-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Infamous Bouncing Severed Wherry Head Incident Date: May 8, 1996. Places: Benden Weyr's Living Cavern, Kitchen, North Bowl, and Feeding Grounds Game: PernMUSH Copyright Info: The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.
P'tran looks up and nods cautiously to Kassima. "Evening."
Kassima strides in, carrying a large, rather lumpy sack with suspicious-looking greenish stains on it. She gives P'tran a quick salute before hauling herself and her bag over to a table. "Evening," she replies absently.
P'tran peers at the bag for a moment but decides not to make note of it for now.
Angelique watches Kassima enter and gives a small nod. She looks at the bag but says nothing about it.
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Kemith *BUGLES* his hello to all!
Lysseth> Kemith backwings for a landing.
Kassima draws one of her belt knives and tests its edge; satisfied, she works to untie the knots holding the bag shut. She mutters a few things, probably better left unheard, as the rope refuses to budge. With a sigh of utter disgust, she just cuts the bag open and rummages through the contents. What she pulls from the sack is a dead tunnelsnake, which she peers at a moment. Then, neatly, she chops off the head with her knife and puts the body back in the bag.
Lysseth> Kemith fans his wings out as he settles to the ground, offering Lysseth a soft croon.
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Laerth rumbles a pleasant greeting to Kemith
Angelique watches her for a minute before finishing her wine and asking Salless quietly to refill it.
Lysseth> Lysseth raises her head to regard Kemith with redly whirling eyes. She growls at him and snorts, scooting over on the Bowl floor to get farther away from him.
P'tran is about to take a sip of wine and stops when he sees this. He raises an eyebrow and puts the glass aside. "Um, Kassima?"
Lysseth> Kemith snakes his head around to look at his lifemate and warbles to her.
Benden Weyr> K'nan giggles.
Kassima puts the head over to the side of the sack and fishes out another tunnelsnake, about to repeat the process when she hears her name called. "Aye?"
Lysseth> From high atop Kemith's brown neckridges, Channie shrugs, "I don't know Kem." she murmers and strips off her gear before dismounting.
Sionelle walks in from the bowl.
P'tran ums, "Is there some point to that, Kassima? And is the entire bag filled with the same, er, contents?"
Angelique watches quietly. She nods to Sionelle as she enters.
Lysseth> Channie slides gracefully down Kemith's shoulder and lands with a slight bounce on the ground. Kemith gives his lifemate a curious wuffle as she pats and scritches him lovingly.
Lysseth> Kemith chuffles and sprawls out a little to relax while his rider goes off.
Channie walks in from the bowl.
Sionelle oofs, as a snowball pelts her in the back of the head, just as she thought she'd found a haven. The white powder explodes around her hair like a halo for a moment, then flutters to the groud. The bluerider decides to ignore it.
Kassima nods briskly. "I'm going to feed 'em to my fire-lizards, if they ever show up again. And aye, the whole bag's full. I went hunting t'day." She smiles with a hint of malicious glee. "I had a very successful time hunting. A dozen of them, I daresay."
P'tran nods briefly to the other riders that have entered before turningback to Kassima. "Do you really think that the living caverns is the best place to do that?"
Angelique blinks as snow comes flying in the cavern. She hears the tail end of the explanation from Kassima and makes a disgusted face.
Channie ducks in with a smile and waves to Kassi as she spots her, "Hey! Fort's Duty to Benden, and her Queens."
Kassima glances towards Channie and acknowledges her friend's existence with the briefest of nods, then hmmms. "Well, I didn't want to get the ichor all over Lyss's couch. She doesn't like that."
Scorps flits over to inspect the bag of tunnelsnakes.
Sionelle takes her usual seat at the Dawnslight table, brushing off her shoulders and trying to figure out what all the fuss is about.
P'tran notes the brief explosion of snow with a slight smirk, and then nods in response to Channie's greeting.
Salless mutters something in Kassima's direction about getting ichor over her nice clean cavern floor.
Scorps sniffs at the bag, looking interested in the contents.
P'tran says "I think I have to agree with Salless' sentiments. Don't do that in the living caverns, Kassima. A few people might not particularly care for seeing that while they're eating"
Kassima beheads the other tunnelsnake--the one she's been holding in her hands all during this conversation--and sets the second head neatly beside the first. Glancing at Salless, she mutters with annoyance under her breath, but does pull a cloth from her belt pouch to set the heads on. Shoving the little carcass back in the bag, she says, "Shoo! These're for Kyril and Khazarai and the rest of those little blue traitors, though why I even bother...." She looks up and gives a long-suffering sigh. "All right, sir. If you insist." She replaces the heads in the bag and reties it, shoving the whole shebang neatly under the table.
Channie blinks over to see what Kassi is doing, a little taken-aback by her cool-ness.
Sionelle's eyebrow goes up at the sight of the decapitation, and stays there, apprently indefinitely. She looks a little ill.
P'tran nods to Kassima. "Thank you. Something similar happened among the candidates concerning tunnelsnakes in the living caverns. I didn't allow it then so I don't think I'm going to start changing that policy."
Scorps chitters softly,still intent on getting the contents of the bag. He hops down off the table and onto the floor to scratch at the bag.
Channie tilts her head to one side peering at the sack as she tries to catch on to what's happening.
P'tran picks up his wineglass again. That was a relatively easy crisis to resolve.
Kassima frowns, trying to remember. "I do recall something about tunnelsnake heads down someone's tunic, though I didn't know about the Living Cavern," she muses thoughtfully. Glancing down at the bag, she scowls and picks it up, slinging it over her shoulder. "Wouldn't do to nauseate people, I suppose. I'll take this back to the Lower Caverns 'till later." She rolls her eyes, not understanding why people would be bothered. It's just a bag of dead snakes and severed heads.
You walk towards the inner cavern.
Benden LC> P'tran smirks slightly as Kassima heads away. "Even after being Weyrleader for a bit I'm still amazed at how differently riders react to their dragon's proddiness."
Benden LC> Channie shudders and looks after Kassi, "Jays, never seen her like that before."
Benden LC> Scorps does a firelizard frown as the bag leaves and flits over land on Ang's shoulder.
Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "Actually, I behead tunnelsnakes all the time. It's my secret hobby. :)"
Benden LC> Angelique watches as the rider leaves. "That was proddyness?" she looks shocked.
Benden LC> P'tran nods to Angelique. "Her green Lysseth is glowing. First time, too."
Benden LC> Angelique Ohs. "I've never seen a rider do that while they were proddy. Are all riders that bad the first time?"
Benden LC> Channie sighs, "Ah-oh." she heads towards the inner cavern, but not too surely, "I don't know if I should stick around." she giggles nervously.
You walk through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.
Channie almost runs into Kassi as she's about to enter the inner Cavern, "Oh, sorry! I was going to follow you."
P'tran hmms. "Well, it depends. Some handle it differently according to their personalities. Kassima has always been rather open and emotional, so it affects her a bit more."
Benden Weyr> K'nan was perfectly angelic, his first time...
Channie smiles up at her friend sheepishly.
Benden Weyr> K'nan grins. Didna affect me at all.
Kassima holds up her hands which, aside from a faint greenish tinge, are free of any sign of tunnelsnake. Though her belt pouch of fire-lizard treats is suspiciously more bulky than when she left. "Stowed 'em in some dusty corridor or another. I don't think anyone will find them there," she announces shortly. Wandering over to the cider pitcher, she pours herself a mug of the steaming stuff.
P'tran looks over and sees Kassima has reentered the room and wonders how much of what he said was overheard
P'tran ums and nods. He's not to reassured at that, but decides not to pursue it.
Angelique takes a sip of wine and stays quiet.
Kassima didn't hear anything. Nothing at all. Nope. She glances over at Channie with a slight frown. "Don't know why you'd do that," she says with a shrug. "I was just putting away that bag, not anything exciting." Wrinkling her nose, she parks herself back in her seat, which is conveniently near the pitcher.
Channie pulls on one of her curls and shrugs, she settles down beside her friend, "Oh, I was just going to follow ya." she tells Kassi, and curls her feet under her, "H-how's everything?"
P'tran turns back to Channie. "Sorry about that. Benden's duty to Fort."
Channie smiles at P'tran and offers a salute too, since she's nervous and everything, "It's alright."
Kassima nibbles on her fingernails, which have been sharpened into a clawlike point for some reason, trying to get all the 'snake ichor out from under them. She pauses in this long enough to reply, "Feh." There, she's said her piece--that about says it all.
Lysseth> Veyath backwings for a landing.
Lysseth> Veyath warbles a soft greeting to the other dragons.
P'tran grins at Channie. He turns for a moment, thinking he saw T'gar standing there, but realizes it was just someone with a passing resemblence
Lysseth> K'nan climbs down from Veyath's neck, and arrives on the ground.
Channie shifts a little nervously and offers a sugar sweet smile at Kassi, one of those, please don't hurt me smiles.
Angelique finishes her drink and stands up and heads for the bowl.
K'nan walks in from the bowl.
Angelique stands and leaves the quiet table by the night hearth.
Lysseth> Kemith warbles happily to Veyath.
Angelique nods to K'nan as they pass.
Lysseth> Lysseth eyes Veyath balefully, mantling and letting a low grumble escape her throat. Turning her head away, she lightly rakes her talons over the floor of the Bowl, ignoring the other green entirely.
Angelique walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
K'nan wanders into the LC. He salutes the weyrleader casually, "G'deve, all..."
Channie waves to K'nan, "hiya."
P'tran nods to K'nan with a smile. "Evening, K'nan. Still not-snowing outside for once?"
Lysseth> Veyath blinks at Lysseth for a moment, surprised, then carefully makes a slow retreat to the other side of Kemith.
Dragon> Lysseth and Kemith sense that Veyath eeps.
Kassima gives Channie an odd look, then snorts very quietly. She nods absently to K'nan and rakes her hair back from her face with those nails of hers, wincing as she apparently manages to scratch herself. "Shards and shells," she mutters, glaring at the offending hand.
K'nan chuckles, "Aye, that it is, sir..." He nods over, "Channie, heya." Blinking, he turns back towards the bowl. "Wha...oh."
Lysseth> Kemith *SNORTS* as Veyath hides behind him, then acts the big strong brown and puffs up his chest.
Lysseth> Veyath and Kemith sense that Lysseth growls disdainfully.
Channie smiles at K'nan and manages to grab onto him so he cannot flee, "OH, stay and talk!"
Lysseth> Veyath huddles under one of Kemith's wings, doing her best to look scared as she's warmed by him. Much more comfortable.
K'nan is grabbed, and turns back with a smirk, "Alright, alright..."
Kassima hmmms. "You're certainly acting odd today, Channie. Something wrong?" She gulps the rest of her cider with a grimace. "Went cold again. Just leave it for a moment, and it goes cold... didn't used to do that...."
Lysseth> Kemith whuffles at the little green and doesn't seem to mind keeping his wing over her at all.
Channie lifts up her shoulders at Kassi, "I'm acting strange? Ooh--too much klah or something." she murmers, and smiles up at K'nan. "So nice to see you again."
P'tran grins at K'nan and Channie and leans back in his seat again, watching the Weyr run more or less smoothly for once ...
K'nan looks vaguely amused, and nods, "Aye, good t'see you again as well...how's everything at Fort?"
Kassima nods, eyes narrowing at she peers at the brownrider. "Aye, you are. Just like everyone else around here. Maybe it's something in the klah, indeed...." Under her breath, she mutters to herself, "Gah, if I didn't know better, I'd swear I'm the only normal one around here these days."
Channie blushes and pulls on a curl again, "oh, everything at Fort is going well. I even had a bit of time between sweeps to come and visit with far away friends here at Benden."
Channie smiles winningly at Kassi.
Kassima gives Channie a sour look. "Time, time, time," is all she half-growls in response. What that's supposed to mean, Faranth only knows.
K'nan nods sagely to Kassi, "Aye, very true." He turns back to Channie, resuming their conversation...attempting to steer it over to something resembling a table with chairs, actually. "Good, good...always nice t'see a face 'round here other than everyone who's /always/ 'round here."
Benden Weyr> P'tran watches Kassima get more obtuse than normal when she's proddy ... :)
Channie giggles softly at K'nan, turning around to watch him as he moves around, hey, he's moving away, "Um--eer--yeah, someone new to talk to! It's always nice isn't it?"
Kassima raises one eyebrow. "Are you saying there's something *wrong* with those of us who are always around here?" she asks K'nan in even, clipped tones. She glances down at her belt pouch and starts rummaging through it while waiting for an answer, mumbling, "I know I had the raw wherry scraps in here yesterday...."
Benden Weyr> Kassima grins. There are times even I don't understand myself, so I wish the best of luck and therapy to others who try. :)
K'nan smirks over. "Of course there is. Me most of all." He finally finds a seat, sliding into it. "Aye, that it is."
Channie blinks at Kassi, watching her, "What are you looking for raw wherry for? Firelizard feeding time?"
Kassima doesn't argue with that statement, merely shaking her head in reply and giving up on her meat search.
Benden Weyr> K'nan loves making statements that people can't argue with. ;)
Kassima hrms? "Nay," she says matter-of-factly. "I wanted some dinner m'self. But I'm out of raw wherry... in fact, I'm out of raw anything, except for those tunnelsna--ah, nevermind. I guess I ate the last of it for lunch, though I certainly thought I had more of it...."
K'nan nods over towards the kitchen. "I think I saw some in cold storage, back in th'storerooms, Kassi."
Channie looks a little pale at the thought, "uuah--raw meat Kassi?" she blinks and smiles, "Really?"
Kassima frowns faintly. "Those aren't any good, though," she complains unhappily. "They're--well, they're too cold! Everything around here's too cold. Look, even this cider is too cold." She brandishes her mug to make her point. It's still wreathed in steam, probably not that much colder than boiling temperature. "And not really fresh, either...."
K'nan hrms. "Well...there's a whole slew of herdbeasts, out there." Wait, maybe that was the -wrong- thing to say, K'nan.
Kassima plunks down her mug and stares at it glumly, then perks up at K'nan's words. "You know, you just might be right... but herdbeast, feh. That stuff's too gamey, not worth the trouble. Besides--you know how Tria treats those mooing steaks. Like they're her own children. Last thing I need is to have her on my case." She rolls her eyes exaggeratedly. "But wherry, now... there are wherries out there too, last I looked. Y'don't suppose she cares about them?"
K'nan grins amusedly, offering, "I'm sure she wouldna miss one or two..."
Kassima actually beams. "That's the first sensible thing I've heard all day!" Abandoning cider and table, she practically skips outside, one of her beltknives already in hand.
You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Benden Weyr> Kassima sings, "We're off to kill some wherry, the wonderful wherry of... uh... where'd these wherries come from, anyway?"
Benden LC> P'tran watches Kassima go and simply shakes his head with a somewhat amused expression on his face.
Benden LC> K'nan smiles cheerfully, "At least she's happy now.." He turns back to Channie, "So, what were we talkin' about?"
Lysseth swivels her head to regard her overly cheerful lifemate, rumbling at her. Kassi walks over to scritch the bright green eyeridges fondly. "I'm going to get us a decent dinner for once, my irascible darling. I'll even get you a wherry head--I promise!"
You walk south.
You open the gate and enter the feeding grounds, remembering to close it behind you.
Benden LC> Channie blinks after Kassi, "um, what's she going to do?"
Kassima perches herself on the feeding ground gate, staring thoughtfully at the wherries. "Feh, these things are almost too fat and slow t'make it worth the trouble. Still... meat's meat." She resheathes her belt knives and pulls two throwing knives from her boots, surveying the flock through narrowed eyes.
Benden LC> Channie shivers a little, "I guess I picked a bad time to visit." she murmers over to K'nan
Benden LC> P'tran hmms. "I don't think you want to know ..."
Benden LC> Lily walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Benden LC> P'tran gives a nod and a smile to Lily as he finishes his glass of wine. "Evening."
Benden LC> K'nan shrugs lightly. "Eat it, I imagine..s'what Flan did." He grins. "Nah. Jus' be careful 'round Kassi, s'all."
Benden LC> Channie shudders, "Ug, you don't think she'd--" she looks out towards the bowl.
Benden LC> K'nan waves over, "G'deve, Lily."
Benden LC> Channie waves politely to Master Lily.
Benden LC> Kingard walks here from the Inner Cavern.
Benden LC> Lily strides into the living cavern, sheaf of notes in hand. She stops, turning in the direction from which she's come. "Arthur! Where are you?" Before she hears a response, she moves directly to a seat, sliding into it as she smiles greetings to those she sees.
Benden LC> P'tran smirks. "I wouldn't put anything past her at this point."
Benden LC> Channie says "Lysseth is going to rise, very soon huh?"
Benden LC> Kingard strolls out, then heaves a sigh at the sound of Lily calling Arthur. He walks over to her. "Here I am, Master Lily."
Benden LC> K'nan says "Looks like it, yah..."
Kassima spots one lone wherry just sitting there, a nice meaty one. That feral grin crosses her face again as she balances one of the knives in her right hand, aiming carefully. Swifter than the eye can see, her hand flicks outward and the knife goes spinning in a glittering path towards the hapless bird, landing solidly in its wing. The bird squawks as Kassi curses creatively. "Shard it all, I missed!" she finishes in a near wail of frustrated outrage.
Benden LC> Lily frowns at Kingard, "You haven't been out cavorting with loose women, have you, Arthur?" She pauses, asking Salless to bring her a mug of ale. "You've far too much work to do here to worry about things like that."
Benden LC> K'nan peers over at Lily curiously.
Benden Weyr> K'nan says, "Lily's been possessed by the spirit of Master Susaen! Run! ;)"
Benden Weyr> P'tran laughs :)
Benden LC> Lily takes the tankard with a nod, then smiles to K'nan and P'tran. "I'd like you to meet my new apprentice, Arthur. He's very bright."
Benden Weyr> Lily giggles.:)
Benden LC> Kingard shakes his head, looking about for a mug of klah that might be within easy reach. "No ma'am." He mutters something about not having found any yet, careful to keep the volume low enough so Lily can't hear.
Benden LC> P'tran nods to Lily and smiles a greeting. "Well met."
Benden LC> K'nan grins, eyes dancing with amusement. "Heya, Arthur. K'nan, green Veyath's rider."
Benden LC> Lily takes a sip of her mug and glances cautiously at K'nan for a moment, then back at her apprentice. She mutters to Kingard, "... be... of... one. He's..."
Kassima balances the second knife in her right hand, seething as she sights on the injured wherry and throws again. The aim is a bit more true this time, or the wherry less fast to run--the dagger lodges in its chest with a meaty thunk. Not a heart shot, but enough to kill the poor thing. Just as well. Faranth only knows what Kassi would do to the poor thing if it made her miss again. With a triumphant whoop, she sprints over towards the corpse and grabs it by the neck, not bothering to remove the knives as she slings it over one shoulder with an oof. "You're heavy," she grunts to the dead bird as she carries it back the way she came.
You open the gate and head north towards the main Bowl.
You walk north.
Benden LC> Kingard smiles at the two. "I'm Kingard, really. But Master Lily seems to be intent on naming me Arthur. And well met to both of you." He eyes K'nan for a minute, noting the knot of a greenrider, then chuckles at something. Hard telling what.
Lysseth raises her head and warbles as Kassi comes into view, hauling a sizable wherry. "Later, Lyss," the girl calls over one shoulder. "You got to eat just the other day--I'm starving!" The green grumbles huffily and settles back on the ground.
You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern.
K'nan ahs, grinning. "Aye, like E'd, I guess. Well met.."
Kingard blinks. "E'd?"
P'tran grins at Kingard. "Perhaps Lily has been hanging around with Master Susaen a bit too long," he comments teasingly at Lily
Kassima whistles cheerfully as she passes through the Living Cavern, a hefty--and, fortunately, dead--wherry slung over one shoulder. It doesn't bleed *too* much on the floor from its two knife wounds as she carts it off to the kitchens.
You walk off towards the kitchen.
From the living cavern, K'nan glances up, and calls towards the kitchen, "Nice work there, Kassi!"
From the living cavern, Salless shakes her head and sighs as Kassima passes by, making a trail across the formerly clean floor.
From the living cavern, Lily frowns at Kingard, "Silly apprentice. Your name is Arthur. Have you been sniffing firestone or something?" Dignified as always, she smiles at P'tran, "One can never spend too much time with Master Susaen."
Kassima calls back over her shoulder, "Thanks! I'm rusty, though, or I wouldn't have missed 'im the first time...." She grumbles under her breath at that, plunking the wherry down on the counter with a dull thud.
From the living cavern, Kingard falls silent as he watches Kassima come through, watching, with awe apparent in his eyes, the rider carrying the wherry carcass with knife wounds.
From the living cavern, Lily peers after Kassima, then takes a long drink of her ale. "Arthur...that one's a greenrider too."
A few thwacking sounds and muttered epithets can be heard, as a mangled wherry feather or two floats through the entrance into the LC.
From the living cavern, K'nan chuckles softly, "Hey, s'wrong with greenriders? We're great folks..."
From the living cavern, P'tran ums and grins at Lily. "I'll take your word for that, about Master Susaen, that is"
From the living cavern, Kingard nods, a dawning appreciation in his eyes for Kassima. "Yes, ma'am, I'll bet she is....", then blinks at Lily again. "Master Lily, please. My name really is Kingard."
From the living cavern, P'tran stands and stretches a bit
From the living cavern, Lily mutters something under her breath about a certain song, then smiles at K'nan, "Of course you are...but Arthur here is an innocent young apprentice." She blinks at said apprentice. "Have you been drinking the klah here? The extra strong stuff?"
Kassima whistles at first while she works on skinning the unfortunate avian, then suddenly breaks into song; those who populate the less reputable taverns might recognize it as "Seven Shepherds and the Old Man's Daughter." The knife thwacks go along with the rhythm of the music.
From the living cavern, Kingard shakes his head at the Weyrminer. "No ma'am. Nary a drop." He peers at a nearby klah pot. "Should I?"
From the living cavern, P'tran says "I think I need to retire for the evening. Good night all."
From the living cavern, K'nan nods over with a slight grin. "Sleep well, sir..."
Benden Weyr> Kassima sighs happily. Dismembering a carcass while singing bawdy ballads in the kitchen has always been a dream of mine.... :)
From the living cavern, K'nan turns back, now humming along with Kassi's song cheerfully. "So? I don't make it a practice of corrupting young apprentices. 'Sides, I don't think he's my type."
Benden Weyr> K'nan couldn't resist. ;)
From the living cavern, Kingard nods politely at P'tran. "Goodnight, sir."
From the living cavern, Lily smiles to P'tran, "Then rest well, sir, and my regards to the Weyrwoman." She shakes her head at Kingard, "Be careful of the drink if M'kla has brewed it."
From the living cavern, P'tran nods and heads out
From the living cavern, P'tran walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Benden Weyr> Kassima grins at K'nan. :)
From the living cavern, Starratiel bounces in, looking happy and hyper. "Hello, everybody!"
From the living cavern, K'nan corrects, "Nah, M'kla makes th'best klah in th'weyr...."
From the living cavern, Channie peers around sheepishly as she wakes up, "oups."
Benden Weyr> K'nan eyes Starratiel with some alarm. My god, bodies are transpossessing personalities right before our eyes! Lily with Susaen, and...um...Star with...someone bouncy. Bree?
From the living cavern, Lily chuckles at K'nan, winking. "Not your type? Too...male?"
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Kassi..."
From the living cavern, K'nan blinks at Starratiel. After he reccovers, "Um...hi, Star." He grins at Lily, "Well, I /am/ weyrmated t'Aph, y'know."
From the living cavern, Kingard, in the midst of tapping his foot to the song, suddenly stops and peers at K'nan. "Uh....." He opens and closes his mouth once or twice, then slides a little farther away from the greenrider.
The song continues--sounding rather odd, since it's sung with a surprisingly clear soprano voice and that definitely doesn't work with the shepherds' verses. After it finishes, a healthy set of female lungs starts to belt "Greystones' Secret Stair" clearly and loudly to the accompanying sounds of bird-gutting.
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "It's Revenge of the Son of the Body Snatchers!!!"
Benden Weyr> Kassima says, "What, Star? :)"
Benden Weyr> K'nan says, "Things are even weyrder than normal tonight in the LC...and it's completely IC, this time. ;)"
From the living cavern, Starratiel says "Hello, K'nan, how are you?"
From the living cavern, K'nan smiles. "Fine...just fine. You?"
Benden Weyr> Starratiel thinks she might've switched minds with you IC....
From the living cavern, Channie watches quietly as she as she tries to catch up to what she missed.
Benden Weyr> Kassima hmmmms? You mean you're supposed to be in here gutting innocent animals and not me? How disappointing... and just when I was starting to really get the hang of it, too.... :)
Benden Weyr> K'nan says, "Bah, I don't see any knives. ;)"
From the living cavern, Lily sighs, taking another drink of her ale, "That's quite right, isn't it?" She peers toward the kitchen, shaking her head. "Arthur," she says sternly, "don't go in there. I'd hate to have a dismembered apprentice."
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Well, last night, I think I started pummeling N'ren, who was cracking up because Sayla was commenting very bluntly about Kassi, who was PRODDY with a capital P and everything else."
From the living cavern, Starratiel says "I'm great, thanks!"
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Pretty weyrd..."
From the living cavern, Kingard nods, eyes wide, to Lily. "Yes, ma'am. Sounds dangerous, to me. About as bad as apprentice Dehrt swinging a pick."
After a particularly meaty thwack, something bounces across the floor and into the Living Cavern--the wherry's head. Kassi wanders in with a sheepish expression. Her hands look like she's dipped them in vermillion dye as she retrieves the errant head, mumbles an apology, and goes back to the kitchen.
From the living cavern, Starratiel looks at the kitchen. "Is Kassima beheading weyrfolk then?
From the living cavern, K'nan chuckles, leaning back in his chair. "Nah..he wouldn't be dismembered, I'm sure. Might not come back quite the same, but not dismembered..."
From the living cavern, Lily frowns mightily. "And just where has Dehrt been putting that pick of his?"
From the living cavern, Channie blinks as she watches the bouncing head, "Ahh--"
From the living cavern, K'nan answers Starr matter-of-factly, "Not yet. Everything else, though."
From the living cavern, Starratiel says "Is this her first flight?"
From the living cavern, K'nan nods, "Aye, it 'tis."
From the living cavern, Kingard shrugs. "Oh, I heard from Kaylarn. He's been practicing on the cavern walls. As strong as he is, he's been doing some real damage."
From the living cavern, Starratiel hmmmms. "Perhaps I should go visit Alekis for a while...
From the living cavern, Starratiel says "Say half a Turn..."
The chopping and singing starts up again, though this time it's a ballad recognizable as "The Milkmaid and Her Lecherous Pet Tunnelsnake." Mid-verse, it breaks off in a spate of angered cursing as Kassi describes the probable ancestry of her unfortunate victim in great detail--not that she, even once, mentions wherries.
You walk into the Living Cavern.
Salless dusts off the mantlepiece over the night hearth.
Starratiel blushes as she hears a few strains of the ballad. "Proddy riders...
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Does anyone have a copy of that ballad?"
Lily chokes on her ale, spilling a good amount of the liquid as she very nearly drops the tankard. "He's been using his pick on the cavern wall?" She stares at Kingard, "Kaylarn does have /odd/ habits. Perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised." As the words of the song drift out to the living cavern, Lily blushes a bright red, lowering her eyes.
Kassima wanders in, her expression not a sunny one. "Eh, K'nan, d'you suppose I could use that whetstone I loaned you for a moment? Seems that sharding wherry made my knife grow dull. Hit the bone a few too many times, I guess, but that's what happens when you're enthused about your work...." She eyes the red-stained knife that she's holding with dismay.
Kingard backs up another step, eyeing, with rapid back and forth movements of his eyes, Kassima and the knife.
K'nan grins over at Kassi as she emerges from the kitchen, "Hey, you were just about t'reach th'good part...oh, sure." He pulls a whetstone out of a beltpouch, and walks over to give it to her.
Starratiel tries to hide under the table. Kassi...proddy...with a knife. This is Not Good..
Benden Weyr> K'nan Muahahahahhahaas enigmatically.
Kassima half-grins. "Don't worry, I'll get to that soon enough. I've been practicing the screaming verses... rather good at them now, if I do say so myself." She accepts the whetstone and applies it to the knife with an expression of total concentration.
Kassima looks up in annoyance. "Mind telling me why you're ducking under that table, Star?"
Channie leans back in her chair as Kassi swishes the knife back and forth.
Starratiel turns white. "N-n-n-n-n....
Lily shrinks over toward a corner, cradling her tankard in her hands, glancing somewhat fearfully between the two riders. She fixes Kingard with a stare, mouthing the word 'greenriders'.
Benden Weyr> Kassima just plain muwahahahahahas. I really am having far too much fun with this. :)
Starratiel says "N-n-no r-reason, m-ma'am...um...K-kassima..."
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Great, Kassi. Just when I'd STOPPED being scared of everybody..."
K'nan examines the knive - from a safe distance, a few feet - as she sharpens it, with a clinical look. "Make sure t'clean that after you're done, Kassi...th'knife and 'stone both. Wouldn't want 'em t'dull or get coated."
Kingard blinks again, at Kassima, slightly fearful expression changing to something else. Admiration, perhaps.
Kassima pauses to wag the knife in Star's direction, point-first. "Then why bother doing it at all?" she asks with a snort.
Starratiel says "I-i-i d-don't kn-know, Ka-kassima..."
Starratiel cringes at the knife.
Lily digs in her pocket, retrieving a cookie. Which she then throws at Kingard. "Apprentice," she says somewhat sternly, "beware."
Kassima nods absently as she raises the knife to get a good look at it in glowlight. "Aye, you're right. But I'll take care of 'em as soon as I'm done with that ingrateful excuse for a dead wherry in there. Feh! I've seen wherries dead for two sevendays that were better than *that* sorry carcass."
Benden Weyr> K'nan says, "No fair, she's using cookie power!"
K'nan grins, sitting back down near Starr. "Well, do you're best - or worst."
Kassima just points the knife at Star, her expression stern. "If you don't know why you're doing something, then that's a good time to stop doing it." As though Kassi has the faintest idea why she does anything she does these days.
Starratiel looks around, relizes she's surrounded by greenriders, and whimpers. "Y-yes K-kassima..
Benden Weyr> Starratiel giggles. This is fun.
Channie stands up on wavering legs ane makes towards the door, "ooh, look 'at' that time! I have to be getting back to Fort! Clear skies all!" she gives everyone a pitting look before she flees
Kassima nods briskly. "Good. See to it." She stands back up. "I'll clean this up 'fore I return it to you, K'nan, have no worries on that score. Wouldn't want to have to do without having a knife-sharpener on hand." There's that feral grin again.
Starratiel nods. "Okay...
Kingard doesn't even blink as the cookie goes whizzing past his nose. At the last moment, however, before the cookie is out of range, his arm blurs in motion as he snags the flying cookie. He takes a munch of it as he watches the greenrider sharpen her knife. What a woman.
Benden Weyr> Kassima nodnods at Star. Lotsafun, yep yep. :)
Channie walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Benden Weyr> Veyon says, "Oh god...who's Proddy _this_ time?"
Kassima barely nods to Channie as she heads back to the kitchen, instrument of death in hand.
You walk off towards the kitchen.
Benden Weyr> Kassima cackles madly.
Lysseth> Channie mutters to Kemith, "not like the'd... going..."
Benden Weyr> Veyon hides. For a month. RL.
Lysseth> Channie swings up gracefully onto Kemith's shoulders with the help of the riding straps, and a little push from Kemith's freckled muzzle. The brown whuffles his lifemate happily as she settles down onto his shoulders.
Lysseth> Kemith takes flight, using the thermals rising from the bowl to carry him aloft.
Benden Weyr> Starratiel says, "Kassi...she she's VERY proddy..."
Benden Weyr> Veyon is leaving. REally.
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Kemith warbles a soft buh-bye
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Veyath croons a sad good-bye, cold now. *shiver* Really.
From the living cavern, Lily stares at Kingard, her eyes darkening. She stands and, hands on hips, moves over to stand before her apprentice. "Arthur," she snaps, "will you please put your eyes back in your head?" She shakes her head sadly, "I fear for your virtue, Apprentice."
True to her word, Kassi finishes up her song--and she's right. The screaming verses are very lifelike. Her knives keep slicing and dicing, though not with quite as much enthusiasm, and only one or two unrecognizable wherry parts fly through the door this time. The head stays where it's supposed to.
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Kemith croons so sadly for Veyath, << I had to go--my rider was *scared* >>
From the living cavern, K'nan grins, humming along and quieting singing a few verses along with Kassi.
Dragon> Benden dragons sense that Lysseth grumbles. << Of course it's cold. It's always cold. Why would that ever change? >>
From the living cavern, Lily shudders as the singing continues, muttering about greenriders under her breath and shaking her head.There are some clattering noises as Kassi starts up on another one--"Three Holderfolk and a Greenflight," appropriately enough. A few wet splats are audible over the singing.
From the living cavern, Kingard blinks, then has the grace to look slightly contrite. "Yes, Master Lily." He munches on the cookie, and looks around the cavern, careful to avoid the kitchen.
Lenina slouches into the kitchen from the storeroom passageway, lugging in a bowl of assorted vegetables.
Benden Weyr> K'nan says, "Poor, poor Lenina."
Kassima hears a sound behind her and whirls, automatically crouching in defensive position. When she sees Lenina, she relaxes a trifle--just a trifle. "Don't sneak up on me like that," she advises sardonically. "Not unless you want to wind up like my friend, here." She pats the mangled wreck of what once must've been a wherry.
Benden Weyr> Kassima isn't going to chop up an innocent, K'nan! Not when she's already got enough wherry to make a decent dinner, anyway.... ;)
Lenina directs a black look at the rider. "Wasn't sneaking up. Just doing my job, like I'm supposed to. Not my fault I'm stuck doing the peeling." she slumps into a stool and picks up the first vegetable.
Kassima snorts disdainfully. "Well, you almost ate four thumblengths of dagger for that." She eyes the vegetables, getting an idea, though for now she merely goes back to her singing and bird dismembering.
From the living cavern, Lily smiles briefly, somewhat mollified. Until she hears the song. Then, she frowns again, peering first toward the kitchen, then at K'nan, then at Kingard. "Hear those saucy words? Would /you/ want to be one of the holders in that song?"
Lenina glances at the rider with a half disbelieving, half concerned glance, then looks at the cook she's next to. "Nah, ya won't. The cooks wouldn't let ya."
The knife thwacks and meat splorping sounds suddenly cease, though the singing continues for a moment longer. Then the singer turns to regard
Lenina with a perfectly bland face. "Yes they would. They would if I promised to get out of their kitchen after I did it." Little arguing with that....
From the living cavern, Kingard tunes into the song for a moment, then shakes his head. "Oh, no ma'am. It sounds uncomfortable. Especially the part where the blood falls on their head from the green."
Kassima calls, "Ichor! It's called ichor!"
Lenina snifs. "Nah.." her chin sticks out, as if she's spoiling for a fight, "...they wouldn't 'cos then they wouldn't have anyone to do their horrible, messy, icky chores for 'em." she states with sour confidence.
From the living cavern, Kingard nods at the voice. "Ichor. Yes, ma'am."
Lenina glances at her supervisor hastily, to see if she heard what she said.
Kassima chuckles dryly. "Ach, they'd manage to find someone. Probably spread 'em amongst the other residents." She finishes the song, gathers up her plates, and wanders back into the Living Cavern.
You walk into the Living Cavern.
Lily nods, crossing her arms across her chest. She mutters to Kingard, "You... yourself,... And... want anything to... to impugn your honor."
Kassima walks in with the trace of a sardonic smile, two plates in her hands. One is covered. The other is a bowl of raw wherry meat--very, very fresh raw wherry meat. The knives are both stuck in the middle of the food (if you could call it that). Kassi's hands, arms, clothing, and hair is all rather blood-splattered, but she doesn't seem to mind this as she plunks her dishes on a table and sits down. She tosses K'nan the stone. "Got it clean enough, I think."
From the kitchen, Lenina bends her head over the vegetable basket and begins to peel with great efficiency.
K'nan snatches the stone out of the air, peering at it. "Aye, pretty good.." He wipes it off to clean what came off her hands, slipping it back into his belt pouch.
Kassima spears a piece of meat with her knife and munches on it contentedly. "Now here's an actual meal," she says with a sigh of relative contentment. "Though it's not as warm as I would've liked... but still, beggers can't be anything besides compost."
Kingard nods at the Weyrminer again, trying, with only moderate success, to keep his eyes averted from Kassima. He gapes, then, at the sight of the greenrider eating raw meat. "Is that your normal diet, ma'am?"
Kassima shoots Kingard a piercing glance. "Eh, well... no, actually." She frowns at the meat for a moment, then shrugs. "But I've come to be rather fond of it. It's quite tasty. Want some? I acquired far more than I can finish in one meal, and after that it's just not as fresh as it should be...."
Saraya walks in (really!) smiling, humming a sweet little tune.
Kingard shakes his head, attempting a smile. "Ah, no thanks, ma'am. I just ate." He absently points to the remains of a cookie in his hand.
Benden Weyr> Kassima wishes R'val would show up, or maybe Meli or Aph... I want to be able to complete the last stage of The Plan, and that requires a suitable victim. ;)
K'nan leans his chair way back, folding his arms behind his head and idly humming one of the tunes that Kassi was so recently singing.
Kassima sighs in exasperation. "Don't call me ma'am," she says forcibly, then relents a bit and explains. "Makes me feel ancient. Call me Kassima if anything."
Lily studiously avoids looking at the blood-spattered greenrider, her attention concentrated on the tankard of ale before her.
Kingard nods and tries it out. "Kassima. Nice name." He grins at the Weyrminer. "Don't you think so, Master Lily?"
Saraya waves to K'nan, Kassima and Lily, "Heyla."
Kassima experimentally stabs one finger into the meat bowl, managing to skewer a wherry scrap on one claw-shaped nail. Snacking on it, she glances over at K'nan. "You know those songs? Don't suppose you know 'The Crafty Maiden and the Hapless Watchrider'?"
Benden Weyr> Kassima thinks she's rapidly running out of ideas for song titles, sigh. :)
Lily glances toward Kingard and nods, glancing very cautiously toward Kassima and wincing at the sight of the blood. "Ummm, very nice name, Arthur." Seeing Saraya, she gives a weak smile.
K'nan chuckles softly, "Aye, that I do...lived in those taverns for 'bout three Turns there at one point."
Kingard cocks an ear, prepared to further his education in song.
Kassima chuckles wickedly. "I had a cousin who worked in one as a barmaid. Learned all sorts of songs--taught 'em to me when my family wasn't watching--or listening--too closely."
Salless nods at K'nan as he orders something.
Salless unlocks the wine cabinet to pour K'nan a single goblet of Benden White.
Lily glances once more toward Kassima, winces, and shakes her head, taking a very long pull from her tankard of ale.
Kassima eyes K'nan's wine a trifle enviously as she polishes off another piece of wherry. "How about 'How Many Times Tonight, My Lady'? Ever heard that one? My cousin said it was a real favorite back at the tavern."
K'nan takes a long drink of wine, and grins, offering the other greenrider a drink. "Aye..hmm. What was 'er name, mebbe I knew her..."
Kassima accepts the drink with a brief nod of thanks, sipping it with a smile. "Ah, wine and raw meat. Finally a decent meal.... Her name was Kaliawynne, believe it or not. I think if my parents had named me that, I'd take this knife and go kill either them or me, I'm not sure which."
K'nan chuckles softly, "Don't remember if I did...but then again, " he admits, "I really don't remember much from those days."
Kassima half-shrugs. "Wouldn't surprise me if you had. Seems everywhere I go, I know someone who knows a relative of mine... couple days ago I met Triene's betrothed. Can you beat that? Small world." She experimentally pours a bit of the wine into the bowl of meat and munches the resulting meat with an expression of near-bliss.
K'nan peers over at the wine-meat mix. "That any good?"
Lily takes one look, a brief one, at Kassima and blanches.
Kassima nods. "Ayep. Closest thing I've seen to real food in a couple of sevendays." She dips one finger in the bowl, idly stirring the winemeat-blood mix.
Kingard munches the last of his cookie, then gets up for some klah. He turns and asks Lily, "Care for some klah, Master Lily?" He peers into the klah pot. "Hey, it looks kinda red too."
K'nan hmms, looking curious. "Mind if I try a bite?"
Lily shudders, shaking her head. "N-no. No klah. I've got my ale here."
Kassima chuckles sardonically. "Wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out blood's a prime ingredient in M'kla's klah," she mutters. She nods to K'nan and shoves the bowl over to him. "Help yourself."
Kassima busies herself with licking her red-smeared fingers, trying to get them clean.
K'nan considers a moment, then reaches in and picks out a small chunk of meat dripping in blood and wine, staining his fingers instantly. He shrugs, and pops it into his mouth.
Kassima watches K'nan expectantly, arching one eyebrow. "Good, eh?"
Kingard blinks at the second greenrider, then leans closer to Lily. "Master Lily, is this the way greenriders normally eat? Or did we just arrive at a good time?"
K'nan chews slowly, expression unreadable..impossible to tell what his opinion is.
Lily hazards a quick peek toward the greenriders and shudders. "Let's just say it's not uncommon."
Benden Weyr> Kassima LOLs. Sounds like a question someone might as if they're making a documentary on the eating habits of greenriders in the wild. :)
Benden Weyr> K'nan giggles!
K'nan finishes chewing, and swallows. He licks his fingers off, "Y'know...for being raw, bloody meat, isn't half bad."
Kassima snags herself another meat piece with her handy clawlike nails, and chews it contentedly. "But it being raw, bloody meat is the best part," she says with that none-too-soothing, feral grin. "If it were cooked, watery meat it wouldn't be the same at all." She shudders at the mere thought of the water.
Kingard ahs, then shrugs. "They don't even put any tomato stuff on it." His voice sounds vaguely complaining.
Lily says, "They're greendriders. They don't know any better."
K'nan grins back, finishing cleaning his fingers. "Th'wine adds a lot to it, I think."
Kassima sighs ruefully and picks up her bowl, uncovering the plate to reveal the wherry's severed head. From the bird's expression, it didn't die a pleasant death. "I've got to give Lysseth her treat and head back to the weyr," she says sourly, glancing out to the bowl. "Impatient lump," she mutters under her breath, then sighs again and walks outside.
You walk down the short tunnel and out into the bowl.
Kassima presents Lysseth with the head, which the green takes and snacks on with all appearance of enjoyment. "Now that you've had your treat, impatient one, let's get back home before the meat gets too soggy."
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.
<*> 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.