He's a Harper, Not a Healer

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.

It's a clear blue day outside and the sun is bright on the snow covered ground. It's windy out though, and the snow swirls through the air with the gusts. In area's it's slick where the snow has melted and refroze while in other areas, sculptures made of snow can be seen. Inside the caverns it's bustling with activity as people stop by for something warm to drink or soup to eat. Back in the corner, Keziah has staked out a spot where she's writing a letter and eating some food. The table currently hides her rather rotund belly.

Outside, Faraeth is lamenting to anyone who'll listen that he used to be light enough to skate on the lake. Inside the caverns, the Mole is just enjoying the warmth, a klahmug cradled gently between his hands as he scans for a place to sit and, spotting Keziah, heads that way and steals a chair, "Shards, Kez, you're getting more pregnant each time I see ya. How much longer ya got?"

Keziah eyes M'nol a little "No, I'm no more pregnant than I was yesterday, or the day before that and the day before that." She states. Course the day before that.. well. She grumps a little "A little more than four more months, and I am to take it easy, light walks, no more hikes. I get to eat again, but I have to watch what I eat. And well, I'm quite ready to be done with it, but at least it's winter and not summer." she states.

M'nol takes a long sip off his klah and boggles, "You? No exercise? Have you gone stir crazy yet?" He glances out towards the outside, then takes another quick sip, "At least if it were Summer you could swim. Shards and I'm just not as used to winters as I used to be. I blame the turns at Ista." He glances at the paper, "What /can/ you do, then?"

Sit around with her thumb up her butt? "Shards, I feel like there's nothing to do. I've been stir crazy. I don't even have wing work to do." Keziah complains. "Not that I have a problem with how Ers'lan has been doing." There's a pause "You haven't had a problem. Have you?" She asks after a moment and then she's asking "How come you and Ariadne don't have any kids yet? Huh? Even Ro and Tali are finally getting around to it."

M'nol gives an easy shake of his head and another sip of klah, "Naw. I mean, it's kind of weird having such a new rider wingleading, but he's got the head for it. Hasn't sent me to Reaches yet or anything, at least." When she asks about kids, though, he stiffens, his face setting in a frown for a moment, "We've been trying, it just doesn't seem to take. Don't know if it's that she goes /between/ to much or what."

Keziah nods a little "Yeah, only a few Turns." she notes quietly "Still, time in doesn't always make for a great Leader either." she notes quietly. She hmms a little "Well, have ya all talked with the healers and tried not betweening it?" she asks quietly. "Or maybe check with the dolphins. They see a lot. Well I dunno if see is the right word but. Sometimes too much too but oh well."

M'nol shrugs and takes another sip from his klah, "I don't want to push her too much about it. It bothers her that her parents push her so much for grandkids and we're still plenty young. When the time's right, there'll be little Morls and Aris al over, just wait and see."

Keziah hmms a little "Maybe I'll share." she murmurs under her breath as she hands over the letter she'd been writing to her mother. THere's not much to it really, only detailing her trip to see the dolphins and all and they've confirmed what the healers couldn't confirm. Three babies in there. Not one or even two. "I've not told anyone else yet." she notes quietly. "I.. wanna tell Ers'lan myself and not have him hear it from someone else." she notes quietly.

M'nol's eyes go wide at the words on the paper and he pitches his voice suddenly down, "Three? Really? How do they all fit in there?" He's a harper, not a healer. He reaches for her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, "I won't tell him, but you should do it soon. Poor ki- man's going to be floored as it is. And you'll need to plan for that many."

"He's going to be floored? Shards. I'm floored. I only found out a few days ago myself and I'm still trying to come to terms with it." she notes quietly and then shakes her head "I just don't know what I'm going to do." she notes quietly. She does give him a little smile at the touch. "Yeah, my cottage is small as it is with Mirai and Micaela there."

M'nol chuckles, "Well, it is a bit of a shock for anyone. You know, most people only have one at a time. Sounds like you're making up for lost time there." More klah, siiiip, "Sounds like you're going to need to do some building. Have you and Ers moved in together or…?"

Keziah shakes her head "No, I'm planning on keeping my place." she notes softly "Laera keeps her own place as well. I'm not sure I could handle sharing a space." she notes quietly "And I'm certainly not sure about sharing a bed with all three of us." she adds.

M'nol shrugs, "My weyr always starts to feel, well, empty, but the tree does afford us a lot of space." He runs a hand through his hair, "So long as it's working for you, though. I'm not sure what I'd do if I ended up with three kids to take care of." Let alone five.

Keziah coughs a little "Well, Lan is going to end up daddy of four? Laera is pregnant too. Though as far as I know it's just one." she notes softly "Course, there's the shock too that goes along with the fact he thought he might not be able to have any and the healers couldn't say either way on that."

"Sounds like he's pretty virile to me." Morl tips up the last of his mug to drain it, "And the whole Weyr'll know it. He'll get a chance to show folks what kind of daddy he is."

Keziah smirks a little "Yeah. I suppose it's a good thing I didn't know how many yet when I confronted him." she notes softly "And well, he got Laera and I both with that flight." She head shakes a little. "And that flight was something else. Poor Alosynth. She's got scars from it. Course I think Zhaoth does too."

M'nol chuckles darkly, "Sounds like you had an interesting time of it. Farry's still got scars on his wingtip from that one flight in Fort. Cut a corner too tight near the Weyr rim and tore himself open like a Weyrling."

Keziah just shakes her head a little "I woulda thought better of him then that. Course Alosynth bit Zhaoth, Zhaoth pierced her hide with his claws. The injury kept her grounded for long enough and then I hurt my hand in that stupid brawl and couldn't fly with the burns and now look at me."

M'nol shakes his head, "Flights can get hairy sometimes. It happens. I'm just glad you all healed up alright. Galaxy wouldn't be the same without you. You're not grounded forever, at least. Just a little bit at a time."

Keziah is silent for a moment and then she tilts her head a little "I was telling Ers'lan I was thinking of just going back and working on Beastcrafter stuff." she says after a moment. Though there's a hint of a sly smile there. "That I was thinking of not going back into the wing." She watches M'nol, as if to gauge his reaction.

M'nol hesitates, then sighs, "Shards, Kez, you do that and I might have to go back to harpering, even with as much as Farry whines when we're not out playing hero. We've been flying together so long, Kez, don't know as I /could/ fly Galaxy without ya as my wingmate."

Keziah smiles softly "Aye, I dunno what I'd really do outside of Galaxy anyways. It was just a moment really." Okay, more than a moment. "I was just feeling. Well. Not myself." she notes quietly. Between finding out she was pregnant and then screaming at Lnn in the commons and then having the Weyrleaders lay down the law. Well. She was feeling pretty poor about herself.

M'nol frowns at her, looking more adult than he usually does by far, "Well, Kez, you've gotta do what's right for you and Alo. If that means going to find yourself, go find yourself. I've never seen you so… uncertain about who and what you were."

Keziah lets out a sigh "You, know I don't think I've ever felt so uncertain about anything before." she notes quietly. "I don't plan on leaving the wing. That was just. I guess I was still stinging from being told that I am to do nothing with the wing." she notes quietly. "It was my own fault and likely I would have done the same thing. I'm too damn stubborn for my own good, let alone the wings." she hehs a little. "But, leaving doesn't solve anything either." she coughs a little bit there too. Course, she was the one that screamed at Lan and then went AWOL basically. She's just lucky Seryth didn't get involved in that one.

M'nol sighs gently, "Enjoy the vacation, Kez. Wait for summer so that you can swim and relax and by the the time the healers say you can come back, you'll be fresh and ready to really return to work and put that knot back on your shoulders. You're just tense." He pauses a moment, peering at her, "/Have/ you ever taken a vacation before?"

Keziah snorts a little "Summer. Summer you say. Honestly, that's forever away." she notes and rolls her eyes. "And sure, I've taken vacations, I've gone back to Lost Hold and helped out my family and I've been out to Mire Hold and helping out there and all." she states "And then there've been the times we've just gone out, and hiked through places." she notes.

M'nol snorts softly, "Kez, goin' somewhere to help out isn't a vacation. And I know you like hiking and all, but when was the last time you just… went to Ierne for a few days? Swam in the ocean, shopped in the stores? Sometimes you just have to do /something/ different."

Keziah wrinkles her nose "Shopping is a pain. I really don't like it." she notes and then she frowns "Well it's been awhile since I've been to Ista and all. But I swim out in the lake, and I still do some dragon diving." She pats her stomach "Well, I did before this." she notes with a grin.

M'nol nods his head towards the baby bump, "That changed a lot and I know it. But the lake's too cold for swimming right now. Go to Ista. Visit Cen. Relax on the nice warm beaches for a bit. It'll do you a world of good."

More like baby MOUNTAIN! She shakes her head head "No, healers say I shouldn't be doing any betweening, or any flying right now. They're a little worried and such and are afraid I might go into labor too soon." she notes softly. "I mean look at me, not exactly the best breeding ground here." she notes about her size.

"Now that sucks. You can't even ride your own dragon? Shards, woman, I'd have told the healers where to stick it." Morl sounds like he means it, too, "I'd go mad if I couldn't ride. I mean, /between/ I can live without, but riding?"

Keziah laughs "Well, I can understand it. I mean look at me. I look like I'm ready to pop any day, I swear. And I still have four months to go. I'm not even sure I could climb up on Alosynth and well she won't let me either." She shrugs a little. "So, it is what it is. It does suck, I'm so tired of this. I'm ready for it to be done with."

"I don't envy ya, Kez." Morl runs that hand through his hair again and sighs, "I know I'm not the dad or anything, but, you know, if you need something let me know, alright? I can't make the babies pop out any faster, but shards, there are things I can do if you need."

Keziah grins "You can do my shopping for me? I've only a limited amount of clothes that have been scrounged that fit me right." she notes "You should go see if Ierne has anything loose but stylish." she's evil. No?

M'nol considers her for a moment, then chuckles, "You truly are an evil woman. I'll take Ari with me, make a day of it. You like blue, right?" He grins at her, lots and lots of harper blue for Kezi.

Keziah blinks a little "Blue? I guess blue is good. Though I do like greens too." she notes and looks thoughtful and then she smiles "Should get something for Ari too. You can put it on my account too." she notes with a smile "But blue will do. Nothing all fru-fru though."

M'nol chuckles, "I should treat Ari to something nice if I'm going to go to Ierne and buy another lady clothes." He smirks, "Blue it is, then, I've got a source."

Keziah laughs "Exactly. I know I'd likely be a little upset. Well I think I would. It's not that I'm really in a well, I guess I am, but It's not quite like your relationship." she frowns a little and then sighs "I really don't know how to describe it." she notes softly "It's all too weird."

M'nol chuckles easily, "Don't worry, I'll appease her." He tips his empty mug towards her and sighs gently, "You'll figure it out. It's not like everything needs a nice, neat label, Kez."

But, but, but. Kezi /likes/ being able to neatly label people and things. It keeps her sane. Which is likely why she's had such issues with Ers'lan. He won't be labeled. She can fit him in a peg hole. "I suppose. But…"

M'nol motions towards her with the cup, "Are you happy?"

"Am I happy? Am I Happy? What kind of question is that. I'm stuck with no flying, limited activity, limited food and no real clothes that fit. Can't have any klah. Stuck with limited juice even and more water, and you ask if I'm happy?" she snorts a little and then she sighs a bit "I don't know?" she asks and actually looks confused. "I umm, well I guess maybe? Sorta?"

M'nol chuckles brightly as she starts to rant and makes that mug-motion again, "That's not what I meant and you know it. With your life as it's going. Where you're looking to end up and where you're coming from. Are you happy?"

Keziah mehs a little and then blows out a breath up at her hair. "I honestly don't know at this point." she admits softly "I have no idea really where I am going, or where I want to be anymore." She looks at M'nol "Scares me. I don't know how things are going to go. And I don't know how it's all going to end. I just hope not badly." she hehs a little. "I really don't know what I'm doing. It's like I'm flying without straps and holding on for dear life."

M'nol gives a knowing nod, "That's normal. It really, really is. Just… well, just enjoy it. I know it's terrifying not knowing, but, I mean, it's your life. If he won't let you stuff him in a box, make the boxes bigger until he fits snuggly in it anyway, right?"

Keziah can't help but laugh and she just shakes her head a little "But… I like my narrow little boxes." she mock sniffs and then nods "Yeah, I know. I've been told that I should try to be less strict about my classifications. Might make things less stressful for me." she notes "I don't think he'd fit in any box I make though. He keeps. I dunno. Surprising me."

M'nol smiles gently even as he stands, "He's the father of your children. Start there. You've had a rocky road, you two have, but just… take it one day at a time."

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