--------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Obsession Stares You In the Face


Date:  February 4, 1998
Places:  Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern; High Reaches Weyr's Eastern 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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kassi's Note:  Okay, so this isn't a particularly significant log--but
it *is* a log of RP that I found rather amusing, so I thought I'd throw
it up just for the heck of it.  Kassi is stubborn and single-minded to
the extreme; will she prove muleheaded enough to stare herself into a 
stupor just to beat C'vadan?  Or will she decide that poking Mart and
eating packtail would be a better use of her time?  Decisions, 
decisions....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Log:

You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.

Jayna sniffs the klah. Not too dreadfully strong today. Casually, very 
casually, and very, very brightly, she looks up and asks, "Klah, anyone?" 
She holds up her cup as an example, in case people don't know what klah 
is.

J'lor looks down at his boxer shorts, that have little mining picks and 
gemstones embroidered on them. Where he got them is anybody's guess. 
"Well, I'm wearing my boxers," he notes. "And I think it's only natural to 
put your pants on after you put on your boxers. It's a natural 
progression. Oh, good evening, Kassima," he smiles. "How's the baby?"

Jayna smiles rather nervously at Kassima. "Good even', Kassi. Klah?" she 
offers with a rather exaggerated smile. Nothing going on here. Nope.

Hoping she doesn't have to look up to reply to Jayna's call, Mehlani shakes 
her behatted head, her gaze firmly affixed to the hides she's sorting on 
the tabletop before her. Once she has them divided to her satisfaction, 
the girl starts trying to read from the first, even as Rianet watches all 
the people in sight, quirking her green head back and forth.

Kassima hums to herself as she squelches into the room, apparently fresh 
from a trip to the Hot Springs since her long hair is unbraided and 
dripping wet, and her boots are making a distinctly wet sound with every 
step. "Nice boxers, J'lor," she approves upon espying the brownrider. 
"Khari's blessedly well. Just finished giving her and Kay a bathing; 
they're with 'Maeva now. Did your pants go wandering off again?"

K'tyn walks in from the bowl.

Pierron waves his arms expansively, driving the cavern's girls before him 
like a flock of avians, as he orders them to straighten up for the 
weyrleader.

The corners of Kelset's lips lift in a warm grin at the green's 
exuberance. He echoes the trill, in a more inquisitive variation, soaring 
into high notes with the practiced ease that woodwind players often 
achieve. Glancing over at the entering greenrider, briefly, he flashes her 
a smile, adding his own greeting: "Good evening, Kassima!"

J'lor laughs at Kassima. "Pants don't just wander off," he chuckles, 
though after he says this he pauses in thought, as though weighing the 
possibility of his pants doing exactly that. He shakes his head, grinning. 
"Anyways, I'm glad to hear Kharisma is well. A cute babe, she is. Evenin', 
Kiat."

Rianet throws off a few exuberant pipings, pleased by Kelset's responding 
whistles and trills. Mehlani freezes for a moment, perhaps at her green's 
noise and perhaps by hearing someone hail the Weyrleader, but still she 
doesn't look up. Reading. She's got reading to do.

Jayna bobs a curtsey to the Weyrleader as she scurries to drop to a bench 
near Mehlani. "Does he often not wear pants?" she asks in a whisper. 
"J'lor, I mean, not the Weyrleader," she corrects hastily.

K'tyn enters, carrying a HUGE basket of... things? that seem, for the most 
part, to be unidentifiable. "Good e'en, all," he huffs as as places the 
basket on a nearby table.

Telgar Weyr> C'vadan erps. "Gotta stop falling asleep just anywhere." :)

Telgar Weyr> K'tyn snerks at the thought of you just sprawled out n the 
LC, Cav.

Mehlani swallows hard. Her eyes still tensely averted to her hides, the 
girl gives a small bob of her head to Jayna. And continues to blush.

"Oh, that's right," Kassi says after a moment's puzzled ponderance. "I was 
drunk when I thought I saw your pants walk by that once. 'Twas so vivid, 
I'd nigh forgotten. G'deve, sir!" She snaps Kiat a sharp, if wet, salute, 
then squelches her way over to where the food is. "Nay thankee, Jayna. I 
can't abide klah; I'm a milk woman, these days. What in Faranth's name is 
in that basket, sir? G'deve t'you too, Kelt! And thankee, J'lor! I 
assuredly think so, but I'm supposed to. 'Tis a part of what mothers are 
for. Oh, hey, Mehlani. Didn't see you there for a moment."

Telgar Weyr> C'vadan says, "Am I this week's human sacrifice? :)"

Jayna nods slowly in response to Mehlani. She raises an eyebrow and sips 
her klah. Life in the Weyr. Who would've thought?

Mehlani freezes again, and then, still without looking quite fully up, 
turns her head slightly in Kassima's direction and nodnods at her by way 
of greeting. The girl's field of vision is mostly limited by the angle of 
her hat brim, so she goes only by the sound of the green rider's voice.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "No, Cav, you were last week's. You're dead 
now; you just don't realize it yet. :)"

Telgar Weyr> J'lor says, "The gods are angry. They demand brownriders."

C'vadan strides in from the bowl. Yeah, really. "Greetings one and all," 
he says far more cheerily than he has been in months.

Telgar Weyr> Jayna scratches her head, puzzled. "I thought the gods wanted 
Chicken McNuggets. Guess I misunderstood."

"And a good evening to you, Weyrleader!" Kelset adds, tossing his greeting 
atop the many K'tyn attracts when entering. Oblivious to any of the odd 
looks that his actions attract to him, he returns Rianet's warbling 
conversation with a lilting, appreciative trill of his own. Turning to 
Kassima, he lets out an involuntary laugh, rubbing the edges of his lips. 
"It's been a while since I whistled so high." Glancing past Kassima, he 
greets, "Evening, C'vadan!"

Telgar Weyr> C'vadan wondered why everything I drank kept falling to the 
floor.

K'tyn blinks as Kassi greets everyone vociferously, a grin moving to his 
face at her comment. "Tis a basket of things I'm thinking I don't need 
anymore." Indeed, he pulls out a pair of red and green jester's pants--the 
kind with the left pant red, and the right green. "I don't think I can 
wear this anymore, Oh, heya Cav!"

Rianet chirrupchirples satisfiedly to Kelset and then turns her attention 
to ducking under Mehlani's hat brim, to nuzzle gently at the girl's 
blushing cheek.

C'vadan stops mid-stride when he sees K'tyn's pants. "Now there's 
something to fear," he comments lightly.

Jayna eyes J'lor's shorts doubtfully. "Are those little hammers, J'lor?" 
she asks, blushing a bit but unable to overcome her morbid curiosity.

K'tyn sorts through the basket, looking for the matching tunic to the red 
and green pants. He looks up at C'vadan, and grins. "What, these? I'll 
have you know these were a favorite of mine for a long time--before my 
waist filled out."

Kassima wiggles her fingers Cav-wards as she loads a plate up with cheese 
noodles, cheese bread, sliced cheese, and wherry in cheese sauce. "Heya, 
brownrider... what're you whistling for, Kelt?" At the sight of the pants, 
she just blinks. "Um, Kiat... did you ever wear those? I don't recall 
seeing them a'fore." And these are certainly pants she'd remember seeing. 
Not to mention fleeing from.

J'lor stands up and wanders to the serving table, his muscular legs from 
years of dragonriding somewhat offset by a pair of bony-looking knees. He 
nods a greeting to Cav, then peers at the pants K'tyn is holding. "Nope... 
those weren't mine," he notes. At Jayna's query, he looks down at his 
boxers. "Hmm... no, they appear to be little picks," he replies. "And what 
do we have here, some lettering's been embroidered here... 'lucky strike'. 
Lucky strike?"

C'vadan gives the Weyrleader a 'why am I not surprised' look and resumes 
his path towards the serving table. "Score one for hard work then, sir."

K'tyn looks at the pants. "Aye, I did. They were my gather wear, when I 
was...before I impressed to Prometh. Long before." He does a double-take 
at J'lor's comment, a wide, unholy grin appearing on his face. "J'lor, I'm 
jealous!"

Kassima squints curiously at the boxers in question as she seats herself 
and her platter of dairy products at the table of her Wing. "Lucky strike? 
I'm nay certain that I'd be wishing to inquire. A curious thought, though, 
that the Weavers might make lucky underthings."

Jayna looks confused. "Lucky strike, sir?" she asks J'lor. "Strike what? 
Strike thread?"

"Why am I whistling?" Kelt asks, as if surprised by the question for a 
moment, before pausing to take a long sip of his rapidly cooling cider. 
"Oh, you mean conversing--with Mehlani's extremely pleasant green, over 
there--not to mention melodic. Pleasant conversation, I thought." He lifts 
his eyebrows, gathering his own take of K'tyn's pants. "Unique, I'd 
say..." he states, smiling.

J'lor hrms to the Weyrleader, unsure of what there is to be jealous of. "I 
suppose I'll have to pull this out too," he muses. "There was lettering 
embroidered on the back, too, right across the butt. The words, 'Yo he yo, 
pick pick pick!' Well, there's nothing I'd like picked in that vicinity." 
He harumphs a bit uncomfortably.

On Mehlani's shoulder, Rianet looks up, perhaps at the mention of her 
human's name, and croons.

C'vadan pours himself some juice, the whole while shaking his head..
"Tisn't everyday one gets to see such a fine pair of underthings, eh?" 

K'tyn grins. "Tis enough to give me an idea or two, that's for sure." He 
bursts into a gale of laughter at the older brownrider's comment.

Mehlani hunches down a little farther in her chair and reaches up, tugging 
her hat further down over her eyes -- but not quite enough to conceal that 
the girl's blushing darkly.

Jayna shifts her head, trying to catch a glimpse of the shorts by 
hearthlight. "I think--uh--sir, are those shorts /glittering/?" She 
squints at the dragonrider's knees.

"I. Do. Nay. Want. To. Know," Kassi states, quite firmly, as Kiat mentions 
ideas. For politeness's sake, she adds a, "Sir," to that. "Ah, Kelt. You 
try and converse with fire-lizards through music? I usually settle for 
talking t'mine. I can't stand t'hum or whistle for very long; I wind up 
singing the words the second I cease concentrating. Are those Minecraft 
boxers, J'lor, or was whoever wore them first just a sadist?"

"You've got me beat. All I've got is this pair that are reversible. Never 
wore them." K'tyn holds up a pair of boxers in black and red, a huge II 
emblazoned on the rear, with Skyfire's patch on the right.

J'lor nods to both Jayna and Kassima. "Glittering, it appears so. Little 
gemstones embroidered right in there. And aye, Kassi, Minecraft boxers." 
He peers at K'tyn's boxers. "I'll say, that symbol brings back memories."
The _Weyrleader_ has to start talking about... underthings, too... 

Mehlani, looking stricken, peeks out from under her hat, but only to see 
whether she has a clear route to fleeing either back out into the Bowl or 
into the inner caverns.

Kelset's smile grows at Rianet's croon, but fades again, slightly, as 
Kelset notices Mehlani's embarassment. Apparently feeling rather unable to 
do anything about it, he turns back to Kassima, a hint of continuing worry 
on his expression. "Yes, actually. It has been said, I believe, 'When with 
firelizards, do as the firelizards do.'" He murmers, "Or was that 'When in 
Nabol?'" Shaking his head and returning his voice to original volume, he 
explains, "Besides, music is my language, as well, as you should well 
know."

C'vadan mutters something about not seeing the need for such clothing as 
he takes a seat at the Dawnslight table.

Telgar Weyr> Jehrina says, "Keeps your riding leathers fomr chafing, Cav."

Telgar Weyr> J'lor snickers.

K'tyn pauses before tossing the boxers back in. "Hm. I wonder--they do go 
with the parti-colored pants. Hm. Perhaps I'll make them a gift?" He grins 
at C'vadan, offering the pants and boxers to the other man. "Can I 
interest you in these, hm?"

J'lor points out to Cav, "You'll find you're really glad you wore them 
when you're flying your brown, glance down, and realize you've forgotten 
to wear pants."

Food forgotten, Kassi just stares at the men who are so intent on showing 
off and describing their underwear. One might correctly surmise that she's 
never seen anything quite like this before. "Uh... Kiat... err, sir. I 
know I'm going to regret this, but *why* would you want reversable 
underwear?" To Kelt, she confides, "Da always quoted it as, 'When with 
loons....' And aye, so I do know. But can that 'lizard really understand 
your whistling as more than simple melody?"

Telgar Weyr> K'tyn grins! Rina, you took the words from my mouth.

C'vadan gives a laugh. "Cait has been very good about making sure I don't 
leave the weyr again without pants," he says before taking a sip of his 
juice. "Uh, no thank you, Kiat."

Jayna sips her klah when she hears Kassi's question. A good one. She nods, 
awaiting the answer. Reversible?

Rianet turns her attention back to Mehlani, peeking in under the girl's 
hat. Tense, stressed, and still blushing, the girl scrubs a hand across 
her eyes, lowers the hide she's been trying to read, and finally starts 
gathering the rest of them up again.

J'lor hmms, thinking about this. "She is? Perhaps I'll make a habit of 
dropping by Cait's before my morning klah next time. Though," he muses, "I 
could always just... you know, look down."

K'tyn blinks at Kassi. "They were a gift," he says with a sigh. "Karise 
gave them to me, long ago. I couldn't wear them, for the embroidery would 
chafe, but? I couldn't let her know--ah, Cav? No? too bad--The stitching's 
very well done."

Telgar Weyr> K'tyn giggles, and can't even imagine J'lor looking down. :)

Telgar Weyr> J'lor would probably forget :)

Kelset laughs quietly, grinning once again. "I imagine there are many 
different versions of the phrase, Kassima--it fits, nonetheless. And, as 
for your question, I can't exactly answer. There are thoughts and emotions 
behind every melody that I have ever composed--can there be less behind a 
firelizards, whose primary means of expression it is?"

"I always look before I leap, so to speak, J'lor," says C'vadan, not 
adding that he'd rather that the pantsless rider visit his weyrmate too 
often. But you can see it in his expression.

'Lani's green does _not_ seem to approve of the girl's change in plans. 
Ria's eyes swirl towards a light yellow, and she creels a little, but 
Mehlani is undeterred; her hides gathered up, the lass mumbles, "Please 
excuse me," to no one in particular, and hastens out the way she'd come.

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

J'lor nods to Kelset's words. "An interesting concept, that."

Kassima shakes her head. "I don't think 'twould often be a problem, J'lor. 
I've rarely heard of folk forgetting to wear pants. Except for some of the 
worser lechers, but... anyway, 'tis of nay matter." She'd rather not think 
of said lechers wandering around without pants, and that shows as clearly 
in her expression as if it were written there in pen. To Kelt, she shakes 
her head again. "They speak via thoughts, nay sounds... at least, I've 
always believed they do. Mine seem to. Pictures, more than words, but an 
image can say many things."

K'tyn grins, winks, and ahs with satisfaction as he pulls out a very long 
knitted...something. "Now, this brings back memories, it does." It's brown 
and tan and looks well worn, though there seem to be extra appendages--or 
would someone have an arm sticking out the back? Not many, for sure, but 
that's irrelevant, or so Kiat's expression says.

J'lor peers at K'tyn's clothing. "Say... that's quite spiffy looking," he 
agrees.

"What *is* that?" Kassi just has to know.

C'vadan wonders if the Pernese version of the Goodwill contacted the 
Weyrleader. "What are you doing with all those clothes, Kiat? Going down 
memory lane?"

Jayna glances after Mehlani, brow slightly furrowed in concern. She sips 
her klah, stretches her legs out toward the hearth, and turns her 
attention back to the fascinating goings-on. Knees? Weyrleader 
hand-me-downs?

Kelset lifts a smile to J'lor, returning the nod. "I certainly think so." 
Shrugging slightly, he returns, "I suppose you may be right, Kassima. 
However, it has also been said that while language is the expression of 
the mind, music is the expression of the soul. Perhaps firelizards are 
closer to their souls than the best of us?" Laughing, he shrugs once more. 
"It's something to think about, at any rate, isn't it?"

K'tyn pats the sweater lovingly. "Mama tried her best, but I grew too 
fast, you see? So she just kept adding to it...and as for what I'm doing 
with it? There's no room for any of this in the new weyr, what with Herath 
and Prometh in there."

Kassima ahhhhs, nodding. "Taking it down to Stores?" she inquires. "'Tis 
indeed something t'think about, Kelt. I know nay, though, whether music is 
the expression of the *soul*. Heart, aye--but I think our actions and 
doings are more the way that we'd express our inner selves. Da and Mum 
used t'debate about that, when they were in a philosophical frame of mind. 
I suppose they still do. Which reminds me, I really should go down 
t'Greystones again t'see them a'fore too long."

J'lor goes over to K'tyn's basket. His eyes widen and he says, "Aha!" and, 
reaching in, J'lor pulls out a large feathered wherry suit. "Now this! 
This!" he says, though what he's trying to get across is anybody's guess.

C'vadan nearly chokes on his juice, laughing. "Kiat! I thought you got rid 
of that," he says, between coughing spasms.

Jayna's mouth drops in surprise. She can't help the laugh that escapes, 
but quickly slaps a hand across her mouth.

K'tyn blinks. "Are you kidding? I kept everything. And actually, I'm 
hoping some of this can be recycled, somehow."

J'lor takes it upon himself to start pulling the pants leg of the wherry 
suit over his boot and above his knobby right knee. "Ah, the warmth of a 
coat of wherry feathers," he muses, a feather or two dropping from the 
pants and spiraling to the floor. "Nothing better on a cold Benden eve, as 
I recall." He pulls the other leg on and looks down at his feathery pants.

Kassima drops fork and jaw both at once at the sight of the wherry suit. 
"Uh..." is all that manages to escape her for a moment. "'Tis amazing--
that looks almost like the suit m'aunt Simeythria wears when she goes to 
try and converse with the wherries! What recycling methods had you in 
mind, sir?"

C'vadan thumps his chest to stop from coughing or laughing. It is hard to 
tell. "Jays, I doubt that fits you anymore." he just shakes his head. 
"Those were great days, being Candidates eh, Kiat?"

Kelset chuckles, shrugging atmiddedly. "There's room for debate, 
certainly. Now, however, I had best retire to my room, if I hope to get 
/any/ work done whatsoever." With a quick wink, he gathers up his hides 
and vanishes--whistling, once again--towards the lower caverns.

Kelset walks towards the inner cavern.

K'tyn grins, watching J'lor get into the feathered suit. "It wasn't -that- 
long ago, Cav! What, seven or so years? I know I can't get into that 
anymore, tis for certain."

J'lor brushes away a feather that managed to get tangled within his foo. 
"Your aunt Simeyt... Simmie... well, your aunt must be quite a practical 
woman to realize the warmth of wherry feathers."

Telgar Weyr> J'lor says, "don't tell me you actually had a wherry suit?"

"I think you'd like her, J'lor," Kassi agrees, pausing to wave to Kelt 
before taking up her fork once again. "She's rather fond of wherries, all 
told. Sir, should I even ask why you had a wherry suit in the first 
place?"

J'lor nods, looking down at the pants, that look quite tight.

C'vadan waxes philosophical, "Seems like yesterday, sometimes. Especially 
when I see J'lor in that wherry suit." He sighs. "And to think you ended 
up in Jehrina's weyr by invitation."

J'lor pulls the pants off. "Don't quite fit me, 'tis a shame." He tosses 
them back onto the top of the basket.

Telgar Weyr> K'tyn grins. For a candidate prank, aye, we did. :)

Now, the question is, did the boxers come off, too?

The answer is no!

Jayna smiles, fascinated by the weyr's history and definitely curious 
about the wherry suit. With regret, though, she drains her klah, and hands 
the cup to a kitchen worker. She bobs a curtsey to the Weyrleader and nods 
respectfully to the rest of the riders and to Pierron.

The crowd is relieved.

Jayna walks towards the inner cavern.

K'tyn laughs again, at both brownriders. "I'd best get this into the rag 
room, or somewhere where someone can look them through and see what's 
useful."

Kassima eyes the wherry suit consideringly, but manages to resist the urge 
to pick it up and try it on herself. Another thing that will relieve the 
crowd, no doubt. "I think," she comments, "that I must have missed 
something, way back when. Something that I have a feeling I would've 
laughed m'head off, watching."

C'vadan advises, "You'd best hide that suit before the next crop of 
Candidates find it."

J'lor sighs, looking down at his knobby knees. "Well, I guess I'd better 
go get a pair of pants. They're not going to come to me. Although," he 
adds, looking over at Kassima, "I admit that's up for debate." He nods to 
K'tyn. "Anything can be practical. I'll have to meet Kassi's aunt Stymie."

K'tyn grins at J'lor. "I'm sure of that," he agrees, then turns to pick up 
the basket of odds and ends. "Scuse me, all. I'll return in a moment."

K'tyn walks towards the inner cavern.

J'lor heads off, whistling to the firelizards as he passes them.

J'lor walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima flashes J'lor a grin over her forkful of cheese noodles. "Go to 
Greystones sometime, J'lor, and just look wherever there are wherries... 
shards, I hate when I do that. What was all of that business with the 
wherry suit, Cav?"

C'vadan shakes his head. "You had to be there, Kassi...Though, I guess I 
am glad you weren't," he teases.

"Dare I even ask why?" Kassi wonders, both eyebrows arching. "Would my 
laughter have disturbed you *that* much? Surely, after all the horrible, 
terrible things you've done t'me in the past, I deserve t'chortle at you 
once or twice."

C'vadan blinks. "That *I've* done to *you*? Jays, have you got your 
history mixed up, Kassima."

Kassima snorts, waggling her free index finger at the brownrider. "You've 
tricked me with the Water, called me horrible animal names, and even tried 
to convince poor Josiah that women are abusive that once. What have I ever 
done t'you, to merit such things?" She assumes her favorite innocent 
expression, the one that makes her look about as close to purity incarnate 
as she can. Really, this isn't saying much.

C'vadan simply crosses his arms before him. "Have you got several 
sevendays for me to recite the list?" he asks drolly.

Kassima folds her own arms in unconscious mimcry, narrowly avoiding 
getting cheese in her loose, still-wet hair in the process. "Nay, but I 
have the half a minute that the recital would really take."

C'vadan stares unblinkingly at Kassima.

Kassima stares right back at Cav, maintaining her expression of innocence. 
She can outstubborn this brownrider. Oh, yes. She *can* outstubborn this 
brownrider.

C'vadan is a brownrider. The definition of stubborn. He continues to stare 
at the greenrider, knowing her attention span will give in eventually.

This brownrider underestimates the true powers of the Force. The Force of 
Kassi's obstinance, that is. She meets the brownrider stare for stare, 
never mind that her dinner is growing cold. In the background can be heard 
the voices of several riders who, being bored, are placing wagers on this 
little contest of wills... but even the fact that she's missing out on a 
gamble doesn't distract Kassi from her mission.

C'vadan doesn't have any duties this evening. And Caitria and the kids are 
visiting the crafthall. He seems content to stare down the chief 
antagonist (in the literary sense) of his life.

Kassima has already finished her duties, and isn't at all inclined to 
repair yet more straps today. Her spawnlings are off with Simaeva. Lysseth 
is asleep. The fire-lizards are off doing whatever fire-lizards do. 
Nothing, but nothing, will drag Kassi away from her quest for triumphant 
victory, even if it *is* only in a staring contest. The wagers start 
increasing sharply as the stareathon continues.

C'vadan just stares. His in the zone. He can go the distance.

Kassima stares on. She has the Power. The Power of the Greenrider. No 
feeble brownrider will stop her this time. She's probably picturing Cav as 
a giant, headless wherry to be staring so... but no. She's not drooling. 
That can't be it.

If you blink once, you will lose.

This brownrider isn't weird enough for Kassi to blink even once at. If she 
has to stare at him until her eyes dry up like raisins and fall from their 
sockets, only to be munched by that old, half-blind bluerider who has a 
thing for raisins, she will still continue to stare.

Stubborn. Obstinate. Dogged. Pertinacious. These are C'vadan incarnate. He 
would rather wither away to nothing than give in to this greenrider.

Halam walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Halam waves as he walks in.

A greenrider from Skyfire wanders through the living cavern. She pauses 
for a moment to look over at C'vadan and Kassima, then shouts "A hundred 
marks on one the headless wherry!" Then she vanishes into the lower 
caverns.

C'vadan smiles without blinking. "Is that your Wingname now, Kassi?" he 
asks.

Single-minded. Strong-willed. Crazy. Obsessed. These words, and more, can 
easily be used to describe Kassi. If Cav thinks that she's about to let 
him win the slightest victory over her, he's got another think coming. She 
twitches her hand in greeting to Halam, without batting an eyelash or 
taking her green eyes away from Cav's brown ones. To do so would be to 
lose, after all. "G'deve, Halam. My wingname? Why, nay, Cav. I believe 
'tis yours. How disappointed that greenrider will be to lose all of her 
marks."

One of the greenrider's wingmates shakes his head. "No, I think Torrie was 
thinking of a dead wherry. You know, one right before it's about to be 
cooked?"

Halam heads over to the hearth, pours himself a cup of klah and walks to 
his usual corner seat.

"Well," Kassi readily agrees, sans blink and without looking away, "his 
wherry's cooked, sure enough. Though why she'd bet on him if'n she knows 
he's going to lose...." Kassi's voice makes it plain that she finds this 
to be a most peculiar sort of mental aberration. Of course, she's one to 
talk, staring ceaselessly at a brownrider even though her eyes must have 
dried out long ago.

The wingmate adds, "Not that she had a hundred marks anyway. Ever see her 
weyr? She gets a couple marks, she goes out and comissions a new trinket 
from the Miners or Smiths. Her dragon sleeps on a metal couch."

Kassima wrinkles her nose--still without blinking, mind. "Oh, nay another 
one. I've heard tell that Miryenne's Guarith's couch is completely lined 
in metal and leather. Personally, I'm nay about to ask to drop by and see 
for m'self." See? She can babble and stare both at the same time. She *is* 
talented.

The clear sound of a snore comes from C'vadan. The brownrider is sleeping 
with his eyes open!

Halam drains his klah and then heads for the door. "Duty calls" he waves 
as he strides out.

Telgar Weyr> C'vadan says, "I have to go now. But Cav is still staring at 
Kassima :)"

Telgar Weyr> Rennick laughs! Good, Cav. Now she's stuck. :)

Telgar Weyr> A'lex says, "Oh, dear."

Halam walks towards the inner cavern.

Hah! Two can play at that game! Kassi simply draws on techniques learned 
when she had to endure her Uncle Myaron's stonecarving lectures. Her 
skills are somewhat rusty, but she finds a way. After a moment, there are 
two riders sitting there asleep with their eyes open, staring at each 
other. The bettors are awed. Never have they seen anything quite so 
ridiculous as this.

Nor do they hope to ever again.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima hrmphs. Anything a brownrider can do, a greenrider 
can do better. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Rennick says, "Too bad that's nothing at all. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Rennick says, "It's like doubling 0. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Jayna says, "A sleeping contest? What a time to stop by! :)"

Telgar Weyr> Kerlyn nods agreement with Rennick. Now if we were talking 
about blueriders..

Telgar Weyr> Kassima giggles. A staring contest that now has both of them 
sleeping with their eyes closed. Hah! Kassi can do nothing longer than Cav 
can, yepyepyep. ;)

Telgar Weyr> Rennick .o0 (Which is like trippling 0.)

Telgar Weyr> Rennick says, "Bronzes are zero's squared, whereas Golds are 
zero cubed."

Telgar Weyr> Rennick says, "All in all, it still equals 0. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "And stewards, of course, are zero to the power 
of infinity. ;)"

Telgar Weyr> Sandar says, "Naturally."

Jayna walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Jayna nods respectfully to Pierron.

Jayna shrugs as Shadow takes flight from her shoulder.

Ofira walks in from the kitchen.

Ofira comes in, wiping her hands on her apron. "Evening!"

Shadow settles on a rough stone above the hearth, where it's warm but not 
too hot. He settles down and peers at the living cavern.

Jayna wipes her hands on her apron. "Evening, Master," she waves cheerily 
to Ofira. She also grins at Kassima. "Kassi?" she questions. The rider 
looks like she's almost asleep with her eyes open.

The sound of quiet snoring can be heard from where Cav and Kassi seem, to 
all appearances, to be staring at each other. The adept eye might realize 
that both of them appear to have somehow managed to fall asleep with their 
eyes open.

Ofira laughs quietly and shakes her head to Jayna. "Now what?"

Kassima doesn't answer. She's a sound sleeper, one might surmise.

Jayna, startled, looks at Ofira. "Is that normal?" she asks, pointing to 
the gently snoring staring dragonriders.

Ofira gives a long suffering sigh. "And what," she queries Jayna, "Would 
normal be? In a Weyr?"

Jorenan walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Jayna tilts her head, trying to approximate the configuration that 
C'vadan's neck has assumed. "Ouch!" she says, rubbing the top part of her 
back. "Maybe we'd better wake them, Master. Or try, anyway. Do you think? 
If their neck hurts the way that just made mine hurt...." she trails off, 
her voice a question.

Jorenan nods to Ofira quietly. He says, "Evening, ma'am. The sauce turned 
out very well. Both the tomato and the cream ones."

Ofira nods to Jorenan, "Excellent, apprentice. I'm glad to hear it. Most 
of the herbs you brought in have been set to dry." She looks at Jayna and 
smiles, "If you want to, go ahead!"

Jaynastarts. "Oh, Jorenan, I'm sorry." She turns her attention from where 
it's fixated on the sleepers. "I was so struck by that... that... 
those.... " she runs out of ideas. "I just didn't see you there," she 
finished lamely, smiling contritely.

Kassima doesn't look too uncomfortable, all told. Since she's just as tall 
as the brownrider, she doesn't have to crane her neck up for her unseeing 
gaze to battle his equally unseeing gaze. If you look at her closely, you 
can tell that she's breathing rather than decomposing. But you'd have to 
look pretty closely, really. Or listen for the sound of snores.

Ofira looks at the riders again. "Whatever were they doing?" she asks 
Jayna.

Jayna massages the back of her neck and maneuvers toward the klah pot. At 
Ofira's question, she thinks about the best way to put it. "Well, Master, 
when I left earlier, J'lor had no pants on and the Weyrleader was holding 
up reversible underwear and a wherry suit." She shakes her head. "No, 
that's not right. J'lor was wearing the wherry suit and about to pull it 
off. He hadn't had pants on before that though. Just shorts with little 
picks and gems and strange embroidery across them," she says, sadly.

Ofira says a bit worriedly. "Um...no one was singing any minecraft sort of 
songs were they?"

Jorenan pausees, watching the sleepers. And listening to Jayna's 
discussion about what happened earlier. He blinks a couple of times.

Kassima's expression is not one of purest terror... just concentration. 
So, it's probably safe to assume that no Minecraft songs were sung.

Jayna fills a cup with klah. "No, ma'am, not that I noticed. I didn't hear 
any singing, at least." She sinks to a bench near a hearth. "But the 
shorts definitely glittered." She sips the klah. "I didn't see what 
happened after that, to explain. . . ." she gestures with her cup toward 
the staring dragonriders.

Ofira nods, "Well, I think we'll bake some cookies. That solves most 
problems around here," she says, unfazed by pants, wherry suit and 
underwear.

Jayna nods cheerfully. "Cookies pretty much always solve /my/ problems," 
she grins. "Or cake. Or something with too much sweetening in it."

Jorenan shakes his head, the way one does when ne needs to clear it. "Aye. 
Cookies."

Jayna smiles as Shadow flies over and lands on her shoulder.

Jayna ohs and strokes the blue firelizard. "Did it get too hot up there 
above the hearth, hm?"

Ofira goes into the kitchen, "I'll make butter ones I think."

Ofira walks off towards the kitchen.

Ofira walks in from the kitchen.

Ofira returns with a tray of thin, crisp, just lightly brown butter wafer 
cookies and sets the tray right near the sleeping riders, stepping back to 
see if the aroma will do the trick.

Jayna grins and bites her bottom lip mischievously. She moves a bench or 
two closer to the fragrant plate. There's sugar there... she has an 
uncanny ability to sense it.

Kassima's nose twitches, just a bit. Is she starting to drool? No, not 
quite... but her nose gives another, more definite twitch. Still snoring, 
without moving, she sneaks out a hand to grab one of the cookies and 
starts to eat it methodically. She's a talented little somnambulist, she 
is.

Jorenan has taken a seat by now, and is reading a hide about the 
extraordinarily interesting possibilities inherent in porridge-meal. He 
glances up and smiles.

Jayna shakes her head in disbelief. "I don't believe I'm seeing this. Am I 
seeing this? Sleep /eating/?"

Ofira watches Kassima and shakes her head, "Well, at least she wont' 
starve to death before she comes out of it."

Telgar Weyr> Jayna says, "Or would that be sleep-snacking?"

Kassima grabs vaguely for her mug of milk. Fortunately, she doesn't manage 
to reach it... fortunately, because by now, it's as sour as the various 
cheese things on her plate are congealed. She nonetheless tips her empty 
hand to her mouth before taking another bite of cookie, proving that she's 
operating solely on reflex. And never, not even once, do her eyes blink or 
leave C'vadan's.

Ofira watches this perfomance, "I wonder if they had a wager going or 
something."

Jayna uh-ohs. "That was a bad, bad sign." She grins and maneuvers behind 
the greenrider's chair. "I'm going to try to get that old stuff, and throw 
it out, before she gets hurt," she whispers, making her move.

Telgar Weyr> Jayna says, "Did anyone else ever manage to RP this 
successfully while they were sound asleep?"

Telgar Weyr> Kelset has--once. :)

Ofira just shakes her head, "She's going to miss her sweeps or drills or 
whatever they have. Unless her dragon wakes her up. I suppose that could 
happen."

One of Kassi's wingmates calls to Ofira, "Oh, aye, Master. Some greenrider 
bet a hundred marks on the dead wherry. We're still trying to decide which 
one she meant."

One of Kassi's blue fire-lizards hisses a warning at Jayna. The little 
critters seem to have been trained to defend Kassi while she sleeps--
unsurprising, given that Kassi is prone to doing odd things to others 
while *they* sleep and might thus fear retribution.

Telgar Weyr> Jorenan has dreamt the most amazing RPs...

Telgar Weyr> Sandar snickers at the LC.

Lathen walks in from the bowl.

Ofira hmms. "Dead wherry?" She looks puzzled.

Jayna reaches in toward Kassi's plate. When C'vadan shakes and moves a 
bit, his eyes fixed on Kassi, she jumps back, but regains her balance. She 
starts again to grab the plate with the dryish-looking cheese on it.

Lathen enters carrying an armload of record hides. He has his flying gear 
on. Inevitably, one earflap of his helmet stands straight out from his 
head.

Too late, Jayna hears the flit's displeasure.

The bluerider simply shrugs. "Don't ask me. I've got a half-mark on 
Kassima, myself. If anything can outstubborn that woman, I've yet to see 
it." Kassi, oblivious to this, just keeps munching her cookie and 
snoring.

Ofira is standing, arms crossed over her chest, looking at the two staring 
riders with displeasure.

Lathen ignores staring riders. At least they aren't copulating. He crosses 
to Ofira, looks overtly at her midsection, then bends to kiss her cheek by 
way of greeting. Seeing Jorenan, the bakercraft 'second squints 
suspiciously. "Evening."

Jayna reaches... reaches... and from behind Kassi's chair manages to grab 
the old cheese. She tiptoes away, back toward the hearth. "Good even, 
sir," she whispers to the tall man with the goatee. Suddenly she looks 
around, un-tiptoes, and says again, in a normal voice, "Good even, sir." 
She looks down at the plate of old cheese she's recovered.

Ofira jumps and then smiles. "Lathen! Don't sneak up on me like that," she 
says fondly.

Jorenan freezes. He sets his hide down very, very carefully, and then nods 
back to Lathen just as suspiciously. "Sir," he says. "Welcome to Telgar."

Ofira looks from apprentice to craftsecond, "Well, maybe we can have that 
pepper discussion tonight. If I can find Ceria."

Jayna takes the cheese plate over to the cheese table. She drops the old 
cheese on a bit of rag. 

Lathen nods at Jorenan's welcome. His attention, however, is on the old 
cheese Jayna is removing. "That's inedible," he announces as he makes a 
dismissive gesture toward the hearth. Then he nods to Ofira, "I brought 
the hides."

The hissing of Kassi's fire-lizards follows Jayna as she takes the plate 
away. Faranth only knows why they object to seeing the thing go. Kassi, 
finishing off her cookie, lets her hand drop back into her lap and keeps 
on snoring and staring glazedly. She has crumbs all over her face, but 
doesn't seem to notice this; go figure.

Jorenan nods to Ofira, relaxing slightly. Say, as much as a tunnelsnake 
relaxes when argeted by a firelizard.

Ofira nods to Lathen, trying to turn him away from the scene of 
destruction her baked good have become under Kassima's sphere of 
influence, leading him towards a seat on the other side of the cavern. 
"I'm looking forward to that very much!"

Standing and watching with knitting in hand, one of the old aunties in the 
cavern turns to poke the old hag to her left with a knitting needle. "Why, 
Waldorfina," she screeches, "I remember a staring contest I had with ol' 
Jespenia. Why, she outstared me for two and a half days straight." She 
clears her throat gutterally. "I remember I finally gave up and went over 
to begrudgingly accept her gloating. Wouldn't ya know the ol' bag was 
dead? I knew I'd never lose an honest staring contest to that one." She 
starts laughing haggardly.

Jayna bites her lip. "I was just going to ask you about that, Master, 
uh..." her voice trails off as the Craftsecond approaches Ofira. Looking 
aound, she spots a spare bowl. She dumps the cheese into it.

Kindre walks in from the bowl.

Pierron nods thoughtfully as he eyes the junior Queenrider.

Lathen is being led away from the wreck of baked goods, but as a trainer 
of apprentices, the man has a keen eye for destruction. He peers at the 
crumbs and broken loaves, then glares at Jorenan.

Jayna smiles broadly at Kindre from behind a counter, where she's dumping 
rotten cheese into a bowl.

Ofira nearly sets Lathen into a chair, "Can I get you anything?" she asks, 
him, smiling at Kindre when she comes in.

As a matter of fact, one might almost think that Kassi is dead, if they 
hadn't just seen her eat a cookie and aren't watching her closely enough 
to realize that she really is breathing. That, and there hasn't been any 
sound of keening. As such, perhaps it's unsurprising that the woman 
doesn't greet Kin with the enthusiasm she normally would... or, in fact, 
greet her at all. Zzzzzzzz.

Pierron receives the now usual chilly stare from the young goldrider. A 
wan smile which curls almost menacingly at the corners is also returned to 
the aging chef before she takes in the food smells. "Evening all," she 
greets quietly as is seems there are a couple of sleepers. "Hm, Jayna? May 
I see that bowl?" Striding over to it, she nods and adds, "Telgar's duties 
and evening Master Ofria."

Jorenan's eyes nearly step right out of his head at the old aunties' 
commentary. He slides his hide back over to next to his plate and starts 
reading it again.

Lathen shakes his head at Ofira's offer. Seeing Kindre enter, Lathen rises 
from the seat he's just taken and makes a shallow bow. "Good evening, 
Goldrider." As he dips, the earflap sticking out from his head waves a 
bit.

Jayna nods. "Of course, weyrwoman." She profers the requested bowl. 
"Kassima," she whispers, "almost ate some of this. She's sleep-snacking," 
she confides.

Jorenan slips out for a moment.

Ofira smiles again at Kindre and tries to intercept the bowl. "I was just 
taking that to the kitchen..."

Jayna looks confusedly from Master to Weyrwoman. A duel for the bowl?

"A pleasure to see you again, Craftsecond," Kindre offers to Lathen with a 
small inclination of her head. "As for that rotten cheese, may I please? I 
promise to return the rotten stuff to the kitchen eventually..."

Ofira looks as if she's going to do whatever she has to to defend what she 
perceives as the honor of her kitchen, "It's ...part of an experiment," 
she tells the goldrider, "We really need to have it."

Jayna carefully deposits the bowl on the counter and nods, smiling warily 
at the baker and the rider. She takes a step back and looks as though 
she's ready to start running.

Lathen resumes his seat, watching the cheese and the bowl. He finally 
takes off the last of his flying gear.

Kindre's lips wrinkle a bit before she nods to Ofira. "Of course, Master, 
I didn't realize it was going to be used for something." Looking about the 
cavern a few more quiet moments, she returns to query, "Is there some 
other foods you don't need which I may borrow? Sort of an experiment as 
well." Her grin is a bit wicked as she awaits her answer.

Ofira takes the bowl and holds it protectively. "Of course. What exactly 
do you need?"

Jayna eyes the weyrwoman cautiously. "Over there by Kassima's hand... see 
that glass? Full of sour milk," she offers, optimistically.

Lathen clears his throat as Kindre and Ofira agree to waste precious food 
on an experiment. He shifts disapprovingly in his seat and drums 
fingertips on the table top. He mutters. Subtle man.

Ofira glances at Lathen. A lot he knows about weyr politics. She waits 
patiently to hear what Kindre needs.

Kindre smiles wide and nods to Jayna. "That should work perfectly, thank 
you." She extends her grateful grin to the Master and Craftsecond. "Truly, 
it's more of a prank," she admits in a quiet voice, "than much else. If 
the milk is soured and likely to be tossed away, I'd like to use it...?"

Jayna nods, with a glance toward C'vadan and Kassima. "Truly, weyrwoman. 
I'm a bit afraid Kassi's going to drink it. She was sleep-eating cookies a 
few moments ago."

R'val walks in from the bowl.

Kassima dozes on, blithely oblivious to the fate her ex-dinner is about to 
go through... to say nothing of the fate *she* may be about to go through, 
depending on what Kin has in mind. Poor Kassi. So extremely obsessed that 
she forgot the first rule of weyrlife: never fall asleep in the LC, unless 
you want to wake up to find your hair dyed fuchsia or some such thing.

Lathen blinks in disbelief and repeats, "A prank?" If Kindre had said that 
the Red star had just turned green, Lathen would look less stunned.

Kindre adds, "I'll abide with whatever you decide. I'd no more tell you 
what to do with food than you'd likely try to tell me about harnessing 
Herath." Jayna's statement draws giggles from the rider before she shakes 
her head. "Jays."

Ofira nods reluctantly, "Well, alright," she agrees to Kindre and Jayna. 
"But I want whoever is involved to knw that it did /not/ come out of my 
kitchen in that state!"

R'val strides into the cavern, waving, "Evening, everyone!" He moves to 
smooch Ofira on the cheek and sits by her.

Kindre smiles at Ofira. "Master, I doubt anyone could think anything but 
the most wonderful treats escape your kitchen." R'val gets a wave in 
return before she moves over to slide the milk away from the Wingsecond.
Ofira nods to Kindre, only somewhat reassured and relinquishes the glass. 
She smiles to R'val, "Evening."

Kindre, smiling at her small triumph, moves the glass just in front of 
where C'vadan sits dozing wide-eyed in his seat. Waving her hands before 
his face...one can never be too careful..and seeing no reaction from the 
rider, she slowly picks up one of his hands. Where does she put it? Well, 
the milk of course.

Jayna gawks at Kindre.

Lathen watches the goldrider play a prank on the sleeping man. He gives 
Ofira a questioning look, and asks, quietly, "So, the rumors about too 
much betweening affecting the judgment are true?"

Odd. Kassi is asleep; you'd swear she's asleep, so motionless and quiet is 
she. But the faintest hint of a grin quirks up one corner of her mouth as 
Cav gets his hand dunked nevertheless.

Ofira sits down by Lathen, looking tired suddenly, "Well, I have to 
wonder. I've always wanted to study the effects of certain foods when 
eaten before going between. But of course, I've no time for such a thing."

Jayna watches in horror as Kindre moves the sour milk closer to the 
dueling sleepers. Or sleeping duelers.

R'val regards Ofira concernedly, "Are you allright? You look very tired."

Kindre, still smiling wide, though this time out of satisfaction rather 
than triumph, steps slowly away from the dozing brownrider to ensure his 
surprise long after she's left. Leaning over to nudge Kassima in the 
shoulder, she attempts to wake her before sliding her grin over to Ofira. 
"I'm just mischievious...honest I am."

Kassima's snoring pauses mid-breath, and her eyes widen a trifle. "Huh? 
What?" she murmurs drowsily without looking up. Even newly-awakened, she 
doesn't forget her quest. "Has he blinked yet?"

Ofira nods to Kindre doubtfully. "Of course," she says politely. To R'val 
she smiles tiredly, "I'm fine."

R'val smiles at Ofira, "I worry about you, I can't help it.'

Lathen listens to Kindre and nods, smiling. "Ah, well, Ofira was rather 
mischievous as an apprentice. Always threatening to hit people with 
skillets and such."

Ofira blushes suddenly, "Lathen," she says under her breath, "Please don't 
undermine my authority here."

Jayna ohs and drops to a bench in disbelief. She tries not to grin. "Uh, 
sir? Master Ofira? WAs a mischievous apprentice?"

Kindre places a finger quickly over her lips as she gazes wide-eyed at her 
friend. Pointing to C'vadan, she simply smirks. Lathen's words draw her 
attention and she eyes him curiously. "Ah...so she's not changed terribly 
since being an student? I even worry when she brings pans in here."

A bluerider watching the Bakers with a bemused expression comments, "Too 
late."

Ofira groans at Jayna's question and turns to R'val, "REally, I'm fine," 
she assures him, smiling. "But you're sweet to care."

Jayna looks around, eyes bright. What a day of discoveries!

Lathen is about to share a tall tale with Ofira as the heroine, but her 
quiet request derails him. He shifts in his seat, saying instead, "Well, 
most apprentices find some way to work off their excess energy. Thankfully 
there was only the one ..., er. Ahem."

"One what," Kindre can't help but ask quickly with a curious grin.

Ofira frowns. "I /never/ threatened to hit anyone with a skillet Lathen! 
If I said I was going to , I did it. I never threatened." she says, this 
beign a point of pride with her.

Kassima grins broadly as she realizes that her archnemesis has his hand in 
a glass of sour milk. She's sitting just far enough away to make out this 
detail without having to look away. "Splendid, Kin!" she breathes. "I 
almost wish I could move enough t'get out the dress and such for him."

Kindre chuckles at Ofira's statement before nodding to Kassima. "I don't 
know what made me think of it. He looks so silly now...I thought mayhaps 
the milk would add the right touch."

"He'll nay doubt be delighted when he wakes up t'find his fingers a slimy 
mess," Kassi remarks drolly. "Serves him right for starting this. M'eyes 
feel like they're about t'dry up into raisins indeed."

Lathen waves his hand vaguely over Ofira's midsection as he answers 
Kindre, "Oh, nothing grave." He tries to shift the subject matter a bit. 
"And none of her skillet victims suffered untreatable damage."

Jayna eyes Kassima with respect. "You were wonderful, Kassi. You had him 
licked! You can do *plenty* more things asleep than he can," she nods. "My 
favorite was the sleep-eating."

Ofira mutters, "Would have been hard for me to get into trouble when you 
had me chained to the pantry doing inventories whenever Delfic wasnt' 
torturing me by making me carve fingeroot firelizards."

Kassima wrinkles her nose, and licks her lips. She doesn't seem too 
surprised to find crumbs there. "Sleep-eating? Again? I've nay done that 
since the whimry sandwiches at the Lava Lounge. But I can't just sit here 
and stare all night, much though I'd like to. Khari will need feeding and 
such... but I can't just let him *win.*" Faranth forfend she should ever 
do *that.*

"I was going to ask," Kindre replies, "what in Faranth's name the two of 
you were doing, but with you both dozing..." She shrugs to comment her 
thoughts before betraying her true reason for being here. "I was actually 
looking for you. There's something social at the Reaches and it's been an 
age since we've tortu...er, visited Mart." Turning back to Lathen, she 
chuckles. "I don't know...she's rather harmful when it comes to fights 
and flights," she remarks with a bit of a smirk. The Master's words, 
however, cause her to widen her eyes. "Chained? Fingeroot 'lizards? Oh 
my..."

Ofira nods gravely to Kindre, "We all make sacrifices for our craft."

Lathen lifts a finger to quiet Ofira's mutter. He looks just like a 
student's nightmare: a lecturer who loves his subject. "Now, you learned 
much-needed patience and restraint. Remember how you used to open the oven 
every ten seconds to check on bread when you first started?"

Kassima's brows both arch upward. "A trip to the 'Reaches? Shells, I'd 
love to! But how... hrm. Hey, Kin, think you could close his eyes for him 
without waking him up?"

Ofira looks about as sullen as she did at 16 turns when this came up. 
"Yes," she says grudgingly. "But I wanted to /see/."

Kindre can help but grin at the exchange between teacher and former 
student. Turning to gaze over C'vadan, she hrms. "I think I could...
shells, if he'd not wake when I put his hand in the milk..."

Kassima's eyes sparkle with the anticipation of triumph. "Please!" she 
pleads, still without looking up.

Ofira looks over at Kassima and Kindre, "What if someone took Kassi's 
place until she got back?"

Lathen grins at Ofira's response, then turns his attention to the 
conversation about the sleeping rider.

Kassima considers this. "Well... if'n he didn't awake, 'twould nay be a 
problem, I think. If'n he did, he might cry a foul."

Jayna scratches her head. "Can he be moved? If he woke up elsewhere, you 
could always say he wandered out, couldn't you? Wouldn't that break the 
wager?

Ofira nods. "Well, it's up to you which you think is riskier, of course."

"Not a bad idea indeed," Kindre agrees with Ofira while her thumb and 
index finger rub along the point of her chin. "Kassi does have a point. We 
could shut his eyes and just fool him into thinking he did it himself." 
Stalking over to the brownrider like a proddy green about to blood her 
first bovine, Kin's finger dangle out in front of her.

Kassima nibbles on her lip. "Weeeell, I think it'd be best to shut his 
eyes, really. If'n he awakens at that, we can claim he blinked himself 
awake."

Lathen asks, "Is that poor man addicted to fellis?"

Jayna grins and settles back. This is more fun than a barrel of wherries. 
Or something.

Ofira shakes her head, "Oh, no, he's one of the steadiest ones around 
here. It was just some bet they had."

"Oh, nay," Kassi assures the unseen man who's speaking. "He's just a bit 
stubborn, that's all." Yeah, right. And Lysseth is a little moody when she 
glows.

Kindre's creeping brings her in front of the table where C'vadan sits 
wide-eyed and finger-dipped in milk. Ever so cautiously she lets the very 
tips of her index fingers touch each of his respective lids and then 
pushes down. Jerking back suddenly, she whirls to face her friends. 
"They...they won't...they're...uh...stuck."

Ofira blinks. "Stuck? Really?"

Lathen looks dubious. "Stuck? Why not wake him up, see if he blinks?"

Ofira shakes her head, trying to explain, "If she does that, she'll lose 
the bet."

Kassima makes a face at that. "Stuck? Stuck? Dear Faranth, the man isn't 
even human. Maybe if'n you shoved him off the chair...? All right, so 
mayhaps that'd be going too far. Perhaps we should go with Ofira's plan, 
if'n anyone would be willing t'take m'place."

Kindre bobs her head. Steel-blue eyes are amazingly wide betraying her 
shock at the situation. After a shiver courses over her shoulders, she 
nods again dumbly. "Stuck. Yes," she agrees with Ofira, "then Kassi would 
lose. Someone else try? Maybe I'm not doing it right..."

Ofira draws back, not about to volunteer.

Telgar Weyr> Kindre hee's...exorcise Cav?

Lathen asks, "Er, wager?" He looks about the group.

"On who'll win the staring contest," Kassi confirms. "Cav cheated, though. 
Naught was ever said about continuing this while *asleep.*"

Kindre regards C'vadan once again. Tentively poking his shoulder and 
getting no reaction, she wonders aloud, "Mayhaps he stared himself to 
death? He's not moving..."

Ofira frowns, "Well, Kassi fell asleep too. Are you sure it constitutes 
cheating?"

Lathen shifts, looking uncomfortable. His safety depends on these people?

Kassima answers, making a face, "I didn't sleep until he slept. My sleep 
was in self-defense. I don't think he could be *dead*--Dulath didn't go 
*between.* Comatose, now, that might be a possibility."

Ofira hmms. "Maybe get Lysseth to have Dulath wake him. They you'd win."

Kassima points out logically, "I didn't blink when I woke up. If'n he 
didn't either, then I'd have nay chance of getting away while he sleeps."

A young lad on serving duty walks next to C'vadan. His eyes on the 
sleeping, yet not sleeping rider, he doesn't notice the chair in his way. 
His platter, overburdened with dishes, tips as he collides with chair. The 
sound of shattering dishes reverbates through the cavern.

Jayna jumps up. "Are you alright, lad?" she asks the kitchen worker, 
moving toward him to see if he's injured.

Kassima winces, cringing... but not blinking. Maybe at this point, she 
*can't* blink. Maybe her eyes are stuck, just like Cav's. "What in 
Faranth's name was that?"

Ofira shakes her head and gets up, "I'd love to stay and see how this 
turns out but I have some things to do in my office." She turns to Lathen, 
"You're welcome to come."

Lathen gets up, "I"d like that. We can talk about the Third Pass Pepper 
Conundrum."

Ofira nods, expression going serious, "Yes, I had a few questions..." she 
continues to explore the subject as they head for the lower caverns.

Ofira walks towards the inner cavern.

Lathen walks towards the inner cavern.

Sighing, Kassi seems to get bored with staring into sightless eyes 
quickly. The challenge is gone. "I'm never going t'get to the 'Reaches at 
this rate. Any ideas, Jayna? I don't want t'move him. If'n he caught me at 
it, I'd lose for sure."

One of the bettors, who apparently hadn't lost interest, offers helpfully, 
"You could push him off the bench."

Jayna scrunches her eyes and thinks about it. She sits. "Let's thinks 
about it, one step at a time. The conditions were...?"

"I'd have to move," Kassi points out. "Can't do that. We didn't make a 
bet, Jayna. That was everyone else. We're just doing this to see who's 
more stubborn. I think 'tis me. *Anyone* could win this one asleep, after 
all. Perhaps I should just sneak away and hope that he'll blink first, 
if'n he does awaken."

Jayna laughs. "Sorry, Kassi. I *know* you're stubborn. I'd say you've 
already won. I think you'd better ask Pierron for ideas."

Kassima shakes her head and stands. Yes, this means she breaks eye 
contact... but she still doesn't blink. "Nay. 'Twill just have t'be fast 
about it, 'tis all, and challenge him to a rematch if'n he does awaken. Be 
careful nay t'startle him, if'n you could?" With that, a grin, and a wave, 
she dashes out. Still without blinking. Odd.

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

Lysseth backwings for a landing.

You place one hand on Lysseth's neck and she warbles down at you fondly. 
You grin and scratch her eyeridges once before climbing up onto her lower 
neckridges, using the riding straps and Lysseth's thoughtfully offered 
foreleg.

[Editor's Note:  Since there was a flight taking place at HRW, I cheated
and @tel'd to the Bowl rather than actually going *between*.  The story
resumes in the Western Bowl of HRW. :)]

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.

"A pity about Kin getting caught by the Records," Kassi remarks to Lysseth 
as she lands lightly on the ground, belt-pouches jingling. "Behave 
yourself, eh Lyss?" Lysseth simply snorts, accustomed enough to this 
admonishment that she can blithely ignore it.

You stroll into the tunnel to the living cavern.

"I never get that lucky," M'rgan quips back to Keriann as another neat 
packtail packet gets sliced, diced, and crushed under the edge of his 
fork. "It's like dragonpoker," he continues, slowly lifting his gaze. "If 
I win the big pot one night, the next morning Kena..." He leans over and 
gives his weyrmate a shoulder nudge as he says her name. "...tells me that 
she needs some marks for the Weavers."

"Duties to the High Reaches and her queens," are the first words out of 
Kassi's mouth as she walks in, blinking furiously for some odd reason. 
"And g'deve and such, too." Greetings conveyed, the greenrider scans the 
room for a moment before espying her archnemesis and meandering over to 
where he is. "Since when d'you ever win big pots, brownie?"

Keriann glances around the table, much less crowded than it usually is, 
and she doesn't notice any objections from her wingmates. "Sure," she 
calls to Kalthanan with a lift of her shoulder, before she grins at 
M'rgan. "And speaking of the Weavers," she laughs quietly. "How much did 
it cost you--" She breaks off when Kassima comes over to the Blizzard 
table, replying, "High Reaches' duties to Telgar."

Rilsa responds to Kassima's greeting automatically and heads back to her 
table with her dinner. Slipping into her chair, she begins to pick at her 
food.

N'tan offers duty as well, than then examines his wine.

Jaeson nods with a wave and a smile to the unknown rider.

M'rgan picks up a tiny morsel of the packtail with his fork, lifting it in 
front of his eyes so that he study it more closely. "It didn't cost me a 
thing because I couldn't find the right size wriggler for the...Whenever 
you're not cheating." He adds the last to the Telgar greenrider as he 
peers through the fork at her. "Have a seat," he tells her before popping 
the packtail bit into his mouth. "Hungry?"

Kassima chuckles, snapping an impulsive salute to the other Wingsecond. 
"Thankee. Please, I don't mean to interrupt--" Yeah, right. This is Kassi 
we're talking about, here. "I'm just here on Kin's advice; she reminded me 
it'd been too long since we'd threatened a certain someone with death or 
the like. Y'know how that goes. Unfortunately, she was caught up in the 
'Records and couldn't come herself." She returns smiles, waves, and the 
like where they're given, squinting with oddly bloodshot eyes at them in 
search for recognition. "Famished, actually. So you win big pots every 
day, eh? I don't recall it going that way."

Channie walks in from the tunnel to the bowl.

N'tan takes a tentative sip of his wine.

Jaeson sees everyone in the middle of conversations, and pulls a mug of 
cider to drink from, looking around for the moment.

Kalthanan rises from his table. In one hand he takes up his plate, the 
other his package. He deposits his plate with the other dishes on his way 
to join Keriann at Blizzard Wing's table. He lays his package down, 
"Harper's duty to Telgar and her queens," he says to the standing rider 
before taking a seat beside Keri. "How was your day, Keri?"

"That's because you cheat," M'rgan says automatically as he flips the fork 
over, pointing towards the serving table across the room. "The meal's 
pretty good. No tubers in it that I can find."

Channie stomps into the living cavern daziedly and runs right into a 
fleeing lowercavern boy, "move it!"

N'tan looks at Channie and smiles. She feels just like he does.

Jaeson looks up, "Ohboy." He holds up a wineskin, that he placed nearby 
earlier, where Channie can grab it, if she's a mind to.

Channie grabs the wineskin and throws herself down into a chair as she 
gulps down the wine greedily. She might not even know where in shards she 
is at the moment as much as her eyes are dazed looking.

Kassima rubs the back of one hand over her eyes, nodding and blinking 
furiously at the table. "Good. So long as there are plenty of dairy foods, 
both I and the Healers will be more than satisfied. And I do *nay* cheat!" 
she adds over her shoulder from the table once she reaches it. "You're the 
one with the Harpers up his sleeves, brownie-man." Nie gets a sort of 
hesitant, half-hearted wave.

Kailia strides into the cavern from the lower caverns.

N'tan gets up and be-lines for the kitchen.

N'tan steps away from the tables and heads into the busy kitchen.

Kailia wanders in quietly.

Keriann isn't sure if Kassima's salute is to her, to Rilsa, or to M'rgan, 
since they're all close together, but Keriann automatically returns the 
salute anyway, regardless of who it's directed to. "He's taken a few over 
at the Rusted Hulk, Kassi," she interjects lightly, before teasing M'rgan. 
"But it's the thought that counts, right?" The sudden influx of riders 
draws her attention briefly before she glances to Kalthanan at his having 
a seat. "Long drills," she says easily, "But they were good."

Rilsa pushes her plate away without eating anything and slips back down in 
her chair, tilting her head back. Looking toward the bowl entrance, she 
watches the riders begin to enter abruptly.

Kalthanan looks up when he hears someone mention "Harpers". This makes him 
notice the sudden influx of people. He leans over to Keri. "I can return 
to my table to make room for the new arrivals."

Kailia looks around at all of the people eating, and her stomach rumbles 
softly.

Kassima snorts with amusement, flipping a share of packtail onto her plate 
and avoiding the turnips altogether. She does nab a pair of rolls and a 
cake, though, along with a glass of the hated milk. "There. Now Garant 
won't feel compelled t'nag at me. Honestly, I don't know how he does it; 
he loses quite frequently against Kin and m'self, y'know. And he once lost 
to a fourteen-Turn-old girl who'd never played poker a'fore; can you beat 
that? Mind if'n I have a seat, by the by? I fear I can't stay long--'Maeva 
will be expecting me t'take Khari for the night in another hour or 
less--or else I'd challenge the brownie to a game and show you what I 
mean."

J'dar walks in from the tunnel to the bowl.

Jaeson sighs, and curls up, his expression odd, for him...almost...
thoughtful.

J'dar says "Where's the sharding wine?"

Channie doesn't notices waves of people coming in or leaving, she just 
drinks down the wine like it's nothing but water. glug glug glug.
Jaeson holds up a second flask, towards J'dar.

"I imagine that most of them will be... occupied otherwise," Keriann says 
quietly to Kalthanan, her eyes flickering around to see who's returning 
and what they're doing before she picks up her fork and chases a piece of 
grape leaf around her plate that's come loose from the packtail. She looks 
up at Kassi and laughs quietly, abandoning the chase. "Oh, I believe it. I 
seem to recall his losing a game or two, but he does well enough, 
overall."

M'rgan nods gratefully to Keriann as she backs up his statements about his 
dragonpoker skills. "And who was it that accidentally dealt herself a 
sixth card, Kassima? It certainly wasn't me. Why when I play I always..." 
His protests fade as he catches Channie storming in and he falls her stomp 
across the room with eyes that are wide with confusion and curiousity. And 
as J'dar makes his appearance, the young man's blue eyes grow steadily 
wider. "What the shards did I miss?" he asks the table at large before 
directing a "Huh?" to Kassi as he tries to catch up with her words. "Who 
is Garant?"

Kailia speaks softly, awed at all of the people, dragonriders at that, 
"Would, would it be alright for me to have some?"

J'dar rather rudely swipes the flask Jaeson holds up, without so much as a 
thank you.

"Harpers up his sleeves," Kassi confides to Keriann over a forkful of 
fish. "That's his secret, y'know. Didn't you hear the ruckus outside, 
Mart? A green was getting herself chased when we came down here." Her eyes 
roll ceilingwards in bliss at the taste of the fish, and once she's 
swallowed, she gives a dreamy sigh. "After all that blasted dairy, this 
packtail is perfection. M'compliments t'your cooks. Anyway, brownie, that 
was a *mistake*. Can't any of us err once in awhile? Garant's that 
annoying Healer. You know. The one who tempts me t'kill him only slightly 
less than Ushu does." The greenrider flicks a glance to Kailia, but since 
she's a visitor here herself, doesn't answer the query.

Jaeson dosen't seem upset about J'dar's grab, and gathers another 'skin, 
for whoever might be next. He continues to see contemplative.

A greenrider turns away from her attempts at stealing a wineskin from a 
brownrider to give the visitor a curious and welcoming smile. She says to 
Kailia, "Hello there, dear. What did you want to have?"

Kailia smiles a bit, "Well, whatever I'm allowed, ma'am. I'm not a fussy 
eater."

Channie slumps down a little into her chair as she polishes off the whole 
skin of wine and tosses it with a loud slap against the table. Only now 
does she seem to be in a little control of her frustrated dragon-lusting 
emotions. She nods, working up a smile to those in the living cavern, 
"'lo"

Kalthanan looks around again at the mention of Harpers. Finally he looks 
back to Keri. "I hope they weren't to bad." He smiles. "Oh. My commission 
was finally finished." He pats the package next to him.

Jaeson nods to Channie, quietly, "Feelin' better, Channie?"

Rilsa glances over at Channie with a slight smile, "'lo, dear. Kemith 
didn't make it, eh?"

Channie nods a little to Jaeson and shrugs, "no."

Kassima squints briefly at Nie, her eyes still not recovered from hours of 
staring at Cav, then wiggles her fingers at the brownrider. "Heya, Nie," 
she greets amiably.

Jaeson gets another skin, and holds it to Channie, "Need more?"

Channie says to no both to Kemith not winning, and to her not feeling 
better. "Sure, more wine is good, more wine is good. Please."

Keriann grins at Kassi after finally chasing down that elusive grape leaf 
and devouring it. "I'll have to remember to check his sleeves, the next 
time we play," she says lightly, before giving M'rgan a quick smile to 
show she's not taking the accusations of cheating seriously. After all, 
it's Kassima and M'rgan. She hmms? to Kalthanan, setting down her fork as 
she looks to him. "You hope who wasn't too bad?" That thought is quickly 
abandoned as she ohs softly. "From Nalaya? How fun.."

Jaeson hands it to Channie, with a faint, wry smile.

J'dar spills about as much wine as he drinks, muttering nasty things about 
greens and greenriders.

"Greenflight. Well, that explains that. Why would a Healer be after you, 
Kassi," M'rgan asks as he carefully scrapes the packtail out of the grape 
leaves, leaving the suspicious leaves in a pile on the edge of his plate. 
"I mean is there something..." Lifting his gaze towards Kassima, the 
brownrider stares at her in shock for a second. "Kassi, you look like a 
wher's been after you."

Garavon walks into the cavern from the lower caverns.

Shayhou wanders in from the tunnel to the bowl.

Garavon wanders in

Kailia smiles, getting no answer, she takes a plate and places a small 
serving of packtail and tubers on it.

Channie takes the skin from Jaeson, her fingers grazing over his a little 
too long as she takes the wineskin. "Mmmm,thank you."

With a tinkling laugh, the greenrider motions Kailia towards the serving 
table. "Eat all you want, dear. I thought it was the wine you were after. 
And K'ral doesn't look like he's going to be too willing to give it up."
Shayhou pads down into the living cavern, dragging a rather ugly carven 
staff behind her. Side-stepping a fussy drudge and than ducking a man much 
taller than herself, she slides her way out from the normal flurry of 
activities, where it's safe.

The greenrider makes another fleeting grab at the brownrider's wineskin 
but she is once more rebuffed.

Jaeson coughs gently, and smiles to Channie, "Ye're welcome...I heard th' 
flight startin' an' got some wine ready." He nods down to the small store 
he set up nearby.

Kailia shakes her head, "I've only had wine a couple of times, ma'am. And 
I didn't really like it."

Kassima wrinkles her nose. "Oh, Healers are always after new mothers. 
Especially Garant and Ushu. Garant's just a sadist, and Ushu wants 
t'record *everything* in his bloody research." Barely stifling a yawn, the 
greenrider does admit, "The spawnlings are wearing me out something awful, 
though... but I'm t'blame for m'appearance this eve. I got into a staring 
contest with Cav. Did you know that man can sleep with his eyes open? So 
can I, but Faranth, m'eyes feel as dry as the sands of Igen even now." She 
makes quick work of her serving of packtail, apparently just as famished 
as she said. "Watch out for the aces, too," she advises Keriann.

Rilsa listens to Kassi's commentary and shakes her head slightly before 
reaching for her own glass of wine.

Leaning back out of K'ral's hearing, the greenrider says quietly to 
Kailia, "I don't like it too much myself. But the quest can be fun." She 
winks once at the girl.

Kailia quietly munches her fish, observing the room. She giggles at the 
riders comment.

At the mention of Cav, Keriann glances back to Kassima, but she doesn't 
say anything until the Telgar Wingsecond advises her to watch out for the 
aces. "I'll remember that," she says quietly, turning her attention back 
to finishing the remaining bit of her meal.

Kalthanan sees that Keriann is distracted by other things and just sits 
quietly.

Kailia eeps as she takes a bite of the tubers, they were a bit too hot, 
and Kali managed to burn her tongue.

Jaeson nudges Channie gently, "Dinnae fall 'sleep, Channie."

Shaylar walks in from the tunnel to the bowl.

Kassima flashes Keriann a rueful smile. "Good, then. Aught I can do to 
ensure that Mart loses more dragonpoker games helps fulfill one of m'main 
purposes in life, which is to torment him. 'Tis rather a fun job, 
actually." She polishes off one of her rolls between comments, politely 
refraining from just wolfing it down as she might back home.

Shayhou puts her staff down against the floor near the wall, where it will 
be presumably safe. Shoving her hands in the pockets of a pair of slacks 
that don't quite belong to her, she 'lizard-steps through the fuss until 
she sees someone she knows just for that stoic self-withdrawn alone. With 
a bit more bravado than she perhaps should, Shayhou darts her way past 
riders, hoping to reach Kalthanan before she makes trouble for herself...
somehow.

Rilsa lifts a brow as she notices something across the room, then bites 
gently on her lower lip as she pulls the pad back onto her lap. She begins 
to lightlymake marks on the paper.

Mollified by Kassima's words and chuckling lightly to himself, M'rgan 
resumes his demolition of his food. "Kassi, only you would be so stubborn 
that you'd half kill yourself rather than losing some stupid game." 
Although the words are seemingly harsh, they are given in a light, still 
chuckling voice, showing his amusement with the situation. "That's a job 
you take far too seriously too," he responds as he adds another grape leaf 
to the discard pile.

Channie frowns at Jaeson as she pauses in mid gulp. Swollowing she wipes 
the back of her hand over her lips, "why would it matter if I fell asleep 
or not?"

Shaylar enters the room, and blinks at the crowd. She nods to those she 
recognizes and makes her way to the klah pot.

Rilsa looks up, waves to Shay, then adds a few more touches to the pad as 
shelistens to the conversation at the next table.

Kalthanan is sitting with several riders, talking with them. He doesn't 
notice Shayhou's approach.

Kassima makes a face at Mart, and given that her eyes are nearly as red as 
they are green, it's a pretty horrific face too. "Stupid? What's so stupid 
about trying t'prove that I can out-stubborn another sadistic brownrider, 
hmmm? You all just refuse to admit when you've been beat." She pokes Mart 
in the ribs for emphasis. "And what d'you mean, seriously? I delight in 
it! Why, there's just naught like hearing you shriek when I tell your 
friends about... well, I'll refrain from mentioning that. For now."

Jaeson looks over Channie for a second, before answering, "B'cause ye'd 
get a pain in yuir neck, an' then it'd hurt, an' someone'd ha'e t' work 
i' out."

Channie giggles suddenly at that idea and rolls her eyes, "maybe I'd like 
to find someone who would rub the pains out of my back!"

Shayhou nearly becomes a bit of the weyr floor. Glaring at the person who 
she supposed tripped her, she lays a hand on the harper's shoulder

Rilsa chuckles at Channie and murmurs, "It looks like he's already 
offered ;)"

Jaeson laughs, then, "I'd offer, if ye're wantin' tha'..." He sticks his 
tongue out at Rilsa, 'Nae...but _now_ I jes' ha'e."

Channie grins at Rilsa and giggles. To Jaeson she just says "huh? I can't 
understand a word you're saying."

Rilsa tsktsks at Jae, "You know you're not supposed to do that." Tossing 
her head, she winks at him, "But I /knew/ you would."

Keriann finishes her dinner, then pushes her plate back away from herself 
as she listens. A quick smile to Kassima accompanies light words. "As long 
as he's still in good enough shape to fulfill his responsibilities when 
you're done," she says easily. "The ones with the kids, I mean." She 
laughs softly and picks up her plate, twisting around to place it behind 
her on a tray meant for that purpose. Shayhou's putting a hand on 
Kalthanan's shoulder draws her attention, since Kalthanan is sitting next 
to her, and as Keri settles back into her seat, she gives Kalthanan a bit 
of a curious glance.

Rilsa adds, "Offer to do it, that is."

Jaeson grins at Rilsa, 'Which par' am I nae s'ppos'd t' do?"

Jaeson then looks at Channie, "I said tha' if y' wanted yuir back rubbed, 
I'd be willin'." He chuckles, coming out of his introspective mood 
slowly.

Wincing, M'rgan grabs at his ribs at the jab. Why do women always know 
exactly the right place to poke him and why do they always have such bony, 
sharp fingers? At the mention of things that make him shriek, the 
brownrider forgets his own pain and thrusts his finger towards Kassima's 
ribs, stopping just short. "For *ever*."

Channie jumps at the chance for her back to get rubbed, "yes please! I 
would like that very much." Of course there are a lot of other things she 
might like as well, but she's not going to ask outright about that.

Jaeson mms, and hooks a wineskin, and slowly stands, offering Channie his 
hand, with a spoken, "Where t', Channie?"

Kassima bows to Keriann as best she can, considering that there's a fork 
in her hand and she's seated at a table. "I will try m'hardest t'leave him 
that much ability left. Honest. He'll be able t'care for kids and Wing 
just fine; sire more, though...." Laughing, she beats lightly at Mart's 
finger. "We'll see," is all she says. But the sudden glint in her eyes 
bodes the brownrider no good.

"An then Noela says to.....hrmms" Kal stops mid-story, turning to see who 
it is that has touched his shoulder and interupted his tale.

Rilsa chuckles, giving Channie a knowing look before turning back to her 
drawing.

Channie looks around, only seeming a little guilty for not staying to 
visit with her friends. That passes rather quickly though, "The bahts? To 
soak?" her pale eyes twinkle hungrily as she sizes Jaeson up.

Jaeson smiles, "Aye, certainly.." His hand is still offered, as he adds, 
"I've a bi' o' spiced oil, if ye'd like tha' used t'?"

Shayhou lifts a especially shortly-shorn bit of the harper's hair, 
grinning. "Have you seen my Skillet, Dream-weaver? It looks like he's been 
about you agian."

Shaylar steps away from the tables and heads into the busy kitchen.

Fearing that glint in Kassima's eyes, it reminds him far too much of 
Kena's when she's in a mischievious mood, M'rgan abruptly rises, 
abandoning his dinner. Latching onto Keriann's and Kassima's comments 
about children, he quickly inquires of Kassima, "Would you like to see the 
children? Jannea's watching them back in the weyr."

J'dar wanders outside to the bowl.

Channie takes Jaeson's hand and runs her fingers over it lightly, "oils 
sound very nice!"

Jaeson gently tugs on his hand, to help Channie stand. "Then we'll ha'e t' 
take a side trip t' the resident dorms."

Rilsa stands up, putting her sketch pad away and stretches, as she murmurs 
to Channie, "Have fun."

Channie nods to Jaeson, "ok!" She looks over her shoulder at Kassi, and 
M'rgan and Keriann and smiles prettily as she waves. "lets go."

Channie strides through the archway, into the lower caverns.

Jaeson strolls through the archway, into the lower caverns.

Kassima immediately looks less mischievous--a trifle less, anyway--and 
more like a maturish adult sort of person at the mention of the children. 
"Oh, aye, assuredly! I've nay seen Kegan in... well, I forget how long 
it's been. I probably should've brought Kay and Khari with me, but this is 
their story hour and I didn't want to interrupt that. Are you certain 
'twill nay interrupt their slee--oh, right. The time difference; I'd nigh 
forgotten."

Kalthanan pulls away from the girls touch. "I haven't seen him. I've only 
recently returned from the Weaverhall." He looks over to Keriann. "Keri, 
this is Shayhou. Shayhou, this is Blizzard's Wingsecond and brown Nyth's 
rider, Keriann."

Rilsa places her plate on a tray and waves, "Need some fresh air. See you 
in a bit."

Kailia walks outside to the bowl.

"You? Forget something? Faranth forbid," M'rgan lightly teases in an 
approximation of her thicker accent as he steps around his chair and 
pushes it back under the table. "I've been meaning to go to Telgar myself 
to see Kharisma but lately I never seem to have any time," he continues 
conversationally as he starts to walk down the length of the table, 
towards the lower caverns.

Halam meanders into the cavern from the lower caverns.

Halam walks in and looks around tentatively. He looks at each person 
trying to see the knot they wear. Not seeing the one he's looking for he 
sighs with dissapointment.

Garavon wanders outside to the bowl.

Shayhou turns her blue eyes to the rider with a smile, entirely uneffected 
by Kalthanan's snap. "A pleasure and health to your brown. I believe I've 
seen him in Igen before; I know the name."

Rilsa wanders outside to the bowl.

Keriann glances past Kalthanan and Shayhou, although the girl calling the 
harper a Dream-Weaver gets a quirked brow, her gaze lighting upon Jaeson 
and Channie. Her lips curve slightly, though her brow furrows, as she 
watches them make arrangements and leave. Keriann arches a brow slightly 
at Shayhou's reply, although she merely says politely, "Well met, 
Shayhou."

Kassima snags her cake before she goes, not about to pass up a chance for 
dessert for anything. "Well, she looks a prettier than ever these days, 
if'n you'll take her mother's admittedly biased opinion. More like Jh'rin 
every day, save for the hair. And if'n you don't stop trying t'mimic me, I 
*might* find m'self tempted t'cut out your tongue instead of other 
things," she informs him as she follows after.

Halam does however see a familar face and breaks into a grin as he walks 
up to Kassi. "Hi Kassi, Boy am I glad to see a familar face." he says with 
obvious releif.

Kassima pauses on her way after Mart to flash Halam a quick smile. "Afraid 
you'll nay see one for long. I'm off t'visit Mart's children. Enjoy the 
dinner, eh? The packtail in grape leaves is marvelous."

Halam sakes his head. "Thanks but I'm not here for dinner. I'm looking for 
a herder by the name of Zera."

M'rgan sticks his tongue out in disgust at the comment about Jh'rin. "I 
don't care how drunk you were. You can never explain to me how the shards 
you ended up..." His words fade out as he disappears into the lower 
caverns.

Keriann heys softly as Kassima says she's off to visit M'rgan's children. 
"Don't forget Kaveri's /mine/," she calls with a smile as she stands, 
absently telling the others at the table, "Clear skies." She's apparently 
leaving, too, since she disappears as well.

M'rgan strides through the archway, into the lower caverns.

Keriann meanders through the archway, into the lower caverns.

"Sorry, don't know her," Kassi manages to say before ducking out of the 
Cavern. "You just don't appreciate male aesthetics, brownie...."

You walk through the archway, into the lower caverns.