar mumbles to Kassima, "I saw Prometh doing push-ups in the Bowl when 
he thought nobody was looking. And Nraith's been practicing his graceful 
swoops. I dunno. I've got the wine stores sitting by the doorway. I'm 
ready any way it goes."

Rylan moves to Sandar and Kassi holding up a halfmark

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh flies downward towards the feeding grounds.

Rylan says "I gots a halfmark on Prometh"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith flies downward towards the feeding grounds.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth flies downward towards the feeding grounds.

Lysseth> In the corrals, Prometh plummets towards a cluster of herdbeasts,
his brassy bugle sending the herd scattering before him. Bloody talons 
flash out, reflecting the dim light of the moons as they rake into the 
side of a particularly unlucky herdbeast. Wings only half-furled, he 
springs lightly towards his mangled, piteously bleating victim and lowers 
his head,long tongue emerging to lap, catlike, at the thick blood seeping 
out over the beast's hide.

Kassima slaps her satchel of liquor almost affectionately. "I should have 
enough here t'get m'self and half m'Wing good and schnockered in 
celebration. I always watch these, aye. I'll collect your mark if'n you 
lose, Rylan--your bet," she says, hastening to tug the wager-sheet from 
her pocket, "has been noted."

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Nraith shrieks as he dives towards a 
flock of wherry, plucking TWO from the ground. He lands, holding one under 
a hind leg, while he rips the head from the other, sucking it dry.

Rylan laughs as he spies the wager sheet, "Do you always carry that?"

Sandar hears wherries screaming from the pen. "And," he says, "I'll bet a 
mark and a half I know who's going to be helping clean up the mess," he 
grumbles as he heads outside.

"A'fore flights, aye," Kassi confirms on her way out the door.

You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Rylan comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Sandar comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Rylan bouncies outside looking towards the pens

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Leilanth bugles irritation at the 
approaching males, especially at Nraith as he swipes a wherry close to 
her. With a swing of her foreleg, she pulls another wherry down to drink 
the blood from.

Rylan starts to chant, "Prometh Prometh Prometh!

Ro comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Nraith half croons half snarls back 
at the Great Golden One. Ahhhh, what a lovely!

A'lex looks about, "Where did she go? I don't want to have to chase her
 down."

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Talibenth circles over the feeding 
grounds, watching Prometh for a moment with whirling eyes that fade 
quickly to a dark reddish-violet. Then his eyes go towards a group of 
herdbeasts, panicked by the activities of the other dragons. With a bugle 
that reverbates across the Telgar bowl, his wings collapse and he drops 
like a stone upon a small herdbeast, crushing it underneath his bulk. The 
creature vanishes from sight as Talibenth lowers his muzzle and the sounds 
of tearing flesh ensue.

Sandar cranes his neck to watch the dragons swirl about within the pen.

Kassima sets herself comfortably down on the ground, beginning to pull 
bottles and the like out of her satchel. "Shardit!" she curses as she 
remembers something. "I bloody well forgot t'throw Ushu in the grounds!"

K'tyn peers about-- He's a bit more steady on his feet. "There. The guest 
weyr."

K'tyn moves down a short passage and past a curtain, moving out of sight 
as he enters the Guest Weyr.

Telgar-Bowl> Jehrina looks about her, eyes glazed over, forehead furrowed 
in concentration. "Slowly, love. You need speed to outrun them all."

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Prometh lifts his head at the gold's 
cry, neck arching back as he prepares to offer a challenge to the 
newcomer. The projected hiss dies as his faceted eyes focus, not an a 
potential challenger, but upon Leilanth's lithe, lustrous form. A deep 
croon wells up from his throat, paying homage to her boundless grace and 
beauty. Red swirls deepening to violet in his eyes, he slashes out at a 
plump herdbeast and fastens his teeth on its throat.

Rylan sits near Kassi having conveniently grabbed a glass on the way out 
of the cavern. He holds it up to her with a wide smile.

Kassima clears her throat and points off to the North. "Actually, she went 
that way. Though the Guest Weyr's nay a bad idea. And Rylan, forget it; 
you're nay getting a drop from me."

Rylan dangits, "What am I to drink then?"

M'hryn watches northward, his gaze entranced. He doesn't hear K'tyn and 
probably wouldn't have paid any attention had he. He takes a step forward. 
Towards the north.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Nraith hucks the whery carcas over 
one shoulder, and pulls the second screaming one from under his foot. With 
an evil spark in his eyes, he just clamps his jaws around its neck and 
begins to draw forth blood.

Sandar watches Nraith toss wherry carcasses back and forth. "Hrmph," he 
says, nudging Kassi. "And A'lex says _I_'m a messy eater."

Ro looks at Kassi "What about me? I'm not -that- young." She -looks- as 
though she could be anywhere between 13 and 20.

A'lex just looks confused, does he follow his Weyrleader, or follow the 
guy who LOOKS like he knows what's going on...

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Leilanth bugles once more at the sky, 
then turns to another hapless heardbeast. With all the efficiency born of 
a near eighteen turns of life, the senior queen easily dispatches the 
beast. Hopefully, Caitria hid all her prized ones long before this. With 
another deft movement, she buries her muzzle in the neck of the beast, 
eyes whirling speedy violet.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Prometh rises back on his haunches 
with his head proudly arched and wings mantled, displaying exactly that 
arrogance of which he is known, his amethystine eyes perusing with almost 
insulting intentness the gilded queen before him. Blood drips down his 
muzzle and chest, staining the ground a hot pink. The fact that this 
movement has blocked the view of two leering blues is strictly accidental 
of course.

Kassima suggests dryly, "Juice. You're too young t'have t'get drunk, and 
after the spectacle you pulled at the Festival, nay anyone in their right 
mind would let you have liquor anyway." Grinning at Sandar, she squints 
towards the spectacle in the Grounds. "You should only see how Lysseth 
eats. She's made weyrfolk lose their lunches... 'Lex, *that* way. That 
way. North. Shoo, shoo." She gestures vaguely to the bronzerider, then 
turns to eye Ro with consideration. "That's right. You're fourteen now... 
one glass, aye, you can have. With most of this stuff, that's more'n 
you'll need... and remind me t'attend to your Turnday gifting when the 
show's done."

Telgar-Bowl> Jehrina leans forward, eyes focused on the feeding grounds as 
her queen begins to glow brighter. "That's it, beautiful."

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Talibenth raises his muzzle to rumble 
a warning to a smallish brown who'd drawn too close. Blood drips from his 
muzzle, pattering onto the red-splattered grass below. Satisfied the brown 
has moved away, he once again lowers his muzzle to the herdbeast, whipping 
his neck back and forth as he tears into the poor creature, seeking those 
last precious drops. Chunks of meat whipsaw this way and that, landing 
with sickening thuds all around the bronze.

Richenda emerges from the infirmary.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Prometh crouches, wings rolling 
effortlessly away from his back.He extends his large wingsails fully, in 
an unabashed display of youthful power, before drawing them back to 
himself in preparation for the crucial moment in which Leilanth will take 
to the sky.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Eyes a whirl with lustfull violet, 
Nraith finishes and waits for his Queen, none to patiently.

Sandar laughs, watching. "Hopefully it won't make me lose my liquor. These 
things are always a good reason to get a little bit drunk - everyone who 
would normally scold me is gonna be two times worse."

Ro smiles brilliantly at the greenrider, the silvery sparkle in her eyes 
lighting up her whole face, she says "Thank you, Kassi." as she proffers 
the glass she snagged on her way out of the LC.

A'lex decides K'tyn has the right idea and gets as far from 'Rina as he 
can...

A'lex moves down a short passage and past a curtain, moving out of sight 
as he enters the Guest Weyr.

Rylan flops onto his side maybe Sandar will give him some. He extends his 
glass politely to Sandar

"Two of my drudges were climbing on a pair of blueriders," Richenda 
mumbles as she emerges from the inner caverns. "Do I hear right? Is that 
bloody gold finally getting the gumption to go up?"

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Leilanth gathers herself, a glowing 
molten gold, like fields in the autumn sun wavering in the wind. With 
effortless ease of action, she crouches, then launches into the air, wings 
tearing at the sky in earnest. No male will ever catch her!

Sandar grins, taking the glass from Rylan. "Hey... thanks, Rylan," he 
says. "I'll probably need this later."

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, With a roar to rock the very 
foundations of the weyr itself, Nraith hurls himself skyward.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith rises up from the feeding grounds.

Rylan blinks three times

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth rises up from the feeding grounds.

Telgar Weyr> Ursa gets here too late to get a shot at taking over the weyr 
from K'tyn. Well, durn. :)

Rylan says "That was mine!"

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina says, "We just finished the blooding :)"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh rises up from the feeding grounds.

Kassima looks over her stock of alcoholic things. "I know what y'mean; 
'tis as good an excuse t'get sloshed as was ever provided. Which d'you 
want, Ro? I've Red, White, Green, Harper's Folly, White Lightning, Black 
Gold, the Bottle, fruit brandy, and half a bottle left of Hugh's finest." 
This greenrider knows her liquor, oh yes. "Richenda! You're just in time 
t'watch the spectacle, and place your bets if'n you've nay already."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh rises with the others, his wings cutting 
smoothly through the air like a shipfish's fins through water. Despite 
being in the middle of the pack of straining suitors, he's hardly aware of 
the bodies around him, for the scope of his rapidly whirling, violet-
tinged gaze is large enough only for himself and the distant, glowing gold 
he pursues.

Telgar-Bowl> In the Feeding Grounds, Talibenth roars as Leilanth launches 
into the sky, and his tensed hindquarters suddenly release, thrusting the 
small bronze into the sky.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth rises up from the feeding grounds.

M'hryn moves down a short passage and past a curtain, moving out of sight 
as he enters the Guest Weyr.

Sandar's eyes widen as the dragons soar into the air. "There they go!" he 
exclaims.

Telgar-Bowl> Jehrina lets out a panting breath as her queen takes flight. 
She turns to run for her quarters.

Jehrina walks here from the north.

Richenda peers. "Place my bets? You must be kidding. There's no way 
entirely I'd waste a bit of my few marks on choosing what that precocious 
gold will do. I've enough to keep people from behaving while Leilanth 
screams her proddiness across this part of the continent."

Sandar giggles at Richenda's comment.

Jehrina runs across the bowl, stopping long enough to glare at the riders 
of male dragons. "Leilanth's loud, can't help it. She wouldn't be senior 
otherwise." ANd with that, she goes up to the weyrleaders quarters.

Jehrina starts up the long flight of stairs to the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

"Sounds like the same as her rider!" Richenda calls after Jehrina, 
smirking. "Ah well. Goldflights. Goodness. The weyr's excuse for rampant 
drunkenness and sex."

Ro replies to the greenrider "Whichever you think would be most 
appropriate for a turnday, I suppose."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth bugles again, a challenge. Her glowing form 
rises higher and higher into the sky, daring the male dragons behind her 
to follow.

Sandar grins, looking relieved Richenda said it... otherwise, he might 
have done it himself.

A'lex emerges from the passage leading to the guest weyr.

A'lex passes through, swearing up a bluestreak.

Sandar grins. "Happy turnday, Ro," he says genuinely.

K'tyn emerges from the passage leading to the guest weyr.

M'hryn emerges from the passage leading to the guest weyr.

K'tyn starts up the long flight of stairs to the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

M'hryn starts up the long flight of stairs to the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

A'lex starts up the long flight of stairs to the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

Kassima's eyes follow the queen and her suitors upwards. "And they're 
off," she states, almost more to herself than the others. "Keep people 
from behaving, Riche? You'll hardly have t'keep us from it. Care for any 
wine?" Pursing her mouth in thought, she finally unstoppers one of the 
flasks and pours a measure of sweet red wine into Ro's glass. "If'n you 
don't drink often, this might be best suited... 'tisn't all that strong, 
though."

Ro blushes from time to time at some of the things Richenda says, but she 
doesn't seem as bothered by it as she normally might.

Rylan looks to Kassi, "If it's not strong can't I have a drop?

Sandar watches the riders run back and forth, following Jehrina, running 
away from Jehrina, all in a uniform daze. Then his eyes hit the skies 
again, squinting in an attempt to make them out.

Ro pokes Sandar in the ribs "Happy turnday to you too, silly boy."

Above, Spineth leaps off the ledge he shares with green Pleiath.

Above, Spineth flies towards the north end of the bowl.

Richenda winks at Sandar, smiles at Kassima, and shakes her head...then 
changes her mind and holds out her hand for the wine. "I should go find 
Rennick. It's as good a time as any to tumble him."

Sandar grins at Ro. "Thanks!"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth bursts into the sky from the far end of the 
feeding grounds. He knows he's not a bronze, but he's big, he's strong, 
and most of all, he's got blinding faith and confidence.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh's wings furiously pound the air as he 
struggles with the cold Telgar winds. He veers sharply to one side and 
bugles triumphantly as he finally manages to blunder into a good thermal, 
powering his way throught the uncertain winds. He cuts off a brown, 
getting a roar of rage in response which he ignores completely, his 
attention captured by Leilanth.

Kassima replies firmly to Rylan, "*Nay.* You're nay getting any more 
alcohol out of me again; get it through your brain here and now, eh? 
There's nay doubt juice aplenty back in the 'Cavern." Stoppering the wine 
back up, she grins at the Headwoman. "Take your pick, then. D'you want 
liquor that's white, red, green, blue, clear, purplish, or blue-green-
gold?" A remarkable assortment of bottles and flasks sit at the 
greenrider's side. "Methinks 'twill stick to the drink, m'self."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth's wings rise and dip in a steady rhythm, 
following the huge, vibrant queen upward. The brown he rumbled at earlier 
in the feeding grounds, though, ducks underneath the bronze and comes up 
before Talibenth, blocking Leilanth from Talibenth's sight. Trumpeting 
angrily, he pushes forward, dipping a wing slightly to try to move around 
the brown.

Ro takes a sip of her red, her eyes drawn back to the flight of dragons.
Rylan sighs well that barrel is dry he instead contents himself with 
watching the flight. Leaning lightly on Kassi so long as she doesn't mind.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth flies steadily upward, tail dangling out 
behind her, a beacon tempting and teasing the males who would catch her, 
their riders who would be Weyrleader. No male is worthy to partner her! 
Another draconic scream of defiance fills the bowl air, surely reaching 
across half the continent from the sound of it.

"Just Benden Red for me, thanks," Richenda answers, taking a good look 
around at those on the ground before lifting her eyes to the sky. "Sakes. 
It's just a leadership flight."

Ursa comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Ursa starts up the long flight of stairs to the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith is spurred on by adolescent lust. His powerful 
wings pound the air like oars pound the ocean. A rumble issues forth from 
his throat in responce to that scream, and he Chases.

Kassima gives Rylan a peculiar look and edges away a bit, not really all 
that thrilled about being leaned on during one of these things. "Those are 
the most important of all," she points out cheerfully, tipping the flask 
to fill Riche's extended cup. "The betting's good, too."

Sandar oohs at the Benden Red. "I wouldn't mind a bit of that either, if 
that's okay," he says, eyes quickly snapping back to the sky.
Rylan shrugs slightly as he sits forward

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth has his vision focused on nothing but the gold 
beacon ahead. The bronzes and browns that come between him and her only 
momentarily enter his awareness. His wings beat on as he rides the Telgar 
thermals upwards, fueled by his confidence.

Rylan looks back towards Kassi, "What are the odds so far?"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh cuts through the air, a fire-tinged arrow in 
these southern peaks of the Barrier Range, home in the sky to which he 
newly belongs. Flying now in the fullness of his adult strength and 
agility, and every wind is a friend and a lift to his wings. Leilanth 
ahead is a gold gemstone, his whirling eyes never leave her as though he 
was bound to her by threads invisible. A bugled cry bursts from his 
throat, defiance to the other males, yearning to the gold ahead.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth seems to falter for a moment as Leilanth 
roars and the brown he is competing -- as well as the other dragons -- 
widen the distance. But his surprise is quickly replaced by an even 
stronger desire and he surges forward, golden-green wingsails valiantly 
driving the bronze onward through the air of this unfamilar bowl.

Kassima shakes her head and pours Sandar a generous dollop also. "Don't 
mind 'tall. 'Tis what 'tis here for. Just don't give Rylan any." That 
said, she passes the 'Red on to a pair of her wingmates who are starting 
to eye each other in a more than friendly fashion. For herself, she opens 
the bottle of purplish Black Gold and fills a glass full with it. "Ehhh... 
they're leaning heavily towards Nraith, at the moment."

Rylan figures in his mind...

Sandar thanks Kassi and takes a big swig of the stuff. "Mmmm."

Rylan blinks, "A'lex's rider?

Rylan errrs..."A'lex?

"A'lex?" Richenda shudder, then laughs. "Well, I love that young man, but 
Faranth's bosom, he's young. I suppose we've had younger Weyrleaders on 
Pern before."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith practically spins mid air, gracefully turning 
himself to persue that Golden Grail ahead of them. The rhythm of his 
wingbeats increases as he pulls himself forward, gaining altitude and 
speed with every stroke.

Rylan would comment but as he's been taught lately. Sometimes it's best to 
keep ones thoughts to theirselves.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh folds his wings and dives down after the 
beauteous gold goddess. Already above the other males, he remains above 
them in this, as well, pulling smoothly out of the dive several 
dragonlengths above Leilanth. He dogs her from above, great wings blacking 
out the sky overhead so that she may shine brightest in the cloudy Telgar 
sky.

Kassima chuckles, nodding once. "The poor man bet five marks on Nraith 
himself, which is a part of it. M'wagering's going more towards Prometh. 
He can be rather canny." Laughing, she nods up towards Richenda. "'Twill 
almost be worth losing m'mark if'n I can tell him 'tis all his fault for 
wagering so heavily!"

Sandar grins.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth's wing dips down, drawing him in a northward 
arc that almost perfectly mimics Leilanth's. Unfortunately, though, he 
doesn't find her thermal and settles for pushing onward with brute 
strength. The small bronze rises upward under his own power, not gaining 
ground on the object of his desire, but through force of will not losing 
very much either.

Richenda's right foot taps in the dirt, eyes on the sky; she looks 
impatient, if a trifle bored, perhaps, at the whole thing. In fact, with a 
sigh, she remarks, "Whosoever devised leadership by this method is off his 
box of bubblies. Goodness sakes and Aunt Festrie's fanny, but it's just a 
race, a contest, to choose a leader. It's odd, and no mistaking that."
Ro says "I wagered on Nraith, too, though not near so much."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth does indeed glow, brighter perhaps that she 
ever has when she's risen. Her form darts quickly, easily, with the 
suggestion that she will never tire, never be caught, never be anything 
but the very image of molten precious metals that she is.

Rylan looks to Ro, "How much did you wager?"

Ro says "A thirty-second. I have to save up my marks for gifts."

Sandar laughs at Richenda's comment. "Good point," he comments. "Though... 
a choice is being made - by the queen - no? I think if she wanted to 
outfly everyone, she could. She's strong enough."

Rylan nods slowly, "I bet a half mark on Prometh"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth curves broadly, turning in the new direction. 
Even as she sails further away, his confidence grows--he will not 
relinquish his chance to catch the golden queen that's led the Weyr all 
his ten turns of life. His wings continue to take him higher and higher: 
if not in close pursuit, still, its direct.

Richenda snorts. It's a loud snort, indeed, and derisive.

Kassima leans back against the Bowl wall, toying with the glass of 
brownish-purple liquor in her hand. "Well," she opines, after a moment's 
thought, "this place is already odd enough that it nearly makes sense. 
They say, y'know, that the will of the Weyrfolk can aid in driving one of 
the bronzes on to win. I'm nay certain whether 'tis in any way truth, 
m'self--but you never can tell."

Ro says "Just so long as it isn't H'tor's dragon that wins, I'll be 
happy."

Sandar laughs. "Good call, Ro."

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Neck arched, hide shining in the light, one would 
swear that the golden bolts of lightning traced across Nraith's wingsails 
were actually sparking. He shrieks again and continues on after that 
Great, Golden hunk of a Dragon leading everyone on this merry chase.

Rylan frowns, "But if that's true then A'lex is going to win"

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh wings steadily on, the seas of Telgari grain 
rippling below, the Telgari winds beneath his wings. His trumpet is not 
defiant now, not challenging--more a croon, a reminder to the gold ahead 
that a steadfast bronze still follows, brilliant flame to her glowing gold 
light.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Talibenth, like Spineth, has opted for a direct 
pursuit of Leilanth. Slightly more manueverable than some of the larger 
bronzes, he continues to mimic Leilanth, wing tips dipping and rising to 
match the motions of the golden queen, his madly whirling, violet eyes 
locked on Leilanth's gleaming, molten golden form. He is silent, pursuing 
with a single-minded determination that leaves him with no enegery for 
frivolous expenditures of breath.

Richenda, running her fingers through her hair, says with a sigh, "Well, 
it's Pernese tradition, and I'm not the one to stand in its way. I'll be 
finding my husband now, if you'll all excuse me."

Rylan waves farewell to Richenda

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth leads the pack in his chase--well, except for 
those bronzes ahead of him, and, well, even that brown that's pulled 
ahead. Still, those bronzes between him and the gold mean nothing. Only 
the queen means anything in this dizzying chase, and he has not yet 
faltered in his belief in his success.

Sandar gives Richenda a smile as she departs.

Richenda walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern.

Kassima consults her hide, and shrugs. "Possible," she allows. "But just 
because they bet on his dragon having a chance doesn't mean they *really* 
want him as Weyrleader. Ask a Mindhealer about that sometime." She merely 
snorts again at the mention of certain Pernese traditions, apparently 
quite content to knock back her glass of Black Gold instead of following 
it herself. "I can't tell who's ahead, can you?"

Ro slips her empty hand on Sandar's shoulder, and rests her chin on the 
back of said hand without even seeming to realize it, as her attention is 
riveted on the flight above.

Rylan shrugs to Kassi if'n her question was to him

Sandar smiles at Ro, still watching the skies intently.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh folds his wings, arrowing after the gilded 
beauty-- his wingsails snap back open with a sharp *clap* of sound. He 
crooons softly, lustily, to her, promising relief even as he resolutely 
ignores the other would-be suitors, none of them being worthy of the honor 
which she will soon bestow.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth begins to slow a bit. Defintiely confident in 
her own craftiness, this queen. Senior in two weyrs, she's never had a 
problem with her own ego. She *knows* she can always beat the puny males 
coming closer to her. She snaps her wings out, creating drag, dropping 
down towards the pack below. From all appearances, she has the intent of 
dropping straight *through* them.

Sandar watches the gold slow. "She's teasing 'em," he comments. "Cheeky."

Telgar Weyr> M'kla heys. Torinth used to do that.

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina learned form the best :)

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith has chased before, he has flown hard, and has 
even caught a few. Well, okay, no Golds, but still... His sights are set 
on the glowing form before him, and he'll be stationed to some booney 
cothold as Watchwher before he lets any of THESE inferior beasts catch 
her. He backwings sharply as her Golden lovelyness seems to hurl through 
the midst of all these suitors.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla teehees.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth sees the queen dropping--even though he may 
not be the closest, he may yet have his chance. His endurance has pulled 
him ahead of some of the smaller bronzes, and he's there, believing that 
if she continues to fall as she does--his catch, his triumph, will be now.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Prometh focuses on the luminescent gold gem dropping 
away from him, the whirling of his eyes slowing as exhaustion begins to 
take its toll on him. Blood, ichor, passion, and the vigor of youth 
continue to fuel his wings, and he uses the thermals for an extra boost, 
darting down--his neck and tail curved toward that sweetest of forms in 
the sky--Leilanth.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth drops, then snaps her wings out again, 
catching the winds below her. Bare winglengths above the males she flies, 
then drops once more, her form taunting, violet eyes and soaring wings 
barely visible to those watching far below as she crosses the path of 
bronze Nraith.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith lashes out with tail and neck and wing and 
claw, attempting to ensnare the lovliest of Golden beauties ever to grace 
Pern's skies. Contorting himself into an almost dangerous position, he 
barely keeps himself from plumeting out of control as he reaches for 
Leilanth. Oh Leilanth... Leilanth...

Rylan gahs his jaw dropping to the ground

Kassima pauses in the middle of taking another sip--well, gulp, really--of 
her drink, eyes fastened on the sky. "Which one of 'em *is* it?" she 
whispers, possibly without even realizing that she asked the question 
aloud.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth's own endurance is starting to flag, but even 
that is below his awareness. There's bronzes closer to the queen than he, 
but they'll fail, and he'll get his chance. She's dragonlengths above, yet 
still, there's a way, he knows there's a way that he will be victorious.

Ro draws in a quick breath of anticipation and watches, unmoving.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth bugles, realizing her mistake in coming so 
close to Nraith. With a heave of golden wings, she lifts upwards once 
more, unaware of the weyrleader's bronze above her as she practically 
flies up into him.

Rylan's jaw drops even further!

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith roars with frustration, barely catching himself 
as Leilanth slips away.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, A trumpet of outrage blasts its way from Prometh's 
throat as he folds his wings in, preparing to plow his way through the 
mass of browns and bronzes that hide her from him. Wings *snap* open, just 
in time, as well, as Leilanth rises before him. With tender ferocity, he 
snares her--carrying her away from the rest of the males.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla pouts.

Telgar Weyr> Richenda yays, more Kiat. :)

Telgar Weyr> M'kla grins. I get to harrass him more. Byebye to my two 
marks on Nraith tho.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima woos! The status is quo! (And Kassi won lotsa marks!) 
Yay, Kiat! :)

Telgar Weyr> <M'kla> <Evil M'kla> Next time, Chunky.

Telgar Weyr> Mehlani .oO (Whoo hoo!)

Telgar Weyr> Richenda also sobs. Candidates. :)

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Nraith continues to roar, anger and feroicity apparent 
as he hurls himself from the air, and pulls in dangerously fast to land on 
his ledge.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Leilanth bugles! She's too fast, too smart to be 
caught. The defiant bugle quickly turns to a croon as the queen entwines 
her tail with her mate.

Above, Nraith flies over from the north end of the bowl.

Above, Nraith lands on Nraith and Kemith's Ledge.

Ro's body trembles at the power of the vision before her, but she does 
finally take another breath.

Telgar-Bowl> Above, Spineth's confidence in his own success is punctured 
somewhat by Prometh's victorious capture. Exhausted and weary, he turns 
his flight path into an astonished and bitterly disappointed descent.

Rylan cheers, "I won I won!

Telgar Weyr> Ursa loses her shot at a night with Rina! :P

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina says, "Aw, you could ask anytime, ursa. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Richenda giggles.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla wanna be a fly on THAT wall.

A'lex comes down the stairs from the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

Telgar Weyr> Ursa logs that offer, she does. :)

Ursa comes down the stairs from the Weyrwoman's Ledge.

A'lex emerges, swearing up a storm. Such language has n'er been heard from 
the youngling before...

Above, Spineth flies over from the north end of the bowl.

Spineth backwings for a landing.

Rylan blinks at A'lex

Sandar watches. "Well... there it is," he comments. At A'lex's arrival he 
quickly moves out of the way, holding out a flask of wine at arm's length 
to be in the bronzerider's path as he walks by.

Kassima takes a hasty gulp of her wine, closing her eyes for a moment to 
commune with her green. "The Weyrleader's still the Weyrleader," she 
reports. Eyes flying open, she recalls with a broad grin, "And I won 
several marks from the deal, too!" It figures that she'd remember that 
first. However, she pauses in her beaming thought of all the money she 
just won to listen with appreciation to 'Lex's curses, and to waggle a 
wine flask at the various emerging riders.

A'lex snags the wine without even a thank you. Takes a swing and shouts, 
"What swill is THIS?" He hurls the skin and storms into the Living Cavern.

A'lex walks beneath the lintel and disappears into the living cavern.

Rylan holds out his hand to Kassi as he waggles his brows, "How much did I 
win?"

Ursa arrives out of the weyr at the same time her lifemate arrives from 
the sky. She ignores anyone and everyone there, her path to Spineth is 
even more direct than Spineth's attempted path to Leilanth.

Ro nearly overbalances at the steward's withdrawl.

Sandar peers after A'lex. "'twas Benden Red..." he replies. Then shrugs. 
"And," he adds, "I assume we'll be needing a lot of it."

Kassima watches Sandar's wineskin fly by. "Nay a good way t'be treating 
fine wine. I must have a talk with that lad," she proclaims in a dire 
tone, a bit unbalanced by her abrupt giggle. That Black Gold must be 
strong stuff. "Don't know, Rylan. Wait until I've collected the marks from 
the others and done the equations, eh?"

Ximena heads here from the north.

Ursa wraps arms as far as they can go around the neck of her exhausted 
brown lifemate. "I know, I know," she murmers to Spineth aloud. "I know, 
you'll get your chance some day."

Ximena strides up, followed by a strapping young lad carrying two small 
casques.

Ximena nods politely to the assembled riders until she sees someone who 
looks like they know what their doing. "Benden Hold's duties to Telgar and 
her Queens," she says to Sandar. "Where can the young man here put the 
wine so that he can get back to his caravan?"

Kassima is busily reading off a list to herself. "Two... two and a 
thirty-second... four and a thirty-second... *nine* and a thirty-second... 
shells, but I adore senior flights." Her beam is that of a woman who has 
achieved nirvana: drunkenness *and* wealth. The arriving woman gets a 
cheerful wave from her, and a brilliantly broad smile that could be a bit 
disconcerting.

Sandar smiles at Ximena. "Ah! The wine," he grins. "Well... I personally 
would put it in my mouth. A fine evening for a few flasks." He heads to 
follow the girl. "I'll help you both get it to the right place."

Ximena looks sternly at Sandar, apparently she was wrong, "You will do NO 
SUCH THING! These are a birthday gift for my young Lexi... where is he by 
the way?"

Sandar blinks. "Oh. I thought you were talking about a shipment of wine 
for the stores. My apologies - 'twas a poor attempt at a joke." He then 
shrugs a bit. "Lexi... no, I'm afraid I don't know where Lexi is."

Ursa continues to remain with her lifemate. "Twas a leadership flight," 
she reminds him, or even herself. "There's a lot more at stake than just 
skill." She knew his chances were nil all along, but it doesn't diminish 
the feelings that accompany such a huge loss.

"I *think* he went tha' way," Kassima informs Ximena sagely, pointing over 
her shoulder to the LC entrance. "But I could be wrong. This is m'third 
glass of this stuff, after all. Isn't he allergic t'grapes, anyway? Are 
you trying t'poison him?" A thought strikes her, and she asks 
enthusiastically, "Can I help?"

Sorath backwings for a landing.

Kerlyn dismounts, and gives Sorath an affectionate scritch once her feet 
reach the ground.

Callie heads here from the north.

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.

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.

Sandar smiles at Kerlyn in greeting.

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.

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 
Elephanth 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.

Telgar Weyr> Ursa says, "Okay, that ice cream truck is back for round 
four. How much self control must I have???"

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."

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina says, "you know you want some! :)"

"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.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "It's calling you."

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina says, "Telgar weyr, the unhelpful weyr :)"

Telgar Weyr> Sandar grins.

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?"

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "It's weight watchers, we watch your weight go 
up... and up... and up..."

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.

A'lex comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

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.

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."

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!"

pimpdaddy walks here from the north.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan blinks

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Oh, someone just kill him..."

Telgar Weyr> Rylan says, "What the heck? *laughs* Pimpdaddy?"

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.

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.

pimpdaddy says "Yo, chill bro, ah can set you up to relieve that stress."

pimpdaddy moves down a short passage and past a curtain, moving out of 
sight as he enters the Guest Weyr.

Ursa senses Emlyn's arrival before she sees it. She opens her arms, 
welcoming her weyrmate to come close as she can.

Telgar Weyr> Sandar takes a moment to fear pimpdaddy.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex dies. Just dies... what a way to ruin a moment, thanks 
pimpdaddy.

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!"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima reads the scroll, and doubles over her keyboard, 
laughing hysterically. I think I'll leave pimpdaddy in the log.

Telgar Weyr> Ro snerks at pimpdaddy.

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.

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.

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.

Telgar-LC> Ximena sits at a table, her head in her hands, sobbing 
hysterically.

Rylan runs into the living cavern

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.

Callie goes through the entrance to the living cavern.

Sandar backs away from A'lex a bit, staying waaaay out of this one.

Rylan nudges Sandar, "You can't let him hurt Kassi"

Ursa walks north.

Spineth lumbers north.

Telgar-LC> 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.

A'lex is completely rocked with anger at this point, "TRUTH?! I'll tell 
you the truth! You're so sharding in love with M'rgan that you have to 
bring him up at every possible instance! One simple comment about dressing 
you up in his shorts, and YOU turn it into the love saga of the century!! 
THAT'S why you don't want a Weyrmate! Cause you can't have Mart!" He's 
apparently a bit drunk himself... oh yes... quite drunk.

Sandar mutters to Rylan, "Kassi can defend herself a lot better than I can 
defend Kassi. 'Sides, I'd just end up getting myself killed."

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Wow, my fingers hurt after THAT one..."

Telgar-LC> "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.

Rylan snorts as he peers about Sandar muttering, "ooh this is bad...ooh 
this is bad!"

Sorath lumbers north.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima ohs, *ouch.* I wish Mart were here, 'Lex. You would 
be *so* dead. ;)

Telgar Weyr> A'lex nods, yea, I know.

Emmy sails here from the north.

Telgar-LC> Ximena continues to sob, obvilious to those around her.

Ro comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

Telgar-LC> 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.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Kassi has been typing for a long time, I'm 
bracing myself for near death here..."

Kassima just *stares* at A'lex for a few moments, mouth totally agape and 
eyes gone almost lucid with shock. One step, two, and three she takes 
towards the bronzerider, jabbing him in the chest with her index finger. 
"*You* are living in a dreamworld, *bronzerider*. You think *I'm* in love 
with the *brownie*? You think I'd pine m'self away after any man? You're 
blaming your own fixation on him on *me*?" Her voice rises with every 
word, until she's probably able to be heard halfway to High Reaches. "Did 
you just fall down from the Dawn Sisters, or did someone scoop out your 
brain and replace it with a load of runner muck?"

Telgar Weyr> Rylan laughs!

Rylan comments to himself on the side, "The way they keep fighting over 
this. I begin to think they might like /each other/.

Sandar slurps down his second glass of wine with one hand and, a half a 
second later, pours himself another. "I've got some catching up to do," he 
mumbles to Ro.

Ro looks contemplative. She nods in agreement with Rylan. Smiling at 
Sandar she grabs him just long enough to give him a kiss on the cheek 
before he can leave.

A'lex just gets up (or down as the case may be) in Kassi's face, 
"FIXATIONS?! FIXATIONS?! The only time I've ever met that sorry sack of 
wherry dung was when we were painting YOUR sorry excuse for a fixated 
arse! HOW... I say *HOW* can I be fixated on him? And... and.... 
AHHHHHHRRRRGGGG! You. Are. A. LUNATIC!"

Rylan giggles at A'lex

Sandar hugs Ro with one arm, sipping wine with the other arm (rather, the 
hand attached to that arm, with some help from the mouth on his face). 
Warily he watches Kassi and A'lex trade choice words.

Ro seems uninclined to protest the hug....just the opposite, she seems 
rather content to be right where she is.

Kassima taunts A'lex, eyes flashing something akin to green bloody murder 
right about now, "So you're pinning *your* case of love at first sight on 
*me*? How typical! Atrociously typical, *Wingsecond*! Isn't that what men 
do best? You're so helplessly interested in his pants that you can't even 
see straight, and yet you have the utmost *gall*--aye, there's a good 
word, *gall*--t'be calling me a lunatic!" Taking a deep breath, she yells 
as an afterthought, "Never mind that I *am* one!"

Rylan giggles more at Kassi...do they 'hear' what they're saying he 
chuckles more.

Sandar puts a hand on Rylan's shoulder to shush the lad.

A'lex gapes in astonishment at the Brass this woman has, "YOU! What on 
PERN makes you think that there's *ANY* sort of interset at all 
*Wingleader*? *I* brought the pants up ONCE! Count it ONCE! O. N. C. E. 
ONCE! You, on the other hand, take EVERY fardling opportunity to talk 
about him, AND his underwear, that you can! Explain THAT little miss... 
miss!"

Telgar-LC> 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.

Callie comes out of the short tunnel from the living cavern.

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."

Telgar Weyr> Ro drops a bombshell in the bowl.

Sandar winces and sips his wine.

A'lex whirls on Ro, "WHAT?!"

Telgar Weyr> Ceria anticipates a massacre in the bowl.

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.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla fears.

Telgar Weyr> Nimiriel sniffs. I always miss the fun stuff. :)

Telgar Weyr> M'kla does too Nim. I'm tired of the infirmary already.

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"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima just dies laughing at the Bowl.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan grins

Ro says helpfully, (after all, she hasn't been herself lately) "Y'know, 
the guest weyr is empty if'n you need a place."

Telgar Weyr> M'kla wahh! I'm missing it!

Telgar Weyr> Ro says, "I hope the Kassicam is still rolling..."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima will have a log for you, M'kla! Kassi's been accused 
first of being in love with Mart, then of being in love with 'Lex. Welcome 
to this week's episode of As the Weyr Turns.

Telgar Weyr> Ceria wonders exactly how many people in the bowl are drunk.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla waits for the sounds of dragons going between in 
despair.

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.

Telgar Weyr> Ceria grins.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan makes a face, "I isn't"

Ro tries to take a sip of her wine, only to realize with a frown that it 
is empty.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima raises her hand. Kassi's sloshed enough that she 
didn't even notice pimpdaddy go by.

Telgar Weyr> Sandar is, but obviously not drunk enough!

Telgar Weyr> Ceria rolls on the floor laughing at Kassi.

Telgar Weyr> Nimiriel begins to think she's probably better off not 
knowing. :)

Telgar Weyr> Ro clarifies "Kassi and A'lex have been accused of foreplay 
in the bowl, is more like it."

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.

Telgar Weyr> M'kla says, "A'lex, did you offer to suck out another wine 
stain?"

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.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Nope!"

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?"

Telgar Weyr> Sandar heads out for a late dinner. Thanks for entertaining 
me all :)

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?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima nearly chokes RL at Rylan's comment, and snugs a 
Sandar. It was my pleasure. :)

Telgar Weyr> Rylan laughs at Kassi wiping the tears from his eyes

Telgar Weyr> A'lex howls at Rylan!

Rylan nods to Ro

Telgar Weyr> Rylan says, "I do my best ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Ro says, "Don't Coke your keyboard, 'lex."

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.

Rylan smirks as he turns to Ro, "I guess I'll have to get my money from 
her later"

You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.

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?"

Lysseth> Ro says "Look at the bright side. They're usually easier to talk 
to after the baby-makin'."

Lysseth> Rylan says "Ro?"

Telgar Weyr> Ceria laughs at Ro.

Lysseth> Ro says "Yeah?"

Lysseth> Rylan says "Where do babies come from exactly"

Lysseth> Rylan tosses out the question quickly

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."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima just giggles maniacally at the continued Bowl-convo.

A'lex tilts the casque onto it's end and opens the tap, filling two LARGE 
mugs.

Lysseth> 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."

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Oh, I'm missing it!"

Telgar Weyr> Rylan grins ;)

Lysseth> Ro's look brightens "Kassi'd know!"

Lysseth> 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.

Lysseth> Rylan says "She wont' tell me"

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.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Something. About. Herdbeasts."

Telgar Weyr> Ceria blinks at Rylan. Herdbeasts?

Telgar Weyr> Ceria dies laughing.

Telgar Weyr> Mehlani returns to the keyboard, and snickers at the recall 
buffer.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan laughs and laughs...."Ask K'tyn ;)

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!"

Lysseth> Ro nods "That sounds about right.

Lysseth> Rylan blinks, "WHAT??!!

Lysseth> Rylan SNORTS, "That can't be right"

Lysseth> Ro shrugs "Then I guess it's 'bout the same as where dragon eggs 
come from.

Lysseth> Rylan says "Where's that?"

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.

Lysseth> Rylan says "You mean males chase the female and whoevers the 
fastest wins?"

Lysseth> Ro considers "Could be."

Lysseth> Rylan frowns, "Could be or is?"

A'lex buhblinks, "Him and me? What about him and YOU?"

A'lex drinks anyway, he may need it.

Lysseth> Ro says "Dunno."

Lysseth> Rylan's face becomes stern, "You're not gonna tell me are you?"

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."

Lysseth> Ro looks Rylan straight in the eyes and says slowly "I don't 
know."

Lysseth> Rylan eyes both go wide, "You don't know??"

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..."

Lysseth> Ro says "You don't see any babies followin' me around, do ya?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima laughs!!!! 'Lex, when Mart sees this log, we're both 
dead. You realize this, don't you? ;)

Telgar Weyr> A'lex nods. Oh yea. Definately. Definately dead.

Ro walks in from the bowl.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex loves Flight nights.

"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.

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..."

Mehlani walks in from the bowl.

Kassima points out as dryly as one can while so badly drunk it's a wonder 
they don't make sloshing sounds when they try to walk, "You've certes 
proven that trying t'make lives into nightmares has been your style 
*a'fore*, and you seemed t'be enjoying it enough out there." She waves in 
the vague direction of the Bowl, or thinks she does. Actually, she more 
waves towards Pierron, who's rather startled by the movement. "Else why 
would you have kept on doing it?"

Kassi and A'lex sit with a casque of wine between them talking amiably.

Heralded by several of her fair on the wing, Mehlani slips tiredly into 
the cavern. Her clothes are rumpled and dirty, and she's got the look of 
someone who has been working in the stables for the past couple of 
hours -- undoubtedly trying to calm several agitated runners reacting to 
the dragons that'd been blooding in the feeding grounds. The lass has a 
hand on bronze Holl on her shoulder, as she creeps by.

A'lex shakes his head, did she know that he put the whoopie cushion on 
Peirron's chair the other day? "Shhhhhh, *THAT* kind of mischief is fun!"

Mehlani walks towards the inner cavern.

"That's what I'm *saying*," Kassi repeats patiently between gulps of wine, 
whatever lucidity she once possessed by now surely naught but a memory. 
"If'n you have fun, and he has fun, then why nay just admit it and pair 
off together? There's naught wrong with admitting when you love someone." 
Yep, Kassi's pretty far gone.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan falls over laughing at Kassi

A'lex nods to Kassima, "Exactly! There's no reason to be afraid of it, ye 
just need to go for it! Right?" He's so happy that his friend is finally 
admitting her passions...

A'lex refills _AGAIN_... "S'more?"

A'lex says casually, "Ye know, my older brothers used to lay on the floor 
under the tap and just let it fall into their mouths..."

A'lex adds, "The wine of course, not the taps..."

Kassima's brow furrows as the long, dark confusion of the soul once more 
sets in. "Uh... aye, if'n y'mean you in a general sense. I think. 
Mayhaps." She brightens at the mention of this brotherly game. "I like 
that notion! It might waste some of the wine, though... but 'tany rate, 
aye, I'd like a refill."

A'lex nods, "Okay then, lay down, I'll fill ya up!"

Telgar Weyr> Rylan gahs at A'lex!

Telgar Weyr> A'lex dies... a should NOT have said that...

Telgar Weyr> M'kla giggles.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima just dies. Just *dies.*

Telgar Weyr> Rylan snorts with laughter!

Telgar Weyr> R'val says, "Ok, what was said...:)"

Telgar Weyr> Mehlani starts giggling at the LC, and aighs. I can't giggle 
right now, it'll make me cough! ;)

Telgar Weyr> A'lex *CAN'T* repeat it... nonono... bad bad bad...

Kassima's eyebrows slooooooowly arch upwards. "Wha' was that, 'Lex?" 
Please tell her you didn't just say what you just said.

Telgar Weyr> Rylan is hysterically laughing here

Telgar Weyr> Ro chokes, she's laughing so hard.

Telgar Weyr> Ro says, "That quota had better stay in the log, is all I can 
say."


Pierron looks up from his cooking to expound to you his opinions on the 
latest news.

"Deplorable rumors, in my opinion. That A'xe, or whatever his name is... 
can't that boy stay out of trouble for one moment? You wouldn't believe 
the commotion I heard after Leilanth's last flight! Seems he got into an 
argument with Thunderbolt's Wingleader, and you could hear 'em screaming 
all the way in here. Something about 'em both being in love with that High 
Reaches brownrider--you know, the Weyrlingmaster? M'rgan, that's right. 
Remind me to be glad I'm not in *his* shoes. Anyway, half the place seems 
to think the Wingleader and that whatsisname Wingsecond are in love with 
*each other*, but they didn't show any signs of it when they got drunk 
together in here later. Riders! Go figure! Did you hear? Seems that little 
weyrbrat Rylan has taken his dislike for R'val to a new level! The little 
bugger got himself all sloshed up and then proceeded to trounce on the 
unsuspecting rider! I tell you, kids these days have /no respect/. Did 
you -hear- about what actually led up to the Weyrsecond's... well, you 
know? That young bronzerider, the one weyrmated to the brownriding woman 
at the 'Reaches? Well, seems there was something about wine and that 
Maylia-girls' trousers. Perhaps her weyrmate's been away at Ista for a bit 
too long? Seems the Weyrsecond laughed herself near to death, literally! 
All because of these randy young riders, tsk tsk.  Have you heard of these 
new writing sticks woodcraft has developed? Technology is moving too fast 
for my taste. "


Telgar Weyr> <Ro>  A'lex nods, "Okay then, lay down, I'll fill ya up!"

Telgar Weyr> R'val says, "In what context was that remark uttered? ;) Or 
should I ask..."

Telgar Weyr> Rylan sniggers

A'lex looks at the Greenrider, "Get on your back and open your mouth, I'll 
go slow so you can swallow as we go, don't worry, I've seen this done 
before."

Telgar Weyr> Mehlani says, "Kassi and A'lex are getting totally plastered 
in the LC. :) A'lex was explaining how his brothers used to lie on the 
floor under a winetap and let it spill into their mouths, and he's 
offering to do the same for Kassi, right now."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima howls. A'LEX!!! Oh, you are *twisted*, man!

Telgar Weyr> Ro ergs....that would be baaad out of context too....

Telgar Weyr> A'lex blinks, "What?" ::bat eyelashes::

Telgar Weyr> R'val says, "Ah, the neverending flow of tittalating sexual 
innuendo, a fine tradition at Telgar."

Telgar Weyr> Rylan laughs at that one as well!

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "It's just emphasizing that the two of them have 
been having two COMPLETELY different conversations ALL night..."

Telgar Weyr> Ursa logged on to that comment, Ro, it was interesting...

Telgar Weyr> Ro can't wait to see Kassi's reply to this one....

Kassima just rests her fingers on her temples for a moment, shaking her 
head. "I've really got t'stop spending so much time around L'cher," she 
mutters, ignoring the stifled whoops of laughter from some of the even 
less pure-minded riders off in the corner. She decides that asking any 
more questions might be less than wise, and instead declines. "I think 
I'll just stick t'drinking from the mug, if'n 'tis all the same with you."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima can't top that one, so she doesn't even try. :)

A'lex fehs, "Chicken." He fills her mug anyway though, grinning stupidly, 
as only drunks can. "But shards it's good wine."

"I've been called a lot of things a'fore," Kassima muses, happily leaning 
back in her chair with her third giant mugful of wine. "But I don't know 
'bout chicken. Still, I'd rather drink the wine than drown in it, eh? You 
could waste good wine that way!"

A'lex nods, "True, true, trrrrruuue my friend. But then, we've another 
whole casque of it eh? But still, I'll probably n'er get another gift from 
me da like this one again. Although the other 'Tenders in the area always 
happen by when I do my scheduled visits home... Da's a bit famous in the 
hills now, having sired a Bronzeling and all." He giggles.

Rylan walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima asks hopefully, "Think there's any chance I could go with you on 
one of those visits home? I might be able t'wheedle more wine out of 'em." 
Never mind the lifelong trauma that she gave A'lex's mother just a few 
hours ago.

A'lex has apparently forgotten it too, "I don't see why not, as long as 
Lysseth doens't mind a little mauling by my nieces and nephews..."

"Lyss would hate that," Kassi cheerfully reports. "The silly lump's still 
upset 'bout something. Methinks 'twas you calling me a lunatic earlier. 
She has the exclusive right t'do that, y'know. Mayhaps you could just get 
s'more wine and bring it back here? Just remember... Mart gets really sick 
if'n you give him wine." That would mean that giving him wine as a 
weyrmating gift is definitely a no-no, 'Lex.

A'lex slaps his knee with laughter, "Then it's probably best not to do 
that eh?" That would mean that giving him wine as a weyrmating gift is 
definitely a no-no, Kassi.

Kassima beams at 'Lex, crookedly. "Aye, aye. A shame; most people like 
t'toast their weyrmatings and all, so 'twill be a disappointment for you, 
but... ach, nevermind. You'll burn that bridge when you're coming to it. 
How much wine's left in these casks? 'Cause, t'tell you the truth, I do 
believe I am fairly well sloshed out of m'skull right now. You?"

A'lex's head wobbles oddly, "Aye, but I'm sure I shant be half as 
dissappointed as you, eh?" He knocks on the side of the casque at a few 
different points. "This casque is still nearly 3/4 full! I guess we'll 
have to finish is at another time, cause right now, I've NO clue how I'm 
getting back up to m'weyr! Nraith is up there pouting, and won't come 
down."

"I suppose 'twould be nice t'be toasting your weyrmating, aye, but why 
would I be more disappointed?" Kassi wants to know. Her attention, though, 
is on the wine. "Know what y'mean. Well, I s'pose Lyss could take you up. 
She keeps saying I need to... lemme quote, here... 'bloody well get back 
to the weyr a'fore I make even more of a wherry's rear end of m'self.' 
She's been listening t'S'riv, I'm thinking."

A'lex howls! "Wherry's rear end! Actually, I think I'll go sleep on the 
floor where ever my mother's gotten to. That way she won't be wandering 
around getting into trouble when she wakes in the morning. But thanks for 
the offer."

Manira walks in from the bowl.

Kassima nods, still beatific. "Hey, don't mention it, 'Lex. And tell your 
mother I'm sorry for whatever set her off like that, eh?"

A'lex looks at Manira, "Telgar's duties to ye!" He then turns back to 
Kassima, still silly drunk, "Feh! She'll more than likely have forgotten 
about it in the morning! She's just road tired."

Little does he know...

"Duties, duties, duties," Kassi belatedly sing-songs, then beams at 'Lex. 
"Right. Why, look at me--I've forgotten it already!" Not that this is any 
great accomplishment, as drunk as she is.

A'lex beams right back, "Well, I guess I should go find her."

A'lex stands and staggers off... somewhere...

A'lex walks towards the inner cavern.

Telgar Weyr> A'lex g'nites all! I'm BEAT!

Telgar Weyr> Ro says, "Enough of that kinky stuff, 'lex."

Telgar Weyr> Maylia snugs A'lex g'night!

Kassima yawns and refills her mug one last time, with some difficulty 
since her hand isn't precisely steady. "G'night, g'night, g'night," she 
sings rather tunelessly on her way out to the Bowl.

You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.