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:
	7/23/98

Log Cast:
	Saskia, Mehlani

Log Intro:
	Mehlani's love life has, all of a sudden, gotten a lot more complex
than she'd ever imagined possible, with one simple little declaration from
Journeyman Jorenan of the Bakercraft: that he loves her. Between this and 
the fact that during her recent trip to Greystones Hold brownrider K'star 
had dropped several hints at her about whether she had ever considered 
permanently pairing with someone, 'Lani is now horribly, horribly confused
-- for she cares deeply for both young men and is deeply troubled by the
thought of having to choose between them. Her restlessness and worry drive
her out to seek the peace of a ride on her beloved black mare, but as it
happens, at least one of her friends has noticed her absentminded air
and takes an opportunity to come find her...

----------
Your location's current time: 16:37 on day 21, month 9, Turn 23, of the Tenth 
  Pass. It is a autumn afternoon.

Saskia opens the gate and enters from the central bowl, closing it behind her.
Saskia has arrived.
Saskia smiles, "Lani! There you are."

There Mehlani is, indeed; she and her black runner mare Nightsong are in the 
  middle of the pasture, 'Lani apparently just having finished a ride, for the 
  runner seems in frisky spirits, her head tossing, her expression alert. 
  Mehlani slips out of the saddle, turning at the hail, and she smiles off in 
  Saskia's direction, her usual shy small smile. She lifts a hand in greeting.

Saskia wears a more bewildered expression than usual if that's possible, "Did 
  you hear, 'Lani?"

Saskia
Chestnut brown hair forms a glossy halo about her square-jawed face. Her olive 
  tanned skin limns the delicate contours and high cheekbones of her 
  expressive face. Bright periwinkle eyes gaze with keen perception and a 
  glint of mischief while a freckled upturned nose softens the stubborness of 
  her chin. Her broad shoulders and hips and sturdy long limbs move with fluid 
  elan and her mouth often curves into a quioxtic smile. She's clad in simple 
  rust coloured trous and an olive shirt that fit her tall and solidly built 
  frame. A Telgar Weyr resident's knot hangs from one shoulder. 
Carrying:
Leila
Sionrciere

One hand lifts to steady her omnipresent battered brown hat; the other, 
  Mehlani turns to Nightsong, patting the creature's silken dark head. 
  Nightsong blows out a soft restless snort at the other girl as Saskia draws 
  near, while Mehlani tilts her head, and then shakes it. "Hear what...?" 
  comes her soft reply.

Saskia frowns, "Rennick said I had to be his assistant or he' d make muck 
  stables for life."

'Lani's brow crinkles under her hat, and as she casts half her attention over 
  her horse, loosening the saddle and removing the rest of the gear, she tells 
  Saskia in mild surprise, "Oh..." A pause, and then 'Lani asks gently, 
  "Should I be offering congratulations, or commiserations...?"

Saskia frowns, "oh, actually it was even worse, but I don't want to frighten 
  the runners." She sighs, "I dunno. I got up at dawn and went to Rennick's 
  office, and he told me all kinds of things and then I got on a dragon and 
  went to Telgar Hold, and I stood around and looked at things. I hope it went 
  okay. if I'm still alive tomorrow, I guess it did."

Nightsong freed of her tack, the mare gets a gentle slap on the rump from her 
  owner, and wanders off to graze. 'Lani hefts up the saddle into her slender 
  arms, and then smiles solemnly to the other girl. "Steward Rennick is a 
  very... overwhelming man," she allows. "I think I'll offer you condolences 
  and congratulations both."

Saskia nods and smiles ruefully, "Definitely. I have no idea why he picked me. 
  At first I thought he was talking to another boy and then he had me confused 
  with Sandy. I've been trying to talk to that weyrling. I'm not sure whether 
  to curse him or beg him for advice. But thanks anyway."

Mehlani bobs her behatted head, still smiling a little, though a trifle 
  restlessly. And after a slight blush, she adds, "I... think S'dar has been 
  very busy, lately!"

Saskia nods, "With weyrling stuff?"

Mehlani inclines her head again, glancing out across the Bowl, her hands 
  still hanging on to Nightsong's saddle. Then she looks back to the other 
  girl, and murmurs ruefully, "Yes...!"

Saskia sighs, "Yeah, I miss them all."
Saskia brightens a bit, "So what have you been up to?"

"Well... taking care of her, mostly," murmurs 'Lani, gesturing off in the 
  wake of the sleek ebon mare. "And my fire lizards... things have been... 
  quiet, mostly quiet..." Mehlani's gaze drifts off, though, and in 
  contradiction to her words, that restlessness is still lingering about her 
  eyes, and in the motions of her head and hands.

Saskia mmms, "You seem restless. Everything okay?"

Mehlani's blue gaze flicks back to Saskia, and her eyes widen a little, a bit 
  of a blush crossing her cheeks. "I..."

Saskia grins, "What's up, 'Lani? Got a new beau?"

The blush deepens, and Mehlani mumbles, "Well... not... exactly...!"

Saskia grins, "Then what?"

Mehlani's glance makes another nervous round of the pasture before returning 
  tentatively to the other girl. "I... well... Jorenan has... been talking to 
  me, and now I _really_ need to talk to K'star, but he's been so busy...!"

Saskia giggles, "You got two boyfriends now?"

"Well, it's not really... a _new_ situation..." clarifies Mehlani humbly, 
  blushing crimson. "I-I mean... it is, it's different now... but..." She 
  trails off, clearly wrestling with her words, and finally she simply blurts, 
  "Jorenan says he loves me!"

Saskia ooohs, "That's pretty heavy. Did you love him too?"

Mehlani's gaze plummets to her boots. "I don't _know_," she whispers.

Saskia mmms, "And what about K'star?"

"I don't know that either," is 'Lani's anxious answer, "and I-I need to talk 
  to him, still..."

Saskia furrows her brow, "It sound complicated. What else did Jorenan say?"

Mehlani blows out a slow, soft breath, dropping the saddle carefully down to 
  her feet, her hand coming up to take off her hat and fidget with it. "That 
  was the important thing... that he... loved me, and that he thought I should 
  talk to Kes..." The idea clearly is unnerving the girl badly.

Saskia leans over and gives Mehlani a hug, "Well, he's a rider, and you had 
  that other guy before, right?"

Mehlani smiles timidly, and hugs Saskia back, but explains anxiously, 
  "Well... I've... known K'star longer than Jorenan, you see, and K'star 
  has... always cared for me, it's just that now, Jorenan has said... well, 
  what he's said, and oh, Saskia, I'm so nervous...!"

Saskia releases Mehlani slowly, "Yeah, I can see." She grins, "Guys seem to 
  go for shy girls like you or girls who bite. I think things'll work out for 
  you."

Weakly, Mehlani smiles. "I hope so," she murmurs.

Saskia smiles, "Anything I can do for you?"

"Tell me how to ask a man if he loves you?" blurts Mehlani, eyes liquid.

Saskia blinks a bit then considers for a moment, "I think it's not really 
  something you can ask. If you love someone, then wouldn';t you just say so?"

Mehlani scuffs a boot-toe along the earth, and blurts, "Well, but... Kes... 
  he's never said... but he's said other things... I-I don't really _know_, 
  you see? So I _must_ ask him..."

Saskia gazes thoughtfully at Mehlani, "What kinds of things has he said?"

Not meeting Saskia's inquiring eyes, Mehlani murmurs, "He... wanted to know 
  if I'd ever thought about... having, a-about pairing with someone... 
  permanently..."

Saskia smiles, "Sounds like maybe he wants a weyrmating?"

"Do you think?" asks Mehlani fretfully.

Saskia nods, "Sounds like my kid brother when he wants me to do something but 
  it's not sure if I will or not. What'd you say when he talked about it?"

Mehlani studies her boots, apparently finding them extremely fascinating. Or 
  perhaps it's Nightsong's saddle still resting at her ankles, or the hat 
  she's turning around and around and around in her slender hands. "I told 
  him... if I truly loved someone, then I'd want to be paired with him...!"

Saskia oohs, "What'd he say?"

"That... he thought anyone I loved... _would_ love me," murmurs the nervous 
  'Lani.
Mehlani adds earnestly, "Kes is always very sweet, you see...!"

Saskia hrms, "maybe he's too shy to say he loves you."

Mehlani blinks at this.
Mehlani then, slowly, lifts a bemused blue gaze to Saskia, gazing at the 
  other girl as if the notion she's proposed is almost too incredible to 
  believe. "K'star... shy?" she echoes.

Saskia shrugs, "I dunno. I've only see the guy from across the room when he's 
  whispering in your ear."

Still, Mehlani seems quite dumbfounded. She opens her mouth, trying for 
  words, and it takes her a few moments before she can blurt out, ".... _I_ am 
  the shy one! Kes is... confident, Saskia, he always knows what to say, 
  always... but..."

Saskia nods, "So how come he hasn't said he loves you if he's hinting about 
  weyrmating?"

"I... I don't know," admits 'Lani, dazed of eye. "I... oh dear..."

Saskia grins, "Sounds like he doesn't always know what to say."

Mehlani's finely drawn brows wing down over her eyes, and her mouth crinkles 
  into a small anxious line. Now simply clinging to her hat, pressing it 
  against her breast, she mumbles plaintively, "I-I really must speak with 
  him, I hope he gets back soon...!"

Saskia nods, "Sounds like it/"

Mehlani nods her head, looking quite, quite nervous. From the look in her 
  wide liquid eyes, she's mentally equating the conversation in question with 
  a herdbeast going out to be devoured by a dragon... never mind that it seems 
  that K'star is in love with her.

Saskia puts her hand on Mehlani's shoulder, "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Mehlani meets periwinkle eyes with her own blue, and tries to smile, but 
  can't quite make it. "I'm scared," she confesses timidly.

Saskia gives Mehlani another hug.

"What do..." Mehlani huddles into the hug gratefully, and returns it, as she 
  whispers anxiously, "W-what do you think I should do... till he comes 
  back...?"

Saskia hrms, "How long will it be?"

"I don't know," murmurs 'Lani, settling her hat back on her head.

[Saskia's player had to leave, so we end the log here...]