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: 4/17/98, 4/19/98 Log Cast: (People) Mehlani, Jorenan, Manira (Fire lizards) Arki, Enri, Munki Log Intro: Mehlani had previously thought, what with all the young men taking turns showering her with gifts and attention, that her life was complicated. Now, however, her problems with boys have apparently narrowed themselves down to two young men who have stepped out ahead of the others -- by declaring their feelings for her. And Mehlani, torn between K'star and Jorenan, two perfectly attractive, amiable, and most importantly, kind and considerate men, has found that this narrowing of the field has not made her life any less complicated at all. If anything, it's complicated things even further. A brief surprise visit by her long-time friend Devlin has provided her with a measure of comfort, and Devlin's brown Vachon continues to keep company with her own fire lizards. But still, Mehlani has been skittish as she goes about her business in the Weyr, afraid of running into Jorenan ever since his confession of affection to her... and in a way, afraid of _not_ running into him.... ---------- Your location's current time: 14:20 on day 26, month 7, Turn 22, of the Tenth Pass. It is a summer afternoon. 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 Her face just a trifle sweat-streaked, just a trifle dirty, Mehlani comes in from the Bowl and pauses long enough to drink in the relative coolness of the living cavern, once she's inside and in the shade. The girl has a few of her fire lizards with her, but only a few; doubtless the rest are out frolicking in the summer afternoon. From the kitchen, The Baker is, as always, baking. It's particularly hot in the kitchens today, and Jorenan's stripped down to undertunic and trousers. The day's meals are well under way; dogs are turning the spits, bowls of fruits and vegetables line every counter space. He glances up; perhaps it was the flutter of firelizard wings. He frowns for a long, unsettled moment, and then goes back to the flying vegetable chopping he was doing. 'Lani takes off her hat, fans herself with it for a moment, and then glances around the room, muttering softly to Arki as the little green protests the removal of the object which not only keeps sun off 'Lani's head, but also hides her from casual observation. As Enri and Munki flutter nearby her, the girl considers the klah, then crinkles her nose. No... too hot out for klah. She edges closer to the kitchens, nervous, but thinking perhaps she'll find some water. From the kitchen, The Baker's back is stiff, and he forces himself to ignore Mehlani's movements for a few moments. Then his shoulders slump and he turns. "D'you want something, Mehlani? You might as well come on in. I don't bite, you'll recall." You walk off towards the kitchen. Kitchen Contents: Jorenan The Baker's Guide to Pernese Cuisine Obvious exits: Storeroom Passageway Living Cavern Mehlani can't quite manage a smile, but she ventures fully into the kitchen anyway, replacing her hat in the hopes that Arki will settle down. The green presses her head against the side of 'Lani's neck, and the girl murmurs tinily, "I was... hoping for some water..." He looks tired, and probably he is after a long day in the kitchen. Perhaps he's aware that he doesn't look his best. He's sweating, his hair is a mess, and there's a streak of black grit across one arm. But he also looks emotionally tired, and doesn't appear to care. "Water," he says. Then he forces a smile, and pours her a tall glass of cold water from the pitchers. He walks over and hands it to her, and then leans against the counter next to her. "Been out riding?" "Thank you," Mehlani murmurs gratefully, and promptly begins to down about half the glass. Then she lowers it and shakes her head earnestly, gaze down on her hand as she goes on, "No... I had to work in the gardens today..." Under her hat, Arki curls up tightly around the back of her neck, her reddish eyes glinting in the shadow cast by the brim. There is a moment when Jorenan catches sight of Arki. In that moment, he might well have thought about growling at the unmannerly thing, but he doesn't. Instead, he takes a deep breath and nods. "The gardens are pleasant. I wish I'd had more time to devote to the herb garden, rather than giving it up for others to work in after I designed it." Mehlani goes still for a moment, Arki quiet for once, not hissing. Then the girl says softly, "I like how it smells..." And then she devotes her attention to sipping down the rest of the water, slowly this time. Her face is still a little hot and flushed, and up close, she looks more rumpled, dirt on her slender hands. Scent. Now there's an interesting thing. People never realize how much it matters. But Jorenan's aware of it. The usual scents of the kitchen, the musk of firelizard, the sun and herbs Mehlani brought in with her. He nods slowly, still leaning against the counter. "It does smell good." Then he leans forward and takes one of Mehlani's hands. This is probably a ploy to make her look up. It works, too. Her other hand, the one with the glass in it, lowers a little, and the lass lifts her head, blinking. Arki's pale gaze flicks round to Jorenan again, and there's a brief twitch of the green's tail, but she's still not hissing. Yet. He ignores the green. If she bites Jorenan, then he'll deal with it. For the moment, he just leans forward and gives Mehlani the gentlest, most intense kiss he knows how. Which probably isn't the same as, say, a thoroughly experienced bronzerider's kiss. But nevertheless. Then he gives Mehlani's hand a gentle squeeze, lets it go, and turns back to his chopping. Mehlani's limited experience with kisses does not include bronze riders -- only a green and a brown. And while this particular kiss might be far less flamboyant than a proddy green rider's, Mehlani is no less startled by it. She can be more felt than heard to gasp softly, as the young Baker brushes her mouth with his; she doesn't have much time to do more than that, though, before he's turned back to his cooking. Arki, behind her neck, rouses up, wings beginning to flap, and the round-eyed Mehlani involuntarily takes a step sideways, hands coming up to try to soothe the little creature. "A... arki... hush..." Her voice trails quickly off, though, and her gaze comes back to Jorenan, still thunderstruck. Color floods her cheeks. Jorenan can maintain his semblance of calm cooking for all of a minute, and then he glances at Mehlani. He just gives her a small grin. It would appear that he's not yet thought of anything to say. Mehlani stands there, her glass forgotten and dangling in one hand, the other lifted in astonishment to her lips. She has met a second, previously unknown Jorenan in the last few days, and now, with a third -- or so it seems to her -- presenting himself to her, it's probably no small surprise that the girl's generally unreliable bravery with words has deserted her. Arki sticks her head out and hisses at the young man, not quite grasping exactly what has occurred -- only that Jorenan has done Something. And this finally breaks 'Lani's paralysis, as she remembers to hold the green with both hands. "H-hush... Arki... hush... i-it's alright..." Jorenan gives Mehlani another small smile. "You look like you need to be told that yourself," he says. His voice, that same voice as he's always had and used. Considering the circumstances, that might be a surprise. He has stopped chopping and is just standing there, still looking mussed. It's hard to say whether he's as discombobulated as she is. If he is, he's hiding it well. From the living cavern, Manira walks in from the bowl. From the living cavern, Manira walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. "I... you... you surprised me...." Mehlani whispers, fumbling for a few moments before she relaizes that she can't exactly hold the glass and restrain Arki with both hands. The glass is hastily set aside, as she keeps hold of the now muffledly hissing 'lizard. All the while, 'Lani's blue eyes stay on the young Baker, amazed. "Well," he says, finally chuckling. "That's what I intended to do." He picks up a bit of orange root and eats it. The laugh disappears from his voice, then, and he says, "I th --" He stops, and changes directions. "I like how you kiss." Mehlani promptly turns crimson. "I'm not all that good at it," she mumbles. Now that comment is just too easy to reply to. And so Jorenan says, with a completely straight face, "Well, practice makes perfect. All the Masters say so." The crimson in Mehlani's cheeks floods out towards the rest of her face, and she can't help but cry in startlemeent, "Jorenan...?!" He shakes his head slowly, and says, "Mehlani, it's kissing. Not, not... dragonriding! Most everyone does it sometime or another. I'll bet the ones who're good at it practice until they learn it." He's fighting his own shyness, or so it would seem, projecting a calm confidence that he holds in place by force of will. "It's just... I-I mean...." She just _stares_, then, her eyes still round, her hands still keeping hold of the decidedly annoyed Arki. And then Mehlani blurts, "You... sounded like... E'rian." From the living cavern, Halam walks here from the Inner Cavern. From the living cavern, Halam walks down the short tunnel and out into the bowl. Jorenan frowns. "I don't even know E'rian," he says somewhat defensively. "But.... it's true." The shyness is trying to win, but he fights it down again and says calmly, "Besides. He's right." 'Lani bites her lip, with that frown having come on. She fastens her gaze on Arki, and manages to soothe the little creature into something resembling calm; Arki's eyes begin to lighten towards orange. "I-I suppose," she whispers. The Baker looks into middle space for a long moment. The black streak on his arm catches his attention, and he rubs at it somewhat futilely. "I..." he pauses. And starts again, fighting the shyness the entire way. "Then kiss me." Mehlani's blue gaze snaps up, her eyes gone round in apparent shock. Jorenan folds his arms and looks at Mehlani for a long, long moment. "See. It scares you. It..." He pauses to regroup, and then continues. "It scared me, too, till I did it just now. But it wasn't that scary after all." Arki lets out a petulant little hiss, and all at once, Mehlani plucks the creature off her shoulder. "Arki," she says hoarsely, "_go_." The 'lizard protests, her beak spreading to relay her anger, but the girl repeats firmly, "Go hide!" It's apparently a command she's managed to teach the green, for grudgingly, Arki leaps *between*. And once she's gone, 'Lani looks up at Jorenan again, with trepidation. "That's the first time," Jorenan says, "I've ever seen you send one away." He remains in the same position he was in before. Unthreatening, but unrelenting, too. "Don't be afraid of -me-," he says in answer to her expression. "If you have to, you can be afraid of the kiss. But it's not that scary either." "She's... distracting me," Mehlani whispers, her voice raggedly edged. A touch of pink coloring her cheeks, she goes on, blurting, "Why... do you... want me to kiss you?" At that, Jorenan looks mildly mystified. "Because it'd be nice?" he asks rhetorically. "And also 'cause you look so scared, 'Lani. It's not scary, and maybe if you do it yourself, you'll realize that." He doesn't mention that perhaps it'll wash away the loneliness of being friended that he's lived with for several days now. Mehlani lowers her eyes, blushing more deeply as she murmurs, "I-I'm... not _too_ scared of kissing... I've... _been_ kissed before, it's..." Jorenan waits for a moment, and then prompts, "It's what, that you've never started it?" "I just..." 'Lani begins. Then she pauses, sucks in a breath, and finally releases it, whispering, "I don't understand why... I mean, after..." And she looks up again, hesitantly. A choice, here. Jorenan can choose to be the strong, silent type, and not attempt to explain why he's doing what he's doing. Or he can explain it and probably sound like a fool. Hmm. "Because," he admits quietly, "if I don't try, then I've already... already lost." Lost. Lost, as if there's some sort of competition occurring, and she, Mehlani, is the prize. It hadn't ever occurred to her to think of things in that light, the gifts K'star and E'rian have been bestowing on her... and the knife from the young man before her. Not until she'd tentatively offered E'rian his Turnday gift, the gloves with the green dragon design stitched upon them... and E'rian had responded by asking her to take care of his brother. Not until K'star himself had awkwardly asked her about her reactions to finding him drunken and dazed in her cot. And not until the young man before her had asked her how she feels about him. She considers Jorenan gravely for a long moment. And perhaps something in his expression motivates her, for she steps shyly to him, lifting her hands to his cheeks and drawing his head down slightly to her. Her attempt at a kiss is as shy as everything else this lass does -- brief, gentle, light as the brush of one of her 'lizard's wings. Lost, not a game, not a competition. No, more like lost a piece of himself, though he hasn't the words to express that, even to himself. Which is why he found himself pounding a fist into the cold wall of the storage caverns, and why after a long night he found the courage to speak bravely when his tongue nearly failed him completely. But now, perhaps not? The heart does not speak, for fear of breaking the spell and showing it for naught but illusion. His own intake of breath is as shocked as Mehlani's was, earlier. When the kiss is gone, though it's hard to tell with something so light, his eyes open as if he'd not realized they were shut. "S-see?" he whispers. "Not so terrifying." The girl has settled down on the soles of her feet again, her hands lowered, expression uncertain. She manages a flicker of a smile, eyes wide and blue beneath her hat brim. And 'Lani shakes her head a little, by way of agreement, by way of reply. He clears his throat, does Jorenan, realizing that if he doesn't, he'll not speak above a whisper again. Then suddenly his ears are turning pink in a rush, and he looks a little dazed. "I. Err. Thank you." He grimaces at himself; he sounds like the boy his mother taught him to be, complete with the best of manners. "You're welcome," Mehlani murmurs. Softly. But then again, Mehlani _always_ seems to speak in a whisper. If he had a hat, it would be in his hands, and probably being twisted. Jorenan's closer to Mehlani just now than he probably ever has been before, seeing as how neither of them has stepped away. Expression flickers across his face, but no words come. Any thing he could say, any question he could ask... all might break the quiet moment that's perhaps real and perhaps illusion. And so he just stands and looks at her. Again, Mehlani manages a flicker of a smile. Unused to having someone _else_ struggle for words in her presence, she watches Jorenan anxiously for what might be only a few moments, and what might be many. Finally, she murmurs, "I... should probably go back to the gardens, soon..." And she glances over her shoulder, off towards the Bowl, as if expecting someone to come calling for her. Jorenan glances in that same direction. The bowl, where dragonriders land. Apparently the fact that the gardens are out there too is beyond him at the moment. "Aye," he says softly. "I suppose you ought." The spell is broken, and reality comes to roost on his shoulders again. He smiles at Mehlani nevertheless; there is more here than just loss. "I am," he says, "still your friend. Don't forget." "I won't," 'Lani murmurs, her gaze swinging back around to the young Baker. He nods. For the moment, apparently that's enough. Jorenan says, in a normal voice that even manages a bit of cheer, "Then... I'll see you later." And again, 'Lani nods, turning to go, murmuring only, "Yes..." With her usual slow, deliberate pace, she makes her way out of the kitchen, glancing occasionally back over her shoulder as she goes. Jorenan watches Mehlani go for a moment, and then turns back to the chopping of the evening's last vegetables. He's not moving as quickly as he was before, but perhaps there is less tension in his back than before, too. More to think about, less to be angry at himself over. [End log.]