Next Go Round

Participants:

Randi.jpg Max.jpg

Date: 2010.07.20
Location: Beast Caverns
Synopsis: Taking a shot to the jaw, Max entirely misreads the signs coming from Randi and ends up feeling like the scum of the earth. Follows on from Kittens And Kisses.
Rating: PG18 for adult implications and language.
Logger: Max


Randi may be fast and she may pack a wicked right hook, but brute strength she has not. Once she's pinned against the wall, she doesn't move; she doesn't struggle. "If you'd use your head for a moment - " she begins, " - The one with your face on it, you'd figure out all the things that were wrong with that last set of statements you just made." She's angry, but she's not past the point of rational thought. "First. I hate bronzeriders. Just as a general rule. Ask anyone. Ask Alara. The only one I can stand for more than about ten minutes is E'ro and that's only because we pranked the shit out of each other my whole weyrlinghood. He's not the 'pet' type." Blowing hair out of her mouth, she shifts a little and flexes her fingers to try and keep the blood flowing. "Second, I'm obviously leaving her out of it, or I would have decked her rather than you, so you can cut the martyr shit." Now she struggles a little, trying to jerk her left arm free so she can scratch an itch on her cheek. "And finally, I am not jealous. Why would I need to be jealous when you're so obviously ready to ravish me right against the stable wall?"

With the weyrwoman right where he wants her some of the anger starts to recede, leaving Max breathing heavily in its wake, drops of blood blotting red stains onto what had once been, a crisp white shirt. A muscle ticking in his jaw but saying nothing until Randi’s had her say, his grip remaining firm around her wrists, not prepared quite yet to let her go. Eventually, tongue poking out to test the cut on his lip before he speaks, it’s the beast manager’s turn to wear the mantle of deadly calm despite the very attractive and feisty woman he has trapped up against the stall siding. “You done now?” a brow lifting upward. Not waiting for a reply, the undamaged corner of his mouth crooks upward into a dangerous quarter smile as he finally relaxes his grip on the goldrider’s wrists but remains exactly where he is, right up close and personal with her. Drawling, as dark eyes watch for the Tell to come, “That what you want, darling?” hands planting to either side of her as he leans in closer, broken mouth but a whisper away from hers, “That how you like it? Rough?” voice sliding low and taunting over each word. Oh yes, he wants her, that much is made painfully obvious (it sucks to be a male), but he’ll wait until he’s sure he can make his move without a dragon swallowing him whole for doing so.

Though he doesn't release her wrists, Randi doesn't seem overly worried. Her face twitches in an effort to relieve the itch, but that's all. When he finally does release her, the rider is quick to lower her hands, rubbing each wrist in turn. If she ends up elbowing him in this process, it's accidental, but not entirely unfortunate. When he leans in to whisper against her mouth, however, her head jerks back quickly, hitting the wall behind her with a painful CRACK. For just a moment, the edges of her vision go black and she has to blink several times to clear the floaters. It takes longer than it should, but she finally does manage to grasp what he just said. When she finally focuses on him again, her brown eyes are nearly all black, dilated with a combination of fear and impact. Despite this, there's a firm set to her jaw and after a single hard swallow, she manages to speak in a steady voice. "Max, step away from me." Her breathing is coming more and more shallow, but it's not from desire. "Now."

Catching the edge of an elbow in the stomach as Randi rubs at her hands, knocks some of the breath from the beast manager, but doesn’t dissuade him from the stance he’s taken. It’s only when she jerks her head back like that and ends up thumping it against the stall siding that Max starts to catch a clue that something’s not right. Going deadstill, unsure of what to do next, brows start to crinkle together in a frown which draws deep and heavy when those signs of fear and panic set into the goldrider. He’s seen it enough in runners to recognize it in human beings. Dark eyes go wide with comprehension, “Oh fuck!” the expletive spilling from his lips as he immediately does as ordered any discomfort for the hit taken to the jaw fleeing in light of this very awkward situation. Giving the weyrwoman all the space she needs, several backward steps are taken with him scrubbing a hand over face and hair in consternation. “Oh jays!” coming as a low remorseful groan as he dares a step back closer, “Shit. Randi, I’m sorry. I didn’t…” know? Stop to think? Either way he’s feeling pretty much worse than the lowest life form on the planet.

Finally given enough breathing space, Randi takes a step away from the wall herself. Fingers immediately go to the back of her head and come away with one or two drops of sticky red on them. Oh well, Healer will have a fit again. Par for the course. For a little while there is only silence; Randi taking the time to breathe in an attempt to avoid the very real urge to puke. It's only when he starts to talk and sputter that she moves, holding up one hand to silence him. "Lower Caverns. Three girls. Taenya, Risha and Laora. Believe me, they'd be more than glad to tumble." An offered solution to his obvious frustration. "All I ask is that you make use of them and not break any hearts you don't have to." No mention of their current predicament at all. "We're going to have a lot of young girls coming in for these clutches and I need to know that I can trust you." She takes another slightly shaky breath and continues, just barely above a whisper: "I want to trust you."

Usually very self-assured with little that rattles him, this, would be one of those rare situations. With one fist balling on his hip, the other hand pinching the bridge of his nose, Max slowly drops his hand away revealing dark troubled eyes. He ignores her words over cavern girls and the likes thereof though it’s clear to see that idea doesn’t sit well with him at all! Neither does the fact that the goldrider seems to hold that opinion of him either. “Come here, baby” voice rough with remorse but held gentle and low as he holds a hand out toward the woman he’s just done terrifying half to death. “I won’t hurt you,” putting the words out there despite his actions of earlier. He truly needs her to believe that.

"No. No, I know you won't." Randi shakes her head to try and clear the cobwebs, but that only increases the pain and nausea. Her free hand goes out against the wall to keep her balance - talk about an Achilles heel - and she inhales through her nose, out through her mouth. "I'm not angry. I'm not scared." Sure, now that he's on the other side of the stall and not about to do her up against the wood and stone. "I am, however, feeling incredibly nauseous, so if you would be so kind as to help me to the door, I do believe there will be a big yellow dragon waiting to 'escort' me to the Healers." And the hand that had been holding her head reaches out to him, a bit shaky, but still openly trusting him to get her somewhere she can't get to on her own.

That heavy frown settles right back in when Randi appears still shaken and then announces feeling nauseous. Her request has Max closing the distance, fingers reaching for hers and then drawing her in close against him, arms wrapping about the blonde in an effort to provide both comfort and physical apology. See? Not so scary. At least that’s how he hopes she’ll take it. Dark eyes squeeze closed as the beast manager continues to mentally berate himself in the harshest possible manner. Muttering low into her hair, “I’ll stay out of your way from now on.” About the best he can offer in terms of trying to make it up to her. That said, one arm remains wrapped about her lower back, while the other drops to the backs of her knees as he bends slightly and scoops her up in his arms. Nothing more sinister than she’s hurt, he hurt her, and now he intends ensuring she’s delivered safely to the healers. It might be horribly out of place, but he makes a stab at humour as steps carry him toward the tunnel exit, “You can have that dragon of yours bite my butt as we go passed if you like.”

Starting to become a little light-headed into the bargain, Randi doesn't protest either the hug or the lift. In fact, she goes as far to lean her head on his shoulder, more comfortable now that the pair of them are out of that volatile situation. "She says you'd taste bad," Randi relays around a yawn. When did she get sleepy? The overlarge brown coat she's still wearing flutters its hem around Max's ankles, but not quite low enough to trip over. "And I need you to still have one so you can go riding with me the end of this seven." Another yawn. "I want to get her paces and feel her out to see if she'd be alright for following the canines with when we go hunting."

Max manages to force a chuckle out, “I’d taste bad, huh? She’s probably right.” Concern thickens his voice as he glances down at the sleepy woman in his arms, “Hey, wake up. Don’t go to sleep on me,” he tries for further humor to keep the goldrider awake and alert, “I’d never live the humiliation down. Beautiful woman in my arms and I’m so boring, she falls asleep.” Long strides lengthen as worry sets in, adrenaline ensuring he barely feels her weight, “Soon as the healers give you the go ahead, we’ll go riding,” the promise easily given.

Snorting dry amusement, Randi counters. "Your ego'd recover eventually, I'd wager." She's definitely out of it - there's not even a light flush of pink at the 'beautiful'. She seems on the edge of drifting off when her entire body jerks once and she swears vehemently and rather creatively under her breath. "Fine you old watchwher, I'll stay awake." Obviously, that was not to Max. She doesn't, however, leave him out. "Word of advice, Max. Never piss off my dragon. It's not fun." And as if to emphasize her words - or punish her for saying them - her hand jerks and she sucks her fingers in her mouth as if they'd just been shocked. She's crankier now, but at least she's awake and will stay awake until they get to the Infirmary, cussing at the potential healers and how she'll go riding when she says so, not at the whim of those overgrown green-and-purple vultures.

Wry the smile that contorts his damaged mouth at Randi’s words and then feeling her drift off again, Max tightens his grip and gives her gentle jiggle, “Stay with me, baby.” A startled look coming on the heels of the way she jerks almost immediately, dark eyes straining to see the gold through the dark, realizing it was her and not his attempts at keeping the woman awake. A low snort of amusement, “My father was a ‘rider. Know enough about dragons to steer clear of pissing them off.” Eventually, they reach their destination, with the beast manager depositing the goldrider carefully on a cot and remaining tightlipped about exactly what had happened. He’d leave that up to her to decide whether or not to reveal the truth. As for him? Once he’s sure she’s in good hands, he quietly leaves and won’t be seen until very late the next day looking horribly worse for the wear.



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