Contemplate the Stars Weyrbarn
Large and roomy, this weyrbarn was built with a bronze or brown in mind, for the stone couch inside this structure is certainly big enough for one. The place is vacant and has obviously been flooded in the recent past as a faint waterline can be seen, a grimy ring about the inner whitewashed walls. The slate roof has been repaired where it was pierced with a fallen tree.
All of the furniture has been removed from the living area, likely soaked in the flood and discarded, but the flagstone floors have been recently scrubbed free of the scummy silt and resealed to a shine. There's no kitchenette in this dwelling; apparently the former occupants ate in the caverns, but there is an alcove meant for a table and chairs with large windows that overlook the lake and outlets where both cooler and heating unit could be plugged. Large tufted tapestry rugs with shades of gold, blue and bronze are placed where the dining table will go and another where the couches will be are obviously Thea's handiwork and done with the soft camelid yarn native to her hold.
The best part of this home is the loft, accessed by a spiral staircase ingeniously crafted around a center post with the ends free - all fitted together without the need of nails. The loft itself is a wide, roomy space under the eaves with a sturdy desk, a bookshelf and single bed created on the wide sill of a large inset window in the peak. The thick, feather-stuffed mattress and pillow are new, as are the neatly folded stack of crisp linens and soft coverlet. The lack of curtains gives the sleeper a clear view of both the far distant shores of Black Rock Hold across the Caspian Lake and the expanse of stars at night. A small colorful stained glass lamp on the desk, a few books in the bookcase and another rug complete the space and add warmth.
It's the sound of knuckles on wood - likely D'had's since Thea's arms are full - that disrupts the silence in the weyr right beside the one D'had and Thea live in. The Weyrwoman's toe is tapping and the eyeing the Weyrsecond is getting might best be defined as: 'don't-you-even-think-of-running'. Whatever Thea is carrying is light but bulky and wrapped in a sheer tissue paper and tied with a big pastel ribbon. Something she's been working on, being the weaver that she is, and it's no secret to her weyrmate even if he is in denial about the whole thing - baby stuff. "Even if I'm wrong, she'll be needing this someday," she's saying sweetly to the man.
Natali was napping, that's what she was doing, the greenrider reclined at her ease on the couch with several pillows propped up around her when the knock sounds and there's a muffled oof from the young woman as she jolts into awareness. "Who's that, Sici?" the question is asked of the green dragon as she levers herself up slowly and eases herself off the couch with a helpful hold on the dragon's tail before she starts moving towards the door at a pace that can be described as a slow 'waddle'. Swinging the door open, Natali peeks out, catching sight of the next door neighbors… oh hi, family! "Hi." comes her comment, a somewhat cheery grin that's blurred just a bit by sleep given. "Was just resting." And then she catches sight of the things in Thea's arms. "What's that?"
D'had snorts at that look Thea gives him. He's still not sure why he has to be here to deliver that gift of hers. He knocked, that was his job and he's stepping back to let the Weyrwoman take the lead when the greenrider makes it to the door. Oh, he knows better than to try and up and leave when he was told to be here and given that look, but really, isn't this a female thing?
Oh it is! It's totally a female thing and Thea knows it, but she's corralled him into it anyway with ulterior motives of her own. As the door opens, she curls her arm around her package, taking a firmer hold on it, even as her other hand shoots out to snag D'had's sleeve so he won't go hi-bye and sneak off - all the while her eyes turn to her son's weyrmate and her smile widens brightly for Natali. "It's for you, that's what it is." And her eyes drop down to that baby-tummy then drift to give D'had a significant look that doesn't even try to hide the triumphant gleam. Hah! She is too pregnant. "Want me to carry it to the couch for you, Natali?"
Natali is too pregnant all right. No hiding it now, and don't think that Natali's attention is all on that prettily wrapped package that she can't catch at least a little hint of significant looks, and the greenrider has the graciousness to blush prettily. No mistaking the baby bump for anything else, and since she's obviously a good deal rounded, she's been pregnant for some time. "Well…" she starts, and then "Well. A present, for me." There's a wry grin from the young woman, her focus on the package wrapped in tissue with that big ribbon. "I'm sure it's lovely." Yes, that's right, focus on the present, people, focus on the present. "Please do," she nods, moving aside to allow her weyrmate's parents to enter the weyrbarn. "Couch." it's pointed it. "Make yourselves comfortable."
D'had nods his greeting to the young woman and while he was going to try to sneak off after that, well Thea knows him too well. He cuts his eyes at her given that look, but then he's being invited in and that further ruins plans to get on to something else. Why is he here again?
"For you and the baby," Thea clarifies all happy-like. Focus on the present nothing! She's been excited about this since the day outside the infirmary even if she wasn't 100% sure if she was right. "You," she starts across the room likely towing D'had if he hasn't swatted her hand away yet, "should sit back down and relax Natali." Adding in tone that hints at tease, "You too, Grandpa." Why is he here? He's here to get used to the idea, of course!
"Oh yes, the baby." Natali can't forget about the baby, not when she's quite obviously pregnant and the little rugrat's been squirming around in there all the time — or at least what /feels/ like all the time to the greenrider. "I'd say you really shouldn't have Thea, but I'd know better." There's just a hint of impish teasing in Natali's voice before she waddles — yes, waddles, and there'll be a lot more waddling for months yet — back to the couch, and eases herself down. There's plenty of room, and other chairs too, probably. "Well?" Natali sneaks a sideways glance at D'had. "Going to have to get used to the 'grandpa' thing." Oh, she's a silly girl.
D'had glares at Thea, yes glares, as he turns a scowl at her having taken a seat on the far end of the couch. That kind of teasing is not going to sit well with him for awhile. "It will," he agrees with Natali, for her at least he can go with the teasing. "Just like bein' a father," he adds. Those types of things just take getting used to. "And rider and Weyrsecond." He'll get used to it. "I'll live if she," being Thea, "ever quits remindin' me how old I'm supposta be."
Thea is blissfully unfazed by the glare, not that she hasn't noticed it. Oh she has. And yep, she probably expected something like that out of him. She places the large gift gently on Natali's lap once the woman is settled, then sinks to have a seat beside her grumpy weyrmate, patpatting his thigh as she leans against him to watch the gift being opened. "He's still getting used to life, in other words," she tells Natali while giving D'had a saucy wink sidelong. "You've still got it, Donn." Who said old? Not she!
Natali giggles a little at Thea's words, the gift settled into her lap, and already she's tugging at the ribbon and fingering the paper with a covetous air. No surprise, that, given spoiled single childhood and indulgent parents. "I think we're all getting used to life," she quips cheerily, in good spirits at the moment. "I know I've got a /lot/ to get used to." Namely… that baby in there. Coming out. Oh, she's in for a surprise. The interplay between Weyrsecond and Weyrwoman gets a good chuckle from the greenrider. "So, I wonder what this could be." There goes the ribbon, and there goes the tissue paper. What kind of a present is it?
D'had snorts. "Course I do," he comments back to Thea's remark. "And I ain't still gettin' used to all ‘a it, just the new stuff." Like the prospect of being a grandparent - speaking of which for all the flack she's giving him about it shouldn't Thea be getting a little herself here too? As for Natali - "Sure you'll do fine with it."
Psh! Thea gets plenty of flack from D'had in the form of glares and growls regularly enough. "You can show me later," she asides to him sweetly with a little wriggle while watching Natali unwrap that present. When the tissue falls away there is a finely-knit cloud-soft camilid wool blanket - ivory-colored so it could be for either a boy or a girl. It's hard not to eye-roll at D'had's assurance that Natali will do fine giving birth - he's not the once facing it, after all. But she refrains, instead asking, "How's Nash doing with all this?" Since there was no big announcement and all, she adds, "We should have a party or something to celebrate."
Natali smirks faintly, a sideways glance at the bluerider and goldrider mirrored only in the quirky little twist of her lips as she finishes unwrapping the present to find a … blanket. "So soft," her hands brush over it, rather covetously, as she settles it into her lap, moving tissue and ribbon aside. "I'm not too sure about that," she admits, "but I suppose I'm willing to learn about doing fine." There's a brief glance at Thea. "Although if I had been able to watch the twins some, I might be more prepared." At the goldrider's question, she offers a bit of a giggle. "He's doing OK, I think. We weren't really ummm … prepared for it. It just sort of happened." Courtesy, see, of two dragons — namely the resident green and bronze of the weyrbarn. "We didn't want to make too much of a deal about it." Because nothing says surprise like presenting someone with their grandkid RIGHT NOW. "I suppose we could have a party."
D'had was talking about being mother, not the giving birth part. Geez people. At the greenrider's comment about watching the twins he turns a 'told you so' look towards Thea. Did he not say it would be good for her? "He'll do good once its here." Yes, 'it' refers to baby - there is no name yet and he hasn't heard a he or she yet. Donn did well enough at the father job once he got used to it, Nash will do the same or better in his mind.
How true! But RIGHT NOW might be enough to tip the grandfather over the edge - he wasn't in the room, but pacing the hall during the twins births so… there's no telling what it would do to the poor man. "The healers will talk you through it, Natali. I'll be there if you'd like." D'had's 'told ya' look just gets a baffled sort of smile and a shrug of shoulders. What? Inflicting the active pair on Natali might have just sent her *Betweening* rather than carrying to term. "Yes, well, they'd grown up a lot by the time you were with N'shen. But Keziah has three screaming recently-born babes - four counting Laera's if you want some practice?" Not that Thea is going anywhere near Ers'lan's weyrbarn with all that going on. "They do have a way of breaking you in rather neatly." Some of them keep it up their entire lives. But party! "Sounds like a plan," she agrees all happy-like. At least she's enjoying the idea of being a 'grandmama'.
To be truthful, 'it' was probably just fine to call the baby, since Natali herself doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl, only that it exists — although that's not anything in doubt given that the babe is germinating, so to speak. "I think having the healers there will be really really good," Natali comments, nodding a little at Thea. "And since my own mother can't be there, if you wanted to… well, that would be really helpful." She manages a wry grin. "At least I'll know what to expect when the baby isn't such a little baby anymore. Although," her hand smoothes over the blanket, "I'm not sure if I want to be around /four/ screaming babies. I'm just glad I'm only having one." As for the party, she'll let Thea handle that one, and says as much. "I'm not very good at arranging parties and that sort of thing." Just going and looking good, that's more her forte. "But if you want to arrange it, if you have time…"
D'had has no interest in going anywhere near there either. Babies or no babies. He's perfectly fine avoiding that particular rider when possible. As for babies and parties however, "Well," he starts aiming to stand up if Thea will allow it, "Sounds like the two of you have a lot of planning to do." Which means he's excused now. Right?
However much the Weyrwoman likes Keziah, she shudders about the four babies, "I know I don't. And I highly recommend having them one at a time." Thea smiles at the greenrider, adding, "I'd be honored to be there for you both, if Nash doesn't mind. Or here if you have a healer in." Because rather than go to the infirmary, that's what she would have done had she not been stuck at Cold Stone Hold having them. D'had shifts to rise and she takes that as his cue that they're leaving, and so rises even if she's a touch reluctant to go. Though for that comment, her weyrmate earns a thoughtful look. "Your grandchild, you can help plan it. And Darsce. She's got mad skills like that. I'll have her get with you, Donn." Then to Natali, she adds, "We should let you rest."
Just the thought of three babies all at once, much less having four in the same weyrbarn is enough to make a chill run down Natali's spine. How would anyone get any sort of sleep with four rugrats all screaming and hollering for something or another. "I'd very much like to ensure that I have them one at a time." Natali quips to Thea dryly. "I'd be more than happy to have you there. I'll talk to Nash." Although the Weyrwoman's next words make her pause. "Here would be nice too. I'd prefer not to have to be hauled or carried all the way to the infirmary. It's something to consider." There's a smile for the both of them. "I like Darsce. I think she could plan a very nice party." This statement is accompanied by a stifled yawn. "Resting would be nice. Thank you for stopping by."
"Yours too," D'had reminds Thea. Besides everyone should agree that Thea and Darsce would plan a much better party than anything that Donn would have a hand in. As for the greenrider getting some rest, he agrees with a nod. "We'll let ourselves out," he notes to Natali with a quirk of a smile. No point in making her get up again to operate the door for them. "After you," he then notes to Thea.
Not to mention all the rest that comes with it like diapers, feeding and sore… nevermind. That's tmi-stuff. With a headtilt D'had's way, "Twins run in his family," Thea tells Natali brightly chipper. So what are the chances it'll be two one of these times? She'll just leave the woman to contemplate on that. Natali needs to rest, she has to go run the Weyr and D'had… has a party to plan.