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I'd Like To Buy a Vowel


Date:  April 10, 2003
Place:  Telgar Weyr's 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:  The quest to let all of her friends know about her 
spawn-to-be continues for Kassi when U'yn drops by Telgar one evening,
and deigns to chat awhile with her even though her name doesn't start
with Y, U, or S. ;)  Kaylon is also discussed.  And U'yn uses the 
G-word.  Bad U'yn!  No cookies!

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The Log:

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

Kismith comes soaring in, looking satisfied. U'yn, however, is grumbling,
well, at least he looks like he's grumbling. Kismith skims across the pool,
splattering water, but then lifts again so that he doesn't splatter those
at the edge, and sets down in the shallows.

Kassima and Lysseth have, as is their usual wont, stationed themselves in
the largest dragon pool; Lysseth's floating, tranquil and strapless,
listening to her rider's singing. Said rider is perched on the edge of the
pool with a damp towel wrapped around her, feet dangling in the hot water
and wet hair straggling pretty much everywhere. "A father, he calls on his
daughter; 'Two choices I'll give unto thee: would you rather see Willie's
ship a-sailing, or see him hung like a cur on yonder tree?'" The greenrider
breaks off the song, though, at the whoosh of wings, and automatically
brings up an arm to ward off any splatterings. "Well!" she calls. "And
g'day t'you, too!"

Above, on Kismith's back, U'yn manages to dismount without landing in the
water, and calls back, "Good day, Grandma!" Kismith flicks his wings
impatiently, and U'yn answers, "Get yer feet OUT of the water if you want
me to remove your straps, silly." When the bronze has obligingly moved to
shallower waters, U'yn climbs him to unbuckle, and calls out, "How fares
you tonight?"

"Ach, U'yn! Don't be calling me that!" Kassi automatically not-quite-yelps.
"You'll have me feeling old again, and I'm certes nay old enough t'be
*your* Grandmum any road. I'm well, though, just taking a rest between
swims--what brings you up to the frozen wastelands? Or should I go ahead
and hazard a guess? One that starts with 'Y' and ends with 'ashira'--or,
t'be fair, starts with 'U' and ends in...." There's a pause while Kassi
tries to figure out how to pronounce the rest of the name sans U; she
eventually gives up and spells, "R-S-A?"

U'yn climbs carefully down with the assistance of Kismith's extended forelimb.

U'yn grins that lopsided impish grin. "Am I that predictable?" he wonders.
"Can't a man come and visit his home?" but he shrugs. "I admit I was hoping
for a Y, but would love to see a U, or maybe even an S." He drags the
straps to a safe distance from the water. "But it's all personal, not a bit
of weyr business brings me here at all."

Kassima crinkles her nose good-naturedly at him. "'Twas but a guess--and
remember, I made what fortune I have in predicting people and things, so I
should be decent at it by this time. Oh, now, who would the S be? Storm, or
someone more scandalous? A secret assignation with a secret letter? And
personal, that sounds all the more promising." At least her tone's light,
more teasing than serious. "Faranth help me if'n I should criticize for
coming here on personal business. And whyever you're here, 'tis a pleasure
t'be seeing you--have you been visiting with Kay or Kaylon lately, d'you
have any news on how they fare? And, stars, how fare *you*?"

U'yn loosens his jacket as the warm humidity finally takes away the chill
of between. "I saw them before the last Threadfall," U'yn says, smiling.
"What a big boy he's getting to be!" and that is a genuine smile. "And
shards, I'm doing well. Changed wings recently."

"Come sit?" Kassi invites, with a gesture towards the available pool rim.
Of which there's a lot, since it's a bloody huge pool. "Soak your feet a
bit? A Y or a U might always be along, though whether a U would bring an S
I honestly couldn't guess. Isn't he, though?" Her smile, too, is genuine,
if wistful. "I've nay seen 'em for a few months now. That lass needs
t'learn t'visit more *oft*; I know a Wingleader's work is never done, but
shouldn't a child always have time for its mother?" Pause. "Which makes me
feel guilty about nay visiting *my* mother more, so perhaps I shouldn't
talk--changed Wings? What brought that about, and which one are you in now?"

U'yn glances out towards the exit a moment, then grins, and stoops to
remove his boots. "Sure, soaking my feet sounds more perfect than I could
imagine, right now," he admits. He bends over and tries to roll up the pant
legs of his riding trousers, which naturally just doesn't work. After
looking foolish, waving his bronzeridin' rear around for a while, he gives
up and just tugs off the trousers, coming over. "Sorry to disappoint you
about my lack of scandalous S-s, me wanting to see my little brother, and
all." He slips his feet into the water, and sighs, happily. After a moment,
he remembers the question. "It just made sense, really, there was some
balancing to do, and I tipped the scales the right way."

"Soaking the feet nigh always sounds perfect," opines Kassima, who watches
all the bronzer-butt-waving with a less than perfectly straight face. She's
*trying* not to laugh outright, but can she be blamed for looking amused?
"Particularly in this frigid excuse for a Weyr, but I can't say 'tis ever a
*bad* idea anywhere. Oh, 'tis all right--I don't know how I'll survive
without a new gossip tidbit t'munch on," she sighs, raising one hand to
press its back against her forehead as she rolls her eyes upwards
melodramatically. "But somehow 'twill find a way. For Lysseth's sake,
y'know." Said green only snorts. "Well, I know how that goes. Does the new
Wing suit you?"

U'yn wiggles his toes with unabashed delight. "Suits me well enough," he
agrees gamely. "We drill. We sweep. We fight Thread. We get up at the crack
of dawn." The warmth creeps into his bones, and he stretches luxeriously.
"At this rate, I'll never leave, and any Ys, Us, or Ss will have to come
scrape me out of a melted lil puddle."

"See, you need t'transfer t'Telgar and join Thunderbolt. We only get up at
the crack of dawn *some* of the time," Kassi teases with a grin flashed to
him. "Or, all right, mayhaps *half* of the time, between drills and sweeps;
still! And there's the lovely winter break, too." An outright laugh
follows. "What a mental image, particularly with the S. The Y, at least, I
can just picture doing just that, and mutter-grumbling at the puddle-of-you
the whole while."

U'yn falls backwards, arms outspread, to try his best to look like a
puddle, "Shards, I can just hear her mutter-grumbling, too," he agrees.
From there, he comments, "Igen's still the place Kismith and I are supposed
to be, I really feel it in my puddly bones."

Kassima aims a cheerful poke at the bronzer-ribs so helpfully presented.
Why? Probably because they're there. "So can I, but let's hope her mother
never does, since she'd likely wash her mouth out with soap." Pause.
Consider. "Or nay, given 'tis Karina we're talking about. Awww... well, can
you be blaming a Wingleader for trying? Nay that I'm sure Ursa would like
it if'n I did lure you over and into Thunderbolt. Since then I'd have t'be
encouraging you t'spawn all the time."

U'yn squeaks right on cue when his ribs get poked. "/Emlyn/ would be
pleased, she wants a grandbaby she can claim all her own," U'yn points out
when he's done gasping for breath and has sat up." He looks out at Kismith,
who's settled in the water, and sighs, "It sounds like I won't be having
any letters showing up anytime soon for scraping up puddles, anyhow. So
what's new around here?"

Ooh! He squeaked! Naturally, this means Kassi must try to poke him again.
"I can't say I blame her--what does her family make of him, anyway? At
least since he's a he, I'm guessing they can't be speculating on the
eventual size of his milkers or aught like that." A pause follows while she
thinks about that. And shudders. "Ugh, what a thought. New, new, let's
see... you heard about the vacation Thunderbolt had recently, aye? And
Daelyth's rising? Caught by Palineth again; the pity of it is, everyone saw
that coming, so I made scarcely any marks. And a'course there's one other
thing...."

U'yn oufs this time, squirrelling away from pokey fingers. "No discussion
has ensued about the possible size of my possible son's anything," he
clarifies simply. "Heard about the vacation," he nods in agreement, "Heard
about the rising," he agrees again. "And?" his eyebrows climb his forehead,
encouraging clarification on this other thing.

"Thank Faranth," Kassi mutters. "I'll take care nay t'bring up the idea
where anyone insane might hear me, just in case. Poor lad doesn't need
speculation about that *this* soon." What, like a man needs speculation
about that ever? She bobs her head in return for each agreement; at the
last, though, she grins a grin that's quite amused, but also a touch
sheepish. "Well," she drawls, "there's a *rumor* that one of our
Wingleaders is pregnant, would you believe? And 'tis one of the worst ruddy
harridans in the whole Weyr, too, a dark and evil wench indeed. Or so some
brownriders say."

U'yn just, well, shudders at the discussion of such speculation. He doesn't
even attempt to join in such a conversation. Instead, he echoes, "A ruddy
harridan, eh? Well, she gets what she deserves, I guess!" Then, kidding
aside, looks sideways at the wingleader next to him, asking with open
curiosity, "Tis it true, then?"

Kassima attempts a wounded sniff. "Well, thankee for *that*; what happened
to our friendship, bronzer?" She doesn't even try to make it sound
convincing, though; why bother, when she's grinning almost immediately
afterwards? "Aye, 'tis. Well--the pregnancy part is. The ruddy harridan
bit, 'twill leave it up t'you t'be deciding."

U'yn now opens his eyes dramatically wide, "Oh, you mean, it's /you/?" he
asks, "I thought when you said ruddy harridan you meant... oh, well, never
mind," and he claps her on the shoulder, "Congratulations! You're looking
great." Why people say that to pregnant women, he doesn't question. You
just say it.

"Never mind? You can't get m'curiosity up like that and then be saying
'Never mind'! I want t'know who 'twere *thinking*!" But this protest
doesn't keep Kassi from grinning broader at the clap to her shoulder,
looking pleased if still that faint touch sheepish. "Thankee, U'yn. Since
I'm nay as big around as Lysseth yet, I'll even refrain from making
disbelieving sounds. 'Twill admit, I'm *feeling* pretty great--I don't
think I could be much happier."

U'yn just smiles that innocent lil half-smile, no answering that one! "I'm
going to take a stab here... the father's NOT L'han?" and this is said
hopefully, though trying to sound like it's in jest.

Kassima chokes. Kassima splutters. Kassima looks decidedly disturbed.
"Shells, U'yn! What would I be doing with your mother's brownrider? Do I
look suicidal, all other considerations aside? Nay, nay," she assures,
gesturing with one hand as if to brush the idea away. "'Tis someone I'm
doubting you know--well, huh, but I suppose you might, since you did live
in the South. O'wyn, Baeth's rider, Southern's new Weyrsecond. We went
fishing." Quite as if this explains everything.

U'yn sighs, "Phew! Cause then my half-brother's half-sibling would also be
my possible-son's half-aunt/uncle, and that's just more than any
bronzerider should have to explain." As the rest is explained, he ponders,
"No, I don't recall him from my time there, but then, I knew the young'uns
better than I knew the Riders." He smacks his hand against his forehead.
"Fishing? Why didn't I ever try that?"

Kassima tilts her head to one side as she runs that through her mind,
trying to parse it. "Would it be better if'n I fould Kylarr and had m'next
child by him, so your possible son's grandfather would also be the father
of his aunt or uncle?" she suggests, trying her darndest to sound
guileless. "As t'that, he's nay so very old, but he came from a Trader
family evidently; don't know if he'd have been there yet when 'twere. And
don't ask me! It works wonders, evidently. Eight Turns childless, then one
fishing trip with Ozy and poof." Yes, she's red as she says that, but her
amusement's clear nonetheless.

U'yn screws up his eyes tightly, making a good show of considering that
possibility, then, at length, he nods. "Yes, that would work, thank-you,"
he agrees. Then he mumbles, "Remind me to get some fishing lessons, this is
something I need to try..."

"'Twill see about arranging it, then," Kassi agrees, deadpan. "Though I
don't know what Kylarr would make of the whole notion... all right, 'twill
remind you." Another pause. More deadpan than before: "I'd offer t'be
giving you some, but, y'know, I have this feeling Ursa would be just
ever-so-slightly dismayed."

U'yn looks upwards, considering this option, too. The snaps his eyes back
into the conversation, "Well, don't be dismaying my mother, ya hear?"
Kismith whuffles, sending a spray of water, and U'yn looks up at the
oversized well-fed flying message-machine for a moment. "Ah, seems like if
I get my sorry ass off of the ground and get walking, I could encounter
myself both a U and an S, and methinks I should do that," though he's slow
to pull his legs out of the water. "Congratulations, Wingleader," he says,
"And all my best to you, may it all go well."

Kassima affects disappointment, even heaves a sigh, but eventually agrees,
"'Twill do m'level best nay t'do so, however great a loss it might be."
Still deadpan, but by now the entertained sparkle in her eyes probably
gives her away. "That does sound like a plan--will you give 'em both
m'regards? And thankee muchly for that last. I'm hoping 'twill too, and
just glad Sauscony said I'm healthy enough."

U'yn towels off and does a hopping lil
pull-on-riding-trousers-to-almost-dry-legs dance. Once he's regained his
balance, he grins warmly, that lopsided grin of his. "Glad to hear it.
Clear skies!" and he strides on outta there, leaving Kismith to soak.

U'yn walks off towards the Inner Cavern.