Day 16 of Month 1 of Turn 2716
Half Moon Bay Weyr - Lagoon
A sandy beach running along the edge of the lagoon, between the sparkling waters and the bowl. Given the weyr's tropical climate, riders and dragons can be seen playing in the water nearby or a dolphin can be seen cavorting nearly turn-round. At other times seacraft can be seen coming in under the arch to dock. The lagoon is large enough to fill a quarter of the length of the bowl.
It's still winter? How dare it be! Not that winter really means that much in Half Moon compared to Fort and such. Still, Ayushi isn't brave enough to test the waters. The harper fully intends to enjoy as much of the beach as she can for now though. Mid-afternoon brings the warmest temperatures of the day and a fairly sizable hoard of people to the lagoon shores. Most are scattered in small groups, though Ayushi is all /alone/ and so /sad/. Ok, she really isn't. In fact she's not even sitting by herself or anything. Instead she's just exiting the Tiki Lounge with alcohol in hand because it's never too early for that and her duties this morning were particularly boring. Rather than a mixed drink, Yush has somehow procured an entire bottle of rum and a….single glass of juice. This can only mean good things! Today's beach outfit is really no different than her usual. Black shorts that have faded in some areas are paired with a pale pink shirt. Her hair is loose, though she certainly suffers the consequences from not remembering to tie it up. A particularly strong gust of wind means that black curls are blocking her vision and causing her to splutter, "ARGH, for fu-Faranth's sake…." Self control, she has it! There's a floundering whip of her head to clear her vision before Ayushi finally makes it to an empty spot on the beach and plops down. TAKE THAT WIND!
ALAS, POOR AYUSHI - there is someone present who definitely bears witness to her struggles. Two someones, in fact, the first of whom is merciless and merely laughs at her plight in a rolling chuckle that carries from a few feet up beach, and the second of whom who actually takes pity and COMES TO THE RESCUE. Not really. Not at all. She's only two, after all, a little toddler possessing of dark bouncy curls not unlike Ayushi's, taking off before her father can stop her with a wild giggle. Heribly comes to a stop just shy of the harper, peering up at her with doleful eyes, at least three fingers wedged into a snaggle-toothed mouth before she pulls them free to offer a beaming, "Hi!" NO STRANGER DANGER WITH THIS ONE, NO. She steps further, invading Ayushi's personal space to peer at her sole glass of juice. "A cup? A cup? Is juice? Juice?," is managed, and juuust as tiny hands are reaching out to appropriate said juice, "NOPE!" R'hyn snatches her up, blowing a raspberry to chubby cheeks to elicit a giggle before he fixes Ayushi with an apologetic glance. "Sorry about that. She likes people." Blue-grey eyes fixate on the nearly-purloined juice, and the much larger bottle of rum with a slow-curling smile and a teasing, "You know, I'm not the best at math, but I'm sensing a volume discrepancy here."
SHE WAS SEEN. Ayushi really really tries to ignore that laughter, and she even pretends she can for a little bit because there's a tiny child she can pay attention to! The woman glances down with a bit of surprise, though there's a smile forming on her lips. "Ah…..hey!" She's not /bad/ with children but she's not great with them either. Though she's definitely the type that'll visit someone's kids, get them wound up on sweets, and then leave everything for the parents to handle. Why? Because it's entertaining. Should she be giving juice to random children? Probably not, which is why it's good that R'hny is suddenly appearing and scooping up the little girl. Cause she totally would have done it. What toddler /doesn't/ need a sugar rush? The harper looks towards him before offering the man a smile, "No worries she's friendly." And didn't bite her, which is always a plus when it comes to children. Also Ayushi is just going to keep ignoring her earlier floundering. NEVER HAPPENED. As for the comments about her drinking habits….well, Yush seems perfectly delighted with that volume discrepancy, "I'm just using it to learn ratios, this is one is probably a…." she'll look between the bottle and juice, "eight to one." Likely story! "I'll graph how it changes when I drink some of one or the other." No, no she won't.
Well, if she won't address the laughter, the laughter will just come to her! … And stay! Mostly because Heribly wants, "Down! Down? Downnn!," and Heryn obliges, dropping to his butt nearby so he can corral the wayward toddler with his legs. She tries to climb them, gets foiled once, twice, and finally decides to just… sprawl across one thigh with an 'oof' in favor of blinking owlishly over at Ayushi. "Understatement," R'hyn drawls on the case of Heri being friendly, but his tone is fond, hand smoothing over his daughter's back even as his gaze lifts back over to Ayushi. "One of these times I'm going to look up and she's going to be hugging a total stranger while letting them carry her away and my soul is going to depart my body." Yet there goes that laughter again, amused this time instead of teasing as he drawls a wry, "Is that what you tell your teachers?" He isn't going to stop her, though - this is science and science is sacred, especially when it comes to the study of alcoholic solutions! "Hmm, well, I'll expect a full report on my desk tomorrow." No he won't. "Ratios and their effect on the human body. I imagine it'll be a fascinating read." Twinkle. "Do you need a hair tie, by the way?" Because he just can't let it go, can he? Moohahahaha. "I have a spare." Because surely - hopefully - Heribly's hair isn't always this chaotic. She's just… chewing on it, and her fingers, making enough of a mess that it just isn't worth fixing because toddlers are gross.
"Even if that /were/ to happen, I imagine you'd have her back within a matter of minutes if not seconds, no?" Who knows, maybe he is a very very very very /VERY/ distant relative of Liam Neeson. He surely has a very particular set of skills. Ayushi glances down at the little girl in question and wiggles a few fingers on the hand still holding a bottle in a wave to her. "It is and of course they've believed absolutely everything I've told them." This doesn't sound like it could be false, not one bit. "I'll be sure to have a 30 page dissertation ready first thing, you'll of course be providing me detailed notes on suggestions and improvements for each page right?" And well, why just /talk/ about alcohol if you're not going to drink it. The glass of juice is lodged into a small pile of sand that will act as a makeshift cupholder before she's opening up the bottle. There's a satisfied grin on her face as she finally brings it to her mouth and takes a couple of long swigs. Course, she's still in the middle of one of those when there's a mention of hair ties and while Yush doesn't /choke/ there's some spluttering and dark eyes quickly shoot a small glare over towards R'hyn. "You couldn't just let it go, could you? Couldn't just igno-" Yeah, cue another gust of wind and ANOTHER case of blinding by hair. This is totally not her day. There's a very annoyed sigh from the harper before she very quietly says, "I'll take you up on that offer….thanks." Such defeat in her voice! Though not for long. "Just until the wind dies down though!" She doesn't need it, HER HAIR IS STRONG AND INDEPENDENT AND….yeah, she needs it. "Care for anything liquid in return?" Look at her trying to play it cool again.
"I would find them, and I would kill them," R'hyn confirms because GURL THAT AIN'T EVEN A JOKE! Heryn Neeson, at your service~. He laughs though, playing off a dark glittering in his eyes with a low, "She'll drive them nuts asking after her toys, at any rate. I'm fairly confident she'd be back in a blink." Heribly, whose attention has not wavered from potentially awkwardly long stares at Ayushi's face, beams around fingers and hair for that wave, hand pulling down for a repetition of her earlier, "Hi! Hi baby!" Grunt. Wiggle. "Hiii-iii-iiii," drug out into many syllables as she struggles to make it over R'hyn's leg, seemingly oblivious to the hand fisted in the back of her shirt that's preventing it. "She'll be in your lap if I let her go," R'hyn explains before fixing the harper with an amused look. SEEMS REAL. HE'S BUYING IT. "But of course. I'm more than qualified to provide adequate feedback on the subject matter at hand," AS WELL SHE KNOWS, "and that's quite possibly the best use of my time that I can imagine. I'll tell Ila'den to cancel all my meetings tomorrow - this is significantly more important." Blue-greys watch her drink straight from the bottle, brows gently lofted in a position that implies he's impressed - he might even have said so, mouth already opening to provide the compliment when — WOOSH, air intervention! This time it's Heri's turn to be amused by Ayushi's vexations, issuing forth squeaky, girlish 'heheheheh's that make R'hyn duck his head to hide poorly-disguised snickering. His shoulders still quake, and his eyes are still bright when he finally glances up and pulls a band from around his wrist to offer it over to the poor woman. "Of course. I'm sure it will let up any moment now and then you will be free," is tremulous because no he's still not laughing, these are not the bronzer amuses you are looking for, move along! The offer of alcohol is considered, eyes squinting skywards, then at his daughter, then at Ayushi with a shrugged, "Why not. I have a meeting with the leaders of Riverside Cothold to discuss the resurgence of algae and what we're going to do about it. I feel like I'll need it." Could his tone get any drier? I don't think it could. "What about you? Are you free for the day?"
"As you should." If you make the life choice to become a kidnapper, do you really deserve anything better than that? "Between the toys and the diapers anyone that isn't a fan of children would probably get tired very quickly. Course, anyone that would do something like that probably isn't good with children anyways." Speaking of, the harper glances down at Heribly before grinning once more, "What's your naaaaa….me?" That last syllable will be accompanied by an attempt to poke the girl's cheek, though whether she'll get through the dangerous forest of hair curls and slobbery fingers is unclear! "As long as she doesn't pee on me, we can be friends." Yush's tone certainly borders on teasing with this. It's now that the hair tie is traded for the bottle if he'll take it. And once hands are free they're reaching up to secure her hair in a very tight bun. No chance of that falling down and blinding her again. R'hyn will just have to find another source of amusement, so there! Ayushi looks as if she might be about to comment on that again, but she's quite suddenly wrinkling her nose at this next words. "I'm sorry, did you just say….algae?" Yeah, he can definitely have as much of that alcohol as he wants for that. "I don't suppose burning it with fire is a valid option? You know just….skim it off the top and…..burn it?" This is why she is a harper and not an algae specialist.
As he has, but that goes unvoiced, coming and going in the span of a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Heribly to the rescue. Blue eyes stare-stare-stare at Ayushi, going on so long it's almost like she hasn't understood the question, bidding R'hyn to prompt her with a little wiggle and a, "What's your name, baby?" Aha! It clicks! Eyes brighten, light, effusive giggles accompanying that poke to her cheek followed by a cooed, "Hewi. Hewi-wi-wibwi!" Aaaand she dissolves into babbled renditions of her own name along with renewed escape attempts, leaving R'hyn to chuckle and say, "Heribly. And on your own head be it." Because it's a fair trade, hairtie and daughter in exchange for booze! TOTALLY. The little babe looks briefly alarmed that she makes it past the wall of dad, looking up and over at R'hyn before shrieking a pleased little shriek and diving for Ayushi. Hold her, hold her, quick! She knows she isn't supposed to be doing this but you'll protect her, right?! R'hyn's eyes roll for the tot's mischievous giggles, but he drowns PARENTAL SIGHS and WEYRLEADER WOES in the knocking back of the bottle, one and done, judging by the firm planting of the bottle back into the sand next to her cup. "Thanks," he says before adding an agreeing, "and I did. It's quite possibly the worst topic I've been asked to discuss yet." Snort. "I voted we do that and dump it between, but something-something ecosystems, something-something fragile. They sent me a briefing but it was hopelessly dry. Don't suppose you'd want to sit in on it for me? I can deputize you into being my official representative real fast." RUDE, RYN. You can just PAWN the crap meetings off like that! … Can he? "I'm joking. What I wouldn't give for a good excuse to cancel though." He's gunning for that Worst Weyrleader of All Time trophy hard today.
Aaaaaaand…..here she comes! Luckily, as an adult Ayushi /is/ a tad faster than a toddler so she's got time to prepare for the arrival of curls and giggles. She'll scoop her hands under the little girl's arms, and if allowed lift her into the air with some appropriate sound effects. It's a bird, it's a plane! It's Super Heribly….who hopefully isn't drooling on her! "Well isn't that a cute name, bet you picked it yourself hm?" Not that she expects any of that to be understood. "I guess ecosystems are….a thing." They exist and are probably important! There's a laugh at the joke about sitting in on the meeting for him, "I'd probably fall asleep within the a few minutes and offend anyone else present." There's a slight pause as Yushi brings Heribly down to about shoulder height and then quickly pushes her back into the air. IT'S ARM DAY, GET PUMPED! She's got a firm hold though, nothing to fear! "Ah well you see, I think you've developed a horrible reaction to algae. So sever that you can hardly even hear the word lest you break out in hives. They wouldn't want you to be sick now, would they?" MAKES SENSE. Only it doesn't. "Or you could hide some alcohol in a mug and hope it makes the meeting less painful." No she has NEVER done this during lessons. Never in a million years. And it was totally not a trick she learned from those a bit further in training than her!
Allowed?! Heribly is delighted, little-girl giggles becoming outright belly laughter for lifts and sound effects and I mean… there's probably drool, but she keeps it to herself? Unlike her father, whose opinion he broadcasts aloud with a sotto voce, "Oh no. No she did not. Her and Ibsyglei were both named by their birthmothers." Ibsyglei. Faranth. "It doesn't matter that she's the one pushing that baby out of her you-know-what, if a woman ever tries to name your child something ridiculous, veto it." LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES. He seems to be joking, though - despite flat tones, his lips are curled somewhere crooked and fond, eyes bright with affection as Heribly's arms lift, imitating Ayushi's noises to attempt to get her to raise her again. It works! Laughter ensues, and it's infectious, bidding R'hyn laugh with her and Ayushi both. "Fair enough. I can't promise I won't do the same, but at least then it'll be me in trouble, not you." Snickering ensues at the idea of feigning allergies and imbibing more alcohol, the weyrleader fixing her with a keen look for the latter. "You sound like you have experience with this. I would have thought that alcohol intake would rather hamper your dancing. Or do you specialize in the kind of business they get up to in the bars in Ierne?," he asks, badly imitating it with shakes of his shoulders and wiggles of his hips, hands at the level of his eyes. Heinous. "But no. If anything, I'll make Ila sit in on it. He owes me one after that drink he made me imbibe the other night, wouldn't you agree?" Wink. "At any rate, I've got to get her back to the caverns before they start arriving. Thank you," for the booze, and for playing with his CRAZY CHILD, who shrieks laughter and definitely palms Ayushi's face with a healthy swab of spit as she's pulled away by the bronzerider. "It was a pleasure. If you change your mind and decide you can't live without an in-depth analysis of algal boom or whatever it is, you know where to find me. Say bye, Heri." He waves her little hand for her, waves his own hand, and then ambles weyrwards to the tune of Heribly's fervent shouts of, "Bye. Bye! BYEEEEE! BUH BYEEEE!" Bless.