Is it /Really/ Haunted?
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Xanadu Weyr - Kera's Sanitarium

A narrow but wide two story stone cabin is nestled at the end of a long, winding dirt road through the woods. Though at one point most of the greenery had been cleared around the cottage, it has been abandoned for a few turns and now weeds and small plants are creeping up towards the doors. Rounded stones make up the walls, while tiles slope steeply downward across the peaked roof. If asked, some will whisper that this cabin used to belong to Fraille, the crazy Healer lady.

Inside, the cottage is almost entirely empty. It's been swept out and cleaned, and all the damaged furniture removed. What remains is a set of bookshelves in the living room, and after climbing the stairs, a wardrobe and a bed frame in the master bedroom. There is a small unfurnished kitchen, a work room, and another bedroom to complete the cottage's floorplan. One thing is missing - a shelter for a dragon. Since this used to be a Healer's cottage, there isn't one built just yet, but there is plenty of room if the new owner wishes to add one.

One more oddity graces this abandoned little home. In the kitchen there is a door set into the floor. Opening it leads down a creaking set of wooden stairs to the stone-walled basement. This is clearly where Fraille did most of her work, and it's also neglected to be cleaned out by whoever was preparing this cottage for the new resident. Tables are littered with jars and bits of paper, odds and ends of rusted Healer tools, shelves lined with jar after jar after jar of herbs and plants, dried and soaking, hanging from the rafters, and decaying. What a delightfully creepy little room. It's almost as if the walls are whispering, 'Why, yes, actually, Fraille /was/ crazy.'


Summer is in full force at Xanadu, thus most of the windows of the small cottage are wide open, welcoming any hint of breeze. Moncerath is nestled between two large trees, the ground between them showing obvious signs of being hollowed some. Every so often, Kera passes by the window, moving about inside. Her muted voice may be heard, the occassional prase slipping through the window. "..know where it got to….gotta be here somewhere." The sound of something heavy dropping to the floor sounds, then a muttered curse before the door opens. Pushing it open fully, she shoves the heavy box in front of it to keep it open. "..like to see ya blows closed now!" Nodding as she settles what was irritating her, Kera turns back to recede inside "Minimur, get out of there…"

Ka'el is heading through the woods, walking a familiar path that'd eventually lead him towards his former weyr. Curiosity's gotten the better of him. Has some lucky weyrling been assigned his old place? What have they done with it? And will anyone really appreciate just how good a forge-roasted sausage really tastes as much as he did? He's got to check it out, and that's the plan this day as he roams the forest, a plump little bronze firelizard nestled in the crook of his arm. But he gets sidetracked. Maybe it's the sound of a voice that turns him. Or maybe it's the sight of a path he's never seen before, recently cleared out, that beckons him. Whatever the case, Ka'el finds his way wandering the road that leads towards a cottage he hadn't known existed. Til now. He idly rubs a finger against the firelizard's headknobs as he nosily ventures closer to the unfamiliar place. But, hey. This unfamiliar place has a familiar fac heading into it. "So, this is the infamous haunted weyr of the woods," he says with a crooked grin.

Kera hears a voice outside and peeks her head out the window, since she's closer to it now than she is the open door. Chuckling when she spots her visitors, "It shouldn't be hard to tell people where to find me…Just head off to 'The Haunted Weyr of the Woods, Xanadu.'" An amused wink sent to her friend before she waves him inside "Come on in Ka'el….door's open." Obviously. Scattered about the room is an eclectic assortment of furniture, some worn and downright shabby while some is more gently used. None of it really matches. But there are several comfortable chairs to be used. One chair is set off to the side near the fireplace, perhaps for Kera's 'infamous' spooky roommate. Several boxes are stacked by one wall, the top one open and half empty. That's what currently has Minimur's interest, the brown snuffling the box's contents. "So you heard rumors of the things that go bump down in my cellar?" This to the bronzerider as she grabs a couple of glasses off a shelf "What something to drink? I've a pitcher of juice since I doubt you'ld want water that much." Turning her gaze to bronze lizard briefly she grins "And hello there Alloy."

Ka'el goes on in, as invited! He steps through the door frame and immediately do hiseyes start to wander, as eyes tend to do when met with new surroundings. He notes the furniture and the lack of uniformness throughout, and that makes him smile. "Brings me back to my Weyrling days…" he says nostalgically, as if it was such a long time ago. "Raided the stores, did you? I did the same. Took whatever I thought would cushion my rear the best." To hell with interior decorating! Who needs coordination and color schemes? He heads further in, lookingat this and that, eyes lingering a little longer on the chair set near the fireplace before he moves on. "I have head rumor, yes. I may have started them myself, truth be told," he says with a grin. "Every Weyr needs its rumored haunted home, right? I've bestowed that honor upon you." At the offer of a drink, he nods his head, waving his free hand a little at her mentioning of him not wanting water. "Whatever you have is fine, thank you. I don't mind water." Though juice is his preferred non-alcoholic beverage! Her greeting to his firelizard is taken with a light look of confusion, and he glances down at the small bronze in his arms and ohs. "This here is Nugget," he says, grinning lightly. "Alloy would be offended. He's not quite this round. Or lazy." Or maybe even spoiled!

Kera scrutinizes the plump bronze with Ka'el and gives a nod after a few seconds "Oh, my mistake little guy." Pouring juice, she sets one in front of Ka'el, then moves back across the room, grabbing a sealed tin and going back to the little kitchen table. Glancing around with a grin, she dips her head agreeably "I did sorta get a thing or two, or twenty from stores. I may have grabbed more pillows or seat cusions than needed, but I've also been taking stuff to stores." Flicking her fingers across to the boxes before giving the tin a brisk shake. The noises causes a ruckus in the top box, sudden shuffling within making the box shift like it was bumped. A brown head darts up imediately and Minimur scrambles up and out so he can get a treat. "Been going through everything my parents sent. Most of it I've not seen since I was twelve. Didn't even bother trying most of it on." Pulling out thin strips of dried meat, she tears one into lizard sized bits, tossing one to Minimur and offering a couple to Ka'el for Nugget. Canting her head at to her friend "All well with Soriana? Your daughter was starting to be quite the baby belly when I spoke with her the other day."

"Ha, you can never have too many pillows." Ka'el loves pillows! The more the merrier! He laughs a little and does so again when Minimur pops into view, out of the box. "I can imagine you've been kept busy with him," he says with a nod to the brown. "If he's anything like Alloy, who had a shardin' field day when I unpacked at Soriana's place. He likes boxes…" He shrugs in a miffed sort of way before voicing his thanks at the offered scraps of meat. Nugget perks up instantly. He hasn't moved since their arrival, looking to be asleep. Buuut the moment the aroma of food wafted to his little nostrils… *zing!* he's up and alert and ready to eat! Chirp? Snickering, Ka'el offers a bit of meat, which is gobbled down in less than a second. It's a wonder if he even tasted it at all! The Weyrleader's brow quirks, not at her question of Soriana's well-being, but on the comment of her belly. And his daughter. "I don't have a daughter," he says, lips gently curved upward. "I don't have a son, either. I have a pregnant weyrmate with an oversized belly. How many marks have you bet already that she'll behaving a girl?"

Kera grins, glancing over to watch the two lizards attacking the dried meat, then turning her attention back to Ka'el. She tosses her brown a piece every few minutes, making him eat at a slower pace than he would choose himself. "He's definately been amusing himself by investigating boxes if I leave them open. Most of it is old clothes though so nothing he can damage much." Tearing a few more bits up for each lizard, she pushes more across the table for Nugget. Chuckling at the bronzer's response concerning a daughter, she shrugs and takes a sip of her juice before piping back up "Yet. You don't have a daughter yet you mean." Another drink is taken. "I don't really bet, people came up with excuses when I win. But if I did, would definateley put my marks on a mini Sori that will start giving you grey hair in about..oh fifteen turns or so." Kera flashes a too amused smirk at the idea before taking one of the meat bits for herself, she gives a small shake of her head "Don't know why, just got a feeling she's gonna have a girl."

Talk talk talk, yap yap yap. Where's the food? Nugget can smell that there is still more meat the be eaten and Ka'el is holding out on him. He begins to make protesting sounds and squirms about within the Weyrleader's arms til finally he's given another piece of meat to chomp down. Nomnom! Now he's quiet and still, which means that Ka'el has a few minutes to talk before he starts up again. Geeze. "Excuses when betsare lost?" he says with wide eyes and a face of surprise. "How cowardly of them. People like that should be locked up in the cells, eh? To be taught a lesson…"He smirks at her, making an innocent face for moment before an exhale is released through the mouth. "Have your feelings ever been right before? Or is this the first time you've had a 'feeling' with someone who's with child? I'm just trying to see what kind of person I'm dealing with here. Just how reliable are you?" A smirk. "In all honesty and joking aside, I… just hope everyone is okay in the end. Boy or girl, it doesn't really matter. As long as it and Soriana are alright, I'm happy." … A pause, then in a lower voice. "But if I had to choose? I'd hope for a boy. Girls are far too much trouble," he says, voice obviously teasing.

Kera is glad she isn't sipping her juice, cause she'ld surely be choking now. Realizing the bronze rider really must have nerves of steel to mention such a harsh punishment for not paying bets off, and not even so much as a twitch…. "Mmmmhmm, a lesson indeed….And I certainly learned mine, which means no more bets." Nodding determinedly she takes the pitcher back in hand, topping off both glasses before setting it out of the way. Thinking a few seconds, face frowning just a little, her shoulders lift marginally then drop. "First time I guess. Then again, not many of my friends have children….There were a couple of older apprentices in the Hall, back before I was posted, but they were sent right home and I didn't really know them very well." Shoulders shrug once more, before she snorts to her friend. "Just for that, I hope she has twin girls…triplets even!" Kera grins and is enjoying the idea way too much. Minimur gets tired of waiting for his next bit and flutters up to the back the weyrling's chair. Reaching to her shoulder, it appears she has a dried bit pinned between her fingers, making the brown work for the treat.

And now it's a good thing that he isn't taking a drink, for it'd be Ka'el that'd sputter juice everywhere. Twins? Triplets even? He shakes his head quickly, an alarmed looked on his face. "Don't jinx me with that. Words have power, you know. And the last thing any of us needs are…is…that." He can't even say it, possibly in fear that saying it twice might be the spell that causes it to be true. No way! One. One is plenty! They're not even sure if they can handle one, let alone three! As Nugget chomps, still nestled in Ka'el's arm, he watches Minimur curiously. He doesn't see too many other firelizards besides his own little pod at home! "No bets. No triplets. We'll call that settled then, huh?" He grins, eyes momentarily moving away from him to glance out one of those opened windows. "M'afraid I'm going to have to leave you, Kera. What was supposed to be a small break for fresh air has turned into a few hours worth of wandering the Weyr. Before Galaxy is sent out to find my wherabouts, I should head back to the office." He smiles, pauses, and takes a moment to chug down his juice. Can't let it go wasted! With a pleased inhale, he sets his cup down and nods to her. "You've a good weyr. Sturdy. Congratulations on it," he offers before he takes steps towards the door. "Take care, eh? And I'll see you soon." Then, he and Nugget are off.


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