Love and Beefsteak

Jenna finds out about L'nan's black eye, and he finally tells her how he feels about her.

Jenna - Wednesday, November 28, 2001, 10:10 AM
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Fort Weyr Bowl, by the lake
This long stretch of the bowl lies to the southeast of the feeding grounds. At its western end, near the wall, the ground dips down slightly to where a lake has formed. Dragons are often washed there by their riders, and both riders and their dragons often swim in the cool waters.
The fenced off portion of the bowl for the Weyr's herds is to the northwest. To the north, a small structure built against the feeding ground pens serves as the Weyr's stables. Waves gently lap the shore to the west, and the rest of the bowl lies to the northeast.
Obvious exits:
Herb Garden STable Feeding Ground LAke Center of Bowl
Watch removed.
L'nan walks out along the lake shore.
L'nan has arrived.

Jenna is skipping stones across the surface of the lake, tossing them with a rather vicious little twist. She manages to get a full five bounces from one before it sinks under the surface.

L'nan is grimacing wildly as he makes his way towards the water, and as his left eye is the one that's still swollen shut and Jenna's off to the left, he doesn't see her. He does see the stone, however, and he turns when he's just at water's edge to see the source. He sighs, unsure of himself, and leans down to gently scrub his face with the cold water.

Jenna turns slightly, and then scowls a bit further. This next stone goes whizzing out at an angle, bounding right in front of the Weyrsecond by perhaps six feet, though it only manages to hop three times before sinking. A bit too *much* twist on that one perhaps.

L'nan starts at the sound of the stone splashing so close to him, and he turns to huff, half-kidding and half-exaggerating, "What, y'wanna give me /another/ black eye, Jenna? Do I even get to hear what I did to deserve you being mad at me?" This last is in a slightly hurt and quite confused tone.

Jenna sniffs. "As if. I aim better." She shakes her head. "You're just being extraordinarily *thick*, Lu. And yeah, maybe my feelings are a bit hurt that you keep saying 'give her a break'." She exhales sharply through her nose.

Cue an absolutely lost look- and there it is! L'nan carefully dries his face with his shirt, then scrambles over to where Jenna is and takes a seat by her. "I'm bein' thick?" he repeats unbelievingly. "An' I assume you're talkin' about Cloretta, huh... look." He sighs and leans back, looking out over the lake. "There's always people who make other people mad. It's how they are. And most people won't give'm a chance. She's not that bad, seriously. Y'don't hafta like her, but... y'don't hafta talk bad about her either."

Jenna says, a trifle hotly, "I'm not talking bad about her. I'm actually stating facts. Fact one: she is spoiled rotten and lacks any sort of discipline. Fact two: She has an attitude that would put most of the cotholder girls I grew up with to shame. Fact three: you don't have the right 'equipment' and she treats you like dirt. Excuse me if I don't like being around someone like that, much *less* like that someone like that gave somebody I care about a black eye." And if you followed that, you get a gold star.

L'nan rolls his eyes slightly. "C'mon, Jenna. She's spoiled and a snob, sure. But she can also be really nice," he insists. "Y'just hafta give her a chance and kinda.. force her to realize that you don't dislike her. An' whaddaya mean I don't have the right equipment?" He pauses, then concedes, "Sure, she treats me like dirt but I'm sure I deserve it at least half the time. Though I'm still not sure about the whole klah-mug-at-my-head thing," he admits.

Jenna snorts. "Feather head!" The name calling is said with a touch of affection and a touch of exasperation, "I'm not *male*. You pretty much just made my point for me."

L'nan frowns. "You said /I/ didn't have the right equipment. I don't get it." Lost bluerider, check! "You're really confusing me."

Jenna shakes her head. "I *said*: you don't have the right equipment and she treats you like dirt. You as in everybody," she waves an arm to include the whole of the weyr. "She's always treated me like dirt. Even when we were candidates. But to Norse and D'won and all, oh, she was just sweet as pie." She shakes her head again, "Makes me sick." She tosses a stone, and this one merely splooshes into the lake with a thick *thunk*.

L'nan aaahs as the explanation is given. "Well... I don't know. I'm not gonna make excuses for her. But seems t'me that most girls see her like that an' don't give her much of a chance, and so she's got used to that and now just figures she can save herself the trouble. Not that it's right," he adds quickly. "But.. well anyhow. How come we only ever talk about her? What happened to swimming races an' stuff?" He ever-so-subtly attempts to change the subject.

Jenna says pointedly, "You got a black eye from her. We don't always take about her. But yeah. I'm mad." These last two wards are said in an almost wondering tone. Then she squares her shoulders and turns entirely to face him, repeating, "I'm mad! Because you're acting just like most wherry-headed males. And I thought you were different to that and not all ruled by... well, you know!"

L'nan looks hurt. "What, d'you think I /like/ her or somethin'? Just because I'm nice to her doesn't mean I wanta weyrmate her or something dumb like that! Can you /imagine/," he shudders, "What she'd do to my weyr?!" He gives Jenna a really hard, thoughtful look. "You're really mad at me just 'cuz I'm nice to someone you don't like?"

Jenna scowls. "I'm mad because I think you're acting silly over a girl that certainly doesn't deserve it. And because you got your face all messed up, and because she should know better - y'know what would happen to *me* if I went and decked her? I'd sure *like* to, but everyone knows you don't just go around hurting riders. I bet I could take her too. I know how to fight thanks to my brothers." The words are tumbling out, blue eyes storming. "I'm mad cause you're *defending* her, even after she gave you a black eye. If that doesn't say you don't like the girl, I dunno what does!"

L'nan listens to all of this with a disbelieving look on his face. Finally, he answers, "First of all, /everyone/ deserves someone t'be nice to'm. Second, I'm not acting silly over her. She's gonna get in trouble, don't worry. Third, you're right, she should know better, you're right. Fourth, there's no doubt in my mind that you could fight her with your legs and arms tied behind your back... but you're right, you shouldn't." He takes a deep breath, adding, "And sixth.. or fifth? Anyway, I'm not defending what she did. And lastly," and here he sits up and scowls. "I don't like her like /that/."

Jenna looks not one whit less mad and mutters darkly, "Coulda fooled me."

L'nan turns to face Jenna as squarely as she's facing him, and puts his hands on her shoulders to shake her just a little bit. "I /don't/ like her. I like you." With that, he leans forward, kisses her on the cheek, and then leaps to his feet. "So /there/. Be mad about /that/." And so saying, he stomps off back towards the bowl, where a blue lump is ready to bear him upwards to his weyr.

L'nan heads back towards the center of the bowl.
L'nan has left.
Above the center of the bowl, Alirath wings up from the Center of the Bowl.
Above the center of the bowl, Alirath backwings to a landing on his ledge.