This was a group e-mail role play in which members of the Igen Weyr fanzine participated, so here is MY contribution to the e-mail role play. This is just a random conversation between two of characters and not really connected to the role play's storyline:

J'torian walked into the Lower Caverns, hanging onto G'mead's arm. The striking pair were both dressed in loose, light brown trousers; G'mead wore a light green vest which haphazardly covered his bare chest while J'torian wore a tight-fitting, white sleeveless tunic tucked into his pants. They walked towards the small hearth; Goldrider calmly flew in to perch on a high shelf, while Veggie and Threadhead flew in noisily and made a few undignified circles around the heads of the two men before squawking and joining Goldrider on the shelf.

J'torian let go of G'mead's arm so they could get their food. He saw G'mead ladling some piping hot wherry stew onto his plate and grimaced.

"Ugh. How you can stand to eat something that'll burn your tongue on a typically fiery Igen day is beyond me." J'torian himself was selecting chilled slices of wherry meat and finger-sized chunks of crunchy/cold vegetables from the platters and placing them onto his plate. He then spooned a dollop of some sort of sauce onto his plate.

G'mead grinned with his characteristic sexy twinkle as he selected a fork, two slices of sourbread, and poured himself a steaming drink. "Just for that, I'm gonna drink HOT klah just to annoy you."

J'torian grinned: "And I thought YOU were the mature one in this relationship." G'mead chuckled as J'torian picked up no spoons or forks, but rather grabbed a small fingerbowl and placed it on his plate, filling it with a bit of water. He then nabbed two huge chunks of redfruit and a sweetbread and poured himself a glass of chilled citrus juice.

G'mead, holding his plate and mug, leaned over to J'torian (who had just picked up his own plate and glass) and on impulse planted a kiss on his lips. J'torian blushed and was about to say something when he noticed Lirini at a table, blushing and half-looking at a handsome rider.

G'mead noticed J'torian staring elsewhere and hmphed. "My kiss had that little effect on you, did it?"

J'torian shook his head. "Oh, no love, that's not it; look over there. Who's that guy with Lirini? He's really cute." G'mead stared at J'torian, causing him to squirm and say, "What, I'm not allowed to look?"

G'mead laughed. "Just teasing you, dear. Besides, I thought he was quite a prize myself." The blond laughed when J'torian humorously imitated his pouty expression.

G'mead winked and continued: "He's no prize in comparison to you, though." He pecked J'torian on the cheek, ignoring the young man's blushing, and motioned with his head for them to find a table to sit at.

As the pair walked to a table, G'mead spoke in a low voice: "In answer to your question, that's brownrider F'tran sitting with Lirini, you wherry-brain. I'm usually the one who's bad at remembering names, not you."

Birtath: True. You're as bad as dragons.

G'mead: Oh, give me some credit, you watchwher.

Birtath: If you're confusing me with a watchwher, how can I give you credit?

G'mead: Tch, you're hopeless.

J'torian broke G'mead out of his dragon-banter by saying, "Gannie, let's sit here." As the two sat across from each other, J'torian continued: "You're right; I remember F'tran now. My brain can be so Threadscored at times. Did you see the way those two were looking at each other?"

G'mead grinned as he speared a chunk of hot wherry with his fork and popped it into his mouth. He and J'torian had long since mastered the habit of talking out of one side of the mouth while chewing with the other: "Yeah, I saw. And isn't Lirini's green supposed to rise soon?"

J'torian nodded and munched happily on a piece of a crunchy whiteroot, his eyes half-closed with contentment. "Yeah, Nirilith is gonna fly soon..." He paused and looked down, finishing his chewing and purposefully clearing his throat before he continued. "Is... is Birtath gonna participate in Lirini's flight?"

G'mead looked up and grimaced apologetically. "I don't want to, but I'll have to: I've made Birtath abstain for so long that I'm afraid it won't be good for him. As a matter of fact, your Storalinth hasn't flown in a mating flight for a really long time too, so he should participate as well." G'mead saw the look on J'torian's face and reached for the bronzerider's hand. "Look, you're the weyrbred one. You know that even though we may not want to, we have to be with other people, women as well as men, if mating flights turn out that way. Besides, weren't you going to talk to Ocean about our plan?"

J'torian shook his head sheepishly. "I never got around to it. I've just been too sharding lazy to address the subject with her, and then you and I were ill at different times. But I think if we're both gonna participate in Nirilith's flight, we should talk to Lirini privately after she finishes her lunch with F'tran. Just so she knows what you and I have in mind if Birtath or Storalinth catches Nirilith. And we need to write a note to the Weyrleaders." J'torian paused to glance over at the brown- and greenrider. "Of course, judging from the way those two are interacting, neither Birtath or Storrie will have a chance to catch Nirilith, but still, we should talk to Lirini, as well as Ocean and R'dolan."

G'mead: "Good idea love, it's about time things started going our way. And speaking of that, don't we need to have a party to celebrate your promotion to Wingsecond of Rising Tide?" G'mead winked. "Ralenaya wants to have a sizable party in your weyr, and frankly, you deserve it."

J'torian looked down modestly as he grinned. "Well, it's not that big a deal, not something I need a party for."

G'mead's face fell and he grabbed J'torian's hand. "Of course it's a big deal! Shells J'torian, you're the youngest Wingsecond Igen Weyr has ever had, and if we could get a gander at the Records at Benden and Telgar Weyrs we might be able to prove that you're the youngest Wingsecond ever! You need to celebrate once before Sh'ligor starts working you to death with your new duties. It's... It's almost lucky that you've been sick or he would have you worked to death already."

Storalinth interjected: I think it would be good for you to have a party. G'mead only wants to have fun with you and spend more free time with you, before your Wingsecond duties really begin.

J'torian: Shells, you're right, dear heart. Poor Gannie. "Well, okay Gannie, if you and Ral want to set up a party, that sounds fine."

G'mead's usual happy expression returned and he chuckled gratefully. As he was still holding J'torian's hand, he gave it a subtle squeeze with his own. "And tonight, we can have our own celebration..." The hazel-haired man held J'torian under his power with his green eyes, and his thoughts were clearly readable.

J'torian coughed, smiled, and looked down in embarrassment, but looked back up as Goldrider, Veggie, and Threadhead flew over to join them. He offered some whiteroot to his greens, but they turned up there noses and walked over to G'mead, cheeping and begging for some of his stew.

J'torian shook his head. "Ungrateful little watchwhers." He glanced at the nearby table once more. "Hm, I wonder what Lirini and F'tran are talking about. And where are Ocean and R'dolan? We need to talk with them."

G'mead threw his head back and laughed at his dark-haired lover's aburpt subject change, from fire lizards to Ocean and R'dolan. "Darling, do you actually think fire lizards will be grateful for anything that has no meat?"

J'torian chuckled as he watched the three small beasts accept morsels from G'mead's fork. "You're right, of course... But wait, if you're feeding them, you won't be able to feed yourself..." J'torian quickly took a slice of his wherry meat, put a chunk of a crunchy tuber onto the slice, and wrapped the tuber into a ball using the wherry meat. He dipped the ball into the sauce and motioned for G'mead to open his mouth - the hazel-haired man, busy feeding the fire lizards, cheerily opened his mouth like a little kid to accept the food. He chewed a few times and his eyes widened.

G'mead: "Hey, this is good! Harlegen did a smashing job."

"Didn't he? Here, open your mouth again."

G'mead innocently opened his mouth to accept another ball of wherry/tuber, but this time he grabbed J'torian's hand and gently sucked the light wherry juices off his fingers.

J'torian pulled his hand away quickly. "G'mead!" He looked around the Cavern to see if anyone noticed and huffily cleaned his fingers in the fingerbowl, trying not to grin when he heard G'mead's evil chuckle.

J'torian allowed himself a small smile as he said: "We celebrate toNIGHT, okay?"