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As Time Goes By


Date:  August 10, 2003
Place:  Telgar Weyr Hot Springs
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:  This was an enjoyable little scene.  Merielan comes
down to the Springs to soak with Alerith while Kassima's bathing 
there, and the two riders have a leisurely talk about life choices of
the past.  Young-Kassi and Young-Meri end up much maligned by their
older, wiser, and rather amused counterparts.

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The Log:

Alerith flies over the edges of rock and lands on the far end of the springs.

Alerith touches down on the very edge of the dragon pool, so that his tail
is in the water. A weary sigh comes from atop his back, as with a groan
more suitable to an old auntie, Meri slips down. Working a bit slower then
usual, she divests Alerith of his straps, giving the brown a pat, he
warbles in return and happily splashes into the pool. Meri -str-ech-es-
out, and then begins on her own clothes, sending a grin in Kassi's
direction as well as a "Heyla Kassi, Lysseth."

Merielan carefully dismounts from Alerith's long neck.

Little surprise: Kassi's singing to herself, as per usual, within the
largest dragon pool; the words are somewhat low and muffled, though.
Probably because more of her attention is on attacking an outstretched foot
with a scrubbing brush and getting suds all over the place in the process
than in giving Lysseth or anyone else a concert. Lyss hardly seems put out
by this. Goodness, no. The quietness on her rider's part allows her to
slumber in peace, chin propped on the pool rim and the rest of her
stretched out beneath steaming water. "Mmmph? Evening, Meri," Kassi greets
in her turn, glancing up towards the brownrider and waving the soap-laden
brush.

"Don't stop on my account.." Meri grins, sitting down to tug at her boots,
giving off a little *oof* when they finally give way. The rest of her
clothes follow suit, folded into a neat little pile, and then Meri slips
into the pool with another little groan--but this one of pleasure. "Faranth
that feels good!" Is her heartfelt exclamation, shifting and settling a bit
in the water until she's adjusted herself just -so-. "I was enjoying the
concert." She goes on, picking up the thread of conversation as if there
hadn't been an interruption. "Haven't been any harpers about as of
late--and when I hum I sound like a croaking frog--or worse."

Kassima snorts softly, regarding her foot as she gives its soapy toes a
thoughtful wriggle. Whether this is because she still feels obliged to
avert her eyes from people when they're stripping or because she really
finds her own toes worthy of admiration is difficult to say. "Nay much t'be
enjoying. I know plenty of songs, you'd think I could come up with an
original one once in awhile, but somehow half the time the Drunken Rider
song's the only one I can think of t'sing while I'm scrubbing--there's
probably some deep psychological revelation lurking in that somewhere. I
doubt I want t'know what it is. I doubt you're really that bad... are you a
particular fan of music?"

Merielan finds herself eyeing Kassi's wriggling toes, so perhaps they
really are that interesting? With a slight shake Meri rights her gaze to
more...mundane things, grey gaze settling on Alerith as he cavorts about in
the water, splashing and splishing before finally settling in for a good
long soak. Her gaze returns to Kassi--her face--this time, and Meri nods "I
suppose you could say that. I started out my illustrious career as a harper
apprentice." A slight smile "That's where I met Divya--now of High Reaches
and Konnevath. I think you know her Kassi?" Her brows furrow "I think Divya
mentioned you when she visited awhile back. Something about a bet?"

Of course they are. They're fascinating toes! So slender, so pale,
so--relatively--long and agile, so covered with soap. A shame Pern doesn't
have foot models. Kassi's life could be *set*. "'Twere a Harper?" the
greenrider repeats, puzzled. "For some reason I thought 'twere a Weaver. I
must be thinking of someone else. Know Divya?" An amused sound escapes her
throat. "You could be saying that. Konnevath once caught Lysseth. Though I
knew her a'fore that, and after; don't remember offhand how I met her, but
she's been good enough t'share good liquor with me, and aye, we bet from
time t'time on Hatchings and the like. I win, usually. Which bet was this?"

"I was a weaver--after I was a harper.." Meri clarifies, reaching up and
plaiting her hair as she chews on her lower lip attempting to remember the
answer to Kassi's question. "You know--I'm not sure she mentioned just
-which- bet. Just that you two had a bet, and she owed you a some marks." A
philosophical shrug at her own failing memory and Meri flips the end of her
new braid over her shoulder and taking some sweet sand, begins to wash the
length of her arm. "Divya stayed at Harper, and I left--onto weaver--where
I stayed until A'ser and his green came for me." A little chuckle "I've
always thought it was a good thing that Alerith found me on the sands--I
was an abysmal harper and fairly bad as a weaver."

That gets Kassi's attention completely off her foot for a moment. "You
switched Crafts? That's nay such a common practice...." She finally lets
the outstretched foot sink into the water with a small splash, dredging up
the other to set to work on it. "I'm sure she'll find me and pay me in due
course then. If'n she hasn't done so already. Why were you a Harper and a
Weaver if'n 'twere nay gifted at the Crafts? Did you just like 'em?"

Merielan regards her arm and the attached hand for several long moments, as
if she were considering her options. One finger traces a recent thread scar
along her wrist. A nod, and then Meri dunks her arm back into the water,
rinsing off the suds and obscuring her view. "I know, it's not common
t'all. Still--I wasn't a harper, I knew that, so I left. Now -weavers-.." A
chuckle, seemingly at some private joke or memory "I do think--that at
least I had a chance at weavers. Once I grew out of having two left hands
and feet--I think I might've actually been able to accomplish -something-.
I can sew a straight seam and knit fairly well--so at least I've got
that..." Her hand flutters in the water as her gaze returns to Kassi
"Sorry--I got off on a tangent there. Weavers was -home- to me. In some
ways it still is, I'm quite close with my foster-mother Nuala. She was
craftmaster for quite awhile, stepped down and then Katlynn took over."

Kassima chews at her lip as she rubs her offending foot vigorously. "Did
the Harpers just let you go without difficulties? I've been toying with the
thought that Kisai might do well there as a student. Mayhaps. She has such
a quick mind; I don't know what Is would think of it, though--" She's
digressing now, and breaks off the side-thread to return to the
conversation proper. "'Tis more than *I* can do. Or plenty of other folk,
so you might have made a fair living there in time; you could have designed
Gather wear, hey? I can see you doing that, for some reason. But then you'd
have ended up under Katlynn, which might have made life interesting, so
doubtless all's worked out for the best... I do remember Nuala, I've met
her once or twice. Was she Craftmaster while she fostered you?"

"Gather wear?" Meri repeats with a slight laugh, and then stops seeming to
consider it, lips pursing. "Perhaps your right Kassi--one of the things I'm
most proud of is that pair of costumes I made for T'kar and I--do you
remember? The tree and the purple bird?" A grin and another slight chuckle
"That was -fun-." A shake of her head to the other questions. "No--the
harpers didn't make a fuss. I just didn't suit--and they let me go
amicably." A beat of pausing and then onto the other thread of conversation
"Yes, Nuala was craftmaster, she stepped down...oh..about a year or two
after I was out of weyrlinghood."

"I remember the pants that went with your half of the costume," Kassi
mutters, sliding her cleaned foot into the water with the other and
relaxing back against the stone rim. "They were difficult t'be forgetting.
But y'see where it might make sense then--t'do something always which was
fun for you, it mightn't have been a bad life. 'Tis so strange t'think you
didn't Impress until after Raimi's time. Life's like that sometimes,
though, isn't it--relating one event to another can put 'em in a surprising
perspective as t'how long it's been, or hasn't been."

Merielan laughs at Kassi particular rememberance of her costume and a
slight shake of her head. "I was young and stupid--and
rather--er--well--more--stupid, yes stupid then I am now." Another laugh
"Or at least I hope so. Still--now I just stick to wearing clothes that are
actually -clothes- and thank Faranth that I don't get proddy." A nod at the
second, and another shift, continuing with the soaping this time of the
other arm. "Yes, it can be surprising when you put things together like
that, makes things--memories look different somehow." A slight shake of her
head "When I think of the sequence of things, harper to weaver and now to
Telgar--and all that's -happened- it seems as if I've lived several
lifetimes."

"I don't know if'n stupid's the word. Some people like wearing pants with
nay seat in 'em; some don't, 'tis mostly a matter of taste," Kassi
theorizes, if not without a grin. "I believe May's got some outfit
comprised of such pants and leather straps as Jal does, and I don't think
*she's* stupid. Only occasionally insane. But that's what she gets for
wanting t'put her tongue down people's ears. Are you happier in this
lifetime than you were in the one at Weaver?"

"I suppose I do tend to basically sum up my mis-guided youth as 'stupid'."
Meri admits, looking a bit sheepish even at the memory. "I still have that
outfit, I still rather like it actually, but I don't think I'd wear it
again." A laugh at the description of Maylia and her urges regarding ears.
"I have the utmost respect for Maylia--though I must admit I've never seen
her proddy. -She's- been the unfortunate recipient of my attentions--when
Alerith lost a flight once. She dumped me into the lake--" Another chuckle
and then her tone grows serious as she nods. "I have Alerith here--I didn't
have him at weavers." This apparently is all the answer she need give.

Kassima's grin broadens; the sheepishness seems to entertain her. "I
generally sum mine up as 'airheaded' if'n that makes you feel any better.
Nay reason you *couldn't* wear it if'n you like it, I suppose. I'm the last
person t'advocate buttless pants, 'twill admit that, but mayhaps you'd find
some suitable occasion. You haven't?" The greenrider's face screws into a
comical expression of dismay. "She's something and a half. *Trust* me. Ask
her sometime about when she let K'ti harness her to a bunch of fire-lizards
t'see if'n they'd let her fly without a dragon. D'you know, I *heard* about
the Lake thing--nay a bad way t'handle it on her part, I thought!" There's
enough laughter in her voice that she's probably teasing her once-mentee.
"Ah, so. 'Tis always so."

Merielan is giving Kassi quite a bit of entertainment it seems--as her
sheepish expression continuies on. "You heard about the lake thing?" She
asks with a slightly pained tone to her voice, and then a sigh "I suppose
it was just wishful thinking that -that- particular story wouldn't get
around the weyr in a flash." Then she falls silent and simply blinks for
several moments, apparently stunned by the idea of Maylia performing a
stunt like trying fly by firelizard. "Did she -really- do that?" Meri asks,
eyes wide. "I still have trouble--sometimes--thinking of Maylia as anything
other then my weyrlingmaster."

"Hitting on May in the Living Cavern like that did rather inspire the
gossips," Kassi answers, trying to be good and keep the amusement out of
her voice. She's less than thoroughly successful. Natch. "But only for a
time. The Weyr's certes seen odder post-flight behavior. She really, truly
did--fell on her arse, too, when a glowing gold flitted by and some of the
'lizards she was harnessed to took in into their heads t'be chasing! She'll
doubtless be nay end of thrilled with me for spreading that particular
story, but she can just consider it revenge for some of her other proddy
antics. I do know something of what you mean. I don't know if'n I ever did
stop thinking of T'fian--one of m'Assistant Weyrlingmasters--as a teacher."

Merielan finishes with the last of the soaping and rinsing, and turns to
slip out of the pool and back into her clothes. Alerith--with a heartfelt
croon the brown moves out of the pool and stands as Meri puts his straps
back on. "I promise I won't tease May about it -too- much next time I see
her, " A pause and a wink "And I won't tell her where I heard the story
from." Meri flips off a lazy salute "I'm off--got some hidework to do for
C'vadan. G'eve Kassi-"

Merielan disappears upwards in the suddenly brown sky of Alerith's back.

Alerith rises up from the steamy waters heading north over the rim of the
Weyr.