Rescue Attempt - Failed

Summer (in Xanadu) - Month 13 of Turn 2715
Xanadu Weyr - Purgatory

While the cottage is not large, the rooms are spacious, the place constructed with an open floor plan and designed with the young at heart. Large windows allow for light to flood the area, while inside shutters may be closed for privacy. The dragon space is slightly concave, slate laid to protect the floors from sharp claws. The rest of the flooring is polished hardwood. A simple kitchenette has a dining area that juts out over the waters below, along with a breakfast nook sort of room. The living room is completed by a low, comfortable couch and a few large cushion-like pillows that when piled together make more of a nest-like seating around a small, equally low, dark wood table. Two other ground level rooms form a spacious and well furnished 'guest' room, while the other is suited more as an 'study'.

The draw for 'young ones' comes with the spiral staircase that leads to a loft bedroom, also flooded with light from the triangular window in the peak of the ceiling. Beneath that very window, rests a circular-shaped bed. Tiny pinpoints of light are imbedded in the ceiling to form 'stars' when the main lights are extinguished. Encircling the spiral staircase is a slide — a fast and fun way to get back downstairs. Affixed from the stout beam that runs the length of the peaked ceiling is a thick rope swing. For those… rainy days.

Language warning


To be fair, there wasn't very much of Risali to see around Half Moon Bay, because she was a crafter and probably tucked away at the Harper's Hall a good majority of the time (just how she wanted it at that point in her life). When J'en questions what it is that makes Risa think he'd want to make TALENTED PIANO BABIES WITH HER, Risali gives the man a look from beneath her lashes and a gentle shove to his arm as she moves around him. "What makes you think you wouldn't?" She asks from over her shoulder, seconds before sticking her tongue out him. It's A CHALLENGE, J'EN. One made in jest as she closes fingers around one of Jae's arms to pull the bronzerider towards the stairs and down them, beelining for that trampoline that she stops at if only to look expectantly at J'en. YOU WILL JOIN HER ON THIS. Or, you know, help her up onto it. THE TWO OPTIONS DO NOT NEED TO BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. As for why she's inquiring about his likes or dislikes, Risali scrunches up her nose at Jae and exhales, "Because you need to do something fun. What about running? What about dancing, or singing, or jumping from cliffs?" Risali's eyes close, as if she can imagine those giddily terrifying moments of freefall before sinking into the embrace of sea-water; she's imagining that moment when exhilaration makes your stomach twist and knot and the wind pushes through hair, against your body, trying to help you fly if only humans could sprout wings or gravity had less sway. There's a hiccup of laughter that comes as she opens her eyes again, cheeks flush either from the thrill of memory of simply because she's proddy. YOU BE THE JUDGE. "Don't you like any of those things, Jae? Don't you like being free?" WHAT IS SHE EVEN TALKING ABOUT? Her brain is addled, her head tilted to the side as she waits.

A brow is arched for the look that J'en receives, "Cause I got S'van and ya got K'vir and D'lei, cause this ain't like that…" he responds automatically, a hand coming up and a single finger drifting in the space between the two of them, however small that might be. Proddiness, dragons, and things of that nature weren't in the equation because Leketh was horrible at catching and since the Sephany fiasco he was being especially cautious about being around anyone when there were rising queens about. No more overnight guests, even if they were his weyrmate's sister. Sure, sure, here he was in Risali's house and she was super proddy, but he was fairly certain he could at least outrun her at this stage of her pregnancy. The sticking out of tongues earns the goldrider a sigh, ultimately defeated by her sass levels, and before he knew it he was being dragged onward to the next activity. Blink. Blink. Blink. As Risali stands before the trampoline she had placed inside her dwelling, J'en comes to a stop and stares at it. Golden eyes flicker between the toy and the woman who was looking at him so expectantly, "What?" Clueless, for about a second longer and then his shoulder slump anew. "Seriously?" he asks her, not expecting an answer, and muttering something under his breath that is better left there even as he proceeds forward and helps Risa and her belly into the springing device. Not going in there with her though, stepping back after he was sure she wasn't going to topple right out again and crack her skull open or something, loosely folding his arms at his middle. There's a good deal of head shaking as he denies having an interest in running, dancing or singing. When cliff jumping comes up, "Nah, dun plenty in the past coulda gotten meh killed. Ain't so much into the whole risk takin' shit anymore." He'll let her have her reminiscing pause, a softer sigh and gentle shake of his head as his lips turn ever so faintly upwards for the continued giddy-flushness of the proddy goldrider. Until she asks the questions that makes he smile fade to nearly non-existent and his expression shifts to something momentarily sadder. "Yeah, I like bein' free…" What she was talking about and what was he was talking about probably two completely different things.

Why is Sev here? There's probably a perfectly good and valid reason for why he has abandoned Half Moon Bay and traipsed halfway around the world to Xanadu (a less impressive feat considering he's got a dragon and all). It probably has everything to do with the bronzerider currently being unsuccessfully convinced to do things like MAKE PIANO BABIES and jump on trampolines, even if he is likely unaware of such devious and potentially disastrous behaviors happening. Or maybe he was in the neighborhood (he has a suspiciously absent sister lurking around Xanadu right now, too) and figured he'd just stop in and say hi. Regardless of why, he's here. And he's currently walking across the threshold, through the door (opening it if required, of course; no need for property destruction), and into Risali's private abode with absolutely no regard for her privacy (because she has shown ZERO REGARD FOR HIS), with a suspiciously familiar jacket in his hand, and a look of mild confusion coloring his expression. "Hey, why was Jae's jacket…" only that sentence never fully forms because he's quickly taking in the sights of trampoline, and giant preggo woman ON trampoline, and weyrmate assisting giant preggo woman onto trampoline… "Uh. Hm. OK. That wasn't here last time." Trampoline. He's pretty sure he would have noticed.

"Jae, I think you missed the part where I said it's too bad you're ugly," Risali whispers, mischief in her smile, an indication that she's perfectly aware of who she curls up between at night and who he spends his days with. She's perfectly aware that this 'thing' between them 'ain't like that' and she wasn't propositioning him for sex. YOU'RE AN ATTRACTIVE MAN, JAE. There's no denying it, but have you met her weyrmates? Risali is wild, and there's a spirit in her that demands jumping from cliffs and yelling obscenities at the world just because you can to keep up. (Which is not to imply that J'en couldn't, more or less that Risali's JUST TEASING GEEZ.) Up onto that trampoline Risali gets, all awkwardly jutting bellies and hands on her lower back that encourage her body forward because her center of gravity has been completely changed over the last couple of months. She doesn't wait to see if J'en will join her, the goldrider just starts jumping even though she REALLY SHOULD NOT BE (probably, they didn't tell her she couldn't exercise, after all). Those grey eyes watch him, listening for answers that come and have Risali biting back a smile as she jumpjumpjumpjumps and that baby protests with elbows and knees and the bottoms of feet boxing her INSIDES. RUDE. JUMPJUMPJUMP. And even through proddy-addled states of mind, Risali does not that sadness. Too bad it's Leirith's influence ruling now, instead of her own. "You know what you need, Jae? To do something crazy. Get up here, jump with me, and we'll yell about things we hate really, really loud." SUCH DARING, MUCH BOLDNESS REQUIRED. Kind of like the boldness that it takes for S'van to come through that door unannounced like he owns the dang place. There's an expectant look (she probably thought it would be K'vir or D'lei) that transforms into something playfully scandalized as she calls out, "S'van! We could have been having sex!" SHE PROBABLY MEANS HER AND HER WEYRMATES. But she jumps in a circle, spinning with a giggle. It's not a big trampoline. It's just right, and probably on loan because Risali is feeling CAGEY and has amazing weyrmates who leap when she asks them to jump. "I can't wait until you walk in, and I'm not here, and D'lei and K'vir are on that couch going at it." A giggle, for the thought as she comes to face him again, and then holds out her hands in invitation. "Come. Come, come. Both of you. I'm lonely up here." All faraway and giddy.

You know who doesn't as a whole lot of questions about miraculous rescues by handsome young bronzeriders who appear seeming out of thin air after he's been absconded by more pregnant than not proddy goldrider's? J'en, that's who. When the door open and S'van walks in holding his jacket, he half turns towards him as his only thought is to run straight into his arms and just bury his face into that space between his neck and shoulder. It was safe and warm there, and things have been going down all up in here. There is tensing of muscle in preparation of movement, but Risali was speaking and his gaze is drawn back her way. "Yes, yes, I'm ugly. Got it." he breathes out helplessly, pushing the comment aside after its delivery. It was not the first time she'd said it in the time he'd known her and the second time in the last hour or so, sparing not a second to even consider comparing himself to two men he'd only met a few times. Lashes lower, letting the gravity-altered rider bounce repeatedly, mind drifting a bit in the silence. It doesn't last long of course, as people were about and saying things, eyes lifting and following the up and down movement of Risali jumping inside her trampoline. Blink. Blink. "I seem the type to do that sorta stuff?" If he was, he was doing something wrong with the whole recluse thing, glancing back S'van's way and gesturing towards the springy contraption. "Yer welcome to, but I ain't gettin' in there." He could already imagine elbows, limbs, gigantic pregnant bellies flying around and the results of that he was imagining did not appeal. A frown and a darting of eyes back towards Risali, "Ya ain't seem to 'ave no trouble walkin' into places we're 'avin' sex." Yep, calling her on it while she was proddy and pregnant, perhaps imagining that he'll have some sort of advantage now or something. Though her next statement has his brows launching upwards all over again and he just leaves it alone. It never occurred to him that particular scenario ever happening, but he sure was now if that distant look had anything to saw about it. So caught up in his imaginings, he misses the repeated request for company on the trampoline.

She could have been having sex? "That've been a sight," decides S'van, a curl to the corner of his mouth and a gleam in his eyes that is all mischief. It's a look that says 'I am not scared of your preggo-proddy brain!' even if that confidence comes from distance and stability differences because his center of gravity is perfectly fine while hers is a bit rocky. Nevermind that murder would not be possible unless she was willing to climb down and, considering the effort it took to get ON the trampoline… Sev will take his chances. Enough that he boldly strides right on over to his poor, accosted weyrmate, slings an arm around him, and drops a kiss to his cheek. "Hey," which is not really a tone of 'I've come to rescue you' but at least there's now safety in numbers? A glance, from J'en to Risa, a moment spent watching all of that bouncing around with an expression of awe; rather impressed, clearly. "Uh, thanks, no…" He will not be joining the jump-fest. "But you have fun for me, kay?" Cause she isn't already? As for D'lei and K'vir and the potential for great embarrassment? A snort and a grin, clearly unphased. "Whatever. I totally pause to listen at the door and make sure it's safe." No. No he doesn't. But he might, from now on.

Jump, jump! Jump… jump. The frequency of each leap into the air diminishes until there's little more than a slight bounce, and Risali is standing in the middle of stretchy fabric catching her breath and squinting at both men like she's seeing them for the first time. Grey eyes go from one bronzerider, to the other bronzerider, and then both hands go to her hips as she rolls her eyes up towards the ceiling, trying to decipher ANSWERS FROM TIMOR AND BELIOR AND MOTHER PERN HERSELF. One, two, three, and the goldrider's exhaling. "Is the only kind of fun that you two are capable of having sex?" Risali asks, exasperation dripping through giddily exuberant tones to highlight that everybody's (least) favorite little hellcat is still under the surface somewhere, ready to dig in metaphysical claws and rake. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. "I trust that you are both really good at your jobs, and if you're not, I have two viciously sexy men in my life that are — assuming you think I'm going to be in need of a little search and rescue because two stupidly tall bronzeriders join me for a jump." That grey eye goes from one, back to the other again, "But Faranth forbid we have fun." A shift, a step backwards, another, until Risali is awkwardly getting off of the trampoline and moving back more, more, more until her back hits a wall. "Well, this will have to do," she drawls, a hint of teasing in her tone. "I don't think I can make any more room for either of your egos."

J'en had been taken completely by surprise to come to Xanadu and find that Risali was proddy, the pregnant part he'd already known. Rest assured that before he attempt to visit her again, he'd be sure to check the state of Leirith's mustard shaded hide beforehand. Being blindsided was decidedly not on that list of things he liked the goldrider had asked about. Official rescue or not, S'van was there and safety in numbers was almost as good as storming the castle, "…'ey." Arms are slung, cheeks are kissed, and he joins his weyrmate in watching the age old question of 'do proddy-pregnant goldriders bounce' being answered before their eyes. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Yes, yes they do. Mystery solved, J'en side glances upward towards the taller bronzerider as he also denies Risali the end to her loneliness upon the trampoline, snorting softly for Sev's reply to her statement following that. A flash of gold and his eyes are back on the meagerly bouncing fetus incubator, a brow arching slightly at her accusation, and it keeps on lifting as she goes on and on as Risali's often do. He had no trouble remembering that under the pseudo-drunken giddy exterior that his favorite cut throat bitch was laying in wait and what was spilling past her lips was only confirmation of that. "Ask them to jump with ya then, and ya can make all the assumptions ya like, but I ain't gunna stand 'ere and listen to 'em. I just wanted to drop by and check on ya seein' as the last time I saw ya, ya were cryin' and launchin' yer guts everywhere," he replies softly and coolly, not a rise to be found. "I dunno 'bout S'van, but I'm gunna take mah ego and go so ya'll 'ave plenty room to waddle 'round in." Slipping out from under his weyrmate's arm, he grabs the jacket the man was still holding and long legs carry him towards the door as leather is pulled back over tattooed arms.

S'van was not blind-sided by proddy. Aedeluth gave that away when he actually starting paying attention and responding to all of that BOOM-BOOM-POW percussion going on in his head. Ya know. Actually being NICE for once rather than pretending he was blind, deaf and dumb to Leirith. But that doesn't mean he was prepared for what Pregnant + Proddy might hold for them. He's calm and collected in the face of all that bounce-bounce that slows to accuse them of things that are very, "Not true," because they have plenty of fun doing other things. Such as, "Occasionally we like to take a break to eat. Cooking is fun." Nevermind that he does not cook. Beam. Cheeky and smart-ass and paying back sass with sass because he can't be bothered to be insulted. "But bouncing around on that death trap? Not my idea of fun. Thanks. That's a rather long fall for us stupidly tall bronzeriders." Because falling is an inevitability. But while he might be letting all that attempt at insult roll from his shoulders with nothing but a shrug, there are cool comments followed by weyrmate abandonment as J'en slips out from his arm and heads for the door. "Hm." And see, this is the part where that expression sort of falters a little, as he's faced with a choice: follow the weyrmate, or stay with the pregnant-proddy woman. Glance to J'en. Glance to Risala. A least he has the decency to look a bit apologetic before he heads for the door. "Say hi to Seph if you see her, OK?" Because she's avoiding him, that's why.

AND WE ALL KNOW LEIRITH. Do you think she shied away from all that niceness? NOT A CHANCE IN HELL. I mean, if we're being honest, she wasn't deterred by Aedeluth's best attempts to block her out either, so now she's all reckless abandon with Leketh and Aedeluth, telling them BOTH just how very — Leirith is not important. She's all awkward compliments and RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS that should be outlawed, while Risali is just… well. She is Risali, whose still looking mischievous even in the face of clear affront and the retreat of both men from her humble abode. She doesn't answer S'van's assertion that they have fun in other ways (her expression might though, the kind that accuses somebody of going through life without really living) before he starts for the door as well and tells her to say hello to his sister for him. "Do they let cowards into search and rescue?" Risali asks, probably about the fear of falling FROM A TRAMPOLINE THAT IS NOT VERY BIG, but ALSO SHE IS JOKING YOU GUYS. CALM DOWN. REALLY. Risali's all awkward waddling tumblerolls as she pulls herself back up onto the trampoline and… starts jumping again. "I'll tell her you came by," she notes, suddenly faraway and giddy again, hands on her stomach as she LEAPS. "Clear skies, stupid bronzerider." And then she's content to entertain herself until D'lei or K'vir come home to join her for all that terribly dangerous thrill seeking on the trampoline.

It didn't matter what Risali had to say, but that whole coward comment has J'en's shoulders tightening into a vice and he almost turns around. Almost, but so much better that he doesn't because she's proddy and pregnant and an interweyr incident of that magnitude is not something he wanted to explain to the leadership back home. So, he finishes pulling on his jacket and just keeps stalking his way down the beach. His teeth gritted, growling to himself all sorts of things that are very unpleasant and not very flattering, finding the first empty cottage he sets his eyes on and dropping himself onto the bench he finds on the front porch. Legs and arms crossed, he slouches and glares at the sea and probably those in it as well.

Even S'van finds a bit of offense at that one, but keeps comments and expressions to himself. He's already leaving, no need to re-engage. Following J'en even if he has to skip a few steps to close the distance and ensure he doesn't lose him through the foreign weyr. By the time he's struggling through sand in footwear that was not at all designed for it, he's let the offense go and has moved on to other things. Without invitation (because he never waits for one anyways) he drops into the space beside Jae, arm once more draped over his shoulders despite what tension may reside there. There's no attempt to reason-away Risali's behavior, because none was needed. Just companionship and silence, for the moment.

It might seem as if S'van ceases to exist for J'en with those long strides of his and lack of looking back, but he knows he's there, knows he's following him and trying to keep up. With no woodpile to vent his anger upon, he broods upon his perch, saying nothing as his weyrmate passes in front of him to plop down beside him and throw that arm over his tighter than tight shoulders. He grumbles something, probably just as unkind as the rest, and leans himself against him as he thunks his head down to rest upon him wherever really. Even if Sev had tried to reason away Risali's behavior, Jae's response would have been the same. "Sometimes I wonder why I love that fuckin' bitch so much…" he growls into the warm summer air, his lashes lowering and jaw setting.

Probably his chest, given J'en was slouching and S'van… not as much. But regardless, once his head finds wherever it wants to land, there are fingers in his hair in that casual and absentminded way of his. S'van watches the beach, or ocean, or maybe the air above it all, without really focusing on anything in particular. A long sigh; that's all he can really offer in defense of the goldrider. Because he doesn't know her well enough to say she didn't mean to be cruel. Or that she wasn't in the right state of mind, with concentrated crazy being pumped through her body (aka hormones). But he does answer the question with an honest, "Because she's family," because while she might not be S'van's family, he knew enough to know that she was Jae's family.

Yes, probably head to chest, heavy and stiff because he's majorly pissed off and he has no idea what to do with all that pent up energy. A low rumble that was more growl than purr for the fingers that find their way into his hair, he continues to try and evaporate the water and fry those in it with the heat of his gaze, ineffectively. This might just be reason enough to be even more irritated, the sound of his teeth grinding together audible. He really should be proud of himself for just walking away, but instead his leg jiggles where it's crossed over its mate, leather groaning as he grips it tighter with whitening knuckles. J'en was totally going over every single thing that Risali had said that he had let slide, perhaps not even just this visit, but every single time they had encountered one another. This does very little to sooth already dangerously frayed nerves, and neither did his weyrmate's long sigh. It's cause enough to make the jiggling more pronounced, the spring coiling to the point a quiver, until S'van replies. Everything stops, the jiggling, the growling, perhaps even time itself for a few very long moments. Then J'en sags and grumbles again, completely defused. "Shut up, I wanna be pissed at 'er, and I can't do that if yer sayin' shit like that." Sure, it's growly, but its breathily soft.


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