Beach
Ancient dunes have been flattened by the endless parade of people and dragons that tramp northwest across the bowl, leaving a mere skiff of sand here along lake's beaten edge. Footprints litter the curve of beach, some left turns ago and caught frozen in the heavy clay earth near the water's edge. As the sun sets, shadows invade, creeping like fingers across the gently sloping ground and darkening the distant ledges on the far side of the lake.
To the north, dust rises from the redolent pens while the flattened disc of the main bowl is just a step to the northwest.
It is a summer sunrise.
Green Zaqith, brown Trebinth, green Yshanth, and green Alymath are here. R'sli, Tyara, and Pyrene are here.

Pyrene finally gets in the water--/before/ she can be sprayed. "Well, just come in and get wet?" she asks the dragons. She waves a wet hand at Lis and snickers at Tyara. "They don't like baths anyway.... You're safe /in/ the water."

Lis is here, mutting various obscenities under her breath about lifemates as she drags herself in from the bowl. Alymath gets a particularly exhapserated glare before the greenrider sinks into the dunes - with no intention of doing much else. At least she returns the wave to Pyrene, albeit sluggishly.

"Maybe so," is Tyara's droll answer, though she's quick to follow Pyrene into the water. "Mornin', Lis," is greeted casually to the greenrider walking in, hand raised and waved slightly before the nanny ducks under the water.

R'sli finally manages to get Zaqith to hold still and begins srubbing in earnest. "How on Pern did you get so grimy?" he asks the dainty green. A draconic shrug, and the greenrider shakes his head. "Well, why would you roll in the sand with Sardrinth?" He shakes his head, and waves to Lis as he spies her. "Morning!"

"Sardrinth probably put her up to it," Pyrene calls over to Ris cheerfully. Her feet come up and gaily kick water at Tyara.

Tyara, fortunately, is underwater, but as soon as she resurfaces she gets a load of water directly in the face. "Mphf... Pyrene!"

Tremayne slips out of ::between:: staring suspiciously around him.

R'sli nods. "I believe that," he says merrily. "He's the one that taught her how to stampede the herdbeasts before she feeds. Says it makes them juicier." He shudders, and starts to climb up the gilded jade hide to scrub that mighty back. "I try and stop whenever I catch her, but it's still gruesome to think about." He grins, and sits between the neckridges a moment. "Sure is beautiful this morning, isn't it?"

"Morning, morning, morning," Lis drawls in a sing-song sort of way, flopped in the sand and generally soaking up Rukbat's rays. Best way to spend a morning like this - not like those crazies in the water. "Now, Pyrene, what kind of example is that to set for the weyrbrats?" the greenrider chides, actually bothering to raise her head - gasp! - to yell nanny-wards.

Pyrene lies on her back and stares up at the sunrise. "Reminds me of D'renn actually...." she muses. "You coming for a swim, Lis? And the brats aren't even here! I'm off-duty!" And that whining tone suggests that she's in no mood to set examples.

R'sli grins down at the swimming nannies. "I heard from one of the older girls that you foisted those kids on the new nanny," he says with a wink. "Poor thing." He scrubs at a neckridge thoughtfully. "I can send Siannen to help out, if you're short handed."

Tyara decides that any conversatrion about brats or D'renn is definitely not for her right now, so she stays in the water, letting Lis and Pyrene bicker around.

Lis shakes her head at Pyrene's offer vehemently as a yawn escapes. "No, thanks. Didn't bring anything to swim in." Granted, she might not have a swimming outfit, but an excuse is still an excuse. Unless it's one of Pyrene's. "But, still, Py..." protests the rider half-heartedly.

Alymath rumbles, rather pleased as she sees her rider - her obeying rider, who comes when Alymath orders her to come. Getting up from the sand, green dragon saunters towards her rider, crooning lovingly as she prods her head forward for scritches.

Pyrene looks hopefully at R'sli. "I can steal Siannen to be another nanny?" The more assistants, the better for Pyrene. And let's face it, she needs all the help she can get. She dips underwater, re-emerging up by Zaqith. "Alymath coming for a bath as well?" she wonders, thankful that it's greens this time. "It'll wake you up Lis."

Scritches. Wonderful. Lis raises a hand, sliding it up and down Alymath's eyerider, using gravity to do what tired muscles don't feel like doing. "You'd better be thankful for this, dearish. You have no idea how tired I am right now," mumbles the greenrider to her lifemate. "I don't /want/ to wake up. I want to stay right here on the beach and do nothing." A noble goal, no?

Alymath rumbles again, this time an odd tone. She accepts the scritching for a few moments, then moves towards the waters - and Pyrene. Ah, this spot looks just right to splash...

R'sli chuckles, and shrugs. "If she wants to," he says with a chuckle. Siannen, that is. "But I'd have to ask her." He swipes at the ridge, and scoots along the broad back, scrubbing around diligent lizards. "Look out," he warns, seeing Alymath approach.

You sense Alymath emits ridiculed concern, vanilla and lemon tingling her words. << You ought to stay here, Lis. I do not want you hurt. >>

Pyrene doesn't mind splashing. She's wet anyway. "How old's Siannen, now?" she wonders lazily of Ris before submerging underwater again. Can't be splashed now.... She reappears closer to the shore and kicks her feet again--this time sending water to Lis. "C/mon/! Come and swim... the water's not so bad after you've been in it for ten minutes or so."

Alymath looks rather disappointed as Pyrene disappears. Shards. She lost her scritching post. Lis is just there, being lazy. Then what good's a rider if she won't wash her? Instead, large, green head moves towards Zaqith, a low croon emitting from lanky throat.

An indignant squeal comes from Lis' corner of the beach as cold water hits warm skin. "Pyreeeeene! I /said/ I didn't want to come in! And I don't want to get my clothes wet either! Augh!" Pure exasperation is embodied in her last gutteral uttering, the greenrider flopping back against the sand in agitation. Humph.

Pyrene sighs at Lis. "It's good for you...." she notes pettily. "But you can stay on the beach then if you like. The sand's just as cold and wet as the water." And she disappears beneath the surface again.

"I'm not going in the water." Looks like the greenrider's starting to wake up - Lis' propped up by her elbows, glaring at Pyrene. "I don't want to get my only summer tunic wet - and then having to spend the rest of the day with a damp shirt." Wet tunics on greenriders are only good for the maleriders that watch said greeners.

Pyrene peers over at Lis. "That's your only summer tunic? You should get some new clothes, dear..." Smirk.

Lis will just ignore that smirk, a sudden despairing sigh coming from the greenrider's lips. "I prolly should. Nothing of mine seems to fit in the chest anymore - except for this old thing, and even /that's/ getting tight. I haven't grown this much since I had my 13th Turnday!" The horrors of bodily developement - she deserves pity, not smirks.

Pyrene chuckles wickedly at Lis. "Well, apparently you're never fully developed until you have your first child, you know--another reason not to have one." She never wastes an opportunity to preach, does she?

Lis glances from Pyrene to her belly - nope, no sudden ballooning yet - and back again to the nanny. "Oh, you can't think that I'm... I'm..." When the words finally works their way out of her mouth, the greenrider grimaces at the odd way it sounds to be coming from her: "Going to have baby?"

Pyrene splashes upright (or roughly so, in the water). "Shells, no!" she exclaims, in surprise. "I was advising you not to...." She really doesn't like the way Lis put that comment though and so she peers closely at her. "After all, why /would/ you have a baby?"

Exactly Lis' sentiment. "Why /would/ I have a baby?" echoes the greenrider, still peering warily at her belly. "I mean, people are late all the time, aren't they? I heard being stressed can do it..." She's just digging herself in a hole, and she knows it.

Pyrene ohs in relief. "You're just late? Well, that's nothing. I was late when I first started nannying--and again when I got promoted... Candidacy was alright though, oddly enough." She shrugs at that and swims closer for easier talking. "Besides, you know enough to be careful, right? You're old enough... What've you been stressed about then?" Pyrene has deep and abiding trust in Lis. This was the girl she stood on the sands with. They held hands and bonded in that moment of adrenalin. She /knows/ she'd never let her down.

And Pyrene has to ask what Lis is stressed about? Just look in the lake... It's big, green, and flirty; but, that's not just it, from the confused expression that takes over Lis' features. "Stuff. Mostly, the fact that there's at least three men in this weyr with feelings for me - even more, some people say - not to mention that wonderful job of pouncing D'renn I did..." That's trauma enough, no?

Pyrene shudders, sending ripples towards the beach. "D'renn would be enough to stress me out of my cycle. Just think... if you /were/ pregnant, he could--come to think of it, I'm not even going to /joke/ about that." She rolls to look at Alymath for a moment. That green has a /lot/ to answer for.... but she's still not as interesting as gossip. "So.. who're these men then, Lis?"

Lis' eyes widen in percievable shock at Pyrene's suggestion, but nothing comes out of her mouth. Probably just as well. Sitting up in the sand, the greenrider idly traces silly, stylized sketchings of dragons as she talks. "Well, F'reud's been after me since he was still Fallreud, and, well, there's Braniff. Most recently, though, T'sin said he... Nah. It's not really important what he said, but you get the general idea." Fingers swipe through her design as she finishes talking, smearning the drawing into oblivion.

Braniff walks in from the Central Bowl.

Pyrene notices the shock, but doesn't immediately read anything into it. "Braniff... T'sin? That's quite an achievement... Speaking of D'renn, how's he been since--y'know? Is he less annoying now, or worse?" And speak of the devil... the Braniff-one anyway. Pyrene waves a lazy hand and keeps quiet.

Braniff glances up and nods to the nanny, a smile for the greenrider with her. "Hello...." he murmurs. He moves gracefully across the sand, barely making a sound as he moves for all of his size.

"He's...." Lis searches for the right adjective to describe the man, fingers brought to her chin in thought. "He's almost sweet about it. Like he's worried about me... oh!" Presumably, the interjection was for Braniff, a warm smile flashed in his direction. "G'morning, love."

Pyrene would not immediately pick 'sweet' as the right adjective to describe D'renn... "Probably more worried that you'll spread rumours about certain deficiencies..." she mutters to herself, before finally stepping out from the water and wrapping herself in a towel. "Braniff... Came for a swim, or Lis here?"

Braniff comes to a halt at Lis' side and rests a large hand lightly on her shoulder. "Morning, love...." he murmurs, an eyebrow rising slowly. "Who's worried about you now.......and should I start worrying?" He doesn't settle to the boulder next to her in case he's intruding and needs to leave.

Lis caught that quip about D'renn and, oddly enough, defends the old bluerider. "If he was anything, it wasn't deficient." She does, however, manage to keep a straight face before peering up at Braniff. "Just D'renn... and I don't think you should start worrying. Yet." Key word, that.

Pyrene will start worrying because of that 'yet'. "Lis... don't... just /don't/ go there. Stick with Braniff. He's a better age for a start." And he's.... Not D'renn.

Braniff's face darkens slightly at mention of the weyrlingmaster and cocks his head at her. "Yet? Why not yet?" he asks, suddenly concerned. "And what's D'renn got to do with it?" He looks at the nanny, slightly shocked and confused. His brow draws together as he turns to Lis, questions in his eyes.

Oh, shards; Lis is in hot water again - or is that, 'as usual'? "Well, he was..." the greenrider protests in a surly, brat-like voice before the tries to figure out how to answer Braniff. "Yet, because I tend to attract trouble. And we were just talking about the flight, love. If you don't want to listen, I understand..." T'wasn't exactly a walk in the gather square to live it, either.

Pyrene chuckles and relents, towelling and re-dressing as quickly as possible in the morning air. Summer or no, the day takes a while to warm up. "Poor Lis... Still, Trydanth's caught greens before, and their riders seemed to survive. You'll live... relax a little, hey?" She throws a look behind the greenrider's head at Braniff, mouthing "Be nice to her," at him.

Braniff draws back slightly, a hurt look passing across his features. "I....I'll go if....you want, Lis. I told you.....a long time ago, that I understood what you'd have to go thru.....even though I don't pretend to like it." he murmurs. He gulps audibly, swallowing a lump. He glances at the nanny, his frown deepening since he's never been anything but nice to the greenrider.

Lis winces at the though of Trydanth coming vaguely close to catching Alymath - even scarier than D'renn being convenient. "Humph. Everyone says 'You'll get used to it', but they don't seem to quite know what a pain it is getting used to it." Braniff gets one of her most forlorn glances that all but asks him outright to stay, eyes wide and at the height of their 'sad canine'ness.

Braniff sighs softly and finally settles onto the boulder next to the rider. Concern brightens his gaze as he tenderly gathers her against him, reflex as he tries to protect her from whatever makes her look so sad. He gently nuzzles her hair and whispers, "Tell me.....who's hurt you?"

Pyrene twists her mouth ruefully. "Alymath's no help?" she asks, casting a glance at the green. "Sometimes I think I'm glad I didn't Impress back then.... there was a moment when I thought Aly was coming for me you know... Or hoped she was. Then you, well..." she grins and reaches one arm around Lis to squeeze her shoulders briefly, before hugging her knees and letting Braniff comfort the rider. "But she's worth it all, right?"

With yet another sigh - she's getting awfully good at it, by now - Lis explains, "It's not anybody but myself. Granted, Alymath's done her share in getting me in trouble, but now... Shells, it's like growing up all over again, but having to fly Fall at the same time." Peeking over at Pyrene, the rider does send her a rueful grin. "Just be glad you didn't hope hard enough. Or it might've been you!" That cryptic statement opens up to sweep beyond Impression into the events that the green's subjected her lifemate too.

Nocturno bursts in from ::between::!

Braniff carefully holds the greenrider to his chest and sighs softly into her hair. "So what is it that's got you so upset, Lis? I can't understand if you don't say it....you know that. I don't like to see you like this, sad and troubled like you are...." he murmurs. He keeps glancing at the nanny, trying to get a hint as to what he really needs to be doing for the rider since he seems to be failing at everything he's tried.

Pyrene glances at Alymath in some surprise and then back at Lis with closer concern. "Lis... she /chose/ you. She was /never/ going to go to me--although Faranth knows I'd have been over the moons if she had... even if it /did/ mean sleeping with D'renn. Look on the bright side, you don't have to look after the monsters of brats, like I do." She grins hopefully at the rider, trying to lighten the situation.

Lis doesn't like it much either, but from the way her face is screwed up in intense though, it seems like the cause of it all is evading her. "Lately," the greenrider begins slowly, as if she were thinking every word through before saying it - which, on the other hand, could prove to be beneficial. "It just seems like I'm not myself. I don't know how else to put it..." Relaxing into his arms, she adds, "Don't worry about me too much. Sooner or later I'll sort myself out." And if not, there's always creampuffs to drown sorrows in... "I think D'renn takes the cake for all brats," quips the greener wryly.

Pyrene stares earnestly at Lis, quipping back in a lighter tone: "Not Swawa, he doesn't... Although I officially never said that, you understand." She winks once and sighs softly, chewing her lip. "You're still you, Lis," she says at length. "It's just that you've been growing up with Alymath and yourself--and now you must both just about be at an end of it all. It's not like you can stay the same. I know /I/ haven't." Pyrene's potentially been on a long steady road to improvement, although some might argue that she took a wrong turn.

Braniff gulps slightly at the thought of his Lis being with the weyrlingmaster and then shakes himself, remembering that she's a greenrider and things like that will happen. His gaze turns thoughtful as his fingers twitch as though counting something. He nods and whispers, "It's been long enough........." He clears his throat, tears glimmer in his eyes as he looks out across the lake. He remains silent after that one whispered comment and merely holds her, comforting and present, supporting the greenrider as much as she needs him.

Don't worry about Lis keeping information confidential - she'll only blurt when it's conveniently embarrasing to the sender and reciever. "I know I'm still me, Pyrene," the greenrider states with the air of one having to explain something to a wall. "But I haven't felt this... confused in Turns. And I thought I'd already grown up enough!" Brows are raised to no one in particular - mostly the idea of the general bedlam. The offered comfort is more than taken advantage of by the lazy little greenrider, now using Braniff as both pillow and seat as she goes the route of peering out across the lake, collecting thoughts.

Pyrene snorts lightly at Lis. "Don't tell me that... you're older than me. I'd hoped I was past the worst of the hormones. Ugh. I've still got this to look forward to?" And she doesn't even have a Braniff to use as a pillow.

Braniff sighs and is perfectly willing to be used as chair and pillow as long as it keeps Lis close. His arms wrap tenderly around her, one hand resting on her hip, the other on her belly, fingers splayed across her lower abdomen. He trembles slightly and anyone looking into his eyes right now can see that the wheels are clicking as he slowly adds up all the hints and clues. He's intelligent, just not good at puzzles, and Lis has definately handed him a complex one. He can't help with the confusion....he's feeling the same way right now.

Tyara strides with feminine grace in from the Central Bowl.

"Py, dearest, my hormones are sitting over there in the lake. I don't think you'll have to worry about the same things I do," Lis reassures the poor head nanny with a lopsided grin. As she notices his soft touch, the greenrider puts a hand over the one of Braniff's lying across her belly. "What're you thinking about, love?" queries the rider softly, tilting her head up at him with honest curiosity.

Pyrene waves across to Tyara quietly, before answering Lis, "Oh, well, in that case I'll be fine then. And still, better hormonal Alymath than no Alymath at all, right?" In all the turns she's been at the weyr, it's been that question, or one similar that has consistently snapped riders out of their funk.

Braniff glances down and looks into Lis' eyes. "You, love....trying to understand why you are upset, and won't tell me what it is......" he murmurs softly. "I love you, Lis......I always will, and I want to protect you as much as I can." He sighs, blinking the tears back so that she doesn't see them. "If something had come of the flight......you'd tell me?" His voice chokes on the question but it's out and he can't call it back now. He nods to Tyara, he did notice....he's just distracted.

Tyara strides back into the beach, about to complain to Pyrene but forgets about it when she sees the small crowd. A nod is given back to Braniff, the nanny frowning slightly. Whatever happened, she missed it, and all because of that.... Gnilc.

Alymath or no Alymath... Luckily for Py, the question does bring a slight smile to Lis' face. "Aye, it is better. For all the trouble she's caused, she only wants me to have fun, like her." Granted, their definitions of fun may not quite match up. Absorbing Braniff's words with a slowl, increasing coming-together of her brows, the greenrider finally asks, "What sort of something? And of course I'd tell you..." Finally peering around her human seat, Lis cocks her head at Tyara with a curt, friendly wave.

Pyrene lies back on the sand and studies the sky. "You'll be fine, Lis.... And Braniff understands by the sounds of it, that has to be good." She grins at said sensitve guy.

Braniff shakes his head slightly and shrugs. "Anything....You finding someone you prefer to me, someone you want to be weyrmated to? A child.......anything?" he asks softly, for Lis' ears only, though his cracking voice makes some parts louder than others. He nods absently to Pyrene, he does understand....or is trying to?

Alymath slowly raises her head, her swirling eyes fixating on her rider for a moment before slowly gliding over the man and the nannies as well. A low grumble comes out then, as if the green comtemplates something.

"There'd better not be a child," is Lis' first, ominous comment as she regards Braniff tenderly, noting the slight cracks in his voice. "And there isn't anyone I prefer over you. There's more to a person that how they are in bed..." Eek. Morals. Alymath is eyed by her rider warilly, but it's soon pushed aside by other concerns that shuffle through her mind.

Pyrene blinks at Lis. "Lis.... you don't /seriously/ think you're pregnant, do you? I mean... it's so easy /not/ to be. Lots of riders have more trouble /getting/ pregnant." And it's clear from Pyrene's tone and expression that she doesn't know why they bother.

Alymath gives a short, dissatisfied grumble, now keeping her gaze on Lis. It must be annoying very soon.

Braniff nods and squeezes the greenrider tightly for a moment. "It's just that you said you didn't feel like yourself.....and it's been the right amount before you'd notice.....and you said that D'renn was worrying about you." he murmurs. "Just reminded me of one of the girls at Fort Hold when I was there....." He smiles slightly as he watches the green dragon and then sighs against Lis hair as he kisses her temple tenderly.

Lis blinks back at Pyrene. And Braniff. And, finally, Alymath. "But, Py... Braniff! I couldn't be... I mean, I've flown a Fall or two. But, then..." She falls silent as she counts off sevendays on her fingers, gulping audibly while her eyes widen. "It... has been more than a month." Poor girl, and Alymath's not helping - so the greenrider silently interrogates her lifemate.

Alymath senses that Lis tries to pry into her lifemate's head to the best of her abilities, nosily. << What is it, dearish? >>

Alymath looks incredibly smug as she answers Lis, her tail twitching in the water.

You sense Alymath responds, her mindvoice filled with a smug sensation of smoke, blending with a concerned touch of fresh lemon. << You must see a Healer, Lis. You are not as normal. >>

Pyrene swallows, peering closely at Lis. "You're not pregnant." she says, trying to use conviction to make it fact. "Stress is a much more probable reason."

Alymath senses that Lis snaps an exasperated answer back with a venemous sting. << Of course I'm not as normal. I'm... confused. >>

You sense Alymath looks decidedly haughty as she repeats, her mindvoice now smug rather than concerned. << You must see a Healer, Lis.>>

Auri hopskips in from the Central Bowl.

"Pregnant? Lis is pregnant?" Tyara inquires, her brows drawn together in a slight scowl. Braniff is eyed then, narrowed, green gaze suspicious all of a sudden. Well, well. Auri is not really seen by the nanny, busy as she is staring at Lis and Braniff - and that insanable green.

"Stress... Yes. Stress." It's Lis new unnofficial mantra as the greenrider stares blanky at her all-too-smug-looking lifemate. "Oh, I do not!" the greenrider finally snaps in her green's direction, directing a pair of wide, wide eyes in Tyara's direction, mouth agape in a small 'o'. Well, what's a greenrider to do in this circumstance?

"Pre-/pregnant/?" Auri's mouth both go wide and o-shaped. The look of shock fluidly slides into one of joy, and Auri gives one of her famous huge beams. "Lissie? You're gonna have a baby? Wow! A baby! Nanrene, did you hear, Lissie's having a baby! Wow! A baby!" Yes. A baby, if you're not clear on that point. .

Braniff glances between the dragon and rider and finally has to ask, "What did she say, love?" He looks worriedly at Lis and then at Tyara, brows drawing together into a frown. Okay...so what did he do to her? He winces as the girl shrieks and his arms tighten around Lis slightly. "I do think you should have the healers check to make sure, love."

Pyrene glares at Auri and actually /snaps/: "Don't be silly Auri! You're jumping to conclusions again, nobody said Lis was having a baby." Yet. And her eyes turn to Lis, half-pleading with her to deny all possibility.

Tyara just stares back at Lis, impatiently awaiting an answer. Any answer. Just a word. Auri is eyed briefly though - who can overlook /that/ girl? "What's Alymath saying, Lis?" she inquiers then, giving the green dragon a suspicious look.

Lis gulps, again, audibly, looking at her lifemate a look of complete incredulitly. "She said I need to see a Healer, love..." the greenrider informs the gathered with another gulp. Barely concious of Auri's squealing, bouncing, beaming, etc., the greenrider gives the girl an almost-panicked look. "Now, Auri, we don't know that yet. Though..." Uh-oh.

Alymath seems rather convinced though, and her head shoots forward to nudge Lis gently, crooning.

Auri beams triumphantly. "Lissie's /maybe/ having a baby. A baby. Wow. And I know where babies come from, yah-huh, I do," she states proudly, tossing golden curls, and shooting Braniff a "I know all" look.

Pyrene swallows hard. "But Lis..." she murmurs weakly. This is definitely not the time to ask about potential fathers. She doesn't want to have her suspicions confirmed. "Auri, shut up." She's definitely under stress now. Never mind Lis.

Braniff sighs and nods against Lis' hair. "Then you'll see one....and not :between: till you do....alright?" he murmurs, taking a rather firm tone. He glances at the girl, a slight frown on his face. He still doesn't like children all that well, tending to squish them when they get too close, but he's going to try.....especially if Lis -is- pregnant.

"Yes, love," Lis agrees with a soft sigh of resignation, more than willing to slump gratefully into Braniff's arms, peering at her belly with a look somewhere between dread and disgust. If she /is/ pregnant... well, it won't be flat for long. "'M sorry Pyrene," the greenrider mutters helplessly. "I didn't /mean/ to..." She's not /that/ daft.

Braniff chuckles softly and murmurs, "No one said that you intended to, love......Do you know who the father could be?" He asks softly, hoping it's his but not entirely sure.

Pyrene throws a despairing look at Tyara. "It's alright, Lis," she lies to the greenrider. "It's probably just stress after all. Catia'll just laugh at you... you'll see..."

"The... father?" Lis gulps yet again, wincing at a sudden - and none too good - thought. But, otherwise, she takes heart in Pyrene's words. Or tries to. "Right. Just stress, and Alymath's acting silly. As always." Just ignore the nervous fingers tugging at her tunic.

Pyrene holds her head in her hands. "Don't mention the father Lis. Not tonight." She can't take that much. "Like I said, it's just stress... we'll all be laughing about this in turns to come." She sends a fierce look around at the others. It's funny, isn't it?

Braniff sighs and cuddles Lis close to him and murmurs, "Don't bother, love....it's not important." He tries to smile, but the look in his eyes shows how worried and almost ill he is feeling.

Lis will be feeling ill as well, soon, if her dragon's statements are correct. "You might say it's not important, but it looks important to you, love," points out the greenrider - with little disregard for poor Pyrene's mental state, it seems. "It might be stress, Pyrene, and then again, it might /not/ be stress." There's a heavy tone of dread in the greener's voice; she's still rooting for stress.

Auri /sidles/ up alongside Lis, apparently not seeing her friend's distress. "Daddy? Who's the baby's daddy Lis? Who? There has to be a daddy. I know that. Cuz I know /all/ about that." Yup. She knows. And she's getting a bit like Siannen in that regard as well...

"Auri! Don't bother Lis!" That's Tyara's job, y'see. The nanny sends the girl a stern look, wading towards Lis, Braniff and Alymath, ready to pry Auri off the greenrider.

Braniff shrugs and tenderly kisses the riders cheek. "It does....but you needn't think about it today......Besides, it isn't proven." he murmurs in her ear. He tries to draw Lis away from the nosy little girl and casts a gratefull look toward Tyara. "If you are......will you keep it?" he finally asks.

Pyrene grabs for Auri's arm. "Auri, you're being a nuisance!" she hisses desperately. "And Lis... you've been taking your green-stuff right? I know you've been doing that!" She very much hopes so anyway.

Lis sends an ominous glance in Auri's direction, stating cryptically, "You wouldn't want to know." Hopefully that will have the effect of shutting mouths, not opening them. Recoiling into Braniff's hold, she answers him before Pyrene: "Well, I suppose I'd give it to the nannies. And, I'm pretty sure I have been, Pyrene..." She's pretty sure - isn't that good enough?

It's not /quite/ good enough.... "/Especially/ around flights... I mean, with Alymath being proddy, you'd be terribly careful, wouldn't you dear?" Pyrene presses urgently. Maybe she does have to know now after all.

Braniff nods and hugs Lis close. He sighs softly and opens and then closes his mouth as if he was going to say something and changed his mind. He frowns at Pyrene's pressing but doesn't interrupt since he is rather curious as well.

Auri's lip wobbles momentarily, but twists back into a beam in no time. "Wait...why wouldn't I wanna know Lissie? Is it Braniff? Or is it..." Here she begins listing off all the males she knows, mainly riders, first. "Is it Ris? Or Ty? Or Khay?" Here a blush. "Or um...Maurie? Or um...um...D'renn?"

Tyara taps her foot on the sand, keeping an eye on Auri and one on Lis. Now she's covered all the potential dangers.

Lis' answer may not quite be the one Pyrene wanted to hear. "Well, see, I was stuck in my weyr for a couple of days, and I'm /pretty/ sure I took my green stuff..." Er, yeah. Auri's rattling off of names is taken nearly straight-faced until the girl comes to the very end, whereupon Lis chooses to blanche quite nicely. "Oh, no..."

Braniff's dusky skin pales at the last name as well before he sighs in resignation. He knew the man would find a way, and managed to do it during a flight too. He can't say anything, his anger and frustration would make anything he said hurtful and he isn't here for that. He just holds Lis, trying to comfort her as much as he can.

Pyrene blanches in tandem with Lis--whether at her blanch or D'renn's name, it can't be certain. Most likely a piercing combination of both. "Oh... /Lis/," she squeaks out, voice cracking from the strain. And then she gives a half--wry, half-hysterical laugh. "Well, this'll teach us to cast doubts on his fertility!" She stares at the sky again, expression blank.

Alymath sniffs smugly - she's said what she wants to say. Now Lis can just find a way to sort it out.

Auri,being a teeny bit slower than the rest decides to pipe up then. "What? Who? Oh-no what Lissie? Who /is/ it Nanrene? Was it M'rin? Is M'rin your Daddy's baby? Huh? Huh? Nan/rene/!" Agitated, Auri awaits her answer anxiously.

"I'm sorry, love," Lis murmers contritely to Braniff, color returning to her face after a rather disturbing show. Ducking at Pyrene's squeak, there's almost a rueful grin appearing on her face at the nanny's later words. "Funny, I think I quipped something about not having to worry if I did offer to test..." Whichever is more scary is debatable. "No, Auri. It might be D'renn's."

"/D'renn/?" Auri is, in a word, dumbfounded. All the rather nasty things she's heard about D'renn flood into her mind, and little pink-clad shoulders shudder. "D'renn, Lissie?" Auri can find only one thing to say in an instance such as this. "Ew!!!"

And the words are said. Pyrene looks desolately at Lis. What she really wants to ask now is if Lis will keep it, but that's hardly going to be tactful, and for once she keeps quiet. "Oh, Lis..." she repeats helplessly.... before dissolving into quiet giggles at Auri.

Braniff shrugs and shakes his head at her. "No matter, love...." he whispers. "It matters not now....We'll cope." He glares slightly at the green dragon before he blinks the anger away and smiles instead. "I love you, Lis....." He keeps his voice very quiet, hoping that she'll hear but not concerned if she doesn't.

Lis squeaks indignantly, looking from Auri to Pyrene and finally to Braniff with a soft sigh. "Thank you, love..." She'll just curl up in his arms and ignore the snide comments and giggles about her baby's parentage.

Braniff finally sighs, all his worries washing away as Lis curls up into his arms. "You're welcome..." he murmurs, kissing her cheek as he cuddles her against him. He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath to sigh it out slowly, releasing all the tension in his body.

Pyrene watches Braniff and Lis for a moment and shakes her head. "Well, there you go Auri, Tya. It's love and happy families...." She winks half-drolly at them... never mind the wild look in her eye.

Love and happy family indeed. But at least Lis has the happy part down, eyes half-lidded as she does what she should've done long ago - ignore Pyrene and her comments. The greenrider gazes out onto the water, a small smile quirking over her lips as she places a hand on her belly. Babies...