Xanadu Weyr - Siebith's Weyrbarn
Covered in rough, weathered wood, aged by the weather and the sun, the irregular grayed clapboards outside of this weyrbarn lend the place has a rustic, masculine charm. White shutters and window boxes overflowing with brightly-hued tangles of flowers on the lower windows and flowering vines twine about the supports for the porch overhang add a feminine touch, softening the stark stone steps leading to it.
The worn stone floor of Siebith's area is just inside the large sliding door. The living area of the weyrbarn has an open, airy layout gives the utilitarian, bachelor-like plain white-washed walls and simple hardwood floors a sense of wide open spaces. A sturdy mahogany-toned table with chairs that somehow manage to match despite their variety accent the earthy, wooden tones of the kitchenette. The same dark reddish hues are in the door at the far side of the barn, as well as in the low-slung coffee table in front of the plush, worn couch. Dusky sea-blue rugs are scattered here and there. Dark golden curtains hang on either side of the many windows and partition off the loft up above, led to by a black wrought iron set of ladder-like stairs. Lilies arranged in glass vases on the tables provide a crisp of white counterpoint to the dark wood tones.
A new addition, the bedroom has walls of the same plain white, but the floors are made of newer wood, still shiny with polish. A four-poster bed of the same red mahogany takes up the most of one wall of the small space, a blue-and-cream linen coverlet spread on the wide mattress. A set of wooden bureaus take up the bulk of the wall opposite while another wall has been painted upon in the very center with a seascape mural, its crisp blue waters and sandy shores. The final wall is graced by a feminine-looking writing desk stacked with papers and bedecked with knick-knacks. Over the bed, a set of stained-glass windows allows golden-brown light mingled with white whorls and blue haze to shine into the room with the rising of the sun, though both panes are able to be unlocked and swung wide to accept lake breezes.
Back to Winter from the tropical warmth of the island, the cold bites hard as a gold and blue dragon return to Xanadu's skies at midday. Landing is accomplished without delay and time taken by the pair to hit the hot springs, thankfully before running into anyone. The nannies have been appropriately thanked for keeping the twins overnight, soothed (and likely paid something extra as well). The twins have been collected and the family is gathered in the weyrbarn for a late lunch since the cavern has finished serving. Somewhere in there, D'had has taken the time to have a note sent for N'shen to please come meet him at his place. Typical of him, the words are scarce, so it's left up to the poor lad to make what he will of that summons.
D'had isn't good for much in the kitchen so that must be where Thea is getting together something to eat which means that D'had is left to keep an eye on the twins. They're perfectly happy to amuse themselves with toys on the floor, and fighting over said toys, but at least he's keeping an eye on them.
Knowing N'shen, he's feeling quite a bit of trepidation after receiving the Weyrsecond's summons. It doesn't help that other weyrlings who had been present in the barracks - and not in the know on the current drama surrounding the weyrling, the Weyrsecond, and his weyrmate. Sounds like a bad comedy. Still, he obediently presents himself at the Weyrbarn in short order once the note is receieved, shoulders hunched and face drawn as he knocks at the door and waits, warily.
The sweet smell of apples, cinnamon and ginger already fill the weyrbarn - something is baking while that simple lunch is being prepared. On the floor Muir decides that competing for the toys is far too easy, so when that knock sounds, he crawls busily towards the door. Marella blinks at the relinquished treasure and face-dives onto the pile of plushies abandoned by her brother. Thea raises her head from her task to eye the door, lifting her hands, which are covered in something messy. Unspoken, a lift of dark brows asking him to get it and a blown kiss with a smirky grin to thank him in advance.
D'had was already getting up, guessing that whether or not her hands were messy he'd be expected to answer that knock given the company that's expected. On the way to the door he ducks to scoop up Muir, holding the boy under one arm least he get in the way of the door. "Hey," the greeting as the door is opened comes a bit awkwardly. "Come on in," he adds after a few seconds of thought, sidestepping to let the weyrling inside and closing the door behind him.
N'shen sidles into the room, carefully avoiding looking at D'had, or Thea, or… well, anyone. He doesn't even glance at the twins - his siblings! - which indicates how unsettled he is, when he can't even give children his attention. Finding a spot out of the way, he plants himself, hands folded behind his back, eyes trained on the ground. "You wanted to see me, sir?" mumbles the bronzeling, hunched as though expecting some kind of blow - and not necessarily of the physical kind.
Thea is too preoccupied to notice that D'had's already rising, turning back to her preparations. Freshly-caught fish from the tropical waters near that island is already cleaned and filleted, but she's busy with a sharp knife removing the skin. As the door opens, Muir squeals at N'shen, waving his hands with an animated welcome all his own. Thea sends a quiet smile and a nod to the entering N'shen, but is silent otherwise since this is D'had's call. Marella peeks up, her head emerging from that toy pile she's burrowed in to gaze with large eyes at the new arrival. Oooh! She's off to investigate, crawling in a beeline to have a taste of his feet if she can before someone stops her.
D'had glances towards Thea. Okay, he's here NOW what does he do. But of course she's not being any help with her back to them. Long pause, but N'shen's comment brings him back to the weyrling. "Yeah. Um… You eat yet?" he questions, dark eyes falling to catch sight of Marella's path. He's not worried about her getting hit by the door when he opens it though and a wriggling Muir is still in arm so…
Whatever Nash had been expecting, being asked whether or not he'd supped was clearly not it. Forgetting himself enough to raise his eyes to stare at D'had, he manages to stammer "N- no, sir." Almost immediately, he drops his eyes again, just in time to see Marella nearing his sandal-shod feet. Someone really should remind the boy that it's high time he got some winter clothes out of stores - especially since the past several months have seen several growth spurts, and even his old clothes aren't quite fitting correctly. Gingerly, he edges away from the curious toddler.
Marella follows those feet - (maybe she's a natural herder?) whichever way she edging the boy. Blue is SUCH an interesting color, you know? Thea washes those fish-messy hands, steps to one of the cupboards, removes a bowl, cracks a few eggs into it and begins whisking them. She's angled herself to be somewhat facing the pair so she can sneak glances towards N'shen and D'had from under her lashes. It takes her a moment, then she stares. There's a sharp thunk as she sets the utensil down and steps with a slight frown towards them, sending D'had a significant look that goes pointedly at the boy's feet and back to him, repeats it so he hopefully notices. She opens her mouth but instead of spluttering, she reaches out with a gentle hand, laying it lightly on N'shen's shoulder. "It's warm in here, let me hang your jacket up, hmm?" And if he's standing still, Marella may just catch up with him…
D'had snorts, an almost roll of eyes accompanying. "What'd I say about that?" he asks. No sir! That's one of those things that gets to him. As Thea steps over he does notice that look, and it's met with a 'what' one in return. That is until he finally glances down again and catches the toddler that's still on the floor. "Come on and sit down…" he suggests, reaching down and aiming to turn Marella around after he's set Muir in the right direction. Maybe those toys over there will be interesting again.
N'shen jumps at Thea's touch, staring at her wildly for a moment before dropping his eyes, dark cheeks flushing. "S- sure." He shrugs off the far-too-big jacket, letting it dangle from his hand as he offers it to the weyrwoman, at the same time taking another side-step that carries him further away from both goldrider and child. At D'had's offer of a seat, he chances a glance at the bluerider, but his courage fails him and his eyes fall away before he can properly ascertain what expression the weyrsecond has. Instead, he sits where indicated, stiffly, back straight and hands folded almost primly in his lap.
Thea is dismayed at N'shen's reaction, but she manages to remain outwardly unruffled while the lad is looking at her, taking that jacket when it's handed over, watching for a second as the weyrling sidles away to his seat. Turning to hang the boy's coat one of the hooks by the door, she sends D'had a distressed look, pleading low enough that hopefully only his ears catch, "Do something!" as she passes him. Clearly this is not working. Marella, meanwhile is of a one-track mind, crawling determinedly in the direction of the couch. Muir's off in the opposite direction and Thea? She's heading back to the kitchenette. And thus it appears EVERYone is fleeing D'had's space. Hooray for awkward?
Awkward indeed. D'had blinks at those few words from Thea. Do something? Something like what? At least Marella is headed in an acceptable direction so that he can keep an eye on at least that one, though it might be in the goldrider's interest to keep an eye on Muir. The weyrsecond clears his throat as he looks back to the weyrling. "So.. how you doin'? You an'… Taozyuth is it?" Ah the wonders of dragons being able to bespeak each other.
"We're fine, thank you," Nash replies softly, not quite looking in D'had's direction. He doesn't add anything more for a humming moment, then his stiffened spine slumps, and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "Mr. D'had, sir," he says, voice muffled, "you don't have to be all nice to me. It was just a flight and stuff. Mother made sure I understood it was all a mistake. I'm not gonna make demands on you or nothin'." Lifting his head slightly, he peeks over his fingertips at the bluerider, dark green eyes suspiciously moist.
Oh, Thea catches that questioning look of the Weyrsecond's. She eyes him, not quite a glare, especially with her mouth moving silently in something that he likely can't interpret as she goes. Determinedly cheerful, her pronouncement from the kitchen is, "Lunch will be ready soon." The sizzling sounds in there are not enough to drown out the words spoken between the two, but for now Thea remains silent. Frying fish and chips takes concentration especially with babes crawling about the place. Marella reaches the couch. Ha! She has her quarry cornered! Her little hands pat at those icy feet, then reach to his knees and pulls herself to stand, gurgling at the weyrling with sea green eyes full of delight. Muir reaches that toy pile and grabs a plushie in each hand, turns and begins trundling in his sister's wake.
D'had nods idly to Thea's announcement of lunch. He's not so much paying attention to that end of things right now. As for N'shen's words when he finally speaks up there's a shake of the weyrsecond's head. "No, no," he tries to brush that thought from the boy's mind as it finally hits him what Thea's likely been hinting at. Maybe? At least he's finally getting to the point of the reason behind why the weyrling was called in in the first place. "I was nice to ya before I knew bout any a that." So there. "Be nice to ya yet if I want. Just, well… caught me off an all."
N'shen's gaze shifts to the baby at his knee, and he reaches out to gently stroke her head, lips curving in a tremulous smile that quickly falls away as his eyes slide back to D'had, warily. "I'm just sayin' that nothing's gotta change. You got your own life, an' I'm almost fourteen, I don't really need a father," and if that isn't a bald-faced lie, "and I don't want to mess up what you got here, y'know?"
Muir reaches his sister's side, his crawling ends in much the same way, but he uses his sister and the boy's other knee to haul himself up, standing to sway in front of N'shen with a bright look in those dark eyes as he peers into the visitor's eyes. If he can't get the boy to look back, he cranes his head, dipping it to get into the boy's line of vision until he does. An approving laugh bubbles between the four little teeth, those toys are piled into the weyrling's lap and he plops down on his bottom, flips onto hands and knees heading back to that pile for more. Thea's loading plates, taking a moment to pull something from the oven that adds the scent of apples and cinnamon to the smells of their meal, flickering concerned glances through her lashes at the pair on the couch as she finishes her preparations by gathering napkins. Plates in hand, she holds her breath and waits for D'had to reply before heading in.
"You're welcome here whenever ya like," D'had replies, the look on her face almost disgusted at the mention of completely ignoring the boy's presence. There's a glance to Thea to confirm that statement with her. "I know ya don't need one so much anymore, but ain't like I had a choice bein' there before." Though likely he wouldn't have given the opportunity at the time.
N'shen watches the twins, the look on his face a contrast as it finally sinks in that these are his siblings - half, anyway, which is good enough for him. "I just don't want to cause any issues for you." His eyes flicker to Thea, the message clear - he doesn't want to ruin the bluerider's relationship with his weyrmate. After all, all Nash knows is that Thea was quite upset when she found out. "I'm glad it's you, though," he adds, shyly. "If I have to have a father, I'm really glad it's you."
Thea nods firmly to her weyrmate when he glances her way; it's obvious that they've spent some time talking about all this beforehand, for her face shows no surprise. She steps forward with those plates as N'shen is talking, wincing at that message in his eyes. She'll be clearing that up when the two of them get some time alone. For now though, she contents herself to give the lad a warm smile, making certain he meets her eyes to see for himself that she means it as she offers him a plate of crisp-fried potatoes and fish. "We," her voice pauses to give that word emphasis, "want you here." She offers the other plate to D'had, bends to remove Marella from marauding the weyrling's food, returns a clear-eyed gaze to the boy, "You're family," she clarifies simply.
D'had chuckles, amusement clear enough though the awkwardness of it all still mildly evident. "Can think a more troublesome boys," he teases lightly. A touch of a smile and a nod at Thea's affirmation. "Thanks.." he adds for that shy admittance from the boy, not quite sure how to take that himself. Another, much more certain, "Thanks," for the goldrider as that plate is handed over. "She's right though," he goes on, settling the plate on his lap, "Family."