Swimming at Boll

Jenna and L'nan go swimming at Boll. More cautious dancing around the whole courting idea.

Jenna - Friday, November 09, 2001, 9:01 AM
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Alirath(#909JOVaels)
Alirath's deep blue hide is warm and soft beneath you as you settle between two ridges on his shoulders.
Contents:
L'nan

Jenna shields her eyes against the sun, releasing the death grip she held on the straps when Alirath went between. She points over his shoulder, indicating a likely enough looking landing spot in a sheltered cove. "How about there?"

L'nan follows the pointing hand and squints, then nods, shouting, "Looks good t'me... hold on!" With that and a wingbeat, Alirath fairly dives down towards the water. Just as it seems they're all going for a swim, the blue dragon spreads his wings wide and they glide just handspans from the water, until they reach the cove. With a little maneuvering and a warble, the blue finally lands. L'nan grins and turns to guage Jenna's reaction, beaming.

Jenna had to grab for the straps, and her rather boney posterior actually left the set between the neck ridges for a moment. She gives a delighted whoop, and thumps Alirath's neckridge affectionately. "Can't resist showing off, can you, Alirath? What a flyer! Or were you trying to leave me back in the clouds, L'nan?" She grins, unbuckling the straps the moment the dragon touches down.

L'nan looks pleased at the reaction, laughing. "Naw, Alirath'd never let you fall off. S'why you're strapped in, too," he adds, waggling his eyebrows. He too unstraps, then slides down to land with a *thump* on the sand. "C'mon down!" He holds a hand out to help.

L'nan unstraps himself from Alirath's neck and slides down his forelimb to the ground.
L'nan has left.

Jenna swings her leg over and slides a trifle recklessly down, "Catch!" she laughs.

L'nan blinks and moves forward to at least cushion the fall, if not exactly catch. He ends up somehow on his back in the sand. "Unnnnh. Aren't I supposed to be relaxing, Jenna?!" he whimpers playfully.

Jenna laughs, struggling off. "I'm not *that* heavy." More likely, he'd end up with a bony elbow in the gut. "One of these days, I'll learn how to bounce at the bottom." She rolls over in the sand herself, staring up at the sky. "Did you think to bring any towels? I didn't."

L'nan shakes his head. "Naw, I didn't- oh, wait, hold on." With that, he clambers to his feet. In the process he oh-so-accidentally shakes sand onto Jenna. "I think I may have one or two in Alirath's pack..." He goes digging through a small pack strapped to the blue's side. "Ha! Got two of'm!"

Jenna sputters and laughs. "Hey! Watch it!" She grins. "Well, good, we won't have to go back to the weyr wet at least." She pulls off riding jacket and sprawls in the sun, making a comfortable hollow in the sand as she kicks off her boots. Socks are peeled off, and she plunges her toes deep into the sand. "Mmm, tell me again why I winter at the weyr? Boll's so much more pleasant."

L'nan places the towels right next to Alirath, then plops down again next to Jenna. He removes all the same things, then takes off his shirt as well. Laying back, he sighs. "This was a good idea... an' you winter at Fort because if you stayed at Boll you'd get fat and lazy," he adds, grinning.

Jenna laughs. "Or sunburned. Maybe I just like the altitude. But I *do* enjoy the beach. It's nicer down here, rather than Fort Sea, it's always a bit chilly and rocky there for my taste." She turns her head to look at him, toes moving restlessly in the sand, "You need to find time to be Lu instead of 'The Weyrleader' all the time, m'friend."

L'nan is quiet after that, digging little holes in the sand and then filling them back up. Finally, he murmurs, "I know. But it's harder t'do that, than it is to /know/ it," he admits. "An' I'm doing better, really I am." With that, he leans over and pours a bit of sand onto Jenna's legs.

Jenna dusts off her trous, wrinkling her nose. "This is not 'bury Jenna day' at Boll." She grins. "There are some things I just will not do for my weyr. Kidnap the Weyrleader, yes. gt buried in the sand, no." She laughs and then says, "Anytime you need to be kidnapped, just give me the high sign. I'll meet Alirath in the bowl and have ropes at the ready."

L'nan laughs, continuing to shovel sand onto Jenna. "I order you to be buried," he snickers. "And then wait 'til I get far enough away before you stand up and shower sand all over th'place..."

Jenna acks, scooching away. "Hey! No abuse of power here! Alirath! Come sit on your rider!" She's laughing, sand just about everywhere at this point, even in her hair.

L'nan laughs and rolls away, getting sand all over /him/self. "Only one way t'get him t'sit on me, an' I'm not telling you!" he laughs to Jenna. He stands up, pointing to the water. "C'mon... last one in's a rotten sevenday old burnt wherry..." He starts towards the water, pausing to take off pants and other items of clothing before running into the shallows.

Jenna follows a bit more slowly. She chews on her lower lip and then shrugs slightly, wading in fully dressed. Well. That's one way to get the sand out. She ducks under, and only in the water are the rest of her clothes removed, rather primly. She sets her things on a rock in the water to dry, hopefully well above the wave line. "Guess I'm the rotten wherry, she says, bemused, before settling to float, short hair fanning out in the waves. "Water's nicer than sand. Though it's not as warm as the hot springs."

L'nan watches Jenna from the water, waiting until she's in the water and relaxed. Then he paddles his way over to her, splashing a little. "Why is it you're so shy t'take off your clothes outside the water, and not in?" he asks. It's an actual question, curiousity reigning. "I never got that about women. Water /is/ clear..."

Jenna automatically crosses her arms over her chest. Not that there's much to see anyway, but. "I dunno," she turns a bit pink. "I guess I've just had too much teasing over the turns is all. Girls can be just horrible, particularly holder girls. It's just... reflex, I guess."

L'nan frowns. "Teasing about what?" he asks, completely bewildered. "Do you have three tits or something?" Immediately his eyes widen and he turns a bit red. "Sorry... that wasn't nice. You don't, do you, though?" Eyes dart to crossed arms and then back, so quick she probably doesn't notice.

Jenna sinks a bit lower in the water, face gone flaming. "Nu... no. But, well, there's not all that much to see. I've never been vain enough to sew ruffles into my bodice like most holder girls - maybe cause I never wear bodices to begin with. That's what I get teased about. Looking more like a boy than a girl." A wave hits her in the face - she was steadily sinking lower and lower into the water as she spoke, and ends up coughing from the salt water.

L'nan looks relieved for a moment, then his face goes angry as Jenna tells of the holder girls. "You don't /need/ bodi.. bodi.. those things. I think girl look dumb in'm anyway," he says heatedly. "An' who cares if you don't all that much to see. Alirath still calls you one of the 'lumpy' ones, so he knows." It's all said with completel seriousness. It's /supposed/ to be a compliment? At the coughing he reaches out a hand, for her to take if she wants. "Y'alright? Ish..."

Jenna very nearly chokes at Alirath's compliment, and does end up taking the hand to keep from treading water. Eyes watering a bit she says, "Thanks. You asked why, I'm just telling you why. I mean, I'm not really very girlie, am I?" The question is apparently rhetorical. "I don't go around wearing skirts and jewelry like Anonee. And there's certainly more men beating a path to her door than mine. And I won't let myself get all fat so I can look more like a proper girl either. Can you imagine? All that stuff... bobbling? I bet it'd slow me down something awful on the trace."

L'nan grins, doing his best to give support to Jenna until her eyes and nose and mouth are cleared out. "You're not very girly, no," he agrees, grinning. "But that's what makes you fun. Anonee wouldn't go outside and get dirty with me." He's treading water, and starts to lean back so that he's paddling along on his back, dragging Jenna with him as he goes deeper. "And for wha it's worth, much as I like Nonee, you're more fun," he adds, winking.

Jenna is dragged, still blowing out a bubble every now and then. "Well, it's more fun just to be one of the guys," she admits. "Besides, all those skirts are sharding uncomfortable." She releases the arm, now able to swm along beside. "And hoenstly, why should I change because some girls don't think I'm pretty. Or even some guys too?" She pauses and then admits, "Well, almost all guys, to be honest. I mean, it's not like I'm ready for handfasting or kids or anything. I've got my own plans, and I can't even start them till the turn ends."

L'nan grins as she swims next to him. "Well, I think you're more fun than most girls. An' I wouldn't know much about skirts," he adds, wrinkling his nose. "They look nice, but.. y'can't run or ride in'm." He dives under the water and pops up on Jenna's other side. "What plans?" he asks curiously.

Jenna swivels to face him. "What? I haven't told you my grand plan for fame?" She grins. "I want to do a Crossing. First once after the Pass. My da' did one before the Pass started, so I figure it's up to me to do one when it ends. My brothers'll mostly be too old." She treads water. "And I wanna break the speed record for it to boot."

"Too old? How can you be too old t'do a Crossing?" L'nan asks, taken aback. "What /is/ the speed record for it? An' are you going to have someone following with you, in case you get hurt?"

Jenna nods. "Most runners play out of long distance stuff by their middle thirties. It's rough on the knees. Instead, you end up at a Hold or Hall as a message runner in Fall or on short distances, like down to Fort from the weyr. And the speed record is just under two sevendays. I'm hoping to make it in nine. Maybe eight, depending on the time of turn. And naw - that's part of being a runner, knowing how to take care of yourself on the trace. There's stations along the way."

L'nan looks at Jenna in admiration. "Eight days, for a full Crossing? You're wherry-crazy!" It's cheerful, though, as he adds, "Maybe I'll have Tash go with you or somethin', though... what'f you got hurt inbetween stations?"

Jenna laughs. "What? Think I'll put my foot wrong and break something?" She shakes her head. "All the traces are isolated from the main roads, yeah - otherwise the runners would tear 'em up - but somebody would be bound to find me. It's not as though I don't take that same risk when I head out of the weyr down to Fort, or Ruatha, or wherever it is I'm going that day."

L'nan looks thoughtful, then shrugs. "Well, I'm sure you can take care of yourself," he finally admits. "But still, lemme know when you go on a long run like that. We should have you drum when you get there, or something. Just t'be sure."

Jenna shakes her head. "You want me to drum back to the weyr when I get to Fort Sea or Ruatha? or Boll?" She grins. "You're turning into an old auntie, Lu. A Crossing's just a series of hops is all. It's just a bunch strung together. Like trying to do Boll and back the next day."

L'nan sends a wave Jenna's way. "Am not! Huh... some runner, I bet I could beat you swimming any day," he challenges her with a grin. "Unless you're too much of a /giiiirl/..." His voice is all teasing.

Jenna eyes L'nan. "What, to the rock and back?"

L'nan nods. "'Zactly. If you can go that far?" He raises an eyebrow, all condescension.

Jenna tilts her head, pretending to think about it. "Aw, I dunno- Okaygo!" And she puts her head down, swimming for all she's worth for the rock not terribly distant. Hey! Isn't that a little sneaky!?

L'nan shouts something vulgar and races after her. So, he's not a champion swimmer, but he's not bad either. He catches up to her, and grabs for her feet to try and pull himself ahead.

Jenna is yanked back, and gets salt water up her nose again. Not to be outdone, she grabs back at any limb within reach with a gurgled shout. Well, if she's going to cheat, better expect to play rough. Feet kick up a big splash while she's at it. Might as well attempt to drown the competition at the same time.

L'nan laughs, dodging her first grab at a rather sensitive limb. He does get dunked under at some point, and changes tactics. He grabs at her waist and pulls her under with him, taking a deep breath before going under the water. If he goes, we all go!

Jenna only just managed to get a breath in before she is pulled under, and eyes pop open under water, stinging with the salt. Okay, she's definately a girl, and pretty much fights like one, kicking and flailing and rapidly using up her oxygen. And not really coming anywhere close to connecting, though the water is certainly stirring up some interesting places.

L'nan holds them both under for a wingbeat longer, then hauls her up to the surface, sucking breath. "You hit like a girl!" he exclaims, laughing. "Your foot almost hit mine, though..." He coughs as a wave goes up his nose.

Jenna takes a deep breath, and then follows that wave up with another splash. "Cheater!" she laughs, having too much fun to be self conscious for once. She reaches then for both shoulders, apparently intent on ducking him again.

L'nan is /not/ prepared for that second splash, and gets caught full in the face. He sputters! He coughs! He growls and gives Jenna an evil look before reaching out and grabbingn /her/ shoulders to dunk /her/. "I'm a cheater! You got a head start! Down, down you go!" And he leans forward, putting his weight onto his arms to push her under.

Jenna squawks! She goes under - a runner's arms aren't the best parts of her, not compared to a rider used to tossing firestone sacks. All right. Now comes the heavy firepower. instead of failing underwater, this time, she reaches out rather deliberately to tickle to keep from ebing held under.

That does the trick, L'nan lets go and lets out a shriek - not that she can hear it, underwater, probably. In retaliation he makes grabs for her arms, trying to get them pinned behind her. When this fails, as he can't get both arms, he dives under to grab her around the waist from behind, this time, kicking to get her deeper and deeper.

Jenna blinks underwater, squirming and trying to get free. She's not much to hold onto, and her light frame, fairly bare of fat, sinks surprisingly well. Okay, Well, tickling got her let go of once before, so she starts that again, wriggling and trying to get back to those sides before her air runs out.

L'nan squirms to keep out of reach of tickling fingers, thus having to let go of wriggling body. He makes another grab for a shoulder though, to push himself up to the surface before her. He misses, though, and ends up accidentally swiping a hand down her chest. He shoots up towards the surface, his own air supply run out.

Jenna surfaces a moment later, face red, though is it from lack of air or from embarassment? She pants a moment or two, trying to keep waves out of her face, and avoiding looking directly at him.