[Jaeyi] If ever two people could use an au pair...
RL Date: 8/30/10
IC Date: 8/17/23 --Belatedly stolen from T'rev.
Imagine that. T'rev has a day off. Late morning therefore finds him still at home sorting through the laundry hamper to put together a load to bring down to the wash in the lower caverns. He sings while he works too, all pretty voiced and whatnot, and it's one of his infamous bawdies.
Jaeyi does not have the day off, but that's okay. She has already been and come home, having put breakfast out for most people and thus released herself of enough of her duties that, along about midmorning, she can borrow a ride back up to the ledge with (speaking of 'imagine that') food. Not about to interrupt a serenade, even if it's more raunchy than romantic, she trots in to arrange the table, evidently feeling much better these days. "It's like having my very own bluebird," she chimes amusedly at the tail-end of the song.
Looking up as Jaeyi trots in, T'rev takes a moment to admire very obviously in fact, though he doesn't stop singing. Another pair of dirty undies gets stuffed into the laundry bag, then he dusts his hands off and pushes up to his feet to come over to the table. "Yeah? Somehow, I don't think birds really sing these kinds of songs," he says with a laugh and leans in to press a kiss against the curve of Jaeyi's neck.
Not that pragmatism is normally her schtick, but Jaeyi assumes a very practical, matter-of-fact tone to point out, "You don't know what birds sing about, really. For all you know, all their little birdsongs are bawdies, hmn? That'd explain why they're so damn cheerful all the time, anyways." Head tilted in accommodation of that neck-kiss, she then gestures to the table with a bright, "Magic overnight french toast with blueberries, for extra tooth rotting specialness. Hungry?"
"Good point," T'rev says with a little laugh and a little bit of hand wandering. "Starving," he claims though it might not be the food he's talking about. "French toast and blueberries, sounds great."
Jaeyi, so proud, "Thank you." She also thought it was a good point. A stupid one, but she's got so little to go on except looks, she'll take what she can get. The hand-wandering gets squirming happily, certainly no effort on her part to chase T'rev off, instead turning to loop her arms around his waist. "It's not french toast and blueberries. It's /overnight/ french toast. More like... bread pudding?"
Squriming draws a pleased grin and T'rev curls his arms around Jaeyi happily in return, hands sliding up her back to play with her hair. "Overnight french toast?" Brows knit together. "Huh. Never heard of that before. Like bread pudding? So ... kind of custardy and dessert-like?"
"All the bread gets all cut up and then soaked in the batter overnight with berries in it, and then it gets baked in the morning with berry syrup and icing. You'll see." The plates remain covered for now, and Jaeyi enjoys her hug with her cheek resting briefly against the middle of his chest, sighing ever so contentedly. "And while it's kinda better if you eat it warm, it isn't ruined if it gets cold. Are you busy?" As in 'does he wanna get that way?'
"Shells, now that'll fill a man up," T'rev says with a laugh, fingers of one hand still all tangled up in her hair, the other tracing the nape of her neck. "Sounds really delicious, Jae," he says fondly, though that last gets a predictable answer. "I've got all day."
As if this wasn't obvious; "It's really sugary. But it's easy to get started the day before, then really just icing and syrup and bake it in the morning." Not to demystify things, but Jaeyi shrugs honestly if distractedly, lips pursed over the age-old dilemma: undress T'rev, fingers tapping thoughtfully at his collar to that end, or eat. "Well, I saw you have that laundry to deal with, that seems pretty urgent," she adds with playful gravity.
"Easy," T'rev echoes with a slow smile, hand trailing back down her neck. "Mm. I do. And I gotta add what I've got on to that pile o' laundry," he says /most/ seriously. "You got anything you want to send down with?" Like maybe what /she's/ got on.
Jaeyi's, "Hmmmmn," is another exaggerated thing, and she casts a contemplative look around the immediate vicinity. She's been /decent/ about keeping her clothes off the floor (except, you know, when they go flying) since taking up residence, so there's nothing to catch her eye right away. Instead; "Well. Y'know. I did get a spot here on my blouse..." No, she didn't, but she drops her arms from T'rev to undo her own button, like the spot's somehow managed to get down on the inside of her collar.
That response draws quite the cheeky twinkle to T'rev's eyes and he very helpfully steps back just a fraction to let her have her way with her own buttons. He loosens a button or two on his own shirt, enough to pull it off over his head and lob it loosely in the direction of the laundry bag. "Have I told you lately, that I love you?" he drawls out next, voice rich with both affection and good-natured humor.
"You've probably mentioned it a time or two," Jaeyi answers amiably, /way/ less good with the aim. Plus, her gear tends to be made out of lighter, frillier stuff, so it sails off course and lands on the floor and she doesn't bother to fix it, just sends her skirt off to join it. "I think," she continues, smoothing her palms from his shoulders down to catch his hands and start drawing them on toward the bed, "that I like the 'show-don't-tell' I-love-yous more, though."
Jaeyi. Naked. It still renders T'rev speechless for a moment or two as his gaze roams over her. Willingly led to the bed, he just smiles and as they get there, he bends to kiss her right back by her air. "Well then. Here's me showin' you just how much." Which ought to lead to tangling up the covers very nicely.
So she was a little bit proud at possibly maybe but not likely being right about the whole bawdy songbirds. But four years later, to still be taking the breath away from the same man? That makes Jaeyi beam for a moment prior to making a helluva a mess out of the bed; finally, after catching her breath, after settling on her back, she comments, "I guess you could put the sheets in the wash now, too."
Breathless all over again from the exertion, T'rev lies still for a moment or two before rolling onto his side to make with the cuddling. "Mm, yeah. After breakfast. Got one appetite satisfied for now, probably should take care of the other one too," he quips, even as he traces lightly kisses along the outside edge of her arm.
"Stay here," is Jaeyi's suggestion. Request. Demand. It's hard to tell with her sometimes. Though loathe to withdraw her arm, she takes a deep, bolstering breath and slides out of bed, pausing to press a kiss to T'rev's temple before she's off to collect plates of breakfast. Sticky syrupy breakfast, "Probably we should be careful with this, or those sheets'll just be wrecked." Blueberries stain.
"Okay," T'rev agrees and rolls onto his stomach as she leaves, curling one of the pillows beneath his chin to watch her go and come back. And when she returns, he's got one of those shit-eating grins on his face. "Uh huh. Yeah, we sure better," he says all wide-eyed.
Laughing, shaking her head, Jaeyi pushes a plate at T'rev and leans to kiss that grin all in the same motion, meanwhile climbing onto the edge of the bed. "At least try not to make a total disaster out of things," is her suggestion, smart enough on her part to only bring /one/ plate at a time, keeping the fork so she can take responsibility for delivering the bites. "What I want are tomatoes," she adds thoughtfully, apropos of nothing. "But the ones in the kitchen are all--" How to put it... "--not red enough."
That kiss is returned with playful enthusiasm and a heavy dose of fondness. "Me? A disaster?" Big eyes again, then T'rev settles with his head resting on one hand to accept bites as she doles them out. The first one? Makes his eyelids flutter closed. "Oh shells, Jaeyi. That ... is seriously tasty." But. Tomatoes. "Yeah? That mean you want me to find you some that are?"
"Usually only in a good way," Jaeyi answers fondly. "But. Seriously. Nothing gets out blueberry stains. I probably really oughta make a whole list of bed-safe food someday." Major contribution to her craft: Stuff that won't stain your sheets, a promiscuous baker's guide to sexy food. "No, by the time you do, it'll pass. I had oranges this morning, pretty close. How in the world are you gonna find time to take care of four kids plus you and me?" Miss Really Not Low-Maintenance pauses, fork poised with a bite, and tilts her head uncertainly at her bedfellow.
"I'll keep that in mind," T'rev says seriously enough and takes that bite carefully. "Mm. Reminder for what goes well with sex and what doesn't, or what requires floor instead of bed?" the bronzerider jokes around his next bite. "Ella's almost grown-up, Cedri's with the caravan most of the time and Tevrisa's in the caverns with Riisa and a whole bevy of care-type people." Breath out. "I figured ... we'd probably foster at least part-time?" Brows up. Is Jaeyi on board with that?
Jaeyi, thoughtful, cheerful, "Oh, it could be all different sections. Like, one for what will stain your sheets, one for what will stain your carpets, one for what will stain your skin. A whole section of crumb-free foods, 'cause what's worse that crumbs in bed, hmn?" Her present offering would fit into all four of those categories, go her, and she's picking through for whole blueberries while she contemplates T'rev's answer there. "Foster like... someone who'll take care of him in the daytimes 'cause I have a job? Or foster like... he's gonna live with someone else sometimes?"
"Very very useful list," T'rev says mostly seriously and reaches over to catch at the fingers of her non-feeding hand affectionately. "Whichever you're most comfortable with," is T'rev's answer to those options. "Because we both have jobs and duties."
"For you and me. I'm not sure about the mainstream." Jaeyi crinkles her brow contemplatively. Then proceeds quickly to ignore the subject entirely, scooping the last of the so-called french toast off the plate and offering him that last bite, a similar brow knit for that other matter. "I dunno. That's a big question, isn't it? I should probably figure that out."
"Oh you never know right? People probably just don't want to admit to a lot of things," T'rev says in easy-going fashion, opens his mouth obediently for that bite. He nods while he's chewing though. "Yeah. It's a really big question and we should figure it out. What we want to do."
Plate to the sidetable where it can do no harm, Jaeyi props a pillow up against the headboard and, settling with her back against that and the sheet drawn up, so as to have no distractions, asks quite seriously, "What do you want? 'Cause. I dunno. It seems weird to go through all this to have a baby just so someone else can look after it, doesn't it?"
"I've been thinking more along the lines of what you said first. You know, someone who can look after the kiddo when we've got duties," T'rev answers seriously, pushing up to a sitting position, legs folded beneath him and for once, he's not playing around or trying to tug at that sheet. It's Serious Talk time!
"But, then, what will happen to him while I go to the Hold? Will he go with me? Can you take little babies on dragons?" Shaking her head, Jaeyi adds with comical seriousness, "That doesn't seem very safe to me." Frowning and everything. "I probably better talk to Astivan about all this soon, too. All these consequences," she adds with a crinkle of her nose, self-deprecating wryness in there: probably should've thought about this ahead of time.
"No, you can't until they're old enough," T'rev answers the question with a little shake of his head. "Usually they're okay to go between around three months or so." Says the voice of experience. "Though you know, it's just fine for the baby to fly long," T'rev continues, "and it's not a long flight down to the Hold, without the between hop."
Another hmmmmn beats Jaeyi to saying, "I guess so." Not a long flight. "We'll have to get him some sweaters or something. Probably Astivan would let me have some time off though, hmn? I mean, if the baby's born in the dead of winter--" She makes a face at the thought, yuck. "--I probably won't have to go right back to working all the time." Beat. "None of this accounts for how you're gonna cope with all this strain on your time, mind."
"I think I still have the little cocoon thingie I used to carry Cedri around in. And yeah, warm things for that," T'rev agrees with a little quirk in his smile. "You keep saying 'he'," he notes after a moment. "And ... yeah, Astivan probably would. He's the generous type." The bronzerider leans forward, aiming to take her hand properly. "Jae, most of my afternoons when I'm not on sweeps, I've got time. But, that's the time that I have," he says slowly, carefully. "I want to have this baby with you and I do want to be a family, but I've got commitments I can't back down on."
Jaeyi keeps saying 'he.' "Yeah. I do." No explanation or anything, just yep. She sure does. It's a second or two after his latter comments, with her head tilting, that she clarifies, "I'm not asking for my sake, T'rev. Like, you seem to take all this real serious and. Hmn. You have those commitments, and I'm okay with that. Just. I'm worried about you."
"Is that a hope then?" T'rev asks with an amused little grin. "Not that y'know, I'd object or anything. I've got three girls," he adds with a wink and rubs at the side of her hand with his thumb. "Jae, don't worry too much, okay? It's part of why I think we'll need some kind of foster care. Neither of us has the time to be a parent full time," the bronzerider says quietly. "So we have to figure out how things're gonna work for us."
To that first question, a little cocky, it's a, "No. I just happen to know about boys," in lots of ways, "and if he's not one?" Jaeyi shakes her head, like that's just not even an option, rearranging her hand to lace her fingers with T'rev's now. "Kind of I do? I mean, I'll need someone who can help, sure, but a nanny or something. Like what your sister does."
"Can't argue that," T'rev says with a return of humor and as their fingers lace together he lifts her hand to his lips to press a kiss. "Right ... foster care," T'rev says again, with a little nod. "I mean, it's the same thing, just whether or not it's part-time over full-time," the bronzerider says, looking a little puzzled about the differentiation Jaeyi's making: it's all mostly the same to him.
Jaeyi waves at this whole 'foster care' term, some semantic argument in there somewhere but she's not one to press it. "So I'll find someone who can take care of him when I work," she concludes like it's just that easy. Fast-forward a year from now; she'll be completely insane. But optimism flows eternally. "Maybe your sister will do it. That'd be a nice solution, hmn?"
"Sure, I mean, it's pretty straightforward," T'rev says, likewise letting the semantics go. "I mean, when I said I'd take care of Ella, I just went down and talked to the headwoman and the folks in the children's caverns and Ella and me figured out who we liked and who she wanted to stay with. And usually the Weyrwoman helps with those kinds of things too," he continues. "I mean, most riders need someone and I bet Vani'd be happy to and then it'd be all in the family, if you feel comfy with her, that is."
"Yeah. I dunno so much about Cirse," Jaeyi offers with a doubtful squint. "I'm sure I can find someone. Trish'll know someone if Levania can't." There's a long breath out, then, cheeks deflating, ending with her making another face. "Just don't make yourself crazy keeping up with four kids in four different places and all your normal bronzerider-stuff, hmn?" That's what she was driving at initially, see.
"I mean with matching people up," T'rev elaborates. "And Hattie just went through it, findin' someone for Gethin," he continues. "I mean, it's part of what they're supposed to do. Goldriders and the headwoman." Breath out on his side too. "Don't intend to Jae. I've never really made myself crazy about it all in the first place." His point of view of course. "I mean, I don't always make it out to see Cedri every night. Just most nights."
Jaeyi takes a breath on 'just most nights,' and then smartly lets it out before she tries to argue the point. Lots of that whole 'breathing out' thing going on. For different reasons than usually occupy these two. "If a baker can't find a decent nanny, then something must be wrong with the rumor mill at this Weyr. I'll just start poking around now so I don't have to worry about it five months from now." O M G foresight. "This conversation's getting too serious, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I mean that's usually ... how it works? Go talk to the headwoman, they start seeing who's available, how many kids they've got under care already and all that. So ... yeah." T'rev ... breathes out again and then laughs a little. "Maybe? But it's the kind of talk we'll probably need to be having more of goin' forward. I mean, we're havin' a baby. There'll be all kinds of things we'll need to work about raisin' him or her." Still he lifts his free hand, the one that's not all tangled up with her fingers to touch her cheek gently. "We'll figure it all out, Jae."
With wide-eyed naivete; "You mean we can't just give him a name and a jelly donut and tell him to figure the rest out on his own?" Blink blink. Jaeyi leans her cheek into that touch briefly, following through to scoot over the rest of the way next to T'rev, tucking under his arm with a big sigh. So hard, this life of hers.
That makes T'rev laugh, the blink blink blink and as she scoots over, he closes both arms around her. "It'll be okay, I promise. We'll just need to keep talking about it. Figure out some plans and deal with things as they come up." He turns then, to press a kiss to the top of her head.
"That's an awfully big promise, T'rev," Jaeyi points out with a peek up at him, grin brightening her eyes for a moment. "When this allllll goes south, and I hold you to that promise, what're you gonna do then, hmn?" But it's mostly a tease, no real belief that it's all going to go crazy, especially right now, burrowed all close to him. Optimism's easy now.
"Figure it out," T'rev says valiantly, (or stupidly as the case may be). And this time, he tilts his head down to kiss her properly. Because of course, the best way to reassure in this case is to get the sheets all messed up again.
Yeah. 'Cause that's certainly not what caused the problem in the first place. This time, instead of staying in bed, industrious Jaeyi will extricate herself to have a bath and remind, "You have a big pile of laundry, ya bum. You can't just stay in bed all day making babies, you have to be a good example now or else your son's gonna wind up just like you." With three kids scattered to the wind. Which, for all it's said like she's chastising him, will earn him an extra hug, her sweetheart and his loose britches.
"Who said anything about stayin' in the bed?" T'rev rejoinders jauntily as he flops backward to watch her go. "Mm. I should get that stuff downstairs though so's it might actually come back before end of day." So he gets up and fishes out a pair of pants. Pants that have seen much better days and are clearly 'bottom of the barrel because it's laundry day' pants. He chuckles though as he does up the buttons, then bends to pull the linens off the bed, bundling them up for the trip down, pauses long enough to hug Jaeyi. "Like that'd be a bad thing?" is his chipper answer. But. He will finish getting the laundry together, his and hers and takes it down to the washing caverns. And if Jaeyi's still in the bath when he comes back, well, like he said, it's not all about the bed.
Jaeyi would pretty much live in the bathtub, given the opportunity, and just have people come and visit her from time to time as necessary, bring her food and pay homage appropriately. And have sex with T'rev on a regular basis. She will, with some chagrin, by the end of that afternoon, comment that if he /happens/ to be somewhere with some proper tomatoes any time soon dot dot dot.
Dot dot dot will earn the promise to pick some up if he sees some before he brings her back down to work. Then there's a visit down Boll-way, where they do in fact, have ripe tomatoes at this time of the turn.
IC Date: 8/17/23 --Belatedly stolen from T'rev.
Imagine that. T'rev has a day off. Late morning therefore finds him still at home sorting through the laundry hamper to put together a load to bring down to the wash in the lower caverns. He sings while he works too, all pretty voiced and whatnot, and it's one of his infamous bawdies.
Jaeyi does not have the day off, but that's okay. She has already been and come home, having put breakfast out for most people and thus released herself of enough of her duties that, along about midmorning, she can borrow a ride back up to the ledge with (speaking of 'imagine that') food. Not about to interrupt a serenade, even if it's more raunchy than romantic, she trots in to arrange the table, evidently feeling much better these days. "It's like having my very own bluebird," she chimes amusedly at the tail-end of the song.
Looking up as Jaeyi trots in, T'rev takes a moment to admire very obviously in fact, though he doesn't stop singing. Another pair of dirty undies gets stuffed into the laundry bag, then he dusts his hands off and pushes up to his feet to come over to the table. "Yeah? Somehow, I don't think birds really sing these kinds of songs," he says with a laugh and leans in to press a kiss against the curve of Jaeyi's neck.
Not that pragmatism is normally her schtick, but Jaeyi assumes a very practical, matter-of-fact tone to point out, "You don't know what birds sing about, really. For all you know, all their little birdsongs are bawdies, hmn? That'd explain why they're so damn cheerful all the time, anyways." Head tilted in accommodation of that neck-kiss, she then gestures to the table with a bright, "Magic overnight french toast with blueberries, for extra tooth rotting specialness. Hungry?"
"Good point," T'rev says with a little laugh and a little bit of hand wandering. "Starving," he claims though it might not be the food he's talking about. "French toast and blueberries, sounds great."
Jaeyi, so proud, "Thank you." She also thought it was a good point. A stupid one, but she's got so little to go on except looks, she'll take what she can get. The hand-wandering gets squirming happily, certainly no effort on her part to chase T'rev off, instead turning to loop her arms around his waist. "It's not french toast and blueberries. It's /overnight/ french toast. More like... bread pudding?"
Squriming draws a pleased grin and T'rev curls his arms around Jaeyi happily in return, hands sliding up her back to play with her hair. "Overnight french toast?" Brows knit together. "Huh. Never heard of that before. Like bread pudding? So ... kind of custardy and dessert-like?"
"All the bread gets all cut up and then soaked in the batter overnight with berries in it, and then it gets baked in the morning with berry syrup and icing. You'll see." The plates remain covered for now, and Jaeyi enjoys her hug with her cheek resting briefly against the middle of his chest, sighing ever so contentedly. "And while it's kinda better if you eat it warm, it isn't ruined if it gets cold. Are you busy?" As in 'does he wanna get that way?'
"Shells, now that'll fill a man up," T'rev says with a laugh, fingers of one hand still all tangled up in her hair, the other tracing the nape of her neck. "Sounds really delicious, Jae," he says fondly, though that last gets a predictable answer. "I've got all day."
As if this wasn't obvious; "It's really sugary. But it's easy to get started the day before, then really just icing and syrup and bake it in the morning." Not to demystify things, but Jaeyi shrugs honestly if distractedly, lips pursed over the age-old dilemma: undress T'rev, fingers tapping thoughtfully at his collar to that end, or eat. "Well, I saw you have that laundry to deal with, that seems pretty urgent," she adds with playful gravity.
"Easy," T'rev echoes with a slow smile, hand trailing back down her neck. "Mm. I do. And I gotta add what I've got on to that pile o' laundry," he says /most/ seriously. "You got anything you want to send down with?" Like maybe what /she's/ got on.
Jaeyi's, "Hmmmmn," is another exaggerated thing, and she casts a contemplative look around the immediate vicinity. She's been /decent/ about keeping her clothes off the floor (except, you know, when they go flying) since taking up residence, so there's nothing to catch her eye right away. Instead; "Well. Y'know. I did get a spot here on my blouse..." No, she didn't, but she drops her arms from T'rev to undo her own button, like the spot's somehow managed to get down on the inside of her collar.
That response draws quite the cheeky twinkle to T'rev's eyes and he very helpfully steps back just a fraction to let her have her way with her own buttons. He loosens a button or two on his own shirt, enough to pull it off over his head and lob it loosely in the direction of the laundry bag. "Have I told you lately, that I love you?" he drawls out next, voice rich with both affection and good-natured humor.
"You've probably mentioned it a time or two," Jaeyi answers amiably, /way/ less good with the aim. Plus, her gear tends to be made out of lighter, frillier stuff, so it sails off course and lands on the floor and she doesn't bother to fix it, just sends her skirt off to join it. "I think," she continues, smoothing her palms from his shoulders down to catch his hands and start drawing them on toward the bed, "that I like the 'show-don't-tell' I-love-yous more, though."
Jaeyi. Naked. It still renders T'rev speechless for a moment or two as his gaze roams over her. Willingly led to the bed, he just smiles and as they get there, he bends to kiss her right back by her air. "Well then. Here's me showin' you just how much." Which ought to lead to tangling up the covers very nicely.
So she was a little bit proud at possibly maybe but not likely being right about the whole bawdy songbirds. But four years later, to still be taking the breath away from the same man? That makes Jaeyi beam for a moment prior to making a helluva a mess out of the bed; finally, after catching her breath, after settling on her back, she comments, "I guess you could put the sheets in the wash now, too."
Breathless all over again from the exertion, T'rev lies still for a moment or two before rolling onto his side to make with the cuddling. "Mm, yeah. After breakfast. Got one appetite satisfied for now, probably should take care of the other one too," he quips, even as he traces lightly kisses along the outside edge of her arm.
"Stay here," is Jaeyi's suggestion. Request. Demand. It's hard to tell with her sometimes. Though loathe to withdraw her arm, she takes a deep, bolstering breath and slides out of bed, pausing to press a kiss to T'rev's temple before she's off to collect plates of breakfast. Sticky syrupy breakfast, "Probably we should be careful with this, or those sheets'll just be wrecked." Blueberries stain.
"Okay," T'rev agrees and rolls onto his stomach as she leaves, curling one of the pillows beneath his chin to watch her go and come back. And when she returns, he's got one of those shit-eating grins on his face. "Uh huh. Yeah, we sure better," he says all wide-eyed.
Laughing, shaking her head, Jaeyi pushes a plate at T'rev and leans to kiss that grin all in the same motion, meanwhile climbing onto the edge of the bed. "At least try not to make a total disaster out of things," is her suggestion, smart enough on her part to only bring /one/ plate at a time, keeping the fork so she can take responsibility for delivering the bites. "What I want are tomatoes," she adds thoughtfully, apropos of nothing. "But the ones in the kitchen are all--" How to put it... "--not red enough."
That kiss is returned with playful enthusiasm and a heavy dose of fondness. "Me? A disaster?" Big eyes again, then T'rev settles with his head resting on one hand to accept bites as she doles them out. The first one? Makes his eyelids flutter closed. "Oh shells, Jaeyi. That ... is seriously tasty." But. Tomatoes. "Yeah? That mean you want me to find you some that are?"
"Usually only in a good way," Jaeyi answers fondly. "But. Seriously. Nothing gets out blueberry stains. I probably really oughta make a whole list of bed-safe food someday." Major contribution to her craft: Stuff that won't stain your sheets, a promiscuous baker's guide to sexy food. "No, by the time you do, it'll pass. I had oranges this morning, pretty close. How in the world are you gonna find time to take care of four kids plus you and me?" Miss Really Not Low-Maintenance pauses, fork poised with a bite, and tilts her head uncertainly at her bedfellow.
"I'll keep that in mind," T'rev says seriously enough and takes that bite carefully. "Mm. Reminder for what goes well with sex and what doesn't, or what requires floor instead of bed?" the bronzerider jokes around his next bite. "Ella's almost grown-up, Cedri's with the caravan most of the time and Tevrisa's in the caverns with Riisa and a whole bevy of care-type people." Breath out. "I figured ... we'd probably foster at least part-time?" Brows up. Is Jaeyi on board with that?
Jaeyi, thoughtful, cheerful, "Oh, it could be all different sections. Like, one for what will stain your sheets, one for what will stain your carpets, one for what will stain your skin. A whole section of crumb-free foods, 'cause what's worse that crumbs in bed, hmn?" Her present offering would fit into all four of those categories, go her, and she's picking through for whole blueberries while she contemplates T'rev's answer there. "Foster like... someone who'll take care of him in the daytimes 'cause I have a job? Or foster like... he's gonna live with someone else sometimes?"
"Very very useful list," T'rev says mostly seriously and reaches over to catch at the fingers of her non-feeding hand affectionately. "Whichever you're most comfortable with," is T'rev's answer to those options. "Because we both have jobs and duties."
"For you and me. I'm not sure about the mainstream." Jaeyi crinkles her brow contemplatively. Then proceeds quickly to ignore the subject entirely, scooping the last of the so-called french toast off the plate and offering him that last bite, a similar brow knit for that other matter. "I dunno. That's a big question, isn't it? I should probably figure that out."
"Oh you never know right? People probably just don't want to admit to a lot of things," T'rev says in easy-going fashion, opens his mouth obediently for that bite. He nods while he's chewing though. "Yeah. It's a really big question and we should figure it out. What we want to do."
Plate to the sidetable where it can do no harm, Jaeyi props a pillow up against the headboard and, settling with her back against that and the sheet drawn up, so as to have no distractions, asks quite seriously, "What do you want? 'Cause. I dunno. It seems weird to go through all this to have a baby just so someone else can look after it, doesn't it?"
"I've been thinking more along the lines of what you said first. You know, someone who can look after the kiddo when we've got duties," T'rev answers seriously, pushing up to a sitting position, legs folded beneath him and for once, he's not playing around or trying to tug at that sheet. It's Serious Talk time!
"But, then, what will happen to him while I go to the Hold? Will he go with me? Can you take little babies on dragons?" Shaking her head, Jaeyi adds with comical seriousness, "That doesn't seem very safe to me." Frowning and everything. "I probably better talk to Astivan about all this soon, too. All these consequences," she adds with a crinkle of her nose, self-deprecating wryness in there: probably should've thought about this ahead of time.
"No, you can't until they're old enough," T'rev answers the question with a little shake of his head. "Usually they're okay to go between around three months or so." Says the voice of experience. "Though you know, it's just fine for the baby to fly long," T'rev continues, "and it's not a long flight down to the Hold, without the between hop."
Another hmmmmn beats Jaeyi to saying, "I guess so." Not a long flight. "We'll have to get him some sweaters or something. Probably Astivan would let me have some time off though, hmn? I mean, if the baby's born in the dead of winter--" She makes a face at the thought, yuck. "--I probably won't have to go right back to working all the time." Beat. "None of this accounts for how you're gonna cope with all this strain on your time, mind."
"I think I still have the little cocoon thingie I used to carry Cedri around in. And yeah, warm things for that," T'rev agrees with a little quirk in his smile. "You keep saying 'he'," he notes after a moment. "And ... yeah, Astivan probably would. He's the generous type." The bronzerider leans forward, aiming to take her hand properly. "Jae, most of my afternoons when I'm not on sweeps, I've got time. But, that's the time that I have," he says slowly, carefully. "I want to have this baby with you and I do want to be a family, but I've got commitments I can't back down on."
Jaeyi keeps saying 'he.' "Yeah. I do." No explanation or anything, just yep. She sure does. It's a second or two after his latter comments, with her head tilting, that she clarifies, "I'm not asking for my sake, T'rev. Like, you seem to take all this real serious and. Hmn. You have those commitments, and I'm okay with that. Just. I'm worried about you."
"Is that a hope then?" T'rev asks with an amused little grin. "Not that y'know, I'd object or anything. I've got three girls," he adds with a wink and rubs at the side of her hand with his thumb. "Jae, don't worry too much, okay? It's part of why I think we'll need some kind of foster care. Neither of us has the time to be a parent full time," the bronzerider says quietly. "So we have to figure out how things're gonna work for us."
To that first question, a little cocky, it's a, "No. I just happen to know about boys," in lots of ways, "and if he's not one?" Jaeyi shakes her head, like that's just not even an option, rearranging her hand to lace her fingers with T'rev's now. "Kind of I do? I mean, I'll need someone who can help, sure, but a nanny or something. Like what your sister does."
"Can't argue that," T'rev says with a return of humor and as their fingers lace together he lifts her hand to his lips to press a kiss. "Right ... foster care," T'rev says again, with a little nod. "I mean, it's the same thing, just whether or not it's part-time over full-time," the bronzerider says, looking a little puzzled about the differentiation Jaeyi's making: it's all mostly the same to him.
Jaeyi waves at this whole 'foster care' term, some semantic argument in there somewhere but she's not one to press it. "So I'll find someone who can take care of him when I work," she concludes like it's just that easy. Fast-forward a year from now; she'll be completely insane. But optimism flows eternally. "Maybe your sister will do it. That'd be a nice solution, hmn?"
"Sure, I mean, it's pretty straightforward," T'rev says, likewise letting the semantics go. "I mean, when I said I'd take care of Ella, I just went down and talked to the headwoman and the folks in the children's caverns and Ella and me figured out who we liked and who she wanted to stay with. And usually the Weyrwoman helps with those kinds of things too," he continues. "I mean, most riders need someone and I bet Vani'd be happy to and then it'd be all in the family, if you feel comfy with her, that is."
"Yeah. I dunno so much about Cirse," Jaeyi offers with a doubtful squint. "I'm sure I can find someone. Trish'll know someone if Levania can't." There's a long breath out, then, cheeks deflating, ending with her making another face. "Just don't make yourself crazy keeping up with four kids in four different places and all your normal bronzerider-stuff, hmn?" That's what she was driving at initially, see.
"I mean with matching people up," T'rev elaborates. "And Hattie just went through it, findin' someone for Gethin," he continues. "I mean, it's part of what they're supposed to do. Goldriders and the headwoman." Breath out on his side too. "Don't intend to Jae. I've never really made myself crazy about it all in the first place." His point of view of course. "I mean, I don't always make it out to see Cedri every night. Just most nights."
Jaeyi takes a breath on 'just most nights,' and then smartly lets it out before she tries to argue the point. Lots of that whole 'breathing out' thing going on. For different reasons than usually occupy these two. "If a baker can't find a decent nanny, then something must be wrong with the rumor mill at this Weyr. I'll just start poking around now so I don't have to worry about it five months from now." O M G foresight. "This conversation's getting too serious, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I mean that's usually ... how it works? Go talk to the headwoman, they start seeing who's available, how many kids they've got under care already and all that. So ... yeah." T'rev ... breathes out again and then laughs a little. "Maybe? But it's the kind of talk we'll probably need to be having more of goin' forward. I mean, we're havin' a baby. There'll be all kinds of things we'll need to work about raisin' him or her." Still he lifts his free hand, the one that's not all tangled up with her fingers to touch her cheek gently. "We'll figure it all out, Jae."
With wide-eyed naivete; "You mean we can't just give him a name and a jelly donut and tell him to figure the rest out on his own?" Blink blink. Jaeyi leans her cheek into that touch briefly, following through to scoot over the rest of the way next to T'rev, tucking under his arm with a big sigh. So hard, this life of hers.
That makes T'rev laugh, the blink blink blink and as she scoots over, he closes both arms around her. "It'll be okay, I promise. We'll just need to keep talking about it. Figure out some plans and deal with things as they come up." He turns then, to press a kiss to the top of her head.
"That's an awfully big promise, T'rev," Jaeyi points out with a peek up at him, grin brightening her eyes for a moment. "When this allllll goes south, and I hold you to that promise, what're you gonna do then, hmn?" But it's mostly a tease, no real belief that it's all going to go crazy, especially right now, burrowed all close to him. Optimism's easy now.
"Figure it out," T'rev says valiantly, (or stupidly as the case may be). And this time, he tilts his head down to kiss her properly. Because of course, the best way to reassure in this case is to get the sheets all messed up again.
Yeah. 'Cause that's certainly not what caused the problem in the first place. This time, instead of staying in bed, industrious Jaeyi will extricate herself to have a bath and remind, "You have a big pile of laundry, ya bum. You can't just stay in bed all day making babies, you have to be a good example now or else your son's gonna wind up just like you." With three kids scattered to the wind. Which, for all it's said like she's chastising him, will earn him an extra hug, her sweetheart and his loose britches.
"Who said anything about stayin' in the bed?" T'rev rejoinders jauntily as he flops backward to watch her go. "Mm. I should get that stuff downstairs though so's it might actually come back before end of day." So he gets up and fishes out a pair of pants. Pants that have seen much better days and are clearly 'bottom of the barrel because it's laundry day' pants. He chuckles though as he does up the buttons, then bends to pull the linens off the bed, bundling them up for the trip down, pauses long enough to hug Jaeyi. "Like that'd be a bad thing?" is his chipper answer. But. He will finish getting the laundry together, his and hers and takes it down to the washing caverns. And if Jaeyi's still in the bath when he comes back, well, like he said, it's not all about the bed.
Jaeyi would pretty much live in the bathtub, given the opportunity, and just have people come and visit her from time to time as necessary, bring her food and pay homage appropriately. And have sex with T'rev on a regular basis. She will, with some chagrin, by the end of that afternoon, comment that if he /happens/ to be somewhere with some proper tomatoes any time soon dot dot dot.
Dot dot dot will earn the promise to pick some up if he sees some before he brings her back down to work. Then there's a visit down Boll-way, where they do in fact, have ripe tomatoes at this time of the turn.