Father-Daughter Heart-to-Heart Chat
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Xanadu Weyr - Forest's Edge
While the forest is thick for a long while, in time it begins to thin, as the ground becomes rockier to the south western stretches of the Weyr's land. The trees are further apart, and the rocks become larger, before rocky outcroppings seem to be more prevalent than the trees around them. As the hills begin to gain in height, the shruberry upon them become more stunted.
The small cave that was opening up by an Earthquake has been widened, the initially small opening turned into one large enough for whers and humans alike, and the carefully placed support beams can be seen in the opening. Outside, it seems that more construction is due to begin, given the building materials currently being stockpiled.

A series of 'dens' sit into the rocky outcroppings, showing signs of the whers who make their home within them.


Out beyond the forest Weyrs and at the forest's edge there are a tumble of boulders leading up to high cliffs. Partway up, high enough that if she fell she'd be badly injured, sits Darsce, long legs curled up to her chin, forehead on knees with her silvery-blonde hair trailing down over shoulders like a cape. She's made the run and climb with that adrenaline of anger, had her stormy cry and now just sits, quiet and still in the sunlit mid-morning of spring.

D'had has plenty to do besides follow her out into the woods, but family is more important than all that paperwork sitting on his desk waiting for him. It will still be there later. It wasn't so much a mater of catching up with her as determining which direction she took, but he does finally catch up. When he does he hangs back a few steps when he first speaks. "Baby?" clear question in his voice. Is she okay? "What's the matter?" he goes on, stepping closer and resting a hopefully reassuring hand on her back.

Darsce's head jerks upright, her hair sliding back off her face as she peers up at him, blinking a few times to clear her eyes and get used to the glare of the sun both. "How did you-?" Blue eyes travel down all those tumbled boulders she's climbed up to sit on the one she's on, then lift the rest of the tumbled way to the top, before returning to him where she finishes the rest, "…get up here?" Because she didn't hear him coming! Not that she dwells on that an awfully long time. She tries her best to answer the question, her lips part to do just that but nothing comes out so she nods then shakes her head. So yes and no. "I'm so sorry, daddy," she whispers instead, patting the boulder she's sitting on a silent invitation if he'd like to sit down by her.

"Same way you did I'd imagine," D'had answers for how he got up to her. She did likely have enough on her mind not to hear him. That invitation isn't ignored and he does move to take up a seat beside her though the sorry part of it does cause some confusion. "For what?" he asks simply.

Probably all that noisy sobbing she was doing masked his approach and Darsce realizes this after he speaks with a grimace of self-directed disgust. She does not cry! Ever. "For… what I said, "she answers him. Certainly NOT for punching the arrogant brownrider! She gives him an earnest look, leaning to make sure she can meet his eyes, "If you say it's an honor to be asked, you can believe it, but I- I'm angry!" Her voice falters and she stumbles to a halt. "I didn't mean it's ridiculous for you to be a rider, Daddy. You're the best!" She sniffs and blinks hard, squinting against the tears that might try to weasel out despite her best effort not to let them and says thickly, "I'm really proud of you! I just…" And she drops her head, absently picks at a chipped area of nail polish on her forefinger and her whisper finishes it, "…can't."

D'had nods slowly as the words sink in. He reaches an arm around her shoulders, comforting, reassuring.. that's what he's going for at least. "Ain't mad at ya baby, ain't nothin' to be sorry for. Like I said before, ain't no one gonna look at you any different if ya say ya don't want to." That sniffle brings his other hand to her cheek to wipe away a tear with his thumb. "Do I get ta ask why ya can't?"

Oh he is comforting and reassuring both! With a sigh, Darsce leans her head against his shoulder, some of her tension leaks out though a little remains in her shoulders, perhaps felt under his arm. "Goldrider for mother and bluerider for father," is her simple yet eloquent answer to his question. He should know exactly what that means. If there's any doubt at all, she clarifies, "I don't like the idea of not being in control." That vague statement ought to suffice for all the things riders of all colors endure. She's silent for a few beats then, with nothing but the sound of the wind puffing around those boulders they sit on to fill the space. She lifts her head and gives him a brief and curious look asks, "Do you ever wish you'd said no?" before dropping her head back to his shoulder.

D'had pulls her close, hooking his chin atop her head. "There's good things about it too ya know," he comments. "Yer in control mosta the time." There's just those few occasions that he understands now are her concern. "I know you've been flyin' before but ain't nothin' like it with your own lifemate," he explains with a wistful sound to his words, thinking on his own shared with Siebith. "I think.." he starts after moment's pause, "if things had been different I woulda, but if I had would be a whole life I'd have never lived." Pause. "Wouldn't have met your momma…" Sure they had their rough patches, but they had good times too. "Yeah, ya got two riders for parents. Don't mean nothin'," he continues, leaning back to attempt to look her in the eye. "They asked, choice is yours."

She snuggles in, safe and loved, the rock hard tension in her shoulders finally easing "I… I can't imagine exactly what it's like," admits Darsce about those good things and flying as one. "But I know enough to know I'd be horrible. All that washing and oiling and feeding and getting up early and exercise!" She actually shudders under his arm. Oh she knows there was a reason her parents got together, just like there was a reason they split. Instead of going there though, it's easier for her to ask about the present, "Just how much does having a dragon make things hard - and good for you and- well for you now?"

D'had can't help just chuckle at her supposive downfalls. "Well if they asked ya, I'm sure ya wouldn't be as terrible as all that. Just put your mind to it and you can do whatever ya want. Yer a smart girl." The question she poses back to him however brings a good bit of silence as he considers his answer. "Hard ta say really. Been a long time since I was without 'im…" Hmm. "Flights sometimes make things tense with the Weyrwoman," he replies then. "But can go almost anywhere in the blink of an eye if ya got the time to go. It's different baby, but not something's easy to explain."

"That's just it," Darsce points out. "My mind isn't 'put to' shoveling baby dragon poo, scrubbing and oiling hide for the rest of my life." She has heard a lot of it from her mother, watched a lot of it too. Because of that, the things involved dragon care isn't really all that foreign to her. But there is something she's needing to know if she's going to give this serious consideration. "Tense like how? Does she get mad and threaten to throw you out when Siebith wins or something? Because… if I ever find someone I want to marry I don't think I'd like sharing!"

"If there's one for you," a dragon that is, D'had explains, "It won't be so bad as your Ma makin' ya help her out." It's completely different when it's your dragon - sort of. "They don't start that big either so ya have time ta work up ta it too." As for tense situations, "Well… sorta," he replies, "Ain't had her threaten ta kick me out, but has threatened ta leave. But its an understanding thing. She gets upset when he wins, but she knows I'm gonna come back to her. Same goes when her's goes up. Don't like knowin' she's with someone else, but know she's gonna come home."

Darsce lifts her head to peer at her father. The expression on her face is nothing but skeptical. She holds her soft hands out for him to see her manicure, chipped from her climb notwithstanding. She wants to know, "Do these look like dragon rider hands to you?" She turns them over a few times, squinting at them herself, fluttering her fingers. "I want to make pretty things like… designing clothes and jewelry, showing people how to apply makeup." As for the tense situations, she snorts. "I couldn't deal with it! Sharing… or getting stuck with… someone I can't stand." Yeaah no, not going to elaborate there. It's a control issue for her and she's not a rider. She shoots him a frankly curious look and here comes a girly-emo question, "Do you love him? Could you live without him?"

"They look," D'had beings as he takes her hands in his, "Like the hands of a beautiful, intelligent young woman who's old enough to make her own choices," he says with a smile for her. "I can't make up your mind for ya on this. Its up to you if you say yes or no." That next question gets a raised brow as it catches him off guard. "Suppose ya could say I do," he answers after a moment, "And they say ya can, but it would be strange without him. We've been a part of each other for… a long time."

Darsce dimples at her father's compliment, enjoying it all the more because it comes from him. Her fingers curl around his strong hands when he takes them in his. Her palms are soft, smooth and fingers lacking any sort of callus. Hard labor is not something this teen is acquainted with, apparently! "I wouldn't let you, anyhow, daddy darling!" She says pertly in response to that but she does have to add irreverently, "Well is has to be love, because otherwise how could you deal with waking up with some ugly old hag rider? Eww!" She shudders once again and his pause there before the words 'a long time' go completely unnoticed by her because 27-some turns to her IS a long time. "Thanks for… coming to find me," she says in a more serious tone, "I have to think about it, but I'm pretty sure riding isn't for me." Not to mention that she'd drive the Weyrlingmaster nuts.

D'had chuckles. His hands by contrast plenty used to a long day of hard work. "I wouldn't expect any less," he replies about her letting anyone else make up her mind for her. Amusement remains for her commentary on his love for his lifemate. No comment there however. "You're welcome baby," he replies, leaning forward to leave a fatherly kiss on her forehead. "Whatever you decide, I'm proud of you, and you let me know. Okay?"

And those hands of his wear those calluses MUCH better than hers would, just ask her and she'll tell you! As for Siebith's effects on who he's waking up with, that's okay, she doesn't really want to know about the flights-aftermath, thanks. Lalala. He doesn't even kiss Thea and alllllll his offspring were bought in Ierne or grew from special plants in the Baby-Greenhouse. Or… something equally as ridiculously far-fatched that will allow her to continue in somehow believing her parents are without any interest in things she is fascinated with. Because knowing otherwise would totally mess with her psyche, don't you know? But he's said let him know. Not let Ers'lan know. Hmmm. Her stomach growls, sidetracking the question that rises to her lips. "Okay, I will. Walk back with me? I need some klah." And the sun is directly overhead so it's her breakfast time. No wonder she's starved!

That works for him too. He'd rather no think about what she may or may not currently be fascinated with, thanks. He'd much prefer that she had no interest in kissing boys. She should probably let Ers'lan know, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to know too. "Sure," D'had agrees with a nod, standing and offering a hand to help her back down.

And so off they go, each in their own little world of denial, back to the Weyr, lunch for most people (breakfast for her), paperwork and maybe flights for him (she knows nothing), boy-watching, maybe flirting and smooching for her (he knows nothing) and a whole great big decision for one of them. Probably a conversation with a sad brown dragon thrown in there somewhere. Ers'lan? She's probably scared off for good. Her father should be happy about that.


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