Water 'Babies'

Monaco Bay Weyr - Cove Beach
Sparkling black sands are gently washed over with crystal blue waters, creating a playful blend of colors that twist and meld under the alternating rays of sun and moon. The cove stretches out from the mouth of the river towards the ocean, mixing saltwater with fresh for an invigorating rush that teems with life.

The coast curves eastward, the waters growing more quiet along the broad expanse of beach before finally meeting a large cove. Here there are few waves, the ocean's movement reduced to little more than slight swells. What might have been an idyllic and peaceful area however, is interrupted by a brilliantly gleaming structure that stands on the edge of the sands.

Large steel poles soar upwards, supporting a staircase that leads to a pair of water slides. The height of the structure is remarkable, standing at a height comparable to that of a small gold dragon. Pipes pump water upward, creating small pools at the entrance of both plastic blue slides. The rush of water moves with the slides, following their twisting course downwards while easing their passenger's journey. Parts of the slides are open and others covered, creating a thrill for each voyager before unceremoniously dumping them into the still waters below. For the safety of all patrons, a large net has been drawn across the mouth of the cove to prevent any accidental drifting away.


After her Search about 4 days ago, it turned out that Kaitlyn's Masters back at Harper Hall not only agreed with her decision to Stand, but also actually *could* pare down her list of dancing performances. And so, 5 days later, here the tall redhead is, wearing a candidate's knot as she herds 5 of the Weyr's young children out on the beach. Nanny duty for *her*, and she's doing rather well wrangling the curtain climbing house apes, so-to-speak. The single-piece swimsuit-clad woman is once again applying sunscreen not only to her very fair skin, but to all the childrens' hides to keep them from being burned by Rukbat's rays. With a firm, no-nonsense demeanor and words, Kait commands basic obedience and sort-of stillness from her charges…then sending them off into the water one-by-one. To her latest charge who is screaming happily and plowing himself into the surf, she bellows in Harper-cultured tones, "I'd better still be seeing your neck and head, Kybern!" No deep places for the 7 Turn old!

There are certain pleasures to not being a Candidate, and not having a squadron of children following him around is one of those things. It would appear that Aion has decided it's time for a break from the tedium of being in the infirmary and isn't just here for a short stint before returning back to work. He's only wearing a pair of shorts, a pair of sandals, and the rest of him is left exposed to Rukbat. Though, from the glisten of the light off of his skin, he's prepared for that too, even before he'd arrived on the beach. Dark eyes flick over the other occupants of the area, and while he might notice the redhead, he draws no attention to himself or to her when he arrives. Instead, he notably disregards the little group to walk towards a small spot to drop his satchel he'd been carrying over, and drops it into a bit of sand and kicks off the sandals to leave them behind as well.

Kaitlyn is near the edge of the water, putting sunscreen on a few children that she's playing nanny to, as part of her candidate's chores. Some are swimming in the shallows, calling and laughing to one another, while others are utilizing the water slides. The tall redheaded woman with the very pale skin is keeping an easy, weather eye on her five charges…and so one could forgive her for not noticing Aion entering the beach scene, especially since he's not drawing any attention to himself. Once again, Kaitlyn calls out to a pair of boys roughhousing a little too much in the water, "Tone it *down* Randel, Kybern!" Don't make her come out there!

Having set his things over here. Rather than over there. Aion nudges his sandals just enough into the sand so that they shouldn't get knocked about by rogue children engaging in horseplay. He watches Kaitlyn for a little while, curious, perhaps, before he starts towards the water's edge himself. Any little youngsters are given a nudge as they pass him, and soon he's jumping into the water to get out farther from the shore. Not the most conductive for talking, but perhaps it was meant to be that way. For now.

Ayushi is a new face at Monaco, mostly because she's only visiting for the time being. The harper has taken to the beach in a pair of shorts and a somewhat loose fitting tank top. Despite the clothes she may be planning to go swimming considering the towel hung around her neck and bare feet. Dark black hair falls in waves down her back and brown skin holds itself up well against Rukbat's rays. There's a smile on her face, though that's quickly followed by a slight wrinkle of her pierced nose at the sound of children. It's not that she hates kids, she's not an immense fan. It takes her a moment to find a spot and soon she's throwing her towel down and slipping out of a few things. In the wake of normal clothes is a simple teal one piece, nothing too fancy really! It's then that she seems to acknowledge the presence of the adults at least and they earn a bit of a wave and a grin, "Hey there."

Oh, well, lookie there. There's an Aion out and about in the water, Kaitlyn raising a brow at the distance and silence of the Healer, but not concerning herself as he nudges one kid or two aside as they bounce all around, and off one another. No big deal. He can keep to himself all he likes and it won't bother her, for she is Lifeguard on Watch(tm)! Grey eyes cast left and right, all about while the woman prowls the sands like a proud tigress, watching her charges and sometimes dipping a hand down to the sands to pick up some small treasure or another…or toss whatever it is back down. It's between these 'duties' that the Harper-cum-candidate notices the other woman's arrival, and calls back to her with an easy, whiskied alto, "Heya!" Wave. Then it's back to ankle-biter wrangling, one of the girls who's slid right into one of the boys in the water getting a roll of eyes and a loud, "Be more aware of where people *are*, Lothien!"

Ayushi winces slightly at all the yelling and shrieking….kids. There's a small shake of her head before she's moving into the water. "Enjoying yourself?" This asked to Kaitlyn before the woman abruptly disappears into the water. She resurfaces a few moments later, slicking her hair back after she's done so. She certainly doesn't move too close to the gaggle of kids, nor towards the water slide. Instead she heads into deeper waters before simply floating on her back. It seems that relaxation is the idea today. "I can't imagine they're all yours though, are they?" That would certainly be a feat indeed. But of course, this is Pern and anything could happen!

"I know…" Kaitlyn perhaps oddly notes quite knowingly to Ayuyshi's wince at all the loud squawking of the kids out there, the swimsuit-clad candidate smirking for a few moments. Seems she's not a big fan of kids, either…but she seems to know how to hande them, at least. And then Ayushi's out into the water…and Kait's watching her relax with a bit of envy. Siigh. When the other (unknown) Harper shouts out to her again, Kaitlyn bursts out laughing, then calls back, "Oh *shells no*! Not a single one! Just herding felines…" Smirk.

"Certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself there for a bit." Ayushi smirks slightly, though it may not be obvious given the distance. Her eyes close momentarily, though it really is difficult to enjoy the peace with everything going on. "Though if you're not a fan…what're you doing the job for?" If there was a knot on the candidate's shoulder Ayushi doesn't seem to have been paying enough attention to notice. There really is somewhat of a half-hearted nature about the woman.

Yep, Kaitlyn's sporting a rumpled candidate's tassle of white affixed to her Monaco and Harper's colors at one shoulder. "My chore rotation for the day…" is again called out to the relaxing Harper. "Oh, I'm Kaitlyn, Harper…and Monaco candidate, for the moment." Smirk. "Hall's and Monaco's duties to you!" Another child is going down the slide, and screams like a banshee in joy when he splooshes into the water. Cue a deep wince from Kait, and an eyeroll only she can likely see.

"Sounds like a coincidence….Ayushi, also a harper." There's a touch of amusement in the woman's voice. Though it seems like she's not one to really fall in line with formalities. "So what brought you to Monaco? Just the knot or were you positioned here before?" Though there's always another option, "Or vacation? That's what I'm taking advantage of at least." Before she can hear a reply, Ayushi disappears under water again, surfacing somewhat closer to the quiet Aion, though not intentionally.

"Well met, then, sister!" Kaitlyn calls out. In the Craft, she means. The redhead's sticking to the formalities because… candidate and all that. Representing Weyr and Craft and such. Only when Ayushi is back up on the surface does Kait note, "Monaco brought me back to herself. I was performing in the South for the last month and a half, and I chose to take my meager down time here at the Weyr. I was suddenly attacked by a rabid brownrider, who shoved this white tassle in my face at his lifemate's behest. And so…" Here she is, you see. Smirk. "What about you?" Aion is rather…ignored, for the moment.

"Rabid brownrider, hm? Sounds interesting!" There's a short laugh from Ayushi before she proceeds to float around once more in rather lazy fashion. "I'm pretty much hopping from one tropical Wear to the next before I decide where I want to settle. Figured I'd check Monaco out as well. I heard their beaches were pretty. The black sands are pretty neat." One can almost hear the smile in her voice. "Are you excited then? About the white knot that is." Not about the chores.

"Well, maybe not so much rabid as… a wise-acre…" Kaitlyn notes. No swearing around the little squealing weyrbrats. Sigh. "That's all I've done since I turned 18…bounce all across Pern performing for whoever wanted." At her Masters' behest, of course. "I come from Paradise River Hold, originally, so this black sand and weather is home, to me." Grin. A look down to the white tassle on her rank cord soon has the flamehead responding, "I look forward to the opportunity." Not excited, per-se.

Is that a smile that crosses Aion's face when he overhears that a certain Kaitlyn is now a candidate.. Oh, he moved, did we say so? No? Well, being ignored has its advantages and he's managed to swim closer to Ayushi and well, by proxy, closer to the redhead on the beachfront too. He's there, right next to Ayushi who gets a face full of water from a random hand that could never be proven to be his if someone wasn't paying attention. Nope, it was probably that child over there. Not practical, but possible. "Sorry." He apologizes, it was apparently accidental - or, he wants it to be thought to be. "The black sands /are/ pretty neat." He says, his voice a pleasant tenor to those closeby and probably drowned out by children farther away. "Performer, I see." He clips, and logs whatever he thinks that means away in some vault nobody is privy to but himself.

Ayushi is about to respond, unfortunately that means she opens her mouth just in time to get a face full of water from a certain someone. There's a moment of spluttering before she's spitting in a rather unladylike fashion. The floating immediately stops and there's a moment of coughing. "Shit!" And that is said /very/ loud. Apparently she's a bad influence. "Troublemaker, I see." This directed back at Aion with rather the same tone he used. Course, she's not above retaliation. For all her floundering there's just a hint of a smirk before she's sending a splash of water towards him. "Or just clumsy, but that doesn't mean you're free from revenge." Though now she'll try and swim a couple lengths away. "How'd you like it at the Hold?" This thrown back to Kaitlyn, "I never did care for them myself. Too stifling really."

That smile from Aion is noted by Kaitlyn, who simply rolls her eyes once again…and then turns away from the splashing between the two other adults to bark out to one of the girls who's now punching one of the boys…who is punching her back, "Enough of that Kylia, Kybern, or you'll both be spending the rest of the morning sitting on a towel, facing a tree!" They quickly stop, pout, and move on to other, more fun things than fighting. Once she's got the brats wrangled once again, the redhead calls back to Ayushi, "I adored it! My father and mother made my life…quite good, there." Beat. "I try to visit them as often as my schedule allows." Twinkle. "Where are *you* from, originally?"

The roll of eyes that follows just makes the smile all that more broad, along with the fact that he's being turned away from. Aion might have been a little distracted by that, as to get a face full of water following but he's not so ungraceful as to fall into a sputtering fit afterwards. Nope, seems he's rather used to it. "Language, don't you see the little impressionable minds around that might learn horrible things from you?" He teases Ayushi, and it seems that he's joking - because he laughs shortly afterwards. He doesn't stop her from trying to swim away, in fact, he seems content to start making his way back towards the beachfront where verbal discipline of children is occurring. He knows that he's certainly not the one being spoken to, though he does add as a little aside to Kaitlyn. "I look forward to you having chores in the infirmary. I do hope I'll be there for the days you get assigned." He muses, and walks over towards where he's keeping his towel in that satchel just over to the side there. He's a decent looking man, over all, and even though he's a bookworm of a healer he has a good tan to him. Keeps in good shape, but nope - not a candidate. At least, not yet.

"Ista, which may explain the distaste for Holds." There are certainly no lack of free spirits about that Wear. The woman makes it back to shore, though she's content to lay down not far from the shoreline so that the sea water can still reach her when the waves roll in. A good way to keep cool. Aion's comments are met with an eyeroll. "It's fine, I take pride in being a bad influence on them. Besides….they'll have to learn those words sooner or later." Though she's really not above messing with people apparently. She'll tilt her head backwards to unabashedly glance at the healer when he leaves the water. There's a moment of consideration before the words, "Hmmm…passable," leave her lips.

Honestly? Kaitlyn simply stares at the openly retaliating Aion for a long moment, then shakes her darkly-coppered head at his behavior. Spoken eloquently, smoothly to him is her whiskied, polite, "I will do my duty well, Healer Aion, no matter who heads Staff that day." How'd she find out his name? A small lift of chin occurs, and Kait adds in, "Did you know that the Weyr does not allow the bullying or over-tasking of candidates? That such is not looked on well?" That's all she'll say about such, since the kids are starting to quiet down to try and hear what the adults are saying. A clap of hands together a few times gets the rugrats' attentions upon their 'herder,' and Kait notes brightly, firmly, "All right, children! Your nanny said I was to have you prove your swimming ability and stamina to me, today." As if on cue, all the children groan aloud. "Yes indeed. That means laps in the shallows. *However*, there's a tiny treat for the one who proves themself brightest." She jogs back to her beach towel, plucks something from the bag upon it, and holds it up for the chicldren to see: a cookie the size of her open palm. "4 full laps…you know the usual course! You will all start together at the slide." Off the gaggles of bratlings swim to the proper place, while Kait in the meantime looks over to Ayushi, chortles. "Ista never bothered me much." Shrug. Her further words to the Healer bring a low chortle, Aion's departure from the water witnessed, as well. Passable, aye.

It's possible that Aion isn't going to say anything in response, the amount of time ticks by as he doesn't respond. Simply drapes the towel over his shoulders, reaches into the satchel to pull something out of the bag and then take a drink from it. Maybe it's alcoholic, maybe it's not. Hard to say, then he slips the towel from his shoulders to toss it on the sand so he can sit on it and not get nearly as much on him. "It's sweet that you think I'd single you out from anyone to bully, but that isn't the case." He muses, his own tone pleasant as he glances towards Ayushi as she gets out of the water and admires her himself. Seems, Kait doesn't spare much of a glance any longer as she tells the children what they should be doing to earn their sweet rewards. "I'm from Ista too. Originally. A while ago."

"So what exactly did you like about Hold life? I'm guessing you had some sort of luxuries there, but….well, they're a rather prude lot to be honest." Ayushi's words towards Kaitlyn are paused briefly as the whole cookie debacle occurs. There's a shake of her head for that, "This might end in blood you know. The things kids will do for a sweet can be pretty extreme." She takes a moment to enjoy the water before rolling over onto her stomach and glancing back towards Aion once more. "Yeah? You did kind of look familiar. You were that one kid that cried after getting put in time out." She's completely making this up and not even trying to hide the fact. Her lips do curl upwards in a smile though as she glances towards him.

"Well then, we shall see…" Kaitlyn announces smoothly, almost blithely to Aion, the woman turning her attention to the children, who've gathered at the starting point, and are soon watching her expectantly. Her long arm is raised in the air, then slashed downward, along with a loud, "GO!" Off the kids churn through the warm waters, the redhead's eyes on them most of the time, though she glances away to the other two adults to keep them in her loop. She seems to care not one hoot that Aion's not looking at her, instead mentally filing away his answer to Ayushi of his origins. Ayushi's words to her meet with a thoughtful look, perhaps a tad of a tiny smirk-smile, but the redhead soon answers her back with a low, "I did…" of luxuries. "Most folk were kind to me and my parents, and we were back to them. True, holders can be rather prudish. Comes from the whole Bloodlines thing." Twinkle. "It was the warmth nearly always around my family, other families. We *all* worked hard, in our own ways…and we were part of the whole. I rarely felt left out or alone…only when I truly wanted to be." As for the competitive kids out there… "I know. That's part of the lesson they'll hopefully be learning, today." Did Aion cry for being timed out in his green years? Acute ears listen, while Kait's eyes remain upon the swimming, sometimes swatting and squabbling anklebiters.

From a distance, Aion's eyes seem quite dark and he seems content to pay attention to the littles more than the one that's taunting them with the promise of treats. Kaitlyn says we shall see, and he just smiles. Silent. Not going to rouse to her bait, as it would appear. Instead, he crosses his legs and shakes his head at Ayushi. "Pretty vague, that. It's no different than saying you were the one girl with hair. I probably cried when I was younger, most children do." He admits, then shifts so he can dig into the bag and pull out a piece of fruit which he decides to consume while the others talk about whatnot, holders? Well, he's got nothing to say to that, weyrbred as he is and weyrlived as well. Luckily, it's warm enough out that dryness shouldn't be a long thing coming, so while he munches his fruit he considers where he ought to wander off to next.

"That….sounds intense." Ayushi might even be cringing at the talk of how close the holders and their families were. "You know, it'd make sense if you were giving out a ribbon or something but food's kind of an unfair prize don't you think? They're all going to be hungry after this." Though afterwards she does shrug somewhat. Again, she's not a huge fan of kids. Her attention shifts towards Aion and her eyes roll just the slightest, "Ah. My lie. I was caught!" Her words come with a purposeful stiffness, like someone who is trying to act very very badly. Course that's followed with a more natural tone, "So, you're a healer? Any specialty?"

Ah well. No true stories of Aion's 'sordid' past for Kaitlyn. She'll simply watch the kids, and listen to both the Healer and Ayushi… and answer the latter with a knowing, "I've got that all taken care of. There's some resorative snacks in the small sack I brought. The cookie is… well, it's not quite the reward they'll likely be expecting. Their nanny said it was about time they learn about cooperation, not competition. We'll see if any have that in them to start with." Nod. As for Holders, "Oh, it's not every moment. We all have our basic privacy and down time." She's not concerned about the hod of her birth in others' eyes. What does Aion have to say in return to Ayushi? She'll listen as the kids continue to swim, shove at one another, call out brightly. They're half-way through their laps, still going.

"So, you were the girl with the hair then. I knew I remembered you." Aion says with a quick smile, almost charming when it's directed towards Ayushi rather than the half-smirk he uses when he looks at Kaitlyn. "Trauma. I was thinking of going for surgery, but that's a little too much.. Fine precision." He decides, then shrugs. Another bite from the fruit as he watches the children for a longer moment, and then reaches for the drink he's brought to down that too. Sorry kids, none for you. "I should probably get back though, got a few things to do before I head back to the infirmary." He muses, starting to pack things back into the satchel, and getting himself up off of the towel so he might shake that out and put it away too. Wet, it is, but it's managed to keep most of the sand off of him.

"Ahhhh, well that'll work out then." Ayushi offers a small smile in Kaitlyn's direction. "So do you have to watch over them all day? Or do you get to switch chores at some point?" It seems that the harper is finally tired of laying in the water and moves back towards where she's left her towel and clothes. "Remembered me, or couldn't forget me?" The woman throws a wink in the healer's direction before she's starting to dry off. "Ayushi, by the way." In case he hadn't heard. "I guess I'll be sure to ask for you in the infirmary if I break a leg." Dancer. Break a leg. Haha…ha. "I should be heading off anyways." Because she's eyeing that drink Aion is slipping and is just a tad bit jealous. Good thing Monaco has a bar. "I'll see you both around I'm sure." A smile is thrown in Kaitlyn's direction and a wave. "We can talk about craft things or something!"

Banter. Kaitlyn recognizes it, dismisses it from her mind since she has the children to focus on. Words of not surgery, but trauma do stay in the redhead's mind, though. When Aion passes her, she gives him a polite nod in passing, naught more, then stepping closer to the waterline when the kids start the final leg of their laps, her head bobbing to Ayushi's words of food working out for the weyrbrats. "Nah, just until lunchtime. I thought it'd be decent to take them off of their usual nanny's hands for at least a while today, since she's a little under the weather." Shrug, smile. A lift of her hand in a wave to the soon-to-be departing Harper is given, Kait then nodding enthusiastically to word of chatting about their Craft. "You know where to find me." Grin. Barracks, or out and about the Weyr. "It was nice meeting you, Ayushi. Have a good rest of your day."

"Wait, who are you again?" Aion asks, and then when she's giving her name, he repeats, "Sushi. Right." He says, and the smile that crosses his face is genuine, and he adds, "Aion. Don't break anything, you wouldn't like how it gets set." He says, and then he thumbs over towards Kaitlyn. "I hope you and .. oh, what's his name. Kalen. You best behave because you know as soon as you end up carrying one of those little ones in you, you can't stand for eggs any more." He muses indicating the children with a little wave of his finger, since she does seem to like telling him rules he already is aware of, so he's doing the same favor. He then flings the core of the fruit off into the distance. It's biodegradable, or some living thing will eat it, he doesn't seem concerned so long as it's not just littering up the beach for no reason. "I'll walk with you back to the weyr, or at least until I have to split off to get to my quarters." He says, pointing off towards the weyr proper.

"Right, that's my name….definitely Sushi." The harper smirks slightly before collecting the rest of there things. "Who knows, maybe I just /adore/ excruciating pain, blood, and guts." She does not. At all. She will however take Aion up on his offer to walk her at least part of the way back. "That'll work for me…you can tell me what you've been drinking on the way." Because she might need one of those. Kaitlyn earns another wave and a nod, "We'll catch up sometime. Hopefully when your hands aren't as full of…monsters." Luckily the kids aren't close enough to hear that bit! That being said, Ayushi is headed off bar-wards with a bit of temporary company.

Kait doesn't laugh at the friendly jibe Aion makes to Ayushi, the woman uninterested in him. When he pokes at her and Kalen, speaks of her being pregnant, the woman appears as if she hasn't even heard him. And maybe she hasn't. Ayushi's response to the redhead, however, earns her a cackle and a thumbs-up gesture. "Be safe, sister!" In Harpering. As for the remaining woman? *She* gets to 'rescue' one of the kids who has a slight foot cramp, and is left behind by two of his buddies, while one ot the girls tries to help him into the easiest part of the shallows. Kybern crosses the finish first, whoops, leaves the water, another girl just behind him…sulking. When Kait helps the boy and helpful girl up out of the water to the sand, massages his sore foot, she winds up soon noting firmly to the lot of weyrbrats, "I proclaim Jocea winner." What?! She and the sore footed kid were laaaast the other two whine. And Kait quickly shuts them up with a scowl and a hard, "*Wrong.* You needed to learn about cooperation, today, and I needed to see how much all of you understood about it. It appears as if Jocea grasps how important cooperation can be. She might have saved a life today." With the others still snivelling a little bit, the cookie is soon is awarded to the one girl, with Kait soon herding everyone up the beach, onto their towels under a tree. She soon has them all eating their snacks. The cookie winner is allowed the 'victory' of consuming her dessert first. It's not way much longer after that — everyone, including Kaitlyn, now splashing about — before the swimmers are soon headed back in to shore from their efforts, and directed towards the Weyr-proper. Kait tired them out a decent amount…for now, and is thanked by their usual, sniffling nanny as she sends the children off to rest after their lunch.


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