Brother Birthday

Xanadu Weyr - Siebith's Weyrbarn

Covered in rough, weathered wood, aged by the weather and the sun, the irregular grayed clapboards outside of this weyrbarn lend the place has a rustic, masculine charm. White shutters and window boxes overflowing with brightly-hued tangles of flowers on the lower windows and flowering vines twine about the supports for the porch overhang add a feminine touch, softening the stark stone steps leading to it.

The worn stone floor of Siebith's area is just inside the large sliding door. The living area of the weyrbarn has an open, airy layout gives the utilitarian, bachelor-like plain white-washed walls and simple hardwood floors a sense of wide open spaces. A sturdy mahogany-toned table with chairs that somehow manage to match despite their variety accent the earthy, wooden tones of the kitchenette. The same dark reddish hues are in the door at the far side of the barn, as well as in the low-slung coffee table in front of the plush, worn couch. Dusky sea-blue rugs are scattered here and there. Dark golden curtains hang on either side of the many windows and partition off the loft up above, led to by a black wrought iron set of ladder-like stairs. Lilies arranged in glass vases on the tables provide a crisp of white counterpoint to the dark wood tones.

A new addition, the bedroom has walls of the same plain white, but the floors are made of newer wood, still shiny with polish. A four-poster bed of the same red mahogany takes up the most of one wall of the small space, a blue-and-cream linen coverlet spread on the wide mattress. A set of wooden bureaus take up the bulk of the wall opposite while another wall has been painted upon in the very center with a seascape mural, its crisp blue waters and sandy shores. The final wall is graced by a feminine-looking writing desk stacked with papers and bedecked with knick-knacks. Over the bed, a set of stained-glass windows allows golden-brown light mingled with white whorls and blue haze to shine into the room with the rising of the sun, though both panes are able to be unlocked and swung wide to accept lake breezes.


Someone's been busy either working or sneaking off to avoid such, for Tharen hasn't been seen much of late around the weyrbarn or caverns. It might have just a little to do with two squalling babes in there and the huge possibility that he'll be asked to hold one of them, or Faranth forbid, change a diaper. Or spit up on. This must be the reason, right? And so it is that Thea sends a note with one of the message runners asking her brother to please come for a visit this morning.

Tharen, work? No, its more likely that he's just avoiding spending too much, if any, time around his sister's home. He can meet his niece and nephew when they're old enough to know they're meeting him and he's not in the position as wrong as say dropping one. He can't avoid her forever though and so when that message comes he picks himself up and makes his way over. It's not so long after the message was sent then that a knock is given the door of the junior weyrwoman's door.

That door is opened by Thea with one sleepy babe tucked in her arms, the other squalling madly in the background somewhere. She's dressed, but her tumbled hair hasn't been brushed yet and it doesn't appear that she's been getting all that much sleep lately. The look given to Tharen is one of narrow-eyed where-have-you-been as she says with a tinge of sarcasm, "Nice you could make it." And she steps in to allow him entrance.

Tharen doesn't actually stick his tongue out at Thea, but he comes rather close given the expression he makes before he enters on invitation. Maybe he's just been busy? "Good to see you too," he replies, a glance for the baby in her arms and he wrinkles his nose. The other crying baby, while not seen yet he's not so sure about all this anymore. "You look tired." So very un-tactful.

"That's because I am," Thea retorts bluntly, ignoring his face-making. "Here." The bundled up babe she's holding is not so much offered as given. Not waiting for a refusal, she says, "I need to get Muireadhach." The squalling over across the room sounds enraged by now, likely ear-piercing to folks unaccustomed to such racket. It's just too noisy to say anything more about feeling hurt he hasn't stopped by.

Tharen is deer-in-the-headlights when that baby is pushed into his arms. He takes the little bundle, not like he has a choice, but he's not moving once he has her. Awkward is the one word to best describe him at the moment, casting a lost look after his sister. "She always that loud?"

"He." Thea corrects shortly, grabbing one of Tharen's elbows and steering him to the couch, pushing slightly on one shoulder to get him to sit. The movement is casual and, thanks to D'had most likely, well-practiced by now. "You've got the she. Marella." Over on the wall is a neat wooden rack that forms a couple of hooks and two sturdy hammock-like cradles made with sailcloth, one of which is swinging in time with those barely-glimpsed fists and feet waving about. It's there that Thea heads, lifting a red-faced Muir to soothe. "Shhsshhhsshh."

Tharen blinks. "Right." Well it sounded like a girl to him. How was he supposed to know? He was the baby back home, therefore not so much on the baby know-how. He walks to the couch and drops into it at Thea's direction though, still not quite all there with the holding baby. "So… you wanted to see me…?"

Not to mention, if it's screaming and crying it's got to be coming from a woman, right? Thea jiggles Muir as she walks back over towards the couch, lowering herself carefully into a rocking chair. The screaming stops as soon as the chair is in motion and that rather pinched look around Thea's eyes disappears as she sighs her relief, relaxing. How to answer that question. Tharen is pinned with a rather pointed look, "Wanted to see you two months ago. -I- needed you to meet them, you know." She mock-pouts, then grins knowingly. He is her brother, after all and his avoidance isn't really all that much of a surprise.

Tharen grumbles, still very awkward about holding the one he has. At least it's quit now. Relatively speaking. "Yeah well…." He's trying for excuses and failing. "Was busy." Beat. "How's Ma by the way?" He did hear somewhere along the line that she'd had gone home.

At least she gave him the sleeping one? "Uh, huh." Thea's answer says how much she believes that one. "Ma's better now, but she wasn't doing too well, Tharen. It's why I went home. She hurt her back." She gives him an odd look that says just how little she believes her next words, "She says she fell." Her hands patpats Muir's back absently. "Someone from Blue Mountain hold gifted her a firelizard egg that hatched a gold." She smirks at her brother. They both know how Thadan must have felt about that.

At least there's that, yes. What he would do with a crying one is anyone's guest. "Well I knew you went," he replies in a tone that implies 'duh' or something of the sort. "Why I ask. Is she..?" But she's already answering that by the time he can asks. "Good. That she's feeling better." Still awkward, the baby in arms gets a glance and he grins, laughing a bit for that smirk of Thea's. "Bet Da loved that."

Thea rolls her eyes at Tharen. He doesn't know the how's or why's, after all. She graciously fills him in rather than leaving him in the dark after that 'duh' tone of his. "She had to wait until she could train it to send for me." Both babies are sleeping now and she's not doing anything to interrupt that, so poor Tharen is stuck being a baby-bed for the time-being. "He's livid." She says shortly, pausing before deciding whether to say what's on her mind or not. Then finally blurts it out, "He's really lost it in the last two turns."

Tharen frowns at the story she has to tell, nodding at the mention of firelizard training. "I suppose," he agrees. It only makes sense, and given what he'd heard of their father the last time he was home it's not surprising that she'd have to find a way to send her own messages. "Come on Thee, he's not the best person on Pern, but he's not that bad."

Thea stares at Tharen, "Not that bad?" Oh, right, right. Fires, floods, destruction and mayhem for both of them, drilling, hold visitation and a Flight (and all the loveliness that goes along with /that/) for her. Yes, they've both been busy, haven't they? "D'had went to see him about that note I showed you." She frowns in recollection. "Da started a fight." She looks down at the sleeping Muir, adding, "Donn finished it."

Tharen ooohs, drawing out the word as understanding comes to him. "Take it that didn't go over so well when he lost then?" One would think their father would know better than to pick a fight with a Weyrsecond, but apparently not. "So.. um.. Other than tired. You doing good? Them?"

There's a smirk of pride that Thea can't quite keep off of her lips, "You could say he’s got his nose out of joint? He's breathing out of one side of it permanently." Carefully, slowly and as smoothly as possible, she rises, crosses the room to return Muir to those innovative sling-hammocks D'had made. It's while her back is to her brother that she mentions, "Da tried to choke him, Tharen. And tried to do the same to me when I was there." She settles the boy, then returns to take Marella from her brother so he can relax. "Yeah, we're all well." A slight giggle follows, "Even though I can't seem to convince D'had they're not made out of glass."

Tharen laughs. He shouldn't given they're talking about their father being beaten up, but he does all the same. "You'd think he'd learn his lesson." About picking fights with riders. But that bit about choking he hadn't caught wind of. "Thee! You didn't tell me about that. You're okay?" Obviously. She did just say that after all. He nearly jumps up to check for himself before he realizes that Marella is still on his lap. Ack! "He was always.. but never like that."

Thea lifts Marella, who gives a little burp, then sighs in her sleep. For a moment she stands there, looking down at her brother. "Told you. He's lost it, Tharen. No one ever crossed him before." Well, they did as kids, but he always regained the upper hand. "Now three of us have managed in the last few turns." She heads over to place Marella in her sling, then stops by the table to snag a couple of prettily-wrapped packages on the way back. "Here ya go. The big one's from Ma."

When he opens the large one there's a finely-made gather suit of charcoal grey, a black shirt, the fine sisal woven to give it a subtle sheen and a new pair of leather shoes.

Tharen just stares even as she collects the baby from him. "But that's beyond…" He just can't get that to make sense in his head. It’s his dad and his sister and his dad choking her. Things just aren't supposed to happen that way. And then there's presents. Huh. The one is opened and he pulls each piece out of the box to look at it before putting it back so its easier to carry home later. "Nice. Can tell she picked it all out. So then who's the other one from?"

"Yeah, I know," Thea turns her head to stare out one of the windows. Uneasily, "I promised D'had I would never go back there, but I did anyway. He was so right." She blinks, "Though Ma's note said he'd left on a trip to move stock." She sighs, "Worried about her… with him." She shakes that off, though and watches as he opens the gift from their mother. When the contents are revealed she drawls with a teasing grin, "That's a hint if I ever saw one, Tharen." The other one? "Oh, that's from me."

When he opens the smaller package there is a fancy bottle of cologne in a deep green-colored glass, the sides cut in a fancy criss-cross pattern and tied with gold wire around the neck. When the glass stopper is removed, a nice citrus-cedar scent rises from the open bottle.

Tharen knew that teasing was coming the moment he saw clothes. "Just don't say it," he replies. He knows all about what their mother would like. For him to find a nice girl and settle down. Not going to happen just yet. "Well least you know that now, and I wouldn't worry about her sis. She's lived with him for a long time, besides we're the one's he's mad at not her." Positive outlook. That's all he's got. The second of the gifts is opened and he just stares at it, then at her and then back at the previous gift. "You too?"

So he could find a whole bunch of nice girls and just have a really good time instead? Thea wisely keeps her mouth shut about girls, just laughs at that last question and shrugs. "It seemed to go with. Besides, with you hanging around those stables all day, you know…" Laughter glimmers in her eyes. "That holder's daughter across the valley is dog-ugly, Tharen. Da could recall you and arrange a marriage. Might want to think about beating him to it." She's teasing, right?

Tharen snorts. "Thanks Thee, I love it when my sister tells me how much I smell." He's teasing her of course, at least in part. "You mean…" That one?! "Um, no thanks. I'll get there when I get there. And if I want to get there. He can do what he wants, already told him - and you I'm not going back."

"You're welcome, Pest. I love you too." Thea says it with overly-done sweetness, her cheeky grin turns into a soft cackle at his response to the girl in question. But then her face falls in a mock-sad expression, "But Tharen, You're way behind. You'll never get there at this rate. Besides," a hand waves toward where babies sleep, "Muir and Marella need cousins."

"Well when you find one that can tolerate my stink you let me know," Tharen quips back, though there is a grin on his face to show that he's not completely put off by her choice of conversation. "Now you're sounding like Ma, and they don't need any more. Sure D'had's got some for them. He's got sisters for them. That's enough isn't it?"

Thea chuckles, obviously teasing, "I'll start looking right away, shall I? Walk around the Weyr with a dance-card for the next gather and have them all sign it." Yeah, right because he's been here for nearly two turns already and she hasn't tried yet. Unless that one meeting with Vivian counted. "Sisters aren't the same as cousins and they're rarely here anyway."

"Thanks.." Tharen says with a roll of his eyes. "That's just what I need." Not! "How about you do your thing and let me do my thing. They're close enough. Not like we ever saw our cousins all that much. Sorta the same, don't you think?" It's close enough for him right now. "But when I do find a girl, you'll be the last to know. So there."

"Hey, I have good taste!" Thea's indignant, ignore that laughter in her tone. She pretends to pout, "Don't you trust me?" She makes puppy-dog eyes and everything. She can't argue about their cousins, except to say, "Only because Da was a work fanatic and wouldn't take the time to go see them." As for the last to know, "Ha! Bet you've got one already." She wouldn't put it past him.

Tharen laughs, "Yeah, you have wonderful taste." She picked D'had of all guys, so not what he would have thought for her, but if it works it works. "Still ain't my fault. Was his fault. Bet if you as him though he'd see if they'd visit more." The Weyrsecond that is.

Well, technically D'had picked her, but she's not going to set him straight. Instead she agrees and rather smugly at that. "Why thanks, brother of mine. You noticed he's hot too." Which fact really ought to worry her, if she really believes -that- one. Ask her weyrmate to go to Ierne. Yeah, right. "Ah, that would mean he'd see her. Besides, the youngest is eight turns older then mine. Tharen, you're already behind. Time's a-wastin'." She claps her hands, "Better get going, chop-chop." It's all said with a teasing grin and it's obvious she's so totally not serious.

Tharen rolls his eyes. "Okay Thee, that's enough." He's over the teasing him portion. It's only fun the other way around. "You call me here just to pick on me or what? They're… cute by the way," he adds in an afterthought, pausing for a word. That about his niece and nephew awkward sound as it might come out. He's the uncle though, so maybe that's it?

Thea wins!!! She laughs, giving in, "Okay, okay." She shakes her head, "Nope. Missed ya. And needed to get your junk out of my home." His compliment draws a stare, "They're -bald-! So how's that cute?" But she's looking pleased anyway. "Though you should have seen them when they were first born. At least they're not red-faced and squish-headed or covered with goo anymore." Except when they've spit up all over the place or need their diapers changed. Speaking of which, the odds of that happening are increasing with every minute he stays.

"Well what did you want me to say? They're ugly?" Tharen protests the blowing off of what was supposed to be a compliment. "But if you wanted to get my stuff out of here I can do that," he continues, pulling the two boxes together again and standing to pick them up. Speaking of, or not, it just seems like a good time for a quick get away.

"Not really." Thea admits truthfully with a cheeky grin. She rises right after he stands. "Don't be such a stranger, hmm?" He's possibly too busy with those boxes to ward off the quick hug she gives him and the swift hair-mussing right afterwards. "Happy Turnday, Pest. Thanks for stopping by."

Tharen laughs, returning her hug with a one armed one of his own - the boxes taking up the other. "Thanks sis, and thanks for the presents. I'll try to stop in more." He tries to duck that hair-mussing, but it doesn't exactly work all so well with the boxes in hand. "Hope you get some sleep soon."

Thea dances away just in case he's going to retaliate, and for a moment it might seem like old times. But she doesn't follow it up with the pokes and jabs of sparring; she's simply too tired for all that. "Oh, I will. Nannies will be by soon to relieve me." She yawns, "First nap, then that must get started on that gather card…"

Tharen grins, he's not retaliating. Not today, if only because he feels sorry for how tired she looks. "Later then Thee. And really, you don't have to." The card that is. That said and he's out the door soon after, leaving Thea to that nap.

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