Don't Try This, Period
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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.


LISTEN. Everybody knows that Risali is a purveyor of Terrible Ideas — you know, she knows, those people that weyr over yonder know, and Leirith knows. But rarely are Risali's Terrible Ideas this terrible, where the almost-to-term-but-not-quite goldrider risked a trip between to go to Monaco Bay, to see a hatching and to watch her dragon set a dance floor on fire, and perhaps to harass a friend or two before making the Very Terrible Decision to come back home despite Monacoan-bound healers telling her that it was a Terrible Idea. BUT RISALI IS RISALI AND RULES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN. Today, however, the universe has different ideas on which consequences come from rebellions like this, and that might be why Leirith is appearing from between over the beach instead of the bowl, why that usually loud and boisterous mind is LOUDER and BOISTEROUSER as she descends perhaps a bit too fast and nails a landing that kicks up dirt. See, usually Leirith's eyes are blue, but today they're lanced through with orange as the queen shifts in agitation. But there is no lack of cheer when she booms out, « HELLO MINIONS. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MISSED ME TERRIBLY, SO I HAVE COME. » And yeah, that's Risali making some kind of very-much-in-pain-probably-pushing noise from on top. « MY MINION REQUIRES ASSISTANCE. » YES SHE IS LOOKING FOR YOU OR YOU OR YOU. COME HITHER.

Nessalyn isn't a huge beach-goer, given that sand and mechanical engineering don't really mix all that well, but lighting Monaco on fire proved to be an inspiration. Which is why the journeyman is wandering across the sand with a metal rod in hand and a hammer tucked into her belt, scouring the area of a spot that's remote without being entirely obscured. It's something of a pointless task, but once she's on the beach, she stubbornly refuses to give up without a thorough investigation. Leirith's booming arrival pulls a wince from the woman, who seems rather keen on staying as far away from the extra-loud gold as possible. "Missed who?" she mutters under her breath, far enough away as to go unheard. Already, she's turning her steps away from the commotion, except that sound of pain carries, and something about Leirith does seem a bit… unusual. Unusual in a way that isn't the usual sort of unusual. But then again, it's not her responsibility to ensure that Risali is okay, right? In the end, it's with great reluctance that she heads in the general direction of gold and rider, leaving a wide berth just in case she wants to beat a hasty retreat after identifying the problem.

Just this evening, Between's Black had set anchor some ways up the lake's coast, and a landing craft had made its way to the docks to stay amidst the fishing boats come in for the night. Kaellian likely arrived with a couple of others, but he's by himself by the time he reaches the end of the docks and starts down the beach. Swathed in his brown-tan cloak and baggy hood, the glint of his gawdy charms stands out far less. That swagger doesn't, though, in his all too imposing, commanding stride. He's got somewhere in mind to go, that path one of relatively unhurried intent in some angle towards the Weyr's meadowed area, shadow-covered face angled slightly down as if he's lost in his own thoughts. It's real bad timing, though. Real bad. There's no thought on this planet that could have him miss that particular announcement, nor the fact that- right before it- there's a gold dragon taking up a grand portion of the beach that he was just walking on. In fact, he's up to his lower shins in the wave-lapping waters to avoid Leirith's blast range of dirt and wings and- it's really a scramble to MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. Knee-high black boots save his pants from getting wet, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that he had to be in the water in the first place. His jaw works, the muscles there tensed as his light gaze travels up (and up) to where Risali would be. It's not his Weyr, not his problem, right? And surely many others would come to that command, aye? Despite himself, annoyance belied by a forced half- smile allows gravel-touched voice to rise from behind the queen, "What d'you mean by assistance, dragon?"

MAYBE LEIRITH IS MOON TOUCHED. I mean, she is definitely moon touched, but maybe on this occassion she is being exceptionally moon touched. Whatever the case is, as Nessalyn approaches and Kaellian speaks up, Leirith lowers herself to allow either or both to climb, shifting wings and twisting her head as whirling faucets fix first on the Journeyman, and then on Kaellian. « YOUR ABILITY TO WALK AND NOT DIE IS ASTONISHING, MINION. » comes for Nessalyn amid laughter, a barb for the PACE AT WHICH SHE COMES even if Leirith's attention seems to be focused on Kaellian, and even if it's good natured.. There is a beat, two, three, another cry from Risali that definitely sounds like the goldrider is not okay and somewhere up there on Leirith's back, she's hunched over herself, struggling with straps and… well… it's hard to focus when Leirith, without losing her cheer but somehow finding bite to add to her tone — authority, command, a shattering of bass and drums that comes with a mask — lowers her voice just enough to sound imposing. « Garouth and Zekath do not answer. She cannot climb down. You will climb up and you will retrieve her. » But there's still Leirith there, there's still a hint of laughter beneath demand, and Risali is calling out a half-sobbed, "Please." SO GET UP THERE YOU JERKS. SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE FUNNY. Just kidding you guys are beautiful people (but seriously, then the awkward can begin).

Nessalyn is exceptionally skilled at walking and not dying, it's true. Although given her history of looking before she leaps, that probably won't hold true forever. A frown tugs at her lips as she hears that cry of pain and Leirith elaborates, and then, "Ah, shit." Because SHE JUST REMEMBERED THAT RISALI IS PREGNANT. And suddenly she has a pretty damn good idea what's waiting for them atop that dragon. She pauses, far enough away that she's out of grabbing distance for Leirith, stuck between making a break for it and doing the thing that probably won't get her kicked out of Xanadu later. "You get her," she calls to Kaellian. Yeah, she's probably more practiced in mounting dragons, but she's just about Risali's size, and one petite woman trying to help another one in labor climb down a giant dragon is probably a recipe for disaster. "By the way, she's probably in labor." SO HAVE FUN WITH THAT, KAELLIAN.

The man just stands there. In the water, the sea he claims to love so dearly lapping 'round his boots in the rhythm he knows so well. His hood has fallen away in the angle he's watching the Queen, leaving his messed deep-black hair free. That is, until his silver 'ringed fingers brush their way through it, making little head-way in righting the disshelved nature of it. This motion, as his chilled look falls upon Nessalyn once she's in view and calls over to him, then up again as Leirith is positioning to- what, is he supposed to do exactly? "You've got to be kidding me." Kaellian murmurs to himself, near thick enough in accent to be difficult to make out, and not slurred or distorted by the makings of alcohol consumption. One would think he'd have learned by now he needs to pre-game before arriving on Xanadu soils. The same hand that had messed further his hair scrubs roughly over his face, the hand that's ever-wrapped in cloth clenching for a second. There's a whole list of things on his plans to 'play nice' in this long ploy, but this hadn't been anywhere in that design. And then Risali is half-sobbing and there's a thing.. maybe a feeling about it. Faranth be damned in all this. "I've never climbed a bloody dragon before-" He'd growl that as some sort of last remark as he's working on finding the straps and figuring out how to climb the vast side, albeit hunched poise, of a gold. HE'D GET UP THERE SOMEHOW. At least he has good balance, and straps and buckles are easy enough to figure out. Eventually, he's behind Risali, reaching to undo her from the things that keep her from tumbling to the ground. "I don't exactly know how to get you out of this." Despite dark-and-dangerous, he's got all the awkward of a male who knows how to make babies, but nothing to do with this part of it. Unless he's utterly unsuccessful in the unbuckling process, or there is some sort of dramatic interference of grabbing or screaming, he would try to scoop her up, "Aye- m'lady, you'll have to hold on to me 'less you want to get on the ground quickly.. the hard way."

« Coward. » BUT FOR AS MUCH AS IT IS AN INSULT, is anything ever really an insult when it comes from Leirith? There is booming laughter from Leirith as she fixates back on the techcrafter, as Kaellian gets his MAN WITS and MAN COURAGE about him and scales up to the tippy-top (okay, so not the tippy-top, but close enough). And there Risali is, fingers reaching out to grab tight to Kaellian's sleeves as this might help and not at all hinder his ability to RESCUE HER. DOES SHE LOOK LIKE A WOMAN IN NEED OF RESCUE? … SHUT UP, DON'T ANSWER THAT. And Risali's thanks for Kaellian? It comes on an exhale as she grips tighter and, once that contraction passes, sees her punching the poor sea-dweller with questionable intentions (on any other day of course, not today) right in his shoulder. "What the hell took you so long?" And then it doesn't matter, because she's clinging to him like some kind of deranged marsupial and already calling out to Nessalyn. "Scissors!" A beat, as she tries to swallow down pain and manages - somewhat. It shows in her face, in the way she MAYBE STARTS TRYING TO STRANGLE KAELLIAN in lieu of the normal screaming women do. No, this is Risali, so it has to be violent and borderline murder. "Faranth." Her she comes, deep breaths. "Please tell me you have scissors in that hair of yours!" BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO NEED THEM. FOR BLOODY, NEFARIOUS PURPOSES. And for Kaellian? "Go faster or I am PUSHING THIS BABY OUT ON YOU." So maybe it's good when she goes quiet to bite back her pain again. BECAUSE SEE. SHE IS RUDE AND FULL OF THREATS.

"IT'S NOT THAT HARD," Nessalyn calls out helpfully, giving Kaellian a thumbs up as he begins to climb. And if he fails and falls down, well, that'll be pretty entertaining too. A win all around! There's a teenage couple drawn in by the ruckus, linked arm-in-arm as they head down the beach. He has a blanket, which Ness promptly snatches from his arms as they walk by. "Go-" There's a moment where she pauses, eyeing Kaellian and Risali, weighing whether or not she can leave the two teens to help while she RUNS FOR THE HILLS. Her expression twists into one of ugly annoyance as she realizes that she can't. "Fiiiiiiiiine," is groaned out, as she shoves the pair away. "Go… find healers or something." People who might actually know what they're doing. "You probably don't want to think about what they've been doing on this thing." That's for Risali, as the engineer tosses the blanket down on the sand. Blue eyes go wide as Risali suggests that she use her precious tools for that. "No way, you're not using my scissors for that!" Look, she stole a blanket, that should more than count toward her contribution. "HURRY UP, BOAT BOY, OR LEIRITH WILL EAT YOU."

The punch stalls him for a second longer than the grips on his sleeves had, somehow maneuvering despite the tension fury of her smol self. A dark, heavy browis raised at her as she's watched from the corner of his eyes in the midst of leaning on a knee, scooping 'neath her back and knees. "Bloody hell, woman, you're the one a'top a dragon. You couldn't make it easy." The marsupial-sort of behavior helps in that he can at least use a hand to ease them down to the sands of the beach. Mast-climbing behaviors over the however-many-turns before proove utterly helpful in this. Though even when the sea swells reach mountainous sizes and threaten to capsize, throwing the ship on beam-ends, it still is not quite as life-threatening as this is prooving to be. "Would you rather catch her?" That, to Nessalyn. And her affectionate call name that has him rolling his eyes. Untill, well, he quite suddenly CANT BREATH, and he's trying to pull Risali off of him just as boots hit the sand maybe a little faster, a little more jarring than he should be. "Ris- ali- let- go-" Strugglebus. "Take her." To Nessalyn. Please.

HOW CAN YOU NOT APPRECIATE THAT? Kaellian should probably be thanking Nessalyn, because for just a moment those grey eyes are blinking after the techcrafter, and then her grip is loosening as her attention jumps up to Kaellian and she finds it in her to laugh. It's a thready, breathy, hiccup of sound that's damn-near hysterical given the state of her labor, but Risali has never been one to not appreciate humorous things. "She just… called you boat boy." A beat. "Are you just… going to take that?" And then she's in the throes of another contraction, bearing down even as she shakes her head and WIGGLES IN ARMS and tries to find the ground with booted feet. Regardless of whether or not Nessalyn comes to retrieve her, Risali is shaking her head, swallowing down a breath as her head goes back and pain etches across her face and… she clings to SOMEBODY'S ARM while hands go down to her leathers and start that pain-staking task of pushing them down. WHAT? She went between; they were absolutely necessary to keep her warm. "There's no time for a healer. They won't make it. Get these off." Because between the pain and the contractions, she's struggling to do it herself. HELLO WORLD, DON'T MIND HER. SHE'S JUST GOING TO HAVE A BABY, IT'S FINE. RIGHT HERE. ON THE BEACH. WHERE EVERYBODY WHO'S ANYBODY CAN SEE. "NESSALYN, SCISSORS." FOR NEFARIOUS THINGS. "Or use your man hands," comes accusing at Kaellian, because she clearly doesn't have the patience to try to wiggle out of things that are form-fitting.

Nessalyn is content to sit back and watch Kaellian struggle with Risali, smirking at his efforts and stubbornly ignoring her potential future involvement in this disaster at the same time. But all too soon they reach the ground, and suddenly he's trying to shuffle the goldrider off in her direction. "What, no, I-" Her words tumble over each other as she tries to come up with ANY EXCUSE AT ALL and just ends up speaking gibberish. She visibly cringes as Risali's hands make contact with her arm, and not just because the woman's grip is ridiculously painful in the throes of labor. "There's a blanket, I found-" stole, "-you a blanket." In other words, get off of her and on to that. Using her scissors to cut off leathers is significantly less terrible than what she'd been imagining, but there's still a downward twist to her lips as she mutters, "All that leather is going to dull the blades." But the necessity of getting Risali's pants off ASAP does seem to hit her, and she reluctantly reaches up to tug a pair of scissors out of her bun. "Take her back, Boat Boy. I'm pretty sure I should be the one cutting her pants off." Because it's just weird if he does it. Without waiting to see if Kaellian actually jumps back in to assist, Ness takes the scissors to Risali's pants, awkwardly attempting to remove them. "This is literally the weirdest thing I've ever done."

The laughter, the lightening of the grips around his neck makes Kaellian look down at Risali, the question causing a furrowing of his features from suffocation to faint, annoyed humor. "You wish me to bicker with the lass who enjoys throwing cogs at people at a time like this?" And because the word 'boat' does sit ill with him, there is a long sideglance at Ness just as the wiggling starts. He sort-of manages to help keep her up-right after he bends to set her down with some amount of grace, a rough, calloused, silver-laden hand at her back until that clinging is transferred to Nessalyn's arm. If there's a flicker of a grin on his expression, a brief summons of that cocksure smirk of his, it's lost as soon as it's come. The techcrafter is already trying to give her back. And here he thought his job was done- shouldn't he leave now? In all the times he would revel in his rapscallion's charm and skill of removing a lady's pants, that doesn't seem like it would improve his situation now. There's a darkening of his features- he'd taken a step back as if fully expecting to leave Nessalyn alone in this. SURELY SHE'S FINE. But in a silent shift of posture, he- reluctantly- reaches an arm as if expecting Risali to fall when Ness starts cutting. "It's a ship." Comes the correction that would have come eventually. It's important, okay. "And where's this weyrleader of yours."

"Yes." Risali breathes, because she does wish for that, if only because it would give her much joy — despite babies trying to prematurely make an entrance — to watch the two of them go head-to-head. They're both strong and they're both strong willed and Risali knows it. AND IT'S THE BEST. But Risa does hold to Nessalyn, does grit out, "Faranth, I will buy you a new pair, shut up," even as she rests her weight on Kaellian and maybe hinders Nessalyn's work by trying to get those restrictive leathers free sooner by pushing down with one hand still. "No it's not," Risali manages on choppy breath as - FINALLY - those pants come loose and she's kicking out of them. "Weird is going to be when you deliver a baby on the beach." IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE. And then she's wincing out laughter again, clinging to Kaellian AND Nessalyn BOTH as she hobbles for that VERY STOLEN SHE WILL NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID ON IT, THANK YOU NESS blanket. Where is D'lei? "Dead," comes on a pitched, squeak of sound, Risali's voice breaking on the word because she is in pain. "Or at least he's going to be when I find him." AFTER SHE HAS A BABY. AND GIVE HER A MOMENT. Once they reached the blanket, she's shifting to bring her legs apart, to bend her knees just slightly and reach down and — ohp. "Faranth. She's coming. She's coming." She is TRYING to get down so that she can lay on her back - and for the record, it's a boy y'all. Risa is just dreaming big. "One of you has to get down there and catch." And pull. Because… that is a thing.

Kaellian does have a good point. Not about the ship, of course — Nessalyn ignores that completely — but about the Weyrleader. "It's not just him. She has two of them. Maybe more." She can't be bothered to keep track, but she knows there are at least two. "How is this on us?" That's right, Kaellian, you aren't leaving. She may not be all that fond of physical contact, but she is fully prepared to physically tackle the man should he make any attempt to leave her alone with THIS. "RISALI, IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR HAND OUT OF THE WAY I WILL CUT YOUR FINGERS OFF." She pauses in her pants-cutting efforts to glare up at the Weyrwoman. "And then your baby will be born into leather and misery." But between their efforts the pants come off, and Ness gives a woeful look to her scissors before shoving them back into her bun. Her expression is pained as they make their way to the blanket, and not just because Risali is trying to break her arm with her grip or because the woman just implied that they're going to be the ones delivering this baby. Getting down there to catch? "NOT IT." She does her best to assist Risali in the process of laying down, but she's mostly awkward hands that flit from spot to spot trying to never touch the goldrider for very long.

One would think a think a 'gentleman' such as this would be much better at escaping a situation than he's demonstrating right now. Yet tighter than shackles is Risali and her clinging to the both of them. There's a very noticable wince across his face now, those lines and set muscles subsiding some of that general displeasure and reserve coating it in darkness and internalization of everything else. "Maybe after you're finished breaking our fingers." This low, semi-amused comment in regards to watching them banter. It's almost supportive. Almost kind, but difficult to translate all that beneath the hardness of his tones and the dry sarcasm that laces his words. Pants are off in semi-cut tatters following threats of lost digits and misery, and then they're on the blanket, and Kaellian finds himself on his knee in the sand beside the blanket that probably has- no, nevermind. The man's movements are few, leaving that arm there that's in her grip, and his only free hand to rub at the back of his neck, "At least two who aren't running fast enough." Because this is happening and nothing is stopping him from grumbling about it. It's enough that he's here. Then Nessalyn tries to weasel out of that, and there is a legit paleness as some color drains from the man's face. "Absolutely not." That cloth-covered hand gestures at Nessalyn in the vague direction of there, "I leave that to your plenty capable hands."

MAYBE MORE. MAYBE. MORE. "IT'S JUST THE TWO," Risali grits out, half because she's in the midst of a contraction, half because she's in the midst of murdering Nessalyn WITH HER MIND. "Though I'm going to be in the market for a new one because they're both… going to die." And then threats come from Nessalyn - threats that Risali meets with an equally loud, "THEN I WILL CUT THE FINANCING FOR ALL YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS." Can she even do that? NIGHTMARES. But nightmares that are in the future; the nightmare now is what's happening on the beach. It's Risali gritting her teeth and unable to speak, her entire body shaking as this next contraction comes, and lingers, and persists and goes, leaving her swallowing down air and half-sobbing when she draws in a breath. But she doesn't complain; RISALI IS TOO TOUGH FOR THAT. Instead she gets herself down with the help of her two UNWILLINGLY COMMANDEERED HELPERS, and when both of them try to DENY, OBJECT, FORCE WORK UPON THE OTHER, Risali is using her grip on both of their hands to jerk them forward and put them - YEP. RIGHT THERE. SUP. YOU COME HERE OFTEN. WE'RE FOREVER FRIENDS NOW. But… it's because that baby is crowning. "I don't have time for either of you to fight. Both of you GET DOWN THERE because she is COMING. I'm having a baby, I'm not -" Whatever she was going to say is cut off with another contraction, with Risali pushing herself up onto her elbows and bearing down and SOMEBODY BETTER GET DOWN THERE BECAUSE HE IS COMING. THAT LITTLE GUY IS EITHER GONNA GET DROPPED ON HIS HEAD (which is actually hilarious, I am here for this) OR CAUGHT BY SOMEBODY, but he's not waiting.

TRY ALL YOU WANT, RISALI. No one has murdered Nessalyn with their mind yet, and Risa certainly can't be the first one to try it. TOO TUFF FOR MIND-MURDER. (It's because she's so hard-headed.) That threat levied in her direction doesn't exactly have the desired effect, since Nessalyn only scowls and growls out, "I will walk away RIGHT NOW." Only she won't, because uh. Risali has her in a death-grip and she doesn't have that crazy in-the-middle-of-labor strength to match her. She yelps as Risali tries to jerk her forward, fighting against that effort as she turns her dark look on Kaellian. "Get your ass down there. Think of it as practice, because if you keep inviting women onto your boat," YEAH SHE KNOWS IT'S A SHIP, SUCK IT, "you're going to need to learn how to deliver a baby." She, on the other hand, is staying far away from all baby-making enterprises. So! NO NEED FOR HER TO LEARN. "Seriously, do you want to be the reason her baby lands on the sex blanket?" There's a note of panic to her voice despite the acid of her tone, because this is getting WAY TOO REAL and okay, Risali's grip is bringing tears to her eyes and she would literally pay her entire life's savings to be anywhere but here. "JUST CATCH THE DAMN BABY."

No Deal is worth this. Whatever dotted line he signed, whatever brought him repeatedly to these shores, THERE'S A LOT OF REGRET RIGHT NOW. Kaellian rocks back a little bit, but his ability to get any sort of distance is revoked by the fact that he's abruptly shoved with super-woman strength forwards. Sand flies a little bit as he tries to catch himself, save himself from making contact. HE DOESNT MAKE FRIENDS LIKE THIS. That baby may be crowning, but he's not looking. Rather, he's outright glaring at Nessalyn, that coldness of his eyes, that chill of winter-storm struck ocean deep in the color of them with the throws of a few longer black hairs fallen across his face in this utterly awkward position. "That does not mean I have a bunch of bastards running around." That he knows about, anyway. Those words are partly grunted against Risali's gripstrength, "You stole the bloody thing. It wouldn't be me fault whatever the hell it landed on." Fingers curl into the sand, a bit of violent nature churned against the substrate that is the backdrop of this.. misadventure. "You know more about this-" She's a woman, that's the appropriate ignorant assumption to make here, "just get to it." He's probably going to break the damn thing if you make him do it. But there's a hesitance at the end there. An indication he MIGHT JUST LAST SECOND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MAYBE if he has to. And this is far beyond his skillset. What's wrong with this place.

OH SHE'S TRYING. Or, you know, she would be if her focus wasn't on PUSHING A BABY OUT OF HER HOOHA. "JUST GRA-AAAAAAAAA -" But GOOD JOB YOU GUYS. Between Kaellian and Nessalyn contending for who gets the honor of catching, that little guy just comes. Risali is real good at pushing, y'all; this is not her first rodeo, and NOW HER BABY JUST GOT DROPPED ON HIS HEAD. GOOD JOB. It's okay. If there's a little bit of brain damage, nobody will know because they will probably just say he took after his Daddy and be non-the-wiser. And anyway, it wasn't that big of a drop, right? Right. SO THERE HE IS, Y'ALL, birthed right onto a sex blanket as if to remind lovestruck teenagers that this is what happens when you let a man fandoogle you with his dangle — or maybe just some kind of cosmic justice because R'HYN. BABIES. BORN ON BEACHES. But Risali is swallowing down air, is pulling hands away so that she can sit up, and spare a glare for both Kaellian and Nessalyn as she scoops him up. A beat, and on a hushed breath, "He's not… breathing. Nessalyn, the scissors." BUT LOOK AT THAT. SPARED. Spared by a small gaggle of healers who come running, headed by one very tiny red-headed woman who SHOULDERS NESS AND KAELLIAN OUT OF THE WAY like some SMOL wrecking ball to take over. "W-we've got her," comes perhaps a little weakly, but certainly not lacking in confidence. "You can g-go." A pause, a beat as violet eyes fine Kaellian, then Ness and, with some hesitation, the Journeyman amends with, "Unless you're the f-father. Or… mother…?" LISTEN, IT'S A WEYR, SHE DOESN'T KNOW. This has Risali LOCKING EYES WITH THE TINY WOMAN and gritting out, "I do not sleep with everybody." If the healer heard her, she just ducks her head back to her work, cutting cords and handing off the baby to other healers so they can head towards the infirmary while working on stimulating him into taking a breath. Risali's attention is on him, that maternal look that says she needs to be there with him even if she knows he's in good hands. "Thank you," she finally offers, on a whisper as she blinks back tears (RUDE MANIFESTATIONS OF EMOTION) and looks between Nessalyn and Kaellian. And then she tries for humor. "I know exactly who I will not be calling on the next time I'm in labor." TERRIBLE RUDES.

"WOAH." Hold the phone, here. Yes, Risali is in the midst of pushing out a baby and Nessalyn is pretty sure that she's about to lose the hand/forearm that isn't already burn-scarred, but this takes priority. "THE FACT THAT I'M A WOMAN DOESN'T MEAN THAT I-" Her tirade about her womanhood is cut short by the fact that Risali has managed to give birth to an entire baby in the time they've been arguing. +10000 points to Risali, and 0 to these two. "Huh, that was-" The color drains from her features as the goldrider announces that the child isn't breathing, and despite the reflexively protective motion toward her bun and the tools buried in that twist of hair, she does move as though to offer up her precious scissors. But then salvation arrives, and the engineer doesn't put up even the slightest fight when that healer shoulders her out of the way. "Definitely not the mother. You'll have to check with him." Sorry, Risali, but she can't resist one more barb at Boat Boy's expense. She watches the healers with a look of faint confusion, her brows drawn together as they move their work toward a destination with far better supplies than a beach and a teenage sex blanket. She fidgets awkwardly, rubbing her hand over the skin that was so recently crushed in Risali's iron grip. "Yeah, please don't. Ever," she jokes in a tone that's slightly weaker than normal, recent events finally catching up to her. "You should go. I'm pretty sure you need a bed or something, and the baby, and. I'm going to go somewhere else." SMOOTH.

For all the time he spent // really not looking, he does look at the baby that is quite suddenly fully there. For real, it- he- is laying on the sex blanket still attached to //things and not breathing and Kaellian was too slow, too whatever-is-his-problem to do anything about it. He probably didn't hear any of Nessalyn's comeback because that just happened. After too long a time, he finally blinks. It probably comes around the same time Risali lets them go, that shift in pressure doing something to jar him back. His brow furrows. Deeper, it furrows deeper because he'd already had some strict expression on his face in the length of dumbed silence that follows the.. finale. Then, the healers. Kaellian only needs a bit of a nudge by the arrival of the healers before he's rising to his feet and stepping back. No argument, no fight. WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN. Reference to him does break his stare, "No." Simple, rough in his tones. An absolute confirmation that this isn't his fault. Well, maybe the concussion is, but the baby isn't. There's some flexing of his good hand, the one Risali had done a fantastic job in crushing over the course of the event, before he reaches for his hood to lift it back over his head. If he glances past Risali and at the baby for a second again, well, nobody can prove it. "Aye." Back to the weyrwoman, uncertainty covered by an expression abruptly much more fully schooled than it had been. The dark of his eyes shadowed now by the hood, masking whatever else might be there in that too-light gaze, "Maybe keep one of them closer." A tip of his head towards those of the healer sort that bustle around her. And that's his closing statement, because he's turning on his heal and going back towards the docks. Not the Weyr like he planned, no. Back to the landing craft, and BACK TO HIS SHIP. Because even amidst all his questionable acts, it's clearly safer there.

And Risali watches Kaellian go, watches him pull his hood and looks away, to find Nessalyn with an expression that's asking a question but that doesn't get translated into words because the healer is calling back her attention. "We have to birth the p-placenta, and then you can s-see him. Do you want to do it here, or t-there?" And for a moment Risali is quiet, perhaps breathing through another less intense contraction (BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT THE MOVIES SAY, THERE'S MORE TO COME) before she offers a soft, "Zyriden. His name… his name is Zyriden. And the infirmary, please." BECAUSE SHE'S OVER THIS BEACH THING. Still, maybe she wants to say goodbye to both, maybe she just can't find the words, but Risali is looking to Nessalyn again, opening her mouth, closing it, opening it again and then being pulled up by the healers. Still. She keeps looking over her shoulder to Ness and Kaellian both, until she can't see either of them anymore because they're too far gone or she is. And Leirith? Well. Leirith is silent for once, her voice gentle but still cheerful, full of feathers, and carnival lights and sweet smells - spun sugar, funnel cake. It's dancers in masks, a complete and total contrast to bass and drums - a very secret part of her brain that so very few know of, and even less humans. « Thank you. » There is something beautiful there, something beneath the mask, and gusto, and feigned confidence. Something real and tangible that withdraws as she moves to follow after healers and her rider - and perhaps to find a couple of wayward weyrmates that were probably too caught up in work or too far away to be of any help.


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