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.
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Log Date:
	8/19/98

Log Cast:
	(People) Gannon, Mehlani

	(Firelizards) Brodi, Enri

Log Intro:
	Four proddy firelizards have done their best to give Mehlani fits
over the last few days -- but with the rising of Arki, mercifully, this round
of mating flights has now come to its close. Drained, the young woman has
taken refuge in one of her two favorite hiding places in the Weyr -- the
Records Room. Generally, the two young men who have proclaimed themselves in
love with her -- Jorenan and K'star -- have a knack for finding her in here
when she is in such a state, but not this time; this time, it's another
young fellow who finds 'Lani, and who despite the sandy hair and hazel eyes
that make him resemble K'star is far more like Mehlani herself in temperament.
Which may be why they get along so well...

----------
Gannon strides in from the bowl.
Gannon has arrived.
Gannon pauses. "Oh...h'lo, Miss Mehlani..."

At one of the tables, surrounded by a disarrayed scattering of hides, Mehlani 
  is indeed sitting. She blinks at the voice that has come into the silence of 
  the Records Room, looks up startledly, and then can be seen to blush; it can 
  also be seen that, like her hides, the girl herself looks slightly 
  disarrayed, her hair looking less than properly groomed under her hat, her 
  face worn. She swallows, then murmurs politely, "Hello, Gannon...."

Gannon bites his lip, starts to turn, then pauses. Summoning up his courage, 
  he asks, "Are...are you okay? You look kinda tired."

Mehlani, in her turn, summons up a half-hearted smile, and says earnestly, 
  "My.... fire lizards have been rising, the last several days... Arki finally 
  flew. I have a headache from it..."

Gannon blinks. "Oh..." He doesn't look like he quite knows what to say to 
  that; he shuffles his feet awkwardly. "I...err. You've been in here all that 
  time?"

Gannon
Tall, lean, and lanky, Gannon is at that awkward age where he's achieved his 
  full height, but hasn't yet filled out. In a few turns, he'll be a fine 
  strapping figure of a man, no doubt--but for now, he seems to be all arms 
  and legs and elbows and knees.
Gannon approaches life with a quiet, serious, sober intensity which is 
  sometimes a little unsettling. Earnest to a fault, he seldom smiles, and 
  never laughs--which is a pity, really; he's a handsome lad, and on the rare 
  occasions when he does smile, it does wonders for his looks.
His sandy brown hair is forever falling into his eyes, much to the chagrin of 
  its owner. When he brushes it back (as he seems to do often,) he reveals a 
  pair of solemn, thoughtful hazel eyes--probably the nicest feature of a 
  well-defined, sensitive face.
Gannon is 19 Turns, 1 months, and 10 days old.

"It's been safest that way," replies the lass in the hat, dipping her gaze 
  down a little, and lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose between 
  her dainty thumb and forefinger.

Gannon nods, not looking up. "Well...uhm...I could get you some willowbark 
  tea?"

Mehlani's voice is tired and just a little rough around the edges, but it 
  still warms, gently, at the offer. "That would be very kind of you," she 
  murmurs.

Gannon nods. He turns to go, nearly stumbling over his feet on the way out. 
  Luckily, he recovers.

The girl stays where she is, her head leaning slightly forward into her hand; 
  as Gannon goes, there's a slight *pop*, and one of Mehlani's fair appears 
  out of *between*, little blue Brodi, looking exhausted.

Gannon returns ten minutes later, perhaps, balancing a tray with a small pot 
  of tea on it.

Another of Mehlani's fire lizards has joined her, by the time Gannon returns: 
  blue Enri, looking about as tired and worn as Brodi. The girl has one of 
  them in her lap and the other perched on her arm. But she lifts her head, 
  nevertheless, at the arrival of Gannon, and she offers him a tiny smile.

Gannon offers a small, tentative smile in return. (Faranth...he actually 
  smiled, for once!) He carries the tea over and sets it down...on the floor, 
  to prevent accidental spills on the scrolls.

"Thank you," Mehlani says softly. Enri and Brodi lift their heads, and Enri, 
  the slightly more alert of the pair of blues, chirps lowly.

Gannon blushes slightly. "Glad to do it," he murmurs, and busies himself 
  pouring a cup, which he offers to Mehlani.

'Lani accepts it, though she has to nudge Enri down into her lap to join the 
  other exhausted blue. She leans forward slightly, inhaling the scent of the 
  stuff, and then with evident gratitude she lifts the cup and starts sipping 
  as delicately and as swiftly as she can manage at the same time. Brodi 
  huddles up in her lap, his color just a little gray, while Enri curls up 
  around him, making a tangle of blue in their mistress's lap.

Gannon sets the pot back down. "Please excuse my saying so..." he murmurs. 
  "But you should get some sleep, Mehlani." He doesn't look up or make eye 
  contact.

"Yes," agrees the young woman gravely, "but I... don't think I can sleep yet. 
  They need me for a little while..." She nods her behatted head down at Enri 
  and Brodi; Brodi creels tinily. "They are very tired, too..." And she sips 
  at the tea.

Gannon bites his lip. "If you think they'd accept care from a stranger..." he 
  hesitates. "I'd be glad to help."

Blue eyes lift again, and Mehlani smiles a little. "They... mostly need to 
  know that Arki is not going to come and fight with them... but maybe a bit 
  of a snack would be nice, too..." She lowers a hand down to the blues, and 
  lightly strokes Enri's head. She concludes, the smile fading down, "It 
  was... a very long flight."

Gannon nods. "Well...will you promise me you'll get some rest, after that?" He 
  looks up at you, his gaze soft and genuinely concerned. "Please?"

Mehlani blinks a time or two, looking slightly startled -- by the expression 
  of the young man before her, if not his words, perhaps. "I will," she 
  pledges over the top of her cup.

Gannon smiles again...that same shy, fleeting expression. "Good," he murmurs.

'Lani's gaze ducks down to the tea, and it's apparent that she is indeed 
  thankful and relieved to have it, as she alternates between swift little 
  sips and blows on it, trying to get it cooled down for easier drinking. 
  "Have you... been well?" she inquires. "I don't think I've seen you for a 
  long time...."

Gannon nods. "Oh...well enough. Work's been keeping me busy. Have you been 
  well?"

To that, Mehlani bobs her head, a trifle shakily. "Yes... except when my fair 
  is rising, I guess..." Her mouth curls up on each end for a moment.

Gannon nods. "I don't know if I could handle that..."

Mehlani murmurs, almost wryly, "I haven't much of a choice... I... I'm just 
  glad I haven't Impressed _more_ when the ones I have get proddy...!"

Gannon nods. "Well...imagine if it were a dragon..."

Mehlani blows out a soft breath, and blurts, "That's not hard...!" She makes a 
  noise that, were it any louder, or coming out of anyone else, would be a 
  giggle. "I saw my father have to deal with it often enough...."

Gannon blushes faintly. "Well, I wouldn't know...but still...I think I'd 
  rather choose for myself."

Mehlani bobs her head solemnly, drinking down more of the tea.

Gannon tilts his head. "What have you been reading all this time, anyway?"

'Lani glances sideways at the table, and admits ruefully, "Mostly anything 
  that I could find... I... lost track, I think, when Arki went up..." A slow 
  flush of pink creeps across her cheeks.

Gannon nods, blushing faintly still himself. "I...uhm. Well, can I...can I 
  help you clean up?"

"Certainly... um... a-a moment..." Mehlani gulps down the rest of the tea, 
  taking a moment to close her eyes, while the stuff soaks through her system. 
  Enri and Brodi are then gently lifted up to curl up on the table, and 
  Mehlani begins to get to her feet.

Gannon shakes his head. "Sit. You need the rest. And I can find where these go 
  easily enough."

"It was just a flight," murmurs Mehlani bemusedly. But she's also blushing, 
  rather more deeply, and she's reached to steady herself against the table. 
  Enri turns tiredly whirling eyes from the girl to the young man and back 
  again, and lets out a deep chirp, managing to sound stern although he's 
  clearly as tired as the other blue.

Gannon doesn't look like he's going to take no for an answer. He begins to 
  gather up scrolls, carefully, and return them to their spots on the shelves.

Mehlani sinks back down into her chair, glancing quietly after Gannon as he 
  starts returning the hides to their due and proper places. Brodi might be 
  heard to let out a soft croon, perhaps relaxing now that he's had time to 
  sit somewhere quiet for a while.

Gannon busies himself with the work. Now and then, he actually makes eye 
  contact, which usually prompts a self-conscious blush, and a half-smile.
Gannon finishes cleaning. "Well...I should go." He seems a bit reluctant to 
  say that.

Mehlani looks up again, and ventures forth a somewhat larger, earnest smile. 
  "Thank you for the tea...."

Gannon's smile echoes your own...probably as much as anyone in the Weyr has 
  ever seen him smile. "You can thank me by getting some rest...and you're 
  welcome." A pause. "It's good to see you again."

'Lani's tired face eases a little, and she bobs her head a single time, 
  looking slightly touched, honestly pleased. "Thank you," she replies. "And 
  likewise. I shall go and sleep soon, I promise."

Gannon smiles again, gently. "Well...'night."

"Good night, Gannon," is 'Lani's soft response, and Brodi croons again, tinily.

[End log.]