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Rock Painting, Fruit Darts, and a Wherry Named Fritz


Date:  March 7, 1997
Places:  Benden Weyr Lake Shore and Living Cavern
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  'Twas the night before Hatching, and all through the 
Weyr....  At the time I started this, I was in a very RPing mood, but
nothing was going on.  I was determined to come up with something to do
that would hopefully involve the Candies, so, I decided to go with a 
wild flash and paint eggs.  I had no idea it would be a fairly popular 
idea, but I'm glad that it was. :)  Relevant knot-chat and at least one 
+rwho have been left in.  One last note:  though Pliarth did rise 
during the time this log was made, the actually greenflight isn't 
included.

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The Log:

Asrai heads over from the South Bowl.

Asrai comes striding down by the lake shore, "Kassi?" She says hesitantly. 
"Salless said you'd left word for me to come down with these?" She holds 
up two buckets of paint, one purple, the other pink by the dried bits 
around the top.

Kassima is sitting cross-legged on the Sands, in an old set of slacks and 
her usual psychadelic riding jacket. In front of her, you see an 
assemblage of thirty-one dull-colored, small, and vaguely egg-shaped 
rocks. One is held in her hand, as well. Beside her are several pots of 
paint: green, blue, yellow, red, white and every other color imaginable. 
Several small paintbrushes are scattered around. One is in her hand, its 
tip already dipped in yellow. "Asrai! Good, I was looking all over the 
place for those. Set 'em down by the others, won't you?"

Asrai sets down her two pots of paints, "Umm, sure." She watches Kassi for 
a moment before finally giving into her curiosity, "Umm, Kassi..I was 
just, umm, wondering...what exactly are you doing?" She wanders over till 
she is looking over Kassi's shoulder.

Kassima grins and sets down her yellow paintbrush, pickin up another and 
dipping it into the grey paintpot. "Painting," is her cheerful reply as 
she starts slathering grey over the stone she holds. This close, it's easy 
to see the pile of hides stacked by her left knee, the top of which is 
covered with a color drawing of the Lead Canopy Egg. "Painting eggs, to be 
precise; I got m'friend Miryenne to draw some sketches for me, so I could 
paint models of the eggs. I figure these are more durable than a mere 
drawing, d'you ken?"

Asrai blinks, "Oh, then its sort of a present for Herath? So she doesn't 
feel like she's really losing her eggs?"

Kassima shakes her head as she moves her fingers, trying to paint the 
entire 'egg' without getting any on herself. An impossibility, of course. 
Several drips have already spattered onto the ground and her hand. "Nay, 
nay 'tall. 'Tis for me to keep; I can always use more ornaments for 
m'weyr, and what's more appropriate for a dragonrider than dragon eggs? 
Except dragons, mayhaps, but I've nay that much talent. I might see about 
commissioning a woodcrafter for some sculptures of Herath and Ularrith to 
go with these, eventually...."

Asrai giggles at her friend, then lifts her eyes to look around the area, 
"Umm, that sounds wonderful, Kassi...it's going to be dark soon. 
Shouldn't you move this inside or something?"

Kassima frowns and looks up, paintbrush still poised in her hand and now 
dripping onto her formerly black slacks. "Hrm. Shells, you're right. I'd 
best lid these up--Lyss, you'll help, won't you?" The green dragon looks 
considerably less than enthused, but doesn't back away. "We'll load these 
onto Lyss and move it to the Living Cavern. I'll need some dropcloths, 
though, and something big enough to cover a table. Think you could fetch 
some of those for me and set 'em up inside?"

Asrai chews on her lower lip thinking for a moment, "Sure, I think I know 
where to find stuff like that. I saw something similar when I was 
stocking stores the other day. Meet you there!" She turns and runs off, 
back up towards the LC.

Asrai heads in the direction of the South bowl, leaving the shimmering 
lake.

Kassima pulls a stained cloth out of her pocket and wraps the grey egg in 
it, wiping off the tips of both paintbrushes and adding them to the pile 
of those. The unlidded grey and yellow paintpots are soon closed and 
gathered together; the various pots and such are carefully bound to 
Lysseth's straps, as is the bundle of brushes and rocks.

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.

You lumber in the direction of the South bowl, leaving the shimmering 
lake.

You lumber north.

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.

You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.

Asrai walks in from the kitchen.

Jarren enters from the Bowl.

Jarren waves and smiles as he enters, with a pack slung over one shoulder.

Kassima walks in with a tray full of paintpots being held by both hands. 
Picking out a sizeable, unoccupied table, she sets this down and meanders 
over to have a brief chat with Salless. "Go ahead and set up the cloths, 
Asrai," she calls over her shoulder.

Jarren smiles. "'ello"

Asrai comes in, her arms full of old bolts of cloth..the type used to 
cover furniture and floors when painting or such is going on. Some of the 
cloth draggs behind her on the ground, unable to keep all of the bundle in 
her arms. As it is now, she can't see very well, "Ok, yeah, sure." Asrai's 
shins hit a bench and she leans forward, dumping the clothes...thankfully 
it was an empty table..

Kassima continues her conversation with Salless for a decently sized 
moment, but eventually gets a reluctant nod. "Fabulous!" she exclaims, 
then laughs and sprints across the room to lift some of the cloths from 
the top of Asrai's burden. "These'll be great, Asrai; thankee. And 
evening t'you, Trader."

Asrai spreads out one of the good sized cloths on the floor, asking a few 
nearby riders if they wouldn't mind helping her move one of the tables...
the one with Kassi's things on it onto the cloth. She smiles brightly at 
them before spreading the secong large cloth over the table..placing the 
paints and such on top of the cloth.

Jarren nods. "'ave I interrupted your work, miss?"

Those same riders then look oddly at Asrai..but seeing Kassi join them as 
one they seem to nod, "Ahhh." is the collective response.

Kassima spreads her cloths over a few various chair seats, then steps 
back to survey the results. "All right. This'll do. I'll just go and fetch 
the brushes, stones, sketches, and whatnay... work? Nay precisely, 
Trader... Asrai, could you possibly do me the favor of explaining? I'll be 
right back."

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

Benden LC> Asrai nods, giggling at the riders before turning back to the 
trader, "Oh, we're painting eggs..err I mean painting rocks to look like 
eggs. The ones on the Sands."

Benden LC> Jarren looks confused. "Whatev'r for?"

Benden LC> Asrai frowns at the question, "Well, for Kassi of course. 
They're much sturdier than a painting." She explains it to him, the 
explanation which might sound strange to most, seems perfectly logical to 
her.

You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.

Jarren shakes his head. "I mean, why are you doing it?"

The leather bundle Kassima carries into the room rattles as it is dumped 
on the table, and unrolls itself to reveal several paintbrushes, thirty-
two vaguely egg-shaped stones, and a stack of hides. "There, this should 
be everything. I must remember to commend Miryenne on her sketches; 
they're really quite accurate, wouldn't you say?" The pile of hides gets 
tossed to one side of the seat with no dropcloths on it, and Kassi plucks 
out the rock that's been partially painted grey. "Light's much better in 
here. Now, where'd that grey paintpot go?"

Jarren looks at the paintbrushes and winces. "Those brushes look like 
they 'ave seen their better days." he smiles. "Wouldya like ta see some 
runner hair brushes?"

Asrai picks out the grey paintpot from amoung the various selections, 
"Here you go Kassi." She turns to the trader, "But..I just told you why. 
Kassi wants them." She slips into one of the cloth covered seats, "Umm, 
Kassi..can I help?"

Jarren shakes his head to Asrai. "Nevermind"

Kassima chuckles and shakes her head as she settles into her chair. 
"These don't have to be the best; I didn't want to liberate the Weyr's 
best brushes for a personal task. Besides, most of m'marks are tied up in 
Hatching wagers at the moment. Hmmm, Asrai? Oh, certes! Just pick out one 
of the sketches--any but that one on top; I'm working on that one right 
now. Grab an egg that looks about the right shape, brushes, the 
appropriate paintpots, and have a party. Oh--see those two unmarked pots? 
Those're full of Lake water for cleaning the brushes, just so y'know."

Jarren nods. "Ok...jus' thought I'd try" he smiles.

Asrai nods to Kassi, shrugging at the Trader. Looking over at the various 
scetches she picks out the one of her favorite egg. "I think I'll do this 
one Kassi..since you've got out the grey anyway." She reaches over and 
picks out a brush, dipping it into the pot. you can tell she doesn't want 
to mess up, the tip of her tongue can be seen sticking out between her 
teeth as she concentrates. Wiping off the excess paint, Asrai begins to 
'swirl' it around the bottem of the egg. Good thing the drop cloth was 
set down, cuz you can see a few splatterings on it already.

Jarren waves as he exits.

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

Benden Weyr> Emlyn waves howdy :-)

Benden Weyr> Asrai says, "Emlyn, come paint eggies!"

Kassima uncovers the grey paintpot and dips her brush in it, then returns 
to her haphazard paint-slathering. Her method rather explains the grey 
splots on her hands and slacks, once you see it. "This one's going to be 
difficult," she comments as she paints every part of the egg--except the 
tips, where her fingers are carefully holding it. "But it doesn't have to 
be exact. An approximation will do. Oh, is that the one of the stormy-
looking egg? G'luck. That one doesn't look easy, either."

Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "Heya, Emlyn! :)"

Benden Weyr> Emlyn says, "Come dowhat?"

Tinya walks in from the bowl.

Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "We're painting small stones to make a model 
of the eggs. :)"

Benden Weyr> Asrai says, "Why doesn't anyone understand us Kassi? We are 
painting replicates of the eggs onto rocks :)"

Tinya wanders in, waving, then blinks at Kassi's project spread out all 
over the table. "Evening, Kassi, Asrai. What're you up to?"

Benden Weyr> Jazmin understands, and that scares her.

Benden Weyr> Asrai gigglesnickers.

Kassima waves her brush-holding hand at Tinya, fortunately managing to 
avoid getting paint everywhere in the process. "G'day, Tinya! We're 
painting these rocks to make a replica of sorts of Herath's clutch. 
Thought it might be a more interesting representation than a sketch. Want 
to help?"

Asrai nods, "It's my /favorite/. Heya Tinya, you gonna help??" Asrai dips 
her brush into the lake water, wiping it a few times on the drop cloth to 
get off the excess before dipping it into the white. She then makes a few 
strokes against the grey..making a lighter grey...wow, it almost looks 
like shadows in the storm swept waters. Doing the same steps, Asrai makes 
swirls of deep blue, emerald green, and dark azure across the eggs...each 
time managing to splatter some either on her clothes or hand or table..or 
all three.

Kassima starts waving around the stone egg in her hand, splattering paint 
drips all over the drop cloths and herself. Hard to tell, though, since 
she's wearing that riding jacket that's already wildly colored. "Hope 
this really does make things dry faster. I think 'tis sound in theory, at 
least. Aigh!" This last is said as grey splatters onto her cheek. 
"Something tells me drop cloths for ourselves might nay have been a bad 
notion."

Tinya grins, backing up warily as Kassi starts waving her egg around. "No, 
thanks," she says, laughing, as she back into a table and hops up to sit 
on it. "I'll just sit up here where it's safe and watch."

Ah, the final touches..Asrai dipps her brush into the yellow pot. 
Squinting down at the 'egg' she makes a few slash marks at the top...ok, 
ok, if you hold it far away..it might look like lightning, honest.

Kassima finally stops swinging the egg all over the place and transfers 
her grip to the side, with her fingertips at least. The ends of the egg 
get a dab of paint, and Kassi dunks her brush into the water-pot. "Are 
you certain, Tinya? With a score and a dozen eggs to do, Faranth knows we 
could use the help. Let's see...." She cranes her neck to peer at the 
sketch of the dull, metallic egg. "Black next, I think." The brush is set 
aside long enough for Kassi to open the black pot, then dipped in the 
ebon paint and used by the greenrider to trace a pattern of curves over 
the rock. "These should look interesting when the task is done, t'say the 
least."

Asrai lifts her egg up to start blowing on it, trying in her own way to 
get it to dry..oh well, yeah so she doesn't trust herself to be able to 
hold onto the 'egg' while waving it back and forth *whhhhhhh* *whhhhhhh*

Through application of brushes dipped in blue and green, white, and 
yellow, Kassi eventually produces something that bears at least a 
superficial resemblance to the lead canopy egg. "There!" she says, 
holding it out for inspection. "Nay that great, but nay bad for m'first 
time at trying this--aye, even if'n I do say so m'self." Glancing over at 
Asrai, she apparently finds the Candidate's idea to be a good one, 
because she is soon huffing and puffing at her own rock. "Only thirty more 
of these to go!"

Asrai blinks, looking up from her now dry egg, "Well, I certainly hope 
/someone/ comes in to help us." she puts down her 'egg' to the side taking 
up another rock and sketch...this time the one with all the purple swirls, 
"Mind if I do this one next? Its got pretty colors."

K'tyn walks in from the kitchen.

K'tyn says "Heya, all."

Tinya gets a drudge to bring her a sandwich and a mug of klah so she 
doesn't have to leave her nice safe paint-free perch. She waves the hand 
holding the sandwich over at the bronzerider. "Heyla, K'tyn. How goes?"

Kassima nods as she dips a brush in dark brown, putting the two already-
used sketches to the side and pulling out the one of the smahogany egg 
that seems flecked with golden shapes. "Evening, Kiat! D'you wish to help 
us in painting these eggs, perchance?"

K'tyn waves, somewhat dispiritedly. He looks at the roll in his hand, 
sighs, and continues eating it. "Better, I guess. Spent the afternoon at 
Ista--though I think that was a mistake." He blinks. "Painting?"

Asrai looks up, her face, clothes and surrounding area splattered with 
paint, "K'tyn!" She calls cherrily, "Come help us paint eggies!" she holds 
up her paint brush and roughly egg shaped rock that looks to be about the 
right size to fit comfortably in her palm. Or perhaps someone with a 
little bigger hands. She dips her brush into the violet paint, making 
large swirls with the runnerhair.

Benden Weyr> Tasaren looks at the weird stuff her connection just did, 
then shrugs and wavies to everyone.

Benden Weyr> Asrai snugs a Tas! "Come paint eggies with us!

Kassima hrms as she concentrates on smoothing sienna paint over the rock 
she holds. "Oh? And aye, painting--'twas thinking that a collection of 
rocks painted to look like the eggs would be more lasting than a sketch, 
so I asked Miryenne to draw some models for me to paint from, and here we 
are. You're welcome to aid if'n you're of a mood to. Sort of messy, 
though...." The greenrider herself is proof of that, being as she's 
splattered now with various colors. Not that they're visible against the 
chaotically dyed surface of her jacket.

Benden Weyr> Tasaren chuckles. I don't want to know. ;) Be there in a 
sec. :)

Tasaren walks here from the Inner Cavern.

K'tyn blinks, then smiles for real this time. "Not real eggs, are they? 
Oh! Rocks. I see. What a clever idea."

Tasaren comes in and nods a greeting to the riders and waves to Asrai 
before walking over and taking a seat nearby. "Heya. What's going on?"

K'tyn glances at Tasaren. "Rock painting, I guess," he says with a half 
smile around a mouthful of 'roll.

Asrai holds up her violetly swirled 'egg', ok, so its just a rock, you get 
the picture. "We're painting these rocks to look like the eggs out on the 
Sands. Kassi's making a collection. Wanna help? You can paint your 
favorites."

Tinya nods. "It _is_ clever, if messy. Thought about giving them to the 
Weyrlings who Impress out of each, Kassi, or are you keeping them 
yourself?"

Kassima grins and nods at Kiat. "Thankee! Might see about getting a 
Woodsmith to carve me some models of Herath and Ularrith to go with 'em, 
too. I could reserve a shelf just for the model, maybe get a big pile of 
sand to put 'em all on...." As she rambles, she finishes the first brown 
layer and washes out her brush before coating the bristles in black. "I 
honestly don't know, Tinya. If'n these turn out well, I could always make 
two sets. Want to aid us in painting these rocks, Tasaren?"

Tasaren blinks a couple times, mouthing, 'rock painting?' before he looks 
at Asrai's rock/egg. He smiles and shrugs. "Sure. Anything's better than 
hauling stuff around some more." He picks up a rather large unpainted rock 
and looks at it, somewhat at a loss here.

K'tyn grins as he holds up his food-filled hands as excuse. "I think you 
are all doing a wonderful job... and I think I'll just watch you do that 
wonderful job."

Tinya finishes off her mug of klah, and hops down off the table. She says, 
"Maybe I'll change into something older and come help a little later," 
then waves and heads out, taking her half-eaten sandwich with her.

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

Kassima adds thoughtfully, "Mayhaps I could even commission Channa to 
paint a few for the 'Lings; she's much better than I am. If these even 
remotely resemble the eggs, I for one will be happy." She taps the end of 
her brush against the pile of rocks, all of which are quite small enough 
to fit easily in the palm of the hand. "Pick an egg and a sketch, Tas! 
Those on the right have already been done; those on the left are still to 
be painted."

Asrai hands Tas a paintbrush, "Just paint your favorite one silly." She 
motions to the many different colored paintpots set out." She then dips 
her own brush into one of the pots containunbg lake water, "And you just 
dip it in here before switching colors." She wipes off the excess water 
before dipping her runnertail paint brush into the deep blue, swirling the 
color on the inside of the violet...by overlapping the colors a bit, the 
one seems to melt into the other.

Kassima taps the piles of hides upon which are drawn eggs by way of 
demonstrating what she means, then returns to painting small black shapes 
here and there on her rock.

Tasaren nods, then picks up the sketches, thumbing through them till he 
spots the one with 'his' egg on it. He grins, then picks up a brush and 
dips it in the perfect shade of dragon green to start with.

K'tyn finishes his 'roll. "Ah, hell...I forgot to...." he stands, and then 
rushes outside.

K'tyn walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Asrai washes her brush, then dips it into the emerald green..the same pot 
that Tas is using. giving her fellow Candi a small smile she wipes off the 
excess and begins to make swirlies on the 'egg'.

Tasaren starts painting his rock/egg, swirling the green paint across its 
base, trying more to match the image in his mind rather than the sketch 
next to him.

The tip of Kassi's tongue sticks out of the corner of her mouth as she 
concentrates; combined with the paint splatters on her face and even hair, 
it totals up to equal Kassi looking ridiculous. Now wielding a brush of 
yellow-gold, she carefully traces various shapes across the surface. "What 
d'you think?" she asks finally.

Asrai blinks, rememebring something, "Oh no! Tas, we have a meeting!"

Asrai sets down her 'egg' and brush, giving Kassi a smile, "Sorry bout 
this, we'll be back. Come /on/ Tas!"

Asrai rushes out.

Asrai walks towards the inner cavern.

Tasaren sets his egg down suddly at Asrai's words. "Oh shards, you're 
right!" He tosses his brush in the jar of water, then jumps up and runs 
off after Asrai.

Tasaren walks towards the inner cavern.

Kassima watches her helpers disappear, and shakes her head with a faint 
chuckle. "They're fast. Hope they're nay late for the meeting. Hey, 
Ylysse--pass me that white pot? Thankee." Kassi picks up another rock and 
starts painting it, her concentration on the task total.

M'rgan walks in from the bowl.

Kassima is rather engrossed in coating an egg-shaped rock with white 
paint. It's probably rather noticeable that the greenrider has spatters 
of paint speckling her hands, face, hair, and the dropcloths all around 
her. As a shadow crosses across the glow that's her best light source, she 
looks up and waves the rock at Mart. "Heya and g'devening, brownie."

As M'rgan walks into the cavern, one of the kitchen assistants glances 
over at him, surprise in her eyes. The girl pulls her friend over, 
murming to her, "...wash...third time I've seen...just one day..." The 
brownrider's eyes skim over the giggling girls but don't really see them 
as he turns his attention to finding which table Kassi's at. He should've 
known. The table with the most commotion. Slicking back his wet hair with 
his hand, Mart strides over to her table, commenting after a quick 
lookover, "I don't want to know."

Kassima peers up at Mart, wiping absently at a splotch of blue-green on 
one cheekbone. "Just come back from a dip in the 'Springs? Ach, 'tis 
naught so confusing or complicated as that. I'm just painting these rocks 
to look like eggs. Don't suppose you'd like to help?"

M'rgan yanks out a chair and drops into it, his shoulders slumping low 
against the back until his chin barely clears the tabletop. "Gotta keep 
clean," is all he says on that particular subject while his eyes slide 
back and forth over the rocks. "Why?" he asks, still staring at the 
rocks.

Kassima raises an eyebrow. "Never knew you to be such a strong stickler 
for cleanliness a'fore, Mart, but you'd be the one to know." Setting down 
the mostly-dry brown, black, and gold rock, she explains, "Thought they 
might make a more durable display than a sketch, y'see. I'll get a pile 
of sand and put that on one of m'shelves, then set these 'eggs' in that--
maybe commission some carvings of Herath and Ularrith to go with 'em. I've 
plenty of clutter--you probably noticed--but nay that much decoration."

M'rgan's stupefied expression very quickly morphs into one of fearful 
reassurance, all directed at Kassi. His eyes dart to the bowl longingly as 
he desperately fights the urge to race out there and check Lysseth's 
color. "Lysseth rose seven months ago, didn't she?" he quietly asks.

Now both yellow-specked black eyebrows go up, showing Kassi's surprise at 
the question. "Aye, that's about right. Why d'you ask? All I said is that 
I'm painting eggs, nay that I'm seeking to remove your limbs from your 
body." She adds a faint streak of grey to the white stone between her 
fingertips; apparently, she's working on that egg which resembles a 
snowman's tormented head.

M'rgan forces his gaze away from /that/ particular 'egg' as he 
involuntarily shivers. "Umm, no reason. Idle curiousity and all that." He 
scoots his chair back a bit and then kicks his feet into the across the 
way, the dropcloth rustling around his legs.

Kassima rolls her eyes, and shakes her paintbrush at Mart. "I'm nay 
proddy, I tell you. Haven't killed aught in days. I have absolutely nay 
urge to eat raw meat, nor to dress in black and make brownriders think 
I'm going to castrate them. Will you relax?"

Moving surprisingly fast for someone who has been languidly resting in 
his chair for the past few minutes, M'rgan raises his hands to his face 
in a warding off/protection gesture as the paintbrush threatens. "Hey!! 
Watch it! Sheesh." He opens his fingers, peeking through them. "Watch 
where you point that thing."

Kassima sighs and slaps her forehead with the hand holding the brush, 
getting a large splotch of grey on one ear in the process. "If'n I can't 
harm you with a stick of charcoal, how can I harm you with a paintbrush? 
If I could, trust me, I would. I *suppose* I could try and convince some 
folk to hold you down while I paint your hair bright green, but wouldn't 
that be better accomplished by dumping the paint-pot over your skull? 
Besides, Salless would kill me. If you *want* to be turned into a rainbow 
rider, just say the word--but outside, eh?" She grins and adds another 
slash to her snow-head rock, then sets it aside. "You're the most paranoid 
brownie I've met to date, brownie. But I'll admit, I'm rather enjoying 
watching you start at shadows."

Benden Weyr> Jehrina says, "my god, kassi, that was huge."

Benden Weyr> Kenai peeeers?

Benden Weyr> Suzotchka says, "Hm?"

Benden Weyr> Asrai sorrries but quiets.

Benden Weyr> Kassima actually wrote a pose that was a screen long, 
once. :P :) Terseness seems to be eluding me more every day.

M'rgan grimaces as he sees Kassima add some more paint to an already 
well-colored face. "I've got to stand in front of all of Pern any second 
now," he states grumpily before his voice moves on to the rumble of a 
threat as she mentions covering him in paint. "You'd better not."

Benden Weyr> Jehrina got screen-spammed by kassi. :)

Benden Weyr> M'rgan laughs. That's what happens when Kassi and I are 
alone together. We both have the patience to wait for the other to create 
the mega-pose from hell. ;)

Kassima smiles sweetly at Mart, and waggles her eyebrows. "Would I do 
that?" Her tone implies that she very well would. "Especially when I know 
how mortified you'd be, appearing at the Hatching with blue hair?"

Benden Weyr> Kassima grins. We were running a long-pose contest, until I 
included the desc for his Turnday gift in one of my poses and he 
surrendered. ;)

Benden Weyr> Suzotchka shudders. That /had/ to be a pain for those in the 
room without TF.

"Not as mortified as a particular person would be if she appeared at the 
Hatching with /no/ hair," M'rgan remarks in a voice filled with promise.

Benden Weyr> Alyssa says, "It's why we all have scarred feet. :)"

Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "Scarred *feet*? Huh? :)"

Benden Weyr> Emlyn laughs at Alyssa.

Kassima shakes her head sadly. "Mart, Mart, Mart. You're never going to 
convince me that you'd actually do that to Kindre."

Whipping his feet off the other chair, M'rgan comes out of his slouch to 
lean across the table, one finger firmly taptaptapping on the cloth in 
front of Kassi. "You, Kassi. You."

Kassima whips her paintbrush down to leave a streak of grey across Mart's 
finger, then snorts. "Riiiight. Want to explain t'me how you'd be cutting 
all m'hair off anyway? 'Tis nay as though I haven't a bunch of fire-
lizards who'd delight in naught so much as having an excuse to shriek 
their lungs out."

"I'll do it by..." M'rgan's threat is interrupted by a sharp yelp while 
he snatches back his hand as if it was on fire. Worrying at the paint spot 
with his thumb, the Reaches brownrider glares at Kassi. "Looks like I'll 
be living on those Sands until the eggs Hatch."

Kassima sets down her paintbrush and picks up the water-pot, setting it 
down near Mart. "In Faranth's name, were you this obsessive ere either of 
the Hatchings you Stood at? 'Tis nay as though anyone will likely be 
watching aught but the Candidates and dragonets anyway. Besides, you 
deserved it--threatening to cut off m'hair like that! Hrmph! Would've 
been just the sort of thing a proddy Meli might do. You sure all of those 
fire-lizards of yours have stopped glowing?"

M'rgan narrows his eyes in suspicion as the water-pot is placed next to 
him. Kassi couldn't be trying to be nice could she? Naaah. The black-
haired young man licks his thumb before worrying the spot some more. Most 
of the grey is gone now. "That was when I was fourteen and a stupid kid. 
This is now." "Hey!" he exclaims indignantly. "You were the one who 
threatened me first. Threatened to paint me."

Kassima wrinkles her nose, which causes the yellow splatter on it to 
crinkle as well. "And here I'd thought you were remarkably sensible, for 
fourteen--especially compared to m'self. Just goes to show that I can be 
wrong. And I only threatened to paint you because...." A pause, as Kassi 
tries to recall. "Because... um... well, I'm *certain* I had a good 
reason."

M'rgan rolls his eyes at Kassima's reasoning, muttering under his breath, 
"And she accuses me of causing trouble."

Kassima suddenly exclaims, "Ah-hah! I remember now! 'Twas because 'twere 
thinking that I was trying to threaten you with a paintbrush. I think 
paranoia's a *perfectly* good reason. And then you threatened to chop of 
my *hair* when I'd done naught but get my righteous revenge! Fie, 
brownie!" Kassi would probably be the very picture of indignance, if the 
usual glint of mirth in her green eyes was missing. As it is, it's more 
noticeable than usual, offset by the specks of black paint that form a 
crescent around one of those eyes. Reaching for one of the paintbrushes, 
she dips it in a pot full of vivid red and slathers this color over 
another rock.

The hand that M'rgan was so busy worrying before now becomes a vessel for 
cupping his forehead in. His palm rotates in tiny circles against his 
temple as if that will take care of the pulsing vein that's suddenly 
appeared. "It's talk like that that makes me glad that Kena didn't 
Impress. She'd have probably gotten a green and then where would I be." 
As he speaks he slowly pulls his face out of his hand, his eyes going 
ceilingward in supplication before dropping back to the pile of eggs and 
sheets of sketches.

Kassima lifts an eyebrow as she swirls the blood-red paint over the 
rock's surface. "What, are you saying you have something against 
greenriders? Remind me to tell that to K'nan sometime. When Veyath is 
glowing. And when you're visiting. I'm sure he'll be delighted...." 
Sticking the paintbrush's handle in her mouth for a moment in order to 
apply another one that's been dipped in white, she adds, "Mrph 
mrrrmphnm!"

M'rgan turns to look over his shoulder at another rider to give her the 
'See what she said? Can you believe it? And you wonder why...' arm-
jerking, shoulder shrugging gesture, directed at Kassi of course. But the 
rider had long ago left the seat when it looked like the paint was going 
to fly so the Reaches rider ends up making that gesture to thin air. But 
it still makes his point, even if he does look like an idiot.

Kassima bursts out laughing as she sees Mart informing the thin air about 
her craziness, and reaches out with her red paint-filled brush while he's 
distracted. Not that there's much hope of painting the brownrider without 
his noticing, but let's face it: Kassi would not be Kassi if she didn't 
try.

Just because he's hand-talking to the air doesn't mean that M'rgan ever 
took his eyes fully off of Kassima. He wouldn't be Mart if he did, 
knowing, and often exposed to at the point of a knife, her craziness. Out 
of the corner of his eye he catches her movement and the grating sound of 
straining wood scraping against rough stone rings out as he slides the 
chair several feet, putting himself out of Kassi-range.

Kassima mock-pouts at Mart as she withdraws her brush, leaving a trail of 
red across the drop cloths as she does so. "But you'd look so much better 
as a redhead!" she protests. "And if you really *want* to be stared at 
during the Hatching, why, 'twould be the absolute best way! Unless, of 
course... y'know, the bald look is all wrong for me. But on *you*, and 
with a bulls-eye target painted on top of your skull...."

M'rgan stares at Kassima, his lips thin, tight and bloodless. Just stares 
as the slightly-older rider blathers on with no more of a reaction on his 
face than that.

The black-haired slightly older rider peers at the black-haired slightly 
younger rider, and adds thoughtfully, "Actually, it's your mouth that 
could use the color. Y'know, just a slash of red or two. Am I right?" She 
turns to ask this of the riders behind her--who are, notably, *very* far 
behind her. A few snicker, but there are no other replies. "Hmph. Well, 
you'll just have to take m'word on it."

M'rgan starts to wish that he was as far back as the other riders are and 
he adds a few sharp glances at them for being smart enough not to sit at 
this particular table. "You know, I'm sure that Ularrith's wondering 
where I am," he says as he starts to rise.

Kassima shakes her head again, setting the brush into the abandoned 
water-pot. "You say that every time I offer to do you a kindness. I could 
always ask Lyss to tell him where you are, if for some reason you 
couldn't. You should have dinner; when's the last time you ate?" She 
sounds like she's mocking someone as she says that; considering the 
words, it's probably her mother. "I'm sure there are some lovely tubers 
and meatrolls that are just screaming your name."

"I've got a big enough gut as it is," M'rgan comments with a pat to his 
now-wider belly before his expression turns more serious. "Kassi, is 
there ever a time when you're /not/ poking at someone? Or is it just me?"

Kassima inclines her head. "Poking at someone? Depends what you mean. I 
don't wander around the Weyr, sneaking up behind people and poking them, 
then running away. If you mean poking fun of, what can I say? You're just 
so easy to tease! You and R'val both. And that's t'say naught of V'dan. 
Sometimes others; just depends on my mood and whether or nay they're the 
sort to take umbrage. Believe it or nay, I'm nay out to annoy people." 
She chuckles, grins, and shrugs, in that order.

Alyssa walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Alyssa nods to M'rgan and Kassima on her way through.

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

M'rgan dips his finger into the water pot and draws a line across the 
cloth in front of him. "Well, I'm taking umbrage..." That particular word 
doesn't leave his tongue easily. He's not the most learned of people 
after all and no Harper Master would ever even glance at him as a 
possible apprentice. "...right now. At least for tonight."

Kassima laughs, and gives the brownrider a sincere-looking smile. "Good. 
Given what rumors I heard of what pranks you pulled on Bree back at 
Ruatha, I doubt I'd particularly want you annoyed at me. Anyway! What do 
you think of this egg, is it colored close to that pink one on the 
Sands?" She holds up the fuscia egg for display purposes.

[Editor's Note:  Yeah, yeah, so it was late, I was tired, and I thought 
he said he *wasn't* taking umbrage.  So sue me. ;) ]

Emlyn walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Emlyn passes out toward the bowl, walking slowly, wistfully.

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

Kassima watches Emlyn pass through, and hrms. "Meeting must be over."

M'rgan turns to look over his shoulder but his lack of interest causes 
him to just as quickly turn back around. "Mmhmm. Uh, I guess it is," the 
Reaches rider says about that 'egg' since he could never stand to look at 
the original for all that long.

Kassima taps her now-red chin as she regards the egg, then eventually 
nods. "Right." Grabbing up a black brush, she starts adding spots of that 
color in a pattern approximating that of the actual egg. "Now, what do you 
think of the rest of the stones? I think 'tis just as well that I 
Impressed; never could've made an artist out of m'self."

M'rgan opens his mouth to speak but a call of "Reaches duties" from the 
cavern entrance directs his attention that way. It's only a few seconds 
before he's over to his friend's side, sharing shoulder jabs, and talking 
about the goings-on at Reaches. After a few minutes of this, they drift 
outside as talk turns to the eggs.

M'rgan walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima dips the red-stained brush again into the pot whose contents 
match the shade of the dried paint coating the bristles, and daubs it 
carefully onto yet another stone. "At this rate," she mutters to herself 
through a suppressed yawn, "I'll still be doing this by the time the 
*next* clutch is laid." She gets distracted for a brief moment as some 
odd impulse goads her to paint three fingernails of her left hand blood-
red, then shakes her head and returns her attention to the rock.

Kethran walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Kethran trudges in wearily from the inner caverns, and waves blearily to 
Kassima, then pours himself a mug of klah. Yes, klah. It has been a /long/ 
day for Kethran, with arrangements for the impending Hatching, and he's 
drinking klah, even this late at night.

Kassima glances towards the Inner Caverns entrance, and wiggles her red 
paint-filled brush in Keth's direction. "Heya," she calls over before 
returning to coating the egg-shaped stone in her hands with splats of 
color.

Ursa walks in from the bowl.

Emlyn walks in from the bowl.

Ch'ran walks in from the bowl.

Rhyana walks in from the bowl.

Ursa hobbles inwards, drawling to Emlyn beside her, "And I'd suspect 
that's his certain assistant steward, right there."

Kassima plunks the red brush back into the appropriate paintpot, and dabs 
a second one into a container of brilliant green. The rider stares at the 
sketch before her as she traces the patterns on the stone with a brush. 
Pausing for just a moment, she looks up and calls, "Evening, Ursa, Emlyn, 
Ch'ran, Rhyana. Benden's duties to Fort and her queens."

Ch'ran giggles slightly at the overheard comment. Yes, giggles.

Emlyn is holding hands with Ursa as they enter. She looks in the 
direction the brownrider's pointed, and nods.

Kethran cringes as he hears the words 'assistant steward'. They're 
usually uttered by people wanting something done yesterday. He lifts his 
gaze warily, then brightens, relaxing a bit as he spots Ch'ran and Rhyana. 
"Heya!"

Rhyana smiles over at Kassima. "And Fort's duty to Benden, and good 
evening!" she says brightly, then grins at Ran as she comes up beside him 
before waving at Keth.

Ch'ran peers over at Kassima for a brief moment, trying to puzzle out 
what she's doing. "What she said," he calls out, after Rhy relays the 
traditional duties. He's in far too good a mood, and it shows. Rather a 
lot.

Emlyn tells Ursa, "Have a seat. I'll bring stew, bread, something hot to 
drink, a bit of sweet. The rate those eggs are hardening, I won't be 
doing much more serving, so you'd better take advantage of it while you 
can."

Ursa grins appreciatively, murmering her thanks. As she limps to a seat, 
it's apparent she appreciates being spared the extra movement.

Kassima grins and nods, then rubs the back of her hand across that blue-
green paint splotch on her cheekbone. It's not alone on her face; between 
the red on her chin, black around one eye, yellow on her eyebrows, nose 
and forehead, grey on her ear, and white across one cheek, it's easy to 
tell she's been at this task for awhile. And that's without going into 
all the colors splattered in her braid. Just what she's up to is also 
obvious: assorted paintpots are on the drop-cloth-draped table in front 
of her, along with brushes, stones painted and unpainted, and piles of 
hide. "Why did Herath have to clutch such complicated eggs?" she wonders 
aloud.

Ch'ran glances over at Kassima again, and shrugs. "Pure contrariness," he 
suggests. "Or maybe it's to make your life specifically especially 
complicated."

Emlyn heads toward the food table. Her route takes her by Kassima and the 
greenrider's painting. She stops and blinks. "That's good, Kassima!" 

Emlyn gawks a moment longer, then moves on to get a tray of dinner.

Rhyana glances over at Ursa thoughtfully for a moment, frowning very 
slightly at something, then smiles at Ran. "Excuse him." she says 
generally. "He's in entirely too good a mood to be allowed out."

Kassima grins as she looks up from the stone she's painting, which looks 
like it's probably meant to resemble the tri-colored oval of red, green, 
and peach--though the peach isn't painted yet--that currently occupies a 
niche in the Sands. "Thankee! I'm working on making thirty-two of 'em for 
a personal model of the eggs; figured 'twould be better'n a sketch, d'you 
ken? Asrai and Tas helped with a few."

Ch'ran peers over at Rhy for a moment. "Allowed out?" he asks, grinning. 
"It's not like I'm glowing and fit to rise....." He turns his attention, 
a little more flighty than usual, to continue regarding Kassima's stone 
eggs.

Emlyn answers Kassima, "It's certainly nice, yes. You've gotten the 
colors vividly." She smiles as she passes the Fort riders again on her 
way to the food. Once there, she gathers the meal, then takes it back to 
the table where Ursa's sitting.

Asrai walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Salless sits down for a moment to rest her feet and take a sip from a mug 
of Klah.

Kassima looks up as she reaches for the peach paint she'd mixed from 
orange and white earlier, and catches Ch'ran's regard. "Want to help?" 
she suggests with a grin.

Rhyana smiles at Ran. "Close enough to it." she says. "Honestly..." She 
then stands back, a little more on her left foot than her right, before 
shaking her head again. "Not that I *mind*. I just watch for the amusement 
value."

Asrai strolls in, violet eyes searching the cavern. Seeing that the 'egg' 
painting is still going on, Asrai makes her way over, "Heya, still need 
help Kassi?" She nods and smiles to the others as well.

Kethran gazes at Ch'ran for a moment. "You, my friend," he comments, "are 
/far/ too happy. What happened?"

Ch'ran considers Kassi's suggestion for a moment. "You'd not want my 
assistance. I'm no painter...." He grins lopsidedly. "Ask Neith's 
Merellia what I did to knots, as well....." He shrugs slightly at Rhy, a 
sort of be-that-way attitude, and then just /beams/ at Kethran. "Y'really 
want to know?"

Ursa flashes Emlyn a very grateful grin, and digs into her food without 
hesitation. Hungry Brownrider indeed. While she's eating, she watches the 
egg-painting with frank curiosity.

Kassima laughs and nods to Asrai. "A'course! With thirty and two eggs to 
paint, every little bit helps. Ach, Ch'ran, there're these sketches to go 
by--but if'n you're sure...."

Kethran eyes Ch'ran warily, considering the possibility. "You've finally 
decided to relent, to come to Benden, and to be mine forever," he grins 
suddenly, batting his eyelashes at the bluerider.

Ch'ran chokes on a laugh. "I think that would make things difficult.... 
I'd not want to be too far from my weyrmate at the moment....."

Rhyana attempts to supress a laugh at that, then gives up before she 
suffocates. "Hmph." she finally manages. "No, you wouldn't....."

Kethran angles his head slightly, and grins. "You're gonna be a daddy. I 
recognize that look now... "

Emlyn digs in, too. She's been working hard all day and eats the animals 
whose dung it's been her job to clear. The candidate is listening to the 
banter and asks, "What do you do with paintings like that?"

Ch'ran nods, painstakingly slowly. "I am." His grey eyes are wide and 
dancing.

Asrai takes up one of the unpainted rocks and her paintbrush, left behind 
from before the meeting. Reaching over she flips through the sketches of 
those not done yet, selecting the Autumn colors one. Setting it to one 
side, where hopefully it won't be splashed. With a grin she dips her 
paintbrush into the orange, wiping off the excess.

Kethran chuckles quietly. "Congratulations, then, my friend!" he says. 
"Too bad about that other, but someday, maybe," he adds, with a teasing 
wink. Shells, he loves to torment this bluerider. "How've you and Rhy 
been?" he asks, including the brownrider in the conversation.

Kassima holds up the rock and regards it critically. "Well, I'm going to 
get m'self a pile of sand and set it on a shelf, then place these on 'em 
and make a model. Might commission some wooden carvings of Herath and 
Ularrith, too." She very nearly drops the almost-finished stone at 
Ch'ran's news, and grins broadly at the bluerider. "Felicitations!"

Ch'ran chuckles softly. "I've been well, Kethran - can't you tell?" He 
grins over at Kassi. Shards, he grins at everything. And every/one/. 
"Carvings?" he says, something drawing his attention off into another 
tangent.

Rhyana smiles. "Very well, thank you." she says. "Delighted as anything 
for Ran, of course." She beams brightly. "I'm even told I've not been 
overworking *too* much..."

Asrai turns the rock round between thumb and forfinger, splotching the 
orage color here and there...there might be some method to her madness, 
but you wouldn't bet a Bitran on it.

Kassima nods to Ch'ran as she twirls the tip of her brush over the 'egg' 
to create a peach splotch of the appropriate shape. "Carvings! I found 
these rocks by the Lake and by rivers and oceans I've visited, but I 
somehow doubt," she laughs, "that I'll find rocks shaped like a gold and 
brown dragon similarly."

Ch'ran nods slightly, thoughtfully. "I'm no woodcrafter, but I do carve," 
he points out.

Emlyn continues eating, listening to the riders speak. Before long, she's 
completed her meal, dessert included, and leans back, looking content.

Rhyana nods at Ran. "He's done some very nice work, actually." she adds 
in. "Including one I still treasure..." She shakes off the briefest of 
bad memories. "It's a wonderful idea, though, Kassi. Would you mind if we 
borrowed it?"

Asrai swishes her runner's tail paintbrush into the rather greying looking 
lake water, set aside just for that purpose. Wiping off the excess water 
she brushes it a few times across the drop cloth before sticking it into 
the red...she goes back to making her splotches of colors..roughly in the 
same places as the sketch shows.

Kethran grins at Ch'ran, and settles into a seat with his mug of klah. 
What's the protocol here? Does he hug his friend? Just grin stupidly at 
him? Throw a party?

Ch'ran nods a little, thoughtfully. "Most of what I carve /is/ dragons.... 
I've had planty of practice inthe past.... seven turns."

Kassima lifts an eyebrow. "Do you?" she asks with interest. "Dragons? 
Don't suppose you'd be willing to do a pair for me, would you--keeping in 
mind that a lot of m'marks are currently tied up in the Hatching?" She 
glances over at Rhyana, and smiles. "A'course nay! If you like the idea, 
you're more than welcome to use it."

Rhyana glances back over at Keth, then moves over to whisper something 
quietly. Hopefully without catching too much of Ran's attention. She nods 
slightly at Kassi after that. "I'll pass it on for Lrisseth's clutch - 
it's a fine idea.

Ch'ran chuckles softly. "I can do that. It'll give me a bit of a break 
from the detail work I'm doing at the moment on my pet project...."

Kethran chuckles softly, and murmurs something back to Rhyana.

Rhyana nods slightly at Keth, then murmurs something back, considering 
for a moment.

Ursa finds herself drawling thoughtfully to Emlyn as she mops up the rest 
of the stew with her bread. "More babies. There's always a lot of babies."

Asrai continues with her 'painting', alright, so the term is only used 
loosely. Following red, yellow, brown, and a beigh color is added. To dry 
the 'egg' Asrai puff up her ceeks and *blooooooowsss* *whhhhhh* *whhhhhh*

Kethran quirks a grin at Ursa. "Keeps you in business, brownrider," he 
comments, then glances back toward the storerooms. "Just like Hatchings 
keep me busy."

Ch'ran glances backto where Rhy was, and failing to find her, scanning 
the room for her. He gives Rhy a curious look and a raised eyebrow.

Kassima chuckles, and sets aside the completed egg. "Thankee muchly. 
'Twas thinking of doing a second batch m'self to split amongst the 'Lings 
when they Impress, though this batch is for m'personal collection. What's 
your pet project, Ch'ran, if'n you're nay minding the question?"

Ursa grins back at Kethran, drawling, "Aye, gives me plenty of training," 
she agrees.

Emlyn crosses her arms, listening. She's much more quiet than usual and 
keeps casting looks over at her companion.

Ch'ran quirks a small smile. "Would you like to see?" He pauses for a 
moment. "I tend to keep track of it, never know when inspiration might 
strike me. T'will be a gift, you see."

Rhyana glances over at Ran, then settles herself in a chair quietly, 
smiling at the comment about her wingsecond's pet project.

Finally with enough blowing, Asria's 'egg is complete....of course her 
clothes and face look as if it has sprinkled rainbow colors on her...the 
autumn colorse adding themselves to the once from before. She sets the 
egg off to the side and takes up the sketch, setting it on the done pile.

Emlyn smiles her thanks when one of her fellow candidates takes away the 
dishes on the table. With a tilt to her head and a small smile, Emlyn 
asks Ursa, "Are you going to show me the view from the Stones?"

Kassima nods to Ch'ran with a smile. "I would!" She picks up one of the 
more spherical stones, and slathers on the blood-red paint. "This one 
won't be easy," she murmurs to herself.

Asrai takes up the sketh of the egg resembling skybroom back, tking a 
moment to study it. Course while she thinks she taps the paintbrush on 
the drop cloth, leaving a little wet mark...good thing she at least 
rememebred to clean the brush first..

Ursa grins, pleased. "Oh yeah. You've got the time tonight?" she asks 
superflously.

Tinya walks in from the bowl.

Ch'ran nod slightly, to Kassi. "Be right back," he murmurs, ducking out 
into the bowl with a nod to the entering rider.

Ch'ran walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Tinya hurries in, shooting a disgusted look over her shoulder at the bowl. 
"When did it start raining?" she asks of nobody in particular, then shrugs 
and waves. "Evening, everyone."

Rhyana grins over at Kassima. "He's been working on it for ages, and I've 
got to admit I'm dying to see how it turns out..."

Emlyn nods, grinning for the first time. "I do have the time, indeed."
Ch'ran walks in from the bowl.

Ursa looks out at the bowl, muttering, "He would sleep right through it." 
She casts her alarmed look at Tinya, "It's raining?" she asks mournfully.

Ch'ran returns, a pack slung over his shoulder. He wanders over to the 
vague vicinity of the "egg"-painting, and settles down to watch, opening 
the pack as he does so.

Kassima chuckles briefly before blowing on the rock to dry it. "Some 
things are worth the wait to see, I think. Wouldn't know, Tinya; I wasn't 
even aware that 'twas...." She watches Ch'ran and his pack as she 
attempts to dry off the egg.

Asrai smiles and takes up another unpainted rock, dipping hr brush into 
the brown she slathers brown all over its surface. She looks up, 
immediately putting a swath of brown on her finger, "Raining again? It's 
been doing that a lot recently."

Tinya nods, as she sets her workbasket down on a table and goes to get a 
mug of klah. "Yeah. Not hard, though, just that nasty misty stuff."

Emlyn frowns at the report of rain, too. Her face breaks quickly into a 
smile as an idea strikes. She mutters to Ursa, "Why... take... up... your 
ledge? We can watch the... there." 

Ch'ran finally produces a cloth-wrapped bundle, carefully unwrapping it 
to reveal a graceful carving of two dragons in flight.

Asrai's violet eyes widen as the carving is uncovered, "Oh that's 
lovely." She then drops a little brown onto the cloth, mixing in a bit of 
black to make a darker shade. Asrai then begins to draw bark-like 
striation along the 'egg's' surface.

Tinya heads back towards her table with her mug of klah, pausing to look 
at Kassi's work. "Nice," she comments. "You've made a lot of progress."

Kethran's eyes widen at Ch'ran's revelation, and he grins. "You outdid 
yourself this time, bluerider!"

Kassima's eyes widen perceptibly as the carving is revealed, and she 
scrutinizes it for a long, long moment, before breaking into a wide 
smile. "Ch'ran," she says, voice holding wonder, "that is the best 
sharding carving I've ever seen."

Rhyana smiles at the reaction to Ran's work, settling back in the chair 
just slightly.

Ch'ran quirks a small smile, and half-shrugs, blushing slightly. "I've 
been working on it on and off as inspirations hit me... it's to be a gift 
to my sister when she handfasts." The blush deepens a bit, but he cradles 
the carving carefully in his hands.

Asrai adds a little red to her mixture, splooshing it on the 'top' or 
apex of the 'egg'. she then spends some time blowing on it to help it 
dry.

Even though she's talking quietly with Ursa, Emlyn doesn't miss the 
presentation of Ch'ran's glorious carving. Her eyebrows climb to her 
hairline.

Tinya smiles appreciatively at the carving. "Oh, that's really lovely," 
she says to the Fort rider. "R'val will be sorry he missed seeing it -- 
he'd want to compare notes." She adds, offhandedly, "By the way, I don't 
think we've met. I'm Tinya, blue Liath's rider."

Ch'ran glances up, still a bit pinkish. "Ch'ran, blue Shanth's." He 
rewraps the carving carefully, with a few gentle flips of his hands, and 
tucks it back into his pack.

Kassima inclines her head, not even seeming to notice that the red brush 
is dripping paint over the sleeve of her riding jacket. "Your sister? Is 
she a rider, too?" She casts a glance over at Tinya, and grins. "Heya, 
Tinya. Feel like taking up a brush?"

Rhyana nods slightly from her seat. "And I'm Rhyana, brown Kessith's 
rider." she adds, though she still looks thoughtfully at Ran's hands, 
even when the carving is rewrapped.

Ch'ran shakes his head, grinning. "Harper. But I carve /dragons/."

Tinya nods over to Rhyana, acknowledging that introduction as well. "Well 
met, both of you." She grins at Kassi. "Nope, I think not. That jacket's 
getting even more colorful than before, and I rather _like_ my clothes in 
their original hues."

Ursa nods agreeably to Emlyn. "Sounds good." She murmers something to 
herself that sounds like "calm.. storm.." and pulls herself to her feet.

Asrai starts another mixture. This time to the brown she adds some white, 
making a creamy chocolate color . Once 
it is the proper shade, Asrai dips her brush into it ansd makes tiny 
swirls onto the egg, trying to make a feeling of depth on its surface.

Emlyn gets up with Ursa. She waves to the others as they walk out.

K'nan walks in from the bowl.

Asrai nods absently to Emlyn and Ursa, intent on her 'egg'

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

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

Rhyana considers for a moment. "Ran?" she asks. "I think I'm going to 
head back to Fort, if you'd all excuse me. We've Fall tomorrow, and I 
think there're a few things I still need to double check.

Tinya wanders back over to her own table, out of paint-splattering range, 
and shrugs out of her jacket to drop it on the back of her chair. She 
sits down and pulls her workbasket onto her lap, then waves to K'nan. 
"Heyla," she calls over to him.

Ch'ran tucks the wrapped carving back into his pack, and pats it 
thoughtfully, his attention settling mostly on the egg-painting for the 
moment. "I can't work on it often - I'm not often patient enough to do 
the fine work," he says. Then blinks, thoughtfully, nodding to Rhy. "Oh, 
aye... I'll be back early enough t'be well rested for the morning...."

K'nan ducks into the living cavern, reaching up to push back damp hair as 
he looks around. Giving an idle wave to everyone, he heads over towards 
the Skyfire tables with a smile for Tinya, "Heyla, Tinya."

Asrai waves to K'nan with her paint coated brush..eyes going wide as she 
sees a bit go flying...thankfully it just lands on Kassi's jacket, "Umm, 
sorry bout that Kassi. Heya K'nan..you gonna help??"

Rhyana nods. "I know you will be." she says. "I've just a few more hides 
to deal with." She looks over at Keth, then nods. "G'night, all, and many 
thanks for the hospitality.

Kassima nods to Rhyana. "Clear skies t'you, then, and to your Wing and 
lifemate as well. Benden's duties t'Fort and her queens, and all that. 
Heya, K'nan!"

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

K'nan pauses just as he reaches his wing's table..uh-oh. Asrai's asking 
him to do something. "Um....." I don't even want to know, this time. 
"Help with what?"

Asrai grins, showing him her 'egg', ok so it a painted rock.." We're 
painting eggs, err rocks to look like eggs that is. Like the ones on the 
sands...see this one looks like that one resembling a skybroom bark." 
Yeah yeah, so its a stretch. But once Asrai lifts up the sketch you can 
/sorta/ see the resemblance.

Kassima waves her red rock at K'nan as she swishes her brush around in 
the water, then dips her brush in a small pool of sky blue she's been 
busy mixing. "Painting these models of the eggs! There're sketches to 
work from and everything."

K'nan chuckles, "Oh." He relaxes a bit..at least it isn't numbweed this 
time. "I'm not really very good at that sort of thing, Asrai...that's 
pretty good, though!"

Kethran waves to Rhyana, then grins at Ch'ran. "Y'wanna tell me all about 
it, I'd guess?" he wonders. "I've need to be heading off to bed soonish, 
so you'd best talk fast."

Asrai pouts, yep..its the booboo lip, "Kassi, nobody wants to help us." 
She finishes with the lighter brown, adding some orange and yellow to 
it...making an almost amber color. After rinsing off her brush she dips 
it into the amber and slashes it across the rock, trying to make it look 
like the 'gash' represented on the sketch. She turns that sad violet eyed 
look on K'nan, "You /sure/ you don't want to help us?"

Kassima wrinkles her yellow paint-covered nose at K'nan. "You're nay fun, 
mentor mine. Surely you don't think I have any particular talent at this? 
They don't have to be precise, y'know!"

Ch'ran looks up, and grins. "All about it? Y'mean Kimber?" He pauses for a 
moment, and then lets out a sudden flood of words. "We were talking and 
all and she asked me to remind her to go see Renna - the weyrhealer at 
Fort - tomorrow (though this was a few days ago of course) and she 
wouldn't tell me why.... and the next day I asked Shanth to ask Kerinth 
after her, and got this frightfully strange answer about it, and then she 
told me to sit down which was probably a good thing." He stops, for 
breath. "I nearly choked on the sweetroll I swiped from her."

K'tyn walks in from the bowl.

Salless sits down for a moment to rest her feet and take a sip from a mug 
of Klah.

Kethran laughs softly, and nods. "Th'moral of the story is, don't swipe 
sweet-rolls." He waves cheerfully, if wearily, to K'tyn. "Heya, 
bronzerider!"

K'nan glances between the two - greenrider and candidate - and just 
sighs. He makes his way over like a man condemned to death, dragging over 
a chair. "Give me an egg, some paint, and a sketch.."

Ch'ran mock-pouts. "She always swipes /mine!/"

K'tyn shakes his had as he walks under the lintel; a fine mist seemingly 
launches itself into the air. "Oh heya, everyone." His face is a bit 
sunburned, and his smile correspondingly seems to glow brightly. "What's 
up? More rock painting?"

Kethran chuckles again, and shakes his finger at the bluerider. "Yeah, 
but you're going to be a father. You've an /example/ to set. Hey, Kiat! 
Did you hear? 'Ran here's gonna be joining the ranks of those who're 
called 'Daddy' soon!"

Asrai sits with painted rock in one hand, brush in the other...lip 
sticking out in a pout as she gazes at K'nan with wide, sad violet canine 
eyes. As soon as K'nan agrees to help them however, Asrai's smile 
brightens the room with its intensity, "Oh great, you'll have fun K'nan, 
you'll see." Glancing over she sees K'tyn, "K'tyn, you'll help us too, 
won't you?"

Tinya chuckles, overhearing part of Ch'ran and Kethran's conversation. 
"Isn't that what weyrmates are _for_, to snitch sweetrolls from?"

K'nan glances over to Kethran at the proclaimation and sighs, looking just 
a bit wistful as he turns back to Asrai and Kassima, grumbling, "Okay, 
okay..I already agreed, no need to beat it into me."

Kassima grins and puts down her brush long enough to rifle through the 
stack, and passes the sketch of the ephermal bay egg to K'nan. "Eggs are 
in that tray, there; help yourself to any that catches your fancy. 
Evening, Kiat! Aye; still plenty to do, if you're of a mind to paint with 
us."

Ch'ran folds his arms across his chest and peers through a downfallen lock 
of ruddy hair at Kethran. "Example? What bout /her/!" He glances over to 
Tinya, and nods slightly. "That's what mine seems to think, and it is 
easier than getting 'em oneself..."

Kethran laughs softly, and nods again, rising to his feet. "Well, best of 
luck to you, 'Ran, and it's great news, indeed."

K'tyn shakes his head again, moving to sit near the otheres.He tries to 
demurr. "I've no skill with a brush, Kassi, Asrai. But...I do like to 
watch."

Ch'ran nods again. "It occasionally reduces me to an utter gibbering 
idiot, of course, but nobody can tell the difference unless they look 
really carefully...."

K'nan looks up at K'tyn with narrowed eyes, "Look, bronzerider, if they 
forced me into it - and Faranth knows I've no skill with a brush - you 
have to too." He winks.

Ryialla walks in from the bowl.

Ryialla comes in, whistling off key.

Oh no, here it goes again...Asrai's lower lip begins to jut out, "But 
K'tyn, K'nan said he'd help us..see? Its not like they have to be very 
good. Puuleeeaaassseeee help us?" Oh yeah, add big wide violet canine 
eyes to the 'look' as well that Asrai now directs to K'tyn.

Kassima snorts at Kiat. "You think you're bad at it, look at me!" The 
greenrider's face and hair are, noticeably, rather paint-splattered. 
"Doesn't mean 'tis nay fun, though." The tip of her tongue sticks out of 
the corner of her mouth again as she concentrates on the thin sky-blue 
lines she's trying to draw on the red egg. "Evening, Ryi."

Kethran quirks a brow at K'tyn, but doesn't say anything to point out that 
unintentional (certainly) double entendre in the bronzerider's words. 
(GOHM, K'nan). Then, he grins at Ch'ran. "I can always tell the 
difference. You're more coherent when you're truly gibbering, you see," 
he teases.

Ryialla says "Hello hello hello, Kassi."

Kassima chuckles, watching Asrai's tactics. "Aye, K'nan, Kiat--
pleeeeeeeeeeease?" She bats her black lashes, artfully widening emerald 
eyes to a look of guileless pleading.

Ch'ran nods solemnly. "I'm full aware of that," he says. "I say the 
profoundest things when I'm either a gibbering idiot, or furious. 
Personally, I prefer gibbering. It's much more amusing."

K'nan reaches over and pokes Kassima as he selects one of the 'eggs'..
glancing at the sketch dubiously. "Okay..now what?" And it's my head now, 
Kethran. I like it in here.

Kethran shakes his head solemnly at Kassima and Asrai. "No, no... not 
doing it right. See, you have to get a lock of hair to fall down in your 
face, and then peek out from behind it. And then let your eyes shine a 
bit, as if in hopeful anticipation." He demonstrates for their benefit.

K'tyn blinks. "Wait, wait. I'll help...I guess," he says hesitantly.

Kethran just wishes those who occupy his head would dust.

Tinya grins at Kassi's wheedling, insulating herself from further 
pleading by starting in on her own project. She pulls a pair of lacquered 
wooden knitting needles from her basket, with several inches of work in 
black yarn already depending from them. With a nod, she greets the 
entering greenrider. "Heyla, Ryi."

Ryialla meanders past everyone, and heads into the kitchen. She returns 
with a large pile of various assorted fruits, which she places on the 
table. Then it's off to the storeroom, where she returns with a couple of 
old blankets. She spreads one on the floor, and one on the table nearest 
the wall. A detour into the gaming area comes up with a dart board. Ryi 
looks at the wall behind the board, and taps a finger against her mouth 
thoughtfully.

Kethran nods to Ch'ran. "Definitely. Angry can be so... infuriating." He 
shivers as he recalls Ch'ran angry at /him/. Not pleasant. "Anyway... I 
need to finish up some hidework, and get Kery back from the nannies. Care 
to come along?" he asks the bluerider.

K'tyn turns about, waves to the greenrider. "Ryi. You're just in time."

Kassima gestures to the various paintpots, splattering sky-blue paint all 
over her own sleeve. "Pick the right colors, or mix 'em, and just do your 
best! Oh, you think, Keth?" Kassi shakes her head to get her yellow, 
green, blue, red, white, brown, peach, and grey-spangled forelock to 
droop into one eye. Unfortunately, since she can't see past it, the 
peeking doesn't work very well. "Please?" she implores again.
Kassima grins as Kiat agrees. "You will? Fabulous! Grab an egg and a 
sketch, then!"

Asrai smiles brightly once more as K'tyn also agrees to join them in the 
egg painting. She happily humms a soft tune as she blows on her egg. Her 
way worked, shouldn't go messing with perfection and all that...

Ryialla pops back out to the storage caverns, calling over her shoulder, 
"In time for what? I'm kinds busy.."

Ch'ran nods slightly. "For a little, though I've got to be vack early 
enough that I'm rested for Fall.... 'tis an early one, in the morning."

K'tyn blinks, sighs, and picks up the items as requested. "To paint some 
rocks, Ryi." He studies the sketch he grabbed with an intense air.

Kethran grins, downing the last of his kloah. "Great. I can look like I'm 
working, then. C'mon." He leads the way toward the inner caverns, with a 
wave to everybody else.

Kethran walks towards the inner cavern.

Ch'ran gives the cavern a wave, dodging around the egg-painters as he 
follows Kethran.

Ch'ran walks towards the inner cavern.

Ryialla comes back with -another- cloth, which somehow manages to become 
stuck to the wall. You're not quite sure how she did it, but there it is. 
A tiny rip with the knife reveals a proturbance. The dart board is hung 
on this. "Why would I want to paint rocks? That's -boring-."

Tinya takes a sip from her klah mug, and then picks up her knitting. She 
falls quickly into a rhythm, stitches flowing from the clicking points.

Ryialla has procured some twine from somewhere, and spends the next few 
minutes putting holes in all the fruit. She threads the twine through the 
holes and hangs them on the dart board. And around the dart board. But 
all of them fall within the barriers provided by the cloth.

Kassima finishes the last curving trail of midday welkin blue, resuming 
her huffing and puffing at the egg. "I wonder if this really helps them 
dry faster," she gasps between blows, "or if'n they'd dry anyway in the 
time it takes!"

K'tyn peers at the paint. "Is it water-based?"


Asrai sets down her finished, dry egg, sellecting another 'canvas' for 
her brush...then another sketch...this one looks surprisingly like a 
kilt...Asrai then cleans off her brush, ready to start anew.

Ryialla looks at her creation, and nods, satisified. A bundle brought in 
with her opens to reveal a mess o' throwing knives. Ryi hefts one, and 
inspects it. She aims, and lets fly at a redfruit. *Thunk*

K'tyn looks at the sketch of the egg he's grabbed. "Oh, interesting. 
Looks like a feline. Hm."

K'nan picks out a brush, glancing at the egg and sketch dubiously for a 
moment.

Kassima sets her just-finished stone down by the others, and selects 
another from the slowly diminishing pile. After a moment's thought, she 
rummages amongst the stacks until she finds the egg looking as though it 
was bathed dusky-amethyst liquid; the purple paintpot soon finds some of 
its contents upon the tip of Kassi's brush, once she's swished it through 
the water-pot.

Asrai gives a small start at the *THUNK*, looking over in time to catch 
the knife hilt protruding from the redfruit, its juice starting to trail 
down the bordering cloth. With a slightly confused look and a shrug, 
Asrai goes back to painting...taking out some of the green she mixes it 
with a combo of yellow and orange ..trying for a nice kelly color. Into 
another pile she mixes red and some little bit of blue..making a deep 
scarlet. Now is she ready to create. Best she can, Asrai make even width 
checkers across the surface of the egg.

K'tyn looks at the egg sketch, and with surprising trepedation, he starts 
to paint his rock a velvety-black all over, each stroke smooth and even 
on the granite rounded surface in his hand.

Ryialla frowns at the knife that is quivering in the dart board, and 
picks up another one. *Thunk* Again, it winds up in the dart board. She 
growls at the knives. "You -will- go where I tell you." A third knife is 
thrown with considerable force, neatly spearing a bruised orange fruit. 
A fine spray of juice shoots out..but the knife falls out and onto the 
ground. "Shardit!"

Kassima peers over at the fruit, and whistles. "Impressive, Ryi! Very! 
Any chance we'll get to eat those fruit when you're done?"

Tinya blinks as the first knife hits the first fruit, glancing up with a 
curious expression. As knives continue to fly, her knitting fingers still 
as she peers at the greenrider.

R'val walks in from the bowl.

R'val wanders in, waving amiably, "Evening, everyone." he heads to sit 
with Tinya, kissing her soundly.

Ryialla picks up yet another knife, and flings it at the wall. This time, 
a beach plum splits neatly in half, and the knife tenaciously clings to 
the surface of the dart board. Ryi grins. "Awright!"

R'val blinks at the knife flinging and tentatively asks his weyrmate, 
"Erm. What's going on dear?"

Asrai continues to make the checkered pattern over the smooth surface of 
the rock...which 'egg' she's depicting quite obvious as the rock begins 
to look like its been wrapped in a kilt.

Tinya shrugs. "She's throwing knives at fruit," she says calmly. "She 
didn't say why." Quite unobtrusively indeed, she drops her knitting back 
into the basket on her lap and covers it over with another piece of work, 
setting the whole thing aside.

Kassima cheers, "Good throwing!" while painting wavy amethyst-toned 
streaks thickly over the rock she holds. Whisking the runner-hair brush 
across the dropcloths, she pools together purple and blue to create a 
shade of dusky plum that forms a tracery of darker hue all about the 
stone in its entirety.

R'val bobs his head and smiles, "How's the knitting going love?" He asks, 
peering at Tinya's lap.

Ryialla turns around at R'val, another knife clutched in her hand. She 
giggles, sounding just a touch maniacal. "I've created a new game." 
Without even looking at the hanging fruit, she lets fly. A redsquishy 
redfruit splatters all over the cloth-covered wall.

R'val smiles warily at Ryi, "Err. That's good to haer, Ryi.' He asks, a 
trifle cautiously, "What might that be?"

Devlin walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Devlin walks off towards the kitchen.

Asrai rinses out her brush, once the entire egg is covered in the 'kilt 
pattern. Asrai then dips it into the black, outlining the other colors 
carefully...so intent is she on her work that all else is shut out.

Ch'ran walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Devlin walks in from the kitchen.

Ryialla taps another knife (where ARE they all coming from?) against her 
teeth. "Mm. Fruit darts!"

Devlin sits down at the quiet table by the night hearth.

Tinya shrugs. "Oh, it's fine," she says disinterestedly. She's still 
watching what Ryi's doing curiously.

Devlin sets down all the stuff and works on chopping up the vegatables.

Ch'ran emerges from the inner cavern, muttering something incoherent 
about stupid dragons and having to deal with fall /early/ in the morning. 
"Clear skies," he says firmly, and goes out to have an argument with his 
dragon.

Ch'ran walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima chuckles without looking up from her task. "Aye, Ryi. Fruit darts 
is a good name for it, as good a name as any."

Ryialla waggles the knife. "But I'm only using the bruised ones, since 
they'll be thrown out anyway. See you hang the fruit, and then you take 
the knife..like this..and you THROW it.." The knife flies. Ryi gets the 
edge of something mottled and unidentifable. "And if the sharding knives 
BEHAVE, you get a nice splutting of fruit." She glares at the next knife. 
"I've told you before..you BEHAVE. You hear me?"

Kassima peers over at K'nan and Kiat. "You two aren't doing so bad. See, 
this doesn't take much practice really--nay so long as you follow the 
sketch."

Sisirye walks here from the Inner Cavern.

Asrai finally finishes ehr carefull outlining, darkening the areas where 
the two brilliant colors cross. she then goes about the process of blowing 
and shaking, trying to get the paint to dry.

R'val looks up and smiles, waving towards Sisirye.

Tinya smiles and waves over to Sisirye.

Devlin finishes chopping up one type of vegetable and starts in on 
another.

Ryialla grabs another knife. "Now, lets see if this one is going to 
behave." She aims, releases..and hits the mottled fruit, making a lovely 
squishy mess.

Devlin manages to wince only slightly as he sees the hours of work he put 
in cleaning the living caverns being done under by squishy fruit bits.
Sisirye steps in, rubbing her eyes a bit and waves. Walking over she 
peers at what the others are doing...then whips her head around to follow 
a knife. "Uhh...evenin?" she meeps.

R'val grins, "It's evening, yup."

Tamesis walks in from the bowl.

Kassima waves her paintbrush towards Sisirye, and looks impressed by the 
solid squish sound. "Ryi, how are you with those knives and snowmen?"

R'val spots Tamesis and waves wildly, "Tam! Long time no see!"

K'nan waves over to Sisirye with a paintbrush, managing to slowly color a 
stone egg. "Heya! Welcome to the mess."

Ryialla whirls abruptly, and waggles another knife. Yes, another knife. 
"R'val..you never did put your head in the pudding like I asked you to..."

Asrai looks up and giggles, waving Sisi over to where she sits with 
Kassi, K'nan, and K'tyn, painting rocks to look like the eggs out on the 
Sands...or that's what you guess they're doing as you draw closer to the 
table...for some do manage to look familier.

R'val blinkblinks at Ryi and smiles sheepishly, "Err. Sorry Ryi. Been 
busy."

Tinya glances around to see who her weyrmate's waving to, and nods to the 
Reaches rider with a polite smile, though no audible greeting since she 
doesn't know her.

Ryialla harumphs, then waves at Tamesis. "Heyla. Benden's duty and all 
that. Want to play fruit darts?"

Tamesis comes wandering in from the bowl, her attention slightly 
distracted for a moment until she hears her name, "R'val! Heyla. It has 
been a while hasn't it." She babbles on, striding into the living cavern, 
"Oh. 'Reaches Duties to Benden and her queens" she adds on after a moment.

Sisirye sits down with the painting group, occasionally glancing over her 
shoulder at the fruit massacre. "Heyla, whatcha doing?" To the stone 
painters that is.

Kassima calls over to Tamesis, "Evening, brownrider! Benden's duties to 
the 'Reaches and her queens. Sisirye, we're painting a set of rocks to 
match the eggs on the Sands. And making a mess, but that's beside the 
point." Considering how paint-splattered the greenrider is, 'a mess' might 
be a faint understatement.

Sisirye grins broadly, just notcing that "Are there any left to paint?" 
she scans the table for more rocks.

Asrai looks over, waving her drying egg around a bit, "Oh, we're painting 
rocks to look like the eggs...for Kassi. Wanna help? you just take up a 
brush..and rock..and then you pick a scetch from that pile there...they're 
the ones that aren't done yet." Determining that her egg is done drying, 
Asrai places it with the other finished ones..taking some time to clean 
her brush in the pot of now murky lake water, used just for that 
occasion.

A large, succulent redfruit beckons..a full half of it covered in dark 
bruises. A glint of light strikes the knife blade as it sails toward the 
target..Bullseye! More splatter..and a definite fruity smell now pervades 
the cavern.

Devlin quietly concentrates on chopping the vegetables. Perhaps if he 
doesn't look, ti won't really be that messy in the cavern.

Tamesis looks rather interested in Kassima's words and takes a few steps 
over to see what she is talking about. "They're lovely!" she exclaims, 
though she does seem a little uncomfortable as she peers at the eggs.

Kassima nods, tapping the pile which still contains quite a few rocks. 
"There're plenty! Grab a brush, a sketch, and a rock. Thankee muchly, 
Tamesis! Asrai and Tas did a few of these that are drying, as well as I, 
and a'course y'can see K'nan and Kiat helping out...."

Tinya glances out toward the bowl. Focus lost. Focus back. She blinks and 
nudges R'val, murmuring something to him.

Tamesis chuckles softly, shifting slightly, "Aye, that I can see."

Ryialla whistles and goes to retrieve the sticky knives...then starts 
tossing them again. However, little surrpetitous glances towards the bowl 
and the fact she's missing more than hitting indicate a loss of focus..or 
perhaps a renewal of focus..just in a different area.

Sisirye nods and reaches over to the pile of rocks, picking out a nice 
smooth one and then grabs a sketch...hopefully from the right pile. 
Looking about a moment she mutters "Umm...any more brushes?"

"Should be," is Kassi's absent comment as she pauses in blowing on the 
purple 'egg' that she's just finished. "I grabbed all of the less than 
first-rate brushes I could find."

Tinya frowns, looking out toward the bowl again with a hint of 
exasperation, mingled with resignation.

Tamesis pulls her jacket off, draping it over her arm as she looks 
around, peering in the direction of the bowl occasionally.

Ryialla rubs at the back of her neck, and glances out at the bowl again.

Sisirye spots one under an already completed sketch and snatches it up, 
looking at the one she's got.

M'kla walks in from the bowl.

R'val rubs a hand across his face with a deep sigh, and murmurs to Tinya, 
"I can't stop Vidarth, love."

Ryialla sighs. "And away she goes. Hoo-sharding-rah. I -hate- this." 
Settingthe knives down carefully, she abandons the game and huffs out of 
the living cavern.

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

M'kla chuckles, "Ach. Anaer."

Kassima shakes her head as Ryi goes. "Awww. Nay more fruit-darts. Evening, 
M'kla; want to join us in painting some rocks?"

Tinya nods, sighs, shrugs. "Liath went up without even listening to me. 
Vidarth's been gloating too much at him lately." She rises from her seat 
and walks out, workbasket and jacket both forgotten at the table.

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

Asrai blinks, looking up from her place at the egg painting 'station', 
"Wha? Oh...Kassi, should I go get some wine to set out?

Sisirye peers at the blueish tinge of the egg she's picked and dips her 
brush into the paint pot, then the water to dilute it enough before 
adding the color to her rock.

R'val walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Tamesis looks around, and manages to say "Excuse me" before following the 
other riders out into the bowl.

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

Sisirye watches everyone filter out and waves to M'kla rather belatedly.

Kassima sets down her just-completed stone, and nods. "Aye, Asrai, 
'twould nay doubt be best."

K'nan doesn't even look up as the 'riders head out into the bowl, just 
concentrating on his egg....it's hard to tell /what/ it's supposed to 
look like, since he keeps mixing his paints up.

M'kla chuckles to herself, "Aye, an if ye coul get me jes a lil cup o the 
stuff too."

Devlin shifts a bit uncomfortably where he sits, but continues to 
doggedly concentrate on his vegetable chopping.

Asrai nods to Kassi, getting up from her place to head back towards the 
store rooms, "Sure thing M'kla...do you like red or white, err..
Weyrsecond."

M'kla chuckles and calls, "Nay, the clear...there be a skin of Nabolese 
spirits aside the reds!"

Asrai grins at the Greenrider, nodding her understanding, "Yes, Ma'am." 
She then turns and disappears.

Asrai walks off towards the kitchen.

M'kla chuckles as she settles down in a chair, "Evenin all. That Pliarth 
making all that fuss ou there?"

Devlin scrapes the chopped vegetables into the big bowl and carries that 
into the kitchen. He emerges with a bucket and cleaning supplies and 
starts cleaning up the splotches of fruit.

Sisirye coats her 'egg' in light blue, making holding it an interesting 
experience and getting blue paint all over her fingertips. As always 
happens with these things her nose is suddenly itchy as well, without 
thinking she scratches, now painting her nose as well. Cleaning off her 
brush she starts for the pot of black paint next.

Asrai walks in from the kitchen.

A rock already in hand, Kassi reaches for the brush that sits in the 
black paintpot and uses it to form a background coating over her stone of 
choice. Black joins the other colors that cover her hands; so painted is 
she, in fact, that it's almost hard to tell where the psychadelic jacket 
ends and the psychadelic skin begins. "Ryi's Pliarth, aye, if the way she 
was acting's any judge."

K'nan glances up from his 'egg' and grins, "Who else'd it be, M'kla?"

Asrai comes in carrying a skin with the marking of Nabol on its hide, as 
well as a couple skins of Benden Red. Following her are a few lower 
cavern boys, each carrying skins of wine which they help her set out. 
Seeing Asrai's purpose..the Candis on duty are quick to set out the 
sturdier glasses for the disappointed riders. Grabbing up a glass, Asrai 
delivers the skin of spirits, as well as the glass before the Weyrsecond, 
"Here you are Ma'am."

Sisirye looks at the ruined fruit and then back at the riders "Ooo...
that's why the.." she points to the mess.

M'kla nods to Asrai, paying little attention to the mess in the room. 
"Thankye lassie."

K'nan frowns down at his 'egg'..then at Kassi. The egg..and Kassi. 
Shrugging, he turns and starts painting the arm of Kassi's jacket..or is 
it her arm? In any case, he's grinning.

Devlin scoops up the bits of fruit, disposing of them. He then goes back 
to scrub up the spots left by them.

Asrai comes back to the painting table, pausing as she sees K'nan at 
'work'. she just sort of stands there for a bit, giving him a rather odd 
look.

Very, very intent is Kassi on her egg. But not so much so that she 
doesn't feel the tickle of the brush as it happens to cross the border 
between the jacket and her arm. "Hey! K'nan, do I look like a rock t'you? 
Cut that out--it tickles!"

K'nan pauses in his painting, and grins. "Oops?"

Devlin whistles a tune as he works at cleaning up at least some of the 
mess.

However, K'nan does paint his name on Kassi's arm with a few quick 
strokes before turning back to his egg, whistling innocently.

A stiffled giggle is heard from behind Kassi..oh look, its Asrai, go 
figure. she makes her way around the table, reclaiming her spot. Scooping 
up and egg while she's at it..err rock that is.

Kassima makes a face at K'nan and, with deft strokes, reaches over and 
scribbles her name across his hand in black paint. Then she winks and 
sets that brush down to reach for the white one.

K'nan snorts at Kassi, sticking out his tongue playfully. Reaching over, 
he paints a long purple streak down the middle of Kassima's hair.

Sisirye artfully adds black stripes all over the egg she's painting, 
giggling a bit at Kassima's handiwork.

Kassima takes her white-tipped brush and traces around the edge of 
K'nan's ear with the paint. After scrutinizing her handiwork for a second, 
she adds a white lightning bolt across the other greenrider's cheekbone.

Sisirye looks over at Asrai, sensing more of a mess starting. She grins, 
setting her finished egg down with the others to dry.

K'nan solemnly reaches over for the red brush, carefully painting a 
bulls-eye on Kassi's forehead as she paints his cheek and ear...
expression one of intense concentration on his work.

Asrai scoots farther over towards Sisi, wanting to be well out of reach 
of K'nan and Kassi...just in ccase they go crazy or ...well crazier or 
something like that. She dips her clean brush into the white, plopping it 
down on te cloth before adding the barest amount of brown to it...
resulting in a nice cream color...this she paints the entire egg with...
err rock that is.

Kassima grabs up the green brush and paints K'nan's entire nose a bright, 
proddy-dragon green hue. With a yellow dot on the tip, no less, with a 
tiny black smiley-face inside the dot.

K'nan switches brushes again as Kassi sets down the yellow brush, very 
delicately drawing a thick yellow outline around each of her eyes.

Kassima would probably say that the yellow circles are an improvement 
over the black spot-crescent that was there, if she'd known. Since she 
doesn't, she contents herself with painting a little blue goatee on 
K'nan's chin.

K'nan stays with the yellow brush, painting a thin mustache on her before 
reaching for the purple brush again.

M'kla peers at the two younger greenriders, and pours herself another 
glass of spirits.

Asrai watches the two with a sideways glance, prepared to run should they 
even look her way. She continues to paint her rock though. When the 
entire 'background' is finished she adds a bit more brown to what's 
left...making a nice tan.

Sisirye stifles a giggle and looks at Kassima and K'nan like they've gone 
completely mad. She slooowly reaches for another rock, trying not to 
attract too much attention to herself lest paint really start flying. She 
settles back and starts on another egg.

K'nan very carefully begins drawing a dragon on Kassi's cheek, in bright 
purple...but he's not a very good artist. It kind of ends up looking 
like..a dinosaur, if anyone on Pern knew what one was. With a big white 
grin.

Blue dots are dabbed onto K'nan's earlobes before Kassi reaches for a 
different purple, writing, 'I Am a Giant Wherry Named Fritz' across 
K'nan's throat. If she realized what K'nan was drawing on her cheek, she 
would probably be afraid; fortunately for her, she doesn't.

M'kla murmurs, "Dan't know who's weyr I'd rather follow intae, to see 
their faces."

K'nan grabs the orange brush, painting a little stick-figure holding on 
to the very bottom of Kassi's lip and hanging down her chin. If he knew 
what Kassi was writing on his throat, he'd probably be most confused; 
fortunately for him, he doesn't.

Asrai giggles, agreeing with M'kla, "Yes Ma'am...would be interesting 
either way...but if you go to K'nan..you get to see Aph's too, when she 
gets a look at this." She motions to the two rather silly Greenriders.

M'kla lifts a brow, and then nods, "Aye, ye tell the truth, Asra-lass....
that woul' be worth it all."

M'kla pours herself another glass, and nurses it more slowly.

Asrai takes some of the tan paint onto her brush, trying her best to make 
a lace-like pattern onto the surface of her 'egg'...she doesn't even 
/try/ to follow the complexity of the sketch.

A bright red dagger is traced onto K'nan's cheek by Kassi--the one that's 
not already occupied by white lightning, that is. Then, she starts working 
on a big blue eye on his forehead.

Benden Weyr> K'nan fixes his Status.

  Name           Sex   Position         Status                       Idle  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Asrai          (F)   Candidate        NotThatShardingInnocent?       2m    
* Devlin         (M)   Candidate        Never 'Lysswooning             4m    
* Emlyn          (F)   Candidate                                       7m    
* K'nan          (M)   Greenrider       IAmAGiantWherryNamedFritz     16s    
* Kassima        (F)   Greenrider       NotThatShardingWatered!        0s    
* Kethran        (M)   Asst.Steward     Evil is ahand!                 1m    
* M'kla          (F)   Weyrsecond       See Ryialla's Status ;)        2m    
* M'rgan         (M)   Visitor          NotThatShardingGullible       18s    
* R'val          (M)   Bluerider        ThereCanBeOnlyOne:Tinya!      32s    
* Ryialla        (F)   Greenrider       EternallySingle&LovingIt?      3m    
* Sisirye        (F)   Candidate        Enjoying the Spamfest!         1m    
* Tinya          (F)   Bluerider        *blink*Weyrmated?Um,yeah!      1m    
* Ursa           (F)   Wingsecond       M'kla's wary dragoon-bear     22s   
------------------------------- ( 13 players ) ----------------------------

Benden Weyr> Kassima ROTFLs!

Benden Weyr> Sisirye laughs!

K'nan starts to very carefully design small green scales on Kassi's 
unoccupied cheek, slowly spreading them across her face.

Kassima picks up the red brush and paints the upper right corner of 
K'nan's head a bright red, except for a sort of horn-shaped space.

K'nan takes the brush away and nods, satisfied. "There. That looks done 
to me."

Kassima peers at K'nan's face, which is now an absolute map of strange 
paintings, and nods. "So's yours... Fritz."

M'kla chuckles quietly, "Shards, tell em they canna paint the dragons, an 
they paint each o'er."

Sisirye shuffles through the pile of sketches, finding one that seems 
sorta eliptical, like her rock. Picking out a browish color she traces a 
labryinth like pattern over its surface, not really having to add a base 
color. She sets it down with the others again. "That's two." she yawns.
Between the two of them, Asrai and Sisi finish up the rest of the 'eggs' 
while K'nan and Kassi are occupied with painting each other. Asrai sets 
her last dried egg back in the pile.

K'nan glances around..perhaps looking for a new 'subject'. "Asrai!"

Asrai blinks, turning her head slowly towards K'nan. Seeing that 'glint' 
in his eyes she imediately protests, "Oh no you don't K'nan...what if you 
paint me and the dragons start humming? P'tran said the eggs could hatch 
any day now." She does the peek out from behind one lock of hair thing...
ok so its purely coincedence, "You wouldn't want me to get into trouble 
would you?"

K'nan blinks innocently, "Huh? I was jus' going to ask what you thought 
of Kassi?"

Asrai watches K'nan carefully, err..his paintbrush carefully, "Oh well, I 
think she looks...nice? Fritz." She can't help but let a giggle out at 
this last added comment.

Sisirye blinks and busts out giggling for a moment, looking at the 
finished works of art sitting across from her. "And I like the eye."

Kassima grins at K'nan. "Face painting! It'll become the hobby of many, I 
daresay--just wait and see."

K'nan nods in firm agreement with Kassima, grinning. "I agree."

Sisirye yawns suddenly, almost suprising herself. "I think, maybe I should 
get to bed. If those eggs do hatch anyday I better sleep when I can I 
guess."

Asrai turns her attention from the two Greenriders, nodding to Sisi, 
"Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning."

K'nan smiles over at Sisirye, "Could happen...sleep well!"

Sisirye nods and waves to everyone as she meanders out.

Sisirye walks towards the inner cavern.

Kassima seems to realize eventually that there are no more rocks--
actually, she realizes this when she reaches for one, and there are none 
there. After a moment of grabbing at empty air, she expresses her 
confusion extremely articulately: "Huh?"

Asrai giggles as she sees Kassi reach for the air, "We finished while you 
two were, umm, playing."

Kassima ahs wordlessly, and peers over the finished eggs. "They're great," 
she says finally, with a grin. "Great! These will make such a perfect 
display, and with Ch'ran's wood carvings...."

Asrai grins, taking a moment to look out over the eggs, "Yes, we didn't do 
too bad a job at that, did we?" She says with a rather pleased voice.

Kassima laughs, running a finger over the purple streak in her hair. "Nay 
bad 'tall. And you've saved me from having to be working on them until 
the next Hatching, at the rate 'twas going. Let's get these paintpots 
lidded up and put back in the tray, hmmm?"

Asrai nods, standing to help clean up. Poping tops back onto paint pots, 
making sure they're on tightly before placing them back onto the tray.

K'nan chuckles, moving to help the others clean up. "So..wonder if 
Pliarth's done, yet."

K'nan glances out at the bowl and murmurs, "Guess so.."

Once the paints are all taken care of, Asrai begins to roll up the 
various drop cloths.

Kassima cleans up the brushes, washing each of them and bundling them up 
in the leather once again. The hides, too, are placed there. "Asrai! Save 
a couple cloths, if you would--I need to wrap the stones up. They won't 
all be dry yet."

Asrai sets aside one of the cleaner cloths for Kassi, rolling up the 
others tightly so no paint drop on the cavern floor.

Kassima carefully wraps up the stones and sets them in the bundle as 
well, tying it shut. "All right; that's done, and I'll say that even 
though it's been great fun, I'm glad."

Asrai goes and disposes of the drop clothes, returning sometime later...
just in time to hear Kassi's comments. "It /was/ fun.....I'm glad we had 
the sketches though." She sits down at the now cleared table, "We had a 
meeting today..alll the Candis...P'tran said the eggs would hatch any day 
now..."

Asrai stands up, "I just remembered, I have to take care of something 
back in the barracks..I'll be back in a few." She turns to head out after 
a wave and a smile.

Asrai walks towards the inner cavern.

K'nan yawns to himself as the mess gets mostly cleaned up. "Well, I'm 
going to go grab a few hours a'sleep before sweeps..."

K'nan waves, "Clear skies, Kassi!"

K'nan walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kassima laughs and suggests, "Sounds good, K'nan. But, mayhaps you'd like 
to wash off your face first?"

Kassima gathers up her leather bundle and paint-pot tray, nods to various 
folk in the room, and heads out with a suppressed yawn.

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