Xanadu Weyr - Caverns
A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.
The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.
A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.
Exits lead off in all directions, a big archway the largest and that leading outside. Shallow stairs to the west lead to the offices and administration area while tunnels to the east lead to the infirmary, kitchen and resident's quarters. Southwards, a sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs and southwest is a wide tunnel, carefully roped off to avoid accidents.
It's about mid afternoon in Xanadu, the cooks are just starting to prepare for the evening rush. The caverns are more bustling than usual, the drizzly and foggy weather outside has driven many indoors. Myra looks more than a little bit under the weather at the moment, huddling under a blanket in a chair by the hearth, a mug of hot broth in her hands, and a definite sniffle. Her eyes are out of focus at the moment, most likely deep in conversation with her Ailath. "But I /have/ to." she mutters, her cold giving her voice a distinctly nasal twang. A pause, then, "No. I don't need… no. No healers." she protests, punctuating her statement with a sneeze.
Mid afternoon in Xanadu means mid-morning at Ista, and L'ton isn't looking all that awake as he's meandering into the caverns. Stopping in the doorway, he looks around rather blearily, dark circles under his eyes before he's being bumped into by someone in a rush. Its enough to knock him out of his stupor, though, and he's hurrying inside from the damp. Fetching a mug of klah, he's looking for someplace to sit, spotting a somewhat familiar greenrider who he joins. "Hey there.." He says with a grin, settling into his own chair. "What is it with ya girls and not wanting ta see the healers? They ain't /that/ bad."
Myra doesn't really notice as L'ton sits down, but she does blush as she hears the word healers. "Oh, shards. I said that out loud, didn't I?" she groans, and glances furtively towards the kitchens, but it seems that whatever - or whoever - she's worried about isn't a concern just now, as she relaxes. Well, as much as she can relax at the moment. There's a short coughing fit then, and the greenrider takes a moment to compose herself before she turns to answer L'ton. "Ah, no, they /are/. If I go… Only bad news…" she says, trailing off a little incoherently in places. "I don' wanna." Petulant Myra is petulant.
L'ton sighs softly, shaking his head and pulling his feet up under him, tsking a bit, before his sipping at his klah, making a face. "Hot.." He gasps a bit, before he's resting it against his knee to let it cool, and he's looking back at Myra. As she looks around, he's following her gaze, a bit confused, but as she's coughing, his eyes are widening and he's shaking his head. "Ain't that bad, Myra. Ah mean, its gonna be worse, if'n ya dun go soon." L'ton tries to argue his point, shaking his head at her again. "But ya gotta. Where's that weyrmate of yers? Ah bet he'd make ya go.."
Myra grunts quietly, and shakes her head. "I already told you…" she mutters, at Ailath most likely. There's a long pause, and another resigned grunt. But she still seems as firmly planted in the chair as ever. L'ton's argument does have some immediate merit, but, "'S just a cold… Cold's not the bad news." she says, evasively. The broth is sipped at, but Myra sighs. "He's pathetic. Terrified of getting sick. Hiding out somewhere." she snorts. Though, that does seem to inspire something in her. If she gets better, he might come out of hiding… "I… I should…" she murmurs, looking up at L'ton then. "Will you… come?" she asks, hopefully. She really doesn't want to go alone. And probably /won't/ go, if she's left to her own devices.
"If'n its just a cold, then why won't ya go? They might just give ya something ta make ya feel a little better." L'ton says, shaking his head, snorting softly at the explanation of where her weyrmate is. "He deserves ta catch yer cold, if'n his acting like this." The Istan grumps a bit, shaking his head, though as she seems to be reconsidering a trip to the Healers, he looks surprised, before hurriedly nodding. "Ah can do that. Ain't got much else yet - Eiri's busy til dinner, so." Ah, /that's/ who he's visiting today. "Ah just can't promise if'n Ah ever find out who that 'mate of yers is, that Ah won't give him a hard time fer leaving ya all alone like this."
Myra shakes her head slowly. "'S not his fault. He … um, well, it's not." she finishes lamely. She's usually much better at making excuses for her weyrmate, really. "He… has his moments…" she shrugs. Who exactly is she trying to convince, here? There's an impatient trumpeting from outside, seems Ailath is trying to remind her rider of her change of heart. "R-right, right. Healers." Myra shakes her head, and pulls herself up and out of the chair, leaning against the wall for just a moment. "Um. Should we go? Do you have … time? You're sure?" she asks, with a frown. She doesn't want to make a nuisance of herself, or anything.
"If'n ya say so, lil'bit. He's yer weyrmate.." L'ton says after a moment, shaking his head just a little bit, before he's glancing towards the direction of the trumpeting, grinning a bit. "Ah see Ah'm not the only one wanting ya ta go." As she leans against the wall, he moves to offer his hand, to pull her to his side. "Ah'm sure, Ah'm sure. Ya ain't makin' no trouble at all…" He says with a chuckle, waiting to escort her to the Healers. "Ah promise Ah'll stay with ya the whole time, ta."
Myra nods a little at L'ton, leaning into him as he pulls her closer. "I, okay. Thanks… I, I'll owe you one." she says, nodding slowly. Her every movement is a little slow, careful, she's not really feeling well at all. "Thank you, thank you. I, I don't, I… Not well… Um, yeah… Better soon, hopefully." she grimaces, well aware of how much sense she is making, or rather, failing to make. She starts the shuffle out to the clearing, managing a smile at Ailath's crooning. "Poor dragon, she really doesn't know what to do. I'm not ill often…" Thankfully.
Xanadu Weyr - Infirmary
"Ya dun owe me nothing, lil'bit. Ah'm just paying ya back fer that awesome stew ya made, promise." He chuckles softly, tightening his arm around her, lending her support as he shortens his stride to hers, gently rubbing her arm as they go. "Ya.. Ya are all out of sorts, lil'bit.." He murmurs, tilting his head to look at her. "Poor ya, ta, lil one.. Ya just.. dun seem good. Ah think its a good thing we're gonna go see them Healers." He says as he steers her into the infirmary, nodding at the Healer on duty.
Myra sighs, and shakes her head slowly, "I, I'm usually fine, really. Healthy, quick to heal, all of that. Just this … /this/." she mutters. Her movement slows as they near the infirmary, perhaps rethinking her choice, but Ailath is following now, so she has to keep going. The green parks herself right outside the infirmary once the riders are inside, and Myra glances back a bit, then shakes her head. "I, I'll be fine." But then she has another coughing fit. The on duty healer comes over, herding the riders over to one of the cots, and sitting the greenrider down on it. "This weather is terrible, isn't it?" he notes, trying to put Myra at ease. "Busy in here today. I'll be with you shortly!" he promises, bustling off to see to the next patient. Myra frowns, and fidgets, not exactly happy to be here.
"Well, everyone's gonna get a bit sick now and then. Ah mean, Ah'm surprised with this weather that there ain't more of y'all sick." L'ton says softly, nodding at the Healer as they're lead to one of the cots, L'ton making sure Myra is settled before he's settling next to her, keeping his arm around her as he gently rubs her back when she coughs. A gentle pat on the back now and then, and he rests his head agianst hers. "Its okay, Myra.." He murmurs, absently reaching for her hands to still the fidgeting.
The healer returns in short order, carrying a clipboard, the better with which to take note of Myra's symptoms and such. "Ah, and, how are you today? Symptoms?" he asks, a little brusque perhaps, but he's been a little busy today. Myra frowns a little, and ticks things off on her fingers. "Er, coughing, obviously. Sneezing. Runny nose. Headache. And nausea, vomiting." she finishes. The first four have the healer ticking boxes, but the final symptoms don't seem to appear in the check boxes, as he then proceeds to write them in. "Right. Well." the healer glances to L'ton, then frowns at the chart. "Looks like you've got the cold bug that's been going around, but… I'd like to run some additional tests." he says, jotting something else down on the clipboard.
L'ton stays quiet, while the Healer goes down his checklist, but as Myra lists her symptoms, including a few others that haven't been evident to the bronzerider before this point, he tenses, staring at her in surprise. "Ya said it was just a cold!" He murmurs, voice starting to rise at the end, before a look at the Healer has him quieting down once more. "What are ya gonna test her fer? Ah mean.." L'ton shakes his head, gently petting Myra's back with a bit of sympathy. "It'll be alright.." He murmurs.
Myra shudders a little at the mention additional tests, glancing helplessly to L'ton for some kind of escape. The healer bustles off to see to another patient, and Myra shifts into a laying position on the cot. "Tests, tests, that's what I was afraid of…" she frowns, and shakes her head. "It /won't/ be, it won't. Bad news. It's gonna be bad." she whines, shaking her head. It takes her a moment to compose herself, and she admits, in a quiet voice, "I, I… I'm… I can't have children. Probably… Would've happened before now, if it could have, right? Been, er, four turns, with my weyrmate. Of ample … opportunity." If not actually out and out trying. This also seems to be the bad news that she would really prefer to not be confirmed. She's so busy denying /that/ possibility that she hasn't actually bothered to consider any others.
L'ton is, perhaps fortunately, unable to offer Myra the escape that she's so desperately looking for. As Myra shifts to lay down, he resettles next to her, one hand resting on her stomach, the other moving to brush a few pieces of hair out of her face. "It's gonna be okay, lil'bit. Ah promise." And then he's leaning to give her a soft kiss, should she let him, in the middle of her forehead. "Myra, its okay. Sometimes it just.. takes a while. Ah mean, Ah dunno why they'd be running them tests now, just ta tell ya ya can't have kids." He shakes his head, turning to peer for the Healer, before looking back to Myra, giving her a little bit of a smile. "'sides… if'n ya want a kid, Ah bet Eiri'd give ya one of hers." He jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
Myra smiles a little feebly, glancing absently to the exit, with Ailath laying beyond. "I… I've considered that, fostering, but, you know… I, I'm just…" Trian isn't ready, if she's honest. He can't say no to an 'accidental' baby, though. The healer returns then, clipboard in hand, a small box in the other. "Ahem." he announces his presence, beckoning Myra over. She gets up, with a helpless glance back to L'ton, and follows the healer to the next room. There's silence for a few minutes, then, "WHAT?!", followed by more silence. Myra returns on her own, looking vaguely confused. "I… He… Could I be?" she mumbles to herself, in awe. Then she realises where she is, and shakes her head. "I, he, er… Pregnancy test… Not possible… But…" Oh, there's optimism. And hope. And confusion. She's almost certain there's a problem there, but, it's possible, isn't it? "Maybe… But… Problem… Wait, was it me, or Trian?" she murmurs, eyes widening. That would explain a lot, if Trian was the one with the problem.
"Well, we'll see, ya know?" He says with a smile, squeezing her arm, before he's scooting out of the way, letting her follow after the healer. While she's in the next room, he's settling down on the cot, hands pillowed behind his head, as he stares up at the ceiling. Her yelp from the next room has him fighting to be able to sit up, almost tipping the cot over, managing to get to his feet right as she reappears. Watching the confused look on her face, L'ton is shaking his head, and moving to her side, to pull her into a long hug, offering his support once more. "T'was it.. a good thing, then, lil'bit?" He asks with a bit of hope in his voice as well, though as she remains confused, he gives her a slow hug. "Well, if'n it was him…" L'ton shakes his head a bit, reaching to tweak her nose. "If'n it was him, it ain't ya, and ya dun have ta worry, right?"
Myra nods slowly, making her way back to sit on the cot, curling up with her knees just about tucked in under her chin, and her arms around her legs. "I… guess." There's a pause, and then she snorts. "If it is him, /he'll/ be happy." she mutters under her breath, then shakes her head. "I… Seems like it might be good. The, the healer, he's doing tests… Tests…" there's wonder in her tone, now. "Not such a bad word actually. Tests…" she ponders. "I… Oh, shards… If, if… If not Trian…" her eyes open wide and she stares at the bronzerider then, suddenly speechless.
L'ton follows after Myra to settle down with Myra on the cot, arm back around her as she curls up, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Will he?" L'ton asks, slightly surprised by her admittance, tilting his head to one side. "What ya say that?" He asks, narrowing his forehead, a bit confused by the expected reaction of the greenrider's weyrmate. Grinning a bit at her change in tone, he chuckles, patting her back. "Ah told ya coming ta the Healer ain't so bad.." He murmurs, before she's staring at him, and he's blinking back. "What, lil bit?"
Myra just… stares. "I… Flight… You…" she murmurs, eventually. "If, if Trian can't… There's only that flight…" And, the healer picks that moment to emerge, with news. "Congratulations, you're pregnant. Here's something for the nausea, and this one should help with the cold." he adds, passing a couple of jars to the very shocked greenrider, then moving away. His work here is done, he has other patients to see to. "Oh…" Myra whispers, thrilled, sure, but still trying to figure out how she feels about it probably not being Trian's.
L'ton can't do much but chuckle as Myra stares and stammers, shaking his head and giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Ah ain't that bad, am Ah?" He teases her a bit, a hand moving to help keep the jars from the healer from falling, less she forget she has them there. As the Healer disappears, he chuckles, shaking his head, and giving her a nudge. "Congratulations, lil'bit." He says, amusement his dominant emotion.
Myra tilts her head at L'ton, and exhales. "You, no, not at all! I was just… didn't know how you'd react…" there's a pause, and she takes a moment to sort things out in her own head, then frowns at L'ton. "You took it well." she notices, then shrugs. Well, then that's settled, it's good news. "Oh… Oh, wow. I'm gonna have a /baby/. Wow. I think I need to sit down." Uh, she /is/ sitting. Still, she seems generally happy, if a little surprised. Okay, a lot surprised.
"Dun take this the wrong way, My, but ya ain't the first greenrider ta get pregnant from a flight, and Ah bet ya probably ain't the last, either." He gives her a little bit of a smile, moving to give her another hug. "Dun get me wrong, though, Ah'm happy fer ya, and well, happy fer me, ta." He says with a chuckle, glancing at the other healer, before he's watching her with amusement. "See, ain't ya glad ya came ta see the healers now? Ah mean, that weren't so bad, and now ya has good news, and that weyrmate of yers dun gotta worry about catching nothing."
Myra giggles, she can't help herself. "Good news. Definitely… Definitely. Don't know how my weyrmate is going to take it…" But, truth be told, she doesn't actually care, not at this moment. It'll work out how it works out. It's too late to do anything about it now, so why worry? "Oh, I… Can I… I really have to thank you…" she says all in a rush, then stops, and tries again at a more decipherable pace. "Come by some time for a meal? I'll cook. Fresh, this time!" she offers, sitting up straighter on the cot. Food, she can do that. Maybe not right /now/, but, when she's better. "When, well, when the cold is gone, of course. Oh, shards, I hope you don't catch it!"
"Well, he'll just have ta deal, won't he? Ah mean, its a part of being weyrmated ta a rider." He says with a smile, watching her with amusement, shaking his head. "Ah didn't do anything, that Ah should be thanked for." He says, leaning to give her a hug, nodding. "Ah will take ya up on that, though. Ain't ever gonna pass up a chance fer yer cooking." L'ton agrees to her offer, shaking his head then. "Ah'll be fine, don't ya worry." And slowly he's getting to his feet, offering her his hands, to help her up. "Congratulations, again, Myra.." He says with an honest smile.
Myra takes L'ton's offered hands, and slips off of the cot, shaking her head in amazement. "Ailath, I know, isn't it something?" she chuckles, glancing to the cot, and grinning. "Healers aren't all bad, after all!" she grins, she actually grins. Sure, she still has the cold and the nausea — the morning sickness — to contend with, but, she also has what must be the best possible news. "Guess I'd better write and let my parents know… They've been hinting for some time." she rolls her eyes. "They already /have/ grandchildren." There's a pause, and a blush. "Oh, but, I've taken up too much of your time, haven't I? I… I didn't, that is, er… Thanks, for staying, I mean."
"Told ya, Myra." L'ton teases her a bit more, moving to lead her back towards the entryway of the infirmary, shaking his head. "Ah think parents are happy any time there are lils, no matter if they already have a dozen or what." L'ton chuckles, reaching to touch her cheek as she blushes. "Ya ain't taking up my time, lil'bit. If'n Ah was busy, Ah'd have told ya." He chuckles, nodding. "O'course, sweets. Tis the least Ah can do. And, if'n its okay with ya, Ah'd like ta see ya, now and then, ta see how yer doing. Not like, anything but as… friends?" Biological matter contributors?
Myra snickers slightly, and nods. "Er, friends. Sure. I, well, it's your kid too… Probably." Very likely. "I … hmm, wait, what day is it? … Wait. Shards, that's right… My weyrmate's turnday tomorrow. What a gift!" she rolls her eyes. Of all the luck! Ah well, it'll go how it goes, and there's no stopping things now. "I have to… food… make… party…" she starts her disjointed rambling again. "I… Maybe Joiran should do it instead… Practice… Count towards his journeyman's knot…" she smirks just a little. Oh, it's /nice/ to have her younger brother studying under her as an apprentice, yes it is.
"Works fer me." He says with a grin, before she's counting the days and rambling away, and L'ton is left to laugh softly at her, shaking his head. "Just dun overwork yerself, lil bit. Ah mean, even with the medicine, Ah bet ya'll still be feeling a bit rough, the next few days." He says softly, reaching for her hand, leaning to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Ah'll let ya get ta yer cooking - Ah should see if Eiri's finished, yet, if'n Ah dun wanna end up fertilizing her garden fer being late."
Myra nods slowly, smirking as L'ton kisses her on the cheek, though she doesn't say anything. "I, I'd best get to J, let him know /he's/ doing it…" she snickers. Oh, she plans to milk this for as much as she can, though it's probable she'll only lean on her brother, and maybe her weyrmate. She is a bit of a workaholic, after all. "So… See you … around?" she suggests, heading towards the door, out to the waiting Ailath, a jar of medicine in each hand. "I… Thanks again. If, er… You can reach me, through Ailath, any time." she adds. "I, I'll … yeah. If anything comes up, I'll let you know."
"Ah'll see ya soon, Myra." L'ton agrees with a nod, watching her go. "Same, if'n ya need anything, just let Dhon know, he'll pass it on." And then, after a moment, and a wave to the newly expecting greenrider, he's grinning and meandering towards the forest, hands shoved in his pockets, and the slightly more dangerous greenrider who resides there.
Myra nods at L'ton. "I'll let you know. Thanks… Uh. Good luck." she adds, before trundling off on her own way with Ailath. Time to find that apprentice/brother, and figure out what to do about Trian's birthday thing. Yes. And … not tell them the news. Not yet. She's not quite sure how they'll take it. But the cold should be enough to get out of preparing food. A sneeze here, a cough there, easy…