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Ball Room Blitz


Date:  September 19, 2008
Place:  Igen Weyr's Central Bowl
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  Thank A'deth for this wonderful idea, and Fort Weyr too
since I think that's where he got it!  In order to prepare the 
Candidates for the chaos of the Hatching Kassi has them line up and 
be targets for balls with nasty, big, pointy teeth.  Nobody did get 
gored when the time came, so maybe it's a working strategy?

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The Log:

Who knew there were so many balls in the Weyr? Kassima's dug them up from
somewhere. Big balls, littler balls. Ranging somewhat in size, although
none are smaller two handspans in diameter. They're all made of hides but
some are more colorful than others... lending perhaps to the awful thought
that Kassi stole them from children. "A perfect excuse t'be throwing things
at 'em," the greenrider quips to the nearby Imlari while tossing a ball
from one hand to the other. "I can't understand why Coordinators don't
*always* do this."

Jorel follows Auste out, a few paces behind. Sometime in his life, this lad
perfected the Casual Amble, and he's demonstrating now. Eventually -
really, eventually - he makes it to the spread of balls, and he stoops to
pick one up. It's medium-small, dyed a dark green-brown. "Do we really get
to throw these at the Candidates?" he asks, wondering, "Did they do
something wrong again?"

Kaveshun heads out slowly, in the back of a small group of curious
candidates. He was caught in the barracks hoping to get a nap and was
convinced (dragged) out from his cot to join them. Hands were crossed
tightly and he was warily looking out towards the other assembled residents
and especially a certain coordinator. "Shells," he mumbles, unwrapping his
arms to run them through his head. He stops, keeping some space, and tilts
his head curiously at all the balls. "This looks like it's gonna be painful."

Auste makes it out to the bowl in short order, and spends a moment settling
little blue Frisco away from danger - most of it, at least, and the
fire-lizard seems content to sprawl himself out-of-the-way and watch all
this exciting business. Jorel's comment is met with a pulled face, a
stuck-out tongue at the back of the lad's head, though the expression
quickly transforms to a wicked grin Kaveshun's way. "Nah, it's good
practise! Better a ball than a dragon full of teeth and stuff, neh?"

"I'm sure they did. A day without a misbehaving Candidate is like a Lord
Holder without a mistress--it'd be nice if'n 'twere more of 'em but one
can't realistically expect it." Kassima tries to spin the brilliant red
ball between two fingers. Tries. It likewise tries to fly away, and she
barely manages to catch it. "Punishment's nay the purpose this time! We're
out t'provide a useful service, by teaching 'em t'dodge oncoming objects.
Look!" She drops the red ball to pick up one of the largest, which is
brown, and turn it so everyone can see the triangular white 'fangs'
somebody painted across it. "We gave some of 'em teeth! T'keep it all in
the spirit, y'ken. I tried doing claws on that orange one there but they
just looked like more teeth, like the thing's got three mouths and two of
'em are deformed. But don't worry, Kaveshun, these things are mostly air."
Air with dental problems.

"They're pretty soft," Jorel remarks to Kaveshun, passing the green ball
between one hand and the other. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he sets
down the green in favor of the orange, turning it in his hands to inspect
it. "I don't know, Kassima, I think you've got talent." He traces one of
the 'claws', "Could be a tail. A short one. That's spikey." Deformities
aside, he keeps it, tossing it in the air and catching it.

"Won't be soft when they're thrown real hard," mumbles Kaveshun to the
others as he shifts uncomfortably. Eyes were still on the balls, though
they snap towards Auste quickly and his face pales. "I'd rather not get
hurt at all." Thank you very much... But he was already nervous with the
thought of sharp teeth and claws, and he lets out an audible groan towards
Kassima with the big brown toothy ball.

Kaveshun's dismay is much unlike Auste's delight; she even darts forward to
scoop up a ball of her own, admiring Kassima's handiwork with a rough,
pleased laugh. "These's great, Kassima." The ball is eyed for a moment,
lightly tossed from hand to hand, before she holds it still and inquires
cheerily, "Can we throw back?" Oh, please, let us throw back!

Kassima gazes off into space for a moment. "Lyss would like spikes all over
her tail. She invites me t'think on what she could do t'males who got too
fresh in a mating flight *then*. If'n 'tis all the same t'her, I'm going
t'decline." A stoop and she picks up the red ball too; she tucks the pair
under her arms, one balanced on each hip. "This is how I'm thinking 'twill
work. See that line in the sand? Candidates, you'll spread out on that side
of it. Everybody else, we're on this side. Our job is t'throw balls. Don't
aim all of 'em, dragonets can barrel by at random too--but we are going
t'try and hit the Candidates! And the Candidates will try and nay be hit!
Straightforward, aye?" Not very fair, though... and after Kassi considers
the Candidates sidelong with a suppressed grin twitching at her mouth, she
says, "A'course, the balls have t'get back over here somehow if'n we're nay
t'run out of ammuntion. So the Candidates may throw 'em back, aye, Auste.
We'll show you just how proper dodging's done." The toothy ball seems to be
grinning!

Jorel looks a smidge doubtful about this whole thing, as Kassima reveals
that turnabout is indeed fair play. But he's got that ball in his hands,
and seems fairly fond of it. "As long as they don't try to throw the
charging dragonets back at the shells," he mutters. A handful of young
residents have joined the group, trooping out in a gaggle that includes a
particular girl to whom Jorel gives a wary, sidelong look, followed by a
speculative look at the ball in his hand.

Kaveshun is eyeing that toothy ball warily. He didn't trust it one bit. "I
don't know 'bout this. Balls being through at us, what's that suppose to
teach us 'sides dodging small objects hurled by riders and residents." He
glances towards Jorel at his comment and has to grin at the mental image of
candidates picking up the dragonets. His dry snickering doesn't last long
as he moves towards the balls. "Can we at least get some fer defense? Or
we're meant ta run first?" He stops, hands outstretched, and suddenly ready
to bolt if needed.

"It's meant to teach us to /dodge/," Auste reiterates with one lifted
finger for Kaveshun, chin held high. "It's an extremely valuable /lesson/.
It's a /lesson/." Though perhaps the girl isn't just saying it for her own
benefit, but Kassimas and Jorel's, too, because they're looking at those
fanged balls with an expression a bit suspicious. Not to mention she's done
her own fair share of throwing; it's just the first time she's been on the
other side of the fence. Which is, perhaps, why she's taking it all with
such good humour -- for now.

IGEN-> Auste says, "Hector! Come get pummelled by dodgeballs!"

IGEN-> Hector says, "Um... huh?"

IGEN-> Auste says, "Dodgeball game for the candied dated :D"

IGEN-> Hector says, "Heh, ok"

Hector walks over from the field to the southeast.

"If'n you can dodge a ball," Kassima says to Kaveshun, "a dragonet might
nay seem so bad. If'n motion hurtling towards you means you run *away*--all
to the good! Although dodging's better. Imlari, why don't you--" The other
greenrider doesn't wait for Kassi to finish the sentence. A blue ball with
hot pink handprints on it for Faranth only knows what reason goes cruising
Kassi's way! And though Kassi's quick in leaping aside, the thing hits one
of the residents standing just behind her! Who flops to the ground in
twitching, moaning death throes. Oh, the humanity. "Like that," Kassima
tells them. "Sort of. Everybody get on the right side of the line! Yell out
when you're ready! Oh! And Candidates, you have t'be *earning* your
ammo--if'n a ball hits you, nay throwing it back. You can only smack us
with the ones you dodge!" Revenge: it's the very best incentive.

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Hi."

IGEN-> Auste says, "You too, Des! Come play dodgeball!"

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Wish I could, Auste. :( I'm knee deep in getting
ready for my daughter's birthday party."

IGEN-> Auste aaaws. I'll take a ball to the face for you!

IGEN-> Desdinova says, "Please do. :) I really wish I could come, it sounds
amazingly fun. :)"

IGEN-> Jorel mutters. Apparently, RL has declared no dodgeball - I'm being
snatched off. Please feel free to assume that Jorel stick around to throw
stuff, but in a background, unobtrusive sort of way.

IGEN-> Kassima awws. I'll fling the toothy orange ball once for him. ;)
We're doing it in the Central Bowl, so if nothing else it's +watchable. :)

IGEN-> Desdinova wanted a nice cheek-bruise for the hatching, too, foo. >)

Kaveshun grumbles and shakes his head. "I think it's meant ta give everyone
a chance ta practice on movin' targets." He quickly steps away from the
balls and stares at the demonstration. "We're so dead," he says to his
fellow candidates as he retreats to a safer distance. Once satisfied, he
keeps his legs spread apart a bit, leaning from side to side as if waiting
to see which way to leap. "What if we catch a ball?" he asks Kassima, not
dropping his guard for a moment though. "Do we get ta throw it, too?"

Hector listens, scratching his head. "Is this really supposed to help us
for Hatching Day?" he asks but then shrugs. "I guess it'll help us if the
baby dragons start throwing stuff at us." He moves over to the area where
Kassima indicated, trying to be aware and ready to jump, dodge, or roll. He
slides a glance over at the other candidates. At least they were all on the
same side. That made him feel a bit better.

Auste grudgingly rolls her own ball back across to the others, and steps
back once, twice, three times until she's across that line in the sand and
just barely toeing it. Just barely. The others, still muttering and
complaining, finally get a dismissive snort and an exaggerated sigh. "Quit
your whining and do what the lady says." That's what /good/ candidates do,
isn't it? "It'll be fun!" Doesn't everyone like to duck flying balls? Come on!

"Nay! Catching's exactly opposite what you're supposed t'do! If'n you do,
you're out of the game." Kassi decides on a first ball: natch, the toothy
ball. Its straggly white fangs gleam at the Candidates as she and the other
riders, residents, and a Crafter or two prepare for mayhem. "Ready?" She
doesn't wait for a response. The dragonets won't give any warning either!
Mr. Toothy McTootherson soars in Kaveshun's vague direction, and in the
next second a half-dozen of his spherical compatriots charge in attack!

IGEN-> R'din says, "Can Daianth come down and provide a huge obstacle to
avoid? :P"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "This one's humans-only, but R'din can throw things at
the Candidates if he wants. ;)"

"I ain't whining," Kaveshun complains to Auste. He would never call himself
a good candidate, but he sure was a grouchy one when things were being
thrown at him and he couldn't retaliate. "No catching?" Grunt. "Fine." He
already had his arms up, ready to see if he could do just that, and then
drops them down. There's a girlish shriek and then he bolts to the side. "I
wasn't ready!" he calls back, just barely missing the first ball going his
way, always on the move now. Back and forth.

IGEN-> R'din says, "Knives?"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Balls! Some with fangs painted on them!"

IGEN-> R'din says, "Can he fly around above them and drop the balls?"

IGEN-> Salitra says, "hi everyone!"

IGEN-> Desdinova has some free time, is it too late to come out for a
little bit?

IGEN-> R'din says, "Land and Air Attack!"

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Nope, nope. This is training for dodging dragonets
(or at least that's how Kassi justifies it ;) so attacks from above don't
fit. Besides, the Candidates have a fair chance to hit us too if we're on
the ground. ;) Nope, the throwing just started."

IGEN-> R'din says, "Ahh."

Desdinova walks over from the field to the southeast.

Hector gives Auste a wary look, suddenly feeling a little regretful he
can't pummel other candidates with balls as well. She seems very serious
when it comes to this ball-dodging activity. "So we basically have to stand
here and just be human targets? Why was it you thought this was so much
fun, Auste?" he says, and even as the words are leaving his lips, he spots
a crafter winding back and heaving a ball at him. With a grunt, he dodges
and the thing flies past him at knee-level.

Desdinova is a late arrival to the lesson, her hair wet and plastered to
the ide of her face and her clothing freshly laundered. A glance around
amongst the candidates finds a few she knows, and she makes her way over
towards Hector. "What's going on?" She asks of him in a low voice, gaze
wary at the balls that seem poised for hurling.

It's fun if you don't get hit- "ARGH!" Nor, it seems, was Auste prepared
for that onslaught of balls, and with a disparaging baring of her teeth
back at Hector she dives out of the way of one particularly hard-thrown
yellow ball. "The point is /not/ to just stand there!" Weave, duck, dodge,
though one low-aimed bouncer catches her foot and the girl pauses a beat to
cast a disgusted look throwers-ward. "Jerks." The lot of them!

Kassima encourages her fellow throwers, "Get 'em, get 'em, get 'em!" with
enthusiasm. Could she possibly be enjoying it when Maderas of the pranks
involving dung gets hit in the shoulder by the orange ball with all its
claws and teeth? Nahhh, surely not. She sends the red ball after Hector
next, and there's another brown one, toothless, with Auste's name on it,
though in neither case does she aim all that carefully. That resident who
got hit before is *still* flopping on the ground like a fish. "Oh, stop
that." He reluctantly does and scrambles to his feet, flinging one straight
to Kaveshun--homing in on the girly shriek, maybe. Plenty of balls litter
the air, plenty of chances to get hit, but it's all one-sided yet. The
throwers are taking full advantage of the moments when *they* don't have to
dodge.

Salitra walks over from the field to the southeast.

Neiravi walks over from the field to the southeast.

"My thoughts 'xactly," Kaveshun mutters to Hector right before the
onslaught of balls all over the place. He is quick on his feet, at least.
He /really/ didn't want to chance how much those balls would hurt when they
hit. But as he dodges to one side, he sees one particular toothy ball that
was dying to be picked up. Diving at it, he grabs it with both hands and
then turns to sling it back towards the residents, not having a particular
target in mind. Except as he had stopped to throw, one ball bounces off
against his unprotected leg. "Shells!" he hisses, but moves. "Am I out"

Neiravi chose a large individual as her shield early on, and deftly stays
behind him as the balls descend. Of course, the downside of having such a
large person as a shield is that he's out in no time flat, leaving her
scrambling for cover. Forget retaliation, she's just trying to stay in.

Salitra walks into the bowl from the beach, small patches of sand on her
arms, even though she didn't even go swimming. She stands there for a
minute, watching the flying balls and the people dodging them. Walking into
the onslaught of it, Salitra laughs and grabs a ball from the ground. "Mind
if I join?" She asks, to no one in particular.

Despite that rolling ball tapping against her shoe, Auste carries on with
the moving and dodging and such; no one actually /specified/, did they?
While executing a neat little dip to avoid one, the redhead manages to
snatch up one of the other discarded balls, coiling her fingers about it
with a determined sort of glee as she hurls it right back again: take that!

"Getting hit doesn't put you out. Only catching a ball puts you out,"
Kassima yells, and it's a good thing she's looking that direction because
that means *she* can catch the toothy ball. "If'n you're a Candidate!"
There's no rest for the toothsome; Toothy II is soon speeding towards
Desdinova. Its teeth, it's worthy of note, are really crooked. The poor
thing has the overall appearance of being buckfanged besides. "C'mon, get
back in!" Kassi calls to Neiravi's shield, seconding the invitation with a
bright green ball. What the hey, a blue one for Neiravi too! But it hits
another one in midair and both go caroming off. Kassima, after blinking: "I
meant t'do that, right. Throw, Salitra! Throw with all your strength!"
Auste's missile hits that resident--yes, that same one--again. Again he
starts flopping for all he's worth, and the greenrider mutters, "I just
give up."

Hector flashes a smile at Desdinova as she arrives. "They're all going to
fling balls at us candidates. You can't catch the balls, and if one hits
you, you're out. But if you successfully dodge, you can throw a ball back."
Even as he is talking, he catches sight of a red one that nearly takes off
his head. "Hey! That one almost hit me!" he yells at the ones attacking,
even as he looks around for a ball he can fling at them.

Kaveshun is at a loss of what to do after getting hit, starting to get
confused by the approaching Salitra and Desdinova. "Oof! Hey!" He gets
smacked on the side now, having been distracted. He rubs at the spot and
glares in the direction of the residents. "Shells, so we get hit and hit
and hit 'till we're bruised an' can't move?" He puffs a bit now, starting
to move back and forth too quickly to not start getting out of breath. He
was determined not to get hit anymore. He'd already have been dead twice if
that were angry dragonets. "Take that!" he growls out, grabbing a ball in
mid-run from the ground and hurling it at them.

The ball hurtling at her head is as much instuction as Hector's words, and
with a startled squawk Desdinova steps back away from it. She trips over
her own feel in the process and lands hard on her rear. But the ball misses
her, so it ould be considered a victor. She reaches out to claim the ball
that missed her and scrabbles to her feet, and after a moment she lobs it
back from whence it came, Kassima.

Neiravi yells Kassima-wards, between ducking, dodging, and covering, "You
want to tell Lysseth that you killed the possible first female bronzerider
with a bucktoothed ball?" There's too much activity going on; she's dodging
missiles and her fellow Candidates both. "You all right, Des?" She pays for
her moment of concern when a ball of virulent orange smacks her shoulder.

Laughing slightly at Kassima, Salitra chooses a target, which seems to be
Hector, putting all her arm strength into it. The ball goes just inches
from his arm, making Salitra blink twice, she was sure she was on target.
Oh well, he did move when Kassima threw the ball at him.

Kassima has her hands full of more than balls now. For some odd reason, a
lot of projectiles appear to be aimed her way. Most of them she ducks,
dodges, and once falls on her rear end to get away from, but that doesn't
leave a lot of time for attack. Desdinova's bucktoothed ball gets her right
in the hip, and she drops the one she was holding to go running after it.
"Admit it! It'd be a memorable way to go!" she retorts to Neiravi, the next
target of the implacable bucktooth! "You'll run out of ammo eventually,
Kaveshun, if'n you're only throwing the ones you dodge--" Of course,
there's no guarantee the balls they scoop up were actually dodged by
someone else.

Hector tries to put in all the anxious feelings he has felt regarding this
upcoming Hatching into dodging. Whether he ended up with a dragon or not,
he certainly intended to survive Hatching day. He spots Salitra on the
other side just before she flings a viscious ball in his direction. He's a
little slow to react so he spots it too late to dodge. He only has time to
leap to the side, lunging towards the ground even as the ball speeds past
him, less than a handspan above his shoulder. He lands on the hard ground
with an oof. "What, you have it in for me now or something?" he calls,
reaching for a ball on the ground and flinging it wildly in Salitra's
direction.

"I'm fine!" Desdinova assures Neiravi, shooting her a bright grin. It's a
distraction lets a bright blue ball smack her hard on the cheek, turning
her head a little. "Hey!" She says indignantly, "Not the face!" She bends
down to scoop it up, but having no idea who sent it at her, she can't
return fire. Instead, she throws the ball towards Salitra, "No hitting
Hector!" She says while she does.

"I don't want to be memorable! I want to be *alive*!" Neiravi's laughter is
interfering with her dodging, and so she ducks the dreaded Bucktooth,
scoops up the blue ball that beaned Desi, and lobs it back at Kassi.
Vengeance! This means she's smacked by at least three other things, but
just the fact that she attempted retaliation means something. Mostly it
means that the adrenaline's rising and she's getting dangerous.

Laughing out loud, Salitra sees the ball moving fast to her side, and she
dodges both balls, just barely not being hit. "Nope, I just felt like
throwing one at you!" Salitra teases, picking up a ball that she dodged.
Choosing another target, Salitra decides to try and hit Kaveshun, throwing
the ball with equal strength as last time,hitting him in the arm.

Kaveshun is starting to get distracted, seeing candidates go. He can't help
but worry a bit. His amber eyes land on Desdinova and he smirks at her
shout to Salitra. He barely dodges an incoming ball when it comes his way,
and he glares back at a scrawny resident that threw it. "Hey now! Not too
low!" He frowns deeply, hands starting to go in guarding before he swings
towards Kassima. "Ain't had a problem yet!" He scoops up a ball he just
dodges and throws it her way, only to get whacked by Salitra's when he
wasn't looking. "Aw, Faranth... I'll get ya fer that!" But he was laughing
along with some other candidates, pretending not to rub his arm too
intensely and look hurt.

It's a cringe, a sort of burrowing of her head in her arms that saves Auste
from the next missile headed her way, and it lofts breezily past her ear
just as she looks up - only to be struck in the side, on the shoulder. That
stuff /hurts/! And, not to be one to be outdone by all that revenge cast
upon their assailants, the redhead retrieves one particularly vivid green
ball bouncing nearby (nearly knocking another candidate in the head with
her efforts) and hurling it, overarm - hard, but at at no one in
particular, though it's the thought that counts, isn't it?

Kassima takes the blue ball to the shoulder, caught in the middle of
ducking a larger brown. "We'd all be so dead if'n this were the Hatching,"
she mutters to an elder bronzerider who's throwing with the rest, getting a
laugh in agreement. Forget the blue ball. It's too lethal. She chases down
the brown and uses her wicked aim on this one--right down the middle of the
Candidate line, where no one happens to be standing at the *moment* but
maybe avoiding the brown will take them into the path of others? "Right,
right--nay preventing the Candidates from ever having children." She
catches Kaveshun's ball; she uses it as a shield, deflecting Auste's,
sending it on a wobbly trajectory back into the Candidate group.

Hector might have ended up with a bruise on his elbow as he gets up from
the ground, trying to brush the dust from his clothing. "Everyone at the
Hatching is going to think there's something wrong with us candidates if
all of us are covered with random bruises. Another random resident flings a
ball from a direction he wasn't looking, and it bounces off his calf. He
sighs. "Great, I guess this means I'll leave the Hatching Grounds with only
one leg."

Whump, thud, crunch. A trio of balls finds their way towards Desdinova, and
she proves completely unadept at dodging them. "Oi, those hurt!" She says
in a protesting voice, "Try not to hit the face at least!" She scoops up
two balls from the ground and lobs them in rapid succession, though she
manages to send them more at her fellow candidates Aust and Kaveshun than
any of the residents and riders.

A big smile across Salitra's face tells you she is enjoying this, while she
looks around for another ball, trying not to get hit. Hearing what Hector
says, Salitra laughs, finding another ball. She picks it up and decides who
to throw it at, but she delays finding a target by jumping away from a ball
that goes whipping past her leg.

Neiravi deflects a ball with her head accidentally. Now *there's* an
experience. "If this was a Hatching, and baby dragons were being thrown
through the air, I'd've run screaming a *long* time ago. *Ow*." Slowing
down gets her jostled, and lets one ball smack her...well, it's
undignified. "When I find out who did *that*, they are so very dead!" She
grabs a rolling ball from the ground and glares at all in the vicinity.

Speculatively, Auste hesitates a moment to reply to Hector, "Yeah, but we
might get out of it if we tell them all Kassi -" duck! "- beats us." Get
out of what? The Hatching? Exactly what she's referring to isn't quite
clear, but the girl is suddenly very busy dodging friendly fire from
Desdinova and protesting /that/ with an indignant shout to clarify. That
ball from the other candidate is snatched up, pulled from the grip of a
smaller, younger boy, and Auste slings this one /thataway/ - oops, sorry,
Desdinova!

IGEN-> Kassima says, "What do you think, y'all? Do you want to stop soon or
keep going awhile longer? Hector's right, we don't want you maimed. ;)
(Hey! Auste, I do not!)"

"I shardin' hope dragons ain't anything like this right out of their
shells," Kaveshun says loudly, making his best to try to pick up stray
balls and start sending them towards the non-white knots. "Ya alright,
man?" he calls over to Hector when he picks up on his complaint about
bruise. He was doing well finally at dodging and was not expecting an
attack from his own side. One from Desdinova hits him square in the back,
making him stumble to his knees. "Ow! Shells, who did that one?" He picks
himself up, wincing before scuttling to the side to avoid one aimed for his
head.

IGEN-> Hector says, "Either way, I think"

IGEN-> A'deth says, "Should send firelizards in, too, for even more
obstacles."

IGEN-> A'deth says, "MAUL THEM."

IGEN-> Neiravi pities the fire lizard smacked headlong by a ball.

IGEN-> Hector o.O;;

IGEN-> Kassima says, "Oh, god. Reminds me of the time I think Kassi winged
a fire-lizard in a sack-throwing competition. (That'd be one way to thin
out her horde....)"

Throwing the ball to no one in particular, the ball comes dangerously close
to Desdinova, though missing her leg. Blinking once, Salitra looks
surprised at how close she came when she wasn't even aiming. Dodging a
random ball, Salitra trips over her own foot and falls down, getting hit by
another ball.

IGEN-> Salitra hears Flitter chirp. I don't think Flitter would like
firelizards to be hit. :)

"I don't beat you!" Kassima protests indignantly--bright woman, stopping in
the flurry to think about such things. It gets her a ball to the funny
bone. "Owwwww, ow! Ow! Shardit! Shellit! Faranth's freaking fewmetted femur
fragments!" Now they've riled her up--now she shall have revenge--now
Kassima scoops up every ball that comes in her range, and while none of
them are thrown hard, most are thrown with terrible accuracy for legs and
arms and other non-vital areas. She swings her arm to deflect a ball back
at its source, and it arcs into the Candidate melee... it flies for them
with nasty, big, pointy teeth.

Desdinova is pelted by a few more balls, some from the candidates she
attacked, some from others, and one toothy ball from Kassime catching her a
direct hit to her chest. That elicits a loud squeal of pain from her, and
she drops the ball she is holding in favor of protecting more tender areas,
"Ack! OK, if this is what the hatching is like, I'm wearing something
sturdy under those robes!" She takes a step to the side, attempting to hide
behind Hector, "How long're we doing this for? I feel like I've been
tenderised!"

IGEN-> Auste totally got funny-bone-sympathy pains, right there.

Hector isn't sure if he's actually learning about dodging baby dragons, but
he thinks he is learning a bit about being circumspect and spotting balls
as they're being flung in his direction. "The first thing I'm going to do
when those baby dragons start running around is find someone to use as a
shield. Less dodging that way." He sidesteps and a bright green ball soars
past him. "Maybe we should get some kind of padding to wear underneath?" he
asks Nova with a grin.

Looking at Desdinova, Salitra has this face that shows hint of laughter,
part of her being glad it wasn't her who got hit there, and part feeling
sorry. Salitra stands back up from where she fell and gets another ball,
but when she leans down, she gets hit in the back with a ball. "Ouch! Who
did that!?" She exclaims, standing up and looking at the Candidates,
looking for the culprit.

"Pretty much do!" It's a bit muffled as Auste's got her head tucked right
low, but the slim girl points accusingly towards one of those flying balls
- though quick enough to draw it back to protection as another whizzes by -
and she twists out of the way to finish, a bit pantingly, "I mean, with all
the bruises we'll have at the end of this - ouch!" Sympathy pains for
Desdinova, most likely, as Auste wraps her arms tight around her own chest,
cringing and side-stepping another projectile; and even among her efforts,
the girl manages a faint bark of laughter for the ball striking Salitra.

Kaveshun was back to doing a fine job of dodging and flinging back what he
could find. "If this is anything like a real hatching, I ain't stayin' any
longer!" Kaveshun at least has doubts about flying dragonets being flung
this way and that around the sands. "Ya think they'd've learned if they
needed padding under 'em girly robes?" He snorts and then gets pelted by a
few balls from the greenrider and he lifts one arm to protect his face
while the other stays low. "Aw, shells, come on! Owww, this hurts!" He
picks one up, flinging it back her way with some force behind it before he
runs to one side. "I hope we ain't gonna get anymore chores after this! We
won't be able ta walk!"

Salitra hears the slight laugh from Auste, sending the ball in her hands
flying at Auste. Hitting her in the side, because her arms aren't
protecting her sides, Salitra smiles a huge smile and touches a bruise she
has on her arm from a flying ball a few minutes ago. Looking at Kaveshun,
Salitra can't help but burst out laughing at him, though she covers that up
quickly by throwing another ball at Hector.

When the horrible stinging in her elbow fades, Kassima regains some measure
of sense. She drops the ball she was holding and claps her hands, loudly.
"Everybody stop! Nay more balls!" It takes the message awhile to filter
down the throwing ranks, at least. Straggler balls fill the air with a
wobble-fanged rainbow. "*Nay more balls*!" she yells. "They've taken hits
enough. When the Hatching comes, I daresay they'll take care t'nay be hit
by aught with fangs *then*." This is when Kaveshun's ball flies her way,
and she sidesteps... and the twitchy resident? Yeah. He gets hit again. And
this time, the breath's knocked out of him and everyone is spared his dying
lamentations. "...Thankee, Kaveshun. Thankee from the bottom of m'heart."

Hector grabs for a ball and winds up to fling it back in the opposite
side's direction. When the sound of Kassima's voice rises over the general
din of the game, Hector stops. Even as he listens, though, the last ball
flung by Salitra thumps him in the shoulder. "What the--shells!" he
mutters, giving his shoulder a quick rub to ease the sting. It was a good
lesson, though, to keep on his toes. "Hey Nova, you okay? I saw you got hit
hard a couple times," he says, tucking the ball he is carrying under one
arm and walking over to her.

Desdinova doesn't need much encouraging to stop with the ball throwing,
given that she's mostly cowering behind Hector at the point that Kassima
calls a halt. Once the projectiles are no longer a threat, she comes out
from behind him with a bright grin. "We should do this more often. And with
softer balls. It was... Cathartic." She gives Hector a quickly reassuring
smile. "I'm fine, if bruised. Some areas are more tener than others!"

Kaveshun probably heard the shouting, but his bruises were still stinging.
Either way, he gives Kassima a big toothy grin and tilts his head to one
side. "Yer welcome, ma'am," he tells her with a snicker, eyeing his work of
the resident on the ground. He's rubbing at some of his more recent bruises
on his arms, one hand going to his chest. "Are we gonna have time ta get
better 'fore the hatching an' all? We ain't gonna be able ta dodge a
dragon, either, if our legs are all sore." He gives a loud groan and
stretches each leg out individually, taking a brief walk to glance towards
the other injured candidates.

Auste huffs angrily as she's struck that last time, batting away the
offening ball and sending Salitra a most pointed glare, though before she
might return the favour the cease-fire is called and the girl simply folds
her legs and plops herself right here on the sand. "Ow," she sighs,
quietly, brushing her hand through her hair and rubbing at her shoulder,
her ribs, her shins. "Okay," she finally pronounces, after a bit more
self-massage, "That is /definitely/ more fun from the other side."

Stopping, Salitra eyes are twinkling with laughter and her lips are in a
smile. When the ball she last threw hit Hector, Salitra silently laughed
slightly and she listened to Kassima, sitting down on the floor against the
wall, as if it's more comfortable.

Kassima admits, "Balls made of knotted cloth would've been a better idea.
These didn't feel hard when I borrowed 'em, but... velocity's amazing
stuff." She rubs at her own banged elbow. "All right. Throwers, we get
t'take care of clean-up. Help gather up the balls, aye? Make a pile of 'em
again. Candidates, remember this when Hatching day comes. 'Tisn't that the
dragonets will be so small, or usually so fast, or come at you from the
height of your head." Which isn't to say she doesn't pause to appreciate
that mental image. "They *will* be stumbling around. They *may* run at you.
'Tis as important then t'stay alert and watchful, and get out of the way,
because they're nay likely t'just bruise you if'n they hit. Understand?
Still nay a ma'am, Kaveshun." Kassi waggles a finger at him, then grins at
everyone. "I'm nay going t'*ask* you t'play again. If'n you lot want
t'split into teams and toss balls at each other now and then, when your
chores are done, it could be fine practice. 'Tis up t'you. And whether you
think you've already got the point!"

Hector looks Desdinova up and down just to make sure he doesn't see any
obvious injuries. He somehow feels more protective of her after this
excercize, and not just because she was hiding behind him. "Yeah, and if we
do it more often, we'll have newer bruises to go with older ones, and we'll
really look like the riders are knocking us around." He begins to help
gather up the balls.

"I just hope the one to the cheek doesn't bruise." Desdinova replies,
helping to gather up the balls they'd all been tossing around. "It wouldn't
do to show up at the hatching looking like I'd lost a brawl, I don't
imagine that the hatchlings will be overly impressed if their selections
are broken."

Salitra rubs her back where she got hit that once, though she gets up and
helps gathering the balls back up. The only bruise that is really visible
on her though is the one on her arm and her face. "Even with the bruises
though, it was fun." Salitra remarks, looking around.

Auste eyes all that tidying-up business with a bit of a sniff, though she
does kick at a ball or two, sending it scattering towards the main pile.
But any more than that? No thank you. Instead, the slim girl slips to her
feet - and back into the Weyr proper, where she might suitably nurse her
wounds with some solitude and a warm bath.

Kaveshun shrugs his shoulders at the greenrider, grinning still. "Alright,
but I've gotten one too many hits on the head not ta call someone ma'am,
ma'-- er, right. Ain't gonna be tryin' this 'gain anytime soon." He grunts
and stops rubbing at his arm. There were sure to be some bruises,
eventually. "So it's not up ta us ta clean?" He was already stepping away
backwards, ready to bolt. "I feel like a good soak in the waters is what is
needed."

"We're all battered and apt t'be black," Kassima assures the Candidates, if
that's what you can call it. Whatever bruising lurks under her clothes
doesn't stop her from gathering up balls with the rest. "The Infirmary has
numbweed salves for that if'n you haven't already gotten some from 'em for
pulled muscles. Go ahead and go, you lot. If'n you like--having t'clean up
is the price of victory, so a'course our side has t'do it." She caps the
tease with a wicked grin.

Sparing a glance at Desdinova, and then one at Hector, Salitra says. "I'm
afraid I'll need some of that numbweed, I think I pulled a shoulder muscle.
It doesn't seem that bad but it still hurts." Smiling at Kassima's remark,
Salitra does try to help clean up more, though she, just visibly, winces
whenever she uses the shoulder that she pulled.

Hector isn't particularly anxious to go to the Infirmary, so he'll just
have to suffer through whatever bruises he has. Not like they're bad enough
really to need treatment, though. "Want to head to the living cavern for
some juice or something? I think I could use some. Maybe we could get
something cool to put on your cheek to keep it from bruising? Not sure if
that would actually work, though." He starts guiding her towards the living
cavern entrance.

Kaveshun bobs his head towards Kassima. "I ain't that bad," he says quickly
in regards to going to the Healers. He straightens his shoulders, drops his
hands from rubbing spots, and then nods to the other candidates. "See ya
'round," he calls out to them before making his way in the direction of the
lake for that soak he was thinking about.

"That sounds like a good plan." Desdinova replies, falling into step beside
Hector. "Something cool to drink, and possibly something cool on my
cheek... Sounds about as close to nirvana as can be, really." She offers
out her hand to him, "So, that was... Interesting. Violent."

Hector heads towards the main entrance to the inner Weyr.

Bending back up, Salitra watches Hector and Desdinova disappear to the
Living Cavern, her face a little angry, but it shows only a little. "I
think I'll go get some numbweed right now. I'll see you all tomorrow." She
explains, letting Flitter fly to her shoulder, landing and chirping at
Salitra, trying to make her happy again. Salitra walks off towards the
Female Dorm, leaving the rest of cleaning to other people.

Salitra wanders towards the field to the northeast.

Desdinova heads towards the main entrance to the inner Weyr.