The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. This is a log of roleplay on PernMUSH, available online by permission of Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern novels, and recorded by A.S. Korra'ti (piper@murkworks.net), player of Mehlani of Telgar Weyr on PernMUSH. This log may be distributed freely as long as this header remains intact. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Log Date: 5/11/98 Log Cast: (People) K'tyn, Mehlani, Erdrick, Asrai, Tempteste (Firelizards) Mehlani's fair, Erdrick's fair Log Intro: Candidacy is continuing to be fairly strained for young Mehlani -- between the temper of her green firelizard Arki, the prank that targeted her and Aurian, the irritation of the rest of the Candidates who think it's unfair that just because Aurian and Mehlani had their hair cut they should have theirs cut too, and repeated muttered accusations that Mehlani is the "pet" of the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman. And today, in particular, Mehlani is taking Emlyn's criticism of her irascible green very hard -- and she's determined to try to train little Arki to try to have a calmer temperament if it kills her. ---------- Your location's current time: 17:36 on day 6, month 11, Turn 22, of the Tenth Pass. It is a autumn afternoon. Records Room(#403RJs$) Sounds echo off the cool stone walls of the records room, and bounce hollowly off the uncarpeted floor. Though perfectly neat and dust free, this room seems to maintain an aura of unease, though that may be the weight of the ancient records that are contained within, and the heavy decisions that have been formed here. A large, stained wood table with seats stretched along one side stands on a raised area to the north, up a single step from the rest of the room. The east and west walls are covered, ceiling to floor, with book shelves and scroll shelves containing records dating back nearly to the First Interval. The most stunning feature is the broad sheet of clear muscovite that stretches across the ceiling like a giant skylight. Through the skylight, there is not a cloud in the sky, and you can see clear to the horizon. An exit leads out into the bowl. Contents: Kyril Telgar NPC List Turn Day Register Weyr Coverage Map Council Table Obvious exits: Bowl K'tyn strides in from the bowl. K'tyn has arrived. In the relative quiet and darkness of the Records Room, seven fire lizards are lined up in a row atop one of the shelves, all of them anxiously watching the girl who's sitting crosslegged on the floor, her back to the entryway. Green Arki cradled in her arms, Mehlani gazes forlornly down at the little creature and murmurs, "Please, little one, please, you have to help me, don't you see? You're all I've got... oh please, Arki..." And the fire lizard, sensing something of her human's state even if she doesn't understand the words, creels unsurely, her eyes lightened to a bemused shade of yellow. A white drying cloth peeps slowly around the corner as Kiat's head moves into the room before the rest of him. His eyes widening, he listens for the briefest moment as Mehlani speaks. "Lani," he says hesitantly, the words tumbling from his lips. "Can I help?" Mehlani freezes, her shoulders stiffening, her head lifting slightly. In her arms, Arki hisses very softly, eyes beginning to darken as her head snakes around to peer past Mehlani's shirt sleeve; Mehlani herself, her hat back in place on her head, doesn't risk looking up over her shoulder. Arki's eyes only go orange, however. And there's a noticeable strain in the young girl's voice as she murmurs, "I.... don't think you can... no, sir..." K'tyn shivers, faintly as he moves into the room proper. Slowly, he unwinds the long length of his hair from the towel. "No? Really? I think I might, at least--with her." He nods at the ill-tempered green. "Prometh is amenable, and I have seen even the most irascible 'lizard quiet down with the bronze's attention on it. She--" He drapes the towel over his shoulders, the long tangled mass of his hair wet and unkempt. "But--there's also another matter I'd like to speak with you about. I have to say that I truly like your hair that length. You look," he grins, his smile brilliant in his darkly tanned face. "Sweeter and more lovely if possible." "It... wouldn't be fair... to a-ask for your help o-or Prometh's, sir," Mehlani mumbles, her voice still strained. But Arki remains quiescent in her arms, her whirling gaze holding at yellow-orange even though she continues to eye K'tyn warily. 'Lani keeps her head bowed though, not looking up. She's silent for a very long span of seconds, before she finally concludes tinily, "Th-thank you..." Erdrick strides in from the bowl. Erdrick has arrived. K'tyn heads for his customary seat, irritatedly shoving his hair back from his forehead as the long lengths flop over and down into his face. He seems unconcerned at the green's brilliant yellow gaze--in fact, it makes him grin. "Little one, your baleful stare is no match for Prometh's. Though--" he grins, ducking his head to try to catch Mehlani's gaze. "I think he might teach you a few things to make it more potent." Erdrick walks in with a record hide in hand, nods absently at K'tyn and Lani as he walks over to the shelves, looking the records over. Erdrick carefully puts the record in it's spot, taking another down, looking it over. Mehlani keeps sitting right where she is on the floor, her legs crossed, her head bowed. With that posture, she can't really see Erdrick's nod, though she does see some of K'tyn's legs as the Weyrleader enters her line of vision beneath her hat brim. The Weyrleader, for his part can see perceptible strain in the girl's face. And Mehlani repeats in that taut little voice, "I-it wouldn't be fair for you to help, sir. I-I have to do this. I have to...." And Arki remains quiet, curled there on the girl's forearm, her head now leaning against 'Lani's sleeve. The rest of Mehlani's fair, however, all of them perched up high and well out of the way atop one of the shelves, chirrup in varyingly pitched voices by way of greeting to Erdrick's arrival. Erdrick looks the record over, absently talking to himself, "Hmmm, this looks interesting." K'tyn glances down at the young woman, nodding at her whispered comment. "As you wish, my little one. But--" He grins. "I -do- like your hair that way. I wish mine was cut so short. Tis far too long," he nods at Erdrick as he enters, and picks up some hide work to study. "I wish that this were so," Kiat responds to the young man. Erdrick chuckles at K'tyn's comment then looks over at Lani curiously. Erdrick looks at you for a moment. 'Lani only bobs her behatted head at K'tyn, just a little, and she still doesn't look up. Arki continues to rest quietly in her arms... her whirling gaze still considering K'tyn, and now Erdrick as well, but with a slight difference. A faint tinge of green is beginning to enter the pale-hided creature's eyes. Erdrick grins over at Arki, remembering her well, "How're you Lani?" Decides not to mention anything about her hair yet. K'tyn glances at Mehlani, studying her a brief moment before taking up a quill and making some concerted scratching sounds on the hide in front of him, his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth as he concentrates. "I'm fine," replies the girl, her voice just as small and strained and distracted for Erdrick as it'd been for the Weyrleader. She still doesn't look up, and up on the shelves, Holl and Rianet can be heard to issue low and gentle creels. "Bah. Got to speak to Kindre about this," Kiat mutters, apparently lost in thought with the tedious hidework-- though he watches the pair of young people with a careful eye as they queitly converse. "I thought that this tithe stuff was already worked out." Slowly, what can be seen of Mehlani's face drains of color, and Elsi and Wili join Holl and Rianet in their anxious creelings. Arki, too, lifts her head and peers up at her human. But, as minutes of silence begin to creep by, the fire lizards up on the shelves quiet down, yellow-hued eyes shifting to blue and green. And as Mehlani's face grows whiter, at last, Arki's eyes begin to change... turning blue, too. Stretching, Kiat sits back and puts the hides down. He stares at Mehlani a moment, then, noting her pallor, asks--"Lani-sweet, are you well?" Erdrick looks at Lani curiously, contrasting her pale face and Arki's blue eyes, blinks. "I'm fine," Mehlani repeats tinily, barely any strength at all to the words. To look at her fire lizards, you'd think she was alright, to be sure. Arki, at any rate, placidly lies her head down along the girl's forearm, the blue in her eyes deepening. And, bizarrity of bizarrities, Arki begins to croon. K'tyn blinks. "Ah. I see. Well, tis most surprising, but--I do not think that most people who are as starkly pale as you have just become are considered fine, at least not by healers," he says easily. "Not that I am a healer mind, but..." Erdrick looks at Lani curiously then at Arki, blinks, "You sure you're alright Lani? You do look pale." Arki has a rather pleasant croon, astonishingly enough -- an oddly ethereal sort of noise, a bare drifting wisp of sound. She keeps it up and is shortly joined by the rest of Mehlani's fair, little 'lizard voices blending in impromptu, scattered harmony. "'Mfine," Mehlani repeats. Apparently this is about all she's able to say at the moment. And she remains sitting exactly where she is, not twitching a muscle, her head still bowed under her hat. Erdrick looks at K'tyn and raises an eyebrow with a bit of a shrug. K'tyn sighs, more at himself and a lack of knowing what to do in this situation than at Mehalni's response. "Well, I think I'll take this over to Kindre, and see if she can make heads or tails of it," he says quietly, looking between the two young people. "If you have need, seek me out." Erdrick nods, "Bye K'tyn." There's no reply from Mehlani except a tiny bob of her behatted head... and the soft, piping voices of her fair. Erdrick looks at Mehlani and Arki, obviously at a loss for words, "Your hair looks nice by the way." Erdrick glances towards the bowl exit, thinking a retreat may be in order. What little of Mehlani's hair can be seen is peeking out from under her hat in soft spiky ends, and the compliment only wins a tinily murmured "Thank you" from the girl -- no other reply than that. And all at once, with a slightly bemused chirp, Munki leaps off the shelf and disappears *between*. Asrai strides in from the bowl. Asrai has arrived. Asrai sticks her head inside the records roo, obviously looking for someone. As she sees those gathered she enters fully, smiling. "Hello everyone." K'tyn is just about to stride out, and nearly collides with Asrai. "Ah! There you are. I'm nearly ready to get the lot of this shaved off," he says quietly. "But I've got to check somet things with Kindre. Care to tag along, Asrai?" Erdrick looks over, "Hello Asrai." Asrai looks over his should at Lani, but nods as she meets his gaze. "Certainly." She says with a warm smile. "Hello Erdrick." She steps out of the way and motions with one hand, "After you, sir." Mehlani doesn't look up at Asrai's arrival; she remains sitting where she is on the floor, her head bowed over the blue-eyed, crooning Arki on her arm. The rest of her fair croons, too, and Holl pipes out a greeting to Cygnith's rider. Asrai smiles at Holl and the others, letting her gaze linger over Lani for a moment. But enough time for that later, she looks to K'tyn, waiting for him to lead the way. K'tyn slips out of the records cavern. K'tyn has left. Brodi and Elsi abruptly leap off the shelf, too, and vanish *between*, presumably to follow Munki.... and Mehlani doesn't budge from where she sits. Asrai slips out of the records cavern. Asrai has left. Erdrick looks over at Lani curiously, taking a step towards the exit, "I guess I should leave you alone..." Is obviously not sure what to do about her strange behavior. Tempteste strides in from the bowl. Tempteste has arrived. Wili, Enri, and Rianet all abruptly take wing, leaving Holl alone on the shelf, his croon fading down to bemused silence. A beat after the two greens and the blue disappear, Holl leaps up to follow them... leaving Mehlani alone with the green in her arms. 'Lani is still quite white-faced, and Arki's eyes are shifting from blue to yellow again, and quite abruptly, she shifts a little, murmuring, "Go... to Indyth, Arki, _now_....." The 'lizard leaps up, chirruping in startlement.... and relucantly vanishes *between*. Tempteste slips out of the records cavern. Tempteste has left. Mehlani, now 'lizard-free, abruptly sways sideways where she sits on the floor, catching herself on one trembling arm before she falls over entirely. Erdrick says "Lani, are you alright?" With even less strength in her voice now, sitting hunched there supporting herself on one shakying arm, the girl murmurs hoarsely, "I'm... fine... I'm...." Erdrick shakes his head, "I can see something's wrong, what is it Lani?" Mehlani, quite abruptly, falls over, her arm giving way beneath her. Erdrick kneels down beside her, trying to catch her as she falls, "Lani? The girl's hat tumbles off her, revealing her cropped auburn hair beneath, and her face. Her features have completely drained of color, etched in exhausted lines, and from the look of her, she's done nothing less than faint. Erdrick pats the sides of her face, trying to wake her up, "Wake up Lani." Mehlani mumbles something indistinct-sounding, a slight plaintive furrow appearing in her brow. "Mmmmmrrr....? Sto...." Erdrick blinks but keeps patting her face, "Come on Lani, wake up." Buttons' worry has by now roused Erdrick's other firelizards who all watch Lani with yellow tinged eyes. "'Mfine," Mehlani mumbles again, her eyes half-opening, a hand lifting to try to bat at the patting palms, without much effect. Erdrick shakes his head, "No you're not fine, you're exausted." 'Lani frowns vaguely, pushing herself into something resembling a sitting position, unseeingly fumbling for her hat. "Tired... yes... no, I can't be tired, I have chores to do...." She then starts wobbling to her feet, scrubbing the back of a dainty hand across her eyes. Erdrick takes hold of her hat and hands it to her, "You're in no shape to be doing chores, you need some food and then to sleep yourself out." Clinging to the hat without actually managing to put it on, Mehlani makes it to her feet, her expression torn, mournful. She mumbles something unintelligible under her breath, and stumbles out into the Bowl. You slip out of the records cavern. Southern Bowl(#396RJL$) Obvious exits: Living Cavern Central Bowl Weyrleaders' Complex Outer Infirmary Guest Weyr Records Room Erdrick walks out of the records cavern. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks out of the Records Room, looking around for Mehlani. Looking about as unsteady on her feet as a newborn filly, Mehlani can just be spotted stumbling into the living cavern. You walk past the lintel and into the wide living cavern. Telgar Weyr's Living Cavern(#750RJM$) Contents: Pierron Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Kitchen Bowl Erdrick walks in from the bowl. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks in, glancing about. Through the living cavern, then, Mehlani staggers, trying to keep herself upright... and to hold a normal enough expression that she doesn't alarm anyone who might happen to cross her path. Her father made it through Candidacy... so did her brother... she can do it too. She has to. But first, she has to make it to her cot! Focusing on that disturbingly difficult goal, the tired young girl wobbles her way into the inner caverns. You walk towards the inner cavern. Inner Cavern(#1272RJL$) Obvious exits: Steam Baths INFirmary Candidate Barracks Corridor Weyrfolk Quarters Living Cavern Erdrick walks in from the living caverns. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks in, looking anxiously at Mehlani, "Almost there, you can do it." Erdrick offers his shoulder, "Lean on me if you need to." Mehlani keeps clinging to her hat, clutching it to her chest, and if anything, the battered, beat-up old thing seems to brace her somehow. K'star made it through Candidacy... so did his brother... so must she. Grey of complexion, she shakes her head tinily to the anxious young man escorting her, thinking it would be no more fair to ask for his help than it would have been to take aid from K'tyn and Prometh. And, at last, she stumbles through the curtain leading into the Candidate Barracks. You part the curtain and step into the Candidate Barracks. Candidate Barracks(#258RAHJ$) Contents: Harper Danae Sayvel Tola Flutterby Candidate Supervisor Roster Obvious exits: Lower Caverns Erdrick emerges from behind the curtain across the entrance. Erdrick has arrived. Erdrick walks in slowly, looking around nervously, never having been here before. Dull-eyed, reeling, Mehlani stumbles the last few steps to her cot, seemingly unaware of anything now except the need to keep in motion. And once she mades it to her bed, she promptly falls across it, out like a glow, clearly fast asleep. Erdrick seeing Lani is settled he walks out with a sigh, shaking his head. Erdrick heads through the entrance to the inner cavern. Erdrick has left. [End log.]