-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marble Flooring Date: August 17, 2003 Place: Telgar Weyr Storage Rooms Game: PernMUSH Copyright Info: The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kassi's Note: Ah, Telgar, where one can decide to go poking around in the Storerooms in the middle of the night and find oneself involved in a conversation about strip marbles as a result. ;) Yselle and T'van go hunting for marbles, but find Kassima instead, and the bluerider tries to talk Kassi into coming up to Yselle's weyr to see him naked. Little wonder Ys seems so depressed throughout, with that to look forward to. 0:) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Log: Yselle walks in from outside the room. "...So shall neither coif come on my head, nor comb come in my hair; and shall neither coal nor fair glow-light shine in my bower maer; and neither will I marry, until the day I die, for I never had a love but one, and he's drowned in the sea." Even if the glowlight visible through the half-open door of one of the general store rooms didn't give away her presence, Kassi's distinctive lilt in singing probably would, even undercut with the rustle and slither of clothes being rummaged through. [Editor's Note: All due credit to Steeleye Span; I used lyrics from their version of 'Lowlands of Holland' in that pose. :) ] "Right in HERE," it's the sound of everyone's favourite bluerider, T'van. He sounds excited. "Oh come on Ys, stop moping, it'll be /fun/. There's loads of them in here and nobody will mind." The pair of them enter, T'van practically dragging Yselle along. She looks like she's really /trying/ to pretend she's having a good time. "Now I'll let you choose first, pleeeeeeeeease Ys. Don't make me call you wherface." As they enter, his eyes alight on Kassima. "Hey," he hisses, rather loudly. "She's /singing/. Maybe Lysseth is glowing," he bounces. "I'll ask Faenth." There's a pause, and Kassi turns from her clothes-hunting to slant a decidedly droll look in the bluerider's direction. "Who told you me *singing* is a sign of the lady's glowing? 'Tisn't me singing you'd hear then. 'Twould be maleriders *screaming*. Starting with you, if'n you said that around me at such a time, so you might nay exactly want t'have your hopes up, aye?" It'd probably sound more threatening if she weren't trying not to snicker. "What in the name of Faranth's green descendants has you two down here at this hour?" Grinning cheekily T'van says, with a sweeping bow "A man can always hope, oh beautiful and melodious one." He nudges Yselle who smiles weakly. "We're going hunting for marbles. We haven't played in turns!" T'van is holding up most of the conversation here. "And I of course, will beat Ys to make up for the last time." He looks at her, clearly expecting her to deny it. She offers another weak smile. "Beautiful and melo--T'van, you do realize that I'm never, ever sleeping with you, right?" Kassima's still entertained, clearly. "So you don't have t'pull out the sweet tongue for me." Pause. "In any sense. That really was a horrid phrasing, wasn't it? Never mind. I can't tell you if'n there are any miggsy balls here or nay--shells, if'n there are, and any left over when you're done, mayhaps I should take 'em home. Kisai might well like 'em. So might Khari, for that matter. Are you just going t'*let* him beat you, Ys?" T'van grins and says "I didn't mind your phrasing at all," he waggles his eyebrows at her. "Now never say never, Kassie! You know how much I've always adored you and your lovely red dress. How can you be so cruel as to deny me? Do you know how often I lie awake at night dreaming of you, your lovely soft skin, your soft hair, your..." One word Yselle has to say about all this and it's pained "Tel," he takes one look at her and changes the subject, rather hastily. "So, yes, we're going to play marbles. Would you deign, lovely greenrider to join us? A man's greatest dream is to be surrounded by greenriders." Yselle shrugs and says "I don't really mind." "'Twill just bet you didn't--except I couldn't be finding someone t'take the bet," Kassi retorts, crinkling her nose at him. "Shells, though, which lovely red dress is this? It sounds like something I should wear less often, since I live, after all, t'be wicked cruel t'blueriders everywhere and you in particular. Or mayhaps I should wear it *more* oft, hmm? If'n I'm causing you t'lose sleep this way. That counts as torment." My, she's cheerful for this early in the morning. After a quick glance of sympathy for poor Yselle, she admits, "I've never been wonderful at marbles, but I could give it a go; or just watch, for interest's sake. I don't think I'm going t'find a shirt for Kisai tonight. Uh, unless you don't really *want* t'play, Ys? I'd nay want t'impose or the like." "Of course she wants to play!" T'van buts in. "And do you know /why/?" he grins at Kassima as though imparting a great pearl of wisdom "Because it is I who have asked her to!" A smile tugs at Yselle's mouth and she finally manages to say "You are so full of it, Tel." He beams like she's just paid him the highest imaginable compliment. "I won't be /too/ hard on you," he promises Kassima. "If you lose all your marks to me, I'm sure we can come up with some way to settle it," he looks oh so innocent saying this too. "Maybe you'll just show me your red dress. Or your kilt. Say you have a kilt, Kassie-love." Kassima's eyes roll so quickly and so far skyward that they probably are in danger of jumping right out of her head. "I'm *nay* playing for marks; in fact, the more we discuss this, the more methinks 'twould do better t'*watch*. If'n you ever want t'try your luck with dice or cards, now...." She somehow makes that arch enough to sound almost like a threat. A good-humored threat. "Ys, how d'you put *up* with this man? But aye, T'van, I have a kilt. A'course I have a kilt. For luck. I do nay think though that you'll be seeing it any time soon." Yselle's answer to Kassima's question might seem quite surprising. She looks up at T'van and says "I don't know what I'd do /without/ him," sadly. He winds an arm around her. "Oh Ys," he mutters. "It's okay. You know you're going to beat me anyway." She attempts another smile. "Besides, we got Kassie running scared," he tells her. "Can't back out now." He rummages through shelves with his free arm. "I'm sorry about the kilt though, you must be devestating in it." Surprising, yes: Kassi's glance between the two is certainly surprised, no little puzzled, and perhaps a trace concerned. "I doubt you'll ever have t'do without him," she suggests, trying for levity, "since I can't see him *ever* leaving you alone--shells, he'd come back from the final *between* because he hadn't pestered you enough yet. Wouldn't you, T'van?" Now there's a mental image. "Are you implicating," she then asks, with mock-hauteur, "that I'm nay devastating in *everything* I wear?" Now see, here T'van is on solid ground. Still with his arm around Yselle, an arm she's not, for once, pushing away, he says cheekily. "Oh yes, Ys couldn't live without me, why if it weren't for S'vyn, I'd just go an move in with her. That way her life would never be boring." He grins, and nudges her. She manages a roll of her eyes for him, and he /beams/. "And Kassie-darling, you are eternally beautiful, but I must say my favourite is that cute little swimsuit of yours. You can play marbles in that you know, we can wait." Kassima can't argue with that; she says, indeed, "I'm sure you have *that* right. A'course, she might then learn why 'May your life be interesting' is considered by some t'be a *curse*." She deadpans that, but her eyes are dancing. "*Pshhh*. Wear a swimsuit, at Telgar, in autumn? I *don't* think so. And I tell you, 'tis watching 'twill be, nay playing, nay with marks involved. Did he try t'convince *you* t'wear a swimsuit too, Ys? Or does he credit you with having more weather-sense than he does me? Perhaps we should suggest *he* wear a swimsuit, and see how he likes the thought of cold weather, and shrinkage." Yselle shakes her head. "Tel prefers me with my clothes on," she says. T'van says "Well I don't know about /that/, Yssy! But.. you know, Kassie /I/ would like to see you in a swimsuit. You're so attractive you know." "I somehow doubt that," Kassi sort-of-seconds, almost immediately. "In fact, I'm bloody amazed if'n he hasn't tried t'talk you into playing strip marbles." Strip. Marbles. There are some ideas for games that should just never cross one's mind. "I appreciate that, T'van, but I'd appreciate it more if'n I didn't suspect you said it to nigh anyone or anything breathing. Or do I misjudge you, after all? Since I suppose the only persons I *know* you've courted in some fashion are Yselle and S'vyn, and that would actually argue well for your taste." Things are looking good. T'van positively beams. "I have /wonderful/ taste," he assures her. "Am I not telling you how lovely you are? And well, if you insist, I /suppose/ I could bring myself to play strip-marbles with you and Yssy. We could invite her cute friend Javi too. I wonder if she's asleep yet?" Yselle manages a roll of the eyes and says "Leave Javi out of it, Tel." Kassima makes an amused sound. "What, Yselle, 'tis all right for him t'hound me about swimsuits and stripping, but nay Javi? Oh, woe! I am forlorn! T'be relegated t'such a dastardly fate when others might escape it! Nay, I kid. Particularly since methinks even were she asked, Javi would have about the same likelihood I do t'be agreeing t'such a thing--which is t'say, zero. But I digress." A short pause follows before she finally asks the question she's been hesitating over: "Is everything all right, Ys? You really don't seem particularly... well, jovial, and I'm thinking 'tis for more cause than that T'van's exasperating you, for once." Yselle shrugs. "It's just... you can handle it Kassima. It's quite fun to see you do it, actually. Javi's... not you, you know? Not that she couldn't handle it too, I guess." To the rest, she just shrugs. "I'll be okay, I guess," she mutters in a low voice. "Of /course/ you will, who needs him anyway?" Tel pipes up. "When they have me?" "Aye, well. I wish I could say ''Tis all from having scads of practice fending off drooling men,' but sadly, 'tis nay so. Javi might handle it all right, though." Kassima sounds thoughtful about this. "I could imagine that... later, if'n nay now. She'd probably be less of a blushing flower than I used t'be. Or sometimes still am." Considering the other greenrider, she says at length, "I want t'be asking, 'What did he do now?' since methinks I can guess now the shadow of the problem, but I don't want t'make either of you uncomfortable, hey? If'n you want t'discuss, m'ears are by all means open, and in fact I'd like t'know, but if'n you'd rather nay then we can mayhaps go back t'jesting about things or whatever would be better." "Maybe some other time?" Yselle murmurs uncomfortably. "Besides," T'van buts in "You promised me strip marbles Kassie-darling!" Or something like that. "And if you were /wearing/ that swimming costume to start off with..." he waggles his eyebrows "there wouldn't be much to strip would there? So then we could get to the important part a lot quicker." Slyly, he offers "I /will/ wear a bathing suit if you can't stand the idea of seeing me in my clothes a second longer. I'll even lose for you, Kassie-love." He blows her a kiss. "Another time," Kassi readily agrees, a note of apology in her voice--for that discomfort, probably. "But only if'n you want to, Ys. You don't ever have t'speak of it if'n you don't want to, hey?" On a lighter note: "And I did *nay* promise you strip marbles! Honestly, T'van. Why *would* I? There'd be naught in that I'd want t'*win*!" But here, she says that so laughingly that there's likely little sting to it. Assuming anything *could* sting T'van's ego anyway, which at this point seems dubious. "I will nay be stripping for you, and 'twill nay be wearing the swimsuit for you, much though I appreciate that *so* generous offer," and as proof of just how entertained she is, she blows him a kiss back. "I fear you're just out of luck there, T'van-laddo." T'van, delighted, mimes catching the kiss, and a swoon. "I told you she loves me," he hisses to Yselle in a voice meant to carry. "You wait until Lysseth rises next, Faenth will snatch her out of the sky. Then of course, she'll be begging /me/ for strip marbles." He winks at her, and murmurs "You don't know what you're missing, Kassie-love." Yselle offers Kassima a grateful smile and a quiet thankyou, before being prevailed upon by T'van. "Now Ys, come on, this could be your /only/ chance to see me naked for the rest of your life." This does merit another eyeroll from her. Still, she allows him to tug her out of the store-room, muttering something about only playing marbles if he promises to keep all his clothes /on/. His voice drifts back "Half a candlemark in Ys' weyr, if you want to see the best body a bluerider ever had." Yselle's voice, dry, mutters "Yes, Tel."