[Log] Yselle's Egg

[brazenbronzer]

Who: Lien, R'dur, Yselle
When: Unknown
Where: Lakeshore, Telgar Weyr
What: Yselle has to tell R'dur the news, even though she doesn't want to.

Telgar Weyr Lake Shore
     The vegetation thickens near the lake, becoming a meadow that runs along the edge of a narrow, sandy beach. The sands spill down into a crystal lake to the north, lapping against the crater walls to the north and east. A fence runs northwest-southeast, blocking off the lake from the feeding grounds. The grass and trees around the lake resound with the bright green of summer. The lake, and the meadow around it teem with life and activity. Warmth -- the gift of summertime -- seems to lift the spirits of everything around here. Firelizards zip about the lake, taking full advantage of the season. The red shades of sunset cast the meadow into deep, but peaceful shadows.

Contents:
DRAGONS: (Indrath) Dianneth
PLAYERS: R'dur

Obvious Exits:
Bowl Lake

Dianneth is pacing. Pace pace pace. Occasionally, she stops to dig a hole in the sand, lean down, sniff it, nudge a rock at it, and prod at it, trying to make it /just/ right. Pace pace pace. Her rider is eyeing her in a most bemused, amused fashion, stretched out on one of the rocks, catching the afternoon sun. "You won't need that, dear," she laughs.

Alidaeth is off on the other side of the lake, watching Dianneth in amusement. However, after a short time his curiousity gets the better of him, and he stands and strolls closer. R'dur is left behind, until he realizes where his dragon is headed. Jumping up, the brownrider trots after Alidaeth, until he catches sight of Yselle. Then, as Alidaeth stops near the green and her rider, R'dur shyly secludes himself behind Alidaeth, half-hiding while the brown rumbles a greeting.

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << Hello, Dianneth. How are you today? Having... fun? >>

Dianneth circles her hole, admiring it, and then shoves her rump in it, wiggling to make it a little bigger. "You know it gets cold here in winter, don't you?" Yselle reminds her, quite taken with the green's antics. "Oh hello Alidaeth." She peers at the dragon as if seeking his rider. "Hm, good," she says. Dianneth rumbles bossily at the brown, indicating the hole with her head. By this time the whole thing is turning into something of a production. It's going to be one big hole.

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth sniffs a little disapprovingly. << It is not fun. It is necessary to keep the egg warm. >>

Edging uncertainly around Alidaeth, R'dur glances up at Dianneth, then Yselle, uncertainly. "Um. Ah, good... good evening," he finally volunteers. Alidaeth croons placatingly at Dianneth. "That's... that's a nice hole," R'dur notes uncomfortably to the green.

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth pauses, turning this thought over in his mind a moment. Then, finally, he prompts, << Egg? >>

Yselle's expression as she sees R'dur is... interesting. "Oh, hi," she finally says. "Haven't seen you for a while." It's even a little awkward. "Well, I figured you'd be around somewhere if Alidaeth is here." Smooth Ys, just smooth. "I'm just soaking up the last of the sun." As for the comment on the hole, Yselle eyes the dent Dianneth is making, and says, cryptically, "It's too big."

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth sighs, and with a sort of grudging patience, explains, << Eggs must harden in warm sand. This sand is warm. >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << But where did this egg come from? It is not yours, obviously, or one of the golds, and I know no other way to obtain one. >>

"Oh. Right. Yeah," R'dur mumbles in response to Yselle, huddling close to Alidaeth. The brown, though, seems quite at ease, settling to the ground near the green. R'dur fidgets, then seats himself against the brown's side. "So, um. How are you?" he asks eventually. "I had--I had heard you were... ill."

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth seems a little frustrated, as though he really should know this. << Yselle has an agg. Inside of her. >> Helpfully, she shares her sense of another presence within her rider. << So we must prepare. >> That's definitely including the brown.

"I don't bite," Yselle says. "Well," okay, she can't resist a smile. "No more than I already have." Still, the topic of her illness brings a flush to her cheeks. "Mmm, yes, well, anyway, I feel a lot better than I did. Thanks for asking."

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth, pondering this a moment and drawing upon his own rider's knowledge, notes, << I don't think it's really an egg. At least, not like our eggs. It doesn't seem necessary to dig a hole for this human egg. >> Pause. << Why must I help? It /is/ your rider's egg. >>

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth's response to that is a draconic snort. << I shall dig a hole anyway. If the egg is not properly protected, it might be hurt. You should stand watch. Yours is clutchsire, mine thinks. >>

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth's response to this is calmness, though flavored with surprise. << Oh, is he. >> Not a question. << He does not know. Yours should tell him now, or I will have to. He should know this--he would want to know this. >>

R'dur hesitates, blushing at her gibe. "That's... good to hear," he says after a moment, recovering somewhat. He shifts his weight awkwardly, then nods again, glancing at Alidaeth and Dianneth. "She, ah..." He hesitates. "Well, I suppose she... has some reason for--that?" He tilts his head curiously, frowning at the green. The brown watches the other dragon mildly.

Dianneth snorts. << She will not. She does not think he wishes a clutch. If he did not want a clutch, he should not have flown with her. >> Slyly, << You should tell him. It's his duty to guard the egg. >>

"Yes, she does," Yselle says, glancing over at her lifemate, who has discarded that hole, and is embarking on another. Dianneth snorts at Alidaeth in a 'come and do your share' way. "Well, I'm sorry about that," she says, "About the biting comment. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. How have you been?"

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth replies curtly, unhappy with the green and her rider. << He does not, but he would want to know. Fine. I will tell him, then, if yours will not. >>

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth is blithely unconcerned with Alidaeth's happiness or otherwise. << Good. Tell him he must protect the egg. It is his job after all. And come and help me with this hole. >>

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth says flatly, << If you want me to help, have your rider tell mine of this. >>

Alidaeth doesn't move, only snorts disgustedly at Dianneth. Then, he turns deliberately away, ignoring her. R'dur tries vainly to pay no mind to the two dragons. "It's--it's okay," he tells Yselle. "I'm... I've been good. Well. You know--just fine. Busy, but good. I mean, you know how it is, with drills and sweeps and all sorts of stuff. I'm good."

Dragon> Dianneth bespoke Alidaeth with << My rider is not a puppet to be forced. She says it is better not to have a clutchsire. >>

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth's tone is unusually waspish, his displeasure evident. << Fine. Then I will tell him. >>

Dianneth turns her back haughtily on the brown and continues digging her hole. "Happy in Thunderbolt?" her rider asks. "It's a good wing. V'lano does a good job. We grew up together, you know."

Dragon> Dianneth bespoke Alidaeth with << I'm surprised you don't want to help protect your own rider's egg. >>

Dragon> Alidaeth bespoke Alidaeth with << As you said, it is better not to have a clutchsire. My rider deserves to know, don't you think? It is wrong to keep this from him. Perhaps he will not want to protect his egg, but that should be his choice--not yours, to keep him from it. >> >>

"Thunderbolt?" R'dur repeats blankly. "Oh. Yes. Yes, I am." He runs a hand backward through his hair, then gives the dragons another curious look. "I'm--I'm sorry about Alidaeth. He's, well, he's being difficult all of a sudden," he apologizes for his dragon's rude behavior. Alidaeth snorts, flaring his wings in annoyance.

Dianneth makes a huge show of digging the hole with her back to the brown. /She/ is the virtuous egg-protector even if he is not. "They all do that," Yselle says easily. "Dianneth does it quite a lot. She's... interesting to deal with sometimes. A lot of the time, really." She eases herself up on the rock and absent-mindedly rubs her tummy, blushing a little if she's caught at it.

"Alidaeth isn't so bad," R'dur defends his brown apologetically. "Only sometimes, when he gets some idea in his head. He's very stubborn, but I think... I think he's learned his lesson about how hard he can push me." He blushes, ducks his head. The brown rumbles again, eyeing Yselle disprovingly. R'dur hesitates, then asks, "Alidaeth--Alidaeth says you have some sort of news for me?" He tries to force some lightness into his tone, but he's plainly worried by what this might mean.

"Well, Dianneth is," Yselle says, ignoring the green's snort. "And she'll push me as hard as she wants to." The greenrider eyes Alidaeth with some surprise. "News?" Okay, she's blushing again. "Hm, well, I haven't had any messages from V'lano or anything. Oh... one of your clutchmates in our wing said to say hi if I saw you."

Dianneth gives Alidaeth an amused look. << Told you so. >>

Alidaeth rumbles, his gaze baleful as he stares at Yselle. "Oh? Um. A clutchmate? Which one?" wonders R'dur absently. He seems relieved at Yselle's announcement; innocently, he doesn't suspect anything more than what she tells him.

Yselle catches Alidaeth's look now, and glares right back. "Okay Dianneth," she scolds. "You told, didn't you?" The green looks innocent, rumbling amusedly. "F'sar," she says, in an aside to R'dur, she slides off the rock, leaning down to pick up her shoes. "Oh, and since my big-mouthed lifemate told yours," she says, glaring at the green, "I'm pregnant with your baby. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

R'dur peers at Yselle in confusion. Then, he gives Alidaeth an unhappy look in response for the brown's behavior; Alidaeth pays no mind. R'dur soon forgets about the dragon, anyway, for Yselle's news takes center stage. "You--you--you--you're--" R'dur stammers several variations on this theme, his face losing what little color it possesses. He places one hand against Alidaeth to steady himself until Yselle starts to run. Then, he jumps up after her to stop her--even attempting to grab her arm if she doesn't. "Wait--what? Please--" He stares at her, aghast and panicked.

"Look, R'dur, do you want to be a father?" Yselle turns around, hands on her hips and looks at him. He doesn't need to grab her, she does stop. "It's just one of those things that happen, you know? Don't worry about it."

R'dur, distraught, runs both hands through his hair as Yselle turns. "I--I--it doesn't matter," he says after a moment. "I mean. If I want. Or not. Because--it is. I am, I mean. Because there's--you're--I'm--" His next words are a few rather creative curses one might not expect from him. Then, accusingly: "You weren't going to tell me."

"No," Yselle says quietly. "Because you're... what? Twenty or something like that, you've got things ahead of you, and because, well," she shoves her hands in her pocket, "Come on, admit it, you wouldn't have come to my bed if you hadn't just lost a flight. You certainly haven't tried to see me since, so. Look, I'm not going to force my child on you, okay? You and I can be the only ones who ever know it's you, okay? I'll make up some story, and if I can get Dianneth to keep her mouth shut, well, you can just be free of the whole thing. I'll have to tell K'ran soon, I guess, but he doesn't need to know who the father is. So..." she smiles a weary sort of smile, "End of problem."

"I'm twenty-two," R'dur corrects flatly. "And, well. If I'm old enough to... do stuff, then I should--" He shakes his head, turning away from the greenrider. "It doesn't matter," he repeats after a moment. "It's--it's--even if nobody else knows, /I/ know. And that's worse. And now... it changes things. Things are different. We should--I should--" But even he doesn't seem to know, for he only frowns and trails off.

"Do you know what?" Yselle says, looking up at him. "I'm really happy I'm pregnant. I've been wanting another baby for a very long time. Both of the fathers of my other two are involved to a certain extent with their kids. Well, Tel's pretty forgetful, and R'sel's over at Reaches, but you should know I don't expect you to... well, do anything really. It's just how it is. Okay, you stayed the night once, and well, we got a little more out of the bargain than we thought. It's really okay. I'm not helpless, I've done this before, and I've done it on my own before too. So."

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth's mindtone is waspish now. << Happy? >>

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth replies, just as shortly, << It's not about being happy. >>

"But--but--you shouldn't have to," R'dur notes at length, sounding rather desperate. "Just because... but, I mean... I--I'm sorry. This is... this is all my fault. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have--but there's no point in--I should... I should do something!" He wrings his hands a moment, then blurts out, "You should move in with me."

Dragon> Dianneth bespoke Alidaeth with << Well, what is it about? You upset my rider. >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << And yours upsets mine. It is about knowing, and having a choice of what course to take. Ignorance does neither of them any good. Now they can overcome their difficulties together. >>

"All your fault?" Yselle looks a little annoyed. "I am quite capable of saying no, you know. Look, I'm sorry, maybe I should've said something," and just how long has she known anyway? "But it doesn't change anything. You don't want to live with me."

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth never lets reason get in the way of anything. << Well now he knows >> is her reply. << Anyway, why do /we/ have to move /our/ ledge? >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << Because my rider is the one offering? >>

Dragon> Dianneth bespoke Alidaeth with << I like my ledge. >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << Then next time, have your rider offer first. >>

R'dur hesitates. "I offered, didn't I?" he says, suddenly steeling himself stubbornly. "I mean, I'm--I'm--we're going to have a baby. A... baby. I should... I'm supposed to be there. For you. For... it."

Yselle reaches out and takes his hand, if he'll allow. "Okay, stop," she says. "Think about this. What about next time you father a child? Are you going to move in with that rider too?"

R'dur squeaks, "Next time? /Next/ time?" He takes a deep, calming breath, then continues. "Next time. There will be no next time. I'm not ever--not ever putting myself in this position again," he vows.

"What about when Alidaeth /wins/ a flight?" Yselle's unfazed by his protestations. "Come on, think. Besides, do you think I want to move in with someone who's been avoiding me the last few months?"

R'dur hesitates. "I--don't know. I'll--I'll never let him chase again. It's a mistake. Or I'll--I'll sabotage him, and then... Then avoid everyone afterward so this... this doesn't happen again," he says, whispering the last few words. He rubs tiredly at his eyes. "I don't know. I just... I feel like--we should. Because you're... and I'm... and it's just... how it's supposed to be. I'm supposed to--to be there. I'm not supposed to just say, 'Whoops!' and go on with my life like nothing happened. This is big. Important."

"Why don't you sit down?" Yselle suggests. "I will say this: You're the first person to ever seriously ask me to weyrmate, so thank you, I appreciate the thought."

R'dur does just that, and quickly: he drops down to the sand and buries his face in his hands for a moment. Finally, though, he peers back up at Yselle. "Oh. Um. I'm... sorry?" he offers tentatively. "I never--it wasn't... it wasn't supposed to be like this," notes the young man earnestly.

Yselle drops down next to him, and holds her hands out. "Come here," she suggests.

Uncertainly, R'dur scoots a fraction of an inch closer to Yselle, falling silent now. He regards her warily instead.

Yselle reaches out to pull him against her, if he'll allow.

R'dur tenses initially, when Yselle reaches for him; but after just a second he relaxes, letting her lean against him. His touch is light, hesitant; and he seems to want to say something else, though he remains silent for now.

Yselle leans forward to kiss the top of his head, if he'll allow, "I don't think we should move in together," she says. "But thank you for the offer. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I just didn't really think you needed this right now. It happened. It's not a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned. Just do whatever you want to do about it, okay?" She pauses, and adds, "People are going to start noticing soon. What do you want me to tell them about the father?"

R'dur blushes slightly, but he nods. "I--all right," he relents, still red-faced. "It's... it's okay. I... It's not. It shouldn't be. A bad thing, that is. It's... it's a baby. That's supposed to be happy." He sounds just a bit amazed now, as though this is just sinking in. Her last question brings him crashing back down. "I--I don't know. I guess... you should tell them the truth. If you want to, I mean. I mean, you shouldn't--you shouldn't lie, after all--that's not right. So, um. Well, I guess it'll come out anyway, and I--well. Um." He shrugs awkwardly.

Yselle shrugs. "I don't have a weyrmate. Nobody has the right to know anything." She smiles and points out, "R'dur, you can barely touch me, how could you live with me?"

R'dur hesitates. "With difficulty," he finally remarks, with a self-mocking smile. "I, um. I dunno. I just don't... I guess you're right. It was a bad idea. I mean, I don't... I don't... well, we're friends," he finally notes lamely.

"You don't love me," Yselle finishes for him. "And you don't really want me. Look, it's going to be okay, it really is. I've had two children before. I know what I'm doing."

R'dur blushes, not meeting Yselle's eyes as she fills in the blanks of his statement. "I'm sorry," he murmurs. For several seconds, he's quiet, until: "But, well, I haven't. I've never... well, you know. This is all new for me. I don't know what to do."

Yselle shrugs. "It's okay. That was never the arrangement between us. So, don't sweat it. Just wait and see what happens. I'd never stop you seeing our child, you know. I didn't even stop R'sel." She doesn't qualify that. "It'll all work out. The healers here know what they're doing, and K'ran will let me ease up when I need to. Everything will be fine. You don't really need to do anything."

R'dur blushes nevertheless, nodding. "I--I know. I'm sorry. This... this shouldn't have happened, if we had just... But there's no point second-guessing, I suppose," he admits. He sighs, then shifts his position slightly, uncomfortable. "I--I'd like that. I want--I need to do something, though. I feel guilty, just... doing this to you, and then running off just because, well." A shrug. "So... you're okay. And--um. How... long...?"

Yselle clears her throat. "Did you hold me down and force me? I don't think so. Besides, I'm looking forward to having this baby," and she does smile radiantly when she says it. "Do you think I thought all my children would be born into the perfect relationship? Tel's my best friend, R'sel and I don't talk at all any more," she blushes, and mutters, "Okay, I told him /not/ to talk to me, but anyway, and you..." she shrugs, "You're someone who needed someone for a while. It could've been a flight. At least I know your name, hm?" - As for the rest, she shrugs, "Well, it's coming up on four months, so the healers say," and with a laugh, she reminds him, "Come on, we didn't sleep together on more than one occasion. And yes, I'm pretty well fine. I'm still getting over the morning sickness, but that'll pass." She slides her gaze off into the distance. If he notices such things, he might see her bravado slip just a little.

R'dur, watching Yselle closer, does notice that slip, and he winces guiltily. "I'm sorry," he repeats. "I shouldn't have... used you like that. No matter if--well, it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry." He clears his throat, embarrassed. Then, he offers, "So. Um, four months. That's, like, half the time. Um. It doesn't seem like--like so long. Er, I guess you don't know... can't know--boy or girl, or... what do you call it, or... Um. Anyway." He looks downward.

"Well maybe I did want it to be like that sometime," Yselle says quietly, eyeing him candidly. "But it's not, and I never really expected it to be. I'm still glad I'm having a baby. As for the flight - you were far better off with me than giving yourself a headache or terrorising the lower caverns women, so. I offered, right?"

R'dur hesitates, then shrugs. "I'd've been better off to just... I don't know. Seclude myself in my weyr, like, well, every other time," he confesses with a frown. He pauses a moment, then notes, "I... Well, I guess everybody has these... dreams. Ideas. Of how they want things to work out. And when they don't, it's, well, it's disappointing."

Lien heads over from the central bowl.
Lien has arrived.

Lien walks over toward the edge of the lake, quiet and unobtrusive in the night. If there are other people around, he hasn't noticed yet.

"R'dur," Yselle runs her hand through her hair, "Please stop that. Really. I'm not sorry you stayed that night, and if you are, I really wish you'd keep it to yourself. It doesn't do anything for my self-esteem, you know." She draws away a little. She and R'dur are sitting on the sand near eachother. The dragons, or at least Dianneth, are busy digging holes in the sand, just like a gold would dig for an egg.

R'dur blushes, drawing away from Yselle at her words. "I'm sorry. I'm--I'm not upset about... well, who, just the how and the why parts, you know?" He glances over at her, then away. "It's not because of you; it's because, well, that's not how I ever wanted things to end up." His flush intensifies.

Lien looks over, drawn from his reverie. He knows that voice, and though he'd rather not, he knows that tone in it as well. The crafter turns toward R'dur and Yselle, making his way over without interrupting yet.

"Well, this is part of being a rider, R'dur," Yselle says. "Dragons rise, and whether or not you think you can stop Alidaeth chasing again, you won't be able to, and it wouldn't do him any favours if you tried. Look, I'm sorry that you're not happy about it. I didn't really expect you to want to be a father just yet, but this is my baby too, and /I/ wouldn't give it back for anything. I personally think you did the best thing you could do after that flight, and if you think I was some unwilling victim of your lecherous nature, well, you underestimate me." She doesn't notice her brother either, just yet.

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth notes once again, << Your rider is an idiot. >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << I thought we established that already. Now you're just rubbing it in. >>

R'dur, head down, hasn't spotted Lien, and it's probably a good thing. With just Yselle watching and lecturing him, he looks like he wants to crawl under a rock and never come out again. "I'm sorry," he whisperas again, meekly. "I--I should probably go. I've, well. Um. Alidaeth?" He glances at the brown for support, but there's none forthcoming. The brown regards the pair expressionlessly, snorting once. R'dur doesn't stand just yet, but he gives the lakeshore a quick scan--and notes another, Lien. His blush brightens, cheeks and neck flaming red with embarrassment.

Lien goes over toward the two, his posture straight and formal. "Excuse me, young man, but do I know you? I'm fairly certain we haven't met." He's a fair bit older than Yselle, but the family resemblance is there, as is the air of a protective older sibling.

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth forgot that she had said any such thing. << Well he could say something nice to her. >>

Alidaeth> I bespoke Dianneth with << Like what? My rider is open to suggestions, let me assure you. He doesn't know what to tell her. >>

"Lien," Yselle smiles up at him in a watery sort of way, and some of the steel in her backbone crumples. "This is R'dur, Alidaeth's rider. R'dur, this is my big brother. Lien, you're going to be an uncle again."

R'dur peers up quickly at Lien, and shrinks down where he sits. "I--I don't--I don't think so," he says quietly, shaking his head quickly. "I'm--I'm R'dur. And--and this's Alidaeth." He cuts his eyes toward the brown, who now eyes this new person. R'dur tugs at his collar; His blush isn't going away anytime soon, especially when Yselle makes clear their relation. Suddenly, he's looking very nervous, and not meeting either sibling's eyes.

Where the two riders are on edge and weary, Lien is all warmth toward his sister. "That's wonderful," he tells her, sincerity in his smile. "I'll volunteer for babysitting duty now so you don't have to worry about how to ask me later." Something in R'dur's voice catches his attention, though, and turns him back to look at the young man and the dragon. "Well met, R'dur." His words are still plain and polite, though his voice isn't quite as casual. "I gather you're not entirely sure how you're going to handle this just yet." It isn't /quite/ a question, but his tone demands an answer.

Yselle allows the warmth that coloured her expression earlier to play fully over her face. "I know. So I guess now we know why I've been sick. You know Roselle's going to be jealous at having to share you again." After a pause, she tells her brother firmly, "I've told him it's okay, whatever he wants to do."

R'dur hesitates, then glances back up at Lien. "I--me?" he says blankly. "I, uh. Well, I mean, I don't--that is to say, I plan on--but you know, it's--I won't--it's not--I'm sorry." He never does quite explain what he means, only stares miserably up at the older man, particularly as Yselle sticks up for him.

Lien answers, deadpan, "R'dur, apart from terrible grammar I'm not sure quite what you're apologizing for, and /I'm/ not a Harper to criticize such things." He takes a deep breath and shakes his head to loosen some of the tension. "Let's try that again. Whatever you did or didn't intend, Yselle's expecting, and you'll need to choose what role to play in her life -- and your child's." The words would be harsh but for the softening in his voice. "What do you think?"

"He asked me to move in with him," Yselle says, a little defensively. "Lien, it was after a flight. It's nobody's fault. Besides," she looks a little discontented, "Besides, I /can/ sort these things out you know," and then petulantly, "I'm the weyrsecond." But a kid sister, right at this moment.

Yselle adds quickly, before anyone gets the wrong idea, "I'm going to stay in my weyr of course."

R'dur doesn't seem to know, either, for he flushes again and glances downward. Even Lien's more kindly tone can't perk him back up: he still looks like he half-expects to get hit. "I'm sorry," he apologizes again, weakly. "I--I don't... I don't know. I don't know what to do." He bites his lip and fidgets uncomfortably, glancing over at Yselle again.

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth is all smugness now. << Yselle's sibling is here now. Yours will have to do the right thing - and he /might/ tell her he's glad about the egg. >>

Alidaeth> Dianneth senses that Alidaeth notes, less than happily, << He is very scared of this person, her sibling. He's scared he will be hurt, and he keeps thinking about his own brother, or about Pretty Hair's brother, and all sorts of other scenarios. >>

Dragon> Alidaeth senses that Dianneth snorts << Well then, your rider should help protect the egg, and then he will not get hurt. >> She pauses, adding, << I /did/ tell you to help me protect the egg. >>

Lien gives Yselle a long look and adds, sotto voce, "And I'm the weyrsecond's older brother. I'm not going to eat him, I promise." Then, to R'dur, "Look, it's like Yselle said. These things do happen, sometimes around flights, sometimes not, and learning to deal with it is part of being a dragonrider. I don't know where you grew up, but it's not like being holdbred where you're expected immediately to marry the girl. Or weyrmate, I suppose. If /I/ were you I'd just think about helping her take care of herself for now. You have no idea how much good you can do by bringing her, say, sliced melon with a little bit of salt in the wee hours of the morning." The look he gives his sister is downright amused. "Neither of us is asking you to decide the course of the rest of your life while standing on one foot."

"Well, look, either be part of the baby's life, or don't," Yselle says, a little exasperated. "Shells. Just because we're having a child, it doesn't mean life stops." She glances at her brother, relaxing a little. "Well, thank you," she says. "I should have realised you wouldn't have got upset like Leile did when I got pregnant with Levarn. Weyrmating Tel would've been a dreadful idea, and frankly, I'm not moving in with /anyone/ just because we're having a baby." - "Whatever you want to do will be /fine/, R'dur, and you can decide whenever you want."

R'dur's expression turns skeptical, even rebellious. "And that's a bad way to be?" he asks abruptly, frowning up at Lien. "It's a bad thing to expect that people who have a baby together should be married? Or at the least weyrmated?" He shakes his head, looking back down. "I, uh, well. I--I should go, and leave you two... leave you two alone." He nods quickly, then stands and fidgets next to Alidaeth, not actually making a move to leave other than that.

Lien says "Bad? No, not particularly /bad/, but if that's the main reason why you're weyrmated or married or whatever you're probably both going to be miserable. It's more important to me that the baby grow up knowing she's loved by both her parents than that the two of you live in the same weyr." He sighs and runs his hand back through his hair. "Look. It's late. I don't mean to come across like I'm lecturing you." Not much, at least. "Just do me a favor and think about it a little."

"If I ever weyrmate," Yselle says quietly. "I want it to be with someone who loves me, and wants to be with me rather than," she glances up at R'dur, "Someone who feels they have a duty to be there. It was a nice thought though, and I do appreciate it." Dianneth ceases her hole-digging and sets her head on the ground to watch R'dur. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry this news has upset you, R'dur. I knew it was a bad idea to tell you." And who knows what her brother might think of /that/?"

R'dur flushes again, at both Lien's lecturing and Yselle's admissions. "I--Yes. Good night, Ys--Yselle. Sir," he offers weakly after a moment, glancing away from the pair. He heads toward Alidaeth's side, scrambling up the brown's side clumsily. Alidaeth then croons a good-bye of his own, then spreads wide his wings and takes off, spiraling up into darkness.

Lien looks sidelong at Yselle as the brownrider scrambles for cover. "'Sir'. That's new."

Yselle flumps back in the sand. "Well, he's probably not over the habit since he's graduated," she says. "Thanks, by the way. It was a nice thought, what you said to him, just... eh. Do you know, nobody's asked me to live with them before? Except Tel, and he doesn't count." She watches the brown fly off. "Well, do you think things could get /more/ awkward?"

Lien looks at his sister as if to say something, then visibly changes his mind and sits down beside her. "Not much, no. I wish I knew what to say to make it easier, except to tell you that /I/ love you very much and I'm not about to go anywhere or ask you to live with me. I meant it about the babysitting, you know."

"Well, you know, if it wasn't so /obvious/ that he was only asking because he thought he should, it might've been nice," Yselle says, staring at the lake. "Nice to be asked anyway. It kind of spoiled it really. Oh well," she picks up a pebble, and tosses it in her hand. "I wasn't really expecting to ever have a weyrmate. Besides, Tel'd be a nightmare to live with if I ever /did/ move in with anyone. I suppose he'll be having a few words with R'dur next. You know what he's like." She looks over at her brother and smiles. "Well, I'm glad you're going to help out. Roselle will be jealous though. She loves her uncle."

Lien says "I know what he's like, yes, and I may stop by the infirmary to warn them if I have a chance." He reaches over around Yselle's shoulders to hug her. "You know you can count on me, kiddo. I don't know if I'll ever really understand this place, but I think I know /you/ pretty well by now."

"Well, it's not like at home," Yselle agrees. "I don't know what our parents will say when they hear that I'm pregnant /again/ without a weyrmate. I guess Evin will be okay, but..." she shrugs. "Anyway. At least, as I said to him, I know his name. It could've been a flight. So."

Lien hugs his sister a little bit tighter. "Probably the same sorts of things they said last time. You know, the awful ones they don't really mean, and will forget about when you bring the baby around to visit them." There's sympathy in his voice along with shared history. "I know what you mean about wanting to be weyrmates with someone who loves you and wants /you/, not a sense of duty." He sighs and looks up at the stars. "I'll run interference with Mum and Dad when you need me to."

"I sometimes wonder what's wrong with me," Yselle mutters. "Besides, you know, the way I look." She snuggles in without even seeming to think of it. "I think you'd find a wife easily, Lien, if you looked up from your work now and then. - Thanks, by the way. I guess I'll wait awhile though. I can't between yet, anyway, to tell them, so. Maybe we can go home together sometime."

Lien says "You're human, Yselle, just like the rest of us. Just... a little bit more prone to drama, I guess. That's not your fault, that's just the way it is. /I/ don't think there's anything wrong with you. Neither does she, I bet," he says with a nod to Dianneth. He sits with her in companionable silence for a couple minutes. "Not to change the subject, but when was the last time you ate something?""