[Jaeyi] Jaeyi and T'rev in twisty times.
RL Date: 1/25/10
IC Date: 11/10/21 --Log thievery.
It's been a full seven now since Vanissa went missing and in spite of all efforts to find her and return her to the Weyr, she's still in the hands of the raiders. Dun dun dun. The word has probably filtered around the immediate area pretty well by now, carried by gossip and anyone with relatives at the Weyr. Not so widely known is that a ransom note was received at the Weyr and this has stepped up the urgency of any rescue attempts. In all that shuffle, a short note made its way down to the Hold from the Weyr. Just two words on a sealed square of paper: "Please come?" Brought to Jaeyi in the kitchen and passed off without much explanation but a brief look from the bluerider who brought it. Go figure of course, that it's raining cats and dogs today, the weather as miserable a soggy T'rev ducking into his weyr.
Jaeyi's actually seriously supposed to be working and studying when she's up at the Weyr, but the bad weather's made it easy to hunker down without too many people fussing. While T'rev's out, she makes herself at least a little bit at home, setting the table with cozy potato soup and herb bread and gingerbread and tea, just straightening up from poking at the fire-- not her forte, but she's got it started if not crackling-away-cheerily-- when soggy T'rev makes his appearance. "You have a way with words?" Please come. Haha. It's a weak joke for a weak week.
Wet boots are abandoned in the entryway and T'rev pushes an oiled leather cap off his head, looks up as he catches the glow of the fire against the walls and just as she speaks, his eyes find her. "Oh thank Faranth," the Weyrleader say, whatever brave face he had on for the business he's been taking care of today melting away. His jacket is peeled off promptly and left on a hook by the door which he promptly shuts firmly and locks to boot, then crosses the room to slide his arms around her. "Heh. Yeah. I only wish I'd meant it for a joke. Shells that all smells good." Sniffing the air like a hound but then: "/You/ smell good." And there goes his nose burrowing into her shoulder and her neck.
Only too happy to fold T'rev up in a hug as much as she can, Jaeyi loops her arms around his waist, noses his temple to nudge the hair out of the way and kiss the edge of his forehead. "You smell soaked," she answers, enjoying him enough to ignore leftover dampness. With a few more kisses in between; "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. And I'm sorry that my dad apparently kidnapped your sister." She adds a little laugh to acknowledge the sad ludicrousness of the situation.
"Rain, go figure," T'rev says, obligingly shifting his head jut enough to let those kisses land. His arms tighten around her, like even just that helps with the OMG crazy that's going on. "Shh, you're here now. I don't -- ha!" He'd just looked up too to kiss her properly and instead his forehead thunks down as he laughs helplessly for a moment or two. Brown eyes lift again though, seek out hers. "If only? I'll bet we could convince him to help." Beat. "Has he sent you anything new?"
Jaeyi puts just enough distance between them that she can rest her forearms on his shoulders, cupping his chin with both hands, pressing a few more kisses over his eyes before she settles a sympathetic look to meet his gaze. "No, I'm sorry for that, too. If he does, though..." Presumably, T'rev will be the first to know. "At least you know she's okay, right? I mean, Liath could tell you if she was really hurt or-- whatever." Whatever/dead. "It's just a matter of time, hmn? Come sit down."
"Too good to hope for that, huh," T'rev says in the wake of those kisses, a weak little smile crossing his face. "Yeah. If anything happens to her, Liath will flip out again," the Weyrleader confirms then makes a little face. We're running out of time, actually," he relates and the gloom turns down the corners of his mouth. "They've sent a ransom letter." Breath blown out and he sneaks in one more kiss, then like a good little boy and heads for the table and that lovely lunch she's brought.
Delayed for a few seconds once he's gone, her head tilted confusedly to the side, Jaeyi repeats, "Ransom?" Really? T'rev sitting down helps her blink a few times and refocus on moving, not just standing there like a simpleton, and she follows a few steps later. Ladling soup, still hung up on the idea of ransom, she asks, "Are you going to pay it?" Here's a thought! Strange as it is for Jaeyi, of all people, to make the offer, terrible as she is with finances-- "Do you need money?"
Slumping into that chair, T'rev looks up at Jaeyi with a brief smile for being served. "No. The marks aren't a problem, no. But can't give them the idea that if they kidnap our people we'll pay them for it," he says with a shake of his head and pinches at the bridge of his nose. "It's not just asking for marks either. They want us to lay off harrassing them in the name of it being outside of the Weyr's jurisdiction and that we should leave it in the hands of the holds."
One more brief kiss, brushing his hair back from his forehead, and then Jaeyi settles herself down in the chair next to T'rev's, sets herself up with soup, too. "I take it from your tone that you don't plan on doing that, either." Looking down for a second at the edge of her bowl, there's an obvious tell in the lowered eyes, obvious for T'rev anyway: /she/ would probably react differently, under the same circumstances. "Are you-- mmn, what are you going to do? Aside from stress about it." Crinkled nose; "You're gonna get wrinkles if this keeps up."
Another shake of T'rev's head. "No. We have to stop them somehow, Jae," he says quietly and after the first spoonful or two, swishes his spoon around in the soup, rather than eating it. "I just hope to Faranth it doesn't wind up being at the price of Nissa's ... well-being. Or worse. Her life." He looks up and over at her, tugs at his hair. "Well, we're trying to use what she can tell us to figure out where she is and get her back. And if we can get her back, then we're going to have to be careful about anyone else getting nabbed. If we can't get her back, we'll probably try to use the ransom trade as a trap." There's a long pause and he clears his throat. "And we've got people on the inside now. Not just your Da."
Look! Jaeyi's not totally stupid! "Yeah, I figured. Kai got 'transferred to Monaco' at an awfully convenient time." The sideways look she sends over is a little proud of her cleverness-- not that it should have taken a real leap of logic, knowing what she knows. Watching him after that glance, troubled for his part, she adds, "She'll be okay, T'rev. You'll-- figure out what to do." Blind faith isn't as cheap as it used to be, sorry. "And, uhmn, Nissa will have an exciting story to tell for the rest of her life." Yay?
That earns Jaeyi a little sideways smirk and T'rev actually starts eating again. "Yeah. So it's not all a wash, it's just whether or not we run out of time before their deadline. There's ways to get her back, just ... need a break," the Weyrleader says with some frustration. Her last earns a different sort of look, the kind that draws a bit of an eyeroll. "Let's just hope it stays a story, yeah," he agrees and reaches for some bread to dip in the soup. Pause. "How're things at the Hold?" Serious enough question, even if asked in a seemingly casual tone.
To qualify; "I'm sure most people think he got transferred. He certainly deserves to." Still no love lost there. Jaeyi fusses around with her soup for a few more stirs with her spoon then promptly abandons the seat she just claimed, comes back over to stand next to T'rev's again, to thread her arms around his shoulders with her chin on top of his head, cuddly. "You'll get a break. She's gonna be okay, and you can be a heroic big brother, and everything will work out," with conviction. Also with conviction, "Things're fine enough, but I wanted to be here with you-- spend time with you before this whole mess makes you gray-haired before your time."
"He's been gettin' into a lot of fighting lately," T'rev supplies, tone mild, which is as far as he'll go toward criticizing Kai today. His spoon scrapes the bottom of his bowl and he licks the last of the stuff off of it, wipes bread along the bottom of the bowl on top of that and pops it into his mouth just in time for Jaeyi to come get cuddly. His hands slide up her forearms and his head tilts back a little. "I know. We'll figure it out. Have to believe it," T'rev says, but it sounds like he's trying to convince himself. That last draws a slight smile and one of his hands changes direction to follow the angle of her wrist, fingers seeking hers out to thread together. "I miss you too," is what he answers. "And don't check for gray hairs. If there are any pretend they're not there and I'm still just as pretty as ever." Oh finally, some kidding around.
As far as T'rev will criticize B'kaiv is met with a dull, "I bet." Jaeyi would probably still have some choice words to say, but not the time-and-place. "You don't /have/ to believe it, but you should. All you have to do is figure out where she is, hmn?" Like it's that damn easy. Lacing fingers, kissing the top of his head in among his curls, she promises, "You're still just as pretty as ever. Though-- well, you need to catch your breath sometimes, I think. I mean, I know this is your sister and it's different, but if you keep being this stressed out for as long as you have been?" Worried.
"Yeah and then hope that where she is is someplace we can get to," T'rev rallies further and lifts her hand to press a kiss o her palm. "I was doin' okay with that until this," the Weyrleader says and shifts his head a little so he can tilt it back enough to bring her face into view. "Think you might be able to swing Nerat sometime ... after we've found Nissa and everything is mostly okay again?"
"You'll get to her." Of that, Jaeyi is absolutely convinced, brushing her fingers at the edge of his mouth after that kiss, tossing on a little frown when she bends for a closer study. Her fingernail traces down from the corner of his lips, tsk tsk for pretend-wrinkles. The very first reaction to his request is an expression of abject apology and the hesitant, "I'll-- uhmn, maybe." Nowait. "Yes. You just have to promise that your head won't explode before then."
Deep breath and T'rev holds still while she traces her fingers down his face, nail looking for wrinkles that aren't there. Yet. 'Maybe' makes the stars start to fall in his eyes. Her changed answer draws a bemused look. "Which head?" is the obligatory rejoinder and this time his smile is more like it should be as he playfully aims to tug her around the chair and down into his lap.
To collect all those stars, Jaeyi promises, "We'll find time." Somewhere between the one day a week at the Weyr, three nights a week servicing the Steward, her actual work, T'rev's actual work... Anyways. "Funny!" she praises quickly, settling into his lap with all the prompt comfort of familiarity. Spent a lotta time there. "Good for you. I was starting to worry that your sense of humor was ruined forever." Hum hum, perfectly innocent hands, yes. "Which I could live with, provided certain other things--" Guess what things. "--were still functioning."
"We will," T'rev promises in turn, arms winding around her with more of that comfortable familiarity. "Pshaw, ain't all this tough stuff as is gonna totally ruin my humor," yes, he just slid into full on drawl. "And there's definitely nothin' wrong with /that/," the Weyrleader promises all the more fervently, eyes managing some twinkle, just for her. His chin tilts, a kiss aimed for her cheek, another lower. "And Jae ... be careful, okay? I know things're pretty safe at Fort Hold, but be careful."
Even levity is a little tempered these days, isn't it? Jaeyi's smile, while authentic and cheery and bright, has an edge of whimsy to it. "Oh yay, there's that boy from Nerat. I was beginning to wonder what happened to him." Considering she's got through belt and into pants, she probably ought to be calling him a 'man' more than a 'boy,' but too late. Pausing, leaning away to still his kisses and send a look that's comically stern; "I'll be fine, T'rev. I don't really go places, remember? And I don't think raiders are busting in to Fort Hold any time soon."
She's in his pants. That pretty much means the countdown to zero brain has started and will be ending soon. But T'rev laughs a bit more brightly. "Ain't ever gonna /not/ be a boy from Nerat," he points out, hips helpfully lifting a little. "I know they're not. But just -- keep a little bit of an eye out. Please?" His hands lift, slide into her hair to sweep it back from her face. There's earnest concern on his.
"Mmn. Sometimes, I worry that the Weyrleader's getting the better of the boy is all. And I--" Jaeyi has to pause, pulling his shirt out of the way with an industrious frown down at his lap. "--think the accent is sexy." The accent among other things, though her hands pause, one right in the middle of working on his shirt-buttons now, to meet his earnest concern seriously. "Nothing is gonna happen to me, T'rev. Well, nothing I don't bring on myself, anyway. I've been teaching Sugar how to be a look-out, so I'm not even gonna get caught rifling through people's desks." This is her version of genius.
"Then I'll make sure t'talk normal whenever you're here," T'rev answers about the accent, his hands dropping to her shoulders to start to ease fabric down and out of the way. About to lean in to drop a kiss to her collarbone, her explanation about Sugar brings him up short. "What?" Blink, blink.
Not that the little brown is in evidence at the moment, but /probably/ they've got it worked out that he can come when called? "I could have him demonstrate," Jaeyi volunteers, diligently resuming the work on his shirt like the drawl makes it impossible to cease. Pushed off his shoulders, now pulling the cuffs from his wrists, she adds, "But I'm pretty sure he'll mess it up, it's really only about fifty-fifty right now. He's not," she'll kiss him if he's not going to kiss her, then, "very," another kiss, "bright."
It takes a second for T'rev to focus again, because hey you know, she's just about got his shirt off and there's kisses. But he does manage to bring the question together and direct it away from Sugar-the-super-firelizard-who-isn't-that-bright. "Whose desk?" Two word question no less. His hands settle at her waist, fingers sneaking up beneath the hem of her shirt in spite of the quasi-serious question. Focus T'rev! The big head! Not the little one!
Jaeyi's not helpful for focus. She knows whose desk, so it's easier for her to be cavalier about the matter, to spend more time undressing and then groping T'rev than worrying about her other covert operations. "Hmmmn?" Distracted with the hollow of his throat, with starting on her own shirt buttons, she gets her own few seconds to re-focus. "Oh, Esraval's, of course. I'm not sure what I expect to find, but I know where he keeps all the keys now, so if you ever want some reeeeeaallly nice wine, just say the word."
Groping does not do wonders for focus, no. T'rev's palms slide upward beneath her shirt, heartrate definitely up and other things too. And then she hits him with that and his head jerk back, the rider struggling for breath. "Seriously?" And he just has to go ruining what's building up to be quite a bit of heat between them, doesn't he? "Jae ..." he trail off, brow furrowed unprettily, like he still can't quite collect his thoughts. Because duh, he's half-naked with her, a quarter naked in his lap.
Seriously? "Oh, very. There's some in the wine cellar at the Hold that are probably worth a small fortune. Or a very large fortune, even." He jerks his head back just when she drops her shirt down on top of his, looking back at him with a few blinks of her own. It's starting to sink in that he's bothered by this. Finally. "What? Everyone spent all this time-- 'oh, don't trust him, Jae, be careful, he's not a good person, blah blah.' So I don't trust him. He trusts me, though." More fool him, so says the cheery smile. "Don't worry, T'rev."
He's going to start sounding like a broken record. Hell, he already does. "Be /careful/ Jae," T'rev says very seriously, eyes on her face for a long moment or two that only end when he leans in suddenly to kiss her with the kind of passion that usually curls her toes up. From there it's not far to rather intense table-sex that leaves T'rev spent and sprawled half across the baker, likely with the table making for some discomfort all around, skin stuck to it, hard wood. All that.
Yeah, yeah. Be careful. She's heard that one before. Jaeyi doesn't bother with the issue any further than that, happy to have her toes curled for her. Though she has to point out, when silverware gets knocked off the table in their collective zeal, clattering noisily on the ground; "I'm supposed to be /careful/, T'rev, sheesh!" It's probably for the best that the silverware fell off the table, though, considering there are places that butter knives absolutely do not belong. "If that's your default reaction to paranoia..." Peeling herself away from him and the table isn't fun, but she gets to work on it.
T'rev's arm leaving the table makes that farty-sucking sound that skin stuck to smooth surfaces makes when it peels off as he rolls a little to let her rise. "Ow," the Weyrleader says distinctly, patchy red marring the underside of his arm where it was stuck to the table. He sits though, reaches for her again, to slide his fingers down her arm. "I don't want to lose you, that's all," T'rev says lowly. "Though hell, maybe if you did get caught and he got mad, I'd get you back. How's that for twisted?" the Weyrleader adds with a wry turn to his mouth and an abortive bark of laughter that has an odd edge to it. "I love you," T'rev blurts out next, not like it really needs saying again, but maybe he needs to.
Twisted. Jaeyi makes a face and answers, "I still think my dead dad kidnapping your little sister takes the cake when it comes to twisted." Reaching back, finding his trailing hand with her own, she returns an earlier favor and puts a kiss to the heel of his palm, turning her nose into his palm for a few calm breaths. "I know. That's why I'm here." Another kiss, then, "Well, that and Melkyn has a cold today so he said he didn't want to deal with me, and I was already all the way up here at the Weyr, sooooo."
"Twisted times," T'rev says, tone as dry as his ever gets and he scoots over, making squeaky sounds on the table. Bare butt and all to slide his arm around her again. "Then I will thank Faranth for the cold that's been making a nuisance of itself in the caverns. Hope that you don't get sick. But if you do, send for me? I'll come spoil you a little, even if I have to dress up like a girl again to sneak into your room at the Hold." Oh so serious. Only, hey there's twinkle in his eyes again. Mission accomplished?
With a lip-bitey, amused grin, Jaeyi comments, "I like twisty times with you." Why she bothered getting off of the table (versus getting off /on/ the table) is a mystery, since she's pretty much not going anywhere that takes her out of arm's reach, instead looping her arms back around T'rev once more. "For all I think the skirt's awful cute on you, I'd rather just avoid getting sick altogether. I'd be all low-energy." As opposed to ready-to-go-again, get-it-up-please.
Genuine laughter echoes in the weyr this time and T'rev just smiles at her. "Goes both ways, sweetheart," he drawls out, voice like molasses and leans in to bump his nose to hers, while his arms wrap tightly around her. "Low-energy or high-energy, I'll take care of you," he murmurs with a little wicked grin caught in the curve of his mouth. "D'you have t'go put in an appearance in the kitchen? Or can you stick close for a bit? I've got a couple of letters to write, but I'm thinkin' that the bath needs a work out."
Not that it takes much anyway, but the drawl does make Jaeyi's breath get all uneven; wasn't kidding about thinking it's sexy. "Even if I was supposed to put in that appearance," she begins, neither here-nor-there, "it'd have to wait." That wicked grin needs kissing, her turn to try and curl his toes even while she reaches for his hands, an attempt to pry him off the table. "We need to be loud and splashy for a while." And distract themselves from their respective sucky lives.
Pried off with another 'ow' and more amusing suction cup sounds as his ass leaves the table, T'rev just /grins/. "I /like/ ... no I /love/ the way you think," he drawls out and it'll be a miracle if there's any water left in the self-refreshing bath by the time they're done. Jaeyi might also be very gratified with the noise level. Letter-writing does become necessary at some point in there, but T'rev is quick to point out that she makes a lovely desk and so even with some work to do, the two of them can still be counted on to turn any afternoon into one that's wholly debauched.
"Just be careful where you're putting your pen," is Jaeyi's stern warning, put before she works really hard to stay still and not get ink all over her nakedness. He'll have to go pick up his letters by the end of that afternoon, since they're all going to get pushed out of the way in deference to the pleasure of a long, rainy day. Finally, lips against his ear, "Seeing as I think we fulfilled the request in your note... I better get dressed. You, though, ought to stay here and be naked for a while. I'll stop in the kitchen and make sure they send you some supper."
One might need a rewrite, but T'rev is so not complaining about where the letters wind up. Still, there's a quiet sigh in response to that murmur of hers. "Wish you could stay," is a predictable reaction, but his hand lifts to thread into her hair, lift it off the back of her neck so he can turn his face and press a gentle kiss there. "But you're right. Nap is probably a good idea. More maps to stare at and rescue runs t'plan tomorrow. His fingers linger along her hair, her still-bare skin, then with regret, he lets her go, rolls over in the bed that they eventually made it to and props his chin up on crossed arms covered by a pillow to watch her track down her clothes.
"Nap," Jaeyi says with false derision, eyes rolling while she pulls away from him, easier to leave playfully than to get caught up in the wish-she-could-stay trap. "So lazy." Tsking, she makes sure to give him the whole show, all the flirtatious tosses of her hair, the tantalizing fun of putting clothes back on, and finally coming back to bed with him for a few minutes, laying half across him with kisses for his shoulder and back. "Get some rest, Weyrleader. I think you've earned it."
That only makes T'rev smile all the more and he gives her a wolf-whistle or two of appreciation for the show. When she returns, his arm drapes around her and his nose burrows towards her for just a little longer. "Thanks for comin'," he murmurs, and though he means it sincerely, the joke is in the words too and the quiet spark in his eyes as his hand skirts down her back one last time. Those kisses seem to soothe rather than incite though, after all the excitement and T'rev's eyes drift closed, his breathing evening out before she slips away. Yes. He's very tired. Later, the next day, another discreet letter arrives at the Hold for Jaeyi, again it's short: "You give me good sleep too."
IC Date: 11/10/21 --Log thievery.
It's been a full seven now since Vanissa went missing and in spite of all efforts to find her and return her to the Weyr, she's still in the hands of the raiders. Dun dun dun. The word has probably filtered around the immediate area pretty well by now, carried by gossip and anyone with relatives at the Weyr. Not so widely known is that a ransom note was received at the Weyr and this has stepped up the urgency of any rescue attempts. In all that shuffle, a short note made its way down to the Hold from the Weyr. Just two words on a sealed square of paper: "Please come?" Brought to Jaeyi in the kitchen and passed off without much explanation but a brief look from the bluerider who brought it. Go figure of course, that it's raining cats and dogs today, the weather as miserable a soggy T'rev ducking into his weyr.
Jaeyi's actually seriously supposed to be working and studying when she's up at the Weyr, but the bad weather's made it easy to hunker down without too many people fussing. While T'rev's out, she makes herself at least a little bit at home, setting the table with cozy potato soup and herb bread and gingerbread and tea, just straightening up from poking at the fire-- not her forte, but she's got it started if not crackling-away-cheerily-- when soggy T'rev makes his appearance. "You have a way with words?" Please come. Haha. It's a weak joke for a weak week.
Wet boots are abandoned in the entryway and T'rev pushes an oiled leather cap off his head, looks up as he catches the glow of the fire against the walls and just as she speaks, his eyes find her. "Oh thank Faranth," the Weyrleader say, whatever brave face he had on for the business he's been taking care of today melting away. His jacket is peeled off promptly and left on a hook by the door which he promptly shuts firmly and locks to boot, then crosses the room to slide his arms around her. "Heh. Yeah. I only wish I'd meant it for a joke. Shells that all smells good." Sniffing the air like a hound but then: "/You/ smell good." And there goes his nose burrowing into her shoulder and her neck.
Only too happy to fold T'rev up in a hug as much as she can, Jaeyi loops her arms around his waist, noses his temple to nudge the hair out of the way and kiss the edge of his forehead. "You smell soaked," she answers, enjoying him enough to ignore leftover dampness. With a few more kisses in between; "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. And I'm sorry that my dad apparently kidnapped your sister." She adds a little laugh to acknowledge the sad ludicrousness of the situation.
"Rain, go figure," T'rev says, obligingly shifting his head jut enough to let those kisses land. His arms tighten around her, like even just that helps with the OMG crazy that's going on. "Shh, you're here now. I don't -- ha!" He'd just looked up too to kiss her properly and instead his forehead thunks down as he laughs helplessly for a moment or two. Brown eyes lift again though, seek out hers. "If only? I'll bet we could convince him to help." Beat. "Has he sent you anything new?"
Jaeyi puts just enough distance between them that she can rest her forearms on his shoulders, cupping his chin with both hands, pressing a few more kisses over his eyes before she settles a sympathetic look to meet his gaze. "No, I'm sorry for that, too. If he does, though..." Presumably, T'rev will be the first to know. "At least you know she's okay, right? I mean, Liath could tell you if she was really hurt or-- whatever." Whatever/dead. "It's just a matter of time, hmn? Come sit down."
"Too good to hope for that, huh," T'rev says in the wake of those kisses, a weak little smile crossing his face. "Yeah. If anything happens to her, Liath will flip out again," the Weyrleader confirms then makes a little face. We're running out of time, actually," he relates and the gloom turns down the corners of his mouth. "They've sent a ransom letter." Breath blown out and he sneaks in one more kiss, then like a good little boy and heads for the table and that lovely lunch she's brought.
Delayed for a few seconds once he's gone, her head tilted confusedly to the side, Jaeyi repeats, "Ransom?" Really? T'rev sitting down helps her blink a few times and refocus on moving, not just standing there like a simpleton, and she follows a few steps later. Ladling soup, still hung up on the idea of ransom, she asks, "Are you going to pay it?" Here's a thought! Strange as it is for Jaeyi, of all people, to make the offer, terrible as she is with finances-- "Do you need money?"
Slumping into that chair, T'rev looks up at Jaeyi with a brief smile for being served. "No. The marks aren't a problem, no. But can't give them the idea that if they kidnap our people we'll pay them for it," he says with a shake of his head and pinches at the bridge of his nose. "It's not just asking for marks either. They want us to lay off harrassing them in the name of it being outside of the Weyr's jurisdiction and that we should leave it in the hands of the holds."
One more brief kiss, brushing his hair back from his forehead, and then Jaeyi settles herself down in the chair next to T'rev's, sets herself up with soup, too. "I take it from your tone that you don't plan on doing that, either." Looking down for a second at the edge of her bowl, there's an obvious tell in the lowered eyes, obvious for T'rev anyway: /she/ would probably react differently, under the same circumstances. "Are you-- mmn, what are you going to do? Aside from stress about it." Crinkled nose; "You're gonna get wrinkles if this keeps up."
Another shake of T'rev's head. "No. We have to stop them somehow, Jae," he says quietly and after the first spoonful or two, swishes his spoon around in the soup, rather than eating it. "I just hope to Faranth it doesn't wind up being at the price of Nissa's ... well-being. Or worse. Her life." He looks up and over at her, tugs at his hair. "Well, we're trying to use what she can tell us to figure out where she is and get her back. And if we can get her back, then we're going to have to be careful about anyone else getting nabbed. If we can't get her back, we'll probably try to use the ransom trade as a trap." There's a long pause and he clears his throat. "And we've got people on the inside now. Not just your Da."
Look! Jaeyi's not totally stupid! "Yeah, I figured. Kai got 'transferred to Monaco' at an awfully convenient time." The sideways look she sends over is a little proud of her cleverness-- not that it should have taken a real leap of logic, knowing what she knows. Watching him after that glance, troubled for his part, she adds, "She'll be okay, T'rev. You'll-- figure out what to do." Blind faith isn't as cheap as it used to be, sorry. "And, uhmn, Nissa will have an exciting story to tell for the rest of her life." Yay?
That earns Jaeyi a little sideways smirk and T'rev actually starts eating again. "Yeah. So it's not all a wash, it's just whether or not we run out of time before their deadline. There's ways to get her back, just ... need a break," the Weyrleader says with some frustration. Her last earns a different sort of look, the kind that draws a bit of an eyeroll. "Let's just hope it stays a story, yeah," he agrees and reaches for some bread to dip in the soup. Pause. "How're things at the Hold?" Serious enough question, even if asked in a seemingly casual tone.
To qualify; "I'm sure most people think he got transferred. He certainly deserves to." Still no love lost there. Jaeyi fusses around with her soup for a few more stirs with her spoon then promptly abandons the seat she just claimed, comes back over to stand next to T'rev's again, to thread her arms around his shoulders with her chin on top of his head, cuddly. "You'll get a break. She's gonna be okay, and you can be a heroic big brother, and everything will work out," with conviction. Also with conviction, "Things're fine enough, but I wanted to be here with you-- spend time with you before this whole mess makes you gray-haired before your time."
"He's been gettin' into a lot of fighting lately," T'rev supplies, tone mild, which is as far as he'll go toward criticizing Kai today. His spoon scrapes the bottom of his bowl and he licks the last of the stuff off of it, wipes bread along the bottom of the bowl on top of that and pops it into his mouth just in time for Jaeyi to come get cuddly. His hands slide up her forearms and his head tilts back a little. "I know. We'll figure it out. Have to believe it," T'rev says, but it sounds like he's trying to convince himself. That last draws a slight smile and one of his hands changes direction to follow the angle of her wrist, fingers seeking hers out to thread together. "I miss you too," is what he answers. "And don't check for gray hairs. If there are any pretend they're not there and I'm still just as pretty as ever." Oh finally, some kidding around.
As far as T'rev will criticize B'kaiv is met with a dull, "I bet." Jaeyi would probably still have some choice words to say, but not the time-and-place. "You don't /have/ to believe it, but you should. All you have to do is figure out where she is, hmn?" Like it's that damn easy. Lacing fingers, kissing the top of his head in among his curls, she promises, "You're still just as pretty as ever. Though-- well, you need to catch your breath sometimes, I think. I mean, I know this is your sister and it's different, but if you keep being this stressed out for as long as you have been?" Worried.
"Yeah and then hope that where she is is someplace we can get to," T'rev rallies further and lifts her hand to press a kiss o her palm. "I was doin' okay with that until this," the Weyrleader says and shifts his head a little so he can tilt it back enough to bring her face into view. "Think you might be able to swing Nerat sometime ... after we've found Nissa and everything is mostly okay again?"
"You'll get to her." Of that, Jaeyi is absolutely convinced, brushing her fingers at the edge of his mouth after that kiss, tossing on a little frown when she bends for a closer study. Her fingernail traces down from the corner of his lips, tsk tsk for pretend-wrinkles. The very first reaction to his request is an expression of abject apology and the hesitant, "I'll-- uhmn, maybe." Nowait. "Yes. You just have to promise that your head won't explode before then."
Deep breath and T'rev holds still while she traces her fingers down his face, nail looking for wrinkles that aren't there. Yet. 'Maybe' makes the stars start to fall in his eyes. Her changed answer draws a bemused look. "Which head?" is the obligatory rejoinder and this time his smile is more like it should be as he playfully aims to tug her around the chair and down into his lap.
To collect all those stars, Jaeyi promises, "We'll find time." Somewhere between the one day a week at the Weyr, three nights a week servicing the Steward, her actual work, T'rev's actual work... Anyways. "Funny!" she praises quickly, settling into his lap with all the prompt comfort of familiarity. Spent a lotta time there. "Good for you. I was starting to worry that your sense of humor was ruined forever." Hum hum, perfectly innocent hands, yes. "Which I could live with, provided certain other things--" Guess what things. "--were still functioning."
"We will," T'rev promises in turn, arms winding around her with more of that comfortable familiarity. "Pshaw, ain't all this tough stuff as is gonna totally ruin my humor," yes, he just slid into full on drawl. "And there's definitely nothin' wrong with /that/," the Weyrleader promises all the more fervently, eyes managing some twinkle, just for her. His chin tilts, a kiss aimed for her cheek, another lower. "And Jae ... be careful, okay? I know things're pretty safe at Fort Hold, but be careful."
Even levity is a little tempered these days, isn't it? Jaeyi's smile, while authentic and cheery and bright, has an edge of whimsy to it. "Oh yay, there's that boy from Nerat. I was beginning to wonder what happened to him." Considering she's got through belt and into pants, she probably ought to be calling him a 'man' more than a 'boy,' but too late. Pausing, leaning away to still his kisses and send a look that's comically stern; "I'll be fine, T'rev. I don't really go places, remember? And I don't think raiders are busting in to Fort Hold any time soon."
She's in his pants. That pretty much means the countdown to zero brain has started and will be ending soon. But T'rev laughs a bit more brightly. "Ain't ever gonna /not/ be a boy from Nerat," he points out, hips helpfully lifting a little. "I know they're not. But just -- keep a little bit of an eye out. Please?" His hands lift, slide into her hair to sweep it back from her face. There's earnest concern on his.
"Mmn. Sometimes, I worry that the Weyrleader's getting the better of the boy is all. And I--" Jaeyi has to pause, pulling his shirt out of the way with an industrious frown down at his lap. "--think the accent is sexy." The accent among other things, though her hands pause, one right in the middle of working on his shirt-buttons now, to meet his earnest concern seriously. "Nothing is gonna happen to me, T'rev. Well, nothing I don't bring on myself, anyway. I've been teaching Sugar how to be a look-out, so I'm not even gonna get caught rifling through people's desks." This is her version of genius.
"Then I'll make sure t'talk normal whenever you're here," T'rev answers about the accent, his hands dropping to her shoulders to start to ease fabric down and out of the way. About to lean in to drop a kiss to her collarbone, her explanation about Sugar brings him up short. "What?" Blink, blink.
Not that the little brown is in evidence at the moment, but /probably/ they've got it worked out that he can come when called? "I could have him demonstrate," Jaeyi volunteers, diligently resuming the work on his shirt like the drawl makes it impossible to cease. Pushed off his shoulders, now pulling the cuffs from his wrists, she adds, "But I'm pretty sure he'll mess it up, it's really only about fifty-fifty right now. He's not," she'll kiss him if he's not going to kiss her, then, "very," another kiss, "bright."
It takes a second for T'rev to focus again, because hey you know, she's just about got his shirt off and there's kisses. But he does manage to bring the question together and direct it away from Sugar-the-super-firelizard-who-isn't-that-bright. "Whose desk?" Two word question no less. His hands settle at her waist, fingers sneaking up beneath the hem of her shirt in spite of the quasi-serious question. Focus T'rev! The big head! Not the little one!
Jaeyi's not helpful for focus. She knows whose desk, so it's easier for her to be cavalier about the matter, to spend more time undressing and then groping T'rev than worrying about her other covert operations. "Hmmmn?" Distracted with the hollow of his throat, with starting on her own shirt buttons, she gets her own few seconds to re-focus. "Oh, Esraval's, of course. I'm not sure what I expect to find, but I know where he keeps all the keys now, so if you ever want some reeeeeaallly nice wine, just say the word."
Groping does not do wonders for focus, no. T'rev's palms slide upward beneath her shirt, heartrate definitely up and other things too. And then she hits him with that and his head jerk back, the rider struggling for breath. "Seriously?" And he just has to go ruining what's building up to be quite a bit of heat between them, doesn't he? "Jae ..." he trail off, brow furrowed unprettily, like he still can't quite collect his thoughts. Because duh, he's half-naked with her, a quarter naked in his lap.
Seriously? "Oh, very. There's some in the wine cellar at the Hold that are probably worth a small fortune. Or a very large fortune, even." He jerks his head back just when she drops her shirt down on top of his, looking back at him with a few blinks of her own. It's starting to sink in that he's bothered by this. Finally. "What? Everyone spent all this time-- 'oh, don't trust him, Jae, be careful, he's not a good person, blah blah.' So I don't trust him. He trusts me, though." More fool him, so says the cheery smile. "Don't worry, T'rev."
He's going to start sounding like a broken record. Hell, he already does. "Be /careful/ Jae," T'rev says very seriously, eyes on her face for a long moment or two that only end when he leans in suddenly to kiss her with the kind of passion that usually curls her toes up. From there it's not far to rather intense table-sex that leaves T'rev spent and sprawled half across the baker, likely with the table making for some discomfort all around, skin stuck to it, hard wood. All that.
Yeah, yeah. Be careful. She's heard that one before. Jaeyi doesn't bother with the issue any further than that, happy to have her toes curled for her. Though she has to point out, when silverware gets knocked off the table in their collective zeal, clattering noisily on the ground; "I'm supposed to be /careful/, T'rev, sheesh!" It's probably for the best that the silverware fell off the table, though, considering there are places that butter knives absolutely do not belong. "If that's your default reaction to paranoia..." Peeling herself away from him and the table isn't fun, but she gets to work on it.
T'rev's arm leaving the table makes that farty-sucking sound that skin stuck to smooth surfaces makes when it peels off as he rolls a little to let her rise. "Ow," the Weyrleader says distinctly, patchy red marring the underside of his arm where it was stuck to the table. He sits though, reaches for her again, to slide his fingers down her arm. "I don't want to lose you, that's all," T'rev says lowly. "Though hell, maybe if you did get caught and he got mad, I'd get you back. How's that for twisted?" the Weyrleader adds with a wry turn to his mouth and an abortive bark of laughter that has an odd edge to it. "I love you," T'rev blurts out next, not like it really needs saying again, but maybe he needs to.
Twisted. Jaeyi makes a face and answers, "I still think my dead dad kidnapping your little sister takes the cake when it comes to twisted." Reaching back, finding his trailing hand with her own, she returns an earlier favor and puts a kiss to the heel of his palm, turning her nose into his palm for a few calm breaths. "I know. That's why I'm here." Another kiss, then, "Well, that and Melkyn has a cold today so he said he didn't want to deal with me, and I was already all the way up here at the Weyr, sooooo."
"Twisted times," T'rev says, tone as dry as his ever gets and he scoots over, making squeaky sounds on the table. Bare butt and all to slide his arm around her again. "Then I will thank Faranth for the cold that's been making a nuisance of itself in the caverns. Hope that you don't get sick. But if you do, send for me? I'll come spoil you a little, even if I have to dress up like a girl again to sneak into your room at the Hold." Oh so serious. Only, hey there's twinkle in his eyes again. Mission accomplished?
With a lip-bitey, amused grin, Jaeyi comments, "I like twisty times with you." Why she bothered getting off of the table (versus getting off /on/ the table) is a mystery, since she's pretty much not going anywhere that takes her out of arm's reach, instead looping her arms back around T'rev once more. "For all I think the skirt's awful cute on you, I'd rather just avoid getting sick altogether. I'd be all low-energy." As opposed to ready-to-go-again, get-it-up-please.
Genuine laughter echoes in the weyr this time and T'rev just smiles at her. "Goes both ways, sweetheart," he drawls out, voice like molasses and leans in to bump his nose to hers, while his arms wrap tightly around her. "Low-energy or high-energy, I'll take care of you," he murmurs with a little wicked grin caught in the curve of his mouth. "D'you have t'go put in an appearance in the kitchen? Or can you stick close for a bit? I've got a couple of letters to write, but I'm thinkin' that the bath needs a work out."
Not that it takes much anyway, but the drawl does make Jaeyi's breath get all uneven; wasn't kidding about thinking it's sexy. "Even if I was supposed to put in that appearance," she begins, neither here-nor-there, "it'd have to wait." That wicked grin needs kissing, her turn to try and curl his toes even while she reaches for his hands, an attempt to pry him off the table. "We need to be loud and splashy for a while." And distract themselves from their respective sucky lives.
Pried off with another 'ow' and more amusing suction cup sounds as his ass leaves the table, T'rev just /grins/. "I /like/ ... no I /love/ the way you think," he drawls out and it'll be a miracle if there's any water left in the self-refreshing bath by the time they're done. Jaeyi might also be very gratified with the noise level. Letter-writing does become necessary at some point in there, but T'rev is quick to point out that she makes a lovely desk and so even with some work to do, the two of them can still be counted on to turn any afternoon into one that's wholly debauched.
"Just be careful where you're putting your pen," is Jaeyi's stern warning, put before she works really hard to stay still and not get ink all over her nakedness. He'll have to go pick up his letters by the end of that afternoon, since they're all going to get pushed out of the way in deference to the pleasure of a long, rainy day. Finally, lips against his ear, "Seeing as I think we fulfilled the request in your note... I better get dressed. You, though, ought to stay here and be naked for a while. I'll stop in the kitchen and make sure they send you some supper."
One might need a rewrite, but T'rev is so not complaining about where the letters wind up. Still, there's a quiet sigh in response to that murmur of hers. "Wish you could stay," is a predictable reaction, but his hand lifts to thread into her hair, lift it off the back of her neck so he can turn his face and press a gentle kiss there. "But you're right. Nap is probably a good idea. More maps to stare at and rescue runs t'plan tomorrow. His fingers linger along her hair, her still-bare skin, then with regret, he lets her go, rolls over in the bed that they eventually made it to and props his chin up on crossed arms covered by a pillow to watch her track down her clothes.
"Nap," Jaeyi says with false derision, eyes rolling while she pulls away from him, easier to leave playfully than to get caught up in the wish-she-could-stay trap. "So lazy." Tsking, she makes sure to give him the whole show, all the flirtatious tosses of her hair, the tantalizing fun of putting clothes back on, and finally coming back to bed with him for a few minutes, laying half across him with kisses for his shoulder and back. "Get some rest, Weyrleader. I think you've earned it."
That only makes T'rev smile all the more and he gives her a wolf-whistle or two of appreciation for the show. When she returns, his arm drapes around her and his nose burrows towards her for just a little longer. "Thanks for comin'," he murmurs, and though he means it sincerely, the joke is in the words too and the quiet spark in his eyes as his hand skirts down her back one last time. Those kisses seem to soothe rather than incite though, after all the excitement and T'rev's eyes drift closed, his breathing evening out before she slips away. Yes. He's very tired. Later, the next day, another discreet letter arrives at the Hold for Jaeyi, again it's short: "You give me good sleep too."