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Sugar Baby


Date:  April 6, 2003
Place:  Telgar Weyr's 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:  Nothing vastly important here--it's just an evening's
Caverns chat, but since it touched on Kassi's latest spawning as a 
topic and also involved some Thunderbolt RP (and also because Iralne
was just plain sweet, in more ways than one ;), I decided someone 
might find it worth reading. :)  A mini-Thunderbolt gathering occurs
in the Living Cavern late at night, and Maylia, Yashira, and Kassi
discuss blizzards and possible Wing errands, among other things.

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The Log:

You follow your nose down the hallway and into the kitchen.

>From the living cavern, Maylia's looking tired and cold, as she comes into
the living caverns. Glaze-eyed, and not yet seeing others in the cavern,
she strips off her fur-lined gloves, riding jacket, and then even her
boots, and hobbles towards the hearths.

"...Oh, that soup smells delicious; is there fish in that? Ow! Hey! Nay
beating with the spoon! 'Twasn't going t'touch it, I just wanted a peek!
Ow! Could I at least have some of... don't look at me like that, they may
as well be eaten now as when they're out there! Just a few? A taste? A
smidgeon? Aye, I promise I'll leave if'n you give 'em to me. Cross m'heart
and hope t'fry, stick a dagger in your eye. Ow! Get *rid* of that spoon,
'twas being facetious!" Ah, another episode in the ongoing saga of Indiana
Kassima and the Indignant Cooks. Little wonder the greenrider hastens to
scramble through after her last exclamation, holding a tray with a small
bowl and a larger plate of savory things.

You walk into the Living Cavern.

Pierron humphs thoughtfully as the Wingleader of Thunderbolt arrives.

Yashira is seated at one of the tables, sipping juice. There's a
curly-haired, hazel-eyed child on the chair next to her that has about the
same hair colour as she does. Said child is also sipping juice.

Maylia thaws herself out by the hearth, and slowly her eyes loose the
glaze. Must've been ice. At any rate, she's soon helping herself to food -
good thick wherry stew, bread and cheese, and of course red wine. Her
staple, standard meal. "Evening, Yashira," she greets, noticing the
brownrider and child nearby.

Kassima casts a faintly dirty look over her shoulder once she's cleared the
kitchens, hugging her tray all the closer. "I don't know whether t'be
indignant or ask those horrors t'teach me how t'wield spoons that way," she
mutters, low enough to hopefully not be overheard by the aforementioned
horrors. The look Pierron gets is, by contrast, halfhearted in its disgust,
particularly since she's preoccupied with setting her food at the head of
Thunderbolt's table and making for the nearest pitcher of fruit juice. She
wiggles her fingers greetingly at Yash and Iralne along the way. Then,
"May, what the shells happened t'you? Did you see Pierron naked and your
mind was wiped by the trauma?"

"Evening, Maylia," Yashira replies. "Iralne, this is Maylia. Say hello."
The kid looks up from her juice and squints at Maylia. "Hullo. Hi, Kassi!"
Wavewavewave.

>From the horrified look on May's face, she'd not even considered yet just
what might be beneath Pierron's clothes. Or perhaps the thought alone was
so traumatic she'd blotted it from memory. "Wha? Oh, hi Iralne." The child
is given a brief smile, if distracted, and a wriggle of fingers. "Nothing
much - Tierth and I just spent the evening hunting down a couple of missing
kids up at Branwick Hoof's way. Odd folks up there, by the way. The kids
were just fine, but took forever to find'em. Big blizzard up there. Snow
coming down so heavy I needed a shovel for Tierth's wings each stroke."

Grinning at Iralne, Kassi lets go of the pitcher to return some of that
enthusiastic waving. "Heyla, evilspawn. Are you staying up late t'plague
your hapless mother?" She resumes pouring until the large mug she's chosen
is full, and moves to settle into her chair. "Ach, May, that scarcely
sounds good news--good news that they're *found*, a'course, and good work
on your part, but scarcely good that 'twere lost. Tell me about what
happened? And should I be ready t'offer t'send a few riders up there t'help
dig 'em out tomorrow?"

"I had lots of sugar today," Iralne proudly informs Kassima. "Do you have
any mint sticks for me?" Big brown hopeful eyes. Yashira looks minorly
unsettled by the notion of more sweets. "How'd you wind up finding them?"

Maylia plunks herself down in a seat by Kassi's, wrapping her hands around
the bowl of stew to warm them. "I expect they'll just glower at the snow
till it melts, but they might appreciate help. Ugh, the kids were
apparently playing in a field. Seems the blizzard just swooped down over
the pass." She waves a hand idly, answering, "Tierth spotted them. No clue
how, she just said that there was something irregular in the woods. Which
meant that she landed close by, and I waded in through the snow - couldn't
believe how deep it was. Anyways, they're fine, just a little cold, luckily
their mothers bundled them up well for playing."

Kassima flicks an amused look towards Yash before telling Iralne, "I always
have mint sticks, kit, but would you be willing t'settle for half of one
tonight? I'm afraid I need most of 'em m'self these days. Or if'n you'd
rather, you can have one or two of these scallops I begged off the cooks;
they're a bit sweet, but won't make your mother make That Face. Y'know the
one." Dipping a spoon into her bowl of spiderclaw soup, she blows lightly
on the steaming mouthful, but doesn't eat yet. She's listening. "Can't hurt
to at least go up and check on 'em, and offer. So if'n K'ran's willing,
I'll tag a few riders who were due t'run errands tomorrow, make this their
errand... Yash, want t'be in on it? Faranth, I can't half believe what
temperatures kidlings think are fun t'*play* in." The spoonful of soup
finally receives its due attention, in the form of consumption and a
blissful upwards roll of the eyes. "Mmph. Bloody wonderful--glad they're
all right, at least. Might nay have been if'n you'd nay spotted 'em fast,
so all due credit t'Tierth."

"I don't make a face," Yashira says grumpily, even as Iralne chirps, "I
like the face!" Yash eyes her daughter, then says, "Half a mint stick's
fine, I guess. Sure, I'm in."

Maylia volunteers, "I'm in, too - or should be. We'll see how Tierth's
wings are tomorrow, hey? Those winds were strong." There's a pause, before
May states, "But I'm told not so strong she'll feel it tomorrow. She's
rather indignant, too. But we'll see." Iralne's given a quick grin. "Lucky
girl - a mint stick this late?"

Kassima sets her utensils down to reach for the inner pocket of her jacket,
coming up with a silvery case which she pops open to free a mint stick.
Snapping it in half, she reaches to offer one of the halves to Iralne. "You
do so make a face," she assures Yash, entirely too cheerfully. "I'd wager a
full quarter on it. I'll adjust your place--places--on the roster, then,
and have Lysseth pass the news on t'Tovith. How bad's the snow, May? Think
'twill be cleared up by morn, or should we be planning more of an afternoon
trip? Or will it last even longer, think you? I'm of nay mind t'risk wings
in blizzard winds if'n it can be helped. And indignation or nay, if'n she
*is* feeling it on the morrow 'twill want her t'be confessing it. What,
May, did you want one too?"

"Haff," Iralne informs Maylia solemnly as she accepts the portion of mint
stick. Yashira just narrows her eyes as Kassima insists she has a Face.

Maylia corrects herself, ammending it to, "Half a mint stick, then. Still,
lucky girl!" Kassi's given a shake of her head, with an assurance of, "I'd
not think of depriving you of your mint sticks. And you do, too, have a
Face, Yashira. Snow's pretty deep, Tierth looked more like she was swimming
in the field than walking. I'm thinking give it till the afternoon before
we try to go in there, or just send in bigger dragons."

"Methinks that counts as a Face," Kassi helpfully informs her brownriding
Wingmate. "But mayhaps nay *the* Face. What say you, Iralne? You're
probably the nearest expert on it, saving mayhaps for U'yn and your
grandmum Karina." Left with half a mint stick, she considers it for a
thoughtful moment before swirling it through her spiderclaw soup and
tasting the result. "Mmm. If'n only this had *butter*... considerate of
you, May; thankee. Methinks 'twill send someone t'get a look at the
situation in the morning--mayhaps from a bit of a ways, don't want t'risk
popping right into that blizzard--and decide from there, but the afternoon
sounds better. I'd like t'get some of the smaller dragons in on it too; let
their riders work off some of that energy from vacation, y'know.
*Particularly* Miryenne. Speaking of which, I should be asking, did you two
enjoy yours?"

Yashira gapes at Kassima's soup, shivering slightly. Iralne peers at
Yashira's face, then leans over and announces, "Yup." Yashira frowns. "Is
it at least intimidating?"

Maylia's a little less gape-ish at the mintstick dip, but disturbed
nonetheless. Meanwhile, she works her way through her own meal, mint-free.
"Sure did - spent time down at Southern with my neices and sisters, then
over to Fort to see Makear, her brood, and my parents. Which reminds me, I
promised to see about finding a position here for one of Makear's girls."

Kassima puts on the gravest expression she can manage, with a soup-dampened
mint stick poking out of her mouth. "'Tis taking m'greatest effort t'look
stoic on the outside, while within I tremble in such overwhelming fear that
I doubt the Red Star would seem far enough t'flee," she tells Yashira,
solemnity somewhat ruined by the muffling effect of the stick. "What sort
of position, assistant to the Headwoman or some such? And how fared
Southern? I heard 'twere having their Hatching the other evening."

Yashira sniffs. "Mmrrrph. Also: my vacation involved hunting. Hunting was
good."

Maylia smirks briefly in response to Kassi's description of the Fear of the
Face, before nodding. "Southern's hot, as always. Didn't make it down there
for this hatching, but was there earlier. Khy's growing up, that's for
certain. And any position, I suppose. Gardening, nannying, cleaning -
Makear's thinking better to place her somewhere with relatives nearby at
first. How'bout you? What'd you get up to on your time off?"

"How many things did you kill?" Kassi wonders of Yash, with real interest.
"And did you get a chance t'kick that scruffy hunter somewhere relevant
while 'twere out there? Nay that I should really *encourage* that,
a'course. I spent most of it," she turns back to inform Maylia, wryly,
"throwing up. A lot. And sleeping, which I did at least enjoy--but I had
time t'poke through Storage some, and for ice skating, and for playing
chess with Kris and Kim. Sat for a sketch of Khari's, too; she's practicing
some new technique with reversed highlights and shadows, and it looks
bloody bizarre, but. Khy's Shasta's daughter, isn't she? Or do I misremember?"

"Enh," says Yashira absently, watching Iralne get all fidgetty and
eye-rubby. "Oop. Someone's ready for bed, I think." "No!" "Tough." Yashira
hoises up the child easily. "See you both later."

Maylia eyes Kassi at her holiday activities, then watches Yash assert
parental control over Iralne. "So much easier when you can haul'em off.
Yeah, Khy's Shasta's. So, can I assume that between the mint sticks,
throwing up, and adding extra, ah, spice to your soup, that you're
expecting again?"

Kassima grins and waves her abused mint stick half at Iralne. "Poor kit.
Dream of sweet things, hey? Mayhaps of the biggest, gooiest bubbly pie in
all the world, and you can make a big mess while you eat it and your mother
won't be able t'do a single thing about it." Isn't it a wonder no irate
parent has killed this woman by now? "G'night t'you, too, Yash; see you
tomorrow. And for you I'll wish dreams of blood and gore and wherries dying
at your feet as you raise your crossbow in a gesture of triumph." Pause.
"Huh. Wouldn't *that* make a tapestry." Maylia's deduction garners her a
slightly sheepish look. "You know me well, mentee mine."

Yashira waves a little, then tromps on out.

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

Maylia advises, "Careful. Or Yash'll throw you for a loop, and see that
your new babe grows up all conservative and straight-laced in revenge. And
liking pink lace, too! And of course I know you. So, dare I ask about the
other half of the parentage?"

"Oh, perish the *thought*. I've already one such child; and while I love
him dearly, I'd be hard-pressed t'find work for another such. M'accounts
aren't *that* extensive." Kassi affects a shudder, which just doesn't mesh
well with her amused expression at all. "I don't think *Yash* would make
anyone like pink lace. She's nay inhumane. Oh, I don't know--dare you? I
could be asking you t'guess, as I asked Yash, only I'm nigh afraid t'hear
what your guesses would be." The mint stick finally, blessedly meets its
end with a quiet *crunch*. "You might have met him, actually. Did you ever
run into O'wyn while 'twere down South?"

Maylia eases herself back in her chair, pursing her lips. "O'wyn?" She
asks, thoughtfully. "Can't say as I did, but the name rings a bell.
Impressed a few turns back, didn't he?"

Kassima looks, if anything, more sheepish at having to confess ignorance:
"I couldn't honestly tell you how many Turns, but 'twould imagine it hasn't
been that many. Weyrsecond there now; mayhaps 'tis why the
bell-ringing--well, but anyway, he's the other half." She flicks a quick
grin. "Took the news rather well, d'you know? Nay screaming or fainting or
aught."

Maylia laughs, as she stands and gathers her dishes. "Figures, why I don't
know him. Must've been busy with Weyr duties, and I avoided them like the
plague. Tierth and I spent much of our time there sunning our hides on the
beach. Well, at least you know who the father is, can't say as much for
many folks. Listen, you need anything at all, even if it's the middle of
the night, let me know? Have Lysseth wake up Tierth, or send a firelizard,
and I'll be right o--" the last word is cut off by a yawn. "Warmed up.
Winding down, been a looong day."

"Ah, see, there speaks a wise woman," Kassi teases her mentee, grinning.
"And one who spent her vacation exactly as 'twas hoping, I admit. And have
I ever *nay* known?" There's no genuine affront there, just humor, which is
in return replaced by gratitude in her smile. "Thankee for that, May. I
don't think 'twill be rousting you out of sleep, but I appreciate the
thought, and if'n I *did* need something you're probably the first I'd
call. Speaking of sleep though, it sounds like mayhaps you should be
getting some."

"That's my plan," May acknowledges, stashing her used dishes in the
appropriate location. "I'll let you know the state of Tierth's wings
tomorrow -- if they're good and the weather eases up, count me in on the
dig-out. Otherwise, we'll be spending our day doing gentle stretches and
such." With that, she stomps into her boots, and pulls on her outdoor wear.
"Sleep well when you get there, hmm?"

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

You walk towards the inner cavern.