Xanadu Weyr - Shore of Lake Caspian
The cliffs that run along the shore come and go, various weyrs nestled along the tops of them or dug into the walls, but eventually they recede enough to expose a beach. The white sand echoes the rise and fall of the cliffs with a multitude of sandy dunes, endlessly creating tiny valleys that are constantly demolished and rebuilt by the frequent arrival or departure of dragons. The dunes smooth out as the gentle slope approaches the edge of the deep blue water. The sand darkens, and a shell here and there stands out for children to collect.
The beach narrows to the southwest, leaving a path barely wide enough for dragons in single file before cutting in to a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sands are the same white, the waters the same blue, but they're calmer and more tranquil, more protected from the winds that ruffle Lake Caspian and the currents that tug beneath the surface.
Rough, wide stairs lead up to the meadow above and the road that runs along the top of the cliffs, passing through the fields and heading for the river mouth that can be just barely seen from here. The largest of the staircases up the cliff is located near the docks that jut out onto the peaceful blue waters.
IT IS A BEACH. And it is SUMMER. And it is NIGHT TIME because the today thing SAID IT WAS. SO. We're going to fanoogle just a little though, and say that it's dusk, and dusk means that there is one very loud gold, « DON'T BE AFRAID MINION. WE ARE TOO BAD ASS TO BE AFRAID, » and one very pregnant weyrwoman, "But Leirith, I am pregnant," doing a very unintelligent thing. « JUST JUMP MINION. IT IS NOT THAT HIGH. THE LITTLE BADASS WILL BE FINE. » A statement based on no fact sans Leirith's own reality because Leirith does what she wants. The ribbing of a promising bonfire has already been setup on the beach, there's even a blanket with a basket that probably promises some delicious morsels, and there's Leirith, HALFWAY OUT TO SEA while Risali stands at the top of a cliff in a t-shirt and stolen boyfriend shorts (THANKS D'LEI) because she is pregnant to a fault and her own clothes just AREN'T FITTING ANYMORE. "Did you tell D'lei?" « I TOLD GAROUTH THAT YOU WERE ABOUT TO BE A BADASS, DON'T DISAPPOINT ME MINION. » To be fair, Risali doesn't need to be yelling the words to Leirith, but LEIRITH does not need to be yelling back to the ENTIRETY OF XANADU WEYR AND PERN. But here we are (boooorn to be kiiiiings). "I am pretty sure the healers will have a different opinion." « DO IT. » She's not doing it. She needs an adult. She's making poor life choices and she knows it.
Leirith has enough poor life choices for everyone. Not just you, or you, or you - though rest assured, she does indeed have them - but everyone. Which certainly includes Risali, but also D'lei and Garouth. Who, speaking of that bronze… « …is she not always a badass? » is what the stir of a breeze amid the shadows asks Leirith. D'lei? Well, he is not fast enough to prevent bad ideas, because really, if he were doing that he would have to pretty much hover here 24/7. Which, admittedly, would have other benefits, but he has other things to do, okay? But, even though he may not be fast enough, he is coming. And he's S&R trained, right? So even if things go horribly, terribly wrong, he can maybe possibly kind of fix them to only one or the other kind of wrong!
There are responsible adults and then there are not so responsible adults, and G'in just happens to fall right between the two. Unfortunately, he's already used up his sensibility for today at work and he's fresh out. Perhaps there'll be a new batch of it ready in the morning for him to use. In any case, the greenrider is heading towards the lake and Irseth is already well ahead of him and slipping into the water. It's the green that notices the gold in the sky and Weyrwoman on the cliff and directs G'in's attention that way. This is probably the point where the mind healer should be running down the beach screaming at her to stop, instead he's a yelling a question that she may or may not hear considering the distance. "Isn't it more fun to jump off a dragon than a cliff?" Sure he should have other things to be curious about like /why/ she's jumping off a cliff when she's pregnant or isn't that dangerous? But apparently those aren't the questions coming to mind.
And deafening bass and drum thrums, giddy exuberance filtering through shadows and carried in on breezes that - SURPRISE - aren't breezes at all, but LEIRITH being a MINDVOICE NINJA. WAHPOW! She's here to STAY! She eeks into every available space without an ounce of shame and takes up home there, laughing with a sound that's more a crash off too many instruments before she answer Garouth with a somehow-still-excited-not-at-all-mean-in-tone, « No. » BECAUSE LOOK AT HER MINION NOW. Being and honest to Faranth disappointment, who was just seconds ago standing on the edge of the cliff ready to leap, and who is now sitting down with her legs over the side, staring down into the water with her bottom lip between her teeth and the kind of expression that says this is probably not a very good idea. It's in the inward crease of eyebrows, and the thoughts that filter through cliff-jumping to promote dragon jumping as a better alternative and - WAIT A MINUTE. "WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, ANYWAY?" Risali calls out to the unknown, squinting grey eyes to get a better look at He Who Joins Her On The Beach But Is Definitely Not K'vir Or D'lei just as Leirith chimes in with, « AHAHAHAHAHA! SEE, MINION. THIS BADASS KNOWS. I AM ALSO PRETTY SURE HE WANTS YOU TO JUMP. » (You can PROBABLY HEAR that bombastic queen too, G'in. SHE STAYS QUIET FOR NOBODY). "He said nothing of the sort, Leirith." « I WOULD LET YOU JUMP FROM ME, BUT YOU MUST BE AT LEAST THIS TALL AND A BADASS TO RIDE THIS RIDE. » RUDE. But while Risali ROLLS HER EYES and does not dignify LAUGHING GOLDS with a response, the queen tilts her head with maw agape in what would be a physical manifestation of laughter if they were capable.
D'lei could, uh… flying tackle Risali! This would stop her from jumping off the cliff, because it would send them both falling off the cliff in an uncontrolled fashion. That would be so much be- worse. But hey, at least the bronzerider is now arriving on the scene - shortly after the mindhealer, and just in time to hear the kinda-pertinent question being asked. And of course he hears Leirith's answer, because she's a sharer like that. Unlike Garouth, who is actually subtle in where he chooses to speak, replying to Leirith with autumn leaves swirling in those not-actually breezes and a tickle of laughter. « On the inside. » Maybe deep inside. Hidden behind a wall of (perfectly reasonable and sensible) hesitation around doing dangerous things (at least right now). D'lei, though… he's got a crooked smile for the question - and the answer - as he arrives, amber eyes shifting to… okay, seated Risali, before glancing to G'in. The mindhealer gets a wave as D'lei continues on toward Risa, stopping by her with a brush of fingers against her hair. "We could make a slide," he says, tone light. "Right out of the bedroom window, down into the water." Is he joking? Who knows! "Though not one big enough for Leirith." A glance up to the gold, and a grin. "That big butt of yours! It just won't fit!" BURN.
G'in winces hard at initially hearing the Queen's voice, but then he can't help but smirk just the slightest when he's placed in the badass group….for now. "NO ONE'S! But I mean, if you're going to jump off something a dragon would definitely be a lot cooler, right?" That and jumping into the middle of a lake seems a tad bit more safe than jumping off a cliff where rocks could have fallen in the water in G'in's mind. Course, he doesn't say that last part. There's a smile for the arriving D'lei and a wave before he overhears the part about the slide. That earns an outright laugh from the mindhealer. "It'd make for a pretty fun escape route!" Escape from what? Again, who knows. Irseth let's out an almost inaudible croon, though her mind reaches out in the form of a quietly blowing conch towards the other dragons in greeting. She's always been a dragon of few words and today seems no exception. There's a hint of excitement in her greeting, the slender dragon not entirely sure what's going on or why, but does she need to really? Nah!
G'in winces hard at initially hearing the Queen's voice, but then he can't help but smirk just the slightest when he's placed in the badass group….for now. "NO ONE'S! But I mean, if you're going to jump off something a dragon would definitely be a lot cooler, right?" That and jumping into the middle of a lake seems a tad bit more safe than jumping off a cliff where rocks could have fallen in the water in G'in's mind. Course, he doesn't say that last part. There's a smile for the passing D'lei, though G'in doesn't go up the cliff yet. He'll just stand around yelling for the time being, it's the best way to communicate right? Right. Irseth let's out an almost inaudible croon, though her mind reaches out in the form of a quietly blowing conch towards the other dragons in greeting. She's always been a dragon of few words and today seems no exception. There's a hint of excitement in her greeting, the slender dragon not entirely sure what's going on or why, but does she need to really? Nah!
YOU TAKE HER VOICE AND YOU LIKE IT, G'IN. "REALLY? Because it KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ON LEIRITH'S." JE'ACCUSE. But here comes a weyrmate with stupid crooked smiles that make Risali's heart do stupid doki doki things without even trying. "That's not fair," Risali sighs as she's joined with fingers in her hair and a tilt of her head into them. "Some woman somewhere is fainting and she doesn't even know why. You should be outlawed." But those grey eyes find amber as she tunes in for talk about slides and them coming from their bedroom window and there's a mixture of mischief and awe for the suggestion. "Do you think K'vir will let us?" LOOK AT THOSE EYES. CAN YOU TELL HER NO? Leirith? Well, she's wrapping up Garouth in too much giddy mindvoice, bouncing around skulls and minds with more of that sunbright laughter as she reiterates, « No. » BECAUSE LEIRITH IS DISAPPOINT. And D'lei is rude which means that Leirith is assaulting him with MORE SOUND and an amused, « But my big butt will fit on you. » AND IS SHE SNEAKING TOWARDS THE SHORE? She is. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Irseth gets an overabundance of joy in greeting as well, warmth and endless joy as she answers G'in her dang self. « HE IS RIGHT, MINION. YOU ARE NOT HIGH ENOUGH. » AN ACCUSING SQUINT TOWARDS G'IN. "TRAITOR." Because he's human and should be on the human side, not telling her DRAGONS ARE COOLER TO JUMP FROM. A sniff, and then a playfully petulant look at D'lei. "Now I'm just feeling attacked. He doesn't think I look cool. I have to prove that I'm cool. By jumping. From this cliff." But she's still sitting, fingers drumming on her stomach as she looks out over the water and watches Leirith come in with the tide.
D'lei's grin gets even more lopsided at Risali's protest. "I'm working on it," he says with a wry look as his fingers work through hair and against scalp, and then… laughs. "I suppose we should ask him, yes." DETAILS. Like getting the permission of the third person in their weyr (well, third adult human), the one whose place it was originally before the other two were asked to join and/or invaded. Speaking of which… D'lei makes another gesture toward G'in, a vague wave of invitation. "You're welcome to come join us. It's… probably not all that hazardous." Some might try to say that things are safe, but D'lei is being a realist here. For one thing, Leirith is involved! Garouth just laughs in answer to the gold's continued denial, a rustle of leaves beneath scurrying footsteps and thumping rabbit-feet. He replies to Irseth's greeting in the same fashion she made it, which is to say, wordlessly; a pattern of rippling shadows that somehow persist despite the sun-brightness of Leirith against his mind - like the dappling underneath a forest canopy or moving water - and the sound of wind moving branches. D'lei grins out to that bright and oh-so-cheerfully-threatening gold, and nods. "Oh, I know." For this, he looks serious. None of the rest of it, nope, but just this. "That's just how badass I am. Not just anyone can be the bearer of a badass's badass ass! That's like… recursive badass." A sage nod, and… okay, the grin sneaks back in, because it was having a hard time staying away. D'lei glances down to Risali, and there's a bit of real sympathy before an equally real (but different) smile. "…maybe you're just too cool for this cliff."
"Well frankly she's just louder than you! How am I supposed to ignore /that/?" Maybe G'in is trying to make himself hoarse so he can skip work the next day…maybe G'in should have picked a different profession. But hey, he's good at what he does /when/ he chooses to do it. Clearly he is not choosing to act in the proper capacity of a mind healer. Or maybe dragon-jumping is what he classifies as therapeutic. Irseth seems to get increasingly caught up in Leireth's laughter though she certainly isn't making her way back to the shore. Which is no surprise, sometimes it seems like she's more suited to be a dolphin than dragon considering how much time she spends in the water. And under it, where she now disappears. The Loch Ness monster ain't got nothing on Irseth! G'in does take up D'lei's offer to join them with a bit of a grin, "Thanks!" And as for proving coolness, "Besides, if she's gonna look cool jumping off a cliff shouldn't she get some specially made costume or something? Coolness has to wait until you've got all the right pieces for an epic show." Leather, all leather….no wait, pleather!
IT IS DUSK, RICKI. Dusk, and there are DRAGONS AFOOT and really bad ideas to capitalize on. For example: Risali is on a cliff, very pregnant, while Leirith tells her to « DO IT, JUMP » and D'lei tells her maybe she's too cool for cliffs because G'in is telling her that if she's gonna jump, she might as well do it from a dragon and look cool. VERY, VERY PREGNANT G'IN. VERY. "If Kyzen tells us no, I'm having this baby on him," Risali manages under her breath, somehow MAKING IT A THREAT even as G'in joins them on their rock (GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF (don't really get off I am just making Finding Dory jokes)) and Risali greets him with narrowed grey eyes and a playfully pointed look. LISTEN. "I hate you both," she decides, but there's no malice or heat behind the vocalization; on the contrary, Risali's lips are pulling up into a smile that precedes a hiccup of laughter, both hands going out to find D'lei and G'in BOTH because she is RUDE (and also very pregnant) and needs help balancing herself out to get to her feet. "I'm going to do it. I'm going to jump. Which one of you is going to jump with me?" NOTICE HER, SENPAI. WITNESS HER!!! Which of course means Leirith is booming out laughter because VICTORY!!!!
"Would he really be comfortable for that?" D'lei muses at Risali's threat. "I mean, he's kind of boney." Never mind all the rest of it, that's the detail he's going to ponder! Though… "I suppose you're not going to be comfortable anyhow, so what's a bit more?" The tug of his mouth is maybe closer to a wince than a smile, this time, but hey. There are distractions from the painful conclusion of pregnancy! Like… threats to jump off cliffs (which may also have painful conclusions, possibly even the same ones, but never mind that for now). D'lei laughs for Risali's hatred, grins for G'in as he adds, "She's louder than pretty much everyone, let's be honest. I mean… there are a few exceptions, but… shards." He looks to Risali as if he's only just realized something, and it's enough to make him glare at her (with just as much heat as her hatred of him, which is to say, none). "It runs in your family, that's why." BAH. But he helps her up even as he says it, and takes a critical look over her costume - not so cool, not that there's anything wrong with tunics and (his (stolen)) shorts, but still. "Maybe something with sequins?" he suggests to G'in. "I know a weaver…" This could happen, people! Just like cliff-jumpings, which… welp. Back to Risali, and D'lei grins. "I'll volunteer." As tribute.
"Irseth is quiet, /too/ quiet sometimes. But hey, loud is fun most of the time!" G'in has a dream, NO an artistic vision: Risali swan-diving off Leirith's back as a symphony of harper musicians play on the beach and THINGS explode in the background. Yeah, that's the way it has to be, "Ooooo sequins, now that I like!" The mind healer gives a cough, his voice having come out just a tad more high-pitched than intended. "I don't suppose you have a favorite song?" He's not giving up on his vision! The mindhealer assists Risali in getting up, though in response to who will join her in jumping there's a question instead of an immediate answer. "Depends, do we get matching background-jumper outfits, cause if not I don't know if it's worth it." There's a wicked grin on the green rider's face, though that fades slightly when something comes to mind. Wait, is she jumping now? Or did she mean later? WHAT ABOUT THE SEQUINS!?
Maybe a trip to the lake was a bad a idea. A VERY bad idea. Ok, no, not maybe. Definitely. But well, here Ricki is, coming down the stairs, minding her own business on this lovely evening, when voices cause her to pause partway down. Eyes flick across the beach, taking a moment to land on the trio of riders in the fading light, and another moment to identify them. "Oh, shards." She mutters, frozen in place, glancing backwards over her shoulder the way she came. Maybe its time to just… sneak out… Except, it is sort of like a giant caravan-wreck.. so difficult to look away.
"Probably not," Risali concedes, adding, "but he would be uncomfortable, and that would be worth it." AND YES, OKAY. She will already be uncomfortable, which means that Risali is striking out to punch (GENTLY, RELAX) D'lei's upper arm because shut up, D'lei. She doesn't want to think about the fact that she's going to have to push an ENTIRE BABY from PLACES WE WON'T MENTION EVEN IF WE'RE ALL ADULTS HERE. And there he goes again, glaring at her without heat, earning himself a glare and then affront as she takes in a gasp for his IMPLICATIONS and GOES FOR THE RIBS THIS TIME (gently). "What does that even mean?" And then sequins. Risali bites down on her bottom lip to keep from laughing, but there's a lilt in her voice as she exhales, "Shut up, D'lei," that says it's a LOSING BATTLE. BUT DAT VISION THO. G'in, BROTHER. Where have you been Risali's whole life? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR LEIRITH'S? Grey eyes narrow for the question of songs in suspicion, and Risali answers with, "Is this you're a game, rider? You're at least going to have to buy me dinner first." But it's playful, said around a smile as brows rise and Risali says, "No, but you get deemed an honorary badass for the daring." So there she goes, grabbing D'lei's hand because he gonna jump with her while she extends the other one to G'in. "Unless you've got a better reason than an 8 months pregnant woman not to jump." SISSY. (It's not that high you guys, half of Risali is just being overly cautious because REGARDLESS of height, she should NOT BE DOING THIS). Then there's sweet Ricki, who thought she could come to the beach and stand on stairs and not be noticed but - SURPRISE! - the joke is ON YOU, BAYBAY GURL. Because there's a gold snout, doing its best to ALSO BE ON THE STAIRS with whirling eyes that SEE YOU VILLAIN. « WE HAVE ANOTHER BADASS INCOMING. » Which should probably be the part where everybody looks at Ricki. Because that would be funny. Risali is looking anyway, waiting for G'in to MAN UP.
Vengeance may be cold comfort, but hey, sometimes you have to take all the comforts you can get? Something like that, anyhow. D'lei does at least shut up about that, but… not for good. It's never for good! As for his implications… "Xermiltoth. Ilyscaeth." THEY ARE IMPLICATIONS NOW, OKAY? LOUD SHINY IMPLICATIONS. And shiny sequins, and backup music, and… D'lei just laughs, listening to the very serious negotiations that are going on regarding costuming, soundtrack, and catering. He takes Risali's hand, because if she's going to do this bad (but not as bad as it could be) idea, he's going to do it with her because Reasons and also because he's got S&R training in case it starts to go worse than expected. But, because Risali is never content with just one helping of trouble, she's waiting for G'in, which gives D'lei time to - yep, take a look at Ricki. And Leirith, because it's hard to avoid seeing her even in the dusky-dark. "We'd need a fifth, for symmetry," he says, because they are doing this choreography thing that G'in has come up with. Or at least practicing for it. …huh, maybe she's a stunt double!
"Perhaps, I mean who can resist dinner and cliff-jumping by candlelight?" Now THAT is how you woo people…..right? But now suddenly G'in's bravery is coming into question. He is a proud and independent man who likes sequins and music and ain't no Weyrwoman TELLING HIM HE'S A SISSY! Which really just translates to him laughing and taking Risali's hand, because why not? He's not giving up on his vision though, one day! ONE DAY! Maybe in daylight with an audience. Of course, there's no way to ignore Leirith and so right on cue the mind healer's head is turning so that dark eyes come to rest squarely on Risali and he has to nod in agreement with D'lei. "For symmetry!" It's important you know. As for what his dragon thinks? Well, Irseth is certainly ready for a show. The green is floating in the water a dragonlength from the cliff with just her head visible. Large eyes swirl with curiosity and excitement as she watches the tiny humans on the cliff. « Be graceful! » Her two words are the only comment she adds.
Don't they need a fourth, before they need a fifth? As things go, Ricki is probably more used to gold snouts being shoved in her face than the average weyrfolk - however, the one that is suddenly there, trying to claim the stairs is *definitely* not Kilaueth's, and definitely not one that Ricki is comfortable with. A yelp, and she scurries the rest of the way down the steps, nearly tripping in her rush to get away from Leirith. "Hey now.." She squeaks, spinning around as soon as she reaches the bottom to stare back at the gold. Especially since *that* way she can honestly say she did see Risali do anything wrong.
LOOK AT RISALI'S UNIMPRESSED STARE, D'LEI. She's all https://i.pinimg.com/564x/02/82/9d/02829dbd519b3aeb7392d90f2f23960b--toothless-dragon-a-dragon.jpg at him before mouthing, 'I. will. Kill. You,' only to cover up empty threats after with ACTUAL WORDS like nobody saw her do anything. "They are your family too." Because THAT'S INSULTING, RIGHT? Right. BOOYAH. QUEEN OF THEM SICK BURNS RIGHT HERE. D'lei's hand gets a squeeze, G'in's too as she fixes the QUESTIONABLY BRAVE greenrider with another look and — "You're right, way to make a girl swoon with the thought. I feel my knees getting weak already." CUE TALK OF SYMMETRY, and little green dragons inputting that they should be graceful (that one thing that Leirith and Risali both lack in spades. Turned away from her or no, Risali's terrible ideas just getting worse because she's calling out, "Hey! Come jump from this cliff!" THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE FRIENDS, RIGHT? And Leirith? Unrepentant. She drops her head to the sand with a wuffle, turns her head, turns her body, flops down on her side and reaches out one forepay towards Ricki much like a cat. « I cannot move down stairs that fast. » A beat. « I can't really defeat stairs at all. » ALL GIDDY EXUBERANCE that somehow makes the words sound like APPRECIATION and PRAISE for them skills tho. AND JAELYNN, IT IS DUSK. THERE A BRONZERIDER, A GREENRIDER, AND A GOLDRIDER STAND ON A CLIFF (this sounds like the beginning of a promising joke), and poor sweet Ricki is being assaulted. By Leirith. Sans booty.
"Yep," D'lei answers Risali blithely. Is it to her silent threat? Her spoken one? Who knows! Maybe both… probably both. Like dinner and cliff-jumping, in that order because waiting an hour after eating before you swim is for sensible people and… about the only contender for that here is Ricki. Congratulations! You get a prize, and the prize is to have Risali encourage you to put that sense aside and indulge her in terrible ideas while dragons watch. Is Garouth among the watching dragons? Maybe. He's half-shadows already, and it's dusk. That bronze is pretty much invisible, which means… he could be anywhere. Ready to strike from the darkness! « It might be more exuberant, » he observes to Irseth. Expectation-setting! Not that the humans and Leirith haven't already demonstrated their strengths, but hey. Garouth at least can be subtle. « Like puppies. » They're at least cute puppies, in his mind-picture. Waggy-tail nippy tumbly puppies all chaaaarging after a bouncy ball flying over a pool where they're gonna sploosh. Because puppies. …go on, tell him he's wrong. (He's not.)
"See? Just as planned!" Cue a smirk. Look, G'in just has a very UNIQUE way to woo people, OK?! Questionable flirting strategies aside, the rider /does/ shoot a remarkably charming smile towards Irseth at her words. It's certainly smile only she'll ever receive. He'll /try/ to be graceful. There's a 80% change he'll fail, but hey all you have to do is point the toes, right? Wrong, so wrong. Bright colors and clear waters wash over Garouth's mind as Irseth expresses her amusement of the humans being akin to puppies. « They are cute! » Again, she expresses herself with just a few short words, instead leaving most of her emotions to be conveyed through pictures and sound. And now back to The Diving Show, or rather back to the commercial break! G'in looks expectantly over in Ricki's direction. C'mooooooon, it'll be fun! And dangerous, but mostly fun!
"I… I think… Hard pass!" Ricki calls over her shoulder at the invitation - still not looking, nope nope nope! Except now she totally is, body turned so that she can half watch the trio on the cliff, but still keep an eye on Leirith - you know, just in case she isn't quite being honest about what she can and can't do. Because that seems like a very Leirith thing to do. As they continue to linger, and the joke drags on without the punch - or splash - line, though, even Ricki starts to forget about the dragons, and turns more fully towards the group, seemingly giving up on her earlier attempt at avoiding the situation. "Shards.. Are you going to jump or not?"
« They are badass. » LEIRITH WITH THE INTERJECTIONS, and the AUDACITY to disagree with both bronze and green on overeffused tones that imply this is such a better compliment than puppies and cute. HER puppies are ripping apart chew toys because why be a puppy when you can be an agent of chaos. She's rude, it's true, rolling again to boop Ricki with her snout when she turns away to QUESTION THE TRIO OF RIDERS who… yes, have still not yet jumped. Risali's laughing, throwing an elbow into G'in (gently) before she calls out, "Yes! Okay, yes. Faranth, we're jumping." Which means Risali is grabbing the hands of D'lei and G'in a little tighter, pulling them backwards with her because it's gotta be a RUNNING JUMP LEAP, okay. "One," a shift of her body, pitching herself as forward as she can without succumbing to baby weight. "Two," a tighter grip of hands. "Three!" AND RISALI RUNS! She lets go of the men if she must, but holds on tight if they keep up, jumping when she reaches the ledge with a, "BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA!" but too late to stop because she's midair, and then screaming into a freefall that lasts a fraction of a second before SPLASH! GERONIMOOOOOO! A heartbeat, two, and she surfaces, swallowing air and then laughing as she pushes hair back from her face and wades water. « BADASS! AHAHAHAHA. »
They just had to wait for their adoring audience, that's all! …Ricki is adoring, right? No? …oh well! Close enough for Xanadu work. Garouth, or else some other bronze lurking in shadows, rumbles at Leirith's adjustment… though it's an amused sort of sound, as those puppies tear up toys and pounce all over little stuffed dragons who might just happen to be green and gold and bronze with tooth-shredded wings. But! The wait is over, because that terrible trio brought together by happenstance (and Leirith) are really, truly, actually, for real going to leap, and your antici- have we mentioned, by the way, tha- okay, okay, I'll get back to the point now, geez. Anyhow, the three step back, D'lei with a grin as he does, and Risali gives them the count (up to three, of course, because there are three of them and no other reason like tradition or anything) and then… D'lei runs, practiced at matching Risali's shorter stride, then leaps with her into the dark to crash down against water, because this is not the day he squishes against the rocks. Today, he splooshes! …with, all things considered, a reasonable amount of grace to go with his grin. He does have practice, after all. Once he's surfaced, he checks for Risali - on her way to shore, okay. There's relief in his grin now as he takes a moment to float in the wet before he returns to land.
Irseth seems perfectly delighted at the images of puppies, even /if/ they're tearing apart dragon-shaped toys."OW!" G'in most definitely over-reacts to the elbowing with a laugh before it seems that Ricki is a lost cause when it comes to cliff jumping. But hey, you gotta jump when you gotta jump. He is going to have SOME fanfare though, they all will. It isn't all the pomp and circumstance he was hoping for, but as they get their running start Irseth starts up a mix of humming and crooning that seems musical in quality. The greenrider certainly isn't a burly rider who lifts rocks and stands under waterfalls, but he's certainly fit enough to keep up with the pair. There's a wild grin on his face as his feet leave ground and a howl, to complete the puppy image for their spectators, before he hits the lake. Irseth's song stops abruptly when the group disappears underwater and next response only comes after all three have surfaced safely. « They are CUTE, ass puppies! » That phrase earns swift correction from G'in. « Cute, BADass puppies! » With that she's dripping underwater again to position herself below G'in. He's apparently going to get a ride to shore!
Booped, just as the trio jumps no less, and Ricki is doing a jump of her own - though one that is far less impressive - just right where she stands on the beach. She is not necessarily a lost cliff jumping cause - but sometimes the risks that are associated with doing such with a pregnant goldrider outweigh the adrenaline surge. But it seems that she'll get a quick bit of that anyway, thanks to the gold. "Hey!" Thanks to Leirith, all Ricki catches is the splash in the fading light, wrinkling up her nose. But as each of the three surfaces in turn, she relaxes a little - everything seems ok, there is no giant freakout from any of the dragons, all is good right? "Hey, your lifemate made me miss it - I think you need to do it again. I mean, I have no idea who looked the best.. or even if you did it all… in sync." And now the troublemaking begins - the first time went fine, how badly could things change in the future?
Now THAT is just cheating, G'in. RUDE. But Risali is catching D'lei looking, and there's a wide smile for him to reassure that the baby's fine, and she's fine - if maybe a little off-kilter in ways that only ones such as those in G'in's profession can help with. SHORE AT LAST! Risali crawls onto it, watch clothes clinging to her body while her hair covers the rest of her. SHE'S LIKE COUSIN IT, RISING FROM THE DEEPS. Leirith makes a chortle of sound, an odd little trumpet of noise as she rolls again and finds her footing, tilting her head towards Ricki again in a way that's probably laughing at her before she trundles away. « FIRE! » Yes, the one thing that can lure Leirith away from everything else - the promise of THINGS BURNING. AWWYIS. And Risa, dripping, is making her way towards the fire while pulling off her shirt because SHE'S NOT NAKED BENEATH, calm down, but certainly more bra and belly than anything decent. That shirt's getting wrung, and Risali's calling, "Dash! Can you help me?" And now there's a smile for G'in, a smile for Ricki. I AM PRETTY SURE MARSHMELLOWS DON'T EXIST BUT THEY DO NOW FIGHT ME. "I brought some snacks, if you both want to join us." Because WHAT IS BETTER THAN FIRES, FOOD, AND THE PROMISE OF STORIES?
Terrible troublemaking puppies. …is now a bad time to mention that Leirith recently flew and was caught by Garouth? Oh, right. There's no such thing as a bad time when it comes to Leirith! At least, not if you ask her about it. Other people around her might have slightly different opinions, but who asked them? NOT LEIRITH, THAT'S WHO. When Irseth begins to sing the song of flying and falling, Garouth joins in with a low croon, wavering back and forth to make the bass undertones of this whalesong howl. But the leap ends, not with a bang - or a whimper - but a splash. A successful one! And D'lei's grin is undaunted by Risali noticing, because hey. She's allowed to know that he wants to make sure she's okay after engaging in risky but fun behaviors! He floats out there in the deeps (well, not all that deeps, but still) for a bit as Swamp Risa wades to shore and G'in is carried by his mighty aquatic steed, and then… HE IS SUMMONED. So he kicks his way to shore, his own clothes… well, they'll dry. He's used to riding ocean S&R, his wardrobe has mostly been selected to not be ruined if An Emergency Happens. Garouth rumbles, « Better than bad cuteass puppies. » What does that mean? Does he even know? Probably not! …maybe Leirith is rubbing off on him. That, uhm. Well. Never mind that, no time to panic now, there are fires to start! And… second-cliff jumps to be made? D'lei gets ashore in time to hear that particular suggestion, and he laughs. "Too dark now, you'd never be able to tell. And besides, we promised G'in we'd have the costumes next time." Also there is a fire to start, and he comes down to crouch beside it and see just what he can do to make things more flamey to go with their soaked.
G'in is never one to turn down food! Irseth drops him off near the shoreline before disappearing into the dark waters once again. After all, it's there that she feels most at home, which is odd for a dragon. The mindhealer laughs at the prospect of another cliff jumping episode, "You know, if you're that interested in watching cliff-jumping there are some ideas that I want to bounce of of you." It's like a taste tester, only a Cliff Jump Show Audience Tester? If Ricki's amused and amazed then everyone will be, right?" There's a laugh and several nods at D'lei's words, "Exactly! That was just the practice run, there'll be so much more to look forward to next time." For now though, he'll settle onto the ground and absorb some of the heat from the fire. Ah yes, perfection!
"Well, I want to make sure to see it then - especially if you actually get the sequins." Given that she is freed from Leirith's attentions, Ricki hesitates for only a moment before she is creeping closer to the fire, and the mentioned offer of snacks. "Though, I do think it would be more impressive if you didn't all go at the same time - the timing would have to be better though." Opinions, opinions. "And maybe, I don't know, a flip or something." Eyes dart to Risali - "Well, not you though. At least, like.. right now." And she motions at the very pregnant portion of the goldrider with a soft cough, muttering her her breath. "Grandmother would kill me if she knew I didn't say anything, or worst, that I encouraged it even a little." And angry retired Healer Weyrwomen are the scariest.
THAT'S RIGHT. Leirith did fly, and she was caught by Garouth, and it was probably enough noise to inspire a sudden uptick in pregnancies for Xanadu's unsuspecting weyrfolk. SO IT'S A PREGNANT DRAGON AND A PREGNANT RIDER MAKING POOR LIFE CHOICES. Or maybe the best kind of choices. WHO KNOWS. Shirt wrung, Risali pulls it back on over her head and smooths it down, catcalling D'lei as he makes his way from the water to the shore because we've already went over this whole terrible ideas and even worse execution of them thing. Leirith plants herself as close as possible to What Will Soon Be FIRE!!!, all whirling blue eyes as she reaches out for Garouth because moments like these should be shared (even though he's probably already somewhere that he can see them JUST FINE) with, « GAROUTH. COME! THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THE FIRE! » Risali's gathering up her hair to wring out next, tilting her head as she watches Ricki approach, and hears words, and laughs. "Well, if your grandmother finds out, you can tell her to direct all of her questions to Leirith, and we'll see just how well she's able to tell her no." Because BOMBASTIC QUEENS. AND BAD IDEAS. Risali's patting her stomach though, brows drawing in as she feigns NOT KNOWING WHAT RICKI IS TALKING ABOUT. "I'm feeling attacked and challenged again," Risali sighs. "Dash, if I die, tell K'vir I always hated him the most." But she's NOT getting up to show Ricki that she CAN DEFINITELY FLIP AND JUMP (she can't, not at all); instead, the junior queenrider remains, grabbing a piece of food and holding it out for Ricki and D'lei.
There will be sequins! It's like blood, except sparklier. Will it actually happen? Pfft, who knows! But G'in is certainly interested in planning it - and getting feedback on what would make it even better. D'lei grins at the bits of that conversation he hears. "We could do a pyramid," he suggests. "Have the one on top leap first, then the other two." Because acrobatics would be another opportunity to demonstrate the grace that they … can certainly try to have! But anyhow. Before the sequins, before the song and dance numbers and choreographed undersea combat, there will be fire. Leirith approves! Which… honestly, should probably not be taken as a good sign, but there it is. D'lei makes sparks, and flickers, and little baby flames that crackle and catch and turn into bigger flames that make the shadows dance… and out of those shadows comes Garouth, on taloned paws that really should not be as stealthy as they are, and yet. Maybe it's just that Leirith has made everyone deaf, that'd explain it. But here he is, and as the flames leap higher he sinks down to a lounged position beside Leirith, neck to neck and tail to drape his tip over the base of hers - because she is gold, and he is bronze, and differences in size (as well as volume) are definitely a thing. D'lei makes no note of his dragon's arrival, instead giving Risali a grin. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep him in punches for you." Because he cares. And now, as an added bonus, he has a fruity pastry thing, which he eats. And hey, it's sticky, so maybe it'll keep his mouth shut… briefly.
"Because *that* will go over -super- well." Crotchety old gold and all - only 60 turns of figuring out how to deal with young, wild upstarts! "I always thought that came with the territory - being judged, that is." As a weyrwoman. Shinies do draw EVER so much attention after all. As the fire starts, Ricki hesitantly settles down, the offered food taken thankfully, though she doesn't dig in just yet. As Garouth appears, the young woman spares him a quick glance - just to make sure he is over *there* with Leirith and that neither of them are doing anything else sneaky. Sneakier. Whatever.
"I think that you are both failing to account for people like me, who have no grace and certainly aren't going to trick people into thinking I have it just because we added sequins." It's playful, Risali smiling around the words as she digs into her own sticky pastry and watches fire catch. Much like Leirith, who is joined by a bronze who is big-but-incapable-of-her-size, who settles in beside her and earns himself a FOREPAW TO THE NOSE for his trouble. Leirith pushes, like he's IN THE WAY OF HER SIGHT, and then she tilts her head and dips it to look at him. If she could be smiling, she would be smiling, but as it stands she can't. So her mind is laughing, dancing with mirth as she bunts Garouth's snout with her own and then settles, resting her maw on top of his because it might not be a full squish, but it's still a squish, and oxygen is overrated anyway. But look at that: a wuffle of sound escapes as Leirith soaks up the heat of a budding fire and those draconic eyes lid in what is a rare moment of contentment for the gold - when blaring bass and drums quiet to an echo far in the distance, still there without being so DANG invasive. Or deafening. "Please do. I'm pretty sure that Bethari is being too nice to him already, and we can't let that go to his head." Risali leans, as if meaning to hear Ricki, and then she laughs as she shifts away. "If you're looking for a goldrider with dignity or poise, you've found the wrong one. Ask Monaco's Weyrleader, or Half Moon Bay's, or even Fort's." NOTE: SHE IS FAMILY WITH HALF OF THEM. "I definitely get a lot of judgement though. It's not always good." And then a whisper, conspiratorial in tone: "And I confess that I don't always care. I'm Risali, by the way. This is D'lei," a motion to the bronzerider, "and this is my future progeny, who has no name as of yet, and sucks the literal life out of me." A GESTURE TO HER STOMACH. "Well met."
D'lei laughs to Risali. "Maybe Irseth's looking for grace. Me, I think you bring other things to the ta- cliff." He grins, and reaches over to catch her hand - sticky fingers and all - to give it a squeeze. Because reasons, that's why. Garouth bumps back at paw and muzzle that think they can push him around, because… okay, they can, but he pushes back in what could be the start of a wrestling match but… isn't, this time. Just a bit of good-natured wrassling before they settle into squish mode with her head over his and his tail over hers. Garouth rumbles deeply, the warmth of the earth radiating up from below them, from his mind where darkness is soft and gentle, the pleasures of night and joys of morning. The dragons seem peaceful enough… for now, at least. A moment of calm! And judging from D'lei's wry amusement at the talk of Ricki's gold-riding grandmother, it's… a somewhat rare thing. Which Risali would seem to confirm, and he nods even as he gives her a sidewise look and a smile… mostly. There's a flicker of something else for the mention of Monaco, a measure of what looks like regret before he's tucking that emotion away behind the cheer of enjoying a warm fire with company both familiar and newly-met. "Hey," he says to Ricki as he's introduced, giving her a friendly smile but not a sticky-fingered hand, because that is currently the more-polite option.
Pern: If they aren't related to L'ton, they are apparently related to Risali. Or possibly even both. The pastry is finally nibbled on as Ricki relaxes a little a bit, laughing softly at the weyrwomans's words. "You never know, sequins can hide a lot." A small shrug, and another few bites are snuck as the pair talk amongst each other. Of course, as soon as she takes a nice *good* bite, Risali is introducing herself and she is trying hurriedly to swallow, coughing a bit. "Oh, I know. My sister, Cara.. she Impressed with you." And Ricki is nosy. "Ricki, by the way." She however, should probably introduce herself. A pause and the rest of the pastry disappears into her mouth, just in time for a bronze firelizard to pop out of *between* over the fire, the creature only taking a moment before he is diving at the young woman noisily. "Shards, ok, ok.." She mutters, flailing her hands at him before pushing herself to her feet. "Shards, I'm going, I'm going.. Shooo!" And she flails again at the bronze, who chitters once more before apparently satisfied he has done is job and he flicks back *between*. "Uh, Sorry. Thank you for the pastry.. I.. I gotta go." And with a half-bob to the dragons and their riders, she is scurrying off, up the stairs at a pace which betrays her turns of familiarity with them, and into the darkness.
In Risali leans, to catch D'lei's incoming hand with one of hers while the other goes to his cheek, giving it a gentle pinch as she breathes out, "I knew there was a reason why I kept you around." But her tone is soft, her expression is gentle, and there's adoration behind every word before she lets him go and surprises brings her focus back to Ricki. "Cara? I didn't realize she…" THAT WAY MAYBE LIES DRAGONS. For her friend. "I…" THAT WAY TOO. "Well met," she breathes, and she's maybe about to say something else when Ricki's assaulted by bronze flits that just DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. "You're welcome!" Risa calls out to retreating backs, and then she's looking back to D'lei. GUESS WHAT DASH. She saw that emotion you buried earlier, and she's squeezing his captive hand with hers as one, two, three moments pass in silence and then, "You're going to make me do the dance, aren't you? I'm going to have to put the lingerie on over my clothes - which was a low point for me the first time it happened, by the way, because it doesn't fit - and do the dance." Grey eye go to dragons, jump back to the fire, back to D'lei, and she leans to press a kiss to his lips, chaste despite the fact that it lingers. To her feet Risali gets, brows going up, smile spreading as she makes a ridiculous back and forth that's just HINDERED BY OVERLARGE TUMMIES turning something that might have once been on point into something hilariously awkward and makes COME HITHER fingers at the older rider. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T RESIST HER CHARMS. She's even shaking her currently-occupied-by-a-baby hips, pushing her hands down her sides with an expression that says she knows she looks awful, but if she plays her cards right, D'lei will be too distracted by the stupid in her antics to care. "The dragons can watch the fire for a little while." EYYYY. PREGNANT BELLY DANCES BACKWARDS TOWARDS WEYRS, GOGOGO.
"Gotta be one in there somewhere," D'lei replies to Risali, with a playful grin and bright eyes. Really, if they keep going this way, things could get awkward for Ricki, which is probably part of why they bring their attention back to her. And now they even know her name! Which… huh. Apparently they also know her sister! And they might have had awkward from that, too, but firelizard to the - okay, it's not exactly a rescue. Not for Ricki, who is being summoned off to who-knows-where for something that is probably-not-fun. And Risali and D'lei, well. They've a kiss, at least, which Ricki is saved from having to see. Do they need rescuing? …maybe. Maybe they - or D'lei, at least - do need some rescuing from thoughts, and looks, and feelings that sneak up and attack. And the way to do that - or at least, the way they do that - is by moving, and so they do. Risali does, by standing up and showing all her grace and her vast stores of dignity, and D'lei laughs as he pushes off the ground and rises to his feet. "Maybe I'll just slip it over your eyes," he says, the corners of his mouth shifting in a grin to go with the glint of his eyes against the shadows. "Not let you see what you feel…" Because yes, to their weyr they go! Pregnant-belly-wiggles and light-footed stalking, and Leirith and Garouth are left to be the responsible ones (Faranth, we're all doomed) tending the fire and making sure it doesn't burn down the Weyr. D'lei and Risali have a different kind of hot to warm them up and burn away the old to make way for the dawn of a new day after this coming night.