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Better Living Through Bribery


Date:  August 6, 2003
Place:  Telgar Weyr Living Cavern
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  Well, it worked once *before*....  Under this reasoning,
Kassima decides to see if she can play the same prank on Taylin that 
she did on Javi--and lo, she meets with success!  It's gotta be the
Luck of the Evil.  Taylin ends up with a Thunderbolt Wing patch, and
Kisai probably ends up with a new riding jacket courtesy of her 
mother's continued absolute lack of shame.  Many thanks are due to 
both Javi and Taylin for putting up with this particular tapping 
arc; I had a blast, both times, and it's great to have you with us
in Thunderbolt! :)

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The Log:

You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.

Pierron humphs thoughtfully as the Wingleader of Thunderbolt arrives.

Taylin sits curled up at a quiet table off to one side of the living
caverns sipping a mug of something or other while playing quietly with the
lighter of her two pets.

Kassima's tread is unusually heavy--and damp--as she meanders in from the
Lower Caverns, which is most likely the fault of whatever idiot impulse led
her to think letting her nine-Turn-old daughter sit on her shoulders was a
good idea. Said nine-Turn-old has her arms wrapped around the towel-turban
that's protecting the floor from drips from Kassi's wet hair, and since
this isn't that steady a support, Kassi's also holding onto her legs. And
singing, cheerfully. "They will tan your hide for shoes! Boil your fat to
grease their stews! Singing chanties t'your groans, playing pipes of
hollowed bones--" Kisai giggles madly at this like the little psychopath
she is, and offers Taylin a wave as her mother troops her on over to the
table full of food. "Heyla, lady!"

[Editor's Note:  Credit goes to Heather Alexander for the lyrics
to 'Gruagach!' which Kassi is borrowing here. :) ]

Taylin looks up and chokes back a laugh at the sight of the twosome "Looks
like you've been having some fun Kassima" shaking her head slightly as
Precious climpbe from the womans chest to the top of her head watching this
all with openly curious eyes.

"One could be saying that," Kassi breaks off her song to amiably agree, and
gives Kisai's right leg a tug. "Down, kiddo, a'fore m'back completely
breaks and I end up squishing you when I collapse. Pierron wouldn't like so
much gore in his nice, clean Cavern." Kisai rolls her eyes at the threat,
but scrambles down with some help from the greenrider and drifts towards a
section of the food table more sweetener-intensive than the one her
mother's chosen. "'Tis one of m'favorite kidlet-songs, that one. And one of
Kisai's. Which probably explains a lot about us... g'deve t'you, and why
d'you have an animal on your head?"

Taylin rolls her eyes upward with a grin "Oh thats Precious, a gift for
graduation from my brother. Well her along with the other one that i"ve
named Shadow." nodding at the songs explanation "I like it, I shall have to
remember it."

Kassima offers as she pokes at a slab of yellowtail with a fork, "I could
be teaching you the words sometime. 'Tis a song I should have been teaching
the Candidates, anyway, for tradition's sake, since 'tis about Slithereth
and his sons. Do they nay get in the food or aught, having 'em out here? I
don't think Kris ever brought Kirri out. A'course, Kirri, she wasn't ever
what I'd consider well-behaved." Apparently the fish is satisfactory, since
Kassi scoops the slice onto her plate and sets a couple of pieces of banana
bread beside it. She finds a place to settle in with this bounty. "But I'm
reminded, speaking of graduation. Didn't we have unfinished business? A
matter of a riding jacket in exchange for information?"

Taylin rubs her chin as a thought creases her forehead "Ah yes, bribing you
for info on which wing was going to tap us, right?"

Kassima nods brightly to this. Kisai rejoins her mother just in time to
catch the line of conversation; the look she gives Kassi manages somehow to
commingle amusement, admiration, and disgust in that way small children
can. "Exactly so," the greenrider confirms while nudging the chair next to
her out in invitation for Kiss to sit. "If'n you still wanted t'be agreeing
to the deal, that is. I must say, I really should've tumbled on to this
idea earlier; you should've seen the earbobs I got from one of your
clutchmates."

Taylin rubs her chin once more "Aye I've still got that set of black ones
that just need some slight adjustments to fit anyone." reaching upward and
snaging the ferret kit off her head "It's a nice set the leather is a bit
stiff from never being worn before but they'd make great wearings for
proddy time."

Kassima narrowly avoids choking on a bite of banana bread. Kisai, fortunate
enough not to have a mouthful of food at the time, snickers openly. "--Ah,
aye," the woman replies after clearing her throat with a gulp of citron.
"Black. Proddy time. Right. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if'n you've
heard about that quirk--d'you think they could fit the minxlet here?" She
ruffles Kisai's black hair to indicate which minxlet she means. "Bloody
child *keeps* outgrowing everything, so 'twould be well if'n I could get a
jacket for her that she'd be set with for a time."

Taylin eyes the girl with a critical eye "Aye it might, it'll be a little
big for a time but it would keep her warm and dry."

The rueful look Kisai gives her mother probably has much to do with the way
even the clothes she's wearing now are sized too large, obviously meant to
be grown into, but if Kassima notices it she gives no sign. "Splendid! That
sounds like an excellent dealing, then--shall we shake on it? And after we
do, 'twill be telling you what you want t'know. Which I'm assuming is what
Wing you'll be going into."

Taylin nods and offers out a hand to shake "I'll retrieve the coat from the
barracks and have a drudge bring it to your weyr later on if thats okay
with you."

"That's fine," Kassi assures, taking the proffered hand and shaking firmly
once. "Or just be asking Maidil t'bring it up if'n you see her. She's on
errand duty for the whole lot of us for the next three days--Thunderbolt, I
mean--after a wee incident in drills; 'tis a long story. Well, then, with
that settled...." Withdrawing her hand, the greenrider nudges her plate
over a bit so that she can fold her hands on the table and straighten up in
her seat in the posture of someone about to impart something gravely
important. "'Tis m'honor-bound, bargain-bound duty t'inform you that you'll
have the fortune t'fly with the best Wing in the Weyr--the greatest, the
grandest, the most magnificent and splendid, the finest in performance, the
richest in skill, the one, the only--"

Kisai interrupts at this point to say through a mouthful of meatroll, "It's
Thunderbolt, of course. Mum's just into melodrama." This earns her a rather
dirty look from Kassi.

Taylin laughs at the little girl "Well then Me and Annarth would be highly
honored to serve in your wing Kassi." looking toward the bowl "Annarth says
he knew he was meant for the best wing."

Telgar Weyr> Yashira dance dance dances.

Kassima mock-grumbles, "I hadn't even gotten to the parts about us being
the ultimate and most supreme rulers of the skies yet--'twill take that out
of your hide later, kit." Funny, Kisai just giggles rather than seeming all
that worried. "--In more seriousness, the Weyrleader's given me the honor
of flying with you and all that; you do accept then? Oh, *good*." She holds
up a finger in a 'one moment' gesture, and flourishes her other hand,
appearing to pull a diamond-shaped Wing patch from midair. This she offers
to the young brownrider. "A'course he was. Shells, we couldn't be having
him in *Dawnslight* or *Skyfire* or something, could we now?" She gives a
quick wink, to make it clear she's jesting. "And by the by, you *can* keep
your jacket if'n you'd rather. I told Javi that about the earbobs too.
Since I did sort of trick you out of 'em."

Telgar Weyr> Kassima finds her polyester leisure suit and joins Yash on the
dance floor. Congrats to Taylin, the newest victim/member of Thunderbolt! ;)

Telgar Weyr> Yashira says, "Congrats, Taylin!"

Telgar Weyr> Taylin bows Thank YOu :)

[Editor's Note:  Taylin got disconnected at this point, so 
the scene ends here.]