Pillow Fight!

Jenna, Rey and Sef (F'niah) have a pillow fight in the barracks. Blast Niyath and her hunting dreams! And Jenna talks to K'fen about What Is Really Bothering Her.

Jenna - Tuesday, May 21, 2002, 8:05 AM
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Weyrling Barracks(#991RAJ$)
Row after row of stone couches line this gigantic cavern; weyrlings of all ages tend their dragons, hurry in and out, and perform various chores. Next to each couch is a small cot and press, so that riders can sleep by their dragons.

A small area is set aside near the north wall. It seems to be a classroom: the wall near it is covered in diagrams, as well as signs reading "Oil Daily" and the like. A large bin full of oil is strategically placed nearby, ceramic pots and long paddles lining the shelves behind it, ready to fill for an itchy dragon's oiling. Far in the back wall is a curtained partition that leads to the bathing cavern. Near the entrance is a dark, cool room with hanging slabs of meat and a gigantic bin filled with chunks for the young dragons to eat. Against a wall not far away are a few long tables where the Weyrlings take their meals.
+view is available.
A wide opening to the east opens out into the Bowl.
Contents:
Hanreth(#3131JOabpqs$)
Halcyon(#18275p)
Keltan
Raith
Randoth
Weyrling Board
Oil Bin
Obvious exits:
OFfice Bowl

Jenna has apparently had enough of the snoring. With a muttered oath, she takes one of the pillows from her cot - though admittedly, not the feline skin tushy cushie - and hurls it at Rey's head. "Leave off!"

On his cot, R'yat wasn't really snoring. No no no. Just maybe breathing noisily? Well, the pillow finishes it course bumping his head anyway. "Huu?" is the only sound Rey emits as he slowly sits up. "W-what?"

From his couch, F'niah's waaaay down near the other end of the barracks, thank Faranth, and thus far away from any pillows thrown by wussy girly-girl arms. He'd been catching some quiet time with Saneth, only to roll up onto one elbow to observe the shenanigans.

Jenna gives the bronzer a furious look, and flumps over with her back to him, punching an indent into her pillow and muttering about snoring and dragons, "Least *Randoth* doesn't snore."

R'yat takes his time to rub his sleepy eyes then blinks. "Randoth?" Then he turns his head to look at the young bronze who is just wiggling his tail in his sleep. Another scanning look and Rey lifts an eyebrow. "Ooh...I thought Rand eased my sleep, I mean...Did I start again?"

Jenna rolls back over and brandishes the one pillow she still has at Rey. "You never *really* stopped. Did he, Sef?" Likely a bad person to enlist aid from, but.

R'yat slightly frowns and instinctively reaches for a flabby weapon. One never knows. "At least you won't have to bear my night *noises* for too long now."

From his couch, "Snore worse than you did before," Sef confirms, truthfully or no. "I was thinking about dumping you into the hot springs again, only Randoth wouldn't've let us."

Randoth doesn't seem to wake up. Slightly rolling on his back, he must certainly be dreaming right now.

Jenna pushes up to a sitting position, eyes narrowed. "Thank Faranth," she snaps irritably. "I swear, Rey, sometimes you're as bad as Ry. Your bronzes are clouding your minds." Oh, and she's so _not_ clouded by Niyath. She puts feet on the floor and warns, "Don't make me come over there."

From his couch, F'niah snickers. "And you'd do /what/, Jenna? Yell at him and shake your finger? Oh wait, I know! You'd /tell/ on him!" He sits up and affects a nasal whine, recognizably Jenna, but altered. "K'feeeennn! R'yat's disturbing my perfect beauuutty rest!"

R'yat inclines his head a little to peer at Sef and Jenna, brows lifted. "Am I supposed to be afraid?" He crosses his arms over his chest, smiling. "And by the way, Randoth is _not_ clouding my minds." To F'niah he snorts, but the smile doesn't disappear. "Dimglow."

Niyath shifts in her sleep, flexing talons. Maybe that's what's got Jenna so out of sorts this morning. "That's it," she announces flatly, and wades in, not at Rey, but at Sef, swinging her pillow. With each bat she states, "I. Did. Not. Tell. K'fen! And you better just lay *off*!"

From his couch, F'niah yelps and holds up his arms to fend off the hysterical goldrider, rolling off to the safety of Saneth's wallow. "/You/ lay off! Stop throwing your sharding weight around, will you? Stop it - you're gonna rouse the whole barracks, you wherry!"

R'yat can't help but giggling. He does stop though, to put one finger on his chin, thinking. "Well, it seems that nothing can stop her, unless..." And he winks at F'niah, with a knowing look. "Unless that someone...?"

Jenna isn't exactly hysterical, but you couldn't prove that by the wild glee on her face as she swings that pillow at F'niah. "Baby! Just a pillow! Baby can't even fend off a /helpless/ little /girly/ goldrider with a pillow, how's he gonna fight thread!" Of course, not the best tactic. Her rear flank is left exposed (figuratively) and in the perfect position for a sneak attack. Niyath is beginning to twitch in her sleep, talons scrabbling and tailtip twitching.

From his couch, "Maybe I am a baby," Sef says stubbornly as he climbs to his feet, still using his arms to protect his face and other attacks when he sees them coming. "But at least I'm not stupid enough to do something to upset Saneth."

From his couch, Saneth doesn't seem terribly upset, though he does attempt to draw legs and tail out of Sef's potential path.

A pillow suddenly crosses Jenna's aerial space aimed at her back. From his cot, Rey is whistling and grinning stupidly then he finally says. "Incoming!"

Jenna gets the pillow square in the back and immediately whirls to grab it from the floor, eyeing both riders, a pillow in each hand. Et tu, Brute? "Oh, so you're taking his side," she asks Rey warningly, jerking her head at Sef.

From his couch, "'Course he is," F'niah pipes up immediately, if unwisely. "That's 'cause I'm right."

"Nothing more than covering my Wingmate, Jenna." Rey replies, smiling wide. Randoth slowly emerges from his sleep, blinking.

Jenna ooohs and launches at R'yat, both pillows swinging. "Oh, and just cause I'll have to fly with - OOOH!" Niyath is still twitching, talons clenched. Must be some dream.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Saneth, taking surprising initiative, sends a soothing patter of blue-green well-wishing, attempting to calm you.

R'yat tries to dodge the pillow storm the best he can but only Randoth's right spread wing saves him. The young bronze doesn't seem to be angry at all, crooning like he is. Rey's head emerges from under the wing and he just...laughs. "I hope you'll aim firestone sacks better, Jen."

F'niah clambers out of Saneth's couch, brushing hair out of his face. "Ah, leave off, R'yat. Shells, Jenna, what's got your underthings in a knot today? You sure Niyath's not proddy already?"

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath is having an apparently /wonderful/ dream. All the colors are bright and bold - it is the hunting pens, just outside. There is a particularly scrumptious wherry held between your/Niyath's talons. And at once you/she pop it into your/her mouth, still struggling. A crunch and the most marvelous sensation washes through the link - all bright blood and meat and crunchy bits. This, apparently, is wherry-popping.

Jenna aims a pillow at Rey's exposed head with the next whack. "Oh very funny! Lemme at him, Randoth!" Her tone is getting progressively more angry and she whirls on F'niah to snap, "Go bend a tail!"

Saneth's head pops suddenly up over F'niah's cot, his eyes whirling a bright green-red. Sef turns, bewildered. "You want to do /what/? Why d'you wanna jump on wherries?"

Randoth obediently lifts his wing and leave a overexposed R'yat. "Hey! You don'..." *humpf* The pillow hit the target. Five points. R'yat grumbles as he grabs the pillow on the floor. Randoth lets out a deep rumbling noise. "But you don't have to listen to _all_ she says!" Randoth rumbles again. "I know, I know, Niyath's a queen." The bronze emits a last sound and disdainfully lifts his head and snorts.

Jenna blinks at Randoth, just as surprised at Rey is. But she's not about to lose an opportunity. She wades in, swinging both pillows at the bronzer. Between grunts and whaps she says, "Remind. Me. *Daily*. Can't. Do. What. You. *Do*."

F'niah says over his shoulder, "Saneth, shut up. Fer love of Faranth's first clutch, Jenna, leave off!" He climbs up onto his cot, anxiously looking toward the bowl. "You know Valry or somebody's gonna be here in a minute..."

"What...can't....I....do....?" Rey stammers, protecting his head from the sudden pillow attack. He chuckles at F'niah. "Well, she started the thing...C'mon and help me!"

Jenna declares to Rey, "ME you blathering-" She breaks off and renews her assault. "You're. As bad, Sef!" *WHAP* After that strike, she hurls the second pillow at the bluerider. Take that!

F'niah catches his lower lip between his teeth in a moment's indecision, then abruptly snatches up his pillow and charges for Jenna's flank. Pillow held out in front of him, he looks more like he's trying to knock her over with it than hit her and keep swinging.

R'yat is still fighting hard to defend his life against a furious Jenna. "Hey! Sef! Lift your head up!" He calls half giggling. "You know what Jen? I'm sure that's why you like us all. It's a part of our charm." And he winks at her.

F'niah's in no danger of getting hit in the face - Jenna's a wussy girly-girl, after all - but the pillow takes him on the knees. Clutz that he is, the boy goes down, thankfully onto the pillow that he was going to use as ammunition. "Hey!"

Jenna oohs at Rey, clearly furious. She lifts her pillow for a crowning blow, though Sef's tangle snaps her head to the side and she starts to snicker. "Serves you right, you bully!"

R'yat immediately goes down. One time. Avoided. Safe. Another time. He turns his head to look and giggle, seeing Sef on the ground. He stands up. *BUMP* Hit. "Ahaaaaa."

Jenna tosses up both arms, seeing both boys down. "Victory!" The cry *may* be a bit premature, but...

Randoth echoes Jenna's scream and warbles. "You was supposed to protect me, you big lump." Rey chuckles but discreetly tries to look at F'niah.

R'yat snickers. He mutters to F'niah, "Do... could... in..." And he slightly nods his chin to one side.

Keltan takes off from the oil bin and quickly lands on the edge of a couch. There he keeps excitedly hopping on the spot, chirping gleefully and apparently cheering for F'niah.

F'niah struggles to his elbows, then to his knees before huzzing a pillow for the cavorting goldrider's own knees. Don't count your victories until the weyrlingmaster catches you! "Nah, she'd just claim we started it," he growls under his breath. "And they'd believe her."

R'yat grimaces and nods to Sef. "But to see her with hair all messed up is worth a sevenday of mucking the barracks, Sef. You sure?" Here goes the snicker again.

Jenna's victory dance is interrupted by the pillow to the knees. She stumbles, and very nearly goes down. Would have too, if it weren't for Niyath's tail, sleepily extended for her to catch onto. "Hah! Call me a wussy girl will you!" A pause and she asks suspiciously, sounding just like a girlie-girl, "What about my hair?"

F'niah finishes reclaiming his feet and jerks a chin at Jenna. "Love to dunk her," he tells R'yat. "Only she'd scream worse than ever." He can't hide the slow spread of his own grin. "But it'd be worth it, yeah."

R'yat gets to his feet too, wiping his tunic and smiling widely. "We could say that I was snoring. I don't mind." His giggle shows nothing but pure mischievousness.

Jenna eyes them suspiciously, and retrieves both pillows, just in case.

"You go that way," Sef directs, eyes on Jenna as he jerks his head to one side, "And I'll take this one. You got the blanket?"

Randoth crouches down, quietly, resting his head on his forelegs, crooning with amusement.

Niyath is apparently staying out of this one, for she pulls her wing back up over her head to go back to sleep. Her rider's on her own. Jenna eyes the boys, "Blanket?"

"I'm armed and ready." R'yat says, slowly wiggling an edge of the blanket he just grabbed from the nearest cot and going as indicated. "At your sign, Sef."

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << Why is *image of Jenna upside down in an oil bin and kicking* funny? >>

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Tenkanoth just sounds slightly amused. << Humans... >>

F'niah yells, "NOW!" and vaults over one of the cots in his way.

Dragon> Tenkanoth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << What are your riders up to? >>

R'yat reacts sharply, aiming his own attack to Jenna's other side. "Wheeeeeee!"

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Fort weyrlings with << Randoth's and F'niah want to put *Jenna* in the oil bin. Or in a blanket? >> One of the two. No wait, he's got it! << They want to muss her hair! >>

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Randoth sounds very amused. << My rider is emitting odd sounds like I do! >>

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Tenkanoth's mindvoice blinks. << Sounds definitely weird. Maybe I should see that... >> Dilemma. Nap or fun?

Jenna isn't entirely sure where to run, so she stills, waiting until both of the boys have committed. Then, with a yelp, she tries to dart backwards, only to put her in one of the brownrider's wallows and very nearly go down, delaying her flight.

R'dall comes through the wide archway to the east which leads to the bowl.
R'dall has arrived.

F'niah, with a sharp cry that ought to wake anyone else who's managed to stay asleep, catches Jenna as she falls, slinging one arm around her shoulders as he slips behind her. Hah! Caught! "Get 'er, R'yat!" See? Ripe for the -blanketing?

Dragon> Fort weyrlings sense that Niyath is trying to get back to her dream. There is a fleeting sensation of warm blood and struggling wherry before she slips back under sleep's mantle.

R'yat rubs his hands evilly snickering. "I wonder what she'll look like if I twist there...?" And he goes ruffling Jenna's head. "Ooooh! Pretty!"

Jenna squeals, flailing at both boys, and jabbing elbows back at her captor. "I'll get you both for this!"

R'yat juts continues to laughs, nudging F'niah softly. "Do you think she'll bite?"

F'niah holds Jenna for a moment longer, then releases her, springing backwards himself. "Worse - she'll tell!"

R'yat crosses his arms again. "I don't think so..." He tilts his head to one side, looking at the messy-haired Jenna. "Will you?"

Jenna drags the tattered shreds of her dignity around her. "I never told on you, Sef. *Never*." Chin comes up, shoulders squaring. "I'd check your cots tonight. Never know what you can find there. Crawlies, trundlebugs, mud...." She turns her back to the boys and stalks to her press, grabbing sweetsand and evidently heading for a wash.

F'niah only shrugs off the curse and heads back to his own cot. "Who knows? Life as a goldrider's gone to her head."

R'yat shakes his head. "Girls..."

Jenna shoots an angry look over her shoulder at Sef, and catches up a towel. She stalks towards the bathing pools without another word.

Niyath> Randoth senses that Niyath is unable to sleep, now that Jenna's knickers really are in a twist. << He should not tease her. She is not happy. >>

Dragon> Niyath senses that Randoth sounds amused. << He likes her in his own way. >>

Jenna brushes past R'dall and says lightly, "Morning. You going to pick on me too?" She doesn't give him a chance to answer before she's on out into the bowl.

You step out through the cavern's arch into the open space of the bowl.
Fort Weyr Bowl, by the weyrling barracks
The Bowl of Fort Weyr, a large, nearly featureless plain surrounded by steep mountain cliffs, stretches out before you. It is vaguely oval in shape, long from the southwest to the northeast; you are standing near the wall northwest of its center. To the west is a cavern, carved into the cliffside, where newly-Impressed dragonriders live with their young dragons before they have been fully trained. When they join a regular fighting Wing, the young riders are ready to inhabit weyrs of their own.
To the south is the fenced off area where the Weyr's herds are kept. Along the north rim of the bowl, to the east of here, are the junior queens and weyrleaders weyrs, and the entrance to the Hatching ground. The center of the bowl, off which is the entrance to the large living caverns, stretches out to the southeast.
Contents:
K'fen
Eishith(#5656OVabepst$)
Varquith
Teth
Tenkanoth(#16972Vapst$)

Jenna stalks out of the barracks, carrying a pouch of sweetsand and a towel. her hair is sticking straight up and she looks more than a trifle disgruntled.

Niyath> Randoth senses that Niyath says crisply, << He has an odd way to show it. >>

Niyath> R'yat chuckles and shakes his head. "It's not your fault, don't worry, R'dall."
Niyath> R'dall sighs and shakes his head, "I should hope not."

K'fen is just leaning against Tenkanoth and watches Jenna as she passes by. He idly salutes but his gaze lingers on the goldrider. He doesn't say anything though. Yet.

Jenna glares back over her shoulder at the barracks, apparently not even seeing K'fen, because there's no salute forthcoming. Then she shakes her head with a bit of a sniff, looking back front to where she's going.

K'fen clears his throat slightly, still he doesn't move from where he's leaning.

Jenna's head snaps to eyes Tenka, and then sees her rider leaning against her. She salutes, trying to settle her expression into calmer lines.

K'fen leans forward and takes a few steps forward, his smile discreet and his gaze intent as he looks Jenna up and down. "You don't look as cheerful as usual," he casually remarks.

Jenna's chin elevates slightly, "I'm fine sir, thank you for asking." Her hands tighten around the bag of sweetsand and the towel.

K'fen lets out a wry 'sure' but doesn't add anything. He takes a step back, crosses his arms over his chest and silently waits, still looking at the weyrling.

Jenna's expression is becoming more and more defensive. "What? I'm fine." She reaches up to smooth down her hair.

K'fen slowly nods. "Of course, it's obvious. Now I guess you were about to have a bath, I wouldn't like to hold you back. But I think I'll ask you again when you're back. If you don't mind, of course." A slight bow follows.

Jenna's blue eyes have a hint of wariness in them. She asks, "Is that an official request, sir?"

K'fen's smile totally softens -- but then the greenrider just -can't- look grave very long and it's seldom convincing. "Some would call that an order. I'd rather say that I overheard something I'd like to chat about with you. If you don't want to, that's fine, but someone else might ask, and might insist more than me." He just sounds plainly honest.

Jenna sighs faintly. "I've time now then, sir."

K'fen shakes his head. "You sure?"

Jenna nods. "I just wanted to get out of the barracks for a bit was all."

K'fen says "Anything wrong?"

Jenna says firmly, "Nothing I'd care to discuss really, sir."

K'fen lightly chuckles. "So I won't bother you any longer. Tenkanoth heard a few things, and I'll probably find out by myself it was nothing. Sorry for being nosy. It's a part of the job, you understand..."

Jenna asks suspiciously, "What'd Tenkanoth hear?"

K'fen scratches the nape of his neck. "Oh not much. Some thought of Niyath and Saneth about you wrapped in a blanket..."He lets out a laugh. "Dragons have funny ideas sometimes."

Jenna says evenly, "We were just having a bit of a pillow fight in the barracks is all, sir."

K'fen grins and rolls his eyes. "And of course I wasn't there to have fun with you all." A sigh. "Having fun is good for you and your fellows, but just make sure it doesn't get distressing eventually. As long as you keep laughing, it's fine." Specialist speaking there, yup!

Jenna is quiet a moment and then mumbles something mostly under her breath.

K'fen says "'beg your pardon?"

Jenna clears her throat. "I'm just tired of being treated like I'm useless is all."

K'fen crosses his arms again, nodding slightly. "Could you tell me just a bit more about that?"

Jenna shrugs slightly. "Just that, some people are assuming things that just aren't true. And others are talking about all the things /they/ can do, and remindng me that I can't. And still others are already making wagers and stuff on Niyath rising and who'll catch her. She's just a baby!" The story comes spilling out. "It's just not fair - I know I can't fly resupply, but that doesn't make me useless. And I just got it thrown in my face about wingmates. I can't help it that Niyath's gold. Neither can she. But - I'm just tired of it is all. And before you ask," she looks up to the greenrider, eyes glinting a bit, "I'd prefer it if you didn't make a big deal out of this. They're already all thinking I'm getting preferential treatment because she's gold, and anyone saying anything will only make it worse."

K'fen patiently nods, idly checking his fingernails. "Don't add anything... F'niah -- and possibly others -- have been taunting you again and though you shouldn't care, they are obviously harassing enough that you get tired of it?" he clinically asks. Without waiting for any answer he shakes his head. "I do understand that you don't want to make a big deal out of this, but it can't go one like that either. We can't wait for all the weyrlings to grown up, there is a lot of training and you have to be morally on the top. I do concede it's not always easy..."

Jenna demands, "Me? Why do I have to be the example? I'm learning just like the rest of them. My morals are no better and no worse. Impressing didn't change /that/. I'm still *me*." She sounds rather desperate on this last. "I haven't changed any more than the rest of them have, but I'm getting accused of sneaking, and tell-tale-ing and I'm just sick of it."

K'fen shakes his head. "For now you don't really have to. Later maybe, after graduation, but so far you're learning as the others, you're right. But most of them won't ever have any chance to be part of Fort's leadership." The rider lightly shrugs and looks toward the barracks. "I personally don't care about tell-taling but I'll see what we can do to make it stop in a way that satisfies both the weyrlingmaster and you. Does it sound okay?"

Jenna shakes her head. "No sir, it doesn't. I'd prefer for this to be off the record, sir. Anyone of rank saying anything will just make it worse, no matter how it's put. Then the cracks about my head getting too big for the barracks door will start."

K'fen lifts a hand. "I didn't say we were necessarily going to 'say' something. You're not the first one having this problem -- and won't be the last one as far as I can tell. It's not serious until it can endanger the whole team." He snorts. "Right, right I'm exaggerating a bit, but weyrlings have to stand together. Always."

Jenna says, with a hint of bitterness, "Well, I'm not really part of their team, so I guess it doesn't matter as much. After all, it's not like I'll be aloft during fall or anything. Not as a weyrling."

K'fen snaps his fingers and tsks. "That's something I'd really like not to have heard," he says in a feigned pained voice. "What do you think you're going to do during Falls afterwards? Knit? Weyrlinghood is but a very short time in our lives -- too short really. If you don't work as a team now, you won't work properly after you graduate, and -then- it'll be a bit too late."

Jenna's lips thin. "I'm just repeating what I'm being told, in one way or another. Can't fly in their wing, can't toss firestone sacks, can't chew 'stone like a normal dragon. Nevermind that I can at least do drills and things."

K'fen spreads his arms. "You know why we have to do something? It's not about you or Niyath. Weyrlings have to know to respect each other's job. And Faranth knows it's not easy every day."

Jenna snorts. "Yeah, well, my job during weyrlinghood seems to be to stay out of the way, let the real dragons train, and manage not to hurt myself or Niyath. Not much to respect there, is there?"

K'fen shakes his head. "If you perceive it this way there is definitely a problem."

Jenna says firmly, "There's no problem. I just need to figure out how to deal with it on my own."

K'fen rolls his eyes upwards. "There is no problem now, while Niyath is asleep. What are you going to do if it starts affecting her as well?"

Jenna shakes her head. "It won't. I won't let it. I'll have to lern to deal with things like this anyway. It's no worse than, say, a holder refusing to pay a tithe or something. And I won't have the weyrlingmasters to step in then and tell the holder to back off. Please, sir. I feel better now that I talked about it some."

K'fen slightly smiles and bows. "Glad if you feel a bit better. But just keep this in mind: whatever they can say, their dragons respect Niyath -- or they will soon enough. You are neither better nor worse than them, though I'm sure you're grown up enough to let it slip and remind some of them that there are a -lot- of things you do know, you can do and they don't."

Jenna nods silently. She doesn't seem to want to talk about it any further.

K'fen just nods and doesn't add any further comment, backing slowly.