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The Drag Queen Martina


Date:  January 25(?), 1997
Place:  Benden Weyr Hot Springs and Lysseth and Kassima's Weyr
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:  To quote what I paged to Kin at one point, this is 'Why 
you don't want to cause a greenrider and a goldrider to have a vendetta 
against you, lesson 93.'  Another one of those spur-of-the moment 
notions that worked out fairly well, this has spawned tons of 'Martina' 
jokes--almost as many as the similar 'Rivalla' incident mentioned 
throughout.  Mart has yet to get his revenge for this--but whatever it
is, I have no doubt that all of this will prove to have been worth it!
Anything prefixed by Kyril> takes place in Lysseth and Kassima's Weyr;
most of the rest is by the hot springs, though I've left in a couple of
poses from the Benden LC for humor's sake.  Also, Kin and I set up an
object to @pemit Mart when he woke up, explaining what he looked like;
I've left that @pemit in here as well.

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The Log:

M'rgan picks his way around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed 
in steam.

Ularrith climbs around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed in 
steam.

Meli snores.

M'rgan hurries along after his lifemate as the brown dragon gallumps to 
the springs. Ularrith only pulls up short as he sidles towards Herath 
while M'rgan stops at the edge of the springs. "High Reaches' duties," he 
calls out with a big wave.

Kindre slowly opens her eyes when she hears footsteps and the lumbering of 
something far heavier than a person. Grinning, as if knowing before her 
lids fully focus, she smiles. "Evening, M'rgan." Herath's greeting is a 
bit sweeter, warbling softly from her perch on the rock and somehow 
managing not to disturb the kitten curled atop her head.

Kassima gives another yawn and swims over to her abandoned brush and 
sweetsand, capping the jar of the latter before carrying it back over to 
Lyss. She pauses to wave the brush at Mart. "Brownie, heya! Benden's 
duties to the 'Reaches and her queens, and all that sort of thing. How 
fares? How's the kilt?"

Kindre giggles, her shoulders sending off little waves as she does so. 
"Did you bring it back with you, I hope," she asks of the ski...er, kilt.

M'rgan gestures towards the bulging pouch on Ularrith's straps. "Perhaps 
it's in there..." He winks. "...and perhaps it isn't." The smart marks 
would probably be on isn't. He steps up onto one of the bigger rocks, 
peering down into the steamy water. "That looks comfortable. Can I come in 
too?" From the way he looks at Kassi though it's not really a question of 
whether he can enter but what she's planning on doing to him when he does.

Ularrith starts forward to nuzzle muzzles with Herath but the kitten he 
sees there stops him cold. He tilts his head in a gesture he's seen his 
rider do as he peers at the kitten and Herath in confusion.

Kassima smiles sweetly up at Mart as she pours sweetsand onto her brush. 
"Depends. Y'see, in order to join us, you have to jump in."

Kindre chuckles and shakes her head. Sitting up straighter, she notes, 
"Oh, wait..." then stops when Kassima says it first.

M'rgan starts to tug off his jacket. "Jump in. Seems easy enough." As he 
manages to get his right arm out without falling in the water he asks with 
a knowing grin, "What's the catch?"

Kassima laughs, and flutters her eyelashes comically. "Catch? Would there 
be a catch? Nay catch, just that you have to cannonball or belly flop or 
something. Should there be more of a catch?" She glances around at the 
others for opinions.

Meli lifts a lid. "An', o'course, y'can't get any o'us wet doin' it 
either, right?"

Kassima chuckles. "Ah, a'course. You mean I left that part out? Silly me. 
Right. Neither us, nor the dragons--unless you want the dragons to drown 
you in return, that is."

Juliath snorts, and at a comment from Meli, moves over a bit to fill in a 
previously vacant section of dragon pool, thus more evenly distributing 
the occupants.

M'rgan tosses his jacket as far away from the water as he can get it to 
fly. "There's always a catch." Next comes his tunic, which muffles his 
voice as he hears Meli's condition. "So I have to..." *Oof* This sound 
accompanies his pulling one arm out. "...cannonball without a splash." A 
wry expression is revealed once he finally gets his tunic off. "So other 
than floating gently into the water, is there anything else I have to 
do?"

Ularrith pokes his smaller head closer to the sleeping kitten, his mouth 
slightly open and revealing a few sharp teeth as he studies it.

Herath looks up at Ularrith with slight disdain. A matter-of-fact whuff 
escapes her maw as if to say having a blob of fur on one's head is as 
natural as having wings. Kindre, pulled out of her lazy floating at the 
impending canonball and slides up against the wall. "No splash..I believe 
that's it...'less I missed something?"

Kassima chuckles. "Hrm. Nay, I think that just about covers it." She 
reaches back to put the back-scrubber to its intended use, pushing her 
heavy curtain of unbraided hair out of the way first of course. "If you 
can do this, I'll... eat a scrap of tunnelsnake meat. Raw, even."

Meli leans over a bit with a grin, eyeing Mart. She mutters to Kindre, 
"... should... some time... seein'... Uly flew... an' Herath..." 

Kindre blinks, "Eat -what-?" is her shocked question to the greenrider. 
Meli's quiet words tug her thoughts away and she nods, "Um, sure...how is 
Juliath, by the way? And you?"

M'rgan considers their words and the springs as he sheds the rest of his 
clothes, adding them to the pile. He padpads over the rocks to a shallow 
spot where he hops in, with hardly a ripple. Though the water is only just 
above his ankles. As he hops he crouches down, wrapping his arms around 
his knees in the perfect imitation of a cannonball pose. He has a 
cunningly pleased expression on his face as he looks around at all the 
women in a 'did it' appearance.

Meli makes a face at Kassi's comment, then grins back at Kindre. "Jus' 
fine, thanks, both o'us."

Kassima grins. "A piece of tunnelsnake, raw--the non-poisonous kind, 
a'course. Given Mart's luck lately, I'd nay swear to it that he *can't*, 
and I'm nay suicidal enough to take the chance. Only so far I'll go on a 
wager, d'you ken?" Lysseth rumblesnorts, idly smacking a nearby blue fire-
lizard into the water with one wing. Surprised chirples, then glubs, come 
from the poor little one.

Kassima wrinkles her nose at Mart. "Cheater!" she accuses, shaking her 
brush at him.

Meli laughs. "Eh, neh, we didn't say how deep it had t'be!" She looks over 
at Kassi, with an expectant look.

Kindre rolls her eyes, "Crackdust," she calls over to M'rgan and laughs, 
"I'll admit it clever, but, ah, true enough, Kassi! Seems hardly what was 
intended, as I'm sure you know, M'rgan..."

Kassima reaches over to pull poor Kelevrin out of the water, and sighs 
resignedly. "All right. If'n you're saying so, Meli. Someone, get me some 
raw tunnelsnake."

Meli gasps. "What? Y'sayin' y'don't have some already?"

Kassima rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "'Tis too late in the day, Meli--
the Horde already ate it all!"

M'rgan laughs as he stands, wading deeper into the water. "You don't have 
to eat a tunnelsnake, Kassi...If you say that I don't have to feed your 
fair like we bet." He wallows in the water much like a dragon, his body 
visibly relaxing.

Kindre frowns a bit, "Hmm, that might be worth eating the raw 
tunnelsnake...though it isn't me who really has to consider it. Him 
feeding the fair, though..."

Kassima snorts. "Watching you feed the Swarm will be even better'n the 
five marks part, thankee--and possibly the hunting duty and backrub 
besides. 'Sides. I used to eat raw tunnelsnake fair oft, when 'twas 
proddy; I'll risk worms the once, for the sake of the wager." She grins 
ruefully. "Let it ne'er be said I don't pay m'wagers, eh? Get me some 
snake, and I'll chop off a piece and eat it, for you lot's entertainment."

Meli snaps her fingers. "I know! Maybe Kassi could be target f'him durin' 
knife practice." She grins crookedly, trying to look menacing.

Kassima eyes Meli incredulously, though with some amusement. "What'd I 
ever do t'you?"

Meli chortles, then waves her hand in the air to dismiss the idea. "Was 
jus' kiddin' a'course. Couldn't well have y'end up like a pincushion, now 
could we? I mean, who'd get stuck feedin' all those 'lizards?"

Kindre chuckles softly as she slips into the water up to her neck. "Knife 
throwing, swarm-feedings, and snacking on raw 'snake. This is turning out 
to be rather interesting," she remarks dryly.

M'rgan bows to Kassima in an expansive gesture which would be almost 
solemn if he didn't end up dipping his nose into the water. Droplets fall 
one-by-one from his face as he remarks, "Do whatever you like Kassi...But 
don't blame me if you get sick."

Kassima makes a florid gesture with her brush, trying to perform a curtsey 
but failing for a few reasons: one, she doesn't want to drown, and two, 
her towel doesn't exactly have a skirt. "Since when have I ever blamed you 
for aught, brownie? Well, aside from the time with the Flu rumor... but 
that *was* your fault."

M'rgan's sigh is long-suffering though the twinkle in his blue eyes 
offsets it. "As long as you don't decide to take one of your knives to me 
when you're feverish after eating that meat." He wades closer to Kassima, 
his black hair drooping and sticking to his face from the steam. "How's 
Lysseth by the way?" His gaze flicks to the other dragons but lingers much 
longer on the queen.

Kassima grins at M'rgan, looking decidedly impish. "Faranth, nay! I'll 
probably decide to take one of m'knives t'you long ere that. Lysseth? 
Lyss's just fine--full of comments today, but 'tis better'n grumbling. Had 
herself a good splashflight with Dulath, and half-drowned a few fire-
lizards, so 'tis a good day for her. Ularrith?"

M'rgan's attention turns momentarily to the brown dragon, who is ignoring 
a few rocks sticking sharply into his side so that he can lie closer to 
Herath. "The lump is as he usually is. At least he's stopped asking me 
when we can visit now. And I think the swelling of his head is mostly 
gone."

Kassima chuckles and gives the brown in question a scrutenizing glance. "I 
still think 'twill be awhile a'fore he can wear hats. Nay to say he ever 
*could*, but 'tis aside the point... 'tis good t'have y'visiting, Mart, 
but 'tis awful hard to get up a good game of dragonpoker out here. The 
cards would just sink like stone."

Kindre bobs in the water, mostly quiet for now and content to prune as she 
listens and watches everyone. Chuckling a bit, she notes, "Herath has been 
a equal bother, though about his return. She was born with a swelled head, 
so I think I'm out of luck about that going down." Her tone, despite the 
look of slight exasperation, is affectionate.

"Mayhap they'd float," Kindre adds to the conversation and sits up a bit 
strighter, "but shuffling would be trying," she smirks.
Meli, long since prune-ified, also observes, chewing on her lower lip, her 
eyes twinkling.

Kassima chuckles. "Lysseth's just prideful now and again about greens in 
general--only herself when she's lighting up the evenings. Nay precisely 
arrogance, either... more matter-of-fact pride than that. A'*course* 
greens are the fairest of the fair, a'*course* they're able to outfly any 
male if they truly so chose. And those sharding winds didn't blow them off 
course, naturally...." She snorts up at her lifemate, who snorts back. 
"Never truly arrogant, nay. Never that. Odd."

Kassima shrugs. "S'pose we could float them *on* something, mayhaps, but 
what? Nay precisely aught t'be using 'round-about. Well, we'll win your 
mark back another way soon or late, Kin!"

Kindre grins wide and shakes her head, "Never arrogant...they both are 
just smart enough to know how wonderful they are," she quips and gets a 
*huff* in her direction from Herath...even with that kitten sitting on her 
head. "Of that I've no doubts," Kindre says of her prized, lost mark. "I 
just need to wait for my turn of good luck!"

M'rgan hmms contemplatively."Is it cold or hot water that makes swelling 
go down?" He glances down at his hands but they've only started the 
prunification process. "Oh, Ularrith's always had arrogant. But now he's 
got something to be arrogant about...or so he thinks." He cups a handful 
of water and tosses it at his lifemate but it splishes into the rocks far 
short of his goal. The dragon just opens a single eye as if to say that he 
wasn't ever worried about getting wet. "So it wasn't just me, Kindre?"

Kassima chuckles. "Aye, and find an event that'll help luck along some. 
Something you're good at, and he's nay... hey, Mart! What sorts of things 
are you really bad at?" Oddly, she seems to think he'd honestly answer 
this question. Kassi herself is, of course, long prunified, and has become 
a Benden Weyr Raisin.

Vidarth climbs around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed in 
steam.

R'val slides down from Vidarth's back and lands in a crouch.

R'val leaps off Vidarth's back and waves tiredly, heading to the spring 
that everyone else's in, "G'devenin."

Vidarth slides into the dragon pool.

Kassima adds, "And I think 'tis cold; hot doesn't do a thing for it. Heya, 
R'val."

Meli sighs, taking note of the time, the condition of her skin, and 
Juliath's impatience for an oiling. "Well, duty calls" she murmurs as she 
prepares to leave.

Juliath reluctantly climbs out of the dragon pool.

R'val grins wryly at Kassi, "Heya. Hope you don't mind a tired rider 
soaking here..." He winks, leaning back against the rock as he slides 
back in, "Leaving Meli? Ah well! See you later."

Meli reluctantly climbs out of the dragon pool.

Meli grins at Uri. "Yeh, things t'do" she replies as she dresses. "By 
th'way, I take it someone else won th'flight?"

Kassima snorts and holds up a pruned hand for a moment before going back 
to her scrubbing. "Jesting? There're plenty of tired riders here already; 
one more will hardly take up *that* much more room." She grins.

Meli climbs smoothly up Juliath's extended foreleg and settles herself 
between the neck ridges, as the green gives a welcome rumble from deep in 
her throat.

Astride Juliath, Meli waves again, as the pair departs.

Juliath climbs across the rocks to the sandy lake shore.

M'rgan flops into the water on his chest, making a few small swimming 
motions before answering Kassima, "Me? I'm terrific at everything." And 
his dragon is the one he claims has a swelled head.

Kassima snorts and slaps the water with her hand, sending an arc of water 
towards Mr. Insufferable. "Somehow, I doubt that. There must be 
*something* you're bad at; nay anyone's good at *everything*. Can you 
sing?"

M'rgan waggles his eyebrows at Kassima instead of nodding.

Kindre blinks a few times, coming out of some involved conversation with 
her lifemate you'd guess by the suffered smile worn by both. "Hmm? Shells, 
forgive me...Oh," she waves after Meli and then to R'val, "Bye Meli...hi 
R'val." Trying to recollect things said just before her little trance, she 
tilts her head, "You the only one what, M'rgan? I'm sorry..." Rolling her 
eyes as the last comments, she mutters something about dragons picking 
true soulmates. "But Kassi," she says quickly, "neither of us can sing...
no contest there if we're all bad at something..."

R'val smiles towards Kindre amiably, "You looked a bit distracted. 
Thinking of something?"

Kassima wrinkles her nose at Kin. "Bet I'm better than yon brownie...." 
She quirks an eyebrow, and gestures towards Mart, sending water flying. 
"All right, then, prove it. Sing!"

R'val grimaces, "A singing contest. Faranth save us from your tin ear, 
Kassi."

"If I was the only one you were losing to, Kindre." M'rgan raises his arm, 
deflecting some of the water from his face, while he laughs. "Determined, 
aren't you?!"

Kindre sighs a bit before shaking her head at R'val, "No, not really..." 
Her words cut off shortly and she smiles, "Well, true enough...I'd almost 
bet on it! But leave me out of this one. My voice could scare things long 
dead, I'm afraid. Remember when we sang at the Festival?" Chuckling as she 
recalls it briefly, she turns to make a face at M'rgan.

Kassima gives R'val an extremely evil look. "I happen to think," she says, 
tone perfectly neutral, "that I'm nay so *very* bad a singer." Leaning 
back against Lysseth, she folds her arms, and lifts that eyebrow even 
higher with an amused grin. "Since when have I ever been else, Mart? So. 
Going to prove it to us, or nay?"

R'val glances sidelong at Kindre and can't help a grin, "I'm sure your 
singing voice isn't /so/ bad Kindre. Yours, on the other hand, Kassi, 
resembles a cat being spitted." He grins at her teasingly.

[Editor's Note:  No, it doesn't.  Kassi's voice--for those curious--
is pretty much a copy of Heather Alexander's, and I doubt anyone
who's ever heard her sing would compare it to a skewered cat. ;) ]

M'rgan flicks the water back in Kassi's direction. "Maybe you should go 
first. Then if we manage to live through the experience, I can sing and 
soothe our aching ears." Though his words may be arrogant, they are only 
teasing, as the grin on his face shows.

M'rgan gestures towards the bluerider, causing water to slough off his 
arm. "Or have R'val start off. "

R'val chuckles at M'rgan's arrogance (or teasing), "Anything's better than 
this creature's voice," he says, waving a hand at Kassima. He blinks at 

M'rgan at his name, and grimaces, "Me? No. I don't sing."

Kassima chuckles and wrinkles her nose. "Fine, fine; I could always 
torture you with m'latest rendering of an old song... oh, R'val starting 
off sounds like a notion t'me."

R'val eyes Kassima, "Nuh-uh. Not me."

Kassima snorts. "See, someone who doesn't even sing claims I sound like a 
dying feline. Now, if a Harper said that, I might be hurt... 'tany rate. 
Certes, R'val? 'Twould postpone m'singing a bit longer, and you seem so 
determined to do that..." she teases.

Kindre, for once, is glad to be able to sit out the standing competition. 
Leaning comfortably against the rock beneath Hrath's form, she simply 
smirks and looks between everyone.

R'val crosses his arms over his chest, "You don't wanna hear me sing, 
trust me. I'm not good."

M'rgan spreads his arms to balance his weight as he floats in the water. 
"Why don't we sing something together, Kassi?"

Kindre bobs her head in agreement, "That's not a bad idea...it'll be 
easier to compare when the notes are sung together, I'd think."

Kassima hrms, considering. "A duet? Sounds like a plan; if neither of us 
are any good, 'least we'll torture folks less that way... though I s'pose 
that's a bad thing." She chuckles, then suggests, "Any song in mind? 
There's always that Drunken Maidens piece; only song-like thing I know 
with both of us in it, unless Jereth's decided to write a new tune meant 
to embarrass us all. Wouldn't surprise me in the least...."

R'val chuckles, "Who'll sing the duet?"

Kindre's eyes roll at the mention of the Harper. "I don't doubt he's 
brainstorming something silly even as we speak," she says and chuckles 
wryly. "Drunken Maidens? I recall liking that one."

R'val grins, "DRunken maidens? Isn't that one about you Kassi?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," M'rgan nods to Kassi as he rises out of the 
water, puffing out his chest as he 'prepares' to sing. "On three?" He 
gestures between himself and Kassi at R'val's question. "Unless you want 
to?"

R'val shakes his head, "I'll just listen for this one, thanks, M'rgan."

Kassima grins and nods. "Aye, on three. You count off and start, then... 
aye, R'val, 'tis. And Aph, and Holly, Thera, and Mart."

M'rgan takes another deep breath before beginning the countdown. As he 
reaches "Three", his voice changes, becoming a tentative, soft tenor as 
he begins the song. "It was night in the Hall, and three maidens fair..."

Kassima chimes in to sing along with her somewhat higher and strong alto 
register, "Were chatting and drinking the mulled wine there--but they 
didn't stop, and after awhile, it became clear that they were getting 
drunk, in style...."

M'rgan's voice grows as he continues to sing, becoming more resonant and 
clear. "The wine was flowing--good Benden red--and Thera and Martigan 
watched with dread as the ladies grew stranger and their voices got 
higher; It seemed that of drinking, they would never tire."

Kassima doesn't chuckle at the old, familiar verses, though the twinkle 
in her eyes suggests she'd like to. Instead, she just rests against 
Lysseth, following the melody with clear emphasis placed on what notes 
she feels should be emphasized. "After they'd stomached all anyone can, 
Thera and Martigan hatched a plan. The klah, they said, they soon would 
steal, before their friends got weird for real."

Lysseth> Herath, Vidarth, and Ularrith sense that Lysseth listens to her 
rider sing, and snorts a bit at the last verse. << I think the ones my 
rider speaks of have been *weird* since birth. >>

Kindre giggles, shaking her head at the renewed familiarity and quirkiness 
of the lyrics.

R'val chuckles, "Not bad, Kassi."

[Editor's Note:  With Mart's 'Net d/c'ing him, the RP ground to a halt for
awhile.  ICly, I think it was presumed that they finished the duet, 
probably didn't decide who was better, and everybody sat back and relaxed
for awhile.  Mart, as you'll see later, is further presumed to have fallen
asleep.]

Tinya picks her way around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed 
in steam.

R'val looks up and smiles warmly, "Tinya!" He waves, from the pool with 
Kassi and Kindre.

"Heyla, Tinya," Kassi greets, with an absent and rather prunized wave.

Kindre smiles and lifts a hand from the water to wave, "Evening, Tinya!"

Tinya waves with one hand, the other occupied with a smallish wineskin. 
"Heyla!" She calls. "Hope you don't mind if I wander in and join you 
guys. I brought refreshments," she notes, holding up the wineskin.
"I don't mind, but you're all the more welcome baring gifts!" Kindre 
chuckles as her eyes fall on the skin.

Kassima chuckles. "If you brought refreshments, a'course! Nay t'say you 
wouldn't've been regardless, mind. 'Twas just singing a duet with yon 
brownrider--" She points to the sleeping Mart. "And I admit to having a 
bit of a parched throat as a result. What's in the skin?"

R'val's eyes alight, "That's my Tinya. Always bringing lifesaving wine!" 
He kisses her soundly.

Tinya hands the skin over to Kassi. "Fruit wine. I _think_ this one's a 
citron base, but it might be a berry. Gamble's learned to peel labels, if 
the corners are loose." She returns R'val's kiss, then grins and starts 
shucking out of her clothing.

R'val laughs softly and pulls Tinya into the pool atop him when she's 
undressed, hugging her to him with a grin, "Gamble's a clever little 
thing, and you my dear, are a wonderful wine-gatherher."

Kassima hmmms and scrutinizes the wine, as though she might be able to 
somehow tell from looking at it. "Well, whichever's more'n welcome. Don't 
think there are any glasses about, though...." She passes the skin to 
Kindre. "Care to try first, Kin?"

Tinya slides into the dragon pool.

Kindre blinks, "I'm guessing that was rhetorical, Kassi," she jokes and 
reaches for the skin. Taking a tentitive drink, she hands out the wineskin 
and rolls the liquid in her mouth. "I think, mayhap, it is berry after 
all...sweeter than cirton..."

Kassima chuckles and looks approving. "Sounds like you're developing quite 
the palate, Kin!"

R'val grins, "Don't slurp it all, gimme a try." he asks, with a wink.

Kindre grins lopsidedly and bobs her head, "I seem to be at that...
though," she chuckles, "a novice one at that." Making a playful face at 
R'val, she reaches out farther to offer the 'skin. "Mayhap it settles in 
my stomach better in my old age than it used to," she winks.

Kassima makes a face at Kin. "Old age? You're almost two Turns younger 
than me, and you're speaking of old age?"

R'val laughs softly, "And I'm older than any of ya." He winks at Tinya.

Tinya grins at Kindre. "It's practice, my guess." She laughs at R'val, 
drawling, "Riiiiiight, you're practically old enough to be our grandpop."

R'val pouts at Tinya, "I am not. I'm a young person."

Kindre shrugs, "Well, I seem to take it better in the tummy than I did 
three or so turns ago...older age sound better?" Grinning, she nods to 
Tinya, "Most likely that, to be true!"

Tinya grins, flicking a few droplets of water in R'val's direction. "Make 
up your mind, old or young?"

R'val snorts, "Young!"

Kassima snorts. "Are nay, R'val. You're a geezer. Fogey, even. Pass the 
wine?" She shakes her head to Kindre and says wisely, "'Tis just 
tolerance."

Tinya takes the wine away from R'val with a grin and passes it to Kassi, 
not without taking a mouthful herself on the way.

R'val sighs regretfully as the wine leaves his hands.

Kassima takes a sip of the wine, raising an eyebrow as she savors the 
taste. "Hmmm... a fine brew, aye. Where'd you get it, Tinya, if'n you're 
nay minding m'asking? Some of m'good stores were depleted when Herath 
rose, since I figured I might as well get drunk on the best and make a 
party out of it...." She chuckles, shaking her head as she passes the wine 
along back to Kindre.

Kindre is more than glad to relieve Kassima of the wineskin. Brows raise 
curiously as she waits to hear where this vintage might be from. Two or 
three good swallows removed from it, she again passes it over to R'val. "I 
like it, where ever it's from."

Tinya shrugs. "The usual source, m' dad. Since this one's the berry after 
all, I think it's from three turns back. Not _quite_ as good as this last 
year's, but it's right up there."

R'val takes a slug, smiles gratefully at Kassi, and moves on, passing it 
to Tinya.

Kassima looks over to the sleeping Mart, then to her strap pouch, and gets 
a downright wicked grin on her face. "Kindre, I have the most marvelous 
idea...."

Kindre quirks a brow, but nods just as quickly. That look, those words, 
and involving Mart in it all seems to reek of fun. "Oh, tell me," she says 
quietly, suddenly worried about waking the sleeping brownrider.

Kassima laughs quietly and murmurs, "Did I ever tell you the Rivalla 
story?" With that ever-so-helpful phrase, she starts swimming towards the 
shore closest to her pouch, then gets out and starts rummaging around in 
the thing.

Tinya glances over at the poor hapless brownrider, and shakes her head, 
grinning. "I don't even want to know," she declares.

Kindre's eyes would fall out if they widened any more. "Yes, the other 
night...oh, Kassima," she says with one, sweeping awed breath. "Please let 
me help? Jays, I'd gladly -give- him all my marks to see the reaction...or 
maybe to Channa..."

R'val grins towards Kindre and sips his drink, "How was your day, Tinya?"

Kassima pulls a somewhat rumpled blue dress--not exactly Gather finery, 
but a dress all the same--out of the pouch, and slips back into the water 
silently. She wade-swims over to Kindre, and grins mischievously. 
"A'course you can help! We've got to get this on him without waking him 
up, y'see...."

[Editor's Note:  We did *not* do this without asking Mart first, honest.
He knew that we were going to put him in a dress... though some of our
other 'finishing touches' probably came as a surprise. ;) ]

Kindre smirks a bit, "He's a heavy sleeper, honest he is...well, seems to 
be..." Flushing just a brief moment, her eyes glance over the dress and 
she snickers softly, "Goes just wonderfully with his eyes..."

R'val grins at Kassi, "Oh no! Don't do that to HIM too!!!"

Kindre shushes over to R'val, placing a finger in front of her mouth 
before smiling at him. "You'd like to be remembered as the only one who 
had this fate fall onto you?"

Kassima whirls on R'val and holds up one finger in the 'SHHHHHHHH!' 
position, then picks up an arm to try to get it through a sleeve. 
Fortunately, it's a short sleeve. "That'll work to advantage, too... too 
bad we don't have any of those ribbons. Hrm, but that does give me an 
idea." She pauses for a moment, eyes going blank, before returning to the 
task of making Mart a drag queen.

R'val groans softly to himself, "Poor M'rgan." He murmurs.

Lysseth> Herath and Pliarth sense that Lysseth rumbles a cordial greeting 
as she inquires, mind-tone rich with amusement, << Pliarth, my rider 
wishes to know if your rider still has any of those *ribbons* she used on 
'Rivalla' that once? She wishes to tie them on *image of M'rgan* while he 
sleeps. >>

"An idea," Kindre's quiet voice asks as she tries to slip M'rgan's other 
arm into one of the sleeves.

Dragon> Pliarth bespoke Herath and Lysseth with << Oh, yes, lots and lots. She's got them tied to her cot. >>

R'val shakes his head, sighing, "Argh. I don't envy him this fate."

"Too bad he doesn't have long hair anymore," Kassi murmurs to Kindre. 
"Could've tied it in pigtails... aye, I've asked Lyss to ask Pliarth to 
ask Ryi about the ribbons. Mayhaps we'll be able to get some in his hair 
yet." She tugs the collar over Mart's head, making sure it looks nice and 
fluffy, like lace should.

Tinya watches the two mischievous riders for a moment, then turns back to 
answer R'val's question. "Oh, not bad, 'cept I forgot I had early sweeps 
and had to bounce out of bed before I'd barely gotten there! I spent most 
of the day napping to make up."

Lysseth> I bespoke Herath and Pliarth with << To her cot? That is 
interesting. Are any of them *blue*? My rider is particularly interested 
in *blue*. She says they go with *M'rgan's* new dress. >>

Benden LC> Ryialla chokes on her klah and looks out toward the bowl. "What 
do you -mean-, Lysseth wants the blue ribbons attached to my cot????"

Kindre chuckles and bobs her head, "Herath mentioned that out of 
curiousity," she says while scanning his hair, gauging where and how to 
decor it.

Dragon> Pliarth bespoke Herath and Lysseth with << Oh, yes. I will tell her. >>

Benden Weyr> Kassima chokes, laughing hysterically at the LC.

Benden Weyr> Kenai heees.

Benden LC> M'kla peers at Ryialla curiously, and then decides asking is 
probably not a good plan.

Benden LC> Ryialla sets her mug down. "Excuse me." She heads out, 
muttering, "Dragon, you're WEIRD." under her breath.

Benden LC> Ryialla walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.

Kyril> From the air, Pliarth folds her wings and lands on Lysseth's Ledge.

Kyril> Pliarth backwings for a landing.

Kyril> Kyril chirps, as many dozens of fire-lizards all turn to peer 
inquisitively at Pliarth.

Kyril> From Pliarth's neck ridges, Ryialla peers at many dozen of 
firelizards. "Okay, you lot. Where's Kassi?"

Kindre blinks, something suddenly tugging at her mind. Wading over and 
then climbing on top of the rock where Herath is gazing on in slight 
amusement...sheesh, with a kitten on -her- head you'd think she'd be glad 
that someone else was about to look equally as silly...Kindre searches in 
one of the pouches attached to the harness lying on the ground. Dropping 
quietly back into the water, she half-doggy paddle back. "Here," she 
whispers, holding out an ornate gold choker, "goes with my gather dress, 
but I think mayhap he can do it some justice...I really have nothing else 
to add with me..."

Kyril> Kyril and the Swarm flitter over to converse at length with 
Pliarth, probably eventually managing to image the hot springs through 
various chirples of 'lizard-chatter.

R'val just shakes with laughter, covering his mouth so as not to give up 
the game.

Kassima peers at the choker, and snickers quietly as she moves to place it 
around Mart's neck. "Can you straighten his skirt, Kin?" she asks as she 
fastens the clasp around the hapless sleeping 'Reaches rider.

Kyril> Astride Pliarth, Ryialla smiles at all of then. This takes her a 
few minute. "Thanks."

Kyril> Pliarth spreads her wings and leaps from Lysseth's ledge.

Pliarth climbs around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed in 
steam.

Astride Pliarth, Ryialla unbuckles herself from the straps, and slides 
down, a mass of blue ribbons clutched in one hand.

Ryialla quickly slides down Pliarth's foreleg and jumps to the ground. 
She turns to pet Pliarth's muzzle and grins as she gets soundly whuffled.

Ryialla eyes Kassi and Lysseth. "I was informed you wanted these?"

Kassima waves quietly over to Pliarth as she finishes putting the choker 
around Mart's neck. "Heya, Ryi!" she whisper-calls. "Like his outfit?" She 
gestures to the blue dress M'rgan is now wearing, as well as the choker.

Kindre looks away from the brownrider fearing her sudden giggling might 
stir him. Calming after only a moment, she fluffs and arranges the cursive 
skirt of the dress with obvious care while nodding, "You know," she admits 
in a soft voice, "I may get jealous if he looks as good in this as I think 
he may..." Waving a hand at Ryialla, she grins seeing the ribbons.

R'val looks up and waves to Ryialla, chuckling, "Welcome to the 
humiliation of M'rgan."

Kassima laughs silently. "Aye, he'll be a knockout! Too bad slippers would 
get ruined by those feet of his... ah, well. Ryi, may we borrow those 
ribbons for his hair?"

R'val chuckles quietly, "Not those dratted ribbons..."

Tinya presses one hand over her mouth, trying to choke down laughter 
_quietly_.

Kindre's eyes simply -beam- with wicked amusement, twinkling more and 
more, it seems, with every new angle taken in of the brownrider. Ribbons! 
The word seems to tug her smiles up higher as it lingers in her mind. 
"It'll be a challenge to get them tied into this mass of fluff," she 
critiques M'rgan's hair, "but I think it is doable."

Kassima suggests, "If we tie little bows at the roots, mayhaps 'twill 
stick straight up when we've finished?"

Kindre's eyes widen more as she nods quickly, "Only if we've got the luck 
he's obviously lacking this eve," she smirks.

Kassima glances around the 'Springs, and has to ask (quietly, of course), 
"Does anyone have bracelets or rings that'd fit on his hands?"

R'val shudders. "Kindre, I despair to see that Kassi has made you so 
evil." He hugs Tinya and winks at her, clearly enjoying the joke now that 
he's not on the receiving end.

Ryialla is too busy trying not to laugh outloud to comment.

Kassima steps back a bit, and peers at the picture. "Y'know, 'tis missing 
something... besides the ribbons, I mean; Ryi, what say you, may we use 
them?"

Kindre sticks out her tongue at R'val before chuckling. "No one has made 
me anything, R'val...he," she smiles down at the "Martina" for a brief 
moment, "has spawned it in me...oh, yes," her mind switches, "rings may be 
hard, but bracelets and the like should help...missing? Hmm..."

Ryialla recovers and nods. "Oh, aye."

Ryialla says "His hair needs to be blue."

R'val chuckles, "Yer just an evil goldrider. I like it." He winks, 
grinning at the sight of poor Martina.

R'val blinks, "Blue? Why?"

Kassima laughs and reaches up for the ribbons, nodding to Kin. "Aye, 
missing. And I think I know what, too. D'you have any sorts of cloths... 
rags, something we can bundle together?"

Ryialla says "Why, to go with the outfit, of course."

Kassima shakes her head. "Nay--then he may nay be recognizable, y'see, and 
we definitely want him recognizable! Too bad I don't think there's a way 
to get him to the Reaches without waking him up."

Kindre, curious, nods slowly, "Yes...I've a few rags in my other pouch...
ripped up a towel not long ago to get some redfruit juice out of my 
tunic..." Needless information shared, she slips back to the rocks to 
retrieve them. Returning, she holds them out, "But whatever for..."

R'val shakes his head, chuckling, "This is just silly."

Ryialla pouts, and holds out a died blue mop-looking-thing. "I never get 
to use this."

Kindre smirks at Ryialla, "I'd suggest placing the blue toupee on 
Ularrith, but Herath...oddly smitten with him for the moment it seems...
might protest."

Kassima grins at Kin, and winks. "You'll see." She passes the ribbons to 
the goldrider, accepts the rags, and, bundling them together, starts 
stuffing them down the front of Mart's dress. Glancing over to see what 
Ryi holds, she nearly dies trying to stifle laughter. "Shells! That--oh, 
Faranth, Ryi. 'Tis too perfect! I thought you meant dye his *hair*... 
shells and shards, please *do*!"

Kindre takes the ribbons and then covers her mouth with her hand as the 
laughter threatens to wake M'rgan. Shoulders slowing the shaking of the 
giggles, she begins pulling up tuffs of hair and adorning them with the 
silky strips.

Ryialla grins. "No, I know how hard that stuff is to get out of hair. 
Lanryi wanted to play dragon the other week, and somehow got her hair 
bright green. I'm still not sure how she did it."

Ryialla peers at M'rgan. "Now..how to get this on without spoiling the 
effect of the ribbons..?"

Kassima finishes stuffing Mart's dress to her satisfaction, glancing over 
her handiwork and slowly turning red from surpressed laughter. She 
suggests, "Let's tie a few ribbons in his hair, and a few in the wig, just 
for double the ridiculousness?"

R'val chuckles, "You girls are /so/ cruel."

"I've mainly kept them at the front," Kindre says of the ribbons, "Mayhap 
sit it atop and just back from his scalp? Oh, better idea, Kassi. Never 
can have too many ribbons, don't you know," she giggles.

Long distance to Kindre: Kassima shows you the New and Improved version: 
@pemit *M'rgan=As you slowly awaken, you realize a few things out of the 
ordinary... first to register is that you're in the hot springs, for some 
reason. Next, that you're at Benden, which is even odder. Last, you're 
currently in a dress. A blue dress, to be precise, recognizable as 
Kassima's; a gold choker you might recall last seeing on Kindre's neck 
now adorns yours. A dried-out blue mop-like thing has been perched on your 
head as a wig, with many bright blue ribbons you might perchance recognize 
as belonging to Ryialla tied in it wherever they would fit. You're not 
sure, but it feels like the Bendenites have tied ribbons to your *actual* 
hair beneath the wig as well. To add further humiliation, you realize that 
someone (it's not hard to guess who) had the bright idea to stuff your 
shirt front with rags, to add to the 'feminine' appearance. And as if all 
that weren't bad enough, judging by how very prunized you've become, 
you've been sitting out here in public dressed in this getup for quite 
some time... who knows who may have seen you? Do you even want to *think* 
about what might happen if some of those who did were *Harpers*?

Ryialla says "Hm. Well, if we sit on on the back of the skull and attach 
it with ribbons..or maybe a scarf?"

From afar, Kindre rolls!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kassima considers. "I like the thought of ribbons, m'self; harder to 
remove, with lots of things to untie."

R'val chuckles, "cruel of you to think of that."

Kindre smirks, bobbing her head, "It will likely take him a sevenday to 
remove them all...nevermind the knots...if I can get them just right..."
Ryialla says "We'd have to use a bunch so it doesn't pull on his hair..
this thing's kinda heavy."

Kassima philophosizes, "The more the merrier!"

Ryialla says "Alright, then.."

R'val chuckles," Evil."

Kindre has one, very brief moment of worry, "Crackdust, he's going to 
have our hides for this..." Several ribbons still in her hand, in need of 
a home and bows, she quickly passes the concern over and gets back to the 
task.

Ryialla goes about fixing the wig to the back of the head with a plethora 
of ribbons. She pulls a whole 'nother mess of blue ones out of her vest. 
They're a lighter shade than the first batch, but still blue.

Kassima chortles quietly, affixing another ribbon to the fake 'hair'. 
"Aye, aye, but would y'nay say 'tis worth it for this?"

"Depends on what he plans on for revenge," Kindre muses before admitting, 
"But, true enough...this is certainly worth the price it may cost!"

Ryialla says "And it is three of us against one of him.."

Kassima flashes a grin at Ryi. "Precisely! Three verses one; the winners 
are nay hard t'be determining. I think 'tis near finished--any last 
finishing touches t'be made, d'you think?"

Kindre takes a few paces back while nodding of the odds. Critiquing him 
with a thoughtful expression, she grins, "I think h's just perfect now...
shells, what I wouldn't do to be here when he wakes..."

Kassima chuckles. "Too bad we can't pierce his ears without his noticing."

Ryialla hms, and fishes through her pockets. "I have some play jewelry I 
filched from Lanryi..I think I can sacrifice this." She pulls out a HUGE 
fake, glittery ring.

Kassima takes one look at the ring, and *beams*. "Ryialla, you're 
marvelous! 'Tis perfect!"

Kindre smiles wide, "The perfect finishing touch!"

Ryialla says "See, kids are good for some things.."

Kassima laughs quietly. "Aye, good for helping humiliate brownriders... 
I'll have to chalk up m'first pro for having children. 'Course, matched 
against about forty and two cons, don't know that 'twill make much 
difference...." She picks up one of Mart's pruned hands, the right one, 
and extends it towards Ryi for the ring.

Ryialla hands over the clunker of a ring,and says as an aside. "Thank 
goodness. I've been trying to lose this particular piece for a turn and a 
half now."

Tinya chuckles softly at Kassi's quip, though it's clear that she's about 
half-asleep despite the entertainment. "Only forty-two?" she asks, of 
nobody in particular.

Kindre giggles as the closure of the 'humiliation of M'rgan' comes with 
the placing of the ring. Wicked grin lighting her face, she sighs, "We 
must tell Channa of this...shells, what I wouldn't do to be able to se 
this particular image hanging in my weyr...hrm," she rethinks, "mayhap 
will scare my flits, though."

Kassima grins widely and comments, "Steal a lock or two of R'val's hair 
and pin it near the painting. Fire-lizards won't get near it, then."

Ryialla grins.

Ryialla says "Not bad..not bad at all."

Kassima shakes her head, giggling. Now that Mart's not waken up, she seems 
not to be so worried about noise. "He'll never forgive us, y'know. The 
kilt was bad enough, but a full dress? And the rest? Oh, nay. He'll never 
forgive us, nay ever." She giggles all through this, so it's hard to tell 
if she's being serious.

Ryialla starts giggling as well. "Never?"

Kindre pulls out of her silent regard of th e brownrider. "Must agree with 
you there, Ryi," she says and grins. "You know, the more I think on it, 
the less I believe I want to be here when he wakes...Herath will certainly 
let me know since Ularrith'll be the first to hear his surprised scream." 
Smirking a bit...guiltily? nah...she agrees, "He won't...not ever, I don't 
believe. Well," she grins, "mayhap when we're all old and gray, our 
dragons moaning of aching joints..."

Ryialla says "Ah, Pliarth's joints won't ache, they'll just freeze into 
place. Absolutely painless."

Pliarth deigns to open an eyelid and snorts at her rider.

Kassima laughs. "Personally, I think 'twill *still* be worth it. I hope 
Ularrith repeats the screams when he speaks to Herath--if so, could you 
ask her to please pass them on to Lysseth for me? I really don't want to 
miss hearing them... though I imagine I'll be able to hear them from 
m'weyr," she adds with an evil sort of chuckle.

Ryialla says "Oh, aye. I have litte doubt about that.."

Kindre laughs, "Oh, I promise, though I'd caution to guess you're right 
about hearing it. Wouldn't surprise me," she notes while continuing to 
chuckle, "if they heard him at 'Reaches."

Ryialla says "Me either.."

Tinya chuckles softly, pointing straight up the bowl wall. "My weyr's 
right up there," she notes, adding with a giggle, "Should be better than 
a gallery seat at a Hatching."

"Oh?" Kindre blurts and then looks up, "Heh, mind if we bunnnk with you? 
Beside the perfect view, we'd be safer in number," she winks.

Tinya laughs, then nods. "Sure, I don't mind. I c'n probably even dig up 
something more to drink, with glasses this time." A moment later, she adds 
as afterthought, "So long as you're not allergic to felines. Gamble's 
shedding awfully right now."

Kindre nods up at the tiny feline dozing atop Herath's head, "I hope I'm 
not," she chuckles.

Ryialla says "I think I'm going to take my chances with the LC..I never 
did get to finish my baklava, thanks to Lysseth."

Ryialla quirks a grin.

Kassima grins at Kin and Tinya. "Sounds like an excellent notion, i'truth. 
We can just watch from up there, and he won't see...." She giggles again, 
then has the grace to look sheepish at Ryi. "Sorry! I'd meant for her to 
ask if you could send a fire-lizard with 'em, but apparently she got 
distracted by the whole cot thing...." Kassi gives her green a reproachful 
glance, which is met by a wide yawn from Lysseth.

Ryialla coughs. "Yes, well."

Ryialla murmurs, "Braided, they're very useful.."

R'val glances up at K'tyn," Where're we goin'?"

Kassima coughs herself, and chuckles wryly. "I think I can imagine," is 
her quiet remark. She swims back over to Lysseth's side, getting a view of 
Martina from afar. "Think he'll be able to tell 'twas us? Ach, silly 
question."

Ryialla says "Very silly."

R'val chuckles, "Silly. Of course he'll know."

"Mush as I hate to leave her here, I think I'm going to head up to my own 
weyr and take my chances," Kindre says wearily, though her wide grin stays 
on her face. "Oh, I'm sure it wil take him mayhap one or two blinks of his 
lids to figure it out. Anyhow, she'll surely wake me a moment after he 
wakes Uly, so I'll be able to hide in time." Winking, Kindre stretches her 
arms above her head.

R'val smiles up at Kindre, "Well, if you have to go...take care."

Ryialla gets to her feet as well, and stifles a yawn. "On second thoughts, 
maybe I'll just leave Shar here and go up to my weyr..as some of us don't 
have stairs up to our weyr and have to have our dragons fly us." She grins 
over at Kindre.

Kindre chuckles, "Hey, those stairs are for that princess over there," she 
quips, "I envy the view you all have."

Kassima chuckles, and nods. "I'm tired, too... I'll leave the Swarm 
behind, and get m'self off to sleep. 'Twill nay doubt be a priceless 
sight!" She climbs up out of the water and to the rock outcropping she 
hid Lysseth's straps behind, ducking behind it herself to both pick up 
the straps and change back into her clothing.

Ryialla climbs up Pliarth's extended foreleg, giving her an affectionate 
scritch as she settles between her neck ridges.

Kyril zips around an outcrop by the lake shore that is wreathed in steam.

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.

<*> Shar is unloaded from Pliarth's back.

<*> Shar chirps brightly to Kyril and settles on a rocky perch.

<*> R'val uses Vidarth's side straps to mount up agilely, settling onto 
the little blue's back and straightening. He pets his lifemate's head once 
as Vidarth rumbles excitedly, ready to fly.

<*> Astride Pliarth, Ryialla waves.

<*> Pliarth climbs across the rocks to the sandy lake shore.

<*> Kyril chirples in return greeting, curling up on another rock 
outcropping.

Kassima waves, "I'm off! Please give Martina m'regards if any of you are 
still around to see him--err, her," she adds with a laugh. "Night, all! 
Clear skies!"

You climb across the rocks to the sandy lake shore.

<*> Lysseth spreads her wings to their full extent, bringing them down 
with a rush of wind as she leaps nimbly into the air.

You spring into the air and catch the thermals rising from the bowl floor 
to carry you aloft.