The waterfight to end all waterfights...
Sea Lane
Surrounded by bedrock walls worn smooth by the passage of time and water, the sea lane is just wide enough for sailing ships to pass through to the docking caverns beyond. Walls wet with sea spray and the action of the waves, the water here is shadowed by a bridge high overhead that crosses from ledge to ledge. Gaping and large enough to fit a dragon within it, lies the actual entrance to this large sea cave, huge metal doors set to either side making this area easy to seal off from the weather and thread.
Hovering over the water are Senile and Excalibur
Swimming about are Eri, Tessa, Bao, Tillek, and Tursi
Marchanta is here.
Obvious exits:
Seabreak Pool Lounge's Ledge Infirmary Pool Docking Cavern Outside Hall Waters
Marchanta is in the water, doing lazy laps across the length of the lane, not paying attention to much, which is evident as she's ignoring the chittering from the flits watching her.
Jessa approaches the wall and looks none too happy about something or other. Pale furred ferret and green 'lizard, her usual companions, are perched on the wall. Perhaps swimming will help Jess. That usually does. Jess then dives into the water, much as she was instructed, and surfaces, treading water and looking around.
Marchanta does happen to notice Jessa diving in and goes under, coming up sputtering and looking around until she spots Jess. She wipes the hair out of her eyes, swimming to the side to hold on as she gets her breath back enough to cough out. "Jess...*cough* hello...*cough cough* How're you?"
Jessa smiles broadly at the familiar senior apprentice, "Chanta! How are you doing?" She pauses for a moment, "Truth be told, I'm not doing all that well." Her green finds 'Chanta's 'lizards and goes to them. As usual, Jess' ferret spazzes out.
Marchanta takes a few deep breath while her flits start chittering with Jessa's, then smiles faintly. "Doing good...for the most part, but what's wrong with you? Why aren't you doing well?" She pulls herself up out of the water, perching beside the flits.
Jessa continues to tread water and nods her head. "There's this other apprentice at 'Cliffs, maybe you know him? Rallaei," is all she says first. As much as she dislikes Rallaei, she doesn't want to say something badly of him if Chanta is friends with him.
Marchanta cocks her head and thinks for a moment. "No, don't think so. Why? What's he been doing?"
Jessa shrugs her shoulders, quite a feat when one is treading water. "He's such a dumbglow an' a mean ol' wherry!" is her reply. Her smile darkens and she scowls a bit, not quite happy. Obviously they must have just had a fight or something.
Marchanta raises a brow. "Okay...well what did he do or say to make you think that? He must've given you a reason to say that..."
Jessa wrinkles her nose. "He's been mean to me ever since I arrived at 'Cliffs." As for specific examples, "He says I'm stupid and childish, and that I should improve myself greatly." Bleh, the stupid wherry.
Marchanta looks surprised and shakes her head. "Doesn't sound like a very nice pers
on to me...You told your mentor about him?"
Jessa wrinkles her nose again. This coming from Marchanta? Who was once an apprentice, and now a senior apprentice? She should know about apprentice rivalries. "Nah, not yet."
Marchanta nods and grins. "Then why tell her?" She looks mischivous, but also torn, as if she wants to say something, but also doesn't want to get either her or Jessa in trouble.
Jessa catches the mischievous glint and grins back, not saying anything in return. Who said Jess was going to? Not Jess. Perhaps then she shouldn't tell Chanta anything about that Keroonian boy she left behind.
Marchanta laughs softly. "I just want to say, even without saying anything else on the subject, that we never talked about him, I don't know his name." Chanta, the trickster, is badly wanting to give Jessa some ideas. She slips back into the water with a grin.
Jessa grins and nods her head, "Ok, I never told you anything about anyone then." That agreed upon is good. Ideas? Jess is always open to ideas. The little Keroonian trickster.
Marchanta nods and glances around for a moment, then turns back to Jessa, the same mischivous look on her face. "Have you done anything yet to try to...convince him not to pick on you?"
Jessa snickers, "Well, I was gonna have Nebbie go poop in his shoes or something," and she trails off, an impish glint in her eyes.
Marchanta nods slowly. "Yeah, that's one thing you could do...But not very long lasting, and easy to clean up." She laughs. "And I can't believing I'm even having this conversation! We could both get in so much trouble."
Jessa giggles and grins, "well, no one else is here to hear us." true true.
Marchanta nods and glances at the water, and the 'phins below. "Yeah, but they like to chat you know? Very talkative." She grins. "Except when it's more fun not to anyway."
Jessa grins, "Ah, yeah, forgot about them." Maybe 'Chanta will send her a 'lizard with a message. But then aren't the 'phins fun and prank loving too? Maybe not. Maybe they like to conform and report mischievous apprentices.
Marchanta grins and leans closer to Jessa, to talk quietly. "Someone painted 'em pink once, they had so much fun keeping that a secret."
Jessa laughs and manages to speak quietly back, "Someone painted the 'phins pink?" She idly wonders how that could be done, and how anyone could not notice.
Marchanta nods, trying hard not to smirk. "Yep, bright pink. Did it at night...Or so I heard."
Jessa giggles and grins. "Whoever did that, did a good job of it." But then how do you keep a bright pink dolphin a secret? Or does 'Chanta mean that the 'phins didn't say who did it?
Marchanta nods, still grinning. "Yeah, they never found out who did it, kept asking the 'phins, but they never told who did it. It was brilliant!"
Jessa grins and laughs, shaking her head, "That is brilliant." Then, for something random, she splashes lightly at Chanta.
Marchanta laughs and returns the splash, then pushes off hard from the ledge, swimming a few feet away.
Jessa splashes back and laughs too and swims away as well. It's been a long time since Jess had any fun. Well, real fun playing with other people that is.
Marchanta grins and ducks under the water, kicking hard to send more water splashing Jessa's way, coming up a moment later with another laugh.
Jessa laughs and splashes Chanta back, diving under the water again to evade a return splash from Chanta and move away from her too.
All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are © Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2000, all rights
reserved, and used by permission of the author.
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