Fort Weyr - Lake Shore
This lake shares many features common to mountain lakes — a brilliant blue jewel nestled amongst the rocks. The waters are crystal clear, and the north shore slopes gently before abruptly falling away into the depths. This lake does have one significant differentiating feature, however. The south shore of the lake is a tumbled mass of rubble, rock and earth of an ancient rockslide smoothed only by the elements in the intervening years. This rubble, as well as the rather sheer east and west faces, makes for the north shore to be the only one easily accessible.
Springs arrival is noted by the disappearing lake ice. As it melts it breaks up into smaller icy bergs. These bob randomly throughout the choppy waters, slowly disappearing as the temperatures rise. They also frequently provide sport and entertainment for the bathing dragons. The emerging shoreline is inviting, though the water remains chilly for their human counterparts. As spring draws nearer to summer, the waters begin to feel quite invigorating with Rukbat's growing shine.
SO IT'S WINTER. In Fort Weyr, anyway, and it just might be the season that's drawn Risali away from Xanadu's summer to the cold. It could also be in laws, or a final shot at freedom before she's weyrbound for the next several weeks of gestation. Yeah. GESTATION. Xanadu Weyr's newest Junior queenrider is pregnant, and she's far enough along for the visual signs to start making themselves indisputably known. Luckily for Risali, she carries high and far enough back on her hips that six months pregnant on her looks like what might be less on most others. The swell of her stomach is subtle, but not so subtle as to not be noticeable - diminished as it is by the thicker, heavier confines of her peacoat. The good news is that Risali hasn't had to trade up on her clothing just yet, and so she's wearing her riding leathers on the bottom, tucked away into a pair of lace up boots. She's got the lower half of her face hidden away beneath the confines of a warm swath of scarf, and her hair is down, flecked with hints of white as snow falls from the sky and clings to absolutely everything. And there's Leirith, the boomingly bombastic gold making great leaps in the snow before falling onto her side and rolling in it. She's even expanding the crazy reach of her mind, to invite others to come out and play because her lifemate is tiny and pregnant and incapable of rough-housing which clearly means that Risail is, at this current point in time, a wicked disappointment. SO COME ONE, COME ALL. Follow the boomboomboom of bass! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.
Winter is firmly settled in at Fort now, with the almost freezing days being just a little better than the below freezing nights. Lu'ka and Roth are not far from the lake. It's not quite frozen solid, but there is a lot of slush creeping across the surface. The pair have recently landed and Lu'ka, who is completely bundled up as much as he can be, is moving around his dragonmate, loosening some of the cinches so the great bronze can be comfortable while lumbering around on the ground. Lu'ka loosens one more strap then glances to his dragon's branchy head "That better?" He already knows it is but voices it anyway. Roth merely rumbles deep in his chest and dips his muzzle agreeably to his rider but his attention is quickly drawn to the visiting queen cavorting in the snow. And since it's hard to miss such antics, Lu'ka grins at a snow-crusted Leirith and laughs. Squinting around, he spots the visiting Weyrwoman and waves with a thick gloved covered hand. "Welcome to Fort again."
"LUUUUU'KAAAAA!" The soon-to-be full-fledged bronzerider won't have to look too hard, because Risali seems to spot him just as he spots her, and she's cupping both hands around her mouth to shout his name, and wave, and jumpjumpjump in a way that has Leirith pausing to swing her head around and look too. AND THEN IT'S A RACE. Leirith's enormous head (and body) versus Risali's tiny everything. She's laughing, cheeks surely flush beneath her scarf from the bite of cold and delighted exhilaration alike as she doesn't slow down. She just keeps running, closing the distance between them in tandem with Leirith who gets there first to push her snout in against Lu'ka a little too hard, and then swings her head to thunk it RIGHT IN AGAINST ROTH. There's bass and drums that pour into dragon and dragonrider's minds alike, giddy and exuberant, sunbright as she opens pathways and explodes herself right into the endless confines of brainmatter with a much-too-loud, «WAHEEEEEEYYYYYY!» And Risali finally catches up, throwing herself RIGHT AT LU'KA regardless of whether or not he's recovered from Leirith's assault. Yep. The poor Journeyman's gonna have tiny pregnant woman wrapping their arms around his middle in a full on tackle, laughing as her face finds jacket and they hopefully don't hit the floor too hard. "Thank you," she breathes belatedly, pulling her scarf down with fingers to expose her mouth and a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't come to congratulate you sooner. A lot happened." And without removing herself because she's just RUDE LIKE THAT, she's turning her head to look at Roth, grey eyes going wide as she breathes out, "Is this him, Lu'ka?"
Lu'ka chuckles at the enthusiastic greeting from his fellow Harper. He does start to become comcerned though when it seems Risabeasty is racing her own queen to see who will run him down first. "Umph!" is forced from Lu'ka from Leirith's greeting nudge. "OH yea. How rude of me." He groans out "Welcome to Fort Leirith" He's grinning and does manage to brace himself as Risali launches herself at him, sorta. As much as a shorty like her can at least. "Owe!" he cries out in mock pain "Just kidding." He makes sure neither of them take a fall and that she keeps on her feet. Roth rumbles happily and takes the brunt of Leirith's thunking greeting with his shoulder. Drum patterns weave through Lu'ka and Roth's mind as the visiting queen greets dragon and rider both. Sliding guitar rifts wrap themselves around the steady beats and bass. The Weyrling Harper gives a slight shrug as he eyes the Journeyman as if trying to figure out what's differant about her. "That's alright. I figured you were busy torturing Apprentices." No point in leaning away from getting hit if she chooses, since she is still hugging him as she swings them both around to face his gnarled looking dragonmate "Yep, Roth, this is Weyrwoman Risali and her dragonmate Leirith." The bronze dips his head to greet both with a softer melody of plucked harp strings shared with the visiting pair. ** I am Roth! ** Lu'ka smiles and nods to the Xanadians "Yea. He's very happy to meet you."
Leirith warbles her hello, a sound like trumpets that deflates as it carries on and then ends abruptly when Lu'ka's forced to catch her lifemate. The 'ow' has Risali looking startled, but before she can look apologetic, Lu'ka's making it known that it's a joke. WICKED MAN. At least, that's what Risali's EXTREMELY UNIMPRESSED expression says, lips drawing in tight in mock anger as she gives him a little (gentle) shove for being such a liar. And then her attention is on Roth, delight in her expression as she curls fingers into Lu'ka's jacket and shakeshakeshakeshakes him. "Lu'ka, he makes music." Even Leirith is looking overjoyed by this fact. Or… she's just being Leirith. « I am Leirith! » She tells the bronze (and his rider, and her rider// as she… YEP. She's trying to squish Roth. DON'T MIND HER, she's just PUTTING FOREPAWS ON HIM and SETTLING HER WEIGHT ON THAT and tilting her head so that she can catch one of his knobs gently in her mouth for an experimental chew (and cover it in slobber) if he doesn't escape her fast enough. This leaves Risali to look back up to Lu'ka when he speaks, making a face when he mentions her torturing apprentices that does earn him a PUNCH to the arm because he probably deserves it. "Shut up," she breathes around a smile, finally relinquishing her hold so that she can wave to Roth who may or may not be becoming increasingly invisible beneath Leirith's bulk. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Roth." All smiles, momentary as she leans back into Lu'ka and brings both of her arms around one of his. LEAN. SMILE. "Also, I never go to the point where I could take on apprentices. And I'm not a craft rider, either." Nope, she just grabs Lu'ka's hand, and PUTS IT ON HER TUMMY, and PUSHES IT IN to awaken the little life inside. They protest, by pushing at intruding hands with their feet in kicks that pack a surprising amount of force. And Risali's still smiling, holding his hand there only a moment longer before she's slipping his hand to her waist, putting her hand on his forearm, and grabbing his other hand with her own. "Now you have to dance with me," she tells him, already pulling him into it because Leirith and Roth are making music even if that is not their intent at this precise moment. « You have funny headknobs, » Leirith informs, but it's not a cruel observation, for all that it's lacking in tact. Leirith sounds amused by it, like she likes it, and she's certainly not one to talk, because her headknobs are wonky as all get out. « Does it make it harder to hear? » BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Lu'ka laughs as Risali shakes him back and forth by his jacket "Hey now, no ripping my nice coat with those claws of yours Risabeasty." He winks in amusement then watches Roth, the bronze still dipping his head towards the Weyrwoman when Leirith suddenly decides to use him as a pawrest, for starters. He's not quick enough to avoid getting covered in slobber while the visiting queen tries chewing on his branchy knobs. He does try leaning his head away though, not that it gets him out of her drooling range. Leirith simply rolls right over Roth in her attempts to get a better look at his curiously odd shaped headknobs and ridges. After a few attempts to extract himself, Roth just whistles out a sigh and relents to the insistant, and maybe a wee little bit on the pushy side, queen. ** I am Roth ** Lu'ka just tries not to seem too amused by his dragonmate's little battle with the visiting dragon and turns his attention back to Risali as she grabs his hand and shoves it at her belly. "What are yo.." He cuts his words off abruptly and keeps his hand completely still, til he gets thumped by the woman's belly. Eyes widen just a bit and he grins at the silent announcement. "Ahh, I see what you mean about being toooo busy to come visit us." A good naturedly laugh and lets his fellow Harper coax him into a dance. "Congratulations Risali."
"Risabeasty?" comes with exasperation, another playful shove administered to the weyrling's person because REALLY LU'KA? REALLY? If Leirith seems at all perturbed (or even notices, for that matter) Roth's attempts to escape her, she doesn't show it. She does not relent, either. She simply continues on her path of knob-slobbering (okay you guys, come on, get your minds out of the gutter) destruction and making Roth into a pillow. She does cease some of her movement in favor of tilting her head to the side and bunting Roth's head with her own. « And I am Leirith! » The repeat of his name doesn't seem to bother her; on the contrary, the queen seems more than content to simply join him in it - even if she doesn't realize that this is simply how the bronze communicates. « We should make music for them, I am Roth, » Leirith notes, and she picks up a beat, pushing it outwards towards both riders as Risali pulls Lu'ka into a slow dance. Only so she can talk to him, of course. "Thank you," she answers, the smile on her lips going somewhat mute as if she's not really sure that the life she's growing within her is a good thing. "But that's enough about me. What about you? How is weyrlinghood? How is having somebody else crammed into your brain? When do you graduate?" She's just LOADING HIM UP WITH QUESTIONS, never once faltering in their little through-the-snow dance. "Tell me everything."
Roth rears his head back, peering at Leirith after she systematically samples his head knobs for chewiness or something or another, then proceeds to fluff him up to be a lounging pillow. He's pretty much planted in place as Leirith's pedestal once she's settled in. ** I am Roth! ** He weaves a bouncing beat, tangling in harplike melodies and Lu'ka looks towards his dragonmate after a few seconds. Seems the weyrling is being double-teamed. He and Risali trail through the snow while the dragons fill in the music for the steps the Harpers make. "It took some getting used too, Roth being always here." He begins to try answering her questions, once she takes a breath so he can get a word in the conversation that is. "Weyrlinghood was a big eyeopener. Lots of new routine changes." Even if he is looking forward to getting back into his old routine soon enough. He gives a quick shrug "Soon I'm sure. Some of the dragons are starting to outgrow our areas." His eyes flicker to Roth before focusing back on Risali again. "We've done most all of our lessons. So won't be much longer before they deem us passable embarrass Fort too badly."
enough to NOT embarrass Fort too badly."
And Leirith bobs from her awkward perch on Roth's head to the rhythm, and beat, and music that they make together. The gold is elated, overjoyed, the pace picking up in her excitement so that Risali lifts grey eyes to catch Lu'ka's with her own, brows going up in a challenge that's echoed in the pull at the corners of her lips, and then she laughs as she picks up the pace and pulls him along with her. But it doesn't stop her from listening as he speaks, even if she's pulling him in circles and little dips of their bodies to keep up with the tempo Leirith demands. "It was my favorite, and my least favorite," Risali confesses, her air a puff of fog between them as she tries to catch her breath and keep moving. She's got a BABY pressing up on her lungs okay. IT'S A PROBLEM. OF SORTS. "And I know that problem well." A sideglance for Leirith, who is one of the bigger queens to occupy the grounds and skies of Pern. "But you'll get your own home, and it will be better." Another smile, another one-two-three spin that she sways with. "Anyway, if they let Leia, Syn, and I'rly free, you three will definitely make it." A hiccup of laughter, Leirith makes the beat that much faster, and Risali makes a sound of delight as she tries to keep up. "When you graduate, will you come see me? I probably won't be able to see you, but I've always wanted to play with you." A beat, and then an amendment of: "On the piano, I mean. It was fun the only time we managed it." Twirl!
Lu'ka moves around at the quickened tempo as the dragons work together, picking up the pace to a near knee lifting workout, at least it is through this snow and for a pregnant woman most likely. Laughing at her assurance that the Fort Weyrlings will be progressing soon to full riders. "Well then we've got nothing to worry about then do we?" He gives his head a quick shake forward, dumping a bit of built up snow from the edge of his hood to fall down onto the short queenrider. "Of course. Xanadu has really nice beaches." He pauses as if that's the main reason he would visit before cracking and nodding agreeably "You make sure your practice room or lounge has a nice selection of instruments, and I'll bring a bunch of Apprentice's with us."
Oh, it is definitely a work out for Risali, who's already breathing heaving because her child is seated on her lungs and that makes drawing in breath a little more difficult that she might like to admit. So she doesn't admit it; she pants, and she swallows down gulps of air, but she keeps moving, and smiling, and laughing. Right up until Lu'ka is DUMPING SNOW ON HER FROM HIS CLOTHES, and then she's making an indignant squawk of protest that ends with her punching Lu'ka (gently) near his ribs. "Stupid bronzerider," she hisses, though there's no malice or heat in her voice, and her humor is indisputable when a smile breaks out on her face. Then she's laughing again, throwing her head back to do it and picking up the pace once more because Leirith is quickening the tempo. Her breath comes in short, staccato bursts, but Risali still speaks though it's getting difficult. "Bring the best ones. We'll have a party on those beaches that you love so much, and start a bonfire. Leirith will be more than pleased." But then she's drawing away, doubling over with one hand banded across her chest while the other reaches out in a sign of defeat towards Leirith. "Okay, okay. You win," she manages between breaths. And Leirith? She seems OH SO PLEASED, laughter lacing through minds in a deafening echo before she runs her snout down the length of Roth's neck in a giddy nuzzle. « WE HAVE DEFEATED OUR MINIONS. MOOOHAHAHAHA. » Yep. Thaaaaat's Leirith for you. Risali recovers somewhat, coming up from her lean to wrap both of her arms around one of Lu'ka's and nod her chin in the direction of warmth. "Okay," comes on an exhale. "I need a drink. And maybe some music?" A hopeful look up at the harper, though she's already DRAGGING HIM ON ALONG THE WAY.