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:
	4/9/98

Log Cast:
	(People) Remo, Mehlani

	(Fire lizards) Mehlani's fair

Log Intro:
	Between turning sixteen on the day of gold Leilanth's rising,
having a drunken K'star left on her cot by his wingmates, discovering that
her friend Ro -- who helped her return Kes safely to his weyr -- has been
harassed by other riders because of rumors that have flown about Telgar
regarding exactly what happened with Kes and the girls, and discovering further
that Ro's father R'gan is incensed enough by his daughter's current situation
that he's eager to convince the Weyrleader to send not only Ro but _also_
Mehlani off to the Harper Hall, 'Lani's life has been rather complicated as
of late. There's been one bright spot, though, the news of the birth of her
niece Sahra, child of her older brother Fahloran and Fahloran's weyrmate
Siara. Still, all this has been more than enough to distract 'Lani for a while
from the fact that K'star, brown Indyth's rider, is _not_ the only young man
in the Weyr who's noticed her....

----------
Your location's current time: 0:37 on day 21, month 6, Turn 22, of the Tenth 
  Pass. It is a summer night.

Remo walks in from outside the room.
Remo has arrived.
Remo looks at you for a moment.
Remo nods to the girl as he strides by, seeming living-cavern bound.

Remo
 Soft brown eyes look back at you, almost a mahogany color, which catch and 
  reflect the light, seeming to shine. His thick, dark brown hair is cut 
  short, looking as if someone had taken a somewhat dull knife to it, the ends 
  uneven and looking a bit ragged. His face is strangely drawing, with a 
  square jaw, high, almost oriental-seeming cheekbones, and a sculpted, 
  prominent nose over thin lips. He has a habit of looking at everything as if 
  appraising its value or worth, but this seems as if it may be a function of 
  training, rather than inclination.
 He's dressed in a plain, homespun tunic of rough wool, which is a deep 
  brown color. It's not decorative, but it looks comfortable and very warm. 
  The sleeves come down to about his elbows, leaving bare his developed 
  forearms and curiously thick wrists. His pants are also rather plain, made 
  of a sturdy, thick brown wherhide, tucked into tall, thick brown leather 
  boots, slightly cracked and slashed, but still looking quite servicable and 
  sturdy. Looped over his right shoulder is a black and white knot, simply 
  tied to indicate a resident at Telgar Weyr.
 He seems older than his years, a combination of his mature manner and his 
  adult-seeming features. If you ask, however, he'll tell you that he's 19 
  Turns, 4 months, and 25 days.

Mehlani bobs her head gravely in passing.

Remo walks through the large entrance to the Living Cavern.
Remo has left.

[And shortly...]

Remo walks in from the living caverns.
Remo has arrived.
Remo passes back through, a mug of klah in one hand, juggling a sheaf of 
  hides and a half-eaten meatroll in the other.

Mehlani has stopped to gently stroke the head of a passing feline, though the 
  fire lizard lurking underneath her braid doesn't seem very amused by this. 
  Green Arki peers balefully around 'lani's neck at the cat, and the cat peers 
  right back.

Remo chuckles as he passes. "Looks like you've got a bit of rivalry going 
  there," he comments.

Mehlani glances up and nods gravely, still scritching the feline. Arki shifts 
  under Mehlani's hat, pale whirling eyes orange-red in the shadow of the brim.

Remo tilts his head, cocking one eyebrow. "Something wrong, miss....?"
Remo looks at you for a moment.

Mehlani shakes her head, her grave expression not altering, though she keeps 
  her blue gaze up, as if expecting the young man to speak further.

Remo frowns, but just lightly. "If you're sure...you seem as if something's 
  bothering you. But if you'd rather be left alone..."
Remo shrugs. "Just say so, and I'll speak no further of it."

Mehlani says quite earnestly, "It's alright, don't worry." She considers, and 
  a slight shy smile quirks her mouth. "I get told I'm serious a lot."

Remo chuckles. "Actually, I've heard the same myself, but only when I want to 
  be."

Mehlani quirks her head a little, and then bobs it. Her green sticks her head 
  out and hisses at the feline, who scampers off, and the girl sighs softly 
  and rises.

Remo smirks. "Skittish things," he comments. "But useful."

Mehlani considers. "Felines, or fire lizards?" she asks solemnly, as her 
  green shift position on her shoulder, turning her baleful gaze back to 
  consider the young man.

Remo shrugs. "I meant felines, but the description is apt in both cases. 
  Never had a firelizard, myself, but had two felines."

Mehlani(#4177POaceq)
This teenaged girl stands at 5'4" in height, and is of a delicate but sweetly 
  curved build. Her skin is pale, speaking of unfamiliarity with Pern's 
  sunnier climes; her auburn hair long, held in check by a long braid in the 
  back, yet with a few rogue tendrils escaping to spill across her brow and 
  dangle loosely before her ears. Seldom does this lass speak; when she does, 
  her voic is soft and gravely toned. But far more often than not, she simply 
  fixes her liquid blue gaze on an object or person of interest, and keeps it 
  there with an intense attention that suggests the weight of her world rides 
  upon her drinking in every detail of her surroundings through her guileless 
  eyes.
She is currently clad in a simply cut dark golden brown blouse with blue 
  laces at her collar and sleeves, along with a pair of dark brown breeches 
  laced, also in blue, around her calves and ankles. Over the shirt she is 
  wearing a soft black leather vest of a stylish cut, setting off the pale 
  cloth beneath it. On her feet she sports a pair of sturdy, scuffed boots; on 
  her head perches a battered brown wherhide hat, just a touch too large for 
  her. Through the braid of her hair is entwined a long ribbon of Harper blue, 
  glimmering out amongst her auburn tresses.

To that, the girl nods earnestly once more, lifting a hand to stroke the 
  apparently temperamental green on her shoulder. "They're both useful," she 
  murmurs.

Remo lets a slow smile slide across his face. "Don't talk much, do you?"

That coaxes a bit of a smile out of her again. "I get told that, too," she 
  murmurs.

Remo chuckles, nodding. "I imagine so." He shrugs. "But sometimes there is 
  strength in silence."
Remo says "I'd rather say too little than too much."

'Lani considers this, listening, and she finally says musingly, "I haven't 
  thought about it like that."

Remo smirks and nods. "I once heard a fellow say "The canine, if human, would 
  be a bumbling, friendly, clumsy sort of fellow."
Remo says "But the feline would have the uncommon grace of never saying too 
  much."
Remo chuckles to himself. "Of course, don't take that as license not to 
  speak. You have a nice voice."

"Thank you," replies the lass earnestly, smiling a little more. "You're very 
  kind." Her fire lizard appears to disagree, but the green suffers the 
  scritching of the slender hand upon her.

Remo tilts his head and shrugs. "Kind? I prefer to think of it as giving due 
  credit."

Mehlani's smile turns a little uncertain, and she murmurs, her head dipping 
  down slightly, making her hat brim block her eyes, "Thank you, anyway..."

Remo frowns lightly, wondering what he said. "I apologize if I've said 
  something to offend..."

Mehlani looks up and quickly shakes her head, eyes quite earnest, widening a 
  little.

Remo smiles at that, nodding his head. "Good, good..." He gestures to the 
  steam cavern. "I was on the way to bathe."
Remo says "Care to join me?"

Mehlani considers that, too, and then says softly, "If you give me a moment to 
  go change, I can..."

Remo nods, with a smile. "I usually just slip in bare, but if you don't care 
  to..." He shrugs. "See you there."

Mehlani bobs her behatted head and turns to slip off into the dorms.

You head towards the corridor to the weyrfolk quarters.
Dormitories(#1277RA$)
Contents:
Lost and Found Cabinet (OOC)
Obvious exits:
Inner Cavern  
OOC: In order to avoid spam, please set your cots and presses dark, and don't 
  leave puppets in here when you're not using them.
You can type '+view' to get a list of +viewable items in this area!

Mehlani(#4177POaceq)
This teenaged girl stands at 5'4" in height, and is of a delicate but sweetly 
  curved build. Her skin is pale, speaking of unfamiliarity with Pern's 
  sunnier climes; her auburn hair long, held in check by a long braid in the 
  back, yet with a few rogue tendrils escaping to spill across her brow and 
  dangle loosely before her ears. Seldom does this lass speak; when she does, 
  her voic is soft and gravely toned. But far more often than not, she simply 
  fixes her liquid blue gaze on an object or person of interest, and keeps it 
  there with an intense attention that suggests the weight of her world rides 
  upon her drinking in every detail of her surroundings through her guileless 
  eyes.
She is clad in nothing but a simple white shift for swimming, leaving her arms 
  and legs bare.

You walk off towards the Inner Cavern.
Inner Cavern(#1272RJL$)
Obvious exits:
Steam Baths  INFirmary  Candidate Barracks  Corridor  Weyrfolk Quarters  
  Living Cavern  

You enter the tunnel leading out to the steamy springs.
Telgar Hot Springs
Contents:
Remo
Prometh(#3353JOaeps$)
Obvious exits:
Inner Cavern  Bowl  

Remo glances up from his seat in a spring, and smiles, klah still in one hand, 
  a single hide in the other.

In a few short minutes, Mehlani, without her hat but with several more fire 
  lizards and a towel draped over her slim arms, comes padding into view. 
  She's changed into a simple white shift, and her feet are bare.

Remo smiles. "Hello again. That was quick>"

In addition to the pale green, who is once more lurking on her shoulder, there 
  are two more greens and a couple of blues keeping the girl company. 'Lani 
  smiles a little and approaches the bowl, saying softly, "I didn't have to go 
  far."

Remo nods, tilting his head and lying his work-hide aside. "True, true...."

The greens and the blues circle overhead a few loops, alternating between 
  glancing down at the girl and chasing one another's tails. 'Lani slips into 
  the water, settling the towel and the remaining green down at the side of 
  the water.

Remo spreads his arms out along the edge of the pool, letting his eyes 
  half-close and luxuriating in the warmth.
Remo says "I don't believe we ever exchanged names." He extends a hand to you. 
  "I'm Remo."

Settling down into the pool, Mehlani solemnly offers forth her own hand, and 
  says gravely, "My name is Mehlani."

Remo takes the hand gently, with concealed strength. "Well met, Mehlani."

The girl's hand is small, but she has a solid grip; there are callouses on 
  those slender palms, signs of work. "Thank you," she says simply, as her 
  fire lizards eventually settle down to play in the water nearby, all save 
  the pale-hided green, who curls up on the towel and watches everything with 
  her dully glowing eyes. "Likewise."

Remo smiles, siting back against the wall of the pool. "How many do you have?" 
  he asks, indicating the FLs with his hand.

"Eight," says the lass. "Holl and Rianet and Munki are asleep."

Remo blinks. "Eight? Isn't that a bit...excessive?"

Mehlani's expression turns slightly sheepish, but she also smiles a little, 
  glancing at the blues and greens playing on the surface of the pool. "I... 
  sort of couldn't help it."

Remo chuckles. "Trouble attractor, eh?" He glances over at the FLs. "Flying 
  stomachs, with charm, I've heard them called."

"Well, I walked in on this clutch, and they all sort of hatched," Mehlani 
  murmurs. "They do eat a whole lot!"

Remo chuckles. "Got 'em all at once, did you?"

Mehlani clarifies, "Six of them... Holl and Rianet I had before."

A short shake of the head precedes a wry smirk. "Eight...I imagine they're 
  always in the way...."

To that, the girl only smiles, a trifle ruefully, and bobs her head. She 
  settles a little into the pool, letting her braid float on the top of the 
  water.

The klah is set aside, and Remo nods. "I imagine the six kept you awake all 
  hours after hatching, neh?"

Mehlani bobs her head to that, too. "Rianet was proddy at the time," she says 
  earnestly, "so that didn't help much either."

Remo winces. "One proddy, and six hatchlings...no wonder you don't talk. You 
  must never have had a chance!"

'Lani giggles a little, very softly. "I didn't talk too much before them, 
  either."

Remo rubs his face with one hand, and nods. "But I'm sure that didn't help 
  matters. A proddy green, telling you her mind..."
Remo says "With a litter of hatchlings, all telling you everything."

Mehlani smiles timidly, and again bobs her head. "They're very noisy," she 
  murmurs.

Remo nods. "I imagine so. Makes me thankful for an empty bed at night..." He 
  stops, realizing the unintended implication, blushing.

Mehlani pinkens, demurely lowering her gaze.

Remo seems speechless for a moment, then lifts his head again. "I, ah...what 
  do you do around here?

Mehlani peeks up again, and answers softly, "I... just live here, mostly... 
  work in the stables, and in the Records Room. And chores like everybody 
  else." One of her blues bumbles his way across the pool to her and coos, and 
  she reaches for him, drawing him near for some scritches.

Remo grins, tilting his head. "You'd make a good mother," he comments out of 
  nowhere.

Mehlani blinks, quirking her head a little, her expression querying.

Remo tilts his head to the litle firelizard. "The way you care for them...I 
  can imagine you as a mother."

Mehlani glances down at the little blue. He's a pudgy fellow, but apparently 
  adores the lass, for he burbles pleasantly as she scritches him. And 'Lani 
  smiles slightly, murmuring, "I'm a lot better with fire lizards than 
  children."

Remo smiles back, nodding. "Firelizards are always endearing, it seems. 
  Children less so."

Mehlani just smiles a bit, keeping on scritching the blue, while the other one 
  chases the two greens across the pool.

Remo watches silently for a long moment, just enjoying the warmth of the water 
  adn the sight of the lovely woman across from him.
Remo says "I've been gone a while...besides work, what is there to do here?"
Remo says "I've noticed Weyrlife is a lot different than a Trader Caravan."

Mehlani glances up again, and chews slightly at her lower lip. "I'm... not 
  really the best to ask," she says timidly.

Remo smiles. "Well, what do /you/ do in your off-time?"

She ponders that, and then answers slowly, "I ride my runner... and take care 
  of my fair, and my feline... I read a lot. Sometimes I help riders wash 
  their dragons."

Remo tilts his head. "You have a runner? What's his name?"

"Nightsong..." Mehlani smiles a little. "She's a she."

Remo nods, tilting his head. "Nightsong...mine's named Stumble."

Mehlani's expression eases a little; the name seems to gently amuse her.

Remo snickers softly. "Oddest thing...on the mountain trails and grades, 
  there's never been a more sure-footed animal."
Remo says "But on a even, flat trail, he can't walk a straight line to dodge 
  Thread."

Mehlani smiles a moment, broadly, enough for a glimmer of her teeth.

Remo says "That's how he got his name."

"Nightsong is... black, as night," Mehlani murmurs. "I didn't name her, but it 
  seemed right when I got her to let her keep that name."

Remo nods. "It's usually best to let them keep the name they've grown up 
  with...they don't get confused."

Mehlani wisely nods, this evidently making perfect sense to her.

Remo ducks under the water, wetting his shaggy hair, then comes back up, 
  slicking it back with one hand.
Remo says "Have you lived here all your life?"

A solemn shake of the auburn-braided head. The blue in Mehlani's hands yawns 
  and flicks water droplets off his wings.

Remo tilts his head, sinking into the water up to his neck. "Where are you 
  from?"

"Benden Weyr," says 'Lani softly.

Remo nods sagely, absorbing this. "Benden...passed by there on the way back 
  here."

That seems to pique 'Lani's interest; her face brightens a little.

Remo nods. "Same as I remembered it from my trading days." A brief shadow 
  slides over his face.

Mehlani considers this, and chews briefly at one corner of her lip, perhaps 
  the only sign that she might have noted that shadow. What she says, however, 
  is, "I came with everyone... when we had to move here from Benden. Because 
  of the water shortage there, and so many riders needed here."

Remo nods, running his fingers through his hair. "I heard about that...it 
  must've been bad."
Remo says "Just up and leaving your home like that."

Mehlani doesn't answer that immediately, either; this girl, it seems, weighs 
  every word she utters before it leaves her lips. But at last: "It was... 
  very difficult, for everyone... but I think everything has worked out for 
  the best." She smiles a little.

Remo nods, and quickly covers his mouth as a yawn forms. "Well, looks like 
  that's my signal to be heading for my cot..."

Mehlani blinks, then smiles shyly and nods once more. The blue and the other 
  greens are still frolicking; the pale-hided green on the towel hasn't moved, 
  and continues to watch everything with her darkly whirling eyes. "Alright," 
  says 'Lani softly. "Good night, then...!"

Remo stands up in the water, revealing himself to be totally nude, and reaches 
  for a towel. "It's been nice chatting with you."
Remo says "Or at least chatting at you." He grins. "Another time, perhaps?"

Mehlani smiles, though she's got her gaze demurely averted, once more. 
  "Perhaps," she agrees.

Remo quickly dresses, shaking his head to get most of the water out of his 
  hair. "Until then."
Remo heads for the exit to the cavern, pausing briefly near you to dip down 
  and give you a demure peck on the cheek, then out.
Remo walks off towards the Inner Cavern.
Remo has left.

[End log.]