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Give Us a Kiss!


Date:  September 11, 2003
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:  You know, you'd think by this point Kassi would know
better than to make rash bargains with blueriders.  Particularly
lecherous blueriders, regardless of how well-behaved they're being at
the time of the bargaining.  But Kassi's always been resistant to 
such important life lessons if nothing else--and as a result, T'van
gets a kiss, Yselle gets disgusted, and Kassi gets to explain why
the bluerider just can't get her pregnant, sorry. ;)

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The Log:

Dianneth flies in from above.

Yselle swings down from Dianneth's neckridges, and slides down her side.

Goodness only knows why Kassima's out here at this time of night. It's not
to ice-skate, for once; there aren't even any skates in evidence, nor any
other unusual apparati. She's simply seated atop her favorite boulder, legs
tucked up so that her chin can rest on her knees and her crimson-edged
black cloak drawn about her person as if it were an oddly-shaped quilt.
Lysseth, decidedly the saner half of the pair, has decided to drowse in the
snowbanks that edge the ice-rimed Lake until her rider decides to go back
to the wonderful world of warmth.

High above, a kelly green dragon plummets down from a ledge, arcing
gracefully through the air, and then circling the bowl in lazy,
ever-tightening arcs, and finally lands, with the maximum of flourish, and
the minimum of dust-kicking, upon the sand near the lake. The cold of the
night seems not to bother her at all, although her rider is well rugged-up.
Yselle slides down, looking around the beach with a fair amount of
satisfaction and then rummaging in her saddle packs, bringing out some
skates. She's /grinning/. "Just as I suspected," she says. More rummaging
in her pack produces several glow-baskets, which she starts placing, and
opening, at intervals around the lake. Eventually, she's close enough to
spy Kassima, and she grins. "Hey Kassima," she calls. "Oh, hm, by the way,
we're about to be invaded."

Kassima would ordinarily call a greeting as soon as Yselle was in range;
and in fact, she starts to do so... but when the other greenrider starts
pulling out glowbaskets, she pauses, watching with mouth still open a
fraction. "Should I even ask?" she says once the baskets have been set,
arching cheerfully bemused brows at Ys. "Or should I just run and hide, or
duck and cover, or some such evasive maneuver right now?"

"That depends on whether you want to deal with Tel in full annoyance... oh
too late," Yselle mutters. Another dragon plummets down, Feanth's landing
nowhere near as elegant as Dianneth's. His dismount is every bit as quick
as Yselle's, and for a moment he's distracted by the glows. "Hey, looks
spooky, Ys," he says approvingly. "Let's tell ghost stories and... oh hey,
who's that over there?" he spies Kassima on the boulder, and /grins/,
sauntering over there and wheedling "Kaaaaaaassie."

"That would be a cue t'hide indeed," Kassi comments, but she doesn't seem
as alarmed as entertained--the more fool she. "What's he on about now, that
has t'do with baskets in the snow? He hasn't talked you into sleeping with
him out here under the glowlight, has he? Because from what L'cher's told
me, sex in the snow is terribly overrated--" She's in good spirits,
apparently, to make such a crack, something which may be about to serve her
in good stead since it should make patience easier. A comically exaggerated
'uh-oh' expression crosses her face at the approach of the Great Wheedler.
"Heyla, T'van. Y'know, methinks I hear Kisai conveniently calling me...."

"Sleep with him in the snow?" Yselle shudders, and adds, as a warning,
"He's been looking for you," heading to the edge of the lake, once the
baskets are distributed, and pulling off her boots, to replace them with
the skates. "Yes!" T'van crows, heading to that boulder, and reaching out a
hand to her. "I've been thinking about you," he says, in a wheedling tone.
"Guess what?" he bats his eyelashes at her.

Kassima mutters, with a rueful grimace as exaggerated as the earlier look
was, "I fear I know why." However, she can't be *that* distressed. It's not
like she's running. Trying to keep from laughing, yes; running, no. "I'm...
uh... flattered that you'd think of me, T'van. I think. What?"

Yselle laces up her shoes; keeping her face carefully averted, although her
shoulders are shaking. "I've been /such/ a good boy," T'van crows, gazing
up at Kassima with his best angelic expression, which is actually a very
good attempt. "And you owe me something, I've waited /very/ patiently."

Kassima widens her eyes in an expression of surprised innocence. "*Do* I?
Hmmm. Let me think. I seem t'recall... oh, aye, I said something about
giving you a peck on the cheek if'n Yselle didn't, as a reward for behaving
yourself. Are you saying Ys never ever said a proper thank-you?" The
younger greenrider gets a look that might succeed better at being stern if
the eyes that give it weren't sparkling quite so much.

Fortunately for Yselle, she's laughing so hard that she can't look over
right now. She's even having trouble tying up her boots. "The /cheek/!"
T'van looks wounded. "You never said a /cheek/ Kassie, you said a /kiss/.
I've been dreaming about it ever since. I was so good. I even kept her away
from T'man." Yselle, finally making her fingers do what she wants them to
hastily gets up and edges over to the lake on her skates. "I was extra good
Kassie," T'van continues. "I think I deserve /two/ kisses."

"Oh, but I did! I said that if'n Ys didn't kiss you, I might, if'n only on
the cheek. I recall it clearly." Kassi tilts her head up in a
prim-and-proper pose. "...Still. If'n 'twere very, very, *very* good, I
*suppose* I might give you *one* kiss. One. What say you, Ys? Was he very,
very, very good? Or only a little good?"

Skating a little closer, Yselle, laughing, says "T'van was absolutely
wonderful. He even refused a thank you kiss. Said he'd got a better offer."
T'van puffs up like a peacock and says "See? Even /Ys/ says I was good. And
she'd know. You know Kass," this is in a lower, conspiratorial tone "I'd
bring out one of my /special/ kisses for /you/."

Kassima's brows slant upwards. "I don't know, T'van; *refusing* her
thank-you kiss would seem t'be going against the spirit if'n nay the letter
of our bargain, wouldn't it? Shame! Shame!" She makes a show of shaking her
index finger at him. Somehow, this just completely fails to be threatening.
"One of your special kisses? You don't say. What's so special about it?"

"I've already kissed /her/," T'van whimpers. "I want to kiss /you/. You're
so beautiful Kassi, and I've dreamt about you for /so/ long." As for her
query, he says, with a cheeky grin "Well since you ask, I'll show you."

"Oh /brother/," Yselle murmurs, close enough to hear all of this. Her
skating's quite good, as it happens; she's even doing some loops and turns,
and skating backwards to watch them, often in the shadows, but now and
then, skating into the circles of glowlight.

"Why do I believe that absolutely nay 'tall? Or rather, why do I believe
you haven't dreamt about me any more than you dream of everyone in this
entire Weyr?" Kassi asks; it may be a rhetorical question. "But since I can
see 'twill give me absolutely nay peace... and since you *did* do Yselle
such a kind service... and since 'twould, after all, nay benefit me for
word t'get out that I don't keep my bargains... you may show me. Just
once!" Yselle gets a look that says, clearer than spoken words, 'I can't
*believe* I'm going along with this.'

Yselle laughs, and calls out over the lake, "I survived it," which perhaps
isn't the greatest recommendation a guy could /have/ for his kisses. T'van,
ignoring her completely says, his face alight with smug satisfaction,
"Shall I climb the boulder, or would you do me the honour of joining me here?"

Kassima chews at her lower lip with entirely more gravity and mock-concern
than the situation requires. "Survived it? Is it so perilous, then? Mayhaps
something I'd do better t'avoid in m'delicate condition? After all, T'van,
you surely wouldn't want t'be *endangering* me...." She does a pretty good
plaintive voice when she's trying. "'Twill come on down," she says, and
swings about to do so, the hem of her cloak trailing across the rock's cold
surface. "We'd have t'be awfully cozy on the boulder."

If she doesn't stop him, T'van reaches out to help Kassima down, although
he's easily enough nudged away. "You know," he murmurs right up close "we
could always arrange a more delicate condition for you." Subtle, so subtle.
"I'd /love/ to be cosy with you Kassie, but I can think of much more
comfortable places for it than the boulder." Yselle skates further away, to
indulge her laughter at the distant edge of the lake. Dianneth snorts /her/
feelings on all of this, Feanth merely watches rather smugly.

Kassima accepts the hand, though, the surest sign yet that however much she
might protest she doesn't *really* mind all this silliness. "Too late for
that, T'van," she answers, so-sweetly. "Someone's beaten you to it. You'll
just have t'be making do with a kiss. Out here. Standing up. Nay cozier
than that." One of Lysseth's eyes shines blue as she opens the two outer
lids, but apparently she doesn't deem this a good moment to wake up. With a
snort to echo Dianneth's, she returns to her dream.

T'van pouts outrageously. "You didn't have to find someone /else/, Kassie,
all you had to do was ask," or say, not run away fast enough. "Who was it?
Besides, I have /gorgeous/ children. Have you met my son?" Yselle, mid
pirouette, smiles warmly, even skating facing them for a while to meet
T'van's smile with a warm one of her own. "Still, we could practice for the
next time?" he'll slide an arm around her, if she lets him,

"I'm sure 'tis so, T'van, but you'll have t'forgive me if'n I'm nay too
repentant. Kisai's a lovely child too, and I'm sure any full sib of hers
will have t'be beyond magnificent." Kassi's serenity itself in this answer,
with a hint of the sweetness still present. She does allow the arm, but is
prompt to remind, "*Just* a kiss, T'van. 'Tis what I promised and what I'll
be giving, but don't you get any ideas about you and I sleeping together in
the snow! Or anywhere else!"

"Why sleep in the snow?" T'van's voice is oh so innocent, but his eyes are
full of mischief. He steps closer, and murmurs "You're beautiful, Kassie,"
in a low voice, and then he leans forward to kiss her. His intention is for
the kiss to be long, sweet, deep and very prolonged, with the greenrider
pulled tightly against him, and his hand stroking her braided hair; in
short he'll take it as far as she'll let him, and hey, it's obvious that
he's not just boasting about all that practice.

Kassima has to smile at the compliment, with sincere pleasure for hearing
it rather than out of impishness for once. Not that it'd have a chance to
last long either way. Call it personal pride in fulfilling her bargains;
call it sheer perversity; call it her perhaps trying to provide a lesson in
being careful what one wishes for, but she actually returns the kiss in
full measure--and prudish for a greenrider or not, she's had several Turns
and many flights to hone this particular art. And after all, who *wouldn't*
want to find out whether they can kiss even such a lecherous bluerider
breathless before the steam manages to melt the nearby Lake?

T'van's a brave soul, clearly he's got no objections to being kissed
breathless, especially if he gets to return the favour. Given such
encouragement, he'll attempt a few more liberties involving Kassima's
person, holding her tighter against him, reaching to tug at her clothes in
a suggestive manner. Over on the lake, Yselle stops her skating for a
moment, just observing. Her mouth tugs wryly, then she skates into the
darkness.

The clothes-tugging is Kassi's signal to disengage, or try to; she doesn't
encourage the poor man with a knee where it counts--yet--but she does step
firmly backwards. She draws in a deep breath or two through her nose before
speaking, the better to sound perfectly normal rather than breathless: "I
take it that you'll nay be complaining I didn't fulfill the bargain now?"
She still seems amused more than anything, all the moreso when she adds
more loudly so as to carry, "Goodness, methinks we've nauseated Yselle.
She's probably gone off t'gag."

"She's jealous," T'van asserts smugly; he makes no attempt to hide /his/
breathlessness, his pinkened cheeks, or his disappointment that the kiss is
all over. "I wouldn't /dream/ of complaining," he adds, grinning winsomely
at her. "Feanth and I are going to chase /very/ hard next time Lysseth
rises, unless..." he tries to keep her gaze to him "you ever decide to
change your mind and invite us up anyway." Yselle skates back in their
direction after some time and says "I hope you're going to talk about
something /else/ now Tel."

"He's certes welcome t'chase as hard as he likes, but I doubt 'twill be
laying marks on his winning, T'van!" Kassi replies, pert and more teasing
than taunting. "Nor on m'changing m'mind. But if'n you want t'keep
dreaming, why, by all means have at. Just have mercy on poor Ys. It sounds
like she's dreadfully bored. Did he really talk about that all the time, Ys?"

"Mostly," Yselle says. "Mostly he was suggesting you'd be so overcome by
his prowess that there'd be another little T'van running around." T'van
grins at her and says "Next time. You know, Ys, /Levarn/ could always have
a full sibling." Yselle makes gagging noises. "Thanks Tel. I'll remember
that."

Kassima snorts outright, shaking her head as she swings back up onto her
boulder perch. "Even if'n that weren't currently impossible, I don't think
'twould ever be a worry. Nay offense, T'van. Did you happen t'bet against
it, Ys? Will you win marks from him being proven wrong? That'd be
hilarious." But maybe not as hilarious as those gagging noises, which cause
Kassi to duck her head so that the laughter that shakes her shoulders will
be a trifle less obvious.

Yselle grins at Kassima, "Tel won't take bets like that from me." He heads
over to Feanth muttering "last time I say no to /you/ when you're proddy,"
in a tone meant to be audible. He's rummaging through his saddlepacks now,
and all sorts of odd things fall out before he produces his skates. "Hey
Kassima, congratulations," Yselle says. "It doesn't seem that long since
Kaswyn was born." Her tone is more sombre now.

"Wise man," Kassi observes, "but 'tis a pity for you. I'm sorry if'n I got
in the way of your skating," she adds, apologetic for the belated
realization. "You seem good at it, from what I saw... oh, but thankee, most
kindly. And nay, it really doesn't. Nor has it been long. Only a Turn and
four months old he is... I didn't even think I might end up pregnant again
so quickly." Her smile shades towards sheepish, but there's a genuine
delight behind it. "Nay that I'm complaining a whit."

"It's worth it to stop him harping on about it. We used to skate all the
time as kids," Yselle says. T'van shoves the odds and ends untidily back
into his saddlepacks and joins them on the shore. "Yes, it must be nice,"
Yselle murmurs wistfully. "Remember I offered," Tel butts in. "Yeah, I
heard you," Yselle reminds him. "Tie up your skates tightly this time. I
don't want you breaking an ankle again." "Once, he murmurs. "/Once/ I did
that."

Kassima's mouth curves in a rueful smile. "I'm sorry you aren't," she
murmurs, more for Yselle's ears alone, "if'n you wanted t'be. There's still
time...." She trails off there, perhaps not really believing that
platitudes will be helpful whether or not they're true. "That would be
explaining it. I only learned after Impression, m'self, so I've never been
as good at it as some--he broke his ankle? Oh, ow. Ow ow ow."

Yselle shrugs ruefully. "I suppose so," she murmurs, just as quietly, Tel
leans forward and says. "What are you two talking about?" nosily. Then,
distracted "I only broke it a /little/. I'm a wonderful skater," he says,
with no modesty whatsoever. "Ys and I have been practicing for turns. Come
/on/, Ys let's show her. She'll see what a talented guy she's missing out
on." He stands, tugging her along, and after a little cajoling, she laughs,
and they skate together in what is obviously a routine they've practiced so
long it's effortless. Tel grins, winks at Kassima, and they skate off into
the darkness.