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Why Is Water Wet?


Date:  September 22, 2008
Place:  Igen's Weyrling Training Field
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:  I moved several states over two days after this class
took place, and was absent for a couple of weeks while that went on;
I chose to schedule this one the day after the Hatching so I'd have at
least one chance to be WLM pro-hiatus.  With three of the 'Lings 
coming out to play and my lovely assistant on hand, I think it went 
well!  The new riders and dragonets get a quick talk about shielding
and then learn the first moves in dragon Jazzercise.

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The Log:

Kassima and Lysseth stand not that far from the Barracks entrance, a few
paces distant from the gathering group of Weyrlings. Both rider and dragon
watch the assembly with expressions of vague approval for all the growth
the babies have already put on, the gleam of their hides from oiling, and
above all else, the lack of any thick tails. Thank Faranth.

A'deth leans against Jaelith's foreleg and looks on quietly, amused and
pleased at the weyrlings' progress (and antics).

"You know what? I'll ask the Weyrlingmaster or someone later, okay?" he
asks, his eyebrows folded down. Apparently Ch'ton hasn't gotten used to the
idea that he can speak in his head, yet. His lifemate, Mobeth, looks up to
him with gently swirrling eyes, full of the curiosity of youth. "And I
think class is about to get started..."

"You look good, dragonets," Kassima tells the Weyrlings, a smile tucking up
a corner of her mouth despite herself. It's difficult to be appropriately
grave around so many baby dragons. "But the humans have a terrible problem.
What's the rule regarding saluting--" A quick scan and her eyes land on one
young man of the lot. "--Ch'ton? Remind me? While he does, everyone form a
loose semi-circle. We aren't being terribly formal today."

T'nnusen walks out from the Weyrling Barracks.

Gack! "Uh! You're supposed to salute to everyone of rank higher than you...
which is everyone... and adress them by title...?" then he pauses for a
moment as this processes. DUH!! He quickly throws up a salute. "Weyrling
master!" an add on. CYA is a beautiful thing. Mobeth looks for a moment
like he may be chuckling, a high wheesy noise comming from the small
dragonet. Ch'ton rolls his eyes. Dragonets.

H'sen and Lekath join the others in the semi-circle, the dragonet looking
rather smug at the compliment, as if he were the only one who was "looking
good." H'sen can't even scold him, though, because he belatedly realizes he
should be saluting. "Sorry, Weyrlingmaster, ma'am!" he says and snaps a
quick salute. He will probably need reminding a dozen times more. That job
looks like it will be taken over by Lekath if Kassima doesn't do it.

Kassima returns the salute briskly. "And?" she prompts, nodding towards
A'deth. "Still nay a ma'am, H'sen! Everyone! Also in the rules, 'ma'am' or
'sir' is only acceptable address if'n the party addressed doesn't mind. The
M-word gives me hives, so I mind. 'Weyrlingmaster' is more than enough."
She sets one hand on her hip and scrutinizes the various salutes. "You need
more practice at that. But a good effort, if'n belated. We're going t'talk
a bit about separating yourselves from your lifemates when it comes
t'eating and sleeping, and we're going t'practice a skill I promise can
come in very handy... but first things first. Ch'ton, it sounded like you
had a question. How about the rest of you? Now that it's sunk in a little,
are there things you want t'be asking about?"

T'nnusen also joins the semi-circle, the black-blue dragonet beside him,
and sketches a guard's salute! Dustenyth tries too, but only gets his right
paw up to his chest before re-thinking how silly it looks and putting it
back down.

A'deth cheerfully salutes the weyrlings, slow and precise, so that they
might observe.

Ch'ton salutes A'deth. "And Assistant Weyrlingmaster." He looks down from
his salute as he's nudged by his lifemate. "Yes, I'll ask. Gimmie a
chance." he looks up at Kassima. "Uh. I do... well, I dont. Mobeth does...
He wants to know... and I can't explain it... why water is wet." and his
ears turn red and he shakes his head. "I dunno why water is wet, just that
it is." sigh. "Amongst a million other questions, this one seem sto be most
important to him."

Lekath still can't help trying to stand at attention, clearly alert and
attentive to everything the Weyrlingmaster says, whether or not he
understands everything she says. H'sen is far more concerned about not
messing up any more in class. "Sorry about that, Weyrlingmaster, m--er,
not-ma'am." Unma'am? Ma'amless? Would those give her hives too?

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Ma'amless. XD"

IGEN-> Naara O_O Ch'ton is /brave/...

IGEN-> H'sen says, "LOL Ch'ton will get blamed ;)"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "What? No! Hector.. shards. I mean H'or... err.. H'sen
said it, not me! Ch'ton just asks stupid questions like "Why is water wet?""

"Just Weyrlingmaster will do." Kassima bites the inside of her cheek to
keep from laughing at all. Very formally, she returns Dustenyth's salute.
"Make sure you take a look at A'deth, he does a beautiful salute. Why is
water wet. For the same reason you're curious, Mobeth, or grass is soft,
and sand scratchy: 'tis its nature t'be so."

IGEN-> Naara laughs! Because it is. ;)

Mobeth pauses and looks at Kassima closely, his eyes betraying his
excitement at having been answered, and a million other questions being
born that is, no doubt, flooding Ch'ton's head. He shakes his head and pats
Mobeth gently. "See? I told you I'd get you an answer." Oh ye of little
faith. "And you /can't/ be starving. You /just/ ate."

Dusty trills with all the cheer of a baby dragonet and bounces a little on
his front paws. Tannu gives him a wry side-glance, "I'll explain it later,"
he says to the blue, and then, with a glance at A'deth, "How long will we
be restricted just to this area, Weyrlingmaster?" A'deth might find it easy
to avoid him over the flute /now/, but not for forever!

Lekath tilts his head slightly, clearly trying to make sense of the
Weyrlingmaster's answer. He then looks back at H'sen, who simply shrugs at
him. "Well, that's the answer the Weyrlingmaster gave. No, I think we're
going to have to wait a little while longer to find out the nature of the
sky. No flying yet." H'sen is quite firm on this point.

Over Kassima's head, Lysseth rumbles soft amusement for Mobeth's so-evident
curiosity. "*Ah*, well, and that's an issue we'll get to a'fore long.
You'll be able t'go anywhere ground-accessible in Igen--*if'n* your
lifemates don't need you right then, and don't mind being left--after...
two months. Three," she deadpans, "or longer yet if'n I don't believe
you'll salute properly when we turn you loose, but probably two." H'sen's
remark wasn't exactly a question, but she addresses it next. "The nature of
the sky is t'be forbidden t'young dragons who might cripple their wings
trying t'reach it. It will come, Lekath. Be patient and I promise it t'you.
Getting back t'hunger," she says. "This business of feeling what your
lifemate feels is precious and wonderful. But you can't keep yourselves
healthy if'n you can't tell who should be eating and who should be
sleeping, aye? A'deth, would you describe for 'em that shielding exercise?"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Do you guys know how badly I want to go "And No,
Mobeth, I will /not/ tell the weyrlingmaster that her accent is
funny...oops...shards.""

IGEN-> Iesia says, "Dooo eeeeet."

IGEN-> Naara dies. Please. Please do. XD

IGEN-> H'sen says, "I double dog dare ya!"

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "But... Kassie would make weyrlingjerky out of me!"

IGEN-> Naara ups that to triple dog dare...

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Damn. You can't back down from that kind of
peer-pressure."

IGEN-> Naara, the corrupted becomes the corruptor.

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Awww, Ch'ton, I thought you liked being alive. ;)"

"Yes, Mobeth I will thank the Weyrlingmaster for answering your question.
Thank you Weyrlingmaster." approproate thanks in his tone, then he's back
to paying more attention to his lifemate than is healthy. "No! No, I will
most certanly /not/ tell the Weyrlingmaster that she has a funny accent.
That's just rude.... wait.... shards." he slaps his hand to his face, his
ears reddening. "Gee, thanks, Mobeth.""

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Oh, and btw, Ch'ton gets +5 awesome points for giving
in to peer pressure."

IGEN-> H'sen says, "ROFL"

"It's one I learned at Fort a long time ago," A'deth replies quite
agreeably; for some reason, he seems to be trying to look deliberately
innocent. But on him, it fails. "Imagine drawing a very soft, thick blanket
around yourself, or rather, your mind... take your time, if you like, and
deep breaths. It isn't a wall, it simply enfolds you, and gentles what's
between you and your lifemate."

IGEN-> A'deth XD

IGEN-> H'sen says, "Oh, just wait until we get the DTU. Then Mobeth can get
into a lot more trouble once he can speak for himself."

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "I can't wait. I've got a full writeup curtosy of B'yan
on his temperments from hatchling through adulthood written up very nicely.
And I can't wait to explore all of his personalities."

IGEN-> H'sen says, "Fun :)"

IGEN-> T'nnusen has to get Dusty's sillyness in while he can, too, with his
personality based off Ramirez. XD

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "now waits for Kassi to drop the pernese equivalnt of
the "A" bomb on his rear."

Lekath seems content with this answer, though it doesn't keep him from
looking up into the sky a little wistfully and enjoying the feeling of the
wind against his hide. Besides, how to tell the difference between dragon
and boy is a lot more of an issue for H'sen rather than Lekath, who doesn't
seem to have as much trouble with it. He gives the dragon a sidelong
glance, imagining the insulating blanket that A'deth describes. "It doesn't
bother the dragons to be closed off like that?"

T'nnusen shoots an amused glance at Mobeth's lifemate, and Dustenyth eyes
A'deth's innocent look with open skepticism. Uh-huh. Other than that, he
tries the blanket trick... "Do you keep it that way most of the time, or is
it just to see what is who's?"

Kassima turns a long look on Mobeth and Ch'ton. Her gaze focuses on the
boy, and her good humor is replaced by something more serious. "Rude, aye.
Rude 'tis. Nay so much a problem, though, as that 'twere chatting with each
other instead of listening to the lesson. Fifteen push-ups, Ch'ton."
Expression relaxing when she turns it on the rest of the class, she tells
H'sen, "'Tis why you don't want t'be imagining a stone wall. They aren't
closed off... you can still feel him, can't you? And he you? Even if'n
'tisn't as intense? For m'self, T'nnusen, I don't, but Lysseth isn't so
young anymore."

Lysseth snorts. She isn't exactly *old*, either.

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Everyone on this knot owes me a cookie, btw."

IGEN-> Kassima denies any such debt. ;)

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "and by everyone, I mean all of you peer-pressureers."

Ch'ton sighs. "Yes, Weyrlingmaster." he assumes the position and goes at,
but does the little blanket trick at the same time. Perhaps this way he
won't be so distracted. Blanket. Blanket on his mind. A warm, snuggly
blanket.... pushups! two and a quarter... three!

A'deth shakes his head slightly. "You're not shutting them out so much as
blunting the sharpness of their emotions, or yours from them. It's like
speaking in a soft tone instead of screaming. I don't advise doing this all
the time, but if you find yourself getting emotional, or they are, or you
feel their hunger pangs and so on, you may wish to try it. It's better to
keep a clear head when you hear each other."

IGEN-> H'sen tries looking innocent. No double dog dares here. :)

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Lies and slander! I have proof!"

IGEN-> Ileste says, "What is a double dog dare? Does Cerberus (Cerebus?)
wander out of the underworld and taunt you?"

IGEN-> <Kassima> Cerberus: "Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!"

IGEN-> H'sen says, "mm, that's probably a triple dog dare, since Cerebus
has 3 heads."

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "Puh-lease. The pup wouldn't waste his time on small
chips like me. Oh, and H'sen, you totally owe me a packet of crisps along
with that cookie."

IGEN-> H'sen offers some jerky ;)

"So only when needed, right," T'nnusen headtilts at something or other as
Dustenyth lowers his head and sniffs Chaton's way. "Yes, that's push-ups. I
know Alley does them different. No, I don't think he wants anyone to sit on
his back right now."

IGEN-> Ch'ton O LOL. That's simply cruel.

IGEN-> Ch'ton says, "@T'nn"

H'sen takes note of Ch'ton's punishment and gives Lekath a little nod. That
could happen to them if they're not careful. It actually is almost
guaranteed to happen to them before too long. "Right, okay. Hear that,
Lekath? It'll just be like a soft little cloud between us. I'll still be
there, but it'll help us." He gives the bronze a reassuring pat, though the
dragon doesn't look entirely convinced as he leans a little closer to his
rider.

IGEN-> T'nnusen hmms? No, Alley's just a hard*** and A'deth based Dusty's
personality after someone who ends up somewhat like her, so he thinks T's
sister is awesome

Kassima inclines her head to A'deth: 'listen to the man,' the gesture says.
"Learning t'put the sensations at a remove is one step. You'll need t'be
able t'tell what's their feeling and what's yours, which may mayhaps take
more time. When you feel hungry even though you just ate because your
lifemate needs food, or you've only been up a couple of hours but he's
yawning and you feel exhausted, *think* about how you feel, try t'sort out
the differences between it and hunger and tiredness that comes from inside
your body. The difference is subtle but real. Work on that--when you can do
it, you won't need t'put a blanket between you for *this* purpose. 'Tis a
trick you'll find useful for other purposes all your lives."

IGEN-> Ileste XD

Ch'ton finishes up, panting lightly, and sits down beside Mobeth, giving
him a gentle scratching. Everthing's alright now. He concentrates on the
blanket trick, trying to seperate his mind from the tangle that holds the
two of them together. He sighs as his mind slowly untangles, and he can
tell where he ends and where his lifemate begins. "Oh!" and Mobeth squints
at him, looking suprized. Ch'ton giggles a little. "This is useful!"
Brilliant.

H'sen isn't so good at the psychological lessons--the mental learning is
hard enough. He'd much rather run around the Bowl a few times and then
butcher a few herdbeasts. "We'll try, won't we, Lekath?" He grins at the
dragon, who begins to look decidedly determined. "Yeah, we'll get it done!"
Though H'sen's interest in this little exercise might waver, Lekath will
keep them on track.

"We'll discuss those other uses later on in your Weyrlinghood," A'deth
observes, "For now, you could try to have your lifemates practice as well,
as overwrought dragonets can project to an entire Weyr. But their memories
are short -- so that kind of lessoning can take time -- and their volume
does go down as they get older in any case. For the most part."

Tannu and Dusty exchange looks, but the human says nothing!

IGEN-> T'nnusen is lame like woah :P

"For the most part," Kassima echoes. "They never stop being gossips. Jareth
and his miggsy balls... never mind, but remember it if'n you even *think*
of breaking a Weyrling rule. We'll hear about it! The entire Weyr might
hear about it. Which, for certain of the rules, can be very, very
embarrassing." She claps her hands and shifts subjects--and H'sen's in
luck, because: "Exercise! This is the last thing, but 'tis important; pay
attention. We've already had the human halves of your pairs doing
exercises. 'Tis your turn, dragons! All of you stand up--" She makes 'up,
up' motions at the dragonets. "Space yourselves a bit apart so there's
plenty of room between you even with your wings spread out."

Lekath immediately perks up and stops leaning to the side. H'sen helps
position him so he won't be crowding any of the other dragons with their
growing wingspans. Like a soldier standing at attention, Lekath stands
straight and tall... well, escept for his folded wings drooping a little.
He still needs to learn how to keep control over all his parts.

Other weyrlings end up with much the same success: a lopsided wing here
determinedly straightened; a wayward tail there. Two manage to tangle
themselves up before they fortunately successfully extricate themselves and
stand to attention.

Dustenyth also perks up, and trots a bit back from the rest to spread his
stained-glass wings out under the sun just to be sure there's enough room.
"He wants to know if this is part of getting them ready to fly," T'nnusen
asks for his dragonet, staying out of the little blue's way while remaining
fairly close to him.

Kassima surveys the lineup with satisfaction. Drooping wings, wandering
tails and all. "You *will* fly eventually," she tells them--addressing the
dragonets directly and indirectly answering Dustenyth's question. "If'n!
Only if'n your wings are strong enough t'carry you, and your leg muscles
strong enough t'get you off the ground! You have t'train up muscles just
like your riders do. Lysseth will demonstrate." The dusky green may heave
an inward sigh, but outwardly she's all poise and grave dignity in standing
before the dragonets... and crouching into the draconic version of a deep
knee bend, which, let us be honest, is not a position intended for either
dignity or poise. "This one's for the legs. Primarily 'tis the back legs
you want t'get strong, those are the ones that provide most of the push.
Try it out."

Lekath is happy to apply himself to this exercise. He studies Lysseth's
body position and tries to copy it, H'sen coming along side him and trying
to correct and encourage him. "There, that looks pretty good. Do you feel
like you're getting stronger doing that? Well, you'll have to do it for a
while longer if you want to get strong enough to fly.... I know, but we
have to wait a little longer."

Dustenyth peers intently at Lysseth for a moment and then mimics her with a
fair bit of accuracy. It's not a salute, but he's gotta start somewhere!
Tannu grins at him, and glances from big green to tiny baby blue and back
again a few times. Aww.

Kassima leaves Lysseth's side to walk into the Weyrling semicircle herself
and take a close look at the dragonets. "Bend more," she tells Alvarath.
"Bend less," Salvadath. "For the most part, good! Straighten up now. Repeat
these bends ten times a day in succession, and we'll tell you when you're
ready t'do more." Lysseth straightens slowly as the young dragonets should
do. The sight of the little ones playing mirror-mirror makes it worthwhile,
almost, to look silly in front of them. "Next, wings. Jaelith," she turns
to ask the pale green, "would you do us the honor of extending your wings
and showing us five beats?"

Jaelith shifts away from A'deth, who leans on his shiny new
black-and-silver cane instead. The older green obligingly extends her
wings, holding them at the proper angle, and begins to very slowly beat
them-- one, two, three, four, five. The wind kicked up is enough to make
hair blow about, and loose clothes, and anything else not nailed down, really.

"Beautiful," Kassima says, cheerfully and sincerely--she doesn't just mean
any blowing silver hair, either. And being no fool, she's got a hand up to
protect her face and mouth from airborne dust. "Do as she does, dragonets!"

H'sen gives Lekath a satsified nod when the Weyrlingmaster gives him her
approval. He can already tell, though, that it'll be difficult keeping
Lekath from doing the exercise a hundred times a day rather than just ten.
Then, when Jaelith begins doing slow and measured wingbeats, Lekath gets a
bit overly excited. He stiffens his legs, sinking into the dirt underfoot
like he needs it to keep from taking off. He begins flapping his wings with
wild excitement, kicking up at least as much wind as the green does with
her much larger wings. "Hey, cut it out," H'sen scolds. "If you're going to
do it, do it right!" Lekath trumpets a tinny complaint and slows the pace
of his wingbeats, though his form is still far from Jaelith's.

The shadows underneath Dustenyth's outstretched wings show blue, more
vividly so than the almost-black dragonet's hide almost everywhere /but/
those pretty pretty wingsails. Dusty very deliberately flaps them /down/, a
bit too far and the edges hit the dirt. Ow! But he tries again without much
of a pause, though his human eyes him carefully through the rest of the
movements. Two, three, by the forth he's got it just about right! Yay!

"They're disgustingly cute at this age," A'deth mutters to Kassima, and
from the 'aww' look on his face, he's not meaning anything lecherous about
the humans. << Swivel your wings and shoulders back a little more, >>
Jaelith advises to one dragonet. And, << stretch them out all the way, but
not too quickly, >> to another. And so weyrlings flap away quite
industriously, trying to do it just right!

Kassima speaks sharply to Lekath: "Nay! Five only and more slowly! Sprain
something and you'll stay on the ground while your classmates fly, m'lad,
and mayhaps do yourself permanent damage. As Jaelith does, or nay 'tall."
It's not a glare she fixes on the excited young bronze. It's a Look,
though: an I-am-dead-serious-about-this Look. "That's better. Good,
Dustenyth. Did he scrape himself?" She calls a few more encouragements to
other dragonlings in the line; she walks backward as she does until she's
beside Lysseth again, there to grin sidelong at A'deth. "So earnest and
excited. I'm glad I'm nay a queen dragon, there's nay use saying, 'awww, I
want one.'" Lysseth harumphs! "Meaning *you*, a'course, lump. Just smaller."

H'sen argues with Lekath for a couple minutes as the others work
diligently, the bronze displaying a definite stubborn streak. Finally the
boy just begins counting: "One, two! Up, down! One, two!" and Lekath's form
seems to improve a little, not counting an overly pronounced neck-bob that
dragonet is also doing in time with the counting.

"No," Tannu replies, checking said wing edges over after that fifth flap.
"He only startled himself." Dustenyth cranes his neck around to look, too,
as his human moves his wings around however he likes. Once in a while,
T'nnusen still has the presence of mind of a Dragonhealer Trainee, even if
it's hard to think all that clearly with a newly-hatched dragonet's mind
linked in to yours. Once he releases Dusty's wings, the dragonet makes as
though to try another round, but his human stops him by pointing at him. I
see what you're doing there. Eek!

A'deth shudders. "Best to borrow them for a while and send them back when
we're done. Even if they really are cute." Jaelith just inspects each
Weyrling as closely as Kassima does-- perhaps her rider does, too, through
her eyes.

"Watch the bobbing neck," Kassima suggests to Lekath without the earlier
sharpness. "Excellent start, you lot. Nay more beats. Three repetitions of
five beats each per day, and remember two things: any hint of injury,
*any*, call to one of us--probably better A'deth," she adds with a brief
grin. "That being more his speciality. Any doubt, stop at once and ask us.
The second, the dragonets will probably enjoy a soak in the hot part of the
Lake after their exercises as much as you do after yours. Aught t'be
adding, A'deth?" She bites her lip this time to keep from laughing; she's
entertained, regardless.

H'sen finally calls a halt to the exercises... or convinces Lekath to halt
them, at any rate. "You'd better listen to the Weyrlingmaster, or she'll
keep you grounded until you're fifty Turns old," he says, giving the dragon
a pat on the shoulder. "We'll have to work on the head bobbing, too, as she
says. You don't want to end up looking like the dorkiest one in the wing,
do you?" Despite the caution about limiting the dragonets' exercise, Lekath
seems full of energy and ready to splash around and go swimming rather than
have a soak.

T'nnusen nods, dropping his hand and thus the pointing finger. Dustenyth
eyes him sidelong and then... folds his wings. Okay, okay. Fiiiine.

A'deth considers, and then shakes his head. "Swim in the hot springs, and
oil them after. Yes, even if you just finished oiling them up, dry skin
right means cracking skin, and cracked skin means scars."

Kassima nods her agreement. "They're so fragile at this age. Be *careful*
in everything you do," she says. "All right--good job, everyone. Class
dismissed!"