Xanadu Weyr - Child's Dream Weyr
Someone in the recent past must have lived here who had a love of children, for the place has been lovingly designed with the young at heart in mind. While the cottage is not large, the rooms are spacious, the place constructed with an open floor plan. Large windows allow light to flood the area, while inside shutters may be closed for privacy. The dragon space is slightly concave, slate laid to protect the floors from sharp claws. The rest of the flooring is polished hardwood. A simple kitchenette, dining area that juts out over the water below in a breakfast nook sort of room and denim-covered stuffed couches and chairs complete the casual living room.
The draw for young ones comes with the spiral staircase that leads to a loft bedroom, also flooded with light in the triangular window in the peak of the ceiling, under which is a circular-shaped waterbed Tiny pinpoint lights imbedded in the ceiling form 'stars' when the main lights are extinguished. Encircling the spiral staircase is a slide - a fast and fun way to get back downstairs. Affixed from the stout beam that runs the length of the peaked ceiling is a thick rope swing that if you time it just right when you let go, drops you onto a sunken trampoline in one of the living room corners. For those… rainy days.
It’s early morning, the day after Darsce’s accident and Mur’dah fell asleep in the infirmary at Darsce’s side. Now, it’s before dawn and the brownrider is stumbling along the path towards Kiena’s cottage. Kalsuoth sleeps, and deeply, the brown finally dropping off after staying up most of the night with his thoughts on his rider. So there is no warning as Mur’dah slumps against the door frame and knocks wearily on the door. “Kiena?” His voice is thin, soft. He’s rumpled and disheveled, hair a mess, and he reeks of whiskey.
Inside the weyr, all is quiet. Its occupant completely unaware that a visitor comes stumbling up the path in the predawn winter light. Another is watching though, curled as he is half in and half out of his wallow. Ujinath sniffs at the air as Mur’dah approaches, catching the familiar scent he identifies as ‘Kalsuoth’s’ and ‘friend’. That scent of whiskey however brings a low, unheard rumbled from the blue. His greeting to Mur’dah is a brisk whuffle while he reaches with his mind to mentally nudge his slumbering rider out of sleep. Kiena jolts awake and then groans, scrubbing at her face with one hand. She had another one of her restless nights where sleep evaded no matter how much she spoke with Ujinath or tried to settle her thoughts. Now she had finally drifted asleep, maybe a scant few hours and her body protests both the early wake up and her awkward position of being curled up on one of the stuffed bean-bag like chairs usually reserved for her girls when they visit. Ow. Stiffly she gets to her feet and answers the door and any of Kiena’s lingering grogginess vanishes at the sight of Mur’dah standing there. “Hey.” she greets, her voice still raspy with sleep and she’ll reach out to lightly touch his arm. Her nose wrinkles at the smell of whiskey and her concern grows, causing her to frown. “Come inside. What’s wrong? Has… something happened?”
Mur’dah leans into her touch, rubbing a hand over his face as he shuffles inside. “No change.” She’s not dead, no. Still in that lingering state of alive-but-not. “Dad came to visit.” Ah, well that explains the smell of whiskey. “Punched Jeth. Didn’t recognize me. Shards, Kiena…” The pain of his father not recognizing him - again - hit him deep, on top of all the other stresses. “He knew Darsce though. I took him home.” His rambling ceases as he looks blearily around her weyr, taking a deep breath. “I’m not handling this well,” he mutters, scrubbing his hands over his face again.
Kiena breaths a sigh of relief that Mur’dah’s state isn’t entirely caused by some downwards turn in Darsce’s health… or rather a further downwards turn. She’ll nod her head, waiting until he’s stepped through the door to close it behind him. Listening, her features will draw into a scowl and the gesture she was making to ask him for his jacket suddenly reaches up to grip his shoulder tightly. So the smell of whiskey is from D’had and not that the brownrider is drunk! Not that Kiena’s focused on that. “Punched Jethaniel?” she exclaims in a low, near hiss through her teeth. “… why? Wait. Don’t answer that.” Does it matter at this point? Done is done. D’had will probably have a lot to answer for. Or not. What sinks into her thoughts next are Mur’dah’s words of not being recognized, of taking D’had home, of not handling it so well. Kiena sighs and now her hand will come to gently cup his cheek if he doesn’t draw away from her touch. “Of course you’re not. You’re stressed and exhausted and… shards, it’s a lot for one to handle.” So? “Come on. Sit for a bit. Talk.”
Mur’dah leans into her grasp on his shoulder. “He…yeah. Jeth and I wouldn’t leave, he wanted us to leave, he kind of…it wasn’t a hard punch, he was so drunk.” Wince. “Then he fell against me. So I took him back home. Put him to bed.” Dumped him on the couch. Stared at him. Looked around the weyrbarn that had been his happy childhood home. Stomped out back to the infirmary. Eyes closed, Mur’dah tilts his head into her hand against his cheek. “It is, it is. I just…I wish I could /do/ something.” He can’t. He is driven to /do/, and this…he can do nothing but sit, and work, and worry. He shuffles forward to sprawl on the couch bonelessly, lifting his arm to sniff his clothes and then wince. “Sh-. I reek,” he mutters. “Sorry.”
Kiena’s scowl returns. She’s never met D’had and doesn’t care to at this point, from what little she’s learned (or heard) of the bluerider. “Drunk.” she repeats in distaste and then exhales, shaking her head. “You and Jeth have every right to be there. He…” Did not and she cannot bring herself to say the words. Drunkeness aside, that man is Darsce’s father and Mur’dah’s too and the bluerider isn’t so certain or confident in what she can say against him. “You did right. Taking him away.” Even if it was so hard on him. “You are doing something though? You took care of D’had. You’re checking in on Darsce when you can. I’ll guess that you’ve spoken with Jethaniel too?” Supported him, in some roundabout way? “Sometimes… there comes a point when all you can do is sit, work and worry. As sucky as it is.” Following him in as he sprawls on her couch, Kiena only smirks. “Don’t.” Apologize. Her eyes lift then, staring to the back of her weyr. When she looks down again to Mur’dah, her smile is gentle. “If you want, you can bathe? I’m afraid I don’t have any clothes for you, but I could… hmm. Guess I could wash your tunic at least?”
Mur’dah’s eyes sink closed and he shakes his head. He knows. His feelings about his father are so jumbled these days, and this situation is not helping him deal with it. His father didn’t /recognize/ him. “I talked with Jethaniel for a bit. I…wish there was more I could do. To help him. To help her. She just needs to wake up.” That’s the simple and obvious answer. Then his eyes open again and he peers at the back of her weyr. “Could I?” he asks. “I…would really appreciate that. I need a change of clothes though…” And he turns to look at the door. Ugh. The thought of going all the way to his weyr…twitch. “I’ve got work this morning. Need to be presentable…”
Kiena will do what she can to support and help Mur’dah through this. Faranth knows he did enough listening to her and helping her when she was dealing with Zi’on. Not quite the same but… she’ll try. “And I wish there was a simple answer to that, Mur’dah. I really do. Maybe…” she hesitates again, rethinking her words. “… take some comfort that Darsce’s condition remains stable, as it is? No change but… that could be good.” It’s a weak reasoning and offer of hope but she’ll try all the same. Kiena chuckles softly when he peers to the back of her weyr and she’ll crouch down next to him, her side to the couch and her hand coming to rest against his arm. “Yeah, you can. Everything you need will be on the shelves by the tub. Towels in the cubby outside the door. Help yourself.” She’ll look over her shoulder to her door and tilting her head a bit, her gaze turns thoughtful. “Is the door your your weyr unlocked?” What? “I can go. I need to stretch my legs anyhow…” That brings a bit of a smirk to her lips. “Might see what’s in the kitchens too.”
Mur’dah rubs his hands over his face again. “At least she’s not dead,” he mutters. It’s true. No news could be good news? She just needs to wake up. Shifting a bit, he covers her hand with his, but briefly. He knows he stinks. Then he gives her a surprised look. “You would?” Surprised but also touched, he digs beneath his tunic to lift off his keys, which he usually wears around his neck. “Thank you. I just need an outfit…nothing fancy. Thank you.” Food sounds good too. “Klah?” Then he heaves himself to his feet, unsteady in his exhaustion and stress. “Thank you.”
“Right.” Kiena agrees to his muttering about Darsce’s state. No news is good news. The stink of whiskey doesn’t seem to bother her that much. Her focus is elsewhere and when he looks so surprised and touched by her offer, she just smiles. “Yeah, I would. Least I can do?” Her hand will lift to take the keys gently from his hands and she’ll tuck them somewhere safe. “Work clothes. Got it.” Simple! Chuckling, she’ll nod her head. “Klah.” she promises and when he heaves himself to his feet, she will stand as well and rather than walk away, she will press against his side and slip an arm around him. “What’re good friends for, huh?” she murmurs. “Come on.” Apparently she’s going to help him to the bathroom first or to the door at least before letting him go. “Ujinath’s “listening”. If you need anything… holler. He’ll pass it along.” That’s not creepy, right? Knowing the blue is “watching”. Kiena’s hand will briefly caress his back as she steps away. “I’ll be back.” And then she’s gone to fetch her jacket, bundle up, triple check she has Mur’dah’s keys and then slip outside.
Mur’dah slips his arm around her in return, leaning briefly against her as she leaves him at the bathroom door. “Alright,” he says quietly, giving her a tired smile. When she leaves, he tilts his head a bit. “Thanks to you too, Ujinath, for letting me be here.” Then he’s into the bathroom and closing the door, running a nice, hot bath for himself to get cleaned up in. And if he dozes off while he’s in there? Well. Yeah. He dozes off.
The cold will certainly help wake Kiena up a little further as she walks briskly towards the weyr, almost jogging at times. It’s a good stretch of distance and she has to cover it twice. Finding Mur’dah’s weyr is no trouble. She knows the path by now and it’s only a matter of her being certain no one is skulking about at the predawn hour to notice her using his keys to slip inside. Next step: finding clothes. Clean ones! Is his weyr still in that messy bachelor state? She’ll feel awkward having to rummage about but will push those reservations aside if she has to dig a bit to find some acceptable clothing and then something to put them in to carry back. Before she slips out the door again, she’ll cock her head to listen. Both for Ujinath and for anything outside and then she’s hurrying off. Door is locked, keys (triple checked again) tucked away and it’s off to the kitchens. Where the cooks on duty don’t even so much as bat an eye at the Weyrsecond being there at an odd time of the morning. Klah is gathered, but she’ll have to prepare it herself (but all the better for freshness!) and she’ll snag a small basket of other food stuffs too, muttering a quick thanks to the kitchen workers before taking off again. Back down the paths, out to the road. Nothing but the cold and pre-dawn silence and her own thoughts as company. By the time Kiena returns, she’s quiet and pensive. Slipping off her boots and jacket, she’ll go about preparing everything: food to her small, cramped kitchen, klah to steep in the kettle over the fire (which she has to bank), and lastly, bring Mur’dah his clothes. “Mur’dah?” Kiena calls out softly, knuckles rapping against the wooden doorframe. “I’m back. I’ve your clothes here. Want me to leave them outside the door? Bring them in?”
Mur’dah’s weyr is a mess. Worse than last time. But she’ll find clothes fairly easy with some digging. When she knocks on the door he starts awake, splashing and then cursing when his elbow bangs against the side of the tub. “You can come in,” he calls, his voice thick and groggy. “Thanks, Kiena, I appreciate it.” Carefully, he resumes scrubbing, wanting to make sure he’s clean since he’s not sure when he’ll have a chance for another bath.
“You alright?” Kiena calls as she opens the door, only to have to struggle to keep herself from laughing. So maybe her voice wavers a bit from that. “… did I wake you?” Yep, she’s teasing him gently. Setting his clothes down on the small stool by the tub, she’ll also place his keys on top of them. “Not a problem. I’ve got some klah brewing too and food ready to be cooked if you’re hungry?” she murmurs, stepping to the side of the tub and without even thinking of what she’s doing she’ll stroke her fingers through his hair. It’s a comforting thing, soothing or at least meant to be. “We can talk a little more too, if you want. About things… or anything.” Distractions.
Mur’dah rubs his elbow and smiles a bit sheepishly at her. “Yeah, I think I dozed off…thanks, Kiena.” Pausing his his washing, he shifts when she touches his hair to lean against her leg. “Thank you. I’ll finish up here and be out,” he promises. “The klah smells great. Thank you.” Lots of thanks!
“Figured,” Kiena muses and she smiles at his thanks. Her hand will stroke through his hair again in a gentle caress when he comes to lean against her leg. Then she moves away and her hand rests to brace herself against the side of the tub while lowering herself down to kiss the top of his head. “No rush,” she murmurs, chuckling. “And you’re going to give me a complex with all this thanks!” Another gentle tease and her fingers briefly caress his shoulder in a fleeting touch. “I’ll go see about getting us some breakfast. Klah should be ready by the time you’re done. How do you take yours?” she asks, stepping back to linger by the doorframe.
Mur’dah closes his eyes and smiles gently. “Probably,” he says with a soft chuckle. “Thanks.” He couldn’t help it, and even winks at her. Finishing up his bath, he steps out of the tub, dries, and dresses before moving into the main room. “Cream and sweetner,” he finally answers once he’s emerged, tugging his fingers through his hair and looking blearily around the room. “You?”
Kiena snorts and gives him a look for his wink. Her smirk is amused though, even playful and before she leaves she’ll snatch up his dirty clothes and make good on her earlier offer of washing them. By the time he finishes up and dresses and emerges into the main room, she’s in the kitchen and busily preparing the food she brought. Which, from the look and smell of things, is oatmeal and smoked bacon. No eggs, but there’s fresh bread too. “Mhm?” she looks up distractedly and then gives him a funny look. “My klah? Just cream.” she muses while stepping forwards to check on the food.
Mur’dah walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her middle, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his shoulder. “Just cream.” With a kiss to her shoulder he straigthens again and goes to prepare their klah while she’s making breakfast. This calm routine, this normalicy, is helping even more than the bath did - though that certainly helped. “Duties today?”
Kiena is caught by surprise when Mur’dah walks up and wraps his arms around her but she recovers swiftly and leans back against him. She’ll try to sneak a light, brief kiss to his cheek, smiling softly and chuckling to herself. Calm and normal routine! Whether or not it was planned by her or just part of her going by what feels natural, Kiena goes through the motions all the same. “Mhm. Not sure yet what the day will bring. Depends on what’s on Ka’el’s plate and where I am needed. I had hoped to see the girls for lunch but… too much is up in the air.” she shrugs at this and tends to their food. Taking the pan off the fire, she’ll drain it and then the bacon on a plate to cool before rummaging around for some bowls. “You? Training with the Weyrlings today?”
Mur’dah smiles, accepting of her kiss and going to prepare their klah, putting the mugs on the table. “Right. Hopefully you can get some time with them.” Sitting, he watches her move about as he sips his klah and tries to get back to stable in his mind. “Yeah, hunting, unmanned flights…fun stuff. Kalsuoth is awake, so that’ll help.” He can be half alert without too much trouble, hopefully.
“We’ll see. Maybe if not lunch, then dinner.” Kiena murmurs while she moves about the kitchen. “Sounds fun but also busy. They’re coming along fast.” Finally she steps out and back into the main living area, carrying a tray laden with the plate of bacon, two bowls of oatmeal, small dishes filled with fixings and seasoning for it, some bread, butter and, always, fresh fruit. “Here we are,” she says with a faint grin, setting the tray down and gesturing for him to help himself first. She’s going to sit beside him and pick up her mug of klah and savor the first sip (or three).
Mur’dah nods, “They are. Manned flights soon, between, mating flights…” Then they’re done! “Then I’m back to Comet. Thank you.” How many times has he said that today so far? A lot. “This looks delicious.” Reaching out, he gently squeezes her knee before he begins to eat. Slow at first, but then more ravenously as his appetite catches up with him.
Kiena whistles low, “Shards, that isn’t much left. Then they’re free as full riders! Probably something they’re itching for now.” Don’t they all? She gives him another smile and then a soft laugh. “Again, you’re welcome.” she teases him. Oh, she’s going to call him on it now! “Looking forwards to being a transport rider again?” Of course she knows the answer, unless it’s changed, but she asks it all the same. Familiar and safe. “All the kitchen had to offer but figured I’d bring a little bit of everything back. Especially the bacon.” Of which she snags a piece to nibble on, watching as he tucks into his food ravenously. Pleased and comforted to see him eating, at least, she will reach out to rest her hand against his leg and squeeze but her touch remains.
Bacon! He will eat and enjoy everything she provides, and hungrily so. “I am. I really am,” he admits with a slightly sheepish smile. “I can’t wait to be out, traveling, meeting new people, doing my own thing again. And this is perfect.” And he EATS. He’s always been a good eater, and…when did he last eat? He’s not quite sure, unless it was here, earlier. He smiles, glancing down at her hand, and lets it rest there as he uses both of his own hands for eating and drinking.
Everything is better with bacon? Kiena will leave him to have as much of the food as he wants and she’ll take enough for her own appetite. “Almost time,” she murmurs supportively. “And thanks! Glad I’m as good with breakfast as I am with dinner.” Chuckling, she will keep her hand to his leg and her mug of klah in the other which she still nurses slow and unhurriedly.
Mur’dah finishes his meal fairly quickly and then reaches down to cover her hand with his, giving it a firm squeeze. “Thanks for being there for me through all of this, Kiena,” he says quietly, glancing at her. “I really, really appreciate it. I didn’t want to be a burden to Marel.” But he’s okay being a burden to Kiena? “I mean, because she’s dealing with this too, in her own way…I need to be strong for her. And Mom. And…Dad, I guess, when he’s coherent.” There’s another frown for that, and a shake of his head. “Sometimes…”
Kiena squeezes his hand back and setting her mug aside, she smiles to him and meets his eyes when he glances to her. “You’re welcome. Least I can do.” she murmurs. “And it makes me happy to know I’ve helped.” As for his twin sister, Marel, there is a concerned frown then and she shuffles a little closer to Mur’dah’s side. “You have to be strong for you too.” she tells him softly. “And you have done so much already for Darsce and for your family. I’m sure they’ll see that.” Except maybe D’had. When he falters, her hand squeezes his again and tightly. “Sometimes…?” she prompts.
Mur’dah shifts to lean against her shoulder, nodding. “I’m not sure if they see that. I feel more like a burden than anything. I’m trying to do what’s best but…I don’t know. Jethaniel is the strong, silent type. I’m…not. So. I don’t know if I’m helping or if I’m just irritating him with my emotions. He’s so hard to understand.” He still doesn’t see what Darsce sees in him. Not that he needs to. “I don’t know if I’m helping by being there, by showing him that I love and care about Darsce, or if I’m just…intruding. I don’t know. He hasn’t welcomed me but he hasn’t kicked me out either.” Then there’s a frown, and a shrug. “Sometimes I wish he’d sober up. THen other times I wish he’d just…go.” There’s a flinch for that admission. “This lingering…like Darsce’s coma…it’s harder than anything. The hope, the waiting, the wondering. Is he going to sober up? Is he going to leave? Is he going to drink himself to death? That uncertainty…I’d rather have it resolved. But.” Life isn’t like that.
“Why would you think that?” Kiena asks softly, leaning back against him and frowning lightly. “I don’t think you’re a burden. As for Jethaniel, well… I’m with you on that. I’m at a loss of how to talk to him too, but that’s just how he is. Maybe Darsce knows something we don’t,” she murmurs, still holding her hand in his. “I think… if you were intruding, Jeth would speak up. That he hasn’t turned you away is promising?” Right? Feeling that flinch, Kiena pulls her hand free but only so she can slip her arm around him instead, hugging him to her side. “I can’t even imagine… and I am sorry you are having to deal with all of that on your shoulders, on top of everything else. It’s hard because… of who is is.” A father. Or was? She shakes her head sadly, “If only it were so simple, huh?”
Mur’dah shrugs. “I just worry I’m a pain, sometimes. I know how I can get.” Emotional. Exuberant. In everyone’s face. Wanting to help, wanting to fix it. “But yeah, I…it shouldn’t matter. I’ll go until he tells me to go away. /I/ need to be there for her. Well. For me. I don’t know if it helps her or not, but. I need to be there.” He leans against her, and nods. “I miss him, Kiena,” he says quietly. “I miss my dad. I need him, sometimes, and he’s not there, and I just get…angry and sad.” Every boy needs a father figure, someone to look up to and respect. “If only. Sometimes I have dreams about him sobering up and him and Mom getting back together. Parties in the weyrbarn, like they used to be. Our turnday parties, and turnover parties, and just…family dinners. I miss that, Kiena. I miss…what my family used to be. Is that wrong?”
“And I’m sure your family knows how you can get and accept that.” Kiena murmurs softly. “And that if you were being a pain or a burden, someone would’ve turfed you out of the Infirmary by now.” Harsh but kind of true? “Someone has to be there for Jethaniel, even if it just means he can sneak away for a bit to attend to things. He… has left, hasn’t he?” Leaning against him, with her arm around him she will listen and part of her will hurt and feel for him, to be caught as he is. She’s never known a happy family, so she cannot relate on that level. She can understand broken though. “I’m sorry, Mur’dah… no one should have to struggle through that.” Especially not him, but that’s Kiena’s personal opinion and she will shift against his side, turning to face him and if he allows, will stroke her fingers through his hair before cupping his cheek and leaving herself open to hugging if he desires it. “No. No it’s not wrong at all to have those hopes. Everyone wants a family. And there’s no shame in saying you miss it. None.”
Mur’dah nods. He’ll just have to accept that as truth and tuck his paranoid thoughts away. Ignore them, until someone speaks up to validate them. “He has left a few times, yes. For personal things, yeah. And I’ve stayed while he’s gone.” He closes his eyes, leaning into her touch with a soft sigh. He doesn’t take the hug though. He just sits there. “Alright,” he murmurs. “I should get to work,” he adds, straightening up and giving her a smile, reaching up to brush hair away from her face. “Thank you, Kiena. For letting me intrude.”
Kiena may not have meant to imply that Mur’dah tuck it all away and ignore it, but she is unaware. Nodding her head, she murmurs. “Good. Keep doing that… until you’re told otherwise.” She’ll smile crookedly and lean into his touch, only to stand up and hesitate for a moment before attempting to initiate a hug. “Anytime.” she says. “You’re never a burden to me, Mur’dah.” Looking up at him, her hands will still rest on his arms as she leans back, peering up at him. “You’ll be alright?” Since he looked… awful when he first came by. “And if you’re not in a rush and don’t mind company, I can walk with you to the Weyr? It’s about time I head that way myself…”
Mur’dah leans into the hug, kissing her hair gently. “Thanks, Kiena. You’re a gem.” Smiling, he steps back and looks around, making sure he hasn’t forgotten anything. “I’ll be fine. And no, I’m heading down to the beach and the barracks, meeting my first pair down there today.”
Kiena smiles at the kiss and then laughs softly. “A gem?” she muses but is touched all the same. She’ll fetch his clothing for him, which are still a bit damp from being washed and she’ll tuck it into the bag she brought his fresh clothes in before handing it over. She gives him another lingering look, concerned still for her friend but smiling in a supportive way. “Alright. Give me a second?” Kiena just has to duck upstairs to change as well, which takes her surprisingly little time. Her hair she hastily gathers into a runner tail and then she’s grabbing her jacket and gear. “Let’s go.” she murmurs, opening the door and gesturing for him to lead.