[LESSON] Can't We All Just Get Along? (Osnat)

[Aftershock]

Lilu sat on a chair in the barracks room she shared with Osnat and Perienmoth, staring at the door. It was approaching curfew, and she hoped that her roommate would obey the rules and return soon, so she could get this over with.

She smoothed down her flight leathers with both hands, smiling as she reveled in their feel. Ever since her Impression, she had been forced to deal with the horribly tight and revealing clothes she had worn during her lapse, and she was incredibly glad to have finally been issued a new set of flight leathers so she could dress properly. Venideth, lolling lazily on his couch, tired from dragon exercises of the day, thought at her, "This is useless, Lilumine. My blue brother is a fool, and any bonded he chose is highly likely to be equally a fool." Lilu responded tightly, "Hush, Venideth. We must all work together if we're to be a proper Flight and do our duties properly... including you and your brother. And that starts with myself and Osnat."

Looking towards the door again, she shifted uncomfortably in the chair, then finally stood up due to nervous energy, and stood at parade rest. A moment later, realizing she needed to have Osnat as relaxed as possible, and knowing the woman knew little about proper discipline, she sat down again, and attempted to slouch back a bit as she'd seen Osnat do, and placed a false, awkward smile on her face in an attempt to look approachable. The end result was likely a scene even more awkward-looking than if she'd simply stood at attention directly in front of the door.

[Lotty]

Well Osnat was just scooting right along back to the barracks in leisurely timing, both Leviathan and Perienmoth in tow. The gold salamandyr sat regally, curled on the woman's right shoulder while the blue weyrling padded there to the other side. It was something of a parade, the group of them making no effort to be quiet - especially not when between the human and the mandyr queen there was something of a little exchange going back and forth. The icy blue poked his head into the business here and there too, resulting in such refined language being share between the trio that one might think that they were headed to a gala event.

"Oh man, sometimes Levi you are like, wicked 'tarded or something."
Are not! You fail! Can no ever understand! Go beyond feeble mind you!
Says the one who talks funny.
SILENCE YOU!
I owe you no such allegiance!
"Shut up, I swear you guys are friggin' cause a scene, then Lilu is gonna be all... you know..." she said this as she leaned into the door and twisted the handle open. With a swoosh, the door swept open and Osnat would have easily slid into the room if she wasn't so stunned by the sight of her roommate's awkward position in the chair. Oh great, another oddity to add to the long list of them. She swore she would never figure this chick out! If she wasn't so perplexed then she would have narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Oh hi... now who are we today?" Osnat was sure the woman had multiple personalities or something. Why hadn't that goofy mindhealer been called in to cart her away? For you see it wasn't this new strict and stern Lilu that particularly bothered her... it was the fact that before the day of the hatching she was a frilly dippidy-doo-dah valley girl... and now she was not. Was she the only one that had noticed that? The sailor girl expected to be changed by melding minds with something, but this big of a discrepancy was not normal. Now apparently she had taken on yet another new persona, slunking into the chair like that... this was extremely bothersome. Apparently for Leviathan as much as herself, the gold frilling briefly before inquiring, What you want phony suck face?

Osnat huffed at the mandyr before whispering, "Suck up, not suck face."

Perienmoth meanwhile stepped into the room, very purposely ignoring the presence of the other blue as he quietly took a spot on his couch.

[Aftershock]

Lilu's fake smile dropped at Osnat's reaction, and she stood up from the chair, dropping her attempt at slovenliness as she grumbled in irritation. "I am, in fact, more myself than I was when you knew me before, if you must know." She turned and picked the chair up, moving it back to it's original position on her side of the room and placing it carefully, shifting it slightly here and there to make sure it was perfectly lined up to where it was before. As she did so, she continued, "I know it's confusing... even I'm not completely certain the specifics... but I had a... let's call it a memory lapse, due to circumstances I don't feel like getting into with you. The result was the person you knew as Lilu. Impressing Venideth removed the lapse and restored me to what I was before."

Finally satisfied the chair was where it should be, she turned and placed her hands behind her back, and walked up to Osnat, stopping short of violating her personal space and dropping into parade rest. "We need to speak," she began, purposefully focusing on Osnat and ignoring her golden salamandyr, both due to it's tone of mindvoice and the fact she could not understand why it had called her what it had. "You seem... uncomfortable around me, and I am unaware whether it is simply our... variant viewpoints... or if it might stem from the fact that our dragons are warring siblings." At that, Lilu felt Venideth raise his head and begin to mindspeak something, but she quickly raised one hand, cutting him off with a, "Not now, Venideth."

Turning away from Osnat, she began to pace her side of their apartment, her arms still behind her back, her steps clean and precise. "Either way, we have to figure out a way to resolve it. We, once you are fully trained, will likely be in a Wing together, and even if we are not, we shall fly together some day, either against Thread or against the northern Weyrs. We must resolve this situation before that happens, or else we will fail as a unit, and failure in flight often means death, either for yourself or others in your Wing." Stopping and turning smartly to face Osnat again, Lilu concluded, "What do you need from me to help fix this situation?"

[Lotty]

There was a bit of a rough rumble from the lighter blue as Venideth was cut off by his very rider. Perienmoth's version of laughter certainly, and as far as he was concerned it was warranted. Almighty Venideth so easily silenced. Should start calling him puppy really; an idea that was sent over to His though she was too preoccupied to really take the suggestion to heart.

A troubled look swept across the weyrling's visage as the other woman addressed her. Damn. She just did not appreciate a single thing about Lilu's words... of course Osnat didn't exactly know why. It simply rubbed her wrong, and rather than confront the situation - what exactly would it win her? - there was a roll of the eyes and something of a chuckle as she shuffled over to her cot, and cupping her salamandyr in her hands, flopped onto her bed. If the other woman was going to strut around the room like a ruffled rooster than at very least Osnat was determined to be comfortable. From her spot she watched boredly as the redhead continued to yabber on and on, petting Leviathan if only to keep her pet from opening up and trying to fight this fight for her.

Instead Levi simmered, occasionally half flaring her frills, eyes swirling with hints of red to match the crimson framing the side of her face. Suck face blind, death. Do not hear or see... or just ignore? I think last, in a suddenly sugary sweet tone she continued on, the mandyr curling her tail like a reassuring hand around Osnat's wrist, Fine though yes? We'll see. "Indeed we will won't we?"

Sometimes you had to reply to Levi just to humor her. Repeating the gold's latest statement seemed to be the most efficient manner of doing so, and in this case cut off the conversation rather neatly. It was then that honey brown eyes flickered up to engage her roommate, a single index finger joining immediately after to signal a bullet point to be made, "You keep excusing yourself. As if you don't have major sharding issues..." and then she went onto explain, "what does 'once you are fully trained' mean? Why are you exempt from this statement?" She took a moment to let it sink in, hoping the women wouldn't take this as a chance to jump in and quibble about semantics. Semantics were more important than people realized, "Listen, you don't care to talk about the one thing that makes me apprehensive about you. All of a sudden you go from frolicking in the field to having a stick up your ass. You say its a 'memory lapse'. How often does this happen? Whats going to stop it from happening again? If anything you ma'am are a bigger risk than me in all my untrained glory. I know I am shit for a dragonrider right now. You fail to realize you are a weyrling too... plus apparently you have a 'memory lapse' issue."

"Whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean..."

[Aftershock]

Lilu ceased her pacing, and listened to Osnat speak... and then pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. She had hoped this would go smoothly, but had figured it wouldn't be quite THAT easy. Venideth, for his part, flashed eyes shifting red-orange at his brother, mindsaying, "Do not let your jealousy at my superior choice of bonded choke you, clutchbrother. It would certainly break my heart to see you die in such an appopriately ignoble fashion."

Stalking a few steps closer to Osnat, Lilu hissed, "It's not a 'condition', you fo..." Cutting herself off, she stopped to inhale deeply and regain her composure before restarting, "My memory lapse is not a 'condition', it was a one-time problem resulting from an incident. A very severe loss that I would... rather not... speak of..." Lilu's voice broke down as even near mention of Fellsareth's death filled her with sadness, and a single tear rolled down her cheek as she finally regained her composure enough to continue, though her voice was husky from emotion, "It will not happen again. Or at least if it does, I will not be here for it to concern anyone. This is who I am, and will continue to be."

Turning around and speaking with her head turned, mostly to hide the side of her face the tear rolled down, Lilu continued, hands behind her back as she stood again at parade rest, "As for my self-exclusion from my statements involving weyrlinghood, understand that though I am required by the Weyrlingmaster to go through the training, despite my protestations, it is for the benefit of Venideth, not myself. Venideth is not my first dragon, and I have already completed weyrling training elsewhere and had many years of full Wing experience. This gives me full knowledge of what a break in cooperation and teamwork can do during Wing excursions, as I've seen it first hand..." Hoping her tear was dried, so as not to present an unprofessional image to the ex-sailor weyrling, Lilu turned to face Osnat once more, saying, "Does that satisfy you? Can we proceed to cooperate with each other more fully from this point forward?"

[Lotty]

Osnat sighed heavily blurting out, "Man, you've totally harshed up the good vibrations this day brought, do you know that?" Or to use more Osnat terminology, this day all of a sudden wicked sucked now. Who thought it was a good idea to pair them up in a room together? She'd much rather be with Au'st at this point, that guy at least was a good luck charm and they could probably have some riveting conversations doing something as mundane as watching paint dry. Still, even she knew she had to make the best of this, or at least try to anyway. Certainly she had to of dealt with much worse working in the belly of a ship right? At least her and Lilu weren't stranded out to sea together, and with that reassurance she rolled her eyes and tried again to participate in some constructive discussion.... and it had not a bit to do with the glint of a tear Osnat spotted on the woman's cheek. Crying was for girls.

"I still question how assured you are that it will never happen again," who could claim to know all the workings of any human's brain much less their own. Ozzie didn't know in the least how she worked, but she imagined the body to be like a machine... once something was knocked loose nothing was ever the same again. That being said she was in no mood to argue the point, not when she had come home in the mind to wipe out and fall asleep.

"I still also think you are missing the point. Ok, fine this isn't your first dragon. That doesn't make you an expert on all dragons Lilu. I know a damned lot about sailing on a fishing smack, doesn't mean I can transfer all that knowledge to a galleon. The same with your Whatevereth and Venideth. This plus the fact that you are too boneheaded to realize that the training can help you too baffles me. Its like you aren't even willing to concede that M'ta might know something you don't," maybe that was a large part of contention too. Lilu - to Osnat- was coming off awfully smug. Not that she wasn't ever guilty of the same, but she wasn't the one that had tried to talk out any differences through the night.

"So no. Not satisfied..." back to petting Leviathan for a moment before adding without looking up, "If you're as good as you say I doubt you'll have any trouble finding placement on a wing far away from me anyhow. From graduation on this will all be moot eh?"

Perienmoth was only mildly perturbed by his brother's snark, but as he had been listening in to the human's conversation he was well armed with his own comeback. Raising his head haughtily he said in a much too easy drawl, Oh did your insult get passed by yours for permission first puppy-brother-dearest... He rumbled delightedly again, since his version of a laugh was apparently so offensive to the other, Superior you say? I suppose... but you are apparently only sloppy seconds Venideth love... Sloppy seconds picking damaged goods. Perienmoth knew that having picked first it was he who had the most choices and therefore had more room to be truly selective, his brother was just a desperate fool.

[Aftershock]

Lilu was being pushed to the limits of her professionalism by this impossible young woman. Speaking now through clenched teeth, her stance even stiffer due to muscles tensing in irritation, she responded, "I have assured you multiple times that it was a one-time event, but apparently you refuse to believe me. Fine, if you wish it that way..."

Turning again, not wishing for her strained expression to reveal her loss of control and let the young woman win... since she was obviously purposefully goading Lilu, no one could be THIS irritating without effort... Lilu continued, "As for M'ta, the man is as hard-headed as you yourself apparently are. He is unprofessional and has no discipline, and definately has no place teaching weyrlings or their dragons. Anything Venideth learns will be due to me, not him, I assure you. The man couldn't even control the herd of children that followed him into his office when I had a meeting with him regarding it. I wouldn't trust the man to organize a sing-along, not to mention a force of dragonriders who need to combat Thread and possibly enemy dragonriders. But he has been assigned as the Weyrlingmaster, so I will obey him as long as it's deemed necessary."

Lilu was about to say something else, when suddenly Perienmoth sat up, followed by Venideth responding venomously, "Brother, brother, brother. Simply because MY Bonded isn't a layabout with all the riding skill of a pea-brained tunnelsnake doesn't mean you have to be quite THAT transparently jealous about it." Standing up slowly from his couch, stretching his back and making a point to scratch his claws against the stone with a loud sccccccrrrcccch, he slowly began crossing the room in the direction of Perienmoth's couch, continuing, "However, I believe you need a reminder, brother, of why such a foul tone is unacceptable when speaking to your betters. Especially me..." Seeing exactly what was about to occur, Lilu strode over to interpose herself between Venideth and Perienmoth, mindthinking at Venideth, "Not in the room, and not unless I tell you to. I understand your frustration, but we must remain above them. Reacting like that gives them the upper hand."

Staying where she was until Venideth grunted and returned to his couch, Lilu turned to say to Osnat, "Apparently you refuse to accept even my attempt at resolving this situation. If you wish it that way, so be it. I will not speak to you or deal with you unless absolutely necessary from this point forward. Know, however, that if you fall in Threadfall or battle, the only reason I will assist you is duty, not camaraderie."

[Lotty]

Osnat wasn't a super genius. Shards she was about as average as it got, but even she couldn't help but furrow her brow in frustration at some of the things Lilu said. Of course she couldn't articulate most of her retorts but they were there swimming around in her brain... You haven't assured me anything, that's why I still don't believe you... and calling me and M'ta stubborn? Please... Still the woman kept quiet as the other girl seemed to launch into an unending diatribe that very nearly had Osnat falling asleep. In fact, the idea of catching some Zs in the midst of it all was so good, that the weyrling turned to fluff the pillow behind her before leaning back and sinking her head down into it; arms stretched back just as well. No, she wasn't even alarmed by the dark blue dragonet that seemed on crossing the room to meet Perienmoth.

Probably because Perry wasn't all that concerned either. The color of confusion flickered through his swirling eyes for a moment before it shifted again to good humor, the dragon moving only to sweep his tail back and forth in calm anticipation for his brother's approach. Clearly his form spoke for itself... were those weak come backs the best that Venideth had to offer, Yours can't be that much better. She already broke one, you're next. Of course an insult against His was an insult against his own honor, but his brother would have to do better to really bother him. He was getting too used to his roommate to actually take any real offense to anything that was said, and while Venideth's tone was venomous, Perry's was distinctly that of an arrogant teasing.

Having closed her eyes by now, and Levi taking up residence on her stomach, Osnat boredly replied, "Your attempt sucked that's why..." nor did the sailor think it was all that genuine, but why bother trying to explain that? "I don't think you would have saved me out of camaraderie anyway... so I am not losing a thing here. 'Cept, you didn't answer my question, but whatever..." Why question a good thing she had going here? Besides, Lilu never said anything about Leviathan, and the gold demon was sure to not let this opportunity go. The salamandyr twisted her sinewy body to face the redhead, before cooing dangerously, Ohhhhh poor poor suck face. You done yet? Talk too much for strong silent type.

[Aftershock]

Venideth bristled at Perienmoth's continued sass, but decided His was right, and allowed himself to be herded back towards his couch, though his swirling red-orange eyes never left Perienmoth. Best to let his clutchbrother know the insult was not forgotten, but merely that his reckoning was delayed for a better time and place.

Lilu, for her part, tensed up once more as Leviathan seemed to need a last word, but needing to set an example for her young dragon, ignored it, continuing to herd him until he was back upon his couch once more, then moving over to sit at her desk and pulling out a tablet and stylus in order to begin writing a request to post in the dining hall for someone skilled in woodworking to build a small wall inside her barrack's room so that she could be separated from Osnat and her irritating companions as much as possible...

{{End Thread}}