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What Has It Got In Its Pocketses?


Date:  October 30, 2004
Place:  Telgar Weyr Lake Shore
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:  Patch!  Patch, my precious!  Kassima learns that T'bay
has the Most-Bruised Rump of All Time, but has never received any sort
of prize for this.  Natural enough for her to wish to rectify this, 
no?  Of course, whether a Wing patch is really the sort of trophy he
would have expected is up for debate.  Emilly, V'lano, and Yselle also
star in this ice-skating intensive event, which I found to be very
entertaining indeed. :)

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The Log:

T'bay heads over from the central bowl.

V'lano's staked out a certain edge of the lakeshore for himself, it seems;
there he's got settled a pair of battered and beaten skates leaned up
against a frostbitten rock as well as a second long-jacket, hardly rider's
wear, made of oiled and wool-lined leathers. Barely a footstep onto the
ice, the young bronzerider nudges a slow foot out over the lake's frozen
surface, tilting his head a bit to the side with an ear attentive to
possible icy squeaks and shivers.

T'bay's approach is careful, booted heels digging into the freshly piling
up mounds of sand as he approaches the lake, his familar place of
contemplation and (even if forced) relaxation. A bag over his shoulder
beats against his shoulderblades as his pace causes him to slip a bit in
the snow, but onward he treads, finally bringing the frozen vision into
view. A raising of his hand signifies greeting.

Kassima tosses a snowball from gloved hand to gloved hand as soon as she's
slid down from her dragon's neck, the green having come to a leisurely and
snow-intensive descent far enough from the others to avoid turning anyone
into a Pernese remake of Frosty. She's wearing her black cloak with its
trim of red embroidery over her jacket, and the wind starts whipping at it
as soon as she steps away from her dragon's lee. "Ah," she comments to no
one in particular, with an amused sort of rue. "Winter." And she tosses the
snowball up into the air to let it fall where it may, before finally
noticing the presence of others and calling a cheerful, "G'deve, g'deve!"

Sionath flies in from above.

Yselle heads over from the central bowl.

Sionath wings in from aloft, bugling bright greetings to Lysseth as she comes.

Emilly climbs down Sionath's side to the ground, using her straps as
handholds.

Emilly slides off of Sionath's back once on the ground and free of straps.
She's bundled up well against the cold in a blue winter coat trimmed with
fleece, scarf and gloves, though not riding gear. "Reaches' duties!" she
carols out to the area at large and sends Sionath off to hunker down near
Lysseth, friendly-like.

On the ice, V'lano slides sideways a bit on boots not made for walking on
water - frozen or not. It's from an effort at turning about to add
recognisance to hearing at Kassima's greeting, though the twist of wryness
on his mouth suggests he's got a clue who called out before he sees her.
When he does see her, he lifts a hand to wave back, though it's just as
soon half-dropped into a one-sided windmill as he regains his steadiness on
his feet. "H'lo!" He looks past and repeats the same syllable for T'bay,
then shuffles slippingly toward shore while Sionath descends. Once he's got
firm footing, he sends off another greeting for Emilly and calls out
helpfully for all to hear above the wind, "Seems frozen pretty good!"

"Shells Em," Yselle sees her /first/ in her wandering in, "it sounds weird
for you to be offering 'Reaches duties. Are you sure you really want to
stay there?" she offers the High Reaches greenrider a rueful smile as she
shuffles over through the snow. On the way, she hears V'lano, and calls
out, "Careful, don't slip."

Lysseth offers Sionath an amiable enough greeting-warble even as she digs
into the snow, forming it into shallow piles near foreclaws and hindclaws.
She may have no active aim of starting a snow war, but if one occurs, she
will be ready. Kassima meanwhile has found it a good time to move before
the snowball can come tumbling back down, her path arrowing in on one of
the boulders that rings the Lake. "Duties right back t'you, Em! Careful,
Vel! I see I'm nay the only one with a certain thought--" And she pushes
one side of the cloak over her shoulder, to be able to reach the
steel-bladed skates that lie beneath. "Lani and I were skating on it a
couple of nights agone, so it should still be solid. Heya, heya, all and
sundry." She hitches up onto that rock to begin the cold process of
replacing boots with skates.

T'bay's approach with his bag of tricks comes to a slow halt. A roll of his
shoulders repositions the bag, echoing clinks of telltale metal from inside
occurring humorously at the same time he stretches taut muscles in his
neck. "Good evening to you all," he returns, his voice carrying even
through the wind. "Frozen, still, though Sarevith tries to break it up
every chance he gets?" A chuckle, fondness in his tone despite his paler
than usual complexion.

Emilly laughs in answer to Yselle's greeting and shoots a look V'lano's way
for the water-walking. "Debating a skating party, V'lano?" she calls over
and smiles warmly all around. "Hmm ... if it weren't for certain things
Yselle ... yes, I might be tempted indeed to come home, so to speak. In the
end, it just boils down to having -two- places to call home though. I've
family at each, if you define good friends as being family too," she says
gaily. "Weather's the same in either place, any road."

"I came out to test it a few nights back - gah, maybe almost a sevenday
now." The dark-curled young man looks a little abashed while crunching
across the frosted ground to his own ancient, worn skates. "I won't slip,"
V'lano calls toward Yselle with a faintly disgusted tone - though there's a
glint in his dark eyes that suggests it's teasing. The follow-up of, "Until
I'm on these blades," confirms the lightness.

Kassima glances up and over from her lacing to offer T'bay and his
bag-of-goodies a grin. "Is it that he wants t'break it?" she wonders. "Or
walk on it? Sounds as if'n you're of a mind t'skate too, or alternatively
have knives in that bag and plan t'murder us all and hide our bodies in the
Lake where we won't be found until spring so you can be long-gone ere they
dredge up our fish-nibbled carcasses." It shouldn't be allowed for someone
to be so cheerful when discussing fish-nibbled carcasses. "Mayhaps, with so
many sets of skates about," flicking a look towards V'lano's, "we should
have a contest or something. T'see who can fall on their rump the least. Or
most."

"That's not a bad idea," Yselle says, looking at V'lano and his skates. "I
should go back and get mine. Tel promised he'd skate with me later, but
he's headed off somewhere with a bronzerider," she rolls her eyes. "C'mon
V'lano, you didn't miss out learning on the lake near home? Shells, we'll
have to rectify that. Fancy someone from /home/ not being able to skate!"
She eyes T'bay for this too, and says, "Tell me you can, T'bay?" - "Well
Em, I'm glad you come back to visit anyway, otherwise," soberly, "I
wouldn't see much of you at all." She doesn't forget Kassima either, "I
can't remember the last time I fell over."

T'bay kneels in the freshly falling snow, flakes catching and melting
against riding clothes. "Supply runs and drills to the cold places are sure
more pleasant than the warm ones when wearing layers," he grins, pulling
off his gloves and starting to work unlacing his own boots before tugging
skates out of the bag. "I might be light enough at this point that even I
can brave the lake--I think besides a love of the sound of ice breaking up,
Sarevith wants to test it to be sure I'm not accidentally destined to
become one of those fish-nibbled bodies. Of course I can skate! I'm just,
ah, better at it when on all fours. You see, I reserve the spot of Most
Rump Bruised, so no ideas, Vel--hey, having two places you love enough to
call home isn't a fault!" Betraying a typical thought of T'bay's that has
remained fast despite his experiences, he adds, "Think of all the places
you can get cookies!"

Emilly laughs at the swirling byplay of words and settles onto a handy
snowy hummock. "My skates are back at the Reaches," she says regretfully.
"Or I'd try to give you all a run for your marks. I've been skating since I
was a wee one, first at Benden, then here." She nods Yselle's way and says
lightly: "Don't worry Yselle - I'll always come visit. If only to hear
Kassi tell tall tales to new riders and fresh batches of weyrlings."

"Kassima!" V'lano's voice is full of rebuff, and he puts on an expression
of mock-horror for the Thunderbolt 'leader, even pausing before picking up
his skates to give her a hands-on-hips stare. The admonishment's thoroughly
ruined by his grin, and after that he bends to get the skates before moving
toward the others, leaving the long-coat behind. "If I can relearn how to
do this, I'll buy new ones. You can borrow these, Yselle - " Gesturing at
her with the battered pair - "But you probably don't want to. We skated
when we were smaller. Probably better when we were smaller, too."

"Well, I've been doing it most of m'life, and I still fall a few times at
the start of every season. Comes of nay doing it for months at a stretch, I
shouldn't wonder." Kassima gives the laces on her second skate a last,
emphatic tug. "Nay worries about being a body, T'bay. Weren't you the one
who taught Claret to concentrate heat in her rear end? You could just
concentrate heat, and melt your way back up through the ice, and be free.
Did this Most Rump-Bruised position ever win you any prizes? I mean, did
the people where you lived ever stand so in awe of how many times you fell
that they showered you with gifts?" This would appear to be a serious
query. If one ignores the way the right corner of her mouth is fighting not
to quirk, anyway. "You could borrow a set from Stores, Em? There're always
a few--and hey! What tall tales are these? What have I ever said that was
less than absolutely true?" She asks this with wide-eyed mock-indignance,
which is entirely gone by the time she turns, laughing, to set her hands on
her own hips and 'glower' right back. "V'lano!" she echoes in a fair
mimicry of the tone. "What did you object to? The rump-falling, or T'bay
killing us all?"

"Why don't I go find mine - thanks for the offer, V'lano, but I'm used to
them now - and I'll get you a set from stores while I'm at it," she looks
down at the greenrider's feet, as though checking the size. "Tall tales,
hm," she grins from Emilly to Kassima, "That sounds right. I'm sure there's
a monument somewhere to Kassima's tales - well Kassi, I seem to remember
you managing to get Javinia to bribe you to tap her, or something like
that. How do you explain that? As for V'lano, she offers him a grin, "Well,
now you're graduated, you've no excuse for not getting back up to speed. I
can tow you round for a while if you're up to it." T'bay's the recipient of
a more sympathetic smile, "We'll get you sorted out too. It's really not so
hard when you get the hang of it," and with that, she slips out, returning
sometime later with not two, but four pairs of skates, three of which she
brings over to Emilly with the explanation, "I wasn't sure which'd fit you,
so I brought several. You'll find a couple of pairs of thick socks in
these," indicating one of the pairs.

Telgar Weyr> Yselle dresses us all up in tutus for Les Partneurs or
whatever that ballet is.

T'bay buries his face against his hands for a long moment before his head
raises again, his face reddened. "Claret--oh my. I'd almost forgotten. No,
I think I lack the skill she has. It's a special talent, you see. Takes
concentration." Fight the blush. Fight the blush! Not working. Hmm.
Skating! "No, can't say I have been given presents, unless towels count?"
One skate, then the other, is tugged over thick socks, then the the lacing
part commences. "Bribes to be tapped? Oy, you have to fess up and tell
about that. What's good enough to bribe with?"

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Aww, I was hoping we'd go with Olympic figure
skating costumes. I wanted to be Michelle Kwan. Or Brian Boitano, so I
could use my magical fire-breath to save the maidens fair. ;)"

"The - vividness of it," V'lano retorts to Kassima while Yselle's off, but
he's nowhere near as practiced at keeping his mouth grim, so the smirk
betrays his patience - even thrill - with the description. A thoughtful
look is turned T'bay's way, but the faintness of it warms as his onetime
holdmate's face reddens. Satisfied, V'lano finds a good spot to crouch and
half-sit on a rock, unbuckling his boots while the skates lie ready aside.
"I can name a few things that aren't good enough," he practically giggles
under his breath. Re-greeting Yselle offers him some opportunity for
propriety: "Hey, I'm game to be towed if you don't mind me slowing you down."

Kassima insists with mock-primness, "That's absolutely true. And I didn't
tell Javi a single lie. Only that if'n she really, *really* wanted t'know
what Wing she was going into, I might be bribed. And she did, and I told
her, and the deal went just as she'd agreed. Nice earbobs, aren't they?"
She nudges the hood of her cape back enough to make the emerald adornments
in question briefly visible. "She's a talented lady, is Claret," the
greenrider agrees with a perfectly straight face. Until he starts blushing.
Then she has to duck her head to hide her own grin. "Towels... I'd nay
think so. Mayhaps we should give you presents. T'make up for all those
Turns of lack. As t'that, what d'you have t'be offering?" Her grin to
V'lano is at once wicked and utterly unapologetic, at least until she asks
in innocence, "Hmm? What was that? Enlighten me?"

Emilly beams up at Yselle for the skates. "Goodness ... well that's Telgari
hospitality and another point for staying here," she says laughingly and
proceeds to shuck off boots and try on a first pair, these prove too loose,
but the second work, and the greenrider works on getting everything laced
up and tightened properly. "Rear-end warming ... now that sounds ... err
... well interesting," she manages through a few chuckles. "And I suppose,
once I get my ice legs back, I could help out with re-learning too."

Yselle sits down on a boulder to unlace her boots, and put on her skates.
"I'll manage," she promises V'lano with a straight face. "If all else
fails, I'll leave you in the middle of the ice like I did Dehlan that
time." She grins, and quickly says, "Not for long though. I bet you'll be
fine though, it's easy enough to pick up again, once you've learnt the
first time. - Do you wear earbobs, T'bay?" she offers /him/ a grin.
"Totally corruptable, Kassima. Nobody's bribed their postings from me yet.
- Don't let her make you bribe her, T'bay, or you'll end up with only the
shirt on your back," she does offer Kassima an 'I'm only teasing' wink.
"I'm not even going to ask what the weyrlings used their rear-warming for.
I'm pretty sure it's something I'd best remain ignorant of. You too, Em,
those okay?"

T'bay's moment of deep crimson flushing lasts a lingering bit longer,
though he'd of course say, "Blast, it sure is cold out here, hmm? Mighty
wind." Look how he dodges the explanation! So subtle! Mostly having a
handle on that, he is able to complete the lacing of his skates before his
fingers freeze, and quickly are his hands settled back into his gloves.
"Oh! You told someone early for a bribe. I thought she meant you'd bribed
to get placed." Alas, a flush for the mistake returns. "Er, well. We know
you like to gamble, so I...well. I'm afraid I don't have ear pieces nearly
so nice as your baubles, but they'd look rather silly on me, so that makes
sense. And not even one of mom's pies was enough to get S'fin to spill, so
I'm out of offerings."

V'lano buckles on one skate-boot, then the other, shaking his head with a
dry grin at T'bay's blush-denial tactics. "I can see how leaving someone
stranded in the middle might work well," he tells Yselle as he straightens
with a huff, wobbling to shaky legs as the blades threaten to toss him
sideways first one way, then over the other. "Nothing," he tells Kassima
with a grin shot her way, carefree, "Nothing nothing." He takes one step.
It goes well, in that the skate-blade hits the frozen ground and cuts
through the top layer of solid mud to catch firmly there, giving him some
support.

Kassima makes an amused face at Yselle. "If'n she strands you, 'twill
rescue you," she promises V'lano. "Though you may have t'bribe me for
that--hey, hey, corruptable? Isn't 'already corrupted' the word? I got a
riding jacket sized for Kiss from Taylin, too. Made out magnificently." And
shamelessly. "The wind's something wicked," she agrees with T'bay in
too-bland tones, even while unfastening her cloak to leave it behind for
skating. "Didn't tell her early; that's the beauty! I made her *think*
'twas. When really, 'twas just tapping her as I'd have tapped her even
without. But I did offer both her and Taylin their bribe-materials back,
t'be fair. What about gambling?" Color her intrigued. But then, a sigh.
"Pity. Such a pity. Ah, well, you'll find out eventually, though if'n you
thought I'd been bribed t'place and still wanted t'bribe me, I'm most
flattered. Never mind that. I still say you should be getting belated
prizes for this Most Rump-Bruised Ever thing. Nay prizes just isn't
*right*. Em, Ys, Vel, do any of you have aught in the way of prize-fare to
offer?" A moment later she's throwing V'lano an entertained glance and
warning him, "'Twill have t'be inquiring more about this 'naught naught
naught' later. In inventive ways if'n all else fails. Just so you're warned."

"Wise move," Yselle calls to T'bay. "'Sides, you're posted when you're
ready to be. Nobody's posted before they're ready. Your wingleader will tap
you when the time comes." Once her laces are tied, she tromps through the
snow to get to the ice. "I'm sure you're /more/ corruptable, Kassi," once
again, she offers the woman a grin. "Anyway, T'bay, once you're posted,
I've something for you, whether you fall on your rump or not, so no need to
be making a special effort there either," and she glides out onto the ice,
turning back to offer her hands to V'lano, "Butcher's boy," she says, in a
grinning tone, reminiscent of the girls back home, "dance with me?"

Emilly shifts to her feet, and walks carefully on blade-heavy feet to slip
onto the ice, there's a moment of unbalance and arms thrown wide and then
she skims off, relatively gracefully. "Have I anything to offer as
prize-fare ... hmmm ... I do have some jewelry on me, if that's wanted ...
otherwise, perhaps I have a skin of Harper Red in my sacks ... perhaps
not," she calls over one shoulder, wind whipping her hair about in a frenzy
of curls. "Ooof! How it blows!" she says, laughing and puts her head down
into the wind.

T'bay bows the last of the bladed-boot's laces, then rises unsteadily to
his feet. "A-ha!" he announces, triumphantly. "No rump bruising yet for me!
Beware, lake, for the IceMonster of Icemelt is coming your way!" True to
his announcement, heavy steps sink the blades deeply into the snow with
each step of his approach to the lake. "Don't think I'm not grateful for
it, too. The extra time with this wing has helped me to figure out some
things about how hard you 'second's work. No easy business, but lessons
well learned. Say, she does have a present for me, for someday! It worked,
Kassima!" He grins Yselle, then smirks at Vel. "Awww. Give the girl a dance
already. Or maybe he needs a sip of that Harper Red, first, to get up his
courage? Look there, the ladies are showing us how its done. We can't let
them down, eh?"

"Inventive, huh," V'lano murmurs. It'd be reply to Kassima if he meant for
her to hear it, and indeed she might hear it if the wind blew the right
way. There's a certain slyness in it, but that ponderous foxiness shatters
as Yselle makes her offer. He puts on a more abashed grin and wobbles
iceward. "I never knew you had an eye on me, you know," he huffs as he
yanks a skate-blade out of the frostbitten mud and plants it - a little too
heavily - on the ice, causing a small spray of ice droplets to fling from
the blade. He skids forward as soon as the other foot is freed and, knees
already threatening to bow, holds hands out to Yselle's, fingers wriggling
helplessly. "And I don't think I'll be much of a dancer out - woah, uh -
here."

"But presents for having the most bruised rump of all time are so much more
*unusual*," Kassi wheedles, but without real effort or hope. Her eyes
sparkle. "Ah! A 'skin of Harper Red's more the thing, Em! Magnificent. Now
let me see what I have." She slides down from her rock, mincing through the
snow while rummaging in her pockets. "Hmm, hmm... tell you what, T'bay,
'twill offer a deal. You can either have one of these earbobs, or whatever
I have in m'pocket." Which would seem to be the equivalent of Door Number
Two. "Your choice! There might be more girly jewelry in there. Or there
could be a ten-mark piece. There might even be mint sticks. I make nay
promises." The wind is fortuitous, and she slants the bronzerider a look
with rather some mischief to it. Her tone attempts loftiness however as she
claims, "I can be inventive when it suits me. D'you doubt?"

Yselle actually sighs, and looks away from V'lano for a moment, down at the
ice. "Let's skate," is all she says, in a subdued tone. "For a moment..."
she shrugs, offers him a rueful, sad smile, distracted for a moment by his
skidding, as she exerts pressure to keep him upright. "I never danced much
at home," she says. "I'm a better skater."

Emilly's confidence rises as feet and ankles remember how to do this
particular dance and she does a neat turn, heading back towards the others.
"Indeed no, you shouldn't let us down," she says laughingly. "Dancing alone
is nowhere near as fun as dancing with company ... and I think my blood's
up enough for a race ... though I -do- wish there weren't all these little
bitlets of broken snow and ice on the lake. It's so -untidy-," she says
emphatically and comes to a stop to sweep a few off to the edge of the
lake. "The skin it is, then Kassi," she says agreeably. "I intended it for
you anyway," she says with a laugh and keeps skating the edge of the lake,
sending broken snow off the ice for smoothness.

"He lies! He lies!" Comes T'bay's call, his voice strained with the effort
to be heard over snow and wind alike. "He loves to be turned in circles on
the ice. Adores it! Don't let him tell you otherwise!" Drawn in by the
curiosity of the offer, T'bay turns to regard Kassima carefully. "Earbob,
pocket present. Earbob, pocket present. Ohh, and how I love mint sticks,
too. That might clinch it." A slightly strangled sound comes out as the
present-collecting greenrider makes her claim, and T'bay browwraggles in
Vel's direction, though his buddy is too far away to see. "It's not alive,
though, Kassima? I'm frighted of things alive from your pockets--Oh, sorry,
Emilly! That has to be /that/ dragon again. He must be trying to make ice
sculptures or something." Affection and rue identify Sarevith in tone alone.

"I don't doubt - " V'lano wobbles with the effort of looking over his
shoulder to reply to Kassima, then turns his head promptly to face forward,
expression startled. His hands wrap Yselle's fingers for support. "Sorry,"
he tells her, putting on an apologetic grin. As the pair slides across the
ice, he looks down at their feet and lowers his voice, setting up a
conversation for two, with ice skates. "I didn't mean to upset you last
sevenday, or how long ago? - When Claret got her badge. I think I said some
things wrong." Again he lifts his chin, dark eyes fixing on hers. "I didn't
mean to upset her, either."

Kassima laughs and clasps her left hand to her chest as she cries, "Foiled!
Alas! 'Tis well, though; 'tis well, for I don't mind sharing it, and you're
ever a generous friend, Em. I might race you in a moment if'n you like."
Now her attention's back on T'bay, with a helpless snicker for his first
call. "Alive... hmm. Well, actually--" She affects a sudden yelp and draws
her right hand out of the pocket, only she's managed to tug her sleeve-end
over her fist to try and make it look like a stump. "Bloody thing bit off
m'*hand*!" Strange how there's no blood spurting, given that. A heartbeat
later she pops the intact hand out again, wiggles the fingers, and grins.
"Nay alive at all. 'Twill even be nice and inform you it is *nay* a
tunnelsnake head. Because I know you wondered. 'Tis even something you
might like, since 'twould be a ruddy poor prize otherwise." Laughing under
her breath, she murmurs to no one in particular, "How good t'nay be doubted."

Emilly sighs and gives her head a shake, moves away from the lake's edge to
glide nearer the others again. "It's all right T'bay - it's not really his
fault I'm feeling ... picky," she says somewhat vaguely and trails a slow
circle around Yselle and V'lano. "You'll get it yet, V'lano," she says
cheerily, then returns Kassi's way, holding a hand out to her fellow
greenrider. "I'd be delighted for the race, or a spin about the lake."

Shaking her head, Yselle says, "It's not you. I'm sorry. I'd be honoured to
dance with you, you know, even back home in those old dances we had.
Course..." she trails off. "Well, that was a long time ago, feels like
forever." Still, back to the conversation, she says, "Upset me? How'd you
do that? - And was Claret upset?" she looks genuinely puzzled. "Oh - unless
you mean butting in on my scolding. I really can't have you doing that you
know. Discipline. It's what keeps us all alive." Now she looks up to meet
his gaze, and if it's sombre, at least it's not as sad as earlier. And then
over to the nearby Emilly, "He's doing pretty well, I think. So much for
all those stories of having forgotten."

T'bay makes his next move one aiming for the Crown of the evening, for as
Kassima's hand withdraws suddenly from her pocket, he startles, and forgets
he's wearing ice skates. It is only a long moment in slowmotion time until
he's on his rump for the first time this evening, having found out that
skates do not move backward like shoes. Whump! Is his landing, and though
it knocks his breath for a moment, his first exhalation is of laughter.
"You scared the shards right out of me. Wouldn't be too surprised if M'tri
did put tunnelsnakes in your coat, and you being so trusting you'd put your
hands right in." Raising his voice, he adds to Emilly, "I'm doing my part
to smooth it down, now, see? It'll all be done in no time."

V'lano's new grin is a slightly shy one, and he steals his gaze away from
the Weyrsecond's another time, again finding their skates better pull for
his attention. "We'll have to have dancing at this party we're supposed to
have." Voice still soft, he tacks on, "I know. You're authority. I
apologize. I wanted to defend her - " A soft laugh escapes him and he
shrugs, the motion travelling down his arms into the hands holding on for,
such as it is, dear life while they move across the ice. "You just move
your feet back and forth and it makes you go. How do you do that? I swear I
used to know how," he grins, and when his chin comes up this time he turns
his head aside to watch Emilly as she sweeps that arc around them. "I'm
horribly out of practice," he explains.

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "You're terrible, Muriel."

Kassima is rather startled herself by T'bay's startlement, though since she
still stands on the last scrap of shore before the ice begins she doesn't
slip or fall; she asks anxiously, "Are you--?" His laughter reassures her
to the point where she offers him a wry grin and begins to chuckle herself.
"Whups," she says, rueful. "Did nay mean t'do that. Anyway, if'n m'darling
wife *did* put 'snakes in m'jacket, I'd have felt 'em wriggle by now. I
think. I hope. But choose! Especially now that you've demonstrated your
deservance of this prize--which will it be?" She slides her hand back into
the pocket and jingles it before flashing Em a grin. "Just as soon as he
picks," she promises, with a wink for the other greenrider. "Y'know I'd be
ever so honored. And hopefully 'twouldn't land *you* on your rump too." The
pair out on the ice get a long look, but she's more interested in those
near her for now.

Emilly laughs T'bay's way and shakes her head. "Really ... it's all right,"
she says lightly, "but thank you all the same." She calls over for Yselle
and V'lano too: "Mm - perhaps there was some exaggeration involved? But
aye, out of practice would about sum it up." Then there's laughter echoing
out anew across the lake from the Reaches lass. "We'll see who's rump
remains intact at the end of this jaunt," and there's a challenge in those
words.

Telgar Weyr> Yselle has a vision of that scene from Dune where Paul is
sticking his hand in that thing with the deadly creatures.

"Well you can do the same for me with the dancing," Yselle promises. "I'm
just as talented at that, unless of course, you're too busy," and she
offers him a rueful smile that seems to expect an affirmative to this. "I
know what you were trying to do, just, yes, if I need to take her to task,
I need to." And on the other topic, she shrugs, and says, "Practice, Tel
and I come out here for hours. He and I... well, he's a pretty good
skater." She's skating backwards, and drawing him along. "How's it feeling?
Not too fast for you? I confess, I'm used to Tel, and just quietly, don't
ask him to take you out until you're sure of your feet. He loves to make
people fall over. Thinks it's hilarious." Once again, she glances over at
Emilly, and offers, "Want to join us? We could take one hand each, if
V'lano would be up for it." Glancing back at Kassima, she mutters, mostly
for Emilly's sake, "Kassi seems to be very interested in T'bay's rump."

T'bay pulls himself slowly forward until he's on his knees, then clambers
to his feet, digging the skates in firmly until he's steady. "All right,
all right. I will gratefully accept gifts, especially if they come in
baskets from Amarie. And as I can't see your blouse wiggling, I'll make the
daring guess that it is at least dead." He holds out his hand, closes one
eye, keeps the other open to peek. "And since I'm holding up a race I
really want to see the result of, I'd best not rub my sore backside until
after. Might fright everyone into a faint."

"For dancing? Or for the party?" V'lano's visibly startled, but as Yselle
goes on with the topic of skating he recovers quickly enough to answer
himself. "Feels all right. My knees don't think they're going to bow out
from under me anymore; I could probably stand up." He steals a glance
toward Kassima and T'bay, and it's testament to his improvement in skating
that it doesn't make him half-fall over to do so. "Oh, so -he- gets a
present," V'lano mock-whines. Back to Yselle, he murmurs, "I'll find time,
you know that. Supply doesn't need me -that- badly, except when they do.
But if you want to dance well when we all get together, you'll need to
practice - and you've a more pressing schedule than I do, I expect -
Weyrsecond." Grin.

"I haven't a basket from Amarie in the pocket," Kassi feels obliged to
confess. "But technically speaking, you're on the mark with the dead part."
She draws her fist from her pocket, closed around whatever she holds--she
seems inclined to keep it a mystery as long as she can, and quips, "I
should ask you t'close both--" She doesn't, however. She sets the object in
the extended hand. Where it proceeds to chew that hand right off--okay, no
it doesn't; it's just a Thunderbolt Wing patch, and so it doesn't have any
teeth. Alas, alas. "If'n, seeing it, you'd *rather* have the earbob..." she
teases, before rolling her eyes in good-humor at Yselle, and then laughing
outright to V'lano. "Tell me what you've done t'deserve one!" she teases.
"And what present you want--and then 'twill see if'n I'm of a mind t'be
obliging."

Emilly squints over Kassi's way as the badge is set in T'bay's hand and
then laughs outright. "Well that might not eat his hand off itself ... but
he might feel like it's been so after a few days of drills, eh kassi?" She
laughs again and does a rather fancy twirl ... and it's too much for the
redhead and over she goes, not on her rump, but on her stomach, sprawling
flat on her face. "Oooooof"

"I meant I might need to be led a bit at the dancing," Yselle explains.
"But you know, you were going to invite Breena, and I thought I might ask
Kassi too. I think you'll have your hands full - bronzerider," and that
with resignation. "I suspect I'll do more watching than dancing anyway." As
for the more pressing schedule, she shrugs ruefully. "I'm sure K'ran'd
think it was a great cause, teaching me to dance. - I guess I've shown
/some/ progress, I don't trip over my skirts any more." Turning back to
watch Emilly's fall, she tightens her grip on V'lano's hands, and says,
"Want to try just one hand? Or is it best like this?" As for the interplay
between Kassima and T'bay, she glances at that from time to time, amusement
only showing in a gleam in her eye.

T'bay keeps his eye squinched closed in an effort to look like he isn't
peeking, and he mutters loudly out one side of his mouth, "You'd get one
too if you fell down often enough. This is for years of rump-suffering,
see, and I'm sure you're not jealous of that." The gift-giver's
half-warning does cause both green eyes to snap shut for an instant, so as
the present is deposited, it is first explored with a curious thumb, which
runs over its shape and texture before the young man's eyes snap open and
his fingers tighten about the badge. "Ah, no thanks. I mean, not no thanks.
No thanks about the earbobber. Thanks plenty about the badge. I'll do my
best for you. Ma'am!" He snaps half a salute, then remembers something,
tripping over his response. "Not ma'am! Lady. Er. Rider. Er,--Wingleader!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." V'lano's ears pink, and he finds the interaction between
his onetime travelmate and the Thunderbolt wingleader extremely fascinating
now, as a distraction from the Weyrsecond he's all but insulted - again. "I
didn't have any idea how you - well, we never really got a chance before.
I'm sorry. But if you want to spend the time - offer's still open, dancing
or not." He sighs softly through his nose, mouth pressed tight, and answers
Yselle's other question by loosing his grip on her left hand, his right
fingers uncurling with steady uncertainty. "Kassima's best," he calls out,
his sole and grinning remark on T'bay's plight.

Emilly is still lying prone on the ice, just breathing for a bit, then she
slowly rolls over. "Ow ... I think my ribs are still here," she mentions
and sits up, poking at said ribs with gloved fingers and calls over T'bay's
way. "Congratulations!"

Yselle seems to just give up on trying to guess. "What?" she asks. "Sorry
for what?" There are plenty of things to take her attention right now, but
she does try to keep V'lano's gaze, at least until he's answered that
question. She tugs them a little closer to Emilly to ask, "You okay, Em?"
although apparently her worry isn't too acute, especially after the woman
sits up, because she too watches Kassima and T'bay, nodding as if the
knotting were no surprise to her, but smiling proudly all the same. "I'll
have to find that present for you after all," she calls to T'bay, although
that with the equimanity of someone who's got it all sorted out. Back to
V'lano, she smiles and says, "You're really doing well."

Kassima is casting the ice, and perhaps Yselle in particular, another of
those long looks, her brow starting to furrow slightly. She can't spend
much time looking, though; and with T'bay's reaction to watch, it's
doubtful she'd want to. She grins at the ramble, and laughs at the titles,
seconding Vel: "By name's fine! I'm guessing this means you accept, aye?
Felicitations, Wingmate," and she salutes him back in full, as crisp and
formal as one can be while teetering on skates. "I look forward t'flying
with you, so long as you never, ever use the word ma'am again." She closes
one eye in a wink, then remarks to the group at large, "And he didn't bribe
me, nay even with a pie!"

Emilly grins up at Yselle now and nods. "I think so. Ribs all still here.
Hand me up though?" Then Kassi's way. "Pie ...pie would be good ina little
bit don't you think? That or a long hot bathe."

T'bay half turns, not moving his skates but rather pivoting his torso, as
if the sound of Emilly's crash to the ice were just now registering in his
brain. "Oh, ouches, did you ever hit hard. I'm amazed you can breathe at
all! Any severe pain? I mean, do you need a healer or something?--So far, I
like these presents. Of course I accept, do I look daft?--aw man." Half a
glance back to Kassima, the badge still clutched tightly in his hand, "Does
this mean I have to help with the trosseau? Cause I'd bribe with pie to get
out of that. Or maybe, to get your darling wife into it."

V'lano becomes aware, belatedly, of Emilly's plight, and loosens his other
fingers - though he doesn't quite volunteer to let go of his own accord
with the only hand remaining to hold him to stability. "Here, let me stand
and I'll try not to fall down, if you can help Emilly." Aside, to the
Reachian rider, he grins an apology: "If you let me try to help, we'll both
wind up on the ice." Then, a sudden museful consideration he apparently
just can't keep from coming out: "I wonder what happens if someone says no?"

Kassima belatedly winces for Emilly too, and suggests, "Mayhaps you should
share that 'skin of Harper Red too, Em? Since you may have the Most Bruised
Ribs Ever; that can be your prize--shells, aye." T'bay gets a surprised
blink, and then the greenrider laughs, and laughs, and laughs some more,
doubling over in fact. "Oh! Oh, shells, T'bay. While 'twould *appreciate*
your aid on that quest, the song had me finding the trousseau
already--you'll just have t'assist with whatever adventure you two *next*
think up, how's that?" A bright beam before she suggests, starting out onto
the ice with her dubious prize delivered, "I can be aiding, Em. Or helping
hold you up, Vel, whichever. 'Twill even be genuinely helpful with
whichever, or try. I've just now met m'evil quota for today. I'm nay sure,"
she admits to the bronzerider then. "Nay anyone ever has in m'experience.
Would you?"

Yselle fixes her gaze on V'lano for a long moment, even after he's stood on
his own, and reaches her hands out to Emilly to assist her. "I don't know
of anyone who /has/ said no," she says. "Here you go, Em." - "Nice tapping
Kassi, I don't think he ever expected it." A glance again to V'lano, "I've
no idea what you were apologising about," she confesses. She glances over
to T'bay, noting, "We've left him behind."

Emilly wiggles fingers T'bay's way. "Yep ... lungs still working, in and
out, no worries ... and Thunderbolt's a good wing T'bay - I hope you'll be
very happy under Kassi's wings," she says sincerely and pulls feet in
preparatory to rising. "No ... no healer required ... this coat has good
padding. Thank you though - I'll remember that you're good to have around
in an emergency T'bay." She holds hands out and up towards Yselle clasps
the greenrider's and carefully draws herself upright. "So ... let's go get
him," she says gaily.

"I - no!" Faintly horrified, the butcher's son stares over his shoulder at
Kassima, then back toward Yselle. "I just - well, since you ask. She asked
T'bay, or gave him a chance to deny it, it seemed to me. And you sort of
left Claret open," he explains. "I wondered if it happened, and what
happens next if it has - I guess it hasn't. But I'd be afraid the Weyr'd
send me away, or I'd fly supply forever - " His grin does falter on that,
but he looks down at his feet and firms his jaw for a change of subject.
"Now when you say 'you two,' V'lano begins while picking up one foot and
planting it back down at a slight angle, then repeating with the other,
then the first again until he's turned a bit around to face the wingleader
coming out across the ice, "Do you mean him and Sarevith, or him and me?
Because I just think you should know I'm entirely innocent of whatever
trouble may be brewing involving T'bay." There's a good grin there, wry.

T'bay shakes his head vehemently in the negative, "Nono, he is not. He's
part of the trouble, see? Don't listen to his denial." Badge firmly clasped
in hand, the youth even dares to approach the ice, so confident is he.
Stepping past the crunched up edges brings him to a smoother part, and he
glides forward in a straight line with no sign of stopping, though he at
least moves very very slowly. "I'm just glad you're all right," he tells
Emilly. "Yeah, I sure was surprised--and right, I'll try. No more ma'aming.
Or maiming, for that matter." This last, fittingly, to Kassima.

"Well we do try and allocate people to the wing they'll be most happy - and
most use in," Yselle tells V'lano, "So, when you're tapped, yes would be
much more appreciated than no." She turns to skate T'baywards, offering a
hand to the newly tapped rider, "I really don't want to know what you two
might or might not have been getting up to," she says. If their hands
connect, her momentum may be enough to spin T'bay around. Certainly, she'll
lean in towards him and say something quietly to the brownrider.

"Thankee," says Kassi to Yselle, flicking a brief smile. "I do try... wait,
I have wings?" She'd skated a couple of steps out; she skids to a neat halt
and tries to flap her arms experimentally without falling over. She
manages. She does not, however, take off. "Defective wings," she mourns. "I
cry foul. --Oh, well, Lyss, I know I've *yours*." Her smile is for her
dragon now, and warm. "Methinks you're *allowed* t'refuse," she says of the
other matter. "But what would happen t'you after? Haven't a guess. You
won't fly supply forever, though," she adds more softly, not pitched quite
so much to carry. "Why, I mean you and him, a'course. Since you and he are
responsible for That Song, as surely you'd nay deny, and thus must
surely--just as he says!--be a part of any *future* melodic troubles. Need
a hand?" She's glided out far enough, now, to offer one, and looks back
over her shoulder to cast T'bay an impish grin. "Awww. Nay maiming at
*all*? What fun is that, O Wingmate?"

Emilly laughs and nods Kassiwards. "Metaphoric wings of the wingleader,"
she says, smiling at the older greenrider fondly. She watches Yselle skate
over to fetch T'bay, and perhaps it's because she's a bit more sore than
she let on, she doesn't follow. Rather she stays in place, hands finding
pockets and delving into them in search of warmth. "Feeling better on your
feet V'lano?" she offers over and then nods as Kassi offers him a hand. "I
might be up for a race again in a bit, but not right away Kassi," she
notes. "I did just get the wind knocked out of me." Her head tips back then
and she looks up at the clear sky, pricked with stars, sniffs the windy
night air.

"Mm," replies V'lano, though to what it's hard to say. Once the other
skaters have gone past him he works at daring a shimmying slide forward on
the ice, but gratefully plants a hand on Kassima's when it's offered.
Cheered by having something to not fall down against, he taunts, "Bring him
over here! I need to congratulate him -properly.-" He tosses out a hand
flat-palmed - the one he's not using to cling to the wingleader with, of
course - in a faintly threatening slappy gesture, as if T'bay might not
like whatever congratulation's coming to him. Of course, if the other
greenriders have him in hand, what choice has he got? The bronzer grins,
semi-wicked.

"Sure you can visit," T'bay warmly invites with a glint in his eye. "I'd
love the help cleaning whatever might be there to be cleaned. Maybe have a
ledge warming party or something, sucker you all into cleanup crew work,
you know the drill." Belatedly, he seems to realize, "This means I leave my
painted paradise?" A sniffle, though it is probably the cold and snow that
spurs it. "I might have to maim someone after all," he jests. "But
seriously, thanks for the well wishes, everyone. I'll miss Icewind, 'tis
true, but I won't miss dawn drills, right, o evil one?"

"On such wings 'tis very difficult t'fly," says Kassi with a moment's true
wryness. "But one can always try regardless. 'Tis all right, Em--in fact,
if'n you'd rather wait for another night, 'tis all right. But 'twill take
you up on it eventually! Mark me! We shall leave the poor ice smoking and
sizzling in our wake!" Pause. "Which sounds like 'twould lead to us falling
to our drownings fair shortly." She closes her fingers around V'lano's with
a grin made the more mischievous for his threats; says to both men, "Just
so long as this doesn't lead t'bloodshed! It might get on me, and d'you
have any idea how long it takes t'wash blood out of m'hair? Really now.
Aye, you'll have a ledge above the Southern Bowl with us, and you're in
luck, O Evil-Protege-To-Be: drills are in the afternoon tomorrow. I can put
you on dawn sweeps with L'cher though, if'n you feel deprived."

Emilly grins T'baywards. "If you need help cleaning, I'm happy to help. I
like making things clean and right now is a good time to ask anyway,
because I have a very sharp eye for clean," she notes and rests a finger
alongside her nose for a moment as if sighting down along it. "As for dawn
drills ... don't you keep those up Kassi? Even with only arms for wings?"
she winks. "Mmm ... I can come back again, certainly," she says easily then
snorts. "L'cher. Tsk Kassi."

"Need a hand over to your wingleader?" Yselle asks T'bay, her demeanour
once again distracted. "Oh huh, yeah, well, we'll see what we can manage,
it can wait, though, you'll be busy for a bit, I think, settling in. And
Kassima will uh.. yes, L'cher, watch out for him." She glances back at
Emilly and V'lano and Kassima. "Or would you rather stay here?"

"No bloodshed," V'lano agrees, though a brow ticks upward at the suggestion
and he drops the hand back to his side, looking toward his onetime
travelmate with a grin that's starting to turn weird. "Uh, or don't," he
suggests, "Because, you know, I suppose it could be unpleasant. But
congratulations." There's more enthusiasm in this, his hand upraised
briefly in a snappy mock-salute like children might play at in pretend -
formal, highly respectful, and entirely wrong. "Someone else'll have to
move in! Maybe I could take it over. I hear the floor's not more up at one
end than the other."

T'bay puts one foot out sideways, putting the blade of the skate at an
angle so it carries him around in a slow circle so he's facing the others
again. "Hey, not so bad. Ice is holding, even. Good ice." He reaches out
his hands, as he has at last glided to a stopping point, and nods. "A hand,
please. Oh, wonderful. At least for a start. I need help with decor and
cleanup...I'm not very creative at either, and a pile in the corner will
only cover up so much, you know?--Afternoon drills, please! I need my
beauty sleep far more than L'cher!"

Kassima darts a thoughtful glance Emilly's way. "You're feeling
particularly inclined towards cleaning just now? Oh, we do, but nay every
day. The time varies. Dawn, midmorning, noon, afternoon, evening; any time
of day Thread might fall, we drill. Nay set pattern to when. I post the
schedule along with the duty roster. Hey, he has t'ride sweeps with L'cher
sometime! We all do. Can't trust the man alone," she explains for those who
have not yet made his august acquaintance. "He invariably knocks up
Holders' daughters when he's nay being watched. Probably would when he
*was* being watched if'n he could get away with it, the pervert." She
doesn't miss the oddness of V'lano's grin, and it's a pair of visibly
concerned green eyes that rest on him awhile. "You'd prefer the painted
weyr?" This amuses her. "I'd wager it does lack certain difficulties.
'Twill help in furniture-searching if'n you need, T'bay, though m'tastes
might be suspect. Hah! Well, I do agree that he doesn't need his at least.
If'n he gets any more appealing there'll be nay stopping his spawn from
overtaking the world."

V'lano senses Kassima asks in a very low voice, for your ears alone, "Is it
nay being tapped yet that bothers you so? Or is it something else?
A'course, you don't have t'answer, since I'm arguably being terribly nosy
t'ask it."

Emilly beams now. "Well ... decor I -can- do ... right Yselle? Fabrics and
sewing and so on. Definitely," she says, quite gaily. She nods once Kassi's
way. "Won't be back this way for a seven-day or so Kassi, really, now that
I think about it. So that race'll have to wait." After staying still so
long, she pushes off into motion again, trying out skating backwards, feet
doing a sort of in and out thing that makes her look like she's doing a
backwards conga. "It's a good thing yes, that he's -not- appealing at all.
Because the appetite on that man would put certain bronzeriders to shame."

Yselle laughs at T'bay, "Come on," she says, taking his hand, and attempts
to guide him over to the others. "Yes, Em and Kassi are definitely your
friends, with weyr decorating. Me, I'll show you some nifty flying, but I'm
afraid that's where my talents end." In the distance, a redheaded rider
appears, making wild 'come here' movements. Catching sight of him, Yselle
snorts, mutters, "Oh /now/ it's an emergency," and releases T'bay's hand,
"Congratulations again, and..." with an amused look at Kassima, "May
Faranth have mercy on you. - Tel's got some emergency going on, he'll be a
complete pest if I don't go find out what it is," and disengaging, she
shoots off back to the shore, and just because she /can/, jumps up, and
spins mid-air, landing on one leg and gliding to the shoreline. Show off.
In the distance, T'van yells, "I can do better than /that/! Come on Yssy!"
The greenrider rolls her eyes, trudges off the ice, and retrieves her
boots, unlacing them slowly, despite the nagging bluerider. "Faranth help
you if you ever need to do anything on your /own/," she tells him. But
T'van's looking over at Emilly, not her, and makes a kind of odd sign to
the woman, only then leaning down to nag at Yselle again. Eventually the
two of them manage to leave, with the bluerider chattering away in full
force, and sending Emilly occasional looks back.

You sense V'lano sighs a pressed, thin sigh. "Of course that bothers me.
But it puts me on edge, and I act bizarre with everyone, and that's far
worse than any kind of anxiety about a wing assigment. I can hardly talk to
Claret, never mind Breena, and now - " A shrug, very tight in its
expression, accompanies a soft squeeze of the fingers to which he holds
steady. "I'm all right."

"I've told him before all he has to do is close his eyes," V'lano explains
with no small amount of merriment, though he sort of blinks at the
explanation of L'cher's behaviour and Emilly's reflection on it - never
mind Yselle's abrupt departure, though he manages a grin and a wave for
Tel's appearance. And then, because he can't apparently resist digging in,
"Well, I'll start keeping a tally of T'bay's spawn, then."

T'bay keeps one hand tightly gripping the gifted badge, his other settling
comfortably in Yselle's hand. "Hey, I don't mind the help with decorating.
I'll miss the old place sorely, unlike some of my fellows, I'd imagine. Oh,
on flying--Sarevith claims Dianneth's the cause of all this stunt work,
and--Tel? No fair taking my guide away!" he shouts after the bluerider.
Alas, too late. "My spawn? I'm not having any spawn. Oh no. Not me. You,
you can spawn. That'd be okay. Nor am I really excited about L'cher sitting
duty, but whatever the 'leader feels is just, eh? Man, my backside is
sore," he gives in to a careful prod at the bones in one hip. "I landed
hard. Good thing snow is soft and fluffy."

Emilly waves Yselle's way and blinks a few times at the gesturing and
waving and looking from T'van. She just nods and smiles. Then laughs at
V'lano's remark. "A spawn tally. He and Is can compete," she says dryly and
turns her blade to start skating forward again and holds hands out to
T'bay. "Here ... I'll sub in if you like. And just don't drink the klah
here, to avoid spawn."

V'lano senses Kassima murmurs sotto voce, "I don't know that you've been so
very bizarre... Claret; is that because of what happened with Ys, or--? And
Breena." Pause. "I did intend t'ask you at some point how things are with
you and her. But later, I think." Her fingers curl around yours, warm. "So
long as you stay that way. And let me know if'n there's aught I can do to
aid."

Kassima's nod is not surprised, and is definitely understanding. "Nay
problem, Em. She's nay... bothered... now, is she?" With a vague gesture
from her free hand that, somehow, is meant to indicate 'bothered.' "Faranth
may have mercy," she pipes cheerfully at Ys's statement, "but I may nay! I
speak in jest, though. Mostly. Clear skies, Ys, and dream sweet when you
do--" She waves after the greenrider, and chortles at V'lano's salvo. "He's
a Thunderbolt rider now, so that's only fitting. We are the Spawning Wing."
A firm nod. "Just you wait, T'bay. Someday you'll look up and have nine or
ten, more like than nay, and... I might spare you L'cher *tomorrow*. Out of
the goodness of m'heart. The Water, Em! 'Tis the Water! Though Water's in
klah too, so you do have a point."

T'van pokes his tongue out at T'bay for the yelling and calls back, "Nah
nah," oh how nice. As he vanishes with Yselle, she can be seen giving him a
good clip on the ear.

Yselle heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering
lake.

V'lano nods a little sideways at Kassima, as if acquiescing to some
unspoken request, then uncurls his hand from his to lift a wave to his
holdmate. "I could help move things," he notes, a little quieter than he'd
intended, breath steamy on the chill air. "Volath's good for a lift or two.
No good for decorating, but you knew that."

"K'lah? Oh dear. Not the klah's tainted too?" A worried face, his arm held
out for guidance. "Maybe I'd best in and enjoy a soak in the baths while I
can still walk. You might try the same, unless you're of heartier folk than
I.--Nine or ten?" Choke, cough sputter. "I'll leave that to I'sai. Really.
He can have Roberta, too." So generous is he! "Oh, Vel. I'd love you
visiting. You could even stay over, if it isn't a tippy place. Or maybe you
could, as you suggested, take the painted paradise? Then I could visit if I
can't sleep, you know?" Skate, glide, slow motions across the ice continue
after Yselle's departure, some perhaps with Emilly's aid.

Emilly shakes her head once for Kassi. "I wouldn't have come if she were,"
she says simply. "And the water ... right, sorry ... I guess it's been too
long since we all sat around watching for people to try a glass of water
instead of klah or tea or wine." She does in fact help T'bay along if he
allows, encouraging gently. "Don't let that foot trail behind," she notes
helpfully. "You might catch the back blade." There's laughter again at
mention of I'sai's ... brood. "Don't worry T'bay ... Sarevith would have to
catch a lot of greens and be interested in a lot of others besides to get
up that high I think."

"What, you mean he doesn't have opinions on your furniture?" Kassi asks
V'lano in mock-surprise. "I guess I've never heard you hint at that. Naught
like Daikoth wanting gilded-everything. What about Sarevith, though? Will
he miss the face? Should a new one be painted?" One of her wicked grins is
her wordless answer for 'nine or ten,' along with a waggle of brows and a
slight, amused choke for the notion of Roberta. "All Water is suspect," she
intones. "But some Water is more suspect than other. Enjoy your soak, heya,
Wingmate-mine? 'Twill see you in the Bowl for drills on the morrow. And,"
she says with a warmer smile, "felicitations again. Thankee again, for
accepting." She turns slightly towards Emilly with a vigorous nod. "I
didn't think you'd have come if'n you'd known she were," she agrees
hastily. "You aren't the sort. We'll have t'watch again sometime soon, Em.
Mayhaps we can spike Pierron's klah with the real stuff from Benden and see
if'n there are little tubers running about in a few months."

"Uh, sure," V'lano grins toward his old traveling buddy, "But I think you'd
probably rather settle in. 'Less you want to stay up all night trading
gossip." He lowers his voice and sneaks a sideways look at Kassima very
intentionally and adds, "Which could probably take 'til that dawn drill
you're not doing." He wobbles a few skatey steps across the ice toward
shore, even daring to half-turn at one point to direct more, uh, directly
at T'bay, "Besides, I can keep you from starting in on that spawning
business by taking up any space your lady visitors might want."

T'bay pulls his foot forward as instructed, and does his best to keep his
blades lined up so he doesn't pull his helpful guide over. "Thanks. I don't
know why, but I always lead with the other foot, which does no good for
turning, you know?--Ah, yes. I don't think Sarevith will have that happen,
though. He's not so hot on the strategy part, and is still working on
figuring out exactly what is going on." A slight wink for Kassima, only a
tinge of pinkness about the ears. "No water to drink. Only to soak in,
gotcha. I'll even be on time, and will check the posted list you mentioned.
Thank you much." A blink of sheer disbelief before he steps clear of his
helping hand and aims for shore, boots substituted for skates in a hurry.
"My lady visitors. You've guessed it, there's a line. But always room for
you. And your gossip."

Kassima doesn't set immediately for shore. She skates a pair of crossed
figure-eights first, long and narrow, and suggests dryly as she does, "Be
careful trying that tactic with Roberta. I can imagine her being quite
cheerful about finding two men instead of one, and trying t'talk you both
into donning I'sai masks or some such thing that's going t'give me
nightmares tonight. If'n my being good enough t'postpone his first dawn
drill is what allows you t'gossip, does that mean I'm entitled t'hear some
of the really juicy bits?" she asks hopefully as she finally does cut
towards shore. "Methinks it does. Or if'n it doesn't, it should. He'll
figure it out soon enough, T'bay." She returns that wink, though the grin
she directs towards him holds sympathy. "He didn't fly badly, y'know. None
of 'em did. 'Twas a chase worthy of m'lady, which you know I'd nay say
lightly. You are very welcome."

Emilly nods at T'bay's words. "It's natural to want to lead off with the
foot that's dominant, like with the hand you write with," she notes and
grins, friendly-like. "As for flights, he'll get there someday T'bay, so
... avoid the water, yep," she grins and waves as he steps off. She does
another smooth glide around the lake and calls after him. "Enjoy the soak
... and the new weyr. Hope to see you soon."

V'lano exhales a groan, as he steps shakily onto the ground and off the
lake, at the mention of Roberta; and a much louder one while stooping to
exchange his own skates for boots as I'sai's name gets added to the
vain-taken list. "We'll have to keep her from knowing where we are," he
decides, but then a horrid thought comes to him. "You better get a weyr a
ways from hers, T'bay, or you'll have no peace. Can you imagine. Lucky on
us all she Impressed like she did." Buckles are drawn tight on his boots
and skates thrown over his shoulder as he straightens. He blinks at Emilly,
smiles a bit haplessly, then blinks at T'bay: "Meet you later?"

T'bay blanches at Kassima's warning. "Right. I, ah, will do that. Thanks
for the sage advice." A grin back to Emilly, "Really? That's why I do that?
That makes so much more sense now!" Triumphant understanding, even in a
small flash of light. "Hope to see you as well," is more formal for their
visitor-and-former-aide before he nods to Vel. "No kidding. We'll have to
come up with some juicy bits to tell Kassima, though, 'k?" Before a wink is
tossed to the figure 8 skater on the ice, T'bay rises. "Yeah, definately.
We'll catch up." He gives the group a wave, then heads toward the bowl. "I
need to check on the troublemaker. He's probably been egged on by Dianneth,
if you'll pardon the pun." With that, another raised wave, badge still
clutched in hand, and he's off.

T'bay heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering lake.

Kassima hitches up onto her boulder once she's reached shore, but doesn't,
yet, remove the skates. She lets her blade-wearing legs dangle, as a child
might sitting on a chair too big for her. "Methinks you've recovered
marvellously from that blow, Em," she says, smiling. "Your skating looks
good." She's trying not to snicker at the groans, she really is. Maybe not
succeeding, but trying. Sage as she is, she nods most sagely to T'bay and
says with much solemnity, "Don't mention it. M'pleasure t'serve, such as
'tis. And you'll definitely need t'come up with juicy bits!" she calls
after as he departs, though she's trying not to laugh at the same time, and
so it may not carry well over the wind.

Emilly remains on the lake's surface, skating about, almost as if possessed
by restless energy that still needs an outlet. "Thanks Kassi," she calls
over and turns, to do a bit more backward moving. Eventually though she
does turn her skates towards the shore and stomps over to her hummock where
she begins the unlacking process and collects the other pairs of borrowed
skates, cleaning the blades meticulously and putting them back in the sack
they came from. She sits there then, picking lint, very attentively off the
sack and sneaks a look over at Sionath, who seems to be blissfully ignorant
of her rider's inspection, half buried in snow at this point so her hide
isn't readily seen.

"Ugh. Now that, I'd like to see." V'lano shakes his head and turns around
once he's got solid footing again to call out, "Thank you for the help,
Kassi." He blinks at himself, then, mouth hanging a little bit open as
though he's startled that her name ended there, in the middle, without that
last bit that it's supposed to have on it; nevertheless, the last syllable
just won't come out, so he fixes his jaw up and shuts his gaw. A cough,
stifled in his throat, and then, "And you, Emilly, ma'am. Maybe a hot soak
for the ribs? Good night, you both." After that, he scoops up his discarded
long-coat and traipses off through the frost toward the bowl.

V'lano heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering
lake.