unwanted visitor(open)

[yankeegeek]

Jarev had a free afternoon. So he'd returned to his cot in the barracks. The plan was to change out of what he thought of as 'drudge clothes' and into some that would let him stay cool while climbing, or hiking. If he hung around, there was the distinct possibility he'd wind up being put back to work. That didn't suit him. Yes, founding a brand new Weyr was a lot of work. He'd do his share; just not today.

He'd gotten a pair of thick-soled boots. Now was a good time to break them in. Sandals might be all very well, but at midday heat, they were an invitation to blisters.
He couldn't swim well(as in, at all) so that was out. Wading was about as far into the lake as he usually cared to go.

So, change, and sneak out.

That was the plan, up until he actually reached his cot...and found it occupied. Thankfully, he noticed that little fact before he sat down.

"Sharddit!"

The tunnel snake coiled in a pile on Jarev's blankets raised its head and hissed angrily at him in response. The smithcrafter/Candidate glared. One could reasonably assume that neither the snake nor the smith were making a good first impression.

Jarev looked around for something to let him pick up the snake
at a safe distance. He wasn't about to try to grab it. Some of them were venomous, and a bite would hurt, if nothing else.
"You want to get moving, scaly," he muttered. "I know for a fact there's at least four or five good recipes for tunnel snake, and we've got a lot of mouths to feed around here."

[Wangri]

Ugh! What was all the racket?! Pasine had been trying to relax inbetween the seemingly relentless repertoire of chores, but some stupid boy in the Boy’s section was raising enough racket to wake Faranth herself. Stomping over to the offending room, the frustrated Candidate shoved her scrunched face in the door and glared at the Candidate. “Will you please keep it down in h—ah!”

Jumping out of the doorway, Pasine covered her head with her arms in fear that the thing was going to launch itself off of the bed and attach itself to her face. At Benden she had never had to deal with tunnel snakes! All the mousers had taken care of them! Although, she couldn’t really criticize, since she had a cat that was completely useless at killing anything, even while being housed in the stables. Still, as her eye peeped out from over one of her forearms, it was filled with a fearful fury.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the shield was lowered, all the time her watery grey eyes icily glaring at the hissing creature. “Wha-Why on Pern do you have a tunnelsnake on your bed?! Are you keeping it for a pet?” she shrilled exasperatedly, waving a hand in the direction of the offending creature. Not a very smart move on her part, but still. A tunnelsnake? In bed? They must be really desperate for Candidates here, to accept a dim-glow like this boy.

[yankeegeek]

Jarev was fervently wishing he had a knife. He made a note to himself to craft one, at the next opportunity. Not that that would have helped much. He had no illusions that he was faster than a snake. Stronger? Probably yes, but he didn't really want to engage in a wrestling match.
He looked around. Spotting an unused shovel in a corner, he went to retrieve it.
The snake was watching him, its head still weaving back and forth. For all that the creature didn't have humanlike facial expressions, it did a splendid job of displaying an attitude that could best be summed up as 'OH YEAH'? You and what army is
going to make me move, boy?'

Jarev approached cautiously, just as a girl came to the doorway of the Barracks. Her shriek nearly made him jump out of his skin.
He kept silent during her rant, didn't look at her, just now he had bigger(if not louder) concerns.
"It wasn't my idea," he shot back. "What, do you think I drummed
the snake an invitation? It's not a pet. Sharding thing slithered in here when I was out." He raised the shovel, meaning to try to scoop the snake up. He didn't especially care what the girl thought of all this; HE wanted the slimy little monster off his cot, thank you.

[Wangri]

Why did he have a sharding shovel in his room? Was he trying to dig an escape tunnel to Benden? It was basically asking for the tunnelsnake to invite himself in! This boy was so odd, it gave Pasine a headache. She clasped her brow for a minuted and released a frustrated sigh. Her inital angry energy was expelled now, or at least most of it was. There was still a lingering after-taste, like drinking sour milk.

Quietly she watched the boy prod the 'snake with his mysterious spade. Her head cocked slightly, her curiosity and fear the only things keeping her from sprinting down the hallway. What was he doing now? Oh! He was trying to... shovel it off of his bed, for lack of a better describtion. Pasine's brows crunched together in another angry glare.

"No," she huffed solidly, crossing her arms on her chest, "You have to kill it, otherwise it'll come right back here."[/b] Or worse; it would come to her cot. Unthinkable! Her respect for this boy was dropping even lower by the minute. She would probably have to tell him how to kill it too, huh? "Just impale it on the edge of your shovel. If that does not work, bludgon it to death."

She made the hand motions of beating the monster to death with a club. Sure, it was easy for her to say since she wasn't doing it, but that was just Pasine.[/font]

[yankeegeek]

Jarev paused in midstride, looked up at the girl for a long moment. He didn't recall asking for advice. He was sorely tempted to take up her earlier suggestion of making a pet out of the creature, out of sheer perversity, now. Could snakes be trained? he wondered for a second, before dismissing the thought.
Not to mention that that shrill voice of hers was like nails on glass. He wondered briefly if she
practiced being unpleasant, or it just came naturally. Some talents needed little training.
As for it coming back, he really doubted that, but ..."Between you and the snake, I'll take my chances with scaly here," he replied. "Snakes generally know when they're outsmarted."
If it did return, that would be another matter. He was in no mood to be bossed around, however; the strange girl's comments had resulted in just the opposite reaction. "But, hey, if it turns up on YOUR cot, feel free to make hash out of it."
The snake was watching Pasine now, and it started to slither toward the foot of the cot.
Jarev intercepted it, managing to slide the shovel under the snake's body, lifting it off the cot.
It coiled itself, defensively, hissing at him. Snakes didn't belong in midair; it knew that much.

[Wangri]

"That is why it went to your cot and not mine," Pasine retorted, implying that the snake outsmarted Jarev instead of him outsmarting her. Not only was this boy weird, but he was rude too! Even though she wasn't being the friendliest person due to being exhausted, she hadn't insulted him! Well, verbally, at least.

Watching the 'snake squirm in suspension, Pasine's grimace twisted into a smirk. Only dragons and flitters belonged in midair, stupid tunnelsnake. Trying to impersonate them would only result in a brand new shade of blood splattered on Pern's surface. Gross, but deserving of such a wretched thing. And perhaps this boy too. Her smirk grew into a half-smile.

"Well, if you are not going to kill it, then what are you going to do with it?" she sighed, itching her arm with an absent mind. The creature was cooped up now, and she was too tired to get into a full-blown argument. The tension emitting from her seemed to drop visibly. "And why did you have a shovel in your room anyway?"

[yankeegeek]

Jarev shifted his grip on the handle. He grinned. Nice to meet at least one girl who held her own in an argument, instead of batting her eyelashes or pouting. He despised girls who did that.

The snake's tongue flicked out, tasting the air. It raised up slightly, gaze unblinking and locked on Jarev's bare wrist.

Jarev eyed the girl in the doorway. His original intent had been to try to carry or herd the snake outside and hope the slimy little troublemaker got the hint. But now...
He glanced past her, in the direction of the girls' rooms, smirking a little. "Would m'lady be so kind as to move out of the door?" he asked, his tone exaggerated gallantry that was all too clearly put on.

[Wangri]

Pasine stared blandly at Jarev. He hadn't won enough points, or any really at this time, to pull that on her.

"Perhaps when you answer my questions, sir," she replied calmly now that the snake was under control. While waiting for her answers, she stood firmly in the doorway and tapped a finger on her arm, one of both that were already crossed on her chest. She wouldn't put it past him if he ran into the Girl's Barracks and tossed it in there, It would make up for the sudden mood change, after all. And she wanted her questions replied too! She was not going to be brushed aside, oh no no.

[yankeegeek]

Jarev kept a grin off his face, with effort. He shifted his grip on the
handle, eying his 'passenger'.
Oh, my. This was more fun than he'd anticipated. She reminded him of some of the older girls at the Smithcrafthall, those holdborn and rather full of rank. His attitude hadn't often been appreciated there, either.

Well, if she wouldn't move, that was her problem, he decided. The
snake was beginning to move about, testing the limits of its 'confines.'

"It's Jarev, not sir. Or not yet," was all he said. He kept walking forward, frowning a little, his gait quickening. Teasing was all very well, but he wanted to see this done. The luck he'd had so far couldn't hold indefinitely. Hopefully, she'd have the sense to step aside before he got to her, though he wasn't sure he'd bet any Marks on that.

[Wangri]

"Also, it is Pasine, not m'lady," the Candidate retorted courageously, "Even if you manage to Impress a Bronze, I doubt anyone will be calling you sir. Perhaps when you become the First Lord Holder to ride Bronze and be a Weyrleader simultaneously?"

Her speech was stronger than her will, however, and she spared a glance down at the tunnelsnake. Still she didn't budge though, since she thought it well contained, and she'd rather deal with it now than have the rascal toss the thing into her bed. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Where was Beau when she actually needed him for once in his lifetime? Though she doubted the purr pot would be able to even lift a paw at the creature, nevermind kill it.

[yankeegeek]

"Oh, please," he laughed. "You're not even trying. I already know you think I'm full of myself." And couldn't care less, his tone implied. "You may be loud, but you're far from stupid. Try again, Pasine-the-"

The momentary distraction cost him. His grip had shifted, and so had the angle at which the shovel was being held. The snake, not pleased about having the surface under it suddenly tilting downward, slid up and over the lip, coiling itself around Jarev's wrist a bare second ahead of sinking its fangs into his skin. The snarled curse that elicited from Jarev was coldly furious, as he let the shovel go and locked his free hand around the serpent's coils, just below the head.
There was a sharp clatter as the shovel hit the floor. He ignored it, his expression hard. "Enough playing around, then. You're right about that much."

[Wangri]

"Mother of Love!" Pasine squeaked, hopping a few inches into the air. She was lucky; if she hadn't jumped in surprise, then the spade would have ended up landing on her feet and she would have been even more useless than she was being right now.

Meaning, right now she was standing there, staring at the monstrous little creature. She might've been recovering from the shock, or she might've been too frightened to move. Really, the Candidate didn't know herself. Finally she uttered a soft, "Uh." For once, she wasn't sure what to say. There was a moment of awkward silence, excluding the shuffles of the 'snake trying to free itself from Jarev's grasp. Inching closer, she tilted her head and inspected the tunnelsnake. "Can you... get it off? You probably should go to the infirmary, but I do not think they would let you in with this thing on your arm."

[yankeegeek]

Jarev's eyes were cold when he looked up at her, though they
softened a fraction. He wasn't angry at her; this was no one's mistake but his own. He shouldn't have let himself get caught up
in trying to outtalk her, and he was sensible enough to admit it...if only to himself.

The snake had withdrawn its fangs, but was still trying fruitlessly to extricate itself from the Candidate's grasp. Blood oozed around
puncture wounds.
He shook his head slightly. "True, but I wasn't planning on it.
Step back two or three paces, alright?"

[Luna]

(( Oh my! I LOVE the picture. I've been lurking this awesome thread and now it just got better. ^.^ ))

[Wangri]

((Thanks! ;D The image popped into my head and I couldn't help but laugh and draw it. I like the way it came out too, but I worry that Jarev doesn't look like you intended him to, Yankee. D: Sorry!))


"Gladly," she replied and swiftly retreated around the corner of the doorway. She'd be back, of course, but had no desire to be bleeding herself. And, of course, she couldn't help but murmur under her breath as she scurried away, "But I still think you should kill it..."

Though, after a fraction of fidgeting, Pasine poked half of her head back through the doorway. She had to know if the thing was going out to flee via the hallway, after all, or at least that was the excuse she fed herself. Really, her curiosity was just getting the better of her, and she wanted a good show. Still, the Candidate gave the nasty beastie a devil's eye as her head peeped around the corner, as if she was trying to ward it off with attitude alone.

"All clear."

[yankeegeek]

((no worries, Wan. *Is laughing over the sketch* not a bad resemblance, actually))

His injured wrist was beginning to throb, painfully. It wasn't bleeding all that much; the snake's bite had missed the artery, thankfully, else this might get a good bit messier. However, he
had had to agree with Pasine, reluctantly. He glimpsed her peeking around the doorway. At her "all clear",
Jarev half-turned, opening his hand and letting the snake drop.
He didn't look away this time. He wasn't about to repeat that
mistake.

The snake fell onto the dusty floor, hissing furiously. Aggressive little bugger. If it had just tried to escape again...but it hadn't, and Jarev wasn't minded to make a habit of acting like prey. There were likely to be a good deal more wild animals in this part of the world to deal with, than in the north.
He had reached under his jacket as soon as he let the snake drop, for the belt knife he usually carried. The shovel lay too far away for a grab, and at any rate... his aim was better...
He wavered slightly, then set his jaw, aimed swiftly., and let the
razor-edged dagger fly.
"Bull's eye," he said softly, a moment later.