First Kiss

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey. Many thanks to Alec Johnson for his assistance with this information!

First Kiss

Chailyn is taken utterly by suprise by F'gon, who is positive the girl has a crush on him, no matter how she denies it.
Setting: Main Beach, Igen Weyr, late evening
Cast: F'gon, Chailyn

Chailyn - Saturday, May 27, 2000, 6:01 PM
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Main Beach
This is one of the most popular sections of the Igen Bowl, and the reason can't really be mistaken. The lake to the north provides a refreshing change from the heat that characterizes the climate of this area. A small beach of pumice sand runs along the shore here, making it a nice spot to relax. The waters of the lake are a deep blue, reflecting perfectly the sheer cliffs to the north.
The lake looks inviting, and a smaller beach to the north provides a more isolated spot. Eastwards a large field leads towards a pass out of the Weyr, and heading southeast takes you across the center of the bowl. To the south lies the corral.
F'gon ambles over from the center of the bowl.
F'gon has arrived.

F'gon limps through on a walk around the bowl.

Chailyn is settled on a rock, idly skipping stones into the water.

Your location's current time: 22:39 on day 31, month 9, Turn 31, of the Tenth Pass. It is a autumn evening.

F'gon hears the rock hit the water and looks over, seeing the dark form, and recognizing it, he limps over. He pauses for a long moment. "Hello, Chailyn..."

Chailyn looks up, startled. "Oh, Evening, F'gon." She sends another rock out onto the lake. skip once, twice, and then it sinks.

F'gon smiles to Chailyn...and pauses again...then says: "Mind if I join you?"

Chailyn shakes her head, moving over a bit on the rock. "No, not at all. Feel free." She sorts through the pile of rocks in her lap and discards one.

F'gon sits next to Chailyn, looking out at the water.

You sense F'gon's side is touching yours, as there isn't much room on the rock.

F'gon is silent a long time. "Chailyn...I...I wanted to talk with you..." He seems almost...shy.

Chailyn leans forward, lightly away, and sends another rock skipping out across the water. This one fares far better. It makes four little hops before finally sinking. The splashes are dimply heard, and she watches the ripples, "Oh? What about?" Her tone is a trifle distant, as if absorbed in her rock skipping.

F'gon is quiet for a long moment. "I don't know how to ask this." He says, as if struggling with words...

Chailyn arches her eyebrows. "Is there more than one way to ask something?" Her tone is bemused, and she searches for another rock in her lap, still leaning forward slightly.

F'gon chuckles softly. "Hey, no fair. Yes, there is...." He pauses. "Chailyn...do you...like...me?"

Chailyn laughs, a light, brittle sound in the darkness. "What a *silly* question. Of course I do, F'gon." She finds another rock and tries to send it skipping. It sinks with a noisy splash.

F'gon pauses and turns his head to look at Chailyn a bit more penetratingly. "No, Chailyn...I mean LIKE...as in more than just as a friend."

Chailyn scrubs hard at some sand on one of the rocks in her lap. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

F'gon just looks at you. "Someone told me that you did...and you didn't answer the question...do you?"

Chailyn says lightly, "You should never listen to gossip, F'gon. And it's not like I talk about my personal life with everyone."

F'gon nods. "That's true, Chailyn...and if its not true, all you have to say is 'No, F'gon, I don't like you that way.' and I won't bother you about it ever again..."

Chailyn repeats mechanically, "No, F'gon, I don't like you that way." And splash, is goes another rock. Just a single bloop of a splash.

F'gon nods. "Ok. Thank you for being honest with me..." and then he's silent, still sitting next to Chailyn, just looking out the water. "I knew that, whatever the truth was, you would be willing to talk to me about it."

Chailyn shifts uncomfortably. "What would it matter anyway?"

F'gon smiles softly. "Because if you did, we'd have to figure out what we should do. But you just said you didn't..." He lets his voice trail off.

Chailyn snorts. "Do? What would be to do? You don't care for me like that, so..." She shrugs, and gets up off the rock. Once away and out of such close proximity, she actually manages to skip a rock twice before it sinks.

F'gon looks at Chailyn. "You didn't ask what I think, and you should never listen to gossip, Chailyn. And it's not like I talk about my personal life with everyone." He throws back at her with a chuckle. "Sound familiar, Chailyn? I don't know what we could do, but we could talk openly and honestly...if you did, that is."

F'gon clarifies. "Did feel something, that is."

Chailyn shrugs. "There's not much to talk about now is there. I mean... you don't care, do you?" She hazards a look back over her shoulder, blue eyes confused.

F'gon chuckles. "Chailyn...please...come sit down. I can't talk to your back." He pauses. "I don't really care about anyone right now in that way, Chailyn. I have bed partners, and friends who I am...with, so to speak, but I don't have a weyrmate right now, and I am still 'on the market' so to speak."

Chailyn wrinkles her nose, turning around. "I think we'd think about it differently anyway. I mean, if there was something there to talk about. And you already said you don't, so..." She shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest a trifle protectively.

F'gon says "I think you are a wonderful person, and you are very pretty...with eyes that are amazing. But I'm guessing you're told that a lot. Would I sleep with you? I'd be sorely tempted, yes. But, as for a relationship...have you heard about my last one? Terryll?"

Chailyn shakes her head. "No." Are the tips of her ears red? Difficult to tell in this light.

F'gon pauses for a long moment. "Terryll was the love of my life. I thought she was 'the one'...for the rest of my life. She was...much younger than me. She was 17 Turns...I'm over 52 Turns...I actually was banned from my home Hold...my brother is Holder there...for 'taking advantage of a child'. But Terryll and I knew we were made for each other...so I thought..."

A note of pain enters his voice.
T'mren ambles over from the center of the bowl.
T'mren has arrived.

T'mren wanders down towards the beach, waving to F'gon and Chailyn as he passes them.

T'mren slips over to the quieter northern beach.
T'mren has left.

F'gon says "After she Impressed...not too long ago...she told me that she doesn't have the emotional energy in her life for a Weyrling dragon _AND_ a weyrmate...especially for a weyrmate outside of the Weyr she Impressed. Plus she had already given word before Impression that she wouldn't transfer from that Weyr...and that Weyr is too cold for me to live at...with my leg."

Chailyn drifts forward, apparently unable to resist from that tone. "I'm sorry. But I'd heard weyrlings could be involved with anyone anyway." She sighs softly, "Did you ever manage to patch things up with your family?"

F'gon shakes his head. "They CAN be involved...just no sex. I know. I was involved with Jaela back when she was a Weyrling many many Turns ago. Which led to J'on being born. But its rare for it to work. I had thought...well...I had thought that Terryll was the one. If she was, it would have lasted through. That wasn't very long ago, Chailyn." He pauses. "No...I never did. They named me enemy of the Hold, and even kicked out my cousin Rillem for standing up for me...he's around the bowl somewhere, maybe you've seen him around. Anyway...you have to understand where I am right now. Right now, I am more in need of friends...and I won't turn physical comfort away, either, but I'm not looking for a weyrmate...I am not...ready."

Chailyn's tone is neutral. "Well, it's a good thing we're friends then, isn't it?" She moves away slightly, casting her face into shadow once more. "I'm sorry about Terryll. It's hard for someone young to make those kinds of decisions."

F'gon nods. "It is...."

Chailyn shrugs. "And fifty-two isn't that old. It's a shame about your family though. But they're holders." She sighs faintly. "Never thought I'd say that, but even tanners are more openminded."

F'gon nods and chuckles. Then he gets serious. "Chailyn...please, be honest with me...I need to know. You are telling me one thing, but your body language is saying another...and Hollerith tells me you always are projecting shyness and that you're...uncomfortable around me. He can pick up strong emotions, especially when they relate to me...I'm not asking you to embarass you. I wouldn't ask if I didn't care what you thought about me..." He pauses. "I'm sorry. I'll stop pushing." And he stands, as if to go, reaching for his walking stick.

Chailyn shrugs slightly, "Even if there was, I mean, it's not like anything could come of it. So why drag all that out..." She trails off, watching a trifle helplessly. "I mean, it's not as if I'm beating men off or anything."

F'gon turns to Chailyn. "Chailyn, I don't know if anything would come of it, honestly. But it wouldn't be out of the question. And as for other men...they are stupid if they aren't beating down doors to get to you." He picks up his walking stick and turns to go.

Jasmyn ambles over from the center of the bowl.
Jasmyn has arrived.

Jasmyn wanders across the beach, looking up at the stars as she goes. She shrugs a very light shawl up and around her shoulders.

Chailyn flushes faintly. "You're the first person to say so, though." She stops then and says, "And maybe I'm a little scared to talk about it." Her attention is on F'gon, and she doesn't seem aware of anyone else at the moment.

F'gon nods to Chailyn..."Well, want to take a walk and try?"

F'gon looks up as he hears someone walking over. "Hello, Myn. Cool night..."

Jasmyn wraps the shawl around her neck, letting it hang down her back as she approaches F'gon and Chailyn. "Just a little bit of breeze, not bad."

F'gon nods...then he looks over at Chailyn.

Chailyn clears her throat, and nods to Jasmyn. "Evening, Jasmyn." Then she shrugs at F'gon. "I guess I don't really see the point?"

F'gon nods to Chailyn. "Well, its your call, Chailyn. I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me..." He sits back down on the rock.

Jasmyn looks from rider to resident and shyly asks. "Am I interupting anything?" She bites her lower lip, slightly.

Chailyn smiles disarmingly, a flash of white teeth in the darkness. "Oh, no, not really. Just me being silly."

F'gon chuckles. "No, Myn. I thought you might be, but I guess not. So what brings you out this time of night, Myn?"

Jasmyn says "I couldn't sleep." She plays with the end of the shawl and looks out at the lake, then up at the stars. "Ric is away for the evening, Rosmyn is with S'more and I am a bit out of sorts, so I thought a nice little walk on the beach would be nice."

F'gon looks at Myn curiously. "Out of sorts, hon?"

Jasmyn shrugs. "Well, I had a distasteful conversation earlier in the day and it has left me grumpy ever since."

F'gon raises an eyebrow. "Want to talk about it, Myn?"

Chailyn mms. "Wasn't that Derend girl, was it Jasmyn?" To F'gon's comment about possibly interrupting something, she gives no response.

You sense F'gon switched his attention to Jasmyn...but keeps looking at you, as if he doesn't know what to say next...but also there's a look in his eye...as if he was looking for you to say something in particular, and doesn't understand why you didn't. He is a very expressive man.

Jasmyn looks back at F'gon. "Are you sure? I mean, interupting? I can head off.." She gestures with her chin towards the northern beach." She nods in response to Chailyn. "Interesting child."

F'gon senses "Chailyn shifts a trifle nervously and avoids looking directly at you. In the starlight, it's difficult to tell, but her ears are pink and her cheeks are red."

Chailyn wrinkles her nose. "Ah, most of that's porcine-wash anyway, Jasmyn. You can't take it personally. Well, you can, but you'll be happier if you don't. She's at least willing to learn from her mistakes."

F'gon raises his eyebrows. "What did this Derend girl say?"

You sense F'gon keeps looking RIGHT at you...an open question in his eyes.

Jasmyn says "Oh, I commented that I don't like runners and she went on and on about how scary dragons were and dangerous.. and how much better runners were. ""

F'gon shakes his head. "And she was in a WEYR and said this?"

F'gon senses "Chailyn's eyes flicker to your face, her expression unguarded for a moment. In that moment, it's rather easy to see the holdergirl crush, from the blush on her cheeks to the longing in those blue eyes. And then she shifts, pulling back a bit into the shadows."

Jasmyn snorts. "Yes. As if Umirieth would ever hurt a vtol. And she sounded HORRIFIED that I allowed her around Rosmyn." She looks positively indignant. "Do you believe that? Why, Rosmyn tries to teeth on Umirieth and not a blink from that sweetheart." She looks back at Chailyn and smiles slightly. "But, I have a feeling I am interupting so I think I will just continue walking."

Chailyn shifts a bit, pulling back further into the shadows. Her voice is a trifle unsteady, "Well, I don't think much of her hold's harper for letting her think that. Shells, I never went to half my lessons, and *I* don't think that." She pauses and amends, her tone smoothing out a bit, "Course, I did think that riders just carted off unwilling women from halls on the pretext of search." She shakes her head, curls bouncing. "Oh, no, really..."

F'gon chuckles. "Myn, you should have seen how J'on used to abuse Hollerith. Fianna, too. Some people don't realize that our dragons are as sentient as we are...only without the passions of violence that mar us humans. Sometimes I think they are even superior to us as a race." At Jasmyn's last comment, he says nothing, and just smiles softly.

Jasmyn smiles vaguely and heads off.

Jasmyn leaves the beach, heading for the center of the Bowl.
Jasmyn has left.

F'gon chuckles at Chailyn's comments. "Oh, Chailyn, I haven't carted off a woman just on the pretext of Search in many Turns...although there IS another Search coming up, so that's an opportunity..." He winks.

F'gon tries to clear the air with a joke.

Chailyn smiles slightly, "Remind me to tell you about K'dar and Merali sometime." She looks after Jasmyn, and then wraps her arms about herself again.

F'gon looks at Chailyn as Jasmyn walks away. "Chailyn...would you like to come here?" He asks, pointing at the rock next to him.

Chailyn shrugs slightly and slow steps take her back to his side. "She really didn't have to go. I mean, it's not as if we're going to come to any earthshattering conclusions or anything."

F'gon pauses as Chailyn sits down...and then reaches his arms around her, holding her, her back to his side still, his arms coming around her waist as his head moves to her shoulder. "Chailyn...I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me...You can tell me anything. I go out of my way for those I care for..." And he kisses her head behind her ear, softly.

Chailyn freezes. "I... um." She shoots back up awkwardly, hopefully not banging a nose in the process. "I don't. Really. I just..." She fumbles, obviously well aware of the spectacle she's making of herself. "There's no point in talking about it. I'm craft bred and... it's just awkward is all."

as Chailyn turns her head back, F'gon soundly plants a soft kiss on her lips. Not a long kiss, but a kiss.

Chailyn goes utterly still, blue eyes wide. Surely this isn't the first time she's even been kissed before. She has to be at least twenty turns old, perhaps older still than that. But it sure seems to be. She doesn't move away, and when he draws back, her expression is a trifle wary. "Why'd you do that."

F'gon looks at Chailyn. "Because I wanted to and you wanted to, didn't you?"

Chailyn stammers, "I... I don't know. I mean, you can't just go around *kissing* people. It's... it's not good for you." Or something. Then she blinks, drawing back slightly, "You wanted to?"

F'gon nods. "Chailyn, I don't know what will come of it. I told you, I'm not looking for a relationship right now. And I'm not looking for a weyrmate. But I like you. You're a friend, and I like to make friends happy. And if this makes you happy..." He kisses Chailyn again. Not ultra-passionately, but firmly. He is a very good kisser.

Chailyn apparently has no basis for comparison, for she just freezes again, eyes wide. Then she shifts, breaking the embrace. "Don't! You... you just can't go kissing someone like that." She takes a step or two back. "I'm not like Kyralla, or Shayne, or any of them. I may be a trifle slow, but." She shakes her head.

F'gon nods. "Well, Chailyn. I think of you as a friend. JUST a friend. But in a Weyr, you can be physical with your friends. Well, certain of your friends, not all of your friends...But if you don't want to, you don't have to. I just thought this was what you wanted..."

Chailyn stammers, "But that's just it. It's just physical. I mean, what kind of friendship is that." She backs away, shaking her head. "And it's not how I wanted it to be. Not like that. Not for the -" She breaks off and shakes her head again. "Let's just forget about it, all right? We just think about this sort of thing differently."

F'gon nods. "Ok, Chailyn. Whatever you're comfortable with..." He smiles softly. "I hope you'll still be my friend, Chailyn..."

Chailyn nods. "Of course." Are her words a trifle too hurried? She shifts a bit further away. "Why wouldn't I be?"

F'gon smiles. "No reason. Well, G'night, Chailyn...sleep well!"

Chailyn's jaw tightens and she nods. "You too, F'gon. I... I think I may go and try to find Jasmyn. No need for her to be upset."

F'gon's eyes cloud...and then uncloud. "She's in her room, heading to bed...and she's not upset, Myn. At least not about leaving us alone..."

Chailyn forces a smile. "Not that it accomplished anything." She pauses and then asks, "What *did* you hope to accomplish?"

F'gon chuckles. "Well, Chailyn, I hoped to accomplish a chance to explain myself, what I am, where I am, and what I'm open to, and to give you a choice. I accomplished that."

F'gon says "I wanted to be honest, and let you know where things were."

You say "Why, if you weren't interested?"

F'gon shakes his head. "Chailyn, its not that I am not interested in you. Its that I'm not ready for ANY relationship. Terryll still...hurts...a lot..."

Chailyn asks rather directly, "And you'd rather take comfort in that than try again." She shakes her head then, and looks away, "I'm sorry. That wasn't very fair. I'm... just not very good at this."

Chailyn clears her throat. "Let's just forget all this happened, okay? I think it'd just be easier on everyone." She starts back towards the caverns at a jog. "I'll... see you tomorrow or something."

PST