jess_i_cah

OOC: Wait no longer... the log is here.

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 02:52:48 GMT

Yup. Finished /that/ scene. There's more to come, because I've got a few more scenes before another entry from Jess... but for the curious, here's the first of the few.

Hearth (#5822)
Warmth from the stone hearth radiates throughout this area, flowing around the myriad of chairs scattered about. With the old-Auntie, straight-backed chairs, huge fluffy chairs, and even the assorted gathering of rocking chairs, everyone should be able to find something to their liking. The floor here is adorned with an old rug that is rather faded but still comfortable enough to serve as additional seating should anyone wish. Baskets of yarn and darning needles are close at hand, and along the hearth's mantel you can always find at least a pitcher or two of fresh klah.
Gliding above is a brown firelizard.
G'deon is here.
Obvious exits:
Living Caverns

G'deon is, for the first time in ages, doing little more than lounging and reading. A tall glass of iced tea stands on the small table next to his armchair, slowly collecting condensation. The book he's reading is a somewhat newer one, going by the binding, though that isn't always the best indication.

Jessica has taken it upon herself to search Gids out, and is looking rather splendid today in her low-cut top and /rather/ tight pants. "Um..." She murmurs as she spots the bronzerider, smoothing her hands down her thighs. "Hey, G'deon." Hair flick. Oh, yeah. How -you- doin'??

G'deon looks up as Jessica speaks to him, prompting a quick smile. "Hi there, Jessica," the rider says, quickly closing the book and getting to his feet. "How are you today?" There. Nice and casual.

"Hey, I'm great. How 'bout you?" If we want to play the casual game, Jessica is an expert. Kind of. Taking her approaching steps slowly, she brings her hands up to rest on her hips. For hip-emphasis, or something. Not that the tight pants really need any help in this instance, but it can't hurt.

"Oh, I'm all right, thanks," G'deon replies, looking a little more relaxed than in the last month or so. He sets the book down on the small side table and takes a seat again, just... smiling. And lounging. "Sorry about running out like I did the other day. There's been so much going on lately, you know?"

Jessica simpy nods, cracking a crooked smile. "Good to hear." Taking some initiative, she saunters (yes, /saunters/!) over to the chair closest to G'deon, and points to it. "Don't apologise, it's just life. Mind if I sit?" There's an almost-wink there, though she wusses out before actually executing the move.

G'deon smiles as he nods in return, scooting down enough to lounge most comfortably in the chair. "I don't mind at all," he tells her as he picks up his glass of iced tea and takes a sip. For a very brief moment, his focus hazes as his head starts to turn towards the bowl. He makes no comment on it, however, instead just taking another sip and cradling the glass in his hands. "So, all packed for the big trip?"

Lowering down into the seat carefully (due to tight pants and a loath to rip certain seams open), Jessica rests her arms on the sides, drumming her nails softly. "All packed. Just waiting for Marond's word, now. How about you? Decided if you want to come?" No double entendre, oh no. Her voice is a little less whiny-high-pitched-teen today, edging towards breathy. But not yet laughable, of course.

G'deon nods along with Jessica's words, though at the question, he pauses. "I haven't yet, no," Gid answers, frowning slightly. "There's so much here I need to take care of. My son is still sleeping on the couch because I haven't had a chance to finish his bed yet, for instance. It would seem pretty selfish of me to take off to Southern for a while." The rider shrugs slightly, then drinks again before setting the glass on the table once more, carefully to keep it a safe distance from the book.

Jessica echoes the slight frown, though she doesn't keep it long. "That's too bad. But if you get a spare day, you should visit... provided the weather isn't horrible." Eyes drifting away for a moment, she takes a pause to breath in and out slowly a few times. "So." And that's it, apparently. All worked up for a 'so'.

"I'll keep that in mind," G'deon promises to Jessica as he folds his hands across his torso. And after the woman's 'So', he echoes it and leans to the side slightly, his head cradles against the corner of the slightly wing-backed chair. "We were going to talk, weren't we," he states mildly, his voice quiet and nothing but sincere. "Anything in particular you'd like to get off your mind?"

Jessica takes another one of those slow breaths. "Well, yes, actually. Since you already... ah, know, what I'm, ah... yeah." So much for the whole slinky-minx thing she had going on. Stuttering wasn't part of the plan! "Anyway." Hair flick. Always a good confidence booster, when you're a 20-turn-old blonde. "I think you know what I want to say, the question is... what do you think about it?"

"Perhaps... an inkling," G'deon replies, giving the woman a slightly uncertain frown. "I mean, there could be a lot of things. But when you get right down to it," he continues, sitting up again and settling both feet flat on the ground, "if we can't just talk about it, then the rest won't make much sense."

"True." Jessica muses, tucking some hair behind her ears. "Well then. I guess I could start by saying... you're very handsome, you know?" She's not blushing, she's not blushing, she's not... yes, she's blushing. "And that kinda gets a girl thinking." Bringing her hands down into her lap, Jess clasps them, before quickly moving them (still clasped) up onto the armrest again. Perhaps the lap isn't a good place for hands to be, especially if not totally visible to all parties.

Ironically, this seems to make G'deon relax, even going so far as to bring a relieved expression to his face. "Oh! Well... thank you, Jessica." Faranth only knows what he thought she was going to say. "You're extremely nice to look at, yourself, I must admit. So, uh... this is a /physical/ thing?" he adds, his tone hesitant and tumbling, all at the same time. Best to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Well... yes, honestly. But you're really nice to talk to, as well, so I mean... if you're looking for something more, I guess..." Jessica trails off, attempting another smile. It kind of works, but not to the extent she'd like. Yeah, it's more of a slight turning of the corners of her mouth. Hmmm.

"No! I mean..." Right, Gid. How about /not/ sounding like an under-sexed pig. "It's just... I'm not looking for anything more right now. From anyone." Not... entirely what he means to say, but close enough. G'deon frowns, eyes squinting even more narrowly as he looks away. "Sorry, I'm no good at this sort of thing."

Jessica nods to herself a bit, fixing another smile on her face. This one works a little better. "Well, I guess that's a good thing then, isn't it? I mean, it could work... since we're both on the same page." She scratches at an imaginary itch on the back of her neck, wrinkling her nose. "Um, neither am I, so... yeah. You're, um... interested, though?" She sounds... hopeful. If not desperate, though we won't admit to that!

G'deon leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands together loosely. "So, it would be like... an understanding," he says slowly. Understanding sounds a little better than "arrangement". "It's certainly workable, if you're sure you'd be okay with something like that." He's trying rather hard to not sound like a dirty old man, but... dude. She's /twenty/. That's hot.

"Right. An understanding." Jessica can't help but sound pleased as she repeats it, equally as slowly. As G'deon leans forward, she leans back in her chair, subtly rolling her shoulders back and pushing out her twenty-turn-old chest. "I'm not looking for a husband, if you're worried about that?"

G'deon chuckles softly as he also leans back again, looking quite relaxed and rather pleased the conversation didn't dissolve into something... emotional. "Well, riders usually don't marry... so that's good!" Er... "And... I'm really cut out for that. So... y'know, if we both had another... or others on the side. You'd be okay with that?" he questions haltingly. It's not the sort of conversation one has every day, after all.

Jessica ponders for a moment, sliding her hand up along her thighs and onto her tummy. "Well. I'm not going to be around all the time, and I can hardly expect you'll be... then there's all that stuff about dragonriders and what not..." Here, she bats a hand, indicating perhaps a limited understanding of the concept, "So, yes, in a word. As long as it's not too committed... I don't think it'd work if I was emotionally 'with' someone else, do you?"

"Well, it would depend on who you're with," G'deon replies in a serious tone, brows rising. He stretches out his long legs, crossing them casually at the ankles while folding his hands over his stomach once more. "But... that would be for another time. You know, if and when you got to that point."

"It would?" Jessica frowns sightly, contemplating for a moment before dismissing her thoughts with another smile. "Yeah. If I got to that point." She absently starts to pat her stomach, arching her back slightly. "I don't want things to get awkward, though... between us. We're not going to have to avoid each other in public, are we?"

G'deon begins nodding a little bit but stops at Jessica's last question. "Awkward? Well... Shards, that does tend to happen, doesn't it..." He trails off and looks off towards the hearth, thinking things through as he quickly combs his fingers through his hair. It's more a self-conscious gesture than anything else. "It's not a necessary effect. But it does seem quite common," the rider continues after a moment, his voice thoughtful but distracted. "Changes stuff... Maybe it's not a good idea."

Jessica bites down on her lower lip nervously, following Gids' gaze downwards. "I don't mean... well, I mean, I do mean that it... ummm." She pauses, shaking her hair a little so she can tuck it behind her ear. "I meant, like, would you want it be a secret kind of thing? Or could we be a little more... y'know. Open about it?"

G'deon turns back to Jessica quickly and blinks. "Oh! Well... I don't hide much. Never needed to," the rider stammers, the surprised look morphing into a mild frown. "Why, would /you/ want it to be secret?"

"I don't think I would like that, G'deon. I don't want to be some little secret enterprise." Jessica notes, raising her eyebrows slightly. "And... you're not... worried about my age? I'm not... y'know... a child. I don't want it to be like X'ian and Ash were."

"Secrets often just lead to trouble in the end," G'deon agrees quietly, letting his head fall back against the chair as he thinks things through. "Well... no, you're obviously /not/ a child. That /X'ian/ sees /Ashli/ as a child speaks of his opinion of Ashli, not my opinion of you, Jessica." It makes sense in Gid's head, at least. "And it's not like anyone's being forced here, right? Just... a mutual sort of thing." Which rhymes so nicely with "fling".

"Good." Is Jessica's reply to the lot, after listening intently for the few moments it takes G'deon to speak. Her tummy-patting ceases, and she visibly relaxes in her chair. Her shoulder drop a little as the breath rushes out of her, nodding slowly. "So, then..."

So now they've covered the should's and should-not's. Next step? G'deon clears his throat a little and scoots back so he's sitting just a little higher in the chair. Because he needs to look taller. "Right. So, I'll have one of the local legal experts draft up a binding document, and we can sign it in blood in the dead of night while shrouded by black capes." Or not. The rider breaks into a grin and shrugs his wide shoulders just enough to be noticeable. "Sorry... I've never actually had a conversation like this with anyone before. Just... tumbled into things. And eventually... tumbled out of them again," he explains with a dry tone, eyes narrowing in a bit of a wince. Of course, this explains the whole fear of emotional attachments.

Jessica seems a little daunted at first, until she realizes by way of the grin that G'deon is... joking. Phew. She chuckles a little, tensing up again. "Mmmm... me neither, actually. I've never... well, had to... y'know. I've never really had to be the one doing the asking." She manages a smile, though it's overpowered by a rather bright flush of red in her cheeks.

G'deon doesn't seem at all put off by the blush, or by the situation for that matter. "There's nothing wrong with asking," he assures her. "Actually, I'm relieved you did. Besides which, perhaps it's just a personality trait showing through that would prove quite useful in your area of work, right?" He pulls his feet back and leans forward as if he's about to get to his feet. "Tell you what. In an effort towards forward motion, I'll show you the weyr." And just to forestall any dirty-old-man assumptions, he holds up a hand and grins. "Not as a come on. Just... strings or no strings, I think it's important to at least get to know each other, right? Besides, Nylanth is dying to show you his collection of knick-knacks now."

Jessica's blush starts to dissipate slowly, and she starts to chuckle again. "You are, huh?" Cue the glib smile, followed by a nod at the mention of her job. Which she's actually currently shirking. Great example, this girl. "Only if you've got time... I mean, I know you're busy." She gets to her feet, trying her best to stand her full five-foot-eight-inches tall. Because if either of the two need to look taller, she figures it's her. "He is? He has knick-knacks? I mean, um... anyway." So much for the vanishing blush...

G'deon does get to his feet finally and offers a hand most gallantly to Jessica, along with a friendly smile that is ironically lacking in leer-like qualities. "I wouldn't have offered if I don't have the time. And yeah, he has this thing about collecting odd things. There's this odd thing that kind of looks like a riding helmet, but... not. He found it at the bottom of the ocean Turns ago. It's my favorite. His is the old net it was caught in." Chatter, chatter, chatter.

Taking G'deon's hand, Jessica raises an eyebrow skeptically. "This, I've got to see. He just... goes out and collects things, what... when you're not looking?" She shrugs her shoulders up a little, wrinkling her nose at the idea. It's novel, apparently. "It sounds interesting... he must be, um... cool. To live with. If that makes sense?"

G'deon laughs softly as he helps Jessica to her feet. (Can't have her ripping those nice trousers, after all. Well... not yet. << Stop that. >> ) "Sometimes he lets me in on it," he tells the woman, sounding rather amused. "And sometimes I find out after the fact and hopefully know who to return the 'treasures' to. But... yeah. He's my best friend, y'know?" G'deon finishes as he starts to head towards the bowl.

(end log)

OOC Stuff

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 03:46:14 GMT

I have logs. And scenes to finish. And will update once the aforementioned are edited/completed.

In the meantime, I'm following suit. If anyone has questions for Jess, shoot; I'll do my best for y'all.

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 13:22:55 GMT

I don't know what to say. Maybe Mama's right.

Infirmary (#7841)
Echoing and austere, blank stone walls are vaulted high to overshadow the row of white-curtained cots along the back wall. Ancient metal gleams steel-bright in the form of sinks and examination table, lit relentlessly by bright glows and reflecting the colours of bottles and jars shelved above. Padlocked cabinets hide the more dangerous drugs and implements, whilst healer paraphernalia litters one solid oak table with sweetly-fragranced herbs and tattered scrolls. A small hearth contains a fire usually banked low, several cauldrons set ready nearby to for heating water. A dark staircase twists up from one corner to the dragonhealer's lair; one low door leads into the lower caverns, another... [look closer]
Comfortable on top of a cupboard are four firelizards.
You see Examination Area 1 and Examination Area 2 here.
You notice Elehu and Alyx asleep here.
X'ian and Olwen are here.
Obvious exits:
Ground Weyrs Inner Caverns Healers' Quarters

"Oh, you're funny, X'ian." Amusement sparks here and there among self righteous indignation-- but all that is in the eyes, her tone is utterly flat. "Now are you going to show me what you knit or am I going to have to appeal to the higher powers of domestication to bring out the booties?" Now that she's got ink smeared over the lower half of her face and one finger, she avoids touching anything besides X'ian-- who's pant leg is getting the brunt of her attention.

"Aw, son of a bitch...with just holes I could have written these things off as a fashion statement." Leaning around his list to peer at the damage delt to his own shabby pant leg, X'ian gives Olwen a pit-bullish look before thumping back against the pillow behind him yet again. "My foot itches."

Jessica trudges in from the inner caverns, rugged up in one of the hooded sweaters that seem to have become her usual attire of late. The swelling in her left cheek seems to have settled, though the bruising is still quite dark, stretching up to encompass the small indent under her eye. The ugly wires of her headgear peek out from under the hood, still prying her mouth open, baring her teeth. As she approaches a spare bed near X'ian's, her attention diverts to the 'rider and his company, whilst she de-hoods. Inky Olwen is fixed with a puzzled look for a few seconds, before one of the infirmary assistants sweeps over to 'assist'. As assistants do. "Miss Jessica?" "I need some more numbing salve for my tooth." Jessica replies shortly, shaking herself slightly to bring her attention back to the assistant. And causing a bit of pain in said tooth in the process, as her headgear moves slightly.

Olwen is the picture of skepticism. "Everything you wear is a fashion statement, and in case you couldn't hear the sarcasm there, I was making fun of you... just now." Now that most of the ink has been transposed from her finger to X'ian's pants, she looks ready to be friendly again. Jessica's entrance has Olwen peering intently at the hood and craning her neck to try and see the headgear clearly. "Man, they weren't kidding when they say you got fucked up pretty bad, huh?" But it seems that the novelty of a bruised face and a trussed up jaw wears off quickly, because before Jessica can answer, she's looking down at X'ian's feet. "Which one?"

X'ian is still busy trying to inspect the damage to his trousers without being obvious about it when Olwen's statement draws his attention back up onto Jessica. Caught completely off guard, X'ian actually jerks back against the pillow behind him, his greeting taking the form of a, "Holy /shit/." Yeah. X'ian and Olwen. Two very reassuring individuals. Still staring, it takes X'ian a moment to add on a distracted, "Uh....the right one."

Jessica mouth is already open, making it fairly easy to chip in a quick reply... but alas, Olwen and X'ian are too quick to move onto new things. Jess just looks hurt (no pun intended), and forces her attention back to the assistant again as she's addressed. "Did you use the tub they gave you already, Miss?" Sigh. Shrug. Blink, blink, blink, as a tear starts to form. Something caught in her eye, honest! "I wasn't given a tub, I was told to report here when I needed more." Her voice is shaky, as she replies, and the assistant immediately sets about finding some salve with a nod. "Ashli's worried about you." Jessica ventures just as shakily, over to X'ian, rolling the sleeves of her sweater up as she tries to appear casually unaffected.

Olwen scratches intently at X'ian's itchy right foot before she hazards another glance at Jessica. She doesn't have anything particularly enlightening to add so she merely stares directly at the bruising and head gear. She's all heart. Really.

"Aah..." X'ian relaxes despite himself once the foot is scratched, but it takes some clear effort to pull his gaze off of Jessica's headgear to focus intently upon Olwen. Like scraping burnt cheese out of the bottom of a pan, and in five seconds, it's back again. At least this time it's more fascinated than horrified. "Ashli? Er...Worried about...the injuries, right?" Folding his list in half as he speaks, X'ian looks back down to scribble something on the back before handing it to Olwen.

"Uh, could you -not- stare at me like that?" Jessica shoots rather agitatedly at Olwen, stumbling over close-lipped sounds. She tries a scowl, forcing the headgear to move and cause her more pain. Latching her hands onto the edge of the bed, she bears down tightly with her grip, knuckles whitening. Her arms are visibly shaking. "Yes, but she's more worried about why you keep fucking up on purpose, excuse my language." If Jess could grit her teeth, she'd be speaking through them, but as such, she has to settle for the grating sound of her voice cracking with mixed anger and shame. Headgear isn't fun.

Olwen is finding it really -really- hard to look away from the obvious bruising and physical anguish of Jessica's sustained injury. So hard, in fact, she's unable to comprehend whatever is going on. "Who's Ashli..?" See? Headgear is just so fascinatingly intricate, and "it's so purple..." This, probably is said in regards to the bruising before-- "What? Oh, yeah, whatever." She's looking away anyway, directly at the piece of paper X'ian handed her. Upon reading the scribbled words she pauses, her jaw drops, and she reads it again. She turns away from X'ian and Jessica for half a moment, face obscured so no expressions can be seen. A mild garble of noises arises from Olwen, somewhat like laughter, somewhat like disgust, but when she turns back she's got her poker face on. "Woah, did you just swear? Well shit, I think we're a bad influence." This is probably directed at X'ian but you wouldn't really be able to tell from the way she's back to staring at Jessica's face.

X'ian, having apparently forgotten about the ink not entirely wiped from his own fingers, wraps a firm hand around one of Jessica's shaking wrists. "Heey, woah...lighten up a bit, before you rattle the rest of your teeth out of your head." Easing his hand down over her's, he pries at the fingers briefly - eventually getting the index into a loose point before holding down the rest fingers and wagging the hand, pointed finger and all, at Olwen as he does a very, very poorly parroted version of Jessica's voice and says, "Stop saying 'shit', dammit! This is very serious!" Anything strange Olwen might be doing with his note is pointedly ignored.

"Shut the fuck up, dimglow." Jessica blinks at Olwen, unable to stop the first tear from falling. As X'ian starts to pry her hand loose, she focusses her attention on him, wrenching her still shaking hand back from his grasp. "Get off me, you sorry excuse for a person!"

Olwen snorts, looking thoroughly amused at X'ian's-- or is it Jessica's-- finger shaking. "This is usually the point in the conversation when you make a dignified if hasty retreat." Olwen looks genuinely concerned at Jessica's response to the barbs... concerned, but not surprised. "I could get you something? Some sort of... um... can you drink klah with that-- Okay, sorry, listen, X'ian's just an asshole." Because she had absolutely nothing to do with Jessica's current state.

"Hup..." is the noise X'ian makes as he shifts to swing both legs over the side of the cot, his right hand squeezing down firmly (but not painfully so) on Jessica's wrist as his left wraps around the head of his cane, and he shifts up onto his feet - if weakly. The cane needs to be on the right side, and his left arm isn't really functioning in full with the damage to his ribs, but he pulls Jessica in close anyway, trying to get his right arm around her shoulders before she can wriggle away. Or hurt him. "Aw, Jess, c'mon. You aren't going to have that thing on your face forever. So what if you look like a retard for a week or two? In a month we're all going to look back on this and laugh." The look he gives Olwen very clearly states, 'Riiight?'

Jessica takes a deep breath, carefully contemplating her next sentence. "I know how X'ian is." And then, "Just shut-up." To Olwen. She tries weakly to resist X'ian's pull, though it's half-hearted, and she gives in without too much resistance, letting him slip an arm around her shoulder. "I don't give a flying fuck about the headgear anymore, X'ian. It hurts. It's ugly. So what. I'm pissed off that I go for a quiet talk with a friend of mine, who presumes you care for her as much as she cares for you, yet as soon and I mention your name... hell, X'ian. Give her a little bit of respect, would you?"

Olwen sighs, rubbing at her nose as the newly dried ink begins to itch. At Jessica's scathing reprimand, Olwen merely looks bored before flouncing backwards so her feet are trailing off the end of X'ian's bed and her head is propped against the part of X'ian's leg that isn't covered in black streaks. Body posture should be enough to alert X'ian that she's bored again, but instead of getting some sort of amusing response, she gets the 'riiight' look. "Yeah, it's ugly, but it's temporary and it kind of brings out your eyes in a weird sort of--" Anyway, she's done and idly pulling X'ian's little slip of paper between her fingers as she looks for something to do that doesn't involve the breaking down of Jess.

[OOC:] Olwen belatedly realizes that X'ian stood up... Mm.. Head therefore, is now propped against the pillow. Continue scene.

X'ian rolls his eyes at Olwen's astounding lack of cooperation, but makes no comment on it, simply tugging Jessica in all the closer. As oddly balanced as he is, his shoulders slanted at a weird angle and his chin nearly to his chest, it's likely that he's leaning part of his weight onto Jessica to keep from falling over. "Look, I respect Ashli plenty, Jess, but as I'm sure you can understand, I've been under a great deal of stress lately, and I believe I'm about one serious scowl away from going insane." X'ian's smile is a little /off/ as he says this, his arm jostling Jessica's shoulders slightly. "So maybe we could all just stop taking ourselves seriously for just a few minutes. Okay?"

Jessica just sighs, Olwen's non-compliance and X'ian's weight and/or revelation provoking some sort of detachment-mechanism in her personality. "Whatever." She lets her shoulders drop a little, reaching up a hand to wipe her tears away, turning her head away from her newfound leech. "Even though I doubt you'd tell me, judging by past attempts at civil conversation between the two of us, I told her I'd ask. Why do you keep messing up on purpose?" She turns her scary-looking wire-fitted head back to stare intently at X'ian. The infirmary assistant, who had been standing well clear of the trio, sets a small pot down on X'ian's now-empty bed. He waves, and points at the jar, but Jessica doesn't notice.

Ooo. New toy. X'ian and Jessica's little heart-to-heart poses less interest then the jar which Olwen immediately snatches and begins fiddling with.

Pff. Child.

"Since when do guys need to have a /reason/ to mess up? These things just.../happen/...I'm impulsive...She thinks I'm doing it on purpose?" His grip on her slacking, X'ian scowls. Fortunately, he doesn't immediately go insane. "This is one of the reasons I didn't want to get involved in the first place. I'm not well trained enough. I'm going to keep screwing up, she's going to worry, /I'm/ going to worry about her worrying, then we argue, and now you're in here sulking because you can't take heat off a pair of Weyr rejects." His lower jaw jutting, X'ian keeps an eye on Olwen and the tub, wary of her trying something with it.

"Yes." Jessica inserts after 'on purpose?', quite serious. She pauses after his little speech ends, and tries to shimmy away. Personal leaning post isn't exactly fun, either. "Then why did you?" She asks simply, lightening up a fair bit. No more tears, at least.

Olwen is still avidly screwing and unscrewing the lid and... you know.. numbing her fingers while she's at it. Who's a child? "Hey, who's a Weyr reject? You're such an ass, why I even take time out of -my- busy day to come and see you is beyong me." And there you have it, Olwen's brilliant contribution.

"Oh, don't get surly on me now." X'ian mutters to Olwen, only just managing to switch his cane from left hand to right in time to regain his balance as Jessica detaches herself. "Look, I'm not having this conversation with /you/. If Ashli wants to come speak to me, tell her that she's more than welcome." Shrugging his shoulders in weak exasperation,
X'ian's pause is a brief one. "I can't leave and I haven't seen her in days. She doesn't want me speaking to her through Wyn, and I don't want to speak to her through you. So get out."

"Don't order me around as though this is -your- infirmary, you great wherryhead! I'm here trying to help you out, despite the fact that I should very well tell Ashli to piss you off and find someone worth her time. X'ian, I honestly don't understand why I bother with you, most days. It never fucking amounts to anything but nastiness on your part, and disappointment on mine." And with that, she stalking past Olwen, making an attempt at snatching the open jar on her way out.

Olwen responds to X'ian's mutter with a brilliant smile that could charm the pants off the most stiff-backed Hold virgin. "Let's go numb something." And the way her eyes slide towards the few convalescents in the room in various states of sleep or stupor, you can take a guess at what she's thinking about expending that salve on. Get your mind out of the gutter. As Jessica stalks past, Olwen deftly holds the jar out of reach, content to let the fired up female stomp out without obtaining what she came for.

X'ian takes a step back out of the way, in full-blown brood mode, now. "Give her the salve, Olwen. I'll request some for myself that you can play with."

Olwen doesn't pout, she merely looks up from her jar to square off in a glance with the rider. An extended pause passes between the two, and apparently X'ian's got the bigger balls in this round because she neatly screws the lid back on and offers it to Jessica with a wan smile.

Jessica sighs, stopping only long enough for a quick, "Keep it." She can always stop by for more later, and by the time Olwen's offered the re-lidded jar her way, she's off again. And almost out of the room, in just a few short seconds.

Laundry Cavern.

As Jessica exits the infirmary sans numbing salve, tears start to stream down her face. As quickly and quietly as possible, she skirts around the cavern and starts to head towards the laundry.

"Mama!"

A woman who looks as though she might be Jessica aged ten or twenty turns is kneeling with a scrubbing board on her lap, soaping a shirt in the laundry pool. Her long blonde hair is twisted back into a bun of plaits, pinned so that the pins don't show. "Jessi, sweetie!" She smiles, greeting her daughter before looking up. The woman's smile changes quickly into a concerned frown as she lifts her head, eyes locking on Jessica.

"Mama..." Jessica show now signs of slowing her jogging pace as she approaches, wrapping her arms around her mother as the woman sets her washing aside and stands up to meet her. Serica is a lot taller than her daughter, and Jess nudges her head into the crook of her mother's shoulder as she hugs.

"What is it, love?" Serica prompts, her voice tainted with a very good mimic of worry.

"It's... him..." Jessica sobs, pain shooting through her jaw as the wires holding her lost tooth back in place jar against her mother's shoulder. She starts to shake, paling considerably.

"Jessica. Shhhh. It's ok, shhh..." Serica cradles her daughter's head, inadvertentlyjarring the headgear more. "Shh, my baby. It's ok." Her frown deepens into a scowl, and she holds her free hand up to dismiss the few odd looks coming from the rest of the launderers.

As pain explodes in her jaw again, Jessica cries out, ducking out of Serica's embrace. After a moment's pause and much more sobbing, she takes a step back towards her mother, reaching out to take her hands. "Why..." She begins, but another involuntary sob cuts her off. "Do I keep going back for more?" The rest of her question is punctuated with the same involuntary sobs, and much sniffling.

Serica offers her water-wrinkled hands to her daughter, squeezing gently and pulling Jessica closer. "Because you're a good person, love. Good things come to good people, remember?"

Jessica snorts at that, still not in full control of her breathing. "That's not true, Mama."

Serica frowns again, moving in to plant a kiss gently on Jessica's forehead. "My dear, don't say that. You've got plenty to be thankful for... you've a job, a home, a mother who loves you..."

"Wyn's sister was there this time. I think I hate her."

"Child! Don't say that!" Serica looks horrified.

"Mama, be real! That's what you always say. 'Just be real, be..." Jessica imitates Mum, pitching her voice higher and waggling a finger.

"... yourself, and you'll be happy. Well, it's true, Jessica. It works for me."

"It's true for you. I'm myself everyday, Mama, and look where it's got me! I'm twenty, you still call me child and I still cry in your arms when people say nasty things to me!"

"So stop." Serica offers a solution, dropping Jessica's hands and moving back towards her work.

Jessica stands dumbfounded for a moment, sniffling. She watches as Serica kneels, and takes up her scrubbing board again. "What... do you mean?" She asks in a small voice.

"If you don't want to be childish anymore, Jessica, then simply stop. There's no magic involved in growing up, dear. It's just something you do... you just stop acting like a child. If you don't want X'ian to vex you so, just stop caring. Or start avoiding him. I'd suggest you stop caring what he thinks of you and find someone else to seek approval from."

Stricken by her mother's words (which have hit the nail on the head), Jessica starts to cry again. "I -don't- care!!"She turns and leaves, ignoring the parting words from Serica.

"Yes, you do." Serica intones knowingly, satisfied Jessica has heard her, even though there's no response.

Just outside the laundry cavern, Jessica slumps against the wall. 'Yes... I do.' The though echoes in her head, drifting through the pain of a headache and the throbbing of her jaw.

OOC: Log.

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 23:05:24 GMT

Isa's Illustrious Illahie (#15384)
A work in progress, is this weyr. A brightly colored bed rests against one wall, and a ragged-looking rug rests on the floor, the rug once perhaps having been a pure, snowy, white, but is now a rather indeterminate shade of silver-gray. An unused (as of yet) fireplace is set into one wall, mantel above it of a deep, deep brown, apparently the same wood that was used in her bed. A collection of large, brightly colored cushions rest in no particular pattern around the fireplace, overstuffed items perfect for simply sitting and relaxing upon. Sadly, the mantel is empty of all but a strange-looking mug, and the only real decoration in the room is a faded tapestry upon the wall that was most... [look closer]
It is a winter midmorning. Sunlight spills out all white across the sky, lighting the high clouds with its cold rays. There is little warmth, although no wind stirs the air. Snow from past storms blankets the land.
To the northwest, you see three dragons.
You see Ashli's Rainbow Nest, Wenchbeard Mug, and Happy Egg here.
Ashli is here.
Obvious exits:
Ledge
Ashli is flopped on her bed, an assortment of rainbow-colored pillows flopping around her. Ash is...contemplating. A few hides lie beside her bed, but they seem to have been lying there for a while. Isamath is similarly contemplating...or perhaps she's simply dozing. Either way, silence seems to be reigning in the brightly colored weyr today.

Jessica walks in from the ledge, knocking softly before entering. It's polite, after all. "Ashli?" She calls softly, able to pronounce the name properly through her wire contraption. She's hooded in fur, the soft hairs teasing out her own at the front in a halo of frizz. Could easily be mistaken for a monster.

Ashli looks up at the voice, "Heyla...oh, my!!" Ash springs up from the bed, usual energy present, and barrels towards Jessica, tilting her head to the side as she inspects the older girl. "Jess, oh, dear! I hadn't realized you'd been hurt this badly! Ohh, X'ian's going to get it for this one." A vague threat, but, who knows, Ash may have secret evil plans up her sleeve. "You poor thing? What is all this? Does it hurt? Your eye...oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" She considers all this for a moment before, with an impish grin, "But, hey, just think about all the stories you can tell your kids one day about the time you got to wear a shiny thing! Badge of honor, ey?" Her tone quiets, though, and she grins softly. "So, how are you, truly?"

Jessica starts to leak tears again as Ashli rises and starts to fuss. "Nnnnh." Wiping the tears roughly from her right side, and a lot more gently from the left, she sighs. "It's not X'ian hault," She defends, faltering in her speech. Which prompts another tear. You've got to chuckle, though, when someone mentions stories for the kids... which Jessica does. "Nnnnh, I suttose. I'n ok, I guess, excett I can't talk hrot-ly, and I look like a hreak... and I can't eat hrot-ly." Hrot-ly. Properly. Indeed, she's a poor thing.

Ashli hmpfs, and extends her arms to give Jessica a comforting hug, careful of her side. "Don't fret, Jess. You'll be the talk of the brat caves. I'd lay down a mark that says you'll have at least six brats come up to you begging to know your side of the story. Maybe you could get a Harper to make a song out of it..." Ash contemplates this for a moment, and dubs it, "Jessica's Journey through...a...Jumble." Ooh, aah, look at that alliteration. Perhaps it's a good thing she's not a Harper. "Well, perhaps there's a better name than that...but...hm." Ash pauses, yet again, before she shakes her head. "You look fine. Believe me, Jess, you're lovely. Even with a few bruises, you still manage to shine. What I wouldn't do for lovely blonde hair like yours that lies nice and straight. Must be fun to brush...and, goodness, Jess, you can't tell me you don't know that you're the topic of many late-night guard conversations. Siren told me, I believe..." Ash says this conspiratorially, and with a wink, before she notes oh-so-innocently, "So, do tell, have you gone to G'deon for his...ministrations to your battle-wounds? He knows quite a bit about Healing, you know, and I'm sure he'd be...overjoyed...to give you a hand?" Ah, the look of innocence. Priceless. If only she could pull it off a little bit better...

Jessica accepts the hug gratefully, pulling Ash in close. About time someone she didn't call Mama hugged her! "The kids hath already started!" Letting go, she paces over to Ashli's bed, taking a seat on the edge. "I don't think I really rant a song adout be..." If only those lips would meet! A hint of blush creeps into her good cheek, and she un-hoods as Ashli chatters about her hair. Because, she is proud of her hair, however oily and gross it might be looking at the present moment. "Nnnn... Aries cane to chat to ne adout Siren a-hile ago." She pauses, as though contemplating that conversation. Apprently, there's nothing really worth mentioning about it, because she's content to move on innocently to the topic of G'deon. "Huh? Rot do you nean, Ash? I saw Elehu adout ny tooth, and the Naster hrom Hort. Rye rould I hother G'deon?"

Ashli follows Jess over and flops herself on the bed after moving a garish-looking lemon-yellow pillow out of the way. "Have they? Aww...brats are cute..." She wrinkles her nose in fond memory before blinking at the mention of Aries, and then blinking as she comments about G'deon, the girl's eyes twinkling merrily. "Well, because G'deon is very attractive." Blunt, but Ash flashes a friendly smile as she notes, "And I'm quite sure he couldn't resist a lovely damsel in distress."

"Are you serious?" Jessica looks surprised, leaning back onto her elbows. A well-placed bright green pillow serves to prop her up some. "Ethen ren... I look like... this?" And after a slight pause, "And -talk- like this?"

Ashli shrugs merrily. "Well, 'twas a thought." She considers, then notes, "And your speech truly isn't that bad. Sort of like...brat-with-a-cookie-ese. It isn't difficult to understand at all, and, you know, the whole damsel in distress could work quite well for you. Bring out that protective instinct, you know." Ash tosses all this out casually, though her eyes are fairly dancing with merriment. Ah, Ash is in her old element - attempted matchmaking.

Jessica shuffles a little, settling on down into the bed. "Rell... he -is- kinda... handsone..." And here comes that blush again. "Hut... Ash, how in Haranth's nane can I hlirt like this? I can't exactly tut on a sexy dress and start naking eyes at hin... it'd just look scary!!" Oh yeah. The little black dress, the sexy hair... the shiny wires covering the lower half of her face, the black eye and purple cheek. Who could resist? "I don't know."

Some consideration is given to that, before Ash finally queries, "Well, when are you allowed to get that contraption off? It looks rather uncomfortable...can't be too long, right? And then you could go visit him for some...numbweed. For your...eye. And you have very striking eyes, and I'm sure if you just asked him to help apply it, you know, because your hands are...shaky...he'd be more than willing, hm?" Ohh, a diabolical plan. It may perhaps even work.

"Not hor a hew weeks, at least... detends on how hast the gun heals." Jessica replies sullenly, with a sigh afterwards. "D'you think... ih I went to see hin adout the nun-weed... now... he'd... y'know? De all... grossed out, or rot-ether?"

Ashli nods slowly, grumbling something about just what she's going to do to X'ian next time she sees him, before she blinks. "Grossed out?" The rot-ether, Ash is still attempting to decipher, and so, she concentrates on the first statement, noting, "Of course not. He's seen it all, and you're a pretty girl, victim of a tragic fight that you were swept into purely by accident..." Ah, how poetic...

Whatever. Understandable that it might take a moment or two to figure out, though. Jessica starts to giggle, in a way reserved only for girl-chats. Like now. "Rot nakes you think he'd de interested, anyway? I nean, like... if I hadn't deen in the hight, you still think he'd de interested?" Jess prods, readjusting her posture again.

Ashli quirks an eyebrow, and answers immediately. "Yes. Definitely." And Ash seems to take no argument on this one, remarking positively, "Remember when we were in the Galleries that time, with G'deon there too?" The young rider contrives to, yet again, look innocent, as she repeats, "Yes. I think he would be. And he'd be crazy not to be, and one thing G'deon hasn't been accused of yet, is being crazy."

"He ros interested -then-?" Jessica mumbles, taken aback yet again. Someone needs to build like... an interest-detector. Or something. Though for now, friends like Ashli will do. "Well. I stose I could go see hin... later. Anyway, enouhh adout ne. Rot's ut rith you? Hath you deen to see X'ian in the inhirnary yet?" Jess takes a moment to sit up, reaching around behind her for the pillow and hugging in her lap. Note to self: pillows are good. Get more for own bed.

Ashli positively beams at Jessica, her eyes twinkling at the older girl's question. "Aye, sounds like a plan." she agrees, before she blushes. "No...not yet. I should, but...we had an argument a little while ago, and he made me think about a lot of things, and I felt really...unworthy of everything for a while, so I just sort of hid. But...I think, after these couple days of thought, that he was right, and that I did just need to stop and think about where I am in life and where I want to go. But...I can't bring myself to visit him yet, because I don't want to see him hurt. All I want to do, Jess, is capture him in here and make sure he can't leave until he promises that he won't get into a fight again. I rather want to protect him, but he's a man, he can take care of himself...I just wish he'd stop getting hurt. I rather like him in one piece, you know." And after that long monologue, Ash quiets herself for a moment, toying with a tassel on one of her fat, rather ugly pillows.

"Yeah." Is Jessica's first reaction, as Ashli finally quiets for a breath or two. "I hathen't seen hin since Dorax hinished hixing ny tooth... I think he's ok, though. I know rot you nean adout the hight thing, though... rell, I nean... I don't know like, hirst-hand or anything... hut... yeah. I understand, and all." She nods, reaching out a hand should Ash feel like a bit of comfort. "That's the thing adout older nen, you know. They alrays think they know dest... hor us -and- thenselths." She pauses, as though finished, but after only a moment, adds, "Hath you asked hin rye he does it?"

Ashli nods again, though she notes, "Aye. He views me as young, un-worldly at times, I believe. He doesn't expect me to...feel as passionately about the weyr as I do, and when I do display strong emotions, it surprises him." Ash shakes her head this time, as if in actual wonder at the idea, before she blinks. "Asked him? Well...no, actually. I guess I've always assumed it's just a way for him to get out excess energy when he's angry about something, but...hm..."

"Yeah. Rell... I nean, I ras going to go see hin later anyray... I could try an talk to hin for you, if you like. Not that he'd say nuch to ne, hut if you think it's rorth a shot?" Jessica offers, leaving her hand outstretched and resting on the bed. She crosses her legs one over the other, rolling her dangling foot in a circular motion. Just 'cause.

Ashli sits silently before noticing the hand and reaching for it almost instinctively to give it a squeeze, though whether this squeeze was for Ashli's benefit or Jess'...well, perhaps even Ash doesn't quite know. She finally speaks, however, and her voice is soft when she does, "If you'd like to speak to him, oh, please, be my guest. Perhaps it'd be easier for him to talk to someone he didn't just have an argument with, and you're easy to talk to, and friendly. Perhaps he'll truly open up to you. Faranth knows he seems to hide things from me..."

Jessica smiles at the squeeze, though it's probably unnoticeable since the wires holding her tooth in place are already stretching her mouth into a forced grin. "Oth course, Ash, I'll try it. Who knows, you night ethen be right." It's not like it's out of her way, anyway.

Ashli nods and smiles again. "Thanks, Jess...I hope he's all right. Do you think his leg will be all right? That'll be some scar...maybe it'll tell him what the weather will be! I knew a rider when I was younger who had a bad knee, and he always knew if it'd snow or not..." Ash bounces off on a completely different topic, chattering away about snow, and winter, and the chill at Reaches...

"Trolly, Ash. I don't see rye not... hut then, I'n not a healer. Naybe I could ask G'deon?" Cue that girly giggle again, as the topic drifts quite effortlessly to something lighter. Well done, Ashli. Expert topic-change. Unfortunately, Jessica moves to stand up. "It could cone in handy, ih that rer the case." She notes, tossing the pillow gently back onto the bed. "Anyray. I'd, ah... hetter get going. Got hronzeriders to hlirt rith, and ah... other rons to chat rith." She winks, raising a hand to wave a farewell to Isamath as she makes for the exit. Almost there, she pauses. "Ash... thanks hor the chat."

Ashli winks at Jess and replies with a return giggle, "Oh, do ask him, yes. Send along my regards when you see him!" she calls with a friendly grin, blinking over as the dozing Isa rouses herself enough to whuffle gently as Jess goes. Ash bounces off her bed and waves, "Any time, Jess. Thank /you/, truly. Goodness, did I need to talk to someone without having to /think/ about every single thing I say to wonder if they'll take it the wrong way, or if I said too much, or...anyways. Have fun with those hot bronzeriders, ey?" Ash meanders back towards her bed, rescuing a hide as she goes, apparently ready to actually accomplish some work today...if only for a little while.

Entry to come after more RP. ;o)

Less-than-attractive...

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 12:46:09 GMT

I'm so embarrassed.

I look like a freak.

There's wires coming in and out of my mouth at all sorts of angles, I can't speak properly, I can't eat properly... and I've got a tooth knocked out of my head. That's what the wires are for... to keep it in place. Master Borax from Fort says it will take weeks to heal... and until then, I've got to keep this stupid wire mask on. Not to mention the cost... I paid through the nose to look this freakish!

I should have known better. That's what it comes down to... me, getting emotional, and thinking I'm better than I really am. I should have just stood back and let that guard do his worst.

I'm so bloody stupid! You know, everyone's probably right in thinking I'm still that dumb little girl stealing all the cookies. I wish I still was that girl... at least I was good at stealing cookies.

I'm 20 now. No-one noticed, except Mama. It's kind of good that way... but I wish I had someone. Maybe he'd know I wasn't stupid and then I could stop being stupid because he'd know I wasn't. If someone knew I wasn't stupid... I

wouldn't

stupid.

And he'd care. And he'd love me, and I'd love him, and everything would be alright because of it. And I'd be pretty, and he wouldn't see my missing tooth or my black eye or my swollen cheek. I'm sick of the fuck years. I want to grow up.

Examination Area 1 (#10087)
Metal rods have been rigged into the ceiling in a corner of the infirmary, a heavy cloth curtain hanging down from it for privacy when needed. Behind the curtain, a large cot can be seen, along with a metal table on wheels and a small cabinet stocked with robes, towels and blankets.
You notice Teobald in the Examination Area 1.
Elehu is in the Examination Area 1.

Elehu is up to her neck in healerish things as of late, what with Falls and Brawls and early births and the like. There's always something new going on. She seems to have just finished patching up X'ian's ribcage area, allowing the apprentices to clean up the various tools while Ele washes her hands in some warm, soapy water.

Led into the infirmary by two young-looking Healers is Jessica, her feet unsteady and her hand apparently glued to her mouth. Or... something. Her usual fussiness over an injury is waived, in favour of an almost drugged state... she's blinking far more often than normal, and a few tears drip down her face.

Elehu looks up as yet another group enters the usually sterile world of the infirmary. She dries off her hands and quickly comes forward, waving Jessica's group to set her down on one of the cots towards the back. "You look a bit dazed, dear," she says to Jessica as she pulls a stool over and peers into the girl's eyes quickly. "A knock to the head?"

The already-forming purple bruise on her cheek might be a dead giveaway, but Jessica manages a small reply. "Uhhh-hunnhh." This triggers a rush of sobs from her, and she starts to rub her eyes... "Owww!" Pain kicks in as pressure is applied to the top her left cheek, and so the eye-rubbing stops. "She was in the brawl in the 'caverns, weyrhealer." One of the young men supplies, patting Jess on the shoulder softly.

Elehu nods quickly and starts issuing calm, quiet commands to the other healers, asking for snow in an oiled leather bag, among other things. "A bit of friendly fire?" she muses, not that it really matters. "Now, let me take a look. We'll get some ice on this as soon as possible." Luckily, it's winter, and there's tons of it about.

Jessica, holding a cup of milk containing her tooth, quiets considerably at the pat. It's amazing what handsome young men can do for a girl. She offers the cup gingerly to Elehu, sniffling. "Ny hoof hot hott out." Translation: My tooth got knocked out. Her tongue is stuck in the gap, by choice, of course. This makes speaking anything remotely intelligible a litte hard; though if Elehu can speak gibberish, it might just work out.

Elehu comes to a near standstill at first, as frozen as the beach outside. "Your tooth... yes... that must have been quite a hit to knock that loose," she finally says quietly, taking the cup in hand. Note to self: get a dentistry specialist to the Weyr one of these days. One of the apprentices returns with the usual first aid supplies. Elehu takes the roll of gauze and looks intently at Jessica. "This is going to hurt, but I need to get a good look at your mouth," the healer says, her voice brisk and a bit more intent than before.

Jessica sniffles some more, clenching her hands into fists by her side. She nods weakly, and grimaces, baring her teeth. Her jaw is slightly ajar, and the gap where her left eye tooth used to be is easily visible.

Elehu quickly dabs away blood from the gaping hole in Jessica's mouth until she can get a decent look. "Came away clean. I can try to set this if you'd like," she says, not actually waiting for much of a reply before adding, "good idea with the milk. Fish the tooth out, will you?" she adds more quietly to the apprentice who returns with the bag of packed snow. Luckily it's the better-looking apprentice. He does as he's told and soon hands over the pearly white bit of human anatomy to the weyrhealer.

Jessica moans loudly as Elehu dabs, almost shutting her jaw as the pain takes over again. She sways a little, her eyes rolling back. Looks like someone doesn't handle pain too well! The suggestion to fix her tooth back into place is greeting with as much of a nod as she can muster: not much, but noticeable if Elehu is looking. "Uuhhhhhhh." Whimper, whimper. Even the eye-candy isn't helping much.

Elehu takes the tooth with the merest hint of a shudder. Teeth. Mouths. Two of Ele's least favorite Healerish things, right after birthings. "I'll, uh... just set this." Way to sound confident. At least it's easy to tell which side goes in front. With barely concealed trepidation, Ele eases the tooth back into place until it looks like it's always been there. Aside from the blood and the inflamed gums. "And now we just need to keep it there." Right. With the amazing, magic Bond-o? Um...

"Aaaaaaahhh!" Comes Jessica's mutant-like scream, as Elehu replaces the tooth. Not fun. The shuddering starts up again, and her eyes roll back, her eyelids only slightly open. Garish sight. Like a horror-movie, really. "Heh-eh oh-ha-heh?" Translation: is it over yet? Definitely not intelligble this time. By any strecth of imagination.

Elehu is definitely at a loss here, though she's trying to cover most diligently. "I've only seen these done on molars," she admits quietly. Good one, Ele. Way to cover. "Bryn?" she finally says to the apprentice from before. "Do me a favor and write out a note to Eruman at Fort. See if he can spare one of his specialists in the next hour or so. See if one of the senior weyrlings will take you." Sweet, free dragon ride, and on duty no less! "Jessica, I'm going to have to set this temporarily. I just don't have the supplies to fix this permanently. Can you help me by holding this tooth as still as possible for the next few minutes?"

Jessica doesn't seem to notice Elehu's admission, having expected an explanation as to why the procedure was still in process and not caring to listen to it. As she's asked to help, she reaches up a hand to gingerly take hold of the tooth. And takes the opportunity to shuffle her feet up onto the cot, and lay herself down gently.

Elehu looks more than just a little relieved as Jessica takes her own tooth in hand... so to say. For one thing, the assistant headwoman is much more capable of holding it still than some other person who can't feel the difference. Meanwhile, Bryn is already out of the infirmary, wasting no time at finding that ride to Fort. The weyrhealer and second apprentice quickly clean up both healer and gauze before Elehu takes a moment to begin a new herbal drink. A couple minutes later, she returns with a small glass in her hand, and an odd looking rod in the other. Oh look, primitive straws. Shall we explain it's cured herdbeast gut before or after the medicine is administered? "You'll have to drink through this," Ele tells Jessica as she takes a seat. "It will dull the pain a bit until the other Healer gets here."

Totally after, if you want Jessica putting her mouth anywhere even close to the approximate vicinity of the damn thing! Lifting her head, Jess reaches for the cup, eyeing it carefully. Not that it helps, what with the dizzyness and blurriness and whatnot going on. But hey, at least she tried. The gut-straw misses her mouth several times, luckily straying to the right instead of left, before she finally manages to get a sip of the drink. "Eeehhh..." Gibberish for 'yuck'. And sipping through a straw isn't a very clean process whilst holding a tooth in place, either... consequently, a lot of the liquid ends up on her top, rather than down her throat.

Still, it's the thought that counts. Maybe thinking she has some painkiller in her will help Jessica a little. At any rate, Elehu seems happy with the results as she holds a small towel under Jessica's chin, then leaves it there for the headwoman to use as needed. "Eruman should be here in just a little while," the weyrhealer promises with a confident smile. Yes, she's /much/ more confident without her fingers in someone's bloodied mouth.

It's either Elehu's renenewd confidence, or minute amounts of extremely fast-acting painkiller, that help Jessica to finally start relaxing. Even though the pain is still at quite a hig level. "Aank-oo." Yes, that's a mumble of thanks, given as Jessica moves the cup down to rest upon her tummy. Closing her eyes, she sighs quite loudly. Note to self: brawls are strictly off-limits from now on.

Living Caverns (#392)
The rough-hewn majesty of this cavern far outpaces any delight in the multitudes of curves that form its enclosure. The glabrous grey granite is shot through with translucent obsidian, lending subtly-veined sparkle to the walls and the foot-trodden smoothness of the floor that shows centuries-old placements of the scarred trestle tables; carven hollows give homes for the glow baskets and the coat-pegs that line the walls. No mosaics, no painting, no tiles: just a few well-done tapestries mark the pathway that lead to the kitchen to the north and the inner caverns to the west, and frame the nighthearth's stew and snacks, while a heavier strip of oiled canvas shields the unwary from the wind... [look closer]
Scattered about in various perches and niches are fifty firelizards.
You see Llaammaa and Thief here.
Krummolt and Iya are here.
Obvious exits:
Bowl Kitchens Inner Caverns Crafting Area Hearth

Iya's chin tilts just enough to bring her gaze around to the inner caverns, bottom lip pulled between teeth as she gives it a good chew, "All right." The first initial step is then taken towards that direction, gloves tucked into her back pocket before hands idle up to unstrap her helmet, "Hey," Torso twists to bring back Krummolt back into view, "Get some rest." Fingers pry helmet from her scalp as she eyes the giant of a man with a slightly scrutinizing gaze, "You look worse than I feel." There ya go. Compliment for the day, "Thanks for the info." And off she goes. Into the Inner Cavern

Iya steps into the shadows that lead back into the Weyr.

Krummolt is just directing Iya deeper into the Weyr, sitting upright by the table. He seems to have stopped paying attention to the empty klah mug sitting beside him on the table. He watches the rider moving onwards in silence.

Blonde hair sticks out in odd angles from the front of a hooded sweater, a deep brown colour to match brown pants. Glasses sit on the bridge of Jessica's nose, a decoy to distract attention from the bulky wires protruding from her mouth. The wires stretch her lips sideways, uncomfortably, serving to hold a tooth in place and plaster an eternal half-grin on her face. What shows of her left cheek is a dark purple, and her left eye not much better. She enters from the direction that Iya leaves, brushing past the rider as she does so. Ducking her head, Jess makes straight for the buffet, without so much as a glance around the cavern or a mutter to anyone.

Krummolt looks around just in time to catch a glimpse of the rather intimidating wire contraption sticking off Jessica's poor, abused face. He pauses and takes a deep breath. Well. Might as well cross one more thing off his list of miserable things he should get done. He rises from his seat and approaches. From a safe distance of several steps away, he says, "Ma'am?"

Jessica hunches over, trying to duck her sorry face even further. Not happening. From her stooped position, she grabs a plate brusquely, clattering it against the others. "Nnnn?" She replies softly, not bothering to turn her head and face Krummolt, figuring him to be another of the residents offering condolences or asking for confirmation of the rumours. She stabs a tuber with her fork, before a further drop of her shoulders indicates the realisation that tubers = chewing = not happening. Great. Clanking the plate back to it's former home, she heaves a sigh and shuffles to the right, scanning the buffet for liquid food.

Krummolt looks over Jessica's efforts with a fairly indecipherable face. "I, ah. I just." He takes a deep breath. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for hitting you, ma'am. I didn't really mean to, and I really wouldn't've if I realized it was you, not some buddy of X'ian's. So...Yeah. I'm sorry."

Jessica turns her whole body to face Krummolt now that he's identified himself through his apology. Lifting her eyes, and to some degree her head, she nods slowly. "N... n... ne'er-nind." Translation: Nevermind, albeit stammered somewhat.

Krummolt nods slowly. Clearly, apologizing is not really easy for the big guardsman, at least judging on his difficulty articulating. "Well...I'm sorry. Is, ah...are the healers going to be able to save your tooth?" He sounds hopeful at this. If Jessica gets her tooth back, Krummolt is less guilty? Or perhaps he might feel a little less guilty, at the very least.

"That's what the wires are hor." Jessica replies shortly, turning back to reach for a bowl to ladle the broth from some stew into. Her voice seems a little surer, though still timid. "Sorry hor interrutting hour hight."
Krummolt's mouth opens for a moment, clearly surprised by her apology to him. "That's, ah...fine," he says, rather automatically. "Though, ah, if you ever need to again? Works better if you grab a guy and try to pull him off. I, ah, probably wouldn't've thought you were trying to gang up on me." His mouth quirks to one side. "And, ah, I hope it won't be necessary, ma'am."

Broth duly ladled into her bowl, Jessica turns to head for a table, not waiting to see if Krummolt follows. "I don't think I'll dee dreaking ut anynore hights anytine soon." She mumbles, taking a seat on the nearest bench and dumping her food. A spoon is conspicuously absent, and after just a moment, she produces a brown straw from her pocket. The joys of wired teeth! That hood stays on, despite the heat this close to the hearth, and she ducks her head and hunches her shoulders to lean down towards to the bowl.

Krummolt follows Jessica over to the table, though he stops an awkwardly far distance away. "I, ah. Look. I don't wanna bug you, I just feel bad...I'll leave you alone. I just wanna say, if you ever need anything, or there's anything I can do...just ask. Ma'am." He dips his head and hesitates on the verge of moving away.

Eitanex wanders in from the Central Bowl.

Jessica turns her upper body to face Krummolt, the hood sliding away a little to reveal her purple cheek and those wires. "Actually, there's son-thing you can do." She quickly moves to cover her face again with the hood, and adjusts her glasses. Drawing attention away from her injuries, see.

Krummolt looks a little relieved to hear that Jessica has a task for him. More expiation of guilt, perhaps. He does not appear terribly shocked at the sight of her face. "Yes, ma'am?" he asks, expression unusually open.

Eitanex walks in from the bowl for really nothing more complicated than a bite to eat, but he doesn't get more than a few steps in before he notices two figures in one section of it which he doesn't feel comfortable with getting within a few feet of yet. Especially since one of them is sporting this odd and rather frightening contraption . . . fortunately, Eitanex has his drawing pad with him today (picked it up after lunch), so he can idly scoot to a close table and draw . . . bunnies for a moment.

"Stay ayay hron X'ian." Jessica shoots back, making it sound like the simplest task ever. Except, without any closed-lip sounds. From her seat, she fixes Krummolt with a pleading look, mixed with hints of fear and a dash of hestitant. Not to mention that rather hefty dose of scary, contributed solely by the horribly uncomfortable wires sticking out of her mouth.

Krummolt doesn't notice Eitanex immediately, waiting intently for Jessica's answer. The final answer makes him snort a laugh. "Yes, /ma'am/," he responds. "Captain Zethlen already ordered me too. Wasn't gonna go look for him anyway. He, ah. Got the worse of it." At least the fight, maybe not so much the punishments afterwards.

Oh, don't notice Eitanex. He doesn't want to be noticed. He's just covertly drawing bunnies in a covert fashion until Krummolt and Jessica get bored of existing in the living caverns and go exist elsewhere. He may also be trying to listen in to their conversation, but from his distance, he isn't hearing anything much. And he's not going to go closer just to hear better.

Jessica heaves another sigh, deigning now to explain herself a little better. "He rill rolly seek out you. Lease just leath or son-thing." And with that, she's turning back to her broth, taking up the straw in her mouth. Sucking is a little hard, provided she can't meet her lips to form a seal, but with much effort she manages to draw a tiny sip of liquid up through the straw. So much for dignity.

Krummolt pauses at that. "I wasn't thinking 'bout him coming for me. I mean...Yeah. I don't want another fight. Get me thrown out of the guard, if not the Weyr at this rate." He sounds a little cynical, though also resigned. "I'll...do what I can to avoid problems," he promises.

Mmm, bunnies. Such nice bunnies. Nice, fat, fluffy bunnies which would have had to have been caught and fattened from an early age (before they were slaughtered, but these are not dead bunnies) to be quite so fat and fluffy. Apparently drawing bunnies requires great concentration, because Eitanex's forehead is deeply furrowed with thought. Or something.

"They ron't kick you out." Jessica reassures, giving up on the broth and pulling herself up from the table. Like a hunchback hermit, she glances around the cavern (by way of a 180 degree turn of her whole body - weirdo!), and points a drudge to her bowl. As in, clean it up, doofus! And Eitanex. The bunny-drawing Eitanex. He's on the receiving end of Jessica's fixed half-grin, and though she tries to widen it into something a little more presentable, it just looks scary. Her black eye behind those glasses and bruised cheek don't help. What Jess'd give to be invisible right now.

Krummolt doesn't look quiet as sure as Jessica that he won't be kicked out. At the very least, he needs to not get into another fight with X'ian. That, however, is not an entirely insignificant challenge. "Well, I'll try to keep my nose clean so it doesn't get tested," he says drily. He looks around as Jessica does and finally spots Eitanex. Again, he winces. Another person he might have to speak to in apologetic tones.

Unfortunately, even when Eitanex is bunny-drawing with great and concentrated concentration, he can't keep himself solely in his safety bubble of artistic creation when those two people who are making him nervous are in the same caverns. Thus, he does, sadly, occasionally look up, and once of these times does intersect the moment where both guard and assistant headwoman are looking at him (the latter looking somewhat like a . . . well. A . . . well). He grins sheepishly. Uh, hi?

Like a . . . well. Exactly. Well aware of her appearance, Jessica drops her head again to hide the fact that she's now blinking back tears. "Good." She replies shakily to Krummolt, trying to pull the hood further over her swollen face. And with that, she's making for the exit. On her way past Eitanex, she tosses a quiet, "I'll need you again tonorrow, hor nore cotying."

Krummolt waits for the exchange to conclude before attempting to engage Eitanex. No sense putting him on overload. Never mind Jessica. A bloody mess of X'ian doesn't bother him much, but the discomfort of Jessica and Eitanex does moreso.

"I'll be there. I ... I won't forget my work," Eitanex assures her, tilting his head up as she passes, and trying to keep his gaze forward enough that it doesn't /look/ evasive, at least. "Uh, hope you feel better soon," he adds, lamely.

"Nnnn." With a quick acknowledge for Eitanex's lame condolences (though by now, any sort of condolence sounds lame), Jessica exits the caverns. Hopefully for somewhere less populated.

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 23:00:36 GMT

Got nothing done today. Same as yesterday. I wish Marond would hurry up with this whole Southern thing.

Eitanex caught me today. With those horrible socks on. He didn't say anything, though. About the socks, anyway... I wrote a note to Tatia and K'nex, since I haven't been able to catch them. I hope Sylara doesn't crack up about having to supervise Eit while I'm gone.

Oh. Found my pink jacket. It was under my cot.

Quiet Corners

Jessica is lounging again, as has become usual for her lately. Once again, she seems to have monopolized the entire quote of cushions for the room when heads were turned, and has holed herself up in the corner on the floor with them. A low table partly obscures her form from those entering, but lying on her stomach, her legs can be seen above it, swinging back and forth in the air. And she's got a book. Which she's reading. With her glasses on. A pink fur jacket rests beside her, which matches the pink trous she's wearing. Her boots are also resting with the jacket, leaving her embarrassingly bright-and-mismatched orange and blue socks bare for all to see.

Moving quietly and quickly and not intending to stay longer than a checked minute, Eitanex pauses when disembodied legs catch his attention. Not that there's anything wrong with dis -- Eitanex skirts around the table and leans over a couch arm until he can see Jessica properly. "What are you doing?"

Jessica jumps a little, her shoulders shrugging up guiltily. "Reading..." She offers, her tone a little unsure. And then, finished the sentence she was on, she looks up. To see Eitanex. "Oh, it's you." Her tone flattens, showing no small hint of releif. "I'm just reading. What are /you/ doing?" Her legs stop swinging and fall flat to the ground, as Jess attempts to hide the shameful socks under a cushion.
"Trying to find you, actually." Eitanex folds his arms over the couch arm in a full casual lean. "But if you're busy . . ." Eitanex pulls a grin which, while being an Eitanex grin, borders on the cheeky.

Rolling onto her side, Jessica closes her book without marking the page. "Not busy. Not busy at all. What's up?"
"Two things." Eitanex unfolds his arms and leans with his elbows instead, as he sticks his right hand up, two fingers extended. "One. Um, you need to talk to Lanti. She needs to talk to you about being a messanger. Two, do you still need me doing work for you? I'm dead sick of chores."

Jessica draws herself up to a sitting position, feeling a little too casual for such a discussion lying down. "Right, talk to Lanti. That's easily done... and yes, I've been meaning to catch your parents. They're just so busy!" She pauses, contemplating something. "Uhmmm... how about I give you a note, to give to them?" Another pause. "Oh, shells! I'm going to Southern soon, with Marond. I mightn't have time to properly show you what to do before I go... I suppose I could... eh." She eventually trails off into thought.

"A note's fine." Hey, it's not forged, she really wrote it! Not that Eitanex had any intention of forging anything. "I mean, I've thought about it and I really don't think they'd care. I mean, they just want me to keep busy. This'll be keeping me busy. And ..." Eitanex drums his fingers against the side of his face. "It can't be too hard, can it?"

"No, no... it's not hard. You're smart, aren't you? I'll have to get Sylara to supervise you while I'm gone, I guess... Marond won't be happy if I just let you off on your own doing the hidework. Uhm. Now, a note." Jessica starts to look around, as though a hide and stylus might just... magically appear.

"I'm smart," Eitanex accedes and grimaces when no note making apparatus seems to be within immediate reach. He pulls himself back into a sit and pulls a rather battered and well folded hide, blackened on one end, out of his pocket. And a clump of charcoal from under that. Er. Whoever washes his pants is not going to be pleased with them. He leans back over the arm and holds them over. "Here. Um. Just remind me what kind of hidework I'm doing?" Again.

Jessica reaches for the note-making things, wrinkling her nose a little at the charcoal. Because that stuff leaves dirty marks /everywhere/. Unfolding the hide to start her note, she rests it upon her knee. "Oh, uh... just copying really. But if you don't tell Marond, I can show you a little more than that... are you any good with numbers?" Scribble, scribble. For someone writing so fast, her script is rather neat.

"I'm not great." Eitanex folds his arms over the couch arm again. "But I can add and subtract pretty well and easy stuff like that." His eyes are half lidded, but his pupils are low and watching her write with great interest.

Jessica continues scribbling, though it's only a few moments later she's signing the letter with a flourish. "Mmm. Uhhhh... huuuh... sorry. Done." She holds the note up, reading over it carefully. "Tatia, K'nex. Just a short note... require Eitanex to help copy... can offer a small allowance. Please feel free... should you have concerns... thank-you and regards, Jessica." Satistfied, she offers the note back to Eitanex, smiling. "Uhm, good, then. I can probably teach you a bit more as we go on, after I get back. Tell your parents they can find me at dinner over the next few nights if they'd like to speak about it?"

Eitanex takes the note and almost refolds it, but instead pins the clean part between his thumb and forefinger and lets it dangle over the side of the couch while he stuffs the charcoal in his pocket. "Thanks a lot. Um, don't worry about paying me unless you really got marks for it. I just need something to do. I'll ... go give this right to them, before I forget."

Jessica watches, cringing as the charcoal is re-pocketed. Ugh. A glance down at her own hands reveals a nice balck coating there, too, which only makes her cringe more. "Ok, cool... uhm, right. Apologise for me not actually speaking to them, if you could? Thanks."

"Sure. Um. They have been really busy." Eitanex angles himself into an awkward stand -- it takes him a moment to steady. Thank goodness for the new shoes at least. "They'll understand. I'll get you their response soon as I can." And he starts out.

Jessica bats a hand, meant to be a wave. It comes off more as a shoo, than anything. "Ok. Thanks. I'll chat to Lanti as soon as /I/ can." She sounds a little pre-occupied as she farewells, with not even a second glance to the departing Eitanex as she searches for someing to wipe her dirty hands on.

In neat cursive script, the following letter has been charcoalled onto a rather scrappy-looking peice of old hide.

Tatia and K'nex,

This is just a short note, to request your permission on a matter regarding your son. As Marond has no wishes to hire further assistants to help with my and Sylara's workload, I have the need for an assistant to help with the copying of some of my paperwork. Eitanex has voiced his interest in the position, and I would be happy to take him on should you allow it. In that event, I will require Eitanex to help copy every afternoon for several hours, and can offer a small allowance for his services should you deem it fit.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any concerns. As I understand the enormity of your workload, please do not feel pressured to supply an answer right away.

Thank-you and regards,

Jessica.

The note is signed with a flourish, and after it a somewhat hastily scribbled post-script:

I shall be leaving soon for a trip to Southern with Marond on business. Should Eitanex start under me before this time, I will leave him under Sylara's capable supervision. Again, if you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

So I finally find some time...

Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:39:01 GMT

Well. I finally find some time to write... and now I can't think of what to start with. Yes. Well.

Oh! Ok. X'ian said thanks for the apology I got him. I kind of had to force it from him, but yeah. After that he was really nice, and even said sorry to me... I can't remember what for, but nothing major. Something is most definitely up. He was asking questions about Marond's plans... something about Ista and Tillek, too? I told Marond. Seemed right at the time. It still does... X'ian hates Marond. Well, he doesn't lik him, anyway. Probably just trying to make trouble. It wouldn't surprise me... we are talking about X'ian, here.

Eshe tried to give me some more trouble. I honestly don't know why she bothers... Wyn was there, and she sorted it out for me. Wyn seems to have some faith in my abilities. That's reassuring. I doubt myself... I'm young. And I know I don't have much commonsense... but I've hardly ever even left the weyr, so there's plenty of life that I haven't lived yet.

It's depressing, actually knowing that. I wish I could go back to the way things were. I just... feel... out of touch. And out of control. Yeah, like I'm not in control anymore. I don't like that feeling.

Eitanex is a good kid. I hope he grows up to be a good man.

Quiet Corners:

Noon is lunch time, but Eitanex appears to be spending his hour neither eating, working, nor doing anything in particular. He's laid out on one of the couches, one leg spread out, one arm behind his head, while the other makes apparently random marks on an old, oft rescraped hide that's propped on the leg not-spread-out.

It's only just afternoon, and yet already Jessica is dragging her feet. As she stumbles up the stairs (feet-draggers often have trouble with their footing on stairs), she sighs heavily. Reaching the top, most likely already announced to those present, she pauses. There's no work for Jessica here either... no hides, no folders, and definitely no cloths/buckets/mops. "Hhhhuh." She sighs again, trying to decide which couch to flop down into.

Eitanex catches a yawn in his teeth when he hears the sigh . . . approaching, and it sounds female and familiar, and, by tonality, he can immediately decide a few people it does /not/ belong to. Still, even if he's ascertained it's probably none of the people who will find his indolence terribly offensive, he still quickly swings himself sitting, both feet planted on the ground ... and just as Jessica comes into the room and huhhuhs, Eitanex has just realized he let the hide fall on the ground and is bent over to retrieve it. He looks up at Jessica from this awkward position. "Hey, Jessica. Tired?"

Jessica's eyes come to rest on Eitanex, and she wrinkles her brows slightly. "Mmmm." Is her first response, quickly followed by a little shake of her head. "Uhm, no, actually... just... bored." The couch that Eitanex is on seems convenient enough, now that he's sitting, and so she plods on over and deposits herself, gathering a few cushions on her way for comfort. "You?"

Eitanex straightens, then leans back, judging Jessica safe to be lazy around in her current state. He puts his arms behind his head again. "Yeah. Bored. Me too." Eitanex lets out a full yawn this time, and kicks his heel once against the base of the couch. "There's just, you know, nothing to do."

Jessica arches her back, provoking a few cricks as her vertebrae click back into place. Yawning is contagious, apparently, because as Eitanex yawns, she follows suit. "I know, I know!" She bats a hand, as if it might put an end to the yawns. "And nothing to eat, either... except that horrible stew. Ugh." Jess sighs again, folding her arms over her chest, mock-huffily. She leans back into the cushions.

"I'd say we could cook something ..." Eitanex says -- shrugging insofar as shrugging is possible with his arms as they are, "But I wouldn't know what to cook. And we can't eat /just/ cookies every time we're bored. I mean, we have to keep in shape."

Jessica groans half-heartedly, uncrossing her arms and letting them flop lazily to her sides. "Mmmm. Cooooookies." Soooo in a Homer Simpson voice. "Anyway, unless you can cook, there ain't gonna be no cookies for us. I'm terrible." There's a short pause here, presumeably as Jess contemplates staying in shape. She starts to speak, but falters after, "I-", instead just letting the conversation come to a stand-still.

"Well ... sometimes I don't burn them," Eitanex says. Oh, yeah, that's quite an accomplishment. He kicks at the hide which is, despite all his bending over before, still on the floor. Eh, if he's kicking it now, it must not have been that important. Why he bothered bending in the first place ... "I don't feel like cookies anyway. I don't know. Food is boring. Um. Oh. How are you otherwise?" Eitanex has heard things, after all. Which are mostly none of his business.

Suitably impressed, Jessica nods, raising her eyebrows. "Better than me, at least." And even though she notices the hide on the floor, Jess is in too lazy a mood to inquire about it. "Uhm, I'm." Apparently, this is her whole sentence... even her tone suggests as much. A few moment later, however, she expands on it. "Uh... yeah, sorry. I'm a little tired, I guess. Sick and tired of some people. And... yeah. Things are just getting a little odd, and annoying." Mmmm. "Not you, but." She adds as an afterthought, tilting her head Eitanex's way.

Eitanex commits his odd little shrug again. "I figured I wasn't around you enough to /annoy/ you. Yet." That yet must of a necessity be there. "I'm kinda sorry about the whole X'ian Eshe whatever thing, though. I didn't have to react so, um," what's the word? ". . . sensitively. If I'd just, you know, laughed it off . . . uh, I guess there's more bugging you than that, though."

"Oh, Eitanex... you don't have to be sorry! It's not your fault. Eshe is just... well, I'm sure you know how she is. She's not weyrbred, and she just doesn't seem to understand how things work here. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if she'd just shut- uhh, anyway. She was out of line, not you." Jessica uses that voice grownups reserve for praising children, though somehow she manages to come off sounding less patronizing and more just genuinely caring. Funny that. "I don't mind sticking up for you, when you're in the right."

"Well, if you say so. Just ..." Eitanex moves his head over his shoulder until he's sort of facing Jessica. "Er, just so you know, it wasn't a big deal to me. I just, you know, sometimes get in a foot stomping mood just because. Don't need to take it seriously." In short, he's scarily hormonal and it's no one's fault. Um. You know. "Did that turn out okay, though? Er, now? Are things mostly all right?"

"Uhm... yeah. I think so. Eshe was being disrespectful to me aand X'ian, too, so I guess that became more the issue. But, uhm. She apologized, and did her duty." Jessica replies, still facing forwards. Sensing Eitanex's movement, she swivels her head to glance at him. "She's still Eshe, and I think she'll always be a little uncomfortable in the weyr. But like, there's nothing much I can do if she's disrepectful. People can have their opinions, but if they're disrespectful about it..." Jess jokingly slaps the back of her palm into her other hand. "Y'know." She chuckles.

"Right, you beat them up," Eitanex says with a dubious half grin. "She'll get used to it, I think. I mean, you can get used to anything after a while. And some of us weyrbred should be less disrespectful to, you know, set a good example." Eitanex returns to facing basically forward. "I'm glad that's all cleared up, though. Even if I guess X'ian /is/ easy to be disrepectful to. If you're feeling really brave. Um. Maybe you should carry a knife, Jessica?"

Jessica rolls her eyes at Eitanex, still giggling. "Right." Because Jessica is scary and can beat up people. Just ask Eitanex. Twisting her own head back around, she starts to nod a little. "I guess so... but then she might get the idea that we're a boring bunch, and that we have no fun because we're too busy trying to be respectful... the thing is, if your boss is telling you do do something, and she looks pretty angry, you should do it. That's what I wanted Eshe to understand." At Eitanex's last suggestion, she turns herself (chest, shoulders and head) to face him. "A knife?" She sound surprised. And looks it, too.

"Are you Eshe's boss?" Eitanex's brow furrows as he tries to extend the idea. Shards, what if Jessica's his boss /already/ and he didn't even . . . she is assistant headwoman, after all. Weird as that ... Eitanex drops his arms carefully to his sides (after lifting his head) and faces Jessica again at her question. "Well, I wasn't serious. About the knife. I don't think it'd help people respect you anyway. But people tend to be a little more careful around people with a knife. Although ... X'ian would be X'ian without a knife, I guess. I mean ... it's not like I have a knife."

"Yes." Jessica replies simply, still a little surprised by the knife-suggestion. She listens to Eitanex explain, letting herself sink back into the cushions, though still facing him. "Uhm. I don't think a knife would be a good idea, really. I'm not a big scary guy like X'ian, and people might think I've gone a little crazy." She scratches at her jawline absently, pondering. "I think... I think people have trouble thinking of me as their boss. Because I'm... young, maybe? And because, well... I'm not very smart, Eitanex. And a lot of people know that, because they've known me before I got my job. It's hard to respect people that you think are beneath you, intellectually."

Eitanex makes a scoffing noise in the back of his throat, before leaning back himself. There's really something to be said about relaxing while having a conversation. "I don't think you're stupid," he says, with that certain tone of his which indicates that anyone who thinks differently than Eitanex on this matter /is/ stupid. "Why do you think people think you're stupid?"

"That came out wrong, I think. Not stupid. Just not the smartest. I've done some silly things, you know. And I used to say silly things." Jessica pauses again, starting to chew on her lower lip as she searches for a way to better articulate herself. "It's not that they don't respect me, actually. It's that some people don't take me seriously. And when that happens in public, like with Eshe the other morning, well..." She pauses again. "Well, people see that I can't even assert myself in a simple situation like that, and more people start taking me not seriously. Which is why I reacted the way I did." And not really an answer, either, as Jessica steers the conversation back towards the Eshe incident. "Because, yeah. See what I mean?"

"Kinda." Eitanex looks down and picks at his fingernail. Briefly. Then he looks up again, properly. "I guess you are a little young for an assistant headwoman. I mean, you're a few turns older than me. No one takes me too seriously either. Or ... they take me too seriously." Eitanex frowns. "But, you know, not in a way that they'd listen to me if I said something like 'hey, go clean those floors!' Um, no. And I've done some stupid things, too." Which we need not mention. "If you're assistant headwoman, I guess you do have to make sure people understand that you /are/ assistant headwoman and you have to end up being a little scary -- um, not knife scary -- so people think twice before talking back. I don't think too many people talk back to my mom."

Jessica sighs softly, rolling her shoulders a little as her posture starts to become uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that she brings one of her legs up onto the couch in an effort to correct the uncomfortableness. "Mmmm. Yeah, pretty much. People just... well, yeah. What you said. And you're right. not many people I know would talk back to your mom."

"Well, maybe you should hang out with my mom. Um. See how she does it." Eitanex starts to stand up . . . then finally leans over and retrieves that hide. He stands up, then. "I mean, why not? She's small. She's a girl. But people take her very seriously. So. Um." Eitanex looks down at the scuffed hide. "Anyway, I should probably go do my chores. I'll see you later?"

"You know... that's a good idea, Eitanex." Jessica muses, shifting her attention down to one of the cushions. "Mmm. What? Oh, yeah... sure. See you later." She smiles, settling back into her more comfortable position, before hesitantly adding, "Have... fun."

"Uh, sure. You too." Eitanex nods, looks momentarily confused about nothing, then withdraws down the stairs.

An eventful morning...

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 00:01:40 GMT

Oooh, I hate people who don't fill stuff in right. Makes my job so much harder.

And I'm sick and tired of the level of disrespect around this weyr. I don't care if I'm young, if I'm dumb, or if I've got herdbeast cowering on my head... I'm the Assistant Headwoman, and therefore, weyrfolk obey my orders! Should. They should obey my orders. That sharding bloody hunter-woman that Sylara feels she can't do without... Faranth, she's annoying. And disrespectful. I've had just about a gutful of her, and I've only met her once.

As for X'ian, I hope he was bloody well happy with the apology I got for him. Because I busted my bum to get it. Sharding... Essa. Esse. Whatever her name was. I hope she enjoys her sharding latrine duties. All X'ian did was threaten to skin her, and he wasn't even close to being serious. Faranth, she annoys me! It annoys me to remember! She obviously hasn't been here long, since she thinks it was such an injustice. I'd like to see him kick her in the ribs, see how she likes that.

It's times like these I miss working for him. X'ian. I never had to deal with stupid people like her. It was dark, and quiet... I understand now why he didn't want any noise. And... why he didn't want me. I hope I was never as bad as that girl; though from memory, I think I might have been worse.

Faranth, I miss those days.

Ugh.

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 18:12:16 GMT

How. How could she not tell me.

Even if we weren't friends... she knew. She knew I wanted him. If she knew, and she /had/ him... why didn't she have the decency to let me know? At least then I might not have made such an ass of myself.

Ugh. I'm so mad. And embarrassed. More embarrassed than mad. Ugh.

Living Caverns
The rough-hewn majesty of this cavern far outpaces any delight in the multitudes of curves that form its enclosure. The glabrous grey granite is shot through with translucent obsidian, lending subtly-veined sparkle to the walls and the foot-trodden smoothness of the floor that shows centuries-old placements of the scarred trestle tables; carven hollows give homes for the glow baskets and the coat-pegs that line the walls. No mosaics, no painting, no tiles: just a few well-done tapestries mark the pathway that lead to the kitchen to the north and the inner caverns to the west, and frame the nighthearth's stew and snacks, while a heavier strip of oiled canvas shields the unwary from the wind... [look closer]
Scattered about in various perches and niches are forty-nine firelizards.
You see Llaammaa and Thief here.
Desba is here.
Obvious exits:
Bowl Kitchens Inner Caverns Crafting Area Hearth

The only sound that comes the table at which Desba has seated herself, is the occassional screeching of her chair as she shifts her position. The last chart in finally settled on top of a impressive stack and the woman stands to retrieve a mug and a plate of breakfast, and makes her way back to her seat.

Kalaeya walks in from the Central Bowl.

Rysta walks in from the Central Bowl.

Jessica hasn't thought to pick up her workload for the day as yet, but she does follow Desba's lead in grabbing a mug and some breakfast. The occasional squeaking seems to have been enough to catch the headwoman's attention; or perhaps she was seeking Desba's company in the first place? At any rate, her plate piled high with the spoils of the buffet, she cuts a clear path towards the brownrider, eyes locked on Des just to make sure she doesn't disappear before Jess can get a word in.

Rysta steps into the caverns, a place she's not been much lately. Her dragon takes so much of her time and then the chores. Looking around to see the others there, she offers them a smile and a nod as she moves toward the table to acquire her own mug of klah and som breakfast. "At last," she murmurs in a satisfied tone. "Fresh breakfast."

Desba catches Jessica's gaze as her first bite is hovering near her mouth and it with a reluctant sigh that she settles her burdened fork back down on her plate, "'Morning, Jessica. I hope you are well."

Hand to her forehead, Kalaeya struggles into the caverns. She grumbles at a bright eyed drudge to get her some klah and she snatches something she hopes is edible, though doesn't care so much as to actually look at the food, as she collapses on a nearby chair. She finds herself seated a few seats away from Desba, and now, the approaching Jessica. Eyebrows knitting, she watches the two begin to converse. Rysta is yet to be noticed in Laeya's morning sulk, though a small smile does appear as her klah is served.

"I am; I trust you're just as well, Des? Don't postpone your breakfast on my account." Jessi replies in a cool, even tone, slipping into a seat at Desba's table. Gone, it seems, is the giddy over-cheerful Jessica of yester-turn; someone must have kidnapped her and replaced her with this much more worldly version. Setting her plate down in front of her, she sets about preparing for her own first bite, lifting a knife to slice open a plain pastry.
X'ian walks in from the Central Bowl.

Rysta finishes putting her breakfast together and slides into a seat at the table where Desba, Jessica and Kalaeya are, not too far from the assistant weyrlingmaster. Recognizing Kalaeya, she begins to tick off things in her head, nodding it with each item she realizes she has taken care of. When that's completed, she actually calls out to the assistant weyrlingmaster a smile and a simple, "Morning." Sipping at her klah first, she relishes the taste of it a few moments before beginning to settle into eating her plate of breakfast.

Jessica and Desba are seated at a table conversing, with Kalaeya sulking closeby; Rysta has just wandered in to grab a fresh breakfast.
If Pernese believed in aliens, Desba might blame them for the sudden change in Jessica's personality, but as it stands she can only think of one thing that would bring the overly cheerful assistant headwoman down and that would be a boy of some kind or another. "I am well. Happy to be done with my morning's work." She does take a bit of breakfast and chews on it before continuing, "Is everything alright? I hope Marond isn't abusing you or something." She wouldn't put it past the man to pull out whips on his help. Kalaeya is given a soft smile, but the brownrider knows better than to talk to before she has had a chance to wake up.

X'ian looks as if he's already been up for a few hours - tired circles under his eyes and a slack scowl working together to hint at the monotony that's dominated his morning thus far. Only distantly interested in breakfast, he stops at the first table with food he comes to - staring glumly down at whatever is offered before prodding at something with meat in it. It just so happens that he's well within listening range of the girls that've just settled in.

Kalaeya's mood seems to improve, if only moderately, as she sips her klah. She raises her head to nod at her greeting, "G'morning, Rysta." Is replied in a somewhat automatic monotone. She catches Desba's smile and returns it with a flicker of a smile, merely pulling at the side of her lips. She is mostly silent, eating, drinking, and eves-dropping ever so unsubtly on Desba and Jessica's conversation.

Slathering her pastry with a generous amount of preserve, Jessica's mouth turns up in a slight smile. "Lucky; I've yet to start mine." She replies, at first ignoring the jibe about Marond. Lifting her eyes to study Desba for a moment, she peices her pastry back together. "I don't think I'm the subject of any of Marond's /abuse/, Des." She quips, raising her eyebrows subtly before biting into that pastry. Touche?

Rysta nods to Kalaeya and smiles as she eats breakfast. She glances around a bit as she eats, her mind elsewhere for the most part. Noticing X'ian, she offers the bronzerider a morning nod.

Desba isn't too thick to miss the meaning of Jessica's statement, "If I was ever the subject of Marond's abuse, Jessica, I'm certainly not now." And having recalled an early conversation that rose her suspicions, "If you'd like a try he should have a bit more free time."
Uriala arrives from deeper in the Weyr.

X'ian pauses with a meatroll halfway to his mouth, his brows lifted as his drowsy brain works to process Jessica's parry. Unfortunately, the only thing it can immediately come up with is, "Surely not." so that a chunk of roll is bitten off and chewed as his back stays to the group. Of course, then Desba has to go ruin his hope for him, and he briefly looks as if he'd like to spit what he has in his mouth out - no longer particularly hungry.

If it's morning, you couldn't tell by Uriala's careful grooming; she looks awake and alert, her top tucked in. Her clothing style does seem to be shifting slightly, however; she is wearing soft pastels in faintly fuzzy knits. Any tensions around the room are ignored -- one has to get used to them at /some/ point -- and she crosses to pour herself a glass of juice.

Kalaeya eyebrows raise at the mention of Marond's name, "Desba?" she asks, unaware or uncaring if she is interrupting her conversation. "You... Were telling the truth about Marond?" Look is a mixture of ardent shock and disgust, her expression frozen for a few moments, before she returns to sipping her klah, still bemused.

X'ian, standing at the food table next to Uriala with half a roll in one hand and the rest in the process of being swallowed, pauses a moment to finish chewing before glancing over at the girl to his left, his voice low. "You wouldn't sleep with Marond, would you?"

"As his assistant, I'm well aware of what free time Marond does or doesn't have, Des." Jessica shoots back, with only a hint of shakiness at the end. Kalaeya is on the receiving end of an uncharacteristically cool glare after her comment, as Jessica lifts a mug of something steaming for a sip. "As you seem to have a fair idea of what I'm talking about, I would've thought you'd the decency to tell me -yourself-, is all." And obviously, as per usual, Jessica is wrong.

Uriala glances up at X'ian at his question, seeming to take it purely on face value for the moment. She lifts her juice glass, considers for a few seconds, then replies, "No. Why, has he inquired?"

Rysta sips at her klah slowly and looks around the table as she does so. She's heard the conversation, but seems mostly not quite understanding it as she frowns a little. Continuing to eat, she notices Uriala's entrance and offers a wave to her from her place at the table.

"No...no. Not that I'm aware of." Taking another bite, X'ian looks back at the food spread out before him for a moment or two. "He's just...very, ah, popular...lately."

"Interesting." Uriala considers that for a moment, her eyes drifting out over the crowd, returning Rysta's nod. Suddenly, a completely random and remarkably misplaced shoe drops, and her head jerks back to X'ian, at whom she stares for a few seconds. She has the sense not to say anything, however.

Desba snorts heavily at Jessica, "I doubt that Marond lets you keep such close tabs on him. At least with his knowledge." Her eyes also fall on Kalaeya to whom she simply rolls her eyes, "Why would I have lied?" Surely she knew in the back of her mind the woman's responce was too good to be true. But her conversation falls back to Jessica, "I told no one until it was over, and then it was only Kalaeya. What makes you think you had any right to know?"

"Yeah." Lifting his roll hand to scratch at the bridge of his nose with a knuckle, it doesn't take long for X'ian to notice that he's being stared at. Turning his head to look right back at her, he arches a tired brow. "What?"

Kalaeya, still listening in, returns Jessica's cool glare nonchalantly. The nearby X'ian and Uriala are noted, but mostly ignored, in favour of Marond Gossip. She pauses, mouth slightly open, as she processes the information generated from the conversation. When she finally replies to the brownrider, she's still confused, "Because, he's /Marond/." she begins, "And B'au liked him for Faranth's sake. How long were you... together for?" she enquires, expression uncomfortable as she braces herself for Desba's reply.

Rysta catches the nod from Uriala and then looks back to Desba and Jessica as their conversation continues. Realizing she's eavesdropping, she returns her attention to her food and klah. Her mother always did say that it was rude to listen in on a conversation not meant for you.

"Ah. Nothing." Uriala turns back to look over the crowd again, sipping from her juice. One must, after all, leave the riders their privacy in these things. Her fingers curl around the cool glass, and her eyes don't return to X'ian, though they don't seem to see much of what they are looking at, either, lost in some internal calculations. She completely misses the Jessica/Desba conversation.

Jessica sighs, setting her mug back down. "Obviously I misjudged the relationship between you and I; a friend would have had possibly a shred more consideration for her fellow friend's feelings. Sorry to have interrupted your breakfast. Good day, Desba." And so, Jessica stands, taking with her the plate of pastries and mug she'd originally brought to the table, and stalks off to the opposing end of the cavern to spend the rest of her morning mean in peace. Hopefully.

X'ian sniffs and rubs at the base of his nose, as if he thinks a booger might be the culprit, but otherwise, he lets it drop. "Whatever." Odds are, he doesn't want to know what's going on in her head anyway.

He really probably doesn't. Uriala nods slightly at that, then says, "Good day, bronzerider," and meanders across the room towards Rysta. At least she's moved beyond 'sir' and 'ma'am' all the time for everyone... Rysta gets a nod of greeting and a quiet, "May I join you?"

Desba throws up arms up and they fall back down around her plate, "Certainly Jessica didn't think we were close enough to be sharing such personal information." Is Desba that close with anyone, really? She turns to Kalaeya with a questioning shrug, though immediately realizes that she isn't the best person to ask advice from. So she simply sighs and takes another bite out of her now rather cold breakfast.
Ashli skips merrily in from the Central Bowl.

X'ian, having largely tuned out the minor drama going on behind him, continues to stand where he has been, staring off into space and munching peacefully enough at the rest of his meatroll.

Jessica passes X'ian on her way over, prompting a short 'hmph' from her. At least it's enough to block Desba's first comment after the stalking-off from her ears, and she manages to make it over to the other side of the caverns to slide into a seat huffily. Work would be good about now, though unfortunately the stack of hides to be attended to today is in a different location. Instead, Jess glares a passing drudge who seems to be making a sport of staring; "Get back to work!" She hisses.

Rysta has tuned out the drama for the most part herself, eating her breakfast calmly and sipping from time to time at her klah. As Uriala asks to join her, she nods to her. "Please, Uriala. Feel free." Smiling to her friend, she sips at her klah once more. "How are you doing?"

X'ian eventually meanders on out, tired, slightly dazed, and less hungry.

Kalaeya rolls her eyes at Desba, "Yes?" Her klah is drained and the empty mug is abandoned on the table. "Such personal information, Desba?" Perhaps being ignored in the early morning isn't good for Laeya's mood, "I hate to break it to you," she continues, matter of fact-ly, "but a relationship isn't '/such personal/ information." She shrugs, almost mimicking Desba's own and slumps reluctantly in her chair.

Ashli meanders in from the bowl, the girl concentrating on just one thing - the klah pitcher. With a single-minded intensity not usually shown from the young rider, she pads solemnly towards it, arriving and pouring herself a mug with an elegant flourish as she does so. Apparently she's not single-minded enough not to have enough verve in the morning to at least make pouring klah a bit more exciting. After her first few swallows, she finally looks up and around the Caverns, waving merrily at those around she recognizes. "Morning, everyone!"

X'ian steps into the shadows that lead back into the Weyr.

Uriala lowers herself to sit, pushing her hair back behind her ear and replying with a quiet, "I am well enough. Life continues on, as always..." Her eyes lift to Ashli for a moment as the goldrider enters, and she inclines her head respectfully in silent greeting before she glances back to Rysta. "And you? How is Ulicaelth?"

Michel favors his right leg as he approaches in from the Central Bowl.

Rysta is glad of the distraction from the other conversation that Uriala provides and nods to her friend once more. As Ashli calls out a greeting, her head lifts and she smiles in return. "Morning." Looking back to Uriala she answers, "Yes, it does. And things are well with me. Uli is...quite well. Getting much bigger and currently perched on the upper rocks of the bowl. So I thought as I had a bit of time some fresh breakfast was in order."

Michel enters the caverns for the first time in about a sevenday, a little darker of skin, a little lighter of hair with stark white crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Apparently he'd forgotten the time difference between Ista and the 'Reaches but shrugs it off as he heads for the sideboard for a mug of something before finding a chair to settle into.

Jessica sits in silence at the opposite end of the cavern to Desba, sulkily glaring at any other who dares give her an odd look. Her table is quite empty, save for herself and her breakfast, though the latter is fast disappearing.

Desba turns from Kalaeya with a sigh, "You know, Laeya, I think it is. And that should be enough. Shouldn't she respect my wishes to keep such information to myself?" She pokes at her breakfast with her fork, not looking up, and completely missing the new entrances into the caverns.

Ashli waves at Michel as he enters, before she peers at Jessica, then peers at Desba...and the girl seems torn as to where to sit. So...she stays still. Near to the Hearth, Ash simply sips at her klah and views the Caverns curiously, eventually turning to liberate a meatroll from its platter...

Uriala deems that "Sensible." She pauses for a moment, looking as if she might add something, then shakes it off with a barely perceptible shake of her head. Instead, she says, "I've seen the dragonets flying a bit, around the bowl. They seem to be getting fairly good at it, as a rule. How is Ulicaelth taking to it?" Uriala doesn't use nicknames on people, nevermind dragons.

Michel decides he's hungry after a moment of surveying...or is that criticing?...the sideboard and picks out a few things to make a light snack. Plate and mug acquired he turns to find a seat, smiling at Ashli as he notes her wave, and plunks himself down rather near to Desba and Kalaeya without really intending to intrude. "Morning." he says softly as he begins to eat.

Rysta nods and sips at her klah again. "Well, Ulicaelth has actually taken to flight quite well. She certainly loves to do it. I think it's because she likes the higher perches and well...to get there you have to fly." Grinning a bit, she shakes her head thinking about her green. "And yes, we've been doing a great deal of flying recently. Even started to learn how to go between in lessons now. Though...we're still working on that part." Chuckling a little, she murmurs, "Memorizing those points is difficult, but I will do it." There's a determination in her voice as she says that.

Jessica is still eating in silence, brooding. And will be for quite some time, apparently. The din of the caverns at breakfast prevents her from hearing the exchange between Kalaeya and Desba, though Ashli's greeting is heard, but ignored. Not just because she's in a huff and feels like being rude... Ash has bigger things to worry about, and Jess is being considerate. Really!

Kalaeya watches Desba as she hoists her lazy self up from her seat, "I suppose, in a perfecr Weyr, perhaps. But really, who can really keep a relationship secret? For more than a sevenday at most." She catches sight of Ashli and groans, "I'll see you, Desba. Good luck stopping her from telling the entire Weyr." she adds, signalling with a tip of her head and a glare at Jessica. She smiles to Michel, somewhat forcedly, and takes her leave.

"I know you will," Uriala says, and there's a quiet simplicity to her tone that saves it from being patronizing. She falls silent again, then asks, "How long now until you graduate?"

Desba lets a small smile grace her lips for a moment as Michel settles down near her, "Hello, Michel." Is said with apparent force over her emotions, though she does give him a slight look of drowning. Kalaeya is looked after like her only life support is leaving the room and the woman returns to simply staring at her meal, "I don't care if she tells. It's over anyway."

Eshe walks in from the Central Bowl.

Nodding once more as Uriala speaks, Rysta smiles and says, "Well, let's see. Not too much longer now. Another month or two...maybe it's three." She chuckles slightly and shakes her head just a bit. "I know that we'll soon be getting into wings and all. So...not too much longer. But exact time?" She shrugs a bit. "I've been too busy concentrating on what needs to be learned to try and countdown when we're done."

Michel glances up at Kalaeya's departure and Desba's greeting, a smile to both women as he sips his tea. "Desba." he says, her last comment getting an inquisitive look. "Hmmm? What's over?" Well, of course he asks...what else does a friend do after getting -that- look after all?

Uriala's lips actually twist into a brief, natural smile at that. "I remember that feeling," she says. "Now, it's hard to tell time in a different way... every day is much the same; I lose track of the sevendays, sometimes. I suppose that's part of being an adult."

Ashli seems to be getting rather confused with all this, and she blinks as Kalaeya departs. Hm. Perhaps Ash should go talk to her...it's been a while, and considering that groan before her clutchmate left, perhaps they should talk...and so, with meatrolls and her mug in hand, she wanders out, following Kalaeya...

Eshe wanders in from outside and starts weaving her way through the crowd to the sideboard, where she piles a small mountain of sandwiches onto a plate, fills a glass with juice and slips a redfruit or two into a pocket. Then she goes to find a seat in a fairly quiet corner of the cavern and settles down to eat.

Desba gives Michel a lopsided grin, "You know." Is said simply, and surely the man does. And the brownrider curls her legs up underneath her and pokes some more at her breakfast. "I'm happy about that, I suppose, I just didn't expect it to cause all this." She looks up at Jessica who is sitting across the caverns by herself and then to where Kalaeya and Ashli just disappeared.

Having finished eating by now, Jessica crosses her arms, staring blankly down at the table for a few moments. "Mmph." She mutters, looking up to survey the caverns... where's someone to sharding -boss around- when you need it? Oh. Told to get back to work. Right. And perhaps that's where Jessica is headed as she slips out of the caverns with as much dignity as she can muster. And /not/ a peek in Desba's direction. Hmph.

Michel ahhs softly as he settles back into his chair, cradling the mug of hot tea. "I'm glad to hear it...that you're happy about it, that is." he says. He glances in the direction Desba looks and sighs. "So...she isn't happy that you two broke it off or...?" He's a little confused, not knowing exactly what to make of the situation between the two women.

A few young drudges are snickering in the corner, despite the order to get straight back to work. One takes it upon herself to approach Desba and Michel with a pitcher of fresh klah, setting it on the table and lingering as long as possible, wiping the table down, scrubbing at an invisible stain... and perhaps this is what started the situation in the first place. "Is there anything you require for the table?" She boldly asks, stepping forward to address Desba.

"I think she's upset I didn't tell her it was going on." Desba's emotional compacity it it's peak what seems like hours ago. "Shards, I didn't know we were friends, much less /that/ close. I didn't tell anyone but you until after." She mumbles some about the complexity and uselessness of emotion before gritting her teeth and eating some of her breakfast, after she finishes the bite she changes the subject, "Looks like you took that vacation. I thought I was going to give you the lift." The woman manages a pseudo pout in the man's direction. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Desba completely unaware what the drudge is up too, Desba gives her a soft, if not forced, smile, "Some more meatrolls."

Rysta nods to Uriala a bit, seeming deep in thought at times. "Well, yes, I suppose that's part of it. My days often run together with what needs to be learned and what chores I need to complete and the like. We are kept very busy, especially at first. Things have begun to get more into a routine though. I think that may be because we're getting close to graduating and all."

Michel chuckles softly and nods his understanding. "Well, you can't help what she thought and if you didn't tell her and she wanted to know...she should have asked." he says. He grins at the pout and shrugs one shoulder as if he had nothing to do with the whole thing. "I did...and you were. But I got a note from my Craftmaster that if I didn't get out of the kitchen for a sevenday or so, she'd come down and drag me out herself. I took the first dragonride I could get. I certainly don't need Lilya mad at me." He finishes with a wink for the vagaries of his Master.

Eshe doesn't pay much obvious attention to all that is happening in the caverns, though she steals a glance or two at the people milling about every now and then. The retreating Jessica gets a glance, then Desba and Michel and then the hunter returns to her meal, not even caring to use utensils to disect her sandwiches before eating them.

Desba frowns, "This is all so complicated. Perhaps I should have told her, but how was I to know?" Michel recieves a nod, "Yes, I suppose she should have asked. I didn't know she wanted to know." She smiles at him shakes her head, "We had a deal. You owe me." She points a finger at him, "And you owe me big." Her shoulders raise and fall in a teasing unimpressed shrug, "What is one Craftmaster after all. Though the vacation does seem to have done you good."

Olwen arrives from deeper in the Weyr.
Olwen exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.

Uriala takes a sip from her juice, her own mood introspective. "Mmm," she says thoughtfully, then glances up towards the door. "Speaking of duties," she says, "I should probably be getting to the Ground Weyrs. Enjoy your day."

Scurrying off the fill the order, the drudge chuckles as she approaches her comrades, whispering something and grabbing a plate. They all have a good giggle, before the bold one ferries back Desba's order. Setting the plate down, again she lingers longer than necessary. "Will that be all, Miss Desba?"

Rysta nods to Uriala and offers her a smile and a wave. "See you later, Uriala. Take care." She finishes off her klah and breakfast, picking up the plate and mug and taking it over to the place designated for used utensils.

Uriala drops off her glass as well, then takes herself off again.
Uriala exchanges the protection of stone for the bowl outside.

Michel shakes his head at the drudge to indicate he's fine with what he has and then turns a smile back to Desba. "You couldn't have unless she asked." he says. "Oh? And just how should I recompense you, my dear? Take another vacation with you as companion?" He's teasing, isn't he? Well, he could be teasing...he could also be earnestly serious, except that twinkle in his eyes rather belies that if it's noted.

Not much to do, except watching people and drudges chittering and chattering. She lets an almost knowing smile play over her lips as the drudge tending to Desba runs off to exchange gossip with another. Wouldn't be long before the whole Weyr knows what's going on in one version or another.
[OOC:] Eshe claims that one.

"No, not this is fine, thank you. And please don't call me miss." The drudge is waved off with another smile, and she turns back to Michel, crossing her arms. Equally teasing, or perhaps not, "Yes, I think that will do just fine. No, I suppose I can't ask to take you away from your work again so soon." She smiles, "I guess you'll just have to come up with something else, something to appease my anger." Though she is clearly not angry as she smiles much more easily than early.
[OOC:] Desba tacks her name on that last one. SOrry.

Rysta finishes putting away her dirty dishes and then offers a wave to those left in the caverns as she heads back out to her duties and training with only a small sigh. "See you later, everyone," she offers with a friendly wave before stepping out to the bowl where Ulicaelth already awaits her.

Eshe finishes off her small mountain of sandwiches in record time and leans back to dig the redfruit out of her pocket, slips her knife out of its sheath and leans back in her chair to cut wedges out of the fruit.

Michel smiles as he sips his tea, contemplating just what he can offer Desba that she'd take him up on. "Hmmm....no, I can't really take another sevenday off. A day though...that'd be doable." he ponders, watching the brownrider from beneath lowered lashes. "Or a backrub, I give a good massage. Maybe my 'special recipe' mint tarts?" There's a playful smile curling his lips as he watches for a reaction to any of this.

"Sorry, Mi-er, Desba." The drudge curtsies, then turns, and walks back slowly. Got to catch as much of the conversation as possible, see... it's a drudges way. Back to the scurrying and chittering, it's no secret that soon indeed, the information gathered will be made plainly available to all who ask... and several who don't.

Oh, Faranth...

Sun, 23 Jan 2005 23:31:28 GMT

Silas has left. This should be a good thing, right? I don't have to like him anymore, and I can spend some more time trying to figure out Marond without worrying about bumping into him...

So why do I feel so guilty?

Because he said he loved me. In a letter. If you write that kind of stuff down, it must be true... oh, faranth. Silas loves me. And I don't love him. How could I? I'm so... young. These are the sex years, not the love years. Even Wyn agrees on that one... well, to a degree, I think. At least, that's the impression I got from her. I don't want to love someone in my sex years. And I don't want to deal with him loving me while... while I'm crushing on Marond at the same time!

Ugh. Now I feel even worse. I shouldn't have written the last line.

Silas,

Thank-you for your letter. I'm sorry to see you go, but I understand you reasoning. I'm sorry about Siren - she can be a little tactless sometimes. Please don't feel so miserable about leaving. It's not the end of Pern, you know. If you needed to go, you needed to go, and I... we, everyone here... understands that. Everything happens for a reason, after all?

You're forgiven. Totally. And I miss you too.

-Jessica.

So much to write...

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 06:37:50 GMT

Ugh. Where do I start.

So busy! So unbelievably busy since Marond acquired me as his assistant. Hidework. More than I could have ever wanted. Mingling. More than I could have ever asked for. Energy? Less than I've ever had. But it's good; I'm learning so much more than X'ian could have ever taught me. Marond has more tolerance for me, and slightly more patience, I think. Maybe.

Which brings me to other news: Marond is dreamy. Well, not in the sense that he's picture-perfect... but he's smart. And... smart. I don't know... he makes my tummy flutter. In a good way. I think I like him. I know I like him. I could never tell him. I need to tell someone...

I like Silas. As well. Does that make me slutty? Silas is... not Marond. He's quiet, he's cute... he's so nice to me. And Siren told him I like him. Having no energy to stay and explain my blushing, I left. And have been avoiding him ever since. How can I talk to him about it while I still like Marond, too? I'm so confused. I need to tell someone.

Maybe, just maybe... if I work hard, and make no mistakes with the hidework, Marond might notice me like that. He'll see I'm competent, and smart, and witty... I've gotten wittier!... and he'll think to himself that I'm dreamy. Yeah. And Silas will... leave. Somehow. Oh, I feel horrible for writing that. Maybe Marond could be the one to leave...

I need to tell someone.

I think I want to wear glasses. I'd look cute in glasses. I might get a pair.

Finally, time to write...

Sun, 21 Nov 2004 20:24:07 GMT

Oh! It's been a long few sevendays... I can't even remember when I last had time to write here. SO much has happened.

Most importantly, I've got a new job. Marond has promoted me to be his assistant... Sylara as well. He's not so bad, once you work a little more closely with him. I have to have breakfast with him tomorrow to discuss the new tithe that should arrive in a few days time. I'm a little nervous, actually... I've got the fluttery-feeling in my stomach. It's odd. Marond is old, and not attractive... maybe it's just that I'm nervous about helping direct the tithe when it comes. I think I'll style my hair anyways...

I'm not talking to X'ian. In fact, I'm trying to avoid him altogether. He was so rude when I told him about the promotion... he didn't even congratulate me. And then, when I offered to spend my late evenings still helping him out? He said he'd much rather I just left him alone, because he'd never wanted me to help in the first place. He could've just said that when I asked him if I could help out, rather than be so nasty about it now. Anyway, I'll leave him alone. All the better for me.

Some kid was down there... I /hope/ he's not X'ian's. That man would be a rotten father. I offered to give him dancing lessons, but haven't seen him since. Ei-ta... Eitanex, I think he said his name was. Cute kid.

I met this really nice Istan rider a few days ago, too... B'au. He's... different. But very nice. Very very nice.

Which brings me to Jonas. Who doesn't want to know me. Maybe I was really bad in bed or something... at any rate, I must've been horrible for him to just ignore me! And, when I asked him about it? He says, "You're just a girl, Jessi... there'll be others." Just a girl. Pfft. I'm glad I only slept with him once. He wasn't that great anyway... and he couldn't hold a conversation on anything interesting.

So. A lot of things have happened. I just hope this breakfast isn't too... uncomfortable. Please, please, please... let it not be uncomfortable.

OOC: Log

Wed, 17 Nov 2004 19:44:27 GMT

Upper Alpine Meadows
A vast alpine meadow stretches to the foot a glacier, flanked by the flat reach of a dozen more peaks; snow lurks at the higher elevations, capping the valleys in thick, endless layers of ice and new-fallen flakes. In contrast, during the spring and summer months a carpet of wildflowers spreads over a base of springy green turf, perfect for picnics and days outdoors. A small stream runs off towards the distant weyr, running cool and clear from out of the nearby blue-toned glacier.
It is an autumn midmorning. As the sun creeps up in the sky, the gentle breeze blows through the trees, their leaves green with fringes of brown and golds as the fall cooler nights prepare them for the winter.
Obvious exits:
Ice Caves Glacier Stream

Above, Isamath flies in from the southwest.
Above, Isamath drops down through the heavy winds to land in Alpine Meadows.
Isamath lands gently despite the buffeting winds above.
Ashli dismounts from Isamath's neck gracefully, sliding down from golden neckridges.

Above, Niwath suddenly breaks through into the sky above, after-dark ocean form twisting effortlessly through the air as he shakes away the cold of ::between::.
Above, Ainth begins again to flap her wings as the coldness of ::between:: dissolves around her and the world of Pern returns.
Niwath lands gently despite the buffeting winds above.
Ainth lands gently despite the buffeting winds above.

Niwath gives a low sigh of disappointment and reluctantly says 'adieu' to B'au, bending his foreleg in a genteel manner to allow B'au to dismount from the tropical haven of Niwath's neck.

Desba wanders on in from the lower meadows.
Silas wanders on in from the lower meadows.

Above, Dyamith glides gracesfully, with long broad strokes, in from the southwest.
Above, Dyamith drops down through the heavy winds to land in Alpine Meadows.
Dyamith lands gently despite the buffeting winds above.

Jessica is brooding, though for all the marks on Pern it looks more like she's off with the faeries rather than in a bad mood. She's seated on the ground, legs curled up and held against her chest by means of her arms wrapped around them. Her tear-stained face is a perfect match for scruffy-looking hair and dusty clothes, and the mid-morning sun is doing it's job of blurring vision with it's annoying brightness, shining straight in her eyes as only that mid-morning sun can.

B'au has /such/ a bad hangover. A slight detour on the way to wash Niwath has brought them all the way up to 'Reaches, with B'au hoping to find his weyrmate... and failing, thanks to the near-blindness the sun causes. He stumbles over the meadows, homing in on the blur of shape that is Jessica. "...Help?"

Dyamith lands lightly and Desba slips off, "Yes, I know that normally you tell me when we need breaks, but you've been on those sands for so long, and I don't think they have mind healers for dragons." Her dragon gets an affectionate kiss on the muzzle before noticing anyway, though if pressed she would never admit to having done such. "Jessica?" Is asked, less of is it really the girl, she knows the face well enough but more of why the tears, that is until B'au happens to stumble over the girl and Desba only manages a snort at him.

< Local > Ainth greets with feminine pastel pinks, quite quickly taken over by seductive reds. Proddy? Ainth? Never! Well... perhaps just this once. << Dyamith. Niwath. Isamath. >> Quite the party here!

Silas wanders aimlessly around the meadows, a small piece of hide in his right hand, a pouch in his left and his eyes on the ground, flickering from one spot to the next, looking for something. "What do I know of plants and herbs?" he mumbles to himself and looks up as he hears voice, scanning the place for the source.

Isamath swoops down elegantly, the cool rays of the rising sun playing through large wings, sending prisms of color down upon the ground before she lands with a gentle backswing, the elegance of the landing shattered somewhat by a small form suddenly leaping off the dragon and somersaulting through the air, the girl lands half on her feet, half on her hands. She seems unfazed, however, beaming about and bowing dramatically. A true Reachian, Ash has no jacket as of yet, simply clothed in a green shirt and worn brown breeches, riding boots scuffed slightly. A jacket is ensnared in Isa's straps, however - perhaps the gold insisted upon some covering for the girl, "just in case". Ashli suddenly notices her friend, and the girl jogs quickly over towards Jessica - though it seems she is quite popular all of a sudden, and perhaps Ash will only add more chaos...and yet, loyalty to her friends wins out, and the girl quickly crouches besides her, hand reaching out as if to stroke the girl's back gently. "Jess? What's wrong, love? If it's that guard of yours, I swear..." the girl mutters something under her breath that has to do with the questionable ancestry of said guard and other angry mutterings. B'au's appearance is greeting with a beam. "Oh, B'au! Hello! Niwath! Hello! How are the both of you!?" she calls joyously, waving happily over at her favorite blue before she is distracted by the entrances of Desba and Silas, and they both gain a friendly nod before Ash again focuses her complete attention upon Jessica.

< Local > Niwath sends a wash of gentle waves over his words. << Yes, it is a party. >> A light breeze fans through. << I hope Mine does not get too cold. >>

< Local > Ainth senses that Dyamith bursts forth with the oranges of the firey campfire always burning in his mind. << Ainth, you are looking rather startling today. New leathers? Niwath, Isamath, how are you both? >>

Jessica squints, lifting a hand to block the sun. Her first reaction is to greet Desba... a familiar voice in the bright white. "Hey," sniffle, sniffle, "Des." Her voice is small and rather monotone, compared to it's usual perky-loud. A few blinks later, B'au gets a squinting check-out. "Uhhm... are," sniffle again, "You okay?" And as Ashli rushes over, the tears burst forth again... though it could be the mention of 'that guard' of hers that does it. "Aaaaash... hiiiiiissss aaa buuuuummmm." She wails through her sobs, her small voice suddenly becoming rather loud. Amazing how that happens!

< Local > Isamath's voice enters, quiet as a summer breeze, words chosen carefully, yet intoxicating like fine aged whiskey. << Good day, all. If yours gets too chilled, Niwath, there is a spare jacket in my leathers. You do look quite healthy today, Ainth. Dyamith, it's been too long. I'm well, how are you faring? >> A friendly lilt enters her voice as she speaks to her clutchmate, and the rainbow of colors generally associated with Isa's mindvoice suddenly spill over into your mind, merrily jigging into your consciousness.

Niwath's eyes whirl a calm green as he gazes toward Jessica. He swings his head toward his rider, and back again, all slowly.

< Local > Niwath greets the queen with the warmth of a warm beach, sand and waves included. << Thank you Isamath. You look lovely. >> He stirs an eddy in the water, seemingly intent on finding out what's wrong with the girl. << Why is she sad? >> He asks, sympathetically.

< Local > Ainth flashes a hint of scarlet to Dyamith, straightening her posture and whuffling back, << Thank-you, Dyamith! I have a fixed tooth, now, and I will fly soon. >> Of course, have to chuck that in there. It's of most importance. << Niwath, yours looks a little odd today. Where has he been? >>

Silas stops dead in his tracks as so many people are suddenly here and he hadn't even noticed them appearing. "Where.. What?" he stutters, eyes flicking from one to the other, taking in both humans and dragons and his fingers fiddle with the hide in his hand. He almost cringes at Jessica's wail and shuffles his feet, unsure of what to do now. "So, errr..." he goes on, scratching the back of his head, coming closer with slow, careful steps, "are you okay, Jessi?"

< Local > Isamath seems to be touched, a faint flush of pink trailing through her next words. << Why thank you, Niwath. You look quite handsome yourself - pleasure to have you up from Ista. >> A few more muted colors slip through her mindvoice, the taste of fine whiskey growing stronger as the gold replies slowly, << She is sad because a male was mean to her. >> Isamath says no more on this topic, instead switching focus to Ainth, << Will you? Have a good flight - give them a good chase. >> Isa wishes in a friendly fashion, the younger dragon's competitive nature showing through.

Ashli looks absolutely outraged, and waves her arms about for a moment. "Oh, Jessica, love, it's all right. Men who look like that are never worth it anyways. You deserve much better. Don't you worry. You have true friends who care about you." Ash soothes in a comforting tone, shaking her head slowly. "Do you want to talk about it?" she queries, tilting forwards on her haunches and offering the girl a bit of cloth that is perhaps meant to be a hanky, but looks more like an oddly shaped piece of fabric that has been found Faranth-knows-where. It's clean, at least...Silas' entrance and eventual movement closer is noted, and Ash flashes a grin to him, before reverting her concentration back to her friend.

B'au is shivering with the cold, wearing only shirts and a decidedly girly cropped t-shirt. He kneels down beside Jess and, after giving Ashli a quick hug, unashamedly hugs the strange girl too. "Yes. Men are horrible." He grins. "Every last one of us."

Taking the rag-turned-hanky, Jessica dabs at her eyes and pauses her wailing for the moment. Releif for everyone's ears! "He... slept..." She pauses, pointing to herself, and sniffling a little more, "And... left... and... won't... talk... now... says... I'm... littlegirl." In between each of her words is a short breath, a quick draw in and then out like a silent sob. She sticks out her lower lip, sighing loudly. Silas is flashed a 'do I look alright??' kind of Look, more scowl than anything else; wrinkled brows and nose and a harshness in her eyes that only comes from a woman scorned, lavishing all her anger on anything even close to a male. B'au's hug takes her by surprise, though she wraps her arms around him in a return embrace... any comfort is good comfort. "Hiiissabum... Ash."

< Local > Niwath sympathetic waves wash across Niwath's words as he replies to the queen << I'm sorry. That is awful. >> He probably dresses badly too. The scent of a warm cocktail breezes through, and he replies to Ainth as well. << He is well, just a long night. >>

A little more feet-shuffling and Silas glances around under the pretence of looking for the plant he's been sent to gather, whipped into avoidance by Jessica's look. "Oh.. There's one," he says to himself and scurries off a few steps to pick a strange-looking weed, putting it into the pouch he's carrying. Glancing back at the upset girl and the people comforting her, he roams around the group in large circles, eyes mostly at the ground and surrounding areas.
B'au beams to Jessica. "Men are rats. Every last one of them. There are some men I'd just like to..." he makes a scissor-like gesture with his fingers, "snip! And they'd be nice and docile." Playful grin before looking to Ashli. "How are you, goldrider?" he says with a semi-bow, as far as he can when kneeling. Silas is given a quick look. Oooh. Male. But... white knot. Darn it.

Ashli laughs lightly at B'au and returns his hug before blinking, and noting, "B'au, you're shivering." Astute observation, Ashli. In any case, the girl mutters something good-naturedly about "Istans." then pops away for a second to rescue her spare jacket from where it was tangled within Isa's straps and returns, proferring it to B'au. "I think it will fit...but even if it doesn't, it could always offer a little warmth to your shoulders or such..." Ash offers, somewhat apologetically, before she turns back to Jessica and gapes. "He did /what/!? That's it. That boy will regret the day he came to Reaches. The /nerve/! No one treats people like that! At least not around here, they don't! He /is/ a bum. Don't you worry, Jessica. Would you like him in one piece, or can Isa gnaw on him a little?" Ash says, only half-joking, the look in dark eyes angry and annoyed, though certainly not directed at Jessica. B'au's comments, however, leave Ashli no choice but to laugh softly, and the girl shakes her head merrily. "Aye, I hear you there, B'au. Wouldn't it be nice..." she trails off, but winks merrily, then nods in the friendly manner. "Oh, I'm quite well, thank you. How've you been faring recently?"

< Local > Ainth radiates a certain proddy-proudness, colouring her mindvoice in deeper hot pinks and those wonderfully bright reds. << I always do, Isamath. None can match my barrel-roll! >> Insert show-off moment here... although barrel-rolls are a little hard to pull off on the ground. The musty scent of autumn twines itself in with those bright colours, softening them up into first simply less-bright versions, then slowly into fawns and klah-brown. << Long nights are always fun, Niwath! Where did you take him? >>

< Local > Isamath mentions no more on the topic of Jessica, perhaps preferring to allow their chosens to deal with them. Ainth's words are heeded, and the gold seems to be quite impressed. << Ooh, that is certainly a good move. Would you mind terribly if I borrowed that, when I eventually fly? I'm sure I couldn't do it quite as well as that - you're certainly faster than I am - but, it looks fun...How is it that your wings don't tangle up? >> Isa's mindvoice dances with a near-childish curiosity, playful greens entwining into your mind.

< Local > Niwath seens to be laughing at the image of a barrel roll in a flight. The warm wind whistles in. << Very good, Ainth. I'm sure you will fly very far. A beautiful dragon like you will do well. >>

Silas grimaces as he manages to catch B'au's snipping motions and haunches his shoulder, hoping to make himself invisible as he circles the group, bending every now and then to pick some weed or another from the ground. Doing a good job at looking busy, isn't he? Maybe he should just get out of dodge before being accused of being male?

B'au grins and his teeth chatter. "'S cold..." His eyes unfocus momentarily as he listens to his lifemate, before he goes back to shivering. "Thanks..." he murmurs, pulling on the jacket. He's small over the shoulder - especially for a guy - and it fits easily. "I'm pretty good. Have a bit of a hangover." He tilts his head to the side. "Which guard? Niwath would chew, wouldn't you my love?" He sends an adoring glance to the blue, before suddenly snorting with laughter and clasping his hands over his mouth, desperately trying not to show that he's in fits of laughter. Apparently Niwath said something that amused him. A glance is sent over to Silas. Apparently the boy being male isn't a problem at all.

< Local > Ainth, in true proddy style, turns on the charm. << Why thank-you, Niwath. I attract many bronzes, a lot of the time... but you yourself are always welcome to chase. Me. >> Subtle? Of course not. It's far too close to that precious flight for Ainth to be subtle. << I tuck my wings away, and roll. But you must be up as high as possible, because you fall quite a bit when you tuck. I'll teach you sometime. >> To Isamath, her pride swelling and bringing the red back into play.

< Local > Isamath responds with a friendly confetti of colors twirling about her words. << That would be wonderful. All right! >> She agrees with Ainth, though tinges of wry amusement flicker through your mind in the form of a tempting violet, perhaps at the green's not-so-subtle invitations.

Jessica doesn't bother letting go of B'au, even if it is just to rest her hands upon his knees. "Oh, don't... hurt... him." She sniffles, still affected by her sobbing and speaking stiltedly. And defending the swine, too? Silas gets another Look, though this one is more of a 'you're being odd' than its harsh predecessor. Her eyes widen a little, as B'au asks for a name. "J-" She stutters, tears starting to well again. "Jo-" She tries again, failing once more. After a short pause to muster some courage, she goes for a third attempt. "Jo-... nas." Success comes in two syllables, with a slight hiccuping noise in the middle. Blinking back those tears, she takes a large gulp of air, and proceeds to hold it in as long as possible. Hiccup-cure, in case anyone was wondering.

Silas almost chokes as he notices the looks being sent from B'au toward him and he simply stares at the rider for long moments, then withdraws back to his task, trying to send out signals that he's not in that camp. "No, no, no, no, NO," he mumbles and bends to yank out a plant by the root, nearly falling backwards with the force. His eyes find Jessica as the name of the offending party is revealed. He's heard it before, hasn't he? Not that he'd be able to put a face with the name. Too many names and too many faces in a few short weeks.

< Local > Niwath tosses a wave around through the link, splashing on a warm, bright beach. << Ainth, I would be delighted. >> The scent of coconuts permeates his voice for a moment. << Mine may not be pleased. >>

Ashli blinks over at Silas, and seems to be fairly impressed that the boy is keeping himself busy, yet listening at the same time. Quite the skills in investigation, nearly Harper-like. Ash files that somewhere away in her memory before sympathetically grimacing at B'au upon his mention of a hangover, then laughs wryly. "All right, Niwath chews, Isa will make angry noises, and I'll rampage around with a flamethrower?" Upon Jessica's insistence that they not hurt him, Ash looks hurt. "Aww. Jess, you're no fun." she teases light-heartedly, before grumbling again, "Jonas. What a jerk. All right, perhaps we won't /eat/ him. Only...intimidate?" she suggests, automatically adding in a 'we' as if assuming that B'au will be amenable to it. Silas is simply giggled at. Very softly, and Ash bites her lip quickly. Ahh, Candidates. :)

B'au holds onto Jess for as long as she wants. He's huggly like that. "I won't hurt him..." pause. "Too badly at all." Not as badly as he's hurt /other/ men. He flutters his eyelashes a bit at Silas. Camp? Yes, camp! Which camp, he doesn't quite care. "And who might you be?" he asks in a purr of the younger man, ignoring Niwath's opinion temporarily. Mrow.

In a moment of quiet lucidity and coherency, Jessica manages to meet Silas' gaze and utter a complete sentence without stuttering or sniffing. "Sit, Silas... you don't have to work all the time." Her words might be a little short, or even commanding... but the intention is good. A please thrown in might soften it a little, though the afterthought comes a good moment or two later. "Please." But is added in there, nonetheless. Her hands don't leave their position on B'au's knees, though it's fast becoming awkward for her to look around and keep them there. Ashli is on the receiving end of a grateful smile, followed by another sniffle. "O-... k." More of those hiccups. Great. Then, smile is turned back to B'au, who seems to be doing quite an awesome job of comforting her, even whilst sizing up poor Silas.

Listening is one of Silas' prime traits, though at times he may talk an ear off, though this is not one of those occasions. He examines the plant he's pulled, then furrows his brows as he compares it to the drawing on his hide and tosses it away, just as B'au asks him a question and Jessica's offer. Oh uh, not invisible anymore... He turns and tries to smile at the rider, though it comes out as a lopsided grin, "Uh.. I'm Silas. I'm.. A Candidate," he says, as if the white knot didn't make that obvious. He nods at Jessica, then comes to sit next near the group, though far enough from B'au to be out of the man's reach. Ahem.

Ashli bites her lip yet again to hide a grin at Silas, though she does grin at B'au. Ahh, the innocent Candidates. Well, perhaps not innocent...more like not used to weyr life as of yet. Jessica is gazed at, and Ash smiles back calmly, beaming merrily. "All right, it's a deal. Do I still get to use my flamethrower?" the girl asks with a laughing twinkle in her eyes, though she seems to now be leaving the majority of the comforting up to B'au, who looks as if he has it quite well in hand, thank Faranth.

B'au is a people-person. He can flirt /and/ comfort at the same time, and he could even add argue, maim and psychologically damange to that list if the right person came along. Unfortunately, they haven't. Or is that fortunately? "Silas. What a /lovely/ name." The whole 'candidate' thing doesn't sink in yet, apparently, because the Flirt Switch is still stuck in the 'on' position. "I'm B'au." He only disentangles from Jess temporarily to hold out a hand to the boy. "And that's Niwath." Blue, surprisingly...

Silas hesitates for a moment before taking the offered hand, giving it a short, strong shake before withdrawing his hand to fiddle with the hide and the bag of herbs. "Pleased to meet you, B'au. My duty to you and your lifemate," he says, an undertone of nerves colouring his voice as he glances at Jessica, sending her a warm smile, "I think they're right Jessi. If he hurt you, he's not really worth crying over."

Ashli blinks at B'au and adds with a friendly grin, "Silas will be Standing for Tiareth's clutch currently on the Sands." she offers the bit of gossip idly, noting, "Desba's Dyamith caught her, you know. Interesting, no?" Ash chatters merrily, perhaps both warning B'au of Silas' Candidacy and giving Silas a chance to chatter if he does so desire. "I agree with Silas." she idly notes to Jessica, dark-eyed gaze searching Jessica's eyes for some sort of agreement.

Jessica shrugs a little, wincing at Ashli's mention of flamethrower. Jonas on fire... not a good mental image. Instead, she replaces it with one of B'au and Si... wait. That's no better. Time for Jess to switch the perky-switch back on, and get over her broody-teary-nasty mess of a mood. Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy, although Silas' smile helps her along. "Yeah, thanks." Sniffle, sniffle. Cue eyes on Ashli for one of those friendly girl-chats-without-words. Ahh, to be a girl!

B'au raises an eyebrow. ".....Wow. I would say that I'm impressed... but I'm more than impressed." He looks to Niwath. "Hear that, my love? Someone just swore their duty to us..." And see! Images of B'au necking like a teenager (which is definately still his mental age) give HAPPINESS! .... Wait... they don't. Darn it. He eventually acknowledges the knot and sighs. "Woe is me," he announces dryly. "White is invading my every pore." ...Strange man.

Silas nods to Ashli and gets a momentary faraway look in his eyes as he imagines himself on the Sands. He wakes at the sound of B'au's voice and is clever enough to understand the implication of his words. "Well... Errr, just a saying, you know. Being polite, see?" he says, stumbling over his words, then glances at his knot and understands the implication of /that/ and is immediately relieved. "I, errr, I suppose you'll just have to wait until after the Hatching?" he teases, though sound immensely nervous about saying the words at all.

< Local > Ainth mentally surfs Niwath's wave, crashing onto the same shore with an ungraceful thump. Well done, Ainth. << Do not worry about yours, Niwath. I know how he is, and mine will be sure to leave him to himself... >>

B'au smiles very, very, VERY widly. He practically has fangs. "Maybe you'll get a little greenie!" he says with a smiiiiile. "I'm an Assistant weyrlingmaster down at Ista... Niwath and I could help you out, if you need anything."

Marond wanders on in from the lower meadows.

Ashli grins at Jessica, and nods slowly, dark eyes understanding. Upon hearing B'au and Silas' interchange, though, Ash snickers softly, and nods. "Oh, yes, perhaps so. Oh, yes, Silas, I'm sure B'au could help you out quite a bit after you Impress. He helped Isa and I a bit with formations." That last bit is literal, though the rest all seems to refer to something else other than dragonriding...but, my, what /could/ she be discussing?

< Local > Niwath's gratefulness colors his words a sea-blue, the scent of salty air mixing in. << Thank you, Ainth. Mine /does/ have his Weyrmate. And he lives here, you may know. >>

Silas flushes deeply and suddenly his eyes both staring at B'au and trying to avoid meeting his gaze, giving the Candidate a wildeyed look as his gaze flicker here there and everywhere. "Um, right, well.. We'll see, won't we? I'd have to Impress first, wouldn't I?" Almost wants him to be left Standing...

Jessica wrinkles her brows, not quite catching on the whatever sinister banter might be being exchanged around her. Though oblivion comes probably as something Good for once, rather than a hinderance. And since she doesn't understand, she doesn't say anything... rather uncharacteristically. Instead, she settles for latching onto B'au again, almost... possessively. Heh.

The meadow is more or less in it's outward phase. Briars and bushes have shed their spring finery leaving a blighted reminder of the cooling climate. Snow has begun to creep lower, damp has slowly crept into tarnished stalks, and the scent of blackberries hangs heavy in the air. Amid this pastoral scene a cluster of riders and candidates seem to be conversing, but not to be outdone by so calm a scene, Marond has come to interrupt-- par normal. Leading a small army of ten, Marond's appearance is a stealthy one. Grass crunches beneath sizable boots, black hair has formed a static-induced halo around his sallow features, and his strained voice can be heard a good minute before he's seen. "I want this to be timely, that means -no- eating. If I see any purple on or around your lips I will make sure you clean the latrines for a week." It's Marond's kind soul and way with people that got him his job, you know. "Alright, you four, over there, you three with me, the rest of you spread out and pick all that you can find." And with that, Weyr residents start spider-webbing out into the meadow-- immuring themselves in thickets as Marond (with his patented collecting pail) begins edging towards the clump of vines nearer the previously stationed group. He can see B'au isn't from around here, and you can bet this Headman would like to know exactly what an Istan upstart is doing at /his/ Weyr.

Upon catching sight of Marond, Ashli leaps as if caught, and glances around worriedly, as if wondering if he saw her. Perhaps he hasn't, yet! Perhaps if she only runs back behind yonder bush and hides, he won't see her, and wonder why she hasn't finished cleaning the lower catacombs yet. Seeing that Jessica seems to be content, for the moment, Ash winks at her companionably and quickly darts behind the bush, before muttering darkly, and too-loudly, "Shards." For, the girl has just been reminded that a rather large shiny greenish-gold dragon may give her away. "Isa, hide!" Though, where a gold dragon can hide, has yet to be seen, as the gold swings her head this way and that, apparently searching for a spot...

B'au gives Ashli a hug. "Yes. Formations." And with Ashli it /was/ 100% literal. The idea of anything else... eeeewwww. Female. "And if you don't Impress, we'll take you out to get so drunk you won't remember!" Of course, B'au doesn't condone drinking, kiddies. It's evil and horrible as are gay men, lesbians, pagans and anyone who practises pre-marital sex. Now remember that. B'au looks rather surprised by Jessica's possessiveness. Hmmm. He's blank and innocent about /that/ though. Someone will need to inform him of her motives. And he would explain his presence to Marond... if he wasn't too oblivious to notice.

Silas is just taking a break and really, it wasn't his idea to begin with. He'd been dutifully doing the task of picking this one particular plant for the healers. He stares at Ashli as she jumps, then looks around over his shoulder, eyes widening at the approach of the headman. Known only by reputation to Silas, he still twitches a little, but is distracted by B'au, "drunk.. Yes.. I think I could use a drink right around now," he notes and haunches over, pretending to look through that little herbal bag again, checking its contents.

< Local > Niwath speaks, saltwater seeping in, like the blue's curiousity << Ladies, who is that gentleman? I don't think I've met him before. >>

Ashli isn't the only one who should consider a timely escape. There's more than one of those in attendance getting a flat glare with hints of scowl. Marond is staring right at that big gold dragon, and you can bet he knows who's conspicuously absent. As his fingers rummage through the clumped leaves of his quarry, his glower deepens and he skewers Silas with a particularly potent stare. "Drinking? I certainly hope you wouldn't let a little thing like being left standing allow you to lose all self respect." Marond's priorities are in the right place, it's all you other people who haven't quite caught on. As Silas mutters his reply to B'au, Marond's crumpled form straightens out and his scowl becomes apparent. "Candidate, shouldn't you be attending some chore? I could certainly find you one if you happen to be here for your pleasure." And now it's B'au's turn. The three helpers who were with Marond have slowly edged out of the mounting tension, and as Marond's attentions swing to the Istan, their steps speed up. "May I ask what an Istan Rider is doing offering alcoholic beverages to a candidate who /should/," and his eyes snap back to Silas for a moment, "be doing his chores?"

< Local > Isamath is silent for a moment, pastel colors removed from your mind, before she returns, apparently after communing with her lifemate, and responds with an amused flicker of orange jigging through her words. << Ashli says he's the new tyrant, but I believe he's actually the new Headperson. >>

Javert blinks in from ::between::!

Jessica is still oblivious, in her usual drifty way... though Ashli's jump-and-hide mechanism startles her a little. "Ash, what?" It seems her Mood has dissolved, too. Which might be a good thing. Whirling her eyes around, she spies Marond. Oh, yay! And it's enough to spur Jessi to her feet also, forgetting B'au and her possessive hug in favour of hiding with Ashli. "Shove over, Ash! He can still see me, look... my arm is sticking out!" Nevermind how odd she might appear... where there's Marond, there's work. And where there's work, there's... no wait, there's /no/ Jessica. "D'you think he saw us?" She whispers, pulling that arm in close.

B'au isn't going to let himself like Marond. Oh no. B'au doesn't find evil, calculated intelligence sexy. Oh no. Despite the fact that he may just have shivered. He gets to his feet and holds out his hand. "B'au. Blue Niwath's rider, Istan Assistant Weyrlingmaster, Skyraider Wingrider... yada yada..." he smiles happily, which will probably rub Marond up the wrong way. "Well met... Marone? Marok? Marondine?" He tries to dredge the name out of his memory.

Ashli squishes over a little and grimaces. "I'm not sure, but I'm fairly sure he sees Isamath. Maybe he thinks that I didn't come with her, and maybe he didn't see you? You're kind of small, no worries..." Ash says, though a wry giggle escapes. "So, why are you currently hiding from Marond? Probably the same reason I am?" the girl whispers conspiratorially, peeking out subtly underneath the bush, eyeing the feet of those around and attempting to decide which one is Marond...

"Well, I /was/!" Silas complains, holding up the bag of herbs, shaking it a little to let the headman know there's actually something /in/ the bag, then goes on, "and I don't. Drink that is. Haven't touched a drop since I left Gar. Well, nothing alcoholic, that is. I still need to drink /something/, you know." He stands and rummages to find the hide with the drawing of some herb or another to show Marond, "see? This is what I was looking for." He looks around, and finds the two girls gone, then waves at B'au, "he'll tell you. I was doing my chores, right?"

B'au's hand is quietly eyed before Marond's gaze returns to the bluerider. "Marond," is spoken softly-- through thinning lips and hollowing cheeks. "Well rider, as delighted as we are by your visit," you can tell he's delighted by the way his eyes narrow and his lips flutter briefly wit h disgust. "I still don't believe you have mentioned /why/ you're gracing us with your present this afternoon." Turning slightly to regard Silas, the Headman unravels one waspishly thin finger and crooks it towards the bag and the sketch, a sign that he would like both. Meanwhile, a particular bush hiding two particular females gets a light kick with one spare boot, causing many swollen berries to shower the near vicinity.
present - presence

One of those particular females squawks and dives for the offending boot, arms stretching out as the girl dives to capture it, dark curls tangling as the young rider pounces. Aha. See if he'll kick innocent bushes again...oh...well...perhaps he had a reason...oh no, and now Ash has blown her cover! "Run, Jess, run." she whispers conspiratorially. Perhaps if Marond spies Ash, he won't think that perhaps Ash had an accomplice behind the bush!

B'au shrugs to Silas. "He was. But it was /Ashli/ who said he should sit down." B'au's happy smile is rather shattered by Marond's display of joy at his arrival, and his lip trembles just for a second. The resemblance to a kicked puppy is remarkable. "Aren't those bred at High Reaches allowed to return here for a visit any more?" He frowns. "I was here to see X'ner, /not/ that it's any of your business." B'au eyes the Ashli too.

"Because he's evil!!" Jessica retorts to Ashli's question, still in a whisper. Wide eyes swing to Ash, as Marond draws inadvertently (or perhaps not?) closer to their hiding place. "And because I switched jobs without talking to him... though him and X'ian look pretty chummy, so I doubt he cares too mu-..." She adds, suddenly silent as Marond kicks their hiding spot. "ASH!!" She squawks, giving herself up as well. Not on purpose, of course... but if Marond hadn't seen them before, he certainly will now. Unless he's struck by some odd force of nature causing spontaneous momentary deafness...

Silas swallows a lump and hands the items over to the headman, standing straight and trying to gain a little height by doing so and trying his best at keeping an innocent expression on his face. He glances over to see the girls' hidingplace revealed and can't help letting out a low chuckle a the reaction. "It's all there. As much as I could find..." he says, waving a hand around the meadows, "I don't think there's much left at all.."

< Local > Niwath blues and yellows streak through alternately as he worriedly speaks to the other dragons. << That one is being rude to Mine. >> A single ray of white light wraps around his thoughts again, highlighting his concern << I'm not sure that's right. >>

Ashli blinks at B'au. "It was?" she questions, before she blinks, shrugs, and nods. "Sure. Yup! It was me." Shards, Ash already has enough chores from Marond already - what more could he possibly hit her with? Ash blinks at Jessica, and questions curiously, "X'ian and Marond are chummy?" This is all said in a stage-whisper, and considering that Marond is right there, he most likely can hear them. Unless, yep, that momentary deafness certainly may strike. You never know. "Silas was working quite hard, Marond." she defends the Candidate.

< Local > Isamath doesn't seem too worried, and the gold soothes the blue, calm oceanic colors flowing gently through your mind. << Don't worry, Niwath. That is how he is. B'au will be fine. And, even if he isn't, mine ranks him. I...think. Though, she does seem to listen to him... >> Isa considers this for a moment, before a mental shrug is given. << In any case, relax, my friend. Yours will be fine. >>

Marond is startled for a moment, but the moment is quickly over. Prying his boot free he eyes Ashli in silence. Carefully taking Silas' offerings, he reviews them briefly, nods, and motions the boy over. "In that case, candidate, you should probably be getting back." With a finger raised to forestall his conversation with B'au-- a motion reserved for those who Marond considers 'adults'-- his eyes dart towards Jessica where they stay, burrowing... "Here, now." As for Ashli, his expression says it all, and if that doesn't, his next words certainly do the trick. "I'll make sure Pyrene pays you a visit later." And as for Marond's gossip-inducing stint of conversation with X'ian, well, to be quite frank "that is none of your business." Now, back to the grownup... though with B'au, he uses the term loosely. "What /is/ my business, if the livelihood of our candidates and it seems that a full-fledged rider, despite his auspicious beginnings, is something of a distraction to their impressionable minds. Don't you think?"

< Local > Ainth feigns her interest, if only to help with her seduction. Drawing numbers to this flight of hers is important, see? << I'm sure yours can defend himself. That one is very unsavoury. As Vor says, his meat would only taste good if you soaked it in wine first. >>

B'au is an adult? Wow. Marond has a lot to learn. He watches the finger as if mesmerized by it, only snapping out of the trance when Marond speaks. "I'm not distracting any impressionable minds. I was enjoying a conversation with a girl and a /graduated/ goldrider and a candidate /happened/ to over hear." Not entirely true, that. "I hardly stripped him off, got him drunk and molested him or anything. Though maybe that would have given you a heart attack and you would have left two young ladies alone." Sigh. Love at first sight. How cute.

< Local > Niwath's chuckle responds to the green, waves of relief washing up on the shores of his thoughts. << Soaked in wine, indeed. >> Isamath is replied to, tendrils of pastel colors painting the words like a beach sunset. << Thank you. It means much, my little sister. >> Well, she's the clutchsister of his rider's sister, so that makes her a sister, too.

Ashli eyes Marond back, dark eyes flashing in amusement, before she straightens up and attempts to look composed and intelligent...though, this effect is perhaps lost on Marond, considering Ashli's height holds nary a candle to Marond's own. Marond's threat of Pyrene is noted, and the girl considers it, then dismisses it carefully, nodding to the headman. "As you wish, Marond." she replies, her voice filled with the utmost respect - and not even a touch of sarcasm. Isn't she getting good at this diplomacy thing? "Now, Marond, I must insist, however." If she's in trouble already, might as well dig her hole a little deeper, "B'au is a good influence upon the Candidates. He certainly influenced me to go through with Standing, and my Candidacy, and gave me confidence. Niwath and he are stunning examples of what true Pernese dragonriders should be - courageous and helpful. He did not hesitate to aid Isamath and I when we were having a bit of difficulty with our formations - as you surely know, Isamath took a while to grow into her wings, and they are still large..." At this, Ash shoots a loving glance over at the gold, who croons softly, before Ash responds to B'au as well. "Exactly so, B'au."

"It was only because Jessi was upset," Silas tries to defends the junior weyrwoman's decision to have him sit, "and she needed someone to sit with her for a while." He glances at Jessica, immediately regretting saying that and hangs his head a little, then jerks up again, "and I /do/ not have an impressionable mind!" But he chokes at the words coming from B'au and feels a bit dizzy, swaying a little where he stands. "I think... Maybe I'll try to find some more of those herbs.. If I can have the bag and the hide back, please?"

"That's what I heard." Jessica counters to Ashli, right before Marond asserts his position on the gossip. She falls silent, getting to her feet as fast as she can, and dusting herself off. Taking a step closer to Marond, she switches her glance over to teh goldrider again, only for a moment... Silas quickly grabs her attention, and she lets her glare rests upon him. Sigh. And it's a rather heavy sigh at that, filled with dread at the possibility of having to explain herself and her reasoning for sitting around and distracting Candidates to sharp Headman. Because Marond misses nothing. Her glare fades into surprise as Silas speaks again... the audacity! Oh, the audacity! She winces in anticipation of the snivelling to come, and possibly the physical punishment for such outright contradiction. You can tell she's a hopeless case... Marond is, after all, only a man. But a man with power (which can be scary)!!

Marond is caught by something that apparently doesn't show its self often in his carefully contrived emotions. Is that..? Why yes, yes I believe..? Marond is chuckling, dare I say the man is actually attempting a laugh. He's not very proficient at it to be sure, his face makes all the wrong angles, his lips scrunch up in odd places, and his eyes seem to be on the verge of popping right out. Ashli apparently is the object of his mirth, and as the Headman wipes away the beginnings of a tear (the man has ducts! It's a miracle!) he presents his most feral and ghastly smile. "Fantastic, little weyrwoman, I'll just have to take your word for it." This sets him off on another bout of wheezing laughter which is immediately cut off as soon as Jessica is within range. "As it seems your having certain... emotional problems today, I'll excuse you from your chores for the remainder of the day." What.. how.. who.. oh, and it gets better. "In fact, you're chore-free for the week, of course, I'll need you to report to me for your new knot." New-- did he say new-- "I've been looking for a few more assistants, and it seems that with someone like-- you. Someone who has emotion(s)al understanding, who can reach the common denominator." And the barbs get bigger. "As for you," is stated politely, firmly, and with complete and utter detachment-- "I think you'll find that the Weyr has changed a bit since you've been back. As lax as /Ista's/ hierarchy may be, I, as Headman, make it my business to keep people on -track-. And that includes protecting young -children- from the words 'molested' and 'stripped'." Silas, apparently, is a mere babe. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got -work- to do." And up up and awaaaaay swishes Marond, or more accurately, slink slink and a sliiiiinking away.

Yes, B'au is just that sexy. Young men faint around him a lot. He casts a worried eye to the boy. "Are you alright?" And then suddenly, B'au falls in love/lust/both. That slinking, swishing man is the one he's been searching for all along. Marond! Darling! Face lit up like he's just been enlightened, a seriously puppy-eyed B'au nods wordlessly. Did he just whimper the man's name?! Exit a very flushed B'au, running off towards X'ner's weyr - or perhaps to a cold bath.

Mouth opens. Mouth closes. Mouth opens. And stays open for quite a while, then snaps closed with a clatter of teeth against teeth, eyes flashing at the headman. Before he can say anything, the headman in question is away and a bluerider is running off and poor angry Silas is left standing with hands clenched into fists. "Shardit, I am /not/ a child!" he yells after the headman, not even caring for anything else Marond had said.
Ashli blinks at Marond, and grins. "Well, glad to have amused you, big headman." she teases with a merry grin, apparently taking no offense at being called little. Hey, can't argue with the truth. "Jessica, you're Assistant Headperson? Oh...my...I'm sorry...wait! Marond! Does this mean, now that you have Jessica /and/ Sylara, that Vaeli and I can stop acting as Assistant Headpeople?" she calls after him, waving her arms to try and catch is attention.

Jessica looks... stunned. Of course, she's terrifically pleased about being excused from chores, but... new knot? Riiiight. Somehow, she has the presence of mind to question the order... "But... I work for X'ian. What about that?" Or maybe that's best described as a /lack/ or presence of mind... at any rate, what's said is said, and rather skeptically at that. Her own mouth drops open a little as the slinky Headman all but insults B'au directly, herself catching on in one of those moments of brilliant coherency again. It seems they're coming more swiftly and closer together than ever, in the days of late. The bluerider's exit is missed entirely, something that annoys Jessi once she realises... but oh well. It seems there'll be anext time for them to meet anyway. Ashli is ignored for the moment too... apparently there are more important things for Jess to consider.

Marond has disconnected.

Deprived of his collecting bag and the hide to show him what he's looking for, Silas kicks the ground for a few moments, crossing his arms over his chest and sending angry glances toward Marond, then takes a deep breath. "Well... I just hope he remembers to give those herbs to the healers," he mumbles, then lifts a shoulder toward the girls, "I'll see you later. I think I'll go.. Find something else to do. Besides, it's getting a little cold." With that, the Candidate wanders back toward the Weyr, head hanging and feet kicking the ground.

Silas goes home.

< Local > Niwath watches His go, and sighs a deep sigh with the wind and waves behind it. << It is a fine day, isn't it. Mine was chilly, but that was from being in the Istan sun. We were going to bathe. >> He explains.

< Local > Ainth senses that she projects an image of the serene 'Reachian lake, herself sunning upon the shore. << That is the best place to bathe, though they find it a little cold at this time. >> Faint sounds of nature echo behind her words, like frogs croaking and bugs clicking their soft vocalisations. A woody scent invades, taking over after her statement.

< Local > Niwath accepts the image, and brightens it as he considers it. << Yes, I've bathed there some myself. >> He remembers. << Mine does like the warmth where we live, though >> Coconut and palm trees trail after his words.

< Local > Ainth senses that she sniffs at the coconut, still in seduction-mode. << Oh yes, the warmth is lovely. But shoveling the white stuff of winter is fun, too! >>

Ashli grins at Jessica, and hms. "Marond outranks X'ian, I believe. Technically, he can re-assign you..." Ash notes logically, though the girl winks. "But, just think of all the things you could do as Assistant Headperson...you could put crawlies in Jonas' bed...and make sure his sheets are never washed..." Ash winks as she considers all sorts of good pranks that could poccur with Jess' promotion. Silas' exit is greeted with a wave and a called, "Good day!"

Jessica frowns at the mention of Jonas, but doesn't bother to follow after Marond. "What /do/ Assistant Headpeople do, anyway? Does it mean I get to boss people around?" Because, that could be fun. "And do I get to learn stuff?" Because, that's what Jess was looking for when she took up with X'ian, too. Silas gets a wave from her as well, followed by a quick (but also loud) whisper to Ashli, "He's odd, huh?"

< Local > Niwath's sea seems to freeze at the mention of the white stuff. << White stuff? >> He queries Ainth. << Oh. >> Maybe he's been over here during winter. << It is fun, too. >> The waves continue their path.

Ashli considers for a moment, then grins at Jessica. "Everything. Clean, organize, direct. Basically, whatever Marond thinks of - you do." Ash advises, grimacing slightly. "Don't worry, though. It's not...too...hard to hide from him. And you can always hide behind Isa in our weyr if you get desperate." The girl offers with a wry grin, though she nods. "Yes, you do learn a bit about weyr management." Ash eyes the exiting Silas, and nods slowly. "Odd, certainly. That other Candidate, though, even odder. What was his name...Ryven? I don't remember. Seemed afraid of me! Imagine! Afraid of /me/."

Sylara wanders on in from the lower meadows.

Jessica seems to be a little more at ease with the promotion after that explanation. "Oh. Well then... it's better than being his sweeper-duster-girl, I suppose." She shrugs a little, pondering the offer of a hiding spot. Jokes aside, she might just make good on that. "I haven't met Ryven yet. Though I don't suppose I'm missing out on anything, then? Actually... a few of them are kind of weird. I don't know /what/ the Searchriders were thinking..." Pause. Shock. Wide-eyes again. "Afraid of you? Why?? What a weirdo..."

< Local > Ainth images snow, in all it's white glory. << They make men from it, apparently. I personally don't think it's worthwhile to make a man from it... but they are hard to understand sometimes, don't you agree? >>

Ashli considers for a moment, then grins. "Good point, mm." she notes, before shrugging. "Not at all, really. I'm not sure. I've never quite thought of myself as intimidating. Now, X'ian, he's intimidating to most people. Yet, Ryven...or whatever his name is...didn't seem frightened of /him/ in the least. Strange, huh?" Ash says, shrugging and spreading her hands as if quite confused.

< Local > Isamath suddenly reappears into the conversation, a sheen of glassy colors, jewel-tones not unlike those of stained glass windows, flickering into your mind. << Snow is fun to play in. Cold, though...I think the snow men are fun. I enjoy eating them. >>

< Local > Niwath's poor imitation of snow is merely white sand, covering a beach. << Men from the snow? >> He seems surprised, a ray of light warming to Ainth's attractiveness and Isamath's fun idea. << Eating the snowmen... >> He considers. << Do they taste good? >>

Sylara walks out into the meadow, carrying a stack of hides, moving at a fairly quick pace. "Have you seen Marond?" She asks, out of breath. She sits down, glancing between the dragons for a moment. "He's not here, is he?" Her face falls.

Jessica takes a moment to process the answers, given in a bunch. "Hmmm. That /is/ strange. Like... what? Heh." Her train of though it lost before it even begins, apparently. Sylara makes a save anyway, interrupting the conversation with near-prefect timing. "Uh... he went that way." And she points off in some random direction, totally /not/ the way that Marond had slunk. But that's Jessi for you.

Ashli grins at Sylara, and shakes her head. "No, he just left, actually. I'm surprised you didn't encounter him on your way here." The girl adds helpfully, before grinning at Jessica and nodding. "Right. Anyways, he's not around, and hopefully won't be back. He's planning on sic-ing Pyrene on me." Ash sighs, and grimaces, before she shrugs with an optimistic attitude. "Perhaps he'll forget."

"SIc-ing Pyrene on you?" Sylara rests the hides on her lap, eyeing Ashli closely. "That sounds dangerous. What did you say to incur that punishment?" She chuckles, and holds her hands up. "No offense to the Weyrwoman, of course."

"Yeah. Hopefully he won't /ever/ be back." Jessica tosses in, laying a hand upon the knot on her shoulder. She's quite fond of it, actually. "At least I don't have to do any chores for the week... how good is that?" She's rambling, presumeably to herself, though the others will undoubtedly hear her.

Ashli laughs and sighs, before she winks at Sylara and begins telling the tale. "Well, you see, it all began with Jessica and I hiding behind yonder bush..." And Ash tosses out a hand, pointing towards a seemingly random bush. "We were avoiding Marond. But...he saw Isamath. She's kind of hard to hide. So, he kicked the bush. And I pounced on his foot. And he didn't appreciate that..." Ash shrugs, as if this unappreciation of her pouncing completely befuddles her, though her eyes sparkle merrily as she does so, before she grins at Jessica. "Aye, that's pretty good, if I do say so myself. An /entire/ sevenday without chores. So, what will you do with all that time? Ooh, go on vacation! I'll bet B'au'd give you the grand tour of Ista!" Ash suggests merrily.

< Local > Ainth seems a little skeptical of Isa's suggestion, whirling colours and scents and sounds fading as she ponders it. << I suppose you can eat them... but what about the sticks they use as wings? Sticks aren't made for eating. >>

Jessica grins at Ashli's suggestion, nodding. "That sounds like fun, actually..." And will have to be arranged, of course. "Anyway, I'd better go let X'ian know, if Marond hasn't already... though he's probably going to be glad to be rid of me." She offers a wave, before wandering off towards the weyr again. "Seeya 'round, guys!"

Niwath flies away up high and disappears into ::between::

----End Log----

OOC ENTRY

Tue, 09 Nov 2004 03:49:59 GMT

Ok. So I haven't RPed Jessi in yonks... this is partly due to having a spiffy new dragon to concentrate on for Lauria (hope you're enjoying her, Laur!), partly due to some RL difficulties I'm having at the moment, and also partly due to the fact that I just don't know her. So this is my attempt to put a proper personality to her name and face... rather than just 'she's a little slow' sufficing for her character concept. Feel free to look at the cut and leave comments.

Strengths:

-She's positive.

-She's friendly, and happy to listen to someone whinge and whine to her, as long as she can occasionally chime in with something.

-She /can/ be quite witty, despite her apparent lack of commonsense.

-She's loyal. -She picks things up rather fast.

Weaknesses:

-She's positive, sometimes to a fault.

-She lacks even a scrap of commonsense.

-She's not extremely bright and wordly... or worldly, for that matter.

-She has a rather short attention span.

-She's got a very fiery temper.

-She's a sucker... quite gullible.

Quirks:

-She eats. Ten times the amount of food any normal human would consume.

-She's vaaaaiiiinnnn... her hair, in particular. And her facial features. Not so much the rest, but hair and face are a priority.

-She's a schemer and a dreamer.

Motivations:

-Proving herself.

Sometimes, something someone has said about her will irk her to the point she feels she needs to prove herself. This it totally random, and depends a lot on her mood and previous interactions with said someone.

-Her Opinions

She's rather steadfast in her opinions, and once she starts beleiveing something, she'll stick to it like glue. A lot of the time, these will be her own opinions, formed by her own oberservations, and therefore sometimes they can be quite ludicrous. But all the same, they are her opinions and will shape the way she feels, and interacts.

-Her Loyalties

Much the same as she will stick to her opinions, her loyalties play a big part in what she says and does. Whether they be to her friends, her pets, her home... or even sometimes, her enemies... she'll always pipe up if she feels someone is attacking one of her 'chosen ones'.

Personality Summary:

Jessi is cheerful and friendly most of the time. This is most likely due to her quite positive outlook on most aspects of life. And she hasn't had a horrible life... in fact, there have been no Major Sad Events in her life, to make her see the world any differently. So.

Basically, she's just not a very well-read person. With her drifty attention-span, she never got much out of basic Harper Lessons as a child, and has never really had a yearning for much more than her simple life. Anything more would require A Lot Of Attention, which she's never known how nor been prepared to give.

Although sometimes a little slow, she's not entirely /stupid/. She /eventually/ 'gets' everything. Whether that be catching onto a joke, understanding a point, or learning a life lesson. Sometimes, she just has to take the long way there, is all. Sometimes, though, her smarts kick in and she's able to pick up whole concepts and theories like they were the most basic motor function. In that sense, she's a little unpredictable. Some days, you'll catch her on a smart day, and be able to have a proper conversation with her (even if a few of the bigger words need explaining), whist others you'll catch her on a wishy-washy day, and get nothing.

And that's my Theory Of Jessi so far... ahem. Now, to put it into practice...

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 02:02:00 GMT

This entry is scrawled in messy handwriting, almost illegible in places.

He threw me in the lake. That sharding creep threw me right on in... while I was /hungover/.

Well, I'm not letting him get the better of me this time. I'm going to steal all his... stuff.

...

But I'll need help.

Jessica is sitting on a rock, kicking around in the sand with her feet. Sporting a large frown and hunched shoulders, it's quite obvious for anyone to see that... well... she's miserable. Or at least close to. The afternoon breeze tousles her hair, like a picture from a storybook... only the girl in the story mightn't look so glum, soaking up some late afternoon sun.

Siren swaggers in, as Siren's tend to do, quickly spotting Jessica's pityparty. "Jess." Delivered in the same tone as her usual 'Yo,' it's neither question, nor answer, nor greeting, to be precise. It just is. "So.." She's not good at smalltalk, is she? "Still mad?"

Jessica is a little startled at Siren's voice and the lack of a 'Yo'. It's kind of... wrong. "Huh?" Is her first response, followed by a flick of her head, just to make sure she knows who she's dealing with. Siren's identity confirmed, Jessi just nods, and flicks her gaze out to the water somewhat melodramatically.

Siren ahhs, settling herself in the sand near Jessica's feet. "Well, what are you going to do about it?" Amber eyes flick upward to watch for a reaction, even as her hand is slipped into her jacket pocket, ever-present flask drawn out. She begins to offer it, then thinks better, instead taking a swig for herself. "This doesn't seem to be terribly productive."

Jessica shrugs, her scowl melting into a helpless-lil'-me look. "Si, there's nothing I /can/ do. He won't even apologise." She draws in a deep breath and holds it for a few second, letting it out in a slow, soft sigh. "On the upside, I managed to steal a ring from his weyr." She holds up her hand for inspection, and a brass ring (obviously /far/ too big) slides down to the base of her middle finger. "It's pretty, huh?"

Siren's eyes widen, eyebrows climbing up to get lost in spiky bangs. "Jess! I didn't know you had it in you.." Gloating over Jessica's descent into the dark side, she almost cackles, leaning closer to examine the ring. "But, you know, he had a point. Being hungover in public is /never/ pretty." She should know. "I try to avoid it as much as possible." Except when she thinks she's lost her pants.

"I /know/... but it doesn't give him the right to throw me in the lake. I'm not the only person who's ever done it, and I won't be the last! What, is he gonna throw /every/ hungover person he ever comes across in? If not, then I think he should quit his complaining about the Weyrleader's inconsistency..." Jessica's voice is slightly shrill by the end of her little tirade, her words flowing out a little faster than normal.

Siren wells, rolling the word around as she steels herself for Jess' reaction. "I think throwing you in the lake wasn't such a bad idea. And he didn't exactly -throw- you. More like dropped. Throwing would require a bit more heaving." Semantics, Si'. Nobody cares about semantics. "And no, he's probably not going to throw -every- hungover person in. Just every you." Ignore the wink. Really. She's not winking. "So what's this about the Weyrleader, now?"

"You haven't /heard/ about M'nty and X'ian?" Jessica's eyes widen, and her jaw drops slightly. "What, have you been stuck on a cloud somewhere for the past Turn? X'ian /hates/ M'nty... apparently he's inconsistent with his decisions." Jessi pauses for a minute, furrowing her brows again. "What do you mean, every me?"

Siren's expression turns, slightly, as Jessica's inherent stupidity rears its head. She'd almost forgotten. Almost. Maybe that means Jess is getting smarter? Or, Siren's getting dumber. "I mean, that in some screwed up way, he cares about you. Otherwise hw wouldn't do things like throw you in the lake when you're making a fool of yourself." And then she sighs, "He does have a point about M'nty, though. I liked Sii'kyn better." Of course, the fact that he fathered the only one of her siblings she could ever stand has absolutely nothing to do with that. Nothing at all.

Jessica screws up her nose. "No w... h... mmmm." She shifts her weight around on the stone, at first a little uncomfortable with that concept. "Well, even if that /is/ true, I wish he'd care about me some other way. But I doubt it... he's so nasty to me all the time, even when he's not throwing me in the lake. And he says that I annoy him. All the time." That's it, Jess. Talk your way out of it.

"Well, you can be a little bit," Oh, Siren, don't say it! "Stupid sometimes." Siren shrugs, taking another swig from her almost-forgotten flask. "Shells, Jess, you annoy even me!" Can you feel a but coming? "But I still like you. And I don't like many people. Most of 'em are too stupid to live."

Jessica crosses her arms, and puffs out a breath of air. "I'm /not/ stupid." She kicks the ground, sending an almighty spray of sand into the air. "And anyway, I /hope/ I annoy him. He's a horrible person. I don't even know why I work with him... Lauria offered to roster our shifts apart /ages/ ago. Maybe I need to talk to her about it again."

Siren snorts, "I didn't say you /are/ stupid, I said you /can/ be stupid. That doesn't mean you're stupid." She casts a speculative eye over Jessica, then asks softly -- softly for her, anyway -- "If he's such a horrible person.. then why /do/ you continue to work with him?" There has to be a reason, and it's probably not something Jess wants to admit, either.

Jessica scowls. "Because..." She sighs. This is not a nice thing to have to say... "Because... 'cause I can't learn by myself, Siren. He's smart, and I thought he'd explain stuff to me, and then I could be smart... but instead, he's just a horrible, mean, creep. I should have figured it out by now... he's not about helping anyone. He's a stuck-up creep, is all." Another spray of sand is sent flying ber her foot. Hmph. So she's a little slow.

Siren gahs, waving a hand for emphasis. "Is /that/ the only reason? Shards.. what kind of things do you need to learn?" Siren isn't exactly being helpful, but then again she's always known more than she should. "Or, look. What kind of work do you do for him? Is it stuff I could do?" Siren's nominally brighter, and quite a bit meaner, and less likely to let X'ian get to her. "Just.. gah. Creeps don't bother me." In fact, she often is one.

Jessica just looks forlorn. "I don't know... just stuff?" She was kind of hoping someone else would figure out the specifics, y'know? Which is pretty much the story of her life. She glances back down at the ring on her finger, twirling it around and sliding it up and down her finger a little. "Hey, have you lost anything soft?" Random, yes. But bear with her, and all will be revealed...

Siren sighs. "Look, you just stick with me, and I'll bash his head in if I have to." Preferrably with a bottle, as those seem to have mroe effect than fists do. "Uh. Anything soft?" Hands start to feel along her jacket, puzzled frown forming on her face. "Why?"

Siren's actually somewhat distressed by the question, and her face finally falls as she stops looking. "I. I don't know. I nearly lost my flask, the last time I rand dry.. and sometimes I lose my pants.." She looks up, concern and uncertainty painted across her face. "/Did/ I lose something?" ...only your mind, Siren. Only your mind.

Jessica huffs. This isn't helping her mood, Siren. "How would I know?" Sliding the brass ring off her finger, she lets her eyes rest on it, as if considering something of great importance. "If I tell you why, you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?" Because Jessi is /nice/. Not a creep. So she's not gonna do the nasty thing and dob to /everyone/ about X'ian's horde. Just Siren.

Siren is desperate, at this point, because her sanity is the one thing she values above all else, and the one thing she fears for the most. "I promise -- Jess, I barely talk to anyone but you." Well. She insults other people, but anyway.. "And. And. I do lose things. But. A lot of the time I can't remember what it is I've lost.." There, she's admitted it. Now it's Jessica's turn.

Jessica looks up. "Okay." She studies Siren's face for a few seconds beroe continuing. Gotta make sure, an' all. "Well... I went up to X'ian's weyr yesterday... to ask for an apology. And he like... took off... and left me there for like, aaaaages..." Her eyes drop for just a moment, as she ponders how to explain the next part. "And, well... eventually I got bored, so I decided to move his furniture around." Don't ask why. Not important. "His bed's really heavy, y'know? Don't ever try and move it by yourself..."

Siren frowns, not understanding where this is going. "His bed's.. heavy? And why in Faranth's name were you moving /furniture/?" Her expression starts to clear as the thought that maybe she -is- the sane one crosses her mind, and she prompts Jess to continue. "Yeah, go on.. I'm listening.."

Jessica waves a hand, dismissing the question. "Well, underneath his bed was..." The cookie monster. A three-headed goat. No, wait a second... "All these crates full of stuff. /Stolen/ stuff." She raises her eyebrows, waiting for a reaction. Any reaction.
Siren ohs, shrugging slightly. "Is that all?" Nothing phases her outside of threats to her anity, apparently. She shifts, easing back on her hands and stretching out her legs. "What kinds of stuff? Anything good?" Morals? What're those?

"There was so much /stuff/, Si! Silverware, clothes, jewelery... even a tapestry." Jessica tries to emphasise the enormity of the horde. Tries. Be impressed!! "I sorted it all out into like, soft things, and shiny things, and noisy things... and took the crate of soft things with me after he got back. So... if you've lost anything soft, come have a look. I'm trying to return it all... but I don't know how to without... like, you know... po.. poso... uhh... exposing." The stash, apparently.

Siren is suitably impressed, though probably not the way Jessica had hoped. "That's.. that's /awesome/, Jess. And he hasn't gotten caught?" Well, until he was silly enough to leave a nosy Jess in his weyr unsupervised. "Um. I guess I could give you a hand trying to return things.." Although she's not exactly the best candidate for the job, considering she was just admiring X'i for having stolen everything in the first place. "I'll also see if anythign looks familiar."

Jessica nods, chewing on her lower lip. She draws in a breath, and all of a sudden... twinkle, twinkle! A flash of excitment can be seen in her eyes. "Oh, Siren! I just had the most /wonderful/ idea! I'm going to get X'ian back for all his nastiness!" It will take a lot of elaborate planning... but the idea is already planted firmly in Jessi's brain. A prank.

Siren ums. "Right. You're going to get X'ian back." Part of her loves a challenge, but part of her still isn't sure how well Jessi's brain works. "So what's the idea? I might as well know before I volunteer to get involved." She smirks up at Jessica, eyes twinkling through her bangs. Yeah, she's probably gonna go along with it too.

Siren won't get a choice in the matter, see. This prank is going ahead with her, like it or not. "I'm going to take it all, Si. All of his stuff... the stolen stuff. Maybe his bed too, if I can manage it. And we're going to put it somewhere he'll see it, but can't touch it..." This is going to require more than just Si and Jess, see. It's /elaborate/. "We'll need help... someone to distract them while we take it. Someone to find out where he shifted the rest of the stuff to..." She pauses, scratching her head. "But who?"

Siren hrms. "That's.. that's big, Jess. But I like it. It's got balls." And apparently that's a good thing. "Now, who could help us.. Mayyybe.." She thinks, shuffling through conversations she's had recently. "Lauria. Or Desba. Either of them /might/ help, since they don't seem to like X'ian all that much, either of them."

Jessica screws her nose up. Balls? Not quite the compliment she was after... but it will do. "Yes.... hmmm. Lauria... but she's a Weyrsecond... you don't think she'd... turn us in?" Same for Desba, really... the girls will have to be careful who they trust...

Siren sighs. "Well, that's all I can think of.. who else do you know who hates X'ian?" Admittedly, she's still rather fond of him. But fun is fun. "Don't you think you should maybe just rat him out to M'nty and Pyrene, or something? This could just make him even meaner to you, instead of teaching him some moral lesson.."
Siren adds, "Or tell him you know about all of this stuff, and that you /will/ go to them, if he doesn't stop acting like such an ass?"

Jessica shakes her head firmly. "No. If I told M'nty, it'd just make them get along even worse... and I doubt Pyrene has time for this kind of thing. And he already knows I know about the stuff... he watched me take the crate of soft things. Threats mean nothing, Siren... we need to take action!!" Up on the soapbox! And where's a loudspeaker when you need one?

Siren ohs. "He /let/ you take the stuff? He didn't even try to stop you? Or threaten you? Or.. or.. or.." Any of the things it would have occurred to Siren to do, had she been in his place. "That's just crazy." She purses her lips, then shrugs. "Maybe he wants us to get rid of it, or something?"

Jessica shakes her head again. "He didn't even care... he just sat on his bed sulking like a big baby." Well, that's partly true, anyway. "I doubt it... when I went back to get the rest of the stuff, it was gone, and so was he. He wouldn't /hide/ it if he wanted it /gone/... would he?"

"Maybe he's making it a challenge to you?" Siren's mind works in devious ways, too. "And I doubt he sulked like a baby."

"Hah. You just don't want to think of him sulking like a baby 'cause you /like/ him, Siren. You /want/ him." Jessica retorts, ignoring the comment about a challenge. Life is enough of a challenge for Jessi as is, thanks.

Siren snorts indignantly. "Don't be a wherryhead, Jess. I don't like him like /that/.." Well, at least not that she's admitted to herself, anyway. "Besides, I could have him if I wanted him." Or rather, he could have her, if he wanted. But nobody's askin' anybody, so it's pointless. "But seriously.. He might have done it just to /make/ you find everything. So it wouldn't be too easy for you."

Jessica laughs. "I knew it!! You /sooooo/ want him, Siren!" She teases, rocking back and forth as she giggles. Now /this/ is funny. A real mood-helper. After a few moments, the giggles die down. "Why on Pern would he do that?" She asks, thoroughly confused, yet again. What weirdo does things like that for fun??

Siren kicks sand at Jess, frowning fiercely. "I do /not/.. you are such a goon, Jess.." She sulks, their moods having become reversed, through the conversation. "Because he wants to. Shardit, how am /I/ supposed to know?!?" Touchy? Neeeever.

Jessica crosses her arms, smiling to herself. "Fine, whatever... you /don't." Her gaze flicks back out to the water, and she sighs. "He's twisted, either way. Who cares if he wants us... me... whoever, to steal it. We're going to. You'll help, won't you?" And under her breath... "X'ian-lover." Childish? Of course. One can't expect anything less of Jessica.

Siren resists the urge to snarl at Jessica, but only just. "Amd /not/!" is hissed under her breath, and then she sighs. "Yes, yes, of course I'll help. You'd probably fall off of his ledge if I left you alone to do it." Snarky? Of course. It's Siren.

"Yeah. Good." Jessica replies, standing up and brushing herself off. In case the rock was dirty, see? "Anyway, I've got to get to work... with /loverboy/..." She giggles, nudging Siren with her foot. "See you later, k? Start drawing up some plans or something... we have to do this as soon as possible."

Siren kicks more sand at Jessica as she gets up, rolling her eyes as she's nudged. "You /are/ annoying.." Jess is waved off as Siren searches in the sand for her flask, retrieving it with a manic grin. "Aha! And yeah, yeah, I'll come up with something." She's good at plans. Sometimes. "Try not to get thrown off his ledge in the meantime, okay?"

"Sure, whatever! I'll tell him you said you /want/ him, too!" Jessi calls, and is gone. Hehehe... last word. Jessica : 1, Siren : 0.

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 23:23:59 GMT

I can't beleive that sharding bloody man. Thanks to him, I'm going to be scarred for life.

Him and his sharding, shelling temper... smashing vases and knocking stuff around in the bowl. Like the drudges are his personal slaves, and should clean up after his little tantrums. I don't think that it's right, but hey, who am I to speak? In fact, I'm not going to talk to him. Ever. At all. Even though it's probably what he's been hoping for... I don't care. Let him have it his way. Nasty, horrible, stupid, mean, nasty, creep. I hope they get sick of his crap and transfer him to another Weyr. Though I'd be embarassed to say he was one of ours to start with...

At this point, a large round stain on the page indicates she's been crying.

I'm going to get a scar. I just know it. The healer said it might not scar, if I don't use the hand too much... but I just know it will. It'd be just my luck to get a horrible scar all the way across my palm. If it does, I'll kill him. Or hurt him... okay, or just ignore him for the rest of ever. I'm going to be ugly and it's all his fault. I wish... I wish I knew how to irritate him. The way he does to everyone else. Creep. I hope something horrible happens to him.

Not really... I don't mean that. I'd die if something horrible really did happen, now...

Jessi.

New job!

Tue, 05 Oct 2004 23:25:31 GMT

Well, I did it. I found myself a new job. One that will be far more interesting, I hope...

I'm just happy to not work for Marond. Although I daresay X'ian will be far worse to start with...

I'm not cleaner of that room. I can't remember what it's called. You know, the one with all the hides and stuff? Anyway, X'ian said I could do that instead of the dusting. I don't intend on doing as much cleaning as reading... I can't wait to get smart! He was pretty strict about the rules, though... no touching, no talking, get out if he wants to have sex... and no You. But I'm sure he won't mind if I read a few of the hides now and then, or ask a few questions. I'm working for free, so he better not mind!

I'm proud. It took a bit to convince him. I thought it might. I bet everyone will think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy.

Jess.

Mon, 04 Oct 2004 00:19:06 GMT

I am bored. With everything.

Dusting and sweeping have always been crappy chores, but lately I find them so mindless, and so boring... I feel like I'm in prison, or something. I don't know... I just want more from life. How sad does that sound?

Sylara suggested helping Michel, or mucking the runner-stalls... I'd rather die, honestly. They sound just as boring... if not worse. I want to learn things... to be smart. You know, like... I don't know. Stuff. So that I can write in this journal and not sound like such a dimglow... with all my I don't knows and you know likes.

I'm going to talk to someone about it. Anyone. Preferably someone smart, like M'nty or Wyn. Maybe even X'ian, if I can bring myself to take all the nasty comments I know he'll have. Or if he'll even listen.

Jess.

I... hate... X'ian.

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 23:53:23 GMT

I hate him. So very much. He's so rude, and he thinks he's soooo above everyone. Like, news flash, no-one likes him. He's just so... annoying! I hate him. I hate him for thinking he's better than me. I hate him for thinking he's better than M'nty. I hate him for the way he talks to me, as though I'm nothing. I hate him for what he did to me, as though I deserved it. And most of all... I hate him for thinking that he can just bash up M'nty and fix everything. He's a loser. I'm not wasting anymore time trying to apologise, or set things right. Why waste my breath.

Jess.

The best way...

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 22:40:02 GMT

Wyn came to see me. About X'ian. To see if I was okay. She said that I had to be out of bed and doing things. It's so hard to get out of bed when I haven't slept all night. But I guess I'm gong to haave to just deal with that, and follow orders.

She said something about X'ian having his nose broken by a bronzerider once. I'd hate to have my nose broken... it'd be so ugly! Not that X'ian is ugly... not that he's really that handsome, either... he's kind of odd-looking, I guess. If you ask me. Anyway, I feel really bad, because he's on double sweeps. Apparently he got in trouble when his nose got broken... or something... I don't know. I think I'll ask M'nty if maybe he'll let X'ian off. As much as I'd love to see him punished, because my ribs really hurt... I just feel so guilty. Especialy since I don't really remember too clearly what happened.

You is so cute. He sleeps with me in bed, curled around my waist. It's kind of hard to sleep like that, but it's comforting.

Jess.

OOC

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 21:09:46 GMT

OOC: I'd just like to take this opportunity to slightly mar X'ian's reputation as a horrible person. :oP He did kick Jessica, in the ribs. None of her ribs are broken, despite what she might ICly be saying... a healer mentioned to the ditz that she might have a fracture, and she ran with it. The bandage is there for show. Healer put it on to shut her up. (Those of you that know Jess will know she's a very dramatic person.) And as for motivation, she was rolling drunk. I don't know if you realise, but drunken 17 year old girls can be a little annoying... especially if they're not totally switched on even when they're sober.

Just to make things clear. ;o)

Well...

Thu, 16 Sep 2004 23:49:42 GMT

I have decided that I will not be getting drunk again anytime soon. It is far too painful.
The story?
I'd been cooped up in Sein's weyr for almost two days... I don't know how it happened, Aiblusaith just wasn't around when I wanted to go out... anyway, I finally tracked her down and got a lift down to the bowl. I admit I got a little drunk... and I was watching the stars, they look so pretty in the winter-time... anyways, Pal and M'nty came from nowhere, and then Lirena... and then X'ian. I can soooo understand why people don't like that guy. He's rotten. To the core. I thought I might have done something to provoke him, but everyone says I didn't... he kicked me. Fair in the ribs. Really hard! And M'nty didn't do anything. Not that it matters now. I'm sure he had his reasons. He better have.
I'm so glad Pal isn't with that son of a Bitran... excuse my language, but Palia is great, and X'ian is... not. I hope he's avoiding me... if I see him anytime soon I'm going to sick You onto him.
Oh yeah, Sen took me to Ista Hold yesterday, and I impressed to a firelizard on the beach. He's soooo cute... and really snuggly. I'd better go oil him.
Jess.

Pottering about...

Thu, 09 Sep 2004 02:26:03 GMT

Dear Diary,

I'm not sure whether to be scared or releived right now, you know? I showed that note to Sein... I think I've seen her about before, I know her face from somewhere... anyways, and she thought whoever sent it was, like, stalking me! How scary is that? But she dragged me off to her weyr to stay for a few nights, so I'd be safe. Which kinda makes me feel a bit releived... but like, I'm sooo grown up now, so I feel like a... a... oh, you know the word. Those people... and they're like, you know... scaredies... oh, whatever. I feel like one, anyway.

M'nty saw the note, too... he's so funny around children. Oh, and Sein's two boys are just adorable! Makes me think about my future... hah! I hope a handsome man from afar comes and rescues me from the weyr... there must be so many more exciting things outside these walls. The last hatching at Ista was my first time away... Istan men are so... hot! They're all so tanned, and blonde...

Anyway, back to the point... I really hope we find out who sent the note. For... oh, what's that word... I'm so stupid, sometimes. I wish I was smart, like... well, like smart people. Mind-something... something-mind... health-of-mind... oh, whatever!

Jess.

And then...

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 06:18:37 GMT

Just when I thought there were no real men in the weyr... how interesting!

I found this, like, note thingy... on the end of my bed this morning. It reads:

My dearest Jessica,

You are the lovliest thing I have ever laid my sad two eyes upon. I long to hold you close to me at night, and wake up to your radiant smile! Everyday you grow more beautiful, and the other girls(is crossed out) women grow more plain to my eyes. Please my darling, notice me! I wait so patiently for the day your love is sent my way.

Ever yours,

(The signature is messy, and scribbled upon to make it illegible).

How exciting! I knew that sooner or later someone had to notice how cute I was when I dust. Someone has to make chores look good! I just wonder who it is...

Jess.

What a fantastic cocktail...

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 07:01:14 GMT

How to make a jess_i_cah

Ingredients:

5 parts mercy

5 parts humour

3 parts instinct

Method:
Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Add sadness to taste! Do not overindulge!

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com