-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ashryl Problem Date: February 2, 2008 Place: Benden Weyr's Southern Bowl 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: Ashryl. Green Monarcth's Weyrling, wearer of things orange and purple, bane of W'adru's existence, and voted Least Likely To Escape Weyrlinghood Unskinned in the privacy of Kassima's mind. She's been tormenting W'adru from Candidacy on for reasons Kassi can well guess, right or wrong; but knowing why (maybe) is a far cry from having a solid answer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Log: W'adru comes onto the beach from the field to the east. Nergath comes onto the beach from the field to the east. Picture it: Igen Weyr, fifteenth Turn of the Interval. One Weyrling is jogging past the Lake just now as part of her route around the Bowl. Another--her twin Sh'sen, as it happens, for it's Ennevai on the run--does sit-ups while Kassima watches with folded arms. Both the Weyrlings are only in their swim clothes to add an extra bit of flair. "Fifty," Kassi counts at last. "All right, enough. Catch Enn and tell her she can go in too. Go on--" Sh'sen's perfectly happy to oblige at a scramble. Nergath makes his way down the sands of the beach, apparently on course for the lake. W'adru follows him several paces back. Wait...is he....oh, shards....the PURPLE POOFY PANTS!!!! Oh, there has to be a story why he's got those things on again. The bare feet and the fact he isn't looking up, but is instead watching his feet in the sand just adds to the weird atmosphere. At this point some back-up dancers seriously need to run in. They don't, though--more's the pity for everyone involved. When Kassi catches sight of the poofy pants she stands there for a second, eyebrows climbing up towards her hair. "I hate t'be saying it," she says at last, "but Nergath's still too young for you t'be seducing the Weyrwoman, W'adru." W'adru keeps walking a moment before it registers someone spoke. As good ol' Nergath makes his way into the water, W'adru looks over and spotting Kassima snaps to a slightly slowly coming salute. "Kassima! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." he looks down. "I...lost a bet. So I have to wear these again all day." he shrugs. "At least they're comfortable." Kassima returns the salute and then shakes her head. "Nay harm done. I'd finished with m'business. What, I just have t'be asking, did you wager the pants on? I'd ask with whom, but I've a hunch about that." W'adru watches Nergath happily submerge, looking weird with knobs and eyes peekin out of the water. "There was discussion about flying certain maneuvers. Nothing not allowed I assure you. To see who could execute a series of maneuvers selected by the other Weyrlings the fastest. You can obviously tell we lost." The pants lack pockets, so he jams them beneath the purple scarflike belt instead. "I had a hunch about that too." Kassi hooks her thumbs in her pockets. Beyond her, Lysseth lies half in and half out of the Lake, not so much needing a bath as enjoying the water for its own sake. "Figures. Speed's a green's strong point, so if'n you want t'win, wager on who can keep executing maneuvers the longest next time... although if'n you do you'll probably end up punished for wiping Nergath out. 'Winning' isn't the best word." For a second time she shakes her head, either not able or not troubling much to hide how the pants amuse her. "What would your wager-mate have t'have done, if'n they'd lost instead?" W'adru shakes his head. "Be nice to me for an entire day." he sighs. "Would have been nice, but." another shrug. "Nergath gave his best shot." Kassima glances idly at the ground behind and around her. No convenient rocks to lean on? Curses. Nothing for it but to backtrack until she can lean against Lysseth, never minding the green's sigh or the sand it scatters. "It can serve as a lesson of a kind. In gambling, in riding, either: never wager on your weak point, and know what your weak points are. Does it help at all t'be ignoring her?" W'adru walks up near the lake, sitting down near Kassima and stretching his legs out before him. "Honestly, no. She just keeps at it. Nergath and Monarcth have talked about her behavior. Even Monarcth isn't quite sure why she does it." he sighs. "Not that I haven't had to deal with being the target of much worse growing up, its just she hardly ever stops." "At a guess, either she's infatuated with you--fixated, at this point. She's been at it for how long? Or she's innately, sincerely nasty, and enjoys your reactions more than anyone else's. I don't know about the latter," Kassima muses. "Except where you're concerned I haven't seen her behave this way. So if'n you want m'wager, 'tis on the former." W'adru shudders. "After hearing some of the rumors of what she did to her own siblings." he shakes his head. "Broke one of them's arm, I hear." Kassima's brows draw together. "I know of the rumor," she admits. "Has she ever said aught about it where you could hear?" W'adru shakes his head. "Like you said earlier, I've been trying to just ignore her, not hear what she says when its aimed at me." "'Tis a bit of an odd rumor." Kassi moves a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Would you have figured her for physically violent ere you heard it? Mental and emotional manipulation I can be believing. And, shards, she's a young woman. Broken bones... that sounds out of character. But you know her better than I do." W'adru shakes his head again. "No, I couldn't imagine anyone doing that to their own kin. She's a mean, coniving, manipulative one, but I couldn't see her doing that. Then again I don't get why she won't either leave me alone or, better yet, be nicer to me." Kassima allows readily, "Oh, I can believe it happens. Even on purpose. Could've been an accident, who knows what, but that someone's nasty enough t'be intending it? Absolutely I believe. Ashryl in particular...." She gives it a long, silent moment of further thought. "'Twill nay call it impossible, but it doesn't fit t'me. Whatever the reasoning behind it 'twould appear she enjoys riling you. Even though you aren't the shyest in the class--I mean," added with a grin, "look at those pants. And you aren't the most vulnerable." W'adru glances down at the pants. "No, just a bit gulible and too agreeable." he chuckles. "And it isn't that I'm afraid she'd try to physically harm anyone here." he scoops up a hand full of sand and lets it drop slowly through clinched fingers. "I guess part of it is I'd rather have her focusing her attention on me and less on the others." "Pshhh. I've worn worse." Another grin, as Lysseth rumbles what sounds like drowsy confirmation. "All you need t'do is nay wear 'em where Josilina might see, unless you're wanting her weyrmate after you in a towering rage. I don't know R'sel well, though. Mayhaps he'd find the pants as compelling as Josilina? Shells. Definitely keep 'em in the press 'til you graduate," Kassima teases, her eyes dancing as best the evening shadows allow. "Are you sure the others--some of the others--can't take care of themselves?" W'adru nods. "I'm sure they can. Just best that they don't have to. Like you said, she's been latched onto me like a firelizard to a piece of dropped wherry." he leans back a little. If he had worn the purple shirt too, this might be priceless, instead his bare chest and shoulders stretch out a little with the change of position. "Besides, it isn't so bad, just...getting old." "This," Kassi says, "goes beyond m'jurisdiction over you, especially after you graduate, but if'n you'd have advice--don't get self-sacrificing over her. She's nay worth it and she isn't really dangerous. People like her exist. Better your clutchmates figure out how t'deal with 'em now than later, when they're riders and under even more pressure." Her left shoulder tips up in half a shrug. W'adru listens and sits silently a moment, eyes closed, listening to the water. FInally he does speak up. "You're probably right. I guess I do need to start looking at things, and thinking about them, a bit differently." The shoulder drops; now it's half of Kassi's mouth that lifts. "Doesn't hurt t'try different perspectives, whether it changes what you end up doing or nay. Don't get me wrong. The impulse is noble, but, for another argument, does Nergath enjoy it when she bothers you?" W'adru opens his eyes, looking out at the bronze makes a slow turn in the water headed...on no, not for Lysseth! "I think he's more puzzled about it than anything else. He can't understand why I just don't tell her to shut up." Kassima asks, "Why don't you? 'Tis part of protecting the others?" Lysseth's tail swishes through the shallows, but probably from idle whim. W'adru shakes his head. "I think I've been trying for so long to fit in, be agreeable, be relied on as the guy who would do whatever he was asked to. I think I got so used to /not/ saying things like that." Nergath raises his head just a few centimeters, enough to get a look at something splashing around near Lysseth. Ooo! Maybe whatever that is wants to play! The head comes down and a slow, steady swim brings him closer and closer, eyes fixed on the waves rippling towards him. Kassima's head tips until it's nearly lying on her right shoulder. She raises one hand, waggles it back and forth. "That's nay a *bad* thing, being agreeable, but you aren't obliged t'be walked on. If'n you want t'be accomodating, that's one thing. If'n it gives you nay pleasure and you start t'tire of it, think on it; why aren't your interests and Nergath's as important as someone else's? I don't mean duty, that's a different story entirely." Maybe Lysseth's not completely oblivious, or it might be coincidence that her tail curls around her half-submerged haunches where it's far less pounceable. Tease! W'adru sighs. "You're right. Not that that should surprise me. I know from experience you're the voice of wisdom around here." he sits up, pulling his legs in and folding them before him. "I guess it just isn't that easy. I mean, everyone was so great with me when I was young. Not to mention patient. I just wanted to belong and to show my thanks." The bronze hunter continues swimming in that direction, although slowing a bit. The head raises, again just a matter of centimeters, watching for sign of motion again. Where /did/ it go? "Faranth, you need t'be meeting more people," Kassi half-teases, both entertained and surprised. "Get some new voices of wisdom. Was Ashryl great when 'twere young? Has she earned extra patience and kindness? You're thinking right--pay back by paying it forward, only I'm thinking that shouldn't mean getting walked on by people *trying* t'get t'you. At the least you should feel free t'ask her t'be cutting it out even if'n you don't want t'say 'shut up.'" She makes a face. "I'd ask if'n 'tis possible she doesn't know how it bothers you, but...." The tail's in hiding now. There are ripples still, but from Lysseth's breathing. "Try the fish, Nergath," Kassi calls, proving that someone at least is paying attention--and probably Lyss since Kassi doesn't have eyes in the back of her head. "They're more fun than Lysseth, trust me." One blue eye peeps open: hrmph! W'adru nods energetically. "Oh, she knows, and when I let it show, she just gets more into it." he glances towards the barracks. "As for Ashryl being young, all I know is the rumors I've heard. I got the misfortune of meeting her when everyone else did. She was searched from Keroon, but I'd wager wearing these pants for a month there's strong Bitran blood in her family." Nergath raises his head, a questioning rumble tone issues forth. Foiled in his attempt, he turns back towards the middle of the lake and goes back to floating peacefully. Kassima sighs and mutters something under her breath. Then, "It might be for one of us t'have a word with her if'n it gets past a point. Between you and me, methinks you'd do better t'handle it yourself." The woman slants him a wry sidelong glance. "It doesn't take Bitran blood t'be an abrasive personality. Or t'win your gambles." Safety secured, now Lysseth raises her head from the sand and rumbles to Nergath; not apology, but acknowledgment. W'adru nods and gets to his feet, brushing sand from those poofy pants. And a lot of sand gets caught in those poofs! "Speaking of handling things, I'd best get back to studying. I'm starting to dream in formations." he chuckles. "Nergath! Time to get that hide taken care of!" That gets the bronzes attention as he turns to make for shore. "Vs, straight lines, or diamonds?" Kassima asks, grinning. "G'night t'both of you--get some rest; there's plenty of work ahead." Because that's so likely to inspire pleasant dreams. "Keep the pants safe, too. I'm going t'be so disappointed if'n you don't wear them to graduation." W'adru waits for Nergath to emerge from the lake, dripping mightily. "I'll take your advice about it. And V's, believe it or not." Nergath moves towards the barracks. W'adru sighs. "Well, of /course/ I'll take care of those nasty itches before your nap...." as the pair moves out of earshot. Nergath trots off towards the field to the east. W'adru trots off towards the field to the east.