==== January 4, 2012
==== Eollyn, O'ell
==== Avoiding or inviting certain doom?

Who Eollyn, O'ell
What Avoiding or inviting certain doom?
When There are 0 turns, 3 months and 15 days until the 12th pass.
Where Igen Weyr - Public Baths

Public Baths
Stout walls have been erected around several naturally formed pools, serving to provide a semblance of privacy and protection from the harsh wind and sand. Above the pools, well cleaned walkways criss-cross beneath tiled arches and descend with a stairway or two leading down to each pool to provide one means of slip-free access through the area. Surrounding the pools there are benches, receptacles to put used clothing and towels in, and areas to get sweetsand and towels from - if you didn't bring your own.


Despite the autumn season, the evening is still a popular time in the baths, especially on days like today. Even so, some pools are more populated than others, and it is one of these less populated pools one can find Eollyn sitting on a bench next to. She's not waiting for anyone, not really; merely preparing for the semi-ordeal baths are beginning to become. A towel is already wrapped around her waist, and another towel sits nearby. The lack of other people in this pool means she doesn't feel any particular rush to getting in, except perhaps for the warmth of the pool; while normally the coolness autumn brings would be welcomed, for pregnant vintners it is slightly less so. A small scowl sits upon her face tonight as she undresses, but since there's no one with her at the moment, it's probably not directed at anyone in particular. For now, at least.

O'ell tends to avoid crowds in the baths by default - for some reason, his sarcasm doesn't endear him to people soaking in water. Go figure, right? So when he's whistling a little too cheerfully as he saunters in, towel thrown over his shoulder, he may well wind up being the target of Eollyn's scowl. He did help create the condition she's in afterall, as uncomfortable as it is. And since there are so few people around, it's rather hard to miss her there. "Well hey. I missed you when I stopped by the store earlier." At least she'll get a scant amount of privacy from him, since he turns a bit so he can start divesting himself of clothing and shove it all messily into a corner.

For his trouble, he might just get a towel thrown in his general direction, too! "Probably because I was making my apprentices do some actual work with Mayte off galavanting with that good-for-nothing greenrider." No crankiness here, not from Eollyn, no-siree (okay, really, yes there is)! But probably only because pregnancy has her hyper-protective of her apprentices. "How have you been today, O'ell?" Quiet splashes echo her words, and by the time he turns around, she'll have retreated into the steamy warmth of the water. Hey, that warm water's good for something, right? She'll be facing away from him though, to give him the same sort of privacy that he gave her. Except she's sitting against the side of the pool, and not on a bench this time.

"Good for nothing greenrider." O'ell parrots, eyebrow hitching upwards as he considers who that could possibly be. "Knew there was something wrong with that kid. Where has she been gallavanting to, do you know?" His expression when he sinks into the water is one of blank innocence. No, he wouldn't possibly use the information for ill purpose. Not HIM. "Dealing with weyrlings who think they know better then their instructors. You'd think what happened at Keroon would make them piss themselves with fear and pay more attention." Grunt. (That's manspeak for most of them don't.) "We got a few with potential though." This is all safe conversation territory though. Too safe. Thus, mouth opens, possible trouble comes out. "You're what, 2 months away from delivery now?"

"Absolutely good for nothing, untrustworthy, foolish idiot." Eollyn explains without really explaining anything at all. "Probably to that Arroyo party, tonight." A hand is damply flapped in annoyed dismissal of the topic. Though it's fairly clear now that she's presumably more irritated at the nameless rider than anything else! "Hah, sounds like apprentices in general. Except minus the Keroon bit." Eollyn's annoyance disappears at mention of that; if anything she looks mildly concerned. "You'll whip them into shape, I've faith in that." And then the trouble emerges from his mouth. Her frown reappears. "Two to three months." The comment's mildly challenging, as if questioning whether he was calling her fat (really, Eollyn's just testy tonight. Not that that's different than normal, the last couple days).

O'ell tries rather desperately not to look amused at the listing of K'vvan's endearing qualities. But he's really quite unsuccessful, and it shows as the corners of his lips twitch upwards and he clears his throat. "We're certainly doing our best." he agrees, a moment of distance in his tone as he considers the training regimen. It's perhaps that momentary thought-distraction that has him utterly clueless about the challenging tone. He just plows on ahead, as if there aren't big red mental alarms flashing everywhere. "Huh. My count must be off. I'll send one of my firelizards over anyway. To the shop." Yep, he's instituting the firelizard stalk… er, watcher program. He casts a quick, concerned glance at Eollyn, and looks perhaps about to talk again. But, nope. Noooope! He's a dude, and dude's just don't talk so easily.

If he was oblivious to the challenge before, it'll be pretty clear when Eollyn scowls at him. One would hope, at least. "Clearly it is, bronzerider, or I'd be more fat than I am." Ouch? "Planning on stalking me, now, are you?" The thought's almost endearing, but she's not quite cooled off just yet. Temperwise. There's just something kind of adorable about a man wanting to keep an eye on the woman carrying his child. His concerned glance earns the bewildered glance in reply, with both eyebrows raised in question. SPILL MAN. "The nice thing about being so close now is that it means I'm one step closer to being able to sample the wares we're selling again." She's not actually keen on getting into an argument, so she simply changes the subject for the moment instead.

O'ell slides another glance at the vintner, this one wary. When she calls him bronzerider instead of by name.. yikes. "You're not fat, you're pregnant." he points out. Which is probably not what she's supposed to say. But, being all practical minded it's the only thing he can blurt out that isn't like 'well sure, duh'. Because he doesn't want to die. "Ah, well. Maybe." Ahem. "That was the lesser of the options. The other was the firelizard -and- me staying there." He's saving that for month 9. But the nice thing about being him, is that he TOTALLY GETS the whole 'I want to suck back some alcohol dude' sentiment. "When you're able, I can take you tavern hopping across Pern. You can check up on the competition."

"I'm fat because I'm pregnant." The woman mutters under her breath - though she'll let it slide. For now. When he further explains his stalking, Eollyn can't help the fond little smile that crosses her lips. "You worry too much." It's a chide he's probably familiar with by now, but one she repeats every so often all the same. It's her way of saying that things'll be fine, no need to worry. Even though she knows he'll continue to worry regardless. She scoots a little closer to him, and tilts her head to the side a little. "Competition? What competition?" It's said teasingly, but the Vintner's seemingly rediscovered her good humor, it seems! And then, randomly, "it's kicking. You want to feel?" Probably the reason she shortened the distance between them.

"There is absolutely nothing I can say, is there." Nothing that won't wind up with him curled up in the fetal position anyway. Still, O'ell manages to say that in an extraordinarily dry tone of voice. "Better then worrying too little." Which is an admission of guilt. But, one he doesn't feel at all bad about. Stubborn bastard, eh? Her teasing earns a chuckle, "Don't look at me. I only buy at Corks and Works." Both hands held up in surrender when, suddenly, -baby kick-! "I, w… yeah. Sure!" He offers a hand for her to guide. "I hear it's when you're resting that they get all active, because walking around and doing things is actually soothing for them and they sleep…" Pause. "Or something. Something like that."

"Absolutely nothing." At least Eollyn's agreeing with him on that one? She's apparently forgiven him for his being himself, since she's agreeing, at least. His admission of guilt earns a small smile from her. "Just so you know, I wouldn't be opposed to the second option." Just in case, you know. She takes his hand, and'll settle it gently over where their baby's kicking at the moment, with a smile that's as carefree as could be on her face right now. "I guess we'll find out the closer we get…right now, he just seems to do it at random." Hmm, seems Eollyn's hoping for a boy, doesn't it?

"I'm smarter then I look." And modest too. O'ell just nods sagely, knowing that he took the right course of action by not saying another word about fat. Or mooing. Especially not mooing. Her second set of words give him pause. But he's not about to let the opportunity to indulge in his own special brand of panic slide by without jumping at the opportunity! So, "Then I'll bring a few things over later." Because it's not as if Jafyth can't still mentally smack him upside the head when he has things to do. "You think it's a boy then?" If anything, his smile hitches when the baby decides to react to the extra hand with an extra kick or two. "Active, at least."

A small smirk crosses Eollyn's lips at that comment, and she just gives him an extra special pat on the arm for that. "I'll make room in the back." Has he seen the room she stays in most of the time? It's full of baby things. Well, not full, but darn near close. "I hope it is. Some of the women around the bazaar say you can tell by how it carries, but I'm not sure I give much credit to that. We'll find out soon enough." She frowns a little in the end there, though she doesn't voice why. Instead she busies herself watching him react to the baby deciding to kick Daddy's hand through Mommy's stomach a few more times. "Very." Somewhat sarcastically, or perhaps wryly, agreed upon. But then she's run out of things to say, for the moment at least.

O'ell is extra special alright. Hahahahaha. "Sounds dubious." Her frown makes him frown, but she's just moving along the conversation as if she didn't at all just do that. And his self of self-preservation is far too advanced to allow his mouth to voice what his brain his thinking. Thus, "I need to make one more round at the weyrling barracks before I can come over. Be careful getting out of the baths." He is so tempted, so tempted to call the mini-stalker already. Just in case. But, refrains. Instead he gives her a quick kiss -unless she turns away- and will start to wade to the steps. "Shouldn't be more then a candlemark."

Extra special indeed! Everyone could probably agree on that. It's probably a good thing he doesn't question her frown, because happy Eollyn might turn to teary Eollyn, and then he'd really be in for it. So it's really a good thing he doesn't. Probably. "Alright, O'ell. There's no rush, I'll be there soon enough myself." To time how LATE Mayte is returned to her broody Journeywoman. "I'll be careful, don't worry." And she will be, too; there are, after all, some horror stories about what happens when a pregnant woman's not careful and slips in the baths. The quick kiss is returned, and smiled at, before he's on his way to leaving. "Until then, O'ell." There's so much those words say. And yet so little. Perhaps they'll be questioned when the pair meet again; or perhaps the varied meanings of the words will remain layered, like an onion. But once O'ell's gone, Eollyn will finish up bathing, and then make her own way out and back to Corks and Works…probably only right before the bronzerider gets there himself.

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