Jenna flirts with R'tran, trying to get a rise out of J'nas, and then admits that, after she told him to find some 'nice girl' to work off Hanreth's frustration, she waited in his weyr for him. At least she doesn't say she waited all night.

jenna - Wednesday, July 31, 2002, 7:57 PM
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Hot Springs
The first thing which draws your eye when entering this vast subterranean cavern is the sheer height of it - a massive bubble hollowed out of rock by the pressures of volcanic gases at some time when Fort's volcano still spurted flame. The eye is drawn up and up into the darkness of the ceiling, where occasional flecks of mica reflect the light and catch the eye, flickering like solitary fireflies. Towards the northern end of the cavern, the ceiling disappears and the sky can be seen where the volcano eventually released built up pressure so long ago - now it forms an entrance to the hot springs for dragon and rider, dropping down through the open ceiling to the rocky lake shore or to various ledges high in the walls - from which the more daredevil riders have been known to dive on occasion.

Down at ground level, the warm lake laps the shore gently, never completely still. Steam rises from the surface and ripples stir from the movement of the hot water seeping in from hidden springs. The lakeshore closest to the Weyr entrance is smooth and gently sloping, a safe place to bathe and talk, but further out there are various rocky coves that can be reached by swimming or by dragon. At night, glows set in the walls reflect their glimmer onto the water; by day, the light from the ceiling gives the lake ever changing shades of blue and gold, deepening to soft opal at dusk and dawn, casting shadows that seem to harbor small crevices.
A wide corridor leads off to the southeast, curving back to the Inner Caverns.
Contents:
J'nas

Your location's current time: 20:17 on day 16, month 3, Turn 41, of the Tenth Pass. It is a spring evening.

Jenna comes in, yawning her head off and with a towel slung around her neck.

J'nas is just wading into the warm water at this point. He seems rather oblivious to any company until his shoulder deep and turns around. The poor rider practically jumps out of his skin when he realizes that his not alone. "Jenna! I didn't hear you come in."

Jenna hesitates, "I can leave if you'd rather be alone?"

J'nas shakes his still dry head. "This isn't the best place to be if I want to be alone. You're welcome to be here."

Jenna pulls off her robe, drops her towel on a rock, and wades in. "I ended up with a stiff neck from going over the records. Everything looked like it was in a snarl, and then I found out, some 3 hours later that it only *looked* that way. I've got a headache and I'm grumpy and Niyath sent me out for a bath."

J'nas heads deeper into the water with a couple of quick flicks of his hands. "You're grumpy? Would /you/ prefer to be alone in your bath?"

Jenna sighs as the hot water starts to loosen up muscles. "No. She seems to think I need company, so I'm humoring her. So what was your day today?"

J'nas takes a moment to soak his head before replying. "I had errand duty at the Harper Hall today. It's one of the few duties I actually /enjoy/ doing."

Jenna softens slightly, "How's your mom?"

"She's doing well," J'nas remarks casually. "She's still pretty busy, but that's to be expected for her." He wades closer to the shore and reaches for the sweetsand. "I take it you've been stuck with Records all day?"

Jenna nods. "All day. And the day before that. I hate records. Though not as much as I hate inventory. She sinks into the water up to her neck, tyring to stretch the tense muscles. "I'm glad to hear she's doing well. I assume she'll be up when we clean out the records room in the next couple of sevendays? /Finally/ we're going to throw some of that old stuff out." She looks gleeful. "I can't wait."

J'nas proceeds to scrub himself clean as he listens. "I don't know if she'll be up or not. I do know that Master Kurion is heading up the Harper contingent that will be lending a hand." He dips back into the water to rinse the sand from his body. "From listening to Nan, you aren't the only one. I think she's already sifting through some of the hides."

Jenna says lightly, "I imagine Raeche is having spitting fits?"

J'nas shrugs. "I don't really know. She hasn't mentioned much about the Records room. All I know is that some of the hides fell on her last sevenday."

Jenna ohs. "She wasn't hurt, was she?"

J'nas shakes his head as he applies more sand to his hair. "I don't think so. She was well enough to complain about it over dinner."

Jenna ahs. "Well, I'm sure if there were any sore spots, you'd've found them." A pause and she asks, "You did, um, take my suggestion, didn't you?"

J'nas pauses in his scrubbing and flushes slightly. "I, uh... yes."

Jenna nods. "Thought so. Has it helped with Hanreth?"

J'nas finally drops into the water to rinse out his hair and perhaps to hide the blush. He resurfaces with a sour look on his face. "Only a little bit. He's still bent on proving himself but he doesn't resist me quite so hard anymore."

Jenna asks curiously, "Why're you blushing?"

J'nas touches a hand to his cheek. "Am I? I guess it's a touchy topic..." his voice trails off as he floats himself to deeper waters.

Jenna ohs, "My apologies then. Didn't meant to bring up something you didn't want to discuss." She sounds so maddeningly neutral about the whole thing.

J'nas rights himself in the water and stares at Jenna. "I didn't think you wanted to hear about my nights with Raeche."

Eishith spirals down from the opening overhead.
Eishith has arrived.

Jenna sniffs. "The health of Hanreth, and by extension your own, is a concern of all the weyrwomen. I wasn't asking for -" she breaks off as Eishith arrives, and offers mildly, "Hey, Ry."

Eishith plops down into the water with all the delicacy a large bronze hulk can muster. R'tran, still atop his lifemate's back, kicks his bare feet in the steaming pool, splashing Jenna and J'nas, to whom he ebulliently calls, "Evening, riders!"

R'tran unstraps himself from Eishith's back, and slides down his forelimb to the ground.
R'tran has arrived.

J'nas is also distracted by the arrival of the bronze. He waves at R'tran with a look that could be construed as relief. "Evening, Ry."

Jenna turns her head aside at the splash, grimacing. "I've already had my bath, thank you. I was trying to unknot muscles is all."

R'tran slips off Eishith, wincing slightly at the near-scalding heat of the springwater as he paddles toward his friends, catching both of their expressions with a wry smile of his own. "Ah, unknot all you like, Jenna - I'm feeling a bit knotty tonight as well..."

J'nas attempts to return to his floating but finds it near to impossible amidst the small dragon-waves. "What did you do that you have knots?"

Jenna had opened her mouth, perhaps to ask the same question. What comes out, however, is a bit of a surprise. "Well, if it's your shoulders, I could rub them for you, Ry. No sense giving yourself a headache from stress." Even she seems mildly surprised at the offer, though her chin comes up slightly, as if daring either of them to make an issue of it.

R'tran shrugs, submerged to his chin, to J'nas, "Oh, I was on transport duty today. I was helping hoist bundles and old aunties to various spots on Eishith's back, which takes its tol..." He trails off abruptly as he hears something as enticing as it is surprising from the junior weyrwoman. He grins, bobbing his head almost too eagerly, "Oh, /would/ you rub my shoulders, Jenna? I'd be so appreciative..."

The only issue J'nas makes of it is a slight clearing of the throat. Instead, he occupies himself with swimming to one of the small cliff faces.

Jenna nods, moving back towards shore so she can stand comfortably. "Just c'mere. A rub and then some arnica salve. You'll be right as rain in the morning." Pale eyes flicker over to J'nas and that chin elevates another fraction of an inch.

R'tran paddles happily over to Jenna, complete oblivious to that flickered glance in J'nas's direction. When he has reached Jenna's side, he gives her a big grin before turning about to give her access to the pained portion of his back, a maneuver that brings him into steady eye contact with J'nas.

J'nas hoists himself onto the rock and sits, legs dangling over the edge. His eyes lock with R'tran's. With a grin and a shake of the head, he says, "You just can't resist, can you Ry?"

Jenna has a lovely view of auburn curls. Though a slight tilt of her head, ostensibly to see the muscles she's kneading better, gets her a glimpse of the brownrider beyond. She's not exactly the gentlest of creatures, working deep into the tissue to get out the knots. "Shells. Feels like you moved a whole hold, Ry." It's a bit hard to keep her balance in the sand, and she sidesteps a bit, to avoid bumping into the bronzer.

R'tran cocks both brows mock-innocently, casting a grin toward the brownrider. "What, J'nas? Can't resist...." He appears pleasantly confused for a moment before strong, practiced hands yank him from his reverie with a flash of muscle-releasing pain. "Ow! Oooh...I know, Jen - they're really tight. You're working wonders, though."

J'nas winces with sympathy for the bronzerider under Jenna's ministrations. "Are you sure that feels good? It looked like it hurt."

Jenna tells him a trifle heartlessly, "Stop whimpering and don't be such a baby." One of the knots gives way, and she goes to work on the other ones, "There. They're coming out. Salve, definately." She settles in to more relaxing rubbing. "Of course it feels good, now that the knots are out, right Ry?"

R'tran is still wincing slightly as he replies to J'nas, "Nah, it's a /good/ kind of pain." He rotates his shoulders a few times, then tilts his head from side to side, his vertebrae making little innocuous cracking sounds.

R'tran flashes his most winning grin over his now-more-supple shoulder, nodding, "It's better, Jen. Don't stop, though! I think I definitely need salve..." He turns back toward J'nas, looking mighty pleased with himself.

J'nas shakes his head in response to R'tran before slipping off of the rock. The brownrider splashes into the water and disappears beneath the surface.

Jenna frowns slightly as J'nas slips under the water, hands slowing slightly. "Hm. Well, I don't have any with me. I'm sure the healers can find you some, if you don't have any in your weyr."

R'tran darts a look over his shoulder at Jenna, this one not nearly so brimming with glee as the last. "Oh...my weyr. Nah..." He folds his arms decisively. "I think I can do without it for now!" He looks off toward J'nas, only to discover that his friend has disappeared. He blurts, "Hey! Where did J'nas go?!"

Jenna objects, "For now, but don't you dare go to bed without it. You'll be stiff in the morning. I'd say I'd get mine, but my weyr is nowhere near yours, is it?"

The blurred form of J'nas glides just below the surface of the steaming waters. He eventually emerges near Eishith's bronze bulk. "How do you live with him every day?" He cheerfully asks of the dragon.

R'tran shakes his head, sighing almost disconsolately to Jenna, "Nah, my weyr's clear across the bowl from yours, Jen. I'll get some salve from the infirmary before I go up - I think I'm out..." He watches J'nas emerge from the rippling water near Eishith and bobs his head bemusedly.

Jenna asks mildly, "There? Feel better? - I thought it was. Unlike others, who are fairly close." She shoots another look at J'nas, before lifting a hand to rub awkwardly at her own shoulders, the corner of her mouth twisting down.

Eishith lifts his great head toward J'nas's paddling form, eyes whirling a contented blue. He rumbles jaggedly...surely, he couldn't be chuckling. Then he stretches out his long neck, nudging J'nas playfully.

R'tran finally catches Jenna's latest glance toward J'nas, and he appears frozen for a moment, as if deciding what to make of said look. His gaze darts quickly between J'nas and Jenna several times before he murmurs, voice tinged with disappointment, "Ah yes...J'nas's weyr isn't far from yours."

"Whoah!" Having no ground to brace himself against, J'nas is easily sent floating away from the big bronze. He looks back toward the shore, expecting some translation from R'tran. Instead, he finds the pair looking at him. "What?"

Jenna snorts. This is the second time her subtle plea for a neck rub has gone completely unnoticed. "Though," she says, "I've not seen your weyr, Ry. Have you had a chance to fix it up? With Zak moving into mine, it's a mess right now."

R'tran frowns deeply now, the subtlety of Jenna's request for massage lost in his absorption with the idea of Zalkin moving into Jenna's weyr. "Zalkin?! Why is he moving into your weyr, Jen?" At last, he remembers his manners, gently grasping Jenna's shoulders and turning her away from him - which, of course, points her directly toward J'nas and Eishith. He gently commences kneading.

Jenna can't help it. Facing J'nas she starts to blush. Just a hint of color on her cheeks, but it's noticable. She clears her throat. "I'm fostering him again. And there were foour up in Rey's weyr, with Ember, Rain, Zak and him. And he'd started wrestling again, and I'm going to try to nip that in the bud."

J'nas is slowly making his way back to the shore when he is presented with Jenna's face. The shore can apparently wait, as J'nas switches from wading in to sitting in the shallow water. "Do you have time to resume your fostering duties, Jenna?" he asks, emerald eyes never leaving the pair on dry ground.

R'tran catches Jenna's flush and gazes more intently at J'nas before his gaze falls upon the young queenrider again. A look of saddened resignation accompanies his last glance at the other two, and he sighs, "Ah, I hadn't heard that. Well, he's a lucky lad - I know you'll do an excellent job of fostering him, Jen. You say he wrestles?"

Jenna nods to J'nas, eyes fixing somewhere over the brownrider's head. "Mmm hm. Only just. It's a difficult schedule, but it's not like there's anyone to complain that my time's being eaten up. And he wants to help with Niyath. Though she's gotten so picky lately about who oils her, I don't see that settling down any." A pause and, "He does. And I'd like him to stop it. He could get hurt doing that." The logic of the female. Eyes close as a knot is hit and she sighs softly. "Feels much better."

J'nas glances down at the ripples in the water. "I don't see any harm in wrestling. It's not like he's actually fighting, is he?"

R'tran nods slowly, still watching J'nas while gently finishing his work on that particular knot in Jenna's shoulder. He begins to withdraw, apparently attempting to do so without his true motive being observed. "Well! I'm sure Zalkin will be a great help..." His eyes unfocus, which generates immediate, albeit languid, response from Eishith. The dragon ceases his easy float and makes his way toward his lifemate. "If you'll excuse me, J'nas, Jen...I think I should go find that salve, while this knot is still loose."

Jenna turns on R'tran quickly. "You're leaving?!?" She clears her throat and says, "I mean, um, so soon?"

J'nas' head snaps up at the Eishith's motion. A quick, pleading look is sent R'tran's way. It fades nearly as fast as Jenna's change of tone. "Doesn't the water help, Ry?"

R'tran gives Jenna's shoulder a little squeeze before he pulls himself upward to his usual seat between Eishith's neckridges. Eishith then rises from the pool, leaving a great cascade in his wake, and shakes himself off, creating a brief monsoon. R'tran smiles at J'nas, "It helps, friend, but not nearly so much as the salve."

Jenna fidgets, though she's not quite brave enough to suggest that she go get it for him. Or apply it to him. Her expression suggests, however, that this is all going terribly badly.

J'nas ducks away from the dragon to shield his eyes from the falling water. He looks back up at the bronzer. "That had better be some good salve," he mutters half to himself.

R'tran for some reason gives J'nas a wink, a grin, and a thumbs up. "I'm sure it will make me feel good as new, lad. In the meantime..." He jerks his head toward Jenna, still addressing J'nas. "Make sure /this one/ doesn't get into trouble, will you? It's the sweet ones you gotta watch."

Jenna snorts at that, finally finding her tongue. "I'm hradly sweet. And quite capable of taking care of myself, thankyou."

R'tran climbs up Eishith's forelimb, and finds a secure spot on his back.
R'tran has left.

J'nas stares incredulously at R'tran. Eventually, his brain kicks in again. "Go get your salve," he blurts.

From atop Eishith, R'tran merely smiles at Jenna before giving both her and J'nas a wave, then urging Eishith upward.

Eishith launches into the sky, banking through the aerial entrance to the Bowl.
Eishith has left.

Jenna slogs to get her robe, blushing at the brownrider's bolted words and still rubbing absently at her shoulder, right where the flamethrower strap would sit.

J'nas turns his gaze to Jenna after watching R'tran and Eishith fly out. "Is you're shoulder still bothering you?" he asks as he sloshes to his feet.

Jenna shrugs into her robe. "Only a little. Drills yesterday morning, oiling Niyath three days straight and records are all seeming to gang up on me."

J'nas splashes toward his clothes and retrieves his trousers. "Sounds like you need to be oiled, yourself." The brownrider's jaw instantly slams shut and he nearly topples over with his pants only half on.

Jenna makes a strangled sound deep in her throat, and manages, "You okay? Um, uh, you lose your balance or something?"

"Mrph. I'm fine, really," J'nas sputters. "I must have slipped on a stone or something."

Jenna folds her arms almost protectively over chest, such as it is. "So!" She's trying to be brisk and cheerful, and with that body language it /so/ doesn't work. "Guess you're off to Raeche's room?"

J'nas just can't seem to get his pants on. This time he /does/ fall down. "I wasn't planning on it, no," he manages. He wrestles his trousers up to his waist, finally.

Jenna is a bit late to catch him, and as such, ends up crouched next to him just as they're hefted up. She's blushing now, "Oh. Um... I just thought," she trails off uncertainly and then asks, "Are you okay?"

J'nas focuses on fastening his trousers and replies. "Besides my pride? I think Hanreth's done a fine job toughening up my hindquarters." He looks up from the buttons on his pants to find her red face right there. "I, uh, are /you/ okay?"

Jenna waves a hand. "Fine." Though she doesn't draw back immediately, rather awkward. "Just thought you might've hurt something important." Her tone tries to be flippant, but comes out more of a whisper.

J'nas' eyes flit about her face before locking on her own eyes. Quickly, his gaze drops down to his knees. "I think I'll live," he murmurs. "Preferably in a deep, dark corner somewhere."

Jenna's own eyes lower, a hint of disappointment on her face. She rocks back to her heels, getting ready to rise. "Oh, it wasn't as bad as all that. Honest."

J'nas reaches out to catch her hand and whispers, "What's going through your mind, Jenna?"

Jenna freezes, her expression faintly wary. "Nothing worth mentioning, really."

J'nas sighs. "It must be /something/. We've been dancing around and mincing words for the past several months."

Jenna says lamely, "I just... was worried about it - you - Hanreth. The... thing. You know. I'm, uh, glad you got everything taken care of. I just," the words come slowly, and she's still got that wary look on her face, "Don't really understand why you were, um, abstaining. In the first place."

"Because I'm an idiot," J'nas blurts out. My, isn't the wet ground interesting?

Jenna's hesitant expression dissolves into confusion. That wasn't exactly the answer she was expecting. "I'm not following you."

J'nas' eyes remain focused on the ground. "I don't know if you'd understand," he mutters.

Jenna's fingers close around the hand that still holds hers. "Try me."

J'nas lifts his head enough to look at the hand holding his. "I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place and don't know how to address it." He finally raises his head to look her in the eyes.

Jenna suggests, "Try truthfully?"

J'nas draws a deep, nervous breath. "My attentions are split between two ladies," he murmurs. Once again, his gaze drops to the ground.

Jenna ohs. "Raeche and who?"

J'nas looks back up at her. "I thought the nervousness and avoiding of certain subjects made it obvious."

Jenna flushes. "Well, you all but told me to mind my own business."

"It all goes back to your fears during training," J'nas says. "I didn't think it proper to concern a goldrider with that sort of thing."

Jenna's brow furrows and she gives a helpless, confused little smile. "Fears? Which ones? And I'm not 'a goldrider', for pity's sake. I'm Jen."

"The fear that you'd be treated differently because of the color of Niyath's hide," J'nas replies with a sigh. "I know you're Jen. It's harder than I'd thought it would be to put aside the fact that you're a weyrwoman."

Jenna starts to pull away. "Why?"

J'nas asks, "Why is it hard?"

Jenna nods mutely.

J'nas shrugs helplessly. "I think it's because I think you have enough to worry about. I would feel petty if I had to burden you with extra stuff."

Jenna pulls her hand away and rises. "I don't understand." A pause and her face floods with color, chin coming up. "You know, you could just tell me I'm too skinny to be your type and that would be easier to... to - rather than blaming it on my rank." She breaks off then, turning for her towel.

J'nas practically leaps to his feet. "That's not it at all! You seem bound and determined to find a reason for me to /not/ be interested." He steps around her so that he is standing directly in front of her. "Jenna, look at me." He speaks softly, but his tone is firm.

Jenna looks up slowly, her expression wary once more.

J'nas crouches down so that he is eye to eye with her. "I'm going to come right out and say it. /You/ are the second one. I didn't know how to say anything before because you seemed so closed against any sort of... anything. I don't know if it was Niyath's influence or just me being foolish." He draws a deep, calming breath and levels an even look at her. "You can take this information and do with it what you please. At least I've gotten it out in the open now."

You say "But, if you can't put aside the fact that I'm a weyrwoman... I just, never expected to hear that from you, of all people."

J'nas drops his head in defeat. "I didn't say I /can't/. I said it is /hard/. It all boils down to me being an illogical ninny. That's the reason I've had such a hard time bringing it up. I've been too afraid of offending you."

Jenna's brow furrows. Since it's confession time, she murmurs, "I thought, when I suggested what to do, in the living cavern, that you might, well, take me up on it. I... went to your weyr and waited on you. Only... you'd gone to Raeche's room, I guess. And I was so embarassed, I had Niyath warn the lizards against telling you about it." Maybe if she says it softly, he won't notice.

J'nas looks up with a dazed expression on his face. "You did? I didn't realize... " His voice trails off as he frowns. "Why didn't you say anything? All this time, I thought you hated me for all the things I've said."

Jenna shakes her head. "No. I don't hate you. I just... just seems like we've kinda been at cross purposes is all." She stops, pulling back. "I, um... Niyath's calling. And I should get back in case Zak wakes up. New weyr and all." Odd that didn't seem to bother her when she was the aggressor. Without another word, however, she's gone, leaving her towel behind.