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Lirra's Glooooooooooorious Pants


Date:  October 8, 1998
Places:  High Reaches Weyr's Western Bowl and Living Cavern
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:  Some forms of proddiness are scarier than others--and
surely, Lirra's obsessions with paint and men's underwear make hers one
of the most terrifying of all.  The question is, just how badly did she
manage to corrupt Kharisma?  And whatever happened to those pants after
Kaath finally rose?

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The Log:

<*> Lysseth emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

<*> On the Star Stones, Teranth warbles a greeting to Green Lysseth of 
Telgar Weyr.

<*> Kvasith emerges from Between with a blast of cold air!

<*> On the Star Stones, Teranth warbles a greeting to Brown Kvasith of 
Telgar Weyr.

<*> Lysseth trumpets a rather energetic reply to Teranth, folding her 
wings to begin the dive downward before the echo of her own voice has 
faded.

You dive in the bowl, towards the west wall.

You backwing to a neat landing on the ground.

<*> In the sky directly above, Kvasith backwings to a neat landing on the 
ground.

<*> Aurian slides off Kvasith after unfastening her riding straps. She 
lands neatly on her feet this time.

<*> Kaath streeeetches langourously, crooning at the Telgarian brown.

You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles, 
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.

Kvasith rumbles back at the Reachian green with more than a fair amount of 
interest.

Lysseth neither stretches, nor croons, nor does much of anything besides 
rumbling a simple greeting to the local dragons. Well, that and snort at 
her rider's admonishment of, "Behave yourself, now," as said rider leans 
up to help two small children down from the green's neck. "See Tebrelth 
anywhere, Auri?"

Aurian shakes her head, "Fraid not."

"A shame," Kassi says absently. Reaching out to ruffle the hair of the 
taller of the two spawnlings beside her, she asks, "Shall we head on in? I 
see Kaath here, anyway, and 'twould be glorious t'talk with Lirra again." 
No, not glooooooorious. Glorious. There's a difference.

Tania goes over from the eastern side of the bowl.

Tania nods politely to the dragons, then waves to the people as she skips 
by.

Tania walks into the tunnel to the living cavern.

Aurian follows Kassima and the kidlets, "Certainly."

Kassima calls after the departing girl, "Duties to the High Re--oh, 
bother. Y'know, that has t'be the two-thousandth time I've done that just 
this Turn?" With a melodramatic sigh, she takes the hands of each 
daughter-type and leads the peculiar procession towards the LC.

You stroll into the tunnel to the living cavern.

Thaniel shakes his head, "No..not in front of everybody"

Suddenly she looks up sharply as she notices something, and the fearful 
look turns into one of ammusment as she sees the poor little bronze...

Aurian walks in from the tunnel to the bowl.

S'dar, studying his scrolls, idly looks up for a moment. His eyes widen 
and he hurriedly looks back at his scrolls again, turning somewhat red.

Aurian follows Kassima in looking dutifully scruffy.

Tania chuckles, cutting it off as soon as she starts, then looks at 
Thaniel. "Do what in front of everybody?"

Lirra exhales heavily, slumping down for a moment before catching sight of 
the entering women. She bounces to her feet again, scooping up Shmooze and 
scurrying over. "Tania! Help me convince your friend to give me his 
shorts!" she cries, then flounces away. "Kassi! Aurian! Look! I have a 
-baby-!" she crows, showing off the calm 'lizard.

K'dar seizes on the new arrivals as a distraction, calling, "'Reaches' 
duties to Telgar and her Queens"

S'dar says, to his scrolls, "hi Kassi, Aurian."

Pulling two children along behind her, and with a fire-lizard perched on 
her head, Kassi steps in and immediately scouts the area. "Duties to the 
'Reaches and her queens," she calls, echoed by a piped "Duties!" from the 
taller girl who's dragging about a stuffed fire-lizard. "Is Lirra in he... 
re? Oh, I see she is." She manages a genuine if bewildered smile for her 
friend. "What did you spawn with t'get that, Lirra? A dragon? Oh, heya, 
S'dar, riders, Candidates, residents, all."

"Um congratulations Lirra.." Aurian blinks around wondering what is going 
on, she glances to S'dar and bounds over to squeeze S'dar, "Is it just me 
or is everyone going mad?"

S'dar nods to Aurian. "Yeah," he says simply.

Tania looks for a moment with confusion at Lirra, then suddenly a broad 
smile of understanding enters her eyes. "Oh, come on Thaniel, shurely 
you've gotten pantless in public before?"

Aurian nods back to the bronzerider, "Just checking.. how goes the 
clutch?"

S'dar grins, now watching the scene in front of him somewhat bewildered. 
"Goes well," he replies. "Should be Hatching soon-ish, I suppose... the 
eggs are hardening quite nicely. The Candidates have been going for 
egg-touchings."

Thaniel glances at Tania.. "No, I haven't..and I don't plan to start 
anytime soon"

Tania pokes Thaniel lightly. "Come on... what if I promise not to peek?" 
She giggles, loving the confused looks coming from him, and everyone else.

Thaniel pokes Tania in the ribs slightly, "No means no.."

Kassima nudges her children towards a set of unoccupied chairs, after 
scanning over the bundle Lirra holds. "'*Tis* cute, though," she allows. 
Kaylira, staring up at this madwoman her Mum's talking too, looks almost 
awed. "Why d'you want his shorts?" she whispers, none-too-quietly. "Gonna 
burn 'em, like Uncle Kiat burned the 'Leader's?"

Lirra giggles, shaking her head. "Nononono. It's R'ehn's Shmooze. He was 
cold," she explains, as if this made sense. "Oh, Kassi! Who -are- these 
adorable little ones!" she cries, dropping to her knees and stuffing 
Shmooze under one arm.

Aurian pushes some hair out of her eyes, she is distracted back to Lirra.

S'dar goes back to blending into the background, where it's safe.

Two pairs of eyes--Kay's grey, Khari's amber--fasten on Lirra with abject 
fascination and no little wonder. "M'daughters," Kassi replies proudly. 
"The elder's Kaylira. The younger's Kharisma. I thought 'twould bring 'em 
t'visit with Uncle Mart for awhile, if'n he were about." Reaching out to 
tug at Lirra's sleeve, Kharisma whispers as though imparting a great 
secret, "Uncle Mart's really Aunt Martina, but Mum says he doesn't want 
anyone t'know."

Tania grins. "What is /I/ demonstrated? But /you/ would have to promise 
not to peek... Besides, maybe I would like the color orange, it'd look 
pretty wild with my hair... Don't you agree?" She turns to the first 
person closest to her, crinning.

Thaniel rolls his eyes.. "This is insane"

Lirra's own eyes widen in utter delight as she tries to shove her 'baby' 
back up onto her shoulder. "I do indeed know that," she answers somenly. 
"But there's lots of uncles that are really aunts...or look lots prettier 
as aunts. Especially when you paint their shorts!" she notes 
conspiratorially.

Kassima, overhearing Thaniel, looks up and nods gravely. "Greenriders tend 
t'be. If'n 'twere you, 'twould run fast and run far, and hope t'Faranth 
that I never Impressed brown--for there's nay saving you then, y'see."

Carissea walks into the cavern from the lower caverns.

Carissea wanders in, catching only that last bit of Lirra's comment. 
"Paint *whose* shorts?" she asks, curious.

Tania nods, her eyes brightening. "Most of what I do is considered pretty 
insane... but a lot of people like my rope-jumping idea... and this idea 
isn't as insane as /that/" She breaks into giggles.

K'dar coughs on his cider. "Some of us," he murmurs dryly, "manage well 
enough in captivity." Then he eyes his shorts, captive in Lirra's hand. 
"Usually."

Kaylira seems mildly nonplussed; Khari's eyes, on the other hand, widen in 
delight. "Paint?" she asks, in a near-squeal. "I like paint!" Oh, dear. 
This does not bode well.

Aurian can only mouth the words painted shorts.

Lirra holds her befrilled and bonneted charge a bit closer, grin growing 
even wider at the younger girl as she nods and flounces over to a nearby 
table holding a small pile of men's underclothing. "S'dar's and L'ran's 
and K'dar's...oh, any of the men, Caris!"

Kassima seems unconcerned by the new hobby that Lirra may very well be 
instilling in her youngest. If anything, it amuses her. "Shorts? Are you 
painting bovine's-eyes on *those* now, Lirra? I'd have thought you'd paint 
'em on the Candidate robes instead. Hey, Carissea!" Slanting a look 
towards K'dar, she admits cheerfully, "Some. But only if'n the femalerider 
forces haven't set their eyes on you as a potential victim yet."

Carissea shakes her head. It's safer. "Uh... why paint when there's any 
number of perfectly good dyes?" she asks. "Oh..." she continues as Kassima 
amplifies. "Ahh... heyla, Kassima! What brings you up here?"

Aurian looks relieved that Lirra seems not to be going after maleriders. 
Just males. She leans down next to S'dar. "Have you seen V'hryn 
around?"

Kharisma toddles on along after Lirra, scrambling up on a chair to get a 
look at the painting medium of the day. "Shorts," she observes, brightly. 
"Lotsa 'em. Can we paint 'em pink?"

S'dar shakes his head to Aurian, still looking somewhat confusedly around 
at the confusion in the room. "Fraid not," he replies.

Tania cocks her head as Thaniel quickly gets up and leaves. She calls 
after him. "Oh! Don't be mad I didn't mean to... Shards!" She swears, then 
looks embarassed, though the amused look is still in her eyes.

Lirra deposits her armload of complacent and frilly bronze on the table 
again and holds up K'dar's shorts. "Painting gets just the loveliest 
effects, though!" She peers around the shorts at the small girl, nodding 
avidly. "Sure! At least, some of them. I promised L'ran his would be 
orange."

Carissea looks surprised at S'dar's confusion, figuring he'd be used to 
this by now. Especially since he's from Telgar. "Uh, why not try blue?" 
she asks Lirra. "Blueriders have more fun, after all."

Josira walks in from the tunnel to the bowl.

Kassima flashes Carissea a grin. "Mart made a comment about riders nay 
being *real* women the other day, and I figured I'd pay him back by 
visiting with the spawnlings. Alas, he doesn't seem t'be anywhere around." 
The girl of about five or six Turns beside her waves a grubby hand in 
greeting to this new madwoman. "Men," Kassi turns to say sympathetically 
to Tania, "seem t'have this strange reluctance t'be depanted in public. 
Unless they're bronzeriders. Isn't it R'ehn who has the obsession with 
orange, Lirra?"

The faint odout of the stables precedes Josira's entrance into the living 
cavern.

Kharisma admits to her newfound greenrider-friend, "Can't paint many 
things. Just blobs. Could do hearts, though? Pink and orange?" Yes, *that* 
would certainly be aesthetic.

R'ehn meanders in from the tunnel to the bowl.

S'dar stands, grinning. "Excuse me," he says, "I'll be back in a bit."

S'dar wanders outside to the bowl.

Lirra snorts at both the idea of blueriders and R'ehn. "Blueriders! 
-Blue-riders???? Hah. Blueriders don't want us to have any fun at -all-!" 
she decides firmly, then beams down at Kharisma, nodding. "Like my scarf, 
dearie? We can do that!"

R'ehn peers in the door of the living cavern, moving in an attempt to be 
stealthy around the rim of the room. Must..rescue...drugged...firelizard.

Tania walks over and leans closer to the little bronze. "Oh, you poor 
thing! You must be /really/ calm, even Shalori wouldn't take this."

Carissea kneels next to Kassima for the obligatory ooh and ahh at her 
kids. "How old are they?" she asks. "And how can I help you repay M'rgan? 
He deserves something for a remark like that!"

Aurian just watches wide-eyed, nothing like this has ever happened at 
Telgar. Though some pretty odd things have occured.

Carissea chuckles at Lirra, calling to her, "You just know the wrong 
blueriders..."

K'dar's eyes go distant, and he smiles. "If you'll excuse me, all," he 
says quietly - attracting notice, after all, is a bad thing at the moment. 
"Tiya's back."

Tania looks up as R'ehn arrives, and Josira. She smiles at Josira with a. 
"How the chores going?" Then she looks at R'ehn, hearing the word 'druged' 
She frowns.

"Kaylira's five; Khari's just turned three," Kassima replies, always 
willing--like most mothers--to babble on ceaselessly about her offspring. 
"Mayhaps if'n we could get his pants for Lirra t'paint?" Preoccupied, she 
hasn't noticed R'ehn, but Kaylira has. "Mum," she demands, in a voice that 
carries well, "who's *that* weirdo?"

R'ehn moves on tip-toe to where poor Shmooze is held captive in frilly 
bondage. Of course this looks pretty absurd, but considering what all else 
is going on, it probably doesn't look -that- absurd.

Kharisma eyes the scarf with true admiration bordering on worship. "Ooh!" 
she breathes. "Pretty! Like that!" After a moment's consideration, she 
ventures, "Green's good, too. I like green."

Lirra waves a hand, nodding enthusiastically at Kassima. "Of course! 
Paints...we have to have paints for this." She clonks her forehead with 
her hand. "How could I forget!" Notice the sneaky bluerider? No she 
doesn't actually. "Green's -the- color," she replies, winking at the girl. 
"Stripey green is best."

Carissea smiles at Kassima, comparing Kaylira to her own daughter, 
Loretta, also 5. She suggests, however, "Kena would help. I'd guess you 
could leave him a drawer full of pink clothing or nice-llooking kilts..."

K'dar meanders through the archway, into the lower caverns.

Tania chuckles to herself as she wathces the rider leave... without his 
pants, then looks back up at R'ehn. "What did I hear about being 
drugged?"

Kassima looks over towards where Kay points, and stifles a grin. "That'd 
be R'ehn. I've told you about him, haven't I?" Kaylira nods 
enthusiastically and scampers off, causing the 'lizard on her shoulder to 
squawk--especially when she screeches to a halt by the bluerider. Reaching 
up a small hand to tap his leg, the black-haired youngling informs him, 
grey eyes wide and serious, "You'd be most unwise to drop your pants 
within the sight of the greenrider." A significant nod is given 
Lirra-wards.

R'ehn blinks briefly at Tania, confusion marking his features as he then 
turns to attempt to reach and snag Shmooze. He blinks down at the small 
child, his attempt very much interrupted. "What??"

Kassima, mercifully, isn't listening to Kay. "Y'know what would be best of 
all? If'n we could paint his riding jacket pink--mayhaps with pink lace 
sewn on! He'd die. Pink lace is a *wonderful* force for tormenting men... 
isn't it, Aurian?" She fires a wink in the brownrider's direction.

Kaylira explains, very patiently and rationally, "She's gonna want you to 
go pantsless so she can paint your shorts pink and orange and stuff. 
Pink's a *really* ugly color. So, it'd be dumb to let her get at your 
pants, see?" Khari blinks down at her sister, bewildered. "What's wrong 
with pink?" she asks Lirra.

Aurian blushes and leans her head against her hand.

Lirra bounces in her seat, a maniacal grin in place. "Oh, pink lace is 
-glooooooorious-!" Off-key. You knew it was coming. "But R'ehn doesn't...
R'ehn? R'ehn!" She spins around in her seat, giving the bluerider a -look- 
and scooping up Shmooze. "What do you think you're doing?"

R'ehn nods to the small child, his expression one of decided horror. 
"Okaaaay..." He blinks at Lirra, trying to look innocent and not wince 
overmuch at the abuse of key. "Nothing, nothing dear...why?"

Carissea looks at Kassima, nodding her agreement. "Pink lace would be 
perfect. I think some men might prefer to wear nothing to wearing pink 
lace..."

Kassima watches Lirra for a moment, before asking Carissea in a low voice, 
"P-R-O-D-D-Y?" Maybe she's counting on Lirra being too preoccupied to 
remember how to spell.

Carissea shrugs at Kassima. "Hrm... maybe. That'd explain the sudden 
dearth of bownriders..." she adds, grinning slowly.

Lirra is too preoccupied to even hear it, actually. She gives the smaller 
girl a reassuring grin. "Pink is a perfectly lovely color, dear. We'll 
have to find some pink and orange paints and go to work on all these 
shorts here in a few moment." She turns back to R'ehn and waves her free 
hand, all smiles again. "I need your shorts."

Tania backs up from R'ehn, grinning.

Kassima then nods gravely to the other rider. "Oh, aye. Especially pink 
lace robes that don't close properly. V'hryn *abhored* that particular 
property. Didn't he, Auri?" she asks the brownrider again.

Aurian is already backing towards the door, she's just a bit panicked when 
she finds out that anyone is proddy. She urks as she is addresed, "Hated 
it!" She keeps backing out.

R'ehn scrambles back several steps. "Ummm, no. No, -I- need my shorts." He 
spots Kassima, his eyes lighting. He quickly moves to go hide behind her. 
Out of the frying pan....

Carissea chuckles. "Let me get my sewing needles. I've *got* to help!" she 
says, leering at R'ehn.

Kharisma favors R'ehn with a broad smile, amber eyes crinkling up. "Hi! 
We're gonna paint your pants. Pink. You like pink? I like pink." Kaylira 
shakes her head in disgust and tells R'ehn as she runs after him, "See, I 
*told* you. What're you hiding behind Mum for?"

Lirra holds Shmooze out to Kharisma, murmuring brightly, "Would you hold 
my baby, dear? He'll be good...he's a -very- good baby," she explains, 
then straightens and begins to stalk R'ehn, pausing to try to grab Aurian 
back into the room. "C'mon, Aurian...you gotta help me. R'ehn, I -need- 
your shorts! Come now, love...off with them!"

Kassima calls towards Aurian, "Auri, you know there can be nay escape! 
Besides, she's nay asked for *your* pants or aught. Come t'think of it, 
mayhaps she knows where Vah is?" She gives Lirra a questioning look, 
before realizing that she's being hidden behind. "Heya, R'ehn. Don't look 
now, but I think there's a greenrider after your shorts. I find m'self 
thinking that she and 'Lex seem t'have much in common."

Tania grins, then nervously. "Umm... I think I'll go see how Thaniel is 
doing..."

R'ehn flees the short wanting greenriders. It's easier.

Aurian whimpers looking towards the bowl.

R'ehn walks outside to the bowl.

Kharisma looks a bit dubious, but gently takes the proffered 'lizard. 
"He's bronze," she notes. "Is he letch'rous? Hey! Where's shorts-man 
going?"

Carissea grabs for R'ehn, but comes away with nothing but a handful of 
air. "You'll have to get them from his weyr, then," she tells Lirra.

Kassima and Kaylira yell in unison after the bluerider, "Nay fair!" Kassi, 
of course, adds, "You're nay supposed t'be able to *escape*! Lirra, you 
should really get him for that one, later. Mayhaps *he* needs the pink 
lace."

Lirra sighs heavily, shaking her head. "I guess I will," she replies, then 
brightens. "Oooh! I can get paints at the same time!" And putting words to 
actioans, she dashes out the door, returning several moments later with a 
pair of men's shorts and a set of paints along with a cheerful grin. "Here 
we are!" she sings. Off-key.

Carissea doesn't notice Lirra's key or lack thereof, since she usually 
sings in the same one. "I think Ularrith's around here somewhere," she 
murmurs to Kassima. "M'rgan's probably hiding."

Aurian takes another step back towards the bowl. She'll get to Kvasith and 
all will be happy.

Kharisma claps her small hands in glee, jumping up and down a time or two 
in her chair. "Paint!" Yes, she knows what that is. Kay, not quite as 
obsessed, decides to head purposefully in Aurian's direction. "You ride 
brown." It's more a statement than a question. "You must be smart. Will 
*you* tell me what's the fuss over pink lace?"

"Ummm in a decade or three.." Aurian states

Kassima, regarding the pile of doomed shorts, can only nod. "Wouldn't 
surprise me," she murmurs back. "He must have something against having 
pink hearts painted on his underthings. I can't *imagine* why." Sarcasm, 
or not? It's hard to tell, which is scary in its own right. "Are your kids 
half as hyper as this?"

Lirra nearly plows into Aurian on her way back in, but somehow manages to 
dance around her. "Pink and orange, pink and orange!" she sings again, 
then giggles at Kassima. "R'ehn in pink lace? Oh, I -like- it!" She grabs 
a glass of water as well, then sets the paint set and glass on the table 
by the shorts, winking at Kharisma. "See? Now...shall we do hearts or 
polka dots first?"

Aurian watches the greenrider dance around her.

Kaylira gives an imperious stamp of her foot; Lucki, on her shoulder, fans 
out his blue wings wide to keep his balance. "Nay! I want t'know *now*, 
and Mum won't tell me! If'n it's got something to do with brownriders, it 
*must* be good. Won't you tell me? Please?"

Kharisma asks hopefully, "Both? Or flowers? Big pink flowers with green 
stems, maybe." The men would *love* that. Her face lights up then, as if 
she's had a brainstorm. "Or maybe... all three!"

Carissea shakes her head. "Only Marie. And she's runner-crazy. And has 13 
turns," she says with a faint shudder. "We'll see with Davio. He's still 
learning to walk. It must be something to do with ehtheir da. YOU 
certainly haven't done anything to make 'em hyper!" she says, showing 
typical greenrider solidarity. "Hrm... if M'rgan's hiding, now'd be the 
perfect time to hide all his underthings & substitute the pink ones..."

Aurian kneels down infront of Kaylira, "Are you sure you really want to 
know?"

Kassima grins at Carissea, playing along. "Me? Certainly nay! Khari's must 
be Jhor's fault, and Kaylira... well, T'lar *is* a bronzerider. Y'never 
know, with that type. You think we could? He'd nay have set his 'lizards 
t'guard 'em or aught? Runner-crazy's nay too bad... I'd take that over 
brown dragon-crazy."

Lirra laughs delightedly, pulling out her set of paintbrushes and dipping 
one in the water before handing it to the little girl. "One for you...and 
one for me! We'll do all three!" she decides. "Start with R'ehn's, since I 
had to go all the way up to get his. Besides...he's tallest, so there's 
more space to work on."

Kaylira bobs her head up and down quite vigorously, curls bouncing. "Aye! 
I want t'know! What's the lace? Why does it have t'be pink?"

Kharisma blinks at Lirra, holding tight to the brush. "His rump's big?" 
she inquires innocently before leaning over the table to try and reach the 
pink paint.

"Its pink because the greenriders want to humiliate you, even when their 
not proddy." Aurian continues, "Whatever you do don't drink around a 
greenrider cause they find a way to humiliate you. But it fails cause 
brownriders still look highly attractive in lace, but pink lace is hard to 
carry off."

Carissea glances off in the direction of R'ehn's recent disappearance. 
"Davio's R'ehn's. So I'm just waiting for him to get older..." She grins 
at the comment about runner-crazy being better than brown-dragon crazy. 
"Hey, I'm crazy about a certain brownrider, myself. She's a lot tastier 
than runner, anyway..."

Lirra tilts her head thoughtfully for a long moment, as if trying to 
picture said rump. "Noooo," she drawls. "Actually, it's pretty skinny. 
He's just really, really tall. LIke, two or three dragonlengths, at 
least," she answers with a grin, then pokes her paint brush in the orange 
and begins a long stripe.

Kaylira gives Aurian the most dubious of looks. "When *I'm* a brownrider," 
she says staunchly, hugging her stuffed brown dragon close, "I'm *never* 
gonna wear lace. Never. And they can't make me!"

Carissea shrugs at Kassima, thinking about the possibility of M'rgan-
baiting. "Never hurts to try!"

Aurian nods to Kaylira, "Yer a stronger lass than I am."

Lirra nearly drops her paintbrush, peering back at Carissea with wide, 
wide eyes. "R'ehn is -Davio's- father? But, but, but, but...he won't let 
-me- have a baby!" she cries out mournfully.

Kassima is rather taken aback by *that* one. "R'ehn's? R'ehn has 
offspring? Aigh--I'm certain that does *nay* bode well for the world. 
Doesn't it rate on a level with 'Seas boil, mountains move,' etcetera? 
I'll definitely take your word on that last...." Hah! See, Kassi can *so* 
blush. Still naive, even after all these Turns. "Most of the brownriders 
I've met are sadomasochists. You need the Water, Lirra!"

Carissea hrms at Lirra. "It's your choice, not his. I think watching his 
birth scared him or some such."

Aurian blinks, "R'ehn watched himself being born:?"

Kharisma looks duly impressed; her brush drips a few pink splatters on 
someone's pants as she just *stares*. "Wow," she breathes, awed. 
"*Dragonlengths*. Wow. We can paint *lots* on 'em!" And she sets to work 
with glee, sketching out a rough flower on one section of cloth.

Lirra's eyes widen even more at this latest bit of information, then turns 
back, brows furrowed as if she were trying to hold back tears. Dipping the 
brush in the red paint, she begins to paint a large bulls-eye on the 
crotch of the shorts.

Carissea shakes her head at Aurian. This is old news to Carissea, and she 
doesn't see the problem. "Watching *Davio's* birth." she says. "Though 
aside from that, I hardly ever saw him. M'rgan's a lot more paternal than 
he is."

Kaylira tilts her head up a bit, squaring her chin. "I'm gonna be 
Weyrleader someday," she confides to Aurian. "And nay *anybody*'s gonna 
burn *my* pants. Nay even Uncle Kiat. Has he ever burnt *your* pants?"

Carissea asks Kassima, "The water?"

Kassima just has to ask. She's too confused not to. "Now *Mart's* his 
father, too? Just how many fathers does this lad of yours have? Aye, the 
Water--the Benden Water makes people spawn; hadn't you heard?"

Aurian shakes her head at Kaylira the future weyrleader, "Nah just 
M'hryn's.."

Kaylira frowns in thought. "'Twas funny, Mum says. But I dunno why anyone 
would burn pants."

Lirra dips her brush in the black and begins to fill in more circles 
around the target, reddening slightly about the ears. "I'll -never- 
spawn," she vows softly, almost as if to herself.

"Jealousy.." Aurian states simply.

Carissea blinks at Kassima. "Benden Water makes you get pregnant? Hrm... 
maybe I could get Meg to try some..." she says. "And no, R'ehn's Davio's 
da. M'rgan's just an occasional babysitter when I can catch him."

Kharisma lifts her head to blink up at Lirra, surprised. "You don't *like* 
spawn?" she asks, sounding hurt.

Lirra glances down at the girl, softening significantly and ruffling her 
hair. "Sure I do, dearie. Sure I do," she replies, but continues painting 
the target.

"But if'n he wanted the pants for himself, he should've just *stole* 'em, 
nay *burned* 'em," Kaylira argues. Kassi shoots a look towards her 
youngest, but she knows fully well that there're times when it's better 
*not* to inquire. "Sort of. It does have t'have help; I circumvented it 
through celibacy once. Wow. I still can't believe that *R'ehn* has kids. 
There's something profoundly fearsome about this concept."

Khari's mostly mollified, at least. "You should have lots of spawn," she 
blithely informs the greenrider. "They could help you paint." Another 
thought strikes her. "Maybe you should spawn with Uncle Gar! He needs 
spawn!"

Carissea smiles sympathetically at Lirra. "I don't think he was expecting 
any, either. Until he managed to win the Flight. He sometimes manages to 
do the 'Da' things. Occasionally."

Aurian shakes her head at Kaylira, "He was jealous for other reasons."

Lirra suddenly bursts into tears, jumping up from her seat and scooping 
the firelizard back up, cuddling him in closely. "So R'ehn wants 
children...just not mine?" she chokes out. "Target practice. It's time for 
target practice," she grates, and stalks over to hunt through a tall 
cabinet. "Bow...bow...where is it? I know it's in here..."

Kaylira plunks herself down on the floor, brow wrinkling in confusion. 
"Maybe the 'Leader's pants had pink lace and had t'be burned?" she offers 
tentatively.

Carissea grins. "But what can I say... he was the first bronzerider Tria 
managed to snag."

Kassima is suitably alarmed. "Ack! Lirra! Nay killing the happy fun 
bluerider! If'n 'twas a fli--wait a minute. R'ehn's nay a bronzerider." 
Helpfully, Khari informs the room in general, "That means he's nay 
letch'rous!"

Lirra turns about, a wicked looking long bow in hand, which promptly 
clatters to the ground. Tears still streaking her face, she notes 
curiously, "R'ehn's a bluerider."

Carissea frowns at Lirra. "R'ehn *is* Vaeth's rider, isn't he?" she says. 
Figures she'd get the dragon's name right before the rider's. "Or did I 
get the wrong one?"

Lirra shakes her head, swallowing heavily. "Nnnooo. Bhalth. Polka-dotted? 
Blue? Biiiig ego, though."

Kassima shakes her head similarly. "Nay, nay. He rides Bhalth--y'know, the 
blue with the mark shaped like a paw on his rump?"

While Lirra is distracted, Kaylira makes her stealthy way over to this 
dropped bow-thing. She knows not what it is, and that makes it worth 
investigating. "I thought greeners had *knives*."

Carissea frowns. "Then who rides Vaeth? I thought his name was R'ehn." she 
says, looking rather embarassed. "Shards, my memory's as bad as 
Trianneth's."

Kassima frowns in thought, scanning back over her memory. "Vaeth. Bronze. 
Ah! The one who flew Ladonyth; that's right. R'yel's the rider's name, 
if'n I recall m'clutch-records correctly. Definitely *nay* R'ehn." She 
turns to ask Lirra hopefully, "You don't care if'n this R'yel wants kids 
that aren't yours, do you?"

Lirra gulps in rather large amounts of air, finally taking note of the 
girl looking over the bow. "R'yel's," she replies absently. "We need his 
shorts, too." To Kaylira, she explains, "I don't know how to throw knives, 
dear. Just shoot a bow...so that's...that's what I wanted."

Kaylira chews on her lower lip, poking experimentally at the bow to see if 
it'll bite. "Mum says she'll teach me and Khari when we're old enough. 
Maybe you could learn, too?" A frown crosses her face. "What's a 
brownrider's weapon?"

Lirra picks up the bow in her free hand, grinning down at Kaylira as she 
puts it away in the cabinet. "Maybe so," she agrees, then traipses back to 
her painting and Kharisma.

Carissea answers Kaylira absently, "Meg uses klah. That's dangerous 
enough." before turning back to Kassima. "OH....yeah, that must be it. 
R'yel." She grins. "You'd better not tell him how well I remembered his 
name. He'd be a bit disappointed."

Kharisma has been blissfully working away on the underwear, heedless to 
the conversation around her. As a result, the cloth around her is 
covered by wobbly flowers, uneven circles, and some rather lopsided hearts 
in a variety of sickening colors. "You like, lady?" she asks Lirra 
hopefully.

Kaylira looks downright overjoyed. "I'll ask Aunt Klah about it! She knows 
klah!" Suddenly, she sobers rather abruptly. "'Cept Aunt Klah's sick. I 
can't bother her until she's better." Pouting, she troops over to Kassi, 
who hefts her up to sit in her lap. "M'kla's heart's been troubling her 
again," she explains quietly. "Oh, 'twould nay tell! You're a fellow 
greenrider, nay a torment-victim. Nay need t'be spreading the word."

Lirra rinses out her paintbrush, grinning at Caris. "I promise...my lips 
are sealed. Not a word. Especially if I can have his shorts." Turning back 
to the girl painting, she gasps as if seeing a work of amazing beauty. 
"Oh, dearie...that's...-lovely-! Just perfect!"

Carissea grins. "I'll help you get those just as soon as we've gotten 
M'rgan's..."

Kharisma couldn't be more pleased if the compliment were coming from a 
Master. She beams widely enough to show nearly all of her small teeth. 
"Thankee! The men will like 'em, too?"

Lirra tilts her head thoughtfully at the carefully placed target, then 
nods cheerfully. "You know? I think they will! Maybe Kena will get us 
Mart's shorts," she calls back to the other women.

Kassima asks hopefully, "Think we could find any pink lace t'sew on him? 
And mayhaps we could make strategic tears in his pants, so the lace would 
show through without him realizing?"

Carissea chuckles at Lirra's comment, carefully *not* looking at what 
she's doing. "I've got some pink yarn. We could *make* lace if there's 
nothing else we can find." she assures Kassima. "And I'd bet Kena would 
help. Just as soon as she's back from Sweeps."

Kharisma pauses in her painting to squint towards Lirra's work. "Aunt 
Green Lady, what're you painting?" she wants to know. Even Kassi peers 
over with curiousity, until she catches sight... and snerks with hastily-
stifled laughter. "Um. Depends on what we were planning t'paint there, 
mayhaps...."

Lirra dips her brush in first the orange and then the pink, creating a 
truly horrifying color. "Lirra, dearie...you can call me Lirra. I'm going 
to paint...dots!" she decides. "They're glooooooorious!" Off-key. Ouch.

Carissea looks impressed at Lirra's tone. It's postively draconic.

Oh, goody. Kharisma's found a new role-model. "Glooooooooooorious!" she 
repeats, her voice shrill enough that the effect is wincesome. "I like 
hearts. Or maybe eyes?"

Kassima murmurs under her breath, watching the actions of Lirra and Khari 
with dancing eyes, "You'd think being told she'll get t'paint a bronzer's 
weyr one of these days would be enough t'make her happy, but nay... she 
has t'paint pants, too. I worry a bit about that one." Kaylira snorts and 
nods in agreement.

Lirra giggles happily and stabs dots onto the shorts, then stops and 
remembers to set poor Shmooze down again. The little bronze promptly curls 
up into a ball and goes back to sleep, ruffles and bonnet and all. "Eyes 
are good, too. I like eyes. Or how about little squares?"

Kharisma sticks out her tongue as she considers. "Smiley faces!" she 
decides, beaming at her own cleverness. "Bright ones. Yellow!"

"Smiley faces!" Lirra crows in return, snagging down S'dar's shorts and 
going to work on them in bright pink/orange circles with big smiles 
inside. "And maybe arrows too. What do you folks think?" she calls to the 
others.

Yirn says "Hi"

Yirn sits down

Yirn says "Hmmm,what to do?What to do?"

Yirn ponders what to do

Kassima suggests amiably, "Stick the arrows through the smiley-faces!" In 
a bit of a wicked mood today, is she? "And be sure t'paint lots of little 
sweetbuns on Sandrina's shorts, would you?" A nod is given to the 
stranger. "G'deve. Duties t'you and t'yours."

Yirn says "Why would I want duties?"

Yirn says "I have no need for work,for now"

Yirn says "Unless I got something out of it,or you convinced me I should."

Kassima arches one dark eyebrow. "'Tis a form of politeness, demanded by 
protocol," she explains mildly.

Carissea eyes the stranger. His training by the harpers has clearly been 
very lacking. "Welcome to High Reaches Weyr, anyway," she says. "What 
brings you so far from home?"

Yirn says "Oh,sure then.But as in the way of work,I really don't need any"

Yirn says "Well I was wondering around and I stumbled upon this Weyr,so I 
decided to meet some of it's people."

Yirn says "I figured it must be very interesting,I figured it to be 
different than Ista,so I wanted to see what it had to offer"

"There's nay work entailed in duties; 'tis a term of respect." Kassi 
blinks, and has to grin. "Stumbled upon it, eh? That's new. I'd welcome 
you as well, but being a visitor m'self, 'twould nay be proper." She 
nudges Kaylira, having noticed that the small girl was staring. "Hey, 
Lirra, there's an idea. Why nay paint Weyr sigils on the shorts?"

Lirra blinks at the newcomer, then smiles winningly at him. She seems to 
be painting men's shorts with a small girl beside her. "Welcome indeed. 
Ista's a lovely place, I hear. Can I have your shorts?"

Carissea blinks. "You've been wandering around for months?" she asks. 
"Jusat walking from weyr to weyr? Where've you come from?" she asks.

Yirn says "Like I said,Ista.I wanted to see what the Weyr's were like,how 
they were different from Ista"

Yirn says "It really is a lovely place"

Yirn says "I'm sorry I didn't know your custom,or protocol,it was a matter 
of ingorance.I'm really sorry."

Carissea nods. "Oooh... So you're from Ista hold? It's a nice place, if a 
little warm for my tastes. I prefer cooler weather -- though you wouldn't 
know that from the way it looks outside!"

Kassima agrees at once, "Ista's lovely, aye. Wandering about on foot, 
though... hardly safe, in a Pass. Could you nay find any riders who'd give 
you a lift?" In a confidential tone, she advises, "Don't give Lirra your 
shorts unless you want them t'be painted, by the by."

Carissea nodnods her agreement with Kassima.

Yirn says "I don't want my pants painted!"

Lirra casts a pout at the other greenriders...the non-proddy ones, rolling 
her eyes. "Oh, come now. -All- men want their shorts painted! It's just a 
thing that is!" And so she goes back to painting, trying to draw the 
Telgar sigil on S'dar's shorts, but ending up with a rather lovely pinkish 
orange blob.

Carissea offers, somewhat apologetically, "She's a bit proddy. Normally, 
we're not *quite* this strange. But the idea's kind of cute..."

Yirn says "I'm inquisitive,I wanted to see different places.I figured my 
luck would hold out.Ista is a really lovely place,nice and warm,if not 
occasionally hot.I like warmth more than cold.The beaches and scenery are 
great!You should go there sometime for a vacation,if you ever have time."

Kharisma investigates Lirra's work, and frowns down at her own yellow 
smiley-faces. K'dar's pants will never be the same. "I dunno Weyr 
symbols," she admits in a small voice. "Can you show me, Aunt Lirra?"

Yirn thinks painting shorts is well,as you said,strange!

Yirn says "Are these smiley-faces a new fad or something?"

Lirra beams at the small girl, dipping her paintbrush in the blue and 
ending up with this garish purple on her brush. "Sure, dear...see? Here's 
the High Reaches spires," she notes, making a squiggly motion with her 
paintbrush on K'dar's shorts.

Kassima, flicking a glance towards Khari for some reason, observes, "Oh, 
I've been to Ista. I've a friend or two there. I wonder whether we could 
paint their pants? Ah, nay--'tis just something Khari thought of." 
Frighteningly enough, she sounds proud of her daughter's 'accomplishment'.

Yirn hopes Lirra won't even try to paint his shorts.

Carissea asks, "Smiley faces? I don't know those very well.. So I guess 
they're new. I can't see how they'd catch on, though." she says. "And I've 
been to Ista a time or two. I have some friends there."

Yirn says "Ista is really lovely,an island paradise,to say the very least"

Khari's amber-colored eyes are fixed to the moving brush, and she watches 
with almost breathless anticipation. "You know Telgar's? And Benden's? And 
Ista's?" she wants to know. "Are they squiggly, too?"

Yirn says "Don't even touch my pants!"

Lirra chews on her lip, trying to think, but ending up putting the brush 
down and putting her head in her hands. "I don't remember...I'm hungry...
so..." Her head pops back up. "Kassi! I need your shorts too!"

Carissea hrms, glancing at Kassima. "Your best bet is to not spend too 
much time alone with her while she's still Proddy," she suggests. "And 
don't take them off, or you're in trouble. It/d probably be best if you 
don't even bathe." she says, smiling faintly.

Kassima chokes. Never mind that she isn't eating, so has nothing to choke 
on; she chokes anyway. "You *what*?" she asks, aghast. Please tell her you 
didn't just say what she thought you just said.

Yirn asks, "Why can't you paint the Firelizard Perch pretty colors?Leave 
peoples pants alone!"

Lirra swirls around, Kassima's shorts forgotten. For the moment. "I can 
too!" she retorts in a shrill tone. "And I'm not painting peoples pants. 
Just their shorts! -Everyone- needs painted shorts!" She snatches up a 
pair off the table and holds them up, a bright red and black bullseye 
painted in a strategic location with pink and orange flowers everywhere 
else. "See?"

Yirn says "Nice..."

Yirn says "How long 'till she's not so proddy anymore?"

Lirra raspberries loudly, although at the ceiling, not at anyone in 
particular. "I'm not! Kaath is just -fine-," she insists. "Gloooooorious!" 
For anyone not expecting that, it was sung loudly and terribly off key. 
She whirls back ato Kassima, beaming brightly again. "Your shorts, Kassi. 
I need to paint them."

Kassima looks just plain horrified. Well, okay... maybe not *plain* 
horrified. Horrified combined with embarrassed, shocked, aghast, mildly 
terrified, and appalled. "I prefer t'keep m'shorts to m'self, Lirra, if'n 
'tis all the same t'you." She studiously ignores Kharisma's pout.

Carissea shakes her head at Yirn. "No more than a couple of sevendays..."

Yirn ponders, "Is she going through a phase?"

Lirra pauses mid-way back to her seat, peering curiously at the serving 
table before heading to examine its contents. "No, no, no, no, no....
Shells! No redfruit! I'll have to just go out and shoot more," she sighs, 
glancing sidelong and disappointedly at Kassima. "Are you -sure- I can't 
have your shorts?"

Carissea nods. "It's called proddiness. Most weyrs have at least one 
proddy greenrider at any time. Though most sing a bit better..." she 
muses, softly.

Yirn says "Why,in perticular,does she wanna paint pants,eer shorts,
anyways?"

Kassima crosses her legs, as though to prevent any attempt at yanking off 
her pants against her will. Of course, the five-Turn-old in her lap also 
helps with that. "Nay *anyone* is getting m'shorts," she says stubbornly, 
now a shade of pink to match Kharisma's paint. "I'll keep m'shorts to 
m'self, and paint-free, thankee! 'Tis *men* who should have painted 
underwear!"

Yirn says "WHAT!"

Carissea shrugs. "Because they're there?" she suggests, eyeing Kassima 
with surprise. "Aww, but they're so cute!" she says to her fellow 
greenrider.

Yirn tightens his belt in attempt to make it impossible for his shorts to 
be atken off and painted.

Lirra snorts and grabs a meatroll from the table, biting into it with 
relish. The emotion, not the condiment. "Okay. I won't paint yours then," 
she agrees affably. "How about you, Caris? Can I have yours?"

Yirn says "oops taken"

Yirn says "Paint Jemah!"

Yirn says "Just spare me!he he"

Yirn laughs

Kassima insists stubbornly, "They're cute on *men*. I am nay a man." 
Occasional cameo appearances as one notwithstanding. "What're you going 
t'do with these shorts when you've painted 'em, anyway? Throw 'em around 
the Bowl for everyone t'see?"

Yirn definately thinks painted pants don't look 'cute' on men

Carissea shakes her head at Lirra. "No, sorry. It'd confuse Meg." she 
says.

Yirn thinks to himself Who's pants did she steal anyways?

Yirn thinks to himself Ick!

Lirra looks thoughtfully at the ceiling, still munching away. "Now there's 
an idea," she muses. "For everyone to see... On the Spires!" she suddenly 
cries. "Yes, that's it! Ah-ha! We'll hang them on the Spires!" She blinks 
at Carissea, then giggles maniacally. "Brownriders get that way. 
Blueriders are even more confused."

Yirn says "Hu?Spires?"

Carissea nods. "I'm sure. It's a size thing."

Yirn says "Get what way?"

Carissea points at the bowl for Yirn. "The spires are what we call those 
tall rock towers at the East end of the bowl. Tall, pointy -- like towers, 
sort of."

Yirn says "I knwo that"

Yirn says "What was she saying about male riders?"

Yirn says "Ista has spires too"

Lirra finishes off the meatroll, then begins to work with her hair, oddly 
twirling it. "Outside," she adds. "You can't miss 'em. And brownriders 
get confused. So do blueriders. Greenriders don't, though." Uh-huh. 
Suuuure.

Kassima asks thoughtfully, "Have you ever thought of painting little 
drawings of underwear on your weyr-walls? It'd really add to the decor." 
She'll make R'ehn pay for hiding behind her, yes, she will. "Or mayhaps 
small Emasculators?" Kaylira perks up at the E-word. She recognizes *that* 
one from Mum's stories.

Yirn says "Confused about what?" Yirn is still confuesed about what she 
said about being confused

Carissea chuckles at Kassima. "Is that what you call that? I just call 
them clippers. They worry Mart as much, whatever I kall them."

Lirra bursts into sudden and delighted laughter. "Oh, Kassi...you haven't 
seen our weyr lately, have you? Would you like to go see it?"

Yirn says " I would"

Kassima says with faint dismay, "But 'clippers' has so much less of a 
melodic ring... oh, is there something new up there? May I bring the 
lasses?"

Lirra beams, nodding cheerfully. "I did the ceiling -and- the walls! Of 
course, bring the girls!" she carols, scooping Shmooze back up and holding 
out a hand to Kharisma.

Carissea shakes her head. "I need to get back to work... We had a couple 
of bad 'scorings in the last Fall, and the candidates should be done with 
making the last batch of numbweed about now..."

Yirn says " I was wondering your all Riders right?"

Lirra smiles brightly at both Carissea and the visitor and flounces out 
into the bowl.

Yirn says "What are the names of your dragons?"

Kassima nudges Kay off her lap before getting to her feet, trusting the 
elder girl to follow. Khari, of course, slips one paint-smeared hand 
trustingly into Lirra's. "Aye," Kassi says to Yirn as she walks over to 
the others. "'Tis what the green cords in our knots mean! If'n I don't see 
you ere I return, Carissea, clear skies t'you--and you, too, stranger."

Lirra calls back on her way out, "Kaath!" and is out the door.

Lirra strides outside to the bowl.

Yirn meanders outside to the bowl.

You stroll outside to the bowl.